Association For Bahá’í Studies in
Southern Africa
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To: The Universal House of Justice
cc: The International Teaching Centre
Continental Board of Counsellors for Africa
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of South Africa
From: The Association for Baha'i Studies in Southern Africa
December 29, 1999
Dearly beloved friends,
We are thrilled to announce the successful launch of the Association for Baha'i Studies in Southern Africa. Having formed a few months ago under the auspices of the National Spiritual Assembly of South Africa, our inaugural conference was held as part of the International Baha'i Summer School in Windhoek, Namibia, attended by approximately 425 children, youth and adults. The presentations were of a high standard and were well received by the 100 or so people who attended the sessions, and the closing consultation was characterized by unity, enthusiasm and maturity.
Among the decisions taken at the first meeting of the Advisory Board were:
1. We wish to have an Association that is distinguished by the humility of its members and the selflessness and intellectual honesty they exhibit in the pursuit of truth; by the spiritual values that inform its work and the spirituality that characterizes its gatherings; by its devotion to the development of women and youth and their involvement in all aspects of its work; by the inclusiveness with which it embraces all members of the Baha'i community; by the prominence given to the arts as a form of scholarship; by its close and loving relationships with the Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies and, indeed, with all Baha'i institutions; and by the relevance of its work to the development of the Faith in southern Africa.
2. The Proceedings of this conference will be published, for Baha'is, and an edited version may be prepared for distribution to selected Departments in southern African Universities. We will hold another conference next year at an international or regional Summer School, and will encourage a greater number of presentations by Baha'I youth.
Our focus for the next twelve months will be to hold several one-day seminars on University campuses throughout the region on "Who is Writing the Future?" and on Gender Equality, this latter in collaboration with the (South African) Office for the Advancement of Women. Among the activities we may pursue in 2001 are seminars, presentations and a publication on the spiritual and moral underpinnings necessary for the African Renaissance.
3. We will recommend that the earlier draft of our Constitution be amended so that the Executive Committee be appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly of South Africa, rather than elected by the Association membership. In light of the current campaign of internal opposition to the Faith, we note for your information that the Constitution restricts membership to Baha'is resident in southern Africa. We will recommend this restriction be extended to cover email distributions to individuals, as well.
4. Initially we will pursue a somewhat modest programme that we can carry out with distinction and that will lay a firm foundation for development over the years, so that the Association grows organically and in a measured and deliberate manner.
Whereas, for instance, the Association is being widely publicized throughout South Africa, we will, with the permission of the NSA of South Africa and on the advice of the Counsellors, only gradually extend membership drives to neighboring countries. In addition, programmes for some of the Association objectives, such as promoting study of the Baha'i writings, are being left at the moment to individual initiative rather than the Executive Committee.
We wish to gratefully acknowledge the advice and encouragement of Counsellor Barnes and other members of the International Teaching Center, who have been instrumental in bringing us to this point.
We pray that our humble efforts will be acceptable at the Holy Threshold, and beseech your prayers for the success of the Association.
With loving Baha'i greetings,
The Association for Baha'i Studies in Southern Africa