The report concluded by offering a series of specific suggestions in these areas: 1 .Achieving a new mindset about growth 2. Continued development of local and national outreach and follow-up 3 . Building our communities: dealing with diversity of many kinds 4. Development of Training Institutes 5. Improving local stewardship 6. Improving our discourse about teaching 7. The leadership of the Regional Bahá'í Councils

A Word version of the full report is available here.

The document A Call to Our Guiding Institutions served as the centrepiece for the working sessions of the Assembly. The Call—the result of a three-year drafting process—was addressed to eight of the world's most powerful and most influential institutions, inviting each to reflect on and redefine its role for a new century. [Capetown 1999]

Appendix I was a letter from the Department of the Secretariat Letter 4 May 1999 to an individual in response to an inquiry requesting (1) clarification of the policies governing access to sources at the Bahá'í World Centre and (2) regarding publication of primary source material available to people through other avenues.

Appendix II Policies Governing Authorized and Provisional Translations of the Bahá'í Holy Writings into English and their Publication

Appendix III Policies Governing the Publication and Translation of Bahá'í Historical Documents

Further, in its message of 26 November 1999 it stated that "An impressive network of training institutes on a scale but dimly imagined at the start of the Plan has been established throughout the world. These nascent centres of learning have made significant strides in developing formal programmes and in putting into place effective systems for the delivery of courses. Reports indicate that the number of believers benefiting directly from training courses has climbed to nearly 100,000." [Message 26 November, 1999]

• See various FaceBook pages including ISGP's The Forum.

With these new assemblies, the number of National Spiritual Assemblies rose to 179. [Ridván 155]

The institute seemed to be a relatively safe alternative for non-Islamic students until this time when Iranian government agents arrested 36 BIHE faculty members. The Bahá'ís set up a network of more than 45 private libraries in Baha'i homes so that students could access textbooks discreetly. Raids occurring in 1998 led to officials seizing some of these libraries along with many of the photocopiers used to distribute assignments. [The Borgen Magazine 14 November 2021]

"As of Riḍván 1997, all Local Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world will have to be elected on the First Day of Riḍván." (31 December 1995 – To the Bahá'ís of the World)

"This development was related to the fact that, while believers from outside a locality could assist with the electoral process, the primary responsibility for electing any Assembly and maintaining its operations rests with the Bahá'ís of that place" (30 December 2021 – To the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors)

See 2019-05-23.

Talisman eventually evolved into Talisman9 for 'free and open discussion of issues in the Bahá'í faith from an intellectual point of view', but welcomed criticism of Bahá'í institutions.

Bahá'í-Studies was created by a Bahá'í sociologist at an American university for scholarly discussion of Baha'i academic and other issues.

H-Bahai was initiated for academic discussion of Bábi and Bahá'í topics; membership was generally restricted to individuals with advanced degrees in fields relevant to Bahá'í studies. Somewhat later, Bridges was created for similar discussions, but with membership by invitation and restricted to Bahá'ís. [Seeking for Truth: Plausibility Alignment on a Bahá'í Email List by David Piff and Margit Warburg] iiiii. The current incarnation of Talisman is Tarikh, established 2003.

"Fundamental to the work of the Counsellors is the understanding that all members of the Continental Board are responsible for the entire continent, and should, to the degree possible, endeavor to familiarize themselves with the conditions of the Cause in the countries therein. Through periodic reports from individual Counsellors, the Board is kept abreast of developments in all areas of the continent and is able to offer guidance to assist its members in the execution of their duties. Whereas no Counsellor should be regarded as having exclusive responsibility for any one territory, the detailed familiarity acquired by each through close interaction with the National Spiritual Assembly and Auxiliary Board members in a particular area is in fact a valuable asset to all the Counsellors on the Board."

In its message of 26 December 1995 to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors the Universal House of Justice announced that a Four Year Plan would be rolled out at Ridván.

For the proceedings see Law and International Order: Proceedings of the First European Bahá'í Conference on Law and International Order and for a review of the book by Joshua Lincoln see Bahá'í Library Online.

On June 20th the Universal House of Justice informed the same National Spiritual Assemblies that the entire sum had been ensured but that $10M annually would be required until the end of the century. [Ridván 152; Vineyard of the Lord No 11 p8; Sacred Stairway p66-67]

Humanity has done well to articulate material indicators of development, and even to achieve a number of them. But focusing only on that which is quantifiable has obscured the critical importance of factors related to higher aspects of the human spirit, such as the value of relationships, the quality of one's character, and the coherence between principles and deeds. The need to bring such factors to the centre of the development discourse was outlined in The Prosperity of Humankind, which made clear that ideals require the force of spiritual commitment to cement them. The statement laid out an ambitious vision of humanity's capacity to take charge of the course of its development, and addressed a set of principles and concepts indispensable to the task, from reimagining collective decision-making to rearranging economic priorities. It called for "unconditioned recognition of the oneness of humankind" and "a commitment to the establishment of justice as the organizing principle of society". [BIC 3 March 2020]

"The Wilmette Institute is a center of Bahá'í learning. Its programs aim to facilitate study and dialogue on the teachings and principles of the Faith to help individuals and communities apply learning and advance human civilization."

...a translation is regarded as authorized when it is approved by one or more translation committees appointed by the Universal House of Justice. While members of the Research Department may well, from time to time, be appointed to serve on such a translation committee, the authorization of new translations is currently not one of the responsibilities assigned to the Research Department by the House of Justice. Further, the approval of a translation does not mean that improvements or amendments cannot be made to it in the future.

They go on to note that Shoghi Effendi did not regard his own translation of the Kitáb-i-Íqán as final but that it might assist others in their work.

They also noted that translations into most other languages use the English translation rather than the original text. [15 December 1994]

Background: On the 6th of December, 1992, the Babri mosque in the northern town of Ayodhya was razed by a group of Hindus because the mosque, built in 1528, had been erected on the spot where the Hindu deity Rama is said to have been born thousands of years earlier. The destruction enraged Muslims and ignited a grave crisis in India. Muslim and Hindu mobs attacked each other's houses of worship, homes and people in a number of cities, resulting in the death of hundreds and the destruction of property not only in India but in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and even in Britain. [Mess86-01p440]

  The Bahá'í community had issued a statement in English that highlighted a central theme: "Communal Harmony—India's Greatest Challenge." The issue of religious conflict and the importance of harmony and peacebuilding were emphasized. This statement was later translated into most of the official languages of India and distributed to Ministers, bureaucrats, district county workers, the superintendent of police, NGOS, and faith communities.

The judges, in their ruling, quoted from the statement from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India Communal Harmony: India's Greatest Challenge. [Mess86-01p441]

Hand of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum attended the inaugural convention as the representative of the Universal House of Justice. [Ridván 151]

Hand of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum attended the inaugural convention as the representative of the Universal House of Justice. [Ridván 151]

At the first modern Parliament held in Chicago an Assembly of 250 religious and spiritual leaders endorsed a groundbreaking document, Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration. One of the speakers was His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. [Chicago 1993]

The Bahá'í Chair for World Peace is an academic program that conducts and publishes research with a diverse group of scholars on global issues. The organization's purpose is to study worldwide challenges and discuss solutions that could advance peace and promote tolerance.
In addition to conducting academic research and releasing publications, the chair hosts events at the University of Maryland that are available to students, university staff and the general public.
Although the chair was inspired by the spiritual teachings of the Bahá'í faith's focus on humanity's unity, the program emphasizes science-based analysis along with the values the Faith provides. [Unwind Magazine]

it is a biographical essay of the wife of Bahá'u'lláh, the Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and mother of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Centre of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant. Her story, little known, is one of strength, patience, long-suffering and devotion to One who was her 'husband, the Lord of Hosts', whom she accompanied through all the vicissitudes of exile and imprisonment.

A decision was taken to close the institution at the end of 2003 due to financial difficulties. By the time of its closing 1,116 students had earned degrees or graduate certificates from Landegg International University. [Bahaipedia]

Dr. Hossain Danesh was the Rector of Landegg Academy from 1994. [H.B.Danesh/biography]

Shirin Fozdar was also notable for her work for women's rights founding the Singapore Council of Women which was responsible for the passing of the Women's Charter in the Singaporean Parliament in 1961.

The Singapore Management University implemented The Shirin Fozdar Program in 2009. It has a scholarship and an annual lecture as well as community service projects. [Bahaipedia; Singapore Memory]

The statement was formally released at a press conference in Bombay, India by Hassan Sabri. [VV126]

On the 27th (or 28th) of May...the gathering of one hundred thirteen Knights of Bahá'u'lláh along with 19 representatives of every National Spiritual Assembly (165) and 9 representatives of every territory without a National Spiritual Assembly (40-50) at Bahjí in commemoration of the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh (some 3,000 persons). The original scroll bearing the Roll of Honour of the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh was placed by Hand of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum in a chamber at the entrance door of the inner sanctuary of the Most Holy Shrine. [AWH90, 105; VV128; BW92-3p98; BINS271:1; Message 7 June 1992]

Number of Local Assemblies - more than 17,000

Number of nationalities and tribes represented is estimated at 2,112 [B'91pg54 note 2]

Number of localities - over 108,000. [CoB375]

Number of languages - over 800 [B'91pg3]

The main objectives of the Association were:

• Assisting individuals of Iranian descent to stay in touch with, and gain a deeper understanding of the cultural, artistic and literary heritage of Iran.
• Encouraging children, youth and young adults of Iranian descent living abroad to familiarize themselves with, and gain a deeper appreciation of Persian arts, literature and culture.
• Helping English speaking friends and family members to gain an appreciation of Persian culture.
• Promoting systematic and comprehensive study of Persian arts, culture and history.
• Creating dialogue in a loving, respectful and friendly atmosphere amongst Iranians with different religions, ethnicities and ideologies.

See the message that was sent to the Conference date the 21st of November 1990 by the Universal House of Justice found at Mess86-01p178 which included messages from Shoghi Effendi dated the 11th of January 1923 and the 2nd of January 1930 with predictions about the future of Russia. [CBN Vol 3 No 8 March 1991 p1-3]

To the Followers of Bahá'u'lláh throughout the World

SEVEN MONTHS AFTER LAUNCHING SUPPLEMENTARY TWO YEAR PLAN REJOICE ANNOUNCE FOURTEEN LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES IN SOVIET UNION, PLUS SIX IN ROMANIA WHERE THERE ARE NOW OVER 600 BELIEVERS, AND ONE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY EACH IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA, HUNGARY AND YUGOSLAVIA. DEVELOPMENT FAITH IN ALL THESE COUNTRIES AS WELL AS IN ALBANIA, BULGARIA, MONGOLIA AND POLAND GOING FORWARD WITH EXTRAORDINARY SPEED, FORMATION MORE LOCAL ASSEMBLIES IN PROCESS OR EXPECTED SHORTLY.

The Universal House of Justice [Mess86-01p178]

• Issues 1 to 40 were published under the name Bahá'í News Letter. Subsequent issues, from #41 to #714, were entitled simply Bahá'í News.

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Goals were:

1. attraction of numerous supporters
2. great increase in the translation, publication and dissemination of Bahá'í literature
3. the extension of the administrative order in the region by the erection of local and national spiritual assemblies [AWH71]

The purpose of the Chair for Bahá'í studies embodied in the agreement was as follows:
a. to promote Research and scholarship in Bahá'í Studies.
b) to design and conduct courses , seminars, and studies in the field of Bahá'í studies and related subjects within an interdisciplinary context and publish results and reports of such activities.
c) to promote inter-university linkage through seminars, exchange lectures etc with a view to promote interfaith harmony, national/ international integration and world peace. [Bahá'í Chair for Studies and Development]

Note: VV123 says it was 20 February.

Their activities were:

The announcement stunned the journalists at the press conference, who greeted it with first disbelief and then elation. The news spread like wildfire and within hours, thousands of East Germans began flocking to the checkpoints along the wall.

They were met by bewildered border guards, struggling to understand what their instructions were regarding this new policy. At around 22:45, overwhelmed by the sheer number of people arriving and lacking any clear orders, the border guards finally opened the gates and overjoyed East Germans flowed over into West Berlin. [BBC]

In 1975 Senegal had jurisdiction over Mauritania (1978), Cape Verde Islands (1984) and Guinea-Bissau (1989). With the last of its territories gone this left Senegal alone hence the National Spiritual Assembly of Senegal was formed with its seat in Dakar.

For the history of the Warwick Leaflets see Bahaipedia.

An abstract can be found at myMESA.

The paper raised the possibility that the ineligibility of women for membership on the Universal House of Justice may be a temporary provision subject to change through a process of progressive unfoldment of the divine purpose. [31 May 1988]

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