++ Contents National Spiritual Assembly Urgent repairs needed to the European Temple Historic achievement - BASED-UK receives œ221,000 Grant from a government agency The Guardian's Resting Place Planet 2000 Children's Pack External Affairs - Celebration of the Birthday of Baha'u'llah at National Haziratu'l-Quds BAHA'I COUNCILS and training institutes Baha'i Council for Wales - Focussing on youth at Purest Branch weekend Baha'i Council for Scotland - Two awards honouring Nuri Sabet Training Institute for England - How can local communities help? Training Institute for Scotland - The latest of the Training Institutes... Association for Baha'i Studies (English-speaking Europe) - Annual Conference report 97 Association of Baha'i Women - Back to grass roots ++ NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY + Urgent repairs needed to the European Temple O people of the world! Build ye houses of worship throughout the lands in the name of Him Who is the Lord of all religions. Make them as perfect as possible in the world of being...(1) Background Information Opposite is a letter from the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe on the subject of the cost of necessary repairs to the European Temple. The National Spiritual Assembly would like to provide some brief background information for those friends who may not be familiar with the history and significance of this temple. Later issues of Baha'i Journal UK will contain more detailed accounts of this background. In October 1952 the Guardian had referred to the construction of a Mashriq ul-Adhk r on the European Continent. After some years of opposition the cornerstone was laid at Langenhain on Sunday 20 November 1960. Hand of the Cause of God Amelia Collins reminded those present that Our beloved Guardian in his infinite wisdom chose the very heart of Europe as the site for this temple. She expressed the hope that all the European friends would support this institution through both their prayers and their contributions. She pointed out that the temple was distinguished by the fact that the beloved Guardian himself specified it should receive the infinitely precious gift of some of the sacred dust from the Shrine of Baha'u'llah. The shell of the building was completed and handed over by the builders in August 1962. The temple was completed in early 1964 and the dedication took place in July of that year. Last year this temple attracted 10,000 visitors from outside the Baha'i community, twice as many as the year before. Sadly, a combination of harsh weather and atmospheric pollution has seriously damaged parts of the temple's fabric. Water now leaks into the dome. There are cracks in some of the long ribs. Parts of the interior are discoloured. Natural stone plates on the walkway outside have been severely damaged by frost. There are also damaged areas on the floor of the interior circular ambulatory. It is vital that all this damage be urgently repaired. The National Spiritual Assembly is confident that this community will rise to play its part in response to the concern of the Universal House of Justice that this work be done well and done soon. To all National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies in Europe Dearly beloved friends, As you know from a previous communication of the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany, the European House of Worship, situated in the very heart of Europe, near Frankfurt, needs to undergo significant repair work promptly. We are now writing to you to support the devoted and sacrificial efforts of the German Baha'i community to preserve the only Baha'i Temple in our continent, a sacred building which they have the privilege of hosting in their country for the benefit and use of all European friends. Concerning the Houses of Worship, the Beloved Master wrote: "Not only does the Mashriq'ul- Adhkar have an effect upon those who built it but upon the whole world ... Whosoever arises for the service of this building shall be assisted with great power from His Supreme Kingdom, and upon him spiritual and heavenly blessing shall descend which shall fill his heart with wonderful consolation and enlighten his eyes by beholding the Glorious and Eternal God." A total amount of DM 1,450,000 (around œ500,000) is estimated as required to meet the total cost of the repair work to be carried out over the next two years. Such a substantial amount of money cannot be raised within the German community alone. This is the reason why the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany turned to all its sister communities in Europe and asked for support in this undertaking. We would like to point out that beyond the financial aspect of this matter, a more important spiritual link exists between each believer in Europe and the European Mother Temple. It is our hope that your esteemed institution will do its utmost to raise the awareness of the believers in Europe about the importance of nurturing this bond and of joyfully bearing the responsibilities associated with enjoying the privilege of having a House of Worship in our continent. We feel that a mighty and prompt effort should be exerted by all believers to raise the funds necessary to preserve the dignity of the European House of Worship, particularly since the Supreme Body promised the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany that it will supply the funds that the European friends will be unable to provide. In a letter dated 15 August 1997 to the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, it is stated: Since it is important for the work to be set afoot promptly, the House of Justice has asked us to inform you that it is prepared to guarantee the provision of DM 1,450. 000 (Deutschmarks) estimated as required to meet the total cost. that is to say, if the believers in Europe are not able to contribute the whole amount, it will provide the balance from the Baha'i International Fund. Also, if there are bills that you need to pay before there has been time for the funds to be raised, the House of Justice will advance you the necessary amounts so that the work will not be delayed. Beloved friends, please rest assured of our prayers that the Almighty may inspire you and the Baha'i community in your country to generously contribute to the preservation of the European House of Worship and bless all your endeavours in this connection with abundant divine confirmations. With loving Baha'i greetings, CONTINENTAL BOARD OF COUNSELLORS IN EUROPE + Historic achievement BASED-UK receives œ221,000 Grant from a government agency To understand fully the real significance of this new development it is necessary to examine the background of the substantial grant made to a Baha'i agency by H.M.Government. More than 5 years ago the Universal House of Justice through its Office of Social and Economic Development called on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United Kingdom to "establish a suitable mechanism in the United Kingdom for accepting funds from non-Baha'i sources operating under the auspices of the National Assembly..." The immediate purpose of setting up such a mechanism was to seek funds for Baha'i social and economic development projects in India from official Agencies in the United Kingdom. In accordance with this instruction the Baha'i Agency for Social and Economic Development - United Kingdom (BASED-UK), was established in June, 1993 and registered as a Charity in December with its objects described as: a. To relieve poverty, and b. To advance education - in all parts of the world Even before BASED was established, an approach was made in early 1992 to the United Kingdom Overseas Development Administration (ODA) for a grant towards The Baha'i Vocational Institute for Rural Women in Indore, India but after a considerable exchange of correspondence, the National Spiritual Assembly's application was rejected. In October, 1993 the Office of Social and Economic Development, Baha'i World Centre, suggested that investigations might be made in the United Kingdom for a source of funds for Project Bayan and when it appeared that funds for India were not forthcoming, BASED began to look closely at the Bayan scheme in Honduras. In October, 1995 contact was again made with ODA with a view of obtaining funds for a scheme: Tutorial Learning System for Black Carib and Meskito Indians in the Honduran Mosquitia . Member of the Based Executive Committee, Michael Richards, a Research Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute, having had an earlier association with the ODA as a Technical Co-operation Officer in Southern Honduras, and enjoying a close personal relationship with Bayan and other NGOs in the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, was made the BASED Consultant to carry out the delicate negotiations with ODA. His first detailed submission was made in November, 1995. In March, 1996 ODA asked several searching questions and Michael replied in some depth on 1st May, 1996. Not only was it essential to explain the nature of BASED, its functioning and its developing relationship with Bayan but also the work of Bayan, the geographical extent of its influence, the indigenous peoples involved, the official support it gets at local and national levels. The project involves the development of a non-formal rural education programme designed to provide the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes or values for rural life, as opposed to giving people expectations of a "better life" in the cities. It aims to integrate moral or spiritual and material principles in a more holistic education. An important aspect of the project is that the students will become community leaders, and help their communities progress along a sustainable rural development path. The methodology stems from some 25 years work by Baha'is and non-Baha'is in Colombia, and is now being developed in several Latin American countries. A budget for a five year initial project was submitted. On 25th November, 1996 a Bayan Progress Report up to mid October, 1996 as well as its 1995 Annual Report were sent to ODA and these made exciting reading. In a Bayan newsletter of March, 1997 it was reported that, "over 200 youth and not-so-youth ... have contributed their efforts, tears, ideas energy, time and youth to serving the spiritual and material needs of the Garifuna, Meskito and Ladino population of this area. At the same time they have shaped Bayan. ... These youth have come from Honduras, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, France, Great Britain, Switzerland, Holland, Japan, Canada and the United States..." In May, 1997 the ODA was renamed, "Department For International Development" (DFID) and on 5th June, 1997, BASED(UK) was advised that Bayan would receive support under the Joint Funding Scheme. While this granting of almost œ0.25 Million - over œ40,000 per year for five years, is a tremendous break-through, it brings with it enormous responsibilities. Not only has every penny to be shown to be wisely spent and the work carefully monitored, but the Joint Funding means that BASED has to raise an equal amount over the same period. Similar grants made for other projects by the Norwegian Government work on a 80%/20% basis with the Norwegian Baha'is raising the 20%. Ours is 50%/50% and this is what we have undertaken to raise when signing our acceptance contract. The Project itself has attracted funds from some other governments and a large corporation, and BASED is researching yet other sources in Europe which together might raise the other 50%. It still leaves a grand opportunity open for individual Baha'is in the United Kingdom to participate in this, the first real large development project of the United Kingdom Baha'i community. It is appreciated that the National Baha'i Fund, with its many commitments to the Arc, to its debt to the Universal House of Justice, to its Assembly Incorporation and Charity Registration obligations and to the urgent prosecution of the national work of the Faith throughout the United Kingdom, has the top priority call on the contributions from the community. Yet there are many believers who feel they would like to be directly involved in an exciting overseas development project which is very highly regarded by the Universal House of Justice. How this may be done: Become a "Friend of BASED" - now on a subscription basis - you will receive reports of progress of the work being done by these funds. Make a donation directly to BASED-UK. Introduce the project to your non-Baha'i friends to encourage them to participate in this important endeavour which is contributing so much to the betterment of several tribal areas in Honduras. In July 1997, the Office of Social and Economic Development, Haifa wrote to the BASED Trustees, "...We are very pleased that BASED's devoted efforts to pursue financial assistance on behalf of Association Bayan have reaped this timely result ... the Universal House of Justice will be requested to offer prayers at the Sacred Threshold for the blessings of Baha'u'llah to surround your efforts in this important endeavour." BASED - UK, details from: Mrs Pat Parker, 100 Conway Drive, Fulwood, Preston, Lancs. PR2 3ER. + The Guardian's Resting Place The National Spiritual Assembly was saddened to receive reports from some visitors to the Guardian's Resting Place that their time there was made less valuable by the behaviour of others, Of course Baha'is are always happy to see one another and it is not uncommon to meet up with old friends, not seen for a long time, when one visits. However we should bear in mind that the grave is a holy place, attended by people going to pray and to pay their respects, and is set in a cemetery where people of all faiths go to remember their loved ones. Exuberant greetings, loud conversations, and the taking of photographs, can all be distracting, even distasteful, to others. The National Assembly asks that any talking and photography be done in such a way as maintain the calm and dignified atmosphere of this very special place. The Friends are reminded that photographs should not be taken of people in the inner court i.e. at the monument itself. + Planet 2000 Children's Pack The National Spiritual Assembly was very impressed with the "Planet 2000 Action Pack" prepared by Mrs Maggie Manvell and distributed to Baha'i (and other) children. A special issue of "Dayspring" magazine looked at various issues facing humankind and actions being taken such as Agenda 21. It set out Baha'i principles and programmes and was designed so that it could be shared with non-Baha'i friends and schoolmates. Extra copies were made available for this purpose and the National Assembly commends their use. For further information please contact: Editor, Mrs Maggie Manvell, 25, Lower Breakish, Isle of Skye, IV42 8QA. + External Affairs Celebration of the Birthday of Baha'u'llah at National Haziratu'l-Quds Members of the choir began to drift in at around 6.30pm. There was excitement in the air. The previous night had seen them give their first performance at Ealing Town Hall to over 80 guests at an evening to honour Brother Daniel Faivre who has made a magnificent contribution to bringing people of all Faiths together for many years. Brother Daniel read from the Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah whilst every Baha'i in the hall held their breath with appreciation. Harry Greenway, Member of Parliament for Ealing made a moving speech in memory of dear Vivian Roe, who had been serving the Faith since the 1940s and who had recently passed to the Abha Kingdom. But tonight, at 27 Rutland Gate, the National Haziratu'l-Quds, it was also very special because the choir were invited to take part in a programme to celebrate the Birthday of Baha'u'llah. The drawing room was candlelit and had been transformed for the evening. The scent of flowers filled the air. There was a buzz as the guests began to assemble, enjoy refreshments and chat. The atmosphere created was one of expectancy. At the appointed time the guests took their places and the programme to revere Baha'u'llah was set in motion. The narrators read, Suzanne Kingsley Swan serenaded, the choir sang praises to the King of Glory. The evening was dignified, joyous and imparted the glad tidings. The guests were from varying circumstances; from judge and television producer, to people of the most modest backgrounds and all experienced the joy of being blessed with their physical and spiritual surroundings. After the programme there was a special buffet supper. One lady was heard to say that she had only intended to come along for a short while, but she became enchanted and stayed for the duration. Another guest, (a regular fireside attender) decided to declare his faith in Baha'u'llah there and then! Dear friends, this is an example of special evenings given by the National Spiritual Assembly through their External Affairs Thursday night committee. They are held once a month and are based on the themes given to us by the International Teaching Centre; Global Prosperity, Human Rights, the Status of Women and Moral Development. These evenings are a tool for the community to use to teach and make friends for the Faith. Up until now, they have been advertised only in the London area. The National Spiritual Assembly would now like to extend this to the rest of the community, and the friends may contact the National Office to request invitations. If you wish you may also accompany your guest, thereby giving you the opportunity to experience the evening as they have and be in a better position to continue your teaching work with them, but it is not absolutely necessary that you come with them. Names will be added to a list and invitations sent out on a first come, first served basis as there is limited space. All guests may attend only with an invitation. Perhaps you know of prominent people in or near London who you may wish to extend an invitation to, or contacts, friends and relatives who you feel are ready to respond to such an evening? The usual format is for guests to arrive by 7pm. A buffet supper is served at 7.15pm. At 8pm guests are invited to hear a presentation on one of the themes, which can take a variety of forms. Around 9.15pm the dessert and coffee are served. The evening usually finishes around 10pm. It is the hope of the committee to include more of the arts within the context of these evenings. We would like to suggest that individuals and communities think about who could be invited, and from time to time pass the information to the committee. We know there must be many people who are in contact with Baha'is around the country who may respond well to such an invitation. You can be sure that your guest will experience a dignified presentation of the Faith. We look forward to receiving your requests. Please contact either Carmen Henry or Angela Tidswell at the National Haziratu'l-Quds: 27 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PD. Tel: 0171 584 2566. ++ BAHA'I COUNCILS and training institutes + Baha'i Council for Wales - Focussing on youth at Purest Branch weekend The Council was warmly welcomed by members of Monmouthshire community, where the December meeting was held, and enthusiastically responded to a request from them to dedicate the weekend to the Purest Branch - Mirza Mihdi, the faithful youngest son of Baha'u'llah, who "displayed the same spiritual qualities which distinguished his illustrious Brother" (1) and recognized the station of his earthly father as his Lord, begged Baha'u'llah to accept his life as ransom to open the gates of the prison for the many believers who longed to attain His presence. He died twenty-two hours after a tragic fall and at the time his holy being was laid to rest the earth shook in response. The death of this youth has been exalted by Baha'u'llah to the "rank of those great acts of atonement associated with Abraham's intended sacrifice of His son, with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the martyrdom of Imam Husayn ..." (2) The request was both timely and inspirational as our main focus throughout the weekend was on the youth. We welcomed Sheena Wortley who outlined the vision of the European Council to establish the Baha'is as the fastest growing youth organisation in Europe . Wales has been chosen as the venue for one of three conferences at which this vision will be developed and realised. Tremendous work and great faith have been put into sorting out accommodation and the welcoming to Wales of 300 or more youth from the Wetlands area (Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands and the United Kingdom). Our Youth co-ordinator for Wales reminded us that in July 1995 the first youth gathering he organised in Wales, attracted 6 youth. Six youth in a field who longed to meet new faces, so they determined to double their numbers at each event. In February 1996 thirteen attended, whilst in July of that year, at the "Youth can Move the World" Camp, numbers increased to 38. In 1997 this rose to 60 at the second" Youth can Move the World" event whilst 300 at the Wetlands Conference would make it a 50 fold increase in under 3 years. At these conferences the youth will be focusing on the final stages of the Four Year Plan particularly in relation to the goals of their own countries and as they return to their countries a new wave of determination and zeal must surely be felt in every community, for already we see that the harvest time is upon us. + Baha'i Council for Scotland - Two awards honouring Nuri Sabet The Scottish Baha'i community was saddened a few months ago to hear of the death of our dear friend, Nuri Sabet. Nuri had done much important work in external affairs in East Scotland, and as a result, Fife Council, together with their Racial Equality Committee have decided to honour him by creating two special awards in his memory. They are to be called the "Nuri Sabet Humanity Awards" and are a testimony to the respect and high esteem in which he was held by those who worked with him. The first award is concerned with the theme of relinquishing prejudice. This year it will be linked to an anti-bullying campaign in Fife schools. The second award will be given in recognition of the best environmental project in the area and is a reminder of Nuri's passion for Agenda 21. In this way, Nuri's efforts to serve his local community will be remembered for many years to come. It is also a reminder that we should never feel insignificant or think that our efforts go unnoticed when we arise to serve Baha'u'llah. The spirit of commitment and concern which characterised Nuri's work has clearly had a major influence on racial unity in Fife. East Fife Baha'i community is continuing Nuri's work and his wife, Pam now attends many of the council and committee meetings in his stead. + Training Institute for England How can local communities help? To take our plans forward we are hoping that you will: Tell us of any friends in your area who would like to be involved in the development or delivery of Training Institute courses. Have they got a special interest? Do they have a particular skill? Please tell us about them. Tell us of those friends you know in your area who are longing to teach the Faith, but feel that they do not have sufficient confidence and skills to do so. We would like to know who to invite to Training Institute courses organised in your area. Let us know what is the best format for delivering training events in your area. For example, do you have a Thomas Breakwell School or a regular gathering? Can you suggest other possible venues for training events? Would your community be happy to act as host? Let us know of your local training needs so that these can be considered when we develop further courses. Actively and enthusiastically promote any Training Institute course which comes to your locality. Share with us any training materials which your community has already found useful so that we in turn can share them with other communities. Now that you know what the Training Institute for England is all about, don't delay! We are longing to hear from you and to be of service to your community. By working together we can ensure that the friends in England will abandon their uncertainties and throw themselves wholeheartedly into the process of entry by troops. Courses up and running: Optimising the Capacities of the Individual Strengthening Baha'i Youth Identity Spirit and Form Preparation for Marriage Becoming two intimate friends Baha'i Family Life Courses in preparation: Process thinking and strategic planning for Spiritual Assemblies Promoting Entry by Troops Improving the functioning of Spiritual Assemblies Assisting the Assistants Baha'i Community Life - a pattern for future civilisation Essential Baha'i Truths Baha'i answers to current issues + Training Institute for Scotland The latest of the Training Institutes... The Training Institute for Scotland recently got underway and has now had two week-end long meetings at which substantial progress was made. The members are: chairman - Graham Barnes; vice chairman - Carolyn Sparey- Gillies; secretary - Tony Henderson and treasurer - Chehreh Goodwin; an Auxiliary Board Member has yet to be appointed. Our initial step is to establish with the community that this is a Training Institute, not a teaching institute, so the emphasis will be on training ie developing individual skills and abilities for the benefit of the individual and the Faith. Such training is intended to help the individual fulfil their spiritual potential and to achieve personal and community goals. Every Baha'i is a teacher, here is a chance to further develop these skills and perhaps find ones we didn't realise we had. How can Training Institutes achieve this? In as many ways as there are Baha'is is the simple answer. The TI for Scotland will liaise with the other TIs and organisations with a training/teaching remit to run trainers courses wherever there is a need. It is likely these will initially take place in a central location in order to get as many people together as possible. Hopefully at least one person from each local Assembly in Scotland will be trained in each skills area. Where this is not possible the training will be taken out to the community using trained trainers, open learning, telephone and video conferencing; and where there is access, the internet will be used. The latter is an exciting resource as tutoring could be provided from the south of England or anywhere in the world. Basically we will train people to go back to their communities and train their Friends, but with the backing of the trainers who trained them in the first place. Simple? As we are talking about skills which can be applied in other areas we are giving careful consideration to national qualifications ie Scottish Qualification Authority Awards, RSA and City & Guilds. As well as providing individuals with a useful qualification recognised throughout Europe it would also be a recognition of our standards and of the skills the individual had developed. So where do we begin? We need to find out what skills are needed in the first place and then co-ordinate the development and delivery of courses. The Training Institute for Scotland is achieving this by sending out a professionally developed questionaire. This is going out to every adult believer in Scotland. We would like to hear from everyone - if you've an opinion please express it. The questionnaire will be treated in complete confidence. By the time you read this the deadline will have passed, please make every effort to return the questionaires. A number of institutes and projects have been underway for a good while and are well established; these should not stop. Our role is to provide support to them, to increase their effectiveness, and learn from them. Any comments, especially from other TIs would be most welcome. + Association for Baha'i Studies (English-speaking Europe) Annual Conference report 97 Over 120 people attended the ABS (ESE) Annual Conference on 1st-2nd November at Milham Conference Centre, Oxford. The papers covered a wide range of topics around the theme of "Spirituality and Civilisation: the Baha'i Vision of a Global Civilisation" - indeed so many papers were offered that often two sessions ran concurrently. As always the presentations were well- researched and thought-provoking. Some impressions from a selection of the papers follows: Stephen Lambden's paper "The Baha'i Criterion of Truth" told us of the present huge explosion in the number of different religions, sects and cults. Today, there are estimated to be 20,000, including over 1,000 Christian sects in the USA. He felt this was indicative of an enormous interest in spirituality. The main theme of his paper tackled the age-old question of "What is Truth?", which is especially relevant to Baha'is since we have been enjoined to independently investigate the truth of all realities. He reminded us of 'Abdu'l-Baha's four criteria to investigate Truth: Sense, Perception, Reason, Tradition and inspiration - and then proceeded to give reasons why none of these should be trusted singly; it is best to use all four plus the interior or heart dimension, especially where this has input from the Holy Spirit through prayer and meditation. Corinne Podger, in her paper "Utopia Under Construction" took us through an extremely complex consideration of Chaos Theory. This complexity theory is a totally new way of looking at or explaining phenomena in science, physics and biology, the weather (it even has influences on current economic theory and political ideas). She pointed out some striking similarities between the terminology used by persons writing about Chaos Theory and the language used by Shoghi Effendi. Early traces of Chaos Theory can be found at the beginning of this Century; it represents a major paradigm shift in mankind's conception of the workings of Life, the Universe and Everything - away from the mechanistic view (which has held sway for over 300 years) towards an organic view acknowledging the inter- relatedness of diverse systems. This paradigm shift can be linked to the appearance of the latest Manifestation of God exerting a vibrating influence as a response to the needs and capacities of the present Age: major changes tend to come about when a system is on the edge of chaos. In his paper "Are Souls the Exclusive Possession of Humans?" Robert Hercock gave us a glimpse into the not-too-distant future, to consider that possible moral dilemmas that might arise if we should succeed in making intelligent robots, ie robots made to resemble us emotionally as well as intellectually. He argued that such beings could be regarded as having the qualities necessary to attract a soul. Much discussion followed about the implications of this situation, and also about the further-distant future when we make contact with life on other planets -would these alien life forms also possess souls? The session showed how incredible technological advances bring novel moral choices. + Association of Baha'i Women Back to grass roots Perhaps the biggest challenge for this committee is establishing a network of women all over the UK. This can only be done at the grassroots level. Baha'i Journal UK is really an excellent vehicle for us to find out what's going on in other parts of the country. And lots is going on, surely much more than we know about! Most people by now have heard of the "Courage to Action" seminars. This is a wonderful example of networking! If you would like to know who to call in your region, phone Fidelma Meehan: 01203 326959 or Sally Dacey: 01225 338851. Many thanks to Kay Hughes, who held a weekend at the Ernest Miller Centre in October, centring around "Women in the 21st Century". It was an excellent time for creating a vision of where we want to be in the not too distant future. Five very important principles were brought out focusing on equality: Equality exists in the Spiritual Realm. The key to development comes from recognition of the Manifestation of God. Inequality is due to lack of education and opportunity. Equality is necessary for the development of the human race, and through which the foundations of war will be destroyed. Men and women have complementary roles, and equality of status does not depend upon identity or function. At the request of the participants, most of Sunday was spent discussing women in the workplace . Visions for the next century saw more equilibrium established through advancing technology at home and in the workplace. Although we had hope for the future of working mothers, it was acknowledged to be a difficult dilemma for mothers, in today's society, who must or want to work and at the same time fulfill their role as first educators of their children. What do you think? Are you a working mother? Write to the column and tell us your views! Just over two years ago some of the Cornish Baha'i women were invited to attend a Bahiyyih Khanum weekend in Devon. Those of us who were privileged to attend gained a wonderful insight into the female influence of the early days of the Faith. It was decided to have a regular women's day in Cornwall so that the Baha'i women could share their thoughts, feelings and aspiration with other women. Among other things, the "sharing contract" entails us inviting the group to help create a safe and loving environment by learning to value listening at least as much as speaking, avoiding criticism of others whilst still feeling free to share our own thoughts and feelings if we wish, and generally sharing in a circle - without being rigid or suppressing necessary humour. For us it is important to have a Baha'i theme throughout the day starting with prayer and some scripture and a sharing contract. We have talked about raw food diets, women and peace, true happiness and shared our personal interests so that every woman who attends feels empowered and accepted. We have used the Long Healing Prayer together, looked at the life of Tahirih, explored mind mapping, Tai Chi, listened to beautiful music and just generally enjoyed being with each other. These events have been an ideal opportunity to invite friends who are not Baha'is and also prove to be attractive to Baha'is who have for one reason or another, become distanced from the Faith. I would be delighted to share more details with anyone interested in how to prepare a women's day of this kind. We are all on a learning curve together. Once we (women) are accepted and valued by others wonderful new avenues open up for us. Contact: Diane Profaska, Tel: 01872 55184. In October, reporting back on the "Courage to Action" seminar, at a gathering in Northampton, Fidelma Meehan shared a quote from Nelson Mandela which touched hearts: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves: Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our won light shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others".