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Abstract: Letter to the Counsellors, preceding the annual message to the Bahá'ís of the world. |
Ridván 1996 (Four Year Plan):
Message to the Counsellors
1995-12-26
To the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors
Beloved Friends,
- Our deliberations on the Four Year Plan have benefited enormously from
the analysis the International Teaching Centre prepared for us of conditions
in the Bahá'í world, based on its constant interaction with the Counsellors
in the field, and from our subsequent consultations with that body. It
gives us great pleasure to share with you at the outset of this conference
the general features of the Plan. We invite you to turn your attention in
the coming days to issues related to implementation, drawing on the insights
and knowledge gained from decades of experience around the world.
- Certain elements of our decisions and comments on the Plan will have a
direct bearing on your labours throughout your present term of service.
These are:
- the principal focus of the coming Plan;
- the process we envisage
for the elaboration of the Plan and your part in this process;
- developments
in the mode of functioning of the Continental Boards of Counsellors;
- the
formulation of plans at the national, regional and local levels;
- the vital
need for institutes to train believers and develop human resources;
- the
intimate involvement of Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members in the
establishment and operation of these institutes;
- effective approaches to the
raising up and consolidation of Local Spiritual Assemblies and the
development of local Bahá'í communities;
- and the allocation of limited
financial resources to the many challenges before the Bahá'í community.
- At Ridvan 1996, the Bahá'ís of the world will embark on a global
enterprise aimed at one major accomplishment: a significant advance in the
process of entry by troops. This is to be achieved through marked progress
in the activity and development of the individual believer, of the
institutions, and of the local community. That an advance in this process
depends on the progress of all three of these intimately connected
participants is abundantly clear. The next four years must witness a
dramatic upsurge in effective teaching activities undertaken at the
initiative of the individual. Thousands upon thousands of believers will
need to be aided to express the vitality of their faith through constancy in
teaching the Cause and by supporting the plans of their institutions and the
endeavours of their communities. They should be helped to realize that
their efforts will be sustained by the degree to which their inner life and
private character "mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendour of
those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh." An acceleration in the
tempo of individual teaching must necessarily be complemented by a
multiplication in the number of regional and local teaching projects. To
this end the institutions should be assisted in increasing their ability to
consult according to Bahá'í principles, to unify the friends in a
common vision, and to use their talents in service to the Cause.
Furthermore, those who enter the Faith must be integrated into vibrant local
communities, characterized by tolerance and love and guided by a strong
sense of purpose and collective will, environments in which the capacities
of all components -- men, women, youth and children -- are developed and
their powers multiplied in unified action.
Planning Process
- At the close of this conference, we intend to announce to the Bahá'í
world our decision to launch a Four Year Plan at Ridvan 1996. The
formulation of national plans is to begin in each country after Ridvan,
allowing the friends to concentrate their energies in the intervening months
on bringing the Three Year Plan to a successful conclusion.
- The ideas expressed in the initial announcement will be elaborated
further in the forthcoming Ridvan message. Moreover, we have decided to
address messages to the believers in each continent of the globe, or parts
thereof, exploring the implications of the Four Year Plan in the light of
the particular conditions of their countries. Following Ridvan, it should
be feasible to hold consultative meetings among the institutions and with
active supporters of the Faith in every country and to formulate national
plans within a period of a few months. Once consultations between the
Counsellors and a National Spiritual Assembly on the provisions of a plan
have reached fruition, its implementation can begin. Approval of these
plans from the Bahá'í World Centre will not be necessary; copies should,
nonetheless, be forwarded to it.
- The seven objectives specified for the Six Year and Three Year Plans
describe interacting processes that must advance simultaneously over many
decades. They will guide the institutions as they set goals in various
areas of activity to further the aim of the Four Year Plan. National plans,
however, will need to go beyond the mere enumeration of goals to include an
analysis of approaches to be adopted and lines of action to be followed, so
that the friends will be able to set out on their endeavours with clarity of
mind and decisiveness.
Continental Level
- In the discharge of their vital responsibilities during the Four Year
Plan, the Continental Boards of Counsellors will have a wide range of possibilities available to them. The flexibility inherent in their functioning
must be fully exploited at this time when events both within and outside the
Bahá'í community are moving at an accelerated rate.
- Certain Counsellor functions, including the supervision and guidance of
the Auxiliary Board members in an area, are generally best performed by one
Counsellor on behalf of the Board. However, in the performance of other
functions, there is great value in a diversity of approaches and in consultation among several Counsellors. For example, in providing stimulus to
National Assemblies, in promoting teaching among various strata of the
population, and in counselling different components of the Bahá'í community,
better results are achieved when the abilities of a number of Counsellors
are used in a complementary fashion. Further ways and means should be
devised by each Continental Board of Counsellors to enable the Assemblies
and communities to benefit, to the extent feasible, from the varied talents
of the Counsellors.
This may well involve periodic in-depth consultation among a group of
Counsellors on the conditions and needs of countries in a specific part of
the continent since, in general, circumstances do not allow such
consultations to occur frequently among all members of the Board.
- Fundamental to the work of the Counsellors is the understanding that
all members of the Continental Board are responsible for the entire
continent, and should, to the degree possible, endeavour to familiarize
themselves with the conditions of the Cause in the countries therein.
Through periodic reports from individual Counsellors, the Board is kept
abreast of developments in all areas of the continent and is able to offer
guidance to assist its members in the execution of their duties. Whereas no
Counsellor should be regarded as having exclusive responsibility for any one
territory, the detailed familiarity acquired by each through close
interaction with the National Spiritual Assembly and Auxiliary Board members
in a particular area is in fact a valuable asset to all the Counsellors on
the Board.
- Another aspect of the work of the Counsellors which merits further
attention is the interaction between Counsellors of different Boards who
serve adjacent areas or areas which have a special relationship. Among the
examples which come to mind are the Russian Federation, located partly in
Europe and partly in Asia; the circumpolar national Bahá'í communities; the
countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea; the communities of Northeastern
Asia and the Antipodes, referred to by the Guardian as constituting a
spiritual axis; the Arabic-speaking countries of North Africa and the Middle
East; and French- speaking territories in various continents.
- We hope that, while in the Holy Land, each Board will be able to give
consideration to its mode of operation and explore effective means of
interaction among the Counsellors. In this way, between the close of the
conference and Ridvan, groups of Counsellors will be able to consult
together about the planning process in a number of related countries and the
role they and their auxiliaries are to play in it.
- In most countries, once the major elements of the national plan have
been identified, it is desirable that the planning process move quickly to
the regional level. The resulting plans should include provisions for the
- promotion of individual teaching,
- the launching of campaigns of various
kinds,
- the holding of conferences,
- the establishment of local and regional
projects,
- the strengthening of local communities, and
- the movement of
travelling teachers.
Moreover, the widespread distribution of literature
and audiovisual materials must be given urgent attention, and, particularly
in areas of large-scale expansion, human resource development must be a key
component of national and regional plans.
- During the Nine Year Plan, the Universal House of Justice called upon
National Spiritual Assemblies in countries where large-scale expansion was
taking place to establish teaching institutes to meet the deepening needs of
the thousands who were entering the Faith. At that time, the emphasis was
on acquiring a physical facility to which group after group of newly
enrolled believers would be invited to attend deepening courses. Over the
years, in conjunction with these institutes, and often independent of them,
a number of courses -- referred to, for example, as weekend institutes,
five-day institutes, and nine-day institutes -- were developed for the
purpose of helping the friends gain an understanding of the fundamental
verities of the Faith and arise to serve it. These efforts have contributed
significantly to the enriching of the spiritual life of the believers and
will undoubtedly continue in the future.
- With the growth in the number of enrolments, it has become apparent
that such occasional courses of instruction and the informal activities of
community life, though important, are not sufficient as a means of human
resource development, for they have resulted in only a relatively small band
of active supporters of the Cause. These believers, no matter how
dedicated, no matter how willing to make sacrifices, cannot attend to the
needs of hundreds, much less thousands, of fledgling local communities.
Systematic attention has to be given by Bahá'í institutions to training a
significant number of believers and assisting them in serving the Cause
according to their God-given talents and capacities.
- The development of human resources on a large scale requires that the
establishment of institutes be viewed in a new light. In many regions, it
has become imperative to create institutes as organizational structures
dedicated to systematic training. The purpose of such training 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, including the teaching and deepening of a large
number of people -- adults, youth and children. This purpose can best be
achieved through well-organized, formal programmes consisting of courses
that follow appropriately designed curricula.
- As an agency of the National Spiritual Assembly, the training institute
should be charged with the task of developing human resources in all or part
of a country. The requirements of expansion and consolidation in the
country or region will dictate the complexity of its organization. In some
instances, the institute may consist of a group of dedicated believers with
a well-defined programme and some administrative arrangement that enables it
to offer regular training courses. In many cases, in addition to a group of
teachers associated with it, the institute will require part- and full-time
staff, for whom assistance from the funds of the Faith may be necessary.
The institute needs access to some physical facilities in which it can
conduct courses and, at some stage of its development, may require a
building of its own. Irrespective of whether or not an institute has its
own physical facilities, its teachers must offer courses both at a central
location and in the villages and towns so that an appreciable number of
believers can enter its programmes. The complexity and number of courses
offered by an institute, as well as the size of its staff and the pool of
teachers from which it draws, may call for the appointment of a board to
direct its affairs. When the region under the influence of an institute is
large, it may have branches serving specific areas, each with its own
administration.
- For the new thrust in the establishment of institutes to succeed, the
active involvement of the Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members in their operation is essential. Such involvement will help the Counsellors to
kindle
- "the Fire of the Love of God in the very hearts and souls of His
servants",
- "to diffuse the Divine Fragrances",
- "to edify the souls of men",
- "to promote learning", and
- "to improve the character of all men".
These
institutes will provide the Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members with
immediate access to a formal means of educating the believers, in addition
to other avenues available to them such as conferences, summer schools, and
meetings with the friends. Institutes should be regarded as centres of
learning, and since their character harmonizes with, and provides scope for
the exercise of, the educational responsibilities of the Auxiliary Board
members, we have decided that intimate involvement in institute operations
should now become a part of the evolving functions of these officers of the
Faith. The Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies will need to
consult on the details of the collaboration between the two arms of the
Administrative Order in overseeing the budget and functioning of an
institute and in planning programme content, developing curricula, and
delivering courses. If a board of directors is named, its membership should
be decided upon by the National Spiritual Assembly in consultation with the
Counsellors and with their full support; Auxiliary Board members may serve
on these bodies.
- In addition to having a working relationship with Auxiliary Board
members, the institute must necessarily collaborate closely with Local
Assemblies and committees in charge of administering plans and projects of
expansion and consolidation. This will ensure that the institute's
programmes are designed to help raise up individuals who can contribute
effectively to such plans.
However, even if these administrative bodies have not yet developed the
capacity to utilize the talents of those being trained, the programmes of
the institute should be regularly carried out. After all, the strengthening
of the institutions in a region depends, as do all other matters, on skilled
and confirmed supporters of the Faith.
- In developing its programmes, the institute should draw on the talents
of a growing number of believers and should also take advantage of its
institutional links to have access to resources worldwide. A newly
established institute will often utilize materials created by institutes in
other parts of the world. Gradually, those designing and delivering courses
will learn how these materials might be supplemented to better suit their
specific needs and will decide what new ones should be created. The
curriculum of the institute at any given time, then, may well use a
combination of materials created locally and those that have proven
successful elsewhere. As institutes begin to flourish, a wide variety of
curricula will be developed for various training needs. We hope that, with
the assistance of the International Teaching Centre, you will be able to
assess the materials available from time to time and help the institutes in
the communities you serve to select those most appropriate for their needs.
- We are placing at the disposal of the Teaching Centre funds
specifically designated for the operation of institutes and intend to call
on National Spiritual Assemblies, according to their circumstances, to pay
particular attention to the development of institutes in their countries.
It is our hope that significant progress in this direction will constitute
one of the distinguishing features of the Four Year Plan.
Local Level
- The development of the local community and the functioning of the Local
Spiritual Assembly have been ongoing challenges to the Bahá'í world through
successive Plans. At present, a few thousand Local Spiritual Assemblies
have attained at least a basic level of functioning. National and regional
plans will clearly have to include provision for the adoption by such
Assemblies of local plans of expansion and consolidation. To ensure that
local plans contribute to the advancement of the process of entry by troops,
you will need to call upon your Auxiliary Board members and their assistants
to work closely with these Assemblies, both in the formulation of plans and
in their execution, helping them to shoulder the responsibility of
systematic growth in their own communities and in localities adopted as
extension goals. The community 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 Bahá'ís but for the entire village, town or city in which
it serves.
- However, in those many communities where no organized activities are
taking place, whether or not a Local Spiritual Assembly has been elected,
more basic challenges have to be addressed, and in this the Auxiliary Board
members and their assistants must play a fundamental role. Concerted effort
must be made to help the individual believers, men and women alike, increase
their love for Bahá'u'lláh and His Cause and to bring them together in the
Nineteen Day Feast as well as periodic meetings aimed at raising their
awareness of their identity as a community. In those localities where the
participation of women in community affairs is lagging, determined steps
have to be taken to foster such participation. Effective measures have to
be adopted so that the Local Spiritual Assembly is properly elected year
after year and consistent progress in its functioning is made. The regular
holding of Bahá'í children's classes should be given high priority. Indeed
in many parts of the world this is the first activity in a process of
community building, which, if pursued vigorously, gives rise to the other
developments. In all this, particular attention needs to be given to the
youth, who are often the Faith's most enthusiastic supporters. The
establishment of these activities defines a first stage in the process of
community development, which, once attained, must be followed by subsequent
stages until a community reaches a point where it can formulate its own
plans of expansion and consolidation.
- In this context, we feel that the Auxiliary Board members should take
further advantage of the possibility of naming, where appropriate, more than
one assistant to a given community, with the intention of assigning each to
promote one or more of these fundamental community activities. We also urge
you to consult with National Spiritual Assemblies on the experience of past
endeavours to assist such communities. Arrangements can then be made for
the lessons learned from this experience to be discussed with the active
supporters of the Faith in each region, helping them to identify the
approaches and methods applicable to their specific conditions and to set in
motion a systematic process of community development. This process should
be one in which the friends review their successes and difficulties, adjust
and improve their methods accordingly, and learn, and move forward
unhesitatingly.
- In general, we feel the functions of the Auxiliary Board members for
Protection have to be clarified and their influence augmented. The
deepening of the friends and the proper functioning of the Local Spiritual
Assembly are essential to the healthy growth of the community and should be important
concerns of the Auxiliary Board members for Protection. We are
contemplating an increase in the membership of Protection Boards to make the
number equal to that of the Propagation Boards. It is our hope that
Protection Board members will, in turn, name more assistants to focus on
issues related to community development.
Election of Local Spiritual Assemblies
- In developing the Administrative Order, the Guardian established the
First Day of `Ridvan as the day when all Local Spiritual Assemblies should be
elected. During his own lifetime, this practice was followed as the number
of Local Assemblies steadily grew to over one thousand.
- In the subsequent two decades the Faith expanded greatly, especially in
the rural areas of the world, often remote and difficult to reach. In view
of this development, the Universal House of Justice decided in 1977 that, in
certain cases, when the local friends failed to elect their Spiritual
Assembly on the First Day of Ridvan, they could do so on any subsequent day
of the Ridvan Festival. This permission did not apply to all localities,
but to those that, in the judgement of the National Spiritual Assembly, were
particularly affected by such factors as illiteracy, remoteness, and
unfamiliarity with concepts of Bahá'í Administration. The House of Justice
also gave permission at the beginning of the Five Year Plan for Assemblies
being formed for the first time to be elected at any point during the year.
- These provisions have enabled the believers in a large number of
localities to receive assistance in electing their Local Spiritual
Assemblies, and much experience has been gained in strengthening Local
Assemblies under diverse conditions in a vast array of cultural settings.
Nevertheless, in principle, the initiative and responsibility for electing a
Local Spiritual Assembly belong primarily to the Bahá'ís in the locality,
and assistance from outside is ultimately fruitful only if the friends
become conscious of this sacred responsibility. As progress is made in the
training of human resources and in the development of the entire range of
Bahá'í community life, the capacity of the friends to elect their Local
Spiritual Assemblies on their own will certainly grow.
- With these thoughts in mind, we have decided that, beginning at Ridvan
1997, the practice of electing all Local Spiritual Assemblies on the First
Day of Ridvan will be reinstituted. We recognize that the immediate result
may be a reduction in the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies at Ridvan
1997, but we are confident that subsequent years will witness a steady
increase.
- The National Spiritual Assemblies and their agencies on the one hand,
and the Counsellors and their auxiliaries on the other, clearly have a duty
to foster the establishment and development of Bahá'í communities, including
their divinely ordained local institutions. This duty can be discharged
mainly through sustained educational programmes which create in the
believers the awareness of the importance of the Teachings in every area of
their indi- vidual and social lives and which engender in them the desire
and determination to elect and support their Local Spiritual Assemblies.
These programmes should take full advantage of the provision that has been
made for the temporary
formation of administrative committees of three or more members in
localities where Local Assemblies are not elected, or where the members of a
Local Assembly fail to meet.
Financial Needs
- The magnitude of the tasks the Bahá'í community is being summoned to
perform during the Four Year Plan will call for a considerable outlay of
funds. The pressing demands of the Arc Projects will continue to place
severe constraints on the International Funds of the Faith. Yet, the
Universal House of Justice will do its utmost to make available to the
Counsellors and the National Spiritual Assemblies the financial means
necessary for the discharge of the tasks of expansion and consolidation in
areas requiring assistance.
This will include funds for the all-important work of the Auxiliary Boards.
- As experience has shown, however, the expenditure of money does not, by
itself, bring results. The challenge before you is to help develop in the
various institutions and agencies involved in the execution of the Plan the
capacity to expend funds in a judicious and effective manner. In addition,
you must redouble your efforts to educate every member of the Bahá'í
community -- the new and the old believer, the youth and the adult -- on the
spiritual significance of contributing to the Fund. We are confident that
you will give special attention to this twofold challenge as you set out to
help the friends in every continent to win victories for the Cause during
these crucial years in the history of humanity.
- Dear Friends, the few short years that separate us from the close of
the century are a period of both spiritual potency and immense opportunity.
Great responsibilities rest on your shoulders. During the first months of
the Plan you will be making a decisive contribution to the formulation of
plans that will inspire the friends to action and will guide them in their
individual and collective endeavours. Throughout the Plan, you and your
auxiliaries will
- encourage the friends,
- stimulate the spiritual powers
latent in their hearts, and
- assist them in fulfilling their duties towards a
Cause so dear to them.
As you take up these manifold tasks, you must constantly bear in mind that
the realization of the aim of the Four Year Plan will depend on the rapid
increase in the number of teachers of the Cause who will bring in the
multitudes, nurture them, and infuse in them "so deep a longing" as to impel
them "to arise independently" and devote their energies "to the quickening
of other souls".
- Be assured that we will remember each and all of you in the Holy Shrines.
[SIGNED: THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE]
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