Archives › 2012 › January
The spirit of the 2012 centenary commemorating ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to America is pervading Bahá’í activity nationwide, ranging from the nationally sponsored events to innumerable instances of individual dedication. The national Bahá’í schools, both permanent and seasonal, are seeking to support this special spirit by offering focused study that not only highlights ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s visit, but also [...]
“Nurturing Human Potential” is not just a conference theme for the several hundred people who gathered in Orlando, Florida, Dec. 15-20. It’s their daily mission, one they gained a greater capacity to serve through the culture of learning fostered there. The Baha’i Conference on Social and Economic Development was the 19th sponsored by the Rabbani [...]
Hungarian-speaking pioneers (short-term are welcome) The Bahá’í community of Hungary would warmly welcome some Hungarian-speaking pioneers, or pioneer families. In particular, one long-standing but struggling community in Hungary would really benefit from having a resident Hungarian-speaking Bahá’í with experience in tutoring and/or core activities. Even a three-month stay could help a lot. Pioneers needed in [...]
Michael and Lottie Chunowitz of Buckeye, Arizona, had already been of valuable service to the Faith in their home area. Baha’is of several decades’ standing, they were active in a variety of community activities and over the years had pioneered to several Phoenix-area locales where they were needed. What spurred them to expand their service [...]
By Tom Mennillo Cecile Bigatin and her handicrafts have become a fixture at the annual Baha’i Conference on Social and Economic Development in Orlando, Florida. For five years the Savannah, Georgia, Baha’i has set up in the area where composer/musician Jack Lenz sells CDs and DVDs. Soon “oohs” and “aahs” are heard as conference-goers run [...]
Seven years ago Don Alusic was captivated by the history-making role of grassroots spiritual and religious activity — carried out by Episcopal, Orthodox, Baha’i, Christian Science and other adherents — in the 1905 peace conference that ended the Russo-Japanese War. So he worked for years to produce his first-ever film. Photo Gallery Sarah Farmer’s Peace [...]
Registration is open for the sixth annual Bahá’í Choral Music Festival, to be held May 24–27 in Wilmette and Evanston, Illinois, and dozens of people from several countries have already registered. Two devotional concerts by a massed choir on Sunday, May 27, will culminate the festival, and in recent years those concerts have drawn more [...]
In this latest podcast Warren Odess-Gillett interviews Calvin Terrell, founder and lead facilitator of Social Centric; an organization he designed to provide education and training for all ages to enhance human interactions and global progress.
In this interview with The Huntville Times, Geoffrey Tyson, general manager of the Education Under Fire campaign, notes how Baha’is in Iran continue to be “officially barred from many professional jobs – and from studying at the colleges and universities that would prepare them for those jobs.” “This is not even about religious freedom so much [...]
The Baha’i year consists of 19 months of 19 days each. The months are named after the attributes of God. Each Baha’i community holds a Nineteen Day Feast on the first day of each Baha’i month. The Feast has spiritual, administrative and social functions and is the primary locus of fellowship and community decision-making in each Baha’i locality. [...]
Phillipe Copeland notes in this entry on blogcritics how “Dr. [Martin Luther] King [Jr.'s] dream was about acquiring the kind of wealth that is invulnerable to market forces and the chances and changes of life. His dream was about becoming rich in love and justice in our personal lives and in the nation. His dream was not [...]
For the past 9 years, the Baha’is of Orange County West, Fla. have been participating in this popular Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in the town of Eatonville. This year, 22 Baha’is participated, even 3 year old Nura enjoyed handing out flyers with quotes from [...]
Hundreds of Baha’i communities throughout the United States observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day by helping to organize public events to commemorate the great, slain civil rights leader.
Bahais are urged to “Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.” One way they do this is through the commemoration of World Religion Day — Sunday, January 16.
In State of Formation Phillipe Copeland talks about the Writings of the Baha’i Faith – “In the Baha’i Faith, the primary source of meaning in life are the words of Baha’u’llah (meaning The Glory of God in Arabic).”
H. William (Bill) Richter, an electrical engineer, inventor and businessman, devoted 18 years of his retirement to development work for the Baha’i community and the general population of the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, alongside his wife of 68 years, Marjorie. Bill passed away at age 92 on November 3, 2011. He had resided most [...]
Dale L. Woods served the Baha’i Faith for many years both in the Dominican Republic and in his home region of northwestern Oregon, assisting in the growth of Baha’i communities and supporting fellow Baha’i pioneers in the Caribbean island nation. He passed away September 22, 2011, in El Llano, Dominican Republic, after several years’ struggle [...]
Patricia Campbell was a pioneer for the Baha’i Faith in many places, both internationally and on the home front, alongside her husband of many years, Melvin. Patricia passed away October 10, 2011, at age 68. Her most recent residence was in Van Zandt County, Texas. A letter of tribute from the National Spiritual Assembly of [...]
Mehdi Rajabzadeh, 86, Trenton, NJ Renowned for his Persian calligraphy, Mehdi Rajabzadeh served for many years as caretaker of the New York City Baha’i Center and later moved to Trenton to help develop that Baha’i community. He passed away October 17, 2011. Mehdi was born in Kerman, Iran, of Baha’i parents. In 1979 he left [...]
Ursula Richardson was energetically involved in helping Baha’i communities grow in South Carolina, serving the Cause alongside her husband, Moses, in a variety of capacities since the 1980s — including traveling to three continents for the Faith. She passed away July 17, 2011, in Lydia, South Carolina, at age 66. A letter of tribute from [...]
Yael Ruth Wurmfeld, a world citizen in her professional, civic and personal life, assisted many U.S. Baha’is in realizing their wishes to serve the Faith overseas. She also played a crucial role in organizing the centennial Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1993. Yael passed away on October 1, 2011, at age 62, [...]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the United States, roughly 13 to 17% of Americans (approximately 35.9 million adults and 12.9 million children) are living below the federal poverty line at any given point in time, and roughly 40% fall below the poverty line at some point within a 10-year time span. To bring [...]