BAHA'I COUNCILS AND TRAINING INSTITUTES

Bahá’í Council for Wales

External affairs, training, goals, plans ...

By the time this issue of Bahá’í Journal UK is read, members of the Council for Wales will have met with the Presiding Officer of the Welsh Assembly, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, on 21st October, to introduce the Council and the Welsh Bahá’í Community to him. Along with the work of the local communities in contacting their Members of Parliament and Assembly Members over the years, this meeting signals a new era in the recognition of the Faith in Wales. The Council also received an invitation for a representative to attend the induction and installation of the Right Reverend Dr Barry C Morgan as Bishop of Llandaff in September.

After an inspiring training session which Steve and Aaron Wagg attended at the Ernest Miller Centre, Liverpool, Steve is facilitating a training circle in Gwynedd. Recognising their value in developing both a nourishing level of loving consolidation within the community and the potential for expansion, members of the council are planning to join with others at the Welsh facilitator training day, also being held at the Ernest Miller Centre.

Caerphilly community reported a significant move forward in their external affairs when representatives from Caerphilly County Borough Council, Gwent Police, and directors of many influential bodies in the area took part in the launch of the Multi-Agency Forum on Racial Harassment on 22nd June. The Spiritual Assembly of Caerphilly was the only religious organisation represented in this important cause in the town. The Charter was officially signed by the representative of Spiritual Assembly of Caerphilly, Rita Bartlett, and a group photo was taken for local media. The aim of the charter is to make Caerphilly County Borough a safe place where racial harassment is challenged, and effectively dealt with.

The Solhjoo family, Kamyar, Meena and Ali, has accepted the appointment of Archivists to the Bahá’í Council for Wales. They will be responsible for keeping photos and press cuttings, for identifying the events and people concerned and storing the items in a suitable way. Occasionally photos may be needed for exhibition purposes but in the long term this will be invaluable to historians who will want to write about the early days of the Faith in Wales. If you have any photographic or news cuttings contributions or have information on Bahá’í history in your area please contact Kamyar, Tel: 01222 881312.

In collaboration with the Councillor, Training Institute and Auxiliary Board Members the Council for Wales has set the Welsh community goals for the last six months of the Four Year Plan. These goals were announced at the 3rd Welsh Annual Regional Gathering on 3rd October.

The first goal is that all communities throughout Wales put aside the last Sunday in every month starting in November, for training institute courses - these could include study circles, facilitator training and attendance at the various training institute courses.

The second goal is to open the districts of Merthyr and Wrexham by Ridván so the Council can write to the Universal House of Justice at Ridván stating that every district in Wales is open to the Faith.

The third goal is to initiate two regional teaching projects with the aim of doubling the numbers of youth between the ages of 14 - 25 in those regions.

Whilst these projects are aimed at increasing the numbers of youth, all members of the community are asked to participate. The first regions to embark on a teaching project will be that of Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly. Friends are invited to attend the launch with the Council, Auxiliary Board members and Training Institute on 6th November, 6pm at Pinelands, The Narth, near Monmouth, NP5 4AG. (Tel: 01600 860413 for directions). The second regional teaching project will be launched early in January/February and cover the region of Ynys Mon, Gwynedd and Conwy.

The Bahá’í Council for Wales is confident that the friends will arise to fulfil these goals.

Loving Bahá’í greetings Council for Wales