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+++Front cover

THE BAHA'I WORLD 1995-96

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THE BAHA’i' WORLD 1995-96 
152 OF THE BAHA'I' ERA

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THE BAHA’I WORLD 1995-96 
AN INTERNATIONAL RECORD 
BAHA’i' WORLD CENTRE
HAIFA
1997

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©1997 World Centre Publications Order department: 46 High Street
Kidlington Oxford OX5 ZDN England Photo credits: Metelmann; p. 11
l—Brenton Edwards; pp. 126, 127, 133—cou11esy One Country; p.
l4l—courtesy The American Bahd '1'; p. 149, bottom—Vclda Metelmann; p.
lS4—Shahla Piff; p. l63—courtesy One Country. Other photos provided by
the Audio-Visual Department of the Bahz'l’i World Centre~ ISBN
0-85398-990-7 </Special:BookSources/0853989907> (Hardcover) ISBN
0-85398-991-5 </Special:BookSources/0853989915> (Softcover) A
Cataloguing-in-Publication number is available from the British Library.
THE , BAHA’I WORLD 1995 a 96 . CONTENTS Introduction to the volume
Introduction to the Community WRITINGS AND MESSAGES Baha'l’i Sacred
Writings From the Universal House of Justice EVENTS 1995-96 Conference
of Counsellors Five New National Spiritual Assemblies Mount Carmel
Projects: Progress 1995~96 The Year in Review The Baha’i International
Community: Activities 1995—96 Update: The Situation of the Baha’is in
Iran Equality, Development, and Peace: Bahé’is and the United Nations
Fourth World Conference on Women and NGO Forum UN 50: Bahél’is
Commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations The Bahz'l’i
Faith in the Eyes of the World ESSA YS, STA TEMEN T S, AND PROFILES
Covenant and the Foundations of Civil Society, by Wendy M Heller 19 27
145 159 171 185

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World Watch, by Ann Boyle's Statements by the Baha’i International
Community: Turning Point for All Nations The Role of Religion in
Promoting the Advancement of Women The Realization of Economic, Social,
and Cultural Rights Human Rights Education Association for the Coherent
Development of the Amazon (ADCAM) INF ORMA T I ON AND RESOURCES
Obituaries Statistics Directory Selected New Publications A Basic
Reading List Glossary Index 223 285 239 295 309 317 321 327 331 335
INTRODUCTION n 1995—96, two World-embracing events—the Fourth World
Conference on Women, held in China, and the United Nations’ lifiieth
anniversary—engaged the particular attention of the filernutional
community, and The Bahd World 1995-96 features major articles about
participation in both. Other milestones w ifhin the Baha’i community are
also noted: the formation of five new National Spiritual Assemblies and
the gathering of members uli‘the Continental Boards of Counsellors from
around the World to deliberate with other senior officers of the Baha’i
Faith about the wth and consolidation of the Baha’i community. The
wide-ranging work of the International Community, I. United
Nations-accredited nongovernmental organization which represents the
collective voice of national communities throughout the World, is also
highlighted here, as are activities undertaken by Baha’is in their local
and national communities. A i ‘lurvey of the media coverage of the
Baha’i Faith, as Well as updates I on the situation of the persecuted
Baha’i community of Iran and the progress of the construction projects
on Mount Carmel at the World Centre are also included.

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TEE BAHA'i' WORLD Aside from reporting on significant events in which
the Baha’i community is involved, The Bahd '1' World offers selections
from the Faith’s sacred writings, this year focusing on remedies to
pressing social problems, and highlights from major communications of
the Universal House of Justice. In the “Statements and Essays” portion
of the volume, the reader will find major documents prepared by Baha’i
Interna— tional Community agencies during the year, including Turning
Point for All Nations, which was widely disseminated during the United
Nations’ fiftieth anniversary, and the statement made at the Fourth
World Conference on Women. A major philosophical essay by Wendy M.
Heller on the religious foundations of civil society can also be found
here, as well as “World Watch,” an article reflecting on contemporary
social concerns from a perspective. Rounding out this section is a
profile of a social and economic development project undertaken by
Baha’is in Brazil. Finally, the volume contains a collection of
“Infonnation and Resources” for those who wish to obtain statistics on
the Baha’i world community, locate various agencies in the directory
provided, learn about new publications, have a basic reading list of
Baha’i books, or use the glossary to become more familiar with specific
Baha’i terminology. Brief memorial sketches of noted Baha’is from around
the world are also located here. Those wishing to read a general
discussion of the Baha’i Faith and its worldwide community can consult
the “Introduction to the Baha’i Community” at the beginning of the
volume. The Bahd'z' World volumes have been published at varying
intervals since 1925, offering an authoritative account of the
activities and achievements of the international Baha’i community. In
1992, the series was revamped to appear on an annual basis, to include
many more color photographs, and to be more accessible to the general
reading public. Each volume covers the period from Ridvan—an annual
twelve-day festival in the Baha’i Faith that commences on 21 April—to
Ridvén and seeks to provide a representative survey of the international
undertakings, the achievements, and the perspective of this worldwide
community. INTRODUCIIQN TOTHEDAHA’I COMMUNITY young man of high caste in
Bangladesh volunteers to live amongst the Poschima people, who are of a
much lower “to, in the course of his efforts to promote the beliefs of
21 Faith llml teaches the oneness of humankind. In Tasiilaq, Greenland,
a rim‘ull group gathering to study and enjoy fellowship welcomes
determined people who fly in to the remote settlement by helicopter. A
princess from Western Samoa travels to Fiji in [filer to offer tribal
chiefs and elders a document outlining a ccss of development that
respects the dignity of all eo les. P P Om.- hundred and sixty-five
people come together in Recife, Brazil, and, in an atmosphere of
reverence, mark the launching the Portuguese translation of a holy book.
A young Mongo ll‘woman who has never before left her province walks 70
lncters in the snow, then travels by truck, and finally catches P'planc
t0 Ulaan Baatar, where she participates in the election of her
rcligion’s national administrative body. In Salt Lake City, l llah, in
the United States, organizers of “Color Me Human Week" devote their
energies to the theme of “raising the first


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T115 BAHM WORLD generation free of prejudice”; their efforts attract the
hearts of many people with a parade, music, performances of dance
Workshops, and seminars on the elimination of racism. After two Weeks of
training in basic health care, a woman in Zambia returns to her village
and shares what she has learned with her neighbors. A group of youth
travels from Alberta to the Northwest Territories in Canada and offers
performances depicting positive social values in various community
centers. These people, though they have in all probability never met one
another, share a united view of the world and its future, as well as
their own role in shaping that future. They are members of the Baha’i
international com— munity. r The international community, comprising
members of the Faith from all over the globe, now numbers some five
million souls. They represent 2,112 ethnic and tribal groups and live in
over 121,000 localities in 190 independent countries and 45 dependent
territories or overseas departments. What was once regarded by some as
an obscure, tiny sect is now reported by the Encyclopedia Britannica to
be the second-most widely spread independent religion in the world,
after Christianity. Its membership cuts across all boundaries of class
and race, governing itself through the establishment of local and
national elected bodies known as Spiritual Assemblies. Its international
center and the seat of its world-goveming council, known as the
Universal House of Justice, are located in the Holy Land, in Haifa,
Israel. From what source do the members of the Baha’i Faith draw their
spiritual strength and their organizational structure? What are the
tenets of faith that can so attract and unify such a diverse group of
people? How do they see the future? This brief introduction to the
community, its history, its spiritual teachings, its aims, and its
objectives, provides information in response to these questions. Origins
In 1844 in Persia, a young siyyid (descendant of the Prophet Muhammad)
named Mirzé ‘Ali~Mul_1arnmad declared Himself to be the Promised Qa’im
awaited by Muslims. He adopted TH_E BAHA’i COMMUNITY the title “the
Bab,” which means “the Gate,” and His teachings quickly attracted a
large following. Alarmed by the growing numbers of “Babis,” as His
followers were known, the Muslim clergy allied themselves with ministers
of the Shah in an effort to destroy the infant Faith. Several thousand
Béibis were persecuted, tortured, and killed over the next number of
years, but the growth of this new religion continued, even after the Bab
Himself was imprisoned and subsequently publicly executed by a firing
squad in July 1850. The horrific treatment of the Babis at the hands of
the secular and religious authorities was recorded by a number of
Western diplomats, scholars, and travelers, who expressed their
admiration for the character and fortitude of the victims of the
persecution. The Babi Faith sprang from Islam in the same manner that
Christianity sprang from Judaism or Buddhism from Hinduism. It was
apparent from early in the ministry that the religion established by Him
represented not merely a sect or a movement within Islam but possessed
the character of an independent Faith. Furthermore, one of the main
tenets of Babi belief was the Bab’s statement that He had been sent by
God to prepare the way for One greater than Himself, who would
inaugurate an era of peace and righteousness throughout the world,
representing the culmination of all the religious dispensations of the
past. Mirza Husayn-‘Ali, known to history as Baha’u’llah, was one of the
leading adherents of the Babi Faith who was arrested and imprisoned
during the tumultuous years of the Bab’s brief ministry. He was spared
from execution but was banished from Persia to Baghdad, thence to
Constantinople, Adrianople, and finally to the penal colony of Acre in
Palestine. Thus, the Persian government, which had secured the support
of the rulers of the rival Ottoman empire in suppressing the new
movement, expected that His sphere of influence would be severely
limited. During His imprisonment Mirza Husayn-‘Ali had received the
first divine intimations that He was the Promised One of whom the Bab
had spoken. He adopted the title Baha’u’llah, which means “the Glory of
God,” and publicly declared His mission on the eve of His exile from
Baghdad, in April 1863.


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TEE BAHA’i WORLD Baha’u’llah was still nominally a prisoner when He
passed away some forty years later in Acre, in November 1892, although
the authorities had gradually loosened their restrictions as they became
acquainted with Him and the nature of His teachings. During the long
years of His exile and imprisonment, Baha’u’llah revealed the equivalent
of over 100 volumes of writings, consisting of the laws and ordinances
of His dispensation, letters to the kings and rulers of the East and the
West, mystical teachings, and other divinely inspired Writings. In His
will and testament, Baha’u’llah appointed His eldest son, ‘Abbas
Effendi, who adopted the title ‘Abdu’l-Bahé (the Servant of Baha), as
His successor and sole authoritative interpreter of His teachings.
‘Abdu’l-Baha had shared the long years of exile and imprisonment of His
Father, being freed only after a new regime was installed by the “Young
Turk” movement in 1908. Shortly thereafter, at an advanced age, He
embarked on an arduous journey to Europe and America where, from 191 l
to 1913, He proclaimed Baha’u’lléh’s message of universal brotherhood
and peace to large audiences, consolidated fledgling Baha’i communities,
and warned of the potential catastrophe looming on Europe’s darkening
horizon. By the time World War I erupted in 1914, ‘Abdu’l-Bahzi had
returned to His home in Haifa, just across the bay from Acre in
Palestine, and devoted Himself to caring for the people of that city,
fending off famine by feeding them from stores of grain He had
safeguarded for just such an eventuality. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s humanitarian
services and promotion of intercultural harmony were recognized by the
British government, which, at the end of the war, conferred upon Him a
knighthood, a title He acknowledged, although He declined to use it. He
passed away in 1921 and is buried on Mount Carmel in a vault near where
the remains of the Bab were interred by Him some years before. Among the
significant legacies bequeathed to history by ‘Abdu’l-Baha was a series
of letters, called the Tablets ofthe Divine Plan, addressed to the
Baha’is of North America during the years of World War I. These fourteen
letters directed the recipients to scatter to countries on all
continents and share with TH_E BAHA’I COMMUNITY their populations the
teachings of mandate that led to the global expansion of the community.
Another legacy of ‘Abdu’l-Bahét was His Will and Testament, which
Bahé’is regard as the charter of the administrative order conceived by
Bahzi’u’llélh. In this document, ‘Abdu’l-Baha'l appointed His eldest
grandson, Shoghi Effendi, to succeed Him after His passing as Guardian
of the Faith and authorized interpreter of its teachings. During the
period of his Guardianship, from 1921 to 1957, Shoghi Effendi
concentrated his attention on four main areas: the development of the
Baha’i World Centre in the environs of Haifa, Israel; the translation
and interpretation of the Baha’i sacred writings; the rise and
consolidation of the institutions of the administrative order of the
Baha’i Faith; and the implementation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé’s plan for the
propagation of the Baha’i Faith around the world. At the Baha’i World
Centre, Shoghi Effendi effected the construction of a superstructure for
the mausoleum containing the remains of the Bath, which had been brought
from Persia to the Holy Land and been interred by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in a tomb
on Mount Carmel in a spot designated by Baha’u’llah. Shoghi Effendi
beautified and expanded the simple native stone structure, which is
today a site of pilgrimage for Baha’is from all over the world. He
enhanced the Baha’i properties, particularly the site of Baha’u’lléh’s
grave at Bahji, with gardens of striking beauty, and he also initiated
the construction of the International Baha’i Archives building to house
and preserve artifacts from the early days of the Baha’i Faith. The
International Archives building was the first structure built on the
arc-shaped path on the site designated as the World administrative
center of the Baha’i cornmunity. It was completed in 1957. In concert
with the actions he took to develop the Baha’i World Centre and lay the
foundations, literally and figuratively, for the further course of that
development, Shoghi Effendi was also instrumental in interpreting the
writings of Bahé’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha and translating them from the
original Persian and Arabic into English. The Guardian had served as
secretary for a


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number of years to ‘Abdu’l-Baha'. and at the time of the latter’s
passing was a student at Oxford University. His mastery of Persian,
Arabic, and English, coupled with the authority conferred upon him by
‘Abdu’l-Baha as the appointed interpreter of those writings, made him
uniquely qualified to undertake their translation. He also translated a
history of the Babi Faith, authored a history of the first century of
the Baha’i Faith, called God Passes By, and wrote thousands of letters
to communities and individuals around the world, elucidating passages
from the Writings, and thus giving direction and impetus to activities.
Development of the Administrative Order Shoghi Effendi’s Work in
developing the Baha’l administrative order is one of the most dramatic
legacies of his years as Guardian. The first step in this development
was to encourage the organized, planned expansion of Baha’i communities
in places Where local and national Baha’i councils, known as Spiritual
Assemblies, would eventually be established. The Guardian effected this
global expansion of Baha’i communities through a series of international
plans that ran for varying numbers of years and during which twelve
National Spiritual Assemblies were founded. At the time of Shoghi
Effendi’s sudden passing in 1957, the Baha’i community was in the middle
of a global plan of expansion and consolidation called “The Ten Year
Crusade.” During this period, which concluded in centenary of
Baha’u’llah’s declaration of His mission in the Garden of Ridvén in
Baghdad—the goal was to open 132 new countries and major territories to
the Faith and expand existing communities in 120 countries and
territories previously opened to the Faith. These ambitious targets were
actually exceeded by the end of the plan, in spite of the difficulties
posed by the Guardian’s death. ‘Abdu’l-Bahél, in His Will and Testament,
had authorized the continuation of the Guardianship through the
appointment by the Guardian of a successor from among his own sons,
should he have them, or other direct descendants of Such a designation
was dependent upon the decision of Shoghi Effendi whether an individual
could be named who met the (16manding spiritual qualifications specified
by and ‘Abdu’l-Baha. Shoghi Effendi had no children and died WithOLIt
designating such a Guardian to follow him‘ He had, taken steps toward
the election of the Universal Hotlse Of Justice, the supreme governing
body of the Faith which was to function, with him, as one of the two
authorized successors provided for in the writings of Baha’u’llah and
‘Abdll’l-Bahé- He had also appointed a number of individual Baha’is to
an auxiliary institution of the Guardianship called “Hands Of the Cause
of God.” These individuals had been charged with the duty of protecting
the unity of the faith and collaborating With the National Spiritual
Assemblies around the world to ensure that the goals of the Ten Year
Crusade were won. Upor1 the Passing of Shoghi Effendi, these persons
gathered togethef to guide the Baha’i community to the completion ofthe
plan initiated by the Guardian and towards the first election of the
Universil11 House of Justice, which took place in April 1963. Conceived
by Himself, the institution of the Universal House of Justice is
established on principles down in the Baha’i sacred writings. Its
election, by the members of the 56 National Spiritual Assemblies that
existed in April 1963, clearly demonstrated the principle of unity so
Centf 31 t0 the Baha'l’i Faith, with the nine elected members coming
from four continents and representing a variety of religious and ethnic
backgrounds. Basing itself on the authority conferred on it by the
Founder ofthe Faith, the Universal House of Justice has StOOd HS the
acknowledged central authority in the worldWide Bahél’i community since
1963. During the last 32 years, the Universal House of Justice has
launched six global plans for the 3dvancement of the Faith. From a
worldwide pflpulation of 408,000 in 1963, the community has grovt’n to
approx‘ imately five million members; the number of National and


+++10 Regional Spiritual Assemblies has grown from 56 to 174; and the
number of Local Spiritual Assemblies has increased from 3,555 to over
17,000. Bahé’is live in some 235 countries and territories around the
planet. Spiritual and Moral Teachings and Baha’i Community Life The
force that unites this widely diverse body of people is a unity of
vision gained from belief in Baha’u’llah as a Manifestation of God, in
the social and administrative structures He established, and in the
spiritual and moral teachings He propagated. Central to these spiritual
teachings is the concept that there is only one God and that the major
religions of the world have been established by Messengers or
Manifestations of this one Divine Reality: Abraham, Krishna, Moses,
Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, and Muhammad, who have been sent by the
Creator progressively throughout history to deliver a divine message
commensurate with humanity’s stage of development. The spiritual essence
of all the major religions, in the view, is the same: that humanity has
been created to know and to worship God. Only the religions’ social
teachings change through the process of this progressive revelation. The
Bahz'l’i perspective is optimistic, seeing the cumulative benefits of
progressively revealed religions as fundamental to an “ever-advancing
civilization.” What divides various religious communities, Baha’is
believe, comes not from God but from humanity and its accretions to the
essential religious teachings brought by each divine Messenger. In this
new stage of humanity’s development, the time has come for the
recognition of the unity of the human race, for the establishment of the
equality of Women and men, for the elimination of the extremes of wealth
and poverty, and for the realization of the age—old promise of universal
peace. Likening the development of the human race to that of a child,
the Baha’i Writings say that we have passed through the stages analogous
to infancy and childhood and are now enduring a tumultuous adolescence,
on the threshold of maturity. Baha’u’llah taught that humanity is
destined to come of age, but the course it takes to achieve that goal is
entirely in its own hands. To promote the development of a society in
which Tim BAHA’I COMMUNITY ideals can be fully realized, Baha’u’llah
established laws and moral teachings that Baha’is are called upon to
follow. Central to these is daily obligatory prayer. Study and
meditation upon the Baha’i sacred writings is also enjoined upon
believers each morning and evening. Bahé’is between the ages of 15 and
70, with the exception of women who are pregnant or menstruating, as
well as nursing mothers and the sick, observe a nineteen-day,
dawn-to-dusk fast each year. referred to prayer and fasting as the “twin
pillars” of faith, an indication of their importance and the benefits to
be gained from them. He also raised work to the level of worship. The
main repository of laws is a volume entitled the Kitéb-i-Aqdas, or the
Most Holy Book. There are no dietary restrictions in the Faith, but the
consumption of alcohol and the use of narcotic and hallucinogenic drugs
are forbidden, as they affect the mind and interfere with spiritual
growth. counselled Bahé’is to be honest and trustworthy, to render
service to humanity with an abundance of deeds rather than mere words,
to be chaste in their relationships with others, and to avoid gossip and
backbiting. He forbade lying, stealing, adultery, sodomy, and
promiscuity. The importance of the family is central to Baha’i community
life, as is the moral and spiritual education of children. Bahé’is often
gather together in their communities to study the sacred writings of
their faith and to pray, but a central feature in Baha’i community life
is a meeting called “the Nineteen Day Feast,” at which all members join
in worship, consult about community affairs, and socialize. For the time
being, pending the further development of Baha’i communities, these
meetings often occur in rented facilities, people’s homes, or, in some
locations, in the local Baha’i center. The writings call for the
erection in each community of a beautifully designed House of Worship,
set in exquisite gardens and functioning as a spiritual center of
activity. A variety of social and humanitarian institutions are also to
be established around it. A Baha’i House of Worship presently exists on
each continent, and sites have been purchased around the World for
construction of many more in the

+++12

future. They are open to people of all faiths—or those professing no
particular faith—for prayer and meditation. Services are
nondenominational. There are no sermons, only readings and prayers from
the Bahét’i writings and scriptures of other world faiths and music by
an a capella choir. This preserves for worshippers the sacredness of the
experience of hearing and meditating upon the Holy Word without the
interference of man-made concepts. Aims, Objectives, and Activities As
the Universal House of Justice stated in a message addressed to the
peoples of the World, written in October 1985 on the eve of the United
Nations International Year of Peace, “Acceptance of the oneness of
mankind is the first fundamental prerequisite for reorganization and
administration of the world as one country, the home of humankind.” The
ultimate aim of the Baha’i Faith is the establishment of unity among all
the peoples of the world, and it is because of its orientation towards
unity on an international scale that the Baha’i community has been
active at the United Nations since that organization’s inception. Today
the International Community, an extremely active nongovernmental
organization (NGO) which represents the collective voice of the national
Baha’i communities around the world, enjoys consultative status with the
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is particularly involved in
addressing human rights issues, the needs of women and children, and
environmental concerns, as well as pursuing sound sustainable
development policies. To coordinate its international efforts in these
areas, the Baha’i International Community’s United Nations and Office of
Public Information, as well as Offices of the Environment and for the
Advancement of Women, collaborate with National Spiritual Assemblies
around the World in various projects and representations at
international gatherings. The activities of the International Community
at the United Nations have earned it a reputation as one of the most
effective religious NGOs in the UN system. Its national and
international representatives have taken active roles in major
international events such as the Earth Summit in Rio de J aneiro in June
1992, the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in
June 1993, the World Summit for Social TE BAHA'I COMMUNITY Development
in Copenhagen in March 1995, and the Fourth World Conference on Women in
Beijing in September 1995. Beyond the scope of the United Nations,
Bahél’l's look towards a day when a new international order will be
established, a commonwealth to which all the nations of the world will
belong. As Shoghi Effendi wrote in 1936, The unity of the human race, as
envisaged by Baha’u’llah, implies the establishment of a world
commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely
and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members
and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose
them are definitely and completely safeguarded. This commonwealth must,
as far as we can visualize it, consist of a World legislature, whose
members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind,. . .enact such
laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and
adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive,
backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived
at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will
safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal
will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and
any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting
this universal system. Shoghi Effendi went on to describe the tremendous
benefits to humanity resulting from such a world order: The enormous
energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will
be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions
and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of
mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific
research, to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the
sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the
unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of
human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can
stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the entire
human race.1 l. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order ofBaha’ 'lldh: Selected
Letters, 2d rev. ed. (Wilmette: Publishing Trust, 1974), pp. 203-04.


+++14

To make its aims and objectives widely known and to promote its
perspective on various issues, the Baha’i International Community has
been active not only in collaborating with like-minded organizations in
and out of the United Nations but has also been engaged in public
relations efforts designed to bring spiritual and social principles of
the Faith to the attention of the generality of humankind. Information
about the Baha’i Faith became much more Widely disseminated than it had
been as international news media reported the persecution of the Baha’is
of Iran which came in the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution. More than
200 members of the Faith were executed for their belief, considered as
heresy by the regime, and thousands more were imprisoned, fired from
their jobs, or had their homes confiscated or their pensions cut off as
a result of government orders. Bahé’is around the world responded in
unity to the situation in Iran—the land in which their religion was
bom—by petitioning their governments to take action against this treat
ment; and it is, to some degree, as a result of these efforts that the
persecutions were not more extreme. Executions have ceased, although
Iran’s Baha’is are still denied fundamental rights and freedoms. The
Baha’i community has also taken a proactive approach in promulgating its
views. The statement on peace issued by the Universal House of Justice
in 1985, entitled The Promise of World Peace, sparked a worldwide
campaign of presentations and‘ public education projects that lasted
throughout the International Year of Peace and beyond and encompassed
government figures and leaders of thought, as well as the general
population. To mark the centenary of Baha’u’llah’s passing in 1992, the
Baha’i International Community’s Office of Public Information published
Bahd 'lldh, a statement about the Faith’s Founder, detailing His life,
His teachings, and His mission. Events of the year itself, notably the
commemoration in the Holy Land in May 1992 of the centenary of the
passing of Baha’u’llah, involving some 3,000 participants from all over
the World, and the Baha’i World Congress held in New York City in
November 1992, which attracted some 27,000 Baha’is from around the
globe, caused much publicity for the Faith. In January 1995, the Office
of Public T11; BAHA‘i COMMUNITY lnfonnation released another major
statement on social development, entitled The Prosperity ofHumankind.
Widely disseminated at the World Summit for Social Development in
Copenhagen in March 1995, the statement promises to lead to further
engagement of the community with leaders of thought in this field. Most
recently, a statement entitled Turning Point for All Nations was
released to contribute to the discussions on the future of the United
Nations that marked the organization’s fiftieth anniversary.2 Aside from
large-scale public relations activities and the publication of
statements on different themes, the Bahét’i community has been
continually engaged in a series of international teaching plans, and it
has seen rapid expansion in different parts of the world, most notably
in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, where national Baha’i
communities have been established in recent years following the collapse
of long-standing political barriers. Czechoslovakia, Romania, and the
former USSR were the first, in 1991; Albania, Azerbaijan, the Baltic
States, Central Asia, Hungary, Poland, and Russia, Georgia, and Armenia,
as well as the Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova, followed in 1992. In 1994
five National Assemblies, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyr— gyzstan,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, were established Where the single community
of Central Asia had existed before. Slovenia and Croatia also elected
their first Regional Spiritual Assembly, and National Spiritual
Assemblies came into existence in Cambodia and Mongolia. Five National
Assemblies were formed in 1995 as well—Armenia, Georgia, and Belarus
each formed its own National Assembly, as did Eritrea and Sicily. The
existence and growth of the community offers irrefutable evidence that
humanity, in all its diversity, can learn lo live and work together in
harmony. While Bahé’is are not unaware of the turmoil in the World
surrounding them, their View Hi Buccinctiy depicted in the following
words, taken from The / 'rmpvrily QfHumankind: 2. Sm- pp. 24l-83 for the
full text of this statement.

+++16

Tmi BAHA’i WORLD A world is passing away and a new one is struggling to
be born. The habits, attitudes, and institutions that have accumulated
over the centuries are being subjected to tests that are as necessary to
human development as they are inescapable. What is required of the
peoples of the world is a measure of faith and resolve to match the
enormous energies with which the Creator of all things has endowed this
spiritual springtime of the race. The source of this faith and resolve
is the message of hope offered to humanity by the teachings of It is a
message that deservhs the thoughtfuluconsideration of all those I N G S
who cam for eace and st'ce the orld. y 11 Ju 1 In W- 1 I AND ESSAGES

+++18


BAHAT SACRED WRITINGS Writings of Bahé’u’llzih 1 | he All-Knowing
Physician hath His finger on the pulse of .l mankind. He perceiveth the
disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring Wisdom, the remedy. Every age
hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The
remedy the world jwedeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the
same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned
with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on
its exigencies and requirements. We can Well perceive how the Whole
human race is encompassed with great, with incalculable afflictions. We
see it languishing on its bed of sickness, sore—tried and disillusioned.
They that are intoxicutcd by self-conceit have interposed themselves
between it and the Divine and infallible Physician. Witness how they
have entangled ll" men, themselves included, in the mesh of their
devices. They can neither discover the cause of the disease, nor have
they any knowledge of the remedy. They have conceived the straight to be
t‘l'OOkCtL and have imagined their friend an enemy.

+++20

Incline your ears to the sweet melody of this Prisoner. Arise, and lift
up your voices, that haply they that are fast asleep may be awakened.
Say: 0 ye who are as dead! The Hand of Divine bounty proffereth unto you
the Water of Life. Hasten and drink your fill. Whoso hath been re-born
in this Day, shall never die; whoso remaineth dead, shall never live. 0
ye members of Assemblies in that land [England] and in other countries!
Take ye counsel together, and let your concern be only for that which
profiteth mankind and bettereth the condition thereof; if ye be of them
that scan heedfully. Regard the world as the human body which, though at
its creation Whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various
causes, with grave disorders and maladies. Not for one day ‘did it gain
ease, nay, its sickness Waxed more severe, as it fell under the
treatment of ignorant physicians, who gave full rein to their personal
desires, and have erred grievously. And if at one time, through the care
of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest
remained as before. Thus infonneth you the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We
behold it, in this day, at the mercy of rulers, so drunk with pride that
they cannot discern clearly their own best advantage, much less
recognize a Revelation so bewildering and challenging as this. ...That
which God hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument
for the healing of the world is the union of all its peoples in one
universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved
except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful, and inspired
Physician. The Great Being saith: 0 ye children of men! The fundamental
purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the
interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the
spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a
source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the
straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised
on this foundation, the changes ii BAHA’I SACRED WRITINGS zmd chances of
the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of
countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the
world’s religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for
the reformation of this age and the rehabilitution of its fortunes. Let
them, after meditating on its needs, take counsel together and, through
anxious and full deliberation, administer to a diseased and
sorely-afflicted world the remedy it rcquireth... It is incumbent upon
them who are in authority to exercise moderation in all things.
Whatsoever passeth beyond the limits of moderation will cease to exert a
beneficial influence. Consider for instance such things as liberty,
civilization and the like. However much men of understanding may
favorably regard them, they will, if carried to excess, exercise a
pernicious ence upon men. .. Please God, the peoples of the world may be
led, as the result of the high endeavors exerted by their rulers and the
wise and learned amongst men, to recognize their best interests. How
long will humanity persist in its waywardness? How long will injustice
continue? How long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst men? How long
will discord agitate the face of society?... The winds of despair are,
alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that divideth and the
human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and
chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order lppeareth
to be lamentably defective. l beseech God, exalted be His glory, that He
may graciously awaken the peoples of the Otll‘lh, may grant that the end
of their conduct may be profitable unto them, and aid them to accomplish
that which beseemeth their nation. I ...'l'he heaven of statesmanship is
made luminous and resplenmt by the brightness of the light of these
blessed words which llllth dawned from the dayspring 0f the Will of God:
It behoveth every ruler to weigh his own being every day in the balance
of equity and justice and then to judge between men and counsel "mm to
do that which would direct their steps unto the path of wisdom and
understanding. This is the cornerstone of statesmanNl'lij) uml the
essence thereof. From these Words every enlightened

+++22

man of Wisdom will readily perceive that which will foster such aims as
the Welfare, security and protection of mankind and the safety of human
lives. Were men of insight to quaff their fill from the ocean of inner
meanings which lie enshrined in these words and become acquainted
therewith, they would bear witness to the sublimity and the excellence
of this utterance. If this lowly one were to set forth that which he
perceiveth, all would testify unto God’s consummate wisdom. The secrets
of statesmanship and that of which the people are in need he enfolded
within these words. This lowly servant earnestly entreateth the One true
God— exalted be His glory—to illumine the eyes of the people of the
world with the splendor of the light of‘wisdom that they, one and all,
may recognize that which is indispensable in this day. That one indeed
is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire
human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth
to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth.
In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride
himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him Who loveth the
whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens. The
purpose of religion as revealed from the heaven of God’s holy Will is to
establish unity and concord amongst the peoples of the world; make it
not the cause of dissension and strife. The religion of God and His
divine law are the most potent instruments and the surest of all means
for the dawning of the light of unity amongst men. The progress of the
world, the development of nations, the tranquillity of peoples, and the
peace of all who dwell on earth are among the principles and ordinances
of God. Religion bestoweth upon man the most precious of all gifts,
offereth the cup of prosperity, imparteth eternal life, and shower? eth
imperishable benefits upon mankind. It behoveth the chiefs and rulers of
the world, and in particular the Trustees of God’s House of Justice, to
endeavor to the utmost of their power to safeguard its position, promote
its interests and exalt its station in the eyes of the World. In like
manner it is incumbent upon them to enquire into the conditions of their
subjects and to BAHA'i SACRED WRITINGS acquaint themselves with the
affairs and activities of the divers communities in their dominionsv We
call upon the manifestations of the power of God—the sovereigns and
rulers 0n earth—t0 bestir themselves and do all in their power that
haply they may banish discord from this world and illumine it with the
light of concord. It is incumbent upon everyone to firmly adhere to and
observe that which hath streamed forth from Our Most Exalted Pen. God,
the True One, beareth Me witness, and every atom in existence is moved
to testify that such means as lead to the elevation, the advancement,
the education, the protection and the regeneration of the peoples of the
earth have been clearly set forth by Us and are revealed in the Holy
Books and Tablets by the Pen of Glory. We pray God—exalted be His
glory—and cherish the hope that He may graciously assist the
manifestations of affluence and power and the daysprings of sovereignty
and glory, the kings of the earth—may God aid them through His
strengthening grace— to establish the Lesser Peace. This, indeed, is the
greatest means for insuring the tranquillity of the nations. It is
incumbent upon t the Sovereigns of the world—may God assist
them—unitedly to hold fast unto this Peace, which is the chief
instrument for the i protection of all mankind. It is Our hope that they
will arise to achieve what will be conducive to the well-being of man.
It is their duty to convene an all-inclusive assembly, which either they
themselves or their ministers will attend, and to enforce whatever
heasures are required to establish unity and concord amongst en. They
must put away the Weapons of war, and turn to the struments of universal
reconstruction. Should one king rise up ainst another, all the other
kings must arise to deter him Arms (1 armaments will, then, be no more
needed beyond that which necessary to insure the internal security of
their respective Ountries. If they attain unto this all-surpassing
blessing, the people of each nation will pursue, with tranquillity and
contentment, their own occupations, and the groanings and lamentations
most men would be silenced. We beseech God to aid them to tltl His will
and pleasure. He, verily, is the Lord of the throne on

+++24


T115 BAHA'T WORLD high and of earth below, and the Lord of this world
and of the World to come. It would be preferable and more fitting that
the highly-honored kings themselves should attend such an assembly, and
proclaim their edicts. Any king who will arise and carry out this task,
he, verily will, in the sight of God, become the cynosure of all kings.
Happy is he, and great is his blessedness! ...The structure of world
stability and order hath been reared upon, and will continue to be
sustained by, the twin pillars of reward and punishment. And in another
connection He hath uttered the following in the eloquent tongue:l
Justice hath a mighty force at its command. It‘ is none other than
reward and punishment for the deeds of men_ By the power of this force
the tabernacle of order is established throughout the world, causing the
wicked to restrain their natures for fear of punishment. ...Take heed, O
concourse of the rulers of the world! There is no force on earth that
can equal in its conquering power the force of justice and wisdom. I,
verily, that there is not, and hath never been, a host more mighty than
that of justice and wisdom. Blessed is the king who marcheth with the
ensign of wisdom unfurled before him, and the battalions of justice
massed in his rear. He verily is the ornament that adorneth the brow of
peace and the countenance of security. There can be no doubt whatever
that if the day-star of justice, which the clouds of tyranny have
obscured, were to shed its light upon men, the face of the earth would
be completely transformed. ...Among the things which are conducive to
unity and concord and will cause the whole earth to be regarded as one
country is that the divers languages be reduced to one language and in
like manner the scripts used in the world be confined to a single
script. It is incumbent upon all nations to appoint some men of
understanding and erudition to convene a gathering and through joint
consultation choose one language from among the varied 1. Arabic. BAHA'I
SACRED WRITINGS existing languages, or create a new one, to be taught to
the children in all the schools of the world. The day is approaching
when all the peoples of the world will have adopted one universal
language and one common script. When this is achieved, to whatsoever
city a man may journey, it shall be as if he was entering his own home.
These things are nbligatory and absolutely essentiaL It is incumbent
upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that
which hath been written into reality and action.

+++26 FROM THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE he Universal House of Justice,
the international governing council of the Baha’i World community, was
ordained by Salu'l'u’llah as that body charged “to ensure the continuity
of that divinely-appointed authority which flows from the Source of the
Faith. to safeguard the unity of its followersrand to maintain the
integrity zind flexibility of its teachings.”1 Thus explicitly empowered
through the writings of the Baha’i Faith, the Universal House of Justice
seeks continually to raise Baha’i community members’ vision about their
contributions to shaping society, while giving full recognition to the
obstacles and challenges inherent in current world events' Significant
communications of the Universal House of Justice between Ridvan 1995 and
Ridvan WW», which largely focus on both the expansion of the community
ltlul various aspects of its development, are highlighted here. 1|.
Constitution of the Universal House of Justice (Haifa: World ‘pmrc,
1972), p. 4.


+++28


Riglvim Message (152 B.E.) Each year between 21 April and 2 May, during
the twelve-day commemoration of Baha’u’llah’s public declaration of His
mission in the Garden of Ridvan in Baghdad, the Universal House of
Justice addresses a letter to the Baha’is of the world, outlining the
achievements of the past year and looking ahead to the activities of the
coming year. The 1995 Riclvén message (152 BE.) focuses largely on the
growing recognition of the Faith, its role in assisting the progress of
humanity, and various aspects of its cornmunity’s affairs. The letter
begins by noting “the despair besetting leaders of nations and peoples
in their search for‘ solutions to pressing social problems” and by
seeing in their “desperation” “a world-Wide cry for the Teachings of
Baha’u’llah.” In the face of the “melancholy outlook evident at the
World Summit for Social Development” in Copenhagen in March 1995, for
example, the Baha’i International Community’s considerable presence
there and its many follow-up activities undertaken after the gathering
evidenced “the further advance of our world community in influencing the
processes towards the Lesser Peace.”2 Indeed, while the international
conferences called by the'United Nations may not appear to have
accomplished much, Bahé’is see in them “a gradual movement towards the
ultimate fulfillment of the will of Bahé’u’llah that the rulers of
nations meet to consult and decide on the outstanding issues in an
increasingly global society.” In fact, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith,
Shoghi Effendi, described how the parallel processes leading to the
political union of nations and to the uniting of people in one common
faith would eventually draw closer together towards the end of this
century, and the Universal House of Justice sees in current events
evidence of the approaching fulfillment of this vision. Bahé’is, then,
have offered strong support to the recent series of United Nations
conferences and summits. " Another indication of the wider recognition
of the Bahzi’i Faith noted by the Universal House of Justice is the
increasing number 2. For further details concerning participation in the
World Summit for Social Development, see The Bahci World 1994-95, pp.
3746, mg UNIVERSAL HOUSE 93 IUSTICE of visits to the World Centre by
dignitaries, high-ranking government officials, and media
representatives, underscoring “a trend towards a greater familiarity of
the governments of the nations with the evolving center of a World
Faith.” Such recognition also highlights the necessity for the speedy
completion of the current construction projects on Mount Calmel. Bahé’is
understand the act of erecting these buildings as synchronizing, in the
Words of Shoghi Effendi, with “two no less significant developments—the
establish ment of the Lesser Peace and the evolution of national and
local institutions.” Against the backdrop of despair in the wider
society, develop ments in the community are, in contrast, “encouraging.”
Aside from “heartening” advances in external affairs activities and an
increase in the community’s efforts to share the message of v
Baha’u’lléih, a number of stimulating factors concerning the internal
functioning of Baha’i communities around the world are highlighted.
These include evolution in the work of the lntemational and Continental
Counsellors, appointed high-ranking officers of t the Faith, and their
auxiliaries around the globe; the emphasis on the education of children
in the community; the “vigor of the youth”; and the “gathering strength”
of Spiritual Assemblies at lpth the national and local levels. These
institutions, says the Universal House of Justice, “foster a climate of
unified action” in the Baha’i community by engaging in complementary
collaborativc activities with individuals. By establishing such a
climate, they will be able to work together “to combat the ravages of a
rampant bral decadence” evident in society. The vitality of the
community is also reflected in the b'nation, at Riclvan 1995, of five
new National Spiritual Assem— L'blies: Armenia, Georgia, Belarus,
Sicily, and Eritrea. At the same h'nc, four previously existing
Assemblies, in Bophuthatswana, South Africa, and Transkei, merged into
one under the hisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of South
Africa, fleeting the recent political reunion of the region‘ At Riclvan
a, then, the total number of National Spiritual Assemblies the World
stood at 174. owards the close of the letter, again drawing the
minunity’s attention to “humanity’s current plight,” the Universal

+++30

TH_E BAHA'i WORLD House of Justice reiterates the importance of the
efforts of individual Baha’is, reinforced by their institutions, to
bring the healing message of Baha’u’llah to the peoples of the world.
Indeed, the House of Justice states that “at this extraordinary moment
in the history of the planet, nothing whatever is of more critical
importance than inviting people of every sort and every gift to the
banquet table of the Lord of Hosts,” and cites Baha’s reference to the
current century as a time that will leave “traces which shall last
forever.” Judgement by the Supreme Court of India The theme of widening
recognition of the Baha’i Faith can be seen again in a letter of 5 May
1995, in which the Universal House of Justice informs National Spiritual
Assemblies around the world of a judgement by the Supreme Court of India
that refers to the teachings of the Baha’i Faith as a means for solving
religious disputes. The case ruled on by the Court involved strife
between Hindus and Muslims occasioned by the razing of a mosque in
Ayodhya, the site where Hindus believe the god Rama was born thousands
of years ago. The mosque’s destruction ignited widespread violence and
attacks on property‘ The Universal House of Justice cites this reference
to the Faith as evidence of its emergence from obscurity and further
notes that “Reports have been received that receptive members of
governments are now using the...Teachings and principles of the Faith in
directing the affairs of their countries.” The House of Justice also
pays tribute to the “sacrifices of the Baha’is in Iran and the
solidarity of the Baha’i world in rallying around its institutions” in
support of the Iranian Baha’is. These factors, it says, have led Baha’is
in many parts of the World to contact their governments on behalf of
their fellow believers, resulting in a greatly increased awareness of
the Faith and its teachings which, in turn, leads to references to the
Faith such as that made by India’s Supreme Court. Increase in the Number
of Continental Counsellors A letter to the Bahé’is of the world written
29 October 1995 marks a significant advance in one aspect of community
development, with the Universal House of Justice’s announcement of the
com TH_E UNIVERSAL HOUSE QE JUSTICE mencement of a new five-year term of
service for members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors for the
Protection and Propagation of the Faith and the indication that the
number of appointees will be raised from 72 to After giving the names of
the new Counsellors and thanking the 15 individuals retiring from their
duties, the Universal House of Justice states that an important focus
for the Counsellors during “the crucial period ahead” will be “fostering
the evolution of local and national institutions and...helping the rank
and file of the believers to increase their dcvotion to their ardor in
teaching, and their ability to draw on the tremendous power latent in
the unified action of communities.” Messages at the Time of the
Continental Boards of Counsellors’ Conference The holding of a
conference for members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors from
around the world in Haifa in December 1995 occasioned several weighty
messages from the Universal House of Justice. The letter of greeting to
the confer~ ence, dated 26 December 1995, refers to the role of the
institution of the Counsellors over the past 25 years and announces the
launch of a Four at Ridvan 1996, for the expansion and consolidation of
the world community. It also challenges the Counsellors to call forth
“the wholehearted endeavors of the followers of to raise “the level of
their upiritual awareness,” and to promote “the evolution of national
and local Baha’i communities.” - In its letter specifically about the
Four Year Plan, also dated 26 December 1996, the Universal House of
Justice outlines its central focus as a single major accomplishment: a
significant advance the process of steady large-scale enrollments. To
effect this, l‘ writes, will require “marked progress in the activity
and development of the individual believer, of the institutions, and of
the local community.” Discussing the responsibilities of the individual
in teaching the Faith to others and of local institutions in
ol'llinating such efforts, the House of Justice stresses that “those who
enter the Faith must be integrated into vibrant local communiliqm
characterized by tolerance and love and guided by a strong rim-Bic of
purpose and collective will, environments in which the

+++32


capacities of all components—men, women, youth and children— are
developed and their powers multiplied in unified action.n The letter
deals with a number of different aspects of the Four Year Plan,
including the planning process itself, as each national community
formulates its own plan within the global guidelines set by the House of
Justice; the focus of the work of the Continental Counsellors in
assisting national communities to for— mulate their plans and pursue
their goals; and necessary elements for effective plans. The House of
Justice spends some time on the development of “institutes,” which it
defines as “organizational structures dedicated to systematic training,”
the purpose of which is “to endow ever-growing contingents of believers
with the spiritual insights, the knowledge, and the skills needed to
carry out the many tasks of accelerated expansion and consolidation” of
the community. “Institutes should be regarded as centers of learning,”
it notes, which are designed to assist in the large-scale development of
human resources in the Baha’i community The House of Justice concludes,
“It is our hope that significant progress in this direction will
constitute one of the distinguishing features of the Four Year Plan.”
Another section of this letter is devoted to development at the local
level, about which the House of Justice says, “The com‘munity must
become imbued with a sense of mission and the Assembly grow in awareness
of its role as a channel of God’s grace not only for the Baha’is but for
the entire village, town or city in which it serves.” To this end, in
local communities where the participation of Women is lagging,
“determined steps” must be taken to rectify this situation; proper
annual elections of Local Spiritual Assemblies and enhancement of their
functioning must be achieved (later in the message the House of Justice
announces that as of Ridvan 1996 all Spiritual Assemblies around the
World must be elected on the First Day of Ridvén); priority should be
given to the regular holding of Baha’i children’s classes; youth should
be given attention. All of these factors combine to define a first stage
in the process of community development, beyond which the community can
further progress. The functioning of members of the Auxiliary Boards of
the Continental Boards of Counsellors receives considerable attention
Ilia UNIVERSAL. Haii-USE IUSTICE in the 26 December letter, focusing on
their work locally to assist the growth and development of communities
and on their role in the evolution of institutes. At the conclusion of
the Continental Counsellors’ Conference, the Universal House of Justice
released a letter to the Baha'l’is of lhe world, informing them of the
launch of the Four Year Plan at Ridvém 1996, referring to the
deliberations of the Counsellors at their conference, and reiterating
the Four Year Plan’s one key goal: :1 significant advance in the process
of large-scale enrollments of new believers. The House of Justice also
summarizes the requisites necessary for progress “in the activity and
development of the individual believer, of the institutions, and of the
local community”: The first calls for a vitality of the faith of each
believer that is expressed through personal initiative and constancy in
teaching the Cause to others, and through conscientious, individual
effort to provide energy and resources to upbuild the community, to
uphold the authority of its institutions, and to support local and
regional plans and teaching projects. The second requires that local and
national institutions evolve more rapidly into a proper exercise of
their responsibilities as channels of guidance, planners of the teaching
work, developcrs of human resources, builders of communities, and loving
shepherds of the multitudes. The third, the flourishing of the community
especially at the local level, demands a significant enhancement in
patterns of behavior by which the collective expression of the virtues
of the individual members and the functioning of the Spiritual Assembly
is manifest in the unity and fellowship of the community and the
dynamism of its activity and growth. The House of Justice then
elaborates the “new dimensions” of in work of the Continental
Counsellors, including developims in their mode of functioning, the
planning process, human Iouree development, Local Spiritual Assembly
functioning, and Ill'thcr development of local Baha’i communities.
[concluding this message, the House of Justice states that “An
Jllpicious beginning for the new Plan will largely depend on the of the
current one, which will end in just a few months” and if uuullnucs,
“There are divine deadlines to be met. Our Work is

+++34


intended not only to increase ‘the size and consolidate the foundations
of our community, but more particularly to exert a positive influence on
the affairs of the entire human race At so crucial a moment in world
affairs, we must not fail in our duty to take timely action on the goals
set before us in the Three Year Plan.” Persian Edition of the
Kitz'lb-i-Aqdas On 28 December 1995, the Universal House of Justice
announced to all National Spiritual Assemblies the publication of a
Persian edition of Baha’u’llah’s Book of Laws, the Kitab-i-Aqdas or Most
Holy Book, in January 1996‘ The text of the Kitab—i-Aqdas itself remains
in the original Arabic and other sacred writings in the volume are in
their original language, either Persian or Arabic. The introduction,
notes, and other supplementary material from the English edition are
published here in Persian. New National Spiritual Assemblies, Riglvz'm
1996 A letter written on 15 February 1996 to all National Spiritual
Assemblies announced the formation of two new National Spiritual
Assemblies at Ridvan 1996: Séio Tomé and Principe, and Moldova. Further
to this, “the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Ukraine and Moldova
with its seat in Kiev will become. the National Spiritual Assembly of
the Baha’is of the Ukraine.” In conclusion, the Universal House of
Justice states, “We are delighted by these further evidences of the
extension of the institutions of Baha’u’llah’s Administrative Order as
the conclusion‘ of the Three Year Plan approaches.” Conclusion The
letters written by the Universal House of Justice between Riqlvén 1995
and Ridvén 1996 indicate both the increasing international recognition
accorded to the community for its teachings and activities and the
importance of strengthening the Baha’i community for the growth it must
sustain as it extends its interaction with wider society. Such
complementary concerns reflect the gathering strength of an emerging
global religion.


+++36


This article reports on the appointment of the Continental Boards of
Counsellors for their new five-year term and on the Counsellors’
Conference held 26—31 December 1995. O n 26 December 1995, a conference
of the Continental Boards of Counsellors was convened at the Seat of the
Universal House of Justice, in the presence of the three remaining Hands
of the Cause—Amatu’l-Baha Ruhiyyih ‘Ali

Akbar Furutan, and ‘Ali~Muhammad Varqé—the members of the Universal
House of Justice, and the Counsellor members of fihe International
Teaching Centre.

Although a Counsellors’ Conference had been held at the World Centre
immediately following the Seventh International Convention in 1993,1
this year’s conference was Eignificantly different in that it was called
at the beginning of the Counsellors’ five-year term of service and was
intended to be an opportunity for these high-ranking officers of the
Faith prepare themselves for the challenges of their duties by
delib[ating on the tasks and opportunities of the years immediately

+++38


ahead. A Counsellors’ Conference of this type had not been held since
that of 27 December 1985 through 2 January 1986.2 In its 29 October 1995
letter to the Bahé’is of the world announcing the Counsellors’
appointments, the Universal House of Justice indicated that the
Counsellors were being called upon to direct their attention and
energies throughout their five-year term to two tasks: fostering the
evolution of local and national institutions and helping the rank and
file of the believers to increase their devotion to Baha’u’llah, their
ardor in teaching others about the Faith, and their ability to draw on
the tremendous power latent in the unified action of Baha’i communities.
The gathering itself was marked by an atmosphere of consecration and
humility on the part Of the participants, and it was characterized by
joy and reverence, singing, and the sharing of their diversity of
experience. As with the Baha’i community itself, a microcosm of the
human race could be seen in the diversity of the groups The newly
appointed members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors represent
more than ever the variety of humanity. With these appointments, the
House of Justice increased the number of Continental Counsellors from 72
to 81 and enriched their numbers through the inclusion of additional
Bahé’is who‘are natives of the countries they are serving—countries such
as Papua New Guinea, Finland, Niger, Colombia, the Philippines, Hong
Kong, Germany, Cameroon, Mexico, Ethiopia and Romania. It is also
significant that 36 percent of the Continental Counsellors are women.
The various capacities and experiences of the individual members of that
group were collectively directed towards the achievement of one common
aim: to consider issues of implementation of the Four Year Plan, to
commence at Ridvan 1996. The essential features of the new plan were
presented to the r Counsellors by the Universal House of Justice in its
message to the gathering, dated 26 December 1995 (see article pp.
31—33). With this document in hand, all contributed to the consideration
2. See The Bahd'i World, vol. 19, 1983—1986, p. 505. COUNSELLORS Members
of the Continental Boards of Counsellors from around the world gather on
the steps of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice with the I lands
of the Cause of God, members of the Universal House of Justice, and
Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre during the the
challenges and opportunities confronting the worldwide community during
the coming years. It was of particular lIOtc that such a focused and
purposeful meeting of people from parts of the globe should be gathered,
dedicated solely to the Ittcrment of humankind, and consulting in a
spirit of unity and mi'vice, at a time of unprecedented chaos and
confusion in the arld. ‘Another distinguishing feature of the
consultative sessions j the strong emphasis on and encouragement of
activity and Eltimive at the grass roots. According to the Baha’i
Writings, it is p individual who possesses the moral, intellectual, and
spiritual Dwers central to the advancement of civilization. The release
of p creative potentialities is as much a challenge in the govcc of
human affairs as is the promotion of a democratic [I55 of
decision-making. The administrative order established ahi'l’u’llah
requires the elected institutions to stimulate the rlvviopment and
exercise of these powers, but it augments the L

+++40

TH_E BAHA'i WORLD provisions for this requirement through complementary
institutions, one level of which is that of the Continental Boards of
Counsellors. Charged with counseling, encouraging, and assisting both
the individual members of the Baha’i community and its elected bodies,
their role is to assist in unlocking the capacity for action of
individuals, communities and other institutions. Their deliberations
focused on Ways and means of doing so. Furthermore, the consultation,
rather than following a format of numerous presentations by a few
members of senior institutions, was very much an exchange between the
Continental Counsellors themselves, who live and work in the communities
they serve, face the same social challenges as the rest of the people in
their region, and move in the same social milieu. An emphasis was placed
on collaborating with and benefiting from the experiences of others: the
conference included opportunities for smaller meetings, so that those
with mutual interests could consult on various topics. During four of
the six conference days, separate afternoon meetings were held for each
ofthe Continental Boards so that the Counsellors could consider in more
detail the application in their continent of the principles discussed in
the morning plenary sessions. Additionally, as the Participants in the
Counsellors’ Conference visit the completed terraces below the Shrine of
the Bdb, December 1995. COUNSELLORS 26 December message encouraged the
Counsellors to collaborate across Continental Boards, one evening
session was devoted to consultation in special intercontinental interest
groups—for example, those with responsibilities in the circumpolar
areas, those from francophone countries, and those working in the
Russian Federation. The 26 December 1995 message of the House of Justice
formed the basis of all the consultations. Its major foci include
developments in the mode of the functioning of the Continental Boards of
Counsellors; the process for the elaboration of the Four Year Plan
through the formulation of derivative plans and strategies at the
national, regional, and local levels, involving consultation between
members of institutions at all levels; the development of human
resources to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding community through
formally conducted programs of training; effective approaches to the
raising up and consolidation of Local Spiritual Assemblies; and further
means for the development of local communities. Through its message the
Universal House of Justice placed in the hands of the Continental
Counsellors a major responsibility in the creation and implementation of
the next stage of the development of the Worldwide community; following
the ' conference, the Counsellors began the process of consulting with ;
National Spiritual Assemblies about how to apply the guidance contained
in the message to the special conditions and circum— tances of each
region. The final session of the conference was an especially moving
Occasion. The members of the Universal House of Justice entered [the
meeting in file, which roused the participants to their feet. A nblet of
‘Abdu’LBahét was read,3 followed by the message dated Ng'flional
Spiritual Assemblies around the world at that same c. Those gathered
were profoundly affected by the spirit of

+++42


devotional song. The meeting ended With the reading of the same tablet
0f ‘Abdu’l-Baha, in the original Persian. Then all of those in
attendance traveled to the Shrine of Baha’u’llah at Bahji, where they
prayed together for the success of the Four Year Plan and of their
efforts in what was described in the closing session as perhaps the most
important four years of their lives. The closing evening was
distinguished by a banquet for all attendees, held in their honor by
Hand of the Cause Amatu’lBaha Ruhiyyih K_ha'mum at the House of
‘Abdu’l-Bahé, where she resides. After the conference concluded, each of
the five Boards of Counsellors took the opportunity to hold a meeting
while their members were together in the Holy Land, further deliberating
on the application of the guidance imparted in the 26 and 31 December
messages to conditions in their regions. In the ensuing weeks, the
energizing effect the conference had on the Counsellors became clear as
report after report was made of their meetings with the Auxiliary Board
members in their areas. Participants in such meetings learned about the
conference, studied the 26 and 31 December messages from the House of
Justice, consulted on assisting communities to achieve the remaining
goals of the Three Year Plan, attained greater clarity of vision
regarding their role in the years ahead, and became more resolved to
arise to carry out the tasks demanded by this critical period of
history. Meetings of this nature were held in places as diverse as
Reunion, Kenya, Zimbabwe, the United States, Canada, the Philippines,
India, the Mariana Islands, Hong Kong, Turkey, France, and Italy. This
article describes the formation in April 1995 new National Spiritual
Assemblies. FIVE N EW NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES ust 75 years after
‘Abdu’l-Bahé’s references in His Will and Testament to the establishment
of “secondary Houses of Justice” (currently called National Spiritual
Assemblies), these institutions have been formed in nearly
three-quarters of the countries and territories of the world.1 At Ridvan
1995, three il'cpublics of the former Soviet Union whose Baha’i
communities had been administered by Regional Spiritual Assemblies
formed their own National Spiritual Assemblies: Armenia, with its seat
in Yerevan; Georgia with its seat in Tbilisi; and Belarus, with its HUM
in Minsk. At the same time, the independent political status mined by
Eritrea called for a National Spiritual Assembly there, with its seat in
Asmara, and the development of the Baha’i Faith Sicily led to the
decision to form a National Assembly there i For an explanation of the
nature and purpose of the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly
and a brief history of its development, see The Bahd'i World 1994*95, 26*28.

+++44


with its seat in Palermo. This brought the number of these national
Bahz'l’i institutions worldwide to 174.2 The National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahé’is of Georgia The National Spiritual Assembly of Georgia was
formed at Ridvan 1995, but the history of the Georgian Baha’i community
reaches back to the time of Baha’u’llah. There were enough Bahél’is in
Georgia and neighboring regions during the period of His ministry
(1853-1892) to warrant formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of
the Caucasus in 1925. In 1928, the Bahé’is in the Caucasus began facing
serious difficulties practicing their Faith. Meetings were disrupted by
communist authorities; attendees were arrested and held for ques
documents and books were confiscated; mail censored. A long and careful
examination by the authorities revealed that the Bahé’is were not guilty
of any subversive, anti-Soviet, or political activity, but Baha’i
meetings were nevertheless allowed only with special police permission.
Ultimately, after the election of Baha’i local councils in the Caucasus
republics in April 1928, the government abrogated their constitutions
and—after protracted negotiations—imposed a constitution which dissolved
all committees, decreed that Russian translations of minutes from all
Bahz'l’i meetings must be submitted to the authorities, and required
that children under 18 years of age not be instructed in their religion.
Another government order decreed that all synagogues, churches, and
other places of worship were state property. In accordance with the laws
of their Faith, the Baha’is did not engage in any political activity or
agitation; rather, they appealed to the legally constituted local and
national authorities for 2. At Ridvén 1994, there were 172 National
Spiritual Assemblies, so although five new Assemblies were formed, the
increase appears to be only two. This is accounted for by the fact that
at Ridvzin 1995, the communities of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, South
Africa, and Transkei were merged into one community under the
jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahz'l’is of
South Africa, to reflect the political reunion of that region. NATIONAL
S PIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES restitution of their rights. By 1938, however, the
community of the Caucasus was reduced to remnants and remained in that
condition for some 50 years. The sweeping reforms launched in the Soviet
Union in the late [9805 opened up opportunities for communities in that
part of the world to be revived and developed. The Universal House of
Justice appointed the National Spiritual Assembly of Gennany to
coordinate efforts to foster the growth of the community in Georgia and
to provide guidance and encouragement as the community developed. A Two
Year Teaching Plan, focusing on the entire region of the former Soviet
Union, was launched by the Universal House of Justice at Ridvan 1990. At
Ridvan 1991 the Baha’i community in the Republic of Georgia came under
the jurisdiction of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the USSR,
which was later renamed the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is
of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Baltic States and Georgia
when the USSR was officially dissolved and the states adopted new names.
By Ridvan 1992 the Faith had grown to the point that four new
National/Regional Assemblies were established for the territory of the
former USSR and the existing Assembly was renamed the Regional Spiritual
Assembly of Russia, Georgia and Armenia. At Ridvan 1992, the community
in Georgia was still pmall: one group and several isolated individuals.
Baha’i liter\ture in Georgian included Love of God, The Promise of World
Peace, and some introductory material. Traveling teachers began p visit
Georgia in the summer of 1992, and despite the chal Enges of an unstable
political situation, a still suspicious KGB, and shortages of
electricity, gas, food, and water, they sought out ‘U10 Baha’is and
offered support and encouragement. A joyous event occurred when the
Local Spiritual Assembly l'Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia, was
reestablished at Rulvan 1993. With the assistance of Baha’is from other
parts of lulworld, a house was purchased to serve as a local Baha’i
cennf. By October 1993, there were also Bahz'l’is in the city of Douri,
not far from Tbilisi, and a Baha’i center had been rented Traveling
teachers began to regularly visit Georgia from

+++46


Ridvan 1994 and shared Baha’i teachings with people from all strata of
society. Among the prominent figures with whom official contacts were
made were the prime minister and mayors and deputy mayors of a number of
cities. By June 1994 there were 45 new believers in Georgia, a number of
whom traveled to Panchgani, India, to participate in an extensive
Bahe'l’i study course. The number of Local Spiritual Assemblies had
increased to seven, six of which were formed in one week. Members of
these Assemblies came from Muslim, Armenian, and Georgian backgrounds,
and many of them were highly educated. Five short-term pioneers from the
region, particularly Tadjikistan, joined pioneers from England, the
Philippines, and Canada to settle in different parts of Georgia. Two
national conferences were held in Tbilisi that summer. As of January
1995 there were 12 Local Spiritual Assemblies in Georgia, and the
Universal House of Justice announced that the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha’is of Georgia would form at Ridvan 1995. Hand of
the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahé Rilhiyyih represented the Universal House
of Justice at the first National Convention of the Bahz'i’is of Georgia,
held 23-24 April in Tbilisi. Almost 300 Bahé’is, of whom 200 were from
14 different Georgian localities, came together in a beautiful valley
surrounded by the snow-capped mountains of the Caucasus to celebrate the
birth of this new'institution. An Auxiliary Board member participating
in the Convention reported that “all the N5»! NATIONAL SPIRITUAL
ASSEMBLIES Baha’is, whether rich or poor, from any metropolis in the
world or a tiny village in Georgia were together in a spirit of unity.”
During her visit, Amatu’l-Baha Ri'ihiyyih K_héinum was able to meet with
the Vice Prime Minister, the Minister for Human Rights, the Minister for
Environment, other government officials, and His Holiness Ilia II,
Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church. After the Convention, Moscow
Television contacted the Baha’is, interviewed the chairman of the new
National Assembly, and broadcast the piece in Russia and in Georgia
three times, During the year following the Convention, the Bahz'l’i
community of Georgia organized its first Youth Camp, helped put together
the first Youth Convention of Georgia and Armenia, and held three
Trans-Caucasian Baha’i Academy courses on topics Such as prayer and
meditation, Baha’i history, consultation, and administration. The
Gcorgian community had grown sufficiently to establish 35 Local
Spiritual Assemblies. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahé’is of
Armenia The history of the development of the Baha’i Faith in Armenia
closely parallels that of Georgia, with believers residing there gduring
Baha’u’llah’s lifetime and both regions being under the jurisdiction of
the National Spiritual Assembly of the Caucasus I from 1925 to 1938.
Baha’is in Armenia suffered the same persecution and prohibitions under
the communist regime as did the Bnha’is in Georgia. When political and
social change swept the jSoviet Union in the late 1980s and early 19905,
Armenia, like Georgia, came under the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is
of the Thefirst National Spiritual Assembly Bahd "is ofArmenie, with
Counsellor Abbas Kerimi and a representative ofthe former Regional
Spiritual Assembly of Russia, Georgia and Armenia.

+++48


THE BAHM WORLD USSR, later renamed the Regional Spiritual Assembly of
the] Commonwealth of Independent States, the Baltic States andl Georgia.
At Ridvan 1992 a Regional Spiritual Assembly was} established for
Russia, Georgia and Armenia. By November 1992 two pioneers, an
80-year-old woman fro I J cc J-..» vvuluau Brazil and an 18-year-old
Russian girl, had settled in Armenia joining 20 Armenian Baha’is, and a
Baha’i center had been acquired in Yerevan. Despite the difficult
conditions of war ii Armenia, including lack of heat, electricity, food,
and water T final A - , luUU, auu WdlCI’l Local Spiritual Assemblies
were elected in Aparvan, Yerevanj Abavyan, and Dilizhan by March 1994.
The first National Teachin in May 1994, during which scale. In November,
the community of Yerevan was legally registered, and a center “me mmzmmn
nu center was purchased in Oktemberyan. Justice. The National Spiritual
Assembly of the Bahé’is of Belarus In 1978, Helrnut Winkelbach, a Baha’i
from Germany, saw an ad for an electrician’s job in Russia, undertook
training for three months, and took a train to what was then called the
Belorussian ‘i 3. In 1953 the Guardian ofthe Bahz'l’i Faith, Shoghi
Effendi, launched a ten-year teaching plan to bring the Faith to the
main unopened territories of the world and to consolidate cnmmnnih'ne V
communities in territories where there were already Bahz'i’is, among
other goals. During this period the number of National Spiritual
Assemblies increased from 12 to 47. Those illl'ln at 41.0.‘ ‘3 NATIONAL
SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES Mr. Winkelbach remained in what is now called
Belarus for two years and then returned in 1986 with his Wife, Olga, a
native Belarussian. Their teaching efforts and the arrival of one more
pioneer produced a group of eight believers by Ridvan 1991. By September
that year a Local Assembly had been formed in Minsk. ()ther enrollments
occurred after a group of 20 enthusiastic trav» cling teachers came
through from the United Kingdom and several groups of Baha’is from the
United States visited. By the end of the Two Year Plan jurisdiction over
the area was transferred from the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany
to the new Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Ukraine, Bielarus4 and
Moldova. The members of this fledgling community were greatly inspired
when 164 Bahz'l’is from 16 countries attended an Internationnl Youth
Conference they organized in Brest in August 1993. Another international
event they put together was a women’s conference in Brest in April 1994,
which was attended by 250 people from Belarus, Russia, other countries
in Europe, Canada, Panama, and the United States, 200 of whom were not
Baha’is. Sessions were held on psychology and pedagogy; economics and
law; culture, literature, and art; and ecology and health. Papers were
delivered on issues such as the role of women in protecting .the
environment and on spiritual and moral development, and the women from
North America came prepared to share technical information on health
care, cooperative marketing and food dish'lbution. The event was
supported by the United Nations Office 5 Belarus and the Soros
Foundation. The Baha’is of Belarus organized a particularly successful
l'liach'mg project, called “Neman 94,” along the banks of the Niiman
River during the summer of 1994. In September an ex— lubition on the
history of the Faith was displayed in bbruysk. The following month, a
children’s education instib was held with participants from Moscow,
Kiev, and Belarus. 1 By "the end of 1994, there were approximatdy 130
Bahé’is in 11 I. A1 that time, this was the spelling of what is now Belarus.

+++50


TliE BAHAT WORLD The first election of the National Spiritual Assembly
of the Baha’is of Belarus took place at Ridvén 1995. On this historic
occasion, Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre t
iuuuuuig Hartrnut Grossrnann represented the Universal House of Justice.
In a message to the World Centre, the Convention participants wrote: “We
feel blessed to be one of the five new pillars of the Universal House of
Justice which were elected this Ridve'ln.” lnef rum mnnnm 1d“ - for the
community of Belarus. I‘Hlllllllllllll" UHAJ The National Spiritual
Assembly of the Bahé’is of Eritrea Eritrea, a country which proclaimed
its sovereignty on 24 May 1993, was for centuries part of ancient
Ethiopia. After being colonized by the Italians at the close of the
nineteenth century, if n r 'I I , a M..- ‘Alllvl-uvlltll. ucllluly, it
became a protectorate of the United Kingdom when British forces
conquered the area in 1941. In the aftermath of the Second World War,
Sabri Elias, who had introduced the Faith to Ethiopia in 1934, returned
to share Baha’u’llah’s teachings with a new generation of Ethiopians
(see obituary, pp. 312—13). They helped to spread the Baha’i Faith to
Eritrea, where the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of
Asmara (the capital) was established in the early 1950s. By the late
19505, Asmara had one of the strongest communities in the world; in 1958
the Local Spiritual Assembly Ng/ NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES was
officially recognized as a religious body through registration with the
Federal High Court and the Supreme Court of Eritrea; by the early 1960s
large numbers of people in the Kunarna region of Eritrea began embracing
the Faith. However, the civil War which began in 1963 and raged for 30
years disrupted this process. Still, the Baha’i community survived,
operating under the jurisdiction of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of
North East Africa I'rom 1956 to 1975 and thereafter under the National
Spiritual Assembly of Ethiopia. In October 1992, the Baha’i Teaching and
Administrative Committee in Eritrea was formed. and during it
Administrative Committee in Eritrea was formed, and during its first
year it arranged forces to begin promo and addressing the need for Bah u
Ti grigna. three teaching trips and appointed task g the equality of men
and Women material in the lncal language In Asmara at Ridvan 1995, in
the presence of Counsellor Ahdieh, representing the Universal House of
Justice, Ii (all observers from around the nation, including several of
the lull pioneers, the delegates to the first National Convention kitted
elected the country’s National Spiritual Assembly. Dr. h rcnmted that
“this historic and iovous occasion was celeh reported that “this
historic and joyous occasion was celeamidst expressions of profound
gratitude and exhilaration, is characterized by a spirit of love and
unity, of high amid determination to expedite the long-awaited day when
“mule of God would cover this long-suffering, receptive

+++52


The National Spiritual Assembly of the of Sicily In the series of
letters ‘Abdu’l-Bahé wrote to the North American Bahé’is during the
First World War (known as Tablets of the Divine Plan), He named Sicily
as one of the regions which should receive the teachings after the war.
However, it was not until 1953 that six Americans were able to settle in
Sicily and introduce the Faith there. For this achievement, Carol,
Florence, Gerrold, Stanley and Susan Bagley and Emma Rice were named
Knights of Bahzi’u’llah. Four years of work by the pioneers, Hand of the
Cause of God Dr. Ugo Giachery, the newly declared ‘Sicilian believers,
and the Italo-Swiss National Spiritual Assembly (which had been given
the development of the Sicilian community as a goal) resulted in the
formation of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Palermo at Ridvan
1958. This city was later chosen by the Universal House of Justice to be
the site of the first Oceanic Baha’i Conference, held in August 1968 to
consult about the development of the Faith in the Mediterranean region.
More than 2,300 Baha’is took part. By the end of February 1995, the
Baha’i community of Sicily had grown to comprise 31 localities, and
eight Local Spiritual Assemblies had been formed. The stage was set for
the first Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Sicily to be formed.5 On
22—25 April 1995, 350 “strongly united”; followers of including
supporters from nine countries, gathered together in the presence of the
Hand of the Cause of God ‘Ali 5. Generally the jurisdiction of Baha’i
National Spiritual Assemblies is defined by political borders; however,
there are exceptions, dictated by compelling circumstances. In some
instances geographical or cultural characteristics necessitate the
tormation ofa National Assembly in an outlying region or territory of a
given country, the better to promote the Well-being and efficient
functioning of the community. For example, Alaska and Hawaii have their
own National Spiritual Assemblies and are not under the jurisdiction of
the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahzi’is of the United States,
which directs and coordinates activities in the 48 continental states,
but the three National Assemblies collaborate in a manner that preserves
the unity of their relations in dealing with the federal authorities.
NE_W NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES % National Spiritual Assembly ofthe
Baha'i ‘is of Hand of the Cause of God Dr. ‘AliMufzammad Varqd. Muhammad
Varqa, who represented the Universal House of Juslice, Counsellor Sohrab
Youssefian, members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy, and the
Knights of Bahélu’lleih who first brought the Faith to their land. Dr.
Varqél reported: “In an atmosphere of joy, emotion, enthusiasm and
delight, dominated by profound love for the Sicilian Convention was held
in Terrasini in the vicinity of Palermo.” By September of that year, the
new Assembly was able to report a range of activities in Sicily,
including teaching projects, levision interviews, presentation of Baha’i
literature to civil gthorities and schools, a regional youth conference,
a women’s Monference, and vibrant Naw-Ri'iz celebrations attended by
nearly lihe entire community. L The Process Continues As the communities
of Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Eritrea, mi Sicily prepared for their
first National Conventions, the in teachings and are successfully
building the hinislrative erder He envisioned.

+++54


MOUNT CARMEL PROJECTS; Progress 1995—96 he momentous building projects
on Mount Carmel continued to gather momentum between Ridvan 1995 and
Ridvan 1996. One of the most significant achievements of this period was
the fulfillment of a major goal of the Three Year Plan—initiation of all
‘seven phases of construction of the buildings on the Arc and the
terraces above and below the Shrine of the Bab. At the conclusion of
this fruitful time, the Universal House of Justice Wrote to the Bahzi’is
of the world that “The magnificent progress of the projects on Mount
Carmel is pre-eminent among the measurable achievemcnts of this period.
Indeed, despite numerous difficulties, the ge of accomplishment
anticipated in our message announcing 0 Three Year Plan is entirely
evident.” There was intense activity throughout the year on the building
the Centre for the Study of the Texts. The concreting operation building
reached a record pour of 1,000 cubic meters in a le month, enabling the
structure to rise speedily. Its entrance ‘.pm'lico was cast and bases
prepared for eight Ionic marble to stand in a semi-circle in the facade
of the building. Wllh the major part of the structure complete, a
contract was View ofthe Shrine oft/1e Bdb and the terrace immediately
below, October 1995‘

+++56


The almost completed structure of the Centrefor the Study cfthe Texts is
defined by its semicircular entrance Portico. Installation afdrywall
partitions and air canditianing cincis' inside the Centrefor the Study
ofthe Texts in F ebmary 1996 signalled the beginning of interior
finishing work. signed with a Canadian company for the erection of
gypsum drywall partitions, precast gypsum moulded ceilings and suspended
tiled ceilings. Soon defined spaces Within the building took shape as
drywall partitions went up. Installation of the mechanical services also
commenced. In late November 1995 a special meeting was arranged in Italy
for the inspection and approval of the marble columns, during which all
the contractors involved met with the project manager to chalk out
various strategies for the installation of the marble before the entire
consignment of marble columns arrived on site in April 1996. In the
meantime, masonry Work inside the north patio of the Centre for the
Study of the Texts began With the arrival of Turkish masons and the
delivery of 800 square meters of local stone. Work commenced on the
installation of the roof on the fourstory underground extension to the
existing International Baha’i Archives building. By the end of the year
it was waterproofed, and concrete screed and polystyrene panels Were
applied to protect the waterproofing and drainage gravel, preparing the
roof for the addition of topsoil. The most important component of the
MOUNT CARMEL PROIECTS Archives extension is a strong room which will
house the sacred texts and relics of the Faith. The walls of this
structure within a structure were waterproofed externally as well as
internally for double reinforcement. A massive vault door has been put
in place to provide security' A sixty-meter-long, ten-meter-wide,
five-meter-high tunnel was constructed to provide access from Crusader
Road to the parking building, an ancillary structure between the Centre
for the Study of the Texts and the Archives extension. Because of its
dimensions, the roof of this tunnel was cast in fifteen sections, each
four meters apart. A special steel form was prepared in the shape of the
roof to assist in the concreting operations. Steady progress was made on
the construction of the Interna» tional Teaching Centre, a large and
complex building situated in close proximity to the Seat of the
Universal House of Justice. While construction work progressed on two
levels of the building, a ramp which had earlier been constructed to
provide access for construction materials to the site was removed. The
ramp had occupied almost 25 percent of the building areas and its
removal By March 1996 the structure of the International Teaching Centre
had reached its second level. c'naral Manager of Hearaax s.p.a.

+++58


enabled the extension of the foundations of the Teaching Centre right up
to the retaining wall. About 10,000 cubic meters of earth were excavated
and relocated, which also allowed the installation of the remaining
three rows of rock anchors in the micropile retaining wall to provide
complete support. Thirty-nine micropiles, varying in length from five to
seven meters, were poured, bringing the loads of the sloping foundations
of the building to a greater depth, and thereby enhancing the stability
of these foundations. More than 45 years ago Shoghi Effendi, the
Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, wrote to the Baha’is in the East sharing
Baha’s vision of a monumental pathway leading from the foot of Mount
Carmel to the Shrine of the Bab and reaching beyond to the crest of the
mountain. The preliminary outline of nine terraces as an approach to the
Shrine from the central avenue of the former German Templer Colony was
completed by the Guardian himself in pursuance of this vision. As he
wrote, “This beautiful and majestic path which extends from the Shrine i
of the Bab t0 the City of Haifa in line with i the greatest avenue of
that blessed city, which is adorned with trees and verdant plants and
illumined with bright I lights, which is the ob m ithe people of this I
joy and pride to the Aerial photograph showing dramatic progress
authorities of this land, on the Arc and Terraces Projects, March 1996.
Will subsequently b6 ject of admiration of region and a source of MOUNT
CARMEL PROIECTS converted, as foreshadowed by the Center of the
Covenant, into the Highway of the Kings and Rulers of the World.”1 The
completion of seven terraces below the Shrine of the and the decision of
the Universal House of Justice to open five of them to pilgrims and
visitors from Ridvén of 153 BE. (April 1996) has been a major step
towards the realization of Bahél’s and Shoghi Effendi’s vision of these
terraces. As part of the adornment of the ceremonial approach to the
Shrine of the Bab, ornamental statuary, diverse colorful plants within
brick edgings and planter urns, and paths covered with crushed
ocher-colored roof tiles were prepared. Bronze railings and light
fittings were also placed by the sides of the Duranta r‘epens hedges
planted on both sides of the central stairway. The informal areas to the
east and west of terraces nine to five were developed with beautiful
rockery plantings, cacti, succulents and other drought—tolerant plants.
In an interview with an architectural magazine, architect Fariborz Sahba
explained: “The goal of the design of these terraces is to create the
most appropriate setting for the Shrine of ithe Bzib, one of the holiest
places of pilgrimage for Bahé’is. They

    are meant to prepare the Baha’i pilgrims, as they walk through
    Enthese terraces towards the Shrine for pilgrimage, for the
    spiritual encounter ahead of them. The terraces are primarily being
    built,

en, to heighten the spiritual experience of the Baha’i pilgrim to Ehc
Shrine of the Bab. For this reason they must not only be Mautiful
gardens and landscape, but must create an atmosphere 01' reverence and
peace, conducive to meditation.” One element a the creation of such an
atmosphere is the use of water as a main concept of the landscape: It
flows from the top of the Fountain to the bottom in a continuous cascade
along the sides f the central stairway. Several beautiful fountains,
carefully !signed to provide crystal clear water, with a gentle sound to
‘ask the noise of the city, will assist pilgrims to concentrate on heir
meditation. The irrigation system on the lower terraces llcume
operational, enabling visitors to enjoy the visual beauty From a letter
dated Naw-Rt'lz 108 (March 1952) addressed to the Bahé'is “n the East by
Shoghi Effendi, translated from the Persian.

+++60


T B AHA'I WORLD I MOUNT CARMEL P ROIECTS of the fountains bubbling with
water and running down the stone runnels along the sides of the stairs.
Work on the steep slopes of the terraces above the Shrine of the was
also pursued at a brisk pace. The structure of four of these
terraces—numbers fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen—Was
completed, and mechanical, electrical, plumbing and irrigation services
were put in place. Soon after, spreading of topsoil and planting on
their central slopes began. concomitantly, the construction of the
uppermost terrace, the nineteenth, commenced. This terrace, at the crest
of Mount Carmel, is designed with two levels of balconies. ‘Abdu’l-Bahé.
envisioned that “A person standing on the summit of Mount Carmel. .
.will look upon the most sublime and majestic spectacle Terrace nineteen
at the crest of Mount Carmel provides access from Panorama Street and
the Louis Promenade to the upper terraces and has over 700 square meters
of floor space. This photo was taken in March I 996. Bird's eye view
bridge over Hbbcis Street, wijch provides continuity bexikweén terraces
four below the Shrine ofthe Bcib. One of the most challenging and
critical stages of the Terraces Project was initiated in February of
1996 when a contract was bformalized with a well-known Haifa contractor
for the lowering pf Hatzionut Avenue and the construction of a
pedestrian tunnel and retaining walls for the bridge that will span the
street, linking ithc terrace of the Shrine of the Bab to the footpath on
the Arc and upper terraces. A joint announcement by the Baha’i World
Eentre and the Haifa Municipality was carried in three major newspapers
informing the general public of the nature of work to hibc undertaken
and changes in the arrangement in the ‘ItQnIire section adjoining the
Baha’i properties on this street. Of #1110 three principal stages of
work on the roadway, one was nli‘complished by Ridvan 1996. During the
first stage, Work was hdertaken on the north side close to the terrace
of the Shrine. A l'nporary sewage line was constructed; the north
pedestrian dewalk was reduced to 1.5 meters; and street lamp posts,
traffic hhts and bus stops were relocated. When this was completed, me
was restored to the north side and work began on the xcnvation of the
south side. of the whole world...”2 These balconies will provide a
visitor with a spectacular view of the Shrine of the Bab, and beyond it
down to the harbor and across Haifa Bay towards the Shrine of A tunnel
under the terrace’s first level will connect it to the Louis Promenade
on Panorama Street, built by the Municipality of Haifa. This will enable
visitors strolling on the promenade to enter the terrace with case
without crossing the road, which sees plenty of vehicular traffic.
During the year the structure of the balconies of terrace nineteen was
completed; work on the pedestrian tunnel was also finished and a
300-meter—long promenade on the side of terrace nineteen was built.

+++62


As the projects on Mount Carmel have advanced, the interest they have
generated among the citizens of Haifa has also become more intense. This
resulted in an invitation from Haifa’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry
to the Baha’i World Centre to participate in “Haifa 2000,” an exhibition
designed to display unique projects in the city, depicting its
development and changing business climate. The organizers offered the
Baha’i World Centre, free of cost, the best and most central location to
display models of its projects. Held 19—27 June 1995, the exhibition
attracted an estimated 250,000 visitors, including those attending two
international conferences occurring in the city at the same time.
Visiting dignitaries included Israel’s then Foreign Minister Shimon
Perez and dignitaries from the United Kingdom, who came with a large
delegation of businessmen. Other visitors included well-known Israeli
businessmen, economists, investors, and residents of Haifa. The event
garnered wide media coverage. Afterwards, the Chamber of Commerce and
Industry expressed its appreciation to the Baha’is, saying that the
success of the exhibition “would not have been possible Without your
participation and the presentation of your impressive projects. An
exciting development related to the Mount Carmel Projects but initiated
by the government of Israel was the commencement of the first stage of
work on the restoration of the German Templer Colony. Nestling at the
foot of Mount Carmel, the Templer houses flank Ben Gurion Avenue from
Haifa harbor to the junction of Hagefen Street, where the entrance plaza
to terrace number one is located. In the section immediately conjoining
the entrance plaza, work began on the implementation of the German
Colony’s main axis, the design of which had been previously selected
from an array of competitors. The media maintained their interest in the
projects and continued to report about them throughout the year. In its
July ‘995 issue, a prestigious Israeli architectural magazine,
Archioflxmel, published a fourteen-page article on the Mount n'mcl
Pmjcuts in Hebrew and English, with beautiful color hi‘ Dedicated to the
work of architect Fariborz Sahba un hin design of the House of Worship
in MOUNT CARMEL PROIECTS Members of the Universal House of Justice visit
the Mount Carmel Projects in December I 995. India as well as the
terraces of the Shrine of the Bab, the article also provided information
about the history of the Baha’i Faith. While the beauty of the terraces
of the Shrine of the Bab—called “the hanging gardens” by the Israeli
media—has often been extolled, this article highlighted the contribution
of the Terraces Project to the environment of Haifa, saying: “The
eternal shine of the dome of the Baha’i Shrine is one of the best known
Features of Haifa. In the past few years the construction of the
‘Hanging Gardens’ has begun—a garden strip of 400-meter width, its foot
in the German Colony in lower down-town, and its head at the Panorama
Towers on Carmel. With the completion of this project in about four
years, these gardens will not only be ne of Haifa’s significant urban
projects but also the most protected ‘green lung’ in the country.” To
the worldwide community the projects on Mount (lurmel are much more than
“significant urban projects.” Their realization constitutes “part of a
process clearly perceived by Shoghi Effendi as synchronizing with two no
less significant leveloprnents: the establishment of the Lesser Peace
and the Evolution of national and local institutions.”3 It is‘ this
'Understanding which impels the pursuance “with deliberate speed the
gigantic building projects on God’s Holy Mountain.”4 But the speedy
pursuit of these “gigantic building projects” would

+++64


T515 BAHM WORLD not have been possible without the tremendous material
sacrifices of the followers of in every land. In response to the
sunnnons to sacrifice issued by the Universal House of Justice, the
Bahé’is of the World “stepped forward and made sacrificial offerings for
the furtherance of this vast undertaking so highly extolled by the
beloved Guardian,”5 and the goal of raising 74 million dollars during
the Three Year Plan was achieved. 5. The Universal House of Justice, in
a letter dated 20 June 1995, transmitted electronically to all National
Spiritual Assemblies. YEIER IN REVIEW The Three Year Plan idva'm 1996
saw the conclusion of the Worldwide com munity’s Three Year Plan for the
expansion and consolidation of the Baha’i Faith around the globe and the
inauguration of a Four Year Plan, which will conclude at Ridvan 2000.
The process expansion and consolidation has been pursued through a
series international plans, which took their original impetus from the
if Fuith’s sacred Writings, particularly Tablets of [ lhc Divine Plan,
and from the directives of Shoghi Effendi. Since its establishment in
1963, the Universal House of Justice has hunched a series of such
initiatives, through the course of which Ptionul Bahét’i communities
have assumed increasing responsibilh’ for formulating and monitoring
plans of their own. Systematic ltlvunces in numerical strength and the
increasing maturity of worldwide institutions have been two great
benefits of this preach. Flfhe Three Year Plan, which ran from April
1993 to April brought many notable achievements which are highlighted


+++66


Tmi BAHM WORLD throughout T he Bahd World volumes covering this period.
The “qualitatively enriched community” which emerged from this period
could take pride, for example, in the progress made on the Mount Carmel
Projects at the World Centre in Haifa— not only in the visible progress
in construction and beautification of the site but in the unity of
purpose attained by Baha’is all over the world, who contributed
generously to ensure the Projects’ steady progress. In the realm of
expansion, twelve new National Spiritual Assemblies were formed over the
three years; thousands of international traveling teachers and pioneers
arose; systematic approaches were made to collective teaching endeavors,
and long-term teaching projects were set in motion in a number of
countries. The International Teaching Centre encouraged the development
of human resources around the globe and increased access to the Baha’i
sacred writings of Baha’is in many localities through its promotion of
the core literature program, which has made large quantities of a few
essential titles available inexpensively in a wide range of languages.
Indigenous Baha’is assumed more responsibility for teaching and
consolidating their peoples; even in troubled areas of the globe, such
as Angola, Cambodia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Baha’i activities
carried on; newly established Baha’i communities in the countries of the
former Eastern Bloc distinguished themselves by their aptitude in
administrating the affairs of the Faith; and Baha’i communities on
islands around the world were very active. Contributions of Baha’i
youth, both to the Faith itself and to the general development of
society, were another feature of this plan. Over the three years of the
plan, Baha’i communities became more deeply involved with social and
economic development, particularly education, as, in one case, Baha’is
took on the management of seven schools in an area; in Africa, Baha’i
communities in exile because of political unrest continued to Work on
projects that would make them self-sufficient. Other particular areas of
focus included the advancement of Women and pilot literacy proj ects.
YEAR m REVIEW The public face of the Baha’i community became better
known, too, as external affairs activities multiplied around the World.
Increasing numbers of public officials invited the Baha’is to
participate in activities and discussions related to the concerns of the
day, and initiatives were taken by Baha’i communities to influence
government action. Hand of the Cause Amatu’LBahé Ruhiyyih _Khanum
participated in events such as the Summit on the Alliance between
Religions and Conservation, sponsored by the World Conference on
Religion and Peace, and the Fourth International Dialogue on the
Transition to a Global Society at the University of Maryland in the US.
The establishment of academic programs, the use of the arts, and the
Baha’i International Community’s participation in United Nations
conferences in Copenhagen and Beijing and its contributions to the UN 50
celebrations were other high points of external affairs activities
during the three years. With regard to the enrichment of the spiritual
lives of Baha’is around the world, the Three Year Plan saw, notably, the
release of the first Persian-language edition of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the
Most Holy Book of Baha’u’llah, which contains Arabic text with
supplementary material translated into Persian from the English edition.
The English edition, published in 1992 and accompanied by an extensive
body of annotations based on the guidance of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and Shoghi
Effendi, serves as the basis for translap tions into other languages As
much of the original translation of the text into English, as well as
the supplemerItary material, was rendered by Shoghi Effendi, the
appointed interpreter of the Bahs'l’i writings, it provides a unique
guide for other translations. In addition, the law of gained growing
support around the world, as Bahé’l's everywhere recognized this
signifIuant law for the benefit of humankind. Dr. ‘Ali—Muhammad Varqé,
Trustee of the Huql'lqu’lléh, took up residence in the Holy land,
joining the only other two living Hands of the Cause God, Amatu’l-Baha
Rilhiyyih @anum and Mr. ‘Ali-Akbar Fun-(nan. With the stage set for
further advances during the Four Year p which will carry it to the end
of the century and millennium,

+++68


TIE BAHM WORLD the Bahél’i community stands poised to greatly expand its
membership and address the needs of this turbulent age of transition for
humankind. The Year in Review The year beginning at Ridvan 1995 and
ending at Ridva'm 1996 was characterized by the intense efforts of
Baha’is around the world to fulfill the goals they had set for
themselves for the Three Year Plan. Through systematic, energetic,
creative activity, the Baha’i community grew to a new level of capacity
and unity of purpose. An increase in the assumption of responsibility by
indigenous Baha’is for the functioning of their own communities,
outstanding contributions on the part of the youth, the initiating by
Baha’is at the grass roots of much-needed development projects, greater
involvement in the efforts of society at large to address various
issues, and the steady development of Baha’i communities and
administrative institutions—these were some of the hallmarks of this
past year. The survey of Baha’i activity which follows does not attempt
to be comprehensive. It is intended rather to provide a general sense of
the myriad efforts of Baha’is from hundreds of national communities and
thousands of localities to contribute to the advancement of the Faith’s
aims. Baha’i participation in some specific events has been reported in
detail in separate articles: observances of the fiftieth anniversary of
the United Nations, the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the
various activities of the Baha’i International Community, and the
Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors. Material is
arranged in the survey Within the following categories: Hands of the
Cause, prominent people, children, youth, women, cultural events and
indigenous Bahéi’is, race unity, peace, interfaith activities,
environment, social and economic development, involvement in the life of
society, recognition, landmark occasions, sharing the message of
Baha’u’llah, insti— tutes, scholarship, and the arts. Hands ofthe Cause
Each of the surviving three Hands of the Cause of God plays a critical
role in Bahél’i community life, encouraging and inspiring YEAR m REVIEW
Bahé’l's through their visits and the books they have written. While in
residence in Haifa, they meet with the stream of pilgrims to the holy
places of the Faith. Among their important duties is advising the
Universal House of Justice and serving as members of the International
Teaching Centre. Highlights of activities in which they engaged this
year are detailed below. The Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Baha Ri'lhiyyih
led the four official representatives of the Baha’i Faith at the Summit
on the Alliance between Religions and Conservation held in the United
Kingdom from 29 April to 4 May 1995. The Summit was convened in Windsor
Castle, under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the
Duke of Edinburgh, and attracted many prominent representatives of nine
religions (see pp. 132— 33 for further details). From 29 June to 2 July,
Rl'ihiyyih @anum was present, as the honored guest, at the Regional
Baha’i Teaching Conference held in Tirana, Albania. About three hundred
Baha’is attended the event from 18 different countries, many of them
leaving directly from the conference to travel and share message with
people in the region. While Rl'ihiyyih Qélnum was in Albania, she
received a courtesy call from the President’s daughter and granted a
number of interviews to radio, television, and newspaper reporters. From
14 to 17 October, she was featured as the keynote speaker at the Fourth
International Dialogue on the Transition to a Global Society, held at
the University of Maryland at College Park (see pp. 102-03). Additional
activities included her address on 22 May to a committee meeting of the
House of Lords in the United Kingdom, called by Lord Clinton-Davis; her
participation in a Bahei’i onference held in Fiuggi, Italy, in July, at
which time she also addressed the opening session of a summer school for
youth that followed the conference; and a 31 October interview broadcast
on the Persian Service of Voice of America. In Azerbaijan, the National
Spiritual Assembly reached an Brccment with the Education Ministry for
use of the book blhcrs, Fathers and Children. written bv Hand of the Cause

+++70


TIE BAHM WORLD the Bahél’i community stands poised to greatly expand its
membership and address the needs of this turbulent age of transition for
humankind. The Year in Review The year beginning at Ridvan 1995 and
ending at Ridva'm 1996 was characterized by the intense efforts of
Baha’is around the world to fulfill the goals they had set for
themselves for the Three Year Plan. Through systematic, energetic,
creative activity, the Baha’i community grew to a new level of capacity
and unity of purpose. An increase in the assumption of responsibility by
indigenous Baha’is for the functioning of their own communities,
outstanding contributions on the part of the youth, the initiating by
Baha’is at the grass roots of much-needed development projects, greater
involvement in the efforts of society at large to address various
issues, and the steady development of Baha’i communities and
administrative institutions—these were some of the hallmarks of this
past year. The survey of Baha’i activity which follows does not attempt
to be comprehensive. It is intended rather to provide a general sense of
the myriad efforts of Baha’is from hundreds of national communities and
thousands of localities to contribute to the advancement of the Faith’s
aims. Baha’i participation in some specific events has been reported in
detail in separate articles: observances of the fiftieth anniversary of
the United Nations, the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the
various activities of the Baha’i International Community, and the
Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors. Material is
arranged in the survey Within the following categories: Hands of the
Cause, prominent people, children, youth, women, cultural events and
indigenous Bahéi’is, race unity, peace, interfaith activities,
environment, social and economic development, involvement in the life of
society, recognition, landmark occasions, sharing the message of
Baha’u’llah, insti— tutes, scholarship, and the arts. Hands ofthe Cause
Each of the surviving three Hands of the Cause of God plays a critical
role in Bahél’i community life, encouraging and inspiring YEAR m REVIEW
Bahé’l's through their visits and the books they have written. While in
residence in Haifa, they meet with the stream of pilgrims to the holy
places of the Faith. Among their important duties is advising the
Universal House of Justice and serving as members of the International
Teaching Centre. Highlights of activities in which they engaged this
year are detailed below. The Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Baha Ri'lhiyyih
led the four official representatives of the Baha’i Faith at the Summit
on the Alliance between Religions and Conservation held in the United
Kingdom from 29 April to 4 May 1995. The Summit was convened in Windsor
Castle, under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the
Duke of Edinburgh, and attracted many prominent representatives of nine
religions (see pp. 132— 33 for further details). From 29 June to 2 July,
Rl'ihiyyih @anum was present, as the honored guest, at the Regional
Baha’i Teaching Conference held in Tirana, Albania. About three hundred
Baha’is attended the event from 18 different countries, many of them
leaving directly from the conference to travel and share message with
people in the region. While Rl'ihiyyih Qélnum was in Albania, she
received a courtesy call from the President’s daughter and granted a
number of interviews to radio, television, and newspaper reporters. From
14 to 17 October, she was featured as the keynote speaker at the Fourth
International Dialogue on the Transition to a Global Society, held at
the University of Maryland at College Park (see pp. 102-03). Additional
activities included her address on 22 May to a committee meeting of the
House of Lords in the United Kingdom, called by Lord Clinton-Davis; her
participation in a Bahei’i onference held in Fiuggi, Italy, in July, at
which time she also addressed the opening session of a summer school for
youth that followed the conference; and a 31 October interview broadcast
on the Persian Service of Voice of America. In Azerbaijan, the National
Spiritual Assembly reached an Brccment with the Education Ministry for
use of the book blhcrs, Fathers and Children. written bv Hand of the Cause


+++72


larvlue I'm‘ the first time and were broadcast around the world by llw
INK‘ World Service. As in previous years, the National Auscmbly’s
representative was introduced to the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince
Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh On 21 April 1995, a group, including a
number of youth, met with the President of Romania, the Minister of
Youth and Recreation, the Representative of Religions in the Parliament,
the Representative of Minority Rights in Romania. the officials of the
Students’ Union Against Racial Prejudice, and other prominent government
officials. Baha’r' teachings on the unity of humankind were offered to
the President. A meeting was held with President Nelson Mandela of South
Africa this year in order to present him with a statement on overcoming
racial prejudice. A Baha’i delegation also visited President Bakili
Muluzi of Malawi, on 3 August 1995. The Baha’is briefly informed the
President about the history and principles of their Faith, and presented
him with a copy of The Promise of World Peace and other books. The
President responded by expressing his happiness that the Baha’is are
helping the government’s program for alleviating poverty in rural areas,
and he encouraged them to Work on literacy and primary health care
programs e evening of 2 May 1995, members of the Baha’i School
Management Team of the Marshall Islands, together with members of the
Schools Project Board and others, paid a courtesy visit to President
Amata Kabua and the First Lady at their residence. The purpose of the
visit was for the team members, who were all non-Marshallese, to greet
the Head of State of the country, to express their appreciation for his
continued support and guidance, and to update him on the progress of the
Schools Project (see The Bahci World 1994—95, p. 128). On 31 January
1996, the nine members of the Spiritual V, -.-- “Primal Assembly of
Puerto Rico met with Governor Pedro Rosello in his office. Members of
the Assembly offered the services of the Assembly and of the community
to the government, while emphasizing the non-political character of the
Baha’i Faith. The Baha’is of Namibia presented information on the Baha’i
Faith, YEAR L13 REVIEW including the statement Bahd’u'lla'h, to a number
of regional governors, council members, senior ministry officials and
tribal chiefs Additionally, on 25 April 1995, the First Lady, Mrs.
Kovambo Nujoma, visited the home of a Baha’i for tea and to receive the
statement Bahd’u’lia'zh and other literature on the Baha’i Faith. A
Baha’i was asked to perform a song during the official celebrations held
to mark the anniversary of the birth of President Theodoro Obiang Nguema
Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea. After the song, the youth personally gave
to the President copies of Call to the Nations, The Promise of World
Peace, a book of prayers in vernacular languages, and a book on
consultation. Her Highness Princess To’oa Tosi Malietoa, daughter of the
Head of State of Western Samoa, paid a visit to Fiji in August. Some 600
people received her during her stay, including eight high chiefs and the
elders of their tribes, to Whom she presented copies of The Prosperity
of Humankind. In addition, she talked about the Bahe't’i Faith with
prominent women and leading members of the government. Her Highness’s
tour was organized as part of the Ocean of Light Project‘ Children In
the Baha’i Faith, deeds of service and sacrifice belong to all alike,
regardless of age. Children, too, are summoned to serve others, to share
Baha’u’llah’s message, and to work for the betterment of humanity.
Baha’is believe that it is through good character and a sincere desire
to serve humankind that the benefits of intellectual development can be
revealed. For this reason, community efforts to train and educate Baha’i
children begin with moral classes. The Baha’i community of Niamey,
Niger, takes advantage of the power of universal participation to bring
Baha’i teachings to its young people. “Almost every Baha’i in town,”
according to one account, “is either a parent, a transporter, a teacher,
a student, or a host to a Baha’i class.” Monthly study sessions are also
held for the teachers during which a variety of teaching strategies are
presented. The Baha’i community of Yigo in the Mariana Islands hosts
regular children’s classes for almost 50 children

+++74


ni' vm'lmm religious backgrounds. Parents of children who are not
liului'ln ollcn observe the classes. Two communal preschools managed by
Baha’l's in Managua, Nicaragua, received approval from the Ministry of
Education to teach the Baha’i Faith in classes through use of prayers,
songs, celebrations of Baha’i Holy Days, and various texts. In Panama,
Oscar Torres Wilde, a Baha’i, conducted a seminar l on moral leadership
at the Faculty of Education of the University of Panama which attracted
the participation of various Professors Participants in
aBahd‘iteacher-training course and StPdentS‘ IA moral held on 18 May
1995 in Myanmar‘ €ducatlon seminar took place from 9 to 11 June 1995 in
Bangkok, Thailand, attended by Baha’is from various ASEAN countries.
Quito, in the northern sierras of Ecuador, was the scene for a workshop
on moral leadership, which took place on 15 and 16 July 1995. The
executive body of the Solomon Islands radio station has approved the use
of The Virtues Guide for the content of a radio program sponsored by the
community. In India, the Inspector General of Prisons expressed to the
National Spiritual Assembly her desire that the Bahé’is take charge of
training trainers for a moral education program that would reach more
than 8,000 inmates in four prisons. In addition, the Baha’is were
requested to provide audiovisual materials and books, as well as to make
monthly visits to speak about spiritual matters to a general meeting of
prisoners. The Baha’is of Venezuela have developed classroom material
for moral education in primary and secondary schools, which, in
September 1995, were adopted by a regional school board. Principles of
moral education were offered by Baha’is to school teachers in Costa
Rica, Macau, Taiwan, Peru, and Russia (Chita). In January 1996,
Universidad Nur, a large private university in YEAR l1 REVIEW Bolivia,
celebrated its tenth anniversary with a program held in Santa Cruz. The
inspiration for Nur comes from the Baha’i Faith. The first Baha’i
primary school of Madagascar was inaugurated on 29 May 1995 in Beravina
Lovasoa, under the patronage of Mrs. Therese Zafy, the First Lady. The
National Minister of Education and a number of other dignitaries also
attended the ceremony. In Tuvalu, a kindergarten which is registered by
the government opened this year in the National Center. In February
1996, the Local Spiritual Assembly of Kwun Tong, in Hong celebrated its
tenth anniversary this year. Kong, held its first children’s moral
education class, in an estate facility. Before approving the Baha’i
classes, representatives of the estate observed how the Baha’is
conducted a similar class and reviewed the proposed curriculum. In
Finland, the Baha’i Child Education Committee organized a Nordic
Conference on Child Education, which was held in Mariehamn from 13 to 16
April 1996. The theme was “Civic Education for an Emerging Global
Society”, and attendees came from Finland, Norway and Sweden. The Malawi
Government’s Ministry of Education and UNICEF invited Mrs. Nahid
Mazloum, a Baha’i of Malawi, to be the interim chairperson of the
Sensitization Sub-Committee for launching a program of Malawi’s
Education for All. The launching day, 6 September 1995, was attended by
the State President and the First Lady, as Well as other dignitaries.
The Malawi Broadcasting Corporation aired the opening prayer, offered by
a Baha’i child and then sub sequently sung by a group of children. On 21
and 22 November 1995 the community of Mongolia, representing the
International Community, ' took part in a meeting in Ulaan Baatar of
nongovernmental orga nizations whose aim was to promote the Convention
on the

+++76


| M' the Child. The event was organized by the Mongolian I )uvclupnwnl
Center, an agency based on principles. Ynulh From the earliest days of
the Baha'l’i Faith’s history, youth have played a special role in its
promotion. Today’s youth continue to contribute significantly by
traveling, offering periods of fulltime service, and engaging in special
projects Many Baha’i communities, in their efforts to foster positive
action on the part of their youth, have established traveling
performance groups known as Baha’i youth workshops (see The Bahd World
1994—95, pp. 172—77). In July, the Pillars of Peace Youth Group from
Alberta, Canada, attended the Arctic Knights Conference in Yellowknife,
Northwest Territories, Canada, and performed on several occasions: at
the conference, at a downtown mall, at an alcohol and drug
detoxification center, on the Hay River Reserve and in Kakisa, a native
community. Their downtown performance was covered by CBC television and
radio (the national media) and by the local newspaper, resulting in the
group’s being the lead story on the prime time news hour. At the native
gathering held in Kakisa the youth were officially welcomed by the grand
chief and invited to stay and participate in the council, which enabled
them to perform and attend workshops. Baha’i Youth in Motion, a workshop
in Ethiopia, carried out a well-received performance in July in the area
of Nure, followed by a banquet lunch held at the local Baha’i center. As
a result, the coordinator of the American Peace Corps requested that the
show be staged for his staff of 30 at the Teachers’ College. The youth
agreed and ultimately performed for more than 300 people, including
teachers and students at the college. The youth also performed in the
town of Awassa, where over one thousand people came to see the workshop
in action, including members of the media. Other youth workshops which
were active this year include the Yakutsk Dance Workshop in Yakutia,
Russia; Awake in the \Ietherlands; the Maui Youth Workshop in Maui,
Hawaii; Panacea, composed of youth serving atthe Baha’i World Centre,
YEAR m REVIEW which traveled and performed for two weeks in Hungary; the
Letters of the Living Project, which performed in Wallsend in the United
Kingdom; the Youth for One World workshop from New Zealand, which
traveled to Japan; the Dizzy Dance Theatre in stralia; and the Anchorage
Baha’i Youth Workshop in Alaska. In addition to the efforts of youth
workshops, youth engaged at number of special endeavors to share the
message of aha’u’llah with the people of various areas. In the Sparks 0f
eace project, Baha’i youth from all over the Caribbean went to Barbados
for a two-week institute to study the Baha’i teachings, and then split
into five teams and spent two weeks teaching the Baha'i Faith in
Barbados, Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua, and Jamaica.
A “youth movement” initiated in Orissa, India, resulted in the election
of five new Local Spiritual ssemblies through an ambitious campaign
covering 42 villages and cities in thirteen days. A youth group formed
in the Czech epublic, engaging in such activities as regular visits to a
home the elderly, street teaching, and planning Holy Day observances.
Anthems of Unity, their youth workshop, began offering performances. In
Trinidad, two special teams were formed which "ocused on teaching the
Faith and visiting Baha’i communities to stimulate and encourage them. e
Youth for One World Buhci "f youth workshop New Zeoluud performing on 9
August 1' 995 in the pork in Nagasaki, Japan, which marks the place
where an atomic bomb was' dropped exaeilyfifty years before. 3 and 24
July 1995 on the theme of “Supporting Our Youth. The event took place in
the Regional Bahél’i Center of Lubumbashi and was attended by over 200
people from various denom nations and nongovernmental organizations, as
well as the local

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Mauritian Bahd '1' youth visiting the President ofihe Republic and
presenting i0 him a proposed contribution to a charrerfar the youth
ofMauritius, July 1995. authorities‘ Three young people traveled through
Portugal to share the Baha’i Faith, visiting Maia, Viana do Castelo, and
Braga. The youth in Wa, Ghana, have formed an environmental group to
help neighbors clean their surroundings free of charge anr] ,, rand..."
- “mow ---- u. mango and a football club as a Way of teaching the Faith.
Young Baha’is have been active in Seoul and Taejon, South Korea. A peace
club and a dance workshop have been organized in each city and include
the participation of both Baha’i youth and those of other religions.
Members of the European Baha’i Youth Council and youth from the American
Baha’i community participated in “Youth ’95: Alliance for Progressive
Global Change,” a conference held in San Francisco, in the United
States, from 17 to 20 June 1995. The event’s chief organizers were
Project Global 2000 and the World Federalist Association. It was also
cosponsored by 52 international and national organizations and United
Nations agencies, including the European Baha’i Youth Council itself.
Participants explored possible United Nations reform initiatives in
light of the recommendations contained in the report of the Commission
on Global Governance, Our Global Neighborhood. The Youth Council also
sponsored a Workshop on “Global Consciousness and the Baha’i Faith,”
presenting the Baha’i View of the individual’s relationship to society
and the world. Eighty-one young Bahé’is from six localities attended the
Youth Music and Art Festival held on Majuro, in the Marshall Islands,
from 25 to 30 December 1995. The enthusiasm and energy from the festival
carried over to the National Deepening YEAR ll REVIEW Conference, also
organized by the Youth Committee, which took place from 1 to 3 January
1996 on Majuro and which was vulrio attended by the 81 youth. The first
Baha’i Youth Camp was held in Georgia from 6 to I0 July 1995 “amidst
luscious greenery, the environment being moat suitable for meditation,
prayer and contemplation.” Fifty youth from all over Georgia attended
the event. youth conferences were held in Bolivia, England, Gennany,
India, Madagascar, Mulaysia, the Mariana Islands, and South Africa. In
addition to youth gatherings with diverse activities, Buhl'l'l
communities often hold special study institutes for youth. The Baha’i
community of Argentina held a course entitled “Future Society” as one
means of educating the youth. Some 25 facilitlh tors traveled throughout
the country during the year to hold classes. The aim is to transform the
youth through the knowledge of texts and the promotion of learning.
Youth study institutes were also held in Australia and Ireland. Women A
particular emphasis is placed in the Writings on the special
contributions Women will make to the peace PI'OCUNll. This fact and the
principle of the equality of men and women necessitate that systematic
efforts be made both to assist women to reach their potential and to
build families Which assist thin process. women and men took part in a
workshop in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 30 September 1995 with a theme of
“Health. Singaporean Baha "1' youth Jordan Malia prason ting F rance UN
ambassador with o copy of A World in Our Hands, which was commissioned
by the UN and which he coedited.

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Infinity, and Human Rights of Women,” sponsored by the "i'utl Nations
Development Program. The participants of the Fifth Swiss Congress of
Women, held from 19 to 21 January 1996, passed a resolution based on the
Baha’i submission which 1‘ r‘ i n Wlllhll calls upon the Swiss
government to include education for peace in the normal school
curriculum, giving due consideration to the question of human rights and
violence-free conflict resolution. Six members of the Union
Luxembourgeoise des F emmes l a - - e Baha’ies attended and presented a
written statement to a public hearing on the status of women held by the
Parliament of Luxembourg on 29 January and 2 February 1996. At the
Intemational Women’s Conference held in Belarus from 24 to 26 November
1995, the Baha’i model of consultation was hailed as 7 lluljuu (‘D an
effective tool for conflict resolution. The Baha'i Office for the
Advancement of Women of the Eastern Caroline Islands was represented at
an in-country workshop on counseling and interpersonal communication
skills which was held on Yap from 11 to 15 December 1995. Swedish Baha’i
women were active and noticeable participants in the Women’s Day
ceremonies on 8 March 1996 in their country. Then from 19 to 21 April
1996 the Baha’is of Orebro, Sweden, participated in an exhibition
focusing on the role of women in enterprises, held by the Women-Vision
organization. A twenty-minute video entitled Waves of One Sea was
produced by Token Productions on the women, and particularly Baha’is,
from all over the continent of Africa who had gathered in Dakar,
Senegal, in November 1994, for the 5th Preparatory Conference for the
United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women. The film was broadcast
during rhp Damn" mmruA-A 7 " Llullllé the Beijing conference on 7
September 1995 by the 25 national affiliate broadcasters of WETV, a
global access television network based in Canada. Baha’i communities are
increasingly organizing events aimed at encouraging, educating, and
empowering women. The Olinga Inefihvh; Y 1' - 1 WU 111v Vllllscl
Institute in Kerala, India, reported that its fifth course specially
designed to promote the empowerment of women was held from 24 to 26
November 1995. Participants included many families. The Baha’i women of
Ikot Oko Ibon, Nigeria, secured a piece of land to farm, using the
proceeds to support women’s activities YEAR i] REVIEW in the state. The
Women also conducted an institute on the Bahé’i ith and familv life.
Faith and family life. In Kenya, the ninth annual National Women’s
Conference was held from 10 to 13 August 1995 in Nakuru. The theme of
the conference was “Women and Peace.” Women of the Bulgarian Baha’i
community held the first National Women’s Seminar this orqani7terl hv
the Enmnean Task Force for Women. The year, organized by the European
Task Force for Women. The theme of the seminar was “Encouragement.” In
the Baltic States, a seminar Was held incorporating the three themes of
“Encouragement, Transformation, and Service.” The event was attended by
five representatives of the three Baltic State communities, who gathered
in Kaunas on 5 and 6 August 1995. Bahzi’i Women in the Czech Republic
held a seminar on 18 and 19 November designed to encourage Bahzi’i women
to arise and use their talents to serve the Baha’i Faith. The European
Task Force for Women sponsored a training - . .., - H“ - r1 - n“ H
course to assist women in “Becoming Ensigns of Peace." Held in Acntn,
Italv. the course attracted 73 women from 26 Held in Acute, Italy, the
course attracted '73 women from Countr1es_ The Minister of Social
Affairs and Promotion of Women in Chad, Mrs. Achta Selgue, approached
the community of N’Dinmenn this vear to ask for heln with organization
Of N’Djamena this year to ask for help with organization of a program
for Pan-African Women’s Day. Consequently, the Baha’i community hosted a
public meeting for prayer and meditation and participated in a round
table discussion about the status of women and eradication of poverty.
In honor of International Women’s Day this year, the Bahz'l’i women of
the Central African Republic offered an exhibition of This tapestry,
designed and assembled by Vickie Hn Poirier, a renowned American Bahd
"1' artist, was displayed for the first time at the Fourth World
Conference on Women in Beijing. Bohd women around the world contributed
to the piece.

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Trig BAHA'i WORLD sewing, soap-making and other handicrafts, as well as
a display of books on women, and made a presentation on women in the
Baha’i world community during activities sponsored by the Organization
of Women of Central Africa' In Malawi, the Local Spiritual Assembly of
Lilongwe sponsored a reception in celebration of International Women’s
Day on 8 March 1996. Participants included various people of prominence
in Malawian society, including Mrs. P. Malewezi, the wife of the
Vice-President. In Gabon, a public conference on equality of rights of
women and men was held in Libreville on 7 March, organized by the Local
Spiritual Assembly to observe International Women’s Day. Radio Africa
No. 1, which is broadcast in all francophone countries of Africa,
covered the event. Then on 8 March, a Baha’i speaker kicked off a
seminar organized by the Ministry of Women’s Status in recognition of
International Women’s Day. The President of the Republic was in
attendance, as well as the Minister of National Education, the wife of
the Prime Minister and other personalities, the media and an audience of
nearly 300 women from all over the country. The Baha’i address was
covered by a television channel and by 1 ‘Union, the national daily
newspaper. In Bariloche, Argentina, five distinguished women were
honored by the Baha’i community on 8 March to commemorate International
Women’s Day. The women were also interviewed for a program on a popular
radio station. The National Spiritual Assembly of India’s for the
Advancement of Women, in collaboration with the All India Women’s
Conference, observed International Women’s Day by holding a conference
at the National Baha’i Center on 15 March. The theme chosen was “Women
and Men: Partnership for a Healthy Planet.” Various Baha’i communities
have arranged other types of events to promote the advancement of women
and their participation in the peace process. In Nepal, David Walker has
won ilcclaim for his work with Women who are illiterate. Reports
indicate that as Regional Director of PACT, a USAID organization, he has
been instrumental in bringing literacy to 150,000 Women a year in Nepal.
His efforts were the subject of a documentary video, part of the
Visionaries program by the Public Broadcasting System in the United
States. Mr. Walker credits the Baha’i Faith as the source of his
inspiration for this Work. On Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands, the
Bahé’is held a public meeting on 9 October 1995 on the topic of the
equality of women and men. More than thirty people attended the event,
including a number of the island’s prominent Women. A conference
entitled “Active Role of Women in the New World Order,” held in Adana,
Turkey, on 7 April 1996, attracted 550 participants, including members
of the Union of Adana Women’s Associations, and on 9 April a live
program was aired on local television in which views Were discussed.
L’Association baha’ie de Femmes in France hosted on 20 January the
symposium Constructive Complementarity,” held in Clemenceau Hall, at the
Palais du Luxembourg‘ the seat of the French Senate. Baha’i women’s
committees all over the world have given special attention to family
life, believing that the condition of women in society and family
functioning powerfully affect each other. In Ethiopia, the Ministry of
Labor and Social Affairs invited the participation of the Baha’is in a
two-day national workshop on the situation of displaced/dislocated
families and street children, on 29 and 30 June 1995. Chile hosted two
events regarding women and family this year. On 3 and 4 June 1995 a
conference in Labranza attracted participants from both north and south.
()n 30 September and l October the Local Spiritual Assembly of Pueito
Montt hosted a meeting with the assistance of the Committee for Women
and the FFamily for the South and the Baha’is of Bollilco, Loncopullc.
l. Osomo, Ternuco, and Valdivia. Reports were received of two fora held
in Malaysia on the I-Bubject of the family. The for the Advancement of
Women organized a public forum on laws pertaining to 11m ifamily, held
17 June 1995, in which the Minister of National iUnity and Social
Development participated. In Ipoh, the Local Spiritual Assembly
sponsored a National Forum on Family on 1

+++84


October. The Baha’is of Sri Lanka also related news of two such events
in their community this year. On 31 December a regional family
conference was held in Colombo, and another Was held in Adams Peak
Estate on 7 January 1996. The National Baha’i Women’s Committee of
Albania held a conference from 27 to 29 October 1995 on the theme of
“Man, Woman, Family, Society: In Search of a New Paradigm.11 Special
efforts were made to include both women and men in this conference, and
keynote talks and Workshops were offered by Albanian professionals and
Baha’i speakers from Europe. Albanian State Television filmed part of
the opening evening session, brief segments of which were‘shown on prime
time news. The special concern within Baha’i communities for eradicating
violence within families spurred seminars and conferences across the
globe over the past year. On 5 November 1995 a symposium on creating a
violence-free society was held by the Baha’i community of Yokohama,
Japan. During the event the need was cited to create unity-based
families rather than families based on power and pleasure. In Antigua,
in the East Leeward Islands, a symposium was held from 24 to 26 May 1995
to consult on strategies for eradicating family violence.
Representatives from eleven Caribbean nations, the United Nations
Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the Caribbean Community
Secretariat gathered for this event, which was cosponsored by the
Bahz't’is of the East Leeward Islands, the United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and UNICEF. On 15 April 1996 a seminar Was held
in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, on the “Violence-Free Family,” attended by the
Honorable Prince Ma’atu and his wife‘the Honorable Alaileula, who is the
granddaughter of the Malietoa, the Head of State of Western Samoa; the
speaker of the Legislative Assembly; the High Commissioner of Tonga to
the United Kingdom; and the Head of the United States Peace Corps. Drs.
Moojan and Wendi Momen, Baha’is from the United Kingdom, spoke about the
causes of violence in the family and creating peaceful families. The
seminar was also noteworthy in that it was the first time the issue of
family violence had been addressed in that manner in Tonga. YEAR m
REVIEW In Gaborone, Botswana, a conference was arranged by the Baha’i'
National Women and Child Education Committee which was entitled
“Creating a Violence-Free Family," to follow up on issues raised during
the United Nations Year of the Family. The formal program was followed
by music, folk dancing, and a short dramatic presentation by the
Gaborone Baha’i youth. The tragedies befalling families in war-tom areas
of the world inevitably affect their most vulnerable members in
especially brutal ways, as is apparent in the former Yugoslavia. The
National Spiritual Assembly of the United States has participated in
efforts to bring the issues of concern to women to the attention of
those implementing the Dayton Accords. Because of these efforts,
Katharine Cosby and Firuz Kazemzadeh of the United States Baha’i
community were invited by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to a coffee
reception at the White House on 29 January 1996 in recognition of
ongoing humanitarian assistance to the people of Bosnia. The work of
integrating Women’s concerns and issues more fully into the Bosnian
peace process continues. Cultural Events and Indigenous Bahd’is Members
of the Baha’i community of Canada participated in the first Sacred
Assembly held between aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples from 6 to 9
December 1995 in Hull, Quebec. The Baha’i presence in the Assembly
received media coverage in the form of three interviews for the official
video, a television and a radio interview, and the airing by the Inuit
Broadcasting Corporation of the Pow-Wow Eskimo Drum performance given by
a Baha’i, his presentation about the Faith, and an interview in the
Inuktitut language. On 24 and 25 November 1995, the Bahzi’is of Malaysia
held a cultural festival in the Kapit Division, which included
performances of Iban cultural dances, the reciting of “pantun” (poems),
and field events for women and children. The Baha’i community of
Coronado, Costa Rica, organized a celebration of the Day of the Cultures
which was attended by about 1,500 people, including many school
children. The highlight of the event was a performance by a group of
Guayml' Baha’is who had traveled from their homes in the hills near the

+++86


Panamanian border to the program’s site near the city of San José.
Approximately one thousand Inuit people from Greenland, Canada, Chokotka
(Russia) and Alaska converged on Nome, Alaska, from 24 to 30 July 1995
in order to participate in the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. The Nome
Baha’i community contributed significantly towards the success of the
event. The Pacific Horizons International Conference, held in Auckland,
New Zealand, from 10 to 13 January 1996, attracted over 1,500 Baha’is
from 26 countries. The conference program was a blend of workshops,
keynote speeches, and entertainment with a focus on issues that affect
indigenous people. Patricia Locke, who is a from the United States, is
the first Native American woman to win a MacArthur Fellowship. Mrs.
Locke served as the chair of the Indigenous Women’s Caucus at the Fourth
World Conference on Women in Beijing and is the executor of an
international institute dealing with Native American language issues.
She has helped seventeen American Indian nations establish postsecondary
institutions on their reservations and has assisted Indian nations in
enacting language, culture, and educational policies within the area of
their jurisdictions. Race Unity In the United States and Canada, a great
many significant gatherings were convened in various communities in
honor of Race Unity Day, reflecting those continuing response to lhe
special appeals addressed to them by and Shani lil'I'endi for their
“ceaseless exertions” in addressing this "miml vital and challenging
issue.” The following are some represeniulivc examples. Memorable
moments from the Pacific Horizons Conference in New Zealand, January
1996: facing page, a Maori performance; this page, group; the children
‘s presentation; a performance by , Tongan visitors. - YEAR m REVIEW


+++88


THE BAHK'I' WORLD The Baha’is in Salt Lake City, Utah, organized a
“Color Me Human” conference in late June/early July 1995 whose theme was
“raising the first generation free of prejudice.” The event was
extremely successful, was attended by members of a number of Baha’i
Youth Workshops, and included the participation of about eighty Baha’i
youth in a local parade. The mayor of Salt Lake City proclaimed “Color
Me Human” week, and the conference concluded with an outdoor festival. A
number of Baha’i communities in Indiana participated in and hosted
celebrations of Race Unity Day. The Bloomington Baha’is organized
festivities in a park which included a presentation by a representative
of Indiana University. In Fort Wayne, the Baha’is took part in the Black
Expo, at which the Indian Dawnbreakers Youth Workshop performed and
invited people to the next day’s Race Unity Day program. Observances
were also held in Gary and Indianapolis. An observance of Race Unity Day
in Peoria, Illinois, called upon the expertise of Reginald Newkirk, a
member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada and a worker in the
field of human rights and race relations for more than two decades. Mr.
Newkirk spoke at a meeting on 10 June 1995 to students and parents of
the group Tomorrow’s Scientists, Technicians and Managers, at which the
Central Illinois Bahél’i Youth Workshop also performed. The Mayor of
Peoria declared 11 June “Race Unity Day.” On 10 June the Baha’i
community of Jackson-Madison County, Tennessee, were joined by Baha’is
from Henderson and Decatur counties at the first-ever race unity
gathering in the three neighboring counties, held at Jackson’s Highland
Park. A city councilman proclaimed “Race Unity Day” in Jackson. From 22
to 25 February 1996, the Local Spiritual Assembly of Charleston, South
Carolina, sponsored a conference with the ‘heme of “Race Unity: A
Prescription for the Healing of the Nation.” during which an array of
speakers “diagnosed” the of racial disunity and “prescribed” remedies
from the a!’ * Mnuv communities in the United States take MM!
umm'ncmorating the life and work of Martin YEAR m REVIEW Luther King Jr.
In Torrance, California, Baha'.’is made an effort to unite diverse
groups in the city on 14 January 1996 in the “Revitalize the Dream”
event, dedicated to remembering and recommitting to Dr. King’s dream of
racial harmony. Hard work on 19965 Martin Luther King Day events in
Participants in a conference on racial nnity organized by the Baha is cf
Rainani a. future. The community was one of the celebration’s major
sponsors, alongside various corporations, and Bahé’is Worked behind the
scenes on several of the weekend’s events, including the annual
parade—billed as the nation’s largest, as Atlanta’s parade was not held
this year. In addition, a was named to the mayor’s newly formed Human
Relations Commission. At the end of March 1996, the National Spiritual
Assembly of Canada presented its fourth annual Baha’i Race Unity Award
to Sylvia Hamilton, a noted filmmaker, human rights educator, published
author, and coeditor and contributor to the first-ever collection on
African-Canadian women’s history. Late April 1995 saw more than 30
students from schools throughout the Cowichan Valley in British
Columbia, Canada, plus more than 70 students from the Maxwell
International Baha’i Secondary School, gather together for a conference
‘llcntitled “Healing the Wounds of Racism,” held at the Maxwell l DHLAAI
School in British Columbia. 1 For the fourth year in a row, many mayors
across Canada reclaimed “Unity in Diversity Week,” a concept originally
put iforward by the Baha’i community. Educational fora, multicul‘tural
suppers, pancake breakfasts and many arts evenings with

+++90

THE BLHJ WORLD cnlcrtainment from representatives of different cultures
were held. The focus of Unity in Diversity Week is to celebrate
diversity as a source of strength and unity. Efforts to promote race
unity are not exclusive to American and Canadian Baha’i communities. In
Bermuda, the Baha’i' community organized a concert in Victoria Park,
Hamilton, in nninlmmtz-“ n " - celebration of Race Unity Day.
Subsequently, the House of Assembly of Bermuda voted to send a letter of
thanks and congratulations to the community. From 27 May to 3 June 1995;
the Baha’i' community of Rockdale, Australia, in association with other
concerned groups in that country, hosted a week of prayer for
reconciliation between non-Aboriginal Australians and. Aborigines and
Torres Strait Islanders. The Honorable George Thompsom of the New South
Wales Legislative Assembly, who was asked to give an address, later
spoke in Parliament about the program. The Albury and Wodonga Baha’i
communities of Australia held their annual multicultural evening on 24
June 1995 to commemorate National Refugee Week. Held at the Wodonga
0:11;" (“nub-U. ‘L - v V i‘? 1V \IUULIELI Civic Center, the event
attracted 400 people of 30 different nationalities. The Honorable Lou
Liebermann, Federal Member for Indi, opened the evening. On 24 March
1996, the Council of Churches of Leiden, the Netherlands, held an
interreligious meeting on Anti-Racism Day with the cooperation of the
Bahé’is of Leiden and Leiderdorp, a Buddhist group, representatives of
several Christian churches, mm: .. \inuuit - and a Muslim community. The
motto of the event was “Unity in Diversity.” The program included a
performance by the youth Workshop Awake and the reading of a few Bahél’i
texts on the theme. On 19 August 1995 in Hawaii, as part of the
activities for Aloha Peace Week, which commemorates the end of World War
II, Joy DeGruy Leary offered insights into “Post—Traumatic Slave
Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury” during a seminar held on
the university of Hawaii campus. More than 70 people attended the event.
Mrs. Leary, a cultural diversity consultant and a Baha’i, stated that
world peace Will only be YEAR L1 REVIEW established after the
long-standing prejudices that separate people are abolished. Peace .
lnnumerable presentations, big and small, are made on the subject of
peace each year by communities throughout the world. The following are
just a few of the efforts which have taken place in the world this year.
The Bahél’is in the Congo played a leading role in the organization of
the World Peace Day observance held on 19 September 1995 at the United
Nations Information Center in that country. The Baha’i speaker
represented all the national religious communities at the event. The
Baha’is of Quetta, Pakistan, organized a peace walk on 17 September
1995, involving about 1,300 students from six different boys’ schools.
The walk ended at the Baha’i Center in Quetta, where 2,000 gas balloons
were released. The Local Spiritual Assembly of Athens, Greece, decided
to create a poster in commemoration of the United Nations International
Day of Peace. The text was quoted from ‘Abdu’l-Baha, “...let us try. .
.peace, and if the results of peace are bad, then We can choose...to go
back to the old state of war!” As the Baha’is put up the posters during
September they met with many positive responses. The quotation was
published in Athens News on 19 September 1995. More than one hundred
people attended a celebration of International Peace Day on 17 September
1995 at the Baha’i House of Worship in Panama City, Panama. The
celebration included a devotional program and presentations on peace.
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Puerto de la Cruz in the Canary Islands
organized a series of activities for World Day of Prayer for Peace on 24
September. The theme for the effort, which was supported by the
municipality and a number of civic organizations, was “United for
Peace.” The Fourth Festival for International Understanding, orga— nized
by Baha’is, was held in Altenkirchen, Germany, on 21 May 1995, with the
motto “World Peace through World Unity,” under the patronage of the
Minister of State for the Interior and


+++92


THE BAHA'i WORLD Sport in Rhineland-Palatinate. The event was also
attended by the district council president, the mayor and some 450
guests. This year on World Environment Day, soil from sixteen addi
tional countries was deposited into the Peace Monument in Brazil.1 The
countries which contributed soil this year were the Bahamas, Bermuda,
Guinea, Jordan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Latvia,
Malaysia, New Caledonia, Peru, Romania, the Philippines, the Slovak
Republic, Trinidad and - I Mu] ‘Inrninhl ‘hrinnino tn 524 the total
Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vanuatu, bringing to 84 the tota number of
nations and territories contributing thus far. This year’s ceremonies
were attended by approximately 200 people, including diplomats from
Switzerland, Latvia, and Romania, and the Secretary of the Environment
for the state of Rio de J aneiro. I The Peace Pavilion, 5 Dartmouth,
Nova i Scotia, Canada, dedicated on 24 June 1995. On 16 June 1995 in
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, the foreign ministers attending the
conference of the “Group of Seven” richest industrial nations (Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United
States) being . . . - " 1-r ‘ran--11., flan “Inrlrl Pence Pavilion. On
held in Halifax officially unveiled the World Peace Pavilion. On 24
June, more than 500 people came to the pavilion to celebrate peace and
to participate in its local dedication. The idea of the World Peace
Pavilion was conceived in 1989 by a group called etro Youth for Global
Unity, whose members Were from Furious cultural and religious
backgrounds, including the YEAR 5 REVIEW Faith. The words of
Baha’u’llah, “Let your vision be worldembracing,” are inscribed in the
concrete of the monument in letters 25 centimeters high, extending
across fourteen meters. For the inauguration, Dartmouth’s mayor, a
federal member of Parliament, and the Premier of Nova Scotia all gave
short talks applauding both the spirit of the project and the initiative
of the youth who had begun it. Interfaith Activities On 13 August 1995,
an “Interfaith Gathering for Peace with Justice” was held at Kakaako
Waterfront Park in Honolulu, Hawaii, officially kicking off the Aloha
Peace Week. A peace offering was made on behalf of the Hawaiian Baha’i
community in the form of conch shell blowing, and the Hawaiian Institute
of the Baha’i Faith offered sacred Hawaiian chants and sang the words of
Baha’u’llah which begin “Blessed is the spot.” Each year one of the
major churches in the Bhunya region of Swaziland holds a unity night
vigil, the purpose of which is for the different churches to gain a
better understanding of each other’s beliefs and activities. The Baha’is
have been invited to participate each year; this year they were able to
introduce an audience of about 450 to the Faith and to offer Baha’i
songs. On 5 November 1995, Baha’is of Drogheda, Ireland, were the only
non-Christian group represented at a special ecumenical service held to
commemorate the 700th anniversary of the arrival of Augustinian friars
in the area. The President of the Republic of Ireland, Mary Robinson,
was in attendance at the ceremony, during which a verse from Baha’i
writings was read. The Baha’i Faith was one of the four faiths featured
in a symposium organized by the Faculty of Catholic Theology of Burgos,
in Spain, for the study of leading monotheistic religions, attended by
the Archbishop of Burgos. Other interfaith activities in which Baha’is
participated this year included the following: on 30 July 1995, Baha’is
in the Cook Islands participated in and sang three songs for a national
prayer service organized by the Religious Advisory Committee and
attended by over 1,000 people, including the Prime Minister and Deputy
Prime Minister; participated in an interreligious

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gathering held on 6 August in the gardens of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s offices in Paris,
France, offering writings of Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha during the
service; and from 19 to 22 October in Geneva, Switzerland, Baha’is
offered their perspective during a program featuring round table
discussion about teaching tolerance in schools. Baha’is have taken a
central role in interfaith efforts initiated since the bombing of the
federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in the United States. A
Baha’i was elected chairman of Interfaith Disaster Recovery of Greater
Oklahoma City, and the new organization’s mission statement begins with
the words of Baha’u’llah “So powerful is the-light of unity that it can
illuminate the whole earth.” The mission statement has been distributed
to all churches and synagogues in the area, as well as to governmental
and other agencies Tmvolved in cleanup and recovery. The Baha’is of
Angola are now represented on a Council of the National Institute of
Religious Affairs in Angola, which has the task of coordinating the
activities of the various religious organizations in the country. The
Baha’i representative has also been invited to participate in a
Commission for Humanitarian Assistance. World Religion Day Observances
sponsored by Baha’i com— munities in Singapore, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka
each involved the participation of leaders of various religions.
Environment David Chittleborough was the representative of the Baha’i
International Community at the Earth Charter Workshop, held at the Peace
Palace in The Hague from 29 to 31 May 1995. The intent of the Earth
Charter is to set out the moral imperatives of sustainable development
as Well as norms and standards for state and interstate behavior. Former
Prime Minister of the Netherlands, R. Lubbers, chaired and addressed the
opening session of the workshop, as did the heads of the two partners
for the Earth Charter Initiative, Mikhail Gorbachev as President of
Green Cross International and Maurice Strong as Chairman of the Earth
YEAR m REVIEW Council During the workshop, several interventions were
made giving the Baha’i perspective on global environmental problems. At
the end of the Workshop, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands invited a
group of about ten members to a reception and lunch which she and Prince
Claus held in Noordeinde Palace. At that event, Dr. Chittleborough was
introduced to the Queen as the representative of the Baha’i
International Community. The Baha’i community of Brazil, through its of
the Environment and Development (EMAD), participated in ECO APLICADA 95,
the Third Latin American Encounter of Environmental Educators, from 12
to 15 October in Rio de Janeiro. Parallel to the encounter, the Second
International Show of Ecological Video Tapes took place. The video of
the Baha’i environmental art education project “Tomorrow Belongs to the
Children” received two prizes. The Baha’i International Community was
invited to send a representative to participate in the “Revelation and
the Environment” symposium sponsored by the Ecumenical Patriarch of the
Eastern Orthodox Church and held from 20 to 27 September on a cruise
ship based in Piraus, the main port for Athens, Greece. William Hatcher,
as the Baha’i representative, presented a paper. From 21 to 26 April
1995, an exhibition of children’s art from 38 different countries around
the world was held at the Singapore Science Center. Entitled “Our
Fragile Environment,” the exhibition consisted of 220 pieces of artwork
mounted onto specially designed and individually decorated canvas
panels. The event was jointly organized by the Baha’i of the Environment
for Singapore and its counterpart in Taiwan, where the exhibition was
first shown. The Baha’i Office of the Environment for Taiwan, with the
assistance of the Nantou and Tsaotun Baha’i communities, and the
sponsorship of the Jong Hsin New Village Provincial Library, held a
showing of the Second Annual International Children’s Art Exhibition
“Animals and Me” from 17 to 22 October. From 27 January to 4 February
1996, the Baha’i community of Macau organized an exhibition resulting
from an international

+++96


n fur uhlldl'cn to promote environmental awareness. m "hOOll the"
invited Bahé’is to conduct Workshops for their which used games and
activities to help teach the to preserve the environment. I The Bahé’is
of Ligi' India marked 1995 World Environment I“ Day with a special
conference in the E women’s groups and of volunteers from twenty
villages in Activity associated with the International the Dhal' and
Children 's Art Exhibition “Animals and Me. "held districts and under in
Macau in early 1996. " "" '1 "m the auspices of the Bahél’i Vocational
Institute for Rural Women in Madhya Pradesh. About 200 women and men
gathered for this which was the first of its kind to be held in the
area. Three students from PRODES, a social development program,
organized a seminar held in Santa Ana, El Salvador, on 10 November 1995.
The event was entitled “Working for Our Future and the Environment,” and
presenters offered comments on “Approaches to the Environmental Crisis,”
“Reconceptualizing the Environmental Problem,” and “Alternative
Solutions—A Moral Perspective.” Social and Economic Development From 5
to 16 June 1995, ten Bahé’is in Vanuatu took part in the Literacy
Awareness Workshop in Tanna, sponsored by the National Community
Development Trust. Following the participation of three Bahé’is in a
literacy training workshop at the beginning of 1995, an agreement was
made between the Baha’i community and the Literacy Association of
Vanuatu for the funding of a three-year literacy project. The Bahél’is
are to offer trainers and trainees. YEAR 5 REVIEW The National Spiritual
Assembly of Guinea is operating a Bahz'l’i Village Schools project,
consisting of three phases: establishing schools in four villages during
a period of three‘ years; literacy training for the women of the same
villages; and a social and economic development project with a special
empha sis on women. As of l 1995, seven eommu— 1E nities were involved
in nrnipr-f “rifln ' ' in the project, with 7'? three villages in phase
one, three in phase two, and one in phase three. The community of
Pakistan reported that it held its first national conference on social
and economic development on 26 December 1995 in Rawalpindi. Projects
included a tree planting, free medical or eye camps, and academic
tutoring. In Uganda, the Local Spiritual Assembly of Nabyoto initiated a
number of social and economic development activities, including working
with other concerned parties to begin adult literacy classes. The
Bahé’is of Dalkeith Estate, Sri Lanka, began conducting a class in
English and one for literacy which has a focus on women. The Bahél’is of
Guyana are involved in several initiatives, including the development of
a pilot literacy project targeting preadolescent youth. On 5 August
1995, ten members of the Radio Baha’l' Institute in the Philippines
completed a course on broadcasting, which featured hands-on training in
programing, production, and broadcasting. One of the goals of Radio
Baha’i is the upliftrnent of the social, economic and cultural life of
the people. The sixth seminar for Baha’i radio stations was held in
Vinto, Bolivia, from 3 to 13 February 1996, with radio personnel from
the five Latin American stations—Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and
Chile—as well as Radio Baha’i in the United States. Children
environmental activity, Macau, 23 July 1995.

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The third North American Baha’i Conference on Social and Economic
Development took place in Orlando, Florida, United States, from 21 to 26
December 1995. The conference had as its theme “Paths to Peace: Global
Prosperity through the Advancement of Women, Human Rights, and Moral
Development,” and was attended by about 800 people from 28 countries.
Guests of honor at the event were the Honorable Luiz Gushiken, member of
the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, and David Hofman and David Ruhe,
former members of the Universal House of Justice. Eight National
Assemblies sent representatives. The emphasis in the Faith on service to
humanity finds expression in a number of ways in community life. One
such expression is the contribution to the health of various segments of
society. The organization Health for Humanity joined with the University
of Tirana in Albania to hold the first International Medical/Surgical
Conference of Tirana, on 30 and 31 May and 1 June 1995. The event
attracted more than four hundred Albanian physicians and 34 visitors
from Switzerland, Holland, Spain, the United States, Canada, England,
France, and Germany. Twenty Albanians and 16 visiting professors made 38
presentations in surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, and
pediatrics. The national television aired a summary of the scientific
proceedings and some interviews four times a day throughout the country.
1995 was also the first year of Health for Humanity’s project to improve
eye care in Albania, with a goal of reducing vision loss and blindness
in that country. Family greenhouse project sponsored by the Mongolian
Development Center, an agency based on Baha ’1'prineiples. The project
aims at encouraging fami lies to _.... grow vegetables, thus improving
the nutrition of children. Village representatives in Vientiane, Leos,
purchase cement ringsfor m0 water-wells destroyed by floods, October
1995. The Baha’is of Cote d’Ivoire are taking part in a nationwide
effort to eliminate river blindness. Local Baha’i communities
participated this year in distributing the medicine used to combat the
disease. In February 1996, the Baha’i Health Agency of South Africa,
with the assistance of that of the United Kingdom, carried out a health
care project in Polini in which 60 people were served by a doctor and
nurses. The doctor, who is a Baha’i, also addressed the women in the
village about child care, hygiene and primary health care and gave a
presentation to the students of two schools on primary health care. This
same health agency assisted the community of Zingqayi in conducting a
feasibility study and submitting to the authorities a request for a
supply of waterwto the area. The continuing problem of polio was
highlighted in a health project in Uganda, jointly funded by the Baha’i
community and the Canadian Public Health Authority. The objectives of
the campaign were to increase immunization coverage against the six
“killer diseases’’ and to improve general health through health
education in the community. As a result of the campaign, immunization
coverage has been shown to have doubled or tripled in more than half the
communities where health workers have been trained, new immunization
centers have been established, at least 80 percent of the communities
have cleaned their water sources, some have collected funds and repaired
their boreholes and others are building protected springs, and there are
an increased number of pit latrines in many villages.

+++100


In Kenyil‘s Primary Health Care Course, held from 13 to 25 July I095 at
the Menu Teaching Institute in Bungoma, 24 women and men were trained as
primary health workers for their Home communities. A development
committee held seminar for community health agents from 22 to 31 May in
Kaboke Nundu, Zaire, with participants from Fizi, Mwenga and Uvira.
Trainers were provided by the committee and by a nearby hospital. Mrs.
Lyowa of Zambia undertook a similar, two-week training course in March
1995 to become a Baha’i community health educator. Upon returning home,
she cleaned up the family compound, dug a rubbish pit, and held a
Workshop for the people in her compound and for the teachers in the
neighboring high school. She and Jeddah Bradley, a Baha’i youth from
Australia serving in the area, arranged to teach the importance of
primary health care and education for children through a four-day
program which resulted in the formation of a women’s club, called
Twikatane (Come Together United). Many of the club members then took
steps to improve sanitation in their homes and around their compounds.
Mrs. Lyowa and Miss Bradley, joined by five other Bahét’is, scrubbed and
disinfected the women’s ward of the Mporokoso District Hospital, and the
Local Spiritual Assembly of Mporokoso agreed to adopt a part of the
hospital grounds for flower gardens. Mrs. Lyowa and two other Baha’i
community health educators joined another Baha’i in much-needed
volunteer work in the hospital’s pediatrics clinic, through which they
noticed that the clothes for the patients were being washed by their
relatives and put on the ground to dry. This fact was brought to the
attention of the Local Assembly, which consequently had a clothesline
built outside the ward In August, a refresher course was held for the
Baha’i health educators, after which there was a special ceremony to
unveil on the hospital grounds a plaque declaring that part of the
hospital grounds had been adopted by the Bahé’is of Mporokoso. This
prompted a representative of the secondary school to say that the school
would also adopt some of the hospital grounds and would go into
competition with the Baha’is in making the area beautiful. These many
improvements in the lives of the people of Mporokoso are YEAR E1 REVIEW
the result of the effort to offer just a short period of training to one
woman. Involvement in the Life of Society obedience to the behest of to
“be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center
your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements,” Bahé’is the
world over are stepping up the tempo of their contributions to dialogue
on the issues confronting humanity today. The Baha’is in the Eastern
Caroline Islands presented a paper at the recent Federated States of
Micronesia Economic Summit held in Pohnpeit The paper, which was
entitled “The Purpose of Development and the Decision-Making Process,”
included concepts from the Baha’i statements Turning Point for All
Nations (see pp. 241—83) and The Prosperity of Humankina' (see The Balm’
‘i World 1994-95, pp. 273-96) and was the only paper offered by a
nongovernmental organization. Jaime Duhart—a Baha’i and a member of the
board of Universidad Bolivariana of Chile—toured a number of Latin
American countries this year including Peru, the Dominican Republic,
Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Cuba. In each country he
presented The Prosperity of Humankind to nongovemmental organizations,
university staff, and other interested groups. His efforts were covered
by local media in many of the places he visited. As a follow up to the
Copenhagen Social Summit, the Bahé’is of Botswana hosted a seminar on
human prosperity at the University of Botswana, in Gaborone, on 26
September 1995. The Cook Islands Bahél’i community of Te Au 0 Tonga,
working with its National Spiritual Assembly, presented The Prosperity
of Humankind to 150 people, beginning with the Queen’s Representative,
the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, various other
ministers, and the country’s Arikis (chiefs). On 15 July 1995, a public
meeting Was held to introduce the statement, which was attended by Pa
Ariki—one of the traditional leaders—and the Minister of Health and
Tourism. Subsequently, a television program about The Prosperity of
Humankind was aired by the Baha’is, followed two weeks later by the
screening of the same program translated into Maori.

+++102


Pl‘tim'nlullmm and meetings on the theme of human prosperity were HlHU
held in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, Senegal, India, and
Guyana. Swaziland hosted a meeting on the subject as one of a series of
monthly fora on various related topics. Presentan'rm of The Prosperity
of Humankind in August 1995 to Her Excellency Derne Nita Barrow,
Governor General efBnrbedos, by a member ofthe National Spiritual
Assembly Barbados. On behalf of the Baha’l International Community,
Guilda Navidi-Walker and Arthur Dahl attended a conference in Bucharest,
Romania, called by President Ion Iliescu, entitled the Workshop
Worldwatch Conference on Sustainable Development and International
(Io-operation, and held on 22 and 23 March 1996. Dr. Dahl presented
Baha’i views on the spiritual dimension of sustainable development,
which were eagerly received by participants. The Fourth International
Dialogue on the Transition to a Global Society was convened at the
University of Maryland at College Park, from 14 to 17 October 1995. The
conference was organized by the Baha’i Chair for World Peace and the
university’s Department of History on behalf of the Center for
International Development and Conflict Management, and Landegg Academy,
and held under the auspices of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The theme this year was
“Divisive Barbarity or Global Civilization: The Ethical Dimensions of
Science, Art, Religion and Politics,” and the objectives of the dialogue
were to find answers to the challenge of building a global civilization
Ym m REVIEW and to inspire action by leaders in all realms of society to
realize the proposed solutions. The keynote speaker was the Hand of the
Cause Amatu’l-Bahé Qanum, who was followed by five other speakers: His
Excellency Amine Gemayal, former President of Lebanon; Her Royal
Highness Princess Rahma binl El Hassan of Jordan; Ervin Laszlo,
President of the Club Budapest and International Adviser to the
Dialogue; Dr. Bertrand Schneider, Secretary-General of the Club of Rome;
and His Excellency Dr. Karan Singh, head of the Auroville Foundation in
India and former Ambassador of India to the United States. The final
speaker of the session was His Excellency Amata Kabua, President of the
Republic of the Marshall Islands, who delivered a special address. Also
in attendance were Ambassador PaulMarc Henry, Ambassador-at-Large of
France; Lily Boeykens, former President of the International Council of
Women, and currently the Commissioner of Belgium to the United Nations
Commission on the Status of Women; Ambassador Tahsecn Basheer, Director
of the National Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Cairo, Egypt; Edy
Kaufman, from the Center for International Development and Conflict
Management at the University of Maryland at College Park; and Eberhard
Zeidler, a prominent North American architect. The Landegg Academy held
a forum on global governance in Germany’s Haus der Demokratie on 20
September 1995. Some 40 nongovernmental organizations delivered
statements in the presence of more than 200 participants, calling for a
variety measures to reform and restructure the international order and
the UN. The “First European Conference on Law and International Order”
was held in the Netherlands this year at the de Poort Conference Center.
Presentations addressed such subjects as the Kitéb-i-Aqdas;
international law and the new world order; the ethical aspects of crime
and punishment; and the coming of world peace. One evening the gathering
was visited by two prominent jurists, one working at the State Council
and the other at the International War Crimes Tribunal for former
Yugoslavia, both of whom offered presentations.

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THE BAHA'i WORLD France’s Association médicale bahé’ie sponsored a
dialogue on the ethics related to medically assisted procreation on 25
November 1995 in Nice. The meeting entitled “Embryo: Who Are You?”
benefited from the contributions of a Justice of the , H FMML ruc luu.
LIV-‘win--.’ Supreme Court and Vice-President of the National French
Committee of Ethics, and the Director of the Center of Bioethics at the
Catholic University of Lyon. A National Consultative Workshop on
Adolescent Health and Youth Development Programs was held on 11 March
1996 in Quezon City, in the Philippines. A representative of the
community actively participated in group discussions and Workshops.
“WWI”. Many Baha’i communities this year put special efforts into
observing the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations and presenting
the statement Turning Pointfor all Nations to government officials,
hoping to win wider appreciation for the need to strengthen the United
Nations and improve its capacity to e - - n , Faninn bllcllsuluu LIL‘ ,
coordinate the responses of nations to the challenges facing humanity
(see pp. 159-70). The National Spiritual Assembly of the Russian
Federation sponsored a reception to commemorate UN 50, highlighting the
Turning Point document. Programs were also held in both Bamenda and
Limbe, Cameroon, on 24 October, accompanied by presen tations of Turning
Poim‘for All Nations and radio coverage of the events in English, French
and a number of vernacular languages. In April l996, the Mayor of Velika
Gorica, Slovenia, was i r '- In 1r ,MA u: my“; , J given a translation
of Turning Pointfbr All Nations and other Baha’i literature. Inspired by
the contents, the mayor asked the Baha’is how to make Velika Goriea a
“Model City” in order to promote the idea of world peace, harmony and
justice. He also suggested that a series of seminars could be held on
world and h I “ovum local governance according to the Baha’i teachings.
The United Nations-sponsored Human Rights Day was also ivud by many
Baha’i communities. The National Spiritual Greece hosted a reception in
its honor on 7 in ‘Athens The reception was held under the YEAR m REVIEW
auspices of the United Nations Information Center in Athens, the main
United Nations Office in Greece. The National Assembly of Romania also
held such a reception, on 12 December 1995, in the Diplomat Club of
Bucharest. Among others, the event was Luv Uiyluurm Ul DUUlldlUSL. Among
ulners, [[16 event was attended by their Excelleneies the Ambassadors of
Austria, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, and
the United Nations. Other prominent guests included some twenty members
of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies and over 40 senators. The Bahé’is of
Luxembourg observed Human Rights Day by hosting a reception for
prominent people who had assisted Bahél’is in Iran by defending the
community. Bahét’is were interviewed on Tele Cartagena and on Onda Cera
as a result Of the Human Rights Dav celehmtinn held in Rnain nn of the
Human Rights Day celebration held in Spain, on 12 December 1995, and a
long report about the event was aired on Radio Voz. The observance took
place at the Regional Center in Murcia, and involved the participation
of eight different representatives of vm'imm nrcmni7ntinne in n rmmrl111
auu lIlVUlVCU LDC OI erg different representatives of various
organizations in a roundtable discussion about human rights. A seminar
was held for directors of homes for the elderly, at the Blanco Cervantes
Hospital in San Jose, Costa Rica, and was cosponsored by the community
and the National Crusade for the Protection of the Elderly. Some 125
directors of such facilities from every part of the country attended,
and several asked to have the program repeated in their . communltles.
The Representative in Greece of the UN High A ublic meetin on
Commissioner for Refugees, Janvier de Riedp. g marten, speaking at a UN
Human Rights Day the toplc of tolerance was mam-M M1." AIM-m, MM-)

+++106


at the City Hall on 11 December 1995, It was organized by the Baha’i
community. The European Baha’i Business Forum (EBBF) participated in the
third annual conference on “Moral and Ethical Principles in a Social
Market Economy” from 20 to 22 October 1995 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The event
was cosponsored by EBBF, the Bulgarian Association of the Club of Rome,
the Institute for Sustainable Development, the College of Management,
Trade and Marketing, the Sofia Commodity Exchange, and the National
Spiritual Assembly of Bulgaria. Sixteen papers were presented, including
four by members of EBBF. Several national Bahz'l’i communities had the
opportunity this year to contribute to the constitutional processes in
their countries. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Gambia sent a
representative to public hearings held by the Constitutional Review
Committee which took place in the Parliament building and contributed
Baha’i viewpoints on national unity, the equality of men and Women, and
the use of consultation in governance. The National Assembly of Eritrea
submitted its views to the Constitutional Commission in that country. In
the Mariana Islands, the Third Constitutional Convention in the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands provided that National
Assembly with an opportunity to hold a luncheon for the convention
delegates during which Baha’i principles of governance were offered. In
the Netherlands, the newly established Commission for Equal Treatment,
Which has been given the role of an independent legal consultant able to
pass verdicts on disputes submitted to it or refer them to courts of
law, has one Baha’i member out of a total of 24. The Commission is
designed to combat all forms of injustice, and will make recommendations
to the government and advise judges about how to ensure fair treatment
of all people. The Baha’i community of Brazil published a document in
1995 addressed to the “new governors and legislators of Brazil.” The
statement deals with such essential matters as education and the rural
population; the advancement of women; leadership and YEAR g1 REVIEW
morality; and the prosperity of humanity. In July 1995 the community of
Brazil was invited to send a representative to be a member of the Human
Rights and Citizenship Special‘ Commission. The Baha’i community of the
Canary Islands was one of only a small number of nongovernmental
organizations invited to participate in the Tri—Continental Conference
of the parliamentary commissioners from Africa, the Americas, and
Europe, organized by the parliamentary deputies of the Canary Islands
and inaugurated by the King and Queen of Spain. The commissioners
consulted on their role in the defence of human rights. The Bahé’is were
able to offer many of the commissioners a document on world citizenship,
which was relevant to discussions on the movement of people fleeing
poverty and the xenophobia they often face in other countries. In
France, many prominent individuals gathered on 2 May 1995 at the
National Center for the presentation of the National Order of Merit to
Christine Samandari-Hakim, a Bahél’i of that community. Dr.
Samandari-I-Iakim was elevated by the French Government to the rank of
Knight in the National Order of Merit in recognition of her humanitarian
activities and her contribution to the promotion of human rights in
general. Recognition Although the Faith is now represented in virtually
every country in the world, the process of obtaining various forms of
official recognition continues. In the Cook Islands this year, for the
first time Bahé’is were invited to take part in the religious ceremony
for the opening and closing of Constitution Week (30 July and 6 August
1995). The Baha’i community of Vanuatu succeeded in obtaining on 11
December a certificate of registration under the Religious Bodies Act of
1995. The Faith was also registered in Tonga this year under the
Government Incorporated Societies Act, Section 7. In Hong Kong,
government authorities have approved the Baha’i community’s application
to license the Baha’i Hall as a place of public worship; thus, Baha’i
marriages conducted there can be legally recognized. The government of
St. Eustatius in the Netherlands Antilles has issued a letter to that

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T55 BAHA'i WORLD Baha’i community recognizing the Faith as a religion,
the Spiritual Assembly of St. Eustatius as the administrative body of
the Faith for the Baha’i community on Statia, and the National Spiritual
Assembly of the West Leeward Islands as its regional administrative
body. On the local level, the Baha’i communities of Tallinn, Estonia,
and Asmara, Eritrea both succeeded in registering with their national
governments. Landmark Occasions Occasionally in Baha’i communities,
certain landmark events occur which offer a glimpse of the potency of
principles and teachings of the Faith. One such event occurred in
Burundi, in early 1996. It was reported at- that time that the Local
Spiritual Assembly of Rohero had been reformed and was actively taking
up its duties, Rohero being the zone which includes what is known as
downtown Bujumbura. The Assembly elected was made up of two people from
the Hutu tribe, three from the Tutsi tribe, three Canadians and one
Iranian and, as the report also stated, it, “unlike the rest of the
country, meets in absolute harmony.” During Ridvan 1995, the National
Convention of Sierra Leone took place, in the face of dangerous civil
upheaval, some of the delegates traveling through the most dangerous
areas to reach the Convention. The first Local Spiritual Assembly of the
Baha’is of Gibraltar was elected that same Ridvan. On 26 November, 150
people, including members of the media, gathered for a Day of the
Covenant celebration held at the University of Liberia’s auditorium. The
Director of the Catholic radio station (ELCM), Amelia Wreh, was present,
as well as a representative from the national radio station (ELBC). Also
present were representative journalists from the electronic press media
and the New Patriot Journal. The keynote address focused on the
significance of the Covenant in the Baha’i Faith, and special prayers
for peace in Liberia were read. Tne firstiNational Winter School of
Estonia was held in December in Parnu. Its attendees came from Sweden,
Finland, Latvia and Russia, as well as Estonia. The first National ummcr
School was held in Perm, Russia, from 11 to 15 August YEAR m REVIEW
attracting the participation of 75 Bahai’is from 12 cities in this
landmark occasion. The National Center of Bulgaria had its official
opening in Sofia on 30 September 1995. It was reported that Well over
200 Bahé’is from virtually every region of Zimbabwe congregated at the
newly built National Center to Witness its official opening on 21
October. A handful of Baha’is joyfully gathered in Tasiilaq, Greenland,
from 10 to 12 July for a summer school The event was characterized by
study of the Baha’i Faith, high spirits and laughter. The Louis G.
Gregory Baha’i Institute in South Carolina, USA, saw the Ninth Annual
Black Men’s Gathering in July Participants from Botswana, Canada, Kenya,
Liberia, South Africa, and the United States, engaged in study of the
Baha’i Faith, consultation, prayer and song, in what was described as
the largest and one of the most potent of these annual events. This
year’s gathering was also distinguished by the presence of a large
number of fathers and their young adult sons, adding a new vitality to
the occasion. Tirana, Albania, saw the inauguration of a Baha’i Cultural
Center on 25 May, attended by the President of the Albanian Parliament,
Pjeter Arbnori, five deputies, a representative of UNICEF, and the first
secretary of the Italian Embassy. The National Spiritual Assembly of
Belize established an of External Affairs to maintain relationships
between the Baha’i community and both governmental and nongovernmental
organizations. In April 1996, Alice Buffet, the first native Norfolk
Islander to become a Baha’i, presented the National Spiritual Assembly
of Australia with the text of a translation into the Norfolk language of
the Short Obligatory Prayer which she had prepared. Translation of some
of the Baha’i Writings into the Norfolk language was one of Australia’s
goals for the Three Year Plan. Sharing the Message ofBalui’u’lldh The
primary motivation for Baha’is to teach others about their Faith is
their belief that its teachings represent the remedy prescribed by God
for the healing and regeneration of human

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T15; BAHM WORLD kind today. It is against the spirit of the Faith either
to impose their religious beliefs on others or to offer material
inducements in an effort to “convert” them. Baha’i communities often
hold conferences, institutes and seminars designed to increase the
capacity of individuals and of groups to teach. The Baha’i community of
Lithuania held its first such conference from 28 to 30 December, and it
was attended by people from Poland, Russia, Scotland, Kaliningrad,
Denmark and Lithuania, in spite of I, the many and long delays on public
trans~ portation clue to the weather. Other such gatherings were held in
Liberia, Malaysia, Australia, Cambodia, France, Tonga, India, Sweden,
Spain, Turkey, Botswana, and the Faroe Islands. The Baha’is of Australia
participated in the annual Port Adelaide Parade in South Australia on
Saturday, 25 November 1995 with a float on the theme of unity in
diversity. On 20 and 21 May, Baha’is of Oulu, Finland, participated in a
conference entitled “The Days of Spiritual Growth.” The community of
Chinamora, Zimbabwe, set up a Baha’i stand for both days of the
Chinamora Agricultural Show, held on 13 and 14 July. The Baha’is also
had an opportunity to offer musical and dramatic presentations and to
say a few words about the Faith. A special Tanzania/Zambia border
conference was held from 9 to ll June 1995 at Chiwezi village, with the
principal aim of mtroducing the Faith to all the villages around the
area, espe flly to the members of the Sinai Church, a large number of
whul'q‘became Baha’is in recent months and hosted this event. ungccame
Dana IS 111 ItiUCIll. Iuuuurs auu Lluawu Lula ()n U the first in a new
series of programs dedicated In the writings of Baha’u’llah was
broadcast on Radio Sodre, an The Bahci Cultural Center, Tirana, Albania.
YEAR 11;: REVIEW Uruguayan station that can be heard by people
throughout the country and in parts of Argentina and Brazil. The series
is named Imagine. In Peru the staff of Radio Baha’i on Lake Titicaca was
asked by the Organization of Women in San Cristobal to proclaim the
message of Baha’u’llah in its town. As part of their effort, the
Bahél’is performed two dramas about equal rights and opportunities for
men and Women. Children on the H Baha float for the annual Port g5
Adelaide Parade, i in Adelaide, Australia, held on 25 November - 1995.
Teams of Bahai’i children on the islands of Tabiteuea and Nonouti in
Kiribati participated this year in a number of visits to each other’s
communities for the purpose of sharing the message of with the people.
Baha’i students at Ouagadougou University in Burkina Faso participated
in an exhibition organized by an association of students of the Science
and Economy Faculty and held from 26 to 29 April 1995. A similar
informational activity was organized by students of the Faculty of
Medicine. Baha’is participated in Havana, Cuba’s International Book
Fair, held from 7 to 13 February 1996. The exhibition takes place
biennially and is a major event in Central America, with more than
30,000 people attending this year. This was the local community of
Havana’s first opportunity to present the Baha’i Faith to a broad
cross-section of society, and the booth was one of the most popular at
the fair. About 100 titles were available at the Baha’i stall.

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» - TIE BAHA'I' WORLD ' Bahél’i community of Hungary participated in
Budapest’s International Book and Video Fair’ this year. The Hungarian
Head of State, President Aipad Gomez, visited the stand and was
presented with a copy of The Promise of World Peace and some additional
information. An exhibition of literature was also offered at the State
Scientific Library in Liberec, Czech Republic. Organized campaigns of
teaching took place all over the world. Sierra Leone, Madagascar, South
Africa, Uganda, and Rodrigues Island (with the efforts of Baha’is from
Mauritius and the Seychelles) all reported teaching projects. The Light
of Unity Campaign in West Africa comprised two teaching groups: a
French—speaking drama and dance group, which visited Benin, Burkina
Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger and Togo; and an Englishspeaking musical and
dance group, which visited Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria. The Enoch Olinga
teaching project in the Kumi and Soroti districts of Uganda was kicked
off with a special teaching conference. Another teaching project named
after the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga was operating in Senegal this
year. That effort includes literacy classes in several communities, so
that new Bahé’is will be able to read the Baha'.’i scriptures for
themselves. Women have been the focus of several activities. The
Liberian Baha’i' community engaged in a flurry of activity in January
1996, sharing the message of Baha’u’llah in Barnersville, Johnsonville,
and Schefflin, ano holding two study classes in Monrovia. An unusual
campaign of teaching was carried out in Zambia from December 1995 to
March 1996. Those who took part were Baha’is who were refugees from
Rwanda, and they contacted people in the four main francophone compounds
around the town of Lusaka. Related initiatives include language classes
in the Lusaka Center and ongoing courses for women. Projects undertaken
in the Americas this year included the Cabudare Project in Lara State,
Venezuela; a special project in Canada aimed at reaching the East Indian
population in British Columbia and Ontario, assisted by the
participation of a member of the National Assembly of India; and an
ongoing teaching YEAR m REVIEW project in Woodburn, Oregon, United
States, which aims at bringing the Baha’i Faith to migrant workers from
Mexico In Paraguay, following the success of National Baha’i Week in
July 1995, which involved much radio and television coverage and
intensive teaching, the National Spiritual Assembly called for a
National Day of Teaching to take place on 17 September. Baha’is in many
communities responded by holding introductory meetings in their homes
and going out to visit interested people. The community of Nicoll’s Town
on the island of Andros in the Bahamas has submitted a series of
articles which have been printed in the local newspaper, the Chicharney
Times. Topics covered have included world order, happiness, love, the
environrnent, and agriculture. The Fazli Teaching Project was initiated
in Andhra Pradesh, India, and the Marian Jack VII Project traveled
across Russia, Siberia and Mongolia, with participants from Alaska,
Canada, Russia and the United States. This year the Baha’is of
Uzbekistan embarked on a special project to introduce the Faith to the
people of Karakalpakstan and to its officials and other prominent
people. An effort was made in Japan to acquaint members of media
organizations with the true nature of the Baha’i Faith through an
explanatory letter. In Papua New Guinea a series of traditional teaching
projects has been undertaken, each relying on local expressions of
culture. Projects and campaigns to reach the indigenous peoples of the
Pacific inspired by or growing out of the Ocean of Light Project carried
forward efforts to introduce the Baha’i Faith to traditional chiefs in
the Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and
Tuvalu. The Holy Mariner Project reached out to the Maori people of New
Zealand; the Heart of Australia Calling Project made strides in its
efforts to reach aboriginal people. Related events included a cultural
exchange visit by Maori from New Zealand to the Amooguna tribe of
Napperby, Australia. New Zealand also saw the Ephraim Te Paa Project in
Mangere, Auckland, in which Baha’is invited interested people to
participate in Weekly activities.

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A mixed group of Uzbek, Tajik, Kazakh, Turkmen, and Kyrgyz Bahé ‘is in
Samarkand, Uzbekistan, prepares for an activity to share Bake "u 's
message with others, June 1995. In 1992 a group of Maori Bahé’is from
New Zealand traveled across Canada on their return from the Second World
Congress and visited Native American Bahét’is, finding bonds of
commonality wherever they traveled. In 1994 a different group of Maori
Baha’is traveled from New Zealand to Canada, making contacts with
prominent Native American people, encouraging isolated Baha’is, and
visiting communities. In July 1995 Maori Vision III began with the
arrival in British Columbia of a Maori Baha’i family from New Zealand,
with the explicit purpose of teaching the Faith. A reciprocal trip of
Native Canadian Baha’is to New Zealand was planned. Efforts to share
Baha’u’llah’s message with the people of the former Yugoslavia have been
made in Pula and Zagreb, Croatia; Velika Gorica, Slovenia; Belgrade,
Serbia; and in the former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia. Turkish
Baha’is from Germany and Turkey traveled to the town of Komrad in
Moldova from 8 to 12 October 1995 to visit the Baha’is there and to help
with the teaching work among the Gaugasian people—Moldovans of Turkish
background. In Iceland, 21 teaching campaign which began in October 1995
each Week featured introductory meetings in several locations, a study
class, and a public meeting. A “home page” on the World Wide Web was
established with information about the Baha’i Faith given in Icelandic
and Faroese. The youth of the Faroe Islands embarked on an effort to
bring Baha’u’lléh’s message to the people of Torshavn and while the
Hackney Project YEAR l1 REVIEW in England is resulting not only in
declarations of faith in Baha’u’llah but also in personal
transformation. A successful teaching project was carried out in
Nottenay and Tonsberg, Norway, from 8 to 10 March 1996, which introduced
the Faith to students. 15 to 20 April was Week” in Lillehammer, and the
event evoked a very positive response from the public. Activities
included a midnight prayer gathering at the top of the Olympic Park.
Local and regional media covered the events. Communities all across the
globe are encountering greater receptivity to the message of
Baha’u’llah. In Gujarat, India, 95 students of the Vallabh Uttam
Buniyadi Girls High School, with the consent of their parents, became
Baha’i's. In the Marshall Islands, training has been provided for those
wishing to teach on the outer islands. As a result of the subsequent
teaching endeavors over 100 people enrolled as Baha’is and four new
Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed. In Bangladesh, partly through
the efforts of a youth volunteer, all the inhabitants of 88 villages
became Bahé’is and Local Spiritual Assemblies were elected. In Zambia, a
chief and seven Guests assembled for presentations on the Baker’ '1'
Faith, as part of a traditional teach iag project in the Chimbu I
province crfthe highlands of Pepua New Guinea, F ebmerjy 1996. of his
family members and visitors became Baha’i's. Two new Local Spiritual
Assemblies Were also elected in that area. In Spain a number of Gypsies
declared themselves to be Baha’is this year. Because of teaching efforts
associated with a summer

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FI - Tun HMIA'I WORLD school in (lime, Cyprus, involving Bahé’is from
both the north “ml the south of the island as well as from several other
countries, a sizeable group of people declared their belief in
Remarkable and dramatic teaching successes have been reported for
Guinea-Bissau and Haiti. During August 1995, three youth from Portugal
visited Maputo, Mozambique, initiating workshops and activities for
introducing the Faith to the people, and then making themselves
available for discussions, resulting in a number of enrollments in the
Faith. More than one hundred Bahé’is gathered at Shin Hyub Institute
near Taejon in South Korea to participate in the summer school held from
28 to 30 July 1995. After this event, a teaching " "wrung project
dedicated to the Hand of the Cause Rahmatu’llah Muhajir was launched,
during which nine people declared their faith in Baha’u’llah, and one
new Local Spiritual Assembly was formed. Institutes The absence of
clergy in the Baha’i Faith places responsibility on the shoulders of
every Baha’i. As a result, each Baha’i community needs many individuals
who are knowledgeable about the Faith and have the spiritual qualities
and other skills and capacities necessary to promote its functioning. It
follows that some sort of systematic training is needed to assist people
to fulfill their own potentialities. Such a system exists in the
community in various forms, one of which is that of the institute. YEAR
5 REVIEW An institute is not defined by a venue or by paid staff;
institutes are simply organizational structures dedicated to systematic
training with the purpose of endowing ever-growing contingents of
Baha’is with the spiritual insights, the knowledge, and the skills
necessary to carry out the many tasks occupying the community. Through
the prompting and guidance of the Universal House of Justice, increasing
numbers of communities are engaged in this institute process. Due to the
large numbers of people who became Bahé’is in Haiti in the summer of
1995, teams from the Anis Zunl'lzi School held successful institutes in
three of the affected localities during November. The National Deepening
Institute of the Baha’i community of Kazakhstan held its tenth course
from 4 to 10 January 1996, in Almaty. The program was the first which
was especially designed to train teachers of children’s classes.
Institute courses and programs have also taken place in communities as
diverse as Tonga, Singapore, Myanmar, Colombia, Malaysia, the United
States, the Solomon Islands, Togo, Uzbekistan, New Zealand, Zimbabwe,
Liberia, Brazil, Norway, Niger, and India, among many others.
Scholarship In Bangladesh, the Institute of Personal Law and Research,
which is recognized by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, held its first
certificate course on Personal Law in the first week of Students
attending the Ana's Zumizf Schaol in Port au Prince, Haiti, 1995.

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Tlilg BAHA'i WORLD A group of Bohé ‘is consults on a new Bahd '1' radio
program during i an instimte held in Monrovia, Liberia, September 1995.
December 1995. Nineteen people participated, including an assistant
attorney general, a former assistant attorney general, and eleven other
advocates of the Supreme Court. The inauguration of Lucknow University’s
Chair for Bahél’i Studies, endowed by the National Spiritual Assembly of
India, took place on 14 December 1995, in the auditorium of the
University. His Excellency the Governor of Uttar Pradesh and Chancellor
of the University formally inaugurated the Chair, which is situated in
the Department of Western History. Dorothy Nelson delivered the Second
Annual Lecture at the University of Maryland at College Park on 15 May
1995. The event was held under the auspices of the Baha’i Chair for
World Peace and the Center for International Development and Conflict
Management at the university. Her paper, “Alternative Forms of Conflict
Resolution: A Pathway to Peace,” was well received by an audience of
over 200, including university administrators, faculty and staff, and
Baha’is from Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. An interfaith
symposium on religion and the environment, organized by the Association
for Baha’i Studies in Ghana, was held on 26 July 1995, chaired by the
Minister of Environment, Science and Technology. Three speakers
addressed the gathering on the role of religion in the conservation of
nature. This activity was also the inaugural event of the Association.
The fourth annual conference of the Association for Studies in Japan
took place in Yamaguchi in December 1995, with the theme “Family,
Community, and the World.” Con YEAR m REVIEW The: Ruhi Institute,
Colombia, 2 March, 1996. ference activities included a display of works
by Baha’i artists, speakers on community development from Tonga, the
premiere performance of a play about Lady Blomfield, an early British
Baha’i, and the presentation of a suggested model for the future
Japanese House of Worship. The annual conference of the Association of
Bahz'l’i Studies for English-Speaking Europe was held on 14 October 1995
at the London School of Economics and Political Science, with a theme of
“The Role of Morality and Ethics in Society.” Workshops were offered on
ethics in business, the new morality, and morals and education. The
annual conference of the Association for Baha’i Studies, North America,
was held for four days in San Francisco, California, in mid-October
1995, with about 800 participants from more than a dozen countries. The
theme was “Anarchy into Order: Uniting the Nations.” The event featured
a seminar for leaders of community organizations outside the Baha’i
Faith to discuss with Baha’is various issues related to local community
challenges, and it included a number of guest presentations in addition
to presentations by Baha’is active in community work. The plenary
sessions featured the participation of three guest speakers: Justice
Frank Newman of the California Supreme Court, who spoke on human rights;
Ben Crow of Stanford University, who spoke on global prosperity; and
Betty Reardon of Columbia University Teachers College, who spoke on the
advancement of women. On the last evening Amin Banani

+++120


offered the Hasan Balyuzi memorial lecture on the subject of A four-day
children’s program emphasizing virtues in everyday life was held in the
hotel. Landegg Academy in Wienacht, Switzerland, this year began to
offer Master of Arts programs in ethics, conflict resolution, Baha’i
studies, and spiritual psychology. These programs are oriented along the
parameters of a new field of study designated as “Applied Spirituality.”
Landegg’s programs focus on training scholars Who are universal in
perspective, scientific in approach, ethical in conduct, and humble in
attitude. The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States announced
the establishment of a four-year study program focusing on “Spiritual
Foundations for a Global Society.” The Program for the inauguration of
the Chair for Baha ‘i Studies atLucknow University, Lucknow, India,
program aims at imparting knowledge; developing reading, writing,
research, analytical, and teaching skills; strengthening the desire to
serve others; and fostering Baha’i identity. Europe’s first Irfén
Colloquium in Persian was held in June 1995 at the Baha’i Permanent
Teaching Institute in Acuto, Italy. The word “irfan” in Persian
indicates mystical, spiritual, or theological knowledge. Irfan
Colloquia, sponsored by the Haj Mehdi Arjmand Memorial Fund, are devoted
mainly to scriptural studies and are conducted separately in English and
Persian. Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom, 2.
Téhirih was one oflhe disciples of the called Letters of the Living, and
an outstanding heroine of history. She is renowned for her audacity and
courage in championing of the rights of women. YEAR g1 REVIEW was the
venue from 8 to 10 December 1995 for the eighth Irfan Colloquium and the
semiannual meeting of the Religious Studies Seminar of the Association
for Baha’i Studies for English-' Speaking Europe, cosponsored by the
Institute for Baha’i Studies, Wilmette, United States. The ninth Irfén
Colloquium was held at the National Center in the United States from 29
to 31 March 1996, with a theme of “anti-Bahé’i polemic” and Ways of
responding to it. Arts Baha’i individuals and communities continued to
strive this year for excellence in the realm of the arts. A
representative sample of efforts is provided below. In South Africa, as
part of the Johannesburg Art Biennial, the Karen Mckerron A11 Gallery
invited the National Spiritual Assembly to cosponsor an exhibition of
art works by the winners of the 1995 awards in honor of Baha’i artist
Reginald Turvey and of a small collection of Turvey’s later works. Four
works were shown by each of the four merit award winners: Scott Bredin,
Belinda Chapman, Arik Reiss, and Hester Pullinger. This year’s bursary
winner, Henk Serfontein, exhibited thirteen works. Baha’is in Torshavn,
Faroe Islands, organized a multicultural concert and an exhibition from
18 to 24 March 1996. Local radio and a newspaper covered the event. An
exhibition of painting and sculptures by Baha’i artist Sima Baher de
Caballero opened at the National Library in Montevideo, Uruguay, with a
ceremony which was attended by almost one hundred people. The theme of
the work was “Nature: The Sublime Expression,” and the invitation for
the exhibition featured Baha’u’llah’s words “Nature is God’s Will and is
its expression in and through the contingent world.” Syble Douglas, a
from Georgetown, Guyana, participated in November 1995 in the Guyanese
Women Artists’ Exhibition at Casteleni House, showing some of her
paintings. She and her son, Allister Douglas, also mounted an
exhibition’of paintings and textile art at the Hadfield Foundation
Gallery in Georgetown. Radio Ecuador sponsored “Nucanchic—Tono,” the
15th Andean Music Festival, on 10 September 1995. The event

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wua utlemlccl by more than 3,000 people. On the evening of the sl day of
the convention for the election of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of
the Baltic States, the Bahé’is held a Baroque concert in Tallinn,
Estonia, with three themes which were expressed through music and
through the reading of the {W Words of in Estonian, Russian, and several
other languages. The themes were “Love and Harmony,” “Compas- sion,” and
“Unity.” Youth who participated in a performance cf about Lady a play |
Blomfield, an early Baha in England, during a meeting of I the
Association for Baha' 'i Studies in Japan. The musical group Light in
the Darkness toured Europe in 1 summer 1995, visiting Italy, Slovenia,
Hungary, and Lithuania. 1 The Wilmette Choir performed in Paris, France,
on 23 March 1 1996 as part of a tour of Europe. The Northern Ireland
Baha’i Choir was part of a six-thousand-voice World Choir singing with
the Irish National Symphony Orchestra to an audience of over 16,000
people at Landsdown Road Stadium in Dublin in the presence of President
Mary Robinson of the Republic of Ireland. On 18 February 1996, a drama
group sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Kampemba, Zambia,
gave a presentation in the town’s family center of a cultural play
entitled “The White Robe.” It demonstrated the importance of spiritual
qualities for individuals and institutions. About three hundred Baha’is
made their way to Southport, United Kingdom, for the two-day “Arts
Awakening” gathering. It included exhibitions, carnival displays,
videos, slide shows, a Persian tea garden, and a mural for the children
to help paint. In the Performance Café, people shared their poetry,
dance, music, YEAR Q1 REVIEW songs and even jokes. The evening “Stage
Light” performance included songs from Gershwin, “West Side Story,” “The
Phantom of the Opera,” and “Miss Saigon.” A Workshop entitled “Finding
Our Creativity” was held in the National Baha’i Center in Santiago,
Chile, this year. A three-day drama and music program entitled “The
Dawnbreakers” was held in May 1995 in Sri Lanka, in which stories from
Nabil’s Narrative3 were depicted through drama, poetry, songs, and
speech. In January 1996, over 200 Baha’is from various countries visited
Reno, Nevada, in the United States, for a weekend of arts and media
activities, held in conjunction with the newly formed media and arts
association. Events included the multicultural stage presentation
“Global Village,” in which eighteen differing ethnic and religious
groups performed and made presentations to an audience of over 400. NBC
television news ran a special segment on the Saturday evening news
featuring visual artists and a theater piece. A Baha’i drama series
titled To Catch a Glimpse was also filmed in a Reno television studio
before an invited audience. The Local Spiritual Assembly of Reno was
subsequently invited to work on a state arts foundation to secure a
grant for a future exhibition of religious paintings. Nabil ’s Narrative
is an early history of the Bélbi Faith.

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THEBAHM INTERNATIONAL CQMMHNETY Activities 1995-96) Baha’is have been
involved with the United Nations (UN) since its inception. Baha’i
representatives were present in San Francisco fifty years ago when the
UN Charter was signed, and the first official observer to the United
Nations was appointed in 1947. The International Community was granted
consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) in 1970 and with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in
1976. Over the years, the International Community has become known as an
international nongovernmental organization (NGO) actively engaged in
efforts to promote the advancement of women, human rights and
responsibilities, universal education, and sustainable, participatory
approaches to development. The Baha’i International Community represents
more than 5 million people in at least 235 countries and dependent
territories and has 174 national and regional affiliates around the
world. Its United Nations Office is based in New York with a branch in
Geneva, and there are representations to regional UN agencies in Addis
Ababa, Bangkok, Nairobi, Rome, Santiago, and

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Vienna. Its Office of Public Information, based at the Baha’i World
Centre and with a branch in Paris, disseminates information about the
Baha’i Faith around the world and oversees the production of an
awardwirming quarterly newsletter, One Country. The Internation211
Community has in recent years established an of the Environment and an
Office for the Advancement of Women as part of its permanent United
Nations Office. Through NGOs like the Bahzi’i' International Community,
the representatives BaniDugal, left, people Of the WOI'ld contribute and
Techeste Ahderom, right. Substantially to programs and projects canied
out under UN auspices. Indeed, one of the great accomplishments
celebrated during the United Nations’ fiftieth anniversary year was the
steadily increasing participation by civil society in the work of the
organization, as anticipated and provided for in the opening words of
the UN Charter: “We the peoples of the United Nations.” United Nations
Under-Secretary General’ Gillian Sorensen, center; receives the
statement Turning Point for All Nations from Band International
Community High Points The fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations (UN
50) provided the Bahé.’i International Community and many of its
national affiliates an occasion for both celebration and reflection.1
Re- flection 0n the challenges ahead for the United Nations took a
variety of forms. The Baha’i International Community’s United Nations
produced a major statement entitled Turning Pointfor All Nations, which
was published as a contribution l. Celebrations around the world either
sponsored or supported by Bahél’i communities and the International
Community United Nations Office are covered in an article beginning on
p. 159 of this volume. BAHA'i INTERNATIQNAL COMMUNITY to the
consultations about the future of the United Nations during the
observation of its fiftieth anniversary. The statement reflects on past
accomplishments—and shortcomings—0f the UN and recommends modifications
in the current structure that could equip the organization to meet the
challenges that lie ahead.2 On the same theme, invited guests took part
in a one-day seminar entitled “Turning Point for All Nations” to reflect
on humanity’s collective future. Sponsored by the International
Community’s United Nations Office, the seminar touched generally on the
need for reform of the UN but focused on two specific issues:
peacekeeping and the need for an international auxiliary language. The
two dozen individuals from government Seminar on Turning Point for All
Nations held at the Bahci ‘f International Community at the United
Nations in New York, 18 October 1995. missions, UN agencies, academia,
and nongovernmental organizations who attended the seminar generally
agreed that any restructuring of the United Nations would require both a
longterm vision for the organization and a strong partnership between
governments and nongovernmental organizations. “We can’t restructure the
United Nations Without a vision of where we are going,” said Ruth Engo,
Senior Liaison Officer with the office of the Special Coordinator for
Africa and the Least Developed Countries in the Department for Policy
Coordination and Sustainable Development, who chaired the afternoon
session. The keynote address by President Amata Kabua of the Marshall
Islands set the tone for discussion by acknowledging that the United
Nations had entered anew era and by calling for a 2. Turning Point for
All Nations is published in its entirety, pp. 241-83.

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response at once pragmatic and principled. “The immutable law of change
and decay necessitates the need for the United Nations to
dispassionately examine its performance, revise its aims, and reassess
its structures in a genuine search for practical and long lasting
solutions,” said President Kabua. “There is no choice. The current
political landscape is vastly different from that of fifty years ago.
There is now more than a threefold increase in the number of nations
with membership in the United Nations. The rapidly increasing desire on
the part of civil society and corporations to become more fully engaged
in the change process itself has added a prominent dimension to the
nature of active agencies in the field” - UN Under-Secretary General
Gillian Sorensen, who oversaw the United Nations’ fiftieth anniversary
commemorations, welcomed ideas for reform, assuring participants that
new ideas represented an “opportunity and not a threat” to the
organization. The morning session was chaired by John Biggar, first
secretary of the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN. Three
presentations laid the groundwork for the consultation. First, Virginia
Strauss, executive director of the Boston Research Center for the 21st
Century, gave an overview of current proposals for UN restructuring. Her
talk focused on the response to the recent book, Our Global
Neighborhood, the report of the Commission on Global Governance. Next,
Brian Lepard, an assistant professor of law at the University of
Nebraska, reviewed the successes and failures of UN peacekeeping
operations over the last 50 years and pointed to the need for public
support for a UN force that can respond quickly and impartially to
global crises. Finally, Jeffery S. Gruber, a professor of linguistics at
the University of Quebec, explored how a universal auxiliary language,
promoted under UN auspices, could help address the underlying sources of
conflict, poverty, and miscomrnunication that so challenge the
international community today. The concerns of women also emerged as an
important theme in the ensuing discussions. “In all the conflicts in the
world today, it is men who made the decision in the conflicts and women
who are the sufferers,” said Misrak Elias, senior advisor, B
INTERNATIGDNAL COMMUNITY women’s development program, UNICEF. “What
would make the force effective and useful is the degree to which women
are decision makers.” Ms. Elias and others urged that any restructur~
ing of the UN also address underlying issues of conflict. “When I look
at issues of peace and violence,” Ms. Elias continued, “it is clear to
me that conflict among nations has to be closely related to conflict in
the country and conflict in the family.” Other participants stressed the
practical importance of having a standing force that can step in quickly
when efforts to prevent conflict fail. Participants agreed that NGOs
have a special responsibility to contribute to a long-term vision for
the UN which is based on efforts to eradicate the underlying sources of
conflict—whether poverty, human rights violations, or misunderstanding.
It is anticipated that this event will be followed by other seminars
designed to provide a forum for discussions on the key issues facing
humanity at the end of the 20th century. Human Rights The protection of
human rights, particularly those of Baha’is in various parts of the
world, is an important part of the work of the Baha’i International
Community’s United Nations Offices in New York and Geneva.3 Protection,
however, is only half the Work; the other half is the promotion of human
rights, including human rights education. Among the human rights issues
with which the Bahai’i International Community is actively involved are
those of the child, of women, and of minorities, including indigenous
people; freedom of religion or belief; and the elimination of racism,
genocide, torture, and extreme poverty. During 1995—96 representatives
of the Baha’i International Community attended and monitored annual
sessions of the SubCommission on the Prevention of Discrimination and
Protection of Minorities in Geneva and the UN Commission on Human Rights
in Geneva, presenting statements to these bodies on human rights
education; the rights of minorities; and economic, 3', Developments
during the past year in the human rights situation of the Bahzi’is in
Iran are treated at length in a separate article on pp. 139—44 of this
volume.

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social, and cultural rights. The Bahét’i International Community also
cosigned joint statements on the rights of the child, freedom of
religion and belief, the girl child, human rights defenders, and extreme
poverty. During the 1995 session of the UN General Assembly in New York,
representatives attended sessions of the General Assembly’s Third
Committee, which is charged with overseeing human rights activities.
Public Information The Bahél’i International Community’s Office of
Public Infor- 1 mation undertook a variety of initiatives during
l995~96. One of the most extensive projects was preparation of materials
for an authoritative site for the Bahé’i'International Community on the
Internet’s World Wide Web, to be launched in the summer of 1996. As a
follow-up to the release of its statement The Prosperity ofHumankind in
January 1995, the of Public Information 1 provided advice to various
national Bahz'l’i communities around the world on issues connected to
the statement, and the Paris i conducted several seminars on the topic.
A program was also launched for the dissemination of a scholarly
resource on the Baha’i Faith by William P. Collins, entitled
Bibliography of English-Language Works on the Bcibi and Bahd Faiths,
1844— I 985, to some 1,500 major libraries around the world. In Haifa,
the office facilitated 145 visits of some 2,200 dignitaries, media
representatives, and other special visitors to the Baha’i World Centre
during the year. Elsewhere, the coordinated public relations efforts
connected to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and
conducted training sessions on public relations in preparation for the
Habitat II conference on human settlements in Istanbul, Turkey. It also
arranged international coverage on the Baha’i Faith in various media
over the course of the year and disseminated public information
materials to Baha’i communities around the world. The Paris facilitated
a series of public information training seminars, exploring ways in
which Baha’i communities can address the needs of society, particularly
in the communities in which they live. These seminars occurred in the
Czech BAHA'i INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY Republic, Albania, Canada, Greece,
and Turkey. The largest one, in Prague, was attended by representatives
of 29 European National Assemblies. The Paris also collaborated with
numerous National Assemblies on other public relations projects, was
responsible for the French translation of materials, and made a number
of approaches to the French government concerning the situation of the
Baha’is in Iran and other human rights issues. Representatives of the
office assisted the Baha’i community of Greece in arranging
commemorations of United Nations Human Rights Day in Athens and in
Bucharest, Romania, and facilitated the participation of a Baha’i
International Community representative at the Workshop Worldwatch
conference in Bucharest in March 1996, held under the patronage of the
President of Romania, Mr. Ion Iliescu. During 1995—96, One Country, a
quarterly newsletter produced by the Baha’i International Community's
Office of Public Information, entered its seventh year of publication.
Published in six languages—English, French, Chinese, Russian, German,
and Spanish—it was circulated to more than 30,000 people in some 170
countries in all of its editions. One Country is distributed to
individuals and organizations with a demonstrated interest in
international affairs, sustainable development, human rights, the
advancement of women, and the creatien of a peaceful and just world.
This year One Country carried major news stories on the Summit on the
Alliance between Religions and Conservation, the United Nations Fourth
World Conference on Women, and the Fourth International Dialogue on the
Transition to a Global Society. It also had feature stories on
Bahé’i-sponsored social and economic development projects in Zambia,
Bolivia, and Kenya. The story on the Summit on Religions and
Conservation in the English edition was recognized with an APEX Award
for Publications Excellence by Communications Concepts in the newsletter
writing category. The Religious Public Relations Council, an
international association of religious communicators, also recognized
One Country with awards for editorial writing and feature writing during
the year.

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Environment, Development, and Global Prosperity At Windsor Castle in the
United Kingdom, a Baha’i delegation joined religious leaders
representing nine major faiths at a ground-breaking Summit on Religions
and Conservation. The representatives discussed among themselves and
with key officials from several major secular institutions how the
world’s religious communities might become more involved in protecting
and preserving the earth’s environment. This auspicious gathering, held
from 29 April to 4 May 1995, Was the second session of the Summit on the
Alliance between Religions and Conservation, sponsored by the World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF), the Pilkington Foundation, and MOA International,
a Japanese humanitarian foundation. The first session was held three
weeks earlier- in Japan4 Prominent representatives from Buddhism,
Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Taoism, and
the Bahél’i Faith were invited to attend. By one count, the assembled
leaders represented more than two billion religious adherents—roughly
one third of the earth’s population. The Baha’i delegation was headed by
Amatu’l-Baha Ruhiyyih K_hanum and included Kimiko Schwerin,
International Counsellor, and Lawrence Arturo, director of the of the
Environment. Arthur Dahl attended as a representative of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Rl'ihiyyih K_hémurn’s talk, which
covered theology, history, environment, the importance of involving
children in the work of conservation, and the need for a world
parliament, opened the way for substantial Baha’i contributions during
the three days of discussions between secular leaders and the various
religious representatives. The discussions produced concrete results,
including a plan for religious communities to collaborate with UNEP in
monitoring changes in the local environment; and agreements for meetings
between religious leaders and key directors of the World Bank, major
industrialists, and global broadcasters, both public and commercial. The
1995 Summit was called primarily to assess the Work 4. See The Bahd '1'
World 1994-95, pp. 148-49, for a report ofthat meeting. BAHA'i
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY done since 1986 when the WWF convened what was
perhaps the first major international interfaith meeting on
environmental issues. At that gathering in Assisi, Italy,
representatives from five major religions—Buddhism, Christianity,
Hinduism, Judaism and Islém—created the Network on Conservation and
Religion. In 1987 the Faith joined the network; in 1988, the Sikhs and
Jains also became members; and at this meeting the Taoists were welcomed
into membership. “The crucial point of why we held the Summit,”
explained Martin Palmer, director of the International Consultancy on
Religion, Education and Culture (ICOREC), which organized the Summit on
behalf of the three sponsors, “is that some religions— and the Baha’is
would stand as a notable example here, along with the Buddhists and some
Christian groups—have done a tremendous amount of work in promoting
conservation since Assisi. They have been busy creating new offices,
funding projects, and producing material for their schools.” A major
goal of the Summit was to stimulate other religions into action. The
final statements of the nine faiths including their action plans were
bound and distributed by the WWF. The of the Environment was also
heavily engaged in Hand of the Cause of God Amatu 'l-Bahd Rdhiyyih
K_hdnum, center, with LBudd/tist representative Kushok Bakula, left, and
Xiezmgxing of the Taoist religion, at the Summit on the Alliance between
Religions and Conservation.

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e international level, the Office participated in sessions of the e
national level in Turkey, the supported the efforts d the NGO organizing
committee to prepare for the confer vernment meetings has often been
strictly constrained, with International Community distributed suggested
changes to the text of the draft Habitat Agenda along with Interna At
least 14 Bahé’is took part, including representatives of 6 National
Spiritual Assemblies of Brazil, Turkey, and the uses adopted text
suggested by Bahél’is participating in their T [E B ARM WORLD I 13 MAT
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ations for the United Nations Conference on
Human ttlements (Habitat II) scheduled for June 1996 in Istanbul. At
Advancement of Women The Office for the Advancement of Women was deeply
involved in the process leading up to and including the Fourth World
Conference on Women in Beijing and the parallel NGO Forum in Huairou.
Held in September 1995, twenty years after the United Nations convened
its first global conference on women in Mexico City, the conference and
the accompanying forum for nongovernmental organizations drew more than
500 Baha’i women and men from around the world.5 As part of the
preparations for the Conference in Beijing, H survey of the
participation of Women in Baha’i community life— the third such survey
in 20 years—was conducted by the International Community’s Office for
the Advancement of Women. The survey found that the percentage of women
in positions of leadership in the Faith compares favorably with the
percentage of women in positions of political leadership worldwide.
Women compose on average about 30 percent of the elected membership of
national-level Baha’i governing councils and some 47 percent of the
membership in special Baha’i appointed positions for the sub-national
and regional level. The average percentage of women members in the
world’s parliaments is about ten percent, according to the
Inter-Parliamentary Union. While these percentages fall short of an
idealized 50 percent. they reflect the earnest efforts of a highly
diverse worldwide community to live up to and put into practice a
religious value‘ that often runs counter to traditions and culture. “The
equality of women and men is a cardinal principle for Baha’is,” said
Rebequa Getahoun, one of the team that conducted the survey for the
Office for the Advancement of Women. “The fact tl'ml women compose an
average of 30 percent of our elected gov~ eming councils at the national
level shows the degree to which Bahé’is—who use secret ballots when
voting—have ulrcmly begun to overcome traditional prejudices.u paratory
Committee (PrepCom) for the UN conference, Where draft agenda for
Habitat II (the Statement of Principles and mmitments and Global Plan of
Action) was negotiated; at National Spiritual Assembly of Turkey to
assist the UN e and NGO Forum in June. Baha’i participation in the third
and final session of the Corn, which was held in New York City in
February, was y a new level of involvement. Although NGOs with ultative
status have for along time been involved in shaping ograms, documents,
and processes, their participation in e interaction confined to caucuses
and working groups. At PrepCom, however, as with the second PrcpCom in
Nairobi, authorities and NGOs were allowed to offer text from the on
each paragraph as governments negotiated the specific guage of the
conference documents. This process was not ays smooth, but Dr. Wally
N’Dow, the Secretary General of nference, did not allow the PrepCom to
retreat from this e even in the face of governmental opposition. The
Community publications The Prosperity of Humankind and Citizenship: A
Global Ethicfor Sustainable Development. European Youth Council, Health
for Humanity, and States. Baha’is actively participated in numerous
caucuses uding those on family, human rights, Latin America, peace, f
the child, sustainable societies, urban-rural linkages, the network,
values, and youth. Many of these cau 5. See pp. 145—58 for a full report
of these activities. The text of the llnhl'l'l International Community
statement distributed to all delegates at the (‘un ons. _ ference is on
pp. 285-87.

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With UNIFEM, cosponsored a symposium in May 1995, at which positions do
approach a 50/50 ratio shows that the cornmunity’s leadership is making
an earnest effort to further combat the trends in society at large.” A
report of the results of the survey appear in a book, The Greatness
Which Might Be Theirs: Reflections on the Agenda and Platform for Action
for the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women: Equality,
Development and Peace. Published by the Office for the Advancement of
Women, this compilation of essays and International Community statements
offers a Baha’i perspective on nine of the twelve topics on J the agenda
of the conference in Beijing. Distributed in Beijing in English and
Chinese, it is now- available in both French and Spanish as Well. Around
the world, national Baha’i communities are promoting the advancement of
women as an effort to influence the processes toward peace. Offices for
the Advancement of Women have been established in Australia, Canada,
India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, and Puerto Rico. With support
from the Baha’i lnterna- Slblllty for the second phase of the project
was transferred to tional Communitys for the Advancement of women,
national communltles. In Cameroon, part of the second phase national
Baha’i communities are strengthening relations with their was a fomlal
Evaluation Which found evidence in project villages governments, UN
agencies, and organizations of civil society by "11" fnen have begun
assisting their wives with tasks usually advancing this principle_ to be
women’snwork, that women are becoming more lancing thls Prlnclple-
few-w"? w W "when a WUlA, Llldl. women are becoming more Recently the
crisis in the family has drawn the attention of ; mVOlVed 1n_commun1ty
affairs, and that beliefs about male and governments and NGOs alike. On
this topic, 1995 saw the attributes related to work and making decisions
are release of a publication entitled The Violence-Free Family: Further,
the United Nations Development Program Building Block of a Peaceful
Civilization, the text of which is DP) funded a mill for grinding grain
to ease the burden of based on the keynote address by H.B. Danesh, M.D.,
to the borne by ~Women. Symposium on Strategies for Creating
Violence-Free Families, an event initiated in 1994 by the Baha’i
International Commun- ity and cosponsored by UNICEF and UNIFEM. The
book, an: Association for Baha’i Studies publication, was distributedi
widely at the Fourth World Conference on Women, to all UNI missions in
New York, and to all Baha’i National Assemblies. Building on the success
of last year’s symposium in New YQIK, a number of spin-off seminars on
Creating Violence-Free v ilics have been held at the national and
regional levels. example, the Baha’i community of Antigua, in
collaboration; family violence. The Baha’i community reported heartening
results: “One participant shared afterwards that all her life she has
been angry, fighting injustice, and that she dreads meetin Wt , “Dunne
.“Juuuvo, uuu Lual nu: UlUdUS IIICGUHgS about violence against women
because they reactivate her anger. At this meeting, she added, she
realized for the first time that love was a much more effective way to
address the problem, and that this is the first meeting on this subject
that she is leaving with a sense of hope.” One effort made in a number
of communities to change family dynamics has been the Traditional Media
as Change Agent project, which seeks to improve the status of women by
changing VJ , - v. m-“ “um W “upon, me aLaLua U1 WUlllUIl 0y cnangmg the
attitudes and behavior of men. The project was undertaken in Bolivia,
Malaysia, and Cameroon, with funds from UNIFEM. The first phase of the
project was completed in 1993, and respon Because of its ongoing
involvement in development in many pip-ts of Africa, the International
Community was one of a the 1990s to take place in September 1996. When
asked to Wmit a report on exemplary Baha’l' development projects in
Mj'ica, the International Community selected two: the 'lflditional Media
as Change Agent project in Cameroon and the Mpscthla Institute in
Zamoia, v_vhich operates the Banani Rural Wondary School for Girls. and
UNICEF, gathered to consult on strategies for eradicating

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Meetings Meetings and UN sessions monitored by the Baha’i International
Community during 1995-96 included the Commission on Sustainable
Development in New York; the Commission on the Status of Women in New
York; the Substantive Session of the United Nations Economic and Social
Council; the meeting of the UNICEF Executive Board in New York; and
Planning Meetings of the Second Biennial Session of the Youth Forum of
the United Nations System in New York and in Brussels. Much of the work
of NGOs in consultative status is carried out through NGO committees
which address specific issues. During this last year, a International
Community representative chaired the New York NGO Committee on Human
Rights and another chaired the New York NGO Committee on the Family.
Conclusion The Baha’i International Community, working with National
Spiritual Assemblies around the world, undertook numerous and varied
activities during 1995—96, mainly focusing on Women, the environment,
and human rights. Certain highlights, such as the Fourth World
Conference on Women, the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the
United Nations, the Summit on the Alliance between Religions and
Conservation, marked the year, but numerous other endeavors, enacted on
a smaller scale in various parts of the globe, also helped the Baha’i
International Community' pursue its cherished goal of promoting the
establishment of a peaceful planetary civilization. Update: The
Sihaatign of THE DAHA’ I S INIRAN he 300,000-member Iranian community
has suffered severe persecutions since the ascendancy of the Islamic
Revolutionary Government in 1979. In the past seventeen years, 201
Baha’is have been killed or executed, fifteen are missing and presumed
dead, and hundreds have been imprisoned. Property confiscations
(totaling 150 in the city of Yazd last year alone), dismissal from
public sector employment, expulsion from institutions of higher
learning, discriminatory treatment in the judicial system, arbitrary
arrests, and prohibition of all forms of religious community life,
including worship meetings, are some oi’ the difficulties experienced by
this beleaguered community. In recent years, more than one hundred
Baha’is throughout the [Jcuuntry have been arrested, detained for
periods ranging from 48 ours to six months, and then released, in an
effort to create an ulmosphere of uncertainty and fear in the community.
Numerous cases of torture and summary trials have been documented. As of
March 1996, eight Bahé’is were in prison, three under glcntence of
death. The situation of the Iranian Bahél’i community Continued to
receive the close attention of the United Nations

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during 1995-96, particularly in reports issued by the Special
Representative on Iran and the Special Rapporteur on Religious
Intolerance, and the sentencing of another Baha’i to death on the charge
of “religious apostasy” prompted a number of govern ments around the
world to further action.‘ The Case of Dhabihu’lléh Mahrami In the winter
of 1995—96, the Baha’i community learned that a. Baha’i in the city of
Yazd in Iran, Mr. Qhabihu’llah Mahrami, had been charged with religious
apostasy, or abandoning the Faith of Islam. The Baha’i community was
permitted to hire a lawyer to defend Mr. Mahrami, a right that has only
been recently granted to Baha’is. While the defense did not succeed in
freeing Mr, Mahrami and the death sentence was passed on him on 2
January 1996, Iran’s Supreme Court rejected the Revolutionary Court’s
decision on the grounds that it was incompetent to hear the case. The
case was then referred to the civil court in Yazd, from which a verdict
has still not been heard. When the facts of the case involving Mr.
Mahrami became known around the world, Baha’i communities took a variety
of actions. One result was the adoption by the European Parliament of a
resolution on human rights abuses in Iran, which made reference to the
suffering of the Bahzi’is in Iran and to Mr. Mahrami’s case in
particular. Baha’i communities in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France,
Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States all received support
from their governments. Significant media coverage included short pieces
in Le Monde and Libération in France, and Router and AFP (Agence France
Presse) publicized the story. The BBC World Service Persian Service, the
BBC World Service Arabic Service, and other anns of the British
Broadcasting Corporation also reported the story. 1. For a detailed
account of these human rights violations, see “The Case of the Baha’i
Minority in Iran” by Douglas Martin, in The Bahd '1' World 1992-93, pp.
247-71. See also “Update: The Situation of the Baha’is in Iran" in Thé
Bahd a’ World 1993-94, pp. 13945, and in The Bahé 1' World J994—95, pp.
133—38. Other actions regarding the situation of Iran’s Bahzi’is
communities around the world also wished to make the general situation
of the Bahé’is in Iran better known to their elected representatives. In
Uruguay, this resulted in three senators urging a favorable vote
supporting the human rights of Iran’s Baha’is, in which they stated, “A
vote in this sense will not only be in accordance with the country’s
tradition, but shall encourage the members of this community to continue
their benevolent Work within Uruguay and the rest of the world.” The
Great and General Council of the Republic of San Marino unanimously
approved a proclamation condemning persecutions against the community of
Iran. A special exhibit documenting responses by the United States and
other countries to the repression of the Bahéfi community in Iran was
displayed in the US. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., in
early May 1995. At a reception held to mark the exhibit’s opening, the
American Baha’i community honored Representatives Ben Gilman and Lee
Hamilton. Together with Representatives John Edward Porter and Tom
Lantos, who sponsored the current exhibit, Messrs. Gilman and Hamilton
have been leading backers of a series of congressional resolutions
calling on the US. government to work to extend internationally
recognized human rights to the Baha’is in Iran. The exhibit "Defending
Religious Liberty " in the Cannon Rotunda of the U.S. House of
Representatives, May 1995.

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United Nations Again this year, the Baha’i International Community was
successful in appealing for the assistance of the United Nations. The
50th Session of the UN General Assembly’s latest resolution condemning
the human rights situation in Iran once more makes specific mention of
the Baha’is. The Baha’i International Community also presented
statements to both the 52nd Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights
and to the 47th Session of the UN Sub-Commission on the Prevention of
Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. Perhaps most notable,
however, was the release of two significant reports which mentioned the
Iranian Baha’i community in some detail. he Special Rapporteur on
Religious Intolerance Report of the Special Rapporteur on Ireugwus
mwwnmw The report of the new United Nations Special Rapporteur on
Religious Intolerance, Abdelfattah Amor of Tunisia, to the 52nd Session
of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights regarding religious
intolerance in the Islamic Republic of Iran 1 “.nM. a- a.“ Duh/171'
uH-nafinn asnects 0f devotes a section to the Baha’i situation,
outlining aspects 0 discrimination in the religious, sociocultural,
educational, and professional fields, in the field of justice, and in
the security of persons. Noting the banning of Baha’i administrative
institutions in Iran since 1983, the report concludes that “Since, by
virtue of its fundamental principles, the Baha’i faith [has] no clergy,
the very existence of the Baha’is as a viable religious community [is]
apparently being threatened in the absence of those institutions.” The
Special Rapporteur makes a number of significant recommendations
concerning the situation of the Baha’is in Iran. First, he states:
“Considering the religious principles of the Baha’i community, the
Special Rapporteur believes that there should not be any controls that
might, through prohibition, restrictions or discrimination, jeopardize
the right to freedom of belief or the right to manifest one’s belief.”
The report continues: For this reason, the Special Rapporteur recommends
that the ban on the Baha’i organization should be lifted to enable it to
organize itself freely through its administrative institutions, which
are vital in the absence of a clergy, and so that '21. in- rnlin-innc
all 'it mm engage fully in its religious activities. Likewise, all the
community and personal property that has been confiscated should be
returned and the places of worship that have been destroyed should be
reconstructed, if possible, or, at least, should form the subject of
compensatory measures in favor of the community. The Bahsl’is also be
free to bury and honor their dead. Concerning freedom of movement,
including departure from Iranian territory, the Special Rapporteur
believes that the question on religion should be deleted from passport
applicatibn forms and that this freedom should not be obstructed in any
way. Further recommendations are that no discrimination should bar
Baha’is from study in universities or from employment in the
governmental or private sectors, that “the physical integrity of any
person should not be affected by the person’s religion or belief,” and
that death sentences passed on Baha’is should be reviewed or set aside
through amnesties or other appropriate measures. To address problems
faced by and members of other religious minorities in the judicial
system, the report recommends that judicial and administrative personnel
should be trained in human rights, “particularly with regard to
tolerance and non-discrimination based on religion or belief.” Report of
the Special Representative on Iran Maurice Danby Copithorne of Canada,
appointed as the new United Nations Special Representative on Iran to
replace Professor Reynaldo Galindo-Pohl, also submitted a report to the
52nd Session inf the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, an
eightf'paragraph section of which focuses specifically on the Bahé.’is.
This I'lcction opens with an endorsement of Professor Amor’s
recomcndations concerning their situation. Some specific instances of
discrimination against Baha’is in e judicial system are detailed,
including a case in September 1995 Where the family of a deceased person
was not permitted ‘ghts of succession because they are Baha’is and
another case May 1995 when people found guilty of manslaughter were
empted from paying “blood money” to the victims’ families ecuuse the
deceased and other family members are Baha’is. Instead, defendants were
ordered to pay money to a government fiind. Another case, Where an
individual was denied reinstatement to a

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T E BAHA'I WORLD job from which he had been dismissed unless he
renounced his Faith in a “widely distributed newspaper,” is cited by the
Special Representative as an example of discrimination in employment
against the Baha’i community A crucial concern, as noted by the
Representative, is “the right of the Baha’i community to maintain its
administrative institutions.” The Special Representative concludes that
“Overall, While there appears to be some improvement in the lot of the
Baha’is in the Islamic Republic of Iran, there continue to be grave
breaches of human rights, which in the Special Representative’s view are
only likely to disappear With a significant change of attitude on the
part of the Iranian authorities.” Report of the UN Secretary General The
United Nations Secretary General’s report on “The Rights of Persons
Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities,”
also submitted to the 52nd Session of the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights, comments in two paragraphs about the situation of the
Bahéi’is in Iran, reiterating the request “that careful consideration be
given to the legal situation of Baha’is who [are] in prison,
particularly those who [have] been sentenced to death or accused of
apostasy,” and demanding an end to the harassment and discrimination
faced by Baha’is. Conclusion During 1995-96, the plight of Iran’s Baha’i
community, and specifically that of Mr. @abihu’llah Mahrami, was well
documented through the reports of the Special Rapporteur on Religious
Intolerance and the Special Representative on Iran. Governments,
encouraged by many Baha’i communities, once again voiced their
opposition to the injustice suffered by this religious community. While
the situation of the Bahé’is in Iran remains that of an oppressed
minority, the spotlight shone upon them by the World’s governments and
media has not only reminded people in all parts of the globe of their
suffering, but also appears to have constrained the level of their
persecution. EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT, AND PEACE; Bahzi’is and the United
Nations Fourth World Conference on Women anc]. NGO Forum U nited by
their belief that full and equal partnership between women and men is
necessary to bring about the peace that humanity desires, some 500
Baha’is—of both sexes—made what ere in many cases long and difficult
journeys to China in the full of 1995. Their goal was to contribute to
two gatherings of aonumental proportions called by the United Nations to
address be existing inequalities which continue to prevent the
realization 0|‘ full partnership. Representing a diverse worldwide
community with a ISO-year commitment to promoting equality,‘ they came
Eom more than 50 countries and a wide range of occupations, ‘es, and
backgrounds, from a Russian reindeer herder to a nited States appellate
court judge to a 16-year—old author from Malaysia. They came to share,
learn, celebrate, contribute, and he 'of service, and to offer hope that
true equality can be ud'aieved. For an overview of this history, see The
Bahd'i World 1993414, pp. 237575.

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THE BAHA'i WORLD It would have been easy for them to be daunted by the
gravity of the world situation they came to address. Just two Weeks
prior to the opening of the Forum, a new study of the status of women
Worldwide was released, and it showed that in no country are women
offered the same education and health opportunities as men, women
seriously lag behind men in economic and political status, and violence
against women is rampant. The study was prepared by independent experts
commissioned by the United Nations Development Program to gather
statistics on women for international comparison. It found that more
than 900 million Women are living in poverty; an estimated 1 million
children, mostly girls, are forced into prostitution annually; an
estimated 1 in 6 Women in several major Western countries is raped
during her lifetime; and women occupy only 14 percent of top managerial
jobs in the world, 10 percent of national legislative seats, and 6
percent of cabinet level positions. The report estimated the annual
value of the unpaid and underpaid work done by Women to be $11 trillion.
In the foreword to the report, United Nations Development Program
administrator James Gustave Speth wrote that the report is “a major
indictment of the continuing discrimina tion against women in most
societies.” He also asserted that “investing in women’s capabilities and
empowering them to exercise their choices is not only valuable in itself
but is also the surest way to contribute to economic growth and overall
The community shares the view that the status of women is not a “women’s
issue” but is fundamentally linked to the well-being and progress of all
people. As the Universal House of Justice wrote in 1985 in a statement
addressed to the peoples of the world, “Only as women are welcomed into
full partnership in all fields of human endeavor will the moral and
psychological climate be created in which international peace can
emerge.” This was the central concept which Baha’is shared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women held in Beijing 4~15 September 1995 and at the
NGO (nongovernmental organization) Forum on Women which ‘began several
days earlier in nearby Huairou. EQUALITY, DEVELQPMENT, PEACE The NGO
Forum The “sudden emergence of a university, full of highly intelligent,
intensely curious women learning all about everything,” was how one
participant characterized the NGO Forum on Women ’95, held 30 August to
8 September 1995, with the theme “Equality, Development and Peace.”
Despite press emphasis on the logistical problems associated with the
site chosen for this companion event to the UN conference for government
leaders, participants reported that the opportunities for exchange in
Huairou were unprecedented and the extraordinary capacity demonstrated
by the approximately 30,000 women and men who attended testified to the
progress underway and the potential for even greater change. The Forum
opened with a ceremony on the theme of peace which involved 5,000
performers, the release of 20,000 cloves, and the arrival of a peace
torch which had begun its journey in Africa. Then the representatives of
more than 2,500 NGOs and community-based organizations proceeded to
share their ideas and experiences with each other through some 5,000
workshops, seminars, and other activities. The Forum marked the
culmination of two years of regional fora organized to help NGOs develop
recommendations for presentation to governments at the Fourth World
Conference. Baha’i participation in the Forum also began years before
the actual event. The Director of the International Community Office for
the Advancement of Women, Mary Power, chaired the |NGO Committee on the
Status of Women in New York from 1991 to 1995 and served on the Global
Forum Facilitating Committee responsible for organizing the Forum.
Another Bahei’i, Giovanni Ballerio, chaired the NGO Forum Working (iroup
of the Committee on the Status of Women in Geneva. Baha’i International
Community representative also acted as R apporteur for the Asia/Pacific
NGO Working Group in Bangkok. over the world, Bahai’i communities
participated in the re ional forums leading up to Huairou. Once the
Forum began, participants put their energy into three main areas:
sponsoring workshops, maintaining a pecial “Quiet Space” to meet
participants’ needs for a calm

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, , QUALITY, EVELOPMENT, EACE TH_E BAHA'I WOLLQ I E D P environment in
which to reflect and meditate, and volunteering 1 to help the entire
event run smoothly. i Bahé’is sponsored, coordinated, or organized more
than 30 Workshops at the Forum. The International Community, I as an
NGO, cosponsored “Community Reconstruction: A Consensual Framework for
Global Peace and Security” with the International Peace Research
Association and the Association of African Women on Research and
Development. Participants examined the components of a paradigm of
global security, exploring the practice of conflict resolution, the
concept of consultation, and the processes of reconciliation and
reconstruction as vital aspects of community building and social
reintegration. The Baha’i International Community also offered a video
presentation and discussion aboutthe Traditional Media as Change c Agent
project undertaken in Bolivia, Cameroon, and Malaysia in cooperation
with the United Nations Development Fund‘ for Women (UNIFEM) to help
local communities use theater,‘ I! dance, songs, and storytelling to
examine and change existing 1 attitudes about gender roles. A workshop
presenting program I models that aim to address gender roles in the
family was also cosponsored by the Baha’i International Community with
UNICEF, the YMCA, and Save the Children, and another work- i shop called
“The Right to Food” was convened by BIC and‘ presented by Advocates for
African Food Security. Among the topics addressed by other Baha’i
agencies in their‘ workshops were consultation in the family; young
women and a? violence-free society; the impact of development on
indigenous! families; women, work, and family; and women and men in
olumem at partnership promoting equality. Some of these presentations.
the Bahd'; were made by Baha’i institutions, such as the National
Spiritualternanonal I Assembly of the Baha’is of Greece, and others were
made by' Cm'mmnity organizations founded by Baha’is, such as
l’Association medical "0th a’ the . A ,.... , 1 Forum organizations
Iounoeu 0y Dana lb, sue“ an . 1 mswmum. baha’ie. In one case, a Baha’i
agency, the Office for the Ad-mgoongr vancement of Women of the Baha’i
Community of Malaysia,‘ I” Huaimm was appointed as a South East Asian
Focal Point for Family and Young Women’s Issues for the Forum, and in
that capacity presented several workshops. Whenever Forum participants
found the need for some time l away from the lively exchange of some
30,000 voices, they were l able to make use of “The Quiet Space.”
Facilitated by the International Community at the request of the NGO
Forum Office, the space was arranged with flowers and potted plants
placed amidst the chairs, a mg on the floor, and quiet music from
different parts of the world playing in the background. Hangin an“. -11.
yum, o1 ulu 111 1111: nanging in the tent was an 8‘ x 12' tapestry
called “Threads of Unity” created by artist Vickie Hu Poirier with
contributions from more than 60 Baha’is; the design included Baha’i
quotations in a variety of languages woven throughout. Many people came
regularly to “The Quiet Space” and often expressed their appreciation
for having such a haven. "The Quiet Space, " facilitated by the Baha
laminarional Community at the NGO Forum in Huafrou. See p. 81 for a
photograph afrha tapestry “Threads of Unity" which was displayed in "The
Quiet Space. "

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EQ UALITY, D EVELOPMEN T, PEACE Prior to the Forum itself, as Baha’is
prepared themselves for the event, it was suggested that those who would
participate might draw inspiration from the figure of Bahiyyih @anurn,
daughter of Baha’u’lléh and an example to all women of how leadership
and strength can be combined with humility and service to humanity. Thus
when they arrived at the Forum, a number of Baha’is found that a natural
way of expressing Baha’i principles and ideals was to use their talents
in service to their fellow attendees. One Baha’i acted as a facilitator
of scores of E volunteers, helping to link them with needs throughout
the Forum. The volunteers also helped make possible distribution of the
daily NGO newspaper, managed the marketplace at Which women from all
over the world sold their crafts, and assisted with maintaining the
atmosphere of “The Quiet Space.” Among the Bahe't’i participants at the
Forum were approximately 50 youth. In addition to volunteering and
participating in activities throughout the Forum, the Youth Workshop
from the United States—a diverse group of young people who use the
performing arts to promote the principles of racial and sexual equality
and the oneness of humanity—performed five 1 times during the Forum,
including once at a youth arts night before 500 people. They also
presented “Partnership is the Key: Young Women and Young Men as Agents
of Change," a panel! discussion and question and answer period on
developing‘ attitudes of partnership within the Youth Workshop and} the
potential of the Workshop as a social and educational development tool.
At the Forum’s closing ceremonies, before a crowd of 15,000, the
Workshop performed a dance portraying the need for both sexes to Work
together to achieve equality and a rap on the nobility and dignity of
women. Members of the group were enthusiastically approached for more
information by people from the Bougainvillaea Islands in the South
Pacific who were trying] to find ways to stop gang violence; by others
from Pakistan examining the role teenage boys play in the self—esteem of
girls; and by a woman living as a refugee in Kenya who uses the arts to‘
address the trauma of children in refugee camps. The youth from Malaysia
also played a significant role in the; Forum. They offered a workshop on
the increasing burden poverty on young Women, and the final speech of
the youth presentation at the closing ceremonies was given by Malaysian
Bahé.’is Kim Siew Yen and Anyssa Ludher. The torrential rains which
regularly flooded some NGO tents at the Forum and the difficulties
associated with the relatively late move of the Forum site from Beijing
to Huairou did not in the end prevent the women and men who attended
from carrying out the important work they had come to accomplish. “The
tone of the women present at the closing of the NGO Forum is one of
confidence and determination,” wrote Dr. Elizabeth Bowen in one of a
series of repoits sent electronically to fellow members of Health for
Humanity and through SatelLife to health care providers in Africa, Asia,
Australia, and Canada. “The sense of unity and appreciation of diversity
among the women in their quest for justice is impressive.” The NGO Forum
provided more evidence of the truth of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Words, spoken in
I912: “The world in the past has been ruled by force... But the balance
is already shifting; force is losing its dominance, and mental
alertness, intuition, and the spiritual qualities of love and service,
in which woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy. Hence the new age will
be...an age in which the masculine and feminine elements of civilization
will be more evenly balanced.” The United Nations Conference Halfway
through the NGO Forum, the Fourth World Conference on Women began at the
Beijing International Conference Center. Although this Conference was
organized to give government representatives an opportunity to forge a
Platform for Action, nongovernmental agencies continued to play vital
roles in the process. In fact, the Conference, held 4-15 September 1995,
was escribed by conference officials as the largest international
pceting ever convened under United Nations auspices, with [tome 17,000
people registered, including 5,000 delegates from H8‘) states and the
European Union, 4,000 NGO representatives, ind more than 3,200 members
of the media. While continuing cir educational and networking activities
in Huairou, NGOs also ntributed substantively to the conference in
Beijing through lrcct participation in the debate about the Platform for
Action. In

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T1113 BAHA'T WORLD a message to the conference, United Nations Secretary
General Boutros Boutros-Ghali called this a demonstration of “the new
partnership in international life which has been forged between
governmental and nongovernmental organizations” and of the “new
legitimacy of the organizations of civil society as actors on the
international scene.”2 Seven Baha’i delegations were accredited to the
conference: the Baha’i International Community, the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States, the Baha’i community of
the Netherlands, the Baha’i community of Canada, l’Association baha’ie
de F emmes (France), I’Association médicale baha’ie (France), and the
National Baha’i Office for the Advancement of Women (Nigeria). In
addition, two organizations founded by Baha'.’is sent delegations:
Health for Humanity and Women for International Peace and Arbitration.
Individual Baha’is were also selected to serve on the delegations sent
by their countries. The conference was called by the United Nations to
review progress made toward implementation of the “Forward-looking
Strategies for the Advancement of Women” adopted at the Third World
Conference in Nairobi in 1985. By the end of the conference in Beijing
it was determined that much remains to-be done, and the government
representatives adopted a Declaration and Platform for Action aimed at
launching a global campaign to bring women into full and equal
participation in all spheres of public and private life worldwide. The
Platform twelve critical areas of concern: poverty, education, health,
violence, 1 armed conflict, economic structures, power sharing and
decisionmaking, mechanisms to promote the advancement of Women, human
rights, the media, the environment, and the girl child. Caucuses were
held on each of these issues, as Well as on the common issues being
faced by various regions of the world. 2. The role played by NGOs at
international United Nations conferences has continued to grow
significantly during the last several years, as witnessed by their
prominence at the World Summit for Social Development. For a description
of International Community involvement at that EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT,
PEACE Through participating in these caucuses, NGO representatives were
able to work collectively to develop language which could be recommended
to the governmental working groups for inclusion in the Platform for
Action Brenda Maxwell, one of the delegates representing the Baha’i'
community of Canada, worked long hours drafting a statement for the
health caucus‘ Patricia Locke, representing the National Spiritual
Assembly of the United States, was elected chair of the indigenous
women’s caucus. - Two members of the Women for International Peace and
Arbitration, an organization founded by Baha’is, played key roles in the
peace caucus, helping to draft a statement which was delivered orally to
the Conference. A portion of the statement read: “Equality is one of the
most important though less acknowledged prerequisites to peace.
Therefore, women must participate fully in all stages of peace processes
and negotiations. From peace education, preventive diplomacy,
non-violent peace building and peacekeeping to post-conflict peace
building, women’s skills and experience as mediators and conciliators in
all spheres of society will make a qualitative difference in the
effeciiveness of these activities.” The selection of the girl child as
one of the twelve priority areas of concern to be addressed in the
Platform for Action was particularly gratifying to the Baha’i
International Community, whose members had worked for years to draw
attention to this subject. As far back as the early 19705, after the
Baha’i Interna Rional Community became accredited to the UN Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC) and became an NGO observer at Pulvisor to
advocate for the girl child, and the interna Dnal Community worked
closely with UNICEF to promote awareness of the needs of girl children.
In Geneva, BIC represen'ive Giovanni Ballerio worked with
representatives of the

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TIE BAHA'i WORLD EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT, PEACE worldwide support it
requires for implementation, “the equality of men and Women needs to be
understood as an essential aspect A diverse group of " particrpnnts at
the NGO Forum on Women '95, held in conjunction with the Fourth World
Conference on Women in Beijing, September 1995. understood in the
context of the oneness of humanity, equality of the sexes must be
embraced not only as a requirement of justice but as a prerequisite for
peace and prosperity. Nothing short of a compelling vision of peace, and
commitment to the values on which it must be based, will have the power
to motivate the revolutionary changes in individual behavior,
organizational structures, and interpersonal dynamics called for by the
Platform for Action” Specifically addressing the role of the religious
community in this process, the Baha’i International Community stated,
“Because religion is such a potentially powerful force for progress,
religious leaders and people of faith everywhere are urged to step
forward as lovers of humanity to promote those eternal unifying
principles—or spiritual values—that can inspire in both individuals and
governments the will to implement the Agenda for Equality.” Speaking to
the contributions which must equally be made by both sexes, the
statement said, “Men must use their influence, particularly in the
civil, political and religious institutions they control, to promote the
systematic inclusion of women, not out of condescension or presumed
self-sacrifice, but out of the belief that the contributions of women
are required for society to progress. Women, for their part, must become
educated and step forward into all arenas of human activity,
contributing their particular qualities, skills and experience to the
social, economic and political equation.” perspectives on equality were
also shared with both (Conference and Forum participants through
distribution of The (freatness Which Might Be Theirs, a collection of
Baha’i Interna Onal Community statements and essays by Bahél’is
reflecting on he Agenda and Platform for Action. The booklet’s title is
drawn ifrom the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé: “As long as women are pre vented
from attaining their highest possibility, so long will men be unable to
achieve the greatness which might be theirs.” i; For the first time
since the World Conferences on Women Ignn in 1975, the United Nations
invited youth to take an active International Federation of University
Women and other international NGOs to promote inclusion of this issue in
the Beijing Platform for Action. He also promoted the importance of the:
issue at the Economic Commission for Europe Preparatory Conference in
Vienna in October 1994 and the final session of the UN Preparatory
Committee in New York in March 1995.? Continuing its work after the
Beijing conference, the International Community gained representation on
UNICEF’s NGO Working Group on the Girl Child. In addition to
participating in issue caucuses, the Baha’i Inter national Community
distributed a statement entitled “The Rolé of Religion in Promoting the
Advancement of Women” to al delegations represented at the conference.
The statement was going to be presented orally at the Conference, as the
Baha’i International Community had been one of approximately 50 NGOs
selected to speak, but at the last moment organizers requested a slot be
relinquished to the Moscow Center for Gender Studiel Which was
represented for the first time at a world conferencd Given the
importance of Eastern European women’s gaining‘ recognition for the
challenges they face, the Baha’i Internationd Community decided to offer
its place on the program and distribute its statement in print form
only. Applauding the fact that the Platform for Action addresses the
advancement of women from the standpoint of moral princip'lie and not
just pragmatism, the Baha’i International Community asserted in the
statement that if the Platform is to receive the of an even broader
principle: the oneness of humanity. Prop-erly'

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role. The Baha'i International Community was among a small number of
organizations selected by the UN to send representatives to youth
consultations organized at the regional preparatory conferences in
Jakarta, Mar del Plata (Argentina), Dakar, and Vienna. In Beijing,
Ashley Avaregan wars the only male on a panel of NGO youth
representatives making a presentation called “Intemational Youth NGOs:
ACtOl‘fS in Implementation” on Youth Day. As mentioned earlier, yrouth
also played an important role in the NGO Forum. Near the end of the
conference, the International Community celebrated the achievements of
the Fourth World Conference on Women by hosting a reception for 300 old
and new friends from 30 different countries at the Great Wall Sheraton
in Beijing. Music, food, and conversation was; shared with ambassadors,
a princess, members of the Chinese community, government ministers,
presidents of NGOs, United Nations personnel and others. In her address
to the final session of tthe Conference on 15 September, Gertrude
Mongella, Secretary General of the Conference, exclaimed, “My dear
sisters and brothers, we have made it! We have managed to transcend
historical and cultural complexities; we have managed to transcend
socioecoinornic disparities and diversities; we have kept our common
vision and goal of equality, development and peace. In a number of
areas, we have significantly expanded the horizons ofprevious
conferences.” Of course the goals agreed upon in Beijiing will not
become a reality unless the conversation continues amd inspires
widespread action. The communities around the world worked to maintain
the momentum begun at the Conference and Forum. In Canada, local
communities had held “Beijing-connect” conferences at the same time as
the World Conference,‘ to inform those who couldn’t travel ‘to Beijing
about the Conference’s proceedings, and following the Conference,
“Post-Beijing’7 gatherings kept the issues alive. The gathierings
included panel discussions with various community leaderrs; an evening
of song, poetry, story-telling and video clips from tlhe Beijing
conference; and a public discussion which kicked off an three-month
series of events focusing on issues faced by women. In Anchorage,
EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT, PEACE Alaska, the Center filled up with people
wanting to hear from those who had attended the NGO Forum in Huairou.
The panel members, representing the Bahét’i community and seven
community organizations, spoke about the history of UN activities
related to women, the documents produced in Beijing, and the issues
identified as priority areas of concern. Some Beijing participants
travelled beyond their home communities to present the results of the
Conference. Dr. Hoda Mahmoudi, a university professor from California,
shared her thoughts on Beijing with a number of audiences in Puerto
Rico. Before a group of lawyers and educators she spoke about “Why Women
are the Key to World Peace: The Baha’i View”; at the Puerto Rican Bar
Association she addressed the audience on “The United Nations 50 Years
Later: Are We Closer to World Peace)”; and at University College,
University of Puerto Rico, she took part in a symposium entitled
-“Gender and Law: Toward the Next Millennium.” Prominent people took
part in post-Beijing events initiated by Bahzi’i communities. The Prime
Minister of Guyana, Sam Hinds, provided opening remarks for the
Post-Beijing Symposium on Women cosponsored by UNICEF and the community
of Guyana. Representatives from some 35 organizations attended and
speeches were given by members of UN agencies in the region. The
post-Beijing conference hosted by the Baha’i Women’s Group of Trinidad
drew the country’s First Lady, the Director of the Women’s Affairs
Division of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Women’s
Affairs, 21 UN representative from the Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean, and the Secretary of the Network for the
Advancement of Women. As these examples of follow-up activities suggest,
the effects of the deliberations and the connections made at Beijing
will ontinue to be felt for some time as women and men strive to of
thread are needed to make the tapestry beautiful, and each thread must
support the others for a strong fabric to emerge. In ‘eijing, this
metaphor was used to demonstrate the qualities of

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TEE BAHA'i WORLD women through the “Weaving the World Togethern project,
initiated in 1994 by Asia-Pacific women. They called on women around the
world to contribute to a banner, which in the end was one kilometer long
and reflected the talents of women from at least 122 countries. On 7
September, 200 women carried 200 meters of the ribbon to the Great Wall
of China and displayed it. “Weaving means many elements are made into
one strong piece, so it represents the diversity, the strength, the
dignity and the We“ mc "mm" mm mmnmmnii snmnlee from Thailand. unity of
women,” said Chartikavanij Sumalee from Thailand, quoted in an article
on the banner in World Women. The Bahé’is who contributed chose to view
weaving as a metaphor for harmony between women and men. The World Women
article on t1.“ nnaalmri i“, uni-inn mm rhp nnrtinn created bv Bahz'l’is
the project finished by noting that the portion created by Baha’is used
another metaphor for the work that must be done: “At the end of the
ribbon, at huge banner from the Baha’is of Southeast Asia cried out the
will of women all over the world: ‘The world of humanity has two wings:
One is women and the other men. Not until beth Wings are equally
developed can the bird commemorate the FiPcieth Anniversary of the
United Nations he people on the island of Tanna in the South Pacific
country of Vanuatu have long lived with a prophecy that one day all the
nations of the world would come to the “Laminu nakamal,” a traditional
dancing area regarded by Tannese as having great customary significance.
Early in 1995, several of the Baha’is on Tanna expressed their desire to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, and eventually
an offer was made by the National Spiritual Assembly of Vanuatu t0 the
country’s UN 50th Birthday Organizing Committee. Working with the
Pacific Operations Center (EPOC) of the Economic and Social Commission
for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Vanuatu Department of Foreign
Affairs, and the Tafea Provincial Council, the Baha’is began to put
together a major event. Baha’i Local Spiritual Assemblies from all over
the island cooked enough food for 1,000 people, traditional dancers
practiced their craft, speeches were written by representatives of EPOC,
kthc Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Spiritual Assembly,
and traditional chiefs from all over Tanna were invited

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THE BAHA'i WORLD to attend. The day before the gathering, which was
scheduled for 24 October, the community cleared vegetation at the
celebration site, made a pole for the UN flag, and erected shelters for
the invited guests. When the day arrived, spectators began to gather
under the shade of three enormous banyan trees at the Laminu nakamal.
The ceremony began when students marched from their primary school
around the celebration site and to the Niko Letan Center, headquarters
of the Tanna Island Council of Chiefs. Speeches were interspersed with
performances of traditional dances, two of which had never before been
performed in public and one choreographed specially in honor of the
United Nations. When the UN flag was raised to the sound of a
traditional conch shell being blown, the Custom Chief of the Laminu
nakamal, pointing out that it was the first time the people on Tanna had
seen the flag, asserted that the prophecy was fulfilled. Although events
officially ended in the afternoon, many guests remained until sunset
simply to gaze at the flag. The celebration on Vanuatu was one of many
events sponsored by Baha’i communities around the world to commemorate
the anniversary, events that bear witness to the widespread and deeply
felt commitment among Baha’is to the ideals reflected in the United
Nations Charter. The optimism about the future of international
cooperation that Baha’is brought to their commemorations contrasted with
the focus on the UN’s shortcomings apparent in the steady stream of
editorials that appeared when the United Nations reached its 50th
birthday. Commentators varied in their levels of patience with the
organization, some advocating a complete overhaul of the UN bureaucracy
and reevaluation of the organization’s aims, particularly citing its
nearly $3 billion debt, and others counselling greater support for an
institution attempting to achieve so much with relatively little serious
financial and moral support. But virtually all the editorials lamented
the fact that the UN had not yet lived up to its original aim of
eliminating war, and expressed skepticism about its ability to reform
enough to meet this and other goals. The Baha’i community also raised
its voice to call for UN reform but did so in the context of a belief in
the deep significance of the UN’s very fonnation and appreciation of its
achievements thus far. UN 50 Bahé’is view the establishment of the
United Nations as an important sign of humanity’s ever-increasing
acceptance of its with the attitude that the UN’s accomplishments are
extremely significant given their uniqueness in the broad sweep of
history At the same time, its shortcomings must also be addressed if its
great potential is to be realized. The Baha’i perspective is informed by
half a century of involvement with the UN; Baha’is were present at the
historic San Francisco conference which gave birth to the institution,
and since 1948 the Baha’i International Community has been registered as
a nongovernmental organization (NGO), now representing more than five
million people from a wide diversity of ethnic, economic, educational,
and cultural backgrounds. It secured consultative status, Category II,
with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 1970,
consultative status with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in
1976, and Working relations with the World Health Organization in 1989.
It also works with other UN agencies and programs, such as UNIFEM and
UNEP and has participated in major UN conferences focusing on paramount
issues of the day. Support for the UN and practical suggestions for its
reform are expressed in a statement issued by the Baha’i International
Community on the occasion of the 50th anniversary. Turning Point ‘for
All Nations1 cites historical evidence for “the trend toward
ever-increasing interdependence and integration of humanity” and
describes the UN as “a unique institution standing as a noble symbol for
the collective interests of humanity as a whole.” It also acknowledges
that the overall goals of the institution have remained elusive, and it
urges world leaders to convene a World summit on global governance to
examine how the international political order can be restructured to
meet the needs of society as it is currently evolving. The statement
suggests a number of specific, immediate courses of action to strengthen
the capacity of the UN, but it also calls for a long-term view. “Judged
in isolation from the reality in which it operates,” the statement See
pp. for a complete reprint of this statement. global interdependence, so
they approached the 50th anniversary‘

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TIE BAHA'i WORLD operates,” the statement reads, “the United Nations
will always seem inefficient and ineffective. However, if it is viewed
as one element of a large process of development in systems of
international order, the bright light of analysis would shift from the
UN’s shortcomings and failures to shine on its victories and
accomplishments. With an evolutionary mindset, the early experience of
the United Nations offers us a rich source of learnings about its future
role within the international regime.” The release of the Turning Point
document and its presentation to a wide variety of people throughout the
year and beyond was one element of the community’s efforts to assert the
significance of the United Nations and to stimulate discussion about its
reform. One of the points made in the statement is that “with a focus on
building institutions and creating a community of nations, international
bodies have historically remained distant from the minds and hearts of
the world’s people” and “discussions about the future of the
international order must involve and excite the generality of
humankind.” Thus Baha’i activities on the occasion of the 50th
anniversary reached out to world leaders and individual citizens alike.
International Events In June 1995, a series of commemorative activities
took place in San Francisco, the site of the original meeting at which
the UN Charter was signed. The National Spiritual Assembly of the United
States was represented at a meeting addressed by United States’
President Bill Clinton, held at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera
House, the location of the original signing. On 25 June an interfaith
service was held in Grace Cathedral and attended by President Clinton,
United Nations Secretary General Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Nobel Prize
winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, HRH Princess Margaret of
England, a number of UN ambassadors, and members of the public. The
Baha’i World Choir of Northern California sang a selection of hymns, a
Baha’i read a section from the Parliament of the World’s Religions’
“Declaration Towards a Global Ethic,” and another Baha’i chanted a
prayer. Baha’is also attended the United Nations Association’s annual
convention and a four-day UN 50 conference called “We the People,” held
to discuss the present and future role of nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs) in the UN system. Other Baha’i contributions to the San Francisco
celebrations included a public meeting called Call to the Nations: Forum
on Global Governance” at which presentations were 1 made on the early
years of the UN, the development of the 1 . I , , e- . -wrmm. or me ]
nation-state, and meeting the challenges facing the United Nations; an
exhibition entitled “A Vision of World Unity” at the l Baha’i Center;
and a ceremony to honor youth who had demon— Il strated moral and
ethical leadership within their communities. The largest gathering of
world leaders ever to take place L occurred in New York in October when
the UN’s anniversary was officially commemorated. The Baha’i
International Community provided a venue for discussion by hosting a
seminar called “UN Restructuring: Turning Point for All Nations.” His
Excellency the President of the Marshall Islands Amata Kabua and Under—
Secretary General of the United Nations Gillian Martin Sorensen were
among the presenters at the day-long meeting. Also attending were
diplomats from Ireland, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and
the United States as well as senior staff members of the UN Secretariat
and representatives of NGOs. Two papers presented by Baha’is were “The
Creation of an International Force” and “Establishing a Commission to
Explore the Adoption of an International Auxiliary Language.” An element
of the official anniversary celebration was a seminar on religious
dialogue for spiritual leaders from around the His Excellency the
President ofthe Marshal? [Hands Amata Kabua delivering the keynote
address to the “Turning Poinifor All Nations " seminar held at the Bnhci
International Community's United Nations Ojfices, October 1 995.

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TIE BAHA'i WORLD world. One of the invited speakers was the current
holder of the Baha’i Chair for World Peace at the University of
Maryland, College Park, Dr. Suheil Bushrui. Dr. Bushrui also read a
Baha’i prayer before an audience of 2,000 at the Cathedral of St. John
the Divine in New York City. National and Local Events The events
organized by national and local communities to demonstrate support for
the UN and to draw attention to prospects for its improvement varied in
scope, as communities large and small found their own unique ways to
relate to the issues being faced by this international body. However, a
common element of many of these events was the distribution,
presentation, or discussion of Turning Pointfor All Nations. Prior to
the statement’s release, an exhibit on its themes was mounted at the
Palais des Nations in Geneva. The exhibit opened on 17 August in the
presence of 37 diplomats from 29 countries, three Sub-Commission
Experts, staff of the UN Center for Human Rights, representatives of
NGOs, and high officials of the UN. It was displayed for two weeks. When
Turning Point was released in the fall, it was presented formally to
Gillian Martin Sorensen, the official in charge of the UN 50th
Anniversary Secretariat.2 On the same day, the statement was also
presented to Farida Ayoub, Chief of the NGO Liaison Unit of the United
Nations. During the rest of the year, the document was presented by
national delegations to numerous officials, including the Prime Minister
of Belize, the President of Hungary, the Prime Minister and Speaker of
the National Assembly of Togo, and the Foreign Minister of Swaziland. In
Mauritius, Turning Point was presented to the President of the Republic
during a one-hour program attended by more than 30 dignitaries,
including the Ambassador of Madagascar. The US. Baha’i community
presented the statement to local and national political leaders. The
National Spiritual Assembly of Swaziland and the UN office in that
country cohosted a panel discussion on Turning 2. See also pp. 126—29.
UN 50 Point with participants from government ministries and NGOs,
during which they gave time for comments from audience members. Likewise
in Togo, the statement was introduced to the public during two meetings
cosponsored by the National Spiritual 7 , ,. H . . , , I a Wanna‘
Assembly and the United Nations Development Program. The first meeting
was attended primarily by ministry officials, university professors,
media representatives, and other leaders of thought, and the second
meeting was held in a high school for students to explore the issues. A
United Nations building on the Green Line which has separated the
northern and southern regions of Cyprus since 1974 was the venue for
presentation of Turning Point to the UN Special Representative of the
Secretary General for Cyprus in October. On the same occasion, copies of
the document were shared with the Chairman of the World Federation of UN
Associations and local representatives of the Cyprus UNA. The repetition
of the words of Baha’u’llah, “The earth is but one country, and mankind
its citizens,” by the UN representative was especially poignant at this
border, which has divided neighbors and families for more than two
decades. Faculty members from Edith Cowan University, the University
AvAL " ‘i , -.-- “mummy of Western Australia, and Curtin University of
Technology, all in Western Australia, attended a dinner/reception
sponsored by the Baha’is of Wannaroo to celebrate the UN’s 50th
anniversary. Following a keynote address, each of the guests received a
copy of The Prosperity 0fHumankind.3 In Singapore, leaders of
interrcligious organizations and civic societies were among the 100
people who took part in a public forum on Turning Point in October. In
Tanzania, the readers of the daily newspaper Express learned about the
Baha’i perspective on the UN through an article Eighlighting points made
in the Baha’i International Community’s atement. An exhibit of posters
and materials showing “Achievements of the UN at 50” greeted the 250
people who attended a function ‘a New Delhi, India, to mark the
anniversary. The proposals outlined in Turning Point were reviewed by a
member of the g See The Bahd '1' World 1994-95, pp. 273-96 for the text
of this siatcmenl‘.

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Resident Coordinator, UN system in In THE BAHA'i WELD UN 50 The
presentation of World Citizenship Awards, a special service at a Baha’i
House of Worship, and an art exhibit were some other types of events
that marked the anniversary in various locations. The Awards were
established in Brazil by the National Spiritual Assembly and were given
to eight international agencies and the two married couples who founded
the School of the Nations in Brasilia, where each month teachers work
with students on a theme related to spiritual and social virtues such as
unity, protection of the environment, and the value of work. The special
worship service was held at the Baha’i House of Worship in Apia, i 7 "A
' Samoa; 250 people enjoyed the service and then moved to an adjacent
building for speeches by a member of the Continental Board of
Counsellors in Australasia and the Resident Coordinator of the United
Nations Office in Western Samoa. The art exhibit, entitled “Vision of
World Peace,” was set up in the main entrance of Estonia’s Pedagogical
University in Tailinn and featured the work of Bahé’is Nastia and Ksenia
Stanishevski. commitment to the United Nations was recognized when
Bahé’is were invited by others to take part in UN anniversary
gatherings. For example, the community of the Netherlands was asked to
sentl a representative to the Official celebration, held in the Knights’
Hall in The Hague and attended by Queen Beatrix. The secretary of the
National Spiritual dia. At the end of the program, each guest was given
a copy of the International Community’ 5 statement. Dr. Hons von
Sponeck. UN Resident Coordinator for India, recewes Turning Point for
All Nations Q at a UN 50 commemora— tion in New Delhi, India. October I
995. Awareness of perspectives on issues facing the UN at the University
of the North-West in South Atnca maue ucau- mummy m busta Klca line news
on Bophuthatswana Television, was one of the main ‘ed by the Minist f
Spoke at an ecumenical gathering organ items on Mmabatho Television, and
was covered in several major I ry 0 External Relations and attended by
two - V -LMHAA “do 90 and their Items On IVIIHHUHLUU L ULUVh-Ilunn, “nu
.. w- - , newspapers. Photographs showed the 20 Bahé’is and their 250
guests exchanging ideas on women and world peace, the rights of
children, and the future of the UN. The university’s 60-member Y n n
1Baht? is in Tallinn, lEs'tania, hosted an art exhibit and an
international prqyer meeting in Pmnremornn'on of "111-" United Nations
anniversary, October 199.5. Li

+++168


former presidents of Costa Rica, current vice presidents, and members of
the diplomatic corps‘ Baha’is also cosponsored Washington, D.C,’s
largest UN 50 commemorative event and contributed two workshops: “Moral,
. . . . n in...“ was.“ and H19 rm” and “Religious NGOs Ethical, and
Spiritual Values and the UN” and “Religious NUUS and the This national
gathering on the United States and the UN, organized by the United
Nations Association and cosponsored by more than 100 organizations, was
attended by more than 400 people from 35 states. Youth Involvement Some
Baha’i communities marked the anniversary with activities aimed to
engage young people in the issues being faced by the UN. The Baha’i
community of Costa Rica sponsored an essay contest, and winners
participated in the 50th anniversary celebrations in San Francisco. In
India, the Baha’i District celebrations in san rranciscu. in mum, we “mm
- Teaching Committee of Kannur organized a speech competition on the
theme “One World: My Concept” in which students from seven of the
district’s twelve colleges took part. “The Baha’i Faith and Education”
was the theme of a Baha’i booth at a UN 50 exhibition held in Hong Kong
in October. is ML .1.“ Mnmkmpd m 2 nmgram organized by the Bahéi’is also
contributed to a program organizeu uy the Economic Commission for Latin
America (ECLAC) for the children attending schools sponsored by members
of the Association of NGOs working with ECLAC. Ten students from Colegio
Nut and the school’s headmistress participated, and six Mapuche Indians
travelled 700 miles from their home in Labranza, Chile, to the site of
the event in Santiago to perform music and dance for the children. UN 50
to the United States for the official presentation of the book. In the
U.S., he gave a 30-minute talk at the World Trade Center in New York to
an audience of 200 distinguished guests, and he presented A World in Our
Hands to Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali at the Hearst Theater in San
Francisco, where the UN Charter had been signed 50 years earlier. After
Jordan spoke the words, “The earth is but one country, and mankind its
citizens,” Dr. Boutros-Ghali asked him to inscribe them in his copy of
the book. Mariana Eghrari of Brazil, also thirteen, was invited by the
organization Peaceways to represent the children of her country at n i
the World Conference of Children in San Francisco, organized as part of
the 50th anniversary events. The 150 participetinUg children prepared a
document called Keeping the Promise Report about the main challenges
facing the children of the world. Mariana was among 15 of these children
selected to travel to Geneva to present the document to UN officials and
to consult with them. Taking Stock In one International Herald Tribune
editorial (27 June 1995) about the UN at 50, some of the institution’s
accomplishments are listed: “Agencies of the United Nations have
eradicated diseases (completely, in the case of smallpox), countered
famine, housed 30 million refugees, probably halved child mortality and
Eaught millions to read and write. Politically, the United Nations Pas
sped decolonization, provided a forum i‘or poor but populous icw members
and spotlighted, if selectiveiy, human rights fenders.” The Bahél’i
International Community document ‘l'nrning Pointfor All Nations likewise
notes the UN’s achieve cnts: “As an international organization, the
United Nations has Two Baha’i youth dramatically demonstrated their
understanding of UN issues and willingness to take action.
Thirteen—year-old Jordan Melic of Singapore worked on an article that
was selected‘ for publication in A World in Our Hands, a book produced
by i N " Y - "m: Dntmkmch Dinlnmacv for the 50th Peace Child
International and Paintbrush Diplomacy tor the bum anniversary. Then he
applied and was chosen to be one of 24 ‘L .lditors‘of the volume, which
includes pieces on the history of the UN and ws for its future written
by young people between nine‘ Hid Mung.‘ In June 1995, Jordan was the
only editor to be flown (Icllmonstrated humanity’s capacity for united
action in health, ‘griculture, education, environmental protection, and
the welfare “children. It has affirmed our collective moral will to
build a Qtcr future, evinced in the widespread adoption of international
Enan rights Covenants. It has revealed the human race’ , evidenced by
the devotion of financial and nan resources to the assistance of people
in distress.” Herald Tribune article, like many other editorials, goes
Etc cite the UN’s shortcomings, particularly its inability thus far

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to prevent wars between and within member states. The Baha’i
International Community agrees that the UN has a long way to go This
article highlights Pr int media to fulfill its potential, but it remains
confident that solutions to its coverage Ofthe Bahd '1' Faith
organizational and financial problems can be found if discussions during
1995—96alnnnf ifc Fuhwp faln: int-n fhp Pvnlvinn infpma_ about its
future take into account the broader, evolving interna~ tional order and
if they involve and excite the generality of humanity. Viewed in
historical context, this grand experiment to “save succeeding
generations from the scourge of War...and reaffirm faith in fundamental
human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal
rights of men and Women and of nations large and small, and to establish
conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising
from treaties and other sources of international law can be attained,
and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger
freedom” has been a singular success, if only for what its proponents
have believed to be possible. The Baha’i community commemorated the UN’s
anniversary by doing its part to bring these dreams closer to reality.
The Balléiji Faith in the OF THE WORLD n surveying the attention
afforded Bahél’i communities and eventq mpdiq ‘mm. +1“. "hum" 1AM‘, i
events by the media this year, the steadily increasing tempo and
diversity of such coverage becomes instantly apparent. Not only are more
Baha’i institutions formalizing mechanisms for offering material to the
press, but to an increasing degree media agencies in every part of the
world are finding Baha’i initiatives and approaches to social issues
newsworthy and are reporting on their developments, in English and in a
wide variety of other languages. The following survey touches on some of
the highlights, as Well as those activities which received the most
coverage. A number of articles on the plight of the Bahé’is of Iran were
‘published during the visits of Olya Roohizadegan to Austria, Belgium,
and the United States. Mrs. Roohizadegan was imprisoned by the Iranian
authorities for being a Baha’i; her book, Olya 's Story, details her
experiences and those of her fellow Baha’i ‘prisoners. Among other
articles on the Bahé’is of Iran were those printed in Bergens T idende
in Norway on 21 February 1996; in

+++172


Mid-Day in South Africa on 25 April 1995; in three newspapers in India
on 2 March 1996; in four New Zealand newspapers in February and March
1996; and in the Iran Times in the United States on 16 and 23 February.
The special exhibit on the response of the United States government to
the persecution of the Bahél’is of Iran, demonstrating its commitment to
religious freedom, was announced in Roll-Call, the Capitol Hill
newspaper, on 1 May 1995, and in the Washington Post on 6 May 1995.
Several articles were written for Irish newspapers reporting Baha’i
activities commemorating the tenth anniversary of the admission of 26
Iranian Baha’is as refugees by the government of Ireland. On 21 March
1996, the Donegal Democrat carried an item on a reception held at the
Bahét’i National Center for the men and women of Ireland who aided the
Iranian refugees, and Derry People and Donegal News printed 21 similar
item on 22 March. On 6 April, the Mearh Chronicle covered one Iranian
Baha’i man’s visit with the Baha’i couple in Slane who had helped him
integrate into Irish life years before. The Sligo Champion on 28
February announced a segment of the Would You Believe program focusing
on a Baha’i couple’s journey from persecution in Iran to becoming a real
part of the Sligo community. Community Life 1' A great deal of attention
was accorded to holy days by the press Worldwide. In American Samoa the
Samoa Journal and Advertiser ran a piece on 23 October 1995 on the
birthday of thq' Bab; in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, both the Daily
T elegrams and the Andaman Herald on 19 October 1995 carried front-page
announcements of celebrations of the birth of the Bab. On 11 November
the Daily Telegrams printed at front-pagé item on the observance for the
birth of Bahé’u’llah, and on 12 November the Andaman Herald published a
longer piece providing some details of Baha’u’llah’s life. In the United
States an announcement in the Dallas Morning News of the observance of
the Declaration of the Bab was printed on 13 May; in the Shetland
Islands, United Kingdom, the Baha’i community] advertised the observance
of the Martyrdom of the Bab in the Shetland Times. The Shetland Times
also carried an announcd ment about the birthday of Baha’u’llah, on 10
November 1995 In New Zealand as well two articles were printed about the
birthday of Baha’u’llah and the Baha’i community published announcements
about the Baha’i fast and about the Ridvan Festival. The Azores
newspaper Correio dos Agores printed on 23 April 1995 a description by
the SE10 Miguel Baha’i' community of the history and significance of
Ridvan. The article included a photograph of the Ridvz'm Garden in the
Holy Land. Newspapers all over India reported on local communities’
observances of Baha’i holy days. The Baha’i celebration of NawRt'lz—New
Year—resulted in an article in the Washington Post on 18 March 1995, as
well as in newspapers in New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, Malaysia,
Canada, Hawaii, the U.S.A., and Guyana. The Marianas Observer, the
Pacific Star, and the Pacific Daily News in the Mariana Islands all
published stories covering that community’s Eighteenth National Baha’i
Convention. In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, on 2 June 1995 the
Vincentian printed 5 photograph of the newly elected National Spiritual
Assembly. lThc participation of a Manitoban Baha’i in the National
Convention of Canada was reported on 10 May in the Opasquia Times. a'he
article also included information about the electoral ‘recess and
historical facts about the Baha’i administration in Pnada. On 19 May,
the Marshall Islands Journal reported on the Ptional convention in that
country. The same journal on 23 June tried a story on the visit to
Majuro of three members of the 'ptinental Board of Counsellors in
Australasia. On 12 May, the \‘ln’tland Times reported that a member of
the Shetland uRmunity would serve on the new committee appointed by the
Fonal Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom to direct the its of the
Baha’i community in Scotland. [he Kyrgyzstan Chronicle’s 25 to 31 August
1995 issue [rted on the first national conference and included the Faith
among its list of religious organizations and institu1 More than 25
different articles appeared in an array of New Lnd newspapers announcing
or reporting on the Pacific Ll‘izons Conference, held in Auckland in
January 1996 and by the Baha’i community. At least twelve other articles
printed which followed the efforts of Baha’is who came to HI

+++174


0r Studies at Lucknow University, and articles 0 the subject were
carried by two Hindi newspapers. Advancement of Women In Macau, an
activity in support of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing,
in April 1995, in which children expressed. their world citizenship by
putting their handprints on a banner which was subsequently sent to the
conference, received coverage from a number of Macau newspapers,
including Huaqiao Bao, Huaao Ribao, Daizhong Baa, Aomen Wenyu, Aomen
Ribao, Zheng Bao, Xiana'ai Aomen Ribao, and Hauao Ribao. The press in
Malaysia printed several reports mentioning or highlighting Malaysian
Baha’i women’s involvement in the Fourth World Conference on Women in
Beijing. In addition, there were about seven articles reporting on a
post-Beijing seminar sponsored by the community in November 1995. The
Guyana Chronicle and the Stabroek News printed items on 16 August on the
depar ture of two Guyanese Bahé’is for the NGO fogum at the FOIJI‘th
World Conference on Women in Beijing, and then on 16 and 19 October the
Guyana Chronicle reported on the post-Beijing symposium organized by the
community and opened by Prime Minister Sam Hinds. In Hawaii, the Sun
Press and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin also carried items on local women
who traveled to the Beijing conference. On 6 November the Trinidad
Guardian reported on the post-Beijing conference on women hosted by the
community and attended by the First Lady of Trinidad and Tobago. In
Ontario, Canada, the London Free Press published an article which stated
that the Baha’i Faith “recognizes that women have untapped resources to
offer the World.” Articles were printed in the Sunday Vanguard of
Nigeria on 12 November and 17 December Written by a and commenting on
the equality of women and men and the importance of proper parenting. In
Swaziland, an article describing a panel discussion on the equality of
men and women _hmemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations,
mnnized by the UN system in that country, the National Assemly? and the
Ministry of Education, was published on 12 October [the Times of
Swaziland. Action on Social Issues H10 Honolulu Advertiser on 14 October
1995 reported the Honolulu Baha’i community’s celebration for United
Nations Day, and the Sun Press issue for 28 December 1995 to 3 January
19% announced the community forum “Healing of Our Ohana,” ganized by the
Baha’is of Wahiawa, Hawaii. Several American ii-ip'spapers noted Baha’i
involvement in UN 50 activities in the " nited States, including the San
Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Washington Post.
The New Paper of Singapore reported on 12 August 1995 on 13-year-old
Baha’i Jordan Melic’s presentation of A World in Our Hands to UN
lecretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali as part of activities to lnark
the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. On 20 bctober, the
Baha’is of the Solomon Islands published an article in the Solomon Star
on UN 50. On 31 January 1996 the Barbados Advocate published a
@hotograph and a brief description of members of the Barbadian community
presenting Turning Poim‘fbr All Nations to that newspaper’s editor. The
Derry Journal in Northern Ireland ran a commentary on 14 November on
Turning Pointfor All Nations, describing the portion dealing with the
role of women as “a very worthwhile contribution to that issue.” The
writer then quoted and summarized that section of the document, ending
by asking, “Is there much in the foregoing with which the majority of
people in our culture could seriously disagree?” Liberecky' Den, a Czech
newspaper, printed a report on 17 August 1995 describing a program
observing the Year of Tolerance, organized by the Bahé’is of Liberec.
More than twelve articles were published in New Zealand newspapers,
reporting on Baha’i efforts to highlight issues of unity in diversity,
tolerance, and racial harmony. On 26 June 1995, the Border Mail in
Australia reported on the Baha’i community of a 1 Albury-Wodonga’s
multicultural event in honor of Refugees

+++176


Week. The Baha’i community of Altenkirchen, Germany, held a feast
focusing on international understanding that spurred‘ articles in
Rhein-Zeitung on 18 May and 24/25 May 1995, as’ Well as in
Mitteilungsblaz‘tffir den Bereich der Verbandsgemeinde Altenkirchen on 1
June 1995. An account was published on 10 December in Athens News in
Greece of the Baha’i community’s reception in celebration of United
Nations Human Rights Day_ The Baha’is of the Gambia printed statements
on the United Nations and human rights in the Point on 29 May and the
Gambia Daily on 19 June, respectively. The Cook Islands Newsv for 14
July published an announcement and description of a presentation on the
theme of the prosperity of humankind. The Guyana Chronicle published
articles on 10 and 19 May and the Stabroek News printed one on 19 May
covering the Bahé’i-sponsored symposium “Unity in Diversity in the Quest
for Global Prosperity,” which was attended by President Cheddi Jagan.
Once again on 29 March and 3 April 1996, the Stabroek News and the
Guyana Chronicle, respectively, carried items about the community of
Georgetown’s panel discussion on eradicating poverty. On 5 July, a piece
was printed in the Gambia Daily announcing the conference on “The
Prosperity of Humankind” being organized by the community. An article
was published on 3 July in the Daily Observer in Gambia, announcing the
impending visit to that country from Ethiopia of Gila Michael Bahta, a
member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Africa, who spoke at
the Gambia’s “Post-World Summit on Social Development Conference.”
Another article was published by that newspaper on 1 1 July reporting on
Mr. Bahta’s visit. The Sunday Vision in Uganda on 23 April carried an
article on the response of the Ugandan community to the United Nations
World Summit for Social Development. The Baha’i community of Mauritius
submitted a number of statements to Le Mauricz'en throughout the year,
some in English and some in French, dealing with such topics as World
Religion Day, religious intolerance, drug abuse, and World peace. In
Kyrgyzstan, the Baha’i community published an extensive article 176 orld
peace in the 25 to 31 October issue of the Kyrgyzstan Ironicle. lThe
Marshall Islands Journal printed 21 report on 12 May on the progress
achieved in the Marshall Islands School vernent Project for the seven
public elementary schools in I'Miiilim, which is being managed by
Bahé’is. On 26 May, the ,K'riipan Tribune in the Mariana Islands
reported on the luncheon held by the community during which suggestions
were 'I'ered to delegates of the Third Constitutional Convention. The I
Solomon Star on 27 Septemb’ci iniblished a photograph of the recipients
of the Blums Community Service Award, which is sentcd by the community
of the Solomon Islands. I On 11 April 1996, Bray People announced a
public address 9y a leading family and teenage counselor on “The
Challenge of i'Fumily Life and Education in the Nineties,” sponsored by
the bBuha’is of County Wicklow, Republic of Ireland. In Saint Vincent .
and the Grenadines, the Vincentian printed articles on 26 May and 2 June
regarding a series of workshops on family development which covered such
topics as violence-free families, _bmmunication in families, and the
development of morality in :nnoren. children. I Over fifteen newspapers
throughout India reported on the travels of John Huddleston, a Baha’i
who spoke about the status of 1women, the importance of religion in
society, economics, and lobalization, among other topics. Several
newspapers also have {highlighted the contributions Baha’is have been
making to the discussion on communal harmony, while about seven articles
were l published delineating teachings on the equality of Women land
men. rand men. In the issue of the Malawi News for 5 to 11 August, it
was reported that a delegation of representatives of the
Malawian :Baha’i community called on the President of that country, who
‘encouraged the Baha’is to assist the government with primary l
education and health care. In the Gambia on 4 January 1996, the Point
printed a report on the visit of Abbas Bashir Elahi, a physician from
the United States Who visited the mayor, a I hospital, and a school of
nursing and donated medical supplies

+++178


during his stay. On 7 March 1996, the Tonga Chronicle reported on the
Ocean of Light International Primary School, which is administered by
the community. The news article was accompanied by a large photograph of
some of the children in one of the classes. The Bahé’is in Malaysia
organized a blooddrive to encourage non-Muslims to donate blood during
the Muslim month of fasting, in order to offset a predicted shortage.
The initiative was reported in February 1996 by the Borneo Post and the
Daily Express in English, as well as the See Hua Daily News, the
Overseas Chinese Daily News, and the Asia Times in Chinese. The Examiner
published on 27 November 1995 a large , , , v a maphotograph of a group
of Baha’i young women dressed in various national costumes as part of
its coverage of thc community-service—based Martha Root Project in
Launceton, Australia. In June 1995, the Slovak newspaper Sme printed the
Baha’i International Community’s report that earth from that country was
deposited into the Peace Monument in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Straits
Times in Singapore on 22 April 1995 reported on an international
children’s art exhibition organized by the Baha’i community in honor of
Earth Day. “Animals and Me,” another international children’s art
exhibition which was sponsored by the Extended Education Center of the
Education Department and the Spiritual Assembly of Macau, was the
subject of an article in the Macau newspaper Aomen Ribao on 28 January
1996. On 23 July 1995, Shimin Ribao reported on children’s activities
for environmental protection in Macau, organized by the youth group. The
international children’s art exhibition held in Taiwan resulted in at
least four articles in the China Post as Well as about five articles in
Chinese newspapers. An article was submitted by the Baha’i community of
Yekaterinburg, Russia, to Klyuch Zemli detailing Baha’i teachings on the
environment. Sharing the Message of Bahzi’u’lléh On 21 September 1995,
the youth workshop in Vienna, Austria, received newspaper coverage of
its open-air theater presentation of principles. An announcement was
printed in the Marshall Islands Journal of the youth summer 178 001
which was held in Rita from 19 to 30 June. Eight different il'ticles
Were published in various newspapers in Norway about 1hci'perf0nnances
of the Baha’i Youth Theater, which took to the l'treets to raise
awareness about racism, religion, and the value of unity in diversity.
On 11 June 1995, Austrian Television (ORF) broadcast a Evcnty-minute
film about the Baha’i Faith as part of its regular vruligious program
Orientierung. In Liberia, the Baha’is had a laripfhiefnrv nf life
nn'nlished in the First National brief history of life published in the
First National I Fall for 25 November to 2 December. An article on the
Baha’i 'iFuith was submitted by the Baha’i community of Yekaterinburg,
Russia, to Bratstvo Ver. At least seven newspapers in Norway printed
articles introducing the general public to the beliefs and Finciples of
the Faith. In the United States, a number of ewspapers printed such
articles, including the Chicago SunTimes, the Dallas Morning Star, and
the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I Articles were printed on Baha’i book
exhibitions in India in Janamukha on 29 September, in Agnishikha on 29
September, in v‘.S'arribazlashree on 2 October, and in the Sentinel on
19 October. A 21 October 1995 advertisement in the Times newspaper in
Malta Iannounced the Eleventh Malta Book Fair, mentioning the Baha’i
ishing Trusts among the participants. Publishing Trusts among the
participants On 15 July 1995 and 30 March 1996, the Waikato Times in New
Zealand published articles on the trips of Shane Te Ruki, a Maori
Baha’i, to various Native American communities in Canada for the purpose
of sharing his beliefs and his culture. Eastern European press reports
have taken note of the incursion of religious groups into the various
countries of the formerly Communist area. The New Reporter in Albania on
1 December 1995 cited the Baha’i Faith as one group which has grown
significantly since 1989. The Baha’is of Sri Lanka maintained a steady
stream of announcements of community events in newspapers, as well as
the “Thought for the Day” published regularly in the cover of the Daily
News, featuring quotations from the Baha’i writings. In Trinidad and
Tobago, the Baha’i community also sponsored regular articles in the
Trinidad Guardian, covering such topics as

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unity in diversity, the purpose of creation, and World peace. Likewise,
the Baha’i community of Swaziland published articles in the Yebo Weekend
Observer Magazine on life after death, religion as the source of
morality, family, youth, and preserving marriages. In the Pas, Manitoba,
Canada, the Baha’i community submitted regular pieces to the Opasquia
Times on a variety of subjects, including the destiny of native peoples
as portrayed by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, the World Summit for Social Development in
Copenhagen, sustainable development, and the environment. Interfaith
Activities On 23 March 1996, the Washington Post reported on an
interreligious conference held at Howard University, including the
contributions to the event. The Dallas Morning News noted on 29 April
1995 the participation of the Bahz'l’is of Dallas in the National Day of
Prayer. The Drogheda Independent’s special supplement on the celebration
of the 700-year anniversary of the ministry of the Augustinians in
Drogheda, Ireland, reported the presence of a representative of the
Baha’i Faith and of a Baha’i reading during the service, which was
attended by President Mary Robinson. The Limerick Leader on 29 January
1996 reported the observance by the local Baha’i community of World
Religion Day through the distribution to all schools in the Limerick
area of an information packet on the religions of the World. Several
newspapers in Singapore provided coverage of the events associated with
the Baha’i-organized observance of World Religion Day in January 1996.
Tamil Murasu published two articles in the Tamil language; the Chinese
newspaper Lianhe Zhaobao printed two reports; and the Straits Times
carried four articles in English. The Efforts of Individual Baha’is The
efforts, achievements, and experiences of individual Baha’is caught the
attention of media representatives in many places this year. An
exhibition on the life of August Forel—a Bahél’i doctor, entomologist,
and social reformer—held in Bulgaria was reported in the issue of
Balkanite Dnes for 14 to 20 July 1995. 180 An extensive, two-part
profile of Robert Abbott—a Bahé.’i and K the founder of the Chicago
Defender—was printed in the 1 1 to 15 November and 18 to 22 November
issues of the Tri-State Defender. In Miinster, Germany, on 21 September
1995, WestZilische Nachrichten reported an exhibition of the art work of
Mark Tobey, citing the Baha’i Faith as the inspiration for his Work. The
Kauai Times in Hawaii ran a front-page story on 4 June on Leonard
Herbert, a Baha’i artist, and announced an exhibition of his work. The
Canadian magazine Eye on 3 Augist profiled two Baha’i members of the
band “Project 9,” featuring them on the cover and including positive
references to their statements about the Baha’i Faith. The March 1996
issue of ‘exclaim! featured a photograph on its cover of the band
“Plains of Fascination,” and printed a page-long article on the artistic
izision and beliefs of the members, several of whom are Bahé’is. r In
Australia, the North West Telegraph on 30 August 1995 gbarried an
interview with Sharghieh Moshirian, a Baha’i from Iran who experienced
imprisonment and torture at the hands of the government, which was
trying to induce her to recant her faith. Sunday Guardian in Trinidad on
6 August 1995 published a profile of Hamid Farabi, detailing the
persecution he endured as a in Iran and how he has succeeded in spite of
it. The retirement of Wilma Ellis from her position as Administrator
General of the International Community’s Offices in New York and Geneva
resulted in three newspaper articles in Bermuda: the Bermuda Sun on '26
January 1996; the Bermuda Times on 26 January; and the Royal Gazette on
27 January. Bermuda is one of the countries Dr. Ellis works with in her
service as a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in the
Americas. An architect of Persian background who was born in Malaysia
spoke at a forum held in Malaysia on the Baha’i House of Worship in
India, for which he was the resident chief engineer. Malaysia’s Daily
Express ran a profile on him on 14 March 996, while Yazhou Shibao, the
Overseas Chinese Daily, and Shihua Ribao all reported on the forum. The
Guardian in Tanzania on 20 and 27 January 1996 printed extensive
features on families there, including several

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large photographs with each article. Some nine articles were published
in Norwegian newspapers profiling Baha’is in various parts of the
country, describing their beliefs and way of life, and reporting
personal events. On 8 March 1996, the Solomon Star carried a photograph
and short article on two Solomon Islands youth who were living in
Israel, serving at the World Centre. In Papua New Guinea four articles
were published in January 1996, three in English and one in Pidgin, on
the return of a Papua New Guinean youth from her term of service at the
World Centre. The Augusta Chronicle, 21 newspaper in Georgia, United
States, printed an article with a large photograph, about a Baha’i
youth’s plans to postpone college for a year in order to offer a year of
service to the Baha’i Faith. An obituary on Salvatore “Tony” Pelle was
printed in the Honolulu Advertiser on 30 August 1995, following his
passing. Various articles were written in Samoa on the passing of Suhayl
Ala’i, a Baha’i of American Samoa who died While on a visit to Western
Samoa. The Samoa News carried a report of his death on 18 August and ten
days later reported on the post-funeral memorial service in American
Samoa. The Samoa Journal and Advertiser published a photograph of the
funeral, and the Samoa Observer printed a lengthy memorial on Mr. Ala’i.
In addition, Mr. Ala’i’s employees published a full-page appreciation in
his honor in Samoa News. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Turks and
Caicos News and the Free Press reported the 1 February 1996 death of
physician Francis Gilbert. Various newspapers in Uganda followed the
unfolding story of the murder of Rodney Belcher, a well-respected
physician (see pp. 309-11). Additionally, the Washington Times, a US.
newspaper, carried the story of his death on 12 March 1996. ESSAYS,
TATEMENTS, PR AND OPILES

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Wendy M. Heller explores the religious origins of the organizing
principles of civil society, tracks their secularization in the modern
era, and examines the prospect ofan inclusive global moral order based
on the enduring concept of covenant. COVENANT AND THE POURLTLBXTIIONS
OFCIVIL SOCIETY ver a century ago, Baha’u’llah, Founder of the Baha’i
Faith, Wrote of the impending disintegration and collapse of the
Fblished order of civilization: “Soon will the present-day order he
rolled up,” He proclaimed, “and a new one spread out in its In the
interval, experience has borne out the prescience of kelation; this
century has seen Baha’u’llah’s prophetic terms, of lacquilibn'um and
chaos, of the shaking of foundations, become so much a part of daily
life that, because of the pervasiveness of such Ilintegration, some have
been led to mistake an abnormal state for normal one, and to conclude
that there simply are no foundations Ibr any human endeavor, and that,
in consequence, strife and conflict the inevitable condition of
existence. Yet an increasing number lcholars are now willing to shed the
“obtuse secularism”2 that, as the Writings ofBahd'u 'lldh, trans. Shoghi
Ei'f'cndi (Wilmette: Publishing Trust, 1976), p. 7. Perry Miller, “From
the Covenant to the Revival,” in Religion in American I ed. James Ward
Smith and A4 Leland Jamison (Princeton: Princeton University Press,
1961), vol. 1, p. 336, n. 20, 185

+++186


a feature of contemporary frameworks of thought, has systematically
excluded serious appraisal of the central importance of religion and
spiritual reality in human life and society. Faced by the evidence of
the bankruptcy of modernity, whose promises of prosperity through
materialism and ideology have proven hollow, thinkers and scholars have
begun to turn the light of critical scrutiny upon the far—reaching
effects that the displacement of religion by secular ideology has had on
civilization in the modern era. That same secularism which was once
heralded as the emancipation of civilization is now increasingly
identified as the root cause of its disintegration. This Conclusion had
been anticipated in the Baha’i writings, which affirm that social and
moral deterioration is directly related to the decline of religion as a
social force. “Religion,” Baha’u’llah wrote, “is verily the chief
instrument for'the establishment of order in the world and of
tranquillity amongst its peoples. The weakening of the pillars of
religion hath strengthened the foolish and emboldened them and made them
more arrogant. Verily I say: The greater the decline of religion, the
more grievous the waywardness of the ungodly. This cannot but lead in
the end to chaos and confusion.”3 Material civilization, cut loose from
the moderating influence of spiritual values, He warned, “will prove as
prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept Within
the restraints of moderation... The day is approaching when its flame
will devour the cities....”4 Affirming the central role of religion in
the civilizing of human character, ‘Abdu’I-Baha explained: Universal
benefits derive from the grace of the Divine religions, for they lead
their true followers to sincerity of intent, to high purpose, to purity
and spotless honor, to surpassing kindness and compassion, to the
keeping of their covenants when they have covenanted, to concern for the
rights of others, to liberality, to justice in every aspect of life, to
humanity and philanthropy, to valor and to unflagging efforts in the
service 186 of mankind. It is religion, to sum up, which produces all
human virtues, and it is these virtues which are the bright candles of
civilization.5 In the 1930s Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i
Faith, singled out as an agent of social decline the “prevailing spirit
of modernism With its emphasis on a purely materialistic philosophy
which, as it diffuses itself, tends to divorce religion from man’s daily
life,” resulting in the erosion of “conceptions of duty, of solidarity,
of reciprocity and loyalty” as the center of gravity shifts to the
individual self. Symptoms of such a society that has lost its spiritual
bearings, he wrote, include religious intolerance, racism and
Xenophobia, terrorism, crime, alcoholism, the weakening of the family,
and the breakdown of political and economic structures, to name but a
few.6 In the view, however, the current experience of disorder and
turmoil is only one aspect of a two-fold process that is ultimately
therapeutic and evolutionary, rather than solely destructive. It clears
the Way for a recovery and renewal of the true and enduring foundations
upon which a global moral order can be constructed. Though grounded in
eternal verities, this process of spiritual and social evolution is
forward looking and cannot be confused with a return to a vanished and
unrecoverable past. Sociologist Robert Bellah has remarked that the
characteristic modern attempt to substitute “a technical~rati0nal model
of politics for a religious-moral one does not seem to me to be an
advantage. Indeed it only exacerbates tendencies that I think are at the
heart of our problems. If our problems are, as I believe them to be,
centrally moral and even religious, then the effort to sidestep them
with purely technical organizational considerations can only worsen
them” Although the contemporary combination of the morality of
self-interest, capitalism, and technological rationality has departed
from the earlier religious and moral World view, he argues, it does not
follow that the only possible alternative to modem secularism is 5. The
Secret of Divine Civilization, trans. Marzieh Gail (Wilmette: Publishing
Trust, 1957), p. 98. Publishing Trust, 1955), pp. 183, 187.

+++188


the “literal revival of that earlier conception.” Indeed, he suggests,
“only a new imaginative, religious, moral, and social context for
science and technology Will make it possible to weather the storms that
seem to be closing in on us in the late 20th century.”7 The Covenantal
World View In the search for solutions to current social problems,
attention has been drawn to the importance of social institutions such
as the family and religion that represent “seedbeds of virtue”: the
spiritual foundations provided by religion imbue individuals with the
virtues on which both civic participation and governance depend.8 Yet
the connection is even stronger. Religion provides not only the
foundations but the bricks and cement of society— the shared beliefs and
moral values that unite people into communities, as well as the world
view and account of the meanin% and purpose of life that infuses those
moral values with sense. These, moreover, provide the basis of all
legitimation for author ity, the source of legal institutions, as well
as tllig touchstone and V 1 1n 1 I‘ A‘ 1' 15' V standard for evaluating
the direction of society. Many of those who in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries influenced and fashioned modern Western political
institutions understood the pivotal importance of religion to the
coherence and maintenance of a social and political order. They were far
less influenced than has often been thought, by that typically modern
secular rationalism that displaces God by human reason;11 on the
contrary, the world view that informed their thinking was based on the
scriptural account of human nature as having a spiritual purpose, which
was summed up in the idea of the divine Covenant 7. Robert N. Bellah,
The Broken Covenant: American Civil Religion in Time of Trial (New York:
Seabury, 1975), p. xiv. 8. Mary Ann Glendon and David Blankenhorn, eds.,
Seedbeds of Virtue: Sources of Competence, Character, and Citizenship in
American Society (Lanham, MD: Madison Books, 1995). 9. Bellah, Broken
Covenant, p. ix. 10.1bid. 7 . m . . . ll. Ellis Sandoz, “Philosophical
and Religious Dimensions of the American Founding,” The Intercollegiate
Review 30 (1995): 27-42; A. James Reichley, Religion in American Public
Life (Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, 1985). 188 between God
and humankind. The purpose of human reason was to know the existence of
God, Whose handiwork was evident in creation; the summit of human
freedom was to recognize and to give assent to the superior authority of
revelation, thus entering into a covenant to willingly obey His
commands. This covenantal account of human nature, shared by Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam, is reaffinned in the Baha’i Faith as an eternal
truth. So it is not surprising to find that some of Baha’u’llah’s
teachings about freedom and rights, for instance, bear a similarity to
certain ideas of earlier ethical thinkers, for the very reason that the
concepts of religious freedom and conscience are directly related to the
idea of the divine Covenant. But to confuse this transhistorical
continuity for simple influence Would be a mistake underrating its great
significance. John Locke (1632—1704), for instance, drew his vastly
influential ideas on religious toleration and liberty directly from the
Bible and the logical implications of the Covenant. According to Daniel
J. Elazar, the long history of deliberation about the rights and
obligations of parties to compacts in medieval Jewish public law
anticipated the seventeenth-century political theorists precisely
because “both schools flowed from a common source”—the biblical
covenants.12 David Little points out that modern doctrines of freedom of
religion, including that in the UN Declaration of Human Rights, far from
being reducible to the influence of Enlightenment rationalism, are
“unthinkable” apart from the religious concept of conscience, a concept
also ‘asserted in the Much has been written about the tremendous impact
of seven?enth-century covenant or “federal” theology on the founding of
the American colonies and subsequent developments of the US.
'ionstitutional era. The pivotal concept of the covenantal view is
distinctive idea of freedom, which throughout its history and En various
diverse settings has retained a remarkable unity and ionsistency.
“Covenant liberty” has been conceptualized as a Daniel J. Elazar,
“Covenant as the Basis of the Jewish Political Tradition,” The Jewish
Journal ofSociolog) 20 (1978): 5-87, p. 18. P3. David Little, “The
Western Tradition,” in David Liitle et al., Human Rights and the
Conflict of Cultures: Western and Islamic Perspectives on Religzi'ous
Liberty (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1988), p. 26.

+++190


dialectic of freedom and duty: the liberation gained was from the bonds
of selfish desire; the supreme achievement of human freedom and agency
was submission to the divine law. According to Bellah, the “profoundly
social” nature of this “covenant liberty” was reflected in the words of
the eighteenth-century New England Baptist, Isaac Backus: The true
liberty of man is, to know, obey and enjoy his Creator, and to do all
the good unto, and enjoy all the happiness with and in his fellow
creatures that he is capable of; in order to which the law of love was
written in his heart, which carries in it’s nature union and benevolence
to Being in general, and to each being in particular, according to it’s
nature and excellency, and to it’s relation and connexion with the
supreme Being, and ourselves. Each rational soul, as he is part of the
whole system of rational beings, so it was and is, both his duty and his
liberty to regard the good ofthe whole in all his actions“ In the
nineteenth century, through a number of factors, not least of which was
the corrosive effect of secularization and its resulting atomistic
individualism, the social consensus in this religious vision of social
and moral order became steadily eroded. Today that original religious
concept of freedom as “true liberty” that “meant freedom to do the good
and was almost equivalent to virtue,” a conception embedded in a context
of social obligation and divine purpose, has been displaced by an
ideological notion of freedom as the liberty of the isolated individual
to pursue selfinterest without interference. 1 5 Locke on Religious
Freedom In the world view within which Locke composed his doctrine of
religious toleration, the primacy of freedom of the individual
conscience was due to the importance of genuine belief (that is, freely
given consent to divine authority) in attaining salvation, for “Faith
only and sincerity, are the things that procure acceptance with God.”16
Although Locke is usually identified with the theory l4. Quoted in
Bellah, Broken Covenant, p. 20. 15. Bellah, Broken Covenanr, p. xii.
16.10hn Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration, in The Works of John
Loclu', 10 vols. (London: 1823; reprint, Aalen: Scientia, 1963), vol. 6,
p. 28. 190 social contract, his views on human nature, purpose, freedom,
and the good were squarely within the covenantal perspective. For Locke
the testimony of revelation was, as reason itself must conclude, of an
authority necessarily superior to human reason, and as such “carries
with it Assurance beyond Doubt, Evidence beyond Exception”; “faith” was
the assent of reason to revelation and constituted the supreme degree of
assent possible by human reason.17 The “highest perfection of
intellectual nature” lay “in a careful and constant pursuit of true and
solid happiness; so the care of our selves, that we mistake not
imaginary for real happiness, is the necessary foundation of our
liberty.” That “real happiness” was spiritual, not material. The “great
privilege of finite intellectual Beings” did not consist in freedom to
do Whatever the will chose, but rather “the great inlet, and exercise of
all the liberty Men have, are capable of, or can be useful to them, and
that whereon depends i the turn of their actions. . .[consisted] in
this, that they can suspend their desires, and stop them from
determining their wills to any action, till they have duly and fairly
examin the Iggood and evil of it as far forth as the weight of the thing
requires.” Within the covenantal world view, the perfection of human
'reedom was, in essence, to become determined by the good. Thus, Locke
wrote, “If we look upon those superiour Beings above us, who enjoy
perfect Happiness, we shall have reason to judge that they are more
steadily determined in their choice of Good than we; and yet we have no
reason to think they are less appy, or less free, than we are.”
Rejecting the vulgar notion of berty as license, he observed: “Is it
worth the Name of Freedom be at liberty to play the Fool, and draw Shame
and Misery upon Man’s self‘? If to break loose from the conduct of
Reason, and want that restraint of Examination and Judgment, which keeps
‘us from chusing or doing the Worse, be Liberty, true Liberty, mad Men
and Fools are the only Freemen.”19 Though all men desired happiness, and
thus sought the good, it was evident that not everyone thought the same
thing good. But the apparent existence of a plurality of goods, he
argued, would John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, ed.
Peter H. Nidditch (Oxford: Clarendon, 1975), 4.xvi.l4. L9. lbicL,
2.xxi.49, 50. 191

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only be true “were all the Concerns of Man terminated in this Life,”
that is, if ultimate happiness could really be found in material
pursuits and the satisfaction of desire. Were this the case, there could
indeed be no way to judge between individuals’ conflicting choices, or
conceptions of their highest good, such as “why one followed Study and
Knowledge, and another Hawking and Hunting; why one chose Luxury and
Debauchery, and another Sobriety and Riches.,7 The good would be defined
by the object one pursued. Yet Locke dismissed this conflation of desire
and human good as a dangerous delusion, remarking: “’twas a right Answer
of the Physician to his Patient, that had sore Eyes. If you have more
Pleasure in the Taste of Wine, than in the use of your Sight, Wine is
good for you; but if the Pleasure of Seeing be greater to you, than that
of Drinking, Wine is naught.”20 For Locke, free— dom of conscience was
the necessary precondition for fulfilling one’s duty to God and thus
attaining the object of existence (the good), for “the end of all
religion is to please him, and that liberty is essentially necessary to
that end.”21 Locke conceptualized the theory set forth in his Letter on
Toleration (1689) as an explicitly religious idea, required by the
scriptural command of “charity, meekness, and good-will in general
towards all mankind, even those that are not Christians.”22 Indeed, he
characterized the concept of religious toleration as the hallmark of
true religion itself. While the Letter is a foundational document of
modern liberalism, it is possible to see in it the extent to which Locke
took seriously not only the rights of individuals but their social
obligations, as Well as the civil rights of communities. In proper
perspective, individual rights were located within a context that took
account of correlative responsibilities; rightly understood, the
individual’s freedom of conscience did not conflict with, and thus did
not supersede, the right of society to maintain the conditions of order
upon which all its individual members depend. This was true with regard
to religious, as well as civil, society. 20. Locke, Essay Concerning
Human Understanding, 2.xxi.54. 21. Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration,
Works, vol. 6, p. 30. 22. Ibid., p. 5. 192 The principle that defined
the scope of, and linked together, the | domains of freedom and
obligation Was that the exercise of freedom in the act of recognizing an
authority (that is, giving “consent”) entailed a strong obligation of
obedience.23 Provided that memben ship in a religious society was by
choice and “absolutely free and spontaneous,” Locke argued, “it
necessarily follows, that the right of making its laws can belong to
none but the society itself, or at least, which is the same thing, to
those whom the society by [common consent has authorized thereunto.”24
What of those who, having joined, later came to disagree with some part
of the docor who disobeyed the code of conduct required of members?
Individual freedom of conscience remained unabridged so long as one was
as free to leave as to enter a religion. As for those who lisobeyed the
laws, Locke recommended that “The arms by which the members of this
society are to be kept within their duty, are eivxhortations,
admonitions, and advice. If by these means the iiffenders will not be
reclaimed, and the erroneous convinced, there remains nothing farther to
be done, but that such stubborn and obstinate persons, who give no
ground to hope for their reformation, should be cast out and separated
from the society... I hold,” he wrote, “that no church is bound by the
duty of toleration lo retain any such person in her bosom, as after
admonition con— inues obstinately to offend against the laws of the
society. For these being the condition of communion, and the bond of
society, I the breach of them were permitted without any animadversion,
“he society would immediately be thereby dissolved.”25 Excom~
punication, he argued, was the just and reasonable way to treat those I
Xiolations of norms which, as he correctly realized, if permitted
checked, would dissolve the unity, order, and integrity of the
Iwmmunity. 1 It is important to note that in arguing against the use of
coercion religious matters, Locke was arguing against the sometimes bru,
physical punishments notorious to the era (“galleys, prisons,
ginfiscations, and death”26) used by the civil authority in matters I.
Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration, Works, vol. 6, p. 13. I..lbid., p.
14. L Illbidqp- 16. 193

+++194


conccrning belief, and especially when imposed on persons of a different
religion. The use of force was appropriately exercised by the civil
authority in enforcing civil laws, which did not concern belief. But far
from considering expulsion to be coercive, he regarded it as a simple
matter of holding people accountable to their solemn promises, freely
given. Nor did it have anything to do with civil rights:
“Excommunication,” as such, Locke argued, “neither does nor can deprive
the excommunicated person of any of those civil goods that he formerly
possessed.” For no one had “any civil right” to partake of the
privileges that accrued to mem— bership in a voluntary religious
association.27 Religion and Civil Order To see how much the common
understanding of the relationship between religion and civil order has
changed, it is useful to look at what Locke says about religion and
civil government in the Letter. In his argument about the separation of
the “ecclesiastical” and the “civil,” the distinction involved was not
between a religious sphere and an irreligious one: Locke took for
granted that religious principles were the foundation of the civil
order. He also acknowledged the justice of theocracy in principle (by
which he meant specifically a commonwealth in which civil and religious
law and authority were combined). His famous contention that there could
be no Christian commonwealth did not rest on any claim that theocracy
itself was inherently unjust, but rather on the simple fact that no
Christian commonwealth, or indeed any specific form of government, was
prescribed in the Gospel; and only what was clearly warranted by the
revealed scripture could be considered binding. However, where theocracy
was ordained in the Holy Scripture itself, as it had been in the Law of
Moses, Locke insisted, it was obligatory.28 Locke was concerned, rather,
with the just extent of the jurisdictions of civil and religious
authority in a society where the 27. Locke, Letter Concerning T
oleration, Works‘, vol. 6, p. 17. 28. Ibid., pp. 8. See also The
Reasonableness of Christianity as delivered in the Scriptures, in The
Works of John Locke, 10 vols. [London: 1823; reprint, Aalen: Scientia,
1963], vol. 7, pp. 13-16. 194 general consensus in Christianity among
the majority of citizens was obscured and overshadowed by violent
dissensus between denominations. This disunity was intractable in the
absence of any universally recognized source of authority to adjudicate
the competing interpretations which had led to the fractionation of the
body of the religion into sects. In proposing that the “ICiVlI” should
be separate from the “religious,” by “religious” Locke was referring
primarily to the contentious sources of diffCFfeIlce between
denominations, not to the broad foundation of relilgious morality which
was uncontested. It seems he was also trying apply to the problem at
hand a conceptual distinction, familiar to Christians, between “the
‘religious’ duties owed directly ‘[0 God,” as contained in the first
four of the Ten Commandments (concerning matters of faith and worship),
and the “‘moral’ (duties owed to fellow human beings” which made up the
rest of the commandments (the social or moral laws concerning actions
against persons and property, and so on).29 While laws concerning inner
belief applied only to believers, the laws concerning outward behavior
justly applied to every citizen, regardless of belief, as; they
constituted the moral basis of the civil order. But the origin of both
these duties in the revealed scripmlres underscores the fact that the
domains of the spiritual and the: temporal, the “religious” and the
“civil,” are ultimately not radiically separate but are two aspects of
one reality.30 The relevant diistinc~ tion in this case involved that of
competence to judge, and thus to impose punishment: only God could judge
the sincerity of (one’s belief; but human authorities could judge
actions in society. LOCke wanted to ameliorate a prevalent condition of
his time—the: subjection of people to civil punishments for not
belonging to the: state church or attending worship—by putting things in
their proper order. He proposed that membership in religious
associaltions should be voluntary and never compulsory; that different
tfaiths should be free to practice their beliefs (provided they did not
engage in sedition against the civil order), and that civil pIOWer 29.
Little, “Western Tradition,” p. 19; Locke, Letter Concerning T
olert‘ation. Works, vol. 6, pp. 39-43. 30. Cf. Little, “Western
Tradition,“ p. 20. 195

+++196


should be used only to enforce the civil, public laws of morality,
public security, and order, while religious institutions should hold
only the members of their own community to be bound by that religion’s
beliefs, practices, and laws. In making these proposals, Locke was in
effect articulating the religious—not secular—principles for the just
governance of a religiously plural society. The theoeracy of the
Israelite Commonwealth, Locke pointed out, was the source of the concept
of “separation” he was arguing for, and he cited this fact as the
highest possible warrant of its justice. Locke also argued against the
use of physical punishment or deprivation of property, whether imposed
by religious or civil authorities, on anyone at all in matters of belief
and worship, primarily because it was unwarranted in the Christian
scriptures, and secondarily because it was ineffective anyway as
coercion could never procure belief.“ But it would distort him out of
con— text, and collapse a crucial conceptual distinction, to read this
classic argument against coercion in matters of religion as an extension
of rights of conscience specifically pertaining to the civil domain,
into the domain of the voluntary religious community, as if its internal
life were also, like the civil sphere, a space undefined by any
commitments to particular beliefs or a distinctive way of life. To do
this, as Locke correctly saw, would condemn any association based on
belief to dissolution. It is important to recognize that for Locke, and,
for example, the framers of the US. Constitution, the fact that the
revealed social laws of religion were the moral foundation of the civil
order was never in question. In the US. constitutional era the
“disestablishment” issue primarily concerned doing away with public tax
support for churches, which amounted to extracting compulsory
contributions to religious funds from nonbelievers. Yet introducing that
explicitly financial “disestablishment” did not contradict the general
expectation by all that government ought to operate on the basis of the
moral principles of religion.32 Thus it can be said that, in a broader
sense of the term, the “establishment”—that is, institutionalization—of
those religious laws 31. Cf. Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 4632.
Reichley, Religion in American Public Life, p. 1 l3. 196 and values with
civil application was never in question, nor even mentioned, except
affirmatively, because it was the indispensable foundation of the
society. And it still is, for the deep structure of the Western legal
system in general remains the biblical moral code and even church canon
law, although the religious origins of the civil law have been largely
effaced.33 According to sociologist Mattei Dogan, in spite v U — 'ow",
of a decline in religious belief “in Europe, Christian morals have been
absorbed into the State. The philosophy of the Ten Com— mandments, the
prophets and the apostles is embodied in the civil legislation of the
whole of Europe.”34 In the sense that a society’s governmental
structures, processes, and laws represent the institutionalization of
the moral values of its people, no state can exist without an
“established,” that is, institutionalized, set of beliefs that define
its moral orientation. Those beliefs, implicitly, are prior to the
institutional structures; without them, “institutions” are a hollow
shell. And, inescapably, the moral authority of civil laws depends on an
underlying belief in a legitimatingiconception of good that makes those
laws right. The Secular Turn In the modern era, those distinctive
concepts of freedom and of tolcration became detached from their
original religious foundations and anchored to another, secular system
of thought that rejected any preexisting obligation of divine origin.
The idea of the good was emoted its universal transcendent position and
relativized to the individualv This shift reflected the displacement, in
modem secular philosophic liberalism, of the religious view of human
nature as a creation of God, by a (sometimes tacit) materialist account
of human nature as self-creating and autonomous, of ultimate good as
something private and (potentially, at least) different for each
individual. Individual freedom retained its prominent position, but
instead of freedom to recognize the good (that is, God), it was .Harold
J. Barman, Law and Revolution.- The Formation ofthe Western Legal
Tradition (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University i’ress, 1983), p. 198. \Il.
Mattei Dogan, “The Decline of Religious Beliefs in Western Europe,”
International Social Science Journal 145 (1995): 405-17, p. 417. 197

+++198


construed as freedom to choose between a plurality of goods or to create
one’s own good, but in any case, the self, not a transcendent source of
that self, was the autonomous measure of its own good. The concept of
covenant, as the origin of society, was replaced by social contract, in
which the people themselves, and their private interests, were seen as
the authoritative source of the social bond.35 By the twentieth century,
a process that had begun with the attempt to apply religious principles
to mitigate the problem of religious disunity had resulted in the
eviction of the religious basis of the entire collective moral system
which had been taken for granted as an indispensable foundation and the
purpose of championing religious liberty at all. A key feature of the
secular turn in modern moral philosophy has been the attempt to separate
the right, or justice, from any substantive conception of human good,
such as would be found in a religious world view—that is, an account of
reality, human nature, and purpose which gives direction and meaning to
human life. This conception of justice is regarded as prior to the good
and as universally valid because it does not depend on, and thus give
privilege to, any particular conception of the good. While it has been
given various renderings, the neutral conception of justice is generally
concerned with ensuring a maximum, or an equal amount of, liberty (and
thus opportunity) for individuals to pursue their own self-chosen
conceptions of the good life. However, the view that it is possible to
do right independently of reference to the good would have been foreign
to the thinking of such a religious philosopher as John Locke. According
to Locke, A good life, in which consists not the least part of religion
and true piety, concerns also the civil government: and in it lies the
safety both of men’s souls and of the commonwealth. Moral actions belong
therefore to the jurisdiction both of the outward and inward court; both
of the civil and domestic governor; I mean, both of the magistrate and
conscience.36 Bellah, Broken Covenant, ch. 1; Miller, “From the Covenant
to the Revival," p. 335. 36. Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration,
Works‘, v0]. 6, p. 41. 198 Likewise alien would have been the modern
secular notion of an autonomous human reason able to formulate its own
morality or ethics without reference to God. For Locke, A dependent,
intelligent being is under the power of and direction and dominion of
him on whom he depends and must be for the ends appointed him by that
superior being. If man were independent he could have no law hut his
owriwill, no end but himself. He would be a god to himself and the
satisfaction of his own will the sole measure of all his actions.37
Locke’s conviction that belief in God was the essential ground for a
commitment to justice is reflected in his refusal to grant atheism the
status of a moral foundation equivalent to religion. For “Promises,
covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human ‘society, can have no
hold upon an atheist. The taking away of :God, though but even in
thought, dissolves all. Besides also, those ‘that by their atheism
undermine and destroy all religion, can have no pretense of religion
whereupon to challenge the privilege of a toleration"38 This often
misunderstood passage did not imply theists should not have the same
civil rights as other citizens; it erely refiised to allow religious
toleration to extend, by sophistry, to an opposite, antireligious
position that, because it denied the ource of legitimation for “the
bonds of human society,” lacked the basic commitment to authority
necessary to uphold any civil order (and, of course, lacked any reason
to consider religion worthy oftoleration). > Locke, in sum, thought that
the right was intrinsically depentlcnt on the good, that the good was
necessarily the divine good, and that while the coercive enforcement of
sectarian dogmas and forms )l‘worship—quite correctly—had no place in
civil government, ligious principles and moral values were inseparable
from it. In recent years, the idea that justice can be conceptualized in
the sence of any commitment to a set of transcendent values, or with
ntminimal set of values, has been abundantly criticized and its ,7.
Quoted in John Dunn, The Political Thought of John Locke (Cambridge: ' -
Cambridge University Press, 1969), frontispiece. 3H. Locke, Letter
Concerning Toleration, Works, vol. 6, p. 47. 199

+++200


construed as freedom to choose between a plurality of goods or to create
one’s own good, but in any case, the self, not a transcendent source of
that self, was the autonomous measure of its own good. The concept of
covenant, as the origin of society, was replaced by social contract, in
which the people themselves, and their private interests, were seen as
the authoritative source of the social bond.35 By the twentieth century,
a process that had begun with the attempt to apply religious principles
to mitigate the problem of religious disunity had resulted in the
eviction of the religious basis of the entire collective moral system
which had been taken for granted as an indispensable foundation and the
purpose of championing religious liberty at all. A key feature of the
secular turn in modern moral philosophy has been the attempt to separate
the right, or justice, from any substantive conception of human good,
such as would be found in a religious world view—that is, an account of
reality, human nature, and purpose which gives direction and meaning to
human life. This conception of justice is regarded as prior to the good
and as universally valid because it does not depend on, and thus give
privilege to, any particular conception of the good. While it has been
given various renderings, the neutral conception of justice is generally
concerned with ensuring a maximum, or an equal amount of, liberty (and
thus opportunity) for individuals to pursue their own self-chosen
conceptions of the good life. However, the view that it is possible to
do right independently of reference to the good would have been foreign
to the thinking of such a religious philosopher as John Locke. According
to Locke, A good life, in which consists not the least part of religion
and true piety, concerns also the civil government: and in it lies the
safety both of men’s souls and of the commonwealth. Moral actions belong
therefore to the jurisdiction both of the outward and inward court; both
of the civil and domestic governor; I mean, both of the magistrate and
conscience.36 Bellah, Broken Covenant, ch. 1; Miller, “From the Covenant
to the Revival," p. 335. 36. Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration,
Works‘, v0]. 6, p. 41. 198 Likewise alien would have been the modern
secular notion of an autonomous human reason able to formulate its own
morality or ethics without reference to God. For Locke, A dependent,
intelligent being is under the power of and direction and dominion of
him on whom he depends and must be for the ends appointed him by that
superior being. If man were independent he could have no law hut his
owriwill, no end but himself. He would be a god to himself and the
satisfaction of his own will the sole measure of all his actions.37
Locke’s conviction that belief in God was the essential ground for a
commitment to justice is reflected in his refusal to grant atheism the
status of a moral foundation equivalent to religion. For “Promises,
covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human ‘society, can have no
hold upon an atheist. The taking away of :God, though but even in
thought, dissolves all. Besides also, those ‘that by their atheism
undermine and destroy all religion, can have no pretense of religion
whereupon to challenge the privilege of a toleration"38 This often
misunderstood passage did not imply theists should not have the same
civil rights as other citizens; it erely refiised to allow religious
toleration to extend, by sophistry, to an opposite, antireligious
position that, because it denied the ource of legitimation for “the
bonds of human society,” lacked the basic commitment to authority
necessary to uphold any civil order (and, of course, lacked any reason
to consider religion worthy oftoleration). > Locke, in sum, thought that
the right was intrinsically depentlcnt on the good, that the good was
necessarily the divine good, and that while the coercive enforcement of
sectarian dogmas and forms )l‘worship—quite correctly—had no place in
civil government, ligious principles and moral values were inseparable
from it. In recent years, the idea that justice can be conceptualized in
the sence of any commitment to a set of transcendent values, or with
ntminimal set of values, has been abundantly criticized and its ,7.
Quoted in John Dunn, The Political Thought of John Locke (Cambridge: ' -
Cambridge University Press, 1969), frontispiece. 3H. Locke, Letter
Concerning Toleration, Works, vol. 6, p. 47. 199

+++202


conception of the good, may up to a point be held as a private theory by
individuals or groups, but any serious attempt to embody it in public
life will be proscribed. And this qualification of course entails not
only that liberal individualism does indeed have its own broad
conception of the good, which it is engaged in imposing politically,
legally, socially, and culturally wherever it has the power to do so,
but that in so doing its toleration of rival conceptions of the good in
the public arena is severely limited.“ According to Selznick,
“fundamental values—not only basic requirements of justice and
citizenship but broader ideals of personal and social well-being” are
inevitably employed if only tacitly; for instance, merely to have
decided that human beings need liberty is already to have committed
oneself to a belief about human nature. “The presuppositions of
liberalism represent genuine moral choices, and their reaffirmation is a
continuous act of moral choice, the more so as liberalism takes
seriously the quest for social justice.” As the pursuit of social
justice becomes an aim and purpose in government, that endeavor embodies
an ensemble of values far beyond any neutral or procedural concept of
basic liberties. Thus, for example, “Education for basic skills may
arguably be morally neutral, but not education for citizenship, for
enlight— enment, for social responsibility, for deferred gratification,
for intellectual and aesthetic appreciation.”44 And the same is true of
a wide range of other social issues. Ever more urgently, social
theorists now call for recovering a balance between the individual and
society, between rights and responsibilities within a coherent
framework. “Our situation today," Selznick writes, “calls for a more
robust idea of community, one that gives greater weight to the claims of
mutuality and fellowship. Liberalism’s thin theory of community weakens
its capacity to speak with a clear voice Where the public interest
demands discipline and duty as much as (and in a given context perhaps
more than) freedom and self-realization.” For that same insistence on
43. Alasdair Maclntyre, Whose Justice? Which Rationality? (Notre Dame:
University of Notre Dame Press, 1988), p. 336. 44. Selznick, Moral
Commonwealth, pp. 383, 384. 202 value neutrality and emphasis on
individualism undermines the security and Well—being of all when it
eliminates any basis for calling upon individuals to sacrifice their
individual preferences and concrete, short-term interests for the needs
of a more abstract common good: “it is hard to justify sacrifice—a ban
on gas-guzzling vehicles, a program of compulsory national service, a
required course of study—when individual choice is held sacred.“5 The
idea that civil governance requires a value-neutral ethic that strictly
avoids all reference to a transcendent good is a peculiarly modern
secular development, which appears to be an attempt to extend the
principle of noncoercion in matters of belief into a vastly altered
context. In the new context, the possibility of moral consensus upon any
religious foundation has been wholly abandoned, and instead it is taken
as axiomatic that the only available ethical common ground is secular,
that is, nonreligious. And yet, every attempt to construct such a
secular public ethic or conception of justice with universal validity
discloses a tacit dependency upon what turn out to be spiritual
values.46 When we trace the concepts and principles on which
justice—including the essential ideas of human equality and
obligation—order, governance, and citizenship depend, it becomes clear
that any theory of these that ' was entirely stripped of all its
borrowed religious values would be little different from the theoretical
Hobbesian “state of nature”: a war of all against all. Such a condition,
ruled only by the 45. Selznick, Moral Commonwealth, pp. 385, 386. 46.
Some contemporary theorists acknowledge, in passing, the religious
origin of the ideas as a once—helpful ladder that can now be kicked
away. Locke Wrote of the epistemic dependence of philosophers on
revelation: “He that travels the roads now, applauds his own strength
and legs that have carried him so far in such a scantling of time, and
ascribes all to his own vigour; little considering how much he owes to
their pains, who cleared the woods, drained the bogs, built the bridges,
and made the ways passable; without which he might have toiled much with
little progress... It is no diminishing to revelation, that reason gives
its suffrage too to the truths revelation has discovered. But it is our
mistake to think, that because rea— son confirms them to us, we had the
first certain knowledge of them from thence; and in that clear evidence
We now possess them.” (Reasonableness ofChristiam'ty, Works, vol. 7, p.
145.) 203

+++204


unrestricted competition of self-interest, is nothing less than radical
individualism.47 Yet the consequence of unbridled individualism is
ultimately the erosion of the altruistic values on which community,
civil society, and, some argue, human evolution itself, depend.48 It has
been suggested that even after the modern secular turn, and the
resultant weakening of the authority of religion, the social order
continued to run on the “accumulated moral capital” of the past,49 a
fact that temporarily concealed the true social cost incurred by
abandoning religion. As this reserve has gradually exhausted itself, we
have witnessed an acceleration in the rate of social and moral
deterioration, expressed in the loosening of every form of personal
obligation, and have seen secular ideologies and theories go bankrupt,
unable to create community, to teach moral values and virtues necessary
to sustain the political order, or to stem the rising tide of conflict
and violence. The progression of this disintegration has only thrown
into relief the fact that “no matter how undermined, a remnant of the
older morality provides much of what coherence our society still has.”50
Such recognition has led to an emerging interest in the underlying
principle at the basis of that morality, the idea of covenant, as “an
idea whose time [has] come back.”5 1 The Concept of Covenant Covenant,
it has long been recognized, is not merely a theological concept but it
has been termed the most powerful and 47. See also Bellah, Broken
Covenant, p. 26. 48. Ronald Cohen, “Altruism and the Evolution of Civil
Society,” in Embracing the Other: Philosophical, Psychological, and
Historical Perspective.\' on Altruism, ed. Pearl M. Oliner et a]. (New
York: New York University Press, 1992), pp. 104-29. 49. James Q. Wilson,
“Liberalism, Modernism, and the Good Life,” in Seedbeds of Virtue:
Sources of Competence, Character, and Citizenship in American Society,
ed. Mary Ann Glendon and David Blankenhorn (Lanham, MD: Madison Books,
1995), p. 19. 50. Bellah, Broken Covenant, p. xiii. 51. Daniel J.
Elazar, “What Happened to Covenant in the Nineteenth Century? in
Covenant in the Nineteenth Century: The Decline of an American Political
Tradition, ed. Daniel J. Elazzr (Lanham, MD: Rowman 8: Littlefield,
1994), p. 4. 204 enduring form of political foundation and one of the
“fundamental political concepts illuminating the origins and basis of
political life.”52 Since the earliest biblical covenants uniting the
Israelite tribes, the idea that human political relationships, like the
relationship between God and humanity, ought to be based on “compact,
association, and consent” has provided various peoples the inspiration
and pattern for community organization and state building. According to
Elazar, the resurgence of this world View in sixteenth-century Reformed
Protestant Christianity in Europe gave rise to the federal theology on
which English and American Puritans, Huguenots, and Scottish Covenanters
based their political theories and constitutional principles, and which
influenced the development of federal states in Switzerland and the
Netherlands as well as the federation of the New England colonies into
the United States of America. Moreover, he notes, “the biblical vision
for the ‘end of days’—the messianic era” includes an extension of this
divine “grand design” for human polity to “a world confederation or
league of nations, each preserving its own integrity While accepting a
common divine covenant and constitutional order. This order will
establish appropriate covenantal relationships for the entire world.”53
The idea of covenant refers to a constellation of concepts: the free and
Willing recognition of a binding duty, originating in or guaranteed by a
transcendent source, to act together in a collective ‘enterprise defined
by a purpose and according to a set of precepts or laws, with
accountability in the form of blessing and benefits for fulfillment and
punishment and retribution for failure.54 The vast ramifications of this
idea become apparent when we consider a low of the implications that can
be traced to the idea of covenant. The element of free and willing
recognition is the origin of the $2. Elazar, “Covenant as the Basis,"
pp. 6, 10. 53. Daniel J. Elazar, Exploring Federalism (Tuscaloosa:
University of Alabama Press, 1987), pp. 119, 126—27, 120. 54. Cf. a
different rendering of elements in Donald S. Lutz, “The Evolution of
Covenant Form and Content as the Basis for Early American Political
Culture,” in Covenant in the Nineteenth Century: The Decline of an
American Political Tradition, ed. Daniel J. Elazar (Lanham, MD: Rowman &
Little1994), p. 35. 205

+++206


principle of consent, as the basis of free society and self-government.
The recognition of a binding duty generates the concept of strong
obligation through the recognition of authority. The loca— tion of the
duty in a transcendent, divine source is the pivot of the idea of
legitimation. In the summons to a collective, purposive enterprise the
community is created, implying for each individual a commitment to
participate and engendering a sense of identity, loyalty, and
responsibility. The set of precepts that guide and direct this
enterprise define the character of the moral and political order of the
community. Ht is here we find the content of law, rights and
responsibilities, the hierarchy of values, and the virtues entailed by
them. It can also be seen here that, because of its centrality to the
lives and well-being of all the individuals who belong to it, that
collective enterprise is itself an entity which has rights (in virtue of
its responsibilities), and all those who identify themselves with this
community share an obligation to give attention and care to the
protection of the community as a whole. And finally, the element of
retribution and proportionality is the basic principle underlying all
forms of accountability and is a fundamental component of all moral
codes.55 The vehicle for ensuring the orderly practice, maintenance, and
transmission of a society’s values is its institutions.56 The
specification of institutional structure can be considered as a separate
formal element of a covenant,57 but the history of revealed covenants is
notable for the absence of provisions for institutions or the scope of
their authority. That this absence has been the prime cause of
intrareligious conflict and schism highlights the profound significance
and unprecedented potentiality of the institutional arrangements in the
Baha’i Faith. The structures and principles of the Baha’i Administrative
Order are not only clearly specified in the texts Whose authority is
universally recognized by Baha’is, but 55.Alison Dundes Renteln, “A
Cross-Cultural Approach to Validating Inter~ national Human Rights: The
Case of Retribution Tied to Proportionality," in Human Rights: Theory
and Measurement, ed. David Louis Cingranelli (New York: St. Martin’s,
1988). 56. Selznick, Moral Commonwealth, pp. 232—33. 57. Lutz,
“Evolution of Covenant Form and Content,” p. 37. 206 they are the
subject of a special revealed covenant. The specific provisions of
Baha’u’llah’s Covenant ensure the integrity as Well as the flexibility
and responsiveness of the system of governance, and guarantee the unity
of the Baha’i Faith itself by eliminating the historical cause of
schisrn.58 It has been pointed out that the covenantal element
specifying the precepts governing social behavior is the historical
source of bills of rights, not as a “legalistic limit on the power of
government, but rather as a celebration of the fundamental value
commitments of a people.” According to Donald S. Lutz, the current
concept of a “legalistic bill of rights...is a direct descendent of
[this] foundation element found in covenants.”59 Numerous colonial Bills
of Liberty exemplifying the people’s “value commitments all point to the
earlier covenants, and the Bible that underlies them, rather than to any
Magna Carta or English common law tradition.” It has also been suggested
that, in addition to the tendency to federal structure, democratic
participation and collective, consensus-oriented decision-making are
intrinsic aspects of covenantal polity.60 In the covenantal concept of
authority, the obligation to obey the law arises as a consequence of the
relationship one recognizes and freely between oneself and the source of
those laws. Baha’u’lléh begins His Most Holy Book, his Book of Laws,
with a renewal of the great Covenant. “The first duty” is recognition of
the authority of the Lawgiver; the second is to observe His or“conscious
knowledge”62 and begins with a duty, not a right. Consequently, it can
be seen, the right to religious freedom comes into being, as a human
right, in order to be able to fulfill the duty of obedience to God. That
is, it becomes a civil right as a result of being held as a religious
conviction. 207 dinances.61 Here we can see morali is rounded in belief
as ' 7 7

+++208


The order of the two duties of recognition and obedience has an
important implication. Obedience, in a covenant, follows only as a
consequence of the genuine recognition of a source of authority higher
than oneself. This is why the covenantal form of legitimation and
authority can never be confused with authoritarianism because it is
noncoercive by definition, beginning as it does with the free, uncoerced
consent of individual reason. Thus, those who have seen coercion lurking
wherever there is “transcendent authority,” who feel that anyone who
believes in a universal truth is bound to feel justified in forcing it
on someone else, simply fail to recognize the critical point that
coercion is entirely inconsistent with, and indeed, vitiates the
principle of covenant. Although recognition of God is a duty, it cannot
be performed at all unless it is consent willingly given, for coerced
belief is no belief at all.63 Thus, in the past when ecclesiastical
institutions undertook, without warrant in their own scriptures, to make
affiliation in a particular faith or sect mandatory and to use force
upon those who were not believers, this was itself a contradiction of
the most basic principle of the divine Covenant.64 However, the
voluntary principle means that once one has given consent, recognized
the authority of the lawgiver, and become a party to the covenantal
relationship, one has obligated oneself to the relationship, with all
its provisions and implications. This conception of consent makes the
covenantal relation very different from the social contract, and
contemporary notions of contract, where individual interests are the
measure of the contract itself. Selznick Writes: “a social ethic is the
linchpin of the covenant. .. This social ethic is something more than a
natural, unconscious acceptance of social norms.” It “suggests an
indefeasible commitment and a continuing relationship.” Moreover, as he
has noted, covenant is the foundation for all other particular promises
and 63. See Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration, Works, vol. 6, p. 11.
64. Although the use of force is authorized in the Qur’an, it is
permitted only in defense, and never against peaceful nonbelievers. See,
for example. Mohamed Talbi, “Religious Liberty: A Muslim Perspective,”
in Religious Liberty and Human Rights in Nations and in Religions, ed.
Leonard Swidler (Philadelphia: Ecumenical Press, 1985), pp‘ 175-87;
Little, “Western Tradition,” pp. 29—30. 208 contracts.65 In a covenant,
We enter into a relationship, which is not determined by purely
individual interests. Entering it constitutes an affirmation that our
own best interests are necessarily located within it, and that they are
inextricably interrelated with those with whom we share membership in
this collective enter prise. The covenant thus integrates the private
and the public, the spiritual and the temporal, as through the personal
covenant with God the individual enters the social covenant. Miller
writes of this idea as it was once conceptualized: The personal covenant
of the soul with God is impaled on the same axis as the social, like a
small circle within a larger. Before entering into both the personal and
social covenants men have a liberty to go their own gait; afterwards
they have renounced their liberty to do anything but that which has been
agreed upon. The mutual consenting involved in a covenant, says Hooker,
is the “sement” which solders together all societies, political or
ecclesiastical; “for there is no man constrained to enter into such a
condition unlesse he will: and he that will enter, must also willingly
binde and ingage himself to each member of that society to promote the
good of the Whole, or else a member actually he is not."66 The
covenantal concept of social interdependence is expressed as an
encompassing, global perspective in the writings, in the central
principle of the oneness of humanity. ‘Abdu’l-Bahe't Writes of teaching:
The Blessed Beauty saith: “Ye are all the fruits of one tree, the leaves
of one branch.” Thus hath He likened this world of being to a single
tree, and all its peoples to the leaves thereof, and the blossoms and
fruits. It is needful for the bough t0 blossum, and leaf and fruit to
flourish, and upon the interconnection of all parts of the world-tree,
dependeth the flourishing of leaf and blossom, and the sweetness of the
fruit. For this reason must all human beings powerfully sustain one
another and seek for everlasting life; and for this reason must the
lovers of God in this contingent world become the .Sclznick, Moral
Commonwealth, p. 47% (citing Pitkin). m Perry Miller, Errand into the
Wilderness (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1956), p. 90. 209

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mercies and the blessings sent forth by that element King of the seen
and unseen realms. Let them purify their sight and behold all humankind
as leaves and blossoms and fruits of the tree of being. Let them at all
times concern themselves with doing a kindly thing for one of their
fellows, offering to someone love, consideration, thoughtful help. Let
them see no one as their enemy, or as wishing them ill, but think of all
humankind as their friends; regarding the alien as an intimate, the
stranger as a companion, staying free of prejudice, drawing no lines. is
endowed with intelligence and will; nevertheless, the modes of operation
that characterize man’s biological nature illustrate fimdamental
principles of existence. Chief among these is that of unity in
diversity. Paradoxically, it is precisely the wholeness and complexity
of the order constituting the human body—and the perfect integration
into it of the body’s cells—that permit the full realization of the
distinctive capacities inherent in each of these component elements. No
cell lives apart from the body, whether in contributing to its function
or in deriving its share from the well—being of the whole. The physical
well-being thus achieved finds its purpose in making possible the
expression of human consciousness; that is to say, the purpose of
biological development transcends the mere existence of the body and its
parts. What is true of the life of the individual has its parallels in
human society. The human species is an organic whole, the leading edge
of the evolutionary process. That human conseiousness necessarily
operates through an infinite diversity of individual minds and
motivations detracts in no way from its essential unity. Indeed, it is
precisely an inhering diversity that distinguishes unity from
homogeneity or uniformity. What the peoples of the world are today
experiencing, said, is their collective coming-of-age, and it is through
this emerging maturity of the race that the principle of unity in
diversity Will find full expression. .. ...Because the relationship
between the individual and society is a reciprocal one, the
transformation now required must occur simultaneously within human
consciousness and the structure of social institutions.70 This view of
human interdependence is reflected in Shoghi Effendi’s explanation of
the Baha’i conception of society as based on the subordination of “every
particularistic interest, be it personal, regional, or national, to the
paramount interests of humanity, firmly convinced that in a world of
interdependent peoples and nations the advantage of the part is best to
be reached by the advantage of the Whole, and that no abiding benefit
can be conferred upon the component parts if the general interests of
the entity itself are ignored or neglected."68 As the Universal House of
Justice has explained, This relationship, so fundamental to the
maintenance of civilized life, calls for the utmost degree of
understanding and cooperation between society and the individual; and
because of the need to foster a climate in which the untold
potentialities of the individual members of society can develop, this
relationship must allow “free scope” for “individuality to assert itself
through modes of spontaneity, initiative and diversity that ensure the
viability ofksocietyfigv i ‘The principle of interdependence and the
relationship of the terests of the individual and society naturally has
crucial impli . I I vnuvllo L 1 La UL UVClllZlllUU uuu Ul foundation of
a global social order are developed 1n the Baha’l I " 5 . International
Community’s statement, The Prosperity of Humankznd: Governance as
Trusteeshlp (jovernance is frequently mentioned in the Baha’i writings
as A steeship, as the administering of a trust. This itself is an endur
g concept, and it is Worth examining why. speaks of he governors and
administrators of society as “trustees” or usted ones” of God. He
Writes: “Know ye that the poor are the Human society is composed not of
a mass of merely differentiated cells but of associations of
individuals, each one of Whom 67. ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, Selectionsfrom the
Writings of 'Abdu (Haifa: World Centre, 1978), pp. 1-2. 68. Shoghi
Effendi, World Order ofBahci ‘11611, p. 198. 69. Universal House of
Justice, Individual Rights and Freedoms in the World Order of Bahci ‘u
(Wilmette: Publishing Trust, 1989), p. 20. 7U. International Community,
The Prosperity ofHumankind, reprinted in The Bahd World 1994—95, pp.
277-78. 210 — 211

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trust of God in your midst. Watch that ye betray not His trust. Ye will
most certainly be called upon to answer for His trust on the day when
the Balance of justice shall be set.”71 The relation of trusteeship is
itself a kind of covenant—an agreement concerning the exercise of power
under a set of circumstances determined by a relationship with ethical
obligations implying proportional recompense: reward for fulfilling the
trust and punishment for breaking it. Thus We can see Why the preeminent
virtue of governance is trustworthiness, described by as the “greatest
portal leading unto the tranquillity and security of the people,” and
“the supreme instrument for the prosperity of the world.”72 The salient
fact in trusteeship is that power is being exercised on behalf of some
person or persons who, for some reason are not in a position to do so
directly—because they are absent, young, old, and so on; this principle
operates also in professional ethics, where power is exercised on behalf
of a vulnerable client or group. We can include as vulnerable creatures
to which we stand in the relationship of trustees such entities as the
environment, future generations, in fact all those who will be affected
by the exercise of power. Although all persons are equal before God, as
Baha’u’llah indicates it is really the most vulnerable whose interests
and rights we need to be most concerned to safeguard, those who are
without wealth, without social status or prestige; rather, it is those
who do not have a voice to speak up whose rights need to be
protected—the poor. In a covenantal order, it is not merely the
governors of society who have an ethical duty to care for the best
interests of their people. The sense of responsibility to the common
good is a civic virtue that devolves on each member of the polity; as an
ethical duty it increases in proportion to the power and influence
individuals exercise whether formally or informally in various social
roles, for example, as leaders of thought, scientists, authors, and
scholars. 212 Anyone who governs or administers does so on the basis of
this covenant of trusteeship. The content of the trust obligation thus
is not reducible or subject to the desires or preferences of the
individuals involved. They do not have a right to decide, for instance,
to repeal a moral law because it is unpopular. And this is why mere
fnajoritarianism (as the sum of the preferences of the many) is not a
true entailment of any kind of representative government that occurs in
a relationship of trusteeship, or covenant. Equity inevitably requires
that some must get less than they might like to have so that others will
not have to go without, and that some individuals must sacrifice their
purely private interests when those conflict with the common good. Thus
it is essential that there be a way to know what the common good is, in
the cases where there is a conllict of preferences. And that means there
must be a shared vision that characterizes that community as a moral
order, defined by an idea of what constitutes human excellence: a set of
values and I principles that serve as terms of reference and the
standard for Evaluative decision making. In this perspective, the virtue
of sacrificing self-interest for the common good is not something that
can be imposed by an external source (otherwise it is not “sacrifice”),
but it arises out of personal commitment and the genuine consciousness
of a unity of interests that is best described as love. And where love
is concerned, no sacrifice entails a net loss. The virtue of
trustworthiness implies strong accountability. The trustee, in this case
the governors of society, will be “called upon to answer for His trust.”
But accountability can only have motivating force if it is real and
inevitable, and not merely a of getting caught. Our own “best interests”
are really only fused with those of “the poor,” that is, an “other,” by
a certainty that how we act toward others determines how we will be
judged, und what we will receive. Thus writes: ...a religious individual
must disregard his personal desires and seek in whatever way he can
wholeheartedly to serve the public interest; and it is impossible for a
human being to turn aside from his own selfish advantages and sacrifice
his own good for the good of the community except through true religious
faith. For self-love is kneaded into the very clay of man,

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and it is not possible that, Without any hope of a substagtial l ,
become a servant of the interests of the people, regarding their reward,
he should neglect his own present material good.73 interests as one’s
own. In this respect it is worth recalling that to have “scruples” comes
from the term for some of the tiniest of weights. The covenant
perspective also calls forth the virtues and the vision that make
governance more than mere management, that is, the sense of being
entrusted with “the care of a community.”76 Governance, as trusteeship,
is described in the Baha’i Writings as the care of a living organism,
and institutions of governance as a channel through which the spirit
that gives it ife, that is, the promised blessings of the Covenant,
flow. Baha’u’llah’s exhortations to the rulers of His day invoke this
sense of transcendent, loving obligation for the care of society as a
living being: “Take ye counsel together,” He wrote to Queen Victoria,
“and let your concern be only for that which profiteth lnankind and
bettereth the condition thereof‘ . .. Regard the World as the human body
which, though created whole and perfect, has been afflicted, through
divers causes, with grave ills and maladies.”77 To know What profits
mankind and betters its conditions bquires reference to a vision of
human good, just as the physiEian must know not only what disorder the
patient suffers from, Lbut what remedy is required for the patient to
become healed— tiomething that depends entirely on a clear vision of
what Phealth” is_ The adoption of a spiritual perspective transforms
that self-love into a reference point for understanding the needs of
others and seeing their interests as linked with one’s own: “0 son of
man!” Bahé’u’llah reveals, “If thine eyes be turned towards mercy,
forsake the things that profit thee and cleave unto that which will
profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose4
thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself.”7 From a
Baha’i perspective governance is really a spiritual practice, for the
judgments we make are dependent on the inner orientation of the heart.
In religious scriptures, the metaphor of the balance is invoked as the
image of the administration of justice which is the measure of good
governance. (Thus, even the familiar image of the scales of justice is
an ancient religious concept.) Baha’u’llah, in His tablets, speaks of
governance as spiritual accountability: It behoveth every ruler to weigh
his own being every day in the balance of equity and justice and then to
judge between men and counsel them to do that which would direct their
steps unto the path of wisdom and understanding. This is the cornerstone
of statesmanship and the essence thereof. From these words every
enlightened man of wisdom will readily perceive that which will foster
such aims as the welfare, security and protection of mankind and the
safety of human lives.75 The Spirit of Covenant What makes a covenant
Work is the spirit it engenders, which has bccn referred to as
“loving-kindness” and “grace,” and which Shoghi iffendi refers to as
“transcending love.” Eiazar suggests that the that characterizes
covenantal relationships Using a balance, or any measuring instrument,
is a two-step process: before the scale can be used to weigh anything
the justice of the instrument itself must be ensured, and this is only
possible by orienting it to a standard that is outside of and transcends
the self. The one who would govern must first govern the self, must come
under the rule of divine justice, must set aside the sell‘! inclination
to place a thumb on its side of the scale, and must really means the
obligation of a partner to a covenant to go beyond the narrowly
construed contractual demands of the partnership in order to make the
relationship between them a truly viable one... . A covenant is, after
all, a contract and the tendency in contractual systems is for people to
act like lawyers, that is to

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say, to try to construe the contract as narrowly as possible when
defining their obligations and as broadly as possible when defining the
obligations of the other parties. In contrast, the covenant spirit
impels one to interpret “one’s contractual obligations broadly rather
than narrowly, the broader the better.”78 The collective, social purpose
of the great Covenant between God and humanity has always been the
spiritual advancement of civilization, and this is reflected in the fact
that, as Elazar has remarked, “one of the greatest achievements of
covenantal societies” is “the institutionalization of reform,” that is,
the dedication, on principle, of political institutions to the
improvement of social and economic conditions of all citizens. Citing
the role of covenantal thinking in the abolition of slavery, and
nineteenthcentury reform movements in law and prisons, education, and
mental health, he says: “a strong case can be made that the very idea of
reform emerges from the covenant world view and is only possible where
that world view exists.” In fact, he claims, “The progress of
civilization can be traced as corresponding to the periods in human
history when the historical vanguard has recognized the covenant idea
and sought to concretely apply it to the building of human, social, and
political relationships.”79 It has been suggested that the power of
covenantal unity is expressed in its ability to create a “founding
synthesis”: the basis of covenantal polity, not in common descent but in
common consent, creates “kinships of §reater dignity and sanctity” than
mere ties of birth or ethnicity. 0 Covenants, therefore, are more than
instruments that bind, but are in fact “liberating devices that call
into existence new entities,” that create relationships and forge bonds
of mutuality between different and formerly hostile peoples.81 It is
this powerful concept which, Bahé’is believe, has the potential to unite
the peoples of the World in a global political and moral order. In the
idea of “founding synthesis,” we can see 78. Elazar, “Covenant as the
Basis,” p. 29. 79. Elazar, “What Happened to Covenant," pp. 14—15;
Elazar, “Covenant as the Basis,” p. 10. 80. Elazar, “Covenant as the
Basis," pp. 27, 25. 81. Ibid., p. 7. the mutual relation of such Baha’i
principles as the unity and equality of humankind, the oneness of
religion, and the abolition 1, of prejudice. These bring together
diversified elements, change l their existing beliefs about one another,
and change their relagionship to one another, uniting them into a new
structure.82 In ontrast, the ideology of rights-based individualism has
no way i to account for or evoke an altruistic ethic which moves people
to become more concerned with giving to (others than with getting
[Illieir own share, an ethic that goes beyond respect for others at a
gistance to loving sacrifice so that others will have more than I ll
oneself. An altruistic ethic arises from a relationship that
encomIpasses otherness as an embrace. That call to human unity is
expressed in Baha’u’llah’s writings in {the classic language of the
eternal Covenant, as a summons to unite in a global moral community,
authorized by a sacred obligation, in larder to obtain the promised
blessing of peace and prosperity: O contending peoples and kindreds of
the earth! Set your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its
light shine upon you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God
resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention amongst you.
Then will the effulgence of the world’s great Luminary envelop the Whole
earth, and its inhabitants become the citizens of one city, and the
occupants of one and the same throne. .. There can be no doubt whatever
tlhat the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive
their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one
God. The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should
be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in
which they were revealed. All ‘of them, except a few which are the
outcome of human perveirsity, were ordained of God, and are a reflection
of His Will and Purpose. Arise and, armed with the power of faith,
shatter to pieces the gods of your vain imaginings, the sewers of
dissensiom amongst you. Cleave unto that which draweth you together and
uniteth you. This, verily, is the most exalted Word which the Mother
Book hath sent down and revealed unto you. To this beanreth witness the
Tongue oi‘Grandeur from His habitation of glory. 83

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The unity of the human race that is both made possible and mandated by
the Covenant, as Shoghi Effendi has explained, “implies the
establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races,
creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the
autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of
the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely
safeguarded.” 84 A Universal Moral Community It has been argued here
that the foundations of civil society are themselves religious, that the
structures and principles of law, order, and governance are dependent
upon a world view which locates the purpose of life in a transcendent
spiritual destiny that is realized in the idea of the eternal Covenant,
and which entails a particular conception of human freedom as sacred.
Like freedom, tolerance is not a secular, but a religious idea. The
dignity of all humans, from which human rights arise, is a religious
concept and depends upon a definition of human nature as spiritual in
essence. Rejecting the notion that “an innate sense of human dignity
will prevent man from committing evil actions and insure his spiritual
and material perfection,” ‘Abdu’l-Baha states: “if we ponder the lessons
of history it Will become evident that this very sense of honor and
dignity is itself one of the bounties deriving from the instructions of
the Prophets of God,” and is instilled only by education.85 The duty to
respect each person’s dignity, that is, as tolerance or “civility,” is
itself dependent upon “piety” as reverence for a higher authority to
which one is accountable}~36 It is piety that both justifies and
commands tolerance as a duty which is inextricable from righteousness.
Baha’u’llah Writes: The heaven of true understanding shineth resplendent
with the light of two luminaries: tolerance and righteousness‘ O my
friend! Vast oceans lie enshrined within this brief saying. Blessed are
they who appreciate its value, drink deep therefrom and grasp its
meaning, and woe betide the heedless. .. 84. Shoghi Effendi, World Order
of Bahei ‘u ’lldh, p. 203. 85. ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, Secret of Divine
Civilization, p. 86. See Selznick, Moral Commonwealth, ch. 14. He goes
on to recount: “At present the light of reconciliation is dimmed in most
countries and its radiance extinguished while the fire of strife and
disorder hath been kindled and is blazing fiercely,” and then He
delivers a warning against committing injustice and tyranny against
people because of their religion, specifically in reference to the rise
of anti-Semitism in Europe. Significantly, it is “two great powers who
regard themselves as the founders and leaders of civilization and the
framers of constitutions” who “have risen up against the followers of
the faith associated with Him who conversed with God [Moses].”87 Clearly
secular civilization and even constitutions are not sufficient to
arantee basic human rights. The protection of tolerance depends upon
having an order in which unity is based upon guiding principles anchored
in a spiritual view.88 These alone enable us to determine the
“constructive ‘limits of freedom” that are essential if tolerance itself
is not to be exploited for purposes of domination. Only spiritual
principles tenable us to answer the question, “Where does freedom limit
our possibilities for progress, and where do limits free us to
thrive?”89 An important feature of the divine Covenant in history has
lalways been its power of renewal, through which guiding norms can be
adapted to the requirements of the times, in light of the {overall goal
of the advancement of civilization. Today the critical requirement of
the times is the consciousness of the oneness and Fvholeness of
humanity. It is this concept which provides the per pective from which
social discourse can be rescued from sterile 88. See Glenn Tinder,
Tolerance: Toward a New Civility (Amherst: University of Massachusetts
Press, 1976), pp. 152-58. A vital principle, articulated by Shoghi
Effendi, is that “Unlike the nations and peoples of the earth, be they
of the East or of the West, democratic or authoritarian, who either
ignore, trample upon, or extirpate, the racial, religious, or political
minorities within the sphere of theirjurisdiction, every organized
community enlisted under the banner of should feel it to be its first
and inescapable obligation to nurture, encourage, and safeguard every
minority belonging to any faith, race, class, or nation within it.” (The
Advent of Divine Justice [Wilmettez Publishing Trust, 1990], p. 35).
N‘). Universal House of Justice, Individual Rights and Freedoms, p. 8.

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contentious polarities, reconciling and integrating the necessary
aspects of unity and diversity—equality and equity, rights and
responsibilities, freedom and limits, individual and community‘ But the
current deification of difference for its own sake, the ideology of
individualism and particularism, and its consequent aggressive
anti—universalism, are all forms of mistaking the illness of the
age—disunity—for normalcy. The danger is that a retreat inward to
particularism (with the competition and adversarial struggle that
implies) only exacerbates the problem and draws us away from the
solution. The narrowing of the moral community to those most like
oneself is a recipe for disaster, because it vitiates those conditions
that foster respect for others and creates instead exactly the
conditions that justify indifference to the suffering of others,
prejudice, hostility, and violent To consider unity as the core truth of
humankind is not to advocate a vague abstraction or a stifling notion of
uniformity, but to stress the relationship of diverse parts to one
another in a complex interdependent system. In contrast, when atomistic
difference is viewed as the core truth, relationship is precluded;
indeed, such concepts as equality, and even the very idea of universal
human rights, become incoherent the more the idea of radical diversity
is pressed, for such ideas as equality and human rights cannot be
invoked without appealing to principles with universal validity, and
without tacitly referring to a higher-order category in which the two
entities being contrasted can be recognized as two kinds of one thing.
The exclusion, in secular theories, of the possibility of a transcendent
basis for a sense of human unity marks the limit of those theories to
provide any integrating principle or framework for human community
beyond criteria of shared material condi~ tions such as location,
kinship, class, and culture. Yet even some who stress the urgency of
locating shared hu— man values that project confounded by the fact of
diversity in the existing communities of hurnankindg1 As philosopher
Paul 90. See Samuel P. Oliner and Pearl M. Oliner, The Altruisti'c
Personality Rescuers of Jews in Nazi Europe (New York: Free Press,
1988). 91. See Sissela Bok, Common Values (Columbia: University of
Missouri Press, 1995). 220 Gomberg argues, a universal morality must be
grounded in the possibility of universal community, and this is
dependent upon a universal identity. Only such an identity can provide a
more inclusive perspective than that of “parochial moralities” which
confine the scope of obligation to the group.92 As long as people’s
identities are formed with reference to small groups, that identity will
determine the limits of their moral community and ‘conception of
justice. But there is no merely rational way to climb out of that
impasse. Something else, beyond reason and enlightened self-interest,
must create a larger sense of identity with others who are very
different. The only possible source of Such an identity, and
consequently of global community, must be a spiritual one: only the
spirit of transcending love has the power to unite people who are
dissimilar in material conditions and background. charter for world
order offers to the human civilizing process, at this critical moment in
history, the renewal of the society—building power of the great
Covenant. It is the tranicendent principle implicit in the divine
Covenant that has always been the agency of spiritual and social
development, enabling the passage to each new stage in the history of
the cumulative integration of human society. The Covenant is the fulcrum
on which human vision is lifted to new heights of unity, where the
'moral community, previously confined to those who are akin, is elpanded
to embrace, integrate, and unify formerly contending peoples and
kindreds into a single polity. That vision is expressed in the words of
Shoghi Effendi: The Faith of Baha’u’lléh has assimilated, by virtue of
its creative, its regulative and ennobling energies, the varied races,
nationalities, creeds and classes that have sought its shadow, and have
pledged unswerving fealty to its cause. It has changed the hearts ofits
adherents, burned away their prejudices, stilled their passions, exalted
their conceptions, ennobled their motives, coordinated their efforts,
and transformed their outlook. While preserving their patriotism and
safeguarding their lesser loyalties, it has made them lovers of mankind,
and the determined , Paul Gomberg, “Universalism and Optimism,” Ethics
104 (1994): 536—57.

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upholders of its best and truest interests. While maintaining intact
their belief in the Divine origin of their respective religions, it has
enabled them to visualize the underlying purpose of these religions, to
discover their merits, to recognize their sequence, their
interdependence, their wholeness and unity, and to acknowledge the bond
that vitally links them to itself. This universal, this transcending
love which the followers of the Baha’i Faith feel for their fellow-men,
of whatever race, creed, class or nation, is...both spontaneous and
genuine. They Whose hearts are warmed by the energizing influence of
God’s creative love cherish His creatures for His sake, and recognize in
every human face a sign of His reflected glory. Of such men and Women it
may be truly said that to them “every foreign land is a fatherland, and
every fatherland a foreign land.” For their citizenship, it must be
remembered, is in the Kingdom of Ann Boyles looks at contemporary
concerns surrounding identity, values, and governance the perspective of
an evolving global society. WORLD WATCH I n April 1995, the New York
Times invited its readers to send in suggestions for names
characterizing the age in which we in suggestions for names
characterizing the age in which we live. Common offerings were what one
might expect: the Age of Anxiety, the Age of Uncertainty, the Age of
Fragmentation, the Age of (Great and Failed) Expectations, the Age of
Disillusion (and Dissolution), the Age of Tribalism, the Age of
Fundamentalism, the Age of Deconstruction, the Age of Greed, and
approximately twenty variations on the Millennial or Messianic Age.
Editors reported that the word “global” was very common in entries, as
were the prefixes “dis,” “re,” “post,” “cyber,” and “fin de.” The
Transnational Era and the Age of Kakistocracy (government by the worst
people) were other names reflecting readers’ preocoupations.1 On a more
scholarly level, eminent historian Eric Hobsbawm titled his history of
the twentieth century, published in 1995, Age of Extremes. The book’s
first major section, covering the years 1914 to 1945, is “The Age of
Catastrophe,” while the final section, covering the last two decades, is
“The Landslide.” 1. International Heraid Tribune, 3 April 1995.

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Such descriptions indicate the deep scepticism and pessimism with which
our age is generally regarded‘ They reflect, too, upon the issue of
identity: how We see ourselves as individual citizens and as a society.
As Hobsbawm puts it, “Since the middle of the century. . .the branch of
[the old civilization has begun] to crack and break. .. The old maps and
charts which guided human beings, singly and collectively, through life
no longer represent the landscape through which we move, the sea on
which We sail... We do not know where our journey is taking us, or even
ought to take us.”2 Hobsbawrn, as an historian rather than a futurist,
does not offer many specific suggestions for the direction of humanity’s
journey at either the individual or the collective level, but he does
advance the idea that some sort of political organization beyond
national boundaries will be necessary to deal effectively with a world
in which global economic integration is taking place. At the same time,
he recognizes that strong forces are at work against such integration.
Benjamin R. Barber also treats this subject in his 1995 volume Jihad Vs.
Mc World, characterizing the struggle as one between an emerging
globalism characterized by uniformity (“McWorld,” or rampant,
unregulated Western consumerism) and its opponents (“Jihad,” or “violent
and dogmatic particularism”). A chief characteristic of the individual
living in Mcworld is encapsulated in the following passage from Charles
Durning’s How Much Is Enough.‘ The Consumer Society and the Future of
Earth, a report for the WorldWatch Institute. Durning makes the
observation that “the words ‘consumer’ and ‘person’ have become virtual
synonyms” and that such identification has serious implications for
individuals and their society. He continues, “The world economy is
currently organized to furnish 1.1 billion people with a consumer
life-style long on things but short on time.” Such an economy, he points
out, is not concerned with matters of social justice, with issues of
unemployment or of poverty.3 2. Eric Hobsbawm, Age of Extremes: The
Short Twentieth Century 19141991 (London: Abacus Books, Little, Brown
and C0., 1995), pp. 3. Charles Durning, How Much Is Enough." The
Consumer Sociely and the Future of Earth (New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 1992), pp. 21-22; cited in Benjamin R. Barber, Jihad Vs.
McWorld (New York: Times Books, Random House, 1995), p. 223. The view of
the individual primarily as a consumer is commonplace today in many
parts of the world. Advertising urges us to become associated with a
particular cigarette, a brand of perfume, a line of clothing, a car, or
other such items Now we can go to almost any part of the planet and
consume the same kinds of fast foods found originally in America, or
stay in the same hotel chains, or partake of the same soft drink, or
watch many of the same television programs or movies or listen to the
same music. In fact, at least on a superficial level, it seems as though
one of the chief characteristics of the “global village” in which We are
reputed to is our common consumerism. Certainly this is one of Barber’s
central points. While the life of consumerism depicted in McWorld is
less than soul-satisfying, the forces that, in Barber’s view, oppose
that life are no more comforting. Narrow-minded nationalistic or ethnic
interests blind their adherents to any conception of life beyond their
own particular view of how it should be lived. Barber refers to Jihad’s
“recidivist tribalisms” and the “microwars” it promotes as “noisier and
more obviously nihilistic than [the forces of] McWorld.” He sees them as
creating instability in lhe short term, but in the long run, Barber
predicts that the forces ofMcWorld will prove stronger: “McWorld’s
homogenization is likely to establish a macropeace that favors the
triumph of 'Fommerce and its markets and to give those who control
informaion, communication, and entertainment ultimate (if inadvertent)
§ontrol over human destiny.” He concludes, “Unless we can offer Tm
alternative to the struggle between Jihad and McWorld, the ‘pooh on
Whose threshold we stand—postcommunist, postindustrial, postnational,
yet sectarian, fearful, and bigoted—is likely llllso to be terminally
postdernocraticn4 Critics have attacked Barber for his sweeping
generalizations. In The New Republic, for example, Fareed Zakaria
criticized Barber fur a diatribe against the effects of what he called
“unchecked purlicipation by the masses,”5 pointing out that the
increased l Barber, Jihad Vs. Mc World, p. 20. See “Paris Is Burning” by
Fareed Zakaria in The New Republic, 22 January l I996, pp. 27~30.

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prosperity at the root of the struggle depicted by Barber is an
important transformation in our society: The rise of a mass consumption
society produces political, economic and cultural side effects that are
troubling. But surely the criticism of this world, and of the liberal
capitalism which created it, must first recognize its accomplishments.
The political and economic changes that have created McWorld are, on the
whole, admirable ones. Giving people the ability to live longer, to move
where they want, own a house, to enjoy such pleasures as vacations and
restaurants and shopping is good, even noble.6 The point is no doubt
well taken, but one must also consider this startling statistic: The
gulf separating the rich and the poor around the world is widening,
according to the United Nations Devel— opment Program, which reported in
July 1996 that 1.6 billion people in 89 countries are poorer now than
they were ten years ago. Further, the world’s 358 billionaires have more
assets than the combined incomes of countries housing 45 percent of the
world’s population. If such is the result of the kind of globalization
described by Barber, it is worth questioning its value. Is consumerism
or an excessive preoccupation with material concerns a good foundation,
a conscionable basis, for any kind of global society? Consideration of
such inequities has informed recent discussions concerning the
definitions and characteristics of government that are appropriate to
this evolving world. Commentators have engaged in strenuous debates
concerning various systems. Yet most agree that democracy—in a form
giving less emphasis on consumerism and more on the responsibilities
inherent in citizenship—is the answer. Barber refers to this shift as
taking people “from elementary animal being (the thinness of economics)
to cooperative human living (the robustness of strong democracy)”7 He
asserts that 6. Zakaria, “Paris Is Burning,” p. 30. 7. Barber, Jihad
McWorld, p. 291. Strong democracy needs citizens; citizens need civil
society; civil society requires a form of association not bound by
identity politics; that form of association is democracy. Or: global
democracy needs confederalisrn, a noncompulsory form of association
rooted in friendship and mutual interests; confederalism depends on
member states that are Well rooted in civil society, and on citizens for
whom the other is not synonymous with the enemy; civil society and
citizenship are products of a democratic way of life.8 These are noble
sentiments, but as Barber himself notes, civil society and citizenship
are not necessarily products of a democratic way of life—0r at least of
the democratic way of life as it is lived in the West at present. Czech
President Vaclav Havel, Writing of the widely perceived shortcomings of
Western-style culture and its current values, shares this view: The main
source of objections would seem to be what many cultural societies see
as the inevitable product or byproduct of these values: moral
relativism, materialism, the denial of any kind of spirituality, a proud
disdain for everything suprapersonal, a profound crisis of authority and
the resulting general decay, a frenzied consumerism, a lack of
solidarity, the selfish cult of material success, the absence of faith
in a higher order of things or simply in etemity, and expansionist
mentality that holds in contempt everything that in any way resists the
dreary standardization and rationalism of technical ciiviiiziiiion.9
These, then, are the “values” Widely associated with democracy, rather
than those of civic duty, responsible citizenship, and so on. Havel has
touched upon a point to which Western commentators have recently become
very sensitive. In the West, the common conception of values has been
that they are something that should be relegated to the private sphere,
with no place in the realm of discourse about our collective social
life. Stephen L. Carter’s 1993 volume, The Culture QfDisbelief.‘ How
American 8. Barber, Jihad Vs. McWorld, p. 291. 9. Vaclav Have], “The
Spiritual Roots of Democracy," in Lapis: The Inner Meaning of
Contemporary (Summer 1995), p. 29.

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Law and Politics Trivialize Religious Devotion, discusses the
implications of such a viewpoint, covering topics as diverse as the
issue of prayer in public schools and the abortion debate. Carter’s book
has been seminal in the discussion about the role of moral values in the
public realm, and a growing number of thoughtful people are now calling
for a resuscitation of values in What they see as our morally
impoverished society. The growth of political movements such as the
communitarians is also a reaction against the excessive emphasis in
Western democracies on the rights rather than the responsibilities of
citizens. One recent volume, Democracy ’s Discontent: America in Search
of a Public Philosophy, by Michael J. Sande], has provoked much
discussion because of its treatment of this theme. Sande] Writes: The
global media and markets that shape our lives beckon us to a world
beyond boundaries and belonging. But the civic resources we need to
master these forces, or at least to contend with them, are still to be
found in the places and stories, memories and meanings, incidents and
identities, that situate us in the world and give: our lives their moral
particularity. The public philosophy by which we live bids us to bracket
these attachments, to set them aside for political purposes, to conduct
our political debates without reference to them. But a procedural
republic that banishes moral and religious argument from political
discourse makes for an impoverished civic life. It also fails to answer
the aspiration for self-government; its image of citizens as free and
independent selves, unencumbered by moral or civic ties they have not
chosen, cannot sustain the public spirit that equips us for self-rule.10
Sandel’s call for recognition that moral and religious issues do have a
place in public discourse is well argued, but he does not resolve
important questions such as how these issues can be satisfactorily
addressed in a pluralistic society. How, for example, can a society find
common ground when values may be widely different among the groups that
make it up? How does the concept of “public spirit” translate from one
culture to another? Thus, while Sandel and others are clear about the
need for 10. Michael J. Sande], Democracy Discontent: America in Search
of a Pub/iv Philosophy (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1996), pp.
349-50. 228 moral content in political discourse, they are less clear
about the means of introducing and regulating it in a society where
different values and faiths flourish. Sande] has been chided about just
this point. In the Times Literary Supplement review of Sandel’s ‘book,
Michael Rosen comments: Sandel tells us that the republican favors those
qualities of character that “promote citizenship”. What precisely those
qualities are, and to what lengths the State is entitled to go in
requiring that individuals show them, he does not make entirely clear,
but he does say explicitly that his vision of republican politics is not
one of uniformity. While deploring liberalism for the supposedly
debilitating consequences of neutrality, Sandel claims that
republicanism itself embodies a “higher pluralism.” But how, the more
mundane of us will ask, is such a pluralism supposed to work in
practice‘?H While Sandel’s and the communitarians’ call for the
reintroiction of values into the climate of governance is welcome and
seful, the basic assumption that a renewed and morally strengthened
Western-style democracy, with its unexamined embrace of adversarial
governance, is the only model for enlightened government is open to
debate. Havel, for example, cautions against the view of democracy us a
“closed” system, pointing out the limited ability of today’s democratic
world to step beyond its own shadow, or rather the limits of its own
present spiritual and intellectual condition and direction, and thus its
limited ability to address humanity in a genuinely universal way. As a
consequence, democracy is seen less and less as an ' open system, which
is best able to respond to people’s basic needs, that is, as a set of
possibilities that continually must be sought, redefined and brought
into being. Instead, democracy is seen as something given, finished, and
complete as is, something that can be exported like cars or television
sets, something that the more enlightened purchase and the less
enlightened do not. '2 ‘upplement, 18 October 1996, p. 14. ave],
“Spiritual Roots of Democracy,” p. 29. ._Michael Rosen, “Against the
Unencumbered Self,” in the Times Literary

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In such a context, democracy becomes just another product in a consumer
society—not an evolving system capable of great change. Sandel himself
seems uncertain as to the global application of reversing “the loss of
mastery and the erosion of community that lie at the heart of
dcmocracy’s discontent”: “The difficulty,” he says, “actually involves
two related challenges. One is to devise political institutions capable
of governing the global economyv The other is to cultivate the civic
identities necessary to sustain those institutions, to supply them with
the moral authority they require. It is not obvious that both these
challenges can be met.”1 Gertrude Himrnelfarb frames the basic
difficulty in these words: “If we are to revitalize civil society, must
We not also re-moralize civil society, which is a far more difficult
task?’714 And Havel takes the point even further when he affirms the
need for the Spiritual within the democratic system and cautions against
placing too much faith in the mere machinery of the system: The
separation of executive, legislative and judicial powers, the universal
right to vote, the rule of law, freedom of expression, the inviolability
of private ownership and all the other aspects of democracy as a system
that ought to be the least unjust and the least capable of
violence—these are merely technical instruments that enable man to live
in dignity, freedom, and responsibility. But in and of themselves, they
cannot guarantee human dignity, freedom and responsibility. The source
of these basic human potentials lies elsewhere: in man’s relationship to
that which transcends him.15 Yet Himmelfarb and Havel stop short of
speaking directly about religion in this process. Similarly,
communitarian leader Amitai Etzioni, while arguing in The Spirit of
Community for the promotion of individuals’ responsibilities towards the
nurturancc of community, declines to discuss the role of religion in
such lll'l 13. Michael J. Sandal, “America’s Search for a New Public
Philosophy," id The Atlantic Monthly (March 1996), p.72. I4.Gertrudc
Himmelfarb, “The unravelled fabric—and how to knit i Mixed motives among
the new communitarians,” in the Times Lin-wry Supplement, 17 May 1996,
p. 13. 15. Havel, “Spiritual Roots ofDemocracy,” p. 30. 230 endeavor.
Daniel A. Bell calls this “a glaring omission in a book that aims for
nothing short of a new moral crusade in what is perhaps the most
religious country in the world [America].”16 “Re-moralizing,” in
Himmelfarb’s words, or reinforcing “man’s relationship to that which
transcends him,” in Havel’s, is properly the task of religion, but there
is a general reluctance on the part of commentators, even Stephen
Carter, to allow religions to take a role in the assertion of values in
the public sphere. Carter Wants them to maintain their independence,
their status as independent critics of the political process or moral
watchdogs. He Writes, ...if the religions are able to impose their own
meanings, there is no longer any distinction, and, thus, no longer
important work for the triumphant religions as autonomous agencies to
do. This abandonment of the role of external moral critic and
alternative source of values and meaning will make sense when the Second
Coming is at hand, but not before. Until that time, it is vital that the
religions struggle to maintain the tension between the meanings and
understanding propounded by the state and the very different set of
meanings and understandings that the contemplation of the ultimate
frequently suggests.l Certainly, introducing values into the public
sphere in societies what are multicultural and multifaith seems like an
impossible imdertaking, which would mean a dramatic shift away from the
secular underpinnings of modern Western societies; it would mean either
giving precedence to one set of religious values over the others or
searching for the root values inherent in all faiths. The task of
legislating morality was easier in the past, when societies were more
homogenous. Nationalistic or ethnic or tribal movements that promote
closed societies may be, in part, an attempt to return to such times,
when identity was more readily Pefined and standards of appropriate
behavior were more easily regulated. Yet, while the likelihood of
finding common ground—0r even b1" generating the will to do so—may seem
remote, another I It» Daniel A. Bell, “Together AgainT’, review of The
Spirit of Community by Amitai Etzioni, in the Times Literary Supplement,
25 November 1994, p. 6. 7. Carter, Culture of Disbelief, p. 273.

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commentator has observed that it is impossible for us to retreat to the
world of the past. Patrick Glynn, writing in the journal New
Perspectives Quarterly, says, ...we are at an important transition point
in Western culture moving out of the great modern era, with its deeply
secular premises, into a new age that will not only be “postmodem,” but
also, in an important sense, “postsecular.” The great dividing-line
between church and state, between revelation and reason, is...being
fundamentally renegotiated. And this is occurring not just in popular
culture or politics, but at the very cutting-edge of human inquiry.
Indeed, some of the most impressive signs of change—0f the gradual
emergence of a “new paradigm” opening the way to a more explicitly
spiritual view of human life and even to a more universal acceptance of
the existence of God—can be found in the most advanced of the physical
sciences, such as quantum mechanics and cosmology. This is not a
backward-looking rejection of modernity, but rather building upon
modernity’s achievements. l 3 Glynn’s assessment, that humanity must
move forward to embrace an emerging paradigm of existence that
incorporates spirituality in a profound and all-pervasive way, accords
with the view advanced in the writings of the Baha’i Faith. At the
foundation of the spiritual teachings given by Baha’u’llah is the
asseition that humanity has reached a stage of maturity which demands
both fresh understanding of the nature of the individual and a new
pattern of community life. ‘Abdu’l-Baha, the son of Baha’u’llah and the
Center of the Covenant He established with His followers, has elaborated
on this theme of the maturing of humanity: All created things have their
degree or stage of maturity‘ The period of maturity in the life of a
tree is the time of its fruit-bearing... The animal attains a stage of
full growth and completeness, and in the human kingdom man reaches his
maturity when the light of his intelligence attains its greatest power
and development.... Similarly there are periods and stages in the
collective life of humanity. At one time it was passing through its
stage of childhood, at another its period 18.Patrick Glynn, “Prelude to
a Post-Secular Society,n in New Perspecm'lll Quarterly (Spring 1995), p.
17. of youth, but now it has entered its long-predicted phase of
maturity, the evidences of which are everywhere apparent... That which
was applicable to human needs during the early history of the race can
neither meet nor satisfy the demands of this day, this period of newness
and consummation. Humanity has emerged from its former state of
limitation and preliminary training. Man must now become imbued with new
virtues and powers, new moral standards, new capacities. New bounties,
perfect bestowals, are awaiting and already descending upon him. The
gifts and blessings of the period of youth, although timely and
sufficient during the adolescence of mankind, are now incapable of
meeting the requirements of its maturity.19 Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian
of the Faith, also ad1;dressed this theme in a message to the Bahzi’is
in the West in 1936: The long ages of infancy and childhood, through
which the human race had to pass, have receded into the background.
Humanity is now experiencing the commotions invariably associated with
the most turbulent stage of its evolution, the stage of adolescence,
when the impetuosity of youth and its vehemence reach their climax, and
must gradually be superseded by the calmness, the wisdom, and the
maturity that characterize the stage of manhood. Then will the human
race reach that stature of ripeness which will enable it to acquire all
the powers and capacities upon which its ultimate development must
depend. 0 The discussion of the need for spirituality to play a more
central Role in public as Well as private life can be seen as a move
towards at maturity to which ‘Abdu’l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi allude.
LThe maturing process of humanity as a collective entity also @supposes
a similar process at the level of the individual. Far 5m conceiving of
people as consumers, Bahei’u’llah has desbcd human beings as “the
noblest and most perfect of all created Our nature, the Baha’i writings
assert, is essentially

  * Cited in Shoghi Effendi, The World Order ofBahci 'lldh: Selected Letters

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It is the transformational force of the teachings of Bahé’u’llah that
motivates members of the Baha’i community around the World. As each
member of society “mines” the “gems of inestimable value” inherent in
his or her soul and thus develops his or her capacities, so society is
transformed, and we see evidence of “an ever-advancing civilization.”
Service to humankind thus becomes the purpose of both individual life
and all social arh'angements. “Do not busy yourselves in your own
concerns,” Baha’u’llah writes, “let your thoughts be fixed upon that
which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts
and souls of men.”25 And further, “The progress of the world, the
develgopment of nations, the tranquillity of peoples, and the peace of
all who dggell on earth are among the principles and ordinances of God.”
The divinely ordained order established by Baha’u’lléh is con cerned
intimately with the development of the individual soul—a concern far
beyond the scope of calls for “good citizenship”— ough through
developing spiritual qualities Baha’is become good citizens, too. As
‘Abdu’l-Baha has Written, spiritual, and in this age of the maturation
of the human race, We are responsible for developing the noble qualities
latent within us. “Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable
value,” Baha’u’llah states; “Education can, alone, cause it to reveal
its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom,”22 and further,
He says, “The potentialities inherent in the station of man, the full
measure of his destiny on earth, the innate excellence of his reality,
must all be manifested” in this age of the maturation of In the same
vein, the Universal House of Justice states, ...the Writings of the
[Baha’i] Faith not only acknowledge that each individual has a God-given
identity, but they also set out the means by which this identity can
achieve its highest development and fulfillment. Baha’u’llah attests
that through the Teachings of the Manifestation of God “every man will
advance and develop until he attaineth the station at which he can
manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost true self hath
been endowed.”24 From the Baha’i perspective, there exists a deep and
inseparable connection between the practical and spiritual dimensions of
human existence. In this paradigm, every human being has unique
capacities which he or she has the responsibility to develop, a task
best accomplished by following the teachings given by God through His
Manifestations—in this age, Baha’u’lléih, Who revealed laws and
principles and established an administrative order for His followers to
enable them to transform both themselves and the society in which they
live. In accordance with the process of maturation, the Baha’i Faith
teaches that the individual must exercise autonomy in deciding whether
or not to avail himself or herself of these spiritual guidelines for
life. Thcl'qE must be no compulsion in matters of faith; one must be
entirely free to investigate truth for oneself. And the honor and
distinction of the individual consist in this, that he among all the
world’s multitudes should become a source of social good. Is 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 to his
fellow men‘? No, by the one true God, there is no greater bliss, no more
complete delight.27 fl'hus, interwoven with the Baha’i teachings about
the nature lot’ the individual is a model of collective life. “The earth
is but pnc country, and mankind its citizens,” Baha’u’llah says. This
ilmbryonic World civilization asserts the earth as one homeland for the
entire human family, whose Founder claimed as His chief 23. Ibid., p.
340. 24. Universal House of Justice, letter to the National Spiritual
Assembly ‘If the Bahél’is of the United States, 11 September 1995.

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desire “the good of the world and the happiness of the nations.”28 The
analogy of society to the family is found throughout the Writings.
‘Abdu’l-Baha has said, for example, Compare the nations of the world to
the members of a family. A family is a nation in miniature. Simply
enlarge the circle of the household, and you have the nation. Enlarge
the circle of nations, and you have all humanity. The conditions
surrounding the family surround the nation. The happenings in the family
are the happenings in the life of the nation. Would it add to the
progress and advancement of a family if dissensions should arise among
its members, all fighting, pillaging each other, jealous and revengeful
of injury, seeking selfish advantage? Nay, this would be the cause of
the effacement of progress and advancement‘ So it is in the great family
of nations, for nations are but an aggregate of families. Therefore, as
strife and dis sension destroy a family and prevent its yrogress, so
nations - 9 are destroyed and advancement hindered. Further, speaking of
the relationship between the rights of the individual in the family and
the group, ‘Abdu’l-Baha has said, The integrity of the family bond must
be constantly considered, and the rights of the individual members must
not be transgressed... All these rights and prerogatives must be
conserved, yet the unity of the family must be sustained. The injury of
one shall be considered the injury of all; the comfort of each, the
comfort of all; the honor of one, the honor of 2111.30 This balance of
individual and collective rights is elaborated further by the Universal
House of Justice, which quotes Bahé’s statement that “the moderate
freedom which guarantees the Welfare of the world of mankind and
maintains and preserves the universal relationships is found in its
fullest power and extension in the teachings of Baha’u’llah,” and then
continues to discuss how this is enacted in the Bahz'l’i administrative
order: 28. Words uttered by to Cambridge University orientalist Edward
Granville Browne during his interview in the Holy Land, spring 1890. 29.
T712 Promulgation of Universal Peace, rev. ed. (W ilmettc: Bahzi’i
Publishing Trust, i982), p. 157. 30. Promulgation of Universal Peace, p.
168. Within this framework of freedom a pattern is set for institutional
and individual behavior which depends for its efficacy not so much on
the force of law, which admittedly must be respected, as on the
recognition of a mutuality of benefits, and on the spirit of cooperation
maintained by the willingness, the courage, the sense of responsibility,
and the initiative of individuals. .. Thus there is a balance of freedom
between the institution, whether national or local, and the individuals
who sustain its existence.31 limited to conceptions drawn specifically
from it. The Baha’i Faith attaches great importance to the diversity of
human thought and experience, but it does not encourage extreme
individualism that would threaten the common good. The benefits provided
to the individual in the social environment created when he or she
enders a degree of personal freedom to an accepted system of order far
outweigh any sacrifice, in the View. Writing of the unique character of
the Administrative Order of the Baha’i Faith, Shoghi Effendi clarified
that while that Order i_s not patterned specifically after autocratic,
aristocratic, 0r bmocratic forms of government, it “embodies, reconciles
and assimilates within its framework such wholesome elements as are to
be found in each one of them.”32 For example, the authority l of the
sacred texts of the Faith is upheld, as are the interpretations of
‘Abdu’l—Baha and Shoghi Effendi, who followed in the line of [hereditary
succession from Baha’u’llah. Democratic elections, inducted by secret
ballot and characterized by an absence of ['atures such as nominations,
electioneering, factionalism, and Oncern for power, are held either by
director indirect vote for all governing councils that administer the
affairs of the community round the world. Yet, once elected, members of
the institutions are not responsible to those who elect them but have
the . Universal House of Justice, Individual Rights and Freedoms in the
World Order ofBahti ’lldh, a letter to the followers of in the United
States of America, 29 December 1988 (Wilmette: Publishing Trust, I989),
p. 9. Shoghi Effendi, World Order ofBahd 'llcih, p. 152.

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obligation “to follow, in a prayerful attitude, the dictates and
promptings of their conscience’’ without being swayed by “the feelings,
the general opinion, and even the convictions of the mass ofthe
faithful.”33 Since elections are carried out in a spiritual atmosphere,
the electorate expects that those it chooses Will be spiritually
responsible—a concept entirely foreign to secular forms of governance.
Moreover, its emphasis on non-adversarial and cooperative
decisionmaking, the devolution of power to the grassroots of society,
and the necessity of involving the voices of women and the dispossessed,
stand in sharp contrast to the machinery of prevailing democratic forms
of governance. It is a model that simultaneously educates and engages,
and provides powerful tools for effecting meaningful changes Where
unproductive habits have impeded progress. As Shoghi Effendi states,
...this divinely revealed Order, which can never be identified with any
of the standard types of government referred to by Aristotle in his
works, embodies and blends with the spiritual verities on which it is
based the bencficent elements which are to be found in each one of them.
The admitted evils inherent in each of these systems being rigidly and
permanently excluded, this unique Order, however long it may endure and
however extensive its ramifications, cannot ever degenerate into any
form of despotism, of oligarchy, or of demagogy which must sooner or
later corrupt the machinery of all man-made and essentially defective
political institutions.34 In short, the order delineated by is spiritual
in nature; values are not grafted onto it but inherent in it. The Faith
offers a model of a changed society, a new paradigm suited to the needs
of a “postsecular” global world. In the words of Shoghi Effendi: The
Revelation of Baha’u’llah, whose supreme mission is none other but the
achievement of this organic and spiritual 33. Shoghi Effendi, cited in
The Constitution of the Universal House of Jmln'c' unity of the whole
body of nations, should, if We be faithful to its implications, be
regarded as signalizing through its advent the coming of age of the
entire human race. It should be viewed...as marking the last and highest
stage in the stupendous evolution of man’s collective life on this
planet. The emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world
citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture...should,
by their very nature, be regarded, as far as this planetary life is
concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of human
society, though man, as an individual, will, nay must indeed as a result
of such a consummation, continue indefinitely to progress and develop.35
Looking to the future, Eric Hobsbawm echoes the uncertainty of many
contemporary thinkers when he concludes Age of Extremes with the words,
“We do not know Where we are going,” but he surely makes a profound
observation when he continues, “However, one thing is plain. If humanity
is to have a recognizable future, it cannot be by prolonging the past or
the present. If we try to build the third millennium on that basis, we
shall fail. And the price of failure, that is to say, the alternative to
a changed society, is darkness.”36 Earlier in the century, historian
Arnold Toynbee, in A Study of History, drew a parallel between the
general obscurity of the 'Fhristian church in the second century of its
existence and the {corresponding lack of awareness of the Bahz'l’i Faith
on the part 5f most educated Westerners midway through the twentieth
pentury, going onto speculate about “how utterly the fiiture might be
hidden. . .from the mental vision of a Western student” today.37
Fobsbawm’s remark points up the continuing relevancy of Toynbee’s
observation. Yet the vision of the future held by members of ‘the Baha’i
community, however little it may be understood as yet ‘by the majority
of the planet’s inhabitants, refutes the idea of pcroaching darkness;
the Baha’i vision is, in contrast, one of great Fomise. Expression to it
was given in a letter written in 1988 to the Press, 1979), p. 117.

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community of the United States, focusing on individual rights and
freedoms in the World Order of in which the Universal House of Justice
says, The spirit of liberty which in recent decades has swept over the
planet with such tempestuous force is a manifestation of the vibrancy
ofthe Revelation brought by His own words confirm it. “The Ancient
Beauty,” He wrote in a soul-stirring commentary on His sufferings, “hath
consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its
bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty
Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty.” Might it
not be reasonably concluded, then, that “true liberty” is His gift of
love to the human race? Consider What Baha’u’llah has done: He revealed
laws and principles to guide the free; He established an Order to
channel the actions of the free; He proclaimed a Covenant to guarantee
the unity of the free. Thus, we hold to this ultimate perspective: came
to set humanity free. His Revelation is, indeed, an invitation to
freedom—freedom from want, freedom from war, freedom to unite, freedom
to progress, freedom in peace and joy/.38 In summary, the Baha’i model
of social organization or collective life incorporates the spiritual
principles and the moral values which contemporary social commentators
are seeking, and at the same time it provides a framework for governance
that protects individual rights‘ Inclusive rather than exclusive, it the
spiritual truth at the heart of all the major religions of the World.
The balance of rights and responsibilities it promotes is suited to the
needs of this new age, an age destined to move towards light, not
darkness. 38. Universal House of Justice, Individual Rights and
Freedoms, pp. 21-22. 240 This statement was issued in October 1995 by
the Bahd International Community on the occasion ofthe 5 0th anniversary
of the United Nations. TURNING POINT FOR ALL N 155161118 Unification of
the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage which human society
is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation
have been successively attempted and fully established. World unity is
the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building
has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving
towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this
fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and
establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this
fundamental principle of its life. I. Overview: An Opportunity for
Reflection he twentieth century, one of the most tumultuous periods in
Illman history, has been marked by numerous upheavals, revoluInns and
radical departures from the past. Ranging from the Uullapse of the
colonial system and the great nineteenth century pires t0 the rise and
fall of broad and disastrous experiments th totalitarianism, fascism and
communism, some of these 241

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upheavals have been extremely destructive, involving the deaths of
millions, the eradication of old lifestyles and traditions, and the
collapse of time-honored institutions. Other movements and trends have
been more obviously positive. Scientific discoveries and new social
insights have spurred many progressive social, economic and cultural
transformations. The Way has been cleared for new definitions of human
rights and affirmations of personal dignity, expanded opportunities for
individual and collective achievement, and bold new avenues for the
advancement of human knowledge and consciousness. These twin
processes—the collapse of old institutions on the one hand and the
blossoming of new ways of thinking on the other—are evidence of a single
trend which has been gaining momentum during the last hundred years: the
trend toward everincreasing interdependence and integration of humanity.
This trend is observable in wide-ranging phenomena, from the fusion of
world financial markets, which in turn reflect humanity’s reliance on
diverse and interdependent sources of energy, food, raw materials,
technology and knowledge, to the construction of globe-girdling systems
of communications and transportation. It is reflected in the scientific
understanding of the earth’s interconnected biosphere, which has in turn
given a new urgency to the need for global coordination. It is manifest,
albeit in a destructive way, in the capacities of modern weapons
systems, which have gradually increased in power to the point where it
is now possible for a handful of men to bring an end to human
civilization itself. It is the universal consciousness of this trend—in
both its constructive and destructive expressions—that lends such
poignancy to the familiar photograph of the earth as a swirling sphere
of blue and white against the infinite blackness of space, an image
crystallizing the realisation that We are a sin gle people, rich in
diversity, living in a common homeland. This trend is reflected, too, in
steady efforts by the nations ol' the world to forge a World political
system that can secure for humanity the possibility of peace, justice
and prosperity. Twice in this century humanity has attempted to bring
about a new international order. Each attempt sought to address the
emergent recognition of global interdependence, While neverthelcmi
preserving intact a system which put the sovereignty of the state above
all else. In the perspective of the century now ending, the League of
Nations, a breakthrough in the concept of collective security, marked a
first decisive step toward world order. The second effort, born from the
cataclysrn of World War II and based on a Charter drawn up principally
by the victors of that conflagration, has for 50 years provided an
international forum of last resort, a unique institution standing as a
noble symbol for the collective interests of humanity as a Whole. As an
international organization, the United Nations has demonstrated
humanity’s capacity for united action in health, agriculture, education,
environmental protection, and the welfare of children. It has affirmed
our collective moral Will to build a better future, evinced in the
widespread adoption of international human rights Covenants. It has
revealed the human race’s deepseated compassion, evidenced by the
devotion of financial and human resources to the assistance of people in
distress. And in the all-important realms of peace-building,
peace-making and peace-keeping, the United Nations has blazed a bold
path toward a future without war.1 Yet the overall goals set out in the
Charter of the United Nations have proved elusive. Despite the high
hopes of its founders, the establishment of the United Nations some 50
years ago did not usher in an era of peace and prosperity for all.2
Although the United Nations has surely played a role in preventing a
third World war, the last half decade has nevertheless Boutros
Boutros-Ghali. 1992. An Agenda for Peace: Peace-making and
Peace~Keeping. Report of the Secretary-General Pursuant to the Statement
Adopted by the Summit Meeting of the Security Council, January 31, New
York: United Nations. Surely the preamble to the Charter ofthe United
Nations is among the most inspired passages in the history of human
governance: “WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED “to save
succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our
lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and “to reaffirm faith in
fundamental human rights, in the dignity and Worth of the human person,
in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
242 — 243

+++244


upheavals have been extremely destructive, involving the deaths of
millions, the eradication of old lifestyles and traditions, and the
collapse of time-honored institutions. Other movements and trends have
been more obviously positive. Scientific discoveries and new social
insights have spurred many progressive social, economic and cultural
transformations. The Way has been cleared for new definitions of human
rights and affirmations of personal dignity, expanded opportunities for
individual and collective achievement, and bold new avenues for the
advancement of human knowledge and consciousness. These twin
processes—the collapse of old institutions on the one hand and the
blossoming of new ways of thinking on the other—are evidence of a single
trend which has been gaining momentum during the last hundred years: the
trend toward everincreasing interdependence and integration of humanity.
This trend is observable in wide-ranging phenomena, from the fusion of
world financial markets, which in turn reflect humanity’s reliance on
diverse and interdependent sources of energy, food, raw materials,
technology and knowledge, to the construction of globe-girdling systems
of communications and transportation. It is reflected in the scientific
understanding of the earth’s interconnected biosphere, which has in turn
given a new urgency to the need for global coordination. It is manifest,
albeit in a destructive way, in the capacities of modern weapons
systems, which have gradually increased in power to the point where it
is now possible for a handful of men to bring an end to human
civilization itself. It is the universal consciousness of this trend—in
both its constructive and destructive expressions—that lends such
poignancy to the familiar photograph of the earth as a swirling sphere
of blue and white against the infinite blackness of space, an image
crystallizing the realisation that We are a sin gle people, rich in
diversity, living in a common homeland. This trend is reflected, too, in
steady efforts by the nations ol' the world to forge a World political
system that can secure for humanity the possibility of peace, justice
and prosperity. Twice in this century humanity has attempted to bring
about a new international order. Each attempt sought to address the
emergent recognition of global interdependence, While neverthelcmi
preserving intact a system which put the sovereignty of the state above
all else. In the perspective of the century now ending, the League of
Nations, a breakthrough in the concept of collective security, marked a
first decisive step toward world order. The second effort, born from the
cataclysrn of World War II and based on a Charter drawn up principally
by the victors of that conflagration, has for 50 years provided an
international forum of last resort, a unique institution standing as a
noble symbol for the collective interests of humanity as a Whole. As an
international organization, the United Nations has demonstrated
humanity’s capacity for united action in health, agriculture, education,
environmental protection, and the welfare of children. It has affirmed
our collective moral Will to build a better future, evinced in the
widespread adoption of international human rights Covenants. It has
revealed the human race’s deepseated compassion, evidenced by the
devotion of financial and human resources to the assistance of people in
distress. And in the all-important realms of peace-building,
peace-making and peace-keeping, the United Nations has blazed a bold
path toward a future without war.1 Yet the overall goals set out in the
Charter of the United Nations have proved elusive. Despite the high
hopes of its founders, the establishment of the United Nations some 50
years ago did not usher in an era of peace and prosperity for all.2
Although the United Nations has surely played a role in preventing a
third World war, the last half decade has nevertheless Boutros
Boutros-Ghali. 1992. An Agenda for Peace: Peace-making and
Peace~Keeping. Report of the Secretary-General Pursuant to the Statement
Adopted by the Summit Meeting of the Security Council, January 31, New
York: United Nations. Surely the preamble to the Charter ofthe United
Nations is among the most inspired passages in the history of human
governance: “WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED “to save
succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our
lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and “to reaffirm faith in
fundamental human rights, in the dignity and Worth of the human person,
in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
242 — 243

+++246


Among them, one of the most balanced and thoughtful is the report of the
Commission on Global Governance, entitled Our Global Neighborhood, which
argues for the widespread adoption of new values, as Well as structural
reforms in the United Nations system.5 It is in the spirit of
contributing to the ongoing discussion and consultation on this issue of
paramount importance that the Baha’i International Community has been
moved to share its views. Our perspective is based on three initial
propositions. First, discussions about the future of the United Nations
need to take place within the broad context of the evolution of the 4.
(cont) also voluminous and continues to grow, especially in anticipation
of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. The first major and
serious reassessments of the United Nations began in the 19505, in
anticipation of the tenth anniversary of the Charter. In this regard the
publication in 1958 of World Peace Through World Law by Grenville Clark
and Louis B. Sohn, which was among the first solid proposals to suggest
eliminating the veto power, must be considered a milestone. (Grenville
Clark and Louis B. Sohn, World Peace Through World Law, 3d. ed. enli
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1966). More recent proposals
range from the Stockholm Initiative, which offers a generalist vision of
what might be done to strengthen the United Nations, to Harold Stassen’s
recent United Nations: A Working Paper for Restructuring, which gives an
anicle-by-article proposal for rewriting the UN Charter. Benjamin
Ferencz‘s latest book, New Legal Foundations/hr Global Survival, offers
a series of hard-headed and legal-minded suggestions for reform based on
the premise that nations, peoples and individual! must be free to pursue
their destinies in whatever way they may see 1 providing it does not
jeopardize or destroy the fundamental human right! of others to live in
peace and dignity. The Stockholm Initiative on Glnhul Security and
Governance 1991, Common Responsibility in the 199011} (Stockholm: Prime
Minister’s Office, Stockholm, Sweden). Harold Su sen, United Nations: A
Working Paper for Restructuring (Minneapolilf Learner Publications
Company, 1994). Benjamin Ferencz, New Foundations for Global Survival
(Oceana Publications, 1994). 5. The Commission on Global Governance, Our
Global Neighborhood: 77!! Report of the Commission on Global Governance
(New York: Oxford University Press, 1995). international order and its
directions. The United Nations has coevolved with other great
institutions of the late twentieth century. It is in the aggregate that
these institutions will define—and themselves be shaped by—the evolution
of the international order. Therefore, the mission, role, operating
principles and even activities of the United Nations should be examined
only in the light of how they fit within the broader objective of the
international order. Second, since the body of humankind is one and
indivisible, each member of the human race is born into the world as a
trust of the whole. This relationship between the individual and the
collective constitutes the moral foundation of most of the human rights
which the instruments of the United Nations are attempting to define. It
also serves to define an overriding purpose for the international order
in establishing and preserving the rights of the individual. Third, the
discussions about the future of the international order must involve and
excite the generality of humankind. h“ is discussion is so important
that it cannot be confined to leadthey in government, business, the
academic community, religion, or organizations of civil society. On the
contrary, this conversation must engage women and men at the grass-roots
level. Broad participation will make the process self-reinforcing by
raising awareness of world citizenship and increase support for an
expanded international order. II. Recognizing the Historical Context: A
Call to World Leaders The Baha’i International Community regards the
current World confusion and the calamitous condition of human affairs as
a Eatural phase in an organic process leading ultimately and irre;
istibly t0 the unification of the human race in a single social Drder
Whose boundaries are those of the planet. The human race, as a distinct,
organic unit, has passed through evolutionary stages analogous to the
stages of infancy and childhood in the lives of its individual members,
and is now in the 247

+++248


culminating period of its turbulent adolescence approaching its
long-awaited coming of age.6 The process of global integration, already
a reality in the realms of business, finance, and communications, is
beginning to materialize in the political 313113.. Historically, this
process has been accelerated by sudden and catastrophic events. It was
the devastation of World Wars I and II that gave birth to the League of
Nations and the United Nations, respectively. Whether future
accomplishments are also to be reached after similarly unimaginable
horrors or embraced through an act of consultative will, is the choice
before all who inhabit the earth. Failure to take decisive action would
be uncon— scionably irresponsible. Since sovereignty currently resides
with the nation-state, the task of determining the exact architecture of
the emerging international order is an obligation that rests with heads
of state and With governments. We urge leaders at all levels to take a
deliberate role in supporting a convocation of world leaders before the
turn of this century to consider how the international order might be
redefined and restructured to meet the challenges facing the 6. Many
thinkers have recognized the reality of oneness and understood its
implications for the development of human society, including
paleontologist Richard Leakey: “We are one species, one people. Every
individual on this earth is a member of ‘homo sapiens sapiens,’ and the
geographical varia tions we see among peoples are simply biological
nuances on the theme. The human capacity for culture permits its
elaboration in widely different and colorful ways. The often very deep
differences between those cultures should not be seen as divisions
between people. Inslcml, cultures should be interpreted for what they
really are: the ultimate declaration of belonging to the human species)’
Richard E. Leakey and Rodger Lewin, Origins" What New Discoveries Reveal
about the Emergence ul' Our Species and Its Possible Future 01 ew York:
Dutton, 1977). In general terms, the writings of Shoghi Effendi offer a
thorougl extended exposition on the concept of the oneness of humanity.
A Order of Bahci 'Ildh: Selected Letters, 2d rev. ed. (Wilmette: B:
Publishing Trust, 1974; reprint, 1982), pp. 42—43. world. As some have
suggested, this gathering might be called the World Summit on Global
Governance7 This proposed Summit might build on the experience gained
from the series of highly successful United Nations conferences in the
early 1990s. These conferences, which have included the ‘World Summit
for Children in 1990, the Earth Summit in 1992, the World Conference on
Human Rights in 1993, the International Conference on Population and
Development in 1994, the World Summit for Social Development in 1995 and
the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, have established a new
Iliiethodology for global deliberations on critical issues. A key to the
success of these deliberations has been the substantive participation by
organizations of civil society. PainsIpking negotiations among
government delegations about changes in the World’s political, social
and economic structures have b_een informed and shaped by the vigorous
involvement of these E'ganizations, which tend to reflect the needs and
concerns of people at the grass roots. It is also significant that in
each case, the gathering of world leaders, in the presence of civil
society and the global media, gave the stamp of legitimacy and consenmls
to the processes of the conference. -: In preparing for the proposed
Summit, world leaders would lbc Wise to heed these lessons, to reach out
to as wide a circle as possible and to secure the goodwill and support
of the world’s |'ptpoples. l Some fear that international political
institutions inevitably volve toward excessive centralization and
constitute an unlmranted layer of bureaucracy. It needs to be explicitly
and i'cefully stated that any new structures for global ‘governance
[11151, as a matter of both principle and practicality, ensure that We
are not alone in making this proposal. The Commission on Global
Governance writes in Our Global Neighborhood (p. 351): “Our recom
‘lmendation is that the General Assembly should agree to hold a World
(‘onference on Governance in 1998, with its decisions to be ratified and
1 put into effect by 2000.”

+++250


the resgponsibility for decision-making remains at appropriate levels.
Striking the right balance may not always be easyv On the one hand,
genuine development and real progress can be achieved only by people
themselves, acting individually and collectively, in response to the
specific concerns and needs of their time and place. It can be argued
that the decentralization of governance is the sine qua non of
development.9 On the other hand, the international order clearly
requires a degree of global direction and coordination. Therefore, in
accordance with the principles of decentralization 8. Two commonly used
maxims illustrate this principle. “Small is beautiful,” a maxim coined
in the early "10$ as an economic principle, applies equally to
governance. Schumacher explains: “In the affairs of men, there always
appears to be a need for at least two things simultaneously, which, on
the face of it, seem to be incompatible and to exclude one another. We
always need both freedom and order. We need the freedom of lots and lots
of small, autonomous unities, and, at the same time, the orderliness of
largescale, possibly global, unity and coordination.” E. F. Schumacher,
Small is Beautiful: Economics as ifPeople Mattered (New York: Harper and
Row, 1973), p. 65. “Think globally, act locally,” a slogan promoted by
environmental and community development activists, captures a
perspective in which the need for overall global coordination is
carefully balanced against the need for local and national autonomy. 9.
“Far from aiming at the subversion of the existing foundations of
society“. [a system of world governance] seeks to broaden its basis, to
remold its institutions in a manner consonant with the needs of an
ever-changing World‘ It can conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor
can it undermine essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to the
flame of a sane and intelligent patriotism in men’s hearts, nor to
abolish the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of
excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does
it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate,
of history, of language and tradition, thought and habit, that
differentiate the peoples and nations of the world. It calls for a wider
loyalty, for a larger aspiration than any that has animated the human
race. It insists upon the subordination of national impulses and
interests to the imperative claims of a unified world. It repudiates
excessive centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at
uniformity 0n the other.” Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of 250
outlined above, international institutions should be given the authority
to act only on issues of international concern where states cannot act
on their own or to intervene for the preservation of the rights of
peoples and member states. All other matters should be relegated to
national and local institutions. 10 Furthermore, in devising a specific
framework for the future international order, leaders should survey a
broad range of approaches to governance Rather than being modeled after
any single one of the recognized systems of government, the solution may
embody, reconcile and assimilate within its framework such Wholesome
elements as are to be found in each one of them. For example, one of the
time-tested models of governance that may accommodate the world’s
diversity within a unified framework is the federal system. Federalism
has proved effective in decentralizing authority and decision-making in
large, complex, and heterogeneous states, while maintaining a degree of
overall unity and stability. Another model worth examining is the
commonwealth, which at the global level would place the interest of the
Whole ahead of the interest of any individual nation. Extraordinary care
must be taken in designing the architecture of the international order
so that it does not over time degenerate into any form of despotism, of
oligarehy, or of demagogy corrupting the life and machinery of the
constituent political institutions. In 1955, during the first decade
review of the UN charter, the International Community offered a
statement to the United 10. Writing in the 19305, Shoghi Effendi, who
then led the worldwide community, sketched out some of the functions and
responsibilities for a future world legislature. Among other things, he
wrote: “a world legislature, whose members will, as trustees of the
whole of mankind. . .enact such laws as shall be required to regulate
the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races
and peoples.” The World Order ofBahd ‘u ‘lid/1, p. 203. This view is
shared by such scholars as Jan Tinbergen, winner of the 1969 Nobel prize
for Economics, who stated, “Mankincl’s problems can no longer be solved
by national governments. What is needed is a World Government. This can
best be achieved by strengthening the United Nations system." United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Human Development Report 1994.
Global Governance for the 21st Century (New York: Oxford University
Press), p. 88. 251

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THE BAHA'i WORLD Nations, based on ideas articulated nearly a century
before by Baha’u’llah. “The concept of world order is defined in these
terms: A World Super~State in Whose favor all the nations of the world
Will have ceded every claim to make war, certain rights to impose
taxation and all rights to maintain armaments, except for the purposes
of maintaining internal order within their respective dominions. This
State will have to include an International Executive adequate to
enforce supreme and unchallengeable authority on every recalcitrant
member of the Commonwealth; a World Parliament whose members are elected
by the peoples in their respective countries and whose election is
confirmed by their respective governments; a Supreme Tribunal whose
judgement has a binding effect even in cases where the parties concerned
have not voluntarily agreed to sub— mit their case to its
consideration?“ While we believe this formulation of a world government
is at once the ultimate safeguard and the inevitable destiny of
humankind, we do recognize that it represents a long-term picture of a
global society. Given the pressing nature of the current state of
affairs, the world requires bold, practical and actionable strategies
that go beyond inspiring visions of the future. Nevertheless, by
focusing on a compelling concept, a clear and consistent direction for
evolutionary change emerges from the mire of contradictory views and
doctrines. III. Defining a Role for the UN Within the Emerging
International Order The United Nations was the centerpiece of the
international system created by the victors of World War II and, during
the long decades of ideological conflict between the East and the West,
it served its original purpose as a forum for international dialogue.
Over the years, its mandate has been expanded to include not only
international standard—setting and promotion of social ll. International
Community. Proposals to the Nations for Charter Revision. 23 May 1955.
TURNING POINT and economic development but also peacekeeping operations
on several continents. Over the same period, the political reality of
our world has experienced a dramatic transformation. At the time of the
UN’s inception, there were some 50 independent states. That number has
grown to exceed 185. At the close of World War II, governments were the
main actors on the global scene. Today, the growing influence of
organizations of civil society and of multinational corporations has
created a much more intricate political landscape. Despite the growing
complexity in its mission, the United Nations system has retained more
or less the same structure that was designed for a new international
organization some 50 years ago. It is not surprising then that the
occasion of its 50th anniversary has stimulated a new dialogue about its
ability to meet the political realities of the twenty-first century.
Unfortunately, in this dialogue, criticism has far outweighed praise.
Most criticisms of the operations of the United Nations are based on
comparisons with the operations of the leading organizations in the
private sector or on inflated initial expectations. Although some
specific comparisons may be useful in improving the efficiency of the
United Nations, more general exercises of this kind are essentially
unfair. The United Nations lacks not only the clear authority, but also
the requisite resources to act effectively in most instances.
Accusations of the UN’s failure are in fact indictments of the member
states themselves. Judged in isolation from the reality within which it
operates, the United Nations will always seem inefficient and
ineffective. However, if it is viewed as one element of a larger process
of development in systems of international order, the bright light of
analysis would shift from the UN’s shortcomings and failures to shine on
its victories and accomplishments. To those with an evolutionary
mindset, the early experience of the United Nations offers us a rich
source of learning about its future role within the international
regime. An evolutionary mindset implies the ability to envision an
institution over a long time frame perceiving its inherent potential

+++254


TE BAHA’i WORLD for development, identifying the fundamental principles
governing its growth, formulating high-impact strategies for short-term
implementation, and even anticipating radical discontinuities along its
path. Studying the United Nations from this perspective unveils
significant opportunities to strengthen the current system without the
wholesale restructuring of its principal institutions or the intensive
re-engineering of its core processes. In fact, We submit that no
proposal for UN reform can produce high impact unless its
recommendations are internally consistent and direct the UN along a
projected evolutionary path toward a distinctive and relevant role
Within the future international order. We believe the combination of
recommendations described herein meets these conditions and that their
adoption would represent a measured but significant step toward building
a more just World order. 12 A. Resuscitating the General Assembly The
foundation for any system of governance is the rule of law and the
primary institution for promulgating law is the legislature. While the
authority of local and national legislatures is generally respected,
regional and international legislative bodies have been the subject of
fear and suspicion. In addition, the United Nations General Assembly has
been a target of attack for its ineffectiveness. Although some of the
accusations hurled against it are unfounded, there are at least two
shortcomings that hamper the ability of the Genaral Assembly to have
impact. 12. Throughout His writings, consistently uses the terms
“order,” “world order," and “new world order” to describe the ongoing
and momentous series of changes in the political, social and religious
life of the world. In the 1870s, He wrote: “The world's equilibrium hath
been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new
World Order. Mankind’s ordered life hath been revolutionized through the
agency of this unique, this wondrous System—the like of which mortal
eyes have never witnessed." The Kitz'ib-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book,
trans. Shoghi Effendi and a Committee at the Bahzi’i World Centre
(Haifa: World Centre, 1992), par. [81. TURNING POINT First, the current
arrangement gives undue weight to state sovereignty, resulting in a
curious mix of anarchy and conservatism. In a reformed United Nations,
the legislative branch and its votin g structure will need to represent
more accurately the people of the world as Well as nation-states.13
Second, General Assembly resolutions are not binding unless they are
separately ratified as a treaty by each member state. If the current
system, which places state sovereignty above all other concerns, is to
give way to a system which can address the interests of a single and
interdependent humanity, the resolutions of the General Assembly—Within
a limited domain of issues—must gradually come to possess the force of
law with provisions for both enforcement and sanctions. These two
shortcomings are closely linked inasmuch as the majority of the world’s
people, suspicious and fearful of World government, are unlikely to
submit to an international institution unless it is itself more
genuinely representative.l4 Nevertheless, in the short term, five
practical measures are possible: to strengthen the General Assembly,
enhance its reputation and align it with a longer term direction. 1.
Raising Minimum Requirementsfor Membership The minimum standards for
conduct by a government towards its people have been well established in
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent international
covenants, collectively referred to as the International Bill of Human
Rights. Without an unshakable commitment to regular and periodic
elections with universal participation by secret ballot, to freedom of
expression and to other such human rights, a member state stands in the
way of the active and intelligent participation of the vast majority of
its population in the affairs of its own communities. We propose that
there should be consequences for member l3. The Secret QfDivine
Civilization, 2d ed., trans. Marzieh Gail (Wilmette: Publishing Trust,
1957; reprint, 1970), p. 24. 14. United Nations Research Institute for
Social Development (UNRISD), States of Disarray: The Social Effects of
Globalization (London: KPC Group, 1995), pp. 106-09.

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States that violate these standards. Similarly, nations seeking
recOgnition should be denied membership until they openly espouse these
standards or make recognizable efforts to move in that direction. 1?.
Appointing a Commission to Study Borders and Frontiers Outstanding
irredcntist claims continue to be a major source of Conflict and war,
highlighting the critical need for general agreements on national
boundaries. Such treaties can only be arrived at after consideration of
the arbitrary manner in which many nation-states were originally defined
and of all outstanding Claims of nations and ethnic groups. Rather than
relegating such claims to the World Court, we believe it would be best
to establish a special International Commission to research all claims
affecting international boundaries and then, after careful
consideration, to make recommendations for action.15 The results would
serve as an early warning system 15-. There are many ways that such a
Commission, or even the World Legislature itself, might go about
determining fair and just borders for all nations. But as daunting as
the task may seem, it is an important part of the process of building a
new order. Wrote “True civilization will unfurl its banner in the
midmost heart of the world whenever a certain number of its
distinguished and high-minded sovereigns—the shining exemplars of
devotion and determination—shall, for the good and happiness of all man
kind, arise, with firm resolve and clear vision, to establish the Cause
of ‘i Universal Peace. They must make the Cause of Peace the object of
general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to
establish a Union of the nations of the world‘ They must conclude a
binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which shall
be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim it to all the
World and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race. This supreme
and noble undertaking—the real source of the peace and well-being of all
the world—should be regarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth. All
the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and
permanence of this Most Great Covenant. In this all—embracing Pact the
limits and frontiers of each and every nation should be clearly fixed,
the principles underlying the relations of governments towards one
another definitely laid down, and all international agreements and
obligations ascertained. In like manner, the size of the armaments of
every government should be strictly limited, for if the preparations for
war and the military forces of any nation should be TURNING POINT for
growing tension among civil or ethnic groups and assessment of threats
in situations benefiting from early preventive diplomacy. In order to
establish a genuine community of nations in the long run, it will be
necessary to settle finally all disputes over borders. This research
would serve that end. 3. Searchingfor New Financial Arrangements
Primarily triggered by the unwillingness of some member states to remit
their general assessments on time, compounded by the absence of
authority to collect any interest accrued because of that delay, and
further aggravated by the bureaucratic inefficiencies in parts of its
operations, the annual budget shortfall pressures the UN into a crisis
management mentality. Voluntary payments from member states will never
be a reliable approach to finance an international institution. Vigorous
approaohe$ to revenue generation must be devised to enable the smooth
functioning of the UN machinery. We propose the immediate appointment of
an expert Task Force to begin a rigorous search for solutions. In
studying alternatives, the Task Force should be mindful of several
fundamental principles. First, there should be no assessments without
representation. Second, in the interest of faimess and justice,
assessments should be graduated. Third, mechanisms for encouraging
voluntary contributions by individuals and communities should not be
overlooked.16 l5. (cont.) allowed to increase, they will arouse the
suspicion of others. The fundamental principle underlying this solemn
Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate any one of
its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce it
to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with
every power at its disposal, to destroy that government. Should this
greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body ofthe world, it
will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and
secure." ‘The Secret of Divine Civilization, pp. 64—65. l6. Charitable
giving in the United States in 1994 rose by 3.6 percent to $130 billion,
according to Karen W. Arenson, “Charitable Giving Rose 3.6% in 1994,
Philanthropy Trust Says,” The New York Times, 25 May 1995, see. A, p. 22.

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Making Commitment to a Universal Auxiliary Language and a Common Script
The United Nations, which currently uses six official languages, would
derive substantial benefit from either choosing a single existing
language or creating a new one to be used as an auxiliary language in
all its fora. Such a step has long been advocated by many groups, from
the Esperantists to the Baha’i International Community itself.17 In
addition to saving money and simplifying bureaucratic procedures, such a
move would go far toward promoting a spirit of unity. We propose the
appointment of a high-level Commission, with members from various
regions and drawn from relevant fields, including linguistics,
economics, the social sciences, education and the media, to begin
careful study on the matter of an international auxiliary language and
the adoption of a common script. We foresee that, eventually, the world
cannot but adopt a single, universally agreed-upon auxiliary language
and script to be taught in schools worldwide, as a supplement to the
language or languages of each country. The objective would be to
facilitate the transition to a global society through better
communication 17. “Regarding the whole question of an International
Language... We, as Bahz'i’is, are very anxious to see a universal
auxiliary tongue adopted as soon as possible; We are not the
protagonists of any one language to fill this post. If the governments
of the world agree on an existing language, or a constructed, new
tongue, to be used internationally, we would heartily support it because
we desire to see this step in the unification of the human race take
place as soon as possible.” Shoghi Effendi, Directivesfrom the Guardian,
comps Gertrude Garrida (New Delhi: Baha’l Publishing Trust, [973), p.
39. In making this proposal, we wish to call attention to the term
“auxiliary.” The Baha’i teachings value and promote cultural diversity,
not uniformity. At this point in history, then, we do not envision
imposing a single language worldwide. Rather, what We imagine is that
peoples and nations would keep their own local and national
languages—while at the same time be encouraged to learn a universal
language. Certainly such a universal language should ultimately be
taught, as a required subject, in all of the world’s schools. But this
should in no way detract from legitimate expressions ofnational and
local linguistic and cultural diversity. TURNING POINT among nations,
reduction of administrative costs for businesses, governments and others
involved in global enterprise, and a general fostering of more cordial
relations between all members of the human family.18 This proposal
should be read narrowly. It does not in any way envision the decline of
any living language or culture. 5. Investigating the Possibility of a
Single International Currency The need to promote the adoption of a
global currency as a vital element in the integration of the global
economy is self-evident. Among other benefits, economists believe that a
single currency will curb unproductive speculation and unpredictable
market swings, promote a leveling of incomes and prices worldwide, and
thereby result in significant savings.19 The possibility of savings will
not lead to action unless there is an overwhelming body of evidence
addressing the relevant concerns and doubts of skeptics, accompanied by
a credible implementation plan. We propose the appointment of a
Commission consisting of the most accomplished government leaders,
academics and professionals to begin immediate exploration into the
economic benefits and the political costs of a single currency and to
hypothesize about an effective implementation approach. 18. “The day is
approaching when all the peoples of the world will have adopted one
universal language and one common script,” wrote ’llah in the late
18005. “When this is achieved, to whatsoever city a man may journey, it
shall be as if he were entering his own home.” Gleanings from the
Writings ofBahd '14 ‘11611, trans. Shoghi Effendi (Wilmette: Publishing
Trust, I983), p. 250. 19. In a “special contributionfi to the 1994 Human
Development Report, James Tobin, winner of the 1981 Nobel Prize for
Economics, observes that “a permanent single currency” would eliminate
much if not all of the turbulence currently associated with the huge
amount of currency speculation on world markets today. Observing that
such a single world currency is probably a long way off, he proposes as
an interim measure an “international uniform tax” on spot transactions
in foreign exchange. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Human
Development Report 1994. A Tax on International Currency Transactions
(New York: Oxford University Press), p. 70.

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TH_E BAHA'E WORLD B. Developing A Meaningful Executive Function At the
international level, the single most important executive function is the
enforcement of a collective security pact.20 Collective security implies
a binding covenant among nations to act in concert against threats to
the collective. The effectiveness of the covenant depends on the degree
to which members commit themselves to the collective good, even if
motivated by a sense of enlightened self-interest. Within the United
Nations, the enforcement role is largely carried out by the Security
Council, with other functions of the executive being shared with the
Secretariat. Both are hampered in fulfilling their mandated roles. The
Security Council suffers from an inability to take decisive action. The
Secretariat is pressured by the complex demands of the member states. In
the short term, four practical ‘measures are possible to strengthen the
executive function Within the United Nations. 1. Limiting the Exercise
Qfihe Veto Power The original intention of the UN Charter in conferring
veto power on the five Pennanent Members was to prevent the Security
Council from authorizing military actions against a Permanent Member or
requiring the use of its forces against its will?‘ In fact, beginning
with the Cold War, the veto power has been exercised repeatedly for
reasons that have to do with regional or national security. In its 1955
submission on UN reform, the Bahél’i International Community argued for
the gradual elimination of the concepts of “permanent membership” and
“veto power” as confidence in the Security Council would build. Today,
40 years later, we reaffirm 20. The principle of collective security was
put forth by Baha’u’llz'ih over a century ago in letters to the kings
and rulers of the world: “Be united, O kings of the earth, for thereby
will the tempest of discord be stilled amongst you, and your peoples
find rest, if ye be of them that comprehend. Should anyone among you
take up arms against another, rise ye all against him, for this is
naught but manifest justice.n Gleanings from the Writings ofBaha'!
'llzih, p. 254. 21.The Report of the Independent Working Group on the
Future of the United Nations, The United Nations in its Second
Half-Century (Yale University Press Service, [995), p. 16. TURNING POINT
that position. However, we also propose that, as a transitionary step,
measures be introduced to curb the exercise of the veto power to reflect
the original intention of the Charter. 2. Institutionalizing Ad Hoc
Military Arrangements To support the peacekeeping operations of the
United Nations, and to add credibility to resolutions of the Security
Council, an International Force should be created.22 Its loyalty to the
UN and its independence from national considerations must be assured.
The command and control of such a fully armed Force would reside with
the Secretary-General under the authority of the Security Council. Its
finances, however, would be determined by the General Assembly. In
constructing such a force, the Secretary—Gencral would seek to draw
competent personnel from all regions of the world. If properly
implemented, this Force would also provide a sense of security that
might encourage steps toward global disarmament, thereby making possible
an outright ban on all Weapons of mass destruction.23 Furthermore, in
line with the principle of 22. Glenview Foundation, The Stassen Draft
Charter for a New United Nations to Emergefrom the Original, to Serve
World Peace and Progress for the Next Forty Years (Philadelphia:
Glenvicw Foundation, 1985). Grenville Clark and Louis B. Sohn, World
Peace Through World Law (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1966).
Keith Hindell, “Reform of the United Nations?” in The World Today:
Journal of the Royal Institute oflnternational (United Kingdom, Feb.
1992) Vol. 48, No. 2. pp. 30-33. John Logue, “New World Order Means
Reformed World Federalist News, July 1992. Benjamin B. Ferencz and Ken
Keyes Jr., Planethood: The Key to Your Future (Coos Bay, Oregon: Love
Line Books, 1991). Boutros Boutros-Ghali, An Agenda for Peace:
Peacemaking and Peace-Keeping. Report of the Secretary General Pursuant
to the Statement Adopted by the Summit Meeting of the Security Council,
January 31 (New York: United Nations, 1992). 23. This is not to say that
steps to ban such weapons should await the full development and
deployment of such a Force. We wholeheartedly support current steps to
renew the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to
firmly establish a comprehensive test ban, as well as any further
efforts to eliminate nuclear, chemical and/or biological weapons.
Likewise, stronger efforts must be made to restrict and control
conventional weapons such as land mines, which kill indiscriminately.

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collective security, it would become gradually understood that states
need only maintain armaments sufficient for their own defense and the
maintenance of internal order. As an immediate step toward the
establishment of this Force, the present system of ad hoc arrangements
could be institutionalized to establish core regional forces for rapid
deployment durin a crisis. i' 3. Applying the Nation Q/‘Collective
Security to Other Problems the Global Commons Although originally
conceived within the context of a threat of military aggression, the
principle of collective security, some argue, may now be applied in an
expansive manner to all threats Which, although apparently local in
nature, are actually the resuit of the complex breakdown of the
present-day global order. These threats include but are not limited to
international drug trafficking, food security, and the emergence of new
global pandemics.24 We believe this issue would have to be included on
the agenda of the proposed Global Summit. However, it is unlikely that
expansive formulations of collective security would preclude the
fundamental cause of military aggression. 4. Retaining Successful UN
Institutions with Independent Executive Function Some of the more
independent organizations within the UN family, such as the UN
fiiternational Children’s Emergency Fund, the International Civil
Aviation Organization, the Universal Postal Union, the International
Telegraph and Communications Union, the International Labour
Organization, and the World Health Or ganization, have enjoyed
conspicuous success with focused but important areas of international
concern. 24. Mahbub ul Haq, 1994. Senior Advisor to UNDP Administrator.
Team Leader of the Group that prepares the UNDP annual Human Development
Reports which have brought, in recent years, fresh insights to
development theory and practice, including a new concept on human
security. TURNING POlNT Generally, these organizations already have
their own executive function. Their independence should be retained and
reinforced as part of the international executive.25 C. A Strengthened
World Court In any system of governance, a strong judicial function is
necessary to moderate the powers of the other branches and to enunciate,
promulgate, protect and deliver justice. The drive to create just
societies has been among the fundamental forces in history26— and
without doubt no lasting World civilization can be founded unless it is
firmly grounded in the principle of justice. Justice is the one power
that can translate the dawning consciousness of humanity’s oneness into
a collective will through which the necessary structures of global
community life can be confidently erected. An age that sees the people
of the World increasingly gaining access to information of every kind
and to a diversity of ideas will find justice asserting itself as the
ruling principle of successful social organization. At the individual
level, justice is that faculty of the human soul that enables each
person to distinguish truth from falsehood. In the sight of God,
Bahé’u’llah avers, justice is “the best beloved of all things” since it
permits each individual to see with his own eyes rather than the eyes of
others, to know through his oWn knowledge rather than the knowledge of
his neighbor or his group. At the group level, a concern for justice is
the indispensable compass in collective decision-making, because it is
the only means by which unity of thought and action can be achieved. Far
from encouraging the punitive spirit that has often masqueraded under
its name in past ages, justice is the practical expression of awareness
that, in the achievement of human progress, the interests of the
individual and those of society are inextricably linked. To the extent
that justice becomes a guiding concern of human 25. Erskine Childers,
ed. Challenges to the United Nations.‘ Building a Sqfer World (New York:
St. Martin’s PI‘CSS, 1994). pp. 21-25. 26. John Huddlcston, The Search
for a Just Society (Oxford: George Ronald, 1989).

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interaction, a consultative climate is encouraged that permits options
to be examined dispassionately and appropriate courses of action
selected. In such a climate the perennial tendencies toward manipulation
and partisanship are far less likely to deflect the decision-making
process. Such a conception of justice will be gradually reinforced by
the realization that, in an interdependent world, the interests of the
individual and society are inextricably intertwined. In this con— text,
justice is a thread that must be woven into the consideration of every
interaction, Whether in the family, the neighborhood, or at the global
level. We see in the current United Nations. system the foundation for a
strengthened World Court. Established in 1945 as the principal judicial
organ of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice is
characterized by many positive elements. The current system for the
selection of judges, for example, seeks to create a judicial panel which
is representative of a wide range of peoples, regions, and judicial
systems.27 27. About 75 years ago ‘Abdu’l-Bahé offered the following
suggestions for a future world court: “the national assemblies of each
country and nation— that is to say parliaments—should elect two or three
persons who are the choicest of that nation, and are well informed
concerning international laws and the relations between governments and
aware of the essential needs of the world of humanity in this day. The
number of these representatives should be in proportion to the number of
inhabitants of that country. The election of these souls who are chosen
by the national assembly, that is, the parliament, must be confirmed by
the upper house, the congress and the cabinet and also by the president
or monarch so these persons may be the elected ones of all the nation
and the government. The Supreme Tribunal will be composed of these
people, and all mankind will thus have a share therein, for every one of
these delegates is fully representative of his nation. When the Supreme
Tribunal gives a ruling on any international question, either
unanimously or by majority rule, there will no longer be any pretext for
the plaintiff or ground of objection for the defendant. In case any of
the governments or nations, in the execution of the irrefutable decision
of the Supreme Tribunal, be negligent or dilatory, the rest of the
nations will rise up against it, because all the governments and nations
of the world are the supporters of this Supreme Tribunal. Consider what
a firm foundation this is! But by a limited and restricted League the
purpose 264 The Court’s primary shortcoming is that it lacks the
authority to issue legally binding decisions, except in those cases
where states have chosen in advance to be bound by its decisions.
Without jurisdiction, the Court is powerless to administer justice.28 In
time, the decisions of the World Court may become binding and
enforceable upon all states; however, in the short term, the World Court
might be strengthened through two other measures. 1. Extending the Court
is‘ Jurisdiction Currently, the Court’s jurisdiction is limited to a few
categories of cases, and only nations have standing to bring an action.
We propose that in addition to member states, other organs of the 4' I I
i v-cwllu UL Lllu United Nations should be given the right to bring
cases before the Court. 2. Coordinating the Thematic Courts The World
Court should act as an umbrella for existing and new thematic courts,
that arbitrate and adjudicate international cases within specific
thematic domains. Early components of a unified system can already be
found in the specialized courts for arbitration of such matters as com—
merce and transportation, and in the proposals for such bodies as an
International Criminal Court and a Chamber for Environmental Matters.
Other issue areas that might need to be addressed under such a system
would include courts for international terrorism and drug trafficking.
27. (cont) will not be realized as it ought and should" Selections from
the Writings of 'Abdu comp. Research Department of the Universal House
of Justice, trans. a Committee at the World Centre and Marzieh Gail.
(Haifa: World Centre, 1978) pp. 28. At the present time, for example,
the Court’s jurisdiction is limited to 1) cases which the parties refer
to it jointly by special agreement, 2) matters concerning a treaty or
convention in force which provides for reference to n. A r‘, . 1 -> ,7’,
‘u. luLuluJlbh lU the Court, and 3) specified classes of legal disputes
between States for which they have recognized the jurisdiction ofthe
Court as compulsory. Europa World Year Book 1994. Vol. 1 (London: Europa
Publications Limited, 1994), p. 22.

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IV. Releasing the Power of the Individual: A Critical Challenge of the
Emerging International Order The primary objective of governing
institutions at all levels is the advancement of human civilization.
This objective is difficult to satisfy without the inspired and
intelligent participation of the generality of humankind in the life and
affairs of the community. With a focus on building institutions and
creating a community of nations, international bodies have historically
remained distant from the minds and hearts of the World’s people.
Separated by several layers of government from the international arena
and confused by the media’s coverage of international news, the vast
majority of people have not yet developed an affinity for institutions
like the United Nations. Only those individuals who have had some access
to the international arena through channels like organizations of civil
society seem able to identify with these institutions. Paradoxically,
international institutions cannot develop into an effective and mature
level of government and fulfill their primary objective to advance human
civilization if they do not recognize and nurture their relationship of
mutual dependency with the people of the world. Such recognition would
set in motion a virtuous cycle of trust and support that would
accelerate the transition to a new World order. The tasks entailed in
the development of a global society call for levels of capacity far
beyond anything the human race has so far been able to muster. Reaching
these levels will require an enormous expansion in access to knowledge
on the part of every individual. International institutions will succeed
in eliciting and directing the potentialities latent in the peoples of
the world to the extent that their exercise of authority is moderated by
their obligation to win the confidence, respect, and genuine support of
those whose actions they seek to govern and to consult openly and to the
fullest extent possible with all those whose interests are affected.
Individuals who become confident and respectful of these institutions
will, in turn, demand that their national governments increase their
support, both political and economic, for the international order. In
turn, the international institutions, with increased influence and
power, will be better positioned to undertake further actions to
establish a legitimate and effective world order‘ Along with the
measures for strengthening its structure, the United Nations needs to
adopt initiatives that release the latent power in all people to
participate in this galvanizing process. To this end, certain themes
that accelerate the advancement of the individual and society Warrant
special consideration. Among them, promoting economic development,
protecting human rights, advancing the status of Women, and emphasizing
moral development are four priorities so closely tied to the advancement
of civilization that they must be emphasized as part of the United
Nations agenda. A. Promoting Economic Development Economic development
strategies employed by the United Na~ tions, the World Bank and a number
of governments during the last 50 years, however sincerely conceived and
executed, have fallen far short of aspirations. In much of the world,
the gap kahnnn“ ‘LA - r11 -.m. sup between the “haves” and “have-nets”
has widened and is accelerating with the persistent disparity in income
levels. Social problems have not subsided. In fact, crime and disease
are not just on the rise; they are also becoming endemic and more
difficult to combat. These failures can be traced to a number of
factors. They include a misplaced focus on large-scale projects and
bureaucratic over-centralization, unjust terms of international trade, a
pervasive corruption that has been allowed to flourish throughout the
system, 4,11,. 7 P , a "U." W. m- U, mow, the exclusion of women from
the decision-making processes at all levels, a general inability to
ensure that resources reach the poor, and the diversion of development
resources into military hardware. A dispassionate examination of these
factors betrays a common systematic and fundamental flaw in the current
paradigm for economic development: material needs are often addressed
with out taking into account the spiritual factors and their motivating
power.

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Development should not become confused with the creation of an
unsustainable consumer society_ True prosperity encompasses spiritual as
well as material well-being. Food, drink, shelter and a degree of
material comfort are essential, but human beings cannot j it/II i ll -.-
v and never will find fulfillment in these necessities. Nor is
contentment to be found in the somewhat more intangible material
attainments such as social recognition or political power. Ultimately,
not even intellectual achievement satisfies our deepest needs./ It is in
the hunger for something more, something beyond ourselves, that the
reality of the human spirit can be properly understood. Although the
spiritual side of our nature is obscured by the day-to-day struggle for
material attainment, our need for the transcendent cannot long be
disregarded. Thus a sustainable development paradigm must address both
the spiritual aspirations of human beings and their material needs and
desires. Education is the best investment in economic development. “Man
is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however,
deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess,” writes
Baha’u’llah. “Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value.
Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable
mankind to benefit therefrom.”29 Education implies more than a process
of mastering a narrow body of 29. Gleam'ngsfi'om the Writings of Baha'
'llzih, p. 260. “The primary most urgent requirement is the promotion of
education. It is inconceivable that any nation should achieve prosperity
and success unless this paramount, this fundamental concern is carried
forward. The principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples is
ignorance. Today the mass of the people are uninformed even as to
ordinary affairs, how much less do they grasp the core of the important
problems and complex needs of the time.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahé, The Secret of
Divine Civilization, p. 109) “This same difference is noticeable among
animals; some have been domesticated, educated, others left wild. The
proof is clear that the World of nature is imperfect, the world of
education perfect. That is to say, man is rescued from the exigencies of
nature by training and culture; consequently, education is necessary,
obligatory. But education is of various kinds. There is a training and
development of the physical body which ensures strength and growth.
There is intellectual education or mental 268 knowledge or learning a
set of life skills. In truth, education, which should be a fundamental
imperative of development, must also teach the process for knowledge
acquisition, cultivate the powers of intellect and reasoning, and infuse
the student with indispensable moral qualities. It is this comprehensive
approach to education that allows people to contribute to the creation
of wealth and encourage its just distribution.” Genuine wealth is
created when work is undertaken not simply as a means of earning a
livelihood but also as a way to contribute to society. We hold that
meaningful work is a basic need of the 7 __.. Alvvu UL Lllc human soul,
as important to the proper development of the individual as nutritious
food, clean Water and fresh air are to the physical body. Because of the
spiritually damaging nature of dependency, schemes which focus solely on
redistributing material wealth are doomed to failure in the long run.
Distribution of wealth must be training for which schools and colleges
are founded. The third kind of education is that of the spirit. Through
the breaths ofthe Holy Spirit man is uplifted into the world of
moralities and illumined by the lights of divine bestowals. The moral
world is only attained through the effulgence of the cu... Acrmunat 1 .1
- - I vllulsunuu UL [11C Sun of Reality and the quickening life of the
divine spirit." ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks
Delivered by 'Abdu 'l-Bahd During His Visit to the United States and
Canada in I912, comp. Howard MacNutt, 2d. ed., (Wilmette: Publishing
Trust, [982), pp. 329-30. 30. Governments and their partners must bear
in mind that material equality ic mm“. Mmmmnh “A J. - - - l- - W m-..“
m... equality is neither achievable nor desirable. Absolute equality is
a chimera. At vari— ous points along the way, there will nevertheless be
the necessity for the redistribution of some of the world’s wealth. For,
indeed, it is becoming increasingly obvious that unbridled capitalism
does not provide the answer either. Some regulation and redistribution
is necessary to promote material inn“..- ' , PlullJUlk-r lllLllClllll
justice. In this regard, a tax on income is, in principle, one of the
fairest and most equitable means. There must also be a role for the
voluntary sharing of wealth—both at an individual and an institutional
level. Equal opportunities for economic advancement and progress,
however, must be woven into the very fabric of the new order.
Ultimately, the most important regulaHnn n“ " V V "J , mun. lcsuldtion
on any economic system is the moral regulation that begins in the hearts
and minds of people.

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approached in an effieient and equitable manner. In fact, it must be
intimately integrated with the process of wealth creation. We propose
the following recommendation to the United Nations system for promoting
more effective development. 1. Launching a Determined Campaign to
Implement Agenda 21 The plan of action formulated at the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development incorporated a wide range of
views from civil society and a set of principles not unlike those
articulated in this statement. Unfortunately, however, little has been
done by member states to implement the measures described in the plan.
If the objectives of Agenda 21 are to be addressed and satisfled, an
expanded effort, different in nature but comparable in scale and
commitment to the Marshall Plan for the re-development of post-war
Europe, might be necessary. In this case, the Bretton Woods institutions
would be called upon to mount a pronounced campaign to expedite national
implementation efforts. A mandate of this nature can result only from a
conference, similar to the first Bretton Woods meetings 50 years ago,
dedicated to a wholesale reexamination of these institutions. The
purpose of this reexamination would be to make available to the people
of the world sufficient resources so that they could implement local
initiatives. Moreover, the conference could also expand its agenda to
address deeper issues of global economic security through the
redefinition of existing institutions or the creation of new
structures.31 If successful, this new machinery could also be extended
to coordinate implementation of the measures identified at the recent
Social Summit. B. Protecting Fundamental Human Rights Over the five
decades since the United Nations was founded, an 3l.The establishment of
the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a commendable first step in the
right direction and may be useful in the long run, as one of the tools
that could be the basis for funding Agenda 21, if its operational scale
is enlarged and its mandate redefined. 270 understanding has emerged
that human rights must be recognized and protected internationally if
peace, social progress and economic prosperity are to be established.
The foundation for international agreement on the nature of human rights
is the all-important Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by
the United Nations in 1948 and elaborated in two international
covenants—the lntemational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and
the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights. In
addition, some 75 other conventions and declarations identify and
promote the rights of women and children, the right to freedom of
worship, and the right to development, to name but a few. The current
United Nations human rights regime has two major shortcomings: limited
means for enforcement and follow-up, and too little emphasis on the
responsibilities that accompany all rights. Human rights enforcement at
the international level needs to be handled in a manner similar to the
treatment of military aggression under a collective security regime. The
violation of human rights in one state must be considered the concern of
all, and enforcement mechanisms must provide for a unified response 0n
the part of the entire international community. The question of when and
how to intervene to protect human rights is more difficult to answer.
Vigorous enforcement will require a high degree of global consensus on
what constitutes a flagrant and willful violation. Important steps
toward global consensus were taken during the process leading up to the
1993 World Conference on Human Rights, which affirmed unequivocally that
human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent, and ended
the long-standing debate about the relative importance of civil and
political rights as compared to social, economic and cultural rights?’2
Conference resolutions also confirmed that human rights must be applied
irrespective of differences of racial background, ethnic origin,
religious belief or national identity. They encompass the equality 32.
World Conference on Human Rights. Vienna Declaration and Programme of
Action. June 1993. Vienna, Austria.

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of Women and men; they include for all individuals Worldwide the same
rights to freedom of investigation, infonnation and religious practice;
and they embody the right of everyone to basic necessities such as food,
shelter, and healthcare33 Beyond the need to build consensus and
strengthen enforcement of human 33. A further elaboration of this
concept can be found in The Prosperity of Humankind, a statement of the
Baha’i International Community’s Office of Public Information, published
in February 1995: “The activity most intimately linked to the
consciousness that distinguishes human nature is the individual’s
exploration of reality for himself or herself. The freedom to
investigate the purpose of existence and to develop the endowments of
human nature that make it achievable requires protection. Human beings
must be free to know. That such freedom is often abused and such abuse
grossly encouraged by features of contemporary society does not detract
in any degree from the validity of the impulse itself. “It is this
distinguishing impulse of human consciousness that provides the moral
imperative for the enunciation of many of the rights enshrined in the
Universal Declaration and the related Covenants. Universal education,
freedom of movement, access to information, and the opportunity to
participate in political life are all aspects of its operation that
require explicit guarantee by the international community. The same is
true of freedom of thought and belief, including religious liberty,
along with the right to hold opinions and express these opinions
appropriately. “Since the body of humankind is one and indivisible, each
member of the race is born into the world as a trust of the whole. This
trusteeship constitutes the moral foundation of most of the other
rights—principally economic and social—which the instruments of the
United Nations are attempting similarly to define. The security of the
family and the home, the ownership of property, and the right to privacy
are all implied in such a trusteeship. The obligations on the part of
the community extend to the provision of employment, mental and physical
health care, social security, fair wages, rest and recreation, and a
host of other reasonable expectations on the part of the individual
members of society. “The principle of collective trusteeship creates
also the right of every person to expect that those cultural conditions
essential to his or her identity enjoy the protection of national and
international law. Much like the role played by the gene pool in the
biological life of humankind and its environment, the immense wealth of
cultural diversity achieved over thousands of years is vital to the
social and economic development of a human race experiencing its
collective coming-of-age. It represents a heri~ tage that must be
permitted to bear its fruit in a global civilization. On the one hand,
cultural expressions need to be protected from suffocation by the 272
rights, it is important to establish a greater understanding that to
each right is attached a corresponding responsibility. The right to be
recognized as a person before the law, for example, implies the
responsibility to obey the law—and to make Lad. LL 7 I a , ‘J v--- “H.
mu Luctkc both the laws and the legal system more just. Likewise, in the
socio-economic realm, the right to marry carries with it the
responsibility to support the family unit, to educate one’s children and
to treat all family members with respect.34 The right to Work cannot be
divorced from the responsibility to perform one’s duties 4.,‘ ‘I..- Lao.
r‘ - J V - 0 Ul-lllUD t0 the best of one’s ability. In the broadest
sense, the notion of “universal” human rights implies a responsibility
to humanity as a whole. Ultimately, while it is up to the individual to
fulfill the respon— sibility in each such area, it is up to
international institutions to protect the related human right. ‘We
propose three measures for immediate action. 1. Strengthening the
Machinery ofthe UNjbr Monitoring, Implementation and F allow-Up The
United Nations machinery for the monitoring, implementation and
follow-up of government compliance with international 33. (cont)
materialistic influences currently holding sway. On the other, cultures
must be enabled to interact with one another in ever-changing patterns
of civilization, free of manipulation for partisan political ends.” A.
......e.. PM”. em». 34. Ultimately, respect for human rights must begin
in the family: “Compare the nations of the world to the members of a
family. A family is a nation in miniature. Simply enlarge the circle of
the household, and you have the nation. Enlarge the circle of nations,
and you have all humanity. The conmummy -- A 1 V J u" nun-nanny. 1H5
ditions surrounding the family surround the nation. The happenings in
the family are the happenings in the life of the nation. Would it add to
the progress and advancement ofa family if dissensions should arise
among its members, all fighting, pillaging each other, jealous and
revengeful of irlinru ' i I J V, v- “a... - vllswiul U1 injury, seeking
selfish advantage? Nay, this would be the cause of the effacement of
progress and advancement. So it is in the great family of nations, for
nations are but an aggregate of families. Therefore, as strife and
dissension destroy a family and prevent its progress, so nations are
Agra-"nun h’ J I e W Y .>.. luusumn, nu uauullti are destroyed and
advancement hindered.” The Promulgation of Univerml Peace, p. 157.

+++274


covenants is inadequate. The Center for Human Rights consists of a very
small professional staff struggling to support efforts to monitor the
compliance by countries of all treaties they have ratified. We believe
the resources assigned to this Center must be dramatically increased if
it is to discharge its duties properly. 2. Encouraging Universal
Ratification International Conventions on Human Rights Since ratifying
the international conventions on human rights creates an obligation for
member states, albeit not a practically enforceable one, the
Secretary-General and all bodies of the UN might consider every
opportunity to encourage member states to act on this issue. In fact, a
demanding timeline for universal ratification may be an inspiring goal
to be set by the General Assembly. 3. Assuring Respect for the
Monitoring Organs ofthe UN Involved in Human Rights Since the mandate of
the human rights monitoring agencies is of a very serious nature, the UN
needs to be particularly mindful of perceptions created by the structure
and processes of these agencies and equally deliberate in acting to
resolve compromising situations. We believe it would be prudent to
explore during the nomination process the qualifications of member
states in visible positions and to exclude from election to membership
on the Commission on Human Rights and other monitoring agencies, any
member states that have not yet ratified the international conventions.
While these member states would still be able to fully participate in
deliberations, it would protect the United Nations from a potentially
embarrassing and compromising situation. We also believe that a single
exception is warranted to the above rule Member states, not under the
scrutiny of the UN, that have sufficient protection for fimdamental
human rights Within their constitutions, but which have not been able to
complete the ratification process because of internal political reasons,
should 274 not be barred from election to visible positions. Finally, it
also seems prudent for member states that have ratithe international
conventions but are under scrutiny for gross human rights violations to
be disqualified from election to the offices of conferences and other
meetings of the Commission on Human Rights. This will prevent a
widespread perception of the proceedings as a mockery. C. Advancing The
Status Of Women The creation of a peaceful and sustainable World
civilization will be impossible without the full participation of women
in every arena of human activity.35 While this proposition is
increasingly supported, there is a marked difference between
intellectual acceptance and its implementation. It is time for the
institutions of the world, composed mainly of men, to use their
influence to promote the systematic inclusion of women, not out of
condescension or presumed self-sacrifice but as an act motivated by the
belief that the contributions of women are required for society to
progress.36 Only as the contributions of women are valued will they be
sought out and Woven into the fabric 35. “When all mankind shall receive
the same opportunity of education and the equality of men and women be
realized, the foundations of war will be utterly destroyed. Without
equality this will be impossible because all dif— . .- .. . d ,7, ‘V
UUUUUDU an Ull“ ferences and distinction are conducive to discord and
strife. Equality between men and women is conducive to the abolition of
warfare for the reason that Women will never be willing to sanction it.
Mothers will not give their sons as sacrifices upon the battlefield
after twenty years of anxi' , -...J m WMety and loving devotion in
rearing them from infancy, no matter What cause they are called upon to
defend. There is no doubt that when Women obtain equality of rights, war
will entirely cease among mankind.” The Promulgation Peace, pp. 174-75.
, who“ 7“... u...“ luuuslllbk auu ize equality, social and political
progress here or anywhere will not be possible. For the world ofhumanity
consists oftwo parts or members: one is woman; the other is man. Until
these two members are equal in strength, "19 A: W " 7 , H“. n1
DllDIlsllL, the oneness of humanity cannot be established, and the
happiness and felicity of mankind will not be a reality. God willing,
this is to be so.” The Promulgation QfUi'liVGFSHl Peace, p. 77.

+++276


covenants is inadequate. The Center for Human Rights consists of a very
small professional staff struggling to support efforts to monitor the
compliance by countries of all treaties they have ratified. We believe
the resources assigned to this Center must be dramatically increased if
it is to discharge its duties properly. 2. Encouraging Universal
Ratification International Conventions on Human Rights Since ratifying
the international conventions on human rights creates an obligation for
member states, albeit not a practically enforceable one, the
Secretary-General and all bodies of the UN might consider every
opportunity to encourage member states to act on this issue. In fact, a
demanding timeline for universal ratification may be an inspiring goal
to be set by the General Assembly. 3. Assuring Respect for the
Monitoring Organs ofthe UN Involved in Human Rights Since the mandate of
the human rights monitoring agencies is of a very serious nature, the UN
needs to be particularly mindful of perceptions created by the structure
and processes of these agencies and equally deliberate in acting to
resolve compromising situations. We believe it would be prudent to
explore during the nomination process the qualifications of member
states in visible positions and to exclude from election to membership
on the Commission on Human Rights and other monitoring agencies, any
member states that have not yet ratified the international conventions.
While these member states would still be able to fully participate in
deliberations, it would protect the United Nations from a potentially
embarrassing and compromising situation. We also believe that a single
exception is warranted to the above rule Member states, not under the
scrutiny of the UN, that have sufficient protection for fimdamental
human rights Within their constitutions, but which have not been able to
complete the ratification process because of internal political reasons,
should 274 not be barred from election to visible positions. Finally, it
also seems prudent for member states that have ratithe international
conventions but are under scrutiny for gross human rights violations to
be disqualified from election to the offices of conferences and other
meetings of the Commission on Human Rights. This will prevent a
widespread perception of the proceedings as a mockery. C. Advancing The
Status Of Women The creation of a peaceful and sustainable World
civilization will be impossible without the full participation of women
in every arena of human activity.35 While this proposition is
increasingly supported, there is a marked difference between
intellectual acceptance and its implementation. It is time for the
institutions of the world, composed mainly of men, to use their
influence to promote the systematic inclusion of women, not out of
condescension or presumed self-sacrifice but as an act motivated by the
belief that the contributions of women are required for society to
progress.36 Only as the contributions of women are valued will they be
sought out and Woven into the fabric 35. “When all mankind shall receive
the same opportunity of education and the equality of men and women be
realized, the foundations of war will be utterly destroyed. Without
equality this will be impossible because all dif— . .- .. . d ,7, ‘V
UUUUUDU an Ull“ ferences and distinction are conducive to discord and
strife. Equality between men and women is conducive to the abolition of
warfare for the reason that Women will never be willing to sanction it.
Mothers will not give their sons as sacrifices upon the battlefield
after twenty years of anxi' , -...J m WMety and loving devotion in
rearing them from infancy, no matter What cause they are called upon to
defend. There is no doubt that when Women obtain equality of rights, war
will entirely cease among mankind.” The Promulgation Peace, pp. 174-75.
, who“ 7“... u...“ luuuslllbk auu ize equality, social and political
progress here or anywhere will not be possible. For the world ofhumanity
consists oftwo parts or members: one is woman; the other is man. Until
these two members are equal in strength, "19 A: W " 7 , H“. n1
DllDIlsllL, the oneness of humanity cannot be established, and the
happiness and felicity of mankind will not be a reality. God willing,
this is to be so.” The Promulgation QfUi'liVGFSHl Peace, p. 77.

+++278


to fruition their potentialities for advancing civilization, no less
than for perpetuating the human race. Such differences are inherent in
the interactive character of their common humanity. This dialogue needs
to consider the historical forces which have led to the oppression of
women and examine the new social, political and spiritual realities
which are today transforming our Civilization. As a starting point for
this dialogue we offer this analogy from the Bahéh Writings: “The world
of humanity has two wings— one is women and the other men. Not until
both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing
remain weak, flight is impossible."40 In addition, we support the
following three specific measures. 1. Increasing the Participation of
Women in Member State Delegations We recommend that member states be
encouraged to appoint an increased number of women to ambassadorial or
similar diplomatic positions. 2. Encouraging Universal Ratification
Qflnternational Conventions that Protect Women ‘s Rights and Improve
their Status As with the international conventions on human rights, the
Secretary-General and all bodies of the UN should consider every
opportunity to encourage member states to proceed with ratifica— tion of
conventions and protocols that protect women’s rights and seek their
advancement. 3. Planning Aheadjbr Implementation ofthe Beijing Plafform
Qf Action The Forward-Looking Strategies declaration adopted at tho
Nairobi conference was highly bold and imaginative, yet its
implementation was rather ineffective.41 We believe that a lesson 40.
Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu ’l-Bahd, p. 302. 41. The Nairobi
Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Womelh As adopted by
the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achicvlu ments of the
United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,
Nairobi, Kenya, 15-26 July 1985. should be learned from this unfortunate
experience and deliberate plans be put into place to ensure that the
Platform of Action emerging from the Beijing conference does not meet a
similar fate. We propose that a monitoring system be established to
prepare status reports on the implementation of adopted measures and to
make presentations to the General Assembly annually, ‘I A "n
highlighting the top 20 and bottom 20 msmber statesJiiiitierms of
compliance. D. Emphasizing M oral Development The process of integrating
human beings into larger and larger groups, although influenced by
culture and geography, has been driven largely by religion, the most
powerful agent for changing n U human attitudes and behavior. By
religion, however, we mean the essential foundation or reality of
religion, not the dogmas and blind imitations which have gradually
encrusted it and which are the cause of its decline and effacement. In
the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, “Material civilization is like the body. No
matter how infinitely graceful, elegant and beautiful it may be, it is
dead. Divine civilization is like the spirit, and the body gets its life
from the spirit. . .. Without the spirit the world of mankind is
lifeless.”42 The concept of promoting specific morals or values may be
controversial, especially in this age of humanistic relativism.
Nevertheless, we firmly believe there exists a common set of values that
have been obscured from recognition by those who exaggerate minor
differences in religious or cultural practice for political purposes.43
These foundation virtues, taught by all spiritual communities,
constitute a basic framework for moral flevelopment. 42. Selecrionsfiom
the Writings of 'Abdu 'l-Bahd, p. 303. '43. The interfaith declaration
entitled “Towards alGlobal Ethic,” which was produced by an assembly of
religious and spiritual leaders from virtually every major world
religion and spiritual movement at the 1993 Parliament ofthe World’s
Religions in Chicago, suggests that it is indeed possible the world’s
religions to find much common ground in this regard. The declaration
states: “We affirm that a common set of core values is found in

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Reflection on the commonalities inherent in the great religious and
moral systems of the world reveals that each one espouses unity,
cooperation and harmony among people, establishes guidelines for
responsible behavior and supports the development of virtues which are
the foundation for trust-based and principled interactions.44 I .
Promoting the Development of Curricula‘ for Moral Education in Schools
We advocate a universal campaign to promote moral development. Simply
put, this campaign should encourage and assist local initiatives all
over the world to incorporate a moral dimension into the education of
children. It may necessitate the holding of 43. (cont) the teachings of
the religions, and that these form the basis ofa global ethic... There
already exist ancient guidelines for human behavior which are found in
the teachings of the religions of the world and which are the condition
for a sustainable world order.” 44. The Golden Rule, the teaching that
we should treat others as we ourselves would wish to be treated, is an
ethic variously repeated in all the great religions: Buddhism: “Hurt not
others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Udana-Varqa, 5:18.
Zoroastrianism: “That nature only is good when it shall not do unto
another whatever is not good for its own self.” Dadistan-i Dinik, 94:5.
Judaism: “What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow men. That is the
entire Law, all the rest is commentary.” The Talmud, Shabbat, 31a.
Hinduism: “This is the sum of all true righteousness: deal with others
as thou wouldst thyself be dealt by. Do nothing to thy neighbor which
thou wouldst not have him do to thee after.” The Mahabharata.
Christianity: “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them
likewise.” Luke 6:31. Islam: “No one of you is a believer until he
desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.” Sunnah.
Taoism: The good man “ought to pity the malignant tendencies of others;
to regard their gains as if they were his own, and their losses in the
same way.” The Thai-Shang. Confucianism: “Surely it is the maxim of
loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto
you.” Analects, XV, 23 Faith: “He should not wish for others that which
he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not
fulfill." Gleaningis‘ from the Writings qfBahd 7101/1. 280 conferences,
the publication of relevant materials and many other supportive
activities, all of which represent a solid investment in a future
generation. This campaign for moral development may begin with a few
simple precepts. For example, rectitude of conduct, trustworthiness, and
honesty are the foundation for stability and progress; altruism should
guide all human endeavor, such that sincerity and respect for the rights
of others become an integral part of every individual’s actions; service
to humanity is the true source of happiness, honor and meaning in life.
We also believe the campaign will be successful only to the extent that
the force of religion is relied upon in the effort. The doctrine of the
separation of church and state should not be used as a shield to block
this salutary influence. Specifically, religious communities will have
to be drawn in as collaborative paltners in this important initiative.
As it proceeds, this campaign will accelerate a process of individual
empowerment that will transform the way in which people, regardless of
economic class, social standing, or ethnic, racial or religious
background, interact with their society. V. A Turning Point for All
Nations: A Call to World Leaders We have reached a turning point in the
progress of nations. Unification of the whole of mankind is the
hall-mark of the stage which human society is now approaching. Unity of
family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively
attempted and fully established. World unity is the goal towards which a
harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to an end. The
anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A
world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the
oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once for all
the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its
life.“

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Over a century ago, Baha’u’llah taught that there is but one God, that
there is only one human race, and that all the world’s religions
represent stages in the revelation of God’s will and purpose for
humanity_ announced the arrival of the time, foretold in all of the
world’s scriptures, when humanity would at last witness the uniting of
all peoples into a peaceful and integrated society, He said that human
destiny lies not merely in the creation of a materially prosperous
society, but also in the construction of a global civilization where
individuals are encouraged to act as moral beings who understand their
true nature and are able to progress toward a greater fulfillment that
no degree of material bounty alone can provide. Baha’u’llah was also
among the first to invoke the phrase “new world order” to describe the
momentous changes in the political, social and religious life of the
world. “The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be
discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing Order appeareth to be lamentably
defective,” He wrote. “Soon will the present-day order be rolled up and
a new one spread out in its stead.”46 To this end, He laid a charge on
the leaders and members of society alike. “It is not for him to pride
himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the
whole world. The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.”47
Above all else, leaders for the next generation must be motivated by a
sincere desire to serve the entire community and must understand that
leadership is a responsibility; not a path to privilege. For too long,
leadership has been understood, by both leaders and followers, as the
assertion of control over others. Indeed, this 46. The Proclamation of
Bahé 'lldh to the Kings and Leaderx of the World (Haifa: World Centre,
1967), p. 113. 47. Tablets of Bahri ‘u revealed after the Kitdb-i-Aqdas.
comp. Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, trans.
Habib Taherzadeh with the assistance of a Committee at the World Centre
(Haifa: World Centre, 1978), p. 167. age demands a new definition of
leadership and a new type of leader.48 This is especially true in the
international arena. In order to establish a sense of trust, Win the
confidence, and inculcate a fond in the hearts of the world’s people for
institutions of the international order, these leaders will have to
reflect on their own actions. Through an unblemished record of personal
integrity, they must help restore confidence and trust in government.
They must embody the characteristics of honesty, humility and sincerity
of purpose in seeking the truth of a situation. They must be conimitted
to and guided by principles, thereby acting in the best long-tenn
interests of humanity as a whole. “Let your vision be world-embracing,
rather than confined to your own selves,” wrote. “Do not busy yourselves
in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will
rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls
of men.“19 48. The Commission on Global Governance writes: “As the world
faces the need for enlightened responses to the challenges that arise on
the eve of the new century, we are concerned at the lack of leadership
over a wide spectrum of human affairs. At national, regional, and
international levels, within communities and in international
organizations, in governments and in non-governmental bodies, the world
needs credible and sustained leadership. “It needs leadership that is
proactive, not simply reactive, that is inspired, not simply functional,
that looks to the longer term and future generations for whom the
present is held in trust. It needs leaders made strong by vision,
sustained by ethics, and revealed by political courage that looks beyond
the next election. “This cannot be leadership confined within domestic
walls. It must reach beyond country, race, religion, culture, language,
life-style. It must embrace a wider human constituency, be infused with
a sense of caring for others, a sense of responsibility to the global
neighborhood.” Our Global Neighborhood (New York: Oxford University
Press, 1995), p. 353. 49. Glecmings from the Writings ofBahd p. 7.

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This statement by the Baha International Community was prepared for the
United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing,
September 1995. T116: Role Religion in Promoting VANCEMENT T AEWOMEN
bold and courageous plan for the advancement of both men and women, the
Platformfbr Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women stands on
solid ground. It sets out an Agenda for Equality which stresses Women’s
rights as human rights, emphasizes shared responsibility and partnership
between women and men, and calls for immediate action to create a
peaceful, developed and just world, based on the principle of equality
and built on the strength of women’s knowledge, energy, creativity and
skills. Thus the Platform for Action addresses the advancement of women
from the standpoint of moral principle, as distinct from pure
pragmatism. The Baha’i International Community is encouraged by and
applauds this principled approach, but we feel it must go much farther.
If the Platfbrmfor Action is to win the worldwide support it requires
for successful implementation, the principle on which it is founded, the
equality of men and women, needs to be understood as an essential aspect
of an even broader principle: the oneness of humanity. Properly
understood in the context of

+++286


the oneness of humanity, equality of the sexes must be embraced not only
as a requirement of justice but as a prerequisite for peace and
prosperity. Nothing short of a compelling vision of peace, and
commitment to the values on which it must be based, will have the power
to motivate the revolutionary changes in individual behavior,
organizational structures, and interpersonal dynamics called for by the
Action. Traditionally, religion has been one of the most powerful
sources of both vision and values. Every religion, particularly in its
early stages, has evoked a new vision for society, articulated values
consonant with that vision, and inspired both personal and institutional
transformation. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that religion
has also been a source of division and social fragmentation. Indeed, the
record of religions in promoting the advancement of women has been
uneven. While, typically, in the early years of their existence,
religions have tended to encourage the participation of women,
historical evidence suggests a gradual tendency among religious
institutions over time to establish practices and support attitudes that
impede the development of women’s potential. Because religion is such a
potentially powerful force for progress, religious leaders and people of
faith everywhere are urged to step forward as lovers of humanity to
promote those eternal, unifying principles—or spiritual values—that can
inspire in both individuals and governments the will to implement the
Agenda for Equality. Foremost is the principle of the oneness of
humankind. It lies at the heart of the exhortation that we should treat
others as we ourselves would wish to be treated, an ethical standard
upheld in some form by every religion. To establish justice, peace and
order in an interdependent world, this principle must guide all
interactions, including those between men and women. If the treatment of
women were scrutinized in the light of this ethical standard, we would
doubtless move beyond many traditional, religious and cultural
practices. The personal transformation required for true equality will
undoubtedly be difficult for men and women alike. Both must relinquish
all attachment to guilt and blame and courageously 286 assume
responsibility for their own part in transforming the societies in which
they live. Men must use their influence, particularly in the civil,
political and religious institutions they control, to promote the
systematic inclusion of women, not out of condescension or presumed
self-sacrifice but out of the belief that the contributions of women are
required for society to progress. Women, for their part, must become
educated and step forward into all arenas of human activity,
contributing their particular qualities, skills and experience to the
social, economic and political equation. Women and men together will
ensure the establishment of world peace and sustainable development of
the planet. Religious leaders and people of faith everywhere have a
special responsibility to reaffirm those eternal spiritual principles
that unite and bind together the hearts and release the capacities of
every soul. Galvanized by the spirit and vision of the oneness of the
human family, Women and men together can, in the spirit of the Agenda
for Equality, create a peaceful, just and prosperous world in which to
nurture the generations to come.

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Written statement for the 4 7 th Session of the Sub-Commission on
Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Geneva, 31
July to 25 August I995. The Realization ECONOMiC, SOCIALQCULTURAL RIGHTS
A s the twentieth century draws to a close, it is no longer possible to
maintain the belief that the approach to social and economic development
to which the materialistic conception of life has given rise iscapable
of meeting humanity’s needs. Optimistic forecasts about the changes it
would generate have vanished into the ever widening abyss that separates
the living standards of a small and relatively diminishing minority of
the World’s inhabitants from the poverty experienced by the vast
majority of the globe’s population.1 The [ntemational Community believes
that it is unrealistic to imagine that the vision of the next stage in
the advancement of civilization can be formulated without a searching
reexamination of the attitudes and assumptions that currently underlie
approaches to social and economic development. At the most obvious
level, such rethinking will have to address practical matters of policy,
resource ‘I 1. Intamational Community’s of Public Information, The
Prosperity ofHumankind, Introduction, para. 7. (See The Bahd '1' World
199445, pp. 273-96 for the fill] text of this statement.)

+++290


utilization, planning procedures, implementation methodologies, and
organization. As it proceeds, however, fundamental issues will quickly
emerge, related to the long-term goals to be pursued, the social
structures required, the implications for development of principles of
social justice, and the nature and role of knowledge in effecting
enduring change. Indeed, such a reexamination will be driven to seek a
broad consensus of understanding about human nature itself.2 We are
being shown that, unless the development of society finds a purpose
beyond the mere amelioration of material conditions, it will fail of
attaining even these goals. That purpose must be sought in spiritual
dimensions of life and motivation that transcend a constantly changing
economic landscape and an artificially imposed division of human
societies into “developed” and “developing.” 3 The bedrock of a strategy
that can engage the world’s population in assuming responsibility for
its collective destiny must be the consciousness of the oneness of
humankind.4 The human species is an organic whole, the leading edge of
the evolutionary process. That human consciousness necessarily operates
through an infinite diversity of individual minds and motivations
detracts in no Way from its essential unity Indeed, it is precisely an
inhering diversity that distinguishes unity from homogeneity or
uniformity. What the peoples of the world are today experiencing, the
Founder of the Faith, said, is their collec~ tive coming-of-age, and it
is through this emerging maturity of the race that the principle of
unity in diversity will find full expression.5 Justice is the one power
that can translate the dawning conscious— ness of humanity’s oneness
into a collective will through which the necessary structures of global
community life can be confidently erected.6 At the group level, a
concern for justice is the indispensable compass in collective decision
making, because it is the only Introduction, para. 4. Introduction,
para. 8, 1]. 5—10. Chapter 1, para. 1, 1]. 1-3. Chapter I, para. 3, ll.
2-9. Chapter II, para. 1, l1. 1—3. 290 means by which unity of thought
and action can be achieved. Far from encouraging the punitive spirit
that has often masqueraded under its name in past ages, justice is the
practical expression of awareness that, in the achievement of human
progress, the interests of the individual and those of society are
inextricably linked. To the extent that justice becomes a guiding
concern of human interaction, a consultative climate is encouraged that
permits options to be examined dispassionately and appropriate courses
of action selected. In such a climate the perennial tendencies toward
manipulation and partisanship are far less likely to deflect the
decision-making process.7 The implications for social and economic
development are profound. Concern for justice protects the task of
defining progress from the temptation to sacrifice the well-being of the
generality of humankind—and even of the planet itself—to the advantages
which technological breakthroughs can make available to privileged
minorities. In design and planning, it ensures that limited resources
are not diverted to the pursuit of projects extraneous to a community’s
essential social or economic priorities. Above all, only development
programs that are perceived as meeting their needs and as being just and
equitable in objective can hope to engage the commitment of the masses
of humanity, upon whom implementation depends.8 What is calling for is a
consultative process in which the individual participants strive to
transcend their respective points of view, in order to function as
members of a body with its own interests and goals. In such an
atmosphere, characterized by both candor and courtesy, ideas belong not
to the individual to Whom they occur during the discussion but to the
group as a whole, to take up, discard, or revise as seems to best serve
the goal pursued. Consultation succeeds to the extent that all
participants support the decisions arrived at, regardless of the
individual opinions with which they entered the discussion.9 Viewed in
such a light, consultation is the operating expression of justice in 7.
Chapter II, para. 3. 8. Chapter II, para. 4, ll. l-10. 9. Chapter III,
para. 5, 11.

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human affairs. So vital is it to the success of collective endeavor that
it must constitute a basic feature of a viable strategy of social and
economic development.10 Universal education will be an indispensable
contributor to the process of capacity building, but the effort will
succeed only as human affairs are so reorganized as to enable both
individuals and groups in every sector of society to acquire knowledge
and apply it to the shaping of human affairs.11 Throughout recorded
history, human consciousness has depended upon two basic knowledge
systems through which its potentialities have progressively been
expressed: science and religion. Through these two agencies, the race’s
experience has been organized, its environment interpreted, its latent
powers explored, and its moral and intellectual life disciplined. 2 It
is, therefore, in the context of raising the level of human capacity
through the expansion of knowledge at all levelsltghat the economic . n
- I 1 - 1 H i j x, L‘ n4 issues facing humankind need to be addressed13
Instruments of social and economic change so powerful must cease to be
the patrimony of advantaged segments of society, and must be so
organized as to permit people everywhere to participate in such activity
on the basis of capacity.l4 Moreover, as the experience of recent
decades has demonstrated, material benefits and endeavors cannot be
regarded as ends in themselves. Their value consists not only in
providing for humanity’s basic needs in housing, food, health care, and
the like, but in extending the reach of human abilities. The most
important role that economic efforts must play in development lies,
therefore, in equipping people and institutions with the means through
which they can achieve the real purpose of development: that is, laying
foundations for a new social order that can cultivate the limitless
potentialities latent in human consciousness. l 5 10. Chaptcr III, para.
6, ll. 1—4. 11. Chapter IV, para. 1, ll. 12. Chapter IV, para. 2, 11.
1-5. 13. Chapter V, para. 1, 11. 1—3. 14. Chapter IV, para. 4, ll. 25.
15. Chapter V, para. 1, 11. 3-11. Only in this way can economics and the
related sciences free themselves from the undertow of the materialistic
preoccupations that now distract them, and fulfill their potential as
tools vital to achieving human well-being in the sense of the term.
Nowhere is the need for a rigorous dialogue between the Work of science
and the insights of religion more apparent. ] 6 The problem of poverty
is a case in point. Proposals aimed at addressing it are predicated on
the conviction that material resources exist, or can be created by
scientific and technological endeavor, which will alleviate and
eventually entirely eradicate this age-old condition as a feature of
human life. A major reason why such relief is not achieved is that the
necessary scientific and technological advances respond to a set of
priorities only tangentially related to the real interests of the
generality of humankind. A radical reordering of these priorities will
be required if the burden of poverty is finally to be lifted from the
world. Such an achievement demands a determined quest for appropriate
values, a quest that will test profoundly both the spiritual and
scientific resources of humankind. Religion will be severely hampered in
contributing to this joint undertaking so long as it is held prisoner by
sectarian doctrines which cannot distinguish between contentment and
mere passivity and which teach that poverty is an inherent feature of
earthly life, escape from which lies only in the World beyond. To
participate effectively in the struggle to bring material well-being to
humanity, the religious spirit must the Source of inspiration from which
it spiritual concepts and principles relevant to an age that seeks to
establish unity and justice in human affairs. 1 7 A challenge of similar
nature faces economic thinking as a result of the environmental crisis.
The fallacies in theories based on the belief that there is no limit to
nature’s capacity to fulfill any demand made on it by human beings have
now been coldly exposed. A culture which attaches absolute value to
expansion, to acquisition, and to the satisfaction of people’s wants is
being compelled to recognize that such goals are not, by themselves,
realistic guides to policy. Inadequate, too, are approaches to 16.
Chapter V, para. 2, ll. 17. Chapter V, para. 3.

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economic issues Whose decision-making tools cannot deal with the fact
that most of the major challenges are global rather than particular in
scope.18 The effect of the persistent denial to women of full equality
with men sharpens still further the challenge to science and religion in
the economic life of humankind. To any objective observer the principle
of the equality of the sexes is fundamental to all realistic thinking
about the future well-being of the earth and its people. It represents a
truth about human nature that has waited largely unrecognized throughout
the long ages of the race’s childhood and adolescence.19 A commitment to
the establishment of full equality between men and women, in all
departments of life and at every level of society, will be central to
the success of efforts to conceive and implement a strategy of global
development.20 The task of creating a global development strategy that
will accelerate humanity’s coming-of-age constitutes a challenge to
reshape fundamentally all the institutions of society. The protagonists
to whom the challenge addresses itself are all of the inhabitants of the
planet: the generality of humankind, members of governing institutions
at all levels, persons serving in agencies of international
coordination, scientists and social thinkers, all those endowed with
artistic talents or with access to the media of communication, and
leaders of nongovernmental organizations.21 The enterprise requires a
radical rethinking of most of the concepts and assumptions currently
governing social and economic life. It must be wedded, as well, to a
conviction that, however long the process and whatever setbacks may be
encountered, the governance of human affairs can be conducted along
lines that serve humanity’s real needs.22 18. Chapter V, para. 6. 19.
Chapter V, para. 9, ll. 20. Chapter V, para. 9, 11. 11-15. 21.Chapter
VII, para. 1, 11. 1-8. 22. Chapter VII, para. 1, 11. 13—18. The Baht?
International Community submitted this statement on the United Nations
Decade for Human Rights Education to the UN Commission on Human Rights
in March 1996. HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION he Baha’i International Community
wholeheartedly welcomes L the proclamation of the United Nations Decade
for Human Rights Education (hereafter, “the Decade”). We believe that
educa— tion is indispensable to the realization of human rights.
Education which instills in hearts and minds an awareness of and a
sensitivity to the human rights of all persons constitutes, in our
opinion, an essential tool for the promotion and implementation of
international human rights standards. In particular, we welcome the
emphasis of the Commission on Human Rights on the importance of a
holistic educational approach. In Resolution 1995/47, for example, the
Commission expressed its conviction that “human rights education, both
formal and non-formal, should involve more than the provision of
information and should constitute a comprehensive life-long process by
which people at all levels of development and in all strata of society
learn respect for the dignity of others and the means and methods of
ensuring that respect in all societies.” Moreover, the Commission echoed
the inspirational words of Article 26 of the 295

+++296


Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights, Which proclaims that “education
shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and
to the strengthening of respect for fundamental human rights and
freedoms”l The Plan ofAction prepared by the High Commissioner for Human
Rights reflects this integrated conception of education by defining
human rights education as “training, dissemination and information
efforts aimed at the building of a universal culture of human rights
through the imparting of knowledge and skills and the molding of
attitudes which are directed to: (a) The strengthening of respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms; (b) The full development of the
human personality and the sense of its dignity; (c) The promotion of
understanding, tolerance, gender equality and friendship among all
nations, indigenous peoples and racial, national, ethnic, religious and
linguistic groups; (d) The enabling of all persons to participate
effectively in a free society; and (e) The furtherance of the
_activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.2 The
Baha’i International Community fully embraces these goals and
objectives. Human rights education, if it is to succeed, must seek to
transform individual attitudes and behavior and thereby establish,
within every local and national community, a new “culture” of respect
for human rights. Only such a change in the fundamental social outlook
of every individual—whether a government official or an ordinary
citizen—can bring about the universal observance of human rights
principles in the daily lives of people. In the final analysis, the
human rights of an individual are respected and protected—or violated—by
other individuals, even if they are acting in an official capacity.
Accordingly, it is essential to touch the hearts, and elevate the
behavior, of all Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1995/47 (3 March
1995). 2. of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Plan
of Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education,
1995—2004, para. 2 (1995) (hereafter Plan of Action). human beings, if,
in the words of the Plan of Action, human rights are to be transformed
“from the expression of abstract norms” to the “reality” of the “social,
economic, cultural and political conditions” experienced by people in
their daily lives.3 The Baha’i teachings have long advocated both moral
and intellectual education as essential to enabling human beings to
realize their full potential as contributing members of socially and
spiritually advancing communities. Baha’u’llah, the ProphetFounder of
the Baha’i Faith, proclaimed that “Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of
a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth
inherently possess.” Baha’u’llah furthermore counseled: “Regard man as a
mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it
to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.” In
the view, the education required to enrich the human mind and spirit
must seek to develop those essentially moral attributes—including
truthfulness, courtesy, generosity, compassion, justice, love, and
trustworthiness—whose reflection in the everyday lives of human beings
can create harmonious, productive families and communities and make the
enjoyment of fundamental rights a reality for all their members. Such
education, moreover, must help to instill in every individual a keen,
emotionally grounded awareness of the fundamental unity *1.‘ L,’ a’ V I
' of humankind. As people ‘begin to see each other as members of one
human family, they will become willing to discard negative learned
stereotypes and begin to see people of other ethnic groups,
nationalities, classes and religious beliefs as potential friends rather
than as threats or enemies. Educational programs undertaken as part of
the Decade must also cultivate a greater understanding that to each
right is attached a corresponding responsibility. The right to be
recognized as a person before the law, for example, implies the
responsibility to obey the law—and to make both the laws and the legal
system more just. Likewise, in the socioeconomic realm, the right to 3.
Plan of Action, para. 6. 4. Gleaningsfrom the Writings ofBahd ‘u
(Wilmette: Baha’i Publishing Trust, 1976), pp. 26940.

+++298


Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights, Which proclaims that “education
shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and
to the strengthening of respect for fundamental human rights and
freedoms”l The Plan ofAction prepared by the High Commissioner for Human
Rights reflects this integrated conception of education by defining
human rights education as “training, dissemination and information
efforts aimed at the building of a universal culture of human rights
through the imparting of knowledge and skills and the molding of
attitudes which are directed to: (a) The strengthening of respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms; (b) The full development of the
human personality and the sense of its dignity; (c) The promotion of
understanding, tolerance, gender equality and friendship among all
nations, indigenous peoples and racial, national, ethnic, religious and
linguistic groups; (d) The enabling of all persons to participate
effectively in a free society; and (e) The furtherance of the
_activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.2 The
Baha’i International Community fully embraces these goals and
objectives. Human rights education, if it is to succeed, must seek to
transform individual attitudes and behavior and thereby establish,
within every local and national community, a new “culture” of respect
for human rights. Only such a change in the fundamental social outlook
of every individual—whether a government official or an ordinary
citizen—can bring about the universal observance of human rights
principles in the daily lives of people. In the final analysis, the
human rights of an individual are respected and protected—or violated—by
other individuals, even if they are acting in an official capacity.
Accordingly, it is essential to touch the hearts, and elevate the
behavior, of all Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1995/47 (3 March
1995). 2. of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Plan
of Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education,
1995—2004, para. 2 (1995) (hereafter Plan of Action). human beings, if,
in the words of the Plan of Action, human rights are to be transformed
“from the expression of abstract norms” to the “reality” of the “social,
economic, cultural and political conditions” experienced by people in
their daily lives.3 The Baha’i teachings have long advocated both moral
and intellectual education as essential to enabling human beings to
realize their full potential as contributing members of socially and
spiritually advancing communities. Baha’u’llah, the ProphetFounder of
the Baha’i Faith, proclaimed that “Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of
a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth
inherently possess.” Baha’u’llah furthermore counseled: “Regard man as a
mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it
to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.” In
the view, the education required to enrich the human mind and spirit
must seek to develop those essentially moral attributes—including
truthfulness, courtesy, generosity, compassion, justice, love, and
trustworthiness—whose reflection in the everyday lives of human beings
can create harmonious, productive families and communities and make the
enjoyment of fundamental rights a reality for all their members. Such
education, moreover, must help to instill in every individual a keen,
emotionally grounded awareness of the fundamental unity *1.‘ L,’ a’ V I
' of humankind. As people ‘begin to see each other as members of one
human family, they will become willing to discard negative learned
stereotypes and begin to see people of other ethnic groups,
nationalities, classes and religious beliefs as potential friends rather
than as threats or enemies. Educational programs undertaken as part of
the Decade must also cultivate a greater understanding that to each
right is attached a corresponding responsibility. The right to be
recognized as a person before the law, for example, implies the
responsibility to obey the law—and to make both the laws and the legal
system more just. Likewise, in the socioeconomic realm, the right to 3.
Plan of Action, para. 6. 4. Gleaningsfrom the Writings ofBahd ‘u
(Wilmette: Baha’i Publishing Trust, 1976), pp. 26940.

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PROFILE: ASSOCIATION {mam QQHE RE NT DEVELOPMENT or AMAZON I n 1994,
eight young people from different rural communities in the Amazon
concluded their high school studies at the Dj alal Eghrari Polytechnical
Institute in Iranduba, Brazil. During the ceremony, many of the parents
were seen crying as they watched their children graduate—an unbelievable
dream in the Amazon where these youth were the only ones in their
communities to have finished their secondary studies. The Djalal Eghrari
Polytechnical Institute is one of the components of the Association for
the Coherent Development of the Amazon (ADCAM). ADCAM, a non-profit
organization based on Baha’i principles and dedicated to the education
and development of the population of the rural regions of the Amazonas
state, was initiated following the call of the Universal House of
Justice in 1983 for greater involvement of Baha’i communities in social
and economic development. In January 1984, the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha’is of Brazil sent a research team, whose members
had a collective experience of more than 30 years in the region and who
were professionals in the fields of

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The Djalal Eghmri Polytech— nical Institute in Iranduba, Brazil, i
places emphasis an agriculture and rural development. health, education,
agriculture, and rural development, to survey the possibilities of
greater participation in the socioeconomic development of the Amazon.
Three distinct aspects identified by this team as crucial to the
progress of the region—education, health care, and the development of
the rural economy—therefore became the focus of this organization.
Specifically, ADCAM seeks to fumish the means by which rural populations
may gain competence in the fields of education, health, and rural
production; to research jointly with local populations options for
self-sustained development; to offer educational and social services to
the community; to build capacities for the formation and administration
of grassroots organizations; to use consultation as a method of group
decision making for the solution of social and economic problems; to
promote consciousness of the interdependence of all the members of
society, and of people and nature; and to establish a dynamic coherence
between the spiritual and material aspects of life. The first major
initiative of ADCAM was the establishment of the Eghrari Institute in
1984 to fulfill two distinct purposes: to assist with Baha'i activities
and to provide practical and academic education for the local youth. The
institute began its operations in 1988 with a 19-day rotational cycle:
for 19 days about 20 male and 20 female students study in Iranduba and
then return to their villages for the same period of time to apply the
principles they have learned. The practical Work performed by the
students 302 during the 19-day period in their communities involves
simple individual or group projects in which students carry out
assignents, often consisting of an elementary survey of their own
communities under the categories of agriculture, health, Water, and
social conditions. In order to expand its capacity to serve the needs of
the region, the school is presently shifting from a four-year
state-sponsored curriculum to address the following five lines of
action: (1) formal education, through modifying the existing school to
follow the System of Tutorial Apprenticeship (SAT), an integrated rural
education program pioneered by FUNDAEC in Colombia}; (2) community
development, focusing on the creation of com~ munity structures based on
the Baha’i teachings to maintain basic health, education, production and
organization; (3) preparation of sufficient educational materials for
the execution of short training courses and for the application of SAT;
(4) training of human resources, which includes creating opportunities
for the staff of the institute, as members of a nongovernmental
organization, to develop their administrative abilities in rural
education and development and in the SAT program; and (5) the
establishment of an efficient administrative model for the institute,
enabling it to execute its diverse programs. On 3 January 1995, the
Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment visited the
Djalal Eghrari Institute, which is partly funded by the Canadian
embassy. Her scheduled 30-minute inspection of the project expanded to
about two hours because of her enthusiasm and interest. She later stated
that this was the best part of her tour of the Amazon. l. FUNDAEC
(Fundacio'n para la Aplfcacio'n y Ensefianza de las Ciencias) is a
non-profit organization seeking to counter the effects of
industrialization in rural Colombia. Founded in l974 and based in Cali,
FUNDAEC uses Baha’i principles in its approach to development and
sponsors a num— ber of rural development programs, including a
microenterprise project, an agro-industrial training center, and the SAT
program for rural education. For further information on FUNDAEC and its
projects, see One Country, the quarterly newsletter of the Baha’i
International Community, vol. 7, no. 4 (January—March 1996) and vol. 8,
no. I (April—June 1996). 303

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The second major program of ADCAM, the Nucleus or Center for Social
Welfare, located in Manaus, Amazonas, emerged from the Lar Linda Tanure
orphanage. In 1985, the Baha’is were asked by a group of businessmen and
the government to establish and administer a home for abandoned
children. Its approach clearly reflects the Baha’i view of human nature.
In the words of Ferial Farzin, the center’s director, “we search for the
jewel that we believe exists inside each person.” By 1991, Lar Linda had
expanded its sphere of operations to include educational programs for
children and pre-adolescents, including moral education in addition to
regular academic subjects. Courses for women from the surrounding
low-income neighborhood included health, hygiene, nutrition and disease
prevention. group in the neighborhood immediately adjacent to the
school—» an example of how the students’ parents can become a force for
social change and action. Members of the group walk around together in
the evenings, visiting families with problems and providing mutual
support. As one member of the group said, “The Baha’i community gives us
a new vision. Many, many people promise us things. But they do little
accomplishment. But the Baha’is are always willing to serve, and they
show us that example.” The Center’s success is reflected in the fact
that by 1992 more than 250 abandoned children had been served by the
orphanage; 304 of this number approximately 60 percent had been adopted,
while another 40 percent had returned to their parents. A total of more
than 140 students had taken part in an outreach program. By 1993, Lar
Linda had fully evolved from an orphanage into a school, and it signed
an agreement with the Baha’i-owned Masrour Association to establish the
Masrour Vocational School on the property. The main purpose of the
vocational school is to provide the students with some skills while
making them conscious of their social responsibilities. Students can
take courses in hairdressing, child and adolescent psychology, human
relations, moral education, and first aid. Christina Ihhamus de Paula, a
teacher at Masrour, said that if the school had not been established to
serve children in the area, “most of them would be abandoned and like
many other children they would live in the streets.” She continued,
“many of the students are from the poorest class of society and they
lack care and tenderness. I feel myself that they need my love, because
they often don’t have it at home. Not all of them get enough to eat, so
the need for the school is very important.” Presently, there are more
than 350 children and youth attending the Lar Linda School, and about
200 people participating in the Masrour Vocational Program. Having
sustained and expanded its initiatives for more than a decade, ADCAM is
achieving its goal to provide a regional system whereby the spiritual
needs of the long-suffering rural population of the region can be met in
conjunction with their material progress. The Association is motivating
the rural population to seek alternative solutions to their present
problems rather than thinking they have left them behind by seeking the
overly crowded urbah centers.

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INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

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Rodney Lynn Belcher This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to
the needs of the people. Service is prayer. A physician ministering to
the sick, gently, tenderly, free from prejudice and believing in the
solidarity ofihe human race, he I is giving praise. Rodney Lynn Belcher,
a member of the Ugandan Baha’i community, was shot and killed on 11
March 1996 by vehicle hijackers in the parking lot of Mulago Hospital in
Kampala. He was 64 years old. Born in the United States on 2 November
1931, Rodney Beleher married Dawn Dayton in 1953 309 OBITUARIES and
became a in 1957. Together the Belehers raised two sons. At the time of
his passing, Dr. Beleher was employed by Health Volunteers Overseas, an
organi~ zation which is based in Washington, DC. and implements an
orthopedics project in Uganda funded by USAID. He had spent many years
in East Africa both teaching and practicing orthopedic surgery, focusing
initially on victims of war and later also treating the effects of polio
and other diseases. Dr. Belcher first went to Uganda in the early 19805
as a Fulbright lecturer in Makerere. He trained

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many of Uganda’s physicians in orthopedics, and he established the
master of medicine program in orthopedic surgery at Mulago Hospital. He
collaborated with the British Red Cross to set up an orthopedic workshop
at Mulago Hospital which makes artificial limbs, wheelchairs, and braces
for amputees, victims of polio, and others. He also established the
orthopedics program operating at Muhimbili Hospital in Tanzania. He
served as a Fulbright lecturer and a professor at the University of
Nairobi’s medical school, and taught orthopedics at the medical school
at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. for many years. The Belcher
family contributed significantly to the Ugandan Baha’i community. One
Baha’i noted, “With tremendous grace and self—effaeement, they made
their resources of time, money, and the invaluable vehicle, with Dawn as
driver, available for the work of the Faith. Their home was open to the
many visitors who relied on the Belehers for international telephone
calls, faxes, hot water, and food.. . .” The funeral took place on 12
March 1996, beginning with a memorial program at the Baha’i Temple in
Kampala. The service then moved to the burial site, where the prayer for
the dead was recited. The mourners, numbering over 2,000, filed past the
casket; many of them were in wheelchairs, on crutches, or using canes or
simple walking sticks Dr. Beleher had assisted them to obtain. Virtually
the entire staff of the US. Embassy and of USAID were there, as well as
many colleagues from Mulago Hospital and Mulago University. The news
media picked up the story of Dr. Belcher’s murder and a number of
accounts were published in various newspapers, including the New Vision
in Uganda and the Washington Post and the Washington Times in the United
States. During the days following Dr. Belchet’s passing, the Belcher
family, and in particular Dr. Belcher’s widow, Dawn, was deluged by
letters and messages of condolence from people of eminence in Africa,
friends, individuals Dr. Beleher had assisted, and health service
organizations with which he had collaborated. Many of these messages
bore eloquent witness to Dr. Belcher’s numerous acts of kindness and
sacrifice as he strove to serve the people of Uganda. The King of
Buganda, His Majesty, Ssabasajja Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II stated,
“It is with a sense of great personal loss that I mourn the sudden
departure of a man who has been so dear and useful to our nation.”
United States Senator Patrick Leahy praised Dr. Belcher in the Senate,
declaring, as published in the Congressional Record, “It 310 would be
hard to conceive of a more senseless, horrible crime. Rod Belcher was a
wonderfully generous human being who devoted his professional life to
improving the lives of others... At his funeral, Dr. Beleher was honored
by the Ugandan Vice President, the Minister of Health, the director of
the hospital, the dean of the medical school, the American Ambassador,
the British High Commissioner, and many others. The orthopedic clinic
that he worked so hard to establish was formally named after him. The
streets were lined with people who knew him personally or had heard of
the Arnerican doctor who had done so much for the Ugandan people.” The
comments of Ugandan Vice President, Dr. Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, who
had studied surgery under Dr. Belcher when she was a medical student,
included her warm memories of how he had encouraged her in her wish to
specialize in surgery, even though in that time and place it was a
medical speciality not as welcoming to women as others. The National
Spiritual Assembly of the United States wrote to Mrs. Beleher, “His
universal kindness to all levels of society and rectitude of conduct
exemplified his adherence to the principles of our Faith and made him
widely respected as a ‘true physioian.”’ Upon receiving the news of Dr.
Belcher’s passing, the Universal House of Justice sent the following
message to the 311 National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda: DEEPLY GRIEVED
BRUTAL MURDER DEDICATED OUTSTANDING PIONEER RODNEY BELCHER WHOSE
INDEFATIGA— BLE SERVICES WILL ALWAYS BE LOVINGLY REMEMBERED. SELFLESSLY,
ENERGETICALLY AND COURAGEOUSLY, TOGETHER WITH HIS DISTINGUISHED WIFE, HE
LABORED AMONG HIS COMPATRIOTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND WITH EVEN GREATER
DISTINCTION SINCE 1970 IN TANZANIA, KENYA AND UGANDA, SERVING THE
POPULATION THROUGH HIS MEDICAL PROFESSION AND PROMOTING INTERESTS
BELOVED FAITH IN THESE COUNTRIES. PRAYING HOLY SHRINES FOR PROGRESS HIS
LUMINOUS SOUL ETERNAL KINGDOM, AND FOR COMFORT AND SOLACE HIS DEAR WIFE
AND MEMBERS FAMILY. ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL MEETING HIS HONOR IN HOUSE OF
WORSHIP. ASK TANZANIAN KENYAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES HOLD SIMILAR
GATHERINGS IN HIS NAME. S uhayl Ala "i On 14 August 1995 in Western
Samoa. Born 5 January 1927 into a Baha’i family in Teheran, Iran, Suhayl
Ala’i immigrated to New

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Zealand in 1950 and graduated with a degree in agriculture from Massey
University. He married Lilian Wyss in 1954, joined her in Western Samoa,
and two of their children were born there. In 1959, Mr. and Mrs. Ala’i
moved to American Samoa, where their youngest child was born. Mr. Ala’i
was appointed to the first Continental Board of Counsel lors in
Australasia in 1968 and served on that institution until 1990. He also
served as a member of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the South
Pacific and of the National Assembly of Samoa. His consulting business,
Pacific Services, developed over time into Pacific Products and Pacific
Marketing. Samiheh Bamini On 8 May 1995 in Canada. Born on 8 December
1907 in Teheran, Iran, in 1925 she married Milsa Banani, who was later
appointed a Hand of the Cause, and bore six children. In Iran, Mrs.
Banani was one of the early members of the National Committee for the
Advancement of Women. At the instruction of Shoghi Effendi, the Banani
family transferred its residence to Dezashoub, Iran, from 1943 to 1945,
in order to teach the Baha’i Faith. They pioneered to Uganda in 1951,
where Hand of the Cause of God Banani passed away in 1971. From 1974 to
1976, Mrs. Banani pioneered in the Canary Islands. She then moved to
Canada, serving as a member of the Local Assembly of Toronto. She
continued to serve in that country until her death. Gail Avery Davis On
7 November 1995 in Alaska. Born on 29 September 1903 in the United
States, Gail Avery learned about the Faith in her forties and returned
to school for nurse’s training so that she could better serve the Cause
she had embraced. In 1953 she left her home in Montana to pioneer to
Baranof Island in Alaska, for which she was named a Knight
ofBaha’u’llah. She lived on Baronof, in Sitka, for some 40 years. She
was adopted as a Tlingit and married Albert Davis, the head ofthe Coho
Clan of Tlingits for Sitka. S abri Elias On 22 October 1995 in Egypt.
Mr. Elias embraced the Baha’i Faith at the age of 14 in Egypt after
learning about it from his brother and uncle. In the 19305, he became
the first to pioneer to Ethiopia, where he helped form the first Local
Spiritual Assembly of Addis Ababa and arrange for the translation of
Bahci Wdh and the New Era into Amharic. After returning to Egypt, he
settled again in Ethiopia with his wife Fahima and two children, and in
1954 they pioneered to French Somaliland (now Djibouti); for this
service Mr. and Mrs. Elias were named Knights of Baha’u’llah. In the
mid-19605 he pioneered again, in Libya. He eventually settled in Egypt,
traveling to countries 01' 312 the Middle East in order to visit and
encourage fellow Bahé’is. Ruth Eyford On 10 January 1996 in Canada. Ruth
Monk was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, on 12 June 1930, and studied
nursing and ehiatrie nursing. She became a in Montreal in 1956 and
married Glen Eyford in 1957; together they raised two children. The
Eyfords served the Baha’i communities in Iceland, India, and various
locations in Canada and settled finally in St. Albert, Alberta, in 1970.
Mrs. Eyford traveled extensively throughout Canada, teaching others
about the Baha’i Faith and working to assist and strengthen various
Baha’i communities. She served as an Auxiliary Board member and as
chairman of the National Assembly of Canada. She was also a member at
different times of a number of Local Assemblies and national and local
committees. Mrs. Eyford’s service to the community at large, including
her work as a nurse counselor with the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Commission, was recognized by the mayor of St. Albert and a member of
the Leg islative Assembly in Novembgr 1995. William R. F aster On 18 May
1995 in Hawaii. William Foster, born in the United States on 6 June
1912, became a Baha’i in the early 19305. He was the first
African-American Bahzi’i to respond to the call for pioneers to Africa,
moving first to Liberia in 1951, to Morocco in 1954, and then back to
Liberia in 1962. In 1953 he spent 45 days at the World Centre, assisting
the Guardian with the development of Baha’i properties. He later served
on a number of national committees and Local Spiritual Assemblies in the
United States, and for nearly twelve years he was a member of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands. Eileen Dewar Hill
On 23 October 1995 in Guyana. Born in 1914, she married James Hill in
1939, learned about the Baha’i Faith from her sister and became a Baha’i
in 1956. She was a regular participant in the activities of the Guyanese
Baha’i community and served on the first Regional Assembly of the
Guianas, which formed in 1970, and on the National Assembly of Guyana
when it came into being in 1976. She took pains to share the Baha’i
Faith with others in her native country, and in 1983 she became Guyana’s
first international pioneer by settling in Grenada for 11 years, where
she was elected to the first National Assembly in 1984, serving as its
treasurer. Mrs. Hill was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of
Georgetown, Guyana, every year for some 25 years, and she also served on
that of Springs/ Woodlands, Grenada for about nine years. In Grenada she
was on various national committees, and she was also the librarian for

+++314


many of the years she spent in that country. Mrs. Hill served the
Society for the Blind from 1958 until 1980. She had one son. Marion
Hofman On 5 December 1995 in the United Kingdom. Born on 17 May 1910 in
Visalia, California, in the United States, Marion Holley joined the
community in the early 19305. She attended both Stanford University and
the University of California, Berkeley, and worked as a budget analyst
for the city of San Francisco in the 1940s. She was appointed to the
National Teaching Committee of the United States during the first Seven
Year Plan, and after marrying David Hofman in 1945 she served on the
National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles (1945—1963), its
National Teaching Committee (1945-50), and the first Auxiliary Board of
Europe, appointed in 1954. From 1963 to 1988 she served at the Baha’i
World Centre, where her husband was a member of the Universal House of
Justice. She continued to work from the Holy Land for some twelve years
as manager of George Ronald Publisher in the United Kingdom. The Hofmans
had two children. Mary McCulloch On 7 January 1996 in Canada. Mary
Zabolotny was born on 9 November 1918 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to
Ukrainian immigrants. She studied at both the University of Manitoba and
the Winnipeg School of Art and worked as a commercial artist. After she
embraced the Baha’i Faith in 1951, she pioneered in Canada itself, first
to Saskatoon, in Saskatchewan, and then to several other communities, to
help form Local Spiritual Assemblies. She was designated a Knight of
Bahé’u’llaih by Shoghi Effendi for her service in fulfilling the
extremely difficult pioneering goal of Anticosti Island, in 1956. Mary
married Ken MeCulloch in 1958, and together they moved to Baker Lake, in
the Northwest Territories; there they shared the Baha’i Faith with the
first Inuit Baha’i in Canada. They also tablished the Baker Lake Baha’i
House and arranged for Baha’i literature to be translated into
Inuktitut. In her later years, Mrs. McCulloch was involved with
translating Baha’i literature into Ukrainian. The McCulloehs had one
daughter. James Mancha On 5 September .1995 in Botswana. James Moncho
was born on 30 July 1907 in Ganyesa, South Africa; in 1938 he married
Stella Motshedi. He became a Baha’i in 1955 and in 1957 he was elected
to the first Local Assembly of Mafeking, in South Africa. That same year
the Monohos moved to Botswana and thus became the first Baha’is of that
country. Mr. Moneho is remembered for his translations of the Baha’i
sacred writings into Setswana; in 1982 he was among the first Baha’is to
travel to Tsabong, in the Kalahari Desert, to share with others the
message of Baha’u’llah. He worked as a school inspector and founded many
schools in the Tsabong region. He also began feeding programs in schools
in places where hunger kept children from attending and in poor and
remote areas. Mr. and Mrs. Moncho had four children. Juana Ortuiio Lépez
On 1 August 1995 in Spain. One of the founding members of the Iberian
community, she accepted the Faith in 1947. She was elected the
chairperson of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Madrid, and then left
Spain, where she had been born in 1905 in Cieza, Murcia, to pioneer in
Cuba. There she served on a number of Local Assemblies at different
times and was elected a member of the first National Spiritual Assembly
of the Greater Antilles and then later of the first National Spiritual
Assembly of Cuba. During the years after her return to Spain in 1963 she
was elected to various Local Spiritual Assemblies over the years. Her
contributions to the Faith also include a translation of the Seven
Valleys from French into Spanish in 1953. Nurredin Soraya On 15 October
1995 in Indonesia. Born on 6 March 1920 in Isfahan, Iran, Nurredin
Soraya became a Bahé'i in 1945. He tained his degree as a medical doctor
from the University of Teheran in 1949 and moved to Baluehistan, in
1950, in order to serve the Baha’i Faith, and then again to Neyshabur in
1952. In 1953 he married Bahereh Sharifi. They pioneered to Indonesia in
1954, where he served for the remaining 41 years of his life, offering
his medical skills to the Indonesian people through his position as an
Indonesian civil servant within the Department of Health—forgoing an
expatriate work contract to take a position with very little financial
remuneration. He worked in public hospitals in all the towns and
villages in which they resided, operating a private practice in the
evenings in order to support his wife and their six children. In
recognition of these medical services, Dr. Soraya received a
commendation from the government of Indonesia. His various professional
postings took him and his family to five different localities within the
first three years of their life in Indonesia; in 1957 they settled in
Bojonegoro, East Java, where he lived until his death. Dr. Soraya served
on the Local Assembly of Jakarta, and his service for a period as a
member of the Auxiliary Board took him to numerous Baha’i communities
within Indonesia, as well as a great many countries elsewhere in Asia.
Dr. Soraya assisted with the translation of Baha'i writings into
Indonesian from Arabic and Persian. Habib T aherzadeh On 18 August 1995
in Brazil. Born to a Baha’i family of Yazd, Iran, on 4 January 1908, Habib

+++316


Taherzadeh attained the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Baha at the early age of
five, upon his family’s visit to the Holy Land in 1913. He married
Farrokhlegha Missaghieh in 1941, and they had two children. From 1950 to
1955, Mr. Taherzadeh served as a member of the translation committee of
the National Assembly of Iran. From 1953 to 1954, he and his family
pioneered to Turkey, and then in 1955 they were the first Iranian
Baha’is to move to Brazil. From 1955 to 1957, Mr. Taherzadeh served as a
member of the Local Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, and in 1957 he was
elected to the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Curitiba, to which he
was reelected for many years. In 1961, he became a member of the first
National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil. Mr. Taherzadeh was a noted
translator, a scholar, and an Esperantist. He worked in the Research
Department of the Universal House of Justice from 1970 to 1977, during
which time he translated the Tablets which comprise Selectionsfrom the
Writings ofthe Bcib and Tablets ofBahd 71d}: Revealed the
Kircib-i-Aqda‘s'. He also authored at the request of the Universal House
of Justice a glossary and a description of a translation methodology
based on the translations of Shoghi Effendi. He was a frequent traveler,
visiting various places throughout the world to inspire and enrich the
understanding of Bahé‘is and to share teachings with others. Ama Dahan
Talon On 24 May 1995 in the Philippines. In 1971, Ama Dahan Talon
accepted the Baha’i Faith, and he became a pillar of the Baha’i
community within his native Mangyan tribe. Although he had no formal
education, he consistently taught the Baha’i Faith in the Mangyan areas,
served as a member of a Local Spiritual Assembly and an assistant to an
Auxiliary Board member, and constantly brought inspiration to his fellow
Filipino Baha’is. Mr. Talon and his wife, Hunhon, had five children.
Leala Tasi On 4 August 1995 in Samoa. One of the highest chiefs of his
village, Leala Tasi became a member of the community in 1968 and served
it the rest of his life. He served on the National Spiritual Assembly of
Samoa, as well as the Local Spiritual Assembly of Puleia. He was a
marriage officer for the island of Savaii and offered his land for
construction of its first Baha’i center. He and his wife, Ta’amilo
Leala, together raised eight children. 316 STATISTICS General Statistics
Worldwide population Countries/dependent territories where the Faith is
established Continental Counsellors Auxiliary Board members serving
throughout the world National/Regional Spiritual Assemblies Local
Spiritual Assemblies Localities where Bahé’is reside Tribes, races and
ethnic groups represented in the Bahét’i community Languages into which
Bahz'l’u’lle'lh’s writings have been translated Publishing Trusts All
statistics‘ as qfMay 1995 More than 5 million 190 countries/ 45
territories 990 174 17,148 121,058 2,112 30

+++318


Growth in the number of National and Geographic distribution of Local
Spiritual Assemblies Regional Spiritual Assemblies by continent Africa
4828 Americas 451574 Empegso Australasia 901 Asia Growth in the number
of localities where Bahé’is reside Social and Economic Development Bahti
development activities are initiated either by Bahd administrative
institutions or by individuals or groups of believers. Together, these
activities contribute to a global process of learning about a Baha
approach to social and economic development. They presently fall into
three general cgtegories. Grassroots Activity Most social and economic
development are attempts by Bahé’is in villages and towns around the
world to address the problems and challenges faced by their localities
through the application of spiritual principles enshrined in the Baha’i
Teachings‘ They may begin in the Baha’i community or as support of
Baha’is for the development initiatives of other organizations, but all
extend their benefits to the Well-being of the society as a whole. It is
estimated that in 1995-96 there were some 1,350 such activities of
varying duration and levels of complexity which addressed a wide range
of issues including education, the environment, agriculture, health, the
advancement of women, and the elimination of prejudice.

+++320


Sustained Independent Projects A second level of Baha’i social and
economic development activities is represented by the work of about 270
ongoing projects. The vast majority are schools, including preprimary,
primary, secondary, and post secondaly educational institutions. They
also include small hospitals, dispensaries and clinics, vocational
training centers, and radio stations. Some address such specific
concerns as race unity, equality between women and men, microenterprise,
immunization and primary health care, literacy, and tree-plantin g.
Organizations with Integrated Action Some development efforts have
achieved the stature of development organizations with relatively
complex programatic structures and significant spheres of influence.
These organi— zations, 34 in number and located in all continents of the
globe, systematically train human resources and manage a number of lines
of action to address problems of local communities and regions in a
coordinated, interdisciplinary manner. 320 DIRECTORY Asociacién de
Estudios Bahé’isChile 0/0 Casilla 3731 Santiago 1 Chile Asociacién de
Estudios Bahzi’isColombia c/o Asamblea Espiritual Nacional de 105
Bahé’is de Colombia Apartaclo Aereo 5 I387 Bogota 12 Colombia Asociacién
de Estudios Bahé’is de 0X0 Arash Arjomandi Rad c/Pep Ventura, 57 l C
ES-08810 Sant Pare dc Ribes Barcelona Spain Asociacién de Estudios
Bahri’isEcuador 0/0 Peter Newton, secretary Apartado l 142 Cucnca
Ecuador Asociacién de Estudios Puerto Rico efe Cesar Reyes, secretary
Chemistry Dept, University of Rico Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00708 USA
Associagfio de Estudos Bahai’is do Brasil Caixa Postal No. 11019 80421
Curitiba-Parané Brazil

+++322


Association d’Etude-s Bahé’ies Europe Francophone c/o Centre Bahél’i 24
route de Malagnuu CH-1208 Geneva Switzerland Association for
StudiesAustralia c/o Colin Dibdin, secretary PO. Box 319 Rosebery, NSW
2018 Australia Association for StudiesEast, Central and Southern Africa
6/0 C- Rouhani, secretary PO. BOX 82549 Mombasa Kenya Association for
Bahz'l’i StudiesEnglish-Speaking Europe Fariba Hedayati, secretary do 27
Rutland Gate London England Association for Bahzi’l' StudiesGhana
Chapter cfo The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahz'i’is of Ghana
PO. Box 7098 Accra-North Ghana Association for StudiesIndia 0/0 Chctan
Parikh 2 Akash Deep, Peston Sagar Road 3 Chcmbur, Bombay 400 089 India
Association for Bahzi’i StudiesJapan 0/0 Tokyo Bahél’i Center 7-2-13
Shinjuku Shinj uku-ku Tokyo 160 Japan Association for Bahzi’i
StudiesMalaysia c/o The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is 0f Malaysia 4
Lorong Titiwangsa 5 Setapak 53000 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Association for
Bahzi’i Studies— New Zealand c/o The National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahz'l’is ofNew Zealand PO. Box 21-551 Henderson, Auckland New Zealand
Association for StudiesNorth America 34 Copernicus Street Ottawa,
Ontario KIN 7K4 Canada Association for Bahzi’i StudiesRussia Uralskaya
St. 6-1-66 Moscow 107207 Russia Association for StudiesTrinidad and
Tobago 0/0 The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahz'l’is of Trinidad
and Tobago P.O. Box 755 Port of Spain Trinidad, West Indies Association
for Bahzi’i StudiesVenezuela 0/0 Donald R. Witzel Apartado 934
Barquisimeto, Edo. Lara Venezuela Association for Bahzi’i StudiesWest
Africa 0/0 F arhang Tahzib, secretary PO. Box 2029 Marina-Lagos Nigeria
Association Médicale Bahé’ie 0/0 Mirabella Week 26 rue de Paris F-78560
Paris F rance Associazione Italiana per gli Studi c/o Assemblea
Spirituale Nazionale clei d’Italia Via della Fontanella 4 1-0018’? Rome
Italy Bahaa Esperanto-Ugo (BEL) P.O. Kesto 500133 Frankfurt Germany
Association for Arts Dintcl 20 7333 MC Apaldoorn Netherlands Bahzi’i
Computer and Communications Association webmaster@wrw.bcca.org
http://wwwbccanrg Health Agency 27 Rutland Gate London United Kingdom
Baha’i International Community, Haifa Offices: - of the
Secretary-General - of Public Information PO. Box 155 31 001 Haifa
Israel Bahai’i International Community, New York Offices: - United
Nations - for the Advancement of Women - of the Environment 866 United
Nations Plaza, Suite 120 New York, NY [0017-1822 USA International
Community, Geneva - United Nations Office Route des Morillons 15 CH-1218
Grand-Saconnex Geneva Switzerland International Community, Paris - of
Public Information 45 rue Pergolése F-751 16 Paris France Bahzi’i
International Health Agency PO. Box 510 Westmount, Québec 2T6 Canada

+++324


J ustice Society 6065 Lake Forrest Drive, Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30328
USA Baha’i Medical Association of Canada Box 143, RR #2 Dugald, Manitoba
ROE 0K0 Canada Bahz'l’i of the Environment for Taiwan 149-13 Hsin Sheng
South Road Section 1 Taipei 10626 Taiwan ROC Centro de Estudios Bahé’is,
Argentina Otamendi 2 15 1405 Buenos Aires, C.F. Argentina European
Business Forum c/o George Starcher, secretary 35 avenue Jean-Jaurés
13-73000 Chambéry France European Bahz'l’i Youth Council 27 Hampstead
Hill Gardens London United Kingdom Gesellschaft fiir Bahé’i-Studien,
Executive Board c/o Heinz Hample-Waffcnthal Maria—Spiitl-Weg l l A-6l30
Schwaz Austria Health for Humanity 467 Jackson Street Glencoe, IL 60022
USA Hong Kong Professional Society 06, 11th Floor, Hankow Centre Middle
Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon Hong Kong International Association of
Baha’i Publishers and Distributors 0/0 Publishing Trust 6 Mount Pleasant
Oakham Leicestershire LElS United Kingdom Landegg Academy CH-9405
Wienacht/AR Switzerland Mettahedeh Development Services 750 Hammond
Driva, Bldg. 12, Suite 300 Atlanta, Georgia 30328 USA World Community
Foundation 315 West 70th Street, Suite 9B New York, NY 10023 USA 324
Bahd' Publishing Trusts ARGENTINA Editorial Indolatinoamericana Otamendi
2 1 5 1405 Buenos Air-es, C.F. Argentina A US TRALIA Publications
Australia PO. Box 285 Mona Vale NSW 2103 Australia BELGIUM Maison
d’Editions Bahéi’ics 205 rue du B-1050 Brussels Belgium F U1 ISLANDS
Bahzi’i Publishing Trust PO. Box 2007 Government Buildings Suva Fiji Islands

  * Address communications to Bahz'l’i World Centre, P.O. Box 155, 31

Haifa, Israel HONG KONG Publishing Trust C-6, 11th Floor, Hankow Contra
Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon Hong Kong INDIA Publishing Trust PO.
Box 19 New Delhi 110 001 India ITALY Casa Editrice Via Filippo Turati, 9
I-00040 Ariccia (Rome) Italy JAPAN Bahii’i Publishing Trust 7-2-13
Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160 Japan KENYA Bahz'l’i Publishing Agency
PO. Box 47562 Nairobi Kenya KOREA Publishing Trust GPO. Box 991 Seoul
100-609 Korea LEBANON *

+++326


NETHERLANDS RUSSIAN FEDERA TION Stichting Bahil’i Literatuur Unity
Publishing Trust Riouwstraat 27 Bolshaya Morskaya Str: 53-17 2585 GR The
Hague St. Petersburg Netherlands Russia NIGERIA SPAIN Publishing Trust
Editorial de P.O. Box 2029 Bonaventura Castellet 1'7 Marina-Lagos
ES-08222 Terrassa Nigeria Spain NORWAY SWEDEN Forlag Ffirlaget AB
Drammensveien 1 10 A Box 468 N-0273 Oslo S-194 04 Upplands Véisby Norway
Sweden PAKISTAN* TAIWAN Publishing Trust PHI'LIPPINES #149-13 Hsin Sheng
South Road Baha’i Publishing Trust Section 1 1323 Taipei 10626 1099
Manila T5115“ Philippines ROC POLAND UGANDA Publishing Trust Publishing
Trust ul. Nowogrodzka ISA/4 PDQ 95,;5555 PO-OO-Sll Warsaw Kampala Poland
Uganda PORTUGAL _ UNITED KINGDOM Editora de Portugal Publishing Trust
Avenida Ventura Terra, N0. 1 6 Mount Plgasant 1600 Lisbon Oakham
Portugal Leicestcrshire ROMANIA dam Casa de Editura Tipografia g 1535?’?
. UNITED STATES GP 124 0-P- 1 Trust RO-3400 Cluj-NHPOCEI 415 Linden
Avenue Romania Wilmette, IL 60091 USA

  * Addrass communications to World Centre, P.O. Box 155, 31 001 Haifa,
    Israel.

326 Selected PUBLICATIONS Edited by Richard Hollinger with a foreword
by; Sandra Hutchinson. Los Angeies: Kalimzit Press, 1996. 167 pp. An
intimate day-by-day account kept by Agnes Parsons of stay in Washington,
DC, and in Dublin, New Hampshire, during His journey to America in 1912.
Arising to Serve The Ruhi Institute. Riviera Beach, Florida: Palabra
Publications, 1995. 80 pp. i ' ' The second in a series of books written
by the Ruhi Institute in Colombia to assist Baha’is to gain a
progressively greater understanding of the writings and to prepare them
for sharing their Faith with others. I r r -- A revised and expanded
version of a book originally written in 1959 to assist English-speaking
readers to understand issues frequently raised by Muslims with regard to
the Faith. Created Rich: How Spiritual Attitudes and Material Means Work
Together to Achieve Prosperity Patrick Barker. Happy Camp, California:
Naturegraph Publishers, 1995. 207 pp. 327

+++328


Developing Genius: Getting the Most Out of Group Decision-Making John
Kolstoe, with illustrations by Trevor R.J. Finch. Oxford: George Ronald,
1995. 260 pp. The writings and the author’s years of experience in
education and business serve as the basis for this guide to the
principles of effective consultation. Ethel Jenner Rosenberg: The Life
and Times of England’s Outstanding Pioneer Worker Robert Weinberg.
Oxford: George Ronald, 1995. 336 pp. Using Ethel Rosenberg’s diaries and
letters, minutes and notes from the meetings of the first institutions
in Britain and other original documents, the author explores the life of
the first Englishwoman in her native country to accept Baha’u’llah as a
Manifestation of God. Fire and Gold: Benefitting From Life’s Tests
Compiled by Brian Kurzius. Oxford: George Ronald, 1995. 368 pp. This
volume, which includes passages long out of print, is a compilation of
quo~ tations from the Baha’i writings on the purpose and source of the
tests faced by individuals and society and how to find comfort, inner
peace and spiritual upliftment in the face of them. Foundations for a
Spiritual Education National Education Task Force. Wilmette, Illinois:
Publishing Trust, 1995. 208 pp. This work provides a selection of
extracts from the writings on the nature, purpose, content, and process
of spiritual education and offers an initial framework for carrying
these principles into practice, The God of Buddha Jamshed Fozdar. Rome:
Casa Editrice Bahé’i, 1996. 184 pp. Using the Buddha‘s own words
concerning the recurring manifestation of the Supreme in the material
world, the author discusses the place of Buddhism in the panorama of
ever-recurring religious revelation. The Greatness Which Might Be
Theirs: Reflections on the Agenda and Platform for Action for the United
Nations Fourth World Conference on Women: Equality, Development and
Peace International Community for the Advancement of Women, 1995. 87 pp.
A collection of essays on topics such as education, health, violence,
human rights and the girl child prepared on the occasion of the Fourth
World Conference on Women. Jesus Christ in Sacred Baha’i Literature: A
Compilation with Introductory Observations by Michael Sours Compiled by
Michael Sours. Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 1995. 120 pp. A
compilation of the writings of and on the station of Christ and the
transforming power of His teachings. 328 The Law ofLove Enshn'ned:
Selected Essays John Hatcher and William Hatcher. Oxford: George Ronald,
1996. 296 pp. In a selection of nine essays based on themes found in
Most Holy Book, the Kitéb-iV-Aqdas, a professor of English literature
and a mathematician offer arguments for the exis'tence, unity am]
uniqueness of God and for God’s role in the evolution of the human
species. Meditation Wendi Momen. Oxford: George Ronald, 1996. 144 pp.
This volume briefly describes a number of techniques and practices that
one might employ to develop the faculty of meditation and provides
verses from the Bahzi’i writings upon which to focus. Moments with
Memoirs of the Hand of the Cause of God Taraigu’llzih Samandari
Translated by Mehdi Samandari and Marzieh Gail. Los Angeles: Kalimzit
Press, 1995. 76 pp. Hand of the Cause of God Tarégu’lléh Samandari, who
undertook his first pilgrimage during lifetime and was present at the
time of ascension, recounts his many experiences in the presence of this
precious Being. The Odyssey of the Soul Artemus Lamb. Oxford: George
Ronald, 1995. 96 pp. Drawing on the literature of the Baha’i Faith, the
author charts the progress of the soul from its birth, through its
journey in the physical world, to the world of the spirit after death,
looking particularly at the nature of the soul, the value of prayer and
meditation, the purpose of hardships, and immortality. Portraits of Some
Bahzi’i Women 0.2. Whitehead. Oxford: George Ronald, 1996. 184 pp.
Portraits of seven women—Emogene Hoagg, Claudia Coles, Anna Kunz, Amelia
Collins, Kate Dwyer, Ella Bailey, and Ella Quant—whose services to the
Faith have spanned the twentieth century. The of the Eye: African
Americans in the World Order of Bonnie J. Taylor. Riviera Beach,
Florida: Palabra Publications, 1995. 200 pp. Excerpts from the
scriptures relating to the important role played by people of African
descent in the progress of the Faith, the need for racial unity and the
dangers of racism,’ the' contributions of African Anier’ieans— {Jim
Faith and the destiny of African peoples. Sacred Moments: Daily
Meditations on the Virtues Linda Kavelin Popov. Fountain Hills, Arizona,
and Chicago: Virtues Communications, 1996. 440 pp. A simple tool for
daily reflection and meditation which weaves together the wisdom found
in the world’s religions, personal anecdotes, and quotations from
celebrities, philosophers, and average people

+++330


Sexual Morality and the World Religions Geoffrey Parrinder. Oxford:
Oneworld Publications, 1996. 290 pp. This revised and updated edition
includes a chapter exploring the views on chastity, contraception and
abortion, marriage and divorce, and the status of women. A Short History
of the Faith Peter Smith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 1996. 168 pp.
An introduction to the history and global development of the Faith up to
the present time. So Great An Honor: Becoming a Bahzi’i National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahé’is of the United States. Wilmette,
Illinois: Publishing Trust, 1995. 81 pp. Designed primarily as a
welcoming guide for new members of the Baha’i community, this book
familiarizes readers with the essential truths of the Bahzi’i Faith,
gives a glimpse of Baha’i history, discusses the Covenants of
Baha’u‘llah and ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, and outlines the features of the Baha’i
Administrative Order. The Style of the Kitéb-i-Aqdas: Aspects of the
Sublime Suheil Bushrui. Bethesda, Maryland: University Press of
Maryland, 1995. 74 pp. Professor Suheil Bushrui, who holds the Baha’i
Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland, assists the
non-Arabic speaking reader to understand the distinguishing
characteristics of this most sacred of texts as it appeared in its
original Arabic form. Symbol and Secret: Commentary in Bahé’u’llzih’s
Kitéb-i-iqz'm. Studies in the Bsibi and Bahi’i Religions, Volume Seven
Christopher Buck. Los Angeles: Kalimét Press, 1995. 326 pp. The author
offers the results of his research into the revelation of the Kitéb-i
and the early history of its publication, addresses criticism of the
Book, and analyzes the rhetorical techniques used by Ultimate Visions:
Reflections on the Religions We Choose Edited by Martin Folward. Oxford:
Oneworld Publications, 1995. 288 pp. A collection of essays by leading
theologians and scholars of many different faiths, including the Faith,
on which religion they choose to live by, and why. 330 BAHA’I READING
The following list has been prepared to provide a sampling of works
conveying the spiritual truths, social principles, and history of the
Baha' '1' Faith. It is by no means exhaustive. For a more complete
record ofBahd literature, see Bibliography of English-language Works on
the Bébi and Faiths, 1844-1985, compiled by William P. Collins George
Ronald, 1990). The Kitéb-i-Aqdas The Most Holy Book, charter for a new
world civilization. Written in Arabic in 1873, the volume’s first
authorized English translation was released in 1993.

+++332


Written in the form of a compilation of moral aphorisrns, these brief
verses distill the spiritual guidance of all the Divine Revelations of
the past. A compilation of tablets revealed between 1873 and 1892 which
enunciate important principles of Revelation, reaffinn truths He
previously proclaimed, elaborate on some of His laws, reveal further
prophecies, and establish subsidiary ordinances to supplement the
provisions of the Kitéb-iAqdas. Gleanings from the Writings of A
selection of Baha’u’llah’s sacred writings translated and compiled by
the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith to convey the spirit of life and
teachings. WRITINGS OF THE BA'B Selections from the Writings of the
Ba'lb The first compilation of the writings to be translated into
English. SELECTED WRITINGS OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA' Paris Talks: Addresses given
by ‘Abdu’l-Bahé in Paris in 1911-1912 Addresses given by to a wide
variety of audiences in Paris in 191 14912, explaining the basic
principles of the Baha‘i Faith. The Secret of Divine Civilization A
message addressed to the rulers and people of Persia in 1875
illuminating the causes of the fall and rise of civilization and
elucidating the spiritual character of true civilization. Selections
from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé A compilation of selected letters from
extensive correspondence on a wide variety of topics, including the
purpose of life, the nature of love, and the development of character.
Some Answered Questions A translation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahii’s answers to a
series of questions posed to Him during interviews with Laura Clifford
Barney between I904 and 1906. The topics covered include the influence
of the Prophets in the evolution of humanity, the Bahzi’i perspective on
Christian doctrine, and the powers and conditions of the Manifestations
of God. SELECTED WRITINGS OF SHOGHIEFFENDI God Passes By A detailed
history of the first one hundred years of the Faith. The Promised Day Is
Come A commentary on letters to the kings and rulers of the world. The
World Order of Bahé’u’llaih: Selected Letters An exposition on the
relation between the community and the entire process of social
evolution under the dispensation of in the form of a series of letters
the Guardian of the Bahzi’i Faith to the Bahé’is of the West between
1929 and 1936. IN TR OD UC TOR Y WORKS Bahzi’u’lléh International
Community, Office of Public Information, 1991. A brief statement
detailing life and work issued on the occasion of the centenary of His
passing‘ John Esslemont. 5th rev. paper ed. Wilmette: Publishing Trust,
1990. The first comprehensive account of the Faith, written in 1923 and
updated for subsequent editions. The Faith: The Emerging Global Religion
William S. Hatcher and J. Douglas Manin‘ San Francisco: Halper & Row,
Publishers, 1985. Textbook providing an overview of Bahzi’i history,
teachings, administrative structures, and community life. All Things
Made New John Ferraby. 2d rev. ed. London: Publishing Trust, 1987. A
comprehensive outline of the Faith. Most of the books listed above have
been published by various Bahd '1' Publishing Trusts and are available
in bookshops, libraries, the Trusts. Please see the Directory for addresses.

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GLOSSARY ‘Abdu’l-Bahé: (1844—1921) Son of designated His successor and
authorized interpreter of His Writings. Named ‘Abbés after His
grandfather, was known to the general public as ‘Abbas Effendi.
Baha’u’llah gave Him such titles as “the Most Great Branch,” “the
Mystery of God,” and “the Master.” After Baha’u’llah’s passing, He chose
the name ‘Abdu’l-Baha, meaning “Servant of Baha’u’llah.” Administrative
Order: The system of administration as conceived by formally established
by and realized during the Guardianship of Shoghi Effendi. It consists,
on the one hand, of a series of elected councils, universal, national
and local, in which are invested legislative, executive, and judicial
powers over the Baha’i community, and, on the other hand, of eminent and
devoted Baha’is appointed for the specific purpose of propagation and
protection of the Faith under the guidance of the Head of that Faith,
the Universal House of Justice. Amatu’l-Bahé Rl'lhiyyih Qénum: Mary
Sutherland Maxwell, an eminent North American who became the Wife of Shoghi

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Effendi Rabbéni, Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, in 1937, which she became
known as Ri'lhiyyih Rabbani. (Amatu’l-Baha is a title meaning
“Handmaiden of She served as the Guardian’s secretary during his
lifetime and was appointed a Hand of the Cause of God in 1952. She is
the most prominent dignitary of the community. Arc: An are cut into
Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel; along this path way the international
administrative buildings of the Faith are being built. Auxiliary Boards:
An institution created by Shoghi Effendi in 1954 to assist the Hands of
the Cause of God. When the institution of the Continental Boards of
Counsellors was established in 1968 by the Universal House of Justice,
the Auxiliary Boards were placed under its direction. mad, the
Prophet-Founder of the Babi Faith and the Forerunner of Born 20 October
1819, the Bab proclaimed Himself to be the Promised One of Islam and
announced that His mission was to aleit the people to the imminent
advent of “Him Whom God shall make manifest,” namely, Baha’u’lléh.
Because of these claims, the Bab was executed by order ofNégiri’d-Din on
9 July 1850. Era: The period of the calendar beginning with the
Declaration of the Bab on 23 May 1844, and expected to last until the
next appearance of a Manifestation (Prophet) of God after the expiration
of at least one thousand years. International Community: A name used
generally in reference to the worldwide Baha’i community and officially
in that community’s external relations. In the latter context, the
Baha’i International Community is an association of the National
Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world and fimctions as an
international nongovernmental organization. Its offices include its
Secretariat at the Baha’i World Centre, a United Nations Office in New
York with a branch in Geneva, an of Public Information, an Office of the
Environment, and an Office for the Advancement of Women. World Centre:
The spiritual and administrative center of the Faith, located in the
twin cities of Acre and Haifa, in Israel. Baha’i Faith. Born on 12
November 1817, He declared His mission as the Promised One of all Ages
in April 1863 and passed away in Acre, Palestine, on 29 May 1892 after
40 years of imprisonment, banishment, and house arrest. Baha’u’llah’s
writings are considered by Baha’fs to be direct revelation from God.
Consultation: A form of discussion between individuals and within groups
which requires the subjugation of egotism so that all ideas can be
shared and evaluated with frankness, courtesy, and openness of mind, and
decisions arrived at can be wholeheartedly supported. Its guiding
principles were elaborated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha. Continental Boards
ofCounsellors: An institution created in 1968 by 1" the Universal House
of Justice to extend into the future the work of the institution of the
Hands of the Cause of God, particularly its appointed functions of
protection and propagation. With the passing of Shoghi Effendi, the
Guardian of the Baha‘i Faith, there was no way for additional Hands of
the Cause to be appointed. The duties of the Counsellors include
directing the Auxiliary Boards in their respective areas, advising and
collaborating with National Spiritual Assemblies, and keeping the
Universal House of Justice informed concerning the conditions of the
Faith in their areas. Counsellors are appointed for terms of five years.
Convention: A gathering called at a regional, national, or interna
tional level for consultation on mattere affecting the welfare of the
Baha’i' community and for the purpose, respectively, of electing
delegates to a National Convention, electing the members of a Na tional
Spiritual Assembly, or electing the mémbers of the Universal House
ofJustice. German Templer Colony: Group of houses with red-tiled roofs
at the foot of Mount Carmel that once housed members of the Society of
the Temple, founded in Germany in the mid-1800s. Templers foregathered
in Haifa in 1863 to await the second coming of Christ.

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Hands of the Cause of God: Individuals appointed first by Baha’u’llah,
and others named later by Shoghi Effendi, who were charged with the
specific duties of protecting and propagating the Faith. With the
passing of Shoghi Effendi there is no further possibility for appointing
Hands of the Cause; hence, in order to extend into the future the
important functions of propagation and protection, the Universal House
of Justice in 1968 created Continental Boards of Counsellors and in 1973
established the International Teaching Centre which coordinates their
work. Holy Days: Eleven days commemorating significant Bahzi’i
anniversaries, on nine of which work is suspended. Ijluql'lqu’llzih:
Arabic for “the Right of God.” As instituted in the Kitéb—i-Aqdas,
payment to “the Authority in the Cause to whom all must turn” (at
present, the Universal House of Justice) of 19 percent of what remains
to one’s personal income after one’s essential expenses have been
covered. Funds generated by the payment of Huql'lqu’llah are used for
the promotion of the Faith and for the welfare of society. International
Teaching Centre: An institution established in 1973 by the Universal
House of Justice to bring to fruition the work of the Hands of the Cause
of God in the Holy Land and to provide for its extension into the
future. The duties of the International Teaching Centre include
coordinating, stimulating, and directing the activities of the
Continental Boards of Counsellors and acting as liaison between them and
the Universal House of Justice. The membership of the Teaching Centre
comprises all the surviving Hands of the Cause and also nine Counsellors
appointed by the Universal House of Justice. The seat of the
International Teaching Centre is located at the Baha’i World Centre in
Haifa, Israel. Knight of Title initially given by Shoghi Effendi to
those Bahé’is who arose to open new territories to the Faith during the
first year of the Ten Year Crusade (1953—1963) and subsequently applied
to those who first reached those remaining unopened territories at a
later date. Lesser Peace: A political peace to be established by the
nations of the world in order to bring about an end to war. Its
establishment will prepare the way for the Most Great Peace, a condition
of permanent peace and world unity to be founded on the spiritual
principles and institutions of the World Order of Baha’u’llah and
signalizing humanity’s coming of age. Local Spiritual Assembly: The
local administrative body in the Baha‘i Faith, ordained in the
Kitab-i-Aqdas. The nine members are directly elected by secret ballot
each year at Ridvén from among the adult believers in a community.
Monument Gardens: Beautifully landscaped gardens at the heart of the Are
on Mount Carmel where befitting monuments have been erected over the
graves of the daughter, wife, and youngest son of and also the wife of
‘Abdu’l-Bahé. Mount Carmel: The mountain spoken of by Isaiah as the
“mountain of the Lord.” Site of the World Centre including several
Bahél’i holy places, the most important of which are the éhrine 0f the
and the Monument Gardens. National Spiritual Assembly: The national
administrative body in the Faith, ordained in the sacred writings, with
authority over all activities and affairs of the Baha’i Faith throughout
its area. Among its duties are to stimulate, unify, and coordinate the
manifold activities of Local Spiritual Assemblies and of individual
Bahéi’is within its jurisdiction. The members of National Spiritual
Assemblies throughout the world constitute the electoral college for the
Universal House of Justice. At Ridvan 1995, there Were 174 National or
Regional Spiritual Assemblies. See also Regional Spiritual Assembly.
Nineteen Day Feast: The principal gathering in each local community,
every month, for the threefold purpose of worship, consultation, and
fellowship. Pioneer: Any Who arises and leaves his or her home to
journey to another country for the purpose of teaching the Faith.
“Homefront pioneer” is used to describe those who move to areas within
their own country that have yet to be exposed to the Faith or where the
Bahéfi community needs strengthening.

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Regional Spiritual Assembly: An institution identical in function to the
National Spiritual Assembly but including a number of countries or
regions in its jurisdiction, often established as a precursor to the
formation of a National Spiritual Assembly in each of the countries it
encompasses, Riglvz'm: Arabic for “Paradise.” The twelve-day festival
(from 21 April through 2 May) commemorating Baha’u’llah’s declaration of
His mission to His companions in 1863 in the Garden of Ridva'm in
Baghdad. Shoghi Effendi Rabbzini: (1897—1957) The Guardian of the Faith
after the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé in 1921, designated in His Will and
Testament as His successor in interpreting the writings and as Head of
the Faith. Shrine of Bahi’u’llaih: The resting place of Bahzi’u’lléh’s
mortal remains, located near the city of Acre, Israel. The Shrine is the
holiest spot on earth to Bahéfis and a place of pilgrimage. Shrine of
the The resting place of the Bab’s mortal remains, located on Mount
Carmel in Haifa, Israel, a sacred site to Baha’is, and a place of
pilgrimage. Tablet: Divinely revealed scripture. In scripture, the term
is Universal House of Justice : Head of the Baha’i Faith after the
passing of Shoghi Effendi, supreme administrative body ordained by in
the Kitz'ib-i-Aqdas, His Book of Laws. The Universal House of Justice is
elected every five years by the members of the National Spiritual
Assemblies who gather at an International Convention. The House of
Justice was elected for the first time in 1963 and occupied its
permanent Seat on Mount Carmel in 1983. Adapted from A Basic Bahd '1'
Dictionary, Wendi Momen, ed. (Oxford: George Ronald, 1989). 340 Hail),
the S, 7, 332 Shrine 55., 58, 59, 60,, 61 Chair for World Peace,
University of Maryland at College Park, U.S.A. 102, I18, 164 Faith
administrative order of 8-10, 39, 206, 237, 238 aims of 12-16 history uf
4-10 laws and moral teachings 11 spiritual teachings 10 Health Agency of
South Africa 99 International Community 4, 12-14, 28, 6'7, 68, 75, 94,
95, 102, 142, 152, Nil, 210, 246, 247, 25 l , 258, 260, 285, 289, 296,
298, 299 activities of 125%33 description of 125 for the Advancement of
Women 12, 126, of Public Infermatien 126, 130-13] Office of the
Environment 12.126. 132, 133 United Nations 12, 125, 12?, 129 World
Cantre 4, 7, 37, 62, 66, 70, 76, 182. 312, 313 prominent visitors to 29,
70-71, I30 5, I4, 38, 44, 4?, 150, I65, I85, 186, 207, 209, 2H, 212,
214, 218, 221, 232, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, 240, 252, 254, 263, 268,
277, 28 i , 282, 283, 29? eeleeted writings of 19~25, 33 Shrine of 42..
61 Build "1: Wrih, the statement 3'3 Bahamas 92, 113 Baltic SHE 15, 45,
43., 31, 122 Bimini, Samiheh 312 Bangladesh 3, 115, 117, 166 Barbados
TI", [[12, 1T5 Barbcr, Benjamin R. 224, 225, 226, 22'? Barrow, Dame
Nita, Governor-General of Barbados [02 Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands
95, 167 Belarus IS, 29, 43, 43, 49, 50, 30 Belchcr, Rodney Lynn 132*
309-3“ Belgiurn103, 105, m Belize 109, 164 Bcllah, Hubert N. 13?, 188,
I90, 204 Benin 1 12 Bermuda 9D,, 92, 181 Blums Community Service Award
1?? Boeykens, Lily, UN Commission on the Status of Women I03 Bolivia 75,
79, 97, 131, R151’, 148 bunk fairs III, 112 Buphuthatswana 29, 166
Bosnia 35 Botswana 35,,l01,109,ll0, 313 Buutros-Ghali, Boutrus, UN
Secretary General I52, I62, 169, I75 Brazil 3,92,95, 98, 106,111, 117,
134, 140, 169, 173, 301,314 British Bruadcasting Corporation T2, 140
Bulgaria 31, 106, I09, 180 Burkina Fasu III, 112 Burundi 103 Bushrui,
Suheil 164 Cambodia 15, 66, 38, 104, I 12., 13?, 143 Canada 4, 42,
46,49, 76, 30, as, as, as, 39-90, 92,98, 109, 112, 114,131, 1411, 143,
152, 153,156, 173, 174,l'19,130,181,311,3l2,313 Canary Islands 91, 10?,
3| l Carter, Stephan L. 22?, 223, 231 Central African Republic 8] Chad
81 Chair for Studies, Lucknow University, India H8, 120, 174 children
68, 73-76, 99, [00. Ill, 120, 169, ITS Chile 33, 9?, 101, 123 China 6?,
as, 70, an, as, 145 Ciskci 29 Claus, Prince, the Netherlands 95 Clinton,
Bill, President of the United States 162 Clinton, ,Hillary Rodham, First
Lady of the United States 85 Clinton-Davis, Lord and Lady 69, TU Club nf
Budapest 103 Culumbia 38, 117, l 19, 303 Cnlnr Me Human Week 3
Commission on Global Governance 78, 246, 249, 283 Cummunwealfll of
Independent States 45, 48 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
106 community life, 11-12, 50 cunfcrences 69, BB conflict resulutiun 30,
120 Congo 91

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consultation 30, [06, 291 Continental Boards of Counsellors Africa 176
Americas, the 131 Asia 166 Aush‘alssie I67, 11’31 311 Auxiliary Beards
ef32—33, 42 Cenferenee ef 37-42, 63 Eurepe 50 TEuntinental Counsellors
29, 30-31, 38 Davis, Gail Avery 312 de Poort Conference Center, the
Netherlands 103 democracy 229, 230 development. See social and economic
development Djibouti 312 Dominican Republic 101 E Earth Charter
Workshop, the Netherlands 9495 Earth Summit. See United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development East Leeward Islands 77, 84
Eastern Bloc 66 Eastern Caroline Islands 80, 101 ECO APLICADA 95, the
Third Latin American En— counter of Environmental Educators 95 economic,
social, and cultural rights 289-294 Ecuador T4, 97, I21 education 29,
32, I56, 80, 9?, I06, I 19 ehildren’s classes 73, I conferences 75
environment 95, 96, 178 health 99 mural 74, 75, 119 teacher training 49,
73, 74, 11'? See also schools Egypt 103, 312 El Hassan, Princess Rahma
hint, of Jordan 103 El Salvador 96 Elazar, Daniel J. 189, 204, 205, 20?,
215, 2l6 elections, 23?, 238 Elias, Sabri 50, 312 Elizabeth I], Queen of
England 71 Ellis, Wilma 181 Encyclopedia Britannica 4 environment 68,
78, 94-96, 97, 113, H8, [38, I78, [80 See also International Community,
Ofof the Environment Environment, Offices of, national 95 Equatorial
Guinea 7'3 Eritrea 15, 29, 43, 106, 103 Esperantists 253 Estonia H18,
122, 16?’ Ethiopia 38, 50, 5 l, 76, 83, 3 I 2 European Baha‘i Business
Forum 106 European Baha‘i Youth Council 73, 134 European Parliament 140
European Task Force for Wumen 81 Eyfurd, Ruth 313 family 79, 80, 8|,
83-85, 118, 134, 136, I43 violence 136 Fame Islands 110, [14, 121
Federated States of Micronesia 101 Fiji 13, 113 Finland 38, 70, 75, 108,
l 10 Faster, William R. 312 Fuur Year Plan 31, 33:I 3B, 41, 42, 65, 6'?
Fourth International Dialogue on the Transition to a Global Society 67,
69, 102, I31 Francc 42, 79, 33, 92, 94, 98, I03, I04, I05, 107, il0,122,
140,152 FUNDAEC 303 FurfltanI ‘Ali-Akbar 37, 67, 69, TO Gabon 82 Gambia,
the 106, I76, I77 Gemayal, Amine, former President of Lebanon 103
Gcorgia 15, 29, 43, 44-47, 48, 79 Germany 38, 45, 43, 49, 79, 91, 92,
98, 103, 114, I40, I76, lBl Ghana 78, I12, 118 Gibraltar I08 girl child
153, 154, 293 global governance 6?, 69, 75, 78, 102, 103 See also
Commission on Global Governance Giinez, Arpéd, President of Hungary 1 l2
Gorbachev, Mikhail, President of Green Cross International 94 Greurnem
Which Might Be Heine, The I36, 155 Greece 9|, 95, 104, 105, I3], I43,
I76 Greenland 3, 86, I09 Grenada 312 Grossmann, Hartmut 50 Guardian of
the Baha'i Faith. See Shnghi Effendi Guardianship 8 Guatemala 101 Guinea
92, 9'? Guinea-Bissau [16 Gushiken, Luiz, Federal Deputy, Brazil 98
Guyana 97,102,12L157,173,174,176, 312 Gypsies H5 Henry, Paul-Marc,
Ambassador-at-Large of France 103 Hinds, Samuel, Prime Minister of
Guyana 157, 174 Hubsbawm, Eric 223, 224, 239 Hnfman, Marion 314 Holy
Days 53, ‘I4, 7?, 108 Honduras 101 Hung Kong 33, 42, T5, [07, 163 Houses
of Worship 1 I Australia 71 India 63, 13] Japan 119 Panama 91 Western
Samoa 7], 167 human rights 12, 80, 88, 98, 104, 10?, 119, 129430, I34,
138, 176, 270-275 See aim: United Nations Human Rights and Citizenship
Special Commission, Brazil 107 Hungary [5, 77, 103, 105, 112,122, 164 I
Iceland 114, 3 l2 lliescu, 1011, President of Romania 102, 13] India 42,
46, 70, 74, 77, 79, EU, 82, 96, 102, 103, l 10,
H2,l[3,115,117,118,120,l65,166,168,l72, I73, 174, IT], 179, 312
judgement by the Supreme Court of 30 indigenous peoples 66, 68, 73, 76,
85—86, 11115,; 108, 1 l3 Abufigines 90 Amnugunas 113 Guaymis 85 Inuits
86, 3 I3 31101.15, 114 Native Americans 86, I I4 Tlingits 311 Torres
Strait Islanders 90 Indonesia 313, 314 Institute of Personal Law and
Research, Bangladesh ll’? institutes 33, 68, 77, 79, 81, 93, 97, 100,
H0, 116— 117, I18, ll9 Ants Zunt'tzi School, Haiti 1 17 Permanent
Teaching Institute, Italy 120 Bahii'i Vocational Institute for Rural
Women, India 96 Djalal Eghrari Polytechnieal Institute, Brazil 301-303
Institute for Studies, Wilmette. USA. 12] Louis (3. Gregory Institute,
U.S.A. 109 Masetllla Institute, Zambia l3‘? Olinga Institute, India 80
interfaith activities 68, 78, 90, 93-94, 1 18 international auxiliary
language 128, 163, 258— 259 International Baha’i Archives building 7
International Teaching Centre 37, 39, 50, 66, 6') International War
Crimes Tribunal for former Yugoolavia 103 Inuit Ciroumpolar Conference
86 involvement in the life of sooiely 101-10? Iran 30,l05,1'?1—172,181,
311, 313, 314 Boln'l'i community of14, 139-144 UN General Assembly
resolution on human rights in 142 UN Special Rapporteur on Religious
Intolerance 140, 142-443, 144 United Nations Special Representative on
140, 143-144 Ireland1 Republic of 79, 93, 163, 172, 1'15, 177, 180 lrfén
Colloquium 120 Israel 62, 70 Italy 42, 53, 57, 69, 31, 92, 103, 105,
109, 120, 122 Jagan, Chaddi, President of Guyana 176 Jamaica Japan T7,
84, 92, l 13, 122, 132 Jordan 92 Kabua, Amata, President of the Marshall
Islands 71, 72, [03, [27-128, I63 Kaliningrad 1 10 Kaufman, Edy 103
Kazakhstan 15, I I? Kazibwe, Specioza Wandira, Vice President ofUganda
310 K211311142, $1, 1011, 11191 131, 150,311 Kiribati ii, 111
Kiteb—i-Aqdas ll, 67, 103, 20? release of Persian edition 34 Korea,
Democratic Penplc‘s Republic 01'92 Korea, Republic of T0, 78., l [6
Kyrgyzstan 15, 173, 176 Landegg Academy, Switzerland 102, 120 landmark
uccasinns 108-109 Laos 99 Lar Linda Tanurc, Brazil 304-305 Laszlo,
Ervin, President of the Club of Budapest 103 Latvia 92, 108 League of
Nations 243, 243 Leah)’, Patrick, United States Senator 310 Lesser Peace
29, 64 Letters uf the Living 120
Liberia66,108,109,110,H2,117,118,179,312 Libya3l2 literacy 66, 72, 82,
96, 97, 1 l2 Lithuania [10, [22 Lucke, John 139, Ian-19?, 203 Lucknow
Univcrsity, India H8, 120 Luxembourg 30, 105

+++344


consultation 30, [06, 291 Continental Boards of Counsellors Africa 176
Americas, the 131 Asia 166 Aush‘alssie I67, 11’31 311 Auxiliary Beards
ef32—33, 42 Cenferenee ef 37-42, 63 Eurepe 50 TEuntinental Counsellors
29, 30-31, 38 Davis, Gail Avery 312 de Poort Conference Center, the
Netherlands 103 democracy 229, 230 development. See social and economic
development Djibouti 312 Dominican Republic 101 E Earth Charter
Workshop, the Netherlands 9495 Earth Summit. See United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development East Leeward Islands 77, 84
Eastern Bloc 66 Eastern Caroline Islands 80, 101 ECO APLICADA 95, the
Third Latin American En— counter of Environmental Educators 95 economic,
social, and cultural rights 289-294 Ecuador T4, 97, I21 education 29,
32, I56, 80, 9?, I06, I 19 ehildren’s classes 73, I conferences 75
environment 95, 96, 178 health 99 mural 74, 75, 119 teacher training 49,
73, 74, 11'? See also schools Egypt 103, 312 El Hassan, Princess Rahma
hint, of Jordan 103 El Salvador 96 Elazar, Daniel J. 189, 204, 205, 20?,
215, 2l6 elections, 23?, 238 Elias, Sabri 50, 312 Elizabeth I], Queen of
England 71 Ellis, Wilma 181 Encyclopedia Britannica 4 environment 68,
78, 94-96, 97, 113, H8, [38, I78, [80 See also International Community,
Ofof the Environment Environment, Offices of, national 95 Equatorial
Guinea 7'3 Eritrea 15, 29, 43, 106, 103 Esperantists 253 Estonia H18,
122, 16?’ Ethiopia 38, 50, 5 l, 76, 83, 3 I 2 European Baha‘i Business
Forum 106 European Baha‘i Youth Council 73, 134 European Parliament 140
European Task Force for Wumen 81 Eyfurd, Ruth 313 family 79, 80, 8|,
83-85, 118, 134, 136, I43 violence 136 Fame Islands 110, [14, 121
Federated States of Micronesia 101 Fiji 13, 113 Finland 38, 70, 75, 108,
l 10 Faster, William R. 312 Fuur Year Plan 31, 33:I 3B, 41, 42, 65, 6'?
Fourth International Dialogue on the Transition to a Global Society 67,
69, 102, I31 Francc 42, 79, 33, 92, 94, 98, I03, I04, I05, 107, il0,122,
140,152 FUNDAEC 303 FurfltanI ‘Ali-Akbar 37, 67, 69, TO Gabon 82 Gambia,
the 106, I76, I77 Gemayal, Amine, former President of Lebanon 103
Gcorgia 15, 29, 43, 44-47, 48, 79 Germany 38, 45, 43, 49, 79, 91, 92,
98, 103, 114, I40, I76, lBl Ghana 78, I12, 118 Gibraltar I08 girl child
153, 154, 293 global governance 6?, 69, 75, 78, 102, 103 See also
Commission on Global Governance Giinez, Arpéd, President of Hungary 1 l2
Gorbachev, Mikhail, President of Green Cross International 94 Greurnem
Which Might Be Heine, The I36, 155 Greece 9|, 95, 104, 105, I3], I43,
I76 Greenland 3, 86, I09 Grenada 312 Grossmann, Hartmut 50 Guardian of
the Baha'i Faith. See Shnghi Effendi Guardianship 8 Guatemala 101 Guinea
92, 9'? Guinea-Bissau [16 Gushiken, Luiz, Federal Deputy, Brazil 98
Guyana 97,102,12L157,173,174,176, 312 Gypsies H5 Henry, Paul-Marc,
Ambassador-at-Large of France 103 Hinds, Samuel, Prime Minister of
Guyana 157, 174 Hubsbawm, Eric 223, 224, 239 Hnfman, Marion 314 Holy
Days 53, ‘I4, 7?, 108 Honduras 101 Hung Kong 33, 42, T5, [07, 163 Houses
of Worship 1 I Australia 71 India 63, 13] Japan 119 Panama 91 Western
Samoa 7], 167 human rights 12, 80, 88, 98, 104, 10?, 119, 129430, I34,
138, 176, 270-275 See aim: United Nations Human Rights and Citizenship
Special Commission, Brazil 107 Hungary [5, 77, 103, 105, 112,122, 164 I
Iceland 114, 3 l2 lliescu, 1011, President of Romania 102, 13] India 42,
46, 70, 74, 77, 79, EU, 82, 96, 102, 103, l 10,
H2,l[3,115,117,118,120,l65,166,168,l72, I73, 174, IT], 179, 312
judgement by the Supreme Court of 30 indigenous peoples 66, 68, 73, 76,
85—86, 11115,; 108, 1 l3 Abufigines 90 Amnugunas 113 Guaymis 85 Inuits
86, 3 I3 31101.15, 114 Native Americans 86, I I4 Tlingits 311 Torres
Strait Islanders 90 Indonesia 313, 314 Institute of Personal Law and
Research, Bangladesh ll’? institutes 33, 68, 77, 79, 81, 93, 97, 100,
H0, 116— 117, I18, ll9 Ants Zunt'tzi School, Haiti 1 17 Permanent
Teaching Institute, Italy 120 Bahii'i Vocational Institute for Rural
Women, India 96 Djalal Eghrari Polytechnieal Institute, Brazil 301-303
Institute for Studies, Wilmette. USA. 12] Louis (3. Gregory Institute,
U.S.A. 109 Masetllla Institute, Zambia l3‘? Olinga Institute, India 80
interfaith activities 68, 78, 90, 93-94, 1 18 international auxiliary
language 128, 163, 258— 259 International Baha’i Archives building 7
International Teaching Centre 37, 39, 50, 66, 6') International War
Crimes Tribunal for former Yugoolavia 103 Inuit Ciroumpolar Conference
86 involvement in the life of sooiely 101-10? Iran 30,l05,1'?1—172,181,
311, 313, 314 Boln'l'i community of14, 139-144 UN General Assembly
resolution on human rights in 142 UN Special Rapporteur on Religious
Intolerance 140, 142-443, 144 United Nations Special Representative on
140, 143-144 Ireland1 Republic of 79, 93, 163, 172, 1'15, 177, 180 lrfén
Colloquium 120 Israel 62, 70 Italy 42, 53, 57, 69, 31, 92, 103, 105,
109, 120, 122 Jagan, Chaddi, President of Guyana 176 Jamaica Japan T7,
84, 92, l 13, 122, 132 Jordan 92 Kabua, Amata, President of the Marshall
Islands 71, 72, [03, [27-128, I63 Kaliningrad 1 10 Kaufman, Edy 103
Kazakhstan 15, I I? Kazibwe, Specioza Wandira, Vice President ofUganda
310 K211311142, $1, 1011, 11191 131, 150,311 Kiribati ii, 111
Kiteb—i-Aqdas ll, 67, 103, 20? release of Persian edition 34 Korea,
Democratic Penplc‘s Republic 01'92 Korea, Republic of T0, 78., l [6
Kyrgyzstan 15, 173, 176 Landegg Academy, Switzerland 102, 120 landmark
uccasinns 108-109 Laos 99 Lar Linda Tanurc, Brazil 304-305 Laszlo,
Ervin, President of the Club of Budapest 103 Latvia 92, 108 League of
Nations 243, 243 Leah)’, Patrick, United States Senator 310 Lesser Peace
29, 64 Letters uf the Living 120
Liberia66,108,109,110,H2,117,118,179,312 Libya3l2 literacy 66, 72, 82,
96, 97, 1 l2 Lithuania [10, [22 Lucke, John 139, Ian-19?, 203 Lucknow
Univcrsity, India H8, 120 Luxembourg 30, 105

+++346


General Assembly 254-259 General Assembly resolution on human rights in
Iran 142 Habitat II 130, 134 Human Rights Day 104, 131, 176
International Conference on Population and Development 249 International
Day of Peace 91 International Women’s Day 80, 81, 32 International Year
of Tolerance 175 New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 19905
13? Secretary General 152, I62, 169, 175 report of 144 Security Council
260-262 Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance 140, 142-143, 144
Special Representative on Iran 140, 143-144 Sub-Commission on the
Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities I42 UN 50 15,
6?, 68, 104, l26—129, 138, 15?, 159-170, 175, 245, 298 United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 75. 84, 109, 125, 129, I36, 138, I48, 153, 15?,
161, 262 United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) 34, 136,
I37, 148. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 80, 13?, 146,
165,r 226 United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) 125, 133.
153,16! United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) 94, 102 United Nations Environment Programme (UN
EP) 132. 1m Universal Declaration of Human Rights 139, 25 51 295, 298
World Conference on Human Rights 12, 249, 271 World Environment Day 92,
96 World Health Organization 70, 161. 262 World Summit for Children 249
World Summit for Social Development 12, 15* 23. 6?. I01, I76, 180, 249
Year of the Family 85 United States 3, 42, 49, 67, 70, 78, B4, 35, 86,
38-89, 92, 94, 97, 98, 102, 103, H3, H7, ll"), [20, 121, 134,140, MI,
152, 153,162, [63, 164, I7], I72, 173, 175, I79, 182, 240, 309, 310, 312
House 0f Representatives l4! Unity in Diversity Week 89 Universal House
of Justice 4, 9, 37, 38, 39, 46, 4B, 50, 55, 59, 63, 64, 69, 70, 98, m,
210, 219, 234, 236, 240, 311, 3l3, 314 messages of 27-34, 41 Universidad
Bolivariana, Chile [01 Universidad Bolivia 74 University of Maryland at
College Park, United States 67, 69, 102, H8, 164 University of Maryland,
Center for International Development and Conflict Management 102, I 13
Uruguay lll, 121,141 USSR 15, 45, 48 Uzbekistan [5, H3, [14, ll? Walker,
David 32 Wsst Leeward Islands 103 Western Samoa 3, , 73, 84, 167, I82,
311 WETV 30 Winkclbach, Helmul and Olga 43, 49 women 68, 73, 79-85, 8'),
96, 97, 99, 100, 106, 111, 112, 128, 129, 136, 137, 138, 145*158, 166,
174—175, 177, 285-287 advanccmentof' 66, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 9B, 106,
1151h135.1361,1521 3H conferences 49, 61 68, 80, 81, 85, 86. 135 on
Continental Boards of Counsellors 38 See also Baln'l’i International
Cnnununity, Offor the Advancement of Women Women for International Peace
and Arbitration 152, 153 Workshop Worldwateh Conference on Sustainable
Development and International Co-operation 102, 131 World Citizenship-A
Glubai Sustainable Development 134' World Citizenship Awards, Brazil
World Conference of Children 169 World Conference on Religion and Peace
6?, World Court 256, 263—265 World Day of Prayer fur Panca- 91 wurld
Fsdsrslist Association T8 world order 22l World Religion Day 130 World
Summit on Global Governance 249 World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) 132
Wurld Women 158 Wnrldwatch Institute 224

+++BACK COVER

I n just over one hundred years, the Faith has grown fro an obscure
movement in the Middle East to the second-mo 1espread of the independent
World religions. Embracing cop e from more than 2,100 ethnic, racial,
and tribal groups, | 's quite likely the most diverse organized body of
people on th lanet today. Its unity challenges prevailing theo about
humal I: teachas that there is only one God, that there is on] e Bahd
World is the principal ublic record of the commu I 1ty’s growth and
development. The volumes reproduce majo ocuments and provide statistical
data and other detailed inf natron on the Baha’i Faith’s wide-ranging
program of activities hich are illustrated by many photographs and
charts. In-det rticles focus on ma'or areas of Baha’i concern ramatic
growth of the Bahé’i Faith raises new and interestin ahd '1' World
series has been redesigned primaril to meet thes me ISBN 0-85398-989-3
</Special:BookSources/0853989893> (softcover