Tenth International Bahá’í Convention

In a global procession, ballots are cast for the Universal House of Justice 29 April 2008

For nearly three hours, delegates to the 10th International Bahá’í Convention filed decorously, one by one, onto a majestically adorned stage, each dropping a ballot into a simple wooden box.

Baha’i World News Service

Related news coverage

• http://news.bahai.org/2008convention/
• http://news.bahai.org/2008convention/photographs/

We watch and wait for the results. Here is some of the Internet coverage about this election.-gw

The Electoral Process Can Be Dignified * a different story about elections! * Today was the election of the Universal House of Justice * Baha’i elections take it to the top * Canadian Baha’is to participate in Baha’i International Convention * Ridván, Convention, and a lot of pictures *  International Convention is under way * Delegates Arrive for International Baha’i Convention * Mum goes to the 10th Baha’i International Convention * International Convention 2008 Day 1 – 24 April 2008 *  Hope For Democracy *

It’s been a year since Gerald, RuhiWarrior19, of  Seventy and Two: Musings on Meaning, became a Baha’i. Congratulations on your first anniversary, Gerald! This was one of several posts I did about him back then. -gw

Gerald has emailed me of the recent steps he has taken to get in touch with local Baha’is in Idaho. -gw

I have found some numbers for Baha’is in my area, there are 19! … I called just today and left a message asking about stuff. They do have study circles and I will most definitely take advantage of that. I have just been stunned by the tremendous openness of the Baha’is I have contacted, it just refreshes me to see how strongly the Baha’is conform to the faith in terms of openly spreading and teaching and welcoming new members. I feel like I could already declare, and am literally holding myself back until I get a better understanding of scripture and the teaching of Baha’ullah (though some of the words of Abdu’l Baha seem to touch me very personal, ever issue I wonder about, or thought on religion I have had in the past is addressed in his works in a very accessible manner. While the teachings of Baha’u'llah obviously are the words of the Baha’i Faith and far more important, the words of Abdu’l Baha are indispensable for a newcomer.)

Gerald, “I have found some numbers…,” email, 4/11/07

ohoh2golly, my friend on flickr and in life, has a simply marvelous series of 39 photos conveying in vivid black and white the quiet intensity of focus with which Baha’i approach the electoral process. The photos are of the 1971 District Convention in Seattle, Washington, at which the delegates were to be elected who would go in the Spring of 1972 to the Baha’i National Convention in Wilmette, Illinois, to vote for the membership of the National Spiritual Assembly.  It is the membership of National Spiritual Assemblies from around the world who in turn vote for the Universal House of Justice every five years, as they are  doing almost at this present moment,

Ya Bahá’u'l Abha. 

-gw 

I was there.

.

Jamie Frank’s flickr set: ‘71 Seattle Baha’i district convention

.

.

.

The Universal House of Justice was last elected in 2003. But the International Convention had to be cancelled that year. Remember why? 

 The U.S. invasion of Iraq in March-April of that year. -gw

I am sooooo excited to have the priviledge of getting to volunteer at an International Convention. Basically, all the delegates from every National Spiritual Assembly across the globe will start arriving in Haifa in approximately three days or so in order to vote for the next members of the Universal House of Justice. It only occurs once every five years, and the last one had to be cancelled due to the outbreak of war this time five years ago, so this is actually the first convention being held in ten years. Wow. And I get to be here when it happens. Double wow.

http://adventuresofshireen.blogspot.com/2008/04/preparation-and-anticipation.html

{Photo: “Republican Palace, Baghdad,” Uploaded on December 10, 2007 by James Gordon on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic}

The Guardian said that the Universal House of Justice “must be regarded as the apex of the Baha’i Administrative Order,” (God Passes By, 332). But it is more than just the leadership of a world religion. It presents something new under the sun, a model for purified polity unheard of in the history of the world. Because of our small numbers, the press does not give the Baha’i Faith or the House of Justice the same attention that it gives the Dalai Lama or the Pope. But that will surely change.

http://badiblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/p39uhj.html

I love John’s post regarding the election of the Universal House of Justice. -gw

Certain it is that these almost sixteen-hundred electors are not embroiled in calculating tactics, in manipulation, juggling names or complex power plays. Only silent prayer and reflection. Pomp, display, even oblique mention of personalities — gossip is a sin at the worst of times for Baha’is — is, whatever the subject of their deliberations, far from the tongues of the participants at that convention.

http://badiblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/p39uhj.html

{Photo: There is no clergy in the Bahá’í Faith. Bahá’ís elect their leadership by secret ballot, in a distinctive system without campaigning or nominations. Shown here are delegates from around the world voting in 1998 to elect the Universal House of Justice, the Bahá’í Faith’s supreme governing council. - Baha’i Media Bank

The Bahá’í World Centre:Through the force of historical circumstances, the two holiest places in the Bahá’í world and its international administrative center were fixed in the Acre/Haifa region of what is now Israel. - http://www.bahai.org/

Have you seen the new look of http://www.bahai.org/, the website of the International Baha’i Community? According to a guy who should know, the website employs the use of breadcrumbs. Jon is a web development, technology and media guy. -gw

What I find of particular interest is the use of breadcrumbs before any sort of title at the top and the right-hand navigation tool. I really like how the breadcrumbs are the first thing in the top left. The menu works beautifully since it’s adaptable to their other pages as well.

http://jon.lebensold.ca/creative-stuff/website-for-the-bahai-international-community-updated

So I looked up breadcrumbs. -gw

Breadcrumb navigation shows the user’s path to their current location.

http://www.webdesignpractices.com/navigation/breadcrumb.html

What’s it like to visit the Baha’i House of Worship? If this story is any indication, you will be warmly welcomed. -gw

I had Yet Another Wonderful Chicago adventure this past weekend. Me and Duke were just open to where the road took us, and after a set of serendipitous circumstances, the road took us the the Baha’i center!

I was excited to take pictures again, and I even let Duke play with my 35mm. We finally stopped admiring the outside and ventured inside. The inside would have been alarming barren, were it not for a Beautiful Person.

We briefly looked around solo until I spotted a 60-something year old pleasantly plump blonde. She wore a nametag sporting the moniker, “Maya”.

I asked Maya, “I’m sorry, but what is Baha’i?”

She responded in a wonderfully thick (Ukrainian) accent, “this is our place of worship.”

“But what is it that you worship?” I implored.

She generously offered a “brief tour”, which some other enquirers jumped at. While Maya showed a Growing Group of inquisitors the center, I felt that she focused mainly at me. I will admit that I was gazing at her, rather captivated. I just could not get over her charming accent and charisma! She emanated a very accepting and loving vibe.

The “brief tour” ended up being a Fairly Long Tour, but at the end of it when the Vast Majority dispersed, she put her arm around me and said, “You know? You are just so beautiful! I’m so glad you are here and smiling.”

http://superbee.livejournal.com/293485.html

[Re-posted with permission]

{Photo: Uploaded on December 30, 2007 by Taekwonweirdo on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic}

It had generally been expected theat the Universal House of Justice would be established immediately after the death of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. The believers rightly supposed that his Will and Testament would include precise instructions as to how this institution was to be elected. In the event, however, these instructions were set out only as principles and there was no prescribed time-scale. It was therefore the responsibility of the Guardian to determine the appropriate time for the establishment of the Universal House of Justice.

+

In Shoghi Effendi’s opinion, two essential conditions should, if possible, be fulfilled prior to the election of the Universal House of Justice. The first of these was that the Baha’i community — and hence the National Spiritual Assemblies from whom the members of the Universal House of Justice were to be elected — should become multinational in character, at least to a certain extent. The second was that the local and national institutions should be consolidated, and that they should have effectively taken over the functions assigned to them. The development and strengthening of these foundations were to be a major focus of Shoghi Effendi’s work.

+

Nevertheless, some influential Iranian believers insisted on the immediate election of the Universal House of Justice and turned against Shoghi Effendi when he did not comply with their demands. In all these cases, the authenticity of the Wiull and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha remained undisputed. The personal integrity of those who had served as witnesses to its first reading was well known and above suspicion, ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s handwriting and style were familiar from innumerable letters. Opposition to Shoghi Effendi developed in spite of and contrary to the terms of the testament. It was not the authenticity of the Will and Testament that was challenged; the question raised by the small number of opponents was rather whether ‘Abdu’l-Baha was authorized to draw up such a ruling, or at least whether his choice had been wise.

+

The personal opposition which came partly from within his own family, overshadowed the early years of the Guardianship. The development of the structures of the community, however, continued unabated, irrespective of this opposition. Despite the prominence of certain opponents, the loyalty of the community was not affected.

Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo register on 26 April for the International Baha’i Convention in Haifa, Israel. (BWNS)

 

 

A convention participant pauses at the entrance to the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel.