Message to the believers in the Cradle of the Faith

9 June 2006 

To the believers in the Cradle of the Faith through the Friends in Iran

Faithful and chosen friends of God,

The community of the Most Great Name the world over is filled with excitement and joy as a result of the launching of the new Five Year Plan. The loving messages of the delegates of the various National Conventions to the Bahá’í World Centre speak of the determination of the Bahá’ís everywhere to accelerate the process of entry by troops through the launching of intensive programmes of growth in no less than 1,500 clusters around the world. Many of these messages contained the joyful and soul-stirring news that the account of the steadfastness of the believers in Iran in the face of the current oppression and their faithfulness to the divine Teachings have assisted in creating a spiritual atmosphere in those gatherings. The messages received also indicate that your self-sacrifices in promoting the interests of the Faith under the current difficult conditions are a shining example of sacrifice, a source of spiritual strength and an effective means of encouragement for other lovers of Bahá’u’lláh in the uttermost corners of the world, making them more determined in their efforts to teach the Faith and serve the Cause. Note how the forces emanating from the forbearance of the dear Bahá’ís in Iran in these calamitous days have further clarified the meaning of the statement “Should they attempt to conceal its light on the continent it will assuredly rear its head in the midmost heart of the ocean and, raising its voice, proclaim: “I am the life-giver of the world!” and prepared the means for its material advancement. In this regard, recalling the divine promise made by the pen of the Blessed Beauty in reference to the persecutions inflicted on the Manifestation of God Himself is a source of upliftment to the soul. He states,

"For now, however, they have hidden Me behind a veil of darkness, whose fabric they have woven with the hands of idle fancy and vain imagination. Erelong shall the snow-white hand of God rend an opening through the darkness of this night and unlock a mighty portal unto His City. On that Day shall the people enter therein by troops, uttering what the blamers aforetime exclaimed, that there shall be made manifest in the end that which appeared in the beginning." 

The House of Justice assures you that your steadfastness, courage and perseverance are continually called to mind with love and appreciation. 

“These woes, afflictions, sufferings, imprisonment and toil are recorded in the divine court, and their recompense is abundant and irrevocable decreed. He, verily, rewardest without measure those who are patient”.  [provisional translation] 

Ridván Message 2006

Ridván 2006 

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

Ridván 2006 is a moment charged with a spirit of triumph and anticipation. The followers of Bahá’u’lláh everywhere can take rightful pride in the magnitude of their accomplishments during the Five Year Plan now drawing to a close. And towards the future they can look with a confidence that is conferred only on those whose resolve is steeled through experience. The entire Bahá’í world is stirred at contemplating the scope of the five-year enterprise that lies ahead, the depth of consecration it will demand, and the results it is destined to achieve. Our prayers join yours as you turn in gratitude to Bahá’u’lláh for the privilege of witnessing the unfoldment of His purpose for humanity.

In our message of 27 December 2005 to the Counsellors gathered in the Holy Land, transmitted on that same day to all National Spiritual Assemblies, we delineated the features of the Five Year Plan that will stretch from 2006 to 2011. The friends and their institutions were urged to study the message thoroughly, and its content is no doubt well familiar to you. We now call upon each and every one of you to bend your energies towards ensuring that the goal of establishing over the next five years intensive programs of growth in no less than 1,500 clusters worldwide is successfully met. That in the months following the Counsellors’ departure from the World Centre the groundwork for the Plan’s launch was laid so rapidly and systematically in country after country is an indication of the eagerness with which the Bahá’í community is taking up the challenge presented to it. While there is no need for us to elaborate further on the requirements of the Plan here, we feel compelled to offer for your reflection a few comments on the global context in which your individual and collective efforts will be pursued.

More than seventy years ago Shoghi Effendi penned his World Order letters in which he provided a penetrating analysis of the forces operating in the world. With an eloquence that was his alone, he described two great processes that have been set in motion by Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, one destructive and the other integrative, both of which are propelling humanity towards the World Order He conceived. We were cautioned by the Guardian not to be “misled by the painful slowness characterizing the unfoldment of the civilization” being laboriously established or to be “deluded by the ephemeral manifestations of returning prosperity which at times appear to be capable of checking the disruptive influence of the chronic ills afflicting the institutions of a decaying age.” No review of the course of events in recent decades can fail to acknowledge the gathering momentum of the processes he analyzed then with such precision.

Ameliorating the Suffering of the Bahá’ís in Iran

22 March 2006 

To the Iranian believers living outside Iran

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

As you may be aware, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief has recently issued a statement raising grave apprehension regarding government actions being taken against the believers in the Cradle of the Faith, which she characterizes as “impermissible and unacceptable”. There can be no doubt that the Blessed Beauty watches over His oppressed followers in Iran and enfolds them in His tender embrace. For our part, we are directing systematic action at the international and national levels to place before the world our concern over this heightened threat to that much-cherished Bahá’í community. As a result of the swift efforts of those who have been assigned responsibility for this work, the plight of the Bahá’ís in Iran is receiving attention from United Nations agencies, national governments, non-governmental organizations, and the media in many countries around the world. May a mighty outcry be raised everywhere to stay the hands of the aggressors.

These current developments mark another moment of intensity in the persecution besetting the Bahá’ís of Iran, an unending adversity that has ebbed and surged ever since the inception of the Faith in that land more than a century and a half ago. The Islamic Revolution in 1979 opened a new phase of this oppression. When in recent years the pressures on the friends seemed to lessen, they decided to join with their fellow believers throughout the rest of the world in establishing the institute process in their country. In November 2003, we addressed a message to the Bahá’ís of Iran in which we expressed our admiration and that of the Bahá’í world for their steadfastness in the face of continuous persecution and focused their attention on the spiritual enterprise Bahá’u’lláh Himself has assigned to them. A year later, they addressed a letter to the former president seeking redress for the long-standing infringement of their human and civil rights. The response of the authorities to all of this was to instigate a spate of arbitrary arrests and detentions.

Next Stage in the Evolution of the Cause in Egypt

9 March 2006

To the Followers of Bahá’u’lláh in Egypt

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

Since the inception of the fifth epoch of the Formative Age of the Faith in January 2001, the operations of the Major Plan of God and His Minor Plan have steadily gained impetus and have already created far-reaching changes in the world at large and transformed the Bahá’í community. During this period, your own community has, as have others in the Bahá’í world, engaged in activities and processes that have enhanced your learning about effective promotion of the Faith. Your dearly loved, sorely tried community, established during the days of the ministry of Bahá’u’lláh Himself, blessed by the visits of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and whose members were praised by Shoghi Effendi as "heroes in the arena of servitude", is now called to take stock and see the way forward as you stand poised to enter a new stage in the evolution of the Cause in your country.

Your brilliant record of past achievements is marked by heroism and sacrifice. The Guardian lovingly extolled you as “the second most persecuted yet resolute community established in the heart of both the Arab and Muslim worlds". In your country "the banner of the independence of the Religion of Bahá" was first raised—a feat, in the words of Shoghi Effendi, "whose like has never been recorded in the history of ages past", and which was accomplished “valiantly, with dauntless courage and complete detachment from the world". In response to the vital responsibilities assigned in the global teaching plans of the Faith, you raised up exemplary teachers, pioneers, and administrators, as well as scholars and translators who helped enrich and disseminate Bahá’í literature in Arabic. In a special tribute to the “valiant endeavours” of your spiritual forebears, the Guardian lauded their qualities and summarized their many accomplishments, including

“. . . their exemplary loyalty to both the spiritual and administrative principles of the Cause they have espoused ... their strenuous efforts for the emancipation and recognition of their Faith . . . their assiduous labours for its propagation in their homelands ... their fearless defence of its tenets and institutions. ...”

Cinference of the Continental Board of Counsellors

31 December 2005 

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

As the gathering of the Continental Counsellors in the Holy Land draws to a close, we are moved to share with you the feelings of joy, triumph and confidence which have characterized several days of focused deliberation on the present Five Year Plan and on the global enterprise that will succeed it.

The Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Muhammad Varqá opened the conference with a stirring appeal for resolute action, infusing the proceedings with a spirit of unwavering determination. Stories poured forth of the inspiring activities of the friends and the longing and responsiveness of the peoples of the world, conveying assurances that the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh is blossoming more abundantly in all parts of the globe. Persistent questions of how to sustain the process of growth, of how to achieve a balance between expansion and consolidation, that have engaged the Bahá’í community for nearly half a century found clear answers in the experiences shared from diverse clusters on all continents. Accounts of obstacles surmounted, fresh learning acquired, and creative insights discovered made it evident that the Army of Light is prepared to advance towards new horizons.

There can be no doubt that the Plan soon to end marks an upturn in the fortunes of the Faith. We look to the next decade and a half, the final years of the first century of the Formative Age, with great expectations of what will be accomplished. From this vantage point, the Bahá’í world can readily appreciate the significant extent to which the International Teaching Centre provided the impetus so indispensable to blazing the course set over these past few years and can, as well, discern the rich possibilities that its consecrated endeavors portend for the future.

Our message of 27 December addressed to the conference, which has already been transmitted to National Spiritual Assemblies, summarizes the learning about growth to date and delineates the priorities for the next Plan. Careful study of the message by all believers and institutions will be an essential requisite for the upcoming consultations that will take place at every level of the community upon the return home of the Counsellors.

The Universal House of Justice

(Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

Appointment of the Continental Boards of Counsellors

30 October 2005

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

On the Day of the Covenant, 26 November 2005, a new five-year term of service for members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors for the Protection and Propagation of the Faith will open. We take great pleasure in announcing the names of the Counsellors appointed for the coming term, whose number remains at eighty-one.

AFRICA (19 Counsellors): Selam Ahderom, Desmond Browne, Maziar Djoneidi, Mehraz Ehsani (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Clément Thyrrell Feizouré, Agatha Gaisie-Nketsiah, Isatou Hyde-Forster, Amina Jaouane, Sinuhé Lozano, Eddy Lutchmaya, Enos Makhele, Tsatsi Othaniel Mfete, Maina Mkan- dawire, Ruth Mnyampi, Zowe Tiba Nganyade, Albert Nshisu Nsunga, Ahmad Parsa, Garth Pollock, Tiati à Zock.

THE AMERICAS (19 Counsellors): Farzin Aghdasi, Eugene Andrews, Stephen Birkland, Ann Boyles, Jorge Henrique Guerreiro, Ehsanollah Hemmat, Deborah Kirton, Ana Hilda de Lemus, Antônio Gabriel Marques, Juan Francisco Mora, Rebequa Murphy, Ganesh Ramsahai, Carmen Elisa de Sadeghian, Daniel Scott, Crystal Shoaie, Marilyn Smith, Leticia de Solano, Rodrigo Tomás (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Gerardo Vargas.

Centenary Anniversary of the Baha’i Faith in Germany

10 September 2005

To the friends gathered on the occasion of the Centenary of the Faith in Germany

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

It is with jubilant hearts and feelings of deep gratitude that we greet all of you who have gathered to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in Germany. No other community in the Western world can claim to have demonstrated a greater resilience in the face of formidable obstacles that threatened to rob you of the shining triumph, the potent prospects, signalized by your very meeting on so auspicious an occasion.

The spark lit in Stuttgart with the arrival in 1905 of Dr. Edwin Fischer, which was fanned into a flame with the momentous visit of the beloved Master to that city eight years later, has burgeoned into a conflagration that bids fair to enkindle the hearts of troop after troop of your spiritually hungry, fellow citizens. Especially is this evident in the dynamic efforts currently afoot to intensify the expansion and consolidation process at the crux of the Five Year Plan.

This is a moment for reflection, profound reflection—one that recounts the highlights in contrast to the dark aspects punctuating the history of crisis and victory that depicts the evolution of the German community. It should enable you to appreciate more fully than before the outstanding results of the early believers’ trust in Bahá’u’lláh and His unfailing guidance, which emboldened them to persevere despite the persecution they suffered and the prohibitions inflicted on their efforts. Their exemplary conduct assured the community of the capacity to rise like a phoenix from the devastation of the Second World War and thenceforward to become vibrant collaborators with their sister communities in prosecuting the great tasks set by the Divine Plan. How brilliantly do the signs of their success shine! Suffice it to mention a few: the erection on German soil of the first European House of Worship; the legal recognition accorded by the highest court in the land to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, underscoring the equality of its status to that enjoyed by other major religions; the wealth of Bahá’í literature translated and published in German; and the dispatch of pioneers to goal countries. Among these distinctions was the emergence of distinguished believers, including two Hands of the Cause of God whose tireless endeavours galvanized the will of the community to accomplish such wonderful feats.

Message to the Conference of Arabic-Speaking Believers

22 June 2005

To the conference of Arabic-speaking believers, Chicago, July 2005

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

With great joy we extend our loving greetings to you and to the other Arabic-speaking followers of Bahá’u’lláh residing in North America.

You have come together at a moment laden with portents and possibilities of change in the Middle East—far-reaching, positive change. The forces animating the Major and Minor Plans of God have so accelerated the simultaneous processes of disintegration and of integration operating in the world as to prompt the people of the region to recognize new realities and strive to take their rightful place in an emerging world society. Unprecedented global attention is increasingly focused on them, obliging them to act in awareness of the inescapable transition to a new age. Indeed, in concert with the social, economic, and cultural disorder affecting the entire planet, an array of crises has engulfed the Arab world. Peoples who in a previous age brilliantly advanced culture and civilization, extending the transformative spirit released by Islám far beyond the confines of the land of its birth, which regenerated every society it touched, now find themselves critically impeded by their inability to cope with the exigencies of modernity.

The condition of the Arabian diaspora is not dissimilar. Emigration to Western countries has greatly intensified the inner conflict being experienced between tradition and the values of a changing world. Prevailing attitudes extend from a wholehearted embrace of the goals of Western materialism to a retreat into fundamentalism. Within this spectrum a substantial minority struggles to find an enlightened social order consistent with spiritual ideals, indicating a rise in receptivity among certain Muslim populations.

Ridván Message 2005

Ridván 2005:

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

The breakthroughs that have occurred in the Bahá’í world since the beginning of the fifth epoch of the Formative Age have brought us immeasurable joy. The past twelve months have been no exception. The Bahá’í community has continued its systematic advance and now, as it enters the final year of the Five Year Plan, finds itself in a position of remarkable strength—a strength acquired through strenuous, deliberate exertion by the friends everywhere to promote the process of entry by troops.

While inadequate to express the full significance of the developments taking place, the statistics suggest something of the scope of what is being achieved. The human resources of the Faith have steadily multiplied. Altogether, more than 200,000 worldwide have completed Book 1 of the Ruhi Institute, and many thousands have reached the level where they can effectively act as tutors of the study circles that, with increasing frequency, are held in every part of the globe, over 10,000 at the last count. The number of seekers engaged in the core activities has continued to climb, crossing the 100,000 mark several months ago. Meanwhile, some 150 clusters have developed to the point that intensive programs of growth either have been launched or stand ready to be initiated. There is every indication that this number will be substantially surpassed by the end of the Plan.

Ridván Message 2004

Ridván 2004 

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

Three years of the Five Year Plan have passed. The processes set in motion in the Four Year Plan, strengthened through special attention to the Bahá’í education of children during the Twelve Month Plan, and followed up unflaggingly during these past years, are now fulfilling the high hopes with which they were launched. In every part of the world the three participants in the Plan—the individual, the community and the institutions—each playing a distinctive role, are reinforcing one another’s actions. The core activities of study circles, children’s classes and devotional meetings have become essential aspects and mutually enhancing achievements lending greater vigor and success to all the other elements of Bahá’í community life. Human resources are being augmented, and the Local Spiritual Assemblies are responding to the fresh demands of this rising vitality.

The capacity built for the Bahá’í education of children throughout the world is extraordinarily impressive. Initial efforts for the spiritual empowerment of junior youth are meeting with success. The movement of clusters from each level of activity to a higher one is well in hand and, as it proceeds, the kernel of avowed believers is being joined by a larger circle of people, still not Bahá’ís but enthusiastically involved in core activities of the Plan. Structures for administering intensive growth are already appearing in certain advanced clusters. National Assemblies, while attending to the needs of all the clusters in their countries, have learned the value of concentrating special attention on certain priority clusters that show high promise, encouraging and developing them until the human resources they have raised up through the training institutes enable them to become centers of rapid, sustained growth.

Duties of Iranian Baha’is Living Outside Iran

12 January 2004

To the Iranian believers living outside Iran

Dearly loved Friends,

You will by now have had an opportunity to read our general letter of 26 November 2003 addressed to the followers of Bahá'u'lláh residing in the Cradle of the Faith. The subject has profound implications for those of you who live elsewhere in the world, implications that call for your prayerful reflection.

Although abuses of various kinds continue to limit what the friends in Iran can accomplish and unpredictable dangers could still lie ahead, the organized campaign to destroy the Cause there has clearly failed. “The enemies of God", Bahá’u’lláh asserts, "seek by oppression to extinguish the Light, heedless of the fact that the Hand of Divine power transmutes their oppression into oil that increases the brightness of the Lamp." For the victory so far won, the Bahá’í world can thank the interaction of two moral forces. The first has been the heroism of the Iranian believers themselves and their steadfast refusal to compromise their faith in the face of the worst abuses their enemies could inflict on them. The second has been the determination of National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world to mobilize international protest, attract the attention of influential media, and ensure that the crimes committed against their brothers and sisters in Iran became an established issue in the ongoing indictment by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights of Iran’s violation of universally accepted standards.

Parallel with the operation of these forces was an intensive programme implemented in the 1980s to rescue thousands of Iranian refugees who had either been in danger of being singled out for attack or had been stranded without valid passports in lands where they were serving as pioneers. Many of you were the beneficiaries of this highly successful undertaking, and many of you have repaid the national Bahá’í communities who welcomed you by throwing yourselves eagerly into the teaching work. In country after country, your achievements—and those of your sons and daughters—have been vital to the advancement of the Cause.

Passing of the Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan

27 November 2003

To the Bahá’ís of the World

With profound feelings of loss, we announce the passing, yesterday evening, on the Day of the Covenant, of the dearly loved Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan. Having addressed the assembled pilgrims as was his practice, he paused to exchange a few words with some of the Russian-speaking friends; then, as he was leaving the room, his heart failed. He had fulfilled his longing to serve the Cause to his last breath.

Born in Sabzivár, Iran, on 29 April 1905, ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan moved with his family to ‘Ishqábád in what was then Russian Turkestan, and, through his years of school and university, he took an active part in the work of the Bahá’í communities of ‘Ishqábád, Baku, Moscow and other parts of Russia. In 1930 he was expelled from the Soviet Union for his involvement in Bahá’í activities and, from that time on, played an ever more significant role in the work and administration of the Iranian Bahá’í community. In December 1951 he was among the first to be appointed by Shoghi Effendi as Hands of the Cause of God. Following the passing of the Guardian, he was one of the nine Hands of the Cause selected, at their first Conclave, to serve as Custodians in the Holy Land. For the remaining forty-six years of his life he laboured strenuously at the World Centre, undertaking journeys throughout the world, assisting, advising and enthusing the friends and their national and local institutions. These journeys culminated in 1990 and 1991 with visits to the newly re-emerging Bahá’í communities of the countries of the Soviet Union.

‘Alí-Akbar Furútan’s single-minded devotion to the Faith and its Guardian, the vital role he played in the establishment of the Administrative Order in Iran, his contribution to the spiritual and material education of children, his services as a Hand of the Cause of God, and his unswerving support of the Universal House of Justice together constitute an imperishable record of service in the annals of the Cause. His penetrating mind, his loving concern and his sparkling humour are ineffaceable memories in the hearts of the thousands of believers with whom he spoke.

While praying in the Holy Shrines for the progress of ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan’s illumined soul in the Abhá Kingdom, we supplicate Bahá’u’lláh to bless likewise the fruition of the seeds he sowed in this world.

We extend our loving sympathy to his daughters, Írán Muhájir and Parvín Furútan, to his granddaughters and to all other members of his family. We advise friends in all lands to commemorate his passing and to hold memorial services in his honour in all Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs.

The Universal House of Justice

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 2002-2022)

The challenge of Abdudu'l-Baha's 'The Secret of Divine Civilization' for Iran today'

26 November 2003 

To the Followers of Bahá’u’lláh in the Cradle of the Faith

Dearly loved Friends,

It is now a little over 125 years since ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá addressed His open letter to the people of your country. Because of His vital role in a religious community that had been made the object of intense prejudice, the Author necessarily refrained from attaching His name to the document. His message, however, could not have been more clear. Speaking out of a profound love for a native land that He had not seen during the long years of exile since His childhood, the Master appealed in passionate language for its people to call to mind those days when Iran “was as the heart of the world”, “the source and centre of sciences and arts, the wellspring of great inventions and discoveries, the rich mine of human virtues and perfections”. The time had come, He insisted, when the heirs of so great a civilization could—and must—arise and reclaim their heritage.

What the letter prophetically laid out was the challenge of modernity. Today, that challenge has become the inescapable preoccupation of populations throughout the planet, not least the peoples of the Islamic world. The meaning of modernity and the features of that rising flood of cultural revolution were explicitly identified in the Master’s message: constitutional and democratic government, the rule of law, universal education, the protection of human rights, economic development, religious tolerance, the promotion of useful sciences and technologies and programmes of public welfare. In praising the achievements of what He termed this “temporal and material apparatus of civilization”, the Master made it clear that He was not proposing simply a credulous imitation of the West. On the contrary. In uncompromising language, He portrayed European society as drowning “in the sea of passion and desire”, trapped in a materialistic perception of reality that could bring in its wake nothing but disillusionment:

Be just: can this nominal civilization, unsupported by a genuine civilization of character, bring about the peace and well-being of the people or win the good pleasure of God? Does it not, rather, connote the destruction of man’s estate and pull down the pillars of happiness and peace?

Readers were urged to look below surface phenomena. As a lengthy exposition of historical processes would have burdened what was intended as an urgent appeal for reflection and action, ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá confined Himself to a few salient examples of the points He was making. Their common theme was the transformative power that has been responsible for all of humanity’s development over the ages and that would later lend the published edition of the letter its familiar title The Secret of Divine Civilization. Whether in reviewing events of Persian history or touching on passages in the Holy Qur’án, the letter called on its readers to reflect deeply about the unique endowment that promotes the advancement of all human well-being:

Ridván Message 2003

Ridván 2003

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

As the Five Year Plan enters upon its third year, momentum is building: the record of achievement during the year just ended far outdistanced that of the previous twelve months. The thrust of this momentum owes as much to the increased coherence achieved in the Plan’s constituent elements as to the animating effect of the spirit of unrest pervading the planet.

The circumstances attending the opening of this new administrative year are at once critical, challenging and extraordinary in their significance. The entire course of the previous year was agitated by a succession of crises that culminated in the outbreak of war in the Middle East. The implications are no less significant for the progress of the community of the Most Great Name than for the evolution of an increasingly global society in the throes of a turbulent transition. Of necessity, the timing, scale and tendencies of this transition have not been predictable. How swift indeed has been the current change in the tide of world conditions! In the resultant conflict, involving so conspicuously the countries in which the earliest history of the Cause took shape, we see a fresh reminder of Bahá’u’lláh’s warning that the “world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order.” That the events of this crisis directly affect a territory with as rich a Bahá’í legacy as Iraq is particularly noteworthy.

The disruptions caused by this and other situations in the world have, in one instance, suggested the opening of a new chapter in the history of the highly prized but woefully oppressed Bahá’í community of a land in which the Manifestation of God for this Day resided for a whole decade. In another, they have dashed the preparations for the Ninth International Convention at the World Centre of our Faith. But, however disappointing, this calls for no dismay. When the Major Plan of God interferes with His Minor Plan, there should be no doubt that in due course a way will providentially be opened to an opportunity of stellar possibilities for advancing the interests of His glorious Cause.

Insights gained in the unfoldment of the Five Year Plan

17 January 2003 

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

We have followed, with immense gratitude to Bahá’u’lláh, the unfoldment of the Five Year Plan in the two years since our message of 9 January 2001 to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors. It is heartening, indeed, to see the culture of learning that is taking root everywhere, as the Bahá’í world community focuses on advancing the process of entry by troops. At this juncture, when the collective experience of the community has taken so significant a step forward, we think it timely to review with you the insights thus far gained and to clarify issues that have arisen.

During the initial months of the Plan, National Spiritual Assemblies proceeded with relative ease to divide the territories under their jurisdiction into areas consisting of adjacent localities, called clusters, using criteria that were purely geographic and social and did not relate to the strength of local Bahá’í communities. Reports received at the World Centre indicate that there are now close to 17,000 clusters worldwide, excluding those countries where, for one reason or another, the operation of the Faith is restricted. The number of clusters per country varies widely—from India with its 1,580 to Singapore, which necessarily sees itself as one cluster. Some of the groupings are sparsely populated areas with only a few thousand inhabitants, while the boundaries of others encompass several million people. For the most part, large urban centers under the jurisdiction of one Local Spiritual Assembly have been designated single clusters, these in turn being divided into sectors, so as to facilitate planning and implementation. 

With the various countries and territories divided into manageable areas, national communities moved quickly ahead to categorize clusters according to the stages of the development of the Faith mentioned in our 9 January message. The exercise afforded a realistic means for viewing the prospects of the community, but the task of refining the criteria needed for valid assessments is proving to be an ongoing challenge to institutions. To assign a cluster to one or another category is not to make a statement about status. Rather, it is a way of evaluating its capacity for growth, in order that an approach compatible with its evolving development can be adopted. Rigid criteria are obviously counterproductive, but a well-defined scheme to carry out evaluation is essential. Two criteria seem especially important: the strength of the human resources raised up by the training institute for the expansion and consolidation of the Faith in the cluster, and the ability of the institutions to mobilize these resources in the field of service.

Ridvan 2002 Message

Ridván 2002 

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

The onrush of happenings within and without the Faith at the beginning of the Fifth Epoch of the Formative Age presents a spectacle that is awe-inspiring. Inside the Cause, the historic importance of the events last May that marked the completion of the edifices on Mount Carmel dazzled the senses as their impact was instantly communicated throughout the planet by satellite broadcasts and by the most extensive media coverage ever accorded a Bahá’í occasion. As the latest evidences in the tangible unfolding of the Tablet of Carmel were laid bare in breathtaking splendor before the eyes of the world, the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh leapt to new prominence in its continuing rise from obscurity. An indelible impression was thus registered in the annals of the Dispensation.

This outward manifestation of the vitality animating our irrepressible Faith has had its counterpart in the thrust of the internal processes at work since the inception last Ridván of the Five Year Plan. We are therefore moved to invite the delegates assembled at National Conventions and all other followers of Bahá’u’lláh throughout the world to join us in reflecting on a few potent highlights of the operation of the Plan during its first year—highlights that cannot but rejoice hearts and inspire confidence in the incalculable potentialities of the course on which the Plan is set.

In their eager response to its requirements, National Spiritual Assemblies engaged in a series of planning sessions with Continental Counsellors before and immediately after Ridván. These set the pace for a vigorous launching distinguished by the steps taken to effectuate a new feature of the process of entry by troops. In each national community, Bahá’í institutions began the task of systematically mapping their country with the aim of sectioning it into clusters, each one being of a composition and size consonant with a scale of activities for growth and development that is manageable. Such a mapping, as has already been reported by some 150 countries, makes it possible to realize a pattern of well-ordered expansion and consolidation. Thus it creates as well a perspective, or vision, of systematic growth that can be sustained from cluster to cluster across an entire country. With this perspective, virgin clusters, like virgin territories identified in past campaigns, become goals for homefront pioneers, while opened clusters focus on their internal development mobilized by the mutually reinforcing work of the three constituent components of the Plan: the individual, the institutions and the community.

Letter to World’s Religious Leaders

April 2002

To the World’s Religious Leaders

The enduring legacy of the twentieth century is that it compelled the peoples of the world to begin seeing themselves as the members of a single human race, and the earth as that race’s common homeland. Despite the continuing conflict and violence that darken the horizon, prejudices that once seemed inherent in the nature of the human species are everywhere giving way. Down with them come barriers that long divided the family of man into a Babel of incoherent identities of cultural, ethnic or national origin. That so fundamental a change could occur in so brief a period—virtually overnight in the perspective of historical time—suggests the magnitude of the possibilities for the future.

Tragically, organized religion, whose very reason for being entails service to the cause of brotherhood and peace, behaves all too frequently as one of the most formidable obstacles in the path; to cite a particular painful fact, it has long lent its credibility to fanaticism. 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. Both the issue and the circumstances to which it gives rise require that we speak frankly. We trust that common service to the Divine will ensure that what we say will be received in the same spirit of goodwill as it is put forward.

The issue comes sharply into focus when one considers what has been achieved elsewhere. In the past, apart from isolated exceptions, women were regarded as an inferior breed, their nature hedged about by superstitions, denied the opportunity to express the potentialities of the human spirit and relegated to the role of serving the needs of men. Clearly, there are many societies where such conditions persist and are even fanatically defended. At the level of global discourse, however, the concept of the equality of the sexes has, for all practical purposes, now assumed the force of universally accepted principle. It enjoys similar authority in most of the academic community and information media. So basic has been the revisioning that exponents of male supremacy must look for support on the margins of responsible opinion.

Youth Congress in Brazil

17 January 2002 

To the Friends Gathered at the 

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

We have followed with keen interest the series of youth conferences conducted across the American continent since the beginning of 2000. The enthusiasm generated among the youth by those events, and the spirit of devotion evoked, were noteworthy. This latest gathering is being held at a time when the initial stages of the Five Year Plan have unfolded, giving rise to well conceived plans of action, formulated on the basis of the geographic clusters into which each of your countries has been divided. To move these clusters from one stage of development to the next is the challenge being addressed by your institutions.

As you deliberate in the coming days on your experiences and aspirations, you should keep in mind that the success of the Five Year Plan in your continent will depend, in no small measure, on the wholehearted and sacrificial participation of the youth. You know well that the driving force behind growth in every cluster is the training institute. An enormous task lies ahead of these centres of learning as they strive to help large contingents of people pass through the sequence of courses they offer. Participating in their programmes must rank high among the endeavours you undertake for the Faith. Your contribution to the efforts to multiply the number of study circles will be significant if you constantly seek out receptive souls in your schools, at your universities, and in the workplace and invite them to join you in your exploration of the Writings. But your concern should not end with your own place of residence. You should take advantage of every opportunity to meet the needs of clusters throughout the continent by offering periods of service as short-term pioneers or as travelling teachers. As you do so, you will be able to forge bonds of fellowship with people of diverse backgrounds and bring them together in unified action.

We pray ardently that Bahá’u’lláh will bless and confirm your every effort to serve His Cause.

The Universal House of Justice

(Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

Call for Pioneers and Travelling Teachers

10 January 2002

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

In the months since the launching of the Five Year Plan, national communities have adopted measures that are giving a dynamic thrust and added coherence to their activities. By now, in most countries the National Spiritual Assembly, or its Regional Councils, will have surveyed the territory under its jurisdiction and divided it into small geographic clusters, in keeping with the criteria set forth in our letter dated 9 January 2001. These clusters are being categorized according to their current stage of development, and plans of action devised to promote in them growth from one stage to the next. We could not be more gratified by the eager response of the institutions everywhere to the requirements of the Five Year Plan.

The clearly defined plans now in place multiply teaching opportunities for those wishing to serve the Faith in the international field as short- or long-term pioneers. Most of the needs of the clusters in a given country should increasingly be met by homefront pioneers as the Plan unfolds. But, given the sheer number of geographic areas which require systematic attention in order to advance, international pioneers will have a notable role to play. Their participation will be especially effective in the programmes of growth spreading throughout the world if they have developed abilities to foster the institute process. Beyond this, international pioneers and travelling teachers can contribute significantly to the work of the Faith in such spheres of activity as administration, proclamation, and social and economic development. A document has been prepared by the International Teaching Centre which briefly describes the conditions of national Bahá’í communities and the endeavours that could benefit from outside assistance. It will soon be available to you through National Spiritual Assemblies and the Counsellors and their auxiliaries.

Eighth ASEAN Youth Conference in Thailand

22 December 2001 

To the Friends Gathered at the Eighth ASEAN Youth Conference in Thailand

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

We send our loving greetings to all those gathered at the Eighth ASEAN Youth Conference.

The Five Year Plan, which will undoubtedly be the focus of your consultations over the next few days, requires concentrated and sustained attention to two essential movements. The first is the steady flow of believers through the sequence of courses offered by training institutes, for the purpose of developing the human resources of the Cause. The second, which receives its impetus from the first, is the movement of geographic clusters from one stage of growth to the next. That Bahá’í youth must be intensely involved in both of these—indeed, that they must be a driving force behind them—goes without saying. We urge you, then, to cast your deliberations in the framework of these two pressing requirements. Ask yourselves how, as individuals, as members of your local and national communities, and as the vanguard of an entire generation in your region, you can ensure that the advancement in the process of entry by troops, called for by the Five Year Plan, is achieved in each of your countries.

We shall remember you in our prayers in the Holy Shrines.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 2001-2022)

“Fire in the Pacific" Conference in Honolulu

16 December 2001 

To the Friends assembled at the “Fire in the Pacific" Conference in Honolulu

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

With joyous hearts we send our loving greetings to all the dear friends gathered in Honolulu to commemorate the centenary of the arrival of the Baha’i Faith in the Pacific region.

You assemble at a time when the turmoil and confusion in the world created through the operation of the Major Plan of God is giving rise to apprehension and unease among the mass of humanity. Now, as never before, should the followers of Bahá'u'lláh demonstrate, through both word and deed, their confidence in the future and their awareness that enduring harmony and tranquillity can be found only by aligning oneself with the constructive forces of change at work throughout the planet today.

In the course of your centenary celebration, you are urged to give full consideration to the needs of the Cause of God in the Pacific region at this critical point in the Five Year Plan. The opportunities for the advancement of the Faith through energetic and creative pursuit of the teaching work in all parts of the Pacific are immense. The prospect before you is that of bringing into being vibrant Baha’i communities which demonstrate the transforming power of the Faith and offer a haven to those in search of unity.

However, the challenges before you should not be underestimated. To attain your objective, a much greater commitment is required to human resource development, so that the number of believers actively engaged in meeting the needs of the Cause is greatly increased. This will require a marked extension of the influence of the training institute, with its associated programs of courses and study circles.

Establishment of the World Centre Endowment Fund

12 November 2001 

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

The Major Plan of God is at work throughout the world, hastening the disintegration of the old order as the new one unfolds. While it is propelling forward a social transformation of a magnitude never before witnessed, fear and uncertainty grip the consciousness of a majority of the world’s people, who remain unaware of God’s purpose in this Day. There is a growing sense of a fundamental change of far-reaching dimensions that chills preoccupation with the pleasures and comforts of material existence. In the midst of this turmoil, the Divine Will for humankind is being achieved.

The progress being made by the community of the Greatest Name is a cause for the deepest satisfaction. Its members, undismayed by the surrounding distraction and distress, labour to provide reassurance and insight to those with whom they come in contact, making sure that the confident vision that informs their actions is not clouded by the limited perspective of the mass of humanity. Current world events offer Bahá’ís an opportunity to demonstrate the application of the remedy brought by the Divine Physician. 

At this critical moment, we find ourselves compelled to turn to a you, our co-workers, to inform you of the pressing need for a marked increase in the contributions to the Bahá’í International Fund. A great portion of the resources in this Fund is expended outside the Holy Land for the advancement of the Cause of God. These expenditures are of special importance at this time when the Five Year Plan gives every indication of yielding a significant advance in the process of entry by troops in the years ahead. This same Fund must finance the operation of the Bahá’í World Centre, the maintenance of the sacred properties in the Holy Land, the conduct of the pilgrimage programme, and the defence and proclamation of the Faith. 

Canada's Second Youth Conference in Sherbrooke

28 June 2001 

To the Friends Gathered at Canada’s Second Youth Conference in Sherbrooke, 28 June–1 July 2001

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

The rising momentum of the series of youth conferences in the Americas has been a source of great joy to us, and we welcome the opportunity to speak directly to your gathering this weekend in the heart of French Canada.

As you are all certainly aware, the Bahá’í World Centre has just been the scene of a series of extraordinary events marking the successful completion of the great building projects on Mount Carmel, events whose impact on public consciousness throughout the world has far surpassed the brightest hopes of the Bahá’í community. At the conclusion of the conference accompanying the inauguration, we addressed a message to the friends assembled from every part of the world and virtually every segment of humanity. Its central theme, and the perspectives in which that theme is set forth, hold special implications for the youth of the Bahá’í world, and we are therefore moved to forward you a copy of the statement, in the confidence that it will assist in focussing your consultations this weekend.

Historical circumstances have endowed people of North America—and particularly its youth—with opportunities and resources denied to the great majority of the rest of the human family. While the immediate focus of your deliberations must be the needs of the ambitious area growth programs underway throughout Canada and the United States, it is vital that you keep ever in the forefront of your minds the fact that your two communities have been singled out by the unerring pen of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá for a mission that embraces the entire planet. Far from being inhibited by investment of your energies in other parts of the world, the work of the Cause in North America will derive fresh vision and vitality from such contributions.

Be confident of our ardent prayers at the Holy Shrines that Bahá’u’lláh will inspire the minds and hearts and confirm the resolutions you make to advance His Cause.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice

(Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

24 May 2001: To the Believers Gathered for the Events Marking the Completion of the Projects on Mount Carmel

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

One hundred and forty-eight years have passed since the moment in the darkness of the Síyáh-Chál when Bahá’u’lláh received the Divine summons to rise and proclaim to all on earth the dawning of the Day of God:

“Verily, We shall render Thee victorious by Thyself and by Thy pen… Erelong God will raise up the treasures of the earth—men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as have recognized Him.”

In terms of historical time, it is but the briefest of spaces that separates that primal moment from the splendid victory we celebrate here this week. You who have come together from every corner of the earth and from every segment of the human family represent a cross-section of those whom Bahá’u’lláh has raised up to aid Him, and no one among us can hope to express adequately the gratitude we feel at being in that company.

The majestic buildings that now stand along the Arc traced for them by Shoghi Effendi on the slope of the Mountain of God, together with the magnificent flight of garden terraces that embrace the Shrine of the Báb, are an outward expression of the immense power animating the Cause we serve. They offer timeless witness to the fact that the followers of Bahá’u’lláh have successfully laid the foundations of a worldwide community transcending all differences that divide the human race, and have brought into existence the principal institutions of a unique and unassailable Administrative Order that shapes this community’s life. In the transformation that has taken place on Mount Carmel, the Bahá’í Cause emerges as a visible and compelling reality on the global stage, as the focal center of forces that will, in God’s good time, bring about the reconstruction of society, and as a mystic source of spiritual renewal for all who turn to it.

Opening of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb

22 May 2001

On the occasion of the official opening of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb

With joyful and thankful hearts, we welcome all who have come from near and far to join us on this auspicious occasion for the Bahá’ís of the world. We acknowledge with deep appreciation the presence of so many distinguished guests.

A century and a half have passed since that unspeakable tragedy in the northwest of Persia when the Báb faced the volley fired at Him from the rifles of 750 soldiers. The soldiers had followed the orders of the highest authorities in the land. The Báb’s mangled body was then thrown on the side of a moat outside the city, abandoned to what His cold-blooded persecutors thought would be a dishonourable fate. They had hoped thus to put an end to the growing influence of His teachings on masses of people throughout the country. These masses had accepted, in the face of intense persecution, the Báb’s claim to prophethood, and their lives were being transformed spiritually and morally as He prepared them for what He said was the dawn of a new age in which a world civilization would be born and flourish. The expectations that stirred countless hearts were heightened even more sublimely by the Báb’s announcement that One greater than He would soon arise. One who would reveal the unparalleled character of the promised world civilization that would signify the coming of age of the entire human race.

We are met not to lament the tragedy of the Báb’s martyrdom and the persecutions that followed; rather have we come to celebrate the culmination and acknowledge the meaning of an unprecedented project that had its beginning over a century ago. It was then that Bahá’u’lláh, Whom the Ottoman authorities had banished to Acre to serve out His days in confinement, visited Mount Carmel and selected the spot where the remains of His Herald would be interred. We humbly trust that the wondrous result achieved by the completion of the nineteen terraced gardens, at the heart of which rises the Shrine of the Báb, is a fitting fulfilment of the vision initiated by Bahá’u’lláh.

Ridván 2001: To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

With great joy in our hearts and high expectations, we come to this Ridván season at a change of time, when a new state of mind is evident among us all. Abroad in our world community there is a heightened awareness of the value of process, the necessity of planning and the virtue of systematic action in fostering growth and in developing the human resources by which expansion can be sustained and consolidation assured. The coherence of understanding about these prerequisites of progress cannot be overvalued, nor can the importance of perpetuating them through well-ordered training be overestimated. And so the arrival of our community at such a moment of consciousness is an occasion of significance for us. We are deeply grateful to the Blessed Beauty to be able to recognize and acclaim it at the very beginning of the global enterprise being launched during these festive days.

The power of will generated by this consciousness characterized the conference of the Continental Counselors and the members of their Auxiliary Boards who gathered last January in the Holy Land. The event produced so illuminating an experience as to signalize the Faith’s entry into a new epoch, the fifth of its Formative Age. Such a freshness of vitality as was displayed at this historic gathering came to be understood as a manifestation of the rising quality of activity throughout the community. Pursuit during the past year of the essentials for advancing the process of entry by troops confirmed this observation. The path was thus paved for the Five Year Plan, the first venture being entered upon in the Fifth Epoch.

16 January 2001: To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

As we write you this message, the Conference of the Continental Counselors approaches a triumphant conclusion.

For eight days the Counselors from all the continents have consulted on the next phase of the process of entry by troops. While they were meeting during the first five days, 849 members of their Auxiliary Boards from 172 countries were arriving at the Bahá’í World Center and paying their respects at the Holy Shrines in anticipation of the moment when they would all come together in a series of soul-stirring events: ascent of the newly built Terraces on Mount Carmel; circumambulation of the Shrine of the Báb; procession along the Arc path for a visit to the International Teaching Center Building; a devotional ceremony to mark the occupation by the Teaching Center of its permanent seat; and subsequent joint consultations concerning their indispensable role in the Five Year Plan on which the Bahá’í world will embark at Ridván 2001.

The deliberations of the Counselors themselves have been the heart of these stupendous activities. Their consultations have been marked by a combination of sobriety and effervescence that has refined the character of their discussions and illumined understanding. It is clear from the confident atmosphere in which they have conferred that their institution has reached a new stage in its maturation. Even though they function principally as individuals, the Counselors across all Boards have become of one mind. By internalizing and integrating the lessons and experiences of systematization called for in the Four Year Plan, they have indeed been transformed into channels of unified thought. We appreciate that the new height in the evolution of their institution is a reflection, too, of the measure to which, with their wise and constant advice, the Spiritual Assemblies and other institutions of the world community have evolved.

25 December 2000: To the Friends Gathered at the Youth Conference of the Indian Sub-Continent

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

Since the outset of the Four Year Plan we have observed with great pleasure the steadily increasing tempo of activity in the Indian sub-continent and are well aware of the contribution that the youth have made to the advances achieved in recent years. We now see an able corps of devoted youth in each of your countries, touched by the spirit of the Faith and fired by the noble vision enshrined in the Writings, ready to play a significant role in the strengthening of the foundations of Bahá’í communities and in the spiritual regeneration of the society to which they belong.

Developing distinctive Bahá’í communities is a challenge you share with the rest of your fellow believers in that vast and promising region. You need to exert every effort to align your thoughts and actions with the Teachings and become the source of inspiration and encouragement to others. When you come across passive acceptance of the Faith, respond with passion for teaching. When you see compromise of principles in the name of expediency, demonstrate an even greater sense of spiritual discipline. When you notice traces of tendencies that lead to division, show forth your ability to act as builders of unity. Aspire to the station of servitude at His Threshold.

Your national institute programs will help you develop your capabilities of service, which will need to be directed not only to your own communities but to the society around you. The current generation of youth in the region is experiencing social change at a phenomenal rate. This change presents your peers with a host of unprecedented challenges, and the great majority finds itself in a state of utter confusion. Yet among them are many who aspire to create a new society in which justice prevails. Who but you, the dedicated servants of the Blessed Beauty, inspired and moved by His all-embracing vision of the new World Order, can show these youth the direction they seek? In your deliberations you will need to think of ways to attract your fellow youth to the Faith and persuade them to join you in your systematic study of the Teachings so that, galvanized by the same vision that spurs you to action, they can become active participants in your movement. Be assured of our loving prayers in the Holy Shrines that your efforts may be reinforced by the Supreme Concourse.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)

23 December 2000: To the Friends Gathered at the Seventh ASEAN Youth Conference in Thailand

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

You come together at a time of great promise for the region to which you belong. Each of your national communities made significant achievements during the Four Year Plan, and these are being further consolidated during these critical twelve months. In a few short weeks the Continental Counselors and the Auxiliary Board members will gather in the Holy Land to deliberate on the features of the Five Year Plan to be launched at Riḍván. Your role in this mighty undertaking cannot be overemphasized, and we look to the youth in Southeast Asia with great expectations. You need to continue resolutely on the path of service which you have so brilliantly begun. Through the insights you gain from the study of the Teachings and the capabilities of service that you develop, you can each become a source of inspiration and moral leadership to the masses of youth around you. In your deliberations you will need to devise ways to attract your peers to the Faith and persuade them to join you in your systematic study of institute courses so that, galvanized by the same vision that spurs you to action, they will actively participate in your movement.

Be assured of our loving prayers in the Holy Shrines that your efforts may be reinforced by the Supreme Concourse.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)

29 October 2000: To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

The Day of the Covenant, 26 November 2000, marks the commencement of a new five-year term of service for members of the Continental Boards of Counselors for the Protection and Propagation of the Faith. The number of these high-ranking officers of the Cause remains at eighty-one. We are happy to announce the names of the Counselors now appointed.

AFRICA (19 Counselors): Beth Allen, George Allen, Beatrice Asare, Asfaw Tessema, Niaz Bushrui, Mehraz Ehsani (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Clément-Thyrrel Feizouré, Kobina Fynn, Ibrahim Galadima, Kamaye Moussa, Eddy Lutchmaya, Enos Makhele, Maina Mkandawire, Rachel Ndegwa, Muḥammad Otmani, Ahmad Parsa, Garth Pollock, Antoinette Ziehi, Tiati à Zock.

THE AMERICAS (19 Counselors): Eugene Andrews, Eloy Anello, Stephen Birkland, Gustavo Correa, Irma Nelly de Dooki, Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian, Angélica Huerta, Antônio Gabriel Marques, Hervé Masrour, Catherine Monajjem, Rebequa Murphy, Carmen Elisa de Sadeghian, Arturo Serrano, Crystal Shoaie, David Smith, Marilyn Smith, Leticia de Solano, Rodrigo Tomás (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Dorothy Whyte.

ASIA (19 Counselors): Fadel Ardakani, Baatar Uransaikhan, Nidavanur Baskaran, Irene Chung, Jabbar Eidelkhani, Bijan Farid, Elena Grouzkova, David Huang (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Humaida Jumalon, Lee Lee Ludher, Delafruz Nassimova, Lori Noguchi, Jaya Gopan Ramasamy, Lateef Rashid, Foad Reyhani, Payam Shoghi, Zena Sorabjee, George Soraya, Rosalie Tran.

AUSTRALASIA (11 Counselors): Beatrice Benson, Donald Blanks, David Chittleborough (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Jalal Mills, Sírús Naráqí, Manijeh Reyhani, Heather Simpson, Henry Tatnashiro, Erama Ugaia, Robin White, Fereidoun Yazdani.

20 July 2000: To the Friends Gathered at the Youth Conference in Vancouver, 20-24 July 2000

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

You come together at a time of immense promise for the national community to which you belong. It would be difficult to exaggerate the strengths that the Cause in Canada has developed, at the threshold of a new century. The level of unity that has been achieved, the energy and competence being displayed by your Regional Councils, the financial sacrifices that the Canadian believers are so wholeheartedly making to support the work of the Cause internationally, the trust and respect that the community's collective efforts have won from governmental and non-governmental institutions alike, its extraordinary record of service in both the teaching and pioneering fields overseas, and most recently the dramatic mobilization of human resources across your vast country through the Canadian believers' embrace of the institute program being promoted by your National Assembly―such a brilliant demonstration of spiritual power must excite the admiration of any fair-minded observer.

In all of these great advances, Canadian Bahá’í youth have taken an increasingly vital role. In doing so you have developed capacities that distinguish you in Canadian society, however progressive, however highly trained, however materially well-endowed various segments of that society may be. You need to ask yourselves how these impressive capacities can best be used.

One evening, in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland Maxwell in Montreal, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá summed up in a few intensely poignant words both the crisis He saw engulfing humankind and the sole means of deliverance:

20 July 2000: To the Friends gathered at the Asian International Youth Conference, Karachi, Pakistan, 21-23 July 2000

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

We send our loving greetings to the friends gathered at the International Bahá’í Youth Conference held in Karachi at this central stage of the Twelve Month Plan.

Our confident hope is that the youth, both in Pakistan and throughout Asia, will increasingly be one of the strongest instruments in advancing the process of entry by troops. For this to happen, Bahá’í youth, like all Bahá’ís, need to fortify their faith by immersing themselves repeatedly and frequently in the study of the Creative Word of God. One of the major purposes of training institutes is to help make this enrichment possible. Our hope is that great numbers of youth will not only participate in the courses of the institutes, but will themselves assume the responsibilities of tutors and facilitators. Such a development will serve both Bahá’ís and the wider society in your countries.

Now that the knowledge of the name of the Faith has spread widely, and ever more people are becoming aware of its Teachings, the public in many places is watching the Bahá’í community to see how these life-giving principles of Bahá’u’lláh are affecting the daily lives of His followers. The verities of the Faith must become increasingly demonstrated in the way its adherents serve humanity, champion justice and promote unity. In a letter written to a National Spiritual Assembly on his behalf shortly before his passing the beloved Guardian explained: