Rivn 2010 Annual Report

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahs of the United States early loved Co-workers, Last Rivn, the Universal House of Justice assessed in remarkable terms the progress that had been made in the current Five Year Plan. A mere three years ago, wrote the Supreme Institution, we set before the Bah world the challenge of exploiting the framework for action that had emerged with such clarity at the conclusion of the last global Plan. But no one could have imagined then how profoundly the Lord of Hosts, in His inscrutable wisdom, intended to transform His community in so short a span of time. Regarding the celebrations held at the Plans midpoint in 41 cities around the globe, the House of Justice noted the coherence and energy of the worldwide community of the followers of the Blessed Beauty, and the extraordinary contrast it provided to the bewilderment and confusion of a world caught in a spiral of crisis. This, indeed, the House of Justice continued, was the community of the blissful to which the Guardian had referred. This was a community aware of the vast potentialities with which it has been endowed and conscious of the role it is destined to play in rebuilding a broken world. This was a community in the ascendant, subject to severe repression in one part of the globe, yet rising up undeterred and undismayed as a united whole and strengthening its capacity to achieve Bahullhs purpose to liberate humankind from the yoke of the most grievous oppression. Anticipating that the number of intensive programs of growth around the world would surpass the 1,000 mark during that Rivn period, the message closed in a spirit of thanksgiving for the Almightys unbounded generosity to the community of the Greatest Name. In the year since then, the signs of Bahullhs confirmations and bounties have increased to an astonishing degree. At this writing, there is high

here is high confidence that by the end of the coming Rivn season the worldwide goal of 1,500 intensive programs of growth will have been achieved. The American Bah communitys contribution toward that goalto establish a minimum of 233 intensive programs of growthwill also have been accomplished.

confidence that by the end of the coming Rivn season the worldwide goal of 1,500 intensive programs of growth will have been achieved. The American Bah communitys contribution toward that goalto establish a minimum of 233 intensive programs of growthwill also have been accomplished. This will allow us to focus the final year of the Plan on increasing that number by some measure, but, more importantly, it will enable us to strengthen existing programs as together we increase our capacity for sustained growth. Such a monumental, worldwide triumph doubtless inspires in the heart of every sincere follower of Bahullh feelings of profound gratitude and a fresh resolve to add still greater victories to those already achieved.

Building capacity for growth

Intensive programs of growth are now under way in every region of the country. In each of the clusters where they exist, the friends have established continuous cycles of activity in which expansion and consolidation efforts are complemented by regular opportunities for reflection and learning. In these clusters, as well as in those that have yet to establish intensive programs of growth, the institute process acts as the driving force for progress, as human resources are repeatedly developed and deployed into the field of service. Much was learned in the first four years of the Plan about advancing clusters to the point where they could launch intensive programs of growth. Such strategies as effective use of tutors; deployment of experienced resource persons, many of them as homefront pioneers; systematic proliferation of core activities; and the regular diffusion of knowledge and insights gained in the field of action will be of continuing value as we learn how to achieve more sustainable growth in the years to come. In addition, the most successful programs have learned the importance of the neighborhood approach to growth. With the institute process as the foundation, believers are learning how the core activities can be established to serve the same population in a given area. The chief sites for this learning up to now have been specially designated target neighborhoods inhabited by populations known from experience to be receptive to the Cause. While such efforts will continue, the friends are increasingly coming to understand that the potential to establish sustainable patterns of growth exists wherever they reside, and that the skills they have learned in target neighborhoods can easily be translated into action among their own friends and neighbors. The reports from the Regional Bah Councils contained in this Annual Report describe in greater detail all of the pertinent trends of the past year, from which the implications for the final year of the Plan can easily be seen. We are particularly gratified by the organized efforts that were undertaken in every region to encour-

hile efforts in specially designated target neighborhoods will continue, the friends are increasingly coming to understand that the potential to establish sustainable patterns of growth exists wherever they reside.

he proportion of new believers entering the institute process and taking part in various associated services improved, with about half of the friends who enrolled within the past 18 months actively involved.

age the participation of youth. In many instances, youths were instrumental in providing the energy and talents that made the winning of the major goal of the Plan possible. Their future services will surely be one of the keys to achieving sustained growth in every cluster. In addition, we note with great pleasure the proliferation of neighborhood childrens classes, the rapid emergence of programs for the spiritual empowerment of junior youth, and increasing patterns of support and assistance on the part of Local Spiritual Assemblies. These activities are among the hallmarks of clusters where the friends are, in an atmosphere of loving encouragement and institutional support, beginning to master the skills associated with the systematic development of human resources. The total number of new believers enrolled for the year ending at Rivn 2010 is projected to be about 2,000 adults and youths, and 1,000 junior youths and children. While not as high as last years figures, they are nonetheless much higher than any year of the previous decade. There are clear reasons for a downturn we expect to be temporary. First, most of the energies of the past year were devoted to establishing intensive programs of growth in clusters in which a small number of human resources were available in the existing Bah communities. The effort required the services of tutors and other experienced individuals from more advanced clusters, which naturally had an impact on expansion. Second, and more important, was the focus on consolidation adopted in many clusters, in which the friends deliberately set their sights on learning how to nurture and accompany those who had entered the Faith in recent months. These clusters tended to set more modest expansion goals, concentrating their energies on assisting the newest members of the community to quickly mature into active servants of the Cause. As a result of this focus, the proportion of new believers entering the institute process and taking part in various associated services improved, with about half of the friends who enrolled within the past 18 months actively involved. One outstanding success has been the emergence in a few clusters of new believers who, having completed the full sequence of Ruhi courses, are now engaged in service in the very neighborhoods where they were first taught. We recently received news of a four-person teaching team in one such cluster, composed entirely of believers who had themselves enrolled in a target neighborhood within the past few years. Because it portends extremely well for achieving sustainable growth, another development well worth mentioning is the rise in the past year of the number of people in our community of interestpeople not enrolled as believers but who are taking part in one or more core activities. In many instances, their participation signifies far more than mere attendance and amounts to active involvement. In one cluster, for example, about a dozen youths who are not enrolled Bahs are working with believers as leaders of junior youth spiritual

empowerment programs. This trend can be discerned in more and more clusters and with all the core activities. This reduces distinctions between members and non-members that can often impede the spiritual transformation that results from all peoples direct interaction with the Word of God. Although some intensive programs of growth are showing a steady enrollment rate over numerous cyclesand much is being learned from themwe now need to achieve both sustainability and higher rates of growth nationwide. The primary focus of the final year of the Plan will be to advance our understanding of sustained growth in preparation for the new Plan to be launched at Rivn 2011. This will be accomplished through continued efforts to strengthen the institute process. In particular, we hope to see the emergence of strong patterns of activity in neighborhood settings, where the institute process can attend to the needs of all generations, and where more and more people who receive training can effectively serve among their friends, relatives, and associates. An essential factor in achieving a successful pattern of sustainable growth will be the quality of our learning process, especially at the grassroots level. We will best be able to gain from our experiences in the field of action when we masterfully and with regularitythe practice of reflection and learning described in the guidance of the Universal House of Justice. Just as important to our success will be the enthusiastic involvement of all believers, young and old, new and veteran, in the framework for action encompassed by the institute process, coupled with a profound appreciation of its spirit and purpose. We are reminded of the Supreme Institutions words to the believers of the world, in a letter dated October 20, 2008: Let them not underestimate the power inherent in the system they are putting in place for the propagation of His Faith, nor mistake the true purpose of the global enterprise on which they have embarked. Let them not deviate from the path of learning on which they are set, nor be distracted by the ephemeral pursuits of a bewildered society. Let them not fail to appreciate the value of the culture now taken root in the community that promotes the systematic study of the Creative Word in small groups in order to build capacity for service. Let them never forget the imperative to tend to the needs of the children of the world and offer them lessons that develop their spiritual faculties and lay the foundations of a noble and upright character. Let them come to realize the full significance of their efforts to help young people form a strong moral identity in their early adolescent years and empower them to contribute to the well-being of their communities. And let them rejoice at having learned through consistent, systematic action how to establish a rhythm of growth that pays due attention to the essential elements of expansion, consolidation, reflection and planning.

mportant to our success will be the enthusiastic involvement of all believers, young and old, new and veteran, in the framework for action encompassed by the institute process, coupled with a profound appreciation of its spirit and purpose.

Toward a closer integration of efforts

he House of Justice has held a series of consultations with selected groups of believers aimed at a coherent integration of expansion and consolidation activities with emerging opportunities at the grass roots for engaging in social action and advancing public discourse.

In previous annual reports we have chronicled a number of administrative changes made in response to the needs of the Plan. As you know, the current Plan has seen a widespread proliferation of administrative bodies, including area teaching committees, at the level of the clusters, and the strengthening of the institute presence in the form of cluster coordinators and coordinators for specialized tasks, such as childrens classes. A number of steps have been taken at the regional level to strengthen both the Regional Bah Councils and Regional Training Institutes. We have also described a variety of adjustments at the national level, the purpose of which, along with those at the cluster and regional levels, is to respond to and to facilitate a steady process of capacity building and learning throughout the community. In one of the concluding paragraphs of its Rivn 2008 message, the Universal House of Justice reminded us of the two calls extolled by Abdul-Bah to success and prosperity that can be heard from the heights of the happiness of mankind: One is the call of civilization, of progress of the material world. It comprises the laws, regulations, arts and sciences through which humanity develops. The other is the soul-stirring call of God, on which depends the eternal happiness of humanity. This second call, the Master has explained, is founded upon the instructions and exhortations of the Lord and the admonitions and altruistic emotions belonging to the realm of morality which, like unto a brilliant light, brighten and illumine the lamp of the realities of mankind. Its penetrative power is the Word of God. The Supreme Institution then made the following statement, anticipating new arenas of learning for the worldwide Bah community: As you continue to labour in your clusters, you will be drawn further and further into the life of the society around you and will be challenged to extend the process of systematic learning in which you are engaged to encompass a growing range of human endeavours. In the approaches you take, the methods you adopt, and the instruments you employ, you will need to achieve the same degree of coherence that characterizes the pattern of growth presently under way. In the two years since this message was released, the House of Justice has held a series of consultations with selected groups of believers aimed at a coherent integration of expansion and consolidation activities with emerging opportunities at the grass roots for engaging in social action and advancing public discourse. Members of this National Spiritual Assembly had the privilege of attending several of these consultations at the Bah World Center and in the United States,

all of them facilitated by members of the House of Justice. We were particularly asked to contemplate what administrative adjustments might be required to achieve such coherence. As a result of these consultations and subsequent correspondence with the Supreme Institution, the Assembly took a few first steps in that direction, including the creation of two new desks under its Secretariat: one for learning about social action, the other for learning about public discourse. The two desks will function in a manner similar to the Junior Youth Desk established nearly a year ago. The purpose of that desk is not to oversee the activities of junior youth coordinators and animators; rather, it is to facilitate learning on the part of those involved in this servicethrough a variety of activitieswhile leaving the responsibility for administration in the hands of the Regional Training Institutes. The desks for social action and public discourse will begin by exploring the range of relevant activities currently under way, and, in consultation with believers in various clusters, will determine what opportunities for effective engagement are emerging. As experience begins to accumulate, the desks will increasingly assume responsibility for the transfer of learning and skills across various regions of the country. In the coming years, we hope to learn a great deal about how to further the public discourse on such vital issues as race unity, the advancement of women, the moral development of young people, and the environmentalong with many others that will naturally emerge as the result of growth at the cluster leveland to engage in meaningful social action. All will complement the framework for growth that is now well established. In conjunction with these developments, we are pleased to share the news that the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity (ISGP)a program administered from the Bah World Center to build capacity in young people for engaging in public discoursewill offer its first undergraduate seminar in the United States this coming summer, at the Green Acre Bah School. Although the first ses-

he purpose of the Junior Youth Desk is not to oversee the activities of junior youth coordinators and animators; rather, it is to facilitate learning on the part of those involved in this service while leaving the responsibility for administration in the hands of the Regional Training Institutes.

he new external affairs structure will consist of two departments: an Office of Communications at the Bah National Center in Evanston; and the current External Affairs offices in Washington, D.C., and at the United Nations.

sion will be limited to a relatively few students, it will be followed in the future by seminars in other locations. The National Spiritual Assembly has also recently taken steps to reorganize its external affairs operations. The new external affairs structure will consist of two departments: an Office of Communications at the Bah National Center in Evanston; and the current External Affairs offices in Washington, D.C., and at the United Nations. The two offices will operate in close collaboration, under the oversight of the Secretary-General. The Washington, D.C., and UN offices will continue to perform essentially the same functions, as detailed in the External Affairs section of this Annual Report. The Office of Communications will focus on such matters as the development of the Bah presence on the Internet, working in collaboration with the Office of Public Information in Haifa; the development of effective relations with the media; and consolidation of The American Bah, the U.S. Bah Newsreel, and the National Assemblys Administrative Websitecompleting a process that has already been under way for more than a year. While it is true that some information can and should only be communicated to Bah audiences, it is likewise true that much of what is created for the believers is also meaningful for others. Because there has increasingly been a conscious effort on the part of the creators of all these media to make information easily understandable even to those with very little knowledge of the Faith, much of what is being produced can be used with little or no adaptation. This is especially true for the Newsreel, which has become a popular teaching tool. A consolidated approach will allow us to preserve the necessary distinctions between audiences while providing for a more effective sharing of resources. Although the development of relations with Persian-language media is being pursued as a function separate from those under the aegis of the Office of Communications (see pages 4950 in this Report), we consider it part of our overall external affairs effort. Regular communication and collaboration with the Evanston and Washington, D.C., offices will therefore take place, as appropriate.

Remaining priorities
At this writing, an exceptional effort will be required to fulfill the Five Year Plan goal assigned to us by the Universal House of Justice for the placement of international Bah pioneers. Out of a total goal of 1,300, 843 believers have undertaken this vital service. The pace must greatly accelerate if we are to live up to the legacy of boldness and heroism in this arena established by our community in previous Plans. Restoration work on the Bah House of Worship in Wilmette continues apace and is scheduled for completion by early summer 2011. During the past year, the National Spiritual Assembly decided to make modifications to the design of the new Visitors Center that, while detracting in no way from its functionality, are expected to result in a facility less expensive to build and maintain. Work on the Visitors Center will commence as soon as the Temple restoration is complete; estimates are that it will take under two years. A number of believers have asked what plans are under way to observe the 2012 centenary of Abdul-Bahs sojourn in North America. We have recently received guidance from the Universal House of Justice on this matter and have established a task force to develop plans. More information will be shared with the community as soon as practicable.

n exceptional effort will be required to fulfill the Five Year Plan goal assigned to us by the Universal House of Justice for the placement of international Bah pioneers.

Funds
Unexpected news thrilled the delegates at Bah National Convention. The U.S. believers had risen to the challenge of the hour and had meteven surpassedthe $25 million National Bah Fund goal, in spite of the prevailing economic conditions. Motivating the individual gifts of love that made this achievement possible was an overwhelmingly positive spirit, testifying to the confidence of a stalwart Bah community determined to demonstrate its resilience in the face of immense difficulties. A special consultation on the future of the National Fund was conducted during the Convention and an earnest request made that the National Assembly increase its expectation of financial resources necessary to administer the Cause. A plan is now under development to achieve that objective and it will soon be shared with the community.

Conclusion
Beloved friends, we are all well aware that there are many miles yet to be traversed on the pathway toward entry by troops. Challenges abound and much remains to be learned. Our struggles do not diminish our successeson the contrary, we have earned the challenges of today by virtue of yesterdays triumphs. It is because of the firm and enduring foundation that has been built through the friends assiduous and sacrificial labors in Plan after Plan that we now have the privilege to address the needs of the moment. Let us do so in a spirit of loving encouragement, true consultation, unity of purpose, and prayerful and confident reliance on the guidance and confirmations of the Blessed Beauty.

e take inspiration and example from our beleaguered but unbowed sisters and brothers in the Cradle of the Faith, whose steadfastness in the face of severe persecution is proof enough of the power of this mighty Revelation.

We take inspiration and example from our beleaguered but unbowed sisters and brothers in the Cradle of the Faith, whose steadfastness in the face of severe persecution is proof enough of the power of this mighty Revelation. We have no doubt that their deeds have provided much of the spiritual impetus that has propelled the achievements of the entire Bah world. We are reminded of our formidable responsibilities as the spiritual descendants of the Dawn-Breakers to rise to the same heights of devotion and self-sacrifice. We are moved to express our particular and profound gratitude to the five members of the Continental Board of Counselors residing in the United States and to their Auxiliaries. Their tireless services, constant warm encouragement, and unswerving commitment to the vision of the Supreme Institution have made a decisive contribution to the winning of the principal goal of this Plan. In addition, we thank each of the six Regional Bah Councils and all of the Regional Training Institutes, who have contributed their own distinct and

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invaluable share to the American Bah communitys successes in this Plan through their dedicated and energetic efforts. Lastly, we are moved to express the boundless admiration and love that fills our hearts whenever we pause to observe the steadily growing capacity, confidence, and consecration evident among you, the believers of this nation, and contemplate the triumphs that this blessed community is bound to achieve in the year to come. As we serve and accompany one another in service, let us turn for guidance once more to the Universal House of Justices letter of October 20, 2008: It is with these thoughts in mind that we turn our hearts in frequent prayer to Bahullh and beseech Him to strengthen His followers through His unfailing grace. In such moments, we implore Him to illumine their souls with the light of knowledge and faith. May they one and all be endowed with constancy and fidelity and be granted the courage to make whatever sacrifices are needed to ensure the resounding success of the Plan. By the rectitude of their conduct, the sincerity of their love for their fellow human beings, and the ardour of their desire to serve the peoples of the world, may they vindicate the truth proclaimed by Bahullh that humanity is one. May they be diligent in their efforts to establish ties of friendship that show no regard for prevalent social barriers and ceaselessly endeavour to bind hearts together in the love of God. That they may recognize the profound implications of their mission is our fervent hope. That they may not falter in accomplishing their ambitious goals, no matter how severe the crises engulfing the world around them, is our most heartfelt prayer at the Sacred Threshold. To those of the Supreme Body, we join our own unceasing prayers that each and every one of you may be strengthened by abundant aid from on high in your efforts to achieve the goals of this Plan, as we press on to its victorious conclusion. With loving Bah greetings, NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHS OF THE UNITED STATES

e are moved to express the boundless admiration and love that fills our hearts whenever we pause to observe the steadily growing capacity, confidence, and consecration evident among you, the believers of this nation, and contemplate the triumphs that this blessed community is bound to achieve in the year to come.

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Regional Bah Council of the Central States

Throughout 200910, the fourth and penultimate year of the Five Year Plan, the Regional Bah Council of the Central States remained strongly encouraged by developments in the Central States. Instrumental in the progress being seen have been the schemes of coordination given to the Bah world by the Universal House of Justice, coupled with the guidance and support of the Continental Board of Counselors and National Spiritual Assembly. The Council is pleased to report the experiences and learning that follow. Central States RTI The newly appointed Central States Regional Training Institute (RTI) Boardconsisting of four Regional Institute Coordinators and one Auxiliary Board member has worked closely with Counselor Alison Milston to develop an understanding of the work needed to strengthen the institute training process in the Central States clusters. The Council met with the RTI Board in joint session to study guidance and learn the concrete steps the Regional Institute Coordinators are taking in their sub-regions to bring about an increased movement of believers through the entire sequence of courses in the Ruhi curriculum. The Coordinators have been more focused in their accompaniment of Cluster Institute Coordinators and in the tutor trainings designed to ensure that tutors are purposefully weaving the service component of each Ruhi course into the conduct of each study circle. The RTI Board is pursuing the goal of engaging 10 individuals from the community of interest in each of the Central States priority clusters in study circles by October 2010for a total of 350. During 200910, the largest gains in human resources throughout the region were among those that had completed Ruhi Books 57 (see tables, p. 15). Expansion and consolidation Since Rivn 2009, eight clustersCedar Rapids (IA-14), Rockford (IL-01), Des Plaines (IL-18), Grand Rapids (MI-09), Cincinnati (OH-05), Dayton (OH-06), Appleton (WI-16), and Milwaukee (WI-22)have launched intensive programs of growth (IPGs). An additional threeWaukegan (IL-02), Champaign-Urbana (IL-11), and North Hennepin County (MN-34)are similarly expected to launch IPGs before Rivn 2010. The Central States were originally to have raised 33 clusters to the A stage of developmentenabling them to launch an IPGby the close of the Five Year Plan; with 35 IPGs in place by Rivn 2010, the region will have not only met but surpassed that goal a full year before the Plans conclusion. The year thus far has seen the largest increase in the number of friends engaging in teaching activitiesan increase of some 34 percent. The number of seekers engaged in core activities at the end of IPG expansion cycles has also increased to a record high of 788, representing a 15 percent increase. Although the number of youth and adults enrolled from May through January has dropped by eight percent from last year, the Council expects to see this number increase again next year.

Regional Bah Councils

13 ...Regional Bah Council of the Central States 16 ...Regional Bah Council of the Northeastern States 20 ...Regional Bah Council of the Northwestern States 24 ...Regional Bah Council of the South Central States 29 ...Regional Bah Council of the Southeastern States 32 ...Regional Bah Council of the Southwestern States

he Regional Institute Coordinators have been more focused in their accompaniment of Cluster Institute Coordinators and in the tutor trainings designed to ensure that tutors are purposefully weaving the service component of each Ruhi course into the conduct of each study circle.

Regional Bah Councils

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Homefront pioneers During 200910, some 15 homefront pioneers moved to eight different clusters, participating in core activities, serving on cluster agencies, and stimulating growth. Another four have pledged their support and will move to their posts as quickly as possible. Office of Cluster Advancement The position of Office of Cluster Advancement Director and Secretary-General were separated during 200910, with two Council members sharing responsibility for the development of the Office of Cluster Advancement. Office of Cluster Advancement representatives were appointed in January to serve at the four sub-regional levels of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska; Illinois; Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; and Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. These geographic areas of service correspond with those of the Regional Institute Coordinators, thus adding strength to the sub-regions. The Office of Cluster Advancement representatives will be working closely with Auxiliary Board members to support the Area Teaching Committees (ATCs). Although this decentralized scheme of coordination is new in the Central States, the Council is already receiving positive comments from the clusters and from Auxiliary Board members alike. Learning site Chicago (IL-16) has become the first learning site for the Central States. After careful planning, and with guidance from Miss Milston, the site invited the core teams from Illinois goal clusters yet to launch an intensive program of growth for a weekend visit. One participant shared the following insights: I felt that the facilitators provided a renewed vision of our purpose as ATC members to offer guidance and support for [Local Spiritual Assemblies] and individuals; to gather information from our clusters community activities and teaching efforts; and to

he year thus far has seen the largest increase in the number of friends engaging in teaching activitiesan increase of some 34 percent. The number of seekers engaged in core activities at the end of IPG expansion cycles has also seen a 15 percent increase.

Stages of advancement in the Central Region as of 3/30/2010

A-stage clusters IA-07 (Ames/Des Moines, IA) IA-14 (Cedar Rapids, IA) IL-01 (Rockford, IL) IL-03 (Aurora area, IL) IL-09 (Springfield, IL) IL-16 (Chicago, IL) IL-17 (Evanston area, IL) IL-18 (Des Plaines, IL) IL-20 (Wilmette area, IL) IN-01 (Indianapolis, IN) KS-13 (Wichita, KS) MI-09 (Grand Rapids, MI) MI-17 (Ann Arbor, MI) MI-11 (Central Lower Peninsula, MI) MI-18 (Oakland Co., MI) MI-28 (Wayne Co., MI) MN-27 (Minneapolis, MN) MN-28 (St. Paul/Ramsey Co., MN) MN-30 (E & SE Mpls/St. Paul area) MN-33 (Hennepin Co. S., MN) MO-01 (St. Louis Co., MO) MO-03 (Columbia, MO) MO-07 (Kansas City, MO/KS) NE-13 (Omaha, NE/IA) OH-01 (Cleveland area, OH) OH-03 (Columbus/Franklin Co., OH) OH-05 (Cincinnati, OH) OH-06 (Dayton, OH) WI-16 (Appleton, WI) WI-19 (Madison, WI) WI-21 (Waukesha Co., WI) WI-22 (Milwaukee Co., WI)

B-stage clusters IL-02 (Waukegan, IL) IL-11 (Champaign, IL) IN-03 (Elkhart, IN) MI-08 (Davison/Flint, MI) MN-02 (Lake of the Woods Co., MN) MN-34 (Hennepin Co. North, MN) WI-17 (Sheboygan, WI)

Rivn 2010

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Human resource development, 20072010

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Book 6 Book 7 January 1, 2007 2429 January 31, 2008 2635 January 31, 2009 2708 January 31, 2010 2709 Percent change, 20092010 0% 1684 1918 1989 2091 5% 1259 1462 1540 1624 5% 1092 1443 1565 1641 5% 118 158 221 282 22% 821 1097 1193 1316 22% 769 908 953 1103 14%

Engagement of human resources in the practices associated with Ruhi courses

2709 2091 1624 221 (8%) Book 1 153 (7%) Book 2 137 (8%) Book 3 282 (total) 35 (12%) Book 5

1316 791 (60%) Book 6

1103 279 (25%) Book 7

analyze and synthesize this information so as to inform the planning stages of our clusters cycles (as well as the constant planning/action/reflection throughout each cycle). Seeker Response System The number of seekers contacting the Seeker Response System (SRS) is consistently high. There was a gain of 11 percent in new seekers this year. Some 33 percent of all seekers in the SRS are from the 35 priority clusters. The number of online registrants who enrolled in the Central States region increased from 67 percent to 88 percent; the national average is 75 percent. Local Spiritual Assembly development The Council has, in the past year, worked to strengthen its relationship with Local Spiritual Assemblies through visits to the goal clustersto study the guidance with the Assemblies and core teams and consult about its application in each cluster. Local Spiritual Assemblies are developing and maintaining the coherent approach to growth needed to satisfy the spiritual needs of the larger community. The Assemblies, realizing the possibilities before them, are eagerly sharing which core activities individual Assembly members are participating inas well as reporting on the swelling activities taking place within their communities. These same Local Spiritual Assemblies are reordering their agendas to ensure that teaching always receives the highest priority.

he number of seekers contacting the Seeker Response System (SRS) is consistently high. The number of online registrants who enrolled in the Central States region increased from 67 percent to 88 percent; the national average is 75 percent.

Regional Bah Councils

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he Council is pleased to report a 50 percent rise in the regions community of interestfriends of the Faith who participate in the core activities as a result of increased outreach to a wider population.

Regional Bah Council of the Northeastern States

During 200910, the fourth year of the Five Year Plan, the Northeast saw steady gains in all measures over the previous years of the Plan. There were also challenges. Reflecting on qualitative and quantitative measures of activity and development, the Regional Bah Council observes that there is a level of commitment and focused action by believers in the region that is increasingly and firmly based on the Plans framework for action. Significant strengths The Council is pleased to report the following achievements for 200910: A 50 percent rise (about 1,650 projected for the current year compared to 1,100 at the start of the Plan) in the regions community of interestfriends of the Faith who participate in the core activitiesas a result of increased outreach to a wider population. Some 57 homefront pioneers have been settled in 18 clusters to engage in multiplying core activities and direct teaching. Some 80 adult/youth enrollments are projected this year through the Seeker Response System, representing 37 percent of our 215 total enrollments. Believers are completing institute courses in rising numberswith more engaging in a path of service based on their training. A larger number of friends are developing skills in direct teaching through participation in Ruhi Book 6 active refreshers, Renewing the Spirit of Teaching seminars, and learning-site experiences. The Councils collaboration with Counselors, Auxiliary Board members, the institutes regional coordinators, and the National Spiritual Assembly has ensured effective lines of action and timely implementation. Particular challenges Among the challenges facing the region are the following: Learning how to more effectively ask people to let us tell them about the fundamental verities of the Faith and inviting them to join us in building unified communities. Acquiring skill in the targeting of receptive populations, which has been difficult for the believers in some clusters. Stabilizing the membership of cluster agencies, so that people of capacity are able to accompany believers into action. Achieving consistency in the efforts of the core group of teachers of the Faith in each cluster.

Rivn 2010

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 Returning enrollments to previous levels in the nine clusters that showed a significant reduction this yeardespite the positive growth in seven clusters compared to previous years of the Plan. Encouraging all Bah families to register their children and junior youth as early in their lives as possible, as the number of children and junior youth registered declinedfrom 99 in the third year of the Plan to an estimated 70 this year. Strengthening the institute process The Northeast Training Institute Board of Directors is skillfully guiding the development of the institute training process in the region. Junior youth group animators are emerging throughout the region and learning to form neighborhood junior youth groups. Refresher courses are focusing participants on the practices associated with each of the Ruhi Institute courses and on finding a path of service. Human resources are being mobilized through the practice of accompaniment. The friends are increasingly learning to open neighborhood activities to all the inhabitants in their locality. Intensive programs of growth Seven years were neededleading up to Rivn 2009for the Northeast to develop 22 clusters with intensive programs of growth in place. This year, the region is expected to see a total of 11 more clusters advanced to the A stage of development, bringing to 33 the number of clusters engaged in intensive programs of growth. At least four more clusters are projected to reach that stage by Rivn

y the end of the Five Year Plan, 37 of the regions 48 clusterswhere 94 percent of the believers in the Northeast residewill each be engaged in an intensive program of growth.

Stages of advancement in the Northeast Region as of 3/30/2010

A-stage clusters 02 (Hartford/Tolland, CT) 06 (Lower ME/NH) 07 (Upper Maine) 08 (New Hampshire) 09 (Vermont) 11 (Boston area, MA) 14 (Franklin/Hampshire, MA) 15 (Hampden Co., MA) 16 (Northeast Massachusetts) 17 (S. Middlesex Co., MA) 21 (Central Jersey, NJ) 24 (Newark area, NJ) 27 (Albany area, NY) 28 (Buffalo area, NY) 30 (Long Island, NY) 31 (New York City, NY) 35 (Rochester area, NY) 36 (Syracuse area, NY) 37 (Westchester Co., NY) 38 (Allentown/Reading, PA) 41 (Harrisburg/Lancaster, PA) 42 (Philadelphia, PA) 43 (Philadelphia NW, PA) 44 (Philadelphia SW, PA) 45 (Pittsburgh area, PA)

B-stage clusters 01 (Fairfield Co., CT) 04 (New Haven Co., CT) 05 (New London area, CT) 12 (Bristol/Plymouth, MA) 18 (Worcester Co., MA) 19 (Rhode Island) 20 (Bergen/Passaic, NJ) 22 (Cherry Hill area, NJ) 23 (Jersey Shore, NJ) 32 (Newburgh area, NY)

C-stage clusters 34 (Poughkeepsie Area, NY) 39 (Altoona/State College, PA) 46 (Scranton Area, PA)

Regional Bah Councils

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ome 57 individuals have arisen to serve as homefront pioneers in the Northeast since the December 2008 Stamford Regional Conference.

2011. This means that by the end of the Five Year Plan, 37 of the regions 48 clusterswhere 94 percent of the believers in the Northeast residewill each be engaged in an intensive program of growth. Direct teaching The dramatic enrollment of 387 adults and youth achieved in the third year of the Plan was not sustained in this fourth year, in which 215 adult and youth enrollments have been projected. Nevertheless, this years enrollment figure will still be a significant improvement over the 97 in the first year of the Plan and 184 in the second. The Council attributes the decline in 200910 to challenges experienced as we learned how to consolidate communities that had enrolled relatively large numbers of new believers. Another factor was the refocusing of the regions institutions and agencies on assisting 11 less-advanced clusters to prepare to launch intensive programs of growth by Rivn 2010. The Council sees direct teaching in a variety of methods becoming increasingly understood, engaging the friends and forming a part of their individual and community lives. Seeker Response System Most of our growth comes from believers entering into closer association with people of many walks of life, engaging them in earnest conversation on themes of spiritual import. But seekers are also contacting us: As the year 200910 comes to a close, some 80 enrollments in the Northeast will have come from the 500 seekers who contacted us through the Seeker Response System. The number of seekers in the Northeast currently being managed by the Seeker Response System has grown fivefoldfrom 200 two years ago to over 1,000 today. Homefront pioneers Some 57 individuals have arisen to serve as homefront pioneers in the Northeast since the December 2008 Stamford Regional Conference. The pioneers have been placed in 18 clusters to help form the core of believers needed to establish the mutually reinforcing processes of teaching and training. The Council continues to encourage believers able to do so to undertake service as homefront pioneers, traveling teachers, and mobile tutors.

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Reorganization of the Regional Council The Regional Bah Council has reorganized itself to eliminate work groups and task forces seen as distractions from its primary focus. During 200910, the Council entered into a new kind of collaboration with the Training Institute Board of Directors and strengthened its Office of Cluster Advancement with the appointment of a full-time coordinator. To free up time for each of its members to personally serve in the nine remaining goal clusters during the three months leading up to Rivn 2010, the Council canceled its February and March in-person meetings. Local Spiritual Assemblies In clusters where a core group of believers is actively involved in the institute training process and engaged in direct teaching, the Council sees Bah institutions and agencies collaborating closely with Local Spiritual Assemblies. Members of the Regional Council continued to conduct workshops with individual Assemblies on Local Spiritual Assemblies and the Five Year Plan. Youth Youth in the Northeast region are increasingly focused on completing the entire sequence of Ruhi Institute courses and on choosing a path of service. They are becoming more active in serving in their clusters as teachers of childrens classes and facilitators of junior youth groups and in serving as tutors of study circles. Youths in the region also participated in summer teaching projects, such as Project Mrz Mihd; a college student weekend program sponsored and conducted by the Regional Council; and deepening courses, such as those provided at Green Acre Bah School, including the Badasht Academy, Pre-Badasht, and Turning 15. They learned about elements of the Five Year Plan at the Northeast Bah Youth (NEBY) conference and served in the regions goal clusters during their winter and spring breaks. Cluster agency capacity-building The Council appointed a full-time coordinator of its Office of Cluster Advancement to collaborate with Area Teaching Committees and cluster development facilitators. Capacity is increasingly being acquired by cluster agencies through inter-cluster collaboration. Training materials developed and circulated by the Office of Cluster Advancement Coordinator guide and educate cluster agencies. Two learning sites are developing to provide expansion and consolidation experiences for members of cluster agencies. Cluster agencies are also supported by the service of individuals who manage accurate and timely membership data and Cluster Growth Profile reports. Contributions of all Whenever we contemplate the sacrificial services being offered by youth and adults serving in each cluster as part of the core group of active teachers, members of cluster agencies, prayer partners, traveling teachers, tutors of study circles, mobile tutors, homefront pioneers, and resource persons, the Council feels strongly assured the remaining goals of the Plan can be won. As the final year of this Plan begins, our accomplishments augur well for its victorious conclusion at Rivn 2011. While there will still be challenges as we strive to achieve sustainable growth in cluster after cluster, the Regional Bah Council is certain that the strength of our commitment to the framework for action will overcome every obstacle.

henever we contemplate the sacrificial services being offered by youth and adults serving in each cluster, the Council feels strongly assured the remaining goals of the Plan can be won.

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ouncil members joined forces with Auxiliary Board members to meet the friends serving on Spiritual Assemblies in Northwest goal clusters. These opportunities were very positive and contributed to local development of the Faith.

Regional Bah Council of the Northwestern States

United collaborative action As this Bah year began, the Regional Bah Council held a consultative gathering with the Board of Directors of the Regional Training Institute, Auxiliary Board members, and representatives of the Councils Office of Cluster Advancement. The presence of Stephen Birkland, a Counselor member of the International Teaching Center, and Alison Milston and Navid Serrano, members of the Continental Board of Counselors for the Americas, helped focus the deliberations on actions needed to enhance the services of Northwestern believers, communities, and institutions. As a result of this gathering, inter-institutional collaborative efforts grew throughout the year, giving added momentum to the progress of the Five Year Plan in this region. The most notable advancements during 200910 tended to be in clusters identified as having the capacity to launch intensive programs of growth (IPGs) by Rivn 2010. In these clusters, scores of devoted Bahs, young and older, new and veteran, both as individuals and as members of Local Spiritual Assemblies or Area Teaching Committees (ATCs), or as Cluster Institute Coordinators (CICs), arose with firm determination to advance the Cause of God. In every instance, the individual friends, institutions, and agencies were lovingly encouraged, guided, and accompanied in their exertions by Auxiliary Board members who gave of themselves sacrificially as they strove to make others successful in their services to Bahullh. Responding to a directive from the Universal House of Justice that Regional Councils work for the progress of the Faith in close collaboration with the Local Spiritual Assemblies in their regions, Council members joined forces with Auxiliary Board members to meet the friends serving on Spiritual Assemblies in Northwest goal clusters. These opportunities to interact and consult with members of institutions working at the grass roots were very positive and contributed to local development of the Faith, as Assembly members gained greater understanding of their crucial responsibilities and vital role in relation to the advancement of the Cause in their communities. Northwest Regional Training Institute The Board of Directors of the Northwest Regional Training Institute (RTI) increased the frequency of its meetings in response to the pace of growth in the region and related needs. Now composed of four Regional Institute Coordinators and two Auxiliary Board members, the RTI Board continues to monitor and serve the training needs of the believers by appointing and closely working with dedicated Cluster Institute Coordinators to ensure that the institute training process serves as an engine of growth in the clusters. The Northwest currently has the national communitys highest percentages of:

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Individual completion of the main sequence by cluster type

Percentage of youth and adults 17.5% 8.8% 10.5% 16.6% 12.1% 12.0% 5.6% 13.6%

Community of Interest participation in the core activities in A-stage clusters

Community of Interest participation in: IPG count 7 1 Childrens classes 48% 6% Junior youth groups 24% 0% Study circles 12% 12% Devotional meetings 30% 42%

A Colorado Idaho Montana Oregon Utah Washington Wyoming Total 921 282 75 335 192 37

B 39

C 3

Total 234 48 29 382 76 419 7 1195

2 14 62 16

9 15 22 1

7 2 10

61% 31% 59%

70% 23% 50%

26% 14% 17%

37% 36% 21%

65

19 7

180

18

76

27

52%

48%

18%

29%

Adult believers (45 percent) and new Bahs (40 percent) who have completed at least one book in the sequence of Ruhi Institute courses. Youth (6 percent) and new Bahs (4 percent) who have completed the entire sequence. Youth (9 percent) and new Bahs (7 percent) who can tutor courses. Active adult (6 percent) tutors.

Human resource development by state

Book 1 Colorado Idaho Montana Oregon Utah Washington 765 244 159 1354 277 1724 Book 2 542 152 90 900 199 1192 Book 3 390 84 51 612 164 806 Book 4 423 91 67 750 180 874 20 2405 Book 6 332 89 36 548 118 719 4 1846 Book 7 287 87 45 495 108 634 11 1667

Nevertheless, the RTI continues to Wyoming 57 26 6 encourage more friends in the region to experience the joys of participating Total 4580 3101 2113 in and tutoring Ruhi study circles, and to then find ways to utilize their newly acquired skills both in teaching the Cause and in multiplying core activities in the neighborhoods where they reside. As part of efforts to further develop the fourth core activity, forming junior youth groups, a number of friends received training organized by the national Junior Youth Desk, and additional RTI initiatives are being developed for junior youth. The RTI recently began work on enhancing institute-related activities involving youth and young adults and is planning summer projects in various parts of the region. Cluster advancement Effective Area Teaching Committees (ATCs) and Cluster Development Facilitators (CDFs) have been integral to the progress of the Faith in the Northwest. This year the Council took the step of electing one of its members to serve as an assistant secretary for cluster advancement in order to give greater attention to the requisites of this essential movement of the Plan. Working within the Councils secre-

he Regional Training Institute continues to encourage more friends to experience the joys of participating in and tutoring Ruhi study circles, and to utilize their skills both in teaching the Cause and in multiplying core activities.

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tariat, this member helps coordinate the field services of sub-regional Office of Cluster Advancement (OCA) representatives, and supports the work of every ATC or CDF in the region. A challenge in some clusters this year was relatively high turnover in ATC membership. Through new training programs coordinated by OCA on a sub-regional basis, it is hoped the believers providing service on these key cluster agencies will be inspired and energized as they learn more about the important role they play in cluster growth, and as they take delight in witnessing how their work helps to advance the Faith in their respective areas. Another step that proved very helpful for training core teams in goal clusters was inviting these ATC members and CICs to visit more advanced clusters in the Northwest and Southwest (with the collaboration of the Southwest Council) during an expansion phase of the advanced clusters IPG. These opportunities enabled visitors to learn firsthand about the dynamics of growth in clusters that have the experience of many cycles of learning and have achieved a sustainable level of expansion and consolidation. Upon returning to their home clusters, these core team members have been able to apply, as appropriate, learning gained from their participation in these visits. Engaging young adults and youths in service In the summer, the Council sponsored long-weekend retreats for college students in the eastern and western parts of the region. The action-oriented College

isitors from goal clusters have been able to learn firsthand about the dynamics of growth in clusters that have the experience of many cycles of learning and have achieved a sustainable level of expansion and consolidation.

A-stage clusters CO-09 (Grand Junction / Mesa Co., CO) CO-13 (Colorado Springs, CO) CO-14 (Fort Collins, CO) CO-15 (Boulder, CO) CO-16 (Lakewood, CO) CO-17 (Westminster/Arvada, CO) CO-18 (Arapahoe/Douglas Co., CO) CO-19 (Denver, CO) ID-01 (Boise, ID) OR-08 (Grants Pass, OR) OR-09 (Jackson Co., OR) OR-14 (Eugene/Lane Co., OR) OR-15 (Corvallis/Benton/Linn Cos., OR) OR/WA-20 (The Dalles-Hood RiverWasco Co., OR/WA) OR-23 (Milwaukie/Gladstone, OR) OR-24 (Tigard/Lake Oswego/West Linn, OR) OR-26 (Beaverton/Washington Co., OR) OR-31 (Portland, OR) UT-06 (North Salt Lake Valley, UT) UT-09 (South Salt Lake Valley, UT) WA-01 (Port Angeles/Olympic Peninsula, WA) WA-04 (Vancouver/Clark Co., WA) WA-05 (Bremerton/Kitsap Co., WA) WA-06 (Olympia/Mason/Thurston Cos., WA) WA-08 (Redmond/N. King Co., WA) WA-09 (Whatcom/Skagit Cos., WA) WA-13 (Snohomish Co., WA) WA-14 (Seattle area, WA) WA-15 (Bellevue/Cent. King Co., WA) WA-17 (Renton/S. King Co., WA) WA-19 (Tacoma/Pierce Co., WA) WA-24 (Yakima, WA) WA/ID-28 (Spokane, WA/Kootenai Co., ID)

Stages of advancement in the Northwest Region

as of 3/30/2010

B-stage clusters CO-08 (Durango, CO) MT-01 (Yellowstone Co., MT) OR-13 (Bend/Deschutes Co., OR) OR-18 (Salem/Woodburn, OR) WA-27 (Tri-Cities, WA) C-stage clusters OR/WA-21 (Pendleton, OR/Walla Walla/Umatilla Res., WA) OR-28 (Gresham/Multnomah, OR)

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Advance trainings in Utah and Washington galvanized attendees efforts to teach peers and to engage them in core activities both on- and off-campus. Each participant developed personal actions plans to integrate with local cluster activities. A Council-sponsored two-week midsummer youth project in Oregon was a success that continues to bear fruit across the Northwest through subsequent activities involving its participants. Collaboratively planned and thoughtfully implemented by a team of cluster agency members, representatives of several Assemblies in the Beaverton and Portland clusters, a state junior youth coordinator, a regional youth development coordinator, and Auxiliary Board members, Project Zaynab involved a cadre of 30 devoted youthsmostly from Oregon, but also from Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Washington. Veteran facilitators ensured that, each day, participants gained intensive spiritual training (using Ruhi Books 3, 3a, and 5) and joy-filled field experiences, building skills that enabled them to serve with local resources to establish or strengthen childrens classes and junior youth groups aligned with each clusters plans. Childrens and junior youths core activities begun or supported by Project Zaynab last summer continue to flourish, and reports indicate activities related to the project have resulted in significant numbers of new seekers. Project Zaynabs most satisfying outcome was its effect upon participants. Returning home after the project, almost all began to enthusiastically apply what they learned by accompanying other youths in teaching children or acting as junior youth group animators. The Council still receives reports of new activities initiated or supported by Project Zaynab participants. The Northwest RTI is now giving special focus to holding similar institute-related summer training projects subregionally. Summary and prospects The Regional Council acknowledges, with profound gratitude, the loving contributions of Counselor Navid Serrano whoduring numerous trips to the Northwest this yeargave tirelessly of himself as he constantly inspired, shared learning, and offered wise counsel to the Council, the RTI Board, and to all other friends he met in communities as he crisscrossed our region. Having reviewed 200910, the Council is confident that believers and institutions in this region have learned from past efforts, enhanced skills, developed a greater outward-looking orientation, and deepened their commitment to serving our Lord. Relying upon His promised assistance and with hearts filled with His love, Bahs in the Northwest approach the final year of the Five Year Plan with assurance and with a great desire to invite others to join our endeavor to build vibrant spiritual communities, and to play a part in bringing about the new world Bahullh came to establish.

roject Zaynabs most satisfying outcome was its effect upon participants. Returning home after the project, almost all began to enthusiastically apply what they learned by accompanying other youths in teaching children or acting as junior youth group animators.

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Regional Bah Council of the South Central States

Significant progress The South Central regionwhich includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texasmade significant progress during 200910 toward winning the goals of the Five Year Plan. The momentum that began with the Regional Bah Conferences in December 2008 has continued to stimulate among the friends an increased and dominating passion for teaching, a greater understanding of the Plans wide-ranging vision, and many more trained resources to arise to serve not only in their own clusters but in goal clusters as well. Cluster advancement The Regional Bah Council of the South Central States was formed a little over a year ago, serving a region with 16 A clusters. By Rivn 2009, this number had increased to 30. During 200910, another 12 clusters were slated to advance to the A stage of development, increasing the total of A clusters with intensive programs of growth (IPGs) in place to 42. In the following, the Council shares some of the learning garnered and insights and challenges gleaned over the past year. ATC TrAining. A primary focus of the Cluster Development Office has been to visit every goal cluster and offer systematic training to the Area Teaching Committee (ATC) or Cluster Development Facilitator. This has resulted in a unified vision and greater coherence among the members of the Area Teaching Committee and often of the entire core group. Vital to ensuring the effectiveness of the training is the offices close collaboration with the Auxiliary Board member for each cluster. ATC members from several clusters have visited learning sites in the Phoenix and Atlanta areas, and reports indicate these visits have been transformative. MulTipliCATion of Core ACTiviTies. With the exception of study circles, participants in the other core activitieschildrens classes, junior youth groups, and devotional gatheringshave steadily increased in the regions priority clusters. The study circles draw slightly lower participation because the clusters are focusing more on the other core activities, in addition to direct teaching and consolidation efforts. Statistics for each of the core activities in the South Central States for the past two years are shown in the chart on page 26.

any more trained resources are arising to serve not only in their own clusters but in goal clusters as well.

24

A nAlysis of ClusTers. Development of the regions priority clusters was supported, encouraged, and empowered through a systematic analysis of Cluster Growth Profiles that ascertained their needs and achievements. From the statistics in the profiles, customized charts were created for each cluster to evaluate its core activities, its growth, and the size of its community of interest, ensuring that the Councils consultations on each would be more informed and reflect the needs of the framework for action. Mobilizing resources to arise and serve In an effort to strengthen the goal clusters and ensure their advancement by Rivn 2010, the Council made an appeal to young adults in the region, asking them to volunteer as mobile tutors, childrens class teachers, junior youth group animators, and teachers for direct collective teaching during their schools winter and spring breaks. Approximately 20 young adults arose to serve with heroic efforts that resulted in a much-needed boost to the goal clusters. They accompanied the friends in the clustersencouraging them to new heightsand inspired others in the cluster to arise and serve as never before. The Council has learned that the more trained and experienced mobilized resources are and the longer they are able to remain in a goal cluster, the greater their achievements there and the greater the learning they bring back to their own clusters. It is also true that the clusters must be prepared and ready to receive the new resources, so their talents and skills are utilized effectively and wisely. In addition, several resource persons and supporters, including Council members, were assigned to assist and accompany each goal cluster. Skills and capacity-

he more trained and experienced mobilized resources are and the longer they are able to remain in a goal cluster, the greater their achievements there and the greater the learning they bring back to their own clusters.

Stages of advancement in the South Central Region as of 3/30/2010

A-stage clusters Birmingham area, AL Limestone/DeKalb Cos., AL (Huntsville area) Springdale area, AR Broward Co., FL Emerald Coast, FL (Pensacola area) First Coast, FL (Jacksonville/St. Augustine area) Gainesville, FL Lee Co., FL Melbourne, FL Miami-Dade, FL Orlando, FL Palm Beach, FL Pasco/Hernando Cos., FL Pinellas Co., FL Sarasota/Manatee Cos., FL Tallahassee, FL Tampa, FL Baton Rouge area, LA Norman, OK Oklahoma City, OK Chattanooga area, TN/GA Knoxville area, TN Memphis area, TN/AR/MS Nashville, TN Austin area, TX Bryan/College Station, TX Collin Co., TX Dallas, TX Dallas Co. NE, TX Dallas Co. SW, TX Denton Co., TX El Paso area, TX Fort Bend/Brazoria Cos., TX Harris Co., TX (Houston) Rio Grande Valley, TX San Antonio Area, TX Tarrant Co., TX (Fort Worth) B-stage clusters Little Rock area, AR Daytona, FL Marion Co., FL New Orleans area, LA Jackson area, MS Amarillo area, TX Montgomery Co., TX Tyler area, TX C-stage clusters Lamar/Bibb Cos., AL Washington/Baldwin Cos., AL Keys, FL Polk, FL St. Lucie, FL Lafayette, LA Biloxi/Gulfport, MS Tulsa, OK Eastern Tennessee Marshall/Franklin Cos., TN Corpus Christi, TX Lubbock, TX San Angelo, TX Victoria, TX Waco, TX

Regional Bah Councils

25

building systematically increased for the resource persons as well as for the local cluster agencies and friends engaged in the framework for action. The Council has benefited greatly from the Council members firsthand learning at the grass roots. In the South Central States, 10 homefront pioneers were deployed in the past year across the region. Their services have proved very effective. The Council will enhance and expand upon this initiative in the coming year to fortify and strengthen the newly advanced clusters, as well as clusters in greatest need.

he Seeker Response System has been one of the regions remarkable strengths, achieving a 96 percent enrollment rate for online declarations of faith.

Growth in the region The number of enrollments increased dramatically during 200809, but declined in 200910 by approximately 10 percent. The smallness of the majority of clusters that launched IPGs this yearwhen compared with those advanced last yearmay be one possible reason for the decline. The Council is planning to address the matter of increasing growth more systematically in the final year of the Five Year Plan. The Seeker Response System has been one of the regions remarkable strengths, achieving a 96 percent enrollment rate for online declarations of faith. Approximately 500 seekers contacted us for information last year and 80 percent of all South Central inquiries originated through the Web. Of these seekers, after contact from a Seeker Response Representative, over 21 percent declared their belief in Bahullh. Following up with seekers as soon as possible (less than 24 hours from their initial expression of interest in the Faith), making efforts to contact them by various methods (email, phone, postal mail), andonce contactedteaching them in a direct manner via a bold assertion of the fundamental verities of the Faith (most often using Annas presentation from Ruhi Book 6) are important lessons we have learned from this process. Once enrolled, new believers are lovingly transitioned to the relevant core group and Local Spiritual Assembly for systematic
2307 2370

Core activities participants, 20092010

1360 1058

1358 1242

249
2009 2010 2009

346

2010

2009

2010

2009

2010

Childrens classes

Junior youth groups

Study circles

Devotional gatherings

Rivn 2010

26

Ruhi course participation, 20092010

Book 2009 1 2010 Book 2009 2 2010 Book 2009 3 2010 Book 2009 4 2010 2136 2411 2434 2948 3568 4463 5626

consolidationultimately, to connect their hearts to Bahullh.

Regional Training Institutes The South Central Region has two 2811 Regional Training Institutes: the Magdalene Carney Bah Institute serves 608 Book 2009 Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, 5 2010 636 and Tennessee; the Martha Root Training Institute serves Arkansas, Oklahoma, 2041 and Texas. During 200910, new direcBook 2009 tors were appointed to the Boards of 6 2010 2144 Directors for each Institute. In an effort to strengthen the institute training 1656 Book 2009 process, each of the Regional Training 7 2010 1685 Institutes held Cluster Institute Coordinator (CIC) Gatherings, providing opportunities for study of the relevant guidance and for sharing learning, as well as for discussion of the importance of the practices in each of the Ruhi courses and of establishing an increasing number of core activities. Over 60 CICs from throughout the region attended these trainings. Regarding staff, both Training Institutes have appointed Program Coordinators for Childrens Education and the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program. The Regional Coordinators have worked with the CICs in the field, emphasizing accompaniment and building capacity. Another major initiative of the Training Institutes is the continued development of youths and young adults via Project Badi and Project Anis, which have trained over 50 youths and young adults, who were mobilized to serve their own clusters as well as several goal clusters. The number of individuals participatingover the past two yearsin study of each of the Ruhi courses is shown in the chart above. Development of Local Spiritual Assemblies One of the responsibilities of the Regional Bah Council is the training and development of Local Spiritual Assemblies in the region. The Council held five days of intensive training for Assemblies throughout 200910 and over 75 Assemblies participated, representing 43 percent of the total number of Assemblies in the region. The training involved small group study of the guidance as it relates to the role of Local Spiritual Assemblies and the Five Year Plan, followed by plenary discussions facilitated by a member of the Continental Board of Counselors. The Assembly members were given an Action Plan to fill out with ideas they could bring back to their respective Assemblies for consultation and possible implementation. A few months after the training, a follow-up letter was sent to each Assembly in an effort to ascertain what it had learned and how it affected the Assemblys function-

major initiative of the Regional Training Institutes is the continued development of youths and young adults via Project Badi and Project Anis, which have trained over 50 youths and young adults, who were mobilized to serve their own clusters as well as several goal clusters.

Regional Bah Councils

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ing. The results have been very positive and indicate that the training aids an Assembly to better prioritize its service and more effectively support the cluster plan. Youth gatherings The Council held youth gatherings in Florida and Texas, with over 60 youths in attendance, representing several clusters. A special program was prepared for them with a creative devotional and a talk by a member of the Continental Board of Counselors, followed by a breakout session focusing on how youths can arise to serve in their cluster. The youths filled out commitment forms pledging to play their part in the framework for action, and follow-up steps were implemented by the cluster agencies. Collaboration of institutions The Cluster Development Office held in-depth conference calls with each Auxiliary Board member early in the year and again toward the end of the year to review the status of the regions priority clusters, consider their needs and strategies to meet those needs, and identify items requiring action by the Council to assist the core group. The process resulted in closer collaboration between the Council and the Auxiliary Board members. The Council established an innovative inter-institutional collaborative group consisting of a member of the Continental Board of Counselors, the Regional Coordinators, and representatives of the Training Institute Boards, together with representatives from the Council. The primary function of the collaborative group is to build greater unity of thought, share ideas and strategies between the institutions represented, and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of each institutions efforts to carry out the provisions of the Five Year Plan. Conclusion The South Central Council is deeply grateful to the Continental Board of Counselors for the Americas and to the National Spiritual Assembly for their wise guidance, and to the Auxiliary Board members and the cluster agencies, who were instrumental in winning the goals of the Plan in the region. The friends ardent prayers, reliance on Bahullh, systematic action, and sacrificial efforts made significant progress a reality. With eager anticipation, the Council looks forward to furthering this great spiritual enterprise in the remaining year of the Five Year Plan.

he friends ardent prayers, reliance on Bahullh, systematic action, and sacrificial efforts made significant progress a reality.

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Regional Bah Council of the Southeastern States

As the worldwide Bah community continued to bend its energies toward a victorious conclusion of the Five Year Plan at Rivn 2011, the year 200910 saw the Southeast region advancing in many areas important to the winning of each and every goal assigned to the Bah community of the United States. The Regional Bah Council is pleased to report the following details of our progress. Intensive programs of growth At Rivn 2006, the Universal House of Justice called upon Bahs throughout the globe to establish, during the next Plan, intensive programs of growth in no less than 1,500 clusters. Some 33 such intensive programs of growth (IPGs) are to be established in the Southeast region by the Plans close. Toward this goal, 15 clusters have each launched an IPG so far during 200910, bringing the total number in the Southeast region at present to 31. The regions commitment to the Supreme Institution is for two more clustersSalisbury (MD-146) and Northern Mountains (NC-220)to advance to the point of readiness to launch an IPG by Rivn 2010. To assist these and other clusters to advance during the past year, the Council, in collaboration with Auxiliary Board members, has facilitated the movement of human resourcestraveling teachers, mobile tutors, and othersto these clusters.

he Council is delighted to report that over 700 adults and youths have embraced the Cause in the past year in our region, and 371 children and junior youths have been registered by their families as Bahs.

Stages of advancement in the Southeast Region as of 3/30/2010

A-stage clusters Washington, DC Central Delaware, DE Northern Delaware, DE/MD Metro Atlanta, GA Cobb/Douglas Cos., GA Gwinnett/North Fulton Cos., GA North of Atlanta, GA S. Fulton/Fayette/Clayton Cos., GA Savannah area, GA Kentuckiana, KY/IN (Louisville area) Baltimore, MD Howard Co./Laurel, MD Montgomery Co., MD Prince Georges Co., MD Central Mountains, NC Charlotte area, NC/SC Triad, NC (Greensboro / Winston-Salem) Triangle, NC (Raleigh-Durham) Berkeley/Charleston Cos., SC Greater Columbia, SC Georgetown/Horry Cos., SC Greenville/Spartanburg, SC Pee Dee, SC Upstate Foothills, SC Charlottesville, VA Fairfax Co., VA Loudoun Co., VA NoVA East, VA (Arlington / Alexandria) Richmond, VA Roanoke, VA South Hampton Roads, VA B-stage clusters Greater Augusta, GA Salisbury, MD Northern Mountains, NC

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Human resource development

2006 Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Book 6 Book 7 4,057 2,626 1,785 1,869 70 1,112 1,030 2007 4,515 2,948 2,052 2,179 357 1,605 1,404 2008 5,044 3,205 2,328 2,401 446 1,855 1,524 2009 5,414 3,451 2,553 2,572 538 1,978 1,635 2010 5,485 3,474 2,617 2,595 642 2,019 1,670

t is encouraging to note that a significant proportion of participants in the regions core activities are seekers, including almost 20 percent of study circle participants.

Enrollments The Universal House of Justice has told the Bah world it is clear that the doors of the community are widely open for any receptive soul to enter and receive sustenance from Bahullhs Revelation. The Council is delighted to report that over 700 adults and youths have embraced the Cause in the past year in our region, and 371 children and junior youths have been registered by their families as Bahs. The fruits of effective teaching have been increasingly manifest in cluster after cluster. We look forward to building on these strengths and to extending successes thus far achieved in the field of teaching. The institute training process As shown in the chart above, the institute training process is also advancing, with increasing numbers engaged in systematic study of the Creative Word in an environment that is at once serious and uplifting. It is encouraging to note that a significant proportion of participants in the regions core activities are seekers (see chart on page 31). Almost 20 percent of study circle participants are seekers, highlighting ways in which study of the Ruhi Institute course sequence attracts people to the Faith. The courses have endowed participantsnew and veteran believers, as well as those drawing close to the Faithwith abilities they need to carry out acts of service that contribute to building a vibrant community life. Some 265 regular devotional gatherings are taking place in our region, with nearly 30 percent of their participants being seekers. Believers in the region are engaged in conducting approximately 200 childrens classes and 84 junior youth empowerment groups with more than half the participants in each of these from families who have not yet embraced the Faith. Our spirits are lifted whenever we read and hear about the many imaginative ways in which the activities that grow out of institute training are attracting receptive souls. Learning sites The Council is delighted that two clusters in the region have been designated as learning sites in relation to the Five Year Plan. The Atlanta Metro cluster, which has experienced steady growth, was designated as a learning site for expansion and consolidation. The cluster hosted its first training for cluster core groups from both within and outside the region in January. The response of those who participated was inspiring and uplifting. Core group members from one cluster stated, I would love to tell Atlanta Bahs how the weekend in Atlanta acted as a catalyst for us. It literally put us all on the same page.

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The junior youth program in North Carolinas Triangle cluster is engaging an increasing number of Bah and non-Bah youth and junior youth in animating or participating in junior youth groups. Its success has resulted in its designation as a learning site for the training of others from clusters around the region and the country who wish to learn about this core activity and experience examples of its vigorous implementation. Training By February, the Council had organized and facilitated training seminars for 76 Local Spiritual Assembliesrepresenting 47 percent of all Assemblies in the region. The Assemblies participated in a daylong seminar entitled Involvement of the Spiritual Assemblies in the Five Year Plan. The Council continues to receive reports from Auxiliary Board members citing the effectiveness of this training. One Assembly contacted the Area Teaching Committee and joined the teaching work at the cluster level by supporting a fireside campaign to be held in the community every other night during the clusters IPG expansion phase. That Assembly, along with members of its community, also stood ready to assist neighborhood teaching in an adjacent community. The Regional Councils Office of Cluster Advancement has undertaken Area Teaching Committee and core group training over the past nine months. The training has evolved to include a focus on analysis and planning at the cluster level. Some 17 core teams serving the regions priority clusters have participated thus far. Publication Finally, the Council released the inaugural edition of Learning about Growth in the Southeast, a publication that focuses on disseminating insights and learning related to the Five Year Plan.

y February, the Council had organized and facilitated training seminars for 76 Local Spiritual Assemblies representing 47 percent of all Assemblies in the region.

Seeker participation in core activities

1944 total participants

1115 total participants 553 total participants 548 seekers 568 seekers 342 seekers

1097 total participants

210 seekers

Devotional gatherings

Childrens classes

Junior youth groups

Study circles

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ompared with the first year of the Plan in 2006, the number of new believers was five times as high by the end of 2008, and three times as high by the end of 2009. The size of the community of interest has steadily increased with a current total of over 4,500.

Regional Bah Council of the Southwestern States

The year 200910the fourth year of the Five Year Planhas seen intense learning and remarkable victories in the Southwestern region. The Council and its agencies are working to ensure that intensive programs of growth will have been launched in a total of 59 clusters in the region before Rivn 2010a year earlier than forecast at the start of the Plan. At this writing, 55 such programs have been established, and every indication is that four more clusters will establish them. Movement of clusters during the Plan is summarized on the table with the map on page 33. The total number of clusters has changed, as some C-stage clusters have merged and some have moved to D stage as Bahs who lived there have moved. Raising human resources Over the past year, the Dr. Muhajir Regional Training Institute has grown from strength to strength. The chart on this page indicates the steady development of human resources in the region. The base of the pyramid is maintaining healthy growth, as about 9,000 of human resources 8,903 people have completed the first book 8,281 of the main sequence of Ruhi Insti7,915 Book 1 tute courses. As consciousness rises regarding the aspirations of the children of the world and their need for spiritual education, the number of graduates of Ruhi Book 3, Teach4,311 3,978 ing Childrens Classes Grade 1, has Book 3 3,392 sharply increased. Special attention 2,710 Book 7 2,947 has been given to raising the number 2,293 2,196 1,901 of animators of junior youth groups. 1,552 Complete sequence About 1,000 people have been trained 966 855 Book 5 621 in Ruhi Book 5, Releasing the Powers 2008 2009 2010 of Junior Youth. Already 3,000 individuals have been trained to serve as study circle tutors. About 2,200 have completed the entire sequence of courses, enabling them to function as effective members of teaching teams. Proliferation of core activities with an outward orientation Figure 2 (page 34) indicates accelerated progress in engaging residents of the region in the Plans core activities. The number of seekers in study circles has more than doubled since the start of the Plan. Likewise, the participation of seekers in devotional gatherings has increased by 100 percent since the start of the Plan. The

8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0

Figure 1: Development

6,373 5,748

2,301 1,705 1,429 650 117 1,717 987 450

2006

2007

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number of friends of the Faith taking part in junior youth groups has increased by 250 percent since the start of the second year of the Plan. Participation by children of seekers in Bah childrens classes has increased most dramatically300 percent since the start of the Plan. The number of enrollments and the increase in the size of the community of interest in the region since the start of the current Plan is plotted in Figure 3 (page 34). Compared with the first year of the Plan in 2006, the number of new believersincluding adult and youth declarations and child registrationswas five times as high by the end of 2008, and three times as high by the end of 2009. The size of the community of interest has steadily increased with a current total of over 4,500. Summary of activities and significant lessons learned This quantitative progress has gone hand in hand with strategies put in place for expansion and consolidation. When core activities are established in receptive

ith an increasing emphasis on establishing spiritual neighborhoods through a coherent approach, teachers have been focusing on raising new human resources even as they carry out the expansion and consolidation work.

Stages of advancement in the Southwest Region as of 3/30/2010

A-stage clusters AI-03 (Fort Defiance, AZ/NM) AZ-02 (Cochise Co., AZ) AZ-07 (East Valley, AZ) AZ-09 (Scottsdale, AZ) AZ-11 (Greater Tuscon, AZ) AZ-13 (Phoenix, AZ) AZ-18 (Pinal Co., AZ) AZ-21 (West Valley, AZ) AZ-27 (Flagstaff, AZ) CA-NC02 (Alameda Co. Central, CA) CA-NC03 (Alameda Co. S., CA) CA-NC04 (Santa Clara Co. W., CA) CA-NC05 (San Jose, CA) CA-NC07 (Marin Co., CA) CA-NC08 (East Bay, CA) CA-NC09 (San Francisco / San Mateo, CA) CA-NC14 (Sonoma Co., CA) CA-NC15 (Santa Cruz Co., CA) CA-NC16 (Contra Costa Co. E., CA) CA-NC18 (Solano Co., CA) CA-NC23 (Monterey Co., CA) CA-NI04 (Fresno, CA) CA-NI07 (Stanislaus County, CA) CA-NI09 (Stockton, CA) CA-NI10 (Sacramento, CA) CA-NI12 (Yolo Co., CA) CA-NI16 (Chico, CA) CA-SE01 (Upland, CA) CA-SE02 (Coachella Valley, CA) CA-SE04 (San Bernardino, CA) CA-SE06 (Riverside, CA) CA-SE07 (Temecula, CA) CA-SE08 (Laguna Niguel, CA) CA-SE09 (Mission Viejo, CA) CA-SE13 (Escondido, CA) CA-SE14 (San Diego Co. E., CA) CA-SE15 (Oceanside, CA) CA-SE18 (San Diego, CA) CA-SE19 (Newport Beach, CA) CA-SE20 (Anaheim, CA) CA-SE22 (Irvine, CA) CA-SE23 (Fullerton, CA) CA-SW01 (Los Angeles, CA) CA-SW02 (Santa Monica, CA) CA-SW06 (San Gabriel Valley, CA) CA-SW08 (Glendale, CA) CA-SW10 (Claremont, CA) CA-SW17 (Thousand Oaks, CA) CA-SW27 (San Luis Obispo Co., CA) CA-SW28 (Ventura, CA) CA-SW29 (Santa Clarita, CA) CA-SW30 (Whittier, CA) CA-SW31 (South Bay, CA) CA-SW32 (Long Beach, CA) NM-02 (Las Cruces, NM) NM-29 (Los Alamos/Santa Fe, NM) NM-32 (Albuquerque Metro, NM) NV-01 (Nevada N.) NV-S01 (Nevada S.)

Movement of clusters
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 A B C C D 6 16 32 82 0 8 19 31 60 2 21 15 22 60 2 33 11 13 60 2 59 0 0 58 3

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hrough summer and winter youth initiativesanother significant area of progress and learning large numbers of youth have completed the full sequence of courses and arisen to serve as animators, teachers of childrens classes, and tutors of study circles.

neighborhoods, teachers have the opportunity to utilize skills acquired through institute courses. The rise in receptivity among various populations has been empowering and inspiring. As they take part in collective teaching projects in target neighborhoods, teachers gain confidence, courage, and skills to teach the Faith more effectively among all strata of society. With an increasing emphasis on establishing spiritual neighborhoods through a coherent approach, teachers have been focusing on raising new human resources even as they carry out the expansion and consolidation work. They seek out likeminded people, particularly youth, who have high potential to contribute to the process of sustainable community-building. This strategy naturally resulted in a lower number of enrollments in this fourth year of the Plan as compared with the previous year. The formation and training of permanent teaching teams has proved to be imperative in systematizing the teaching work. The efforts of 29 homefront pioneerssupported and enhanced by the sacrifices of 15 resource persons assigned by Counselor Farzin Aghdasi to 17 target clustershave been instrumental in advancing clusters to the point participation in core activities of establishing intensive programs of growth. Seven of these homefront 1,753 pioneers are young adults who have moved to target neighborhoods within 1,674 1,439 1,526 their clusters and have effectively 1,408 become integrated into a population they love to serve.
1,002

2000 1750 1500 1250 1000 750 500 250 0

Figure 2: Seeker

872

Devotional meetings
872

Childrens classes

535 404 268 0

477 403 242 438

581 577

Study circles

380 162

Junior youth groups

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Figure 3: Enrollments and the community of interest

2006 Enrollments Community of interest 248 1,544 2007 381 2,324 2008 1634 2009 1011 2010 N/A

Outreach to the larger Persian community, fostered by the tireless efforts of a dedicated resource person, has had significant results. More of the Persian friends are engaged in building a new civilization, enabled to carry out acts of collective worship in diverse settings, uniting with others in prayer. In addition, more members of the larger Persian community are participating in study circles.

The participation of about 1,700 children from the larger community in Bah childrens classes demonstrates 3,086 3,849 4,565 that the friends are becoming progressively aware of the aspirations of the children of the world and their need for spiritual education and are extending their efforts widely to involve evergrowing contingents of participants in classes that become centres of attraction for the young and strengthen the roots of the Faith in society. Witnessing the spiritual transformation of neighborhood children participating in the classes, a growing number of people from the larger community are taking institute courses to become childrens class teachers. The year saw significant progress in the multiplication of junior youth groups in diverse settings. Large numbers of youth from many backgrounds were trained as

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junior youth group animators, studying Ruhi Book 1, Reflections on the Life of the Spirit, and Ruhi Book 5, Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth. The Bahinspired junior youth program was introduced to charter schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, and colleges and universities over the year, creating a source of intense learning. Currently about 600 junior youths from the larger community are participating. Through summer and winter youth initiativesanother significant area of progress and learninglarge numbers of youth have completed the full sequence of courses and arisen to serve as animators, teachers of childrens classes, and tutors of study circles. Many continued to serve in target clusters over the past several months and were instrumental in helping these clusters advance to the next stage of development. The Phoenix and East Valley clusters in Arizona and the San Diego, California, cluster have served as learning sites for expansion and consolidation. These clusters serve the country and beyond, giving visitors a glimpse of how an intensive program of growth operates and of how childrens classes can become centres of attraction for the young and strengthen the roots of the Faith in society. Cluster-level inter-institutional gatheringsamong Local Spiritual Assemblies, Cluster Institute Coordinators, Area Teaching Committees, and Auxiliary Board membershave proved effective in creating closer collaboration. Five such gatherings were organized by cluster agencies in A-stage clusters that had operated intensive programs of growth for at least two years. The gatherings have significantly expanded the consciousness of the institutions and have promoted love, unity of vision, and an appreciation of the diverse roles of all the collaborators. An increasing number of Assemblies are realizing their leadership role in mobilizing financial and human resources, and their members are leading by the dynamic force of example. As the friends labor ceaselessly to serve humanity, they are learning the requirements for creating stable spiritual neighborhoods. They establish strong relationships with people they wish to serve, engaging them from the start as partners in building civilization. Such neighborhoods provide ample opportunities to nurture, nourish, and walk on an equal footing with those eager for the healing message of Bahullh. To support established intensive programs of growth, the Council will focus this coming year on strengthening the institute training process, building on lessons learned about sustainability and coherence, further strengthening Local Spiritual Assemblies grasp of their evolving role in support of the Plan, and accompanying the Area Teaching Committees. The Regional Council is ever grateful to members of the Continental Board of Counselors and their Auxiliaries for their unfailing and unwavering accompaniment and support throughout challenges and victories, and for the warm and loving embrace of the National Spiritual Assembly as we work together in one forward movement.

luster-level interinstitutional gatheringsamong Local Spiritual Assemblies, Cluster Institute Coordinators, Area Teaching Committees, and Auxiliary Board membershave proved effective in creating closer collaboration.

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Contents
External Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Persian Public Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Treasury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Financial highlights Statement of activities National Teaching Office Office of Communications Junior Youth Desk Statement of financial position Notes to financial statements Office of International Pioneering WLGI-FM Radio Bah

Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Social Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Community Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Office of Assembly Development Persian-American Affairs Office Office of Education and Schools Green Acre Bah School Native American Bah Institute House of Worship Activities Office Office of Community Administration

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Bosch Bah School Louhelen Bah School Wilmette Institute House of Worship Music Department

Bah House of Worship, Wilmette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Bah Publishing Trust and Distribution Service Bah Media Services The American Bah Brilliant Star World Order

Research Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

National Bah Archives Office of Review Conventions Office Bah Service for the Blind Information Technology Public Safety Properties Association for Bah StudiesNorth America Bah Association for Mental Health Brighton Creek Conference Center Bah Encyclopedia Project

Logistical Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Bah Center Assistance Human Resources Meetings and Hospitality

Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Bah House of Worship Restoration Association of Friends of Persian Culture Bah International Radio Service Health for Humanity

Affiliated Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Annual Report of the Bah Chair for World Peace, University of Maryland Membership of the National Spiritual Assembly and the Regional Bah Councils Membership of key consultative and directorial bodies

As momentous events unfolded in Iran during the past year, they called to mind these words of Shoghi Effendi: The darker the night will turn, and the more intense and dreadful its convulsions and commotions become, the nearer will be the appointed time when the bright morn of deliverance will dawn, when the day-star of felicity and emancipation will shine, when the light of the glory, power and independence of the Faith of God will radiate with extraordinary brilliance, when the fall and collapse, the destruction and ruin of the people of malice and iniquity in that land will become apparent and conspicuous. The hosts of Bah, the concourse of the sore-oppressed ones in that afflicted country, should all know with absolute certainty that the Cause of God is great, and its strengthening grace quickens every mouldering bone; its heavenly confirmations are ever present, and its adversaries on the offensive, launching their attacks from all sides. On the one hand they are seized with perturbation and alarm at the sight of the quaking of the foundations of their own structure, and its breakdown and collapse, while on the other hand they are amazed and bewildered at the people of Bah, and their high degree of tranquillity and firmness, and their longsuffering and unshakable patience. This is the day for steadfastness. Now is the time for defence and bravery, so that the evil ones who are lying in wait may be disconcerted, defeated and put to flight, and the prophecies irrevocably decreed by God may be fulfilled without delay. External affairs activities were dominated by events related to the trial of the Yrn, the Friends in Iran, the national ad hoc coordinating group for the Iranian Bah community. Office of External Affairs staff continued to defend the Bahs in Iran with U.S. government officials, including the White House, the State Department, Congress, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, and the media. The staff also worked on other human rights issues, the advancement of women, sustainable development and climate change, as well as the work of representing the U.S. Bah community at the United Nations. There were staff changes during the year. In New York, Mr. Jeffery Huffines resigned as the UN Representative after more than 19 years of external affairs service for the National Spiritual Assembly. Mr. Carl Murrell became the National Assemblys UN Representative. In Washington, D.C., the refugee officer desk was closed down and Ms. Yasmeen Aidinejad completed her service. The media relations officer, Ms. Kathleen Holmlund, was replaced by Ms. Ariel Olson Surowidjojo. Ms. Debra Taylor filled the reinstated position of communications manager. Ms. Gleibys

External Affairs

xternal affairs activities were dominated by events related to the trial of the Yrn, the Friends in Iran, the national ad hoc coordinating group for the Iranian Bah community.

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Buchanan, the representative for the advancement of women, and Ms. Kate Fernandez Brown, the administrative director, went from full- to half-time in response to the budget needs of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Defense of the Bahs

Diplomatic work in defense of the Bahs in Iran and other countries
The past year witnessed unprecedented exposure for the Faith due to the publicity surrounding the trial sessions of the Yrn and other acts of persecution against the Bah community. Trial sessions scheduled for July, August, and October 2009 were each postponed, but they were held in January and February 2010 and scheduled for April 2010. Dozens of Bahs were arrested, interrogated, and detained throughout the year. These events occurred within the context of dramatic changes to the wider Iranian society after the disputed presidential election on June 12, 2009. The National Spiritual Assemblys representatives carried out the directives of the Universal House of Justice in defense of the Bahs in Iran, Egypt, and Uzbekistan. They worked closely with the White House, the Department of State, Congress, and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to keep the U.S. government informed about the situation of the Bahs in countries where they suffered persecution. The representatives also worked with NGOs, think tank experts, and the media leading to statements, media coverage, and other responses in support of the human rights of the Bahs in Iran as well as all religious minorities in Iran. Iran Throughout the year, the Iranian government escalated its activities implementing the official policies outlined in the 1991 Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council document on the Bah question intended to serve as a blueprint for the eradication of the Iranian Bah community. A detailed summary of events of the past year, including governments and media responses to the Iranian governments actions, may be found online (http://iran.bahai.us). Selected R eSponSeS to the p eRSecution by the un, the u.S. GoveRnment and conGReSS. The United Nations General Assembly adopted its 22nd resolution on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran in December 2009. In coordination with the government of Canada, which introduced the resolution, the U.S. government played a critical role in insuring successful passage of the resolution. The director of external affairs, Ms. Kit Bigelow, and the human rights officer, Mr. Shastri Purushotma, participated in several meetings at the State Department focused on coordinating strategies to ensure the passage of the UN resolution on Iran. The State Department released its 2009 International Religious Freedom and Human Rights Reports, which provided a comprehensive overview of the treatment of Bah communities in Iran, Egypt and other countries. Reports may be viewed online (www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/ and www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/ index.htm). u.S. GoveRnment StatementS. The U.S. State Department issued a statement on January 11, 2010, Persecution of Religious Minorities in Iran, which strongly condemns the Iranian governments decision to commence the espionage trial against seven leaders of the Iranian Bah community. The statement also said: We join the international community in urging the Iranian authorities to release

hroughout the year, the Iranian government escalated its activities implementing the official policies outlined in the 1991 Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council document on the Bah question intended to serve as a blueprint for the eradication of the Iranian Bah community.

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all religious minorities who are currently in detention for peacefully exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms. u.S. commiSSion on i nteRnational R eliGiouS FReedom StatementS. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on January 12, 2010, made a statement regarding the trial of the Iranian Bah leaders, calling the trial a sham and saying it should be condemned in the strongest possible terms by the international community. On July 11, 2009, the Commission published a letter addressed to it by Ms. Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist who had shared a prison cell with the female members of the Yrn for a time. In connection with Ms. Saberis letter, the Commission issued a statement urging the President and other leaders in the international community to speak out and call for the release of the seven Bah leaders, as the President did for Miss Saberi. These prisoners are in jail solely because of their religious identity, and have not been afforded any due process or direct access to legal representation. conGReSSional R eSolutionS. The U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res. 175 on October 22, 2009, the 11th congressional resolution since 1982 condemning the persecution of the Bahs in Iran. Representative Mark Kirk introduced the resolution in February 2009, condemning the Government of Iran for its statesponsored persecution of its Bah minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. A concurrent Senate resolution, S. Res 71, introduced by Senator Ron Wyden, was passed on December 1, 2009. The Senate version had language similar to H. Res. 175. Bahs around the country wrote to and met with their congressmen and senators asking them to become co-sponsors of the resolutions. At the time of their passages, H. Res. 175 had 75 co-sponsors and S. Res. 71 had 17 co-sponsors. m edia R elationS: i Ran. The scheduled trial sessions in 2009 and early 2010 of the seven Bah leaders received national media attention. The escalating human rights crisis in post-election Iran, as well as the incarceration of 10 Iranian Bahs on January 3, 2010, along with the allegations by Iranian authorities that the seven Bah leaders had ordered the Ashura Day protests on December 27, 2009, resulted in substantial media coverage on the situation of the Bahs in Iran in January and February 2010. News of the commencement of the trial of the Bah leaders on January 12, 2010, was covered by The Associated Press, CNN International, The New York Times, The Washington Post, United Press International, Washington TV, and other national media. Local media coverage spiked in February 2010, as communities held devotional gatherings dedicated to the Yrn on February 7, the date of the second session of their trial. Ms. Olson Surowidjojo worked with national media outlets, sharing news of developments in Iran with key journalists, editors, and producers who cover Iran and human rights issues. She also maintained the National Spiritual Assemblys Iran site and the Office of External Affairs account on the Public Information Officer Network (www.bahaipio.net), where local public information officers are kept apprised of news from Iran. Media coverage on the persecution of the Bahs in Iran was also available to the public online (http://iran.bahai.us). nonGoveRnmental oRGanizationS SuppoRt FoR i Ranian bahS. The National Spiritual Assemblys staff also worked closely with several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and think tanks, keeping them apprised of the situation of the Bahs in Iran. The following is a partial list of actions taken by NGOs in relation to the trial sessions of the Yrn.

he U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res. 175 on October 22, 2009, the 11th congressional resolution since 1982 condemning the persecution of the Bahs in Iran. A concurrent Senate resolution, S. Res 71, introduced by Senator Ron Wyden, was passed on December 1, 2009.

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On October 21, the Institute for Religion and Public Policy issued a statement calling on the members of the House of Representatives to support H. Res. 175 regarding the persecution of the Bahs in Iran. Amnesty International USA issued a statement in January 2010 expressing concern for the human rights situation in Iran generally and mentioned the ongoing imprisonment of the seven Bah leaders. Human Rights Watch again included the persecution of Irans Bah community in its annual report, World Report 2010, which evaluates human rights in 90 countries and territories throughout 2009. m ajoR public eventS in SuppoRt oF the yRn. At the request of the National Spiritual Assembly, the Bah communities in the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., held major events, attended by hundreds of people in all, to draw public attention to the situation of the imprisoned Yrn. Well-known non-Bah speakers, including Dr. Abbas Milani, Ms. Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Dr. Azar Nafisi, spoke in support of the Iranian Bahs at these events. Similar large-scale events were being planned in Chicago and New York City.

t the request of the National Spiritual Assembly, the Bah communities in the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., held major events, attended by hundreds of people in all, to draw public attention to the situation of the imprisoned Yrn.

Egypt After many years of effort by several National Spiritual Assemblies around the world, which engaged their own governments on the issue of religious persecution in Egypt, the Egyptian Bahs won significant victories during the past year. In March 2009, Egypts Supreme Administrative Court dismissed challenges to a January 29, 2008, lower administrative court ruling in favor of the right of Bah plaintiffs in two cases to receive official identification documents. In August 2009, two young Bahs were the first to receive their computerized identity cards showing a dash instead of their religion. More than 60 Bahs to date have received their identification cards and more than 100 have received their birth certificates. In February 2009, Representative Frank Wolf introduced H. Res. 200, Calling on the Egyptian Government to respect human rights and freedoms of religion and expression in Egypt. The National Spiritual Assembly urged the members of the Bah community to support this congressional resolution and maintained a call to action on the national Bah website (www.bahai.us).

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Uzbekistan The National Spiritual Assemblys Office of External Affairs acted under the direction of the Universal House of Justice to assist the Bah community in Uzbekistan, which faced pressure and some deportations.

Diplomatic seminars and consultations

In September, Mr. Ken Bowers, secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly, Ms. Bigelow, and Mr. Purushotma attended the 14th annual diplomatic seminar in Europe. Ms. Bigelow conducted a workshop for the more than 70 participants from countries from all five continents. Mr. Bowers and Ms. Bigelow attended the 14th annual consultations on external affairs at the Bah World Center in January 2010.

General media relations

Ms. Olson Surowidjojo attended the Religion Newswriters Association Conference in September and continued to strengthen relationships with national religion reporters throughout the year. In collaboration with the Office of Communications, she assisted local public information officers and Local Spiritual Assemblies in their efforts to gain media coverage on external affairs subjects. She also updated the social action pages the national Bah website (www.bahai.us) with the latest news about the Bahs of Egypt, and the National Assemblys work in sustainable development, the advancement of women, and other arenas.

he National Spiritual Assemblys representatives continued to attend events and collaborate with other organizations on initiatives to promote human rights worldwide.

Communications
The Office of External Affairs handled numerous inquiries from the U.S. Bah community. As part of the National Spiritual Assemblys Secretariat, the Office of External Affairs provided guidance to Local Spiritual Assemblies and individuals on matters related to external affairs, such as participation in political activities and voting; interfaith activity participation; Middle East issues; contacting government officials, national organizations, or the media; involvement with the UN; and responding to the National Spiritual Assemblys call to support the Bahs in Iran.

Human rights
The National Spiritual Assemblys representatives continued to attend events and collaborate with other organizations on initiatives to promote human rights worldwide. On December 10, Human Rights Day, representatives attended the annual human rights luncheon on Capitol Hill sponsored by the UN Associations National Capital chapter. The American Bar Association invited Ms. Bigelow to the second World Justice Project in Vienna, Austria. It was attended by more than 400 people worldwide from 16 disciplines to discuss the rule of law and to design related projects. The National Spiritual Assembly worked with several human rights coalitions during the year, including the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and the Better World Campaign. Representatives also attended many events in Washington, D.C., throughout the year in support of human rights in Iran. Religious freedom Ms. Bigelow and Mr. Purushotma attended events throughout the year on the subject of religious freedom, including a series at the Hudson Institute on defamation

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of religions and freedom of speech. They also attended a reception on Capitol Hill sponsored by the Congressional Religious Freedom Caucus. The National Spiritual Assembly signed on to letters with other like-minded organizations opposing the defamation of religions resolutions introduced by the Organization of Islamic Conference at the United Nations. International Criminal Court (ICC) Mr. Purushotma continued to participate in the Washington Working Group for the International Criminal Court. The Obama administration took a major step toward re-engagement with the ICC by having observers at the Assembly of State Parties meeting. The National Spiritual Assembly was one of several organizations that signed a letter thanking President Obama for taking this step. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child The Office of External Affairs continued its involvement in the Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a broad-based coalition of child rights, religious, academic, and legal organizations. The office hosted meetings of the campaign and Ms. Buchanan assisted with the planning of a national symposium aimed at educating the public and lawmakers on the CRC.

he U.S. UN Representative was a member of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York and served as cochair of its Subcommittee on Violence Against Women; served as cochair of the UN Values Caucus; and served in the Interim Council of Organizations of the United Nations Association of the United States (UNA-USA).

Interfaith
Ms. Jan Saeed continued to represent the National Spiritual Assembly to the North American Interfaith Network, serving on its executive committee.

United Nations
Mr. Murrell was a member of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York (NGO CSW/NY) and served as co-chair of its Subcommittee on Violence Against Women. The subcommittee held events in commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence and UNIFEMs Say NO-UNiTE: End Violence against Women campaign. He also contributed to the planning of the NGO Global Forum for Women: Beijing +15, held in preparation for the 54th UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March 2010. Mr. Murrell, Ms. Bigelow, and Ms. Buchanan were members of the Bah International Communitys delegation to the CSW. They also participated in a consultation on the Bah contribution to the discourse on Advancing Toward the Equality of Women and Men prepared by the Institute for Studies on Global Prosperity. The U.S. UN Representative attended the official launch of the UN SecretaryGenerals Network of Men Leaders initiative, focusing primarily on mens role to end violence against women. He was present at the Security Councils adoption of Resolution 1888 to strengthen efforts by the international community to combat sexual violence in armed conflict. He also attended a number of informal consultations with the Director of the UN Division for the Advancement of Women, the President of the Commission on the Status of Women and the Assistant SecretaryGeneral, Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. Mr. Murrell was a member of the UNICEF working group on girls and its task force to protect girls from violence as well as the NGO Committee on UNIFEM. For the past 16 years, Mr. Murrell has served as co-chair of the UN Values Caucus, which hosted monthly meetings that featured authors and other leaders of thought. Among other events, the Values Caucus, in collaboration with UNEP, cosponsored Earth: the Sequel, the Race to Reinvent Energy & Stop Global Warm-

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ing in commemoration of World Environment Day. He also organized off-therecord coffees for UN ambassadors and high-level UN officers who spoke candidly about the role of values in the work of the UN. Mr. Murrell also served in the Interim Council of Organizations of the United Nations Association of the United States (UNA-USA) as an outgoing member. During the year he moderated a panel on The Changing Nature of Corporate-Civil Society Partnership at a UNA-USA briefing. He was also elected to the bureau of the Committee of Religious NGOs and served on its Monthly Briefing Task Force. In October, the U.S. UN Representative spoke at Seton Hall University at the Visions of a Better World Conference on Prerequisites for Universal Peace. In February, he taught a class on the roots of justice at Thornton High School in Mount Vernon, New York. During the year, the U.S. UN Office welcomed visiting individuals and college-student groups, briefing them on the persecution of Bahs in Iran as well as on the work and history of the U.S. UN Representative. Ms. Carolina Vsquez, the U.S. UN Office administrative assistant, collaborated with the Secretariat in Wilmette to encourage Bah community participation in UNICEFs Trick-or Treat campaign as a supplementary resource to core activities, particularly childrens classes. She also coordinated Bah support for initiatives in commemoration of the International Day of Peace. The U.S. UN Representatives Office continued to benefit from the outstanding services of interns who assisted in research, writing, and attending meetings on women and human rights.

he National Spiritual Assembly was part of a coalition of more than 50 organizations that worked on congressional legislation to eliminate international gender-based violence.

Womens issues
The National Spiritual Assembly continued more than two and one-half decades of involvement in promoting U.S. ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Ms. Buchanan served on the CEDAW Working Group Steering Committee. In a new development, the Leadership Conference, the National Womens Law Center (NWLC), Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS), the YWCA, and the ACLU became leaders of the CEDAW task force. Ms. Buchanan served on the task force as well as on its advocacy and grassroots outreach subcommittees. The National Spiritual Assembly was part of a coalition of more than 50 organizations that worked on congressional legislation to eliminate international genderbased violence. The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) was introduced again in Congress in February 2010. Ms. Buchanan was a member of the working group to pass I-VAWA. She also promoted the full participation of women in international development assistance programs, with particular focus on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government entity that provided funding to developing countries based on their ability to rule justly, invest in their people, and encourage economic freedom. The National Spiritual Assembly also continued its involvement with the Women, Faith and Development Alliance (WFDA), launched in April 2008. The WFDA joined international religious womens networks together with international development organizations to advocate for womens empowerment as a key priority for investment in development. This past year, the faith subcommittee of the WFDA, to which Ms. Buchanan was a representative, focused on encouraging the U.S.

External Affairs

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Congress to place gender concerns at the forefront of foreign assistance reform. The National Spiritual Assembly also continued support for programs that addressed domestic violence. Ms. Buchanan attended meetings of the Interfaith Domestic Violence Coalition, a network of national faith-based organizations supporting national legislation to assist domestic violence survivors. Ms. Bigelow continued serving on the steering committee of the American Society of International Laws (ASIL) Women in International Law Interest Group (WILIG). ASIL honored Justice Unity Dow of Botswana at its March 2009 annual WILIG luncheon.

n May 2009, the National Assemblys NGO Liaison co-led the Bah International Community delegation to the 17th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, where he helped plan and facilitate a three-hour Learning Center workshop on Climate Ethics.

Sustainable development
Mr. Peter Adriance, the NGO Liaison, continued to work with other organizations on a broad range of issues related to sustainable development. In May 2009, he co-led the Bah International Community delegation to the 17th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, where he helped plan and facilitate a three-hour Learning Center workshop on Climate Ethics, with members of the Collaborative Program on the Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change. In June, Mr. Adriance received the Interfaith Bridge Builders Award from the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, for his passionate commitment to interreligious care for the earth. As a member of the Governing Board of the International Environment Forum (IEF), he led efforts to organize its 13th Annual Conference, held in August in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the annual conference of the Association for Bah Studies. He gave a keynote address on The Essential Role of Religion in Fostering a Sustainable World and helped facilitate a workshop on climate ethics. Later in the year, he served as faculty in the IEF-sponsored Wilmette Institute online course Sustainable Development and the Prosperity of Humankind. Continuing to serve as secretary of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development and co-chair of its Faith Sector team, Mr. Adriance helped to administer the Partnership and to use the Web and social networking tools to advance the discourse on faith and environment. In December, he co-led the Bah International Community delegation to the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-15) in Copenhagen, Denmark. He took part in a panel discussion with Danish Jewish and Christian leaders on The Role of Religion in Combating Climate Change. He also participated in a seminar and news conference organized by the Collaborative Program on the Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change highlighting key ethical issues of the climate negotiations. Also in December, he helped organize and facilitate a pre-conference seminar for experienced development practitioners on the relationship between Bah-inspired development and the growth process at the Bah Conference on Social and Economic Development in Orlando, Florida.

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External Affairs

47

The Persian Public Information Desk was established in 2009 to advance the presence and to monitor the coverage of the Faith in the Persian-language media. Some of its specific objectives and activities include, but are not limited to, the following: Preparing and disseminating Bah International Community press releases in Persian Preparing and disseminating news of the persecution of the Bahs in Iran Arranging interviews with the Persian-language media dealing with the persecution of the Bahs in Iran and presenting the principles of the Faith Developing materials for use in the mass media, especially in defense of the Iranian Bah community and to remove common misconceptions about the Faith among Iranian people Responding appropriately to attacks on the Faith, especially on the Internet Providing guidance to individuals who seek to present the Faith in the Persianlanguage media Training individuals with the knowledge of the Faith and the aptitude to serve as spokespersons to represent the Faith in the Persian-language media Developing initiatives aimed at reaching out to Iranians on such issues as human rights, advancement of women, social justice, and social and economic prosperity Engaging with like-minded Iranian organizations to promote the above-mentioned themes Coverage of the Faith in the Persian-language media R adio and televiSion. In 2009, there was unprecedented coverage of the Faith in the Persian-language media, mainly owing to the persecution of the Bahs in Iran. A range of radio and television interviews have been broadcast on BBC Persian, Voice of America (VOA) Persian, Radio Farda, Radio France International (RFI) Persian, Deutsche Welle (DW) Persian, Radio Zamaneh, and Iran VNC. A number of Persian radio and television stations in Southern California have broadcast interviews with Bahs and non-Bahs about the principles of the Faith and the unrelenting persecution of its adherents in Iran. On VOA, the Faith has been covered by various programs including Baamdaadi, News and Views, Tafshir-e-Khabar, Round Table, Farhang, Shabaahang, and Zan-e-Emrooz. On the BBC, the Faith has received coverage in Be-Ebarat-e-Digar (Persian Hard-Talk), 60 Minutes, and other documentaries. The Faith has also been covered in other ethnic media such as the Kurdish media and Al-Jazeera. WebSiteS. Bah materials on the Internet are proliferating exponentially. Partly because of attacks from Iran and partly owing to the interest generated by Ira-

Persian Public Information

range of radio and television interviews have been broadcast on BBC Persian, Voice of America (VOA) Persian, Radio Farda, Radio France International (RFI) Persian, Deutsche Welle (DW) Persian, Radio Zamaneh, and Iran VNC, as well as a number of Persian radio and television stations in Southern California.

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nians, the Faith has received significant coverage in the Persian Internet space. Among the most visible sites, we have observed significant growth of videos on YouTube, articles in Gooya, Rooz-online, Zamaneh, the BBC site, the VOA site, the Radio Farda site, and many others. Parallel to these developments, individual Bahs have launched a number of sites with inspiring degrees of success. More blogs and personal sites are being added covering arts, stories, social issues, discussions, news, and various other contents.

he achievements in the Persian- and English-language media have been propelled by a significant number of reports and press releases issued by the Bah International Community and prepared by the Desk for presentation in the Persian-language media.

Coverage of the Faith in the English-language media While the English-language media are not part of the operation of the Persian Public Information Desk, it assists with programs and articles in the Englishlanguage media as needed. In the past year, interviews have been conducted in English and persecution of the Bahs in Iran has been covered by National Public Radio (NPR), The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Sacramento Bee, KPFK, and a few others. News and press releases The achievements in the Persian- and English-language media have been propelled by a significant number of reports and press releases issued by the Bah International Community and prepared by the Desk for presentation in the Persianlanguage media. During 200910, in excess of 20 official press releases, along with a number of reports, have been distributed to the Persian-language media. Not all such press releases have been about the persecution of the Bahs in Iran. Involvement in various international events such as the Durban Review Conference with the goal of eliminating all forms of discrimination and intolerance, or participation in the United Nations Human Rights Councils Universal Periodic Review of human rights records of various countries, have generated stories and interviews for the Persianlanguage media. The coverage of the Faith in the Persianlanguage media has also won extraordinary support for Bahs from many prominent Iranians, who individually and collectively have arisen to defend the rights of the Bahs in Iran. Letters such as We Are Ashamed, signed by several hundred prominent Iranians, or the statement by Iranian Academics and Researchers calling for an end to the persecution of the Bahsas well as talks by and interviews with individuals such as Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Dr. Abbas Milani of the Hoover Institute, Mr. Mehdi Khalaji of the Washington Institute, Dr. Karim Sajadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peaceare examples of such support for the Faith. Bah media The Persian Public Information Desk has been assisting Bah-operated media in coverage of the persecution of the Bahs in Iran. These include Payam-e-Doost, n-i-Bah, and radio programs in Toronto and Vancouver in Canada.

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Persian Public Information

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Beloved Friends, As the United States entered the Gregorian year 2009, predictions of economic hard times and dire consequences abounded. The Bah community was not unaffected. The state of the National Bah Fund was far from healthy; prospects seemed grim. A few short months later, a victory surpassing all expectations was announced to the delegates at the 2009 Bah National Convention! By fiscal years end, contributions to the National Fund exceeded $26 millionthis at a time when the economic reverses in the world were threatening the collapse of many venerable institutions of long standing. We, the Bah community of the United States, were determined that our response to the disastrous conditions surrounding us would be markedly different from that of othersthat it would be spiritual in nature. The result was a spectacular affirmation of faith and vision. In response to the customary message sent to the Universal House of Justice by the assembled Convention delegates, the Supreme Body wrote: That your Fund goal was surpassed in these times of economic uncertainty and the enrollment rate in the Faith has risen significantly are clear indications of the vibrancy and capacity of your community. Rest assured of our ardent prayers at the Sacred Threshold that the sacrificial efforts of the American believers in the service of His Cause will continue to attract divine blessings and confirmations. Emboldened by the communitys response, the National Spiritual Assembly outlined for the year 200910 a financial plan that continued budgetary restraint in the operations of the Bah National Center while infusing the work at the regional level with additional resources. The objective was to enable the Regional Bah Councils, Regional Training Institutes, and cluster agencies to achieve the goals of the Five Year Plan without delay. The decision has proven to be a significant factor in the teaching successes we will realize this year. A call to the community to address the National Fund goal early met with only meager success. We now face a formidable challenge with only a few weeks separating us from fiscal years end. At this writing, a month before Rivn and the Bah National Convention, the National Fund has received $19.6 millionsome $6.1 million short of our $26 million goal. Yet our hopes remain high that this infinitely blessed, generously endowed community will again arise to fulfill its destiny and close the shortfall in the days ahead. Evidence of a surge in contributions in response to letters addressed to the community at the Feast of Bah is already apparent and augurs well for a rapid diminishing of the shortfall and satisfaction of our Fund goal.

Treasury
58 ...Financial highlights 59 ...Statement of financial position 60 ...Statement of activities 61 ...Notes to financial statements

e, the Bah community of the United States, were determined that our response to the disastrous conditions surrounding us would be markedly different from that of othersthat it would be spiritual in nature. The result was a spectacular affirmation of faith and vision.

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In addition to essential monetary contributions to meet our financial obligations, we must here acknowledge the significant contributions made in-kind which add to the capacity of the National Assembly and its agencies to refine the services offered to the community. These precious offers are deeply appreciated. New opportunities for advancement are opening to the Faith and we must respond to the call of the Universal House of Justice as it urges us to enter these new arenas, arising to meet the challenge with ever-higher levels of energy, commitment, and service.

reasure Chest Trainings, one-day seminars that have been held in various cities across the country, are designed to provide basic yet comprehensive training on both the practical and spiritual aspects of stewardship within local communities.

Conscious of our Divine Mission and the unique part we must play in the unfoldment of world civilization, we, the Bah community of the United States, no matter what sacrifices may be entailed, must confidently step forward when called to action. We have critical assignments to attend to and critical contributions to make. And our unparalleled and ready access to material means mustfar from impeding usserve to facilitate our progress.

Fund education and development

Local Assemblies might be assisted in devising more interesting and informative ways of presenting the needs of the Fund. The Treasurers Report should be an exciting and stimulating part of each Nineteen Day Feast, and it would certainly be helpful if the local Treasurer had up-to-date information on the status of the National Fund. Universal House of Justice tReaSuRe cheSt tRaininGS. This series of one-day seminars have been held in various cities throughout the country, including Las Vegas, Nevada; Denver, Colorado; Riverside, California; Louisville, Kentucky; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Treasure Chest Trainings are designed to provide basic yet comprehensive training on both the practical and spiritual aspects of stewardship within local communities. Members of Local Spiritual Assemblies and secretaries and treasurers of registered groups are warmly invited and encouraged to attend. The three main areas of focus of these seminars are as follows: Fund Education and Development, Finance and Accounting, and Planned Giving. Participants are trained in the technical skills required to manage a local treasury, as well as provided with educational resources to inspire their communities. Attendees are shown how our service to the Five Year Plan is sustained by contributions to the Fund, both practically and spiritually. Tools are offered in anticipation that they will be used to fulfill the intention of the House of Justice that the treasurers report be exciting and stimulating. the FundcaSt SeRieS. The Treasurers Office continues to produce and release videos in the FUNDcast series. Episodes offer a heart-to-heart conversation with believers about how their connection to the Fund has deepened their relationship with Bahullh. These moving commentaries are designed to inspire us in further consecration to the sacred institution of the Bah Fund and demonstrate the complementary relationship of our service to the Five Year Plan and our contributions. The FUNDcast videos play an especially important role in the education of young Bahs about the Fund, since they are a form of viral media, an appealing medium for young adults. They can be viewed by individual Bahs at their computers or shown at Feast as part of the local treasurers report. the tReaSuReRS c aF. The Treasurers Caf, an online networking site for those in

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service to the Fund, now has well over 500 members. Similar to Facebook in its presentation, The Treasurers Caf has become a hub for local treasurers to collaborate on the conduct of their duties, including both its technical and spiritual elements. Conversations can be found in the Caf Forum ranging from comments and questions about using QuickBooks to creative ways of educating children about the Fund. The site has become a must for local treasurers, as they continue to explore and learn about their vast spiritual responsibilities. Members of Local Spiritual Assemblies as well as treasurers and secretaries of registered groups are encouraged to become members of the Caf. Visit this website to sign up (http://treasurerscafe.bahaitreasurer.us). the bah tReaSuReRS bulletin. Currently in its eighth year of production, the Bah Treasurers Bulletin (BTB) is rolled out several days in advance of each Nineteen Day Feast. The BTB is a vital communications vehicle from the National Treasurer to local treasurers and is intended to provide information and education that will be shared with the believers in a dynamic and inspiring manner. Each issue includes a feature article that connects our service to the Cause of Bahullh with the Fund, often drawing on guidance from the Universal House of Justice and the National Spiritual Assembly. Also included is a highlighted FUNDcast video and a question-and-answer section. The Treasurers Notes section includes a story of giving, a childrens activity with Liang the Lion, and updated information on the status of the National Fund and Chilean Temple Initiative. In an effort to reach out to more souls about the Fund, the Treasurers Notes section of the BTB is now translated into Spanish and Persian. You can find the BTB on the Web (www.bahaitreasurer.us). Young believers programs You must redouble your efforts to educate every member of the Bah communitythe new and the old believer, the youth and the adulton the spiritual significance of contributing to the Fund. Universal House of Justice The Liangs Adventures activity booklet continues to connect the hearts of children ages 49 to the Fund and the Five Year Plan. This is done through stories and activities that portray the virtues of sacrifice and generosity, and show the Liang character and his friends engaging in the core activities of the Plan. The Liang character has emerged as foundational for many Bah children in their developing relationship with the Funds of the Faith. This is demonstrated through the numerous letters and drawings that come into the Treasurers Office addressed to Liang accompanied by contributions to the Fund. The Arise zine is designed to reach out to junior youth and assist them in connecting their material and spiritual reality. Articles engage and inspire them to make moral choices in line with their higher nature. Each issue includes a historical story about a hero of the Faith, various games and activities related to the Five Year Plan and the Fund, interviews conducted by junior youths, and an Above and Beyond comic. The FUNDamentals e-zine has been promoted to a bimonthly publication, now mailed to the community six times a year. FUNDamentals has become more outwardly-oriented and is read by both Bahs and friends of the Faith. Young adults from across the country are reading the articles and making comments on the blog site. Some recent topics that have been explored are gender equality in relation to finances, true wealth, and service and sacrifice. This informative e-zine

he BTB is a vital communications vehicle from the National Treasurer to local treasurers and is intended to provide information and education that will be shared with the believers in a dynamic and inspiring manner.

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can be found at http://spiritualfinance.typepad.com/fundamentals New believers and giving trends In order to reach out to new believers with Fund education, the Treasurers Office has begun researching recent trends in the Fund contributions of new believers. With a better understanding of the diversity of contributors, the office hopes to improve Fund education and uncover and provide special encouragement to segments of the population with potential for further growth.

t this writing, some 6,548 adults and youth had declared their faith since the beginning of the Five Year Plan. Of these, nearly 500, or almost 8 percent, had made at least one contribution directly to the National Fund.

In a recent report studying the contribution habits of new believers who have been enrolled since the beginning of the current Five Year Plan, valuable data has been gathered. At this writing, some 6,548 adults and youth had declared their faith since the beginning of the Five Year Plan. Of these, nearly 500, or almost 8 percent, had made at least one contribution directly to the National Fund. Further analysis showed that the average time between enrollment date and the date of a believers first contribution was about ten and a half months. Reports are also being developed that will allow the Treasurers Office to locate clusters that have shown significant growth in the number of new believers as well as the number of new contributors, and Fund participation rates within a given cluster. Planned Giving The Planned Giving program continues to encourage and inspire the friends to exercise their privilege of leaving a legacy to the Faith. Through this program, the National Assembly presents the friends with a number of options for leaving a gift to the Faithsuch as through bequests, life insurance, charitable gift annuities, securities, real estate, and gifts in kind. Support and guidance in making these decisions are further components of the program. Transforming the perception of writing a will from a legal requirement based in material concerns to a spiritual obligation is addressed in the presentations that are offered to communities throughout the country. Participation in this program will assist with the future financial stability of the Fund and will satisfy an individuals desire to support the Faith through philanthropy. As we approach the end of the Five Year Plan in 2011, meeting our goal of presenting Writing of a Will/Planned Giving to several communities in every state is achievable. During 200910, some 14 presentations were hosted by Local Spiritual Assemblies in support of members of their communities who expressed an interest in a spiritual as well as practical understanding of planned giving. To date, presentations have been hosted by Assemblies in 41 states. To create a more in-depth understanding of planned giving and its options and benefits to the general Bah population, articles were published in several issues of The American Bah; the national Administrative Website was updated with the most recent publications of literature; and a Planned Giving PowerPoint presentation was made available through the Treasurers Caf. Some 14 annuities were opened in the Charitable Gift Annuity Program, increasing our annuity portfolio by $522,420. To date, 179 annuities have been opened totaling $6,938,993 for the future of the Faith. As a result of the offices efforts to educate communities, an increase in the number of inquiries regarding the program and commitments to it is evident. As the program continues to expand, we enthusiastically look forward to the participation in planned giving of every believer who has the capacity to do so. It is our fervent hope to inspire the friends to take an even greater measure of responsibility for how they arrange the disposing of their material wealth at the end of

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this lifein preparation for their eternal spiritual journey. Volunteers The Treasurers Office is very fortunate to have the services of a large number of volunteers to draw upon in its various efforts for Fund development. We wish to extend our deep gratitude to all of these selfless servants of the Faith.

Financial advisors
The group of talented and experienced individuals who serve the National Assembly as financial advisors are invaluable in the counsel they impart and the guidance they offerespecially in these times of economic crisis. We offer our profound thanks to these dear souls for their tireless service.

Kingdom Project
The renovation of the Holiest House of Worship continues at a constant rate. The Visitors Center was reopened last May, after having been closed for a year due to the requirements of the construction work. We now have two new and beautiful reflecting pools to add to the spiritual atmosphere of the Temple. Contributions are still coming in to support the work on the Mother Temple of the West and are very much welcomed. Building the new Visitors Center has been deferred until restoration work on the Temple has been completed.

Chilean Temple Initiative

As of this writing, the American Bah community has contributed nearly $14 million toward the building of the Temple of Light in Chile. The National Spiritual Assembly has asked us to contribute the lions share to the building of this Temple and, in answer to that call, much-needed contributions continue to arrive in the Treasurers Office. Dearest Friends, you can see by the foregoing description how much of the work of the Treasurers Office is aimed at educating the community in the spiritual dimension of support for the Faiths financial needs. Our dearest wish is to see this essential facet of community life fully integrated with every other facet of our conversation as Bahs. We invite you to join us in reflecting upon this statement on behalf of the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi: Above all he wishes through you to reiterate his wish, already expressed in his recent cable to the N.S.A., that the National Fund, which undoubtedly constitutes the bedrock upon which all the activities of the Cause ultimately rest, should receive the continued and whole-hearted support of all the believers. With loving Bah greetings, Dr. William Roberts Treasurer

ou can see how much of the work of the Treasurers Office is aimed at educating the community in the spiritual dimension of support for the Faiths financial needs. Our dearest wish is to see this essential facet of community life fully integrated with every other facet of our conversation as Bahs.

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National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahs of the United States

Financial highlights March 31, 2010 (unaudited) and April 30, 2009 March 31, 2010 unaudited $23,840,232 616,218 244,393 2,030,932 $26,731,775 April 30, 2009 actual $29,996,271 702,233 358,201 586,602 $31,643,307

Unrestricted and restricted contributions received by the National Spiritual Assembly Unrestricted contributions Restricted for the Kingdom Project Restricted for the International Funds Restricted for other Funds Total contributions received Contributions to other funds International Funds Continental Fund Chile Temple Other Bah Funds and Deputization Total contributions to other Funds Kingdom Project, capital expenditures and depreciation Kingdom Project expenditures Green Acre expansion Other capital expenditures Total unrestricted revenues Total expenses Net assets

$2,995,050 374,441 1,242,344 232,129 $4,843,964

$3,201,521 399,222 957,527 243,586 $4,801,856

$3,105,367 $1,636,511 $ 885,372 $32,056,393 $31,017,335 $49,825,158

$3,789,267 $ 806,955 $1,716,877 $34,790,248 $35,927,403 $47,277,753

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahs of the United States

Combining and combined statements of financial position March 31, 2010 (unaudited) and April 30, 2009 Combined total

Assets
Current assets Cash and investments Due (to)/from other Funds Accounts and notes receivable Inventories Other current assets Total current assets Property and equipment net of accumulated depreciation Investments Endowed investments and other assets Total assets

National Bah Fund $21,167,353 7,380,728 201,057 152,910 335,842 $29,237,890 $45,053,101 241,447 3,114,514 $77,646,952

Publishing Trust $22,115 (7,380,728) 137,298 378,360 17,777 ($6,825,178) $200,947 0 0 ($6,624,231)

March 2010 unaudited $21,189,468 0 338,355 531,270 353,619 $22,412,712 $45,254,048 241,447 3,114,514 $71,022,721

April 2009 actual $21,368,348 0 368,632 557,857 429,681 $22,724,518 $42,769,410 226,018 2,794,734 $68,514,680

Liabilities
Current liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities Demand notes and current maturities of long term debt Deferred revenues and current portion of gift annuities Total current liabilities Long term debt Gift annuities long term portion Other long term liabilities Total liabilities

Liabilities and net assets

$1,929,264 10,822,017 545,048 $13,296,329 $1,096,825 3,217,654 3,448,380 $21,059,188

$138,375 0 0 $138,375 $0 0 0 $138,375

$2,067,639 10,822,017 545,048 $13,434,704 $1,096,825 3,217,654 3,448,380 $21,197,563

$2,068,680 12,006,735 490,683 $14,566,098 $1,120,191 2,952,258 2,598,380 $21,236,927

Net assets
Unrestricted Temporarily restricted Permanently restricted Total net assets Total liabilities and net assets $40,020,403 12,546,107 4,021,254 $56,587,764 $77,646,952 ($6,762,606) 0 0 ($6,762,606) ($6,624,231) $33,257,797 12,546,107 4,021,254 $49,825,158 $71,022,721 $32,218,739 11,037,760 4,021,254 $47,277,753 $68,514,680

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahs of the United States

Combining and combined statements of activities March 31, 2010 (unaudited) and April 30, 2009 Combined total Changes in unrestricted net assets Unrestricted net assets Contributions Contributed property Estate bequests Bah school tuition Sale of books and materials Investment and other income Investment gain (loss) Assets released from restriction Total unrestricted revenues Expenses Contributions to International Funds Education and teaching activities Properties operations and maintenance Cost of books and special materials General administration Change in defined benefit plan 1 Total expenses Increase/(decrease) in unrestricted net assets Changes in temporarily restricted net assets Contributions Net assets released from restriction Increase/(decrease) in temporarily restricted net assets Increase/(decrease) in net assets Net assets, beginning of year Net assets, end of year
1

National Bah Fund $23,840,232 2,379 524,169 774,140 341,065 201,850 1,021,272 4,540,760 $31,245,867 $4,843,964 8,176,829 4,130,282 187,586 11,384,761 850,000 $29,573,422 $1,672,445 $6,049,107 (4,540,760) $1,508,347 $3,180,792 $53,406,972 $56,587,764

Publishing Trust $0 0 0 0 810,526 0 0 0 $810,526 $0 0 45,558 439,319 959,036 0 $1,443,913 ($633,387) $0 0 $0 ($633,387) ($6,129,219) ($6,762,606)

March 2010 unaudited $23,840,232 2,379 524,169 774,140 1,151,591 201,850 1,021,272 4,540,760 $32,056,393 $4,843,964 8,176,829 4,175,840 626,905 12,343,797 850,000 $31,017,335 $1,039,058 $6,049,107 (4,540,760) $1,508,347 $2,547,405 $47,277,753 $49,825,158

April 2009 actual $29,996,271 148,014 1,692,174 998,174 1,401,752 535,679 (2,543,747) 2,561,931 $34,790,248 $4,801,856 8,638,269 4,703,535 833,259 15,676,670 1,273,814 $35,927,403 ($1,137,155) $2,466,364 (2,561,931) $(95,567) ($1,232,722) $48,510,475 $47,277,753

Change in defined benefit plan recorded annually based on investment values and acturial assuptions at fiscal year end

Notes to Financial Statements March 31, 2010, and April 30, 2009
Operations and accounting policies The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahs of the United States (the Assembly) was established in 1927 as a voluntary trust and subsequently incorporated in October 1994 as an Illinois not-for-profit corporation to administer, teach, and further the Bah Faith in the United States. The accounts of the Assembly are maintained on the accrual basis. The financial statements of the Assembly include the assets, liabilities, net assets (deficits), and financial activities of the National Bah Fund and the Bah Publishing Trust. The principal accounting policies used by the Assembly are as follows: Contributions All contributions from members of the Faith, unless specifically restricted by the donor, are considered to be available for unrestricted use and are recorded as received. Contributions in kind are recorded at an amount representing the estimated fair value of goods and services received during the year. Items received of artistic or religious significance for which no value can be readily determined and which are not anticipated to be sold are recorded at nominal value. Contributions from nonmembers may not be used to support the Faith and, accordingly, such amounts received are distributed for other humanitarian causes. Contributions restricted by the donor for particular programs and projects, or for property and equipment acquisitions, are earned and reported as revenues when the Assembly has incurred expenses for the purpose specified by the donor. Such amounts received, but not yet earned, are reported as restricted deferred amounts. Estate bequests are recorded when the funds are received. Tax-exempt status The U.S. Treasury Department has held that the National Spiritual Assembly and all subordinate Local Spiritual Assemblies are exempt from Federal income tax as organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (I.R.C.) of 1986. Accordingly, contributions made to the National Spiritual Assembly and all of its subordinate Local Spiritual Assemblies are deductible by the donors for Federal income tax purposes as provided by I.R.C. Section 170. Bequests, legacies, devises, transfers, or gifts to the National Spiritual Assembly or its subordinate Local Assemblies are deductible for Federal estate and gift tax purposes as provided by I.R.C. Sections 2055, 2106, and 2522. Inventories Inventories of books and special materials are recorded at the lower of cost, using the average cost method, or market. Investments Investments are recorded at market value. Property and equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost. The Assembly computes depreciation of fixed assets over their estimated useful lives using the straight line method. The estimated lives used in computing depreciation are as follows: Asset description Furniture/Equipment Buildings/Improvements Bah House of Worship Asset life 310 years 540 years 75 years

National Teaching Office

The National Teaching Office identifies and systematizes lessons related to teaching that the friends across the country are learning through action and reflectionespecially studying statistics and trends in clusters with intensive programs of growth where the dynamics of the Five Year Plan are operating. The office then offers the resulting knowledge to institutions at all levels, providing particular service and assistance to the National Spiritual Assembly and to the Regional Bah Councils. Enrollment trends in the national Bah community Nearly 3,000 new believers of all ages will have become registered members of the Bah Faith in the year ending at Rivn 2010. That growth is 30 percent below the enrollment level for the previous year, but exceeds the levels of enrollment reported at Rivn 2007 and 2008 (see chart below). One in three registrations represent a new junior youth or child. openinG dooRS to enRollment. Seeker inquiries through the 800-22UNITE phone line and the public websites were higher during 200910 than during the
3000 2750 2500 2250 2000 1750 1500 1250 1000 750 500 250 514 1,003 794

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63 ...National Teaching Office 67 ...Office of International Pioneering 69 ...Office of Communications 72 ...WLGI-FM Radio Bah

Enrollments in the United States, first four years of Plan (estimated as of March 2010)
Adult and youth enrollments Child and junior youth registrations
1,733

2,841

1,975

1,488

938

Year ending at Rivn 2007

Year ending at Rivn 2008

Year ending at Rivn 2009

Year ending at Rivn 2010 (estimate)

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n the year ending Rivn 2010, over 500 people visiting www.bahai.us will have clicked the I want to be a Bah icon and registered their belief in Bahullh. So far this year, nearly 90 percent of these registrants have been enrolled.

previous year. Nearly 1,500 live calls were answered and over 3,000 Web inquiries were logged into the national Seeker Response System (SRS) database for follow-up at the regional and cluster levels. This year the SRS was expanded to allow new believers to declare their faith online, adding an electronic option to the traditionally paper-driven process of enrolling new Bahs. Usage patterns indicate that in the year ending Rivn 2010, over 500 people visiting www. bahai.us will have clicked the I want to be a Bah icon and registered their belief in Bahullh. So far this year, nearly 90 percent of these registrants have been enrolled. Many are participating in Bah community life in their localities by joining study circles, starting devotional groups in their homes, or supporting neighborhood childrens classes. The National Teaching Office supports and assists the Regional Bah Councils in development of their seeker response networks, which utilize institute-trained Bahs to follow up with seekers or with those who declare their belief online. The Office monitors the lessons those networks are learning, analyzes proven methods, and shares the insights gained about the needs of seekers and new declarants on their journey to becoming integrated into Bah community life. As more people make their first contact with the Faith through these channels, it is becoming clear that greater human resources are required to respond to them. One major area of learning is the emergence of a coherent approach being applied by regional seeker response coordinators and cluster-level agencies together to meet the needs of the seekers and new declarants. Experiences reported from across the country highlight the importance of relying on cluster core team members to meet their needs, as the core team can most effectively tap into the full range of human resources within the cluster to welcome these people. In clusters with core teams that are vibrant and engaged, teaching teams are matched to the needs of these seekers or new declarants according to such factors as geographic location, capacities acquired through institute courses, ethnic and cultural background, gender, and interests. Sharing lessons learned nation- and worldwide Updates on progress in the teaching and consolidation work in clusters across the country, and insights gained from it, are shared quickly through a Web log (http:// teaching.bahai.us). Maintained by the Teaching Office, the site encourages visitors to log comments and questions. Not only is the site visited by people across the United States, it has attracted the interest of readers in over 140 countries. This year over 200 new stories and testimonials were shared on the website. Examples of stories shared by clusters every day on http://teaching.bahai.us: A report from Tacoma-Pierce County, Washington, notes: We are learning to optimize our teaching by discerning the level of the seekers interest or receptivity. How to gauge receptivity? The wisdom comes from practice, practice, practice, and the action of experience is the teacher. In Phoenix, Arizona, the Lean on Me teaching team was formed entirely of new believers from a receptive neighborhood. They have brought friends and neighbors to core activities and successfully invited some into the Faith. A visitor to Rio Grande Valley, Texas, commented: The members of this cluster seem to have a remarkable ability to very naturally bring up the subject of the Bah Faith with their friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Most all the people in the community I met shared this trait. In Portland, Oregon, a group of teaching teams visited homes in a receptive

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neighborhood to engage residents in the vision of building a spiritual community through core activities, as well as to share the Faith directly: One team met a woman and had a wonderful and loving conversation like Anna with her. As she shared her thoughts and feedback, everything was in line with the teachings of the Faith. This lady is excited to serve her neighborhood, and at the end of the conversation, she declared! Plans were made to immediately engage this new believer in a Ruhi [Book] 1 study circle, and she plans to invite her neighbors, family and friends to join in. She wants her daughter to participate in a childrens class. She also offered to be a resource in the neighborhood by offering her home as a base for community activities. This was confirmation of the guidance that states, The House of Justice is confident that there are innumerable souls who not only have the capacity to embrace this vision, but are ready, even eager, to work towards its realization. Over several months, a number of clusters in various regions found value in using booklets containing study theme content from Ruhi Book 2 during home visits. However, the time and expense involved in producing their own copies became challenging for clusters. The Teaching Office is facilitating the development of the materials into a published series to be distributed to clusters upon request. In addition, the National Teaching Office posts a variety of teaching resources, including cluster progress maps, prayer cards, Learning About Growth newsletters, and other downloadable materials on the Teaching Offices Web page (www. usbnc.org/dept/ntc.asp) and the Five Year Plan page (www.usbnc.org/5yrPlan. asp). Encouraging and engaging youth through online social networks Many Bah youths are active supporters of the Plan, spirited, on the move, and tech-savvy. The office maintains BahaiYouth.com, an online space for Bah youths and friends around the world to connect with each other and share questions and experiences. It also launched the USA Bah Youth Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pages/USA-Bahai-Youths/353010662948) to engage the large number of Bah youths who use Facebook. The office also oversees registration of Bah Campus Associations and keeps track of the activities of Bahs at colleges and universities. National Statistics Office The National Teaching Office also functions as the National Statistics Office. It compiles statistics about progress in the Five Year Plan, including enrollments, the development of human resources through the institute training process, participation in core activities, and more. These cluster- and regional-level statistics are collected in service to the Department of Statistics at the Bah World Center, and for analysis by the National Spiritual Assembly. The office trains and supports a network of regional and cluster statistics officers in the use of the Statistical Report Program (SRP) and maintains a website (http://nso.bahai.us).

he National Teaching Office launched the USA Bah Youth Facebook page to engage the large number of Bah youths who use Facebook.

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Five Year Plan progress update, October 2009

Institute courses taken
Book 1 October 2008 October 2009 Change 28,018 30,130 Book 2 19,124 20,502 Book 3 13,677 14,878 Book 4 14,100 15,629 Book 5 2,560 3,320 Book 6 10,516 11,928 Book 7 9,221 10,162

2,112 (+8%) 1,378 (+7%) 1,201 (+9%) 1,529 (+11%) 760 (+30%) 1,412 (+13%) 941 (+10%)

Study circles
Estimated number of Number held Participants friends of the Faith October 2008 October 2009 Change 2,461 2,346 -115 (-5%) 8,102 7,108 -994 (-12%) 1,328 1,569 241 (+18%)

Childrens classes
Number held Participants 1,112 1,153 41 (+4%) 6,481 7,236 755 (+12%) Estimated number of friends of the Faith 2,951 4,119 1,168 (+40%)

Devotional meetings
Number held October 2008 October 2009 Change 2,009 1,969 -40 (-2%)

Total localities 1,291 720 -571 (-44%)

Participants 12,606 13,075 469 (+4%)

Estimated number of friends of the Faith 3,635 4,102 467 (+13%)

Junior youth groups

Number held Participants October 2008 October 2009 Change 363 452 89 (+25%) 2,152 2,637 485 (+23%) Estimated number of friends of the Faith 991 1,569 578 (+58%)

Enrollments, registrations since previous May

Enrollments Registrations (Children (adults and youths) and junior youths) 1,570 1,166 -404 (-26%) 930 578 -352 (-38%)

Number of clusters in each category

D October 2008 October 2009 Change 55 49 -6 (-11%) C 598 599 1 (0%) B 101 71 -30 (-30%) IPG 96 168 72 (+75%) Total 894 887 -7 (-1%)

Office of International Pioneering

During 200910, Bah pioneers from isolated locations as well as from established clusters in the United States left their homes to assist in cluster and community development in countries near and far. The receiving countries continued to ask for pioneers who had completed the entire Ruhi Institute sequence of courses and were actively offering service in their clusters so that they could be of assistance with the work of the Five Year Plan immediately upon their arrival. The most frequent request from other National Spiritual Assemblies was for junior youth group animators who would be able to initiate and help maintain junior youth programs. At this writing, the goal of placing 1,300 international pioneersassigned to the U.S. by the Universal House of Justicestill remains to be won. During the first four years of the Plan, more than 824 pioneers have arisen to serve in other countries and been settled in their pioneer posts. Since Rivn 2009, 185 pioneers have responded to the Supreme Institutions call to servicewhich is less than in previous years. (See chart below for goal status.) Of those who were serving as pioneers (offering at least six months of international service), 34 percent were under 25 years of age, 41 percent between 26 and 54, and 25 percent were 55 and oldera testimony to the truth that all can serve in this way. Also during 200910, nearly 175 individuals left the U.S. to complete traveling teaching tripsmaking the total for the Plan thus far close to 1,500. While no longer an international goal, traveling teaching trips can provide assistance in many areas of the teaching work and can afford those seriPioneers since Rivn 2006 ously considering the possibility of (as of 2/16/2010) pioneering an important opportunity for information-gathering and 1400 exploration. A few trips this year 1,300 were made by people who went to 1200 secure employment in other lands, returning to them soon afterward 1000 as pioneers. A special consultation attended by returned pioneers was hosted during the year at the Bah National Centerproviding the office staff with strategies which greatly assisted in recruitment efforts. By decentralizing many recruitment tasks, the Pioneer Resource Persons (PRP) network of approximately
800 600 400 200 0
Pioneers sent since Rivn 2006 Goal for entire Five Year Plan

f those serving as pioneers, 34 percent were under 25 years of age, 41 percent between 26 and 54, and 25 percent were 55 and oldera testimony to the truth that all can serve in this way.

824

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330 volunteers throughout the country provides critical assistance to the office staff in local recruitment efforts. Beginning in May, six former PRPs were asked to function as Regional PRP Coordinators. These new coordinators have been working hard to coordinate and direct the work of the volunteer network. The PRPs offer presentations about international service at Feasts and other community gatherings, providing a continuous flow of inspiration, information, and education about the need for international pioneers.

he Pioneer Resource Persons (PRP) network of approximately 330 volunteers throughout the country provides critical assistance to the office staff in local recruitment efforts.

The office has sought to keep the Bah community informed of the needs for international service through articles in The American Bah, mailings to Bah schools, and other channels. During 200910, the National Spiritual Assembly voiced a call for pioneers in a letter dated June 15; this was followed by another letter written for the Feast of Suln on January 18, which included an attachment with a list of goal countries and the current pioneer status of each. Staff members again offered workshops at the Green Lake Bah Conference, the 19th Annual Conference of the Association of Friends of Persian Culture, the Bah Conference on Social and Economic Development, and the annual Northeast Bah Youth (NEBY) conference. Volunteer PRPs made presentations at the Grand Canyon Bah Conference and many summer and winter school programs. The Pioneer Resource Persons were asked to present a two-hour program called Global Positioning for Programs of Growth locally and, subsequently, to provide the office with follow-up reports. Volunteers continued to support the work of the three staff persons in the office. The volunteers not only serve in place of staff at off-site events and in the supervision of the Pioneer Resource Persons Network; they also regularly serve in the office. Throughout the year 200910, they provided almost 1,000 hours of service, not including the loosely calculated 3,500 hours of service provided by the Pioneer Resource Persons and their six coordinators.

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Office of Communications
The principal tasks of the Office of Communications include producing news and information for a range of audiencesthe general public, seekers, the community of interest, and members of the Bah community; developing relationships with the national media; offering training and support for the network of local Public Information Officers; developing and managing the national Bah presence on the Internet; and encouraging and supporting individual, locality, and cluster initiatives on the Internet. Other important areas of work include the development of identity and graphic design standards; digital media asset management; and crisis communications. National media relations During 200910, the office worked on a variety of initiatives to broaden media exposure to and coverage of the Faith. The most significant national media coverage of the Faith came about as a result of the continuing detention and repeated court appearances of the Yrnthe seven members of the ad hoc committee overseeing the affairs of the Iranian Bah community (see the External Affairs section of this report for more information). Major public events in defense of the seven were held in several citiesincluding Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.attracting significant media coverage. In addition, the office worked to mobilize the Public Information Officer (PIO) network to generate coverage of prayer gatherings held across the country for the imprisoned Bahs. Dozens of news stories appeared in local media across the country, particularly during February and March. In September, for the sixth consecutive year, the Office of Communications had an information booth at the annual convention of the Religion Newswriters Association (RNA). The convention continues to be an important avenue for the office to develop relationships with key reporters and expose them to the Faith. Throughout the year, the office continued to field requests and to respond to misrepresentations, inaccuracies, and omissions about the Faith in the national media. The office responded to general inquiries from national organizations and the general public and maintained the accuracy of entries about the Faith in reference works. The office participated in the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) and served on the planning committee for the Religion Communicators Congress, a once-a-decade event that, at this writing, is set to take place in Chicago in April. During the Congress, the office will welcome several dozen media representatives of various faith communities for a special visit to the Bah House of Worship. Training and support for the network of local Public Information Officers The office provided targeted media relations training to Public Information Officers in communities that are part of an A cluster (or a cluster that is soon to advance to the A stage) and are also located in one of the major U.S. media markets.

he most significant national media coverage of the Faith came about as a result of the continuing detention and repeated court appearances of the Yrn.

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These two factors create new and potentially fruitful opportunities to generate media coverage of the Faith. One-day intensive workshops were held in the Northwestern and Central regions, and more workshops are planned in other parts of the country during the coming year. The workshops focused on applying the methodology of the Five Year Plan to public information work through focused consultation on the following questions: How can our sense of purpose, as builders of a new world civilization, affect our interaction with the media? How can the core activities be presented to the media in ways that are newsworthy and intriguing? How can we apply cycles of learning, action, and reflection to our public information work? How can we create a culture of learning within the network of Public Information Officers, so that successes and valuable insights can be disseminated and applied in other areas? The office provided ongoing mentoring and support to the PIOs through an online social network (www.bahaipio.net). This tool helps create a sense of support and mutual learning among the PIOs by allowing them to create a profile and share news and information with each other and with the office. The office regularly posted sample news releases, talking points, tips, and success stories. National Internet presence The office continued during 200910 to work with the Information Technology department on the development of a new Web application framework for the Bah National Center. The framework will add a new level of functionality to national Bah websites, including member authentication, role-based delivery of content, and personal customization of Web services. The office continued to explore the use of new online toolssuch as Facebook fan pages and Twitter accountsfor social networking and the promotion of Bah content. The office also continued to assist the permanent Bah schools, the Wilmette Institute, and the Bah House of Worship in the management of public-facing electronic newsletters. Support for cluster, locality, and individual Web initiatives As a response to guidance from the Bah Internet Agency, the office continues to encourage individual initiative online to create an accurate reflection on the Internet of the vibrant, dynamic, and outward-looking culture of the Bah community. We also support and encourage the creation of high-quality Bah community and cluster websites across the country. A workshop on Bah Participation on the Internet has been offered at Bah centers and at summer schools. The office continues to manage www.bahaiwebdev.net as an online social network for Bahs to encourage and learn from each other about using communications technology to serve the Faith. Crisis communications In December, the office hosted the annual meeting of the Bah National Center crisis communications team, which includes representatives from the Secretariat, Office of External Affairs, Office of Communications, Public Safety, Information Technology, and Media Services. The team reviewed crisis communications lessons learned over the past year and consulted on the roles of Bah institutions at

he office provided ongoing mentoring and support to local Public Information Officers through an online social network, helping create a sense of support and mutual learning.

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various levels in preparing for and responding to natural and man-made crises. Digital asset management The office has continued to develop the Bah National Centers digital media library containing photo, audio, and video assets. An intensive effort is under way to digitize slides, photos, audiotapes, film, and other archival media assets, with priority given to the preservation of older assets that may be deteriorating. The office is working to add a Web interface to the media collection, so that different user groupsincluding Bahs, media outlets, and the general publicwill be able to keyword-search and download selected assets.

s a response to guidance from the Bah Internet Agency, the office continues to encourage individual initiative online to create an accurate reflection on the Internet of the vibrant, dynamic, and outward-looking culture of the Bah community.

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ah programming includes spots and segments featuring selections from Bah writings on various topics, prayers, explanations of Bah principles, discussion of the Central Figures of the Faith, and special Holy Day programming.

WLGI-FM Radio Bah

Radio Bah operates in a manner consistent with the highest standards of broadcasting excellence in programming, administration, public service, and technical operation in service to the National Spiritual Assembly and the Bah Faith. Human resources WLGI operates with two full-time staff members performing all necessary jobs: programming, production, administrative, minor technical and engineering, and on-air duties. Two independent contractors provide additional voice tracking, programming, and production assistance. To maintain up-to-date understanding of technical, management, and regulatory issues, WLGI-FM and its staff are members of the National Association of Broadcasters and the South Carolina Broadcasters Association and utilize their workshops, seminars, and other information. Programming Comments from listeners indicate the stations programming has been wellreceived by the Bah community and the general public. Bah programming includes spots and segments featuring selections from Bah writings on various topics, prayers, explanations of Bah principles, discussion of the Central Figures of the Faith, and special Holy Day programming. The station also offers instrumental jazz and songs that reinforce Bah themes of love, peace, unity, and racial and ethnic understanding and diversity. The station also airs public service announcements from nonprofit organizations and churches and promotes health, literacy, volunteerism, and interracial unity. p RoGRamS in development. A Program Development Committee has been formed to guide creation of Bah programming consistent with the framework of the Five Year Plan. One member, serving as Media Programs Director, works under the Regional Bah Council of the Southeastern States and in close collaboration with the Regional Training Institute Coordinator and the Auxiliary Board member serving the listening area. The director strives, through a humble posture of learning, to develop a coherent understanding of the power of utterance, through radio and Internet streaming; the requirements of contributing to and raising the level of a populations discourse; and ways to empower local resources to act and use their voice. Among programming being developed as a result of this collaborative effort: Devotional material for broadcast throughout the day, to invite listeners to conversation with God Spots inviting listeners to walk a path of service in their neighborhoods through such activities as prayer in a friends home, reciting the Word of God in the morning and evening, and contributing to the education and empowerment of young people

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 An interview programReflection, exploring the meaning of passages from courses of the Ruhi Institutewith young believers experienced in collective teaching and core activities Technical and engineering Most recent technical and engineering issues have been routine ones for a 24-houra-day broadcasting operation that puts considerable stress on equipment.

mong programming under development is an interview programReflection, exploring the meaning of passages from courses of the Ruhi Institutewith young believers experienced in collective teaching and core activities.

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Junior Youth Desk

In its letter of December 27, 2005, the Universal House of Justice noted the efficacy of educational programs aimed at the spiritual empowerment of junior youth and indicatedso impressed was it and so compelling was the needthat it would urge all National Spiritual Assemblies to consider junior youth groups formed through programs implemented by their training institutes as a fourth core activity in its own right and to promote its wide-scale multiplication. To this end, at Rivn last year, the National Spiritual Assembly established a desk to help systematize and disseminate learning about the spiritual empowerment program for junior youth and to facilitate the work of resource persons and cluster coordinators in each region. Included in this work was the accompaniment of those contributing to the activities of learning sites that train coordinators of junior youth groups. The first such learning site for the United States is North Carolinas Triangle cluster (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill). During 200910, the work of the desk has entailed a number of lines of action, including field visits to each of the six regions, collaboration and consultation with resource persons and training institutes, facilitation of training seminars for coordinators, and regular visits to the learning site. Beginning in June, the coordinator of the Junior Youth Desk undertook a series of field visits to each of the six regions to become familiar with how the program was developing generally across the country and to identify clusters where the junior youth program had gained a foothold. In addition, the visits helped in identifying individuals who might be able to assist the program to further developwhether at a cluster or sub-regional levelwho were then invited to participate in training seminars. An effort was made to maximize the trips to each region to include visiting as many junior youth groups and meeting with as many animators as possible. In addition, consultations were held with the regional institute coordinators, resource persons or regional junior youth program coordinators where they existed, Auxiliary Board members, and those serving on cluster agencies to help identify strategies and establish goals. During the first six months of the desks work, a total of 67 clusters from all six regions received a visit from the coordinator. Thus far, training seminars organized for junior youth group coordinators have proven to be the most significant means for systematizing and disseminating learning about the junior youth spiritual empowerment program. These training seminars consist of three parts that take place over six months. First, the coordinators (or potential coordinators) study and consult on a number of documents produced by the Bah World Centers Office of Social and Economic Development. These include a review and analysis of Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth (Ruhi Book 5), a close examination of several of the junior youth texts that form the backbone of the program, and a document that explores the various functions

Social Action
75 ... Junior Youth Desk

raining seminars organized for junior youth group coordinators have proven to be the most significant means for systematizing and disseminating learning about the junior youth spiritual empowerment program.

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of coordinators of junior youth groupswhich include, but are not limited to, increasing the pool of animators, forming groups, sustaining groups, and providing for the continuing training of animators. Most importantly, they consult on the skills, attitudes, and spiritual insights of those who accompany others along a path of service. The second part of the training consists of a visit to the Triangle cluster in North Carolina, where the program serves nearly 200 junior youths. While the learning site is not held up as a model junior youth program, it presents a compelling example of its potential to reach ever larger numbers. During these visits, coordinators participate in a number of activities, including observing junior youth groups, attending an animator gathering, assisting with a cluster-wide gathering for junior youth groups, helping to form new groups, and visiting the parents of those participating in the program. It is difficult to overstate how valuable these field visits have been to the participating coordinators. Finally, after approximately six months, the coordinators gather once more to reflect on how they have applied insights gained during the training seminar and the field visit and what they have been learning in their own clusters as they work on expanding the program. To date, 60 people have participated in these seminars and 30 have completed all three components of the training. Some of the participants have been regional coordinators, regional or sub-regional junior youth program coordinators, resource persons, and Auxiliary Board members. Most, however, are serving at the cluster level as junior youth group coordinators. Altogether they are working with 36 clusters, assisting each cluster to advance from one phase to the next in the development of the program. As an initial goal, every cluster with an intensive program of growth has the goal of forming at least five groups serving approximately 50 junior youths. A handful of clusters have reached this stage. It is hope of the desk that the last year of this Plan will see a significant increase in the number of junior youth groups across the country, particularly in clusters that have established intensive programs of growth.

s an initial goal, every cluster with an intensive program of growth has the goal of forming at least five groups serving approximately 50 junior youths. A handful of clusters have reached this stage.

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Office of Assembly Development

The Office of Assembly Development continued throughout the year 200910 to sharpen its focus on assisting Local Spiritual Assemblies to develop stronger administrative functioning to complement their vital role in carrying out the work of the Five Year Plan. While maintaining the same broad range of resources for Assemblies, the office concentrated its efforts on those most relevant to the current stage of the Plan and enhanced the ability of remaining resources to address more directly the current needs of the Assemblies. The offices energies have principally been centered on making its training materials and events more accessible to a wider array of Assemblies. Developing Distinctive Bah Communities The most significant development during the year was the decision to make the manual Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies: Developing Distinctive Bah Communities available online only. Since it had undergone a major revision in 2009 to reduce its size and cost of production, the manual required fewer updates this year, effectively limiting updates to the manual that will be released at the beginning of the new administrative year. Looking to the future of the manual, plans are under way to make it an easilynavigable series of Web pages on the national Administrative Website, so a more robust collection of guidance and supplementary documents is available in a single location. The pages would include other materials available from the office, such as the Domestic Violence supplement to the manual and elements of the Secretarys Toolbox. The Reflecting Pool: A Forum on Assemblies and the Five Year Plan will be used as a dynamic connection between the guidance manuals, the online workshops, and the related discussion topics in forums, creating a much richer experience for those searching for pragmatic ways of implementing the guidance and what they have learned. Conferences This years one-day Assembly Skill Building Conference, held in San Diego, California, was particularly well attended for being the only one held in the area. Some 82 Assembly members, representing 21 Local Spiritual Assemblies, gathered at a local school for a day of learning. As in previous conferences, the focus was on imparting practical information and skills on a variety of topics useful to the day-to-day functioning of Local Spiritual Assemblies. The mainstays of the conference were the participatory workshops, such as Planning Effective Agendas and Improving Minute Taking and Take It Personal: Handling Personal Status Issues. In addition, a member of the Regional Bah Council of the Southwestern States offered a workshop, Your Assembly and the Five Year Plan and a New Vision for Seeker Response, which was well attended. Presented for the first time was a new workshop, Consultation in Unity and Harmony, which elicited a positive response from participants.

Community Development
79 ...Office of Assembly Development 81 ...Office of Community Administration 82 ...Persian-American Affairs Office

lans are under way to make the Assembly manual an easily-navigable series of Web pages on the national Administrative Website, so a more robust collection of guidance and supplementary documents is available in a single location.

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Over the past few years, the Office of Assembly Development has found the oneday conferences held at venues in close proximity to the home communities of the Assemblies participating to be far more popular than those requiring more time and travel. This can be seen as a testimony to the truth that time is a precious commodity, best employed at this moment in efforts to advance the work of the Five Year Plan. Special Visit Program The office has continued its Spiritual Assembly Special Visit program, which invites Local Spiritual Assemblies to Wilmette, enabling members to familiarize themselves with the resources available at the Bah National Center, and affording them an opportunity to share questions, comments, or suggestions directly with the National Assembly and its offices. This year the office concentrated its efforts on assisting local Assemblies to better understand their role in the Plan as well as the role of a vibrant Nineteen Day Feast. To accomplish this, we instituted more time for discussion of the topic after reflecting on recent guidance from the Universal House of Justice and sharing what has been learned locally. The three visits during 200910 enabled 97 members of 15 Assemblies to participate. Assemblies that participated rated the program highly (an average of 4.9 on a 5-point usefulness scale), and they reported greater understanding of their role in the Plan. With the programs success, we will be expanding the number of participants that can attend each visit this year. One final note: The year 200910 also marked the departure of Ms. Theresa Zingery, coordinator of the Office of Assembly Development, who dedicated 14 years to providing excellent and invaluable service to the National Spiritual Assembly and to Local Spiritual Assemblies and their members. She will continue contributing to the education of adult learners as the director for the Adult Academic Program at the Winnetka Learning Center in New Hope, Minnesota.

he office has continued its Spiritual Assembly Special Visit program, which invites Local Spiritual Assemblies to Wilmette, enabling members to familiarize themselves with the resources at the Bah National Center and to share questions, comments, or suggestions directly with the National Assembly and its offices.

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Office of Community Administration

The Office of Community Administration provides administrative support to the National Spiritual Assembly by offering guidance to Local Spiritual Assemblies and individual believers concerning issues of community functioning and the application of Bah laws and principles. In cooperation with the Office of Assembly Development, Community Administration plays a key role in training Assemblies through the continuing program of Assembly visits to the Bah National Center and through skill-building conferences for Assembly members, assisting them to better understand and address issues pertaining to Bah law and Bah administration. It is a continuing challenge for the Office of Community Administration to provide timely responses to the many telephone calls, letters, and email messages it receives each year. Over the past year, the office received approximately 804 letters (96 less than the previous year) and 5,929 emails (1,257 more than the previous year). These figures, however, do not include the many additional emails that go directly to the office manager and five administrative consultants. During 200910, the National Spiritual Assembly removed the administrative rights of 25 believers and restored the administrative rights of 20 believers. The majority of cases resulting in deprivation involved knowing violations of the Bah marriage laws and immorality (primarily, couples choosing to live together without the benefit of marriage). From January 1 to December 31, 2009, there were 118 Bah divorces reported (55 more than the previous year). The number includes divorces where both parties are Bahs and where only one party is a Bah. In addition, during 200910 there were 324 withdrawals (2 more than in the previous year) and 33 reinstatements to Bah membership (2 fewer than in the previous year). There are a number of reasons why people withdraw their membership in the Faith. In many cases, they are believers who have not been active in the Faith for many years and have finally decided to write and say that they never really considered themselves to be Bahs. Many state that they have returned to their former religion. Others express the view that they love Bahullh but cannot accept His teachings on such matters as homosexuality or the requirement to have the consent of ones parents to marry. Still others adamantly decline to give a reason, insisting that what they choose to believe or not believe is nobodys business but their own and rebuffing any efforts at further contact with them.

ver the past year, the office received approximately 804 letters (96 less than the previous year) and 5,929 emails (1,257 more than the previous year).

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espite an increasing influx of Iranian Bah refugees, Bah institutions at the local level have been successful in handling the integration of these friends in their Bah communities.

Persian-American Affairs Office

The principal focus of the Persian-American Affairs Office (PAAO) during 200910 has been assisting with the speedy and safe transfer of Iranian Bah refugees who have been living under much harsher circumstances than in recent yearsto the Bah community of the United States. This extremely important and sometimes delicate process has been continually facilitated through special guidance and instructions from the Universal House of Justice to this National Spiritual Assembly. Of the over 167,000 enrolled believers composing the U.S. Bah community, nearly 15 percent are Persian-American (25,000 members). Of these, almost 43 percent are refugees who came to the U.S. since 1980the majority since 2000. In the period covered in this report, it is noteworthy that, despite an increasing influx of Iranian Bah refugees, Bah institutions at the local level have been successful in handling the integration of these friends in their Bah communities. Fewer calls for assistance from Local Spiritual Assemblies that could be characterized as emergencies were received by the PAAO during 200910 than in previous years. The task of integrating Persian-Americans into the U.S. Bah community will remain a significant activity as long as the stream of refugees flows in response to dangers threatening the Iranian Bah community. It is, therefore, critical to enlist the full participation of this human resource pool in pursuing the goals of the Five Year Plan. Through such integration, Bah communities have been and will continue to be enrichedthough, to be sure, challenges remain.

To facilitate the integration of newly-arrived Bahs from Iran, the PAAO works with other offices and agencies at the Bah National Center. During 200910, the office enjoyed close collaborations with the Offices of the Secretary, Assembly Development, Community Administration, and Activities, 20092010 Information Technology in setting up new arrangements for the integraBah Institute for Higher Education documents certifications 30 tion of Iranian believers in the U.S. in response to the adverse conditions Number of Persian language pages produced for The American Bah 36 prevailing in the Cradle of the Faith. Translations Matters of personal status handled Pieces of correspondence Email communications Telephone calls 26 430 139 2455 2458 In the past year, this office has assisted individuals, refugee organizations, and transit countries National Spiritual Assemblies by providing documentation of personal status, such as marriage and Bah membership confirmations. Introduction of Iranian believers for marriage and visits or transfers to the

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United States have continued, as in previous years, through the Office of Persian and Arab Affairs, which operates under the aegis of the Universal House of Justice. The PAAO continued during 200910 to be responsible for translating the National Spiritual Assemblys Feast messages for their eventual posting on the national Administrative Website. It also translated various documents and pieces of correspondence from, or into, Persian for a variety of offices. This included the text of the Office of the Treasurers monthly Treasurers Notes and translation of documents for individual Bahs. Other such translations undertaken included instructions for the election of the Regional Bah Councils. The PAAO continued to certify the transcripts of former Bah Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) graduates. At this writing, this included certifications for 30 BIHE graduates. These graduates are considered valuable assets to the integration process, as they are well versed in Persian language and culture and are active in the universities graduate schools and in Bah community life. The PAAO assists with the review of articles for The American Bah and prepares six Persian pages for each issuetogether with similar content for the corresponding online edition of the journal. This year the PAAO found it necessaryowing to a reduction in staff and its need to be extremely focused on the needs of newly-arrived refugeesto discontinue assisting in the activities of the Irfn Colloquium and the Association of Friends of Persian Culture (AFPC). Although the PAAO is no longer collecting subscriptions for Paym-i-Baha Bah magazine in Persian, published in France and distributed worldwideit has continued to assist inquirers and former subscribers, as well as the agencies responsible for collecting the subscriptions and for distributing this much appreciated Persian publication. During 200910, the task of monitoring the Persian mediawhich was carried out by the PAAO for a number of yearswas transferred to another entity which operates from outside the Bah National Center. The PAAO has also continued to assist the secretariat of the Persian Reviewing Panel, appointed by the Universal House of Justice to review manuscripts in Persian before their publication.

raduates of the Bah Institute for Higher Education are considered valuable assets to the integration process, as they are well versed in Persian language and culture and are active in universities graduate schools and in Bah community life.

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Office of Education And Schools

The Office of Education and Schools (OES) coordinates and supervises the work of the three permanent Bah schoolsBosch, Green Acre, and Louhelen Bah Schools29 Bah school committees, the Wilmette Institute, and the Native American Bah Institute (NABI). In addition, the OES coordinates recruitment and application processes for the Bah Youth Service Corps at the permanent schools and at NABI. Direct support in achieving Five Year Plan objectives During 200910, the national Bah schools, ever cognizant of the role assigned to them by the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, as a vital and inseparable part of any teaching campaign, as well as of their missionconferred by the National Spiritual Assemblyto provide support in achieving the goals of the Five Year Plan, continued to realign and revise their programs of study. As part of these efforts, the schools collaborated closely with regional Bah agencies and institutions to develop programs meeting the needs of the communities they serve. Curricula built on these practical realities aided the schools to be effective in generating understanding and enthusiasm for the Plan, thus fulfilling their role in the divine work of bringing forth jewels from the mine of humanity. In addition, members of these same agencies and institutions provided valuable insights into school committee appointments and supported school sessions with their presence and full participation. The primary resource used in designing courses at the schools was the compilation Turning Point: Selected Messages of the Universal House of Justice and Supplementary Material 19962001, which presents the fundamental concepts of the current Five Year Plan, the annual education theme for the schools. In addition, intensive and refresher Ruhi training courses were organized to meet the vital needs of childrens class teachers and junior youth group animators in various regions. Encouraging participation of children, junior youth, and youth Developments over the past yearas seen in the anecdotes that followsuggest a positive trend in the involvement of youth and junior youth in the programs offered by the national Bah schools, as the numbers of both groups attending continued to rise: One school welcomed 15 individuals from the local community of interest, including 13 children and youths from a clusters childrens class and junior youth project. At the close of one summer school, a youth who completed Ruhi Book 1 with her Bah high school teacher told her, Im going home to write a letter to my mother explaining why I want to be a Bah!

Education
85 ...Office of Education and Schools 90 ...Bosch Bah School 92 ...Green Acre Bah School 94 ...Louhelen Bah School 96 ...Native American Bah Institute 98 ...Wilmette Institute

he schools collaborated closely with regional Bah agencies and institutions to develop programs meeting the needs of the communities they serve. Curricula built on these practical realities aided the schools to be effective in generating understanding and enthusiasm for the Plan.

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 A parent commented, I attended the session primarily for my children, who are nine years old. I wanted to strengthen their identities as Bah children and help them see that they are not isolated, that there are other children who believe and feel as they do, and practice some of the same things our family does. This summer school more than helped me to accomplish this. Though one child continues to see herself as both Christian and Bah (because of her grandparents), the other twin firmly declared, Im a Bah!

he schools have responded to requests to host cluster-related activities, like training for junior youth group animators, in order to foster unity and cohesion and spark the youths full participation in cluster and core activities. Attendees are continually encouraged to take their acquired knowledge and training back to their home communities.

One teacher stated she was amazed at the depth of understanding of the 9 to 11-year-olds: that they were able to relate easily to the material presented on the Five Year Plan. Two young adults from an A cluster facilitated a dynamic six-day course based on The Spirit of Faithpart of a pre-publication curriculum for junior youth from the Ruhi Instituteand 45 junior youths attended. One participant remarked, My instructors were fun and my friends, while still keeping us on track. Im not a Bah, but I am sure to declare, and when I do it will be here! During a Junior Youth Weekend held in October, the program was enhanced when a member of the Continental Board of Counselors took time from a concurrent session on the Five Year Plan to address this unique age group. One well-received tutorial on junior youth groups addressed the immediate and real concerns of a group of animators-in-training, with practical advice and ideas to assist the trainees in developing their confidence to return home and engage in this fourth core activity. Parents who wished to enhance the spiritual identity of their children and who themselves attended Bah schools as children were particularly enthusiastic about family sessions. A still-greater potential exists for launching youth programs in collaboration with the Faiths various institutions. The schools have responded to requests to host cluster-related activities, like training for junior youth group animators, in order to foster unity and cohesion and spark the youths full participation in cluster and core activities. Attendees are continually encouraged to take their acquired knowledge and training back to their home communities. Strategic programs through collaboration and coherent action The expansion and refinement of institutional collaboration continued to be one of the key areas of development and learning within the schools and institutes during 200910. Two additional anecdotes illustrate how this esprit de corps was critical in developing coherent and integrated programs in the institutions and in clusters: Assembly members in three clusters located near a school were invited to meet with a member of the Continental Board of Counselors while a school program that had attracted 230 participants was in progress. An Auxiliary Board member commented that the program helped us all get a greater understanding of how we each participate in the unfolding Divine Plan at this hour. Continuing collaboration with the Regional Bah Council and Auxiliary Board members at one school has resulted in the development of a plan to carry out follow-up to the summer Junior Youth Institute. Goals were set to increase the number of junior youth becoming active participants in their clusters. Important to this goal will be ensuring that each junior youths Cluster Institute Coordinator knows in advance that she or he will be attending the institute. Encourage-

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ment will also be needed from both institutions calling on every junior youth to participate in cluster reflection meetings and core activities. Other sessions have become catalysts to assist regions in better meeting the requirements of the current Five Year Plan, at the same time drawing large numbers of Bahs and seekersoften resulting in several declarations. Programs are focused on sustainable core activities, empowering new believers to become active participants in their maintenance and success. Training at the schools often includes opportunities to practice acts of service, through hosting devotional gatherings, teaching childrens classes, and practicing the sharing of the Faiths fundamentals. The number of individuals coming forward and pledging support for the Plan continues to grow as all find a part to play. Clusters have reported transformation, improved understanding of the Plan, and increased support of the core activities in individuals and families who attend the schools programs. Emphasis on an outward-looking orientation Highly encouraging during 200910 was a notable increase in the number of seekers and new believers attending each of the schools and institutes. By offering courses designed to present a Bah perspective on some of the social issues that are baffling humanity, the schools are responding to an exciting opportunity to speak to the larger community in a manner increasingly capturing their attention. The number of non-Bahs attending the seasonal schools nearly doubled this year to over 220 (about five percent of total attendees). Many school committees received comments that the session was an especially positive experience for the youth and the community. One mother, who soon afterwards embraced the Faith, said that her family had been reborn through their participation. At least 20 declarations of faith were reported at summer schools, including the declaration of a Japanese student in Arkansas, who found the Texas Bah school online and, without knowing a soul, drove seven hours to attend, making a declaration of faith the last day of the school session. Programs at all the schools and institutes, such as Interfaith Weekends and an annual race unity session, inspire participation of like-minded individuals and organizations outside the Faith. Their consistent friendship reflects on the schools steadfast avoidance of making distinctions between Bahs and non-Bahs. What stands out to me most is the spirit of inclusiveness, remarked one woman who, after being asked to organize a program at one of the schools, embraced the Faith. Non-Bah organizations and groups increasingly seek to use the campuses, citing a mysterious quality of spirituality and service as attractive features of the schools. Once there, guests often ask to learn about the Faith, demonstrating the effectiveness of opening the campuses for outside use as a means of building a community of interest. Learning to evolve and flourish The Office of Education and Schools is eager to implement the annual theme for the 2010 school sessions and to utilize the Teachers Toolbox annual theme lessons drawn from Universal House of Justice member Paul Lamples book Revelation & Social Reality. The schools will strive to ensure that participants in all sessions learn how to translate what is written into reality through their engagement in a cycle of learning that revolves around study, consultation, action, reflection on action, and application. Personal experience and practice will be key elements in this new approach to learning.

he number of nonBahs attending the seasonal schools nearly doubled to over 220 (about five percent of total attendees). Many school committees received comments that the session was an especially positive experience for the youth and the community.

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ocal clusters benefited much from youth volunteer support. Volunteers acted as childrens class teachers and junior youth group animators, participated in local teaching efforts, and took part in the institute training process both as participants and tutors.

The national Bah schools and institutes are firmly committed to the global vision of the Universal House of Justice and the unifying directives of the National Spiritual Assembly. To become increasingly better explicators and champions of the successive stages of the Divine Plan for the entire American Bah community is the primary goal of all of the schools and institutes under this offices management. Bah Youth Service Corps During 200910, the Office of Education and Schools responded to a total of 138 offers from volunteers proposing terms of service ranging from a few weeks to a full year. Once again, valued enhancement of the schools activities came from an international contingent of youth representing 16 countries, including: Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Denmark, England, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Hawaii, Kenya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Portugal, Trinidad, and South Africa. Despite the difficulties brought on by a world economic downturn that has forced many youths to seek gainful employmentas well as by the denial of visas for international applicantsfor the first time in several years all volunteer slots were filled in the critical summer months when school programming is at its height.

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Beyond their service to the schools, Bah Youth Service Corps volunteers continued to devote time to the support of core activities, while actively pursuing individually their completion of the full sequence of courses in the Ruhi curriculum. Local clusters benefited much from youth volunteer support. Volunteers acted as childrens class teachers and junior youth group animators, participated in local teaching efforts, and took part in the institute training processboth as participants and tutors. At Bosch and Louhelen Bah Schools, the number of children attending classes in nearby Bah communities was bolstered by the work of youths who engaged in outreach to parents in local apartment complexes. NABI volunteers initiated efforts to train local Native youths as animators for sustainable junior youth groups, thus increasing the number of active groups and the number of declarations by Native youths. Green Acre youths were involved in one event that provided an opportunity to make presentations on the Faith to 80 local seventh-graders. One final note: The year 200910 also marked the departure of Mrs. Nancy Davis, Coordinator of the Office of Education and Schools, who for over a decade provided excellent and invaluable service to the National Spiritual Assembly and to the families and children attending the schools. She will continue contributing to the education of children as Principal of a Montessori school in Oklahoma.

o become increasingly better explicators and champions of the successive stages of the Divine Plan for the entire American Bah community is the primary goal of all of the schools and institutes.

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Bosch Bah School, Santa Cruz, California

Building on two years continuous endeavor to develop programs of study in consonance with the requirements of the Five Year Plan, the year 200910 at Bosch Bah School has been marked by advancements in the realization of this aim. From childrens sessions to adult classes, studies of the Writings and history to seminars on health and on marriage, Bosch benefited throughout the year from the concerted efforts of teachers and session coordinators determined to connect their offerings to the needs of the Plan. Moreover, under the leadership of Auxiliary Board members and regional institutions, there was a noticeable increase in use of Bosch as a venue for the training of individuals and institution members to better serve their clusters.

hile Youth Institute weeks have always been extremely popular, the outwardlooking orientation enjoined on us by the Universal House of Justice suggested extending the appeal of these inspiring weeks to the friends of Bah youth.

One outstanding example of this closer relationship between the school and needs at the cluster level came in August, when the secretary of the Regional Bah Council of the Southwestern States approached Bosch with a suggestion that the school host a new type of training directed at B-stage clusters facing challenges in retaining new believers. The audience for the training would be members of Local Spiritual Assemblies as well as cluster coordinating bodies. Emerging from these discussions was a class focused on empowering new believers to become active participants in the maintenance and success of core activities. The course was well received and its success is attributable to the support of the Regional Council and Auxiliary Board members, who not only participated in planning and implementing the training, but also in directly promoting the session to cluster agencies. Bosch looks forward to sustaining this precious relationship with these institutions and remains committed to supporting their efforts to mobilize activity in the region. The desire to shape summer youth programs to better serve the needs of the Plan motivated yet another success. While Youth Institute weeks have always been extremely popular, the outward-looking orientation enjoined on us by the Universal House of Justice suggested extending the appeal of these inspiring weeks to the friends of Bah youth who have been attending Bosch for years. Youths registering for the Institute were therefore encouraged to bring along a non-Bah friend whom they had been teaching the Faith. In one instance, a young woman was invited to Bosch by her Bah schoolmate. On the final day of the Institute, she stood in front of the entire assemblage of youth, cabin counselors, teachers,

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and staff with tears in her eyes, proclaiming this to have been the most significant week of her life. She then declared that the spirit among the Bahs in attendance was stronger and more authentic than at any of the other religious camps she had attended. We can no longer imagine these institutes without the significant contribution of these friends, and we look forward to improving on this model of youth programming each summer. Though proud of these successes marked by institutional and individual participation, Bosch maintains a posture of learning. At the request of the National Spiritual Assembly, the school is exploring ways to familiarize attendees of Bosch sessions with the importance and unique nature of the Bah electoral process. In one instance, a brief period during weekend programs was set aside for consultation on and study of the March 25, 2007 letter from the Universal House of Justice, resulting in thoughtful discussions and encouraging many of those in attendance to share the materials with their home communities. An April three-day session at Bosch was set for former House of Justice member Glenford E. Mitchell to conduct an intensive study of both this letter and the entire subject of Bah administration. Later in the year, an entire weekend course will be devoted to the Bah electoral process. Seeker education and new believer consolidation is yet another area perennially calling for improvement in programming. During 200910, 105 seekers attended programs at Bosch. While only two declarations occurred on campus, Bosch is confident that through reflection and consultation with institutions and course facilitators, the schools programs will increasingly become a magnet for receptive souls. Midway through 200910, Bosch experienced a significant change in staffing due to the retirement of the schools long-time registrar and the move of its administrator into a new role at the Bah National Center. While coping with a challenging shortage in staff, the new administrative team and dedicated remaining staff are united in their goal to serve the schools mission. With the recent hire of the new Registrar and the prospect of a soon-to-be-hired Program Coordinator, Bosch looks ahead to a new year, eager to build upon the last years many successes. Above all, Bosch looks forward to assisting Bahullhs servants to translate His revelation into practical measures to affect social change.

here was a noticeable increase in use of Bosch as a venue for the training of individuals and institution members to better serve their clusters.

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ur annual fullscholarship program for children ages 414 engaged over 50 childrentogether with their familiesin learning how to teach the Faith. Children prepared presentations on Bah beliefs. Junior youths taught two classes of younger children a passage from the Bah writings and directed them in skits.

Green Acre Bah School, Eliot, Maine

During 200910, Green Acre Bah School continued to support the Five Year Plan, with special attention to expanding its outward-looking orientation and to advancing the spiritual education of children, junior youth, and youth. Highlights of this years Latin American weekend were the work of the Planning Committee and the enthusiasm of its non-Bah participants. Through its two fundraisers at the New York City Bah Center, the committee mobilized almost 30 participants from the New York/New Jersey area. Seekers and non-Bahs who were new to the Faith attended a modified Ruhi Book 1 presentation, while the Bahs read and studied recent messages from the Universal House of Justice on the needs of the Five Year Plan. Outgrowths of the weekend were a follow-up picnic in Connecticut andin Septembera special one-day workshop at Green Acre. People of African Descent was the theme of a February weekend that attracted 70 participants, including 17 non-Bahs from Ruhi Book 1 study circles situated in New York and New Jersey. Nine children and junior youths participated, a number of them new to the Faith. The adult program included a look at junior youth activities presented by an experienced animator, dynamic devotional gatherings with drumming and music, and an innovative Saturday evening of open-mic poetry, the spoken word, and music that attracted a number of non-Bah participants from the University of New Hampshire (UNH), the Seacoast Branch of the NAACP, and the Seacoast African-American Cultural Center. The program also attracted the participation of the Vice-Provost for Diversity at UNH and local author Royaline Edwards. To our delight, an African-American study circle member was moved to declare his faith in Bahullh. Our annual full-scholarship program for children ages 414 engaged over 50 childrentogether with their familiesin learning how to teach the Faith. Utilizing the home visit themes from Ruhi Book 2, children prepared presentations on these Bah beliefs, made teaching booklets to help them teach others, and even practiced their teaching skills. Junior youths, for example, taught two classes of younger children a passage from the Bah writings and directed them in skits portraying the concept of the equality of women and men. A wonderful spirit of enthusiastic participation obtained. One junior youth said she had not been interested in teaching children before, but had found this such a good experience, she was beginning to think she might really like to enter this field of service! In January, Green Acre received instructions from the National Spiritual Assembly to include sessions on the nature and significance of Bah elections, with focus on the March 25, 2007 letter from the Universal House of Justice at every session, as well as offering one or more full courses on this subject. When scheduled, the requested sessions have been offered to all attendees as an optional Saturdayevening activity. On both occasions thus far, a majority of course participants have attended (including one who was not a Bah). Participants are led through

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a Ruhi-style examination of the March 25, 2007 letter. Study guide questions prepared in advance are used to check comprehension and as the basis of group discussion. Participants have found the session interesting, and several have asked for copies of the letter and the study guide questions with the intention of deepening on the subject in their home communities. On February 2628, Green Acre offered a course on this and related themes, entitled Nucleus and Pattern of the New World Order. The school offered two youth institutes during 200910, as well as the regular Badasht Youth Academy. Following their study of The Dawn-Breakers as part of the Academy experience, about 15 youths offered three weeks of service as traveling teachers in the New York City, Westchester County, and Long Island clusters. Using the Summer 2009 Teachers Toolbox curriculum, youth guests attending Green Acres day programs also focused on the Five Year Plan, providing them with remarkable new insights and resulting in their written commitments to be involved in one or more of the core activities of the Plan. The schools Youth Service Corps volunteers continued to study and teach together and have completed Ruhi Books 3 and 5. They are about to begin junior youth group activities with local non-Bah junior youths and have been energized in their support of the Five Year Plan core activities by their recent participation in the annual Northeast Bah Youth (NEBY) conference. Junior youth activities at Green Acre have included two Badasht Prep weekend sessions and a weeklong Junior Youth Institute in the summer. Forty-three youths consulted with the local Cluster Institute Coordinator (CIC) and with their facilitators, then made written pledges to participate in junior youth activities in their individual clusters. Pledges from the Northeastern youth were forwarded to each junior youths respective CIC. To expand such activities, Green Acre will need to train more youths to serve as counselors and facilitators. The schools childrens program continued to flourishparticularly during fullweek summer and winter school sessions, when the number of attendees swells, as families come to refresh their spirits in Green Acres special atmosphere. Some of the children openly express their preference for a Green Acre experience over Disney World and look forward every year to being a part of a fun-filled, dynamic learning community. As Green Acre expands its facilities to accommodate more guests, the school is very grateful for the progress that has been made in constructing new buildingsa new staff apartment building (completed in June 2009) and a new guest-housing building with 40 beds (estimated to be complete by July 2010), together with a library-archives building, a new main office, and a youth center. During the calendar year 2009, 129 seekers and non-Bahs registered for courses at Green Acre, an increase of 38 percent over the previous year. Despite the downturn in the economy, Green Acres attendance grew by five percent during the same period. Green Acres administrators, staff, and volunteers all give humble thanks to Bahullh for His many blessings throughout the past year, offering prayers that 2010 will bring even greater confirmations as the worldwide Bah community strives to fulfill each and every goal of the Five Year Plan.

s Green Acre expands its facilities to accommodate more guests, the school is very grateful for the progress that has been made in constructing new buildings.

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ith more youths coming to Louhelen fully trained in the institute process, the Bah Youth Service Corps expanded its activities to include Core Activities Night.

Louhelen Bah School, Davison, Michigan

In keeping with its continuing efforts to align the schools programs with the goals and objectives of the current Five Year Plan, Louhelen Bah School during 200910 focused on three key areas of development: Fostering increased participation of youth in the schools programs and in Five Year Plan activities in their home communities and clusters Seeking greater collaboration with institutions of the Faith Increasing the number of Louhelen programs directly supporting the Plan After continuous learning and reflection on these goals, Louhelen offers the following report. Youth in the forefront of activity Collaboration with the Cluster Institute Coordinator (CIC) and local community helped put the Louhelen Bah Youth Service Corps (BYSC) in the forefront of activity both at the school and in the community at large. Participation in the institute training process and advancement of the local cluster were encouraged through the BYSC Education Program. Last year, the cluster doubled its roster of tutors through participation in Study-Circle-Within-A-Study-Circle. Upon reflection with the CIC, the school administration, and the community, it was observed that more youths were coming to Louhelen fully trained in the institute process. Therefore, during 200910, the BYSC expanded its activities to include Core Activities Night. One evening per week is designated for participation in study circles, preparation for neighborhood childrens classes, junior youth groups, and devotional gatherings to be shared that week. As a result, community members with BYSC support increased teaching activities and established a childrens class and two junior youth groups in Flint, Michigan. BYSC members continue individually to progress through the full sequence of Ruhi courses and to incorporate the arts into core activities. These activities were featured in articles in The American Bah and through videos on YouTube and in social action projects during the year. The youths return home better equipped to both support and enhance the core activities in their clusters. Louhelen schedules three junior youth sessions per year. These sessions traditionally assist junior youth to navigate through a crucial stage in their lives. During 200910, Louhelen offered programs supporting efforts in the field to strengthen junior youth groups in clusters and to increase their numbers. Establishing the Support of Junior Youth Groupssupported by the coordinator of the national Junior Youth Desk and attended by members of cluster agenciesreflected on the elements required in a community to build confidence in establishing junior youth groups. This program will continue to be offered as a cornerstone in support of cluster activity. Offered simultaneously was a study of Ruhi Book 5, Releasing

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the Power of Junior Youth, in which 19 participants from six communities were trained as animators. A second training sponsored by the cluster was held in the winter. In October, Louhelen launched a new college weekend: The Five Year Plan on Campus + Bah Scholarship = How to Change the World. Sponsored by the Regional Bah Council of the Central States and the Association for Bah Studies Committee, this session focused on Bah scholarship and public discourse. Eighteen college students responded through their college clubs to the electronic registration system invitation and social networks. The response to the invitation and to the program was so favorable that the Regional Bah Council requested an opportunity to learn Louhelens methods for contacting youth. In November, Alegria (MI-8), the cluster surrounding Louhelen, was elevated by the Regional Bah Council to the B stage of development in consequence of an increase in tutors and core activities. This movement was achieved, in part, through the collaboration of community members and the BYSC. Collaboration with institutions Continued consultation with members of the Continental Board of Counselors and their Auxiliary Boards and assistants, the Regional Bah Council, the Regional Training Institute, and the Regional Cluster Coordinator resulted in closer and deeper collaboration. Each of these institutions held one or two sessions this year supporting the objectives of the Plan, assisting community members understanding of junior youth groups, strengthening cluster agency functions, providing for tutor reflection, and training community members in the Seeker Response System. Programs supporting the Plan The Bah community surrounding Louhelen is busy with activities centered on expansion and consolidation. In response to community requests, three Friendship Days were launched to attract participants within a 100-mile radius of the school. These one-day sessions were designed to introduce family, friends, and co-workers to the Faith, the arts, and Bah community life. The visual arts day brought artists and over 40 participants together to learn how to enhance their core activities through the arts and to employ the arts as portals to teaching efforts. Many new faces came for a day of fellowship and unity. The National Spiritual Assembly instructed the permanent schools to include sessions on the nature and significance of Bah elections, with a focus on the March 25, 2007 letter from the Universal House of Justice. Louhelen provided a mini-lesson at each session on the Bah electoral process. In the first of these mini-lessons, 38 participants from the Celebrating Marriage session read and shared insights from the letter. The friends agreed to carry back to their communities a summons to greater participation in Bah elections as a sacred duty. A full weekend session was planned for April. Family and Friends sessions continue to highlight the key elements of the Plan and to teach the importance of offering additional courses on family life and storytelling. Courses on such topics as marriage, spiritual parenting, the role of grandparents, and on centering family life on cluster activities are well received and help to strengthen our communities. Storytelling about the history of early believers inspires the friends to fulfill their spiritual destiny. The friends often remark that family sessions at Louhelen give them a spiritual boost and a stronger sense of Bah community life.

amily and Friends sessions continue to highlight the key elements of the Plan and to teach the importance of offering additional courses on family life and storytelling.

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Native American Bah Institute, Houck, Arizona

The year 200910 witnessed increased growth in the work in and around the Native American Bah Institute (NABI) to further the two essential movements of the Five Year Plan among our Native populations. To advance elements of the Plan, NABI maintained an undistracted focus on the development of youth, junior youth, and childrens programs.

ABIs current goal is to rebuild the Institutes junior youth program by focusing on a single town and raising up animators in that town.

NABI hosted the Elizabeth Dahe Summer Youth Institute for training in Ruhi sequence skills, storytelling, and cultural coherence. Later, five youths studied Ruhi Book 2, which inspired them to begin a program of outreach to the community through service. They organized Feasts and cluster reflection meetings, raised funds to host youth dances, organized a Halloween party, and helped open the Mexican Springs community playground. Based on bonds built at the playground dedication, these same youths returned to initiate a Ruhi Book 1 study circle with local youths, who will eventually be encouraged take on the role of junior youth group animators. In addition, four other Native youths are now serving as animators.

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In June, 10 youths attended a Book 5 intensive training in Phoenix. Thereafter, two NABI youth volunteers received youth coordinator training in Los Angeles and in the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina) clusters. Upon their return, they offered a Book 5 training for NABIs Winter Youth Academy through which seven youths were trained. Those who had received the coordinator training attended a national coherence seminar in Phoenix in January, which resulted in reevaluation of the junior youth program and the implementation of a new vision for systematizing experimentation and learning. NABIs current goal is to rebuild the Institutes junior youth program by focusing on a single town and raising up animators in that town. The junior youth program was presented to a youth group at a local meeting house where youths and adults expressed enthusiasm and interest in serving as junior youth group animators. NABI also hosted a summer junior youth camp during 200910 with seven junior youths in attendance. One local Native youth came back to take over a previously formed junior youth group. Seven others participated in animator training, and, as a result, the quality of a junior youth group in Sanders increased. It has continued to bring in new members, expanding from two to eight, and recently hosted a community service project to benefit the needy in Haiti. A number of childrens classes are hosted regularly and consistently in numerous locations throughout the community, with the majority of pupils from non-Bah families. A number of instructors are adult and youth Navajo Bahs. The families involved understand and appreciate that Bahs are providing spiritual and moral education for their children. As a result, trust in Bahs has increased. The children benefit from working in small groups, where their knowledge of the Faith and its Central Figures, artistic expression, and memorization of prayers and writings are supported and encouraged, and the development of their overall education in the area of expression, communication, memorization, and writing are enhanced. Volunteers of all backgrounds are welcomed and appreciated by the children and their families. The participation of seekers has increased in other Five Year Plan core activities in over 20 communities, especially devotional gatherings and study circles. Seeker involvement averages 150250 quarterly, and NABI regularly has youth and adult enrollments along with regular childrens or junior youth registrations. Nearly 100 percent of these individuals stay involved in the core activities. There has been an increase in understanding in the community surrounding NABI about intensive programs of growth and participation in cluster reflection meetings, and a growing coherence between the Institutes participants and social action in the community. Stressing the development of service skills in all core activities has resulted in over 26 different social action projects this year, some addressing such basic needs as water and roads, others supporting families in mourning and those recovering from catastrophesor helping to celebrate graduations, weddings, and unique cultural events like Blessingway or Babys First Laugh. NABIs success this year is due in part to four new and veteran homefront pioneers, as well as several young adult Navajos who returned home to serve the institute training process. This represents a shift from the pattern of trained Navajo youth tutors leaving to attend college or seek employment in the city.

ABI regularly has youth and adult enrollments along with regular childrens or junior youth registrations. Nearly 100 percent of these individuals stay involved in the core activities.

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ilmette Institute students have used course information to enhance efforts at sustainable development in their areas; proclaim the Faith to Christians, Muslims, and Chinese people; explain the writings of Bahullh to friends and seekers alike; clarify points of Bah history in Ruhi Book 4 classes; enrich their childrens and youth classes; read the Bah writings with greater clarity and depth; transform themselves as a result of a greater understanding of the human condition; and pursue new avenues of Bah scholarship and writing.

Wilmette Institute
Mission The Wilmette Institute was established in 1995 to offer quality courses on the Bah Faith. The Institute is committed to engaging a broad and diverse community of learners in deep study of the Faith and to fostering love for study of the Faith. Online courses During 200910, the Wilmette Institute offered 17 online courses, all designed to foster a culture of learning in the Bah community: Five of the 17 courses focused on the writings of Bahullh, Abdul-Bah, or Shoghi Effendi, strengthening the ability of Bahs to study the authoritative texts. How to Study the Bah Writings aimed at providing Bahs with specific skills in reading and explaining Bah authoritative texts to others. Five courses helped Bahs to study other religions and relate them to the Faith. Courses on The World Order of Bahullh: Selected Letters and Century of Light reflected recent study priorities of the Universal House of Justice. Sustainable Development and the Prosperity of Humankind was run in collaboration with staff at the National Spiritual Assemblys Office of External Affairs and was designed to provide Bahs with information and skills to participate in social action and in discourse about the needs of society. The 17 courses attracted 447 students, 25 percent more than last years 19 courses. An average of 26 students participated, the highest number we have ever had, reflecting the impact of the new registration system. Studentstotaling 125, 12 percent more than last yearcame from 31 countries outside the United States. A significant number of Institute students are Ruhi tutors or have taken Ruhi courses. Many are using information gained from participation in Wilmette Institute courses in their classes. Upgrading quality During 200910, we revised the course template to make the course Web pages easier to understand; set new standards for reading assignments; developed new faculty training materials and new standards for mentoring students; wrote a policy for handling conflicts among faculty; and revised the list of faculty responsibilities. On November 11, a new registration system using a commercial software package went live. Its attractive invitations, sent to a much wider audience, doubled course

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registrations overnight. The need for additional faculty to deal with the larger course sizes resulted in our recruiting five new instructors and reactivating several previous instructors. Publicity and marketing The Institutes e-newsletter continued to improve. Each article and course description appears in the newsletter with a short teaser and an invitation to the user to click through to a longer version. We consistently focus on the many ways in which students use Wilmette Institute courses in service to the Five Year Plan. Service to the Five Year Plan and to the Bah community The Wilmette Institute continues to provide valuable support for the Five Year Plan and its core activities. Its students have used course information to enhance efforts at sustainable development in their areas; proclaim the Faith to Christians, Muslims, and Chinese people; explain the writings of Bahullh to friends and seekers alike; clarify points of Bah history in Ruhi Book 4 classes; enrich their childrens and youth classes; read the Bah writings with greater clarity and depth; transform themselves as a result of a greater understanding of the human condition; and pursue new avenues of Bah scholarship and Wilmette Institute online writing. The Institute continues to explore ways it can course offerings, 200910 create a dynamic coherence of learning, teaching, social The World Order of Bahullh: Selected Letters action, and dialogue about Preparing for Interfaith Dialogue pressing social problems in order to enhance the Faiths Bah History, 1863present standing in the world. Christianity and the Bah Faith The Bah Faith: A Comprehensive Introduction Qurn Women in the Bah Faith The Advent of Divine Justice Tablets of Bahullh Revealed After the Kitb-i-Aqdas Century of Light Mining the Gems: The Development of the Individual Sustainable Development and the Prosperity of Humankind Chinese Religion for Deepening and Dialogue How to Study the Bah Writings Tabernacle of Unity Islam for Deepening and Dialogue Charters of Faith Total

new course registration and invitation system helped double course registrations overnight.

Basics

Students 15 15 28 30

Groups 0 1 1 3 2 2 2 0 1 0 2 2 5 3 2 5 1 34

18 36 22 10 11 9 35 28 31 45 30 51 33 447

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House of Worship Activities Office

During 200910, the Bah House of Worship was again able to open its Visitors Center, warmly welcoming a steady stream of guests and inquirers after enduring a long year with its doors closed to the public. There was much explaining to do about why the Visitors Center had been closed, what had changed, and what else was to come. Visitors were very pleased to again be able to come downstairs, browse in the bookstore, watch videos, gather with friends and family, and converse without having to whisper! The year was full of uplifting devotional services in the Temple Auditorium and remarkable opportunities for teaching the Faith through group tours, one-on-one conversations, and student interviews. The Activities Office continues to strive to ensure its efforts are in consonance with the Five Year Plan, soon to enter its last year, supporting communities in their multiplication of core activities and implementation of the institute training process. Along with daily and special event devotional programs, two Wilmette community members have taken individual initiative in two facets of the core activities. One has begun holding childrens classes in Foundation Hall once a month for children of all ages, and the other will soon start to hold a weekly Ruhi Book 1 study circle in honor of her late husband. One of the newer features in the Visitors Center is the collection of six visual displays on the walls, providing visitors with information about where they are, what the Bah House of Worship is for, and what they can do during their visit. Information is also offered on the meaning of the symbols on the building, on the buildings architect, on the early Bah community, and on Bah administration and community life. A timeline of Bah history is provided. This is information never offered in previous collections of displays and has given visitors who have never before heard of the Faith basic information they can take with them, especially if they are not interested in or comfortable with talking to one of the guides or asking questions. A formal evaluation of these new displays is in progress and is being conducted through visitor observations and interviews and through an online survey which visitors can participate in before they leave. Renovation of the Cornerstone Room represents another exciting development in progress in the Visitors Center. For years, it has served as a quiet place for Bahs to come and find peace, to pray, and to reflect on Abdul-Bahs visit to the Temple grounds in 1912. It will continue to encourage remembrance of the Masters visitbut in a completely different way. With a visual history and brief captions, it will teach visitors about the sacredness of this House of Worship, relating the story of the cornerstone and the sacrifices that were made in bringing it to the site, then telling of the many more sacrifices that were made in seeing to it that the Temple was completed. The renovated space will make the story of the Temple accessible to all, as a moving element of Bah history that can be shared with everyone, Bahs and non-Bahs alike.

Bah House of Worship, Wilmette

101 ...House of Worship Activities Office 103 ...House of Worship Music Department

ith reopening of the Visitors Center, visitors were very pleased to again be able to come downstairs, browse in the bookstore, watch videos, gather with friends and family, and converse without having to whisper!

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In addition to its guiding and teaching efforts and its work in planning and maintaining regular devotions, the Activities Office staff attempts to keep daily, weekly, and monthly statistics of activities, attendance, interest in the Faith, and declarations of faith at the Temple. During 200910, there were approximately 180200,000 visitors to the House of Worship; the figure is not more exact becauseowing to the Temple restoration workthe devices normally used to record the number of visitors were unavailable for a portion of the year. Since 1932, it is estimated there have been more than 10 million visitors to the House of Worship. Some 11 declarations of faith were recorded at the Temple this year, as were 175 group tours involving some 4,465 participants. Interest cards were filled out in English by 150 inquirers and in Spanish by five. Some 73 student requests for interviews were honored and 180 wedding inquiries received a response. Wedding interviews were conducted with 23 couples and 14 weddings took place. The Activities Office conducted more than 450 devotional services with 13,500 people in attendance. Finally, volunteers logged more than 7,000 hours of service at the House of Worship this yeargenerously giving their time to choir performances and rehearsals, guiding, devotions, and to honoring the friends requests for prayers in the Temples sacred environs. These statistics are not mere numbers; behind each is a story, interaction, or experience related to teaching the Faith that has, without a doubt, contributed to the growth and development of the Bah community in the vicinity of this sacred spot and throughout the world.

he renovated Cornerstone Room space will make the story of the Temple accessible to all, as a moving element of Bah history that can be shared with everyone, Bahs and nonBahs alike.

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House of Worship Music Department

The Music Department continues to make great forward strides as it provides increasingly more music in the Bah House of Worship and in the surrounding communities on Chicagos North Shore. More North Shore residents than ever are becoming aware of the existence of a choir at the House of Worship and are coming to understand that the choir is available to sing in other venues. House of Worship Choir The House of Worship Choir has, for the past three years, regularly provided sacred a cappella music for the Sunday afternoon devotional services held at the Temple the first three Sundays of each month. Over the past four-and-a-half years, it has gradually grown from approximately 20 singers to 40, with the largest number of new singers joining during 2009. This means that the number of singers for each performance has, on the average, risen from approximately 18 to 30. The choir holds weekly rehearsals at the home of the director and an additional rehearsal at the House of Worship just before the Sunday devotional service. In addition to singing for the regular Sunday afternoon devotionals, the choir sings for Holy Day observances at the House of Worship throughout the year. The choir has also provided music as requested by the National Spiritual Assembly for special observances, memorial services, and programs. While the choir is principally an a cappella choir, it can also perform with instrumental accompaniment when it goes out into the community to sing at other venues. Invitations to sing have increasingly come from other churches in the Chicago metropolitan area. While the choir has accepted most of these invitations, it has also been able to send representatives to a few engagements. A few choir members have formed a quartet that has quickly become well known to the local Bah community. The quartet can perform some of the music of the choir but includes secular and popular music in its repertoire. This initiative has provided the choir with greater ability to respond to invitations to perform. Another innovation is the choirs addition of assistant directors who can fill in when the director of the choir is away. House of Worship program support The choir sang for approximately 30 Sunday devotional programs during 200910. They also sang for memorial services for Counselors Rebequa Murphy and Eloy Anello and for the special devotionals for the Yrnthe seven wrongfully imprisoned Bah leaders in Iranand the victims of the catastrophic Haiti earthquake. The choir also performed at the annual conference of the Association of Friends of Persian Culture, held in nearby Schaumburg, Illinois. Outreach performances During 200910, the choir performed at the following local venues and events:

ver the past fourand-a-half years, the House of Worship Choir has gradually grown from approximately 20 singers to 40.

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 115th Anniversary, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Evanston, Illinois Resurrection Lutheran Church in Franklin Park, Illinois, following a presentation about the Bah Faith to their Teen Group Dedication of sculpture Conversations in Raymond Park, Evanston, sponsored by Evanston Community Foundation and Friends of the Arts, followed by singing for follow-on program at Lake Street Church Opening of West End Market, Evanston, Illinois Family Focus Gospel Fest, Evanston, Illinois. The choir Director was also invited to serve on the planning Board for the Annual Gospel Fest Christmas Program, Hemingway Methodist Church, Evanston, Illinois Interfaith Sunday Service, Glenview Community Church, Glenview, Illinois (performance by the quartet Tall Order, primarily composed of choir singers) The choir or its representatives participated in four Thanksgiving Services during the year: Chicago Center for Cultural Connections Annual Thanksgiving Observance; second year that the choir Director was asked to sing for this annual service Wilmette Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, Trinity United Methodist Church, Wilmette, Illinois DuPage Interfaith Resource Network Thanksgiving Service, St. Procopius Abbey, Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois

he House of Worships annual Choral Festival has become a noteworthy event on Chicagos North Shore, attracting this year a record attendance of over 1,000, mostly non-Bahs.

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 Winnetka Interfaith Council Thanksgiving Service, Temple Jeremiah, Northfield, Illinois The Bah House of Worship Choir was the only non-Unitarian Church choir to be invited for the annual choir festival held at the Unitarian Church of Evanston. This was the fourth year the choir participated and the choir Director was again asked to direct one of the main combined choir songs. The choirs participation is now expected and welcomed. The church posted the song on YouTube. Third Annual Bah Choral Festival The House of Worships annual Choral Festival has become a noteworthy event on Chicagos North Shore, attracting this year a record attendance of over 1,000, mostly non-Bahs. Some 130 singers participated in the four-day Festival, some representing Bah or Bah-inspired choirsthe majority being individual singers gathered from throughout the United States and Canada. For the cluster that includes the Temple and its immediate neighborhood, this years Festival also marked the beginning of an expansion phase of its intensive program of growth. Over 10 Chicago publications announced the Festival, and in the pages of the Chicago Tribune the Festival was ranked as the top pick for free concerts in the area. For the first time, the Festival concerts were posted on YouTube and shown four consecutive Mondays in June on 25 suburban cable television outlets. One local online news outlet designated both the Bah Choral Festival and an interview with the director as Top Stories of the Year, with the largest number of viewings by its audience. Outside participants The House of Worship has hosted two choirs in the past year: Shades a cappella choir from Yale University and the choir from Vista Ridge High School in Texas. More groups are contacting the House of Worship Activities Office to request the privilege of singing in the House of Worship. Participation in programs on a national level The Music Director participated widely in programs throughout the United States during 200910. The primary focus of these visits and the workshops they involved was to encourage music and the arts in local Bah programming. The Director conducted music workshops at the three permanent Bah Schools. In addition, he participated in the Southern Flame Bah School in Florida, the Tennessee Bah School in the Nashville area, and the Blue Bonnet Conference in Austin, Texas. He was asked to conduct the Metropolitan Washington Bah Chorale and friends in song for a program in Washington, D.C., held in honor of the persecuted Bahs in Iran.

he Music Director participated widely in programs at permanent and seasonal Bah Schools and other events throughout the United States.

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Bah Publishing Trust and Distribution Service

The Bah Publishing Trust and Distribution Service remained determined during 200910 to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and to achieve a more balanced output through all three of its publishing imprints. As we near the end of this fiscal year, it is clear that progress is being made on all fronts. Efficiency and cost containment resulted from three areas: Changes in how production work is managed and executed Improved inventory control Utilization of offshore printers when appropriate Improved balance of the editorial calendar is evidenced by the number of projects coming from each of the three imprints. A total of 23 new works or new editions were issued by the Publishing Trust under its three imprints. The Bah Publishing Trust (BPT) imprint released nine new works or editions including the Bah Wall Calendar, 167 B.E.; Bah Datebook, 167 B.E.; Bah Prayers in new softcover, hardcover, and leather editions; The Bah Faith: An Introduction (teaching aid based on Annas presentation from Ruhi Book 6) in English-, Spanish-, and Persian-language editions. At this writing, plans are being made to release Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 19862001 before the end of this fiscal year.

Publishing
107 ...Bah Publishing Trust and Distribution Service 109 ...Bah Media Services 111 ...The American Bah 113 ...Brilliant Star 115 ...World Order

total of 23 new works or new editions were issued by the Publishing Trust under The Bah Publishing (BP) imprint released 10 new titles: Selections from its three imprints: Bah Pubthe Writings of Abdul-Bah; Heritage of Light: The Spiritual Destiny of America, by Janet A. Khan; Illumine My World: Bah Prayers lishing Trust, Bah Publishing, and Bellwood Press. and Meditations for Peace, compiled by Bah Publishing;
Understanding Death: The Most Important Event of Your Life, by John S. Hatcher; Mind, Heart, & Spirit: Educators Speak, by Heather Cardin; Marriage: A Fortress for Well-Being, by Bah Publishing; Longing: Stories of Racial Healing, by Phyllis and Eugene Unterschuetz; The Face of God Among Us: How the Creator Educates Humanity, by John S. Hatcher; Children of the Kingdom: A Bah Approach to Spiritual Parenting, by Daun E. Miller; Illumine My Being: Bah Prayers and Meditations for Health, by Bah Publishing. The Publishing Trust is also pleased to announce the

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release of four new publications under the Bellwood Press imprint for children, junior youth, and youth. They are: Mema Says Good-bye, by Cynthia Jaskwhich and illustrated by Luthando Mazibuko; Something Important, by Patti Tomarelli and illustrated by Wendy Cowper-Thomas; Kyle Jeffries, Pilgrim, by Gail Radley and illustrated by Taurus Burns; and Diamonds in the Rough, by Jenina Lepard. The Publishing Trust also completed work on 10 reprints that included The Kitbi-qn; The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys; Gleanings from the Writings of Bahullh; Some Answered Questions; God Passes By; Bahullh and the New Era; Illumine My Heart; Illumine My Spirit; and Pen of Glory. The Publishing Trust has 21 new projects in development under the Bah Publishing Trust and Bah Publishing imprints and four new projects under the Bellwood Press imprint. Some 12 reprint projects will be under way over the next few months. The Publishing Trust will continue to focus its acquisitions activities on developing materials that support the goals of the Five Year Plan and on materials that directly support the teaching work. The Bah Distribution Service (BDS) continues to serve as the distribution arm of the Publishing Trust and the primary distributor for Bah World Center Publications. BDS also provides the majority of product fulfillment to the national Bah schools and provides subscriber services for Brilliant Star, World Order, One Country, U.S. Bah Newsreel, and for international subscriptions to The American Bah. During the past year, the Distribution Service provided bookstores to the following three conferences: the Association for Bah Studies Conference held in Washington, D.C.; the Association of Friends of Persian Culture Conference held in Schaumburg, Illinois; and the Bah Conference on Social and Economic Development held in Orlando, Florida. The Distribution Service processed nearly 10,000 orders this past fiscal year. The Publishing Trust and Distribution Service will continue to improve efficiencies and reduce costs. During the coming year, particular attention will be focused on increasing sales. To this end, the Publishing Trust has received permission from the National Spiritual Assembly to hire a Marketing Manager whose duties will include the development of customer contact programs, website development and optimization, and market research. A final note: During 200910, Ms. Terry Cassiday, Editorial Manager, passed from this life after a long battle with cancer. Terry served the Publishing Trust for over 20 years. Her rare combination of professional expertise, devotion to the Cause of God, and spiritual radiance are deeply missed by all.

uring the coming year, particular attention will be focused on increasing sales. Activities will include the development of customer contact programs, website development and optimization, and market research.

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Bah Media Services

Mission The primary mission of Bah Media Services in recent years has been to produce the U.S. Bah Newsreel DVD and other special video and audio projects. During 200910, the Newsreel was reduced from three annual releases to two. To more effectively serve new and emerging needs of the National Spiritual Assembly, Media Services (MS) has launched a number of initiatives and has begun to redefine its mission. Central to these initiatives is a closer collaboration with the National Assemblys Office of Communications (OOC) and with The American Bah (TAB). The agency has begun to reposition itself to be a primary content provider for The American Bah and for the Assemblys public website. Unified agency model This year, Media Services began to rethink its current operations. Beyond its requirements for occasional collaborations, it has considered what administrative adjustments might be necessary to create a more unified agency model where the human, technical, and financial resources of the two agencies (MS, TAB) and National Assembly office (OOC) can be more effectively used to meet a unified communications goal. The three have already begun to make collaborative purchases of software and have conducted regular interagency meetings, participated in interagency training programs on Web-based interactive media production and design, and discussed unified editorial plans. U.S. Bah Video Library One of Media Services chief accomplishments during 200910 was the launching of the U.S. Bah Video Library, an online collection of stories from past editions of the U.S. Bah Newsreel, accessible through the online edition of The American Bah. Visitors to the site can browse through dozens of inspirational video stories on these topics and more: Bah basics and history Teaching the Faith Music and the arts Community development Family and marriage Children, junior youth, and youth Equality, unity, and social development

he agency has begun to reposition itself to be a primary content provider for The American Bah and for the National Spiritual Assemblys public website.

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 Tributes to people of distinction The site contains tools for emailing links or social bookmarking links to friends. It also offers a comments section enabling users to share what they think and to post thoughts, commentseven story ideas. Media Services product output Activities of Media Services during 200910 included:

ne of Media Services chief accomplishments during 200910 was the launching of the U.S. Bah Video Library, an online collection of stories from past editions of the U .S . Bah Newsreel .

Creating an audiovisual tribute to the late Counselor Rebequa Murphy Creating two U.S. Bah Newsreels in the fall and spring Providing audiovisual support to the Bah National Convention in April Producing and posting the new U.S. Bah Video Library Creating a marketing component to promote the U.S. Bah Video Library Creation of seven special projects designed specifically for the Web Collaboration with other offices and agencies During 200910, Media Services activities also included collaborations with: Office of the Treasurertraining developers of the FUNDcast in production techniques Office of Assembly Developmentdevelopment of an interactive, online training program Heritage Project asset managementhosting the project and lending it technical and management support Bah House of Worshipassisting the Activities Office to help staff become more self-sufficient in fulfilling audiovisual needs, while Media Services continues to provide technical support Looking ahead Media Services has begun the process of developing new human resources that can be called on to produce media products as the Bah community moves toward the launching of the next Plan. The agencys goal is to establish a social network of media peer-producers.

Growing usage of the U.S. Bah Video Library August 2009February 2010
September 2009
1,424 page views Minimal site promotion

January 2010 November 2009

27,176 page views Added new features 10,687 page views Added video from 2008 Regional Conferences

August 2009
734 page views Just a few galleries and topics

October 2009
17,295 page views Promoted site in U.S. Bah Newsreel

December 2009
13,163 page views

February 2010
18,347 page views Added new features about Abdul-Bah

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The American Bah

Closer collaboration with Bah Media Services and with the National Spiritual Assemblys Office of Communications was an overarching effort for The American Bah in 200910, even as work progressed toward an upgrade of the publications Web presence and as staff continued developing the bimonthly magazine format that was launched in 2008. Early fruits of this recent interagency collaboration included a collection of reports on the theme of Arts in the Five Year Plan. Various features in that collection were presented in November in The American Bah printed and online editions , (http://tab.usbnc.org), U.S. Bah Newsreel, the new U.S. Bah Video Library and the U.S. Bah public website (www.bahai.us). At this writing, The American Bah continues to work with its sister agency and office on two alterations to previous practices: dination Tightening coordination of newsgathering and publication to ensure messages are consistent among the agencies information outlets. ated Building an integrated Web portal that will serve Bah institutions, individuals, seekers, the general public, and media alike. This portal will incorporate an improved Web presence for articles produced , by The American Bah, which often will be enriched by video, multimedia, and interactive content. Discussions related to this work are guided by principlesput forward by the Universal House of Justiceof coherence among the Faiths efforts in expanding and consolidating its membership, social action, and contributing to the advancement of public discourse on a host of themes addressed by the Bah teachings. Each issue of the magazine in the past year was organized around a theme centered on the Five Year Plan. In addition to the issue on the arts, those themes dealt with: Bah administration; international and homefront pioneering; building of community and capacity; and junior youth spiritual empowerment. In addition to major story packages on these themes, both the printed and online editions of The American Bah regularly

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contain news and updates of cluster-level activity and learning as well as general news of the national Bah community. Thus the publication continues to carry out its crucial missions: to disseminate guidance from the Faiths senior institutions providing focus and direction for our activities, to inspire and encourage the national community to advance the Divine Plan, and to share news of how the friends are acting to further the Cause and to benefit humanity.

planned integrated Web portal will incorporate an improved Web presence for articles produced by The American Bah, which often will be enriched by video, multimedia, and interactive content.

The staff of The American Bah cherishes its continuing collaboration with such offices of the National Assembly as the National Teaching Office, Office of the Treasurer, Office of Education and Schools, Office of International Pioneering, and Persian-American Affairs Office; such agencies as the Bah Publishing Trust and Distribution Service and Brilliant Star magazine; and such Bah institutions as the Board of Trustees of uqqullh and the Bah World News Service. We are also grateful for regular Spanish translations supplied by the journals generous and gifted volunteers.

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Brilliant Star
Throughout 200910, Brilliant Star continued to support the Five Year Plan and to advance its mission to engage and educate children and junior youth and to nurture their spiritual and moral development. As a creative teaching tool for families, communities, and classrooms, the magazines goals include empowering readers and providing them with practical ways to navigate the challenging tween years from ages 812, a time of significant physical and emotional growth. Brilliant Star is inspired by the positive response it continually receives from its readers. One parent wrote, My son and I look forward to every new issue of Bril. liant Star. Each story, game, feature, and cartoon helps us connect and talk about lifes big questions in a fun and lively way. After reading Brilliant Star with her granddaughter, another Bah reported, The stories and the interviews with children across the globe captivated her! She asked me to read [them] over and over again. She also provided her own responses to the questions. The awareness that there are Bah children all over the world with noble virtues and love for service will be important in solidifying her identity as a Bah child. I remain ever so thankful to your dedicated staff. Our popular Radiant Stars feature interviews readers around the world. A mother wrote, Our son and all of us were so happy to see him in the Brilliant Star. The finished product was absolutely fantastic, and it was such an honor for him to be published in such a well known and uplifting magazine along with other brilliant children. We cant thank you enough for all of your service. We also receive insights from our international youth advisory group, the Trailblazers. One said, I like learning about other Bahs like me, and great Bahs that have done great things. Its a fun and interesting magazine that [we] enjoy, and can easily relate to the many stories. This is the fifth year of the National Spiritual Assemblys complimentary subscription program for registered Bah children in the United States. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahs of the United Arab

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Emirates has also provided subscriptions for the Bah children in their country for the last few years, noting that parents and kids are very happy with the content and the quality of the magazine. Six issues were released during 200910: Unity in Diversity (May/June 2009), Changing the World (July/August 2009), Light of Leadership (September/ October 2009), Exploring the Wonders of Creation (November/December 2009), Charting Your Future (January/February 2010), and The Heart of Justice (March/April 2010). Every issue of The American Bah included Brilliant Stars Treasure Box, providing materials supporting the core activities in Bah communities. Through a dynamic mix of engaging art, stories, activities, history, interviews, and comics, Brilliant Stars continuing and special features are carefully researched and developed to address a wide range of educational interests and learning styles. The magazines consistently excellent quality of graphics, combined with compelling editorial content and high production values, garners approval from readers, as well as peers in the publishing industry. In 2009, the Religion Communicators Council recognized Brilliant Star for the fourth time, this year with a DeRose-Hinkhouse Certificate of Merit for the magazines November/December 2008 issue, Seekers of the Light, which focused on interfaith unity. In the secular arena, Brilliant Star received its third APEX Award of Excellence for achievement in graphic design, editorial content, and overall effectiveness of communication. The most promising avenue for advancing Brilliant Stars contributions to the Five Year Plan is the magazines interactive websiteunder construction (at www. brilliantstarmagazine.org). As a result of the national Fund deficit, only minor updates to the site were possible this year. The magazines staff remains eager to implement it as a valuable resource for children, parents, and teachers. When complete, it will be an educational and visually dynamic resource that complements Brilliant Stars print publication by offering content suited to online learning. While Brilliant Star has built a solid editorial and visual foundation, its editors have been seeking to significantly improve the magazines diluted capacity for marketing and distribution. In past years, Brilliant Star was distributed in over 80 countries. Recently, the magazine has suffered a loss of subscribers, reaching fewer than 40 countries due to challenges with its subscription fulfillment system, including subscription renewals and bulk ordering. In its advanced stages, Brilliant Star Online would dramatically improve the magazines marketing and distribution reach, helping to realize Brilliant Stars potential as a teaching tool. When the magazines staff reflects on its mission, it is filled with gratitude for the privilege of devoting its skills to sharing Bahullhs inspiring vision for humanity. We look forward to further supporting the Five Year Plan and, in the words of the Universal House of Justice, helping young people to navigate through a crucial stage of their lives and to become empowered to direct their energies toward the advancement of civilization.

hrough a dynamic mix of engaging art, stories, activities, history, interviews, and comics, Brilliant Stars continuing and special features are carefully researched and developed to address a wide range of educational interests and learning styles.

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World Order
From its first issue in 1966 (Vol. 1, No. 1) through its last print issue (Vol. 38, No. 3), World Order has published on issues of broad social concern from a Bah perspective, thereby fulfilling its mandate from the National Spiritual Assembly and providing a vehicle for participating in the discourses of society. The significant body of literature it has accumulated over some 40 years has supported national teaching plans and external affairs activities; fostered the development of spiritually distinctive communities; provided materials for individual and group deepening; developed and enhanced the intellectual and cultural life of the community; and sought to correlate (as Shoghi Effendi has encouraged Bah scholars to do) the beliefs of the Bah Faith with the current thoughts and problems of the world in the areas of religion, society, polity, and the arts. To effect the evolution of World Order from a subscription print magazine to a more accessible free online magazine, in March 2009 the National Assembly dissolved the Editorial Board. It then appointed a Task Force charged with recommending how the future Editorial Board should function; identifying potential Board members and other human resources; thinking through the nature of the website for the online magazine; recommending goals for the first year of the online magazines functioning; recommending how the online magazine should be promoted; and preparing budgets. The Task Force ceased accepting subscriptions on March 31, 2009, and worked with Bah Subscriber Service to refund prorated monies to all subscribers and to inform those receiving complimentary copies about the new direction the magazine is taking. To maintain a presence for World Order during its transition to an online publication, the Task Force has taken a number of steps. On a bimonthly basis, it places informational ads about the magazines transition on the periodicals page in The American Bah. It prepared a flier for the delegates packets for the 2009 and 2010 Bah National Conventions, and it is building a list of individuals and institutions interested in listserv updates on the transition. It is also considering how social networks can provide a Web presence for the future Editorial Board and the online World Order. To focus its thinking about the structure of a new Editorial Board, the Task Force has discussed what worked and what did not work on the dissolved Editorial Board. It has also had lengthy discussions with present and past editors of The Bah World and the

he Task Forces discussion about the nature of a website for the online World Order has entailed reviewing dozens of magazine and journal sites and discussing issues with a number of Web designers and individuals working in information technology.

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Journal of Bah Studies about the same topic and has studied the mandate and evolution of the Bah Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland. The Task Forces discussion about the nature of a website for the online World Order has entailed reviewing dozens of magazine and journal sites and discussing issues with a number of Web designers and individuals working in information technology. An evolving content model is now being shared with several Web designers. The website will highlight the current issue of the magazine and will have links to all past issues; links to past issues still available for sale from the Bah Distribution Service; search functions; author and submissions guidelines; information about the magazine; links to relevant sites; details about permissions; and answers to frequently asked questions. A launch date has not been set. The Task Force is also building a bank of individuals on whom it might draw in various capacities (freelance, short-term, and volunteer) as it moves to online publication: editors, graphic artists, Web designers, beta testers, marketing and promotional people, and others. When the Editorial Board was dissolved, it had a number of manuscripts (articles, poems, and reviews) in various stages of consideration, review, and acceptance. The Task Force has consulted at length and is in the final stages of determining what to do with these manuscripts, considering the length of time that will have elapsed between submission and resumption of publication.

hen the Editorial Board was dissolved, it had a number of manuscripts (articles, poems, and reviews) in various stages of consideration, review, and acceptance. The Task Force has consulted at length and is in the final stages of determining what to do with these manuscripts.

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Publishing

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National Bah Archives

Normally, the work of the National Bah Archives is outside of and does not directly support the Five Year Plan core activities and the institute training process. However, this past year, through the Internet, the Archives supplied a Bah in Brazil with information on an early American Bah, Helen Goodall, which he needed for a Ruhi course presentation. It is possible that the Archives will be able to provide more services like this in the future once the Archives website is functioning, as it will include biographical information about and photographs of a number of noteworthy Bahs. An important task of the Archives staff is answering reference requests from Bah National Center offices, other Bah institutions, and individuals. During 200910, the staff handled 556 reference requests, a 23 percent increase from last year. The Archives sent to the Bah World Center Archives photocopies of two Tablets of Abdul-Bah and 39 letters, 22 cables, and two contribution receipts from the Guardian. National Center staff checked out 2,517 photographs from the Archives Photograph Collection and 185 books from the National Bah Library. Most of the photographs were for a Media Services project aimed at digitizing much of the Archives Photograph Collection. During the year, the Archives supplied a total of 8,932 photocopies of archival and library material, 328 digital copies of photographs, and 158 digital copies of documents or library material. The Archives staff provided technical advice on questions of archival preservation and arrangement to 21 local communities in 14 states. Some 13 researchers visited the Archives in person. Two books published in 2009 used collections from the Archives: Take My Love to the Friends: The Story of Laura R. Davis by Marline Macke, and The Forgotten School: The Bahs and Modern Education in Iran, 18991934 by Soli Shahvar. The American Historical Association has an Archives Wiki, which serves as a clearing house of information about archival resources throughout the world. The Archives staff placed information about the National Bah Archives on the Archives Wiki. Even though the Bah House of Worship Visitors Center is again open, the number of visitors touring the Archives during 200910 was a small 335, due to an unusually low number of visitors during the Bah National Convention. The archivist continued to develop content for the planned Archives public website. Last summer, the Archives had its first student intern, a Bah studying to be an archivist from the University of Michigan School of Information. During her threemonth internship, she processed several collections and hundreds of photographs, assisted in reference and preservation work, and identified a number of letters in Persian. Arranging such internships will help increase the number of trained Bah archivists. The services provided by the Archives are made possible by the work of the Archives staff in acquiring, processing, and preserving archival and library material.

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119 ...National Bah Archives 121 ...Bah Encyclopedia Project 123 ...Office of Review

t is possible that the Archives will be able to provide more services directly supporting the Five Year Plan core activities and the institute training process in the future once the Archives website is functioning.

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he Archives staff placed information about the National Bah Archives on the Archives Wiki maintained by the American Historical Association.

The Archives staff processed 130 new accessions, totaling 275 linear feet, including three original letters from the Guardian, four works of art, one artifact, and 165 boxes of Bah National Center records. The Archives received seven new collections of personal papers, including the David Ruhe Papers, McCleary Bunch Washington Papers, and Douglass Thorne Papers. It also received additional material for 12 existing collections, including the Barbara West Papers, Mountfort Mills Papers, Marjory Morten Papers, and Thelma Jackson Papers. The high volume of new acquisitions continues to challenge the Archives staff to find sufficient working space. The Archives staff processed 105 boxes of Bah National Center files, including records of the Office of the Secretary, Office of the Treasurer, Office of Education and Schools, Office of Communications, Properties Office, and Bah Encyclopedia Project. The Archives also processed 11 collections of personal papers, including the Marion West Papers, Sam and Mildred McClellan Papers, Laurence and Ruth LaRocque Papers, Louise Groger Papers, and Florence Reeb Papers. Other material processed by the Archives staff were one relic, four works of art, seven artifacts, 1,221 photographs, 85 CDs, seven DVDs, 71 audiotapes, 13 videotapes, two proclamations, four posters, and nine architectural drawings. The Archives had 27 audiotapes digitized and transferred to CDs. The staff added 934 items to the National Bah Library, including local bulletins from 39 communities in 23 states, and cataloged 1,747 periodicals.

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Bah Encyclopedia Project

The Bah Encyclopedia Project took a major step forward in April 2009. After many years of effort to produce a comprehensive and authoritative reference work on the Bah Faith, it launched a website offering an interim selection of in-depth articles. The immediate response was resoundingly positive. Scores of individuals in the United States and around the world emailed their congratulations, describing the website as warm, accessible, easy to use, absolutely gorgeous, impressive, beautifully designed, and a tremendous asset to the community. As readers have had the opportunity to delve into the contents of the site, their comments have focused increasingly on the quality of particular articles and on the ways in which some articles are already being found useful by the community. Kudos to Mr. Glenford Mitchell and a heart full of thanks, a Bah from the United States wrote in May 2009. This article [Administration, Bah] is a wonderful gift to the friends for both their own deepening and [as an] outline for a talk on the subject. We have three relatively new believers recently elected to the LSA and their understanding of the vastness of this subject is being enhanced since we presented each with a copy of this item as a welcome to the administrative aspect of our beloved Faith. They were most grateful. In July 2009, another reader explained how an article has become a helpful complement to study of the institute courses in her cluster in California: I want to express my thanks for the article on the meaning of the title Letters of the Living. This had come up in discussions during Ruhi classes several times, so now I have been able to print it and share with the Friends in our Cluster. Such responses demonstrate how, as the Universal House of Justice made clear in a letter written on its behalf on April 24, 2008, [f]ar from being a diversion from the worldwide effort to advance the process of entry by troops, Bah scholarship can be a powerful reinforcement to that endeavour and a valuable source of new enquirers. Traffic on the website during its first year has remained brisk, with thousands having viewed articles and the image gallery. Among the most-read articles are Abdul-Bah Abbs by Firuz Kazemzadeh, Hands of the Cause of God by Eunice Braun and the editors, Tehran by Moojan Momen, Mashriqul-Adhkr by Julie Badiee and the editors, and Keith Bean Ransom-Kehler by Janet RuheSchoen. During the past year, new material has been added to the site, including a biography of the notable conservationist Richard St. Barbe Baker. Enhancements have been made, as well as various small corrections (of both technical glitches and content). In January 2010, repairs and an upgrade to increase security were needed after a hacker vandalized the site, causing it to be taken down briefly.

cores of individuals in the United States and around the world described the website as warm, accessible, easy to use, absolutely gorgeous, impressive, beautifully designed, and a tremendous asset to the community.

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Correspondenceat times, large in volumehas been handled. Information on the Encyclopedia Project has been disseminated to visitors to the Bah National Center and to participants at three annual conferences: the Association for Bah Studies Conference, the Association of Friends of Persian Culture Conference, and the Green Lake Bah Conference. Yet the Encyclopedia Project, having been downsized by the National Spiritual Assembly in late 2008 as a cost-saving measure during the world economic crisis, has neither an office nor a full-time staff. At present, work is continuing on the basis of volunteer service and part-time editorial work supported wholly by earmarked contributions, thus the pace at which this valuable resource can grow depends on direct support by the Bah community. The Encyclopedia Project welcomes inquiries at encyclopedia@usbnc.org and encourages exploration of its website (www.bahai-encyclopedia-project.org).

uring the past year, new material has been added to the site, including a biography of the notable conservationist Richard St. Barbe Baker.

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Office of Review
The literature review process was initiated by Abdul-Bah as a temporary measure to protect the Bah Faith while in its early stages of development. This requirement has been continued to date by the Guardian and by the Universal House of Justice, which, in a letter dated December 29, 1988, wrote: [F]ar from adopting a carefree attitude, the community must be conscious of the necessity to present a correct view of itself and an accurate understanding of its purpose to a largely skeptical public. While still a temporary measure, pre-publication review continues to ensure that works produced by Bah authors and artists represent the Bah Faith accurately and with dignity. A third criterion is timelinessfor example, whether there is anything about the publication of the work at this time that might increase the danger to which the Bah community is exposed in certain parts of the world. The review of literature and audiovisual materials (including music) is carried out by the Office of Review, in collaboration with a Review Task Force appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly and with a growing network of reviewers around the country. Local Assemblies are responsible for reviewing literature that is for local use only, as well as all special materials (such as artwork and graphic creations, greeting cards, jewelry, and T-shirts) produced by individuals in their jurisdiction, whether intended for local or national distribution. Anything that is published or disseminated only electronically via the Internet is not subject to the literature review process. Questions regarding use of the Web may be directed to the Office of Communications or to the Bah Internet Agency. A learning process Among the aims of the office are to instill a consultative approach to review, to educate authors and artists new to the process about review standards and purposes, and to foster a spirit of collaboration among all involved. As the Universal House of Justice has remarked, in a letter dated December 10, 1992, Bahs should look upon review in this early stage in the development of the Faith [as] a species of peer review which they welcome, since it is primarily among their fellow Bahs that they would find at this time those who would have sufficiently wide and deep understanding of the Faith and its Teachings to raise issues of importance which they would want to consider before publication. The expanding, open-ended network of reviewers consists primarily of authors and artists who have themselves submitted materials for review, thus continually building our collective capacity as a community to uphold the review standards for accuracy and dignity across a wide diversity of fields. The Review Office fosters this learning process as it carries out its daily work and continues to encounter new questions, in consultation with authors, artists, reviewers, and the Review Task Force, and in accordance with the guidance of the National Assembly.

re-publication review ensures that works produced by Bah authors and artists represent the Bah Faith accurately and with dignity. A third criterion is timelinessfor example, whether anything about the publication of the work at this time might increase the danger to the Bah community in certain parts of the world.

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he Review Office received approximately 180 submissions this past year. Roughly three-quarters of submissions are literature; one-quarter are audiovisual materials.

Systems and statistics Nearly all submissions are received in electronic form, enhancing efficiency and allowing for electronic filing, archiving, and searching. The Review Office received approximately 180 submissions this past year, a figure similar to the previous year and up from a previous annual average of about 160. Roughly three-quarters of submissions are literature; one-quarter are audiovisual materials. The wide variety of items reviewed includes articles, chapters, nonfiction books, novels, encyclopedia entries, songs, deepening materials, DVDs, CDs, childrens materials, study guides, magazines, scripts, pamphlets, sheet music, and PowerPoint presentations. Authors and artists are generally asked to allow about 12 weeks for review of a book, eight weeks for an article, and four weeks for a CD. Many reviews are completed more quickly than this, though a handful require an extended process of consultation. The average time required for review of all submissions has gradually been decreasing. At any one time, there are approximately 25 new review cases pending, in addition to a steady stream of correspondence, inquiries, and resubmissions. In the diversity, range, and depth of materials being created by Bah authors and artists may be seen not only work that can contribute directly to the expansion, consolidation, and spiritual transformation of the Bah community, but early efforts to stimulate a new public discourse on issues of our day and to inform new approaches to social action. It is a privilege to witness the creativity and devotion inspired by the message of Bahullh, as expressed by the talented individuals with which the Bah community of the United States is blessed.

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Conventions Office
The mandate for the Conventions Office, a part of the Secretariat, during 200910, was to plan, coordinate, and direct the implementation of national and electoral unit conventions and to plan and coordinate any necessary boundary changes for electoral units. Boundary changes approved in 2007 have been implemented, and the Conventions Office continues to offer support to Assemblies affected by the changes. The changes altered to some degree the majority of the 161 electoral units throughout the 48 contiguous states of the United States, particularly South Carolina, a state with a large number of electoral units that historically experienced low participation in Bah elections. Also completed within the first year of the current Five Year Plan was an extensive reorganization of electoral unit boundaries in California necessitated by the states decision to eliminate judicial district boundaries. With the assistance of the Membership and Records Office, the Conventions Office gave notification in writing to each community in the United States that was affected by these boundary changes. Each letter provided a brief explanation of the reason for the changes and included information on where individuals could search online to find the localities included in their redrawn electoral units. The Unit Convention website (http://unitconvention.usbnc.org) continues to be a helpful resource throughout the year for Local Assemblies and individuals needing information about the unit conventions in their area or to learn about the Bah electoral process. Since 2002, when the National Spiritual Assembly took the decision to relieve the Regional Bah Councils of responsibility for coordinating unit conventions, the Conventions Office has taken on the task of coordinating all 161 unit convention elections. Regional Bah Councils now provide the Conventions Office with guidance and recommendations regarding Local Spiritual Assemblies that would be suitable choices to serve as unit convention hosts. In 2006, the National Assembly requested that a task force be coordinated by the Conventions Office to help to increase participation at unit conventions, held every October in all 161 electoral units. To this end, the task force implemented a number of exciting firsts including: creation of the first stand-alone Unit Convention website, where the friends can find valuable resources all year long pertaining to unit convention; production of three viral videos, 30-second to one-minute video shorts about the nature and purpose of the unit convention; and the publishing of a special brochure sent to all adult believers in the United States, encouraging them to attend unit convention, to invite their Bah friends, and to partake in the sacred nature of the electoral process. Lastly, as a follow-up to the unit conventions held in October 2006, the National Assembly requested

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127 ...Conventions Office 129 ...Bah Center Assistance 131 ...Bah Service for the Blind 132 ...Human Resources 133 ...Information Technology 135 ...Meetings and Hospitality 135 ...Public Safety

he Unit Convention website is a helpful resource throughout the year for Local Assemblies and individuals needing information about the unit conventions in their area or to learn about the Bah electoral process.

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that a summary of recommendations and suggestions from unit conventions be shared with the rest of the Bah community. These summaries appeared in the March 2007 issue of The American Bah and in the journals online edition. The office hopes to maintain this special focus on the sacredness of the Bah electoral process every year prior to unit convention and to reinforce the message throughout the remainder of the year. In 2007, a secure online program for registration was made available to delegates to Bah National Convention. This newly created program has the potential for many more uses, including registration of agencies and committees. The Conventions Office continues to use the online registration form for delegates and, in conjunction with the Information Technology office, hopes to improve it each year. In the years ahead, the Conventions Office hopes to make more multimedia options available, enabling delegates and all participants to experience Bah National Convention on a multitude of levels. The Conventions Office now sends many of its communications to Bah National Convention delegatesas well as to electoral unit convention host Assembliesby email. In 2010, the Conventions Office sent the first delegate mailing by email rather than by surface mail, as had formerly been the practice. Also, all delegate confirmation attendance forms were sent by email in 2010, which also provided savings to the Bah National Fund. As advances are made in keeping electronic communications secure, the office hopes to make further strides in minimizing the use of paper.

n 2010, the Conventions Office sent the first delegate mailing by email rather than by surface mail, and all delegate confirmation attendance forms were sent by email in 2010, providing savings to the Bah National Fund.

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Bah Center Assistance

Bah Center Assistance (BCA) was created to support the growth and development of the Faith by providing a systematic program of education, training, and technical assistance to communities whose goal is to lease, purchase, and maintain Bah Center properties and by using its resources to provide targeted loans and financial assistance to such communities when needed. BCA is a financially selfsupporting agency of the National Spiritual Assembly. During 200910, BCA continued to emphasize the use of Centers and other Bah facilities to support the goals of the Five Year Plan and advance the process of entry by troops. It also carried on programs begun in previous years. The organization made available to communities three new types of loans for Bah Center properties: for energy-related improvements, renovations, and construction shortfalls due to unforeseen conditions. It continues to offer loans for first center acquisitionsloans to help convince a bank to extend a first mortgage to the community. Improvements to BCAs website www.bahaicenterassistance.org during the year included a revised Lessons Learned/Naming a Center and a statement on Rental Use of Centers. The Local Bah Centers Technical Assistance Manual, also available on the website, continued to be a popular source of information about the acquisition and operation of Centers. During 200910, BCAs activities included: Holding five in-person Board meetings at different localities throughout the country and five telephone conference call meetings Touringat this writing, 14Bah Centers to increase the organizations understanding of opportunities and challenges communities have encountered in acquiring and operating a Center Consulting with nine Bah communities, either in person or through telephone conferencing Responding to inquiries from four Bah communities Providing sample documents as examples of approaches used by various Bah communities around the country. The documents include mandates for Center committees, operations policies, employment/contractor issues, endowment funds, and rental/use agreements Revising its Center Tour Questionnaire and developing the Decentralization Questionnaire, both of which were mailed to all Bah Centers previously visited Projects still in progress include: Development of a database with information on all Bah Centers, facilities, or properties

he organization made available to communities three new types of loans for Bah Center properties: for energy-related improvements, renovations, and construction shortfalls due to unforeseen conditions.

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 Development of a Start-Up Bah Facility Kit Updating information in current Bah listings, including iPhone applications More information is available on BCAs website (www.bahaicenterassistance.org). BCA can also be contacted via email (info@bahaicenterassistance.org), telephone (847-425-7940), fax (847-425-7941), or surface mail: Bah Center Assistance, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611.

rojects in progress include development of a database with information on Bah properties, development of a StartUp Bah Facility Kit, and updates to information in current Bah listings.

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Bah Service for the Blind

The Bah Service for the Blind continued during 200910 to fulfill its mission to provide the literature of the Faith in various media to those who are unable to use normal print due to a disability. The three media currently available are Braille, cassette tape recordings, and Large Print. The Service makes a lending library of these materials available to Bahs and non-Bahs alike. The Service also ensures that The American Bah is regularly available on cassette tape, free of charge. Through the efforts of the Services all-volunteer staff, the number of titles available in the three media has been steadily increasing. This year, 10 new items in Braille were added, as were nine new titles on cassette tape, and six new titles in Large Print. Digital recording and the use of flash drive cards is now the standard for audio recordings by the Library of Congress. As the Service has generally conformed to the practices of the Library of Congress, the possibility of changing to this format from the audiocassette tapes currently in use is being considered. A change to digital format would require new equipment and software. Though the Services present collection of audio materials would have to be converted to digital format, audiotapes would continue to be maintained for some time. Demand for the Services materials has been steady, despite the prevailing economic downturn. During 200910, 94 books were sold: 27 books in Braille, 24 books on tape, and 43 books in Large Print. The Service continues to supply Bah communities around the world with its materials, as most other countries lack a Bah Service for the Blind. The Services website (www.BahaiServiceForTheBlind.org) provides information about its work and an up-to-date listing of all its materials.

hrough the efforts of the Services all-volunteer staff, the number of titles available in Braille, cassette tape recordings, and Large Print has been steadily increasing.

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n an effort to attract larger numbers to the pool of applicants for service, numerous mailings were sent out during the year and several recruitment trips were made to targeted communities and to the permanent schools.

Human Resources
The Office of Human Resources (HR) continued during 200910 to receive hundreds of applications for service at the Bah National Center, at the three permanent Bah schools, at the satellite offices of the National Center in New York City and Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. While the National Spiritual Assembly hired 34 new staff members, the Regional Bah Councils added another 13 to their respective staffs. The National Center was pleased to welcome several volunteers to service on behalf of the National Assembly. One of the volunteers includes an 84-year-old believer who serves four to five days per week. In an effort to attract larger numbers to the pool of applicants for service, numerous mailings were sent out during the year and several recruitment trips were made to targeted communities and to the permanent schools. The HR Benefits Administrator arranged two seminars with Bah National Center staff to discuss retirement benefits. The National Centers insurance carrier also offered, in May and November, to address questions from off-site staff through its Webinar programs. After updating the Benefits Booklet, a visit was made to Louhelen Bah School to address in person any questions staff might have regarding their health and retirement benefits. The Office of Human Resources was pleased to add to its staff this year a part-time administrative assistant who, while possessing the full complement of administrative skills needed for the position, brings the added talents of a graphic artist, which have been put to work in the redesigning of various forms and directories, and in other print projects. The Bah National Centers Reception Desk and Switchboard comes under the supervision of the Office of Human Resources. Visitors will notice a significant improvement in the appearance of the reception area, which was recently refurbished to make it more aesthetically pleasing. The project was carried out by the National Centers Properties Department expeditiously to avoid a serious interruption in the service provided by the receptionist. The welcoming atmosphere created by the areas atrium was nicely enhanced. The Bah National Centers Mail Services Department welcomed a new supervisor this year. During 200910, the Mailroom processed 670,710 pieces of mail. The acquisition of new machinery makes possible the processing of 7,000 pieces of mail per hour, a vast improvement over past years. The departments outstanding staff of three includes a regular volunteer who has served for more than 21 years. Occasionally, when a project involves more volume and complexity or requires more speed than the Mailroom can itself provide, a request for assistance is made throughout the Bah National Center and many staff members put their own work aside for a time to ensure the project is completed efficiently and in timely fashion. The Coordinator of Human Resources continues to work closely with the Secretary-General of the National Spiritual Assembly to address HR policy matters and assists the Personnel Office at the Bah World Center with its recruiting needs.

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Information Technology
Information Technology (IT) provides email, file and print services, local and longdistance telephone services, help desk support, enterprise applications, and reporting services for the offices and agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly. Membership and Records, also part of the IT organization, maintains the national membership databaseprocessing enrollments, international transfers, address changes, Local Assembly and registered group elections; and responding to email and phone requests from among the 1,100 Assemblies and 1,700 registered groups in the Bah community of the United States. In addition, the office maintains archival records for individuals and institutions. While IT does not perform tasks directly related to the goals of the Five Year Plan, enterprise applications, such as those listed below, provide electronic services and timely information to assist those serving at the national, regional, cluster, or community level in their efforts to achieve the goals of the Five Year Plan: Cluster Assignment Tool (CAT) is used by the Regional Councils to define the Bah localities included in each cluster and to record each clusters stage of advancement. eMembership is used by Local Assemblies to report new enrollments and child registrations and by both Assemblies and registered groups to maintain their community membership list in the national membership database and report election results. My Page provides individual Bahs with access to their personal membership information. Online Registration is used by new believers to affirm their belief in Bahullh over the Internet. Since its launch in mid-April 2009, online registrations have accounted for 10 percent of adult and youth enrollments. RTI Tracker is used by the Regional Training Institutes and cluster agencies to record and report participation in study circles and junior youth groups. Seeker Response System (SRS) is used by regional specialists and the National Teaching Office to manage contact with seekers and online registrants. Statistical Report Program (SRP) is used by Area Teaching Committees, Regional Statistics Officers, and the National Teaching Office to report core activity statistics to the World Center. UnityWeb is used by Bah National Center offices and agencies to maintain the national membership database and track the status of Local Spiritual Assemblies and registered Bah groups.

nterprise applications developed and maintained by IT provide electronic services and timely information to assist those serving at the national, regional, cluster, or community level in their efforts to achieve the goals of the Five Year Plan.

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oday, 100 percent of Local Spiritual Assemblies and 61 percent of all registered groups are receiving email communications from the National Spiritual Assembly, up from 88 percent and 46 percent, respectively, a year ago.

Bah locality corrections One of ITs largest and most complex projects during 200910 has been correcting Bah locality assignments. Over the years, many believers were inadvertently assigned to an incorrect Bah locality. Newer technologies allow IT to more accurately determine the correct Bah locality for any given address. Review of the national membership data revealed thousands of individual addresses assigned to the wrong Bah locality. Thus far, over 5,300 locality corrections have been made; approximately 2,000 are still to be made. Some of the remaining corrections will involve those currently serving on Local Assemblies or as group officers. Those Assemblies and groups being affected will be notified in early summer to provide the individuals and their communities time to adjust prior to Rivn 2011. Technology adoption The National Spiritual Assembly has significantly increased its use of electronic technology to disseminate its communications to the communitysending by email and posting on its Administrative Website and in the pages of the online edition of The American Bahthus less often incurring the expense and delays associated with surface mail. Over the past two years, IT has encouraged Local Spiritual Assemblies and registered groups who have not already done so to obtain Internet access and to establish an email account for their Assembly or group to receive email communications from the National Spiritual Assembly and other national and regional offices and agencies. The adoption rate for both has increased steadily. Today, 100 percent of Local Spiritual Assemblies and 61 percent of all registered groups are receiving email communications, up from 88 percent and 46 percent, respectively, a year ago. In addition, Assemblies and groups have been encouraged to utilize the eMembership application. At Rivn 2009, 78 percent of Assembly formations were reported using eMembership, which allowed for the immediate recognition of many Assemblies and completion of the election processing earlier than ever before. Thus far this year, 91 percent of Assemblies and 16 percent of groups have utilized eMembership to make updates to their contact information or their community list, or to report a by-election. Since the launch of My Page Personal Online Services last year, over 2,100 individuals have registered for My Page, which is still in embryonic form. An Online Contributions application being developed by a third party should be available later this year, allowing individuals, Assemblies, groups, and other Bah entities to make pledges and contributions to the Fund over the Internet. Future additions to My Page will include the ability to purchase replacement identification (ID) cards and marriage and birth certificates.

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Meetings And Hospitality

The Meetings and Hospitality Office provides on-site and off-site meeting planning services for the National Spiritual Assembly and its offices and agencies, attending to meals and the provision of hospitality for all regular and special meetings of the National Spiritual Assembly, special programs at the Bah House of Worship, meetings at the Bah National Center with members of the Continental Board of Counselors, Auxiliary Board members, the Regional Bah Councils, and other special guestsincluding those participating in the Special Visitors program. The office also assists with arrangements for Bah National Convention. In all these efforts, the office strives to provide high-quality, loving, and caring support while managing in an efficient and cost-effective manner to protect the interests of the National Fund.

Public Safety
The Department of Public Safety provides safety and security services to the National Spiritual Assembly, the staff of the Bah National Center, and Bah and non-Bah guests who visit National Center facilities throughout the year. These services are provided by 10 public safety officers who patrol on foot and in vehicles, and through physical and electronic security systems. Public Safety also provides hundreds of assists and transports during the year to members of the National Assembly and their guests. Officers provide a wide variety of services to the many thousands of visitors to the Bah House of Worship, frequently being called upon to act as on-the-spot guides as they make their rounds within the Temple gardens and grounds. To ensure that they can provide accurate information to visitors, officers study aspects of the history and meaning of the House of Worship and its gardens. As they are often the first contact visitors have at the House of Worship, the department is continually striving to present a professional demeanor and a good first impression. In an effort to present a softer, warmer image, the officers uniforms were changed this year to feature a white shirt. Public Safety meets routinely with the Village of Wilmette police and fire departments and maintains a close working relationship with both.

ublic Safety officers provide a wide variety of services to the many thousands of visitors to the Bah House of Worship, frequently being called upon to act as on-the-spot guides as they make their rounds within the Temple gardens and grounds.

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Properties Office
Bah National Center facilities The Properties Office is responsible for oversight of all Bah National Center facilities in Evanston and Wilmette, Illinois, including routine and special maintenance, repairs and alterations, custodial services, grounds and gardening, purchasing and budgeting for facilities, remodeling and new construction. The following are highlights of projects the office completed during 200910. bah houSe oF WoRShip. At the direction of the National Spiritual Assembly, the Properties Office remodeled the Cornerstone Room, located in the current Visitors Center. Remodeling included removal of walls to permit visitors full visual access from the display area, painting, carpeting, and adding new displays. The 30-year-old drapes in the Temple Auditorium were replaced with new drapes on the first and second levels. The Properties Office is also responsible for the Temple Concrete Studio in Wheeling, Illinois, which supports work on the Kingdom Project. The Concrete Studio painstakingly molds the necessary ornamental concrete replacements for the House of Worship Restoration Project and the new Visitors Center. A two-month hiatus in the studios operations provided time to complete much-needed repairs, cleaning, and painting. aRatul-QudS. Sealing and caulking of the aras exterior and stabilization of the roof parapet were completed. New balustrades were installed during summer 2009. bah national centeR buildinG. A much-needed remodeling of the buildings lunchroom was completed. bah p ubliShinG tRuSt. One of the buildings HVAC systems was replaced and its parking lot was rebuilt. As with every year, thousands of man-hours were devoted to routine maintenance and cleaning of National Center facilities. National properties In addition to facilities located at the Bah National Center, the Properties Office provides oversight, assistance, and contract management for maintenance, repair, and capital improvements for the three permanent Bah schools, training institutes, and historic properties managed by the National Spiritual Assembly. All this work is coordinated with the administrators and facilities coordinators at the individual properties. Accomplishments during 200910 included the following. boSch bah School, Santa cRuz, c aliFoRnia. Significant paving replacement was completed.

Properties
137 ...Properties Office 139 ...Bah House of Worship Restoration

t the direction of the National Spiritual Assembly, the Properties Office remodeled the Cornerstone Room, located in the current Visitors Center at the Bah House of Worship.

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GReen acRe bah School, eliot, m aine. Major carpentry and window replacement, painting, roofing replacement, and equipment purchases were carried out. New construction included a four-unit staff apartment building that was completed and is now occupied, and a new guest housing unit nearly completed, with occupancy expected during summer 2010. Construction has begun on three new cottages, which are expected to be complete by winter 2010. louhelen bah School, daviSon, m ichiGan. Major asphalt paving, renovations to the food service and kitchen areas, and remodeling of a staff house to provide additional capacity were carried out. native a meRican bah i nStitute (nabi), houck, a Rizona. Bunkhouse renovation, classroom painting, and rebuilding of a deck were completed. louiS G. GReGoRy bah i nStitute, h eminGWay, South c aRolina. Dormitory remodeling, major painting work around the campus, purchase of new playground equipment, and removal of several dangerous diseased trees were carried out. dublin i nn, dublin, neW h ampShiRe. Renovations to a third-floor sitting room and a first-floor restroom were completed. Wilhelm p RopeRtieS, teaneck, neW jeRSey. Replacement of the badly broken-up front entry sidewalk at the Wilhelm House and removal of several large diseased trees that were a threat to the buildings were carried out.

ew construction at Green Acre Bah School included a four-unit staff apartment building that was completed and is now occupied, and a new guest housing unit nearly completed, with occupancy expected during summer 2010.

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Bah House of Worship Restoration

During 200910, the Bah House of Worship restoration focused on two objectives: finishing the terrace, stairs, and garden reconstruction and preparing the land adjacent to the House of Worship for a new Visitors Center building. Tasks were sequenced so the projects could be completed at the earliest possible date. The familiar entrance into the Temple gardens from Linden Avenue reopened for the April 2009 Bah National Convention. Shortly thereafter, finishing touches were applied to the vestibule into the lower-level Foundation Hall entry. New precast concrete steps and stainless steel railings lead straight down into the vestibule. The new vestibule is larger because the former interior steps that divided the space are no longer there. The new vestibule is brighter because each vestibule doorway has glass sidelights. New ceramic tile flooring, lighting, fire sprinklers, alarms, and architectural bronze-colored doors give the vestibule a fresh appearance. Outside, new trees and shrubs were planted adjacent to the vestibule stairs. The remaining approach steps were installed leading up to the terrace deck and pavers, and monumental steps and stainless steel railings were installed. LED lights were installed inside the main entrance railings to light the stairway for evening visitors. In November, the main entrance into the House of Worship Auditorium was reopened to visitors. The last three sectors of the terrace vault structure have also been completed. All sections of the vault have complete systems for plumbing, electrical, lighting, heating, ventilation, sump pumps, garden fountains electrical

n November 2009, the main entrance into the House of Worship Auditorium was reopened to visitors.

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and control panels, garden fountains pump skids, fire sprinklers, overhead garage doors, and personnel doors. A double-wide door was installed between the vault and the mechanical room of the Temple. As each section of the vault was built, the upper lip of the original 1920s foundation wall was repaired. Now the entire, original foundation wall is repaired. Repairs were also made to the original electrical and ventilation shafts. New steel grates for the terrace were fabricated to cover the shaft openings.

he House of Worship is now completely watertight for the first time in its history.

The House of Worship is now completely watertight for the first time in its history. The landings outside the Auditorium doors, which, until now, had never had any waterproofing system, were rebuilt at the two remaining doorways. A new waterproofing membrane was installed on the remaining sectors of structural deck before the new monumental stairs were installed. Waterproofing was applied to the new terrace wall in garden 5 before the terrace cladding was installed. During the winter, tents were set up over garden stairways and fountains so that construction work could continue without interruption. Approach stairs in gardens 6 and 9 were built. The garden 7 circular fountain was completed. During its reconstruction of Sheridan Road, the Village of Wilmette relocated trees, shrubs, and pavers on the Temple property. Last fall, the pavers were replaced on the circular walkway. The nine bark hedge and junipers were replanted along the walkway and a new landscape retaining wall was installed with additional plants between Sheridan Road and the walkway into garden 8. In November 2009, the familiar old structures at 110 and 112 Linden Avenue were at long last demolished to make way for the new Visitors Center building. The existing retaining wall between the old structures and the Temple gardens was temporarily left in place to provide a construction staging area for the remaining work on the terrace, stairs, and gardens. A construction fence was installed around the entire area and temporary lights were installed on top of the fence for parking lot illumination.

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Properties

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Association for Bah StudiesNorth America

The Association for Bah Studies-North America (ABS) is a membership organization serving Alaska, Canada, and the United States. Its Executive Committee, currently composed of members from Canada and the United States, is appointed by and operates under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada. Committee membership includes the ABS Academic Director, appointed in 2007. The ABS office in Ottawa, Ontario, is staffed by two full-time employees. The Association currently has 1,745 individual members and 55 institutional members worldwide. There are 18 affiliates in other parts of the world functioning under the jurisdiction of their respective National Assemblies. The mission of the Association for Bah Studies is to stimulate scholarly study of the Faith and its teachings, to promote a sound understanding of the Cause in academic circles and to demonstrate its relevance to the study of social issues, as well as to stimulate an appetite for learning within the Bah community generally. Aspects of this mission are pursued within the context of the global plans of the Universal House of Justice for the expansion and development of the Bah community. To advance its mission, the Association is focusing on the following lines of action: Developing capacity for Bah scholarship among students and young adults Creating opportunities for the publication and circulation of diverse forms of Bah scholarship including, but not limited to, The Journal of Bah Studies Promoting extension activities that stimulate Bah scholarship locally and at Bah schools Encouraging university courses across disciplines on diverse aspects of the Bah Faith Aiming to engage diverse leaders of thought through symposia and other opportunities for dialogue and collaboration Refining the annual conference so that it serves the broad mission of the Association and advances its other major initiatives Highlights of ABS development in the past year include: ABS Annual Conference The 33rd Annual Association for Bah Studies Conference, held August 1316 in Washington, D.C., included the first conference-level collaboration with another agency, the International Environment Forum (IEF), which organized a plenary discussion between Bah ecologist Arthur Dahl and geographer Peter Brown of McGill University. Other plenary contributions included a fresh perspective on the history of the Iranian Bah schools by Professor Soli Shahvar of the University of

Affiliated Organizations
143 ...Association for Bah StudiesNorth America 146 ...Bah Association for Mental Health 148 ...Bah International Radio Service 150 ...Brighton Creek Conference Center 152 ...Association of Friends of Persian Culture 154 ...Health for Humanity

he theme of the 33rd Annual Conference of the Association, Environments, encompassed natural, built, and social/cultural environments, fostering a strong emphasis on current and potential Bah engagement in social action and public discourse.

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nitiatives focused on young people included a special program at the annual conference, a College Student Weekend at Louhelen, a conference for Campus Associations for Bah Studies in Toronto, and a series of Young Scholars Gatherings.

Haifa, and a panel on cultural environments that included a challenge from McGill professor Payam Akhavan that Bahs re-examine their history of persecution and reconsider their role as social activists rather than as victims. Don Rogers, as Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecturer, instilled a new appreciation for the creative process and the intellectual depth of visual art. The conference theme, Environments, encompassed natural, built, and social/cultural environments, fostering a strong emphasis on current and potential Bah engagement in social action and public discourse. Other notable breakout presentations included a panel on Bah apologetics and continuing explorations of how Bahs can address the new atheism. Audio links are available for some conference presentations on the ABS website (www.bahai-studies.ca). Students and young adults Four initiatives during 200910 focused on young people. A special program at the annual conference for university faculty and students addressed: The role and place of scholarship in the global plans of the Faith. Engaging in discourse and practice in academic fields. Best practices in mentoring students and young adults. Creating dynamic campus organizations. Dr. Ann Boyles, a member of the Continental Board of Counselors for the Americas, was a keynote speaker and also one of four facilitators. A College Student Weekend sponsored jointly by ABS and the Regional Bah Council for the Central States at Louhelen Bah School in October focused on:

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 Applying the Five Year Plan framework for action on campus. Participating in the discourses of society by being present in social spaces where thinking and policies evolve. Achieving coherence and mutual reinforcement in these two arenas, as students study and practice in their academic field and in the Faith. A January 2010 regional conference for Campus Associations for Bah Studies (CABS) in Toronto also explored the complementary nature of Bah studies and Five Year Plan activities, using the Associations draft workbook Developing Scholarly Discourse in the Context of the Plans. Participants examined the need to develop cogent analytical, writing, and speaking skills to participate effectively in social discourse, as informed by both their disciplines and the teachings of the Faith. Students were encouraged to hold small symposia involving both Bahs and non-Bah students and faculty. John Hatcher, Professor Emeritus of the University of South Florida, initiated in October small, monthly Young Scholars Gatherings. These include practical and foundational activities, such as studying Bah texts on scholarship; exploring research techniques and terminology for applying Bah teachings in scholarly writing; confronting materialist and relativistic attitudes; and learning collaborative skills. Participants are creating and sharing presentations on various topics, which are also designed to strengthen their capacity as teachers of the Faith. The Journal of Bah Studies One issue of the Journal was published (Volume 18, Number 14), including articles by Will van den Hoonaard (2007 Balyuzi Lecture, Emergence from Obscurity), Arash Abizadeh (How Bah Voters Should Vote), Hoda Mahmoudi (The Permanence of Change: Contemporary Sociological and Bah Perspectives on Modernity), and Ismael Velasco (Achieving Reconciliation in a Conflicting World). The editorial structure for the Journal is undergoing revision. Older Journal articles continue to be posted to the website as they are converted to electronic format. Special Interest Groups (SIGs) The SIGs are in the process of developing their websites, accessible from the ABS site, with the support of the ABS office. In addition to contributing to annual conference sessions, some SIGs are strengthening their capacity to create networking opportunities among members to support each other in their Bah scholarship activities throughout the year. University courses The Executive Committee created a working document, Teaching Courses with Bah Content in Universities and Other Institutions of Higher Learning: Opportunities and Issues to Consider based on previous reflection by friends engaged in this service. Further review and reflection took place at the annual conference. Awards for distinguished scholarship An endowment fund was established in 2007 by anonymous donors to recognize and encourage contributions to Bah scholarship. Awards were presented to John Hatcher and Amrollah Hemmat for their book Adams Wish: Unknown Poetry of Tahirih and Donna Hakimian for her masters thesis Resistance, Resilience, and the Role of Narrative: Lessons from the Experiences of Iranian Bah Women Prisoners. The 2010 Annual Conference will be held August 1215 in Vancouver, B.C., on the theme of Rethinking Human Nature. Further information is posted on the ABS website.

n addition to contributing to annual conference sessions, some Special Interest Groups are strengthening their capacity to create networking opportunities among members to support each other in their Bah scholarship activities throughout the year.

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he Association is committed to opening a space for the emergence of an enriched understanding of mental health, one that recognizes and studies systematically the intersection between spirituality and authentic mental health.

Bah Association for Mental Health

The Bah Association for Mental Health (BAMH) has emerged from a period of transition in 200910 with a re-energized organization, a re-formed Board of Directors, new volunteers, and additional resources and support. Board of Directors During the year, three out of six members of the Board of Directors were unable to continue serving. This made it challenging to carry out plans, and the 2009 Annual Conference was postponed to September 2010. Once its full membership was restored, the Board succeeded in garnering pledges of assistance, service, and commitment from BAMH members and supporters. At its annual retreat in January 2010, the Board fully endorsed the comprehensive outreach orientation of the Association, which is committed to opening a space for the emergence of an enriched understanding of mental health, one that recognizes and studies systematically the intersection between spirituality and authentic mental health. BAMH seeks new ways to reach out and be of service to the Bah and greater communities, as each struggles to address the unique challenges of a global age. Objectives and activities The Associations plan for 2010 and beyond entails these areas of action: Increasing the capacity of BAMH to attract a larger, more sustainable, and more active membership that can be mobilized to address, from an informed spiritual perspective, mental health issues in the current global crisis Developing more specific and effective ways to support local Bah communities in their work on meeting the challenges of the Five Year Plan More successful outreach to the larger professional community, as well as engaging non-Bah groups that may be interested in the issues addressed at BAMH forums BAMH has renewed its right to confer Continuing Education credits, sponsored by the American Psychological Association, for its annual and regional conferences and other educational and training events. This is intended to attract a wider range of professionals who seek new insights into the dynamics of authentic mental health and ways to apply such an enriched understanding to clinical practice and everyday human interactions. A regional workshop is planned at Bosch Bah School in May 2010 (postponed from summer 2009). It is designed to offer insights gleaned and processes developed at a 2008 conference at Louhelen Bah School, with added emphasis on relationship-building skills that are integral to intensive programs of growth.

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The Association continues to update and enrich a list of references to publications on a Bah-inspired approach to mental healthto be made available to its membership, the wider Bah community, and the professional community. In addition, the Association is revising its website to offer a richer body of more specific information to benefit members and interested professionals.

AMH has renewed its right to confer Continuing Education credits, sponsored by the American Psychological Association, for its annual and regional conferences and other educational and training events.

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ayam-e-Doost Radio, n-i-Bah, and Noveen TV operate under the management of the Bah International Radio Service.

Bah International Radio Service

Payam-e-Doost Radio, n-i-Bah, and Noveen TV operate under the management of the Bah International Radio Service, an agency affiliated with the National Spiritual Assembly. Payam-e-Doost Radio, in Persian, started as a weekly AM radio program in the Washington, D.C., area on March 21, 1994, and commenced broadcasting worldwide on April 21, 2001. Daily 45-minute programs have been broadcast on shortwave radio to Iran and the Middle East and on two satellite systems to the Middle East, Americas, and Europe. They are also offered through GLWIZ, a popular Webbased application that gives subscribers access to Persian channels through their television sets and computers. Payam-e-Doost Radio can also be accessed on the Internet (www.bahairadio.org). Weekly Bah television programs in Persian, under the titles n-i-Bah and Noveen TV, are broadcast via the AFN, Pars, and Andisheh channels, which are viewable in Iran. Both programs may also be viewed on the Internet (www.bahaiview. org and www.noveentv.org). n-i-Bah initiated its programs in July 2005 while Noveen TV, catering to a younger audience, was first broadcast in May 2009. Programs are created to remove misconceptions about the Faith in Iran, its birthplace, and to support the efforts of the friends in Iran by encouraging the engagement of Iranian Bahs with others in initiatives that serve the common good. In addition to the launching of Noveen TV and the addition of the Andisheh satellite service to those broadcasting Bah TV programs into Iran, noteworthy developments during the year 200910 include the following: Payam-e-Doost Radio continued with its shift to a magazine format with more youth appeal through shorter segments and relevant programs. Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday programs, with different hosts, were dedicated to issues of interest to youth and young adults. New radio and TV segments were aligned with the Five Year Plan and focused on introducing and reporting on the four core activities around the world, while inviting listeners and viewers to explore these activities.

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 The new focus of the TV programs has been to introduce the writings of Bahullh as well as to report on social and economic development projects around the world. In the continuing effort to create alliances with like-minded Iranian organizations and individuals, radio and video interviews and roundtables were conducted with friends of the Faith on topics such as human rights in Iran, prosperity of Iranians and their culture, and building the Iran of the future with the collaboration of many friends from around the world. Collaboration with a number of task forces has increased the production of various segments for all programs. Updated websites for Payam-e-Doost Radio and n-i-Bah were launched on October 23, 2009. These sites offer many new features and are accessible in Iran, as is the Noveen TV website. In addition, Noveen TV videos are made available on YouTube and Facebook and Payam-e-Doost Radio programs are available on Facebook. The agency changed the management of its computer operations to be more efficient and up-to-date. n-i-Bah programs are provided to the Bah community of New Zealand for weekly broadcast. The ninth anniversary of Payam-e-Doost Radio and the launch of Noveen TV were celebrated at the Northern Virginia Bah Center, the Association of Friends of Persian Culture Conference in Chicago, and the Grand Canyon Bah Conference. These events were an opportunity to share the exciting programming developments and highlights of reactions from listeners and viewers, as well as to unveil fundraising opportunities. The agency continues to be responsive to inquiries from all over the world, especially from non-Bahs from Iran, as a result of its daily radio programs and two weekly TV programs. Inquirers are provided information about the Faith through various forms of Bah literature, phone calls, and emails. The agency enjoyed the services of an increased numbers of volunteers and interns. Samples of two emails the office received from Iran (translated): Hello to you dear ones and hard workers, The government of Iran wishes to block the truth and prevent freedom of thought using any accusations possibletherefore accusing the open-minded leaders of the Bah Faith with baseless charges of spying and slander against Islam, which they (government) dont seem to believe in themselves because they dont show it in action. But they have to know that the people of Iran have awakened from their slumber and they cannot inhibit their progressive thinking. We will always support you dear ones. We seek their freedom without any conditions. Wishing you success, They say telling of a joy is half of that joy (Persian proverb) Please tell me of freedom and independence. Please explain to me liberty. I want to know what color is freedom. What about independence? What is the joy of having liberty? Please explain them to me so I can somewhat taste them while still imprisoned.

n the continuing effort to create alliances with like-minded Iranian organizations and individuals, radio and video interviews and roundtables were conducted with friends of the Faith on topics such as human rights in Iran, prosperity of Iranians and their culture, and building the Iran of the future.

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he National Spiritual Assembly has taken the Brighton Creek Conference Center under its auspices, appointing a Board of Directors to safeguard the property and fulfill its mission of serving as a regional center for the spiritual, educational and cultural advancement of humanity.

Brighton Creek Conference Center

In 2009 the National Spiritual Assembly acquired a remarkable resource in support of the communities of the Northwest: the Brighton Creek Conference Center (BCCC) in McKenna, Washington. This forested 24-acre retreat was under the stewardship of Local Spiritual Assemblies or in private operation by Bahs for nearly two decades. Countless individuals, groups, and communities, Bah and other, from across the United States have utilized Brighton Creek for a variety of teaching, training, consultation, art, and social events. The National Spiritual Assembly has taken the Brighton Creek Conference Center under its auspices, appointing a Board of Directors to safeguard the property and fulfill its mission of serving as a regional center for the spiritual, educational and cultural advancement of humanity. Within this mission are three main objectives: To serve the Native American community To develop significantly expanded youth activities To support the work of clusters and the institute training process in the region Brighton Creek Conference Center is unique among Bah-owned facilities in its status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, wholly supported by grant monies, program and rental fees, and generous contributions from Bahs in five Northwestern states. Dedicated funds are available for facility expansion and upgrades, but the Conference Center does not receive any operating money from the National Bah Fund. Plans are on track to make BCCC available for wider public use in April 2010. Though rustic, Brighton Creek Conference Center has tremendous potential. Facilities include 16 simple cabins, a meeting hall, a dining hall, and a bookshop. This year saw installation of a new well, plus kitchen improvements needed to support public events. With improvement funds available through the National Spiritual Assembly, plans are being developed for a new classroom and seminar building, additional lodging, and a public greeting center. Planned site upgrades include extensive landscaping including a commons and courtyard, a new entranceway and road signage, a parking lot and drop-off circle, and a facelift for current structures. Development is intended to reflect a Northwestern Native American influence. Events held in the year 200910 included the annual Labor Day Arts Festival, which garnered about 250 visitors including many seekers; two Clara Dunn Academy sessions, bringing in more than 60 youths for a week of deepening; a number of Native American-sponsored events including monthly Unity Works, Healing Drum Circle, and a statewide Story Tellers event; the annual Alaska Cruise (a weeklong deepening aboard ship) and Alaska Friends Dinner; Electoral Unit Convention; Ruhi Institute and tutor-training weekends; and a plethora of other week-

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end events revolving around the Five Year Plan. An expanded website provides a calendar of events and other services. A Balanced Scorecard has been developed by the BCCC Board to serve as the strategic plan for Brighton Creeks future. It sets priorities for the Centers attention to four key areas of its operation: customers (those served by BCCC programs), staff and volunteers, financial stability and strength, and internal business processesall supporting the Centers mission and vision.

righton Creek Conference Center is unique among Bahowned facilities in its status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, wholly supported by grant monies, program and rental fees, and generous contributions from Bahs in five Northwestern states.

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even well-known friends of the Faith accepted the invitation of the Association and addressed the audience and many more made artistic presentations. The number of Iranian friends of the Faith in attendance was larger than those at any of the past conferences.

Association of Friends of Persian Culture

Background In 1991, the Persian-American Affairs Office received permission from the National Spiritual Assembly to establish an organization devoted to the promotion of Persian arts and culture. Later, the name of the organization was changed to the Association of Friends of Persian Culture. The Association is a nonprofit organization operating under the auspices of the National Spiritual Assembly. Objectives The main objectives of the Association are to: Assist individuals of Iranian descent to remain in contact with and gain a deeper understanding of the cultural, artistic, and literary heritage of Iran. Encourage children, youth, and young adults of Iranian descent living abroad to familiarize themselves with and gain a deeper appreciation of Persian arts, literature, and culture. Involve ever-increasing numbers of friends of the Faith, particularly Iranian scholars and artists, in the Associations activities. Help English-speaking relatives and friends of Iranians as well as the general public gain an appreciation of Persian culture. Promote systematic and comprehensive study of Persian arts and culture. Activities a nnual conFeRence. The Association organized and conducted its 19th Annual Conference on Labor Day weekend 2009, in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois. The conference program included a message from the National Spiritual Assembly, presented by its Secretary-General, conveying the Assemblys enthusiastic support for these conferences. During the conference, different aspects of Persian cultureparticularly as they relate to the Bah Faithwere discussed, artistic programs were presented, and participants were informed of the results and conclusions of recent studies about Persian culture. The conference was attended by many individuals (1,938 adults, 267 college students, 135 youths, 50 junior youths, and 91 children), the majority of whom were of Persian origin. Although most attendees were from North America, many from across Europe, Australia, Asia, and Central and South America were also in attendance. The Associations Board of Directors was assisted in conducting the conference by Task Forces for Arts, ChildrenJunior Youth, Youth, and Young Professionals Networking programs. The conference included sessions in Persian with simultaneous translation enjoyed by the English-speaking attendees via headphones. Sessions were also held for young professionals, youth, junior youth and classes for children ages 35, 68, and 910. Workshops on poetry recitation and family issues related

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to pre-youth were offered. Present at the conference were former Universal House of Justice member Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam and Dr. Ehsan Yarshater, author of Encyclopedia Iranica. A special feature of the conference was recognition of Dr. Heshmat Moayyad for his academic contributions to Persian culture and literature. In addition, Dr. Iraj Ayman and Mrs. Lily Ayman were recognized for their role in inaugurating activities that culminated in the current annual Association conferences and for their years of service to the Association. In recognition of their services, a lectureship at the annual conferences has been established by the Association in their names. Seven well-known friends of the Faith accepted the invitation of the Association and addressed the audience and many more made artistic presentations. These included four prominent personalities in Persian media known across the globe. The number of Iranian friends of the Faith in attendance was larger than those at any of the past conferences. One of the media personalities in attendance presented a report of the conference in his television program, in which he praised the high quality of the conference and the behavior of the Bahs in attendance. Plans for the 20th conference are well under way. Many prominent guests have accepted the invitation of the Board of Directors to speak or make artistic presentations in what promises to be another successful annual conference. p ublicationS. Efforts at publishing the proceedings of the conferences and other pertinent materials continue. Five titles are currently available and more will be published shortly. In addition, CDs and DVDs of talks and music by performing artists are available for purchase. More materials will be produced as this process gathers momentum. WebSite. Efforts to improve the Association website, launched in 2008, continue. Features of the website include information about the Association and its activities, online registration for the annual conferences, and access to conference presentations and other materials. Finances Consistent with its status as a nonprofit corporation, the Association has operated completely independent of the National Bah Fund for the past four years. Sources of income include registration fees and other income from the annual conferences, sales of materials, and contributions from individuals.

fforts at publishing the proceedings of the conferences and other pertinent materials continue. Five titles are currently available and more will be published shortly.

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efining HHs scope of interest, future programming will center on blindness preventionincluding international technical training in optometry and ophthalmology and local eye-screening activitiesdiabetes prevention, nutrition promotion, and other non-surgical areas of concern.

Health for Humanity

Mission Health for Humanity (HH) seeks to inspire and mobilize both local communities and global resources to improve health through medical training and leadership education. Increased focus and strategic programming During 200910, Health for Humanitys Board of Directors committed the organization to strengthening proven projects and strategically developing new opportunities to complement existing programs. Refining HHs scope of interest, future programming will center on blindness preventionincluding international technical training in optometry and ophthalmology and local eye-screening activitiesdiabetes prevention, nutrition promotion, and other non-surgical areas of concern. This new refined focus will give the organization the ability to develop sustainable and quantifiable programs that will clearly articulate its mission to potential funders and volunteers, allowing Health for Humanity to grow into a stronger, more sustainable organization. Organizational leadership In July 2009, the Board of Directors engaged Corinne Pierog as Interim Executive Director of Health for Humanity through January 2011. Global health activities china blindneSS p Revention p Roject. Initiated in 2007, in Tianjin, China, to reduce the prevalence of blindness from cataracts in China in remote, rural areas. Funds were distributed to support rural outreach for blindness prevention in China. monGolia blindneSS p Revention. Initiated in 2002, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to reduce avoidable blindness in Mongolia by developing capacity for modern cataract surgery and vitreo-retinal surgery. Started in 2007 with the goal of improving outcomes for blindness prevention patients in Mongolia, HH continued its work in Values-Based Leadership to improve communication, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among physicians, hospital administrators, and patients. Two fellowships in ophthalmology were sponsored for advanced training in India for glaucoma treatment and in retinal disease treatment. Technical training was provided by HH volunteers in the following areas: oculoplastics surgery and treatment, vitreo-retinal surgery and treatment.

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 Three Health for Humanity volunteers visited current projects in Mongolia. valueS-baSed leadeRShip tRaininG. Training was provided to aid health care professionals in Mongolia to assist in implementing technical training and consultation skills. Entitled Enhancing the Effects of Technical Training in Building Medical Capacity, a grant proposal submitted to the University of Chicago on ValuesBased Leadership Training and Virtues Development was selected from 700 competitors to be entered in a Symposium on the New Science of Virtues. Health for Humanity was selected by Northwestern University for a grant for a pro-bono management engagement to develop a business model for the Values-Based Leadership program. multi-Specialty m edical volunteeR activitieS. A committee was formed and will be responsible for the coordination of volunteer program activities with hospitals in Chengdu (China), Yueyang (China), and the Kumudini Welfare Trust (Bangladesh). Yueyang, China: Continuing Medical Training, initiated in 1999, to support the Chinese governments commitment to continuing medical education through lectures and clinical training experiences. Chengdu, China: Pediatric Rehabilitation, initiated in 1999, to improve the quality of life for children with disabilities by developing capacity for pediatric rehabilitation services. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Continued Medical Training, initiated in 2009, to support the Kumudini Welfare Trusts Medical, Nursing, and Dental Schools by sending multiple specialty volunteers to offer lectures and clinical training experiences. In 2010 training was offered by two Health for Humanity volunteers in endocrinology and diabetes prevention. domeStic p RojectS. Illinois Migrant Worker Blindness Prevention project exploration began in 2009, considering a potential partnership with Illinois College of Optometry to develop a program to reduce eye injuries and offer vision screening for the migrant worker population in the greater Chicago area. Ohio Senior Wellness Lecture Series, initiated in 1997 in Youngstown, Ohio, to improve the quality of life and health of seniors by providing health education seminars and to offer nutrition programs to young adults. Three representatives of Health for Humanity attended the Global Health Councils Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

grant proposal submitted to the University of Chicago on Values-Based Leadership Training and Virtues Development was selected from 700 competitors to be entered in a Symposium on the New Science of Virtues.

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Annual Report of the Bah Chair for World Peace, University of Maryland
Mission statement The Bah Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland is an academic institution that works in the pursuit of global peace, social and economic justice, human security, and the recognition of the critical role of principles, values, and spirituality. The Promise of World Peace stimulated its establishment at the University of Maryland and is reflected in the Chairs emphasis on understanding that principles, as well as pragmatics, are indispensable in achieving world peace. The Bah community and the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahs of the United States have been bedrocks of support for the Chair. Though it is not an official institution of the Faith, to many outsiders the Chairs statements are reflective of Bah principles and practices and it makes serious efforts to maintain an appropriate equilibrium between its activities and the general objectives and teachings of the Faith as it shares learning and reflections with both non-Bahs and the Bah community. Activity areas The Chairs efforts are principally focused on: Participation in activities that spotlight the Chair, its purpose and foundational principles Exchanges and actions that promote ideas of peace commensurate with Bah insights and experience Nurturing of new forums and opportunities for consultation for the promotion of a peaceful world Research, presentation, and application of knowledge relevant to its mission Semester on Peace For Fall 2009, the Chair and collaborators organized a Semester on Peace at the University of Maryland (see www.peace.umd.edu). Interest in this semester was felt throughout the fall, as event after event became aligned with the theme, and faculty, students, departments, and offices on campus participated in its many opportunities to practice peace. Inspired by the semester, a new student organization devoted to the promotion of peace is being created with the assistance of the Chair. Interactive Dialogue: Human Security in an Insecure World Before an audience of hundreds, including university students, faculty, administrators, the general public, and Bahs from surrounding communities, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Dean John Townshend and National Spiritual Assembly Secretary-General Kenneth E. Bowers opened the Bah Chair for World

Appendices
157 ...Annual Report of the Bah Chair for World Peace, University of Maryland 159 ...Membership of the National Spiritual Assembly and the Regional Bah Councils 160 ...Membership of key consultative and directorial bodies

nterest in the Semester on Peace was felt throughout the fall, as event after event became aligned with the theme, and faculty, students, departments, and offices on campus participated in its many opportunities to practice peace.

Appendices

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Peaces Second Interactive Dialogue, entitled Human Security in an Insecure World, on November 19, 2009. Moderated by Chair-holder Professor John Grayzel, the panelists, including Kishan Manocha, Secretary-General of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahs of the United Kingdom, offered diverse perspectives on definitions and concepts of human security, stressed humanitys need to develop new institutional architecture for collaborative approaches to achieving security beyond merely the absence of violent conflict, and emphasized that sovereignty needed significant rethinking.

he Chairs Second Interactive Dialogue, entitled Human Security in an Insecure World, offered diverse perspectives on definitions and concepts of human security.

The Dialogue may be viewed online (www.youtube.com/user/BahaiPeaceChair). Teaching Dr. John Grayzel teaches two classes: Peacebuilding, Post-Conflict Reconstruction, and International Development. This is required for students in the International Development Minor program. Creating Alternative Futures. This Honors seminar puts aside utopian ideals, focusing on humanitys historical and real-world experience in crafting a better, more peaceful world. The Chair sponsors a third course given by Professor Suheil Bushrui: Spiritual Heritage of the Human Race. This Honors seminar studies religious experience from a multicultural, global perspective and emphasizes humanitys shared search to know the unknowable. Course materials serve as the basis of the recent book The Spiritual Heritage of the Human Race: An Introduction to the Worlds Religions (Oneworld, 2009) by Dr. Bushrui and a team of contributing authors. theSiS R eSeaRch and i ndependent Study. Graduate and undergraduate students are increasingly taking Thesis Research and Independent Study under the guidance of the Bah Chair. Topics include: African immigrant communities in the Washington, D.C., area; the relationship between human rights and human security in Central Africa; lessons learned from the Semester on Peace; development strategies and ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka; Iran as a cauldron of Western and Eastern reactions to modernization; the role of women in development projects; and anthropological approaches to the study of tribal conflicts. Outreach Dr. Grayzel was the keynote speaker at the United Nations Day celebration in Gainesville, Florida, and guest lecturer at the University of Florida. Dr. Grayzel stressed that a major source of failure in socioeconomic development is the fact that explanation and implementation are too often based on partial rather than whole truths and, therefore, fundamentally impede the ability to act consistently with full knowledge and understanding. The Chair hosted a gathering of Bah and non-Bah students who exchanged ideas and experiences around the Semester on Peace for a Payam-e-Doost Radio broadcast. Dr. Grayzel presented at a conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of States Office of International Visitors on the challenges of interfaith learning and collaboration, and moderated a USAID presentation on education and conflict situations. Publications The First Interactive Dialogue is available as The Humanity of Diplomacy: People and Diplomacy in the Twenty-first Century on Amazon.com. Work has begun on publication of the Second Interactive Dialogue.

Rivn 2010

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Appendix: Membership of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahs of the United States, 20092010
Muin Afnani Kenneth E. Bowers, Secretary-General Juana C. Conrad, Deputy Secretary-General Valerie Dana Robert C. Henderson Jacqueline Left Hand Bull, Chair William L.H. Roberts, Treasurer Erica Toussaint David F. Young, Vice-Chair

Membership of the Regional Bah Councils in the United States

Central States Yvonne Billingsley, Vice-Chair Dana Farrar Marianne Geula, Treasurer Jena Khadem Khodadad Patricia Kubala, Recording Secretary Behrad Majidi Becky Smith, Secretary-General Lynn Wieties, Chair Breeana Woods Northeastern States Nina Dini, Vice-Chair Brett Gamboa, Chair Chester Makoski, Secretary Mary K. Makoski Joel Nizin Vickie Nizin, Assistant Secretary for Administration Harriet Pasca-Ortgies Katherine Penn, Cluster Advancement Coordinator Greg Wooster, Treasurer Northwestern States Doug Allen, Vice-Chair Carol Brooks, Recording Secretary Derek Cockshut Henri Cross Frederick Delgado, Treasurer Dale Eng, Secretary Randie Gottlieb Shannon Javid, Assistant Secretary for Cluster Advancement Omid Meshkin, Chair South Central States Lupita Ahangarzadeh, Chair Aniela Costello, Cluster Development Coordinator Ruth de Vargas Aram Ferdowsi, Recording Secretary John Hatcher Hoda Hosseini Sohrab Kourosh, Vice-Chair Karen Pritchard, Treasurer Regina Rafraf, Secretary Southeastern States Ford Bowers, Treasurer Navid Haghighi, Vice-Chair Robert James, Chair Ahmad Mahboubi Carole Miller Corinne Mills, Assistant Secretary for Cluster Advancement Mahyar Mofidi, Secretary Janice Sadeghian, Assistant Secretary James Sturdivant Southwestern States Payam Adlparvar Shad Afsahi, Treasurer Fariba Aghdasi, Deputy Secretary for Cluster Advancement Jerry Bathke, Chair Gary Bulkin Randolph Dobbs, Vice-Chair Marsha Gilpatrick, Secretary-General Charleen Maghzi, Assistant and Recording Secretary Farhad Sabetan

Appendix: Membership of key consultative and directorial bodies

National committees and task forces
Office of Review Task Force Shahin Borhanian Charles Carnegie Gary Matthews Richard Schickele Martha Schweitz Matthew Weinberg Bah Center Assistance Board Beverly Azizi Carl Dean Clingenpeel Sharon Dixon Peay Farzad Ferdowsi, Secretary Ron Lillejord, Treasurer Farshad Monfared, Recording Secretary Lee Ratcliff, Vice-Chairperson Mahdad Saniee, Chairperson

Editorial boards
World Order Task Force Betty J. Fisher Arash Abizadeh Monireh Kazemzadeh Kevin A. Morrison

Affiliates boards and executive committees

Association for Bah StudiesNorth America Executive Committee Lisa Dufraimont, ViceChair and Conference Program Co-Chair Mehran Kiai, Treasurer Pierre-Yves Mocquais, Chair and Academic Director Kim Naqvi, Conference Program Co-Chair Parvin Rowhani, Recording Secretary and Office Manager Martha Schweitz, Secretary Association of Friends of Persian Culture Board of Directors Goli Ataii Guitty Ejtemai Changiz Geula Hermien Hoveydai Jaleh Joubine-Khadem Manuchehr Khodadad Fuad Ziai Bah Association for Mental Health Board Leslie Asplund Sheri Dressler Dulamdary Enkhtor Jack Guillebeaux Joan Haskell Mary K. Radpour Brighton Creek Conference Center Board of Directors Laura Baerwolf, Secretary Kay Dallal, Vice-Chair Chris Gilbert, Chair Shelley de Maintenon, Assistant Secretary Majid MohajerJasbi, Treasurer Karl Seehorn Carri Smith Roy Steiner Rich Young

Other advisory boards

Bah Service for the Blind Robert Dickson Bill Peary Lynne Peary John Simpson Laurie Simpson Financial Advisory Group Shad Afsahi Nava Ashraf Badi Azad Gregory Belzer Ford Bowers Ray Cameron Fred Delgado Faran Ferdowsi Marianne Geula Douglas Henck Sam Jones Badi Klem Grant Kvalheim Ron Lillejord Behnam Malek Khosravi Marcus (Mark) McKerley Aida Shahid McNamara Tom Nowak Sharon Dixon Peay Karen Pritchard Mehrdad Rassekh Stephen Vaccaro

Health for Humanity Board of Directors Gity Banan-Etemad Jennifer Chapman Richard Czerniejewski, Vice-Chair Stephen Jackson, Chair William McMiller Robert Phillips S. John Safapour, Secretary Geoffrey Wilson, Treasurer Corinne Pierog, Interim Executive Director

Institute advisory committees

Native American Bah Institute Alice Bathke Jerry Bathke Alvin Bitsilly Nanabah Foguth Rahan Khozein Elizabeth Louis Brad Rishel Robert Turner Wilmette Institute Roger Dahl Nancy Davis (until July 2009) Betty J. Fisher Missy Martin (since November 2009) Keyvan Nazerian Mark Rossman Robert H. Stockman Geoff Wilson