{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-archive-page-jsx","path":"/archive/77/","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! 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Both accepted the Bahá'í Faith in 1974, and since then they have increasingly incorporated principles of world citizenship and human oneness into the curriculum. \"We rededicated ourselves to the cause of world unity,\" said Mrs. Gandhi, who is the school's director.\n\nThe school's success at attracting students has won for it a citation, in 1999, in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest school by enrollment. The school had some 22,000 students that year. The school currently has more than 26,000 students, in grade levels ranging from pre-primary to college, said Mrs. Gandhi.\n\n\"The school aims to give pupils the skills permitting them to face the complex problems of the world today, by displaying trust for each child, by developing their sense of responsibility, by the theoretical and practical teaching of moral values, and by opening their eyes to other religions and cultures,\" said the UNESCO press release.\n\n\"The recognition given to the importance of the family is one of the characteristics of the CMS,\" continued the UNESCO release. \"The school sensitizes parents by giving them books on their educational influence and involving them closely in the life of the school. And the teachers benefit from continued training in the main principles of the school, as well as in child development, psychology and sociology. Each child has a mentor who engages in a personal relationship with his or her charge's family.\n\n\"Another characteristic of the City Montessori School is the emphasis it places on educational research. Its Innovation Wing employs 25 people who identify and bring in the best educational theories and practices from whatever country, sourcing techniques from the Montessori method, robotics, tutorial systems or management practices,\" said the UNESCO release.\n\nAccording to UNESCO, the Prize for Peace Education comes with a US$30,000 award. Since 1981, the prize has been awarded to promote initiatives that seek to improve public awareness and to mobilize opinion in favor of peace. Funding for the Prize is provided though a donation from the Nippon Foundation.\n\nFor more information about City Montessori School, visit the school's website at http://www.cmseducation.org. The Bahá'í World News Service carried a previous story about CMS, which can be read at: http://www.bwns.org/story/146 For more information about the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education, go to: http://www.unesco.org/human_rights/peaceint.html"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":164,"evergreenUrl":"lord-st-john-bletso-delivers-annual-bahai-lecture-university-maryland-issuing-call-action-environment","title":"Lord St. John of Bletso delivers annual Bahá'í lecture at University of Maryland, issuing a \"call to action\" on the environment","description":"Lord St. John of Bletso, a member of the British House of Lords and noted authority on environmental policy, told an audience of some 250 gathered...","date":"2002-05-31","customDateline":null,"city":"COLLEGE PARK, Maryland","country":"UNITED STATES","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":"Lord St. John of Bletso, a member of the British House of Lords and noted authority on environmental policy, told an audience of some 250 gathered at the University of Maryland on 31 May 2002 that the environmental challenges facing the planet will require both a passionate commitment to action as well as a balanced approach that does not dwell on \"gloom and doom\" predictions.\n\nA hereditary member of the House of Lords since 1978, Lord St. John was at the University of Maryland as a guest of the Bahá'í Chair for World Peace to deliver the Eighth Annual Bahá'í Chair Lecture, on the theme of \"Environmental Ethics and Public Policy.\"\n\nThe Bahá'í Chair is an endowed teaching and research chair established in 1993 at the University's Center for International Development and Conflict Management. Its mission is to develop alternatives to the violent resolution of conflict by identifying and applying universal ethical and moral principles.\n\nLord St. John began his talk by distancing himself from extremist or sensationalist forms of environmentalism.\n\n\"Environmental pressure groups have started to believe that they must depict worst case scenarios, and exaggerate their dire predictions, to 'scare' the world into paying attention to this issue,\" Lord St. John said, adding that such tactics often have the opposite effect by inducing a paralysis of will and a desire to ignore complex and seemingly intractable problems.\n\nInstead, what is needed is a new global consensus that will engage and inspire people everywhere to make the changes and adjustments required to live in harmony with the earth's life support systems, said Lord St. John. He pointed to the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development, to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2002, as an opportunity to forge this kind of consensus.\n\n\"The buzzword among the delegates around the hotels and conference centers of Johannesburg in August will be 'sustainability,' but as United Nations representatives readily agree, that word has become a pious invocation rather than the urgent call to action that it should be,\" said Lord St. John, who serves on the House of Lords select committee on trade, finance and foreign affairs and will soon move to the select committee on environmental affairs.\n\n\"It is crucial that the Summit succeed in showing that sustainability is far from being as abstract as it sounds, but rather is a life and death issue for millions upon millions of people around the world, and potentially the entire human race,\" he said.\n\nLord St. John applauded the fact that representatives of business and industry are expected to be present in Johannesburg in large numbers. Voluntary codes of corporate social responsibility and innovative business strategies that make sustainability profitable have shown that the business community can make valuable contributions to sustainable development.\n\nHowever, Lord St. John emphasized that it would be a mistake to allow market forces alone to drive the globe's political, economic and social agenda. He said educators, religious leaders, civil society organizations and other social actors have a profound responsibility to exercise leadership. As an example, he recalled a discussion with a representative of the Bahá'í community in the United Kingdom who identified three contributions that the Bahá'í community could make to the wider environmental cause:\n\n\"The first act is to draw upon its deep-rooted belief in the oneness and interdependence of all nations,\" said Lord St. John. \"The second is to sustain a cross-cultural practice of consultation as a non-adversarial means of making decisions and resolving conflicts. And the third is to pursue the Bahá'í tradition of facilitating learning and empowerment through social and economic development projects.\"\n\nIn his remarks, Lord St. John also paid tribute to the work of the Bahá'í Chair and its approach to world problems. The current holder of the Bahá'í Chair is Professor Suheil Bushrui, an internationally known scholar of English and Arabic literatures who is also an acknowledged expert on issues of religious and cultural reconciliation.\n\n\"I'm keenly aware of this Bahá'í Chair for World Peace and the incredible work of Professor Bushrui in developing alternatives to the violent resolution of conflict,\" said Lord St. John. \"The Bahá'í movement is providing leadership in many fields, including ethics, and particularly since 9-11 the world has needed to revise its priorities.\"\n\nThe audience included several university officials, including Dr. Brodie Remington, Vice President for University Relations; Dr. Irwin Goldstein, Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences; and Dr. Ernest Wilson III, Director of the Center for International Development and Conflict Management. Each made opening remarks expressing the University's appreciation for the Bahá'í Chair for organizing the annual lecture series and for enriching the campus community in other ways. Also present were members of the Bahá'í Chair's Advisory Board, including the honorable Judge Dorothy Nelson, the Chair's distinguished liaison to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States.\n\n\"At the University of Maryland our intellectual achievements must be matched by our achievements in promoting diversity, harmony and interdependence among our faculty, staff and students,\" said Dean Goldstein. \"In this regard the Bahá'í Chair for World Peace is one of our most treasured possessions.\" He cited two undergraduate honors courses designed by the Bahá'í Chair, \"The Spiritual Heritage of the Human Race\" and \"Global Ethics: Confronting the Major Issues,\" as well as its lectures and publications.\n\nDean Goldstein also cited the international recognition brought to the University by the Chair's activities. Last summer, for example, the House of Lords held a Diplomatic Luncheon to recognize the Bahá'í Chair's work. The event was chaired by Lord St. John and brought together a large gathering of Ambassadors, Members of Parliament, scholars and other dignitaries.\n\nLord St. John serves as a \"cross-bencher,\" or non-partisan member of the House of Lords, and his parliamentary interests include foreign affairs, particularly South Africa and Hong Kong, environmental protection, science and technology, and financial services. He is also a Trustee of the Television Trust for the Environment and the Tusk Trust.\n\nProfessor Bushrui said he first met Lord St. John during travels to London as a fellow of the prestigious Temenos Academy, whose patron is His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In June 2001 Professor Bushrui was invited by the Temenos Academy to deliver its annual L.M. Svinghi-Temenos Interfaith Lecture.\n\n\"We have come to know each other in these circles,\" said Professor Bushrui, \"and I was struck by His Lordship's vision of world unity and his holistic approach to issues of peace and reconciliation.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":163,"evergreenUrl":"a-new-volume-bahai-sacred-writings-recently-translated-comprising-bahaullahs-call-world-leaders-is-published","title":"A new volume of Bahá'í sacred writings, recently translated and comprising Bahá'u'lláh's call to world leaders, is published","description":"A new volume of recently translated writings of Bahá'u'lláh, comprising a series of powerful messages written to world leaders, has been issued...","date":"2002-05-01","customDateline":null,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","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":"A new volume of recently translated writings of Bahá'u'lláh, comprising a series of powerful messages written to world leaders, has been issued by Bahá'í World Centre Publications.\n\nTitled \"The Summons of the Lord of Hosts,\" the 272-page  book contains authoritative English translations of six major works written by Bahá'u'lláh in the latter half of the 19th century. Collectively, the works clearly enunciate Bahá'u'lláh's claim to prophethood and offer a prescription for peaceful and just leadership in the modern world.\n\n\"Never since the beginning of the world,\" declares Bahá'u'lláh Himself in the book, \"hath the message been so openly proclaimed.\"\n\nIn addition to such pronouncements, Bahá'u'lláh outlines requirements of the kings and rulers, including reduction of armaments, the resolution of international conflicts, and reduction of expenditures which placed unnecessary strain on the subjects.\n\nSpecifically, the book collects the Suriy-i-Haykal [Surih of the Temple], Suriy-i-Ra'is [Surih of the Chief], Lawh-i-Ra'is [Tablet of the Chief], Lawh-i-Fu'ad [Tablet to Fu'ad Pasha], Lawh-i-Sultan [Tablet to the Shah of Iran], and Suriy-i-Muluk [Surih of the Kings].\n\nWhile portions of some of these works have been translated and published before, \"The Summons of the Lord of Hosts\" marks the first time full-length and fully researched translations of them have been released.\n\nThe collected volume represents only a fraction of Bahá'u'lláh's output during His 40-year ministry, when He revealed thousands of tablets which altogether represent a volume more than 70 times the size of the Qur'an and more than 15 times the size of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.\n\nNot only is the size of the revelation significant, but also -- thanks in part to access to both original documents and the historical context in which they were revealed -- the Bahá'í Faith has a much more direct link to its origins than is enjoyed by most other religions.\n\nThe primary work in the volume is the Surih of the Temple, regarded as one of Bahá'u'lláh's \"most challenging works.\" It includes letters addressed to several individual monarchs, Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II, Queen Victoria, and Nasiri'd-Din Shah, the Emperor of Persia, and also to Pope Pius IX.\n\nBahá'u'lláh's address to Nasiri'd-Din Shah is the longest of all these letters, in which He offers to meet with the Muslim clergy, and to provide whatever definitive proofs of the new revelation they would require to test Bahá'u'lláh's claim.\n\nAnother major work is the Surih of the Kings, described by Shoghi Effendi as \"the most momentous Tablet revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in which He, for the first time, directs His words collectively to the entire company of the monarchs of the East and West.\"\n\n\"Lay not aside the fear of God, O kings of the earth, and beware that ye transgress not the bounds which the Almighty hath fixed … Be vigilant, that ye may not do injustice to anyone, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. Tread ye the path of justice, for this, verily, is the straight path,\" Bahá'u'lláh asserts in a statement outlining the requirements of just leadership.\n\nThere are also passages of spiritual significance, such as Bahá'u'lláh's exposition in the Surih of the Chief explaining the progress of the human soul in its path towards God.\n\nTo record the words of revelation as He was inspired, Bahá'u'lláh would occasionally write them down Himself; but it was typical for the revelation to be spoken aloud to His amanuensis. The dictation was sometimes recorded in what has been called \"revelation writing\" -- a shorthand script written with extreme quickness owing to the speed with which the words were uttered. These original \"revelation writing\" drafts were later revised and approved by Bahá'u'lláh.\n\nThese \"revelation drafts,\" as well as the many other transcriptions of Bahá'u'lláh's writings are held in the International Bahá'í Archives. The collection encompasses approximately 17,000 items, some of which are in Bahá'u'lláh's own handwriting, while others are transcriptions made by either Bahá'u'lláh's amanuensis or other known scribes, under Bahá'u'lláh's direction.\n\nThe translators and scholars of the Research Department now work from photocopies of the original documents, with the originals available from the Archives if they are needed. All of the translations combine the efforts of a number of translators, who strive to follow the pattern for translation of Bahá'í sacred writings set by Shoghi Effendi, head of the Bahá'í Faith and its authorized interpreter from 1921 until his death in 1957.\n\nThe book can be ordered through the United States Bahá'í Distribution Service, 4703 Fulton Industrial Boulevard Atlanta, GA 30336-2017, USA (telephone: (800) 999-9019; email: bds@usbnc.org)."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":162,"evergreenUrl":"week-long-festival-arts-will-showcase-bahai-performers-new-york-late-june-major-concert-carnegie-hall-included","title":"Week-long Festival of the Arts will showcase Bahá'í performers in New York in late June; major concert at Carnegie Hall included","description":"In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Second Bahá'í World Congress, a group of Bahá'ís are planning a major \"Festival of the Arts\"...","date":"2002-06-26","customDateline":null,"city":"NEW YORK","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":"In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Second Bahá'í World Congress, a group of Bahá'ís are planning a major \"Festival of the Arts\" here in late June and early July. The week-long event will feature a major choral concert at Carnegie Hall, separate Persian and Gospel music concerts at the Manhattan Center, an off-Broadway festival of Bahá'í theatrical performances, and a conference on the arts.\n\nThe centerpiece event at Carnegie Hall will feature a 550-voice choir, composed of Bahá'ís from some 24 countries. Known as the Voices of Baha, the choir has done some 80 concerts in 30 countries over the last ten years,  said Tom Price, musical director of the Voices of Baha and head of Global Music Inc., which is organizing the Festival of the Arts.\n\n\"Basically, the Voices of Baha is an offshoot of the World Congress choir, and the conception of this event began with the idea of having a musical reunion in New York,\" said Mr. Price, who also directed the choir at the World Congress. \"And once the Carnegie Hall concert was set, we decided to add other events to make it a week-long celebration.\"\n\nThe project is an independent initiative of  Global Music, Inc., a Bahá'í-owned company, and associated individuals. It is not under the sponsorship of any Bahá'í institution.\n\nThe Festival of the Arts is scheduled to begin on 26 June 2002 and run until 2 July. During that period, five major activities are planned: A week-long Theater Festival at the 47th Street Theater (26 June-2 July);  a four-day Conference on the Arts at the Hotel Pennsylvania (27 June-30 June);  a performance of the Bahá'í Gospel Singers (28 June) and a concert of Persian music (29 June), both at the Manhattan Center; and, finally, the Voices of Baha concert at Carnegie Hall (30 June).\n\nAll of these events will feature Bahá'í performers, speakers and themes. Complete information about these events, including ticket prices, can be found at [http://www.global-music.org/](http://www.global-music.org/).\n\nThe Second Bahá'í World Congress, held 23-26 November 1992 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York, was the largest gathering of Bahá'ís ever. It brought together some 30,000 Bahá'ís from 180 countries to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the passing of Bahá'u'lláh and the accomplishments of the Bahá'í Faith during that century.\n\nAmong the main elements of the Congress's program was music, and central to that musical expression was a 400 voice choir and 90-piece orchestra, assembled ad hoc by bringing together Bahá'í singers and musicians from some 36 countries.\n\nAmong the distinctive features of that assemblage was the need for singers to learn their parts in their home countries before coming to New York, something accomplished by sending to them cassette tapes with their parts.\n\nThe Voices of Baha, likewise, uses a similar technique, said Mr. Price. \"We send out sheet music and a CD (Compact Disk), which has their part alone,\" said Mr. Price. \"So each member has a full month to learn and practice their parts individually. Without the CD, it would be impossible to develop a choir of this size and diversity. Most choirs live in one city and rehearse for months before a concert. But we developed this technique for the World Congress and, now, 10 years later, it is a system that works pretty well.\"\n\n\"The Voices of Baha actually has about 1,000 members, but since the World Congress, we've only been able to bring together about 200 singers for any single event,\" said Mr. Price. \"We have more than 550 singers registered to sing in the Carnegie Hall concert, which will make this the largest Bahá'í choir ever.\"\n\nThe Bahá'í Gospel Singers were likewise featured at the Second Bahá'í World Congress. \"We expect a gospel choir of at least 200 singers,\" said Van Gilmer, director of the Singers, making it an even larger group than performed in 1992.\n\nThe Conference on the Arts will feature speeches, music, drama, dance and devotional elements in a creative and artistic combination, said Leslie Asplund, who is organizing that segment of the Festival.\n\n\"It will focus specifically on the role of the arts, as described in the Bahá'í writings, and as applied in the Bahá'í community today,\" said Dr. Asplund. \"The Bahá'í teachings say a great deal about the role of artistic expression and creativity, not just as entertainment but as an element in the spiritual transformation of humanity.\"\n\nThe Persian music concert will feature a number of well-known Persian performers -- all who also happen to be Bahá'ís. Scheduled to perform are Rahmat'u'llah Badiyi, Parisa Badiyi, Rashid Mostaghim, Shokouh Rezai, Hushmand Aghili, and Ahdieh Pakravan.\n\nThe Theater Festival will showcase the growing theatrical talent that has emerged internationally within the worldwide Bahá'í community in recent years, said Shidan Majidi, organizer of that event.\n\n\"Over the years, around the world, many professionally trained actors have developed drama programs presenting aspects of the Faith,\" said Shidan Majidi, who is a professional theater producer in New York. \"So the purpose of this Festival is to gather as many together in one place so that people can see as many of these performances as possible.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":161,"evergreenUrl":"bahais-play-key-role-behind-scenes-unicef-concert-un-childrens-summit","title":"Bahá'ís play key role behind the scenes in UNICEF concert at the UN Children's Summit","description":"Although Hugh Locke and Jack Lenz both grew up two years apart in the tiny farming town of Eston on the Canadian prairie in Saskatchewan, the...","date":"2002-05-09","customDateline":null,"city":"UNITED NATIONS","country":"","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419833-bwns7600-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419833-bwns7600-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Famed children's singer Raffi performs before an audience of some nearly 1,000 world leaders, UN officials and children's advocates at the “Change the World with Children” on 9 May 2002 at the United Nations. Several Baha'is played key roles in producing the event.| [Photo courtesy UNICEF -- UNICEF/HQ02-0193/Susan Markisz]","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Although Hugh Locke and Jack Lenz both grew up two years apart in the tiny farming town of Eston on the Canadian prairie in Saskatchewan, the two men never met until they became members of the Bahá'í Faith as young adults.\n\nBut since meeting, they have embarked on a number of collaborations, the most recent of which was the production of a major concert for world leaders at the United Nations during the United Nations Special Session on Children in May.\n\nMr. Locke served as executive producer for the event, which featured guest appearances from former South African President Nelson Mandela, and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, while Mr. Lenz took on the role as musical director.\n\nAnd although the concert, which sought to feature mainly the voices and musical performances of children and young people, was sponsored entirely by UNICEF, both men feel strongly that their practice of the Bahá'í Faith and its principles of global interdependence and human unity gave them great inspiration.\n\n\"The theme of the concert was to have the voices of children giving a message to the leaders of the world -- and that message was to urge them to put children first in all of their undertakings,\" said Mr. Locke, whose company, Locke Associates Inc., specializes in organizing international events and conferences.\n\n\"And once Jack and I started to shape the concert, we wanted to have a message that was universal in nature and hopeful for the future,\" said Mr. Locke, noting that they chose a number of songs written by Bahá'ís for the event -- songs that feature themes of hope, oneness and human solidarity. \"And there was a resonance in that with the tone and intention of what UNICEF wanted to do.\n\nHeld 9 May 2002 on the north lawn of the UN grounds in New York under a specially erected tent before an audience of some nearly 1,000 world leaders, UN officials and children's advocates, the concert featured the 300-voice UNICEF World Chorus -- assembled by Mr. Lenz from youth choirs in metropolitan New York -- and the 160-strong National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela.\n\nThe concert, titled \"Change the World with Children,\" also featured a series of solo performances by some young or youthful singers who have already won fame for their talent, such as Billy Gilman, a 13-year-old country and western phenomenon from the USA, to Josefine Garline, an 11-year-old pop singer from Sweden. Also performing were Raffi, the internationally acclaimed children's singer and songwriter, and Angelique Kidjo, one of the world's best-known African singers.\n\nA number of international celebrities, composed mostly of UNICEF and UN goodwill ambassadors, also appeared on stage, with each presenting one of the \"Say Yes for Children\" Campaign pledges, which were a focal point of the concert. Among those present were actors Michael Douglas, Roger Moore, and Cicely Tyson; singer Harry Belafonte; and chess master Anatoly Karpov.\n\nThe Say Yes for Children Campaign was a focal point of the event. Worldwide, more than 94 million signatures have been collected as pledges to the campaign, which offers ten simple points  -- such as \"Put Children First\", \"Educate Every Child\", and \"Protect the Earth for Children\" -- designed to help build a world where \"all children should be free to grow in health, peace and dignity.\"\n\nAppearing on stage with the adult goodwill ambassadors were members of the Children's Theater Company (CTC), a New York-based children's performance workshop that is operated as a Bahá'í-inspired project. Each member of the CTC read out one of the pledges and then introduced his or her new \"friend\" -- one of the famous goodwill ambassadors, who then explained the importance of that pledge.\n\nMany of the songs performed at the concert celebrated human diversity and interdependence. Among them were \"Color Me Human,\" which was written and performed by Eric Dozier,  a Bahá'í from Los Angeles, and \"The Greatest Moments,\" written by Mr. Lenz himself, who is a internationally-known Toronto-based song writer, musician and producer.\n\n\"For Bahá'ís, the idea of unity in diversity is a key theme,\" said Mr. Lenz, who is now producing a video of the concert. \"And as we worked with UNICEF officials to put the concert together, there was a lot of discussion about diversity and the importance of ensuring that the entire human race was reflected in this gathering. So I know that I, and the other Bahá'ís who worked on this, felt this concert was a significant event.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":160,"evergreenUrl":"faith-groups-including-bahais-germany-meet-environment-climate-concerns","title":"Faith groups, including Baha'is of Germany, meet on environment and climate concerns","description":"At an interfaith meeting in May, representatives of the main religions in Germany, including the Baha'i Faith, drafted and accepted a joint memorandum...","date":"2002-06-04","customDateline":null,"city":"GOETTINGEN","country":"GERMANY","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":"At an interfaith meeting in May, representatives of the main religions in Germany, including the Baha'i Faith, drafted and accepted a joint memorandum stressing the common ground among the religions on the issue of climate change and the environment.\n\nChaired by Gottfried Orth, director of the Ernst Lange-Institute for Ecumenical Studies, and held under the auspices of the German Federal Environment Ministry, the meeting took place 6-7 May 2002 and was titled \"Orientation dialogue of religions represented in Germany on environmental politics with reference to the climate issue.\"\n\nThe main goal of the meeting was to widen the dialogue between the government and various religions in Germany on environmental issues as part of a process to enhance the receptivity and responsibility of important pillars of society.\n\nParticipants included three representatives of the Catholic and Protestant churches; the general secretary of the Central Muslim Council and a scientific advisor; a member of the council of the Buddhist Union and two other Buddhists; and three representatives of the Baha'i Community of Germany. Also present were observers from the World Conference on Religion and Peace and a group representing the Earth Charter.\n\nThe final memorandum issued by the religious representatives stated that, regardless of the differences between the holy writings and traditions of the various religions, there is much common ground between them on the issues of nature and the environment, which gives rise to a common responsibility for action.\n\n\"The central cause for the destruction of nature and the basis for life on earth is the waste of goods and resources,\" said the memorandum. \"We in the industrialized countries need to recognize our primary responsibility for global threat to life. We cannot insist on a lifestyle with high energy consumption and emission of greenhouse gases that cannot be generalized worldwide.\"\n\nThe memorandum said love, justice and ethics can be the foundation for sustainable development, a point that must be considered at the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development, scheduled to be held in August in Johannesburg, South Africa. The memorandum also emphasized that water -- an expression of spiritual life in all religions -- needs equal attention in its use.\n\n\"Approximately two-thirds of the time of the meeting was dedicated to presentations on the position of the various religions concerning creation, nature, man, ethical approaches, attitudes towards scientific predictions on climate effects as well as aspects of political actions,\" said Ingo Hofmann, who, along with Ulrich Gollmer and Friedo Zölzer, represented the Baha'i Community of Germany at the meeting.\n\n\"But these presentations were followed by equally long sessions of questions and answers,\" said Dr. Hofmann, who is a professor of physics at Frankfurt University. \"And there was consensus, at the end, that the whole meeting was held in a remarkable spirit of dialogue and openness, giving a good example of religious dialogue applied to a burning problem of society.\"\n\nIn the memorandum, each religion also cited a main concern with respect to the environment. The Baha'i contribution was to say that \"for the Baha'is, nature and humankind are an organic entity, from which we derive the principles for proper action in compliance with the needs of environment  and social justice,\" said Dr. Hofmann.\n\nGerman Federal Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin attended the second day of the meeting, when the memorandum was presented to him. At a well attended press conference he stressed the importance of religions in the process of making society more receptive to environmental issues.\n\nThe dialogue was designed as a follow-up to a meeting of G-8 environment ministers and religious leaders in Trieste in March 2001, at which religious leaders appealed for governments to give environmental concerns a higher priority.\n\nIn terms of follow-up, the religious communities will continue the process of discussing environmental issues both inside and outside their own communities. A book containing the statements of the various religious communities is also being prepared, with a fall 2002 publication schedule. The memorandum expresses the commitment to continue the dialogue locally, regionally and on the European level."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":159,"evergreenUrl":"bahai-faiths-governing-council-calls-worlds-religious-leaders-put-out-fires-religious-prejudice-fanaticism","title":"Bahá'í Faith's governing council calls on world's religious leaders to put out the fires of religious prejudice and fanaticism","description":"Decrying the persistence of religious prejudice as a barrier to global peace and prosperity, the international governing council of the Bahá'í...","date":"2002-05-15","customDateline":null,"city":"NEW YORK","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":"Decrying the persistence of religious prejudice as a barrier to global peace and prosperity, the international governing council of the Bahá'í Faith has addressed a message to the world's religious leaders.  Bahá'í communities around the world are conveying it to religious leaders in all their countries, thus transmitting its appeal that they act decisively on the need to eradicate religious intolerance and fanaticism.\n\n\"With every day that passes, danger grows that the rising fires of religious prejudice will ignite a worldwide conflagration the consequences of which are unthinkable,\" writes the Universal House of Justice in the message addressed simply \"to the World's Religious Leaders.\" (Full text available at: [http://www.bahai.org/article-1-1-0-1.html](http://www.bahai.org/article-1-1-0-1.html))\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 particularly painful fact, it has long lent its credibility to fanaticism,\" the appeal states. \"We feel a responsibility, as the governing council of one of the world religions, to urge earnest consideration of the challenge this poses for religious leadership.\"\n\nThe theme of the message of the Universal House of Justice, the internationally elected council that guides the worldwide, five-million member Bahá'í community, points to the striking developments in the past century whereby prejudices based on gender, race or nationality have been recognized as unacceptable by all thinking people. Although they continue to exist in practice, there is a strong groundswell towards their abolition. Religious prejudice persists, however, triggering a crisis, the message states, that should compel religious leaders to make a \"break with the past as decisive as those that opened the way for society to address equally corrosive prejudices of race, gender and nation.\"\n\nThe statement offers the assistance of the Bahá'í community in working for religious unity to which the interfaith movement has been aspiring and, in closing, asserts:  \"We owe it to our partners in this common effort, however, to state clearly our conviction that interfaith discourse, if it is to contribute meaningfully to healing the ills that afflict a desperate humanity, must now address honestly and without further evasion the implications of the over-arching truth that called the movement into being: that God is one and that, beyond all diversity of cultural expression and human interpretation, religion is likewise one.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":158,"evergreenUrl":"montreal-bahai-youth-conference-examines-20th-century-inspire-social-transformation","title":"Montreal Bahá'í Youth Conference examines 20th century to inspire social transformation","description":"More than 250 youth attended the Fifth Annual Montreal Bahá'í Youth Conference, held from 29 to 31 March, with the goal of drawing inspiration...","date":"2002-03-31","customDateline":null,"city":"MONTREAL","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":"More than 250 youth attended the Fifth Annual Montreal Bahá'í Youth Conference, held from 29 to 31 March, with the goal of drawing inspiration for positive social transformation from \"Century of Light.\" Recently released by the international governing body of the Bahá'í Faith, the Universal House of Justice, \"Century of Light\" examines the growing prominence of the Bahá'í Faith against the backdrop of humanity's turbulent development in the last century. The document takes its name from a statement by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, who used the phrase to refer to the 20th century.\n\nHeld at the Louis-Bourgeois Bahá'í Centre in Montreal, the three-day conference attracted youth from 10 countries and consisted of talks, workshops, dance and dramatic performances, audio-visual presentations, and an art exhibit, all revolving around the role of Bahá'í youth in the 20th century. The conference challenged attendees to explore the role of Bahá'í youth in the 20th century, and their responsibilities in the century to come.\n\n\"The Century of Light was a tumultuous one,\" said 21-year-old Vahid Khamsi, a resident of Princeton, New Jersey.  \"However, we also had many amazing accomplishments. The 21st century is for the youth. It is our century. It is up to us to lay the foundations for prosperity.\"\n\nDr. Ann Boyles, an Auxiliary Board member, spoke at the conference and presented an introduction and overview of the \"Century of Light\" document.\n\n\"In order to become a champion of justice, \" she said,  \"you need to know about the world in which you live, the Faith in which you believe, and the relationship between the two.\"\n\nStressing awareness of past injustices, Dr. Boyles reminded the audience that \"Bahá'ís are not people that look at the world through rose-colored glasses. We have to be realistic. We have to look at what the dark side was, but we can't be swallowed up by it.\"\n\nIn addition to talks, there were several noteworthy artistic presentations, including a spoken-word performance by Shani Carter, cultural and thematic dance performances, and a remarkable audio-visual presentation that highlighted events from the past century.\n\nLindsay McKye, a participant from Ontario, Canada, described her previous dread of history classes, saying that she had once found the topic quite boring. After reading \"Century of Light,\" she saw the importance of history in her life as a Bahá'í youth and earnestly hoped that others will see its potential as an inspirational vision for world unity.\n\nOn the topic of the contribution of Bahá'í youth to the advancement of civilization during the 20th century, \"Century of Light\" states: \"No segment of the [Bahá'í] community made a more energetic or significant contribution to this dramatic process of growth than did Bahá'í youth.\"\n\nAt the dawn of a new century, youth at the conference were anxious to contribute to the process in the same spirit as their predecessors.\n\n\"It doesn't matter how much the world around you is degraded,\" explained Nick Ward, a student of International Development Studies at McGill University. \"You yourself can make a difference. Everyone has the ability for change in order to bring about a new global civilization.\"\n\nThe conference ended on its third day, with youth resolving to focus their activity in systematic action along three main lines -- the establishment or strengthening of study circles, devotional meetings, and community children's classes. Others were also inspired to start community development programs and dance-theatre workshops within their respective communities.\n\nThe annual Montreal Bahá'í Youth Conference was inaugurated in 1998 and past conferences have addressed such themes as \"Hope for Humanity\" and \"Globalization.\" This year's conference took its place within the context of a series of Bahá'í conferences throughout the world -- a sign of the scope and aspirations of the emerging Bahá'í Youth Movement. Through this Movement, Bahá'í youth aim to constructively channel their energy and enthusiasm towards positive social transformation through the application of the spiritual principles of their Faith.\n\nThe conference Web site, http://www.enlighten.ca/conference, contains additional information and photographs from the conference."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":156,"evergreenUrl":"bahais-receive-message-from-prime-minister-blair-new-years-reception-house-commons","title":"Bahá'ís receive message from Prime Minister Blair at new year's reception in House of Commons","description":"In a message commemorating the Bahá'í New Year, British Prime Minister Tony Blair commended the Bahá'í community of the United Kingdom for its...","date":"2002-03-21","customDateline":null,"city":"LONDON","country":"","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419787-bwns4724-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419787-bwns4724-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Barney Leith, Secretary-General of the Bahá'í Community of the United Kingdom, addresses the some one hundred participants at the Bahá'í new year's reception in the British House of Commons on 21 March.| MP Lembit Opik, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá'ís, stands to the right.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"In a message commemorating the Bahá'í New Year, British Prime Minister Tony Blair commended the Bahá'í community of the United Kingdom for its \"significant contribution\" to multiculturalism and interfaith dialogue.\n\nThe message was read at a reception on 21 March 2002 in the House of Commons, which was attended by nearly 100 people.\n\nThe gathering was sponsored by the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá'í Faith, and participants included members of the British parliament and other government officials, as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations and members of the media.\n\nMP John Battle, the Prime Minister's advisor on interfaith matters, read the Prime Minister's message.\n\n\"I have a clear vision of a multi-cultural Britain -- one which values the contribution made by each of our ethnic, cultural, and faith communities,\" stated Mr. Blair, as read by Mr. Battle. \"I am determined to see a truly dynamic society, in which people from different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds can live and work together, whilst retaining their distinctive identities, in an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding.\n\n\"British Bahá'ís make a significant contribution towards achieving this vision and we are a stronger, better country because of it. It is particularly important that we celebrate the contribution of the Bahá'í faith to the stability and prosperity of British society as a whole.\n\n\"I am very encouraged by the vision the Bahá'í community demonstrates in recognizing the power of interfaith dialogue and the importance of all citizens fulfilling their potential. Your community has a vibrancy which is well demonstrated by the recent opening of the Bahá'í Gardens on Mount Carmel in Israel. It is an outstanding monument to your faith,\" said Mr. Blair's statement.\n\nAt the reception, Barney Leith, Secretary General of the Bahá'í Community of the United Kingdom, welcomed participants and talked about the UK Bahá'í community's Institute for Social Cohesion, an initiative to facilitate dialogue between entities that are working towards building stronger societal bonds in the United Kingdom.\n\nMP Lembit Opik, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá'ís, welcomed the people to the reception and spoke of his esteem for the Bahá'í community.\n\n\"The Bahá'ís seem to have a uniquely positive image among religious believers,\" Mr. Opik said. \"Personally I feel that this is because Bahá'í teachings fit human nature rather than trying to change it.\"\n\nThe All Party Friends of the Bahá'ís was formed in 1999. The group is open to members of Parliament, peers, and members of the European parliament and was formed largely in response to the persecution of the Bahá'ís in Iran and other states.\n\nThis was the third reception held by the Bahá'ís in the Parliamentary building, but was the first held on the terrace of the House of Commons, the most prestigious parliamentary venue for this type of event.\n\nOmid Djalili, a Bahá'í actor and comedian, was the guest speaker for the evening. He performed a 10-minute stand-up comedy routine about world culture and the humor inherent in diversity.\n\nBahá'ís celebrate their new year on 21 March; the date coincides with the vernal equinox and the traditional beginning of Spring. The Bahá'í calendar, which was established by Bahá'u'lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Faith, is based on 19 months of 19 days, with four intercalary days."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":155,"evergreenUrl":"groundbreaking-conference-london-explores-connection-between-science-morality","title":"Groundbreaking conference in London explores the connection between science and morality","description":"Is there a scientific basis for morality? Is there a place in the brain where the capacity for morality resides? These were just two of many...","date":"2002-02-09","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 there a scientific basis for morality? Is there a place in the brain where the capacity for morality resides? These were just two of many thought-provoking questions posed at a ground-breaking conference on the \"Science of Morality\" here on 8-9 February 2002.\n\nOrganized by surgeon Graham Walker and held at the Royal College of Physicians, Regents Park, the meeting sought to examine the scientific evidence for a neurological location, genetic basis and/or an innate capacity for morality.\n\n\"Wherever one looks inwardly and outwardly, one meets conflict, mostly because of the moral diversity caused by differing perspectives of culture, religion, and age,\" said Dr. Walker, a prominent London head and neck surgeon and a member of the Baha'i community of the United Kingdom. \"In order to eliminate this conflict, we must find a common ground.\"\n\nDr. Walker hopes to start building a body of respectable, affirmable evidence of a scientific basis for morality which can act as a locus where varied disciplines can meet and agree.\n\nMore than 60 delegates representing a wide variety of medical, scientific and philosophical disciplines attended the conference. Among the speakers were Ian Craig, a world renowned specialist on cyclogenetics from the Institute of Psychiatry in London; Baroness Susan Greenfield, a professor of neuropharmacology at Oxford University and president of the Royal Institute; Faraneh Vargha-Khadem, a professor of neurosciences at the Institute of Child Health, University College, London; and Hossain Danesh, a professor of psychiatry and president of Landegg International University in Switzerland.\n\nAlso addressing the event were Robin Dunbar, professor of biological sciences, Liverpool University; Michael Penn, professor of psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania; Sean Spence, psychiatrist and academic radiologist; Adam Zeman of the department of clinical neurosciences in Edinburgh; and Bill Hatcher, professor of mathematics and philosophy, Laval University, Canada.\n\n\"This conference was historic in that it brought together some of the world's most accomplished researchers to explore, in an earnest, open, and cordial search for truth, the biological, psychological and social factors that appear to be responsible for healthy moral development,\" said Dr. Penn, who presented a paper suggesting that a necessary pre-condition for moral development is an understanding of justice. \"The scientists and philosophers participating in the conference are widely respected -- and so the quality of scholarship and research was, in itself, extremely inspiring.\n\nDr. Danesh delivered the keynote speech, exploring the consonance between science, religion and ethics. His thesis was that humanity is moving from a self-centered, survival-oriented basis towards a peace-centered future.\n\n\"Due to the fact that all individuals and societies are subject to the universal law of development and progress, we are able to identify three distinctive worldviews that are present, to a lesser or greater degree, in all human societies,\" said Dr. Danesh. \"These worldviews reflect the particular characteristics of three distinctive phases in the development of every individual and society, which are designated respectively as survival-, identity-, and peace-centred worldviews.\n\nBaroness Greenfield provoked a wide-ranging discussion with her thesis that there is no specific location for the capacity of morality in the brain; rather it is essentially \"hard-wired\" in response to life experience and genetics, said Dr. Walker.\n\n\"She said there is no such thing as a center of consciousness in the brain,\" said Dr. Walker. \"Rather, consciousness is spatially diffuse in the brain. At the same time, she said, it is temporally unified.\"\n\nOther speakers, said Dr. Walker, presented evidence that suggest the fronto-orbital area of the brain might be the location of a moral center. Specifically, he said, Dr. Vargha-Khadem and Dr. Spence of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Sheffield, UK, said some studies show that injuries to this area before the age of 14 or 15 heal, while injuries sustained later in life seem to deprive an individual of moral judgment.\n\n\"The late emergence of sociopathic profiles in children who have suffered early bilateral orbitofrontal lesions suggests that perhaps these regions assume their functional significance later during childhood, possibly after the onset of puberty,\" said Dr. Vargha-Khadem in response to questions after the conference.\n\nWhile the discussion was lively and provocative, Dr. Walker said, participants reached a general conclusion that \"there is a neurological aspect to morality, or the development of morality.\"\n\n\"This conclusion implies that if there is such a capacity, you can induce this with the right type of exposure to experiences,\" said Dr. Walker. Alternatively, he said, it seems that exposure to negative experiences might take an individual \"down the other pathway to become immoral, and rather more likely to be criminal or sociopathic.\"\n\nDr. Walker said he was inspired to organize the conference because of his practice of the Baha'i Faith. \"While the connection between religion and science is not unique to the Baha'i Faith, it is certainly a strong tenet,\" he said. \"If indeed there is a consonance between science and religion, then it should be extendable to concepts like spirituality and morality, which is one of the main pillars of religiosity.\"\n\nA book of the conference proceedings has been commissioned by the Royal College of Physicians."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":154,"evergreenUrl":"youth-conference-brazil-aims-prepare-youth-work-global-change","title":"Youth Conference in Brazil aims to prepare youth to work for global change","description":"With the goal of discussing how young people can make a more positive impact on the world, more than 600 youth from 15 countries came to the...","date":"2002-01-21","customDateline":null,"city":"SAO PAULO","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":"With the goal of discussing how young people can make a more positive impact on the world, more than 600 youth from 15 countries came to the Ninth Congress of the Baha'i Youth Movement of the Americas here from 17-21 January 2002 to talk about peace, change and the future.\n\nHeld at the Soltanieh Bahá'í Educational Center outside Mogi Mirim, some 150 kilometers from São Paulo, the four-day Conference program featured talks by members of the Board of Counsellors for the Americas, artistic presentations, small-group workshops and audio-video presentations.\n\nOrganized by the Bahá'í National Youth Committee of Brazil, the goal of the event was to bring together youth from different countries and backgrounds in order to share ideas of how to better the world. The Congress was the latest event in an international Bahá'í Youth Movement that is focused in the Americas.\n\n\"It brings youth together, it unifies, it gives the youth a sense of the Bahá'í culture,\" said Massoud Moslehi, 33, from Victoria, Canada. \"Bahá'í culture\" means living according to the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith, he said, which not only promote the oneness of humankind but also exhort Bahá'ís to live an active life of service to humanity and to be upright in their personal behavior.\n\nThe first of the Congresses was in Santiago, Chile, where some 650 youth from 25 countries gathered in January 1998. Thousands of youth from dozens of countries gathered at international congresses in 2000 and 2001, held in Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Paraguay.\n\n\"Youth have played a special and unique role in every generation,\" states a paper on the Congress's Web site, explaining the goals and purposes of the Bahá'í Youth Movement. \"They have often served as a positive and catalytic force pushing society towards something better. Free from the pressures of work and family responsibilities, their energy, enthusiasm and zeal can be harnessed to promote a positive movement within society to bring about change that ensures a better future for them and their children.\"\n\nParticipants at the most recent Congress indeed appeared to be energized by the event, expressing the  sense that they do have the power to change the world for the better, by focusing on positive actions and their own moral development.\n\n\"We are not revolutionaries in the usual use of the word, we are not trying to make governments fall, or make a guerrilla war,\" said Gaël Masrour, a 28-year-old Bahá'í living in Chile. \"But we are trying to change the world as we see it nowadays. I think these conferences are only a step in this process, not a goal in itself, but a step.\n\n\"Humanity is going through a time where no room is left for idle fancy and useless leisure,\" Masrour continued. Not to take action at this point in the development of the world, he said, is \"suicide.\"\n\n\"If we want change,\" he said, \"we need to transform both our own selves and society in a parallel process. We must become moral leaders and make a difference through hard work and example.\"\n\nIn addition to talks by senior Bahá'í advisors, there were numerous presentations by the youth themselves, ranging from music and dance performances to a video sent by youth who attended the Youth Conference in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, in July 2001.\n\nLena Delchad, 23, from San Diego, USA, said the coming together of so many young people from so many countries created a unique energy -- which was the main reason she had come.\n\nYouth conferences like these \"send a surge of energy through the youth straight into their own communities,\" she said.\n\nThe youth ended the four-day event by committing themselves to actions they will take over the next year in order to effect a positive change in their community.\n\nSome of these actions included starting moral education classes for children, making use of the arts as an education tool, starting a moral education theater group, and becoming involved in community-building projects.\n\nSeveral groups of youth launched a two-week campaign immediately following the Congress to spread the principles of the Bahá'í Faith.\n\nThe Congress Web site, at http://www.mjbahai.com/brasil, contains information about the Congress, the message of the Bahá'í Youth Committee of Brazil, documents from previous Youth Congresses, and information about the Bahá'í Youth Movement."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":153,"evergreenUrl":"bahais-tajikistan-killed-their-beliefs","title":"Bahá'ís in Tajikistan killed for their beliefs","description":"Two Bahá'ís in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in recent weeks were determined to have been killed for their religious beliefs. Rashid Gulov was shot and...","date":"2002-03-05","customDateline":null,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","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":"Two Bahá'ís in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in recent weeks were determined to have been killed for their religious beliefs.\n\nRashid Gulov was shot and killed on 23 October 2001 while returning home from work. A second man, Mosadegh Afshin Shokoufeh, was shot outside his home on 3 December 2001 and died from his wounds on the way to the hospital.\n\nAuthorities in Tajikistan made the determination, after investigating the crimes, that the two men were killed because of their religious beliefs.\n\nBoth men, along with their wives and families, were active in the Bahá'í community and both were members of the local Bahá'í administrative body of Dushanbe. Mr. Shokoufeh had also previously served on the Bahá'ís' national governing body for Tajikistan.\n\nThese deaths follow the assassination of Abdullah Mogharrabi in September 1999. Mr. Mogharrabi was another Bahá'í living in Dushanbe whose murder was determined to be religiously motivated."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":152,"evergreenUrl":"latest-volume-bahai-world-features-articles-global-terrorism-un-millennium-events","title":"Latest volume of 'Bahá'í World' features articles on global terrorism, UN Millennium events","description":"With an article presenting a Bahá'í viewpoint on global terrorism and featuring a report on the Bahá'í International Community's involvement...","date":"2002-02-27","customDateline":null,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419740-bwns7599-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419740-bwns7599-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The cover of the latest volume of “The Bahá'í World,” the ninth in an annual series which documents the statements and achievements of the Bahá'í International Community.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"With an article presenting a Bahá'í viewpoint on global terrorism and featuring a report on the Bahá'í International Community's involvement in the United Nations Millennium Summit and related commemorations, the latest volume of \"The Bahá'í World\" is now available from World Centre Publications.\n\nThe Bahá'í World 2000-01 is the ninth volume in an annual series prepared by the Bahá'í International Community's Office of Public Information. Written both for a general audience and Bahá'í readers, the volumes present a yearly record of the Community's activities and perspectives. This volume covers the period from April 21 2000 to April 21 2001.\n\n\"Our aim is to provide an authoritative and comprehensive survey of the worldwide Bahá'í community's activities during a given year,\" said Ann Boyles, senior editor of the series. \"Our hope is that it will serve as a valuable reference work for both Bahá'ís and the general reader, as well as scholars, journalists and others who may be researching the Bahá'í Faith and its development.\"\n\nMore specifically, this year's volume includes reports on  the inauguration of the International Teaching Centre Building at the Bahá'í World Centre in January 2001; the Colloquium on Science, Religion, and Development, sponsored by the Bahá'í International Community's Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity in New Delhi in November 2000; and the First International Conference on Modern Religions held at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in December 2000.\n\nAlso included are essays that give Bahá'í perspectives on contemporary topics and trends. An essay by Robert Atkinson entitled  \"Culture and the Evolution of Consciousness\" discusses the relationship between the development of culture and humanity's growing awareness of its essential oneness.  \"Symbols of Transformation: The Gardens and Terraces on Mount Carmel,\" by Elham Afnan describes the religious significance of the recently completed garden terraces on Mount Carmel. And a profile of the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women in India looks at  how one Bahá'í-inspired non-governmental organization is promoting the advancement of women through programs that combine practical training and moral education.\n\nOf special interest this year, however, is the World Watch article by Dr. Boyles on global terrorism. Researched and written largely before the terrorist attacks in New York on 11 September 2001, the article discusses the general rise in terrorist activity, summarizes prevailing prescriptions, and offers a Bahá'í point of view for establishing a \"universal framework that can bring real, enduring stability\" to the world.\n\n\"Collaboration in the gathering of accurate information through intelligence, the signing of international treaties and protocols, and the application of various kinds of sanctions undoubtedly represent forward movement in efforts to combat terrorism,\" writes Dr. Boyles.\n\n\"However, addressing problems such as terrorism in isolation from the many other issues that disrupt and destabilize society will ultimately prove a futile exercise.  Nations must look beyond simply responding separately to disparate problems and move towards the building of a comprehensive international order based on social justice and collective security, in which all can live in dignity.  This will be the most decisive factor in the creation of enduring change.\"\n\nThe volume's report on the Millennium Summit covers not only the Community's involvement in the September 2000 Summit at the United Nations itself, but also its participation in lead-up events. Specifically, the Community played a significant role in supporting the Millennium Forum for non-governmental organizations, held in May 2000, and Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders, held in August of that year.\n\n\"It is significant, for example, that a representative of the Bahá'í International Community was one of the co-chairs of the Millennium Forum in May of 2000, and then went on to represent non-governmental organizations before the world leaders gathered at the Millennium Summit in September,\" said Dr. Boyles. \"Our report gives insights into behind-the-scenes activities at all of these events.\"\n\nThe book's recurring sections include a basic introduction to the Bahá'í community; selections of Bahá'í sacred writings; highlights from messages of the Universal House of Justice and statements of the Bahá'í International Community released during the year; the \"Year in Review,\" chronicling the worldwide activities of the Bahá'í community; an update of the situation of the Bahá'ís in Iran; a progress report on the Mount Carmel Projects at the Bahá'í World Centre; obituaries of prominent Bahá'ís; statistics of the Bahá'í community; a directory of Bahá'í agencies; and a bibliography of selected new publications.\n\nAs the book's editors describe, distilling the activities of an entire religious community into a single volume every year is not easy, and the sheer breadth of information prevents it from being comprehensive.\n\n\"We gather information from more than 180 national bodies to present this snapshot of the Bahá'í activities,\" said Dr. Boyles. \"We know that we're not going to have everything in it, but the goal is to show trends or representative activities - to provide a record of the pattern of growth of the Bahá'í community.\"\n\nThat \"pattern of growth\" is demonstrated in a Bahá'í community which was only 100,000 people when the book was first published in 1926 but now numbers more than five million people in 245 nations and dependent territories around the world.\n\nThe book was originally prepared under the supervision of Shoghi Effendi, who led the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 to 1957. The book was issued biennially until 1940, but limited resources allowed for only sporadic publication after that.  In 1992, the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá'í community, directed that the format be revamped, so that \"the availability of a well-written, liberally illustrated, attractively designed annual record of Bahá'í activities will facilitate the efforts of the friends and Spiritual Assemblies to present …current information\" about the Bahá'í community.\n\n\"The Universal House of Justice felt that the time had come for it to reevaluate the publication,\" said Dr. Boyles, \"and to refocus on the initial goals established for it by Shoghi Effendi when he initiated the volumes in the 1920s… Now there is a record of what the Bahá'í community is doing and that will be a valuable record for people in the future.\"\n\nThe book is 320 pages in length, contains numerous color photographs, and is available for US$25.95 in hard cover or US$13.95 in soft cover. It can be ordered from World Centre Publications through the United States Bahá'í Distribution Service, 4703 Fulton Industrial Boulevard Atlanta, GA  30336-2017, USA (telephone: (800) 999-9019; email: bds@usbnc.org)."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"Discourse"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":151,"evergreenUrl":"world-religion-day-celebrated-bahai-communities-around-world","title":"World Religion Day celebrated by Baha'i communities around the world","description":"More than 400 people gathered here on 20 January 2002 for a multi-faith discussion on the topic of \"Religions against Violence\" in commemoration...","date":"2002-01-20","customDateline":null,"city":"STUTTGART","country":"GERMANY","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419119-bwns4721-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419119-bwns4721-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"More than 400 people gathered in Stuttgart, Germany, for a World Religion Day commemoration sponsored by the Baha'i Community of Germany on 20 January 2002 to hear a panel discussion on “Religions against Violence.”| Shown, left to right, are the panelists: Meinhard Tenné, Central Jewish Council of Germany; Dr. Paul Köppler, German Buddhist Union; Prof. Urs Baumann, University of Tübingen, Department of Theology; Dr. Andreas Rössler, Chief Editor, Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt für Württemberg; Dr. Nadeem Elyas, President, Central Muslim Council of Germany; Christopher Sprung, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Germany; and Dr. Johannes Frühbauer of Hans Küng's Foundation for World Ethics.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"More than 400 people gathered here on 20 January 2002 for a multi-faith discussion on the topic of \"Religions against Violence\" in commemoration of World Religion Day.\n\nThe commemoration was one of dozens, if not hundreds, of celebrations of World Religion Day held worldwide this year. Initiated in 1950 as an effort to foster interfaith understanding, World Religion Day is now commemorated worldwide on the third Sunday in January.\n\nThe Stuttgart commemoration was sponsored by the Bahá'í community of Germany and held at the Neues Schloss, an 18th Century chateau built for the Wurttemberg Kings. The participants in a panel discussion on the topic of religious violence included Meinhard Tenné of the Central Jewish Council of Germany; Dr. Paul Köppler of the German Buddhist Union; Prof. Urs Baumann, department of theology, University of Tübingen; Dr. Nadeem Elyas, President of the Central Muslim Council of Germany; Dr. Johannes Frühbauer of Hans Küng's Foundation for World Ethics; and Christopher Sprung of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Germany.\n\nThe panel discussed both the peace-promoting elements of religions as well as their potential to generate conflict and war. All agreed that world religions, if seen in their true essence, are against violence. \"The motto of the panel was, essentially, that 'true believers are against violence and terror' and 'you should take seriously what your faith is telling you,' \" said Mr. Sprung.\n\nPanelists also noted that competing claims of exclusive truth often prevent religions from establishing a climate of harmony and unity. Prof. Baumann, a Catholic theologian, said the notion that a religion is \"the only path to truth and salvation\" has all too often been considered the \"greatest reason for violence,\" especially when such a claim becomes institutionalized by government or politics.\n\nDr. Frühbauer emphasized the urgency to recognize a set of ethical principals common to all cultures and religions. This \"minimum set\" should be adopted at large by all to safeguard and foster social progress in times of globalization. Mr. Sprung responded by suggesting that religions in particular must together form a \"maximum set\" of ethical and religious common principles, otherwise the social momentum of any religion would vanish.\n\nBoth the Jewish and the Buddhist representative referred to the equity of religions, suggesting that \"religions are like different land maps,\" providing orientation to their followers. Several large regional newspapers reported at length about the event.\n\nA website about World Religion Day and the Stuttgart event exists at [ www.weltreligionstag.de ](http://www.weltreligionstag.de). The site was called one of the 100 most interesting new websites by *Computer Bild*, a leading German computer magazine.\n\nOther significant World Religion Day commemorations -- all held on 20 January -- included events in Bulgaria, Mongolia, Pakistan and the United States, where numerous local Bahá'í communities sponsored celebrations. A website dedicated to World Religion Day (www.worldreligionday.com) lists some 15 more countries as having events scheduled for this year, encompassing: Albania, Austria, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Slovakia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Vanuatu.\n\nIn Bulgaria, about 45 people gathered at the national Bahá'í Center in Sofia. Participants included followers of diverse religions, academicians, and representatives of non-governmental organizations. The program included the reading of prayers by members of various religions, including the Bahá'í Faith,  Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. After the devotional program,  a talk entitled \"Religious Tolerance - Historical Scope and Modern Understanding\" was given by Theodore Bourilkov, member of  National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Bulgaria, which sponsored the event.\n\nIn Mongolia, more than 100 people gathered in Ulan Bator to commemorate the Day. Representatives from the Bahá'í Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam were present, as were several government officials and four lecturers from the religious studies department of the national university.\n\n\"The theme of the gathering was the 'oneness of humanity,' and the program consisted of short prayers from each faith, interspersed with devotional music, and short talks,\" said Dulamsuren, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Mongolia, which sponsored the event. The event was covered by two national television channels.\n\nIn Pakistan, more than 50 people gathered for a program at Bahá'í Hall in Karachi. A number of members of Pakistan's Zikri community participated. The Zikri community is a peaceful Sufi sect of Islam.\n\nIn the United States, events were scheduled in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Utah, among other places, according to the World Religion Day website.\n\nWorld Religion Day was initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States. Bahá'ís celebrate the day by hosting discussions, conferences, and other events which foster understanding and communication between 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 world religion is the motivating force for world unity. As stated in Bahá'í 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":148,"evergreenUrl":"fire-pacific-conference-marks-100th-anniversary-bahai-faith-hawaii","title":"'Fire in the Pacific' conference marks 100th anniversary of the Baha'i Faith in Hawaii","description":"More than 1,000 Baha'is from at least 53 nations joined with the Baha'is of the Hawaiian Islands in December for a four-day celebration of the...","date":"2001-12-23","customDateline":null,"city":"HONOLULU","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419070-bwns4720-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419070-bwns4720-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Among the highlights of the conference was a parade on 20 December, by some 600 participants, to the resting place of Agnes Baldwin Alexander, who first brought word of the Baha'i Faith to the Hawaiian Islands in December 1901.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"More than 1,000 Baha'is from at least 53 nations joined with the Baha'is of the Hawaiian Islands in December for a four-day celebration of the centennial of the establishment of the Baha'i Faith in Hawaii.\n\nTitled \"Fire in the Pacific,\" the conference featured music, dance performances, workshops and speeches that commemorated the history of the Faith in Hawaii -- and looked ahead to its future here and in the Pacific region.\n\nAmong other things, conference sessions focused on social issues of concern to the region, including moral and spiritual education for youth and children, the potential contribution of indigenous peoples to world civilization, the use of drama and the arts for positive social change, and diversity training.\n\nThe 20-23 December 2001 event received extensive media coverage and was attended by a number of prominent people. Princess Tooa Tosi Malietoa of Samoa extended greetings at the opening session on behalf of her father, His Highness Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II, the head of state of the independent nation of Samoa. Ka'ulu Kukui Thomas, retired Hawaii State Court Judge and trustee for the Queen Liliuokalani Trust, welcomed the participants on behalf of the Hawaiian people. And Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris greeted conference attendees during a plenary session on Saturday morning.\n\n\"A highlight of the gathering was the permeation of all events with a spirit reflecting the cultures of the entire Pacific region,\" said Chris Cholas, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands, the governing council for the Baha'i community in Hawaii. \"There was a great prominence given to indigenous speakers and artists. There were representatives and performers not only from Hawaii but also from the Polynesian, Melanesian and Micronesian peoples. And many attendees remarked that this great display of diversity and respect for different cultures created a powerful spirit of joy and unity.\"\n\nAmong the highlights of the conference was a parade on 20 December, by some 600 participants, to the resting place of Agnes Baldwin Alexander, who was the first to bring word of the Baha'i Faith to the Hawaiian Islands -- and, indeed, the entire Pacific region -- in December 1901. Born in Hawaii, the granddaughter of missionaries, Ms Alexander first heard about the Baha'i Faith while on a trip to Europe. Returning to her native Hawaii on 26 December 1901, she devoted the rest of her life to spreading the teachings of Baha'u'llah in the Pacific and later in Japan.\n\nFor Emily Chew, a Baha'i from Australia, visiting the resting-place of Ms. Alexander \"felt right because it showed respect\" to those who first brought the Faith to the region. \"It was a humble but wonderful way to begin this historic conference.\" Honolulu's top-rated television station KHON gave extensive coverage to the parade, which proved to be a showcase of humanity's diversity."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The conference featured more than 80 workshops, lectures, and performances. Attendees could choose from sessions on topics ranging from a presentation on the successes of a Baha'i vocational schools in Kiribati to discussions on how to better use consultation, a non-adversarial form of decision-making, in Baha'i community life.\n\nThere were also numerous presentations by Baha'i artists. Musician and Grammy Award winner K.C. Porter and other local Baha'is \"jammed\" in one of the smaller conference rooms; Australian actor Philip Hinton presented Portals to Freedom, the story of Howard Colby Ives; and Nadema Agard, a community service outreach specialist of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, presented a workshop on the sacred feminine presence in the arts of Native Americans.\n\nIn plenary sessions, the focus was largely on how the Baha'i teachings -- such as the equality of women and men and the recognition of humanity's essential oneness -- can be used to benefit communities in the Pacific region.\n\nIn a session on 21 December, for example, Dr. Sirus Naraqi, Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean, Western Clinical School, University of Sydney, spoke about the Baha'i writings concerning the Pacific and the similarities between the Teachings of Baha'u'llah and traditional beliefs of the Pacific Islanders. These similarities can easily be used to promote unity and cooperation, he said.\n\nOn Sunday, 23 December, the conference sponsored a traditional outdoor Ho'olaule'a, or festival, at the McCoy Pavilion in Ala Moana Beach Park. The Ho'olaule'a featured top local entertainers Amy Hanaiali'i, Hapa's Barry Flanagan, Martin Pahinui, Sean Na'auao and Ernie Cruz, as well as Mr. Porter, a performer on and the producer of Santana's Grammy Award Winning album \"Supernatural.\" The event also featured entertainment by dancers from other Pacific Islands, along with arts, crafts and food booths, and Hawaiian plate lunches.\n\nAttendees came from throughout Hawaii, the Pacific region, the United States, Canada, Alaska, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa for the conference."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419071-bwns4719-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Dance performances, representing the cultures of the Pacific, were an integral part of the program of the Fire in the Pacific Conference."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419070-bwns4718-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Conference participants came from more 53 nations, representing a wide diversity of cultures and ethnic groups."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419069-bwns4717-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Dance performances, representing the cultures of the Pacific, were an integral part of the program of the Fire in the Pacific Conference."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":147,"evergreenUrl":"united-states-bahai-community-issues-major-statement-on-destiny-america-promise-world-peace","title":"United States Baha'i community issues major statement on the Destiny of America and the Promise of World Peace","description":"Citing the current atmosphere of \"world turmoil,\" the Baha'i community of the United States has issued a major statement offering a perspective...","date":"2001-12-23","customDateline":null,"city":"NEW YORK","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":" Citing the current atmosphere of \"world turmoil,\" the Baha'i community of the United States has issued a major statement offering a perspective on the destiny of America as \"the promoter of world peace.\"\n\nPublished 23 December 2001 as a full-page advertisement in *The New York Times,*, the statement says that Baha'is believe the American nation \"will evolve, through tests and trials to become a land of spiritual distinction and leadership, a champion of justice and unity among all peoples and nations, and a powerful servant of the cause of everlasting peace.\"\n\nDrawing on earlier Baha'i statements and passages from the Baha'i writings, the 645-word document identifies six prerequisites for world peace: \"universal acceptance\" of the oneness of humanity; the eradication of racism; the full emancipation of women; the elimination of \"inordinate disparity\" between the rich and the poor; an end to \"unbridled nationalism\"; and harmony between religious leaders.\n\nAlthough the statement does not specifically mention the terrorist attacks on 11 September or the American Government's current war against terrorism, the statement was designed to offer a new perspective on these and related events, said Robert Henderson, Secretary General of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States of America, the community's governing body.\n\n\"The National Spiritual Assembly felt that the nation would benefit from having a new understanding of its destiny as a nation in terms of the Baha'i vision of the mission of America as being ordained by God,\" said Dr. Henderson. \"Our writings are replete with insights about the role of America as an agent of peace in a world that is becoming a single neighborhood.\"\n\nAfter an introduction that highlights Baha'u'llah's call for the unification of humanity, the statement draws on a passage from the Baha'i writings penned in 1938 by Shoghi Effendi, who led the Baha'i Faith from 1921 to 1957.\n\n\"The world is moving on,'\" says the passage. \"'Its events are unfolding ominously and with bewildering rapidity. The whirlwind of its passions is swift and alarmingly violent. The New World is insensibly drawn into its vortex....\n\n\"The world is contracting into a neighborhood,\" the passage continues. \"America, willingly or unwillingly, must face and grapple with this new situation. For purposes of national security, let alone any humanitarian motive, she must assume the obligations imposed by this newly created neighborhood. Paradoxical as it may seem, her only hope of extricating herself from the perils gathering around her is to become entangled in that very web of international association which the Hand of an inscrutable Providence is weaving.\"\n\nSaid Dr. Henderson: \"These are the things that Shoghi Effendi talked about some 60 years ago -- and we felt we are now seeing them come true before our very eyes.\n\n\"Our writings also make clear that peace isn't just a question of signing treaties or diplomatic protocols,\" said Dr. Henderson. \"It involves a whole system of spiritual principles -- an architecture of peace -- that includes the oneness of human race, the abolition of racism, the equality of women, the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty and so on.\n\n\"So our purpose is to indicate to people the main elements of peace and to show that America has a special role in its establishment,\" said Dr. Henderson.\n\nThe statement closes with lines from a prayer by 'Abdu'l- Baha, the son of Baha'u'llah, who led the Baha'i Faith from 1892 to 1921.\"We felt that prayer made a wonderful statement about the nation assuming its God-ordained role of international leadership,\" said Dr. Henderson.\n\nDr. Henderson said the statement had already received a number of positive responses. \"We're getting many letters and phone calls,\" he said. \"They are in some cases effusive in their praise, calling it a 'grand vision,' or 'so comprehensive.'\"\n\nThe statement will be published in other major newspapers in the coming weeks, said Dr. Henderson. The US Baha'i community also plans to deliver it to members of Congress, state governors, selected leaders of thought, and, at a point in the near future, the President of the United States, he said.\n\nThe entire statement, as published in*The New York Times,*  follows below:\n\n**The Destiny of America and The Promise of World Peace**\n\nAt this time of world turmoil, the United States Baha'i community offers a perspective on the destiny of America as the promoter of world peace.\n\nMore than a hundred years ago, Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, addressing heads of state, proclaimed that the age of maturity for the entire human race had come. The unity of humankind was now to be established as the foundation of the great peace that would mark the highest stage in humanity's spiritual and social evolution. Revolutionary and world-shaking changes were therefore inevitable.\n\nThe Baha'i writings state:\n\nThe world is moving on. Its events are unfolding ominously and with bewildering rapidity. The whirlwind of its passions is swift and alarmingly violent. The New World is insensibly drawn into its vortex.... Dangers, undreamt of and unpredictable, threaten it both from within and from without. Its governments and peoples are being gradually enmeshed in the coils of the world's recurrent crises and fierce controversies.... The world is contracting into a neighborhood. America, willingly or unwillingly, must face and grapple with this new situation. For purposes of national security, let alone any humanitarian motive, she must assume the obligations imposed by this newly created neighborhood. Paradoxical as it may seem, her only hope of extricating herself from the perils gathering around her is to become entangled in that very web of international association which the Hand of an inscrutable Providence is weaving.\n\nThe American nation, Baha'is believe, will evolve, through tests and trials to become a land of spiritual distinction and leadership, a champion of justice and unity among all peoples and nations, and a powerful servant of the cause of everlasting peace. This is the peace promised by God in the sacred texts of the world's religions.\n\nEstablishing peace is not simply a matter of signing treaties and protocols; it is a complex task requiring a new level of commitment to resolving issues not customarily associated with the pursuit of peace.\n\nUniversal acceptance of the spiritual principle of the oneness of humankind is essential to any successful attempt to establish world peace.\n\nRacism, one of the most baneful and persistent evils, is a major barrier to peace.\n\nThe emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality of the sexes, is one of the most important, though less acknowledged, prerequisites of peace.\n\nThe inordinate disparity between rich and poor keeps the world in a state of instability, preventing the achievement of peace.\n\nUnbridled nationalism, as distinguished from a sane and legitimate patriotism, must give way to a wider loyalty, to the love of humanity as a whole.\n\nReligious strife, the cause of innumerable wars and conflicts throughout history, is a major obstacle to progress. The challenge facing the world's religious leaders is to contemplate, with hearts filled with compassion and the desire for truth, the plight of humanity, and to ask themselves whether they cannot, in humility before their God, submerge their theological differences in a great spirit of mutual forbearance that will enable them to work together for the advancement of human understanding and peace.\n\nBaha'is pray, \"May this American Democracy be the first nation to establish the foundation of international agreement. May it be the first nation to proclaim the unity of mankind. May it be the first to unfurl the standard of the Most Great Peace.\"\n\nDuring this hour of crisis, we affirm our abiding faith in the destiny of America. We know that the road to its destiny is long, thorny and tortuous, but we are confident that America will emerge from her trials undivided and undefeatable.\n\n***- National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States***\n\n*For more information and for a free copy of the booklet The Promise of World Peace, please visit our Web site at www.us.bahai.org or call us toll free at 1-800-22-UNITE.*"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":146,"evergreenUrl":"in-india-worlds-largest-school-succeeds-focusing-on-globalism-morality","title":"In India, the world's largest school succeeds by focusing on globalism and morality","description":"Fresh out of college and newly married, Jagdish Gandhi knew some 42 years ago that his main goal in life was to serve humanity. And he felt educating...","date":"2002-01-02","customDateline":null,"city":"LUCKNOW","country":"INDIA","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419022-bwns4716-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419022-bwns4716-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"With an enrollment this year of more than 25,000 students, in grades ranging from pre-primary to college, City Montessori School nevertheless has a high academic reputation.| Shown here is morning assembly at the Gomti Nagar branch, one of 20 branches in Lucknow. Each branch is a small, self-contained campus, with about 1,250 students.","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":" Fresh out of college and newly married, Jagdish Gandhi knew some 42 years ago that his main goal in life was to serve humanity. And he felt educating children would be a good way to do that.\n\nSo he borrowed 300 rupees (the equivalent of less than $10), rented a couple of rooms, and founded City Montessori School in this historic provincial capital in northern India. The school's first class consisted of five students.\n\nLittle did Mr. Gandhi imagine that it would one day become the largest private school in the world -- or that it would also become widely known for its distinctive emphasis on teaching students the value of world citizenship and religious tolerance.\n\n\"There are hundreds of other well-established schools here,\" said Mr. Gandhi, 66, who founded with his wife Bharti Gandhi in 1959. \"So we never realized we were going to be the biggest school in the world -- or that we would be so focused on imparting educational globalism.\"\n\nWith an enrolment of 22,612 students in 1999, CMS, as the school is commonly known, won a place in the year 2000 Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest school by enrollment. It now has over 25,000 students, in grade levels ranging from pre-primary to college.\n\nAccording to parents and faculty here, the high enrollment statistic is not a fluke or the anomalous reflection of something like exceedingly low tuition fees or a high achieving sports team. Rather, they said, CMS has been supremely successful at attracting students largely for two reasons: 1) its reputation for academic excellence, and, 2) its distinctive program of moral education.\n\nIn terms of academics, CMS students consistently earn top rankings in government examinations and places in prestigious colleges and universities throughout India. For the year 2000-2001 school year, for example, out of 1,192 CMS students taking the national standardized Indian school certificate examination, 1,179 passed and 1,099 of those passed in the \"first division,\" with aggregate marks over 60 percent, which is considered to be \"honors.\" Some 79 students secured 90 percent marks and above."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Beyond academics, however, parents also say they also choose to send their children to CMS because of its singular effort to provide students with the intellectual, moral and spiritual tools for success in an increasingly globalized world -- a world in which the ability to get along in harmony with people from all religions, ethnic groups and nationalities will be of supreme importance.\n\n\"Exposure to globalism\"\n\nThe school's emphasis on this mission is clearly apparent. Its prospectus advertises \"international interaction and exposure to globalism,\" while banners and posters at CMS's various school buildings proclaim slogans like: \"Every child is potentially the light of the world.\" Other banners emphasize principles of interfaith harmony and acceptance.\n\n\"Why do so many parents send their children here? The reason, I feel, is that parents want their children to be good,\" said Mr. Gandhi. \"Yes, they want them to have a good education. They want good results. And we give that. But they also want them to have good morals. And we strive to give that, too.\n\n\"Parents also know that their children will be exposed to an international atmosphere,\" Mr. Gandhi added, noting that one distinct feature of the school is its hosting of various international conferences, on topics ranging from music and culture to computers and robotics, which bring many visitors from overseas.\n\n\"The children here are inhaling a vision -- a vision of globalism,\" continued Mr. Gandhi. \"So that they can take up a position where they can change the world. I want our graduates to be self-motivating agents of social change, serving the best interests of the community and the world as a whole.\"\n\nTechnically speaking, CMS is not so much a school as a school district, with some 20 branches spread throughout Lucknow. Each branch is a small, self-contained campus, usually with a main school building and several auxiliary structures. On the average, each branch hosts about 1,250 students.\n\nSome of its campuses were built specifically for CMS, and the school's infrastructure is among the most modern of the many private schools in Lucknow, if not India. Further, in their quality of construction and overall design and layout, the many campuses here might more accurately be compared to those of a small college or university rather than a combined elementary and secondary school.\n\nThe curriculum covers all the traditional subjects required by students to pass India's state examinations, but with an additional emphasis on moral education. And at CMS, moral education is very much equated with the concept of world citizenship and interreligious harmony.\n\nThe source of moral values\n\nThe moral values promoted at CMS are drawn directly from the teachings of the Baha'i Faith. In their early life together, Mr. and Mrs. Gandhi were greatly influenced by the humanitarian ideas of Mahatma Gandhi -- an influence that, in part, led Mr. Gandhi to found CMS. In 1974, both Mr. and Mrs. Gandhi became Baha'is. Since that time they have increasingly introduced the Faith's spiritual and social principles into the moral and spiritual curriculum at CMS.\n\nThis is not to say, however, that the school imposes the Baha'i Faith on its students. Indeed, if anything, the school seeks to uphold the values taught by all religions and to respect the beliefs of all students and their parents, who reflect the diversity of Lucknow itself, which is composed of roughly 70 percent Hindus, 25 percent Moslems, and 5 percent Christians and Sikhs.\n\n\"We respect every religion in our schools,\" said Bonita Joel, principal at CMS's Indira Nagar branch, who is herself a Christian. \"No one religion is taught in our school. It is a secular school. But we teach our children to respect every religion.\"\n\nMs. Joel and others at CMS see this emphasis on religious pluralism as strongly linked to the school's emphasis on globalism.\n\n\"We basically believe -- the school professes -- to break down narrow domestic walls and to reach out to other nations and cultures,\" said Ms. Joel. \"We feel with globalization taking place, the students can no longer be confined in their thinking to just their neighborhood or culture or their nations. They must reach out to the broader world.\"\n\nMs. Sadhna Chooramani, the principal of the CMS Chowk branch, believes that emphasis on globalism and religious tolerance very much helps to prepare its students for success in the modern world.\n\n\"Our students have no inhibitions about going out and working with others, whatever their religion or background,\" said Ms. Chooramani, who is 38 and a Hindu. \"They accept people as they are. The feeling of being one with the human race is deep-rooted.\"\n\nMs. Chooramani believes that CMS's long-standing promotion of tolerance and oneness has contributed to the overall sense of communal harmony in Lucknow. In 1992, when riots broke out in many urban centres after fundamentalists destroyed the Babri Mosque in the city of Ayodhya, Lucknow escaped serious disturbances and it is widely acknowledged as a peaceful city.\n\nWith such a large student body, and its high level of parental involvement, CMS is almost certainly a contributor to that sense of harmony in Lucknow, Ms. Chooramani said.\n\n\"The people of Lucknow have started feeling that this concept of oneness of mankind is the only way by which we can have progress toward harmony and peace and a better way of living,\" she said.\n\nMs. Chooramani organized a neighborhood meeting in 1992 during the Ayodhya crisis and made an appeal for calm. \"I said that there is no religion that teaches this kind of violence,\" she said.\n\nOther branches of CMS likewise held similar meetings or activities during that period, and the school as a whole organized a general peace march. \"We had hundreds of children marching, with a banner saying 'God is one and all mankind is one,' \" said Mrs. Bharti Gandhi, who serves as the Director of the CMS system. \"And at that time, there were no casualties in Lucknow, even though in other places Hindus were killing Muslims and Muslims were killing Hindus.\"\n\nThe school seeks to reinforce its ideal of internationalism not only through its curriculum but, as noted by Mr. Gandhi, by sponsoring various international conferences. On several of its larger campuses, hostel-type dormitories and food service facilities make hosting such events possible at a relatively low cost.\n\nEach year now, the school hosts a variety of international events, including \"Macfair International,\" a mathematics and computer fair; \"Celesta International,\" an international music and culture festival; the \"International Astronomy Olympiad\"; a \"Science Olympiad\" on math, computers and robotics; an \"International School-to-School Experience Exchange\"; and a \"Children's International Summer Village Camp.\" In 2000, CMS organized and/or hosted nine such events, and 11 were scheduled in 2001.\n\nThe school also strives for educational innovation. It has adopted various management practices, such as Quality Circles, that encourage the generation and refinement of new ideas. It also has its own \"innovation wing,\" a 25- employee unit dedicated entirely to researching, developing, and bringing into the CMS system new teaching methods. In that effort, the researchers draw on ideas both from around India and abroad.\n\nFor their part, parents are pleased with the direction the school has taken. The school's enrolment continues to climb, reaching 25,172 this year.\n\n\"There are a number of schools that give a good education, but this one goes beyond, giving all of the best features: personal development, good academics, and moral values,\" said Manoj Agrawal, a 35-year-old electrical engineer, who has two children at CMS.\n\n\"They bring out the best in the child,\" added Deepa Agrawal, his wife. \"They are given opportunities and the right encouragement.\"\n\nThe Agrawals and other parents also praised the school's emphasis on strong relations between parents and teachers. Teachers are required to make periodic home visits and parents are invited to regular functions at the school. \"It develops a kind of rapport between the teacher and the parent,\" said Mrs. Agrawal.\n\nOm Prakesh Patel, a 32-year-old landowner and farmer from the Kaimur District some 390 kilometers away in Bihar State, felt so strongly about enrolling his son in CMS that he moved in with his wife's parents here in Lucknow -- something that goes completely against tradition.\n\nHe and his wife, Sunita, decided on CMS because of its academic reputation, the high level of parent-teacher interaction, and its emphasis on moral education.\n\n\"The moral emphasis is a plus point,\" said Mr. Patel, whose nine-year-old son Harsh has been attending CMS for five years. \"We are a secular country and communalism is rising in India. So we feel we need a more religiously tolerant society. And moral ethics in this materialistic age are very important.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419025-bwns4715-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Jagdish Gandhi and Bharti Gandhi, founders of the City Montessori School in Lucknow, India.| They are standing in front of the main building of Gomti Nagar branch of the School, one of 20 branches in Lucknow. A quote from Bahá’u’lláh, \"The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens\" is on the awning behind them."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419023-bwns4714-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"With a current enrollment of more than 25,000 students, City Montessori School was listed by the 2000 Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest school.| The school is also among the most modern in Lucknow. Shown here is a computer class at the Gomti Nagar branch of the school."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419021-bwns4713-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"At City Montessori School, the arts are emphasized, as are moral themes that stress globalism and interfaith harmony.| Shown here are a group of primary school students in a dance class at the Gomti Nagar branch."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543419022-bwns4712-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The essential principles of all religions are taught at City Montessori School, and in morning assembly each day the students read prayers from all religions.| Shown here are kindergarten students praying in the morning at the start of the day."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":145,"evergreenUrl":"tanzanian-bahai-school-receives-grant-new-girls-dorm","title":"Tanzanian Baha'i school receives grant for new girls dorm","description":"The Ruaha Secondary School, a Baha'i-sponsored school, has received a two-year, US$122,000 grant to build a new girls' dormitory capable of housing...","date":"2001-12-19","customDateline":null,"city":"IRINGA","country":"TANZANIA","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 Ruaha Secondary School, a Baha'i-sponsored school, has received a two-year, US$122,000 grant to build a new girls' dormitory capable of housing 120 students.\n\nThe grant, for 141,630 Euros, was given by the Unity Foundation, a Baha'i-inspired development agency in Luxembourg. The first installment of the grant was sent on 19 December 2001.\n\n\"One of the main goals of the Unity Foundation is to support the education of girls and women,\" said Alex Schoos, treasurer of the Foundation. \"And that is why we wanted to support the project at Ruaha School.\"\n\nLocated in Iringa, the Ruaha School currently has about 400 students. Founded in 1986, the school is owned and operated by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Tanzania, the elected governing body of the Baha'i community here.\n\nThe school's primary mission is to serve the wider Tanzanian community by providing quality education at an affordable cost. One of its major goals is to provide education for girls. More than two-thirds of its students are girls, in a country where fewer than half the students enrolled in secondary schools are female.\n\n\"We are really focusing on the education of girls, which is very important here, where traditionally only boys are educated, where traditionally boys are put first,\" said Becky Fairley, Ruaha's principal, in a recent interview. \"We try to encourage girls, to improve their performance. We believe this contributes to raising up the status of women. It changes the way they raise children, and this makes a tremendous difference in the community.\"\n\nThe new dormitory will provide 1,040 square meters of living space, including a 405-square-meter courtyard. Currently, the school has four smaller dormitories that house 260 girls. The new building will increase the school's housing capacity by 46 percent.\n\nThe Unity Foundation, a non-governmental organization which was founded in 1991 by a group of Baha'is, has also recently provided funding to a health outreach project in Guyana and a non-profit printing operation in Zaire that produces low-cost educational materials for community development and projects throughout the country.\n\nFunding for the Unity Foundation comes from donors in Europe, mostly from within Luxembourg. Many donors are Baha'is. For the construction of the new girls' dormitory the Foundation received a two-thirds matching grant from the Government of Luxembourg.\n\nFor more information on the Ruaha Secondary School, go to:\n\nhttp://www.onecountry.org/e123/e12304as_Ruaha_School.htm\n\nFor more information on the Unity Foundation, go to:\n\nhttp://www.unityfoundation.lu"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":144,"evergreenUrl":"united-nations-general-assembly-again-expresses-concern-over-continuing-discrimination-against-irans-bahais","title":"United Nations General Assembly again expresses concern over continuing discrimination against Iran's Baha'is","description":"For the 16th time in 17 years, the United Nations General Assembly has expressed \"concern\" over human rights violations in Iran, specifically...","date":"2001-12-19","customDateline":null,"city":"UNITED NATIONS","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":"For the 16th time in 17 years, the United Nations General Assembly has expressed \"concern\" over human rights violations in Iran, specifically noting the \"still-existing discrimination\" against the Baha'i community of Iran.\n\nBy a vote of 72 to 49, with 46 abstentions, the Assembly passed a resolution on 19 December 2001 that calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to \"eliminate all forms of discrimination based on religious grounds\" and, more specifically, asks the Iranian Government to fully implement previous United Nations recommendations that the Baha'is be granted complete freedom to practice their religion.\n\nThe resolution followed a report issued in August by the UN Human Rights Commission's special representative on Iran, Professor Maurice Copithorne, that indicated that the 300,000-member Iranian Baha'i community continues to experience discrimination in the areas of education, employment, travel, housing and the practice of religious activities.\n\nMore specifically, Prof. Copithorne said that Baha'i property continues to be subject to confiscation. He indicated that a number of Baha'i families were forced to leave their homes and farmlands in the first months of 2001 in Kata, Buyr-Ahmand. In 2000, he said, information was received that four buildings were confiscated in Tehran, three in Shiraz and one in Isfahan.\n\n\"It is also reported that the issuance of business licenses to Baha'is has been delayed and that some stores and business owned by Baha'is have been closed,\" said Prof. Copithorne.\n\nProf. Copithorne also said that Baha'is continue to be denied access to higher education in legally recognized public institutions. \"Recently three classrooms used by the Baha'is for their own educational purposes were seized,\" he said.\n\n\"Baha'is are still, in effect, prevented from participation in religious gatherings or educational activities,\" wrote Prof. Copithorne.\n\nIn its resolution, the Assembly decided to continue monitoring Iran next year, \"paying particular attention to further developments, including the situation of the Baha'is and other minority groups.\"\n\nSince the Islamic Revolutionary regime took power in Iran in 1979, Baha'is have been harassed and persecuted solely on account of their religious beliefs. More than 200 Baha'is have been killed, hundreds have been imprisoned, and thousands have been deprived of jobs, education or property. In 1983, all Baha'i institutions were banned, and they remain officially closed.\n\nAlthough the number of executions and imprisonments has lessened in recent years, Baha'is in Iran remain without any official recognition or legal protection that might protect them from discrimination, said Bani Dugal, a Baha'i International Community representative to the United Nations.\n\n\"We see these on-going actions -- the imprisonment of Baha'is, the confiscation of property, the deprivation of education, the restrictions on travel and worship, and the banning of Baha'i institutions -- as evidence of the continuing campaign of the government of Iran to strangle the Baha'i community of that country,\" said Ms. Dugal.\n\n\"The nature of the persecution is clearly based on religious belief,\" she continued. \"Baha'is have repeatedly been offered relief from persecution if they were prepared to recant their Faith.\n\n\"So Baha'is continue to be viewed as 'unprotected infidels,' by the Government, without any form of legal protection, even though Iran is a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which guarantees freedom of religious belief.\n\n\"The Baha'is seek no special privileges,\" Ms. Dugal said. \"They desire only their rights under the International Bill of Human Rights, of which Iran is a signatory, including the right to life, the right to profess and practice their religion, the right to liberty and security of person, and the right to education and work.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":143,"evergreenUrl":"values-education-seen-key-sustainable-development","title":"Values and education seen as key to sustainable development","description":"While heads of state were meeting at the United Nations Millennium Summit, the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) announced a partnership...","date":"2001-12-11","customDateline":null,"city":"HLUBOKÁ NAD VLTAVOU","country":"CZECH REPUBLIC","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":"While heads of state were meeting at the United Nations Millennium Summit, the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) announced a partnership with an organization founded by a young Baha'i to help people in developing countries make greater use of the Internet.\n\nAt a New York press conference 7 September 2000, UNOPS announced the launch of the Digital Service Corps, a private-sector partnership with the nonprofit Global Technology Organization (GTO), whose founder and president is Neysan Rassekh. Digital Service Corps will send volunteers to developing countries and countries in transition, to conduct intensive training programs in the use of the Internet as a community development tool.\n\nReinhart Helmke, executive director of UNOPS, introduced Mr. Rassekh as a \"young social entrepreneur of the dot-com generation\" who is bridging two \"gaps\" through the Digital Service Corps - the generation gap at the United Nations and the digital divide in the developing world.\n\nNow in his twenties, Mr. Rassekh was born in Portland, Oregon.  His family left the United States when he was four years old to settle in West Africa, where they helped to strengthen the Baha'i communities in Senegal, the Gambia and Mali.  He later attended Maxwell Baha'i School in Canada. Mr. Rassekh holds a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of Business and a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he focused on the use of technology for development in Africa.\n\n\"My generation of Americans grew up taking computers for granted. By the time we got to college, most of us were regularly doing research on the Internet,\" Mr. Rassekh said.\n\n\"To work in development at the grassroots, my family lives in Mali, one of the poorest countries on the planet. I have seen first hand how extreme the digital divide really is. I know there are thousands of people like me who would gladly give four to six weeks of their time to personally contribute to closing that gap. That is why I am sure that GTO's Digital Service Corps will be a success.\"\n\nUNOPS reported that in May, GTO completed a successful pilot project in Mali. A team of three professors and 30 students from the University of Pennsylvania, armed with refurbished computer equipment and the accessories needed to connect to the Internet, spent four weeks in Mali and trained 120 carefully selected professors, primary- and secondary-school teachers, students and teacher trainers. The team established four computer centers, now operated by the Victory Foundation, a Mali-based organization whose mission is to promote innovation in public education.\n\nThe day after the press conference, Mr. Rassekh introduced President Alpha Oumar Konare of Mali at a roundtable discussion on public-private partnerships convened by UNOPS and Global Leaders for Tomorrow of the World Economic Forum. At a news conference after the roundtable, the president thanked the Global Technology Organization for its efforts and the impact it had in his country.\n\nMoreover, contacts at the United Nations Millennium Assembly and the State of the World Forum, which was also taking place in New York that week, afforded Mr. Rassekh the opportunity to meet with several heads of state and foreign ministers. Five of them invited Mr. Rassekh to look at implementing GTO projects in their countries in the coming months."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null}],"lang":"en","language":"en","location":"/archive/77/"}},"staticQueryHashes":["2762707590"]}