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: