{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-archive-page-jsx","path":"/archive/75/","result":{"pageContext":{"strings":{"about":"About","additional_articles":"Additional Articles","administration":"Administration","africa":"Africa","all_bahaiorg_sites":"All Bahai.org Sites","all_sites":"All sites","all_sites_arising_serve":"Arising to Serve","all_sites_arising_serve_caption":"A film recounting highlights of the 41 regional Bahá’í conferences called by the Universal House of Justice in 2008","all_sites_bahai_org":"The official website of the worldwide Bahá’í community","all_sites_bahai_org_library":"Bahá’í Reference Library","all_sites_bahai_org_library_caption":"The authoritative online source of Bahá’í writings","all_sites_bahaullah_org":"The Life of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_bahaullah_org_caption":"A photographic narrative of the life of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_bic":"Bahá’í International Community Representative Offices","all_sites_bic_caption":"The official website of the Bahá’í International Community’s Representative Offices. The site contains news and information about recent activity and provides access to BIC statements, reports, and other publications","all_sites_bicentenary":"Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_bicentenary_bab":"Bicentenary of the Birth of The Báb","all_sites_bicentenary_caption":"The official international website for the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_frontiers_learning":"Frontiers of Learning","all_sites_frontiers_learning_caption":"This film captures the insights and experiences of people from four communities across the world whose efforts to build vibrant communities are at the frontiers of learning","all_sites_light_to_the_world":"Light to the World","all_sites_light_to_the_world_caption":"A feature film about the life and teachings of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_media_bank":"Bahá’í Media Bank","all_sites_media_bank_caption":"Photographs available for downloading","all_sites_national_communities":"National Bahá’í Communities","all_sites_national_communities_caption":"A page containing links to the websites of many national Bahá’í communities from around the world","all_sites_news_bahai_org_caption":"The official news website of the worldwide Bahá’í community","all_sites_title":"Official Bahá’í Sites","all_sites_universalhouseofjustice_org":"The Universal House of Justice","all_sites_universalhouseofjustice_org_caption":"Information about the Universal House of Justice and selected statements and letters","all_sites_widening_embrace":"A Widening Embrace","all_sites_widening_embrace_caption":"A documentary film about the community-building efforts of the Bahá’í world","americas":"Americas","android":"Android","archive_results_to_of_a":"Results","archive_results_to_of_b":"to","archive_results_to_of_c":"of","asia":"Asia","back_to_story":"Back to Story","bahai_international_community":"Bahá'í International Community","bahai_media_bank":"Bahá’í Media Bank","bahai_reference_library":"Bahá’í Reference Library","bahai_world_centre":"Bahá’í World Centre","bahai_world_news_service":"Bahá’í World News Service","bahai_world_news_service_bwns":"Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS)","bahaiorg_home":"Bahai.org Home","bahais_semnan":"The Bahá’ís of Semnan","battambang_cambodia_house_worship":"House of Worship in Battambang, Cambodia","battambang_cambodia_temple":"Battambang, Cambodia Temple Inauguration","before_downloading_terms":"Before downloading please refer to the [Terms of use](/legal/).","bic_un_office":"Bahá’í International Community\nUN Office","brief_history":"Brief history","bwns_noTranslation":"BWNS","cdn_documentlibrary_path":"http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/","cdn_images_path":"//bwns.imgix.net/","chile_house_worship":"Chile House of Worship","chile_temple":"Chile Temple Inauguration","close":"Close","closed_doors_denial_education_iran":"Closed Doors: Denial of Education in Iran","comma":",","comprehensive_report":"Comprehensive report","contact":"Contact","contact_h1":"Contacting the Bahá’í World News Service","contact_h2":"Contacting Bahá’í institutions","contact_h3":"Reporting technical problems","contact_information":"Contact Information","contact_p1":"General inquiries about BWNS can be directed to [news@bahai.org](mailto:news@bahai.org). Information regarding news and media contacts is available in the [Media Information](/media-information/) section.","contact_p2":"The Bahá’í Faith is established in more than 100,000 localities in virtually every country and territory around the world. At the national level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are guided by National Spiritual Assemblies, and a list of websites for many national Bahá’í communities can be found at the [National Communities page](https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/) on Bahai.org.","contact_p3":"To report a technical problem with this site, please send a detailed description and screenshot of the issue, along with the address of the page where it occurred, to [webmaster@bahai.org](mailto:webmaster@bahai.org). Please note that this email address exists to receive reports of technical problems with the site and it is not possible to respond to other queries through this facility.","copy_link":"Copy Link","did_not_match_any_documents_showing_results_for":"did not match any documents. Showing results for","did_you_mean":"Did you mean:","download":"Download","download_highest_resolution":"Download highest resolution","email":"Email","email_address":"Email Address","enlarge":"Enlarge","error_page":"Error Occurred","error_page_p1":"Sorry. An error has occurred with your request. It would help us if you let us know what you were trying to do when this error occurred by using our [contact form](https://www.bahai.org/contact/).","europe":"Europe","featured_stories":"Featured stories","featured_videos":"Featured videos","follow_updates_via_instagram_twitter":"Follow the Bahá’í World News Service on Twitter and Instagram for regular updates and stories","from_bwns_archive":"From the Bahá’í World News Service archive","get_notified_stories":"Get notified of stories","highest_resolution":"Highest resolution","historical_photographs":"Historical photographs","homepage_feature_audio_h2":"Recent podcast episodes","homepage_feature_audio_h3":"Audio versions of stories","homepage_feature_audio_p1":"Selected audio content from around the globe","homepage_feature_h1":"Subscribe to BWNS Updates","houses_worship":"Houses of Worship","human_rights_iran":"Human Rights in Iran","images":"images","ios":"iOS","iran_news_stories":"Iran News Stories","key_terms_facts":"Key terms and facts","latest_headlines":"Latest headlines","latest_video_category":"Latest","legal":"Legal","legal_h1":"Privacy","legal_h2":"Terms of Use","legal_information":"Legal Information","legal_li_1":"They must at all times be attributed to the Bahá’í World News Service.","legal_li_2":"Photographs and stories cannot be used in any way (including, without limitation, suggesting an association with or endorsement of any product, service, opinion or cause) that conflicts with the intent and premise of the original source.","legal_li_3":"Photographs may be edited for size only. Captions must remain with the photographs at all times.","legal_li_4":"The Bahá’í World News Service will not be responsible to any person or organization for any liability for any direct, incidental,  consequential, indirect, or punitive damages that may result from any access to or use of the stories and/or photographs on our site.","legal_li_5":"Although this blanket permission to reproduce BWNS material is given freely such that no special permission is required, the Bahá’í World News Service retains full copyright protection for its stories and photographs under all applicable national and international laws.","legal_p1_1":"On this Web site we try to ensure your privacy. We collect only personal information provided by you on a voluntary basis, in order to respond to your queries and to send you any additional information and material that you request.","legal_p1_2":"Visitors to this Web site are not tracked, except to produce aggregate statistical data that does not identify individual users. Where we must use cookies to provide essential functionality, these are not used to track your use of the site or to store personally-identifiable information. Steps have been taken to ensure that all information collected from you will remain secure, free from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Please keep in mind that if you leave this site via a link, the other site may have a different policy regarding privacy.","legal_p1_3a":"We occasionally update this privacy policy and encourage you to review it periodically. If you wish to correct your personal information, or have questions regarding this policy, please send an email message to","legal_p1_3b":"or call the Bahá’í World News Service at +972 (4) 835-8412, between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. GMT +2, Sunday through Thursday.","legal_p2_1":"All stories and photographs produced by the Bahá’í World News Service may be freely reprinted, e-mailed, posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by any individual or organization, subject to the following restrictions:","legal_p2_2":"The Bahá’í World News Service is an agency of the Bahá’í International Community, a nongovernmental organization that represents and encompasses the five million members of the Bahá’í Faith.","links_other_websites":"Links to other Web sites","listen":"Listen","listen_bwns":"Listen to BWNS","load_more_results":"Load more results","media_bank":"Media Bank","media_information":"Media Information","media_information_about_bwns":"About BWNS","media_information_administration_h2":"International","media_information_administration_h3":"National","media_information_administration_h4":"Local","media_information_administration_p1":"The Bahá’í Faith is administered by a series of elected bodies at the local, national, and international levels. There is no class of ecclesiastics or clergy.","media_information_administration_p2":"The Universal House of Justice is the international governing council of the Bahá’í Faith. It is the supreme administrative body ordained by Bahá’u’lláh in His book of laws. The Universal House of Justice is elected every five years at the International Bahá’í Convention, where members of the National Spiritual Assemblies (see below) around the world serve as delegates. The Universal House of Justice was first elected in 1963. Its permanent seat is on Mount Carmel in Haifa.","media_information_administration_p3":"At the national level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the National Spiritual Assembly, a nine-member elected council responsible for guiding, co-ordinating, and stimulating the activities of Local Spiritual Assemblies and individual members of the Bahá’í community within a given country. The responsibilities of a National Spiritual Assembly include channelling the community’s financial resources, fostering the growth and vibrancy of the national Bahá’í community, supervising the affairs of the community including its social and economic development activities and its properties, overseeing relations with government, resolving questions from individuals and Local Spiritual Assemblies, and strengthening the participation of the Bahá’í community in the life of society at the national level.","media_information_administration_p4":"At the local level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the Local Spiritual Assembly. Each Local Assembly consists of nine members who are chosen in annual elections. As with all other elected Bahá’í institutions, the Assembly functions as a body and makes decisions through consultation. The responsibilities of the Local Spiritual Assembly include promoting the spiritual education of children and young people, strengthening the spiritual and social fabric of Bahá’í community life, assessing and utilizing the community’s resources, and ensuring that the energies and talents of community members contribute towards progress.","media_information_administration_p5":"In addition, the Bahá’í Faith has **counsellors**, appointed to five-year terms by the Universal House of Justice, who serve as advisers in countries and regions around the world. Currently there are 90 such counsellors assigned to specific countries or regions, and an additional nine counsellors who constitute the membership of the International Teaching Centre at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa.","media_information_administration_p6":"The Bahá’í International Community is a non-governmental organization that represents the worldwide Bahá’í community. It has been registered with the United Nations (UN) as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_a":"the Seat of the Universal House of Justice,","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_b":"the International Teaching Centre,","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_c":"the Centre for the Study of the Texts,","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_d":"the International Archives Building.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p1":"The spiritual and administrative center of the Bahá’í Faith is permanently established in the Acre-Haifa area of northern Israel, following the explicit instructions of Bahá’u’lláh.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p2":"The burial place, or shrine, of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre and that of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa are the holiest spots on earth for Bahá’ís. Other sites associated with the life of Bahá’u’lláh as well as the burial site of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are revered by Bahá’ís as holy places.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p3":"The shrines are the object of pilgrimage for thousands of Bahá’ís each year.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p4":"The administrative offices are positioned in an Arc across Mount Carmel in Haifa and include:","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p5":"Also in Haifa are the Bahá’í International Community’s Secretariat and Office of Public Information.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p6":"The Bahá’í World Centre is known for the gardens surrounding the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre, and also for the gardens and terraces surrounding the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p7":"At this time the Shrine of the Báb is open to the public.","media_information_brief_history_p1":"The Bahá’í Faith traces its origin to 1844 and the announcement by a young man, Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad, in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran), that He had been sent by God to prepare humanity for a new age and the imminent appearance of another Messenger even greater than Himself.","media_information_brief_history_p10":"During the 40 years of His exile, Bahá’u’lláh revealed a series of books, tablets, and letters that today form the core of the **holy writings of the Bahá’í Faith**. Comprising the equivalent of some 100 volumes, the writings of Bahá’u’lláh describe the nature of God and the purpose of human existence, give new religious laws, and outline a vision for creating a peaceful and prosperous global society.","media_information_brief_history_p11":"In His will, Bahá’u’lláh named His eldest son, ‘Abbás Effendi (1844-1921), as the head of the Bahá’í Faith and authorized interpreter of His teachings. ‘Abbás Effendi, known to Bahá’ís as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (“Servant of Bahá”), became well-known in the Haifa/Acre area for his charitable works, and he also traveled through Europe and North America to encourage nascent Bahá’í communities and to proclaim Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to the general public. The writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are considered part of the sacred scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_brief_history_p12":"‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away in 1921. In his will he had designated his grandson **Shoghi Effendi** (1897-1957) as his successor, with the title of **Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith**. During the ministry of Shoghi Effendi, the religion spread around the world, and its local and national administrative institutions were established. With the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, the line of hereditary leaders of the Bahá’í Faith came to an end.","media_information_brief_history_p13":"Following provisions established by Bahá’u’lláh, in 1963 the **Universal House of Justice** was elected to direct the affairs of the worldwide Bahá’í community. The nine members of the Universal House of Justice are elected every five years by the members of the Bahá’í national administrative bodies around the world.","media_information_brief_history_p2":"Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad took the title of the **Báb** (meaning “Gate” in Arabic) and said the one whose coming He foretold would be the universal Manifestation of God sent to inaugurate an age of peace and enlightenment as promised in all the world’s religions.","media_information_brief_history_p3":"The Báb’s teachings, which spread rapidly, were viewed as heretical by the clergy and government of Persia. More than 20,000 of His followers, known as Bábís, perished in a series of massacres throughout the country.","media_information_brief_history_p4":"The Báb Himself was publicly executed in the city of Tabriz on 9 July 1850.","media_information_brief_history_p5":"Bahá’ís consider the Báb to be both an independent Messenger of God and the forerunner of **Bahá’u’lláh** (“the Glory of God” in Arabic), who is the founder of the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_brief_history_p6":"Bahá’u’lláh, whose name was Mírzá Husayn ‘Alí, was born into a noble family in Tehran on 12 November 1817. In His mid-20s, He declined a life of privilege and became one of the leading disciples of the Báb.","media_information_brief_history_p7":"In 1852, in the course of the persecution of the Bábís, He was arrested, beaten, and thrown into an infamous dungeon in Tehran. After four months, He was released and banished from His native land – the beginning of 40 years of exile and imprisonment.","media_information_brief_history_p8":"He was first sent to Baghdad, where He and His companions stayed for 10 years. In 1863, on the eve of His further banishment to what is now Turkey and then to the Holy Land, Bahá’u’lláh announced that He was the Universal Messenger of God foretold by the Báb.","media_information_brief_history_p9":"In 1868, Bahá’u’lláh arrived in the Holy Land with about 70 family members and followers, sentenced by the Ottoman authorities to perpetual confinement in the penal colony of Acre. The order of confinement was never lifted, but because of the growing recognition of His outstanding character, He eventually was able to move outside the walls of the prison city. He lived His final years at a country home called Bahjí, where He passed away in 1892. He was interred there, and His shrine is the holiest place on earth for Bahá’ís.","media_information_description":"Contacts, facts, style guide,\ngeneral information, and photos","media_information_h1":"National and local","media_information_h2":"International","media_information_h2_a":"Bahá’í World News Service","media_information_h2_b":"Bahá’í International Community","media_information_h2_c":"Bahá’í International Community - United Nations Offices:","media_information_h2_e":"For languages other than English:","media_information_houses_worship_li_1":"Wilmette, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1953.","media_information_houses_worship_li_2":"Kampala, Uganda. Opened in 1961.","media_information_houses_worship_li_3":"Sydney, Australia. Opened in 1961.","media_information_houses_worship_li_4":"Frankfurt, Germany. Opened in 1964.","media_information_houses_worship_li_5":"Panama City, Panama. Opened in 1972.","media_information_houses_worship_li_6":"Apia, Samoa. Opened in 1984.","media_information_houses_worship_li_7":"New Delhi, India. Opened in 1986.","media_information_houses_worship_li_8":"Santiago, Chile. Opened in 2016.","media_information_houses_worship_li_9":"Battambang, Cambodia. Opened in 2017.","media_information_houses_worship_li_10":"Norte del Cauca, Colombia. Opened in 2018.","media_information_houses_worship_li_11":"Matunda Soy, Kenya. Opened in 2021.","media_information_houses_worship_li_12":"Tanna, Vanuatu. Opened in 2021.","media_information_houses_worship_li_13":"Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Opened in 2023.","media_information_houses_worship_li_14":"Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Opened in 2024.","media_information_houses_worship_p1":"Bahá’u’lláh designated Bahá’í Houses of Worship as spiritual gathering places for prayer and meditation around which will cluster social, humanitarian, educational, and scientific institutions. Eight continental, two national, and four local Bahá’í Houses of Worship have been built.","media_information_houses_worship_p2":"The physical structure of a House of Worship comprises a central building—a House of Worship—along with several dependencies. While the House of Worship forms the focal point of worship in a geographical area, its purpose is not solely to provide a place for prayer. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that, through the provision of education, healthcare and other services it is also to support the social and economic progress of the community and afford shelter, relief and assistance to those in need. In this connection, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá anticipated that subsidiary branches—such as a hospital, school, university, dispensary, and hospice—would gradually be added to a House of Worship. Bahá’u’lláh refers to the House of Worship as a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, Arabic for “dawning place of the mention of God.”","media_information_houses_worship_p3":"Bahá’í Houses of Worship are located in:","media_information_houses_worship_p4":"Plans are underway to build a national House of Worship in Brazil, Canada, and Malawi. A local House of Worship is also being constructed in Batouri, Cameroon; Bihar Sharif, India; Kanchanpur, Nepal; and Mwinilunga, Zambia. At the local level, meetings for worship are held regularly in Bahá’í centers and in the homes of believers all over the world.","media_information_key_terms_facts_h1":"Name of the religion and of the organization – the Bahá’í Faith","media_information_key_terms_facts_h2":"Founder of the Bahá’í Faith – Bahá’u’lláh","media_information_key_terms_facts_h3":"Year of founding – 1844","media_information_key_terms_facts_h4":"Head of the religion – the Universal House of Justice","media_information_key_terms_facts_h5":"Number of Bahá’ís – more than 5 million","media_information_key_terms_facts_h6":"Description of the religion and key beliefs","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_a":"the unity of the races and elimination of prejudice,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_b":"the equality of women and men,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_c":"universal education,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_d":"the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_e":"a spiritual solution to economic problems,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_f":"establishment of a universal auxiliary language,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_g":"the harmony of science and religion,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_h":"the independent investigation of truth,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_i":"the creation of a world commonwealth of nations that will keep the peace through collective security.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p1_a":"The Bahá’í Faith is an independent world religion.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p1_b":"A member is called a Bahá’í (plural: Bahá’ís). It is also correct to say that someone is a “member of the Bahá’í Faith,” a “follower of the Bahá’í Faith,” a “follower of Bahá’u’lláh,” or a member of the Bahá’í community of a given locality.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p1_c":"The term “Bahá’í International Community” refers to the non-governmental organization that represents the worldwide Bahá’í community. It has been registered with the United Nations (UN) as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p2":"Bahá’ís consider Bahá’u’lláh to be the most recent in a line of great religious teachers, or Messengers of God, that includes Abraham, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Krishna, Muhammad, Moses, Zoroaster, and others. Bahá’u’lláh—the name is Arabic for “Glory of God”—was born in 1817 in Tehran, Iran, and passed away in 1892 in Acre, Israel. The coming of Bahá’u’lláh was announced by the Báb (Arabic for “Gate”), also considered by Bahá’ís to be a divine Messenger.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p3":"There are a number of important dates in the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith, but the first announcement by the Báb of the new religion came in 1844.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p4":"The Universal House of Justice is the international governing council of the Bahá’í community, an elected body of nine men. Its seat is at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel. Around the world, in almost all countries, a National Spiritual Assembly oversees the affairs of the Bahá’í Faith in that country, and Local Spiritual Assemblies oversee local affairs.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p6_a":"The Bahá’í Faith is an independent, monotheistic religion established in virtually every country of the world. Bahá’ís believe that the world’s major religions represent unfolding chapters in God’s teachings for humankind, and that the writings of Bahá’u’lláh represent God’s guidance for this age.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p6_b":"Bahá’u’lláh’s central teaching is the unity of humanity under one God.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p6_c":"Among the many Bahá’í principles are the following:","media_information_key_terms_facts_p7":"For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org).","media_information_li_a_1":"Phone (office): +972 (4) 835-8412","media_information_li_a_2":"E-mail, for news inquiries: [news@bahai.org](mailto:news@bahai.org)","media_information_li_b_1":"Mr. Saleem Vaillaincourt (London)","media_information_li_b_2":"Senior information officer","media_information_li_b_3":"Phone (office): +1 (212) 803-2544","media_information_li_b_4":"E-mail: [media@bic.org](mailto:media@bic.org)","media_information_li_c_1":"Ms. Bani Dugal (New York)","media_information_li_c_2":"Principal Representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations","media_information_li_c_3":"Bahá’í International Community","media_information_li_c_4":"Phone: +1 (212) 803-2500","media_information_li_c_5":"After-hours phone: +1 (914) 329-3020","media_information_li_c_6":"E-mail: [uno-nyc@bic.org](mailto:uno-nyc@bic.org)","media_information_li_d_1":"Ms. Simin Fahandej (Geneva)","media_information_li_d_2":"Representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations","media_information_li_d_3":"Bahá’í International Community","media_information_li_d_4":"Phone: +41 (27) 798-5400","media_information_li_d_5":"After-hours phone: +41 (78) 880-0759","media_information_li_d_6":"E-mail: [geneva@bic.org](mailto:geneva@bic.org)","media_information_li_e_1":"Persian – Simin Fahandej, +41 (27) 798-5400","media_information_li_e_2":"French – Rachel Bayani, +32 (475) 750394","media_information_li_e_3":"To arrange other languages +972 (4) 835-8412","media_information_media_contacts":"Media Contacts","media_information_p1":"Editors, journalists, and other media professionals are encouraged to contact the National Office of the Bahá’ís of their own country. See [National Communities](https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/).","media_information_p2":"BWNS reports on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","media_information_p3":"Information about the Bahá’í Faith is available at [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org/)","media_information_p_native":"The website for BWNS is located at [news.bahai.org](https://news.bahai.org/)","media_information_photographs_p1":"To arrange for photographs, you are encouraged to contact the office of the National Spiritual Assembly of the  Bahá’ís of your country. See [National Communities](https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/).","media_information_photographs_p2":"For more information, or for international photographs, contact the Bahá’í World Centre:","media_information_photographs_p3":"Phone: +972 (4) 835-8412  \n            E-mail: [news@bahai.org](mailto:news@bahai.org)","media_information_photographs_p4":"Photographs here may be downloaded and published, with photo credit given to the Bahá’í World Centre. [Terms of use](https://news.bahai.org/legal/).","media_information_photographs_p5":"Additional photos are available through the [Bahá’í Media Bank](https://media.bahai.org/). Images attached to articles in the [Bahá’í World News Service](https://news.bahai.org/) main site may also be downloaded.","media_information_photographs_p6":"Photographs of Bahá’ís imprisoned in Iran are available in the [Iran Update](/human-rights/iran/iran-update/photos.html) section of this Web site.","media_information_sidecontent_h1":"Bahá’ís in Iran","media_information_sidecontent_li":"Updates, background, photos","media_information_statistics_p1":"There are more than 5 million Bahá’ís in the world.","media_information_statistics_p2":"The Bahá’í Faith is established in virtually every country and in many dependent territories and overseas departments of countries. Bahá’ís reside in well over 100,000 localities. About 2,100 indigenous tribes, races, and ethnic groups are represented in the Bahá’í community.","media_information_statistics_p3":"There are currently 188 councils at the national level that oversee the work of communities. A network of over 300 training institutes, offering formal programs of Bahá’í education, span the globe.","media_information_statistics_p4":"Of the several thousand Bahá’í efforts in social and economic development, more than 900 are large-scale, sustained projects, including more than 600 schools and over 70 development agencies.","media_information_statistics_p5":"There are currently 14 Bahá’í Houses of Worship – in Australia, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Germany, India, Kenya, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Uganda, the United States, and Vanuatu. Plans are underway to build a national House of Worship in Brazil, Canada, and Malawi. Local Houses of Worship are also being constructed in Batouri, Cameroon; Bihar Sharif, India; Kanchanpur, Nepal; and Mwinilunga, Zambia. At the local level, meetings for worship are held regularly in Bahá’í centers and in the homes of believers all over the world.","media_information_statistics_p6":"The Bahá’í International Community has been registered with the United Nations as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York.","media_information_statistics_p7":"Bahá’í writings and other literature have been translated into more than 800 languages.","media_information_statistics_p8":"Each year, around one million people visit the Bahá’í Shrine, terraces, and gardens on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.","media_information_statistics_p9":"In Iran, where the Bahá’í Faith originated, there are now about 300,000 Bahá’ís, constituting the largest religious minority in that country.","media_information_style_guide_h1":"Pronunciation guide","media_information_style_guide_h2":"Style guide and glossary","media_information_style_guide_p1":"**Bahá’í:**   Ba-HIGH  \n            **Bahá’u’lláh:**   Ba-ha-ul-LAH  \n            **Báb:**   Bahb (Bob)  \n            **‘Abdu’l-Bahá:**   Abdul ba-HAH  \n            **Naw-Rúz:**   Naw Rooz  \n            **Ridván:**   REZ-vahn","media_information_style_guide_p2_1":"**‘Abdu’l-Bahá** (1844-1921) – The son of Bahá’u’lláh who was the head of the Bahá’í Faith from 1892 to 1921. Bahá’u’lláh in His will had designated ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá occupies a special station as the authoritative interpreter of the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and as the perfect example of how a Bahá’í should live. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá traveled widely through Europe and North America from 1911-1913, explaining his Father’s teachings in talks, interviews, and addresses at universities, churches, temples, synagogues, and missions for the poor. (Bahá’ís capitalize pronouns—for example, “He”—that refers to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá out of respect for his special station. Such pronouns are not capitalized in this guide in deference to international journalistic style and also to avoid confusion with Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, who are considered to be divine Prophets.) For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_10":"**Bahá’í Faith** – The correct term for the religion is the Bahá’í Faith. It is an independent, monotheistic religion established in virtually every country of the world. It is not a sect of another religion. In a list of major religions, it would look like this: Hinduism, Zoroastrianism,  Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_style_guide_p2_11":"**Bahá’í International Community** – The Bahá’í International Community is a non-governmental organization that represents the worldwide Bahá’í community. It has been registered with the United Nations as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York. For more information, see [bic.org](https://www.bic.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_12":"**Bahá’í World Centre** – The spiritual and administrative center of the Bahá’í Faith, comprising the holy places in the Haifa/Acre area in northern Israel and the Arc of administrative buildings on Mount Carmel in Haifa. The Bahá’í World Centre itself uses the spelling “Centre”; elsewhere both “Centre” and “Center” are used, depending on the custom of the country.","media_information_style_guide_p2_13":"**Bahá’u’lláh** – The founder of the Bahá’í Faith, who lived from 1817 to 1892, considered by Bahá’ís to be the most recent divine Messenger, or Manifestation of God, in a line of great religious figures that includes Abraham, Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, Moses, Muhammad, Zoroaster, the Báb, and others. Bahá’u’lláh was born in Tehran in present-day Iran, and passed away near Acre, in what is now Israel. “Bahá’u’lláh” is a title that means the “Glory of God” in Arabic; His name was Mírzá Husayn-‘Alí. His writings, which would equal about a hundred volumes, form the basis of the Bahá’í teachings. For more information, see [Bahai.org](http://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_14":"**Bahjí** – The place near Acre where the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh (His burial place) is located, as well as the mansion that was His last residence and surrounding gardens. It is a place of pilgrimage for Bahá’ís. The word “Bahjí” is Arabic for “delight.”","media_information_style_guide_p2_15":"**children’s classes** – Classes in moral education, open to all, that are provided for children, operated at the community level by the Bahá’í training institute.","media_information_style_guide_p2_16":"**Convention** – See [International Bahá’í Convention](#internationalbahaiconvention) and [National Bahá’í Convention](#nationalbahaicconvention).","media_information_style_guide_p2_18":"**counsellor** – An adviser appointed by the Universal House of Justice who serves in a particular geographic area or at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa. At present, there are 90 counsellors assigned to specific countries or regions, and nine counsellors who form the membership of the International Teaching Centre at the  Bahá’í World Centre. Appointments are for five years.","media_information_style_guide_p2_19":"**devotional meetings** – Gatherings, often in people’s homes, for prayers and to read the sacred writings of the Bahá’í Faith and other religions. Usually undertaken as an individual initiative.","media_information_style_guide_p2_2":"**accent marks** – Bahá’í, Bahá’u’lláh, and other names are written with accent marks, but many publications and websites do not have the facility for using such marks.","media_information_style_guide_p2_20":"**fast, the** – A period during which Bahá’ís abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sundown during the Bahá’í month of ‘Alá’, from 2 March to 20 March. Bahá’u’lláh enjoined His followers to pray and fast during this period. The sick, the traveler, and pregnant women, among others, are exempt.","media_information_style_guide_p2_21":"**feast** – See [Nineteen Day Feast](#nineteendayfeast).","media_information_style_guide_p2_22":"**Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith** – See [Shoghi Effendi](#shoghieffendi).","media_information_style_guide_p2_23":"**Haifa** – The city in northern Israel that, along with nearby Acre, is the location of the Bahá’í World Centre. The international administrative buildings of the Bahá’í Faith (including the Seat of the Universal House of Justice), the Shrine of the Báb, and surrounding terraces and gardens are all located on Mount Carmel in the heart of Haifa.","media_information_style_guide_p2_24":"**Holy days** – Eleven days that commemorate significant Bahá’í anniversaries. The nine holy days on which work is suspended are the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the Birth of the Báb, Declaration of the Báb, Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, Martyrdom of the Báb, Naw-Rúz, Ridván (a 12-day festival, of which the first, ninth and 12th days are holy days). The other two holy days are the Day of the Covenant and the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. *See names of individual holy days.*","media_information_style_guide_p2_25":"**Holy Land** – The area associated with present-day Israel, which is holy to a number of religions, including to Bahá’ís. The resting places of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre and of the Báb in Haifa are, to Bahá’ís, the holiest spots on earth.","media_information_style_guide_p2_26":"**International Archives Building** – One of the buildings at the Bahá’í World Centre on Mount Carmel in Haifa. The repository of many sacred relics of the Bahá’í Faith, it is visited by thousands of Bahá’í pilgrims each year.","media_information_style_guide_p2_27":"**International Bahá’í Convention** – A gathering every five years of delegates from around the world to consult on the affairs of the Bahá’í Faith and elect the members of the Universal House of Justice. Members of the National Spiritual Assemblies serve as delegates.","media_information_style_guide_p2_28":"**International Teaching Centre** – One of the institutions at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa. The International Teaching Centre has nine members, all counsellors appointed by the Universal House of Justice. Appointments are for five years.","media_information_style_guide_p2_29":"**Local Spiritual Assembly** – At the local level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the Local Spiritual Assembly. Each Local Assembly consists of nine members who are chosen in annual elections. As with all other elected Bahá’í institutions, the Assembly functions as a body and makes decisions through consultation. The responsibilities of the Local Spiritual Assembly include promoting the spiritual education of children and young people, strengthening the spiritual and social fabric of Bahá’í community life, assessing and utilizing the community’s resources, and ensuring that the energies and talents of community members contribute towards progress.","media_information_style_guide_p2_3":"**Acre**– English rendering of the name of the city north of Haifa where Bahá’u’lláh was exiled in 1868. He lived in or near the city until His passing in 1892. Bahá’ís often use the Arabic name, ‘Akká, which was the name in general use during the time of Bahá’u’lláh. In Hebrew the name is Akko.","media_information_style_guide_p2_30":"**Mount Carmel** – In Haifa, Israel, site of the Bahá’í World Centre, including several Bahá’í holy places, the most important of which is the Shrine of the Báb, and the buildings housing the administrative offices of the Bahá’í World Centre.","media_information_style_guide_p2_31":"**National Bahá’í Convention** – In each country, the annual gathering of elected delegates to discuss the affairs of the Bahá’í Faith in their jurisdiction and to elect the members of the National Spiritual Assembly.","media_information_style_guide_p2_32":"**National Spiritual Assembly** – At the national level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the National Spiritual Assembly, a nine-member elected council responsible for guiding, co-ordinating, and stimulating the activities of Local Spiritual Assemblies and individual members of the Bahá’í community within a given country. The responsibilities of a National Spiritual Assembly include channelling the community’s financial resources, fostering the growth and vibrancy of the national Bahá’í community, supervising the affairs of the community including its social and economic development activities and its properties, overseeing relations with government, resolving questions from individuals and Local Spiritual Assemblies, and strengthening the participation of the Bahá’í community in the life of society at the national level.","media_information_style_guide_p2_33":"**Nineteen Day Feast** – An administrative gathering at the local level. The term refers to a spiritual “feast” of prayers,  consultation and fellowship. It is held every 19 days, on the first day of each Bahá’í month.","media_information_style_guide_p2_34":"**pilgrimage** – Each year thousands of Bahá’ís undertake pilgrimage, during which they forge a profound and lasting connection with the spiritual and administrative centre of their Faith, located in the Haifa-Acre area of what is now northern Israel. Bahá’í pilgrims pray and meditate at the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and the Shrine of the Báb, as well as in the beautiful gardens that surround them. They also draw inspiration from the time spent at various historical sites associated with the lives of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, as well as from visits to the edifices dedicated to the worldwide administration of the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_style_guide_p2_35":"**progressive revelation** – The central belief that Manifestations of God have successively provided the guidance necessary for humanity’s social and spiritual evolution.","media_information_style_guide_p2_36":"**Regional Bahá’í Council** – In some countries, the National Spiritual Assembly assigns certain of its functions to Regional Bahá’í Councils, which serve a designated geographical area within the land in question. The responsibilities of a Regional Council may include carrying out policies of the National Spiritual Assembly, supervising progress of particular plans and projects, and taking steps to stimulate and coordinate the growth of the Bahá’í community within the region.","media_information_style_guide_p2_37":"**Shoghi Effendi** (1897-1957) – The head of the Bahá’í Faith from 1921 to 1957. His title is Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith. He is the grandson of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the great-grandson of Bahá’u’lláh. For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_38":"**Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh** – The resting place of the mortal remains of Bahá’u’lláh, located near the city of Acre in what is now Israel. The shrine is the holiest spot on earth to Bahá’ís and a place of pilgrimage.","media_information_style_guide_p2_39":"**Shrine of the Báb** – The resting place of the mortal remains of the Báb, located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. It is a sacred site to Bahá’ís and a place of pilgrimage.","media_information_style_guide_p2_4":"**‘Akká, Akko** – See entry above for “[Acre](#acre)”.","media_information_style_guide_p2_40":"**study circles** – A study circle is one of the principal elements of the process of distance education offered by the [Bahá’í training institute](https://www.bahai.org/action/response-call-bahaullah/training-institute). It is a small group that meets regularly to study the institute course materials.","media_information_style_guide_p2_41":"**Universal House of Justice** – The international governing council of the Bahá’í Faith. It is the supreme administrative body ordained by Bahá’u’lláh in His book of laws. The Universal House of Justice is elected every five years at the International Bahá’í Convention, where members of the National Spiritual Assemblies around the world serve as delegates. The Universal House of Justice was first elected in 1963. Its permanent seat is on Mount Carmel in Haifa.","media_information_style_guide_p2_5":"**Arc** – An area on Mount Carmel in Haifa, shaped like an arc, where the major international administrative buildings of the Bahá’í Faith, including the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, are situated.","media_information_style_guide_p2_6":"**Báb** – The title, meaning “Gate,” assumed by Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad, the Founder of the Bábí Faith and the Forerunner of Bahá’u’lláh. Considered by Bahá’ís to be one of the twin Manifestations of God associated with the Bahá’í Faith. Born on 20 October 1819, the Báb proclaimed Himself to be the Promised One of Islam and said His mission was to announce the imminent coming of another Messenger even greater than Himself, namely Bahá’u’lláh. Because of these claims, the Báb was executed by firing squad in the public square in Tabriz on 9 July 1850. His remains were hidden in Iran for many years before being taken to Haifa/Acre in 1899 and buried on Mount Carmel in 1909. For more information, see [Bahai.org](http://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_7":"**Bábí Faith** – The religion founded by the Báb. After 1863 and the announcement by Bahá’u’lláh that He was the Messenger whose coming had been foretold by the Báb, the Bahá’í Faith gradually became established and most followers of the Báb began to call themselves Bahá’ís.","media_information_style_guide_p2_8":"**Badí‘ calendar** – The Bahá’í calendar, consisting of 19 months of 19 days each, with the addition of intercalary days known as Ayyám-i-Há. The number of these intercalary days varies according to the timing of the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere in successive years. The first day of the year corresponds to the spring equinox. The Bahá’í era (B.E.) begins with 1844, the year of the Báb’s declaration. For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org/action/devotional-life/calendar).","media_information_style_guide_p2_9":"**Bahá’í** – (1) A noun referring to a member of the Bahá’í Faith. The plural is Bahá’ís. (2) An adjective describing a person, place, or thing related to the Bahá’í Faith. Examples: a Bahá’í book, the Bahá’í community, a Bahá’í holy day, a Bahá’í holy place.","media_reports":"Media Reports","menu":"Menu","meta_description_bwns":"The Bahá’í World News Service - BWNS - The official news source of the worldwide Bahá’í community, reports on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","minutes_short":"min","mobile_app":"Mobile app","national_bahai_communities":"National Bahá’í Communities","news_email":"news@bahai.org","news_service_home":"BWNS Home","no_matches_for":"No matches for","no_results_for":"No results for","number_of":"of","oceania":"Oceania","official_news_site":"Official news source of the worldwide Bahá’í community","one_country":"One Country","other_bahai_sites":"Other Bahá’í Sites","other_sites":"Other sites","other_stories":"Other Stories","overview_section":"Overview of this Section","page_link":"Page link","photographs":"Photographs","photographs_download":"Photographs for download","podcast":"Podcast","podcast_available":"Podcast available","podcast_description_bwns":"Reporting on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","podcast_p1":"The Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS) podcast reports on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","podcast_subscribe":"Subscribe to the BWNS podcast for additional audio content.","print":"Print","privacy":"Privacy","recent_articles":"Recent Articles","recent_headlines":"Recent headlines","recent_media_reports":"Recent media reports","recieve_stories_email":"Receive stories via email","related_stories":"Related Stories","results":"Results","return_top":"Return to top","rss":"RSS","search":"Search","search_bahai_reference_library":"Search the Bahá’í Reference Library","search_bahaiorg":"Search Bahai.org","search_news_service":"Search the News Service","section_shrine_of_abdulbaha_description":"Read reports on the progress","section_shrine_of_abdulbaha_title":"Coverage of Construction Work of the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá","see_all":"See All","seven_bahais_leaders":"The Seven Bahá’í Leaders","share":"Share","share_this_article":"Share this article","share_this_page":"Share this page","show_more":"Show more","sign_up":"Sign Up","slideshow":"Slideshow","social_media_name_instagram":"Instagram","social_media_name_instagram_account":"bahaiworldnewsservice","social_media_name_twitter":"Twitter","social_media_name_twitter_account":"bahainews","special_reports":"SPECIAL REPORTS","special_reports_shrine_construction":"Coverage of construction work for the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá","statistics":"Statistics","story_archive":"Story Archive","style_glossary_pronunciation_guide":"Style guide, glossary and pronunciation guide","subscribe":"Subscribe","subscribe-confirmation-message":"Thank you for your interest in Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS)","subscribe-souble-optin-email":"You will receive an email shortly, asking you to confirm your subscription.","subscribe_bot_submission":"This doesn't look like a human submission.","subscribe_check_email":"Please check your email to confirm your subscription!","subscribe_email_exists":"This email already exists! Check your email to confirm your subscription.","subscribe_error":"Subscribe Error","subscribe_error_p1":"Sorry. An error has occurred with your subscription request to the Bahá’í World News Service. Please try again. If this problem persists, please use our [contact form](https://www.bahai.org/contact/).","subscribe_h1":"Stories via email","subscribe_h2":"Mobile app","subscribe_h3":"Updates via Twitter","subscribe_h4":"Podcast","subscribe_label_email":"Email","subscribe_label_email_fill":"Please enter a valid email address.","subscribe_label_first_name":"First name","subscribe_label_first_name_fill":"Please enter your first name.","subscribe_label_last_name":"Last name","subscribe_label_last_name_fill":"Please enter your last name.","subscribe_missing_fields":"Please fill in all required fields!","subscribe_p1":"Receive emails from the Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS) when new articles are published.","subscribe_p2":"Receive updates and notifications from the BWNS app.","subscribe_p3":"Follow the Bahá’í World News Service on Twitter for regular updates and stories.","subscribe_p4":"Subscribe to the BWNS podcast for additional audio content.","subscribe_success_h1":"You have been subscribed to Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS)","subscribe_success_p1":"Your email address has been added to our mailing list.","subscribe_success_p2":"Thanks for becoming a subscriber.","subscribe_to_bwns":"Subscribe to BWNS","subscribe_unknown_error":"Sorry, an unknown error has occurred. Please try again later.","subscribe_unsubscribe_bwns":"Unsubscribe from BWNS","subscribe_unsubscribe_error_client":"Something went wrong, please try again.","subscribe_unsubscribe_error_no_email":"We do not have this email in our database, please try again.","subscribe_unsubscribe_error_server":"Something went wrong on our server, please try again.","subscribe_unsubscribe_h1":"Unsubscribe - Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS)","subscribe_unsubscribe_success_h1":"You have been unsubscribed from the Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS)","subscribe_unsubscribe_success_p1":"Your email address has been removed from the mailing list.","subscribe_unsubscribe_success_p2":"Thanks for having been a subscriber.","subscribe_unsubscribe_success_p3":"(If you unsubscribed by accident and prefer to continue receiving emails from the Bahá’í World News Service, please [click here](./).)","tenth_international_bahai_convention":"Tenth International Bahá’í Convention","the_bahai_faith":"The Bahá’í Faith","thirteenth_international_bahai_convention":"Thirteenth International Bahá’í Convention","twelfth_international_bahai_convention":"Twelfth International Bahá’í Convention","united_nations":"United Nations","unsubscribe":"Unsubscribe","updated_content":"UPDATED CONTENT","updates_via_social_media":"Updates via social media","url_copied_to_clipboard":"URL copied to clipboard","video":"Video","view_all":"View all","view_all_articles":"View all articles","visit_page":"Visit page","watch_next":"Watch next","watch_video":"Watch video","what_bahais_believe":"What Bahá’ís Believe","what_bahais_do":"What Bahá’ís Do","texterify_timestamp":"2023-09-10T10:15:38Z"},"archivePageNumber":75,"archiveTotalPages":80,"totalStories":1596,"archiveList":[{"storyNumber":208,"evergreenUrl":"two-new-members-join-universal-house-justice","title":"Two new members join Universal House of Justice","description":"Two new members, Mr. Hartmut Grossmann and Dr. Firaydoun Javaheri, are among the nine recently elected to the Universal House of Justice in a...","date":"2003-05-07","customDateline":null,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420386-bwns4761-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420386-bwns4761-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The Seat of the Universal House of Justice, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Two new members, Mr. Hartmut Grossmann and Dr. Firaydoun Javaheri, are among the nine recently elected to the Universal House of Justice in a postal ballot for the Baha'i Faith's worldwide administrative body.\n\nBoth had been serving at the Baha'i World Centre as Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre. The ballots for the election were tallied here on 29 April by 19 members of National Spiritual Assemblies brought from all continents to Haifa for that purpose.\n\nMr. Grossmann, born in Germany, has academic qualifications in the German and English languages. He served on the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Baha'is of Germany (1963 to 1969) and Finland (1977 to 1980). He was a university academic in Finland. Mr. Grossmann was appointed a Continental Counsellor in 1980, advising Baha'i communities throughout Europe in their growth and development.\n\nDr. Javaheri, who was born in Iran, has a doctorate in agronomy. He lived for 27 years in Africa -- Gambia then Zambia -- where he was Chief Technical Adviser for the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. He served the Baha'i communities there in the area of social and economic development. He was appointed a Continental Counsellor in 1995 after serving for 19 years as a member of its Auxiliary Board.\n\nOther members of the Universal House of Justice are:\n\nDr. Farzam Arbab, born in Iran, obtained his doctorate in physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He was the representative for the Rockefeller Foundation in Colombia (1974 to 1983) and the president of the FUNDAEC development foundation there. He was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Colombia and a Continental Counsellor before being appointed to the International Teaching Centre. He was first elected to the Universal House of Justice in 1993.\n\nMr. Kiser Barnes was born in the United States, and holds degrees in political science and law. He practiced law and held senior positions in human rights organizations and in labor relations in the United States, before moving to Africa where he held senior academic posts at universities in Benin, Togo and Nigeria. He was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Benin, an Auxiliary Board member and a Continental Counsellor until appointed to the International Teaching Centre in 1993. He was elected to the Universal House of Justice in 2000.\n\nMr. Hooper Dunbar, born in the United States, was a film actor in Hollywood before moving to Central and South America where he taught arts and English. He is an accomplished painter. He was first elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Nicaragua in 1961. He later served as a Continental Counsellor before being appointed to the International Teaching Centre in 1973. He was first elected to the Universal House of Justice in 1988.\n\nDr. Peter Khan, born in Australia, held professorial posts in electrical engineering at universities in the United States and Australia. He served as an Auxiliary Board member, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia, and a Continental Counsellor before being appointed to the International Teaching Centre. He was first elected to the Universal House of Justice in 1987.\n\nMr. Douglas Martin, born in Canada, holds degrees in business administration and in history, and is an author and editor. He was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada, serving as its chief executive officer from 1965 to 1985 when he was appointed director-general of the Office of Public Information at the Baha'i World Centre. He was elected to the Universal House of Justice in 1993.\n\nMr. Glenford Mitchell, born in Jamaica, holds a Masters degree in journalism from Columbia University. An author, he has worked as a magazine editor and managing editor, and taught English and journalism at Howard University. He served as chief executive officer of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States from 1968 until elected to the Universal House of Justice in 1982.\n\nMr. Ian Semple, born in England, holds a Master of Arts degree in the German and French languages and literature from Oxford University. A chartered accountant, he served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the British Isles. He was an Auxiliary Board member in Europe and was elected to the International Baha'i Council in 1961. He was first elected to the Universal House of Justice in 1963."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":207,"evergreenUrl":"bahai-community-elects-international-governing-council","title":"Baha'i Community elects international governing council","description":"The Baha'i community, identified in the Encyclopaedia Britannica as the second most widespread of the world's independent religions, after Christianity,...","date":"2003-04-29","customDateline":null,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420370-bwns4758-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420370-bwns4758-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Nineteen tellers assembled at the Baha'i World Centre on Mount Carmel on 29 April 2003 to tally the votes in the election for the Universal House of Justice. The ballots were posted by members of the world's 178 National Spiritual Assemblies.| The tellers came from Africa (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa), the Americas (Bahamas, Canada, Colombia, United States), Europe (Austria, Greece, Hungary, Turkey, United Kingdom), Asia (two from India, Japan); Australia and Oceania (Australia, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands).","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The Baha'i community, identified in the Encyclopaedia Britannica as the second most widespread of the world's independent religions, after Christianity, today elected the nine members of its international governing council, the Universal House of Justice.\n\nAltogether 1544 electors, themselves having been elected by the Baha'i membership in 178 national communities, chose the following nine persons for the forthcoming five-year term: Peter Khan, Farzam Arbab, Hooper Dunbar, Glenford Mitchell, Douglas Martin, Ian Semple, Kiser Barnes, Hartmut Grossmann, Firaydoun Javaheri.\n\nThe Faith, which has no clergy, administers its affairs through democratically elected councils at the international, national and local levels.\n\nBaha'i elections take place without campaigning or nominations, the results being determined by plurality vote.\n\nElectors are guided by the Faith's teachings, which advise each person to vote, independently and in the privacy of his or her own conscience, for \"the names of those who can best combine the necessary qualities of unquestioned loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience.\"\n\nThere are about five million Baha'is worldwide. Prominent among the Faith's teachings are racial oneness, the equality of men and women, and the unity and harmony of the world's religions.\n\nThe Baha'i World Centre in the Acre/Haifa area of modern day Israel has been both the spiritual and administrative centre of the Faith since its Founder, Baha'u'llah, was exiled there by the Ottoman Empire in 1868."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420370-bwns4757-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The Seat of the Universal House of Justice, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel. The Baha'i Community elected the nine members of the Universal House of Justice on 29 April 2003."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":206,"evergreenUrl":"two-members-universal-house-justice-leave-after-40-years-service","title":"Two members of Universal House of Justice leave after 40 years service","description":"Two members of the Universal House of Justice are leaving the Baha'i Faith's international governing council after 40 years service. Mr. Ali...","date":"2003-04-29","customDateline":null,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420355-bwns4759-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420355-bwns4759-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Mr. Ali Nakhjavani and Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Two members of the Universal House of Justice are leaving the Baha'i Faith's international governing council after 40 years service.\n\nMr. Ali Nakhjavani, 83, and Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam, 79, have served in that capacity since the Universal House of Justice was first elected in 1963.\n\nRe-elected successively to five-year terms since then, Messrs. Nakhjavani and Fatheazam requested the Universal House of Justice, in November 2002, for permission to resign their office.\n\nThis was granted but they were requested to continue to serve until the election due this month. This was announced to the Baha'is around the world.\n\nBoth men had extensive experience in the Faith's activities before their election to the nine-member council, which has its Seat on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.\n\nMr. Nakhjavani was born into a Baha'i family in 1919 and raised in Haifa. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction from the American University of Beirut, he moved to Iran, his ancestral home.\n\nHe was a member of the national governing council of the Baha'is of Iran, the National Spiritual Assembly, in 1950 and 1951. Mr. Nakhjavani and his family then moved to Uganda in order to assist the development of the Baha'i community there. He worked as a teacher and lecturer.\n\nFrom 1954 to 1961, he was an Auxiliary Board member, an adviser to the Baha'i communities on their development and growth. He also served as the chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Central and East Africa from 1956 to 1961. Mr. Nakhjavani moved to Haifa in 1961 after he was elected to the International Baha'i Council, the forerunner to the Universal House of Justice.\n\nMr. Nakhjavani has written numerous articles on aspects of the Baha'i Faith and delivered many talks on its history and teachings. He is married to Mrs. Violette Nakhjavani (nee Banani), and they have two children.\n\nMr. Fatheazam was born into a Baha'i family in Tehran, Iran, in 1924. He obtained Masters degrees in arts from Tehran University and Wiswa Bharati University in India.\n\nMr. Fatheazam worked as a curator at the library of the Faculty of Arts at Tehran University.\n\nFollowing his move to India to assist Baha'i development work there, he held the post of lecturer in Persian literature at Punjab University. He was staff artist at All-India Radio from 1955 to 1963. During that period, he was secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of India and was managing director of the Baha'i Publishing Trust, New Delhi.\n\nA poet, author and playwright, he wrote an introduction to the Baha'i Faith, The New Garden, which has been translated into some 109 languages. He has presented numerous lectures on the Baha'i Faith. He is married to Mrs. Shafiqih Fatheazam (nee Farzar-Asdagh) and they have three children, one deceased."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":205,"evergreenUrl":"bahai-international-community-disappointed-over-lack-iran-resolution-un","title":"Baha'i International Community disappointed over lack of Iran resolution at the UN","description":"The Baha'i International Community today expressed deep disappointment that the UN Commission on Human Rights failed this year to put forward...","date":"2003-04-25","customDateline":null,"city":"GENEVA","country":"","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The Baha'i International Community today expressed deep disappointment that the UN Commission on Human Rights failed this year to put forward or adopt any kind of resolution on the human rights situation in Iran.\n\nDespite a new human rights \"dialogue\" between Iran and the European Union, human rights violations against Iran's Baha'is are not only continuing but increasing, said the Community.\n\n\"While, in principle, we support the European Union's 'Human Rights Dialogue' with Iran, we have yet to see any positive results emerging on the ground,\" said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.\n\n\"Not only has there been no progress, but the persecution of Baha'is in the Islamic Republic of Iran has intensified since the Commission on Human Rights decided last year to suspend its monitoring of the country,\" said Ms. Dugal.\n\n\"The arrest and short-term detention of Baha'is has increased; Baha'i teachers and students continue to be harassed; more properties belonging to the Baha'is have been confiscated; and all attempts to obtain redress have been systematically denied,\" Ms. Dugal said. \"As of mid-April, five Baha'is were being held in Iranian prisons because of their religious beliefs.\"\n\nFrom 1982 to 2001, the Commission each year adopted a resolution expressing concern over the human rights situation in Iran, resolutions which always made special mention of the persecution of the Baha'i community there.\n\nLast year, however, the Commission failed to adopt such a resolution. This year, the European Union, the traditional sponsor of the resolution, failed even to put it forward, preferring at this stage to work through the dialogue process on human rights that was initiated last year. The Commission will end its annual session today.\n\n\"In essence, the Commission and the European Union, have given the Iranian Government a chance to prove its claim that it is committed to improve respect for human rights,\" said Ms. Dugal. \"Iran's response has been far from encouraging.\"\n\n\"We believe that the international community must take a stand on Iran's behavior. Accordingly, the Commission's neglect of a resolution that would provide for renewed monitoring of Iran is extremely unfortunate, both for Iran's Baha'is and the international community's reputation as a whole,\" said Ms. Dugal.\n\nSince 1979, when the Islamic Republic of Iran was established, more than 200 Baha'is have been killed or executed in Iran, all solely as a result of religious persecution. Hundreds more have been imprisoned and thousands have lost jobs, pensions and/or access to education. The persecutions reached a peak in the mid-1980s, but lessened after the international community began condemning it through the Commission on Human Rights and in other forums.\n\nHowever, the Baha'i community of Iran remains deprived of its basic rights and Baha'is remain under the continual threat of harassment, imprisonment or worse. Most recently, for example, Mr. Manuchihr Khulusi, a Baha'i in Mashhad, was re-imprisoned in March 2003 for Baha'i activities, following the judgement of the Revolutionary Court in that city."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":204,"evergreenUrl":"first-presidential-visit-lotus-temple","title":"First presidential visit to Lotus Temple","description":"The President of India, Abdul Kalam, visited the Baha'i House of Worship in New Delhi on 18 March 2003, the first official visit there by an...","date":"2003-03-18","customDateline":null,"city":"NEW DELHI","country":"","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420241-bwns7615-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420241-bwns7615-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"India's Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Lal Krishna Advani and Mrs. Advani with (at left) Counsellor Zena Sorabjee and (far right) Ms. Naznene Rowhani, at the Baha'i House of Worship, New Delhi, India.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The President of India, Abdul Kalam, visited the Baha'i House of Worship in New Delhi on 18 March 2003, the first official visit there by an Indian Head of State since the Temple was opened in December 1986.\n\nDr. Kalam was joined by Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani and Mrs. Advani, and Defence Minister George Fernandes.\n\nThe visitors come from three major religious communities in India. Dr Kalam is a Muslim, Mr. and Mrs. Advani are Hindus, and Mr. Fernandes is a Christian.\n\nUpon Dr. Kalam's arrival, two children, dressed in gold-braided Sherwani coats, presented him with bouquets.\n\nAfter a brief meeting with representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of India and the Continental Board of Counsellors, Dr. Kalam circumambulated the House of Worship as a sign of reverence before entering.\n\nKnown in India as the Lotus Temple, it is one of the most visited buildings in the world, with an average of three and a half million visitors each year.\n\nAmong many other prominent visitors to the Temple have been the prime ministers of Norway and Sri Lanka, the president of Iceland, the vice-president of Uruguay, and the Dalai Lama."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The Temple has won numerous architectural and engineering awards. It is designed in the shape of a lotus flower, which is beloved in India as a symbol of purity and tenderness -- and of God's Messengers.\n\nIt is one of seven Baha'i Houses of Worship in the world. The others are in Australia, Germany, Panama, Uganda, the United States and Western Samoa.\n\nEach temple has its own distinctive design, incorporating common elements such as a dome and nine entrances, which are symbolic both of the great religions through which humans have gained knowledge of God and of the diversity of the human race and its essential oneness.(For more information on the Lotus Temple see http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/89).\n\nUpon entering the Temple, Dr. Kalam met choir members. With Mr. and Mrs. Advani and Mr. Fernandes, he listened to a program of prayers and chants.\n\nAt the completion of the program, Dr. Kalam continued his tour of the Temple, which he described as looking \"fantastic\".\n\nDr. Kalam carefully read some of the writings of Baha'u'llah placed inside each of the alcoves of the Temple.\n\nDuring his visit Dr. Kalam observed: \"Religion has two parts. One is faith; the other is logic and reason. It is important that these two inseparable parts stay together so that religion can help people to have peace of mind. If there is peace of mind, then there will be peace in the family and in the nation.\"\n\nIn a visit to the nearby Baha'i public information center, Dr. Kalam showed interest in a display about the Indore-based Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, which focuses on giving poor young women literacy training as well as practical knowledge of health and conservation issues. (For more information see:\n\nhttp://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/176)\n\nHe referred to a quotation of 'Abdu'l-Baha regarding the importance of education of girls, and then said: \"The education of girls would result in the education of the entire family and is most important in producing good human beings.\"\n\nDr. Kalam was also given information about the current discourse on science, religion and development being promoted by the Baha'i community. Activities have included a colloquium organized by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of India and the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity, a research organization that works in association with the Baha'i International Community. (http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/73)\n\nAfter the President departed, Deputy Prime Minister Advani and Mrs. Advani continued their visit in the public information center.\n\nMr. Advani had attended the 1986 dedication of the House of Worship. He said religion was a powerful ennobling force in society and that it was very important to teach the values of life to children.\n\nDefence Minister Fernandes, having agreed to sing in the choir two days later on the Baha'i festival of Naw-Ruz (New Year), practised singing a Christian hymn \"Abide with Me\". (In Baha'i Houses of Worship, prayers and hymns from all divinely revealed scriptures are welcomed).\n\nMr. Fernandes discussed the relationship of the Baha'i Faith with other religions and was informed that Baha'is believe that the fundamental teachings of all major religions are the same and that they come from the same source.\n\nOn March 20, Mr. Fernandes performed with the choir as arranged. Among the guests were former Indian Prime Minister I. K. Gujral, India's Attorney-General, Soli Sorabjee, and members of the diplomatic corps.\n\n(Report compiled with the assistance of Mrs. Zena Sorabjee, Professor Anil Sarwal, Dr. A.K. Merchant, Mrs. Farida Vahedi and Ms. Naznene Rowhani)."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420241-bwns7614-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Defence Minister of India, Mr. George Fernandes (center left) with the choir at the Baha'i House of Worship, India."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420243-bwns7613-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"At the public information center of the Baha'i House of Worship, President Kalam of India listens to an explanation of the displays from Counsellor Zena Sorabjee."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420242-bwns7612-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"President Kalam (second from the right, front) visits the Baha'i House of Worship in India. The official Baha'i party includes (from left) Counsellor Zena Sorabjee, Dr. Nayson Olyai, Professor Anil Sarwal and Mr. Narinder Budhiraja."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420242-bwns4755-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Night at the Baha'i House of Worship, New Delhi, India. (Photograph: Francisco Gonzalez)"},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420241-bwns4754-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Known in India as the \"Lotus Temple\", the Baha'i House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"houses_of_worship"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":203,"evergreenUrl":"young-orator-urges-humanity-celebrate-diversity","title":"Young orator urges humanity to celebrate diversity","description":"Diversity in the human race should be welcomed, according to the winner of a speech competition for New Zealand youth. Xavier Black, 17, said...","date":"2003-03-27","customDateline":null,"city":"AUCKLAND","country":"NEW ZEALAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420225-bwns7611-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420225-bwns7611-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Xavier Black, 17, winner of the Hedi Moani Memorial Speech Award held in New Zealand.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Diversity in the human race should be welcomed, according to the winner of a speech competition for New Zealand youth.\n\nXavier Black, 17, said in her address that people need to \"change how we as human beings...deal with difference and manage our lives.\"\n\nWe should see our differences as a cause of celebration rather than as a threat, said Xavier, who is Maori.\n\nShe delivered her speech in Auckland on 28 March 2003 at the Hedi Moani Memorial Speech Award, an annual competition open to all students in the last three years of high school in New Zealand.\n\nThe award is sponsored by the Hedi Moani Charitable Trust and the New Zealand Baha'i community.\n\nThis year the set topic of the speech was \"From the head to the heart--beyond tolerance to the celebration of human diversity.\" The chief judge was the former Race Relations Conciliator for New Zealand, Dr. Rajen Prasad.\n\nIn her prize-winning address, Xavier, a student at Diocesan School in Auckland, described her experience facing the challenges of integration and being in a minority as being \"a gentile in a Jewish primary school, as Maori in descent but not growing up in my iwi (tribe), as a middle-class New Zealand girl with limited Spanish attending a school in a poor part of Madrid.\""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Xavier urged individuals to face their fears, develop their sense of belonging, and listen with \"generosity in our hearts\" in a way that \"creates a dialogue and a way forward.\"\n\nPeople must realize that we are united by our common humanity -- and make a commitment to overcome racism, she said.\n\nXavier, who is not a member of the Baha'i community, won  NZ$750 (US$412) and a shield, her school receiving a similar award.\n\nThe late Mr. Moani, a member of the Baha'i Faith, was a prime mover in the establishment in New Zealand in 1999 of what is now known as Race Relations Day. It is observed on March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.\n\nAfter Mr. Moani's untimely death in 1998 at the age of 54, he was described in his city's daily newspaper, The New Zealand Herald, as \"a man of God.\" A speech award was established to honor him and to mark Race Relations Day.\n\nThe competition began in 1999 with 19 students representing 14 schools in Auckland and Northland but it has expanded to the extent that this year it attracted 49 students from 31 schools from as far away as the country's South Island."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420226-bwns4756-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The late Hedi Moani, a member of the New Zealand Baha'i community, in whose honor a speech award was established."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":202,"evergreenUrl":"election-universal-house-justice-under-way","title":"Election of Universal House of Justice under way","description":"The members of the Baha'i Faith's national governing councils in 178 countries are participating by postal ballot in the election of their international...","date":"2003-04-29","customDateline":null,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420207-bwns7610-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420207-bwns7610-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The entrance to the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, the home of the Baha'i Faith's international governing body, which will be elected this month by postal ballot by electors in 178 countries.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The members of the Baha'i Faith's national governing councils in 178 countries are participating by postal ballot in the election of their international administrative body.\n\nThese National Spiritual Assemblies are voting to elect the nine who will serve on the Universal House of Justice, a task they consider to be a sacred privilege. The Universal House of Justice, an institution called for by Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Faith, was first elected in 1963.\n\nOwing to current world conditions, the International Convention at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel, which is the normal setting for the election, will not be held.\n\nThe ballots will be tallied on 29 April 2003 at the Baha'i World Centre here.\n\n\"Baha'i elections are distinctive,\" said Mr. Douglas Moore, director of the Baha'i Office of Public Information in Haifa. \"They take place without campaigning or nominations.\"\n\n\"This election is the only one in the world where the governing body of a major independent world religion is elected directly by delegates chosen by their respective national communities,\" Mr. Moore said.\n\nElections of the Universal House of Justice occur every five years. The Faith, which has no clergy, is governed by democratically elected councils at the international, national and local levels."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Delegates are guided by the Faith's teachings, which advise them to choose \"the names of those who can best combine the necessary qualities of unquestioned loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience.\"\n\nThere are about five million Baha'is worldwide. Established in virtually every country, the Baha'i    Faith is the second-most widespread independent world religion after Christianity, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.\n\nThe Baha'i World Centre in the Acre/Haifa area of Israel has been both the spiritual and administrative center of the Baha'i Faith since Baha'u'llah was exiled there in 1868. The holiest Shrines in the Baha'i world are located in the area."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420206-bwns7609-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The Seat of the Universal House of Justice, located on Mount Carmel, is the home of the Baha'i Faith's international governing body, which will be elected in April by postal ballot by electors in 178 countries."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420208-bwns4753-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Entrance to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, Acre, Israel. On 21 April, Baha'is begin the commemoration of the 12-day Festival of Ridvan, marking the period when Baha'u'llah declared His mission in Baghdad in 1863.| On the first day of Ridvan every year, Baha'is vote for their local governing councils, the Local Spiritual Assemblies. During the Festival this year, Baha'is will also elect the Universal House of Justice to a five-year term."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420209-bwns4752-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The Seat of the Universal House of Justice is the home of the Baha'i Faith's international governing body.| The Seat is flanked at left by the Seat of the International Teaching Centre, at right by the Centre for the Study of the Sacred Texts, and, in the foreground, by the International Archives Building."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":201,"evergreenUrl":"major-teacher-training-program-begins-bolivia","title":"Major teacher training program begins in Bolivia","description":"Nur University has embarked on a major project to train primary school teachers in Bolivia, with the aim of improving children's reading and...","date":"2003-04-11","customDateline":null,"city":"SANTA CRUZ","country":"BOLIVIA","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420197-bwns7608-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420197-bwns7608-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Founded in 1985 by Baha'is, Nur University is one of the top-ranking private universities in Bolivia, with an enrollment of some 3,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Nur University has embarked on a major project to train primary school teachers in Bolivia, with the aim of improving children's reading and writing ability.\n\nNur, a Baha'i-inspired institution, has begun assembling a team of educators to set up and run a pilot program for the training of some 700 primary school teachers.\n\nThe university is being funded in the work by a two-year grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).\n\nOfficials from the Agency said Nur was awarded the contract because of its regional credibility, experience with training school teachers in rural areas, and innovative approaches to education\n\n\"One of the things Nur brought was their experience in distance education and their commitment to supporting development in rural Bolivia,\" said Barbara Knox-Seith of USAID. \"They have also worked with teachers who don't have much training.\"\n\nThe program, Centers of Excellence in Teacher Training (CETT), was announced in April 2001 by US President George Bush at the Summit of the Americas.\n\nIt will operate not only in Bolivia but also in 10 other Latin American and Caribbean countries, where counterpart institutions have, like Nur, received contracts.\n\n\"The Achilles heel of the education reform throughout Latin America has been the whole issue of providing effective reading instruction for children,\" said Eloy Anello, president of Nur University and coordinator of the program in Bolivia.\n\n\"If children don't learn to read effectively by the fourth grade, they tend to drop out,\" Dr Anello said. \"The best way to address this is to improve the way we train teachers to teach reading.\"\n\n\"So our belief is that, ultimately, this is one of the most effective ways to eliminate illiteracy throughout the Americas,\" said Dr. Anello.\n\nUltimately, the CETT program aims to train some 15,000 teachers in Latin America and the Caribbean over the course of five years, subject to the availability of funds.\n\nThe program has been divided into three regions: the Caribbean, Central America, and the Andes.\n\nNur will participate in the Andean regional project, which encompasses the three nations of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. Two other universities in the region, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Peru and Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar in Ecuador, will coordinate the project in those countries.\n\n\"The idea behind this is to create an innovative teacher training program that will improve teacher ability in the area of reading instruction and, through that, to improve literacy rates,\" said Dr. Knox-Seith of USAID.\n\nNur, which was founded by Baha'is, is not only helping to develop the basic materials but will also take a leading role in publishing the materials and making them accessible over the Internet, said Dr. Anello.\n\n\"The Baha'i teachings emphasize the importance of education in developing human potential and promoting social transformation,\" said Dr. Anello.\n\n\"Because of this, Nur has committed itself to supporting the educational reforms in Latin America -- and it has concluded that one of the best ways to do this is through teacher training.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":200,"evergreenUrl":"nations-large-small-receive-unity-message","title":"Nations large and small receive unity message","description":"The Heads of State and Government of San Marino have warmly received a message from the Universal House of Justice which calls for decisive action...","date":"2003-02-20","customDateline":null,"city":"SAN MARINO","country":"","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420184-bwns4751-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420184-bwns4751-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The Captains Regent of San Marino and the Baha'i delegation after the presentation of the message from the Universal House of Justice.| From left to right: Julio Savi and Lucia Ricco of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Italy; Sohrab Payman, of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Republic of San Marino; Mauro Chiaruzzi and Giuseppe Maria Morganti, the Captains Regent of the Republic of San Marino; Tabandeh Payman of Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Republic of San Marino; Alberto Cecchetti, Secretary of State for Justice, Republic of San Marino; Ghitty Payman of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Republic of San Marino.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The Heads of State and Government of San Marino have warmly received a message from the Universal House of Justice which calls for decisive action to eradicate religious intolerance and fanaticism in the world.\n\nThe Captains Regent of San Marino, Mauro Chiaruzzi and Giuseppe Maria Morganti, who have the functions of Head of State and Government, accepted delivery of the message at a ceremony on 20 February 2003.\n\nSan Marino, which became a member of the United Nations in 1992, is surrounded by Italy. The state religion is Roman Catholicism.\n\nThe presentation of the message from the governing council of the Baha'i Faith is among the latest in a worldwide distribution of the message begun in May 2002, a delivery so thorough that it has included countries with small populations such as San Marino (population 26,000) as well as the most populous nations such as India (970 million).\n\nReligious leaders of many Faiths in countries on all continents have received the document.\n\nIn Tanzania, for example, the message was presented to President Benjamin William Mkapa, who also holds a position with the Catholic Church, and to some 34 other religious leaders, including the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Islamic Organizations and Institutions, the chairman of the Tanzania Christian Methodist Church, and the chair of the Tanzania Buddhist Association. Some 29 journalists at a press conference also received the message, which has been distributed to more than 560 local religious leaders.\n\nThroughout the world, other recipients have included university academics, and media editors and reporters -- with the result that all or part of the message has been published in newspapers in countries as diverse as India, Nicaragua and the Cayman Islands.\n\nExample of the Heads of State, government leaders and political representatives to receive the message include:\n\n- the Queen of the United Kingdom\n\n- the Queen of Denmark\n\n- the King of Norway\n\n- the Governor-General of Jamaica\n\n- the Prime Minister of Norway\n\n- the Prime Minister of  Mauritius\n\n- the Minister of Justice of the Democratic Republic of the Congo\n\n- all members of the New Zealand Parliament\n\nThe message was presented to the leaders of San Marino by Tabandeh and Sohrab Payman from the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of San Marino, and Lucia Ricco and Julio Savi of the Italian Baha'i community.\n\nThe April 2002 message points to a general trend towards unity over the last century, noting that prejudices based on gender, race, or nationality have been widely recognized as unacceptable by people everywhere.\n\nHowever, it says that despite humanity's integration on other levels, religious prejudice persists.\n\n\"Tragically, organized religion, whose very reason for being entails service to the cause of brotherhood and peace, behaves all too frequently as one of the most formidable obstacles in the path; to cite a particular painful fact, it has long lent its credibility to fanaticism.\"\n\nThe message urges the leaders of all religions to overcome fanaticism, to transcend claims to exclusivity or finality, and to undertake a wider interfaith dialogue. (The full text of the message can be found on the World Wide Web at: https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/20020401_001/1).\n\nIn response to the message, Dr. Chiaruzzi said the Regency of San Marino was convinced that \"the conditions for renouncing all claims of exclusivity or aims of supremacy of human beings over other human beings\" had been created and it hoped that what had been said during the meeting with the Baha'i delegation might produce useful opportunities \"for the achievement of common goals of justice and solidarity.\"\n\nUsually only one of the Captains Regent makes a speech at such a function, but an exception was made to the protocol. Dr. Morganti expressed his appreciation for the message and said how important justice was and how much it was needed in the world.\n\nIn return for the message, the Captains Regent presented the delegation with a copy of their New Year message.\n\nMrs. Payman had told the Captains Regent that the Baha'is had felt duty bound to present the message as a tribute to the \"San Marino tradition, which for centuries has promoted peace in all its aspects and defended peace within all international organizations.\"\n\nDr. Ricco emphasized the central theme of the message, the appeal for the unity of religions, and invited the Republic of San Marino through the Captains Regent to \"do its part to ensure that religions speed up the process of moving closer to one another.\" She offered the complete cooperation of the Baha'i community to achieve this aim.\n\nAlso present at the occasion was the Secretary for Justice of San Marino, Dr. Alberto Cecchetti, and seven Heads of Council (Parliament).\n\nThe message of the Universal House of Justice was later distributed to all members of Parliament.\n\nSan Marino radio and television broadcast the entire ceremony and the press also covered the occasion."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420184-bwns4750-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The message of the Universal House of Justice is delivered to the Captains Regent of San Marino, Mauro Chiaruzzi (left) and Mr. Giuseppe Maria Morganti, by Mrs. Tabandeh Payman."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":199,"evergreenUrl":"in-brazil-african-descendants-plan-better-society","title":"In Brazil, African descendants plan for better society","description":"More than 170 men, women and children attended a conference of people of African descent in Brazil to gain a deeper understanding of their heritage...","date":"2003-02-02","customDateline":null,"city":"SALVADOR","country":"BRAZIL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420168-bwns4749-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420168-bwns4749-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Drumming and dance were features at the Afro-Descendants Gathering in Brazil.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"More than 170 men, women and children attended a conference of people of African descent in Brazil to gain a deeper understanding of their heritage and to plan to construct a better society.\n\nThe \"Afro-Descendants Gathering\" was held in the Regional Baha'i Center in Salvador, Bahia, from 31 January to 2 February 2003. It was sponsored by the Regional Baha'i Council for the States of Alagoas, Bahia and Sergipe.\n\nThe seventh such gathering in Brazil since 1996, the conference had the aims of increasing the self-esteem of the participants, deepening their spiritual understanding, assisting them in their personal transformation, and promoting the principle of the oneness of humanity.\n\n\"The aim was to gain a deeper perception and appreciation of African cultural heritage that had an enormous influence on Brazilian culture during the centuries of slavery,\" said Mr. Gabriel Marques, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors, a senior advisory body that forms part of the Baha'i administration.\n\n\"Brazil was the last country in the world that abolished the institution of slavery - in 1888,\" Mr. Marques said. \"The wound is still too fresh and the Brazilian population is just beginning to overcome this problem.\"\n\nIn order to better understand racial prejudice and how it operates in today's society, the participants spoke in a session of their personal experiences of day-to-day discrimination.\n\nThen they examined the contributions made by \"Afro descendants\" to technological and scientific development in both ancient and modern times."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Participants also studied selected Baha'i principles such as the oneness of the human family and the need for \"unity in diversity\".\n\nIn one session, they studied the text where Baha'u'llah compared \"the colored people to the black pupil of the eye.\" (See Note) Two ophthalmologists then explained the vital function of the pupil to the eye, comparing it to the contributions people of color make to humanity.\n\nParticipants also discussed how they could build a better society. They concluded they should make greater efforts to promote the moral education of children, study the Baha'i sacred writings regularly, and seek to spiritualize themselves, their families and their communities through participation in devotional meetings and study circles, which involve learning about their own spiritual nature, and acquiring the skills and motivation to take effective action.\n\nThe gathering was permeated with music and dance. Istvan Dely, a Hungarian musician who resides in Colombia, was a featured guest.\n\nAn accomplished drummer and percussionist, he spoke of the spirituality of the African heritage.\n\n\"Not having any books, (Africans) used the power of music and dancing as a channel to express their veneration of the spiritual world,\" said Mr. Dely, who has been closely involved in the revival and integration of the arts and African percussion in Baha'i study circles in Africa and the Caribbean.\n\nTwo special events preceded the gathering. The first was a visit to the region by 14 young American men who had participated in Black Men's Gathering, a Baha'i event held in the United States aimed at rejuvenating the souls of the participants and enkindling in them a spirit of Baha'i service to humanity. They dedicated two weeks to the promotion of community life activities in the area.\n\nThe other event was an African mask workshop involving 24 youth from the region. The idea behind it was to develop the individual artistic abilities of the youth and also to learn how to incorporate the arts into study circles.\n\nThe masks decorated the venue of the gathering, and the young people who made them explained the feelings or specific virtues they sought to express in their masks.\n\nNOTE: 'Abdu'l-Baha said that his father, Baha'u'llah, had made the comparison between black people and the pupil of the eye, and 'Abdu'l-Baha himself said, in a letter to the first African American Baha'i, Robert Turner: \"Thou art like unto the pupil of the eye which is dark in color, yet it is the fount of light and the revealer of the contingent world.\"\n\nMr. Turner visited 'Abdu'l-Baha in the Holy Land in 1898-1899. He was the butler of Mrs. Phoebe Hearst, an early Baha'i and mother of the well-known publisher of that name."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420168-bwns4748-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Children mixed with youth and adults at the Afro-Descendants Gathering held in Salvador, Brazil."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420168-bwns4747-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Gilson, a participant at the Afro-Descendants Gathering held in Brazil, displays his mask."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":198,"evergreenUrl":"achieving-world-peace-explored-new-book","title":"Achieving world peace explored in new book","description":"Is lasting peace possible? What are the processes by which it can be established? How do issues like human rights and the environment affect...","date":"2003-03-30","customDateline":null,"city":"LONDON","country":"","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Is lasting peace possible? What are the processes by which it can be established? How do issues like human rights and the environment affect the prospects for peace?\n\nThese are among the questions addressed in a new book from George Ronald publishers, \"Processes of the Lesser Peace.\"\n\nPublished in February 2003, the book contains eight essays by noted Baha'i authors, scholars and specialists on issues relating to the establishment of the \"lesser peace,\" a state of political unity among nations foretold in the Baha'i sacred writings.\n\nEdited by Babak Bahador and Nazila Ghanea, the essays include: \" Baha'i Proposals for the Reformation of World Order,\" by Jeffrey Huffines; \"The Environment and the Lesser Peace,\" by Arthur Lyon Dahl; \"The Spiritual Destiny of America and the Achievement of World Peace,\" by John Huddleston; and \"Everything That Rises Must Converge: Global Governance and the Emergence of the Lesser Peace,\" by Charles Lerche.\n\n\"We hope that this book will give to the reader an informed viewpoint of the Baha'i teachings on peace and in a contemporary context,\" said Mr. Huffines, who is the United Nations representative of the Baha'i community of the United States.\n\nBy covering so many aspects of peace, from human rights to global governance to the environment, the book illustrates that peace is not an event but a process, said Mr. Huffines.\n\n\"Peace is much more than a diplomatic agreement between governments,\" he said. \"It involves a complete transformation of society, as well as the individuals who compose the society. And what the Baha'i teachings can contribute to this process is a vision in which we are all active participants in this transformation.\"\n\nFounded in 1943, George Ronald specializes in the publication of books on Baha'i topics. The book can be ordered from George Ronald Publisher Ltd, 24 Gardiner Close, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 3YA, United Kingdom at their website at www.grbooks.com. Or by telephone/fax at +44 1235 529137. Or by email at: sales@grbooks.com."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":197,"evergreenUrl":"joyous-parties-greet-new-year","title":"Joyous parties to greet the New Year","description":"Celebrations to mark the Baha'i New Year will take different forms throughout the world but will typically include programs of spiritual upliftment,...","date":"2003-03-20","customDateline":null,"city":"BELFAST","country":"NORTHERN IRELAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420148-bwns4746-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420148-bwns4746-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Baha'is celebrate Naw-Ruz (New Year) on the spring equinox.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Celebrations to mark the Baha'i New Year will take different forms throughout the world but will typically include programs of spiritual upliftment, music, dancing and feasting.\n\nThe Baha'i New Year festival known as Naw-Ruz (literally \"New Day\") is held on the spring equinox, March 21, but the celebrations will begin the evening before because the Baha'i day begins at sunset.\n\nThe event planned for Belfast is typical of the kind of multi-cultural celebration that will be observed in many of the 120,000 localities where Baha'is -- who embrace human diversity -- reside around the world.\n\nIrish stews and Persian cuisine will be on the menu for the opening dinner, and then will come the entertainment, said local Baha'i spokesman Ralph Rossi.\n\n\"There will be African singers, an Indian dancer and salsa dancing,\" Mr. Rossi said.\n\nA highlight will be the combination of traditional Irish music with Persian drumming, he said.\n\nMore than 300 members of the wider community had been invited, he said.\n\nThe festival comes at the end of a 19-day fast in which adult Baha'is abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset as a reminder of the need for individuals to be detached from their material desires.\n\nNaw-Ruz is the first day of the first of 19 months in the Baha'i calendar, which was initiated by the Bab, the Forerunner of the Faith's Prophet-Founder, Baha'u'llah, who later confirmed it.\n\nAn example of another Naw-Ruz celebration will be in Seville, Spain, where Baha'is have invited guests to attend a program, which will start with a presentation on the significance of the festival followed by a prayer revealed by Baha'u'llah for Naw-Ruz.\n\nThere will be readings of prayers from the Baha'i scriptures in different languages, and also music, dance and a computer display.\n\nOn the Naw-Ruz festival program in Saskatoon, Canada, there will be traditional native American song and dance.\n\nCeltic music, bluegrass Gospel singers and a drumming circle will also entertain Baha'is and their guests, who will also be treated to what organizers promise as  \"an evening of great food\"."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":196,"evergreenUrl":"wide-distribution-newly-translated-magazine","title":"Wide distribution for newly-translated magazine","description":"The Baha'i community of Albania has recently published \"The Baha'is\" magazine in the Albanian language and arranged its distribution in 57 commercial...","date":"2003-03-14","customDateline":null,"city":"TIRANA","country":"ALBANIA","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420135-bwns4745-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420135-bwns4745-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Albanian Baha’is Suela Qerreti, left, and Alfred Avdulaj examine the newly-translated magazine","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The Baha'i community of Albania has recently published \"The Baha'is\" magazine in the Albanian language and arranged its distribution in 57 commercial bookstores nationwide, as well as in Kosovo and Macedonia.\n\nThe colorful introductory publication, which features extensive use of photographs and a news magazine style of writing, has been used by Baha'is worldwide for more than a decade to respond to requests for information about their religion.\n\nIt has been published in a variety of languages including English, French, Spanish, Icelandic, and Mandarin.\n\nIn Albania there has been a successful program of translating and distributing the Faith's Holy Writings and other literature.\n\nAmong other works by Baha'u'llah, the Most Holy Book (Kitab-i-Aqdas, Baha'u'llah's Book of Laws), the Hidden Words, Gleanings, and the Book of Certitude  (Kitab-i-Iqan) are available in Albanian, as are works by 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi.\n\nPublishing the four-color magazine,\"The Baha'is\", was a challenge because of technical and logistical problems, particularly with respect to computer compatibility.\n\nIt also proved difficult to find a suitable publishing house in Albania ready to take on the job because special permits were needed at that time to own a printing press, and also because of quality control issues.\n\nHans Thimm of the Baha'i National Information Office in Albania said persistent efforts were rewarded and cordial relations were established with a publishing house, which was impressed with the requirements of the Baha'is.\n\n\"The printing house has agreed to distribute copies commercially through their 57 client bookstores within Albania and though their distribution centers in Kosovo and Macedonia,\" Mr. Thimm said.\n\nThe Albanian Baha'is were very pleased to have the popular publication in their language, he said.\n\n\"This magazine will be very helpful in informing people about the Faith because Albanians like magazines which are informative and full of various topics, and because they are very tolerant towards religions, especially towards those that are logical and have understandable principles.\"\n\nThe community plans to present the magazine to government officials, other prominent national figures and the media, he said.\n\nThe Baha'i Faith first came to Albania in 1931 when an Albanian, Refo Capari, adopted it in New York and returned to his country, where he ultimately became an education ministry official. He translated some of the Baha'i Writings into Albanian.\n\nSoon some prominent people adopted the religion, including Xhafer Bej Preza, chief of police in Tirana, in 1935.\n\nDuring the country's communist years, the Government suppressed all religions, including the Baha'i Faith.\n\nToday there are about 14,000 Baha'is in Albania. There are 19 Local Spiritual Assemblies in 36 districts. The first national governing council, the National Spiritual Assembly, was elected in 1992."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":195,"evergreenUrl":"prince-praises-school-opening-new-buildings","title":"Prince praises school at opening of new buildings","description":"In an opening ceremony for two internet-ready buildings at the Ocean of Light International School, Crown Prince Tupoutoa of Tonga praised the...","date":"2003-01-25","customDateline":null,"city":"NUKU'ALOFA","country":"TONGA","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420113-bwns7621-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420113-bwns7621-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Students at the opening of the new buildings at the Ocean of Light International School reflect a diversity of backgrounds.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"In an opening ceremony for two internet-ready buildings at the Ocean of Light International School, Crown Prince Tupoutoa of Tonga praised the school for its technological advancement.\n\n\"The opening of the buildings could not have come at a better time in Tonga's history because for the first time this school is breaking new ground in using the technology to mitigate the negative effects of the economy,\" Prince Tupoutoa said in a speech at the ceremony on 25 January 2003.\n\n\"I shall follow the progress of the school with much interest and great affection,\" he said.\n\nOwned by the Baha'i community of Tonga, the school and its international staff seek to provide a high quality education for Tongans and other students from around the world.\n\nDuring its seven years of operation the school outgrew its rented facilities. Now the two new buildings will provide some 2,000 square meters of space for classrooms, laboratories and a library.\n\nHeadmaster Alan Cains said the curriculum of Ocean of Light was inspired by Baha'i principles.\n\n\"The school aims to inspire its students and graduates to dedicate themselves to the service of the human race,\" said Mr. Cains. \"It is dedicated to the development of the spiritual, intellectual and physical potential of its students.\""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"\"We seek opportunities for the students to give of themselves for the benefit of others, such as mentoring in schools for children with hearing impairments and other disabilities, cross-age tutoring and raising awareness about protecting the physical environment,\" Mr. Cains said.\n\nThe school also seeks to foster the spiritual development of its students by the teaching of spiritual values in the primary school and moral education in the high school, said Sohrab Bolouri, a member of the Ocean of Light education board.\n\n\"Each week, a virtue is selected for the entire school to put into practice, Mr. Bolouri said. \"Starting the morning assembly with devotions also helps create a spiritual atmosphere.\"\n\nHe said the school was open to all strata of society and aimed to give its students an international vision, characterised by the concept of world citizenship and a universal value system.\n\n\"Classes, except for those for the study of the Tongan language, are taught in English, thus enabling students to gain access to a wide and ever-increasing amount of information from throughout the world.\"\n\nThe school currently offers classes for students ranging in age from 3 to 16 but will add a twelfth grade next year. High school diplomas will be awarded to graduates.\n\nThe new classroom buildings are wired for internet connection, thereby providing a system for students in the future to use their own laptop computers and connect to the school network.\n\nThe buildings for this non-profit school cost under US$500,000 and were financed with a bank loan and donations.\n\nLocated on the outskirts of Nuku'alofa, the capital city of Tonga, the school opened in 1996 and started its program with only nine students. At present there are 250 children at the school, with about 80 per cent from Tonga. Others come from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.\n\nThe official opening of the new buildings was followed by a luncheon and entertainment for the 600 guests, who included Prince Tupoutoa's brother, the Honorable Maatu, and his wife Alaileula, the granddaughter of His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, the Head of State of Samoa.\n\nAlso present were government ministers, ambassadors, and other dignitaries. Baha'i representatives included Donald Blanks, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors, a senior advisory body that forms part of the Baha'i administration, three members of the Counsellors' Auxiliary Boards, and seven of the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Tonga, the elected governing council of the Baha'i community in the country.\n\nThe ceremony's program, broadcast live on radio throughout Tonga and later televised to the nation, comprised prayers as well as quotations from the Baha'i Writings which emphasize the significance of education. The readings were followed by cultural dances from Tonga and other islands in the region, performed by the students and staff of the school.\n\nA local Baha'i youth dance troupe performed a new dance entitled \"Education\". The dance highlighted the importance of finding the balance between spiritual, physical and academic education."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420113-bwns7607-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Crown Prince Tupoutoa of Tonga cuts ribbon to open the new buildings at the Ocean of Light International School."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420113-bwns7606-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Hello to an international world…students at Ocean of Light are receiving an education that will give them a world-embracing vision."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420116-bwns4744-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Ocean Light International School, which first opened its doors in 1996, now has new internet-ready buildings."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420114-bwns4743-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Smiles from students and their teacher at the Ocean of Light International School, which now has new buildings."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":194,"evergreenUrl":"festival-serves-preparation-fast","title":"Festival serves as preparation for fast","description":"Baha'is in more than 200 countries and territories are celebrating a four-day festival involving hospitality, gift giving, charity and social...","date":"2003-02-25","customDateline":null,"city":"SINGAPORE","country":"","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Baha'is in more than 200 countries and territories are celebrating a four-day festival involving hospitality, gift giving, charity and social gatherings.\n\nThe festival, which runs from the evening of 25 February until sunset on 1 March, serves as a spiritual preparation for a fast during the last month of the Baha'is calendar, which begins on March 2 and ends on March 20.\n\nCelebrations of Ayyam-i-Ha, as the festival is called, are taking different forms in different locations. In Singapore, for example, Baha'is are observing Ayyam-i-Ha with a blood donation drive and a picnic for families in a beachside park.\n\nIn Hungary, Baha'is plan to celebrate the festival with a musical program and a costume party for children in the Hungarian Culture Foundation building in Budapest.\n\nIn Milford, New Hampshire, in the United States, the Baha'is have invited friends and neighbors to join them for devotions and then entertainment, which will include learning a local folk dance, watching jugglers, enjoying music, and gift-giving.\n\nThe Baha'i calendar was initiated by the Bab, the Forerunner of the Faith's Prophet-Founder, Baha'u'llah, who later confirmed it.\n\nThe calendar comprises 19 months of 19 days. The Ayyam-i-Ha festival falls on the four days (five in a leap year) needed to balance out the solar year of 365 days. The time of this festival is also known as \"Intercalary Days\".\n\nOf this period Baha'u'llah writes: \"It behoveth the people of Baha, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and magnify His Name.\"\n\nDuring the fast which follows, Baha'is abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset as a reminder of the need for individuals to control their material desires.\n\nIt is seen as a time of meditation and prayer during which Baha'is refresh and reinvigorate themselves spiritually.\n\nThere are exemptions from the fast for the young and elderly, and for those who are pregnant, ill or who are engaging in heavy work.\n\nThe fasting period ends with the joyous Naw Ruz (New Year) festival, which begins at sunset on March 20."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":193,"evergreenUrl":"corruption-governance-global-justice-examined-new-book","title":"Corruption, governance, and global justice examined in new book","description":"Corruption, justice and global governance are among the issues examined in the newly released volume \"The Baha'i World 2001-2002.\" An annual...","date":"2003-02-25","customDateline":null,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420098-bwns7605-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420098-bwns7605-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The cover of \"The Baha'i World 2001-2002,\" featuring a photograph taken at the opening of the terraces of the Shrine of the Bab on Mt. Carmel in Haifa, Israel","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Corruption, justice and global governance are among the issues examined in the newly released volume \"The Baha'i World 2001-2002.\"\n\nAn annual record of Baha'i activities and perspectives, the new volume includes a profile of the European Baha'i Business Forum, a group actively engaged in counteracting corruption and greed in business practices while fostering new values.\n\nA \"World Watch\" article by the book's senior editor, Dr. Ann Boyles, looks at some of the effects of corruption on government, business, and religion, surveys some current efforts to combat this global problem, examines attitudes and behaviors fostered in Baha'i communities, and discusses their applicability in the wider society.\n\n\"Some see corruption as an inevitable manifestation of our flawed human nature, but in the Baha'i perspective, corruption lies in the realm of free will and moral choice,\" says Dr Boyles. \"For that reason, Baha'is are making efforts to educate people within a moral and ethical framework so that they refuse to commit corrupt acts and look instead towards fostering the well-being of all.\"\n\nOther essays offer insight into topics of global relevance, such as Paul Vreeland's \"World Order and Global Governance: A Baha'i Perspective\" and Barbara Johnson's \"Fostering the Spiritual Education of Children.\"\n\nThe book is the 10th volume in an annual series aimed both at Baha'i readers and the general public. It surveys the aims and growing sophistication of communities throughout the world, describing a Baha'i community which numbered only 100,000 people when the book was first published in 1926 but now includes more than five million people in more than 200 countries and territories.\n\nDisplayed on the cover is a photograph from the opening of the terraces of the Shrine of the Bab, on Mt. Carmel in Haifa, the location of the Faith's spiritual and administrative world centre. In May 2001, some 3,000 Baha'is from virtually every land came to Haifa for dedication ceremonies for the terraces, which took US$250 million and 10 years to complete.\n\nA comprehensive section dedicated to the opening of the terraces is among the book's highlights. As well as being of spiritual significance for Baha'is, the garden terraces are now a major tourist attraction in Israel.\n\n\"The volume is as a reflection on the progress of the Baha'i community,\" says Dr. Boyles.\n\n\"It's an important publication for researchers, for journalists, for Baha'i communities to use in their public information work to acquaint local or government officials or prominent people with the basic aims and current activities of the Baha'i community.\"\n\n\"This is a truly international publication -- the information is gathered from all over the world,\" Dr. Boyles says.\n\n\"For example, this year we have a social and economic development project profile of the Bayan Association in Honduras, and in previous volumes we've profiled projects in India, in Mongolia, and other places.\n\n\"This kind of documentation is unique in the history of early religious communities,\" she says. \"It's an enduring historical record that will be invaluable to people who want to chart the progress of the Baha'i Faith.\"\n\nFeatures include a report of Baha'i involvement in the World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa; accounts of anniversaries of Baha'i communities in the Hawaiian Islands, Uganda, and Sarawak; and the \"Year in Review,\" an annual survey of worldwide Baha'i events.\n\nThe book also includes selections from the Baha'i sacred writings like this quotation about justice from Baha'u'llah:\n\n\"In these days the tabernacle of justice hath fallen into the clutches of tyranny and oppression. Beseech ye the One true God… therein lie the welfare, security, and true interests of all men; otherwise the earth will be tormented by a fresh calamity every day and unprecedented commotions will break out. We cherish the hope that everyone may be adorned with the vesture of true wisdom, the basis of the government of the world.\"\n\nProfiles of Baha'i activities and organizations provide concrete examples of Baha'i organizations that are working to put into practice the ideals such as that one described by Baha'u'llah.\n\nThis 352-page book is prepared by the Baha'i International Community's Office of Public Information. It contains numerous color photographs, and is available for US$18.00. It can be ordered from World Centre Publications through the United States Baha'i Distribution Service, 4703 Fulton Industrial Boulevard Atlanta, GA 30336-2017, USA (telephone: (800) 999-9019; e-mail: bds@usbnc.org)."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":192,"evergreenUrl":"religions-come-together-one","title":"Religions come together as one","description":"The essential unity of the world's religions was the theme of gatherings last month in places as far apart as Mauritius, Northern Ireland, Mali...","date":"2003-01-19","customDateline":null,"city":"PORT LOUIS","country":"MAURITIUS","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420087-bwns4742-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420087-bwns4742-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Representatives of Hong Kong religious communities at the World Religion Day celebration organized by the local Baha'i community.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The essential unity of the world's religions was the theme of gatherings last month in places as far apart as Mauritius, Northern Ireland, Mali and Hong Kong.\n\nThroughout the world on 19 January 2003 people of various faiths gathered to celebrate World Religion Day, an event first celebrated more than five decades ago.\n\nThe active participation of Baha'is in organizing and attending the events was in line with a message addressed to religious leaders by the Faith's governing council, the Universal House of Justice, in April last year.\n\nIn that message, the Universal House of Justice said the Baha'i community, a vigorous promoter of interfaith activities from the time of their inception, would continue to assist the movement of diverse religions to draw closer together.\n\nThe over-arching truth that had called the interfaith movement into being, it said, was \"that God is one and that, beyond all diversity of cultural expression and human interpretation, religion is likewise one\". (The full text of the message can be found on the World Wide Web at: http://www.bahai.org/article-1-1-0-1.html).\n\nExamples from a sample of countries around the world illustrate the active role of the Baha'is on World Religion Day.\n\nThe celebration in the Republic of Mauritius was marked by the presence of the nation's president, Karl Offmann, who said a prayer in French, and senior representatives of the Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Islamic faiths, who read prayers to the audience of 500 and spoke on the teachings of their respective religions. All speakers presented on the same theme, that all the religions taught unity and peace.\n\nThe event was organized by the Catholic Church, at the invitation of the Baha'i community.\n\nBaha'i youth and communities across the island also held functions.\n\nIn Omagh, Northern Ireland, more than 100 people celebrated World Religion Day at an event that included an audio-visual presentation on the theme of the oneness of religion, and a performance by the choir of the Omagh Integrated Primary School.\n\nEncouraged by their headmistress, Lady Rosemary Salisbury, students from Drumragh Integrated College read excerpts from the Baha'i writings.\n\nPositive comments on the celebration came from the Chairman of Omagh District Council, Pat McDonnell.\n\nIn Hong Kong, the Baha'i Community organized an event at the Cultural Center in Tsim Sha Tsui to mark World Religion Day.\n\nRepresentatives came from the Anglican and Catholic congregations of the Christian community, and from the Confucian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities.\n\nThe speakers addressed the theme \"Building spiritual strength during times of stress\", emphasizing peace and tolerance for each other's beliefs.\n\nAn article and photograph about the event appeared in the Tsing Tau Chinese daily.\n\nEvents marking World Religion Day were also held in Bamako, the capital of Mali in West Africa, at both the Baha'i Center and the site reserved for the future Baha'i House of Worship.\n\nIn Portugal, too, there was a celebration. Representatives of the Hindu, Buddhist and Baha'i faiths recited prayers and read from the texts of their sacred books. A program on a national television channel, with an estimated audience of more than 100,000 viewers, dedicated 30 minutes to the interfaith dialogue, and included interviews with Baha'i and Catholic representatives.\n\nMedia attention was also given to the celebration of World Religion Day in Chisinau, Moldova, the first such event in the nation's history. A popular weekly magazine published a report of the gathering.\n\nOrganized by the Baha'is of Chisinau, the celebration attracted representatives of the local spiritual and artistic communities. It featured prayers, speeches, recital of operatic arias and discussion on the importance of inter-religious dialogue.\n\nWorld Religion Day was initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States. Baha'is celebrate the day by hosting discussions, conferences and other events that foster understanding and communication among the followers of all religions. In 1985, the government of Sri Lanka issued a postage stamp in commemoration of the day.\n\nThe purpose of World Religion Day is to call attention to the harmony of spiritual principles and the oneness of the world's religions and to emphasize that religion is the motivating force for world unity. As stated in Baha'i scripture: \" religion should be the cause of love and agreement, a bond to unify all mankind for it is a message of peace and goodwill to man from God,\" and \"Religion is the greatest of all means for the establishment of order in the world and for the peaceful contentment of all that dwell therein.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":191,"evergreenUrl":"world-spirituality-unveiled","title":"World of Spirituality Unveiled","description":"Spanish photographer Francisco Gonzalez was waiting for the perfect moment when he could capture secrets revealed to him in just seconds. That...","date":"2003-02-16","customDateline":null,"city":"QUITO","country":"ECUADOR","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420064-bwns4741-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420064-bwns4741-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette, near Chicago, United States of America.| From a photographic exhibition by Francisco Gonzalez, entitled \"Architects of Unity\".","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Spanish photographer Francisco Gonzalez was waiting for the perfect moment when he could capture secrets revealed to him in just seconds. That moment came as the sun shone its soft rays over the Lotus Temple in New Delhi.\n\nThe resulting image (see Photographs) is one of the photographs in an exhibition currently on tour in Ecuador.\n\nCalled \"Architects of Unity\" (Arquitectos de Unidad), the exhibition features Baha'i Houses of Worship throughout the world.\n\nPhotographing such subjects is in contrast to covering national and international events for such major Spanish newspapers as El Pais, El Mundo and Tiempo. However, it has been a project Mr. Gonzalez has dreamed of for many years.\n\n\"For me photography is the best way to express and convey my feelings to people,\" said Mr. Gonzales, who lives in Cordoba.\n\nHe said it was his greatest aspiration to connect the hearts of people with the teachings of Baha'u'llah with the help of his camera.\n\nA photographer of more than 20 years experience, Mr. Gonzalez, 42, said that on his visits to the temples, he met people coming from all kinds of ethnic and religious background."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"\"At the temple in the United States for example I met a lady who explained to me that although she did not believe in God, she had been visiting the temple for 30 years because she felt that in the silence of the moments she spent there she discovered some sort of indescribable harmony, something unique she had never experienced anywhere else in the world,\" he said.\n\nTarasieh Vahdat, the organizer of the tour and a member of Baha'i community of Quito, said the 70 photographs, which arrived in the country through the sponsorship of UNESCO and the Spanish embassy in Ecuador, had traveled to six other cities including Guayaquil and Otavalo, and had attracted more than 10,000 visitors.\n\n\"These remarkable pictures of Mr. Gonzalez not only introduce beautiful buildings to the viewer,\" said Ms. Vahdat.\n\n\"The Houses of Worship, as the Baha'i writings say, are the 'Dawning-places of the praise of God', a place where one may find perfect peace to freely commune with God,\" she said.\n\nThe Lotus temple in India is one of seven Baha'i Houses of Worship in the world. The others are in Australia, Germany, Panama, Uganda, the United States and Western Samoa.\n\nEach building is distinct in its character reflecting the culture of the country where it was built. The Indian temple, for example, features the lotus flower, a potent symbol of spirituality in that country.\n\nAll the temples share the common feature of having nine entrances, thus symbolizing the great world religions, as well as the diversity of the human race and its essential oneness and unity.\n\nWhile working on his project, Mr. Gonzalez was also inspired to photograph women who were involved with social-economic projects throughout the world.\n\nHis exhibition, \"Women of the World: Landscape of the Soul\" (Mujeres del Mundo: Paisajes del Alma) is currently traveling around Spain, visiting more than 20 cities and towns. For his latest project Mr. Gonzalez received an award from the Andalucia Institute for Women."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420065-bwns4740-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Unity in diversity: Baha'i House of Worship, Langenhain, Germany.| From a photographic exhibition by Francisco Gonzalez, entitled \"Architects of Unity\"."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420063-bwns4739-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Baha'i House of Worship in New Delhi, India.| From a photographic exhibition by Francisco Gonzalez, entitled \"Architects of Unity\"."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":190,"evergreenUrl":"victims-heroes-remembered","title":"Victims and heroes remembered","description":"Victims of bushfires in Australia's capital city Canberra were remembered in a special public prayer service held on 9 February 2003 in the Baha'i...","date":"2003-02-08","customDateline":null,"city":"CANBERRA","country":"AUSTRALIA","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420049-bwns4737-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420049-bwns4737-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Caretaker John Burnett looking at his camper-trailer burnt in the blaze that threatened the Bahá'í Center in Canberra.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Victims of bushfires in Australia's capital city Canberra were remembered in a special public prayer service held on 9 February 2003 in the Baha'i Center here.\n\nThe fires on 18 January 2003 claimed the lives of four people and destroyed more than 450 homes, a major astronomical observatory and many other properties. It was one of the nation's worst natural disasters.\n\nAs prayers were offered for those who died and for others who lost their homes, it was also time to give thanks for the extraordinary heroism shown by firefighters and others during the tragedy.\n\nAmong the heroes was the volunteer property manager of the Australian Capital Territory Baha'i Center, Mr John Burnett, 58.\n\nAs walls of flame fanned by strong winds approached the Center, Mr. Burnett decided not to flee to safety, but to stay and fight the fire to save the building.\n\nWith the flames surrounding the Center, nobody was able to reach Mr Burnett.\n\nFirefighters who reached the building some 12 hours after it was first threatened praised him for his courage."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"\"He is definitely a hero,\" said Dr Natalie Mobini-Kesheh, spokesperson for the Australian Baha'i community.\n\nThe Center, admired for its graceful architecture, was opened in 1999 by Australia's then Governor-General Sir William Deane.\n\nIt has been the venue for a major human rights conference and other meetings attended by senior government officials, and for many Baha'i activities.\n\nMr Burnett, who has been property manager for five years, said flames landed within meters of the building.\n\n\"All of a sudden you just hear this almighty roar and (the flames) just came straight up the hill and hard at us,\" he said.\n\n\"When these sheets of flame came and they landed in the garden, I just went with buckets of water and the hose or something, and put it out as best I could. I don't think I have any eyelashes left,\" he said.\n\n\"The whole place just went black, just like a moonless night. It was amazing. It just looked like a storm cloud had come over, but it was actually fire. It was so bad here actually that the birds were dropping out of the sky.\"\n\nWhen asked about the enormity of the task, Mr Burnett simply said he dealt with one thing at a time. At one stage he and his dog had to take refuge in his car.\n\n\"I just put a sprinkler on top of the car, just hoping because I thought the car would burn too.\n\n\"I couldn't go anywhere because everywhere was flame. If the car had caught fire, I had planned to jump into the fountains. But luckily, the car didn't catch fire.\"\n\nFire blackened large sections of the property grounds but the Center building was unscathed. Mr. Burnett lost his camper-trailer in the blaze.\n\nThe Center was closed for only a few days but since then the regular devotional meetings have resumed.\n\nAlthough most of the grounds were burned, a section of lawn immediately behind the Center was saved. This has become a gathering place for up to 30 kangaroos, which are starved for other vegetation."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420049-bwns4736-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The Australian Capital Territory Bahá'í Center saved by caretaker John Burnett."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":189,"evergreenUrl":"colored-ribbons-gold-mine-path-peace","title":"Colored ribbons, a gold mine and a path to peace","description":"Some have colored ribbons in their hair, most are in pink uniforms and all look with solemn wonder at the camera held by a man from a far off...","date":"2003-02-10","customDateline":null,"city":"ORLANDO, FL","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420031-bwns4735-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420031-bwns4735-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Pupils of Haiti's Ekole Panou (\"Our School\"), established in a joint project by Haitians and Americans.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Some have colored ribbons in their hair, most are in pink uniforms and all look with solemn wonder at the camera held by a man from a far off land.\n\nThese pupils of a new school in Haiti present an endearing sight in one of the photographs David Smith spreads before him.\n\nIt was images like this that helped Mr. Smith and his colleagues tell the story of a project in the village of Pichon in Haiti where education is being brought to a community deprived of many basics of modern life.\n\nHe and his co-presenters described the project at the Baha'i Conference on Social and Economic Development for the Americas, held in Orlando, Florida, 19-22 December 2002. His co-presenters  (and partners in this work) were Haitians and fellow-Baha'is Pierre Balthazar and his brother Loulou.\n\nThese three work in collaboration with a growing network of family, neighbors and friends in Haiti and in Michigan in the United States.\n\n\"In a sense we are building community on both sides of this equation,\" said Mr. Smith, the managing director of a federal grant administered by the Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education. He attends to his development work as a private project.\n\n\"It is a partnership in which everyone benefits.\""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Those involved have raised up and are developing in a staged process Ekole Panou (\"Our School\"), which now serves 125 pre-school and second grade pupils.\n\nThis Baha'i-inspired project is not only a demonstration of putting into practice the concept of the oneness of humanity but it also speaks of religious unity, with generous donations coming from Presbyterian, Catholic and other churches around Lansing, Michigan.\n\nThe Orlando conference, attended by 700 people from 36 countries as far apart as Australia and Kazakhstan, was sponsored by the Rabbani Charitable Trust, a Baha'i-inspired non-profit development funding organization.\n\nParticipants heard many other stories of successful endeavors by Baha'is to use spiritual principles as a foundation for practical assistance in social and economic development.\n\nFor example, Luis Henrique Beust outlined to delegates how Baha'is have trained judges and prosecutors in Brazil about the relationship between human values and their daily responsibilities.\n\n\"Those being trained welcomed this synergy as a new way of envisioning their role in the world,\" said Mr. Beust, a member of the national governing council of the Baha'i community of Brazil.\n\nWilliam Davis, a member of the equivalent body in the United States, described a World Bank initiative in which he took part to mediate a dispute over gold mining in the mountains of Peru.\n\nThe key, said Mr. Davis, was to build social capital -- how people cooperate for common ends on the basis of common norms and values -- and its principal byproduct, trust.\n\nIt was with practical illustrations such as these, that experienced development practitioners shared their experience with newcomers to the field.\n\nThere were workshops on such topics as mentoring physicians-in-training, preventing domestic violence, care of the soul for effective leadership, and young women's development.\n\nOne of the key lessons was that the development process is an on-going process of learning, a feedback loop between participants and practitioners, whereby the entire community obtains the knowledge needed for advancement.\n\n\"Baha'i social and economic development is really all about learning and taking some steps and learning from them,\" said Canadian Gordon Naylor.\n\nMr. Naylor, a member of the national governing council of the Baha'is of Canada and a development practitioner himself, spoke about the need for spiritual and material progress to go hand in hand.\n\n\"The world has the technology, knowledge and resources to change conditions,\" he said. \"What it lacks is the will that religious belief provides.\"\n\n\"You can't motivate people when you don't involve their beliefs,\" he said. \"Religion moves the hearts of people. It causes them to sacrifice.\"\n\n\"Religion must be accepted not merely as a vehicle for the delivery of services but as a full partner in formulating a vision and programs,\" he said.\n\nMr. Davis summed up the conference with observations about the role of the individual in \"upraising the quality of human life, a goal which became the theme of the conference.\"\n\n\"Individual initiative was the starting point for change,\" he said.\n\n\"Applying the teachings of Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith,\" said Mr. Davis, \" we stand at the threshold of trying to build a new culture that is neither East nor West.\"\n\n\"Everyone has the right and responsibility to contribute to this enterprise.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543420031-bwns4734-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Pierre Balthazar, left, and Loulou Balthazar speaking about the Haiti \"Partners in Progress\" project, at the Baha'i Conference on Social and Economic Development for the Americas."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null}],"lang":"en","language":"en","location":"/archive/75/"}},"staticQueryHashes":["2762707590"]}