THE INTERNATIONAL BAHAI CONVENTION A PLACE WHERE NONE EXIST EXCEPT LOVE AND UNITY

BAHA'IS ELECT UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

HAIFA Israel, 30 April 2008 (BWNS) --








The results of the election of the nine members of the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Baha'i Faith, have been announced.
Delegates to the Tenth International Baha'i Convention cast ballots yesterday for membership in the council that serves as the head of the religion.
Those elected are Farzam Arbab, Kiser Barnes, Peter Khan, Hooper Dunbar, Firaydoun Javaheri, Paul Lample, Payman Mohajer, Shahriar Razavi, and Gustavo Correa.
Members are elected for five-year terms.
The Universal House of Justice has its permanent seat at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel. Membership requires residence in Haifa.
Any Baha'i male age 21 and over is eligible for election. Both women and men are eligible for election or appointment to all other Baha'i institutions.
In His teachings, Baha'u'llah provided for the elected institution of the Universal House of Justice, which gives a continuing source of divine authority to guide the worldwide Baha'i community and to legislate on matters not spelled out in the Baha'i sacred writings.
The delegates that voted in the election are themselves members of national Baha'i governing bodies from around the world. They were chosen in earlier elections in their own countries.
The Baha'i Faith, which has more than 5 million followers, is established in almost every nation.
The members of the Universal House of Justice are, from left to right, Farzam Arbab, Kiser Barnes, Peter Khan, Hooper Dunbar, Firaydoun Javaheri, Paul Lample, Payman Mohajer, Shahriar Razavi, and Gustavo Correa. They were elected by delegates to the 10th International Baha’i Convention in Haifa. Election results were announced on 30 April.
To view the photos and additional features click here:http://news.bahai.org
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BAHA'IS ELECT UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
HAIFA, Israel, 30 April 2008 (BWNS) -- The results of the election of the nine members of the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Baha'i Faith, have been announced.
Delegates to the Tenth International Baha'i Convention cast ballots yesterday for membership in the council that serves as the head of the religion.
Those elected are Farzam Arbab, Kiser Barnes, Peter Khan, Hooper Dunbar, Firaydoun Javaheri, Paul Lample, Payman Mohajer, Shahriar Razavi, and Gustavo Correa.
Members are elected for five-year terms.
The Universal House of Justice has its permanent seat at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel. Membership requires residence in Haifa.
Any Baha'i male age 21 and over is eligible for election. Both women and men are eligible for election or appointment to all other Baha'i institutions.
In His teachings, Baha'u'llah provided for the elected institution of the Universal House of Justice, which gives a continuing source of divine authority to guide the worldwide Baha'i community and to legislate on matters not spelled out in the Baha'i sacred writings.
The delegates that voted in the election are themselves members of national Baha'i governing bodies from around the world. They were chosen in earlier elections in their own countries.
The Baha'i Faith, which has more than 5 million followers, is established in almost every nation.
The members of the Universal House of Justice are, from left to right, Farzam Arbab, Kiser Barnes, Peter Khan, Hooper Dunbar, Firaydoun Javaheri, Paul Lample, Payman Mohajer, Shahriar Razavi, and Gustavo Correa. They were elected by delegates to the 10th International Baha’i Convention in Haifa. Election results were announced on 30 April.
To view the photos and additional features click here:http://news.bahai.org/
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BAHA'IS CELEBRATE MOST IMPORTANT FESTIVAL AT MOST HOLY SITE
ACRE, Israel, 30 April 2008 (BWNS) --
Followers of Baha'u'llah from more than 150 countries gathered yesterday at what for them is the holiest spot on earth - the tomb of Baha'u'llah - to celebrate Ridvan, their most important festival.
This year's celebration at Bahji, outside Acre in northern Israel, was special because it came during the 10th International Baha'i Convention, currently under way in nearby Haifa.
A thousand delegates from around the world - a true representation of the global community of five million Baha'is - joined with nearly a thousand other Baha'is for a program of prayers and readings and to circumambulate together the Shrine of Baha'u'llah.
With 2,000 people in attendance, the stream of Baha'is making their way through the beautiful gardens of Bahji stretched more than half a kilometer as they walked together around the sacred tomb, where in 1892 the earthly remains of Baha'u'llah were laid to rest.
The nine members of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha'i Faith, led the procession. Many of the convention delegates came in distinctive native dress, highlighting the diversity and international character of the Baha'i community.
Gerda Haug, a delegate from Germany who was participating in such an event for the first time, said circumambulating the Shrine of Baha'u'llah with Baha'is from around the world was a memorable experience.
"It was a symbol to me," she said, "not just something spiritual but more than that: We were all walking together in one direction, devoted to what Baha'u'llah taught, guided by the Universal House of Justice - it was a great moment."
Ridvan - Arabic for "paradise" - is a 12-day festival commemorating the 12 days in 1863 that Baha'u'llah spent in the Garden of Ridvan in Baghdad. It was during that period that He announced publicly for the first time that He was God's Messenger for this age, the latest in a line of divine teachers that includes Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, and others.
The Festival of Ridvan goes from 21 April to 2 May, and the first, ninth, and 12th days of the period are marked as specific holy days. Yesterday's commemoration was for the ninth day of Ridvan.
To view the photos and additional features click here:http://news.bahai.org
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IN A GLOBAL PROCESSION, BALLOTS ARE CAST FOR THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

HAIFA, Israel, 29 April 2008 (BWNS) --

In a ceremony that combined spiritual dignity with global diversity, a thousand Baha'cs from 153 countries cast ballots today in an election to choose the nine members of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha'i Faith.
For nearly three hours, delegates to the 10th International Baha'i Convention filed decorously, one by one, onto a majestically adorned stage, each dropping a ballot into a simple wooden box.
The votes will be tallied overnight and the results announced here tomorrow.
The event was a study in globalism, a hallmark of the Baha'i Faith, which has some five million followers and is established in virtually every nation.
Delegates were called by name, in alphabetical order by country. Many proudly wore traditional or native dress, an acknowledgment of their belief in the concept of unity in diversity.
The result was colorful and joyous, as women in bright ethnic dresses or simple pantsuits mixed with men in Western business suits or gaily decorated tribal costumes.
The balloting process began with prayers, followed by brief remarks from Penny Walker, chairman of the convention.
"We gather together here with hearts full of excitement at the achievements of the Baha'i world in the last year, and with hearts full of gratitude to Baha'u'llah for making it possible that this extraordinary assembly of His followers, from every corner of the earth, could come together in the Holy Land, to elect the Universal House of Justice, the supreme body of our Faith," said Dr. Walker.
Dr. Walker, who holds the position of International Counsellor in the Baha'i Faith, outlined the voting procedure, in which the delegates write down the names of nine men they feel are most qualified to serve on the Universal House of Justice.
"As you know, the Baha'i electoral process is finally spiritual in character, a unique feature of our divinely ordained administration," she said. "Let us remember the words of Shoghi Effendi, which urged us to approach this task of election with selflessness and detachment, ... 'with a purity of motive, a freedom of spirit and a sanctity of heart.'"
The delegates to the convention are the members of the Baha'i National Spiritual Assemblies of the world, who were themselves elected by delegates chosen at the grassroots level in their own countries. Thus virtually every adult Baha'i in the world had the opportunity to participate in the election of their supreme body, an event that occurs every five years.
About 500 of the 1494 delegates could not be present for voting, for personal or other reasons. Those who could not attend sent ballots by mail, and there were numerous pauses in the procession as tellers brought forward absentee ballots, removed an identifying outer envelope, and dropped the inner contents into the ballot box.
In the case of Iran, where 300,000 Baha'is face intense persecution and Baha'i administration has been outlawed, the absence of delegates was noted by the placement of 95 red roses at the front of the stage and the reading of a message from Iranian Baha'is.
"Even though circumstances deprive us of the bounty of attending this luminous gathering, we are nonetheless with you in spirit, and present to you this bouquet of flowers as a token of our love and affection," the message said.
The nature of Baha'i elections
Today's balloting reflected a unique election process that emphasizes qualifications over promises, and inclusiveness over money or other barriers to office.
There are no parties or platforms, all forms of campaigning are strictly avoided, and no nominations are made. Rather, after prayer and reflection, each delegate simply writes down the names of nine individuals who he or she feels are best qualified to serve.
These instructions are followed in all Baha'i elections, guided by the statement in the Baha'i writings that electors should vote for people who posses qualities "of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience."
At the local and national levels, any adult Baha'i is eligible for election. For the Universal House of Justice, any adult male Baha'i from anywhere in the world is eligible for election. Membership is limited to men because of a specific stipulation in the Baha'i sacred writings, the wisdom of which will become clear in the future.
While some observers have asked how it is possible to manage an election without parties, campaigning or nominations, Baha'is believe their system helps protect against divisiveness and such things as vote-mongering, campaign debts, or factionalism.
"Because there is no nomination process -- there are no 'candidates' per se -- and therefore no campaign," said Susanne Tamas, a delegate from Canada.
"As a result, there is no opportunity for individuals to be encouraging others to vote for them, whether by magnifying their own qualities or finding fault with other candidates.
"Underlying this whole process is reliance on prayer and efforts of the delegates to keep themselves informed of the activities of the Baha'i community worldwide," she said.
Ballot integrity
During the voting, a number of procedures were taken to ensure the integrity of the balloting process - some of which were visible and others less so.
Foremost, the current Universal House of Justice was seated as a body, front and center, as obvious observers to the process.
Then, as vote casting began, the ballot box was tipped towards the assembled delegates, to show that it was empty. And when the voting was completed, it was sealed with tape bearing the signature of the chief teller, Thelma Khalghati, a delegate from Guinea.
Ms. Khelghati was assisted by three other tellers on stage, who carefully checked voters and absentee ballots against a master list of delegates and observed to be sure that ballots were carefully placed in the box.
There were 19 tellers plus the chief head teller and an assistant, and the names of all were announced. They had been selected by the Universal House of Justice, receiving notification of their role upon arrival in Haifa.
"The tellers come from all parts of the world, from different backgrounds, so they are there to witness and vouch for the process," said Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani, the ballot officer for the convention.
This year, delegates from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Guinea, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vanuatu, and Zambia were selected as tellers.
The tellers will be sequestered in a counting room at the Seat of the Universal House of Justice until the ballots are counted and cross-checked, a process that in some past years has taken well beyond midnight.
"The electoral process actually began last year, with the election of the National Spiritual Assemblies, ... when the process of verifying those names began," said Ms. Ma'ani. Members of those national councils serve as delegates to the International Convention.
"Then, when the ballots come in by mail, every name is checked against a database to be sure that the person sending the ballot is indeed a member of the National Spiritual Assembly," she said.
The ballots themselves are sheets of paper printed with blank rectangular fields for nine names (and another field for the country or other identifying term as may be needed). The ballots are perforated between each name, and once in the counting room, the tellers separate each ballot into nine strips, yielding more than 13,000 individual votes.
The tellers work in teams of two, said Ms. Ma'ani, under the supervision of the head tellers, cross checking and then sorting the paper strips into a series of alphabetized boxes to complete the tally.
"The process is completely manual," said Ms. Ma'ani. "There is no doubt."
No one leaves until the counting is done. Meals, as necessary, are brought in once the ballot box is unsealed. When finished, the tellers all sign the results and they are presented to the Universal House of Justice for approval.
To view the photos and additional features click here:http://news.bahai.org/
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CONVENTION DELEGATES PRAY AT HOLY PLACES

ACRE, Israel, 28 April 2008 (BWNS) --

Less than a kilometer outside thisfortified medieval city in northern Israel is a whitewashed mansion,
surrounded by elaborate gardens, known as Bahji.
For Baha'is, it is the holiest place on earth.
Beneath one of the buildings in the garden, the earthly remains ofBaha'u'llah were laid to rest in 1892 - and today that
structure is known as the Shrine of Baha'u'llah.
It is understandable, then, that delegates arriving from 153 countries forthe 10th International Baha'i Convention are
streaming to Bahji as part of the process to prepare themselves fortomorrow's election of the Universal House of Justice,
the supreme governing body of the Baha'i Faith.
"We came out Saturday night, on the last bus, at 11 p.m." said BahiaEttehadieh, 53, a delegate from Austria, "and it was
amazing to see so many friends still here at midnight.
"They had come from the remotest places on earth, and many had beentraveling for 24 hours or more, very tired, but they were
so full of spirit and happiness," she said.
The Baha'i writings offer explicit instructions about how Baha'i electionsare to be conducted - and the first and foremost
prerequisite is that they be held in an atmosphere of prayer and reflection.
The 1,000 some delegates gathered here followed those instructions byvisiting not only Bahji but many of the other Baha'i
holy sites in the Acre-Haifa area in northern Israel.
Dashan Fox of the Bahamas visited the House of Abbud in Acre Sunday morning.It was there, in 1873, that Baha'u'llah revealed
the Kitab-i-Aqdas, "the Most Holy Book," which outlines the main principlesand laws of the Baha'i Faith.
"Ultimately, what Baha'is get out of the experience of going to these holyplaces is a centering," said Mr. Fox, a young
civil engineer who like other delegates is a member of the NationalSpiritual Assembly of the Baha'is in his home nation.
"We all take away a little of that experience into the election process. Itreminds us of the sacrifice others have gone
through for the Faith," he said.
Polin Rafat of Norway was deeply moved after visiting the prison cell inAcre where Baha'u'llah was incarcerated for two
years after His arrival in the holy land in 1868.
"Baha'u'llah suffered in that cell so that we could stand here today in thisbeauty and prepare to elect the House of
Justice," said Ms. Rafat, referring to the beauty of the gardens at Bahjiand elsewhere in the Acre-Haifa area that Baha'is
have since adorned their holy places with.
For some of the delegates, it was their first time in the holy land - andthey were overwhelmed.
"I was in seventh heaven," Agim Kotoni, 56, of Albania, said after his visitto Bahji. "I was looking so much forward to
seeing something like this, and Baha'u'llah has fulfilled my wish."
For Mr. Kotoni and others, an added feature of the experience was visitingthe shrines and holy places in the presence such a
diversity of Baha'is from all parts of the world.
"The Baha'is in my city, it is like we are a family," said Mr. Kotoni, whois a police officer in Kabaja. "But now, here, I
see that we are also a single family all over the world.
"Everyone you meet, it is not like I am meeting them for the first time -it's like I have known them for years," he said.
"They offer so much love and respect and spirituality. I am uplifted andfull of emotions."
Hilda Abelinti, 41, of Suriname, was likewise struck by the sense ofcommunity she felt with other Baha'is from around the
globe.
"Every time I meet a new person, I believe more what Baha'u'llah says - thatwe are 'one people,'" she said.
"Everyone may speak a different language, but we all believe the same thing- we try to do what Baha'u'llah teaches - to live
in unity and respect."
To view the photos and additional features click here:http://news.bahai.org/
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------------------------------------------------------------Advance release: Please check our website for the final version of thisarticle.------------------------------------------------------------Copyright 2008 by the Baha'i World News Service. All stories and photographsproduced by the Baha'i World News Service may be freely reprinted,re-emailed, re-posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by anyindividual or organization as long as they are attributed to the Baha'iWorld News Service. For more information, visit http://news.bahai.org/.------------------------------------------------------------If you have questions about this list or wish to unsubscribe, contactsubscribe@bahai.org



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DELEGATES ARRIVE IN HAIFA FOR INTERNATIONAL BAHA I CONVENTION

HAIFA, Israel, 27 April 2008 (BWNS) -
- A thousand delegates from 153countries have arrived from the southern tip of Africa, to Siberia, to theAmericas, to remote Pacific islands to participate in the 10thInternational Bah Convention.
On Tuesday, 29 April, they will gather to elect the nine members of theUniversal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bah Faith, a task that delegates view as both a sacred duty and a supremeprivilege.
I ve been preparing myself since November, when I got the ballot, saidBakary Bojang, 31, a delegate from Gambia. I give praise that I have theopportunity and the health to be here.
The convention, held every five years, runs from 29 April to 2 May at theHaifa International Convention Center. In addition to the election, it willinclude consultation on issues and concerns facing the worldwide Baha icommunity.
The delegates are all members of the National Spiritual Assembly of theBaha is of their countries, elected councils that oversee Baha i activity ina particular jurisdiction. The balloting process to elect the UniversalHouse of Justice is unlike any other election system in the world.
There are no nominations and no campaigning, said Erica Toussaint, 61, adelegate from the United States. Rather, each elector writes down the namesof nine people they feel are the most qualified to serve.
The process is free from the constraints that I ve seen in other electoralprocesses around the world, which for me makes it very profound and moving, she said.
Preparing for the four-day convention presented a number of logisticalhurdles, said Anja Nicke, project manager of the International ConventionOffice.
One of the biggest challenges was just communications with NationalSpiritual Assemblies, said Ms. Nicke, 35, who was a schoolteacher beforecoming to the Bah World Centre as a volunteer in September 2004.
For us, it is a simple matter to send an e-mail or make a telephone call, she said. But some National Assemblies are in countries that are torn bywar or poverty, and such types of communications are not always so easy.
In one case, she said, a National Assembly was out of contact for two weeksbecause someone had stolen the wires that connected them to the Internet andtelephone system.
For delegates, the importance of prayer was foremost in their minds as theydiscussed how they would prepare themselves for voting.
We have many things to pray for, said Francis Reimers, 65, from theMarshall Islands, explaining the process by which he decides who to votefor. I come and I mix with people and I pray about who I am going to votefor and I try to reflect on the people I know.
The Baha i writings say that in all Bah elections, which take placeannually at the local and national levels and every five yearsinternationally, the emphasis is on choosing individuals with qualities ofselfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and matureexperience.
Thelma Khelghati, a delegate from Guinea, said Bah elections differ fromtraditional electoral systems where aggressive, ambitious individuals withinfluence and financial means, or at least the ability to mobilize financialmeans, end up being the ones we elect.
Rather, she said, Bah elections are a spiritual process where thedelegates or voters reflect on the demonstrated qualities and experience ofall whom they know, and then vote for those whom they feel best combine theneeded qualities for a given post.
Lise Raben, a delegate from Denmark who has participated in fiveinternational Baha i conventions, said the entire process is a greatexperience. The feeling of unity is very strong when you see hundreds ofpeople gathered to elect our supreme institution that governs the Bah world. The feeling of love and unity makes an International Convention veryspecial and absolutely different from political elections, where thedifferent candidates often try to exhibit their opposites in a bad light.
The Universal House of Justice has its permanent seat on Mount Carmel inHaifa. Situated in the Akka/Haifa area are many holy sites of the Baha iFaith, including its holiest, the burial place of Baha u llah, the founderof the religion.
The Universal House of Justice is the international governing council of theBah Faith. It guides the worldwide Bah community in its development and inits response to changing world conditions.
To view the photos and additional features click here:http://news.bahai.org
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------------------------------------------------------------Advance release: Please check our website for the final version of thisarticle.------------------------------------------------------------Copyright 2008 by the Baha'i World News Service. All stories and photographsproduced by the Baha'i World News Service may be freely reprinted,re-emailed, re-posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by anyindividual or organization as long as they are attributed to the Baha'iWorld News Service. For more information, visit http://news.bahai.org/.------------------------------------------------------------If you have questions about this list or wish to unsubscribe, contactsubscribe@bahai.org

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LEAVING AFTER MANY YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE HOLY LAND
HAIFA, Israel, 23 April 2008 (BWNS) --
Two members of the Universal House ofJustice, the international governing body of the Baha'i Faith, are leavingafter many years of service in the Holy Land.
The Universal House of Justice announced in November 2007 that it had givenpermission to Mr. Hartmut Grossmann and Mr. Glenford E. Mitchell torelinquish their membership, but they will continue serving until the nextelection of the body, scheduled for next week.
Mr. Mitchell was first elected as a member of the Universal House of Justicein 1982 and after that to successive five-year terms. Mr. Grossmann waselected in 2003. The Seat of the Universal House of Justice is located atthe Baha'i World Centre in Haifa.
All nine members of the Universal House of Justice are elected at theInternational Baha'i Convention, which is held every five years. The 10thsuch convention is scheduled for 29 April to 2 May in Haifa, with anexpected attendance of more than 1,000 delegates.
Mr. Mitchell, 73, was born in Jamaica and has worked in the United States asan assistant editorial director for a publishing company, a magazine editorand a managing editor. He taught English and journalism at HowardUniversity. He served as the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly ofthe United States from 1968 until his 1982 election to the Universal Houseof Justice. He and his wife, Bahia, will be returning to the United States.
Mr. Grossmann, 74, who was born in Germany, was a lecturer and head of theGerman Department at Joensuu University in Finland. He has served on theNational Spiritual Assemblies of the Baha'is of Germany and of Finland andwas a member of the Baha'i Continental Board of Counsellors for Europe. In1988, he was appointed to serve on the Baha'i International Teaching Centrein Haifa. He and his wife, Ursula, will be moving to Finland when they leaveHaifa next month.
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------------------------------------------------------------Advance release: Please check our website for the final version of thisarticle.------------------------------------------------------------Copyright 2008 by the Baha'i World News Service. All stories and photographsproduced by the Baha'i World News Service may be freely reprinted,re-emailed, re-posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by anyindividual or organization as long as they are attributed to the Baha'iWorld News Service. For more information, visit http://news.bahai.org/.------------------------------------------------------------If you have questions about this list or wish to unsubscribe, contactsubscribe@bahai.org----------------------------------------------------------