- 1956-04-00 — Shoghi Effendi announced the extension to Egyptian Bahá'í women of the right to be elected to the National Spiritual Assembly and to participate in the national convention. [MBW96–7]
- 1956-05-02 — After the annual reports were received from the 12 National Conventions Shoghi Effendi compiled a list of achievements made up to and including the two years since the start of the Ten Year Crusade. [MBW p76-86]
There were now 3,700 localities opened to the Faith over the surface of the entire planet
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237 Sovereign States and Chief Dependencies where the Bahá'í Faith was present
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900 Local Spiritual Assemblies
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All the countries listed as pioneering goals were now opened to the Faith except for those in the Soviet Union
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Over 70 islands in the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Indian Oceans, were opened except for 6, bringing the total to 98 islands worldwide
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40 territories were opened to the Faith in the Pacific, with 170 Bahá'í localities
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Bahá'í literature was now translated into 190 languages including 34 not included in the original plan
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In over 60 territories, the number of those who have become Bahá'ís has surpassed the number originally anticipated
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In a considerable proportion of these territories, Bahá'í membership has far exceeded the number required for the formation of local Assemblies, such as Gambia, for example, with 300 Bahá'ís
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There were 3,000 Bahá'ís in Africa
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58 territories and islands were opened in Africa, with 400 Bahá'í localities
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140 African tribes were now represented in the Bahá'í community
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120 Local Spiritual Assemblies in Africa were functioning
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Bahá'í literature was now published in 50 African languages
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There were 43 National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds—National Bahá'í Centres
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168 incorporated Local and National Spiritual Assemblies
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Land for 10 Temple Sites was acquired
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The value of National Bahá'í endowments in 51 countries exceeded $100,000—$1.1 million in today’s currency—and now included the Maxwell Home in Montreal
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The design for the House of Worship in Iran was approved
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Plans for three additional Houses of Worship in Europe, Africa, and Australia had begun
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In the Holy Land, the Covenant-breakers suffered defeat after defeat and Mírzá Majdi’d-Dín, the last survivor of the original Covenant-breakers from the time of 'Abdu'l-Bahá finally died
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In more positive news, 52 pillars of the International Bahá'í Archives had been raised and 450 tons of stone safely arrived in Haifa
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The contract was signed with the same factory in Utrecht who provided the golden tiles of the Shrine of the Báb for the green tiles of the Archives building
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The Monument Gardens were extended
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Several properties were acquired in Bahjí and on Mount Carmel
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The Temple Land on Mount Carmel was in the process of being purchased
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In the United States the Bahá'ís were invited by the San Francisco Council of Churches to attend a prayer meeting for the United Nations
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At this inter-religious gathering, the voice of the Bahá'í representative was the first to be raised, reciting a prayer revealed by Bahá'u'lláh
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A prayer revealed by `Abdu'l-Bahá for America was presented by the elected national representatives of the United States Bahá'í Community to President Eisenhower, who acknowledged its receipt in warm terms and above his own signature.
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A Bahá'í Publishing Trust was established in India
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30 new centers and 15 assemblies were formed in India, Pakistan and Burma
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In Edirne, Bahá'ís were able to purchase sites blessed by the footsteps of Bahá'u'lláh
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The very first Bahá'í Summer School in Central Africa was held in Kobuka, Uganda, with 100 attendees
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The first All-France Teaching Conference was convened
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The Bahá'ís of Tripoli, Libya and the Capital of Tanganyika both identified plots to serve as future Bahá'í cemeteries
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In Iraq, the Bahá'ís purchased land for a Bahá'í Summer School in Iraq
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The women of Egypt were granted the right to be elected to the Egyptian National Spiritual Assembly and participate as delegates at National Convention
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In the Mentawai Islands, a plot of land was purchased supplementing the National Bahá'í Endowment of Indonesia
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The northernmost outpost of the Faith in Alaska was pushed beyond the Arctic Circle
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The Seychelles and the Sudan both initiated plans for the propagation of the Faith
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The worldwide Bahá'í communities appealed with over 1,000 messages to the United Nations after the massacres of the Bahá'ís in Iran in 1955, subjected to the severest persecutions in decades.
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The Bahá'ís also contacted the Sháh of Iran, Government, the Majlis and the Senate
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Publicity was given on radio, in the world’s leading newspapers, protests were voiced by scholars, statesmen, government envoys and people of eminence such as Pandit Nehru, Eleanor Roosevelt, Professor Gilbert Murray and Professor A. Toynbee
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A written memorandum listing the atrocities was submitted to the Secretary General of the United Nations, who appointed a commission of United Nations officers, headed by the High Commissioner for Refugees, instructing its members to contact the Persian Foreign Minister and urge him to obtain from his government in Tihrán a formal assurance that the rights of the Bahá'í minority in that land would be protected. [Utterance Project part 20] - 1985-03-21 — "The equality of men and women is not, at the present time, universally applied. In those areas where traditional inequality still hampers its progress we must take the lead in practicing this Bahá’í principle. Bahá’í women and girls must be encouraged to take part in the social, spiritual and administrative activities of their communities." [Ridván 1984]
This chart from the Department of Statistics at the Bahá'í World Centre shows the participation of women in Bahá'í institutions, the Continental Board of Councillors, the Auxiliary Board and National Spiritual Assemblies from 1953 to 1985.
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