Hi folks! I've included a bonus update from last week's budget hearing along with the regular meeting recap. If you want to skip right to the MSBA update, you can do so [here](https://www.youtube.com/live/YSOHg9NmSPA?si=eS8U-RqJN-QeijOZ&t=3138).
[Agenda](https://www.mps02155.org/about/school-committee/school-committee-news/school-committee-news-post/~board/school-committee-news/post/agenda-for-the-may-18-regular-meeting-of-the-medford-school-committee) | [Recording](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSOHg9NmSPA)
Consent agenda - Budget transfers, two field trips, and meeting minutes all approved. As a side note, one set of minutes was from the public budget hearing last week.
At that meeting, the committee voted 6-0 with one abstention to send the $90,683,398 budget request (down from $94,032,696 at our preliminary budget meeting), a transfer request of $750,000 from the stabilization account, and a free cash allocation of $530,500 for FY2027 capital and technology needs to the Mayor and City Council. We also voted to prioritize the reinstatement of the Inclusion Specialist position (currently unfilled) in the budget if funding allows. But back to last night’s meeting…
Mustang Moment - Career and Technical Education (CTE) achievement featuring four senior students and one teacher from electrical, biotech, and health assisting.
Approval of Medford as a No School Choice District - This allows the district to not accept out-of-district enrollments and focus its programmatic resources (CTE, special education, etc.) on Medford residents.
Approval of the 2026-27 school committee calendar - I had questions about the budget hearing and potential summer meetings, and Member Graham added a third “just in case” meeting in June.
MPS Handbooks - This was the first year that the school committee received a summary of changes, which included updates to the attendance policies, school values language for the Andrews, information about academic honesty panels for the secondary schools, and info about CORI forms (Roberts) and AI Meta glasses (high school). This was tabled until June to give the administration time to clarify the composition of the panels and address concerns raised by the committee about recess, challenge classes, and consistency across schools and handbooks. We also discussed the parent sign-off requirement, agreeing that neither the current system (vouching that the whole handbook has been read) or a minimalist approach (confirming receipt only) achieves the purported goal of said sign off.
Bullying & Restraint policy updates - Director of Student Services Joan Bowen proposed language to bring policies into more explicit compliance with state guidance on supports for vulnerable individuals and regulations around student restraint and seclusion. These were approved, with acknowledgement that the “how” of certain actions are still being developed with relevant staff.
MSBA Update - This mostly fell into two categories: MSBA feedback and the relatively recently discovered 999-year deed restriction on the City-owned land on which the high school and its fields are built. As noted above, you can watch that update starting [here](https://www.youtube.com/live/YSOHg9NmSPA?si=eS8U-RqJN-QeijOZ&t=3138).
1. Feedback - MSBA (finally) provided feedback in response to the building committee’s submission of the PDP (preliminary design program, which includes the district’s educational plan, short list of design approaches, and space summary for the project) - Dr. Galusi ran through the nature of the feedback (clarification around the use of certain spaces and the high school schedule, questions about the spaces not being developed specifically for high school learning, and questions about changes to the space summary since the initial submission), her team’s recommendations for space reduction that were pproved at the last building committee meeting (mostly offices, and some shared resources across vocational programs, with a particular review of shared), and the approach being taken to cost out non-high-school spaces (e.g., MFN, municipal day care, welcome center), the auditorium (looking at several different capacities between 500 and 1,000), and bathrooms (shared vs. embedded in individual classrooms). The project team confirmed that the feedback received was in line with feedback received on other projects, and that although the educational plan will likely return to the school committee for another vote, there were no changes requested by the MSBA. Several committee members requested a copy of the feedback.
2. Deed restriction - As folks may have heard, the Department of Conservation and Recreation approached the project team with a disclosure of a 999-year deed restriction on the Edgerly Field portion of the land on which the high school is built, a document that never made it to the design team before they began their conceptual design team. Member Graham shared that there is an ongoing review to figure out how and why that did not happen, and also shared more about how the team leaders are adapting and moving forward to ensure that this restriction will not limit the design options. (Two addition renovations and one new build were deemed to be in conflict with the deed given their use of the field as part of the building footprint.) One approach, which is already underway, is to redesign two of the three flagged models (the add/reno designs, aka the C options for those who have been following along) so that they do not encroach on the Edgerly Field property. These redesigns (which preserve the community/building committee’s request to not have modular classrooms as part of the construction process) will be shared with the building committee on Wednesday. The second is to work with Medford’s state legislators and a land use attorney to lift the deed restriction through the Article 97 process (e.g., land swap). The school committee had some questions about both of these—who would manage the latter, how it aligns with the plan to bring on a construction manager this summer, and what the implications are for cost analysis and schedule—but ultimately, the decision about which path(s) to take will fall to the building committee. There is a resolution about the new designs on tomorrow’s agenda ([https://www.mps02155.org/about/mps-news/mps-news-post/\~board/school-committee-news/post/meeting-of-the-medford-comprehensive-high-school-building-committee-may-20-2026](https://www.mps02155.org/about/mps-news/mps-news-post/~board/school-committee-news/post/meeting-of-the-medford-comprehensive-high-school-building-committee-may-20-2026)), so tune in or attend if that’s of interest.
The final item on the school committee's agenda was a resolution for the district to provide a report on Project Transition by the end of the year. Project Transition is a program at the high school that supports students ages 18-22 with disabilities in developing career-readiness skills and matching them to job opportunities. A parent spoke about caregivers’ dissatisfaction with the program and recent hiring decisions by the City of Medford, and the resolution sponsors (Members Graham and Olapade) explained how the resolution (and subsequent report) will help address those concerns. Dr. Galusi spoke about the timing of the request, namely that it aligns with the program review already slated for fall.
No condolences, yes adjournment. That’s it for us in May, but tune in tomorrow (Wednesday, May 20) for the next high school building committee meeting, and another one on May 27.
Show full
The Labour Party proposes digital and print support for Maltese authors and publishers.
— New initiatives aim to boost audiobooks, specialized boutique bookstores, and export aid.
🔹 🔹 🔹
The Labour Party is proposing a series of new initiatives to support local authors and publishers. The plans focus on updating the local book industry to meet modern digital demands while protecting physical community stores.
🔹 🔹 🔹
The plans introduce a scheme to help writers and publishers produce audiobooks and digital books. This initiative responds directly to a growing demand for electronic reading options across the country.
🔹 🔹 🔹
New financial incentives will encourage people to open specialized boutique bookstores across the Maltese islands. These new shops will operate inside communities and educational institutions to improve local book distribution.
🔹 🔹 🔹
The proposals also introduce export assistance to lower shipping costs for books carrying an International Standard Book Number. This specific measure aims to help local publishers reach overseas markets, particularly where Maltese communities live.
🔹 🔹 🔹
An annual book voucher given to children between five and 16 years old will continue every year. The incentive will now prioritize books created by local authors and printers to keep funds within the domestic industry.
🔹 🔹 🔹
The National Library will set up extensive new Melitensia archives dedicated to the distinct history of local villages and towns. This project aims to bring scattered historical records together into one single public repository.
🔹 🔹 🔹
Support Il‑Polz: Our reporting is free and independent. If you find our work valuable, you can support this newsroom by using our Amazon link for your next purchase. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. https://amzn.to/3LokX8x
🔹 🔹 🔹
══════ FORENSIC VERIFICATION LEDGER ══════
· · ·
Culture - Literature - Manifestos: Labour Party proposes financial schemes and retail initiatives for Maltese publishing sector
· · ·
19 May 2026
· · ·
The Labour Party has published a series of targeted cultural proposals aiming to lower export costs, fund digital transitions, and establish local boutique bookstores. The measures, detailed in clauses 19 through 23 of the political manifesto, introduce annual structural vouchers for children alongside dedicated regional archiving projects at the National Library. Every proposal remains an un-enacted record of intent, establishing political parameters for the domestic publishing industry without finalized legislative execution paths or dedicated municipal funding allocations.
· · ·
Situation Summary
· · ·
\* Proposal/Event: Electoral Manifesto Proposals
\* Issuing Body: Labour Party
\* Primary Focus: Author and Publisher Support Schemes
\* Critical Metric: Age range 5 to 16 years for annual book vouchers
· · ·
Administrative Silence: The record does not specify implementation budgets or explicit export subsidy rates.
· · ·
What We Noticed
· · ·
The manifesto balances modern digital infrastructure adjustments against traditional retail distribution models. While clause 19 accommodates changing consumer habits through audiobook financing, clause 20 shifts focus back to physical storefronts inside schools and villages. The inclusion of export aid marks an external market push, though the document maintains complete administrative silence regarding the precise financial value of these upcoming subsidies or their state aid compliance.
· · ·
Why It Matters to You
· · ·
For writers, publishers, and printers in Malta, these initiatives outline potential state-backed funding streams and cheaper pathways to reach international readers. Parents of children within the school-age bracket receive a permanent guarantee for annual book vouchers, which will restrict choice to favor local printing houses.
· · ·
Now What?
· · ·
Publishers and authors should monitor future legislative updates to see when these proposed schemes transition from manifesto pledges into active grant application processes. Local printers should review their production capacities for physical books to align with the proposed domestic priority rules for school vouchers.
· · ·
Practical Takeaways
· · ·
\* Track national budget announcements to identify the launch dates for the digital and audiobook production grants.
\* Assess international shipping regulations for printed material to prepare for the upcoming ISBN export cost reductions.
\* Visit local public libraries to follow the setup progress of the new town-specific Melitensia archiving initiatives.
· · ·
Timeline
· · ·
\* Milestone 1: Publication of the 2026 electoral manifesto clauses by the Labour Party.
\* Milestone 2: Proposed launching of the national audiobook and digital book assistance scheme.
\* Milestone 3: Proposed introduction of financial incentives for opening educational boutique bookstores.
\* Milestone 4: Proposed activation of international shipping cost reductions for books carrying an ISBN.
\* Milestone 5: Proposed annual distribution of localized priority book vouchers to children aged five to 16.
· · ·
Situation Details
· · ·
Core Statistical Findings
· · ·
\* Document clause reference: 19
\* Document clause reference: 20
\* Document clause reference: 21
\* Minimum eligibility age for vouchers: 5 years
\* Maximum eligibility age for vouchers: 16 years
· · ·
Key Components
· · ·
The digital scheme addresses an electronic market shift by funding alternative formats for traditional readers. The specialized retail expansion plan attempts to bypass standard commercial distribution blockages by embedding boutique bookshops directly into educational institutions and village centers. Export mitigation targets the geographical restrictions of a small island market, focusing entirely on publications that hold a registered International Standard Book Number. The regional archival strategy centralizes municipal history by ordering the collection of distinct village records under the administration of the National Library.
· · ·
Verification Layer
· · ·
Status: Unverified
Verification Note: External search found no published analysis of underlying causes.
Competitive Context: Primary record evaluated directly — zero external media echoes required for validation.
· · ·
What’s Next
· · ·
The implementation of these measures depends entirely on upcoming electoral outcomes and subsequent legislative drafting. If successful, the relevant ministries will need to publish detailed application guidelines and eligibility criteria for both the retail incentives and the shipping cost subsidies.
· · ·
Support Il‑Polz: Our reporting is free and independent. If you find our work valuable, you can support this newsroom by using our Amazon link for your next purchase. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. https://amzn.to/3LokX8x
· · ·
════════════════════════════════════════════
· · ·
Verified but Not Expert Advice: This report is based on a rigorous check of official public records and primary sources. However, it is provided for general information only. It is not professional advice—whether legal, medical, financial, or otherwise. Check the Source: While we aim for 100% accuracy, facts and official statuses can change quickly. Always refer to the citations in our Verified Source Registry for the most current data. Consult a Professional: Every situation is unique. Do not make major decisions based on this article alone. Please consult a qualified professional (such as a lawyer, doctor, or certified expert) to discuss your specific needs. Il‑Polz is an independent news service delivering structured journalism grounded in primary sourcing and factual verification. This report was developed with AI assistance to synthesize public records. Official site: https://ilpolz.com — Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilpolz — Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IlPolz/ — Factual core. AI‑assisted reporting.
· · ·
Verified Source Registry
· · ·
Labour Party: Manifest Elettorali 2026 – Klawżoli 19-23 – Policy Proposal Text
· · ·
Impact Snapshot
· · ·
Manifesto proposes digital and physical publishing industry support
· · ·
Data Summary
· · ·
Permanent\_UID: MT-POLITICS-PL-MAN-2026
Record\_Status: Prospective Plan
Project\_Lifecycle: Initial Notice
Process\_Momentum: Static / Administrative Intent
Risk\_Trend: Stable
Locality\_Anchor: Malta
Government\_Registry\_ID: Data Not Recorded in Source
· · ·
\#Culture #Literature #Manifestos #ilpolzmalta
· · ·
Final Disclaimer: This AI-assisted report is based on verified public records and official statements as of 19 May 2026. All metrics are derived from primary source data current at the time of publication.
· · ·
══════ VERSIONI BIL-MALTI ══════
Il-Partit Laburista qed jipproponi appoġġ diġitali u stampat għal awturi u pubblikaturi Maltin.
— Inizjattivi ġodda jimmiraw li jagħtu spinta lil audio books, boutique bookstores speċjalizzati, u għajnuna għall-esportazzjoni.
🔹 🔹 🔹
Il-Partit Laburista qed jipproponi sensiela ta' inizjattivi ġodda sabiex jgħin lill-awturi u lill-pubblikaturi lokali. Il-pjanijiet jiffukaw fuq l-aġġornament tal-industrija lokali tal-kotba biex tilqa' għad-domanda diġitali moderna filwaqt li jiġu protetti l-ħwienet fiżiċi fil-komunità.
🔹 🔹 🔹
Il-pjanijiet jintroduċu skema biex tgħin lil kittieba u pubblikaturi jipproduċu audio books u kotba diġitali. Din l-inizjattiva twieġeb direttament għal domanda dejjem tikber għal għażliet ta' qari elettroniku madwar il-pajjiż.
🔹 🔹 🔹
Inċentivi finanzjarji ġodda se jinkoraġġixxu l-ftuħ ta' boutique bookstores speċjalizzati madwar il-gżejjer Maltin. Dawn il-ħwienet il-ġodda se joperaw fil-komunitajiet u fl-istituzzjonijiet edukattivi biex itejbu d-distribuzzjoni tal-kotba lokali.
🔹 🔹 🔹
Il-proposti jintroduċu wkoll għajnuna fl-esportazzjoni biex jonqsu l-ispejjeż tat-tbaħħir għal kotba li għandhom Numru Internazzjonali Standard tal-Ktieb (ISBN). Din il-miżura speċifika għandha l-għan li tgħin lill-pubblikaturi lokali jilħqu swieq barra mill-pajjiż, partikolarment fejn hemm komunitajiet Maltin.
🔹 🔹 🔹
Voucher tal-kotba li jingħata kull sena lil tfal li għandhom bejn ħames snin u sittax-il sena se jkompli jingħata regolarment. L-inċentiv issa se jibda jagħti prijorità lil kotba maħluqa minn awturi u stampaturi lokali biex il-fondi jibqgħu fl-industrija domestika.
🔹 🔹 🔹
Il-Librerija Pubblika se twaqqaf arkivji ġodda u estensivi ta' Melitensia ddedikati għall-istorja speċifika tal-irħula u l-ibliet lokali. Dan il-proġett għandu l-għan li jiġbor flimkien rekords storiċi f'repożitorju pubbliku wieħed.
🔹 🔹 🔹
Sostenn lil Il-Polz: Ir-rappurtar tagħna huwa b'xejn u indipendenti. Jekk issib ix-xogħol tagħna siewi, tista' tappoġġja lil din il-kamra tal-aħbarijiet billi tuża l-link tagħna ta' Amazon għax-xiri li jmis tiegħek. Bħala Assoċjat tal-Amazon, aħna naqilgħu kummissjoni żgħira minn xirjiet li jikkwalifikaw mingħajr ebda spiża żejda għalik. https://amzn.to/3LokX8x
🔹 🔹 🔹
══════ FORENSIC VERIFICATION LEDGER ══════
· · ·
Kultura - Letteratura - Manifesti: Il-Partit Laburista jipproponi skemi finanzjarji u inizjattivi tal-bejgħ għas-settur tal-pubblikazzjoni Malti
· · ·
19 May 2026
· · ·
Il-Partit Laburista ppubblika sensiela ta' proposti kulturali mmirati biex inaqqsu l-ispejjeż tal-esportazzjoni, jiffinanzjaw tranżizzjonijiet diġitali, u jistabbilixxu boutique bookstores lokali. Il-miżuri, iddettaljati fil-klawżoli 19 sa 23 tal-manifest politiku, jintroduċu vouchers strutturali annwali għat-tfal flimkien ma' proġetti ddedikati ta' arkivjar reġjonali fil-Librerija Pubblika. Kull proposta tibqa' rekord ta' intenzjoni li mhix promulgata, fejn tistabbilixxi parametri politiċi għall-industrija tal-pubblikazzjoni domestika mingħajr mogħdijiet finalizzati ta' eżekuzzjoni leġiżlattiva jew allokazzjonijiet dedikati ta' finanzjament muniċipali.
· · ·
Sommarju tas-Sitwazzjoni
· · ·
\* Proposta/Avveniment: Proposti tal-Manifest Elettorali
\* Korp Emittent: Partit Laburista
\* Fokus Primarju: Skemi ta' Appoġġ għal Awturi u Pubblikaturi
\* Metrika Kritika: Eta bejn 5 snin u 16-il sena għall-vouchers annwali tal-kotba
· · ·
Unusual Pattern: Il-proposti ma jispeċifikawx baġits ta' implimentazzjoni jew rati espliċiti ta' sussidju għall-esportazzjoni.
· · ·
X’Innotajna
· · ·
Il-manifest jikbilanċja l-aġġornamenti tal-infrastruttura diġitali moderna ma' mudelli tradizzjonali ta' distribuzzjoni bl-imnut. Filwaqt li l-klawżola 19 takkomoda drawwiet ġodda tal-konsumatur permezz ta' finanzjament għall-audio books, il-klawżola 20 terġa' tbiddel il-fokus għal ħwienet fiżiċi fl-iskejjel u fl-irħula. L-inklużjoni ta' għajnuna għall-esportazzjoni turi spinta lejn is-suq estern, għalkemm id-dokument iżomm silenzju amministrattiv sħiħ dwar il-valur finanzjarju preċiż ta' dawn is-sussidji futuri jew il-konformità tagħhom mar-regoli dwar l-għajnuna mill-Istat.
· · ·
Għaliex Jimpurtak
· · ·
Għall-kittieba, pubblikaturi, u stampaturi f'Malta, dawn l-inizjattivi jiddettaljaw sorsi potenzjali ta' finanzjament appoġġjati mill-Istat u mogħdijiet orħos biex jilħqu qarrejja internazzjonali. Il-ġenituri ta' tfal fl-età skolastika jirċievu garanzija permanenti għal vouchers annwali tal-kotba, li se jirrestrinġu l-għażla biex jiffavorixxu djar tal-istampar lokali.
· · ·
Issa X’Nagħmlu?
· · ·
Il-pubblikaturi u l-awturi għandhom isegwu l-aġġornamenti leġiżlattivi futuri biex jaraw meta dawn il-wegħdiet tal-manifest jgħaddu minn pjanijiet għal proċessi attivi ta' applikazzjoni għal għotjiet. L-istampaturi lokali għandhom jirrieżaminaw il-kapaċitajiet tal-produzzjoni tagħhom għall-kotba fiżiċi biex jallinjaw mar-regoli proposti ta' prijorità domestika għall-vouchers tal-iskejjel.
· · ·
Pariri Prattiċi
· · ·
\* Segwi l-avviżi tal-baġit nazzjonali biex tidentifika d-dati tat-tnedija għall-għotjiet tal-produzzjoni diġitali u tal-audio books.
\* Evalwa r-regolamenti tat-tbaħħir internazzjonali għal materjal stampat biex tħejji ruħek għat-tnaqqis propost fl-ispejjeż tal-esportazzjoni tal-ISBN.
\* Żur il-libreriji pubbliċi lokali biex issegwi l-progress fit-twaqqif tal-inizjattivi l-ġodda ta' arkivjar tal-Melitensia tal-irħula.
· · ·
Kronoloġija
· · ·
\* Milestone 1: Pubblikazzjoni tal-klawżoli tal-manifest elettorali tal-2026 mill-Partit Laburista.
\* Milestone 2: Tnedija proposta tal-iskema ta' assistenza għall-audio books u kotba diġitali.
\* Milestone 3: Introduzzjoni proposta ta' inċentivi finanzjarji għall-ftuħ ta' boutique bookstores edukattivi.
\* Milestone 4: Attivazzjoni proposta ta' tnaqqis fl-ispejjeż tat-tbaħħir internazzjonali għal kotba b'Numru Internazzjonali Standard tal-Ktieb (ISBN).
\* Milestone 5: Distribuzzjoni annwali proposta ta' vouchers tal-kotba bi prijorità lokalizzata lil tfal ta' bejn il-5 u s-16-il sena.
· · ·
Dettalji tas-Sitwazzjoni
· · ·
Core Statistical Findings
· · ·
\* Referenza għall-klawżola tad-dokument: 19
\* Referenza għall-klawżola tad-dokument: 20
\* Referenza għall-klawżola tad-dokument: 21
\* Età minima għall-eliġibbiltà tal-vouchers: 5 snin
\* Età massima għall-eliġibbiltà tal-vouchers: 16-il sena
· · ·
Key Components
· · ·
L-iskema diġitali tindirizza bidla fis-suq elettroniku billi tiffinanzja formati alternattivi għal qarrejja tradizzjonali. Il-pjan ta' espansjoni tal-bejgħ bl-imnut speċjalizzat jipprova jevita l-imblokki tradizzjonali tad-distribuzzjoni kummerċjali billi jintegra boutique bookshops direttament f'istituzzjonijiet edukattivi u f'ċentri tal-irħula. Il-mitigazzjoni tal-esportazzjoni timmira lejn ir-restrizzjonijiet ġeografiċi ta' suq ta' gżira żgħira, fejn tiffoka kollha kemm hi fuq pubblikazzjonijiet li għandhom Numru Internazzjonali Standard tal-Ktieb (ISBN) reġistrat. L-istrateġija tal-arkivjar reġjonali tiċċentralizza l-istorja muniċipali billi tordna l-ġbir ta' rekords tal-irħula taħt l-amministrazzjoni tal-Librerija Pubblika.
· · ·
Stat ta' Verifika
· · ·
Status: Unverified
Verification Note: Il-verifika ma sabet l-ebda analiżi ppubblikata dwar il-kawżi sottostanti.
Competitive Context: Id-dokument primarju ġie evalwat direttament — l-ebda eku tal-midja esterna ma kien meħtieġ għall-verifika.
· · ·
X’Immiss
· · ·
L-implimentazzjoni ta' dawn il-miżuri tiddependi kollha kemm hi fuq ir-riżultati elettorali futuri u l-abbozzar leġiżlattiv sussegwenti. Jekk jirnexxu, il-ministeri rilevanti se jkollhom jippubblikaw linji gwida dettaljati dwar l-applikazzjoni u l-kriterji ta' eliġibbiltà kemm għall-inċentivi tal-bejgħ bl-imnut kif ukoll għas-sussidji tal-ispejjeż tat-tbaħħir.
· · ·
Sostenn lil Il-Polz: Ir-rappurtar tagħna huwa b'xejn u indipendenti. Jekk issib ix-xogħol tagħna siewi, tista' tappoġġja lil din il-kamra tal-aħbarijiet billi tuża l-link tagħna ta' Amazon għax-xiri li jmis tiegħek. Bħala Assoċjat tal-Amazon, aħna naqilgħu kummissjoni żgħira minn xirjiet li jikkwalifikaw mingħajr ebda spiża żejda għalik. https://amzn.to/3LokX8x
· · ·
════════════════════════════════════════════
· · ·
Verifikat iżda Mhux Parir Espert: Dan ir-rapport huwa bbażat fuq verifika rigoruża ta' rekords pubbliċi uffiċjali u sorsi primarji. Madankollu, huwa pprovdut għal informazzjoni ġenerali biss. Mhuwiex parir professjonali — kemm jekk legali, mediku, finanzjarju, jew mod ieħor. Iċċekkja s-Sors: Filwaqt li nimmiraw għal akkuratezza ta' 100%, il-fatti u l-istatusi uffiċjali jistgħu jinbidlu malajr. Dejjem irreferi għaċ-ċitazzjonijiet fir-Reġistru tas-Sorsi Verifikati tagħna għall-aktar dejta kurrenti. Ikkonsulta Professjonist: Kull sitwazzjoni hija unika. Tagħmilx deċiżjonijiet kbar ibbażati fuq dan l-artikolu biss. Jekk jogħġbok ikkonsulta professjonist kwalifikat (bħal avukat, tabib, jew espert ċertifikat) biex tiddiskuti l-bżonnijiet speċifiċi tiegħek. Il-Polz huwa servizz tal-aħbarijiet indipendenti li jagħti ġurnaliżmu strutturat ibbażat fuq sorsi primarji u verifika fattwali. Dan ir-rapport ġie żviluppat b'assistenza tal-IA biex jiġu sintetizzati rekords pubbliċi. Sit uffiċjali: https://ilpolz.com — Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilpolz — Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IlPolz/ — Qalba fattwali. Rappurtar assistit mill-IA.
· · ·
Reġistru tas-Sorsi Verifikati
· · ·
Partit Laburista: Manifest Elettorali 2026 – Klawżoli 19-23 – Test tal-Proposta tal-Politika
· · ·
Impact Snapshot
· · ·
Il-manifest jipproponi appoġġ għall-industrija tal-pubblikazzjoni diġitali u fiżika
· · ·
Sommarju tad-Dejta
· · ·
Permanent\_UID: MT-POLITICS-PL-MAN-2026
Record\_Status: Pjan Prospettiv
Project\_Lifecycle: Avviż Inizjali
Process\_Momentum: Statiku / Intenzjoni Amministrattiva
Risk\_Trend: Stabbli
Locality\_Anchor: Malta
Government\_Registry\_ID: Dejta Mhux Irreġistrata fis-Sors
· · ·
\#Kultura #Letteratura #Manifesti #ilpolzmalta
· · ·
Final Disclaimer: Dan ir-rapport assistit mill-IA huwa bbażat fuq rekords pubbliċi verifikati u stqarrijiet uffiċjali mid-19 ta' Mejju 2026. Il-metriċi kollha huma derivati minn dejta tas-sors primarju kurrenti fil-ħin tal-pubblikazzjoni.
Show full
May 25. On this date in 1975, the Universal House of Justice [wrote](http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/#d=19750525_001&f=f1-2) all National Spiritual Assemblies, "the purpose of teaching is to attract human beings to the divine Message and so imbue them with its spirit that they will dedicate themselves to its service, and this world will become another world and its people another people."
The Universal House of Justice
25 May 1975
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
A fifth of the span allotted to the Five Year Plan has run its course and we have passed a major milestone in the destinies of that Plan. It is appropriate for every National Spiritual Assembly to pause in order to appraise its position, and that of the community which it represents and serves, and to determine its progress in relation to the goals with which it stands identified.
To help each National Spiritual Assembly in this appraisal we send you the following statement which, under various headings, outlines the impressions we have gathered and comments we are prompted to make on the prosecution of certain goals of the Plan. Although some of the items may not be directly applicable to you, you may find them of interest. Each National Spiritual Assembly should determine, in the light of the goals assigned to it, to what extent each of our observations is applicable to its work.
Teaching—Expansion and Consolidation
Teaching the Faith embraces many diverse activities, all of which are vital to success, and each of which reinforces the other. Time and again the beloved Guardian emphasized that expansion and consolidation are twin and inseparable aspects of teaching that must proceed simultaneously, yet one still hears believers discussing the virtues of one as against the other. The purpose of teaching is not complete when a person declares that he has accepted Bahá’u’lláh as the Manifestation of God for this age; **the purpose of teaching is to attract human beings to the divine Message and so imbue them with its spirit that they will dedicate themselves to its service, and this world will become another world and its people another people.** Viewed in this light a declaration of faith is merely a milestone along the way—albeit a very important one. Teaching may also be likened to kindling a fire, the fire of faith, in the hearts of men. If a fire burns only so long as the match is held to it, it cannot truly be said to have been kindled; to be kindled it must continue to burn of its own accord. Thereafter more fuel can be added and the flame can be fanned, but even if left alone for a period, a truly kindled fire will not be extinguished by the first breath of wind.
**The aim, therefore, of all Bahá’í institutions and Bahá’í teachers is to advance continually to new areas and strata of society**, with such thoroughness that, as the spark of faith kindles the hearts of the hearers, the teaching of the believers continues until, and even after, they shoulder their responsibilities as Bahá’ís and participate in both the teaching and administrative work of the Faith.
There are now many areas in the world where thousands of people have accepted the Faith so quickly that it has been beyond the capacity of the existing Bahá’í communities to consolidate adequately these advances. The people in these areas must be progressively deepened in their understanding of the Faith, in accordance with well-laid plans, so that their communities may, as soon as possible, become sources of great strength to the work of the Faith and begin to manifest the pattern of Bahá’í life.
Reaching Remote Areas—an Immediate Challenge
At the same time there is a challenge of great urgency facing the worldwide Bahá’í community. **When launching the Ten Year Crusade, Shoghi Effendi urged the believers to “carry the torch of the Faith to regions so remote, so backward, so inhospitable that neither the light of Christianity or Islam has, after the revolution of centuries, as yet penetrated.” A number of such regions still exist in places like New Guinea, the heart of Africa and the Amazon Basin in South America.** As the influence of civilization spreads, the age-old ways of life of the inhabitants of these regions will inevitably perish, and they will rapidly be infected with the materialistic ideas of a decadent civilization. It is our pressing duty to carry the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to such people while they are still purehearted and receptive, and through it to prepare them for the changed world which will come upon them.
Teaching Tribal Peoples and Minorities
In addition to the tribes in these remote regions of the world, **there are tribes and minorities who still live in their traditional ways in the midst of other cultures.** All too often such peoples are despised and ignored by the nations among whom they dwell, but we should seek them out, teach them the Cause of God, and enrich through their membership the Bahá’í communities of the lands in which they live. So important is this goal that each National Spiritual Assembly should study the requirements for teaching each of the different tribes and groups within its area, appoint a committee for this purpose—even a special committee for each tribe or minority where this is feasible and desirable—and launch a series of well-conceived, far-reaching campaigns to bring about the enrollment of these peoples within the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, and the establishment among them of the Bahá’í Administrative Order.
Pioneering
Great challenges and opportunities for teaching often occur far from large well-established Bahá’í communities; this is especially true in respect of many of the tribal peoples. Pioneering and travel teaching are therefore of the greatest importance for the accomplishment of teaching plans. It is not always difficult to see what the ideal solution for any particular teaching problem may be; however, ideal solutions are seldom available, and the Assemblies which achieve the most outstanding results are those which have developed the skill of using to their best advantage whatever means they have at their command and whatever assistance can be given to them. Pioneers, for example, all have different capacities, different skills, different problems and different responsibilities. A National Assembly may see that its most urgent need is for a financially independent married couple who can live in a remote village area to conduct regular classes for the believers there; but what it actually receives are two single middle-aged ladies who need to work to support themselves and can only get jobs in one of the large towns. Instead of despairing, a resourceful Assembly will immediately see whether the presence of either or both of these ladies in such a town would enable one or more native believers to pioneer to the village area. Even if this does not work out, it will nevertheless do all it can to assist the two pioneers to settle down and will make the utmost use of whatever services they can render, services which may well, in the long run, be of inestimable benefit to that national community.
There are several ways of pioneering, and all are entirely valid and are of great help to the teaching work. There is, **first of all**, the pioneer who goes to a particular country, devotes the remainder of his life to the service of the Faith in that land and finally lays his bones to rest in its soil. **Secondly**, there is the pioneer who goes to a post, serves valiantly there until the native Bahá’í community is strongly established, and then moves on to new fields of service. **Thirdly**, there are those, for example youth between the completion of their schooling and the starting of their chosen profession, who go pioneering for a specific limited period.
Ideally, of course, a pioneer should be, or become as soon as possible, financially independent of the Fund in his chosen post, not only to husband the financial resources of the Faith but because it is a Bahá’í principle that everyone should work and support himself and his family whenever possible, and there is no such profession as pioneer or teacher in the Bahá’í Faith as there are professional missionaries and clergymen in other religions. Nevertheless it must be recognized that in some posts where pioneers are desperately needed there is no possibility for them to get work. Either there is no work available in the area or else the pioneer is refused a work permit because he is a foreigner. In such cases it is essential for the Assemblies to provide financial assistance to support the pioneer for as long as is necessary.
There are a number of methods of **financing pioneers** in areas where work is unobtainable. Believers can be found who have independent means and are willing to pioneer to the area and live on whatever income they have, however slender. There are those who, in accordance with Bahá’u’lláh’s injunction, have been deputized by friends who are unable to go themselves. Believers may be found who are willing to go to such an area for a specific period supported by the meager budget that the Fund can afford, with the clear understanding that at the end of that period they will return from the pioneer post and become self-supporting again; in such a way an area can be serviced with a succession of pioneers. Then there are those believers who are willing to serve in a remote and inhospitable area, but whose age or situation makes it clear from the outset that they will not be able to become self-supporting again; when the need is great and cannot be met in any other way, an Assembly would be fully justified in supporting them, but it should realize from the outset the extent of the responsibility it is incurring for an indefinite period into the future.
Naturally these ways of financing pioneering are not mutually exclusive. A person, for example, can be partially self-supporting and assisted to only a limited degree; or a pioneer may go to an area with the intention of finding work but is unable to do so and the Assembly repeatedly extends the period of financial support until the time comes when he is no longer able to become self-supporting anywhere. In such a case the Assembly needs to watch the process very carefully so that, on the one hand, it does not incur a permanent responsibility it had not intended, and on the other, does not commit the injustice of terminating the financial support extended to a pioneer at a time when he has become unemployable, and is unable to obtain any other means of support.
Traveling Teaching
While pioneers provide a very valuable long-term reinforcement of a community and are often the only feasible means for opening new areas—and here we are speaking not only of pioneers from foreign lands but of **homefront pioneers** as well, the use of whom must be greatly developed in most countries—a second vital reinforcement of the work is provided by traveling teachers. As mentioned in the message sent to all believers at Riḍván, **a new international travel teaching program** is now being launched. National Assemblies and their committees, therefore, need to develop a threefold integrated program for travel teaching. Firstly, there should be within each national community regular circuits of local traveling teachers, that is to say of believers who are members of that national community, whether native or pioneers, who are able and willing to devote time to this activity. Secondly, and integrated within these circuits, provision should be made for planned visits of traveling teachers from abroad. Thirdly, each National Assembly should establish an agency and a procedure for taking advantage of the unheralded arrival of visitors from abroad, or of sudden offers from believers on the homefront, who would be able to give valuable help in the fields of travel teaching or proclamation if properly organized. Such an agency would, of course, be responsible for evaluating the capacity of those who offer services because while an unexpected offer can often provide a very valuable teaching opportunity, it is also true to say that some Bahá’í communities have been exhausted and their work hindered by the arrival of a succession of traveling Bahá’ís who were not really suited, for lack of a language or for other reasons, to assist with teaching in the area concerned. Friends who travel spontaneously in this way can do valuable teaching themselves but should not expect the assistance of local administrative institutions if they have not arranged the trip in advance.
Correspondence Courses
Only a few National Spiritual Assemblies have been given the specific goal of developing and conducting correspondence courses; however, those National Assemblies who have the goal of training selected believers to assist in consolidating local communities would find it worthwhile to consider how the use of correspondence courses could help in the fulfillment of this goal. For example, once the selection of trainees has been made, the first stage in their training could well be a correspondence deepening course which would ascertain the degree of interest and capacity of each trainee and also prepare him to attend a series of lectures or classes which would follow as a second stage. The entire training process could consist of several stages interspersed in this way. This combination of two methods has the advantage of helping the Assembly to ascertain at the outset which trainees have the capacity and desire to continue with the course, thus leading to a better selection and helping to ensure that the costs of holding classes and bringing trainees to them are incurred only in respect of those whose interest and capacity have been established.
Economy can be exercised by holding the deepening classes in smaller gatherings by grouping several neighboring local communities together and sending one or more teachers to the area. This might prove more economical than inviting the selected trainees to, say, the capital, and having to accommodate and feed them during the period of the course.
Teaching Conferences
Teaching Conferences can have a great value for the advance of the Faith. Their aim is to strengthen the bonds of unity and fellowship among the friends, to increase their involvement in the teaching work and their interest in its progress, and to serve as magnets to attract divine confirmations. They are also rallying points for the believers, evidences of the vitality of their love for Bahá’u’lláh, and potent instruments for generating enthusiasm and spiritual drive for advancing the interests of the Faith.
Certain National Spiritual Assemblies, which are not among the majority who are already doing so, have been assigned the goal of holding at least one National Teaching Conference during each year. The purpose of this is to provide a national event of major importance in addition to the annual National Convention to stimulate the interest and reorientate the efforts of the friends, focusing their attention upon the current urgent needs of the Plan. These National Teaching Conferences should, therefore, be held some months away from Riḍván, or they will lose a great part of the intended effect.
As the eight International Conferences will soon be upon us, it is important for National Assemblies to decide as soon as possible, in consultation with the Counselors, whether it would be feasible and helpful to hold a national conference soon after, or possibly immediately before, the International Conference nearest to their area. The sooner this study is made and decisions taken and announced, the greater will be the participation of the friends, locally and from abroad.
Newsletters
Although during the past year a marked improvement has been noticed in certain countries in the standard and regularity of the Bahá’í newsletters, the development of this organ of Bahá’í communication still needs great attention in most national communities. A special committee should be appointed, on which members of the National Spiritual Assembly could well serve, with the task of making the national newsletter a powerful instrument of direct and regular contact with the friends, which will disseminate news among them, stimulate and maintain their interest in the growth of the Faith in the world and throughout the area of national jurisdiction, share with them the National Spiritual Assembly’s plans, hopes and aspirations, convey to them its comments on Bahá’í developments of special significance, and cause the believers to anticipate the future with feelings of excitement and confidence. The doors of communication between the friends, the Local Spiritual Assemblies and the National Spiritual Assembly should always be open. The one means which will contribute most to the promotion of this open-door policy is the regular issue of an interesting and heartwarming newsletter. In certain countries, we are glad to see, there are in addition to the national newsletter, news bulletins issued on regional or district levels. The importance of these secondary organs of Bahá’í communication acquires added weight in areas where differences of language make the issue of bulletins in a local language of each area highly desirable, if not essential.
Literature
When each National Spiritual Assembly carefully compares the demands of the waiting public and the needs of the believers for Bahá’í literature with the current supply, it will realize how urgent is the need for it to multiply its efforts to ensure that a comprehensive range of our literature is made constantly available. The basic literature of the Faith must be translated into languages that are most suitable and in demand for the spread and development of the Faith in accordance with the goals of the Plan. In each national area the agencies for obtaining and disseminating Bahá’í literature should be greatly strengthened so that they will efficiently ensure an uninterrupted supply of the literature which is available from the various Publishing Trusts and organize its distribution throughout the area, through Local Assemblies and groups, by sale at conferences and summer schools, and directly to individuals. At the same time these agencies should ensure that the monies received from the sale of literature are kept separate from other funds of the Faith and are used for the replenishment of stocks of books and the widening of the range of literature available. National Assemblies must also give consideration to the need to cover the cost of certain literature out of the National Fund, so that it can be supplied free or sold at a price within the reach of those who urgently require it.
Radio and Television
A compilation has recently been made from the letters written on behalf of the Guardian and a copy is attached for your information. This brief compilation shows the importance that Shoghi Effendi attached to the use of radio as a means of teaching and proclaiming the Faith in countries where such activity is possible.
The Universal House of Justice has initiated a pilot project in Ecuador for the purchase and operation of a Bahá’í radio station, and at the present time this is the only one for which sufficient funds are available. However, the actual owning of a radio station is not the only way of making use of this medium. National Spiritual Assemblies responsible for countries where Bahá’í radio programs would raise no objection from the civil authorities, should regard it as their bounden duty to explore, if they have not already done so, whatever options are open to them to utilize radio to sow the seeds of the Faith as widely as they can and to broadcast its divine teachings, as well as to assist in the consolidation of the local Bahá’í communities.
Where the use of television broadcasts is open to Bahá’í communities they should also take the utmost advantage of this opportunity.
Contact with the Authorities
The events of the past year have demonstrated clearly that the enemies of the Faith are intensifying their attacks on the precious Cause of God. The Five Year Plan calls for a planned and sustained effort, under the close supervision of each National Spiritual Assembly, to foster cordial relations with responsible government officials and prominent people. In every country where the doors of contact with those in authority are open to the friends, the National Spiritual Assembly should, as indicated in our letter of Naw-Rúz 131, appoint a special committee to be given the task of finding effective ways of informing the authorities about the Faith, of dispelling any misgivings and of removing any misapprehensions which may be deceitfully created by those who are striving to extinguish the fire of God’s Faith. We cannot overemphasize the necessity of this activity and the need to use utmost tact and wisdom in pursuing it, for, not only will it facilitate the further proclamation and recognition of the Faith, but, as opposition to and misconceptions about the aims and purposes of the Bahá’ís increase, when a moment of crisis arrives the institutions of the Faith may know where to turn, whose advice and assistance to seek and how to minimize the effects of opposition.
Closely linked with the above undertaking, in countries where the Faith is not yet recognized, is the need to apply for such recognition if the laws of the country permit and if the Universal House of Justice has approved that an approach be made to the authorities on the subject. In other countries where some measure of recognition, such as the incorporation of Assemblies, has been obtained, National Spiritual Assemblies should be alert to the possibilities which are open to them to widen the scope and broaden the base of the recognition obtained for Bahá’í institutions, the Bahá’í marriage certificate and Bahá’í Holy Days. These measures will not only secure for the Faith a higher degree of legal protection, but will enhance its stature in the eyes of the authorities and the general public.
Wisdom in the Use of Bahá’í Funds
The Five Year Plan emphasizes the obligation of the friends, in view of the growing needs of the Faith to ensure that a generous outpouring of contributions is offered in support of Bahá’í Funds, and encourages Bahá’í communities at present dependent on outside help to aim at becoming self-supporting. While all National Spiritual Assemblies have the obligation to administer Bahá’í funds wisely and judiciously, those National Spiritual Assemblies which depend to a large extent on budgetary assistance from the World Center have an even greater responsibility, so to speak, to carefully supervise expenditures. The more rigorous the exercise of economy on the part of National Spiritual Assemblies, the sooner will the body of the friends be encouraged to feel financial responsibility toward the progress of the Faith in their areas, to place greater reliance upon the wise administration of the National Spiritual Assembly, and to offer their resources, however modest they may be, for the furthering of its plans and activities.
National Spiritual Assemblies must uphold economy not only because the funds at their disposal are limited but, as experience has repeatedly shown, because lack of proper control and supervision in the expenditure of these funds is both an unfair temptation to the untrustworthy and a test to the body of the believers, causing them to become disenchanted with Bahá’í administration and weakening their resolve to fulfill their sacred obligation of contributing to the Fund.
In the attitudes seen at the National Office, in the appropriations made to committees and other agencies of the National Assembly, in any budgetary assistance given to pioneers and traveling teachers, in the holding of conferences and deepening courses, and in all aspects of the work of the Cause for which the National Assembly is responsible, supervision, careful planning and lack of extravagance should be observed and be seen to be upheld.
Local Spiritual Assemblies
It is becoming increasingly understood by the friends why the Five Year Plan places such great emphasis upon the firmness of the foundation and the efficiency of the operation of the Local Spiritual Assemblies. This is very heartening, for upon the degree to which the members of these Assemblies grasp the true significance of the divine institution on which they serve, arise selflessly to fulfill their prescribed and sacred duties, and persevere in their endeavors, depends to a large extent the healthy growth of the worldwide community of the Most Great Name, the force of its outward thrust, and the strength of its supporting roots.
We long to see every Local Spiritual Assembly either spontaneously adopt its own goals or warmly welcome those it has been or will be given by its National Spiritual Assembly, swell the number of the adherents who compose its local community and, guided by the general policy outlined by its National Spiritual Assembly, proclaim the Faith more effectively, energetically pursue its extension teaching and consolidation goals, arrange the observances of the Holy Days, regularly hold its Nineteen Day Feasts and its sessions for deepening, initiate and maintain community projects, and encourage the participation of every member of its community in giving to the Fund and undertaking teaching activities and administrative services, so as to make each locality a stronghold of the Faith and a torchbearer of the Covenant.
We are confident that the institution of the Boards of Counselors will lend its vital support and, through the Counselors’ own contacts with the friends, through their Auxiliary Boards and their assistants, will nourish the roots of each local community, enrich and cultivate the soil of knowledge of the teachings and irrigate it with the living waters of love for Bahá’u’lláh. Thus will the saplings grow into mighty trees, and the trees bear their golden fruit.
Women
‘Abdu’l‑Bahá has pointed out that “Among the miracles which distinguish this sacred dispensation is this, that women have evinced a greater boldness than men when enlisted in the ranks of the Faith.” Shoghi Effendi has further stated that this “boldness” must, in the course of time, “be more convincingly demonstrated, and win for the beloved Cause victories more stirring than any it has as yet achieved.” Although obviously the entire Bahá’í world is committed to encouraging and stimulating the vital role of women in the Bahá’í community as well as in society at large, the Five Year Plan calls specifically on eighty National Spiritual Assemblies to organize Bahá’í activities for women. In the course of the current year which has been designated “International Women’s Year” as a worldwide activity of the United Nations, the Bahá’ís, particularly in these eighty national communities, should initiate and implement programs which will stimulate and promote the full and equal participation of women in all aspects of Bahá’í community life, so that through their accomplishments the friends will demonstrate the distinction of the Cause of God in this field of human endeavor.
Youth
It is our hope that in the international travel teaching program now being launched the youth will assume a major role by devoting time during their vacations, and particularly during the long vacation at the end of the academic year, to the promotion of the teaching work in all its aspects, not only within their own national communities but farther afield. Some youth may have financial resources of their own, others may be able and willing to work and save the funds necessary for such projects, still others may have the financial backing of their parents, relatives or friends. In other cases the Bahá’í funds may be able to supplement whatever resources the prospective traveling teacher may be able to supply.
The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigor, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá’í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá’í youth!
Children
**How often have well-organized Bahá’í children’s classes given parents, even those who are not Bahá’ís, the incentive to learn more and study more deeply the Teachings of the Faith!** How often have the children, through their songs and recitation of prayers during Feasts and at other gatherings of the friends, added luster and inspiration to the program and created a true sense of belonging to the community in the hearts of those present! How many are the children who have grown into active and enkindled youth, and later into wholly dedicated adults, energetically supporting the work of the Cause and advancing its vital interests!
Certain National Spiritual Assemblies have been given the specific goal of organizing children’s activities, and many of these Assemblies have been assigned assistance in the form of at least one helper who will have received some training in the education of Bahá’í children. The National Assemblies to receive such helpers, however, should not await their arrival before initiating activities. Through the services of a committee chosen from among those interested in this area of service, simple lessons could be improvised, suitable extracts from the Writings and Prayers chosen for the children to study and memorize, and local talent called upon to carry out this vital activity which will assuredly exert a far-reaching influence on the well-being and strength of each community.
Dawn Prayers
We have been watching with profound interest the manner in which the goal of encouraging the friends to meet for dawn prayers is being carried out. In some rural areas this has become already an established practice of the friends and indeed a source of blessing and benefit to them as they pursue their activities during the day, as well as increasing the consciousness of community solidarity. In other areas, the friends have found that, because of the distances involved, better results are obtained by meeting for prayer in smaller groups. In yet other areas, as a first step, plans have been made to meet for dawn prayers once a week.
May the Blessed Beauty sustain you bountifully as you prepare yourselves to discharge the commitments and surmount the challenges of the year which has just begun.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
[signed: The Universal House of Justice]
Use of Radio and Television in Teaching
(Extracts from letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi)
In regard to your wish of broadcasting the Message, Shoghi Effendi would advise you to consult with the Spiritual Assembly as to whether such an action meets their approval, and if so to ask their assistance and help for finding the best means through which to carry out your plan. The idea of a wireless station is rather ambitious and requires much financial expenditure. If, however, you find it feasible and within your financial capacity you should not hesitate to do so, inasmuch as this will enable you to spread the Cause in a much easier and more efficient manner.
(13 August 1933 to an individual believer)
Your suggestion regarding the installation of a radio station in the Temple is truly splendid. But it remains to be seen whether the National Spiritual Assembly finds it financially feasible to undertake such a project, which is, beyond doubt, a very costly enterprise. Whatever the expenditure involved in this project, there is no reason why the believers should not start now considering seriously the possibility of such a plan, which, when carried out and perfected, can lend an unprecedented impetus to the expansion of the teaching work throughout America.
It is for the National Spiritual Assembly, however, to take the final decision in this matter, and to determine whether the national fund of the Cause is at present sufficiently strong to permit them to install a radio station in the Temple.
The Guardian feels, nevertheless, confident that this plan will receive the careful consideration of the National Spiritual Assembly members, and hopes that, if feasible, they will take some definite action in this matter.
(31 January 1937 to an individual believer)
He read with interest the various suggestions you made to the National Spiritual Assembly, and feels they are fundamentally sound, especially the wider use of the radio. Unfortunately at the present time anything that would make a fresh demand on the financial resources of the Cause in America—such as a Bahá’í-owned broadcasting station—is out of the question, as the friends are finding it difficult to meet the great needs of the teaching and Temple Funds. However the idea should, he feels, be kept in mind for future realization.
(14 October 1942 to an individual believer)
In connection with the radio work … he would suggest that the main consideration is to bring to the attention of the public the fact that the Faith exists, and its teachings. Every kind of broadcast, whether of passages from the Writings, or on topical subjects, or lectures, should be used. The people need to hear the word “Bahá’í” so that they can, if receptive, respond and seek the Cause out. The primary duty of the friends everywhere in the world is to let the people know such a Revelation is in existence; their next duty is to teach it.
(24 July 1943 to an individual believer)
He feels it would be excellent if the Cause could be introduced more to the people through the medium of radio, as it reaches the masses, especially those who do not take an interest in lectures or attend any type of meeting.
(7 March 1945 to an individual believer)
The matter of obtaining free time on the radio is one which the Radio Committee and the National Spiritual Assembly must decide upon: but the principle is that every effort should be made to present the teachings over the air as often as possible as long as the manner in which it is done is compatible with the dignity of our beloved Faith.
(15 August 1945 to an individual believer)
He was sorry to learn through your cable that the project for a Bahá’í radio station can not be carried out at present; he considers that such a station would be a very great asset to the Cause, not only as a teaching medium and a wonderful form of publicity, but also as an enhancement of its prestige. He feels your Assembly should not drop the matter, but go on investigating ways to make such a project materialize as soon as possible.
(20 March 1946 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada)
He hopes that a Bahá’í radio station will prove feasible during the coming years, as he considers it of great importance.
(4 May 1946 to the Radio Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada)
The Bahá’ís should not always be the last to take up new and obviously excellent methods, but rather the first, as this agrees with the dynamic nature of the Faith which is not only progressive, but holds within itself the seeds of an entirely new culture and civilization.
(5 May 1946 to an individual believer)
The Guardian approves in principle of a radio station, and sees no objection to its being in the Temple; but he considers the cost you quote too much of a burden at the present time for the Fund to bear, in view of the multiple expenses of the new Seven Year Plan. If there is any way it can be done for a price you feel the Fund could pay, and which would be more reasonable, he approves of your doing it. In any case the National Spiritual Assembly should strongly press for recognition as a Religious Body, and claim full rights to be represented on the air on an equal footing with other established Churches.
(20 July 1946 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada)
He approves of your desire to teach the principles of the Faith through radio. But he urges you to do all you can to always, however small the reference you are able to make to it may be, clearly identify or associate what you are giving out with Bahá’u’lláh. The time is too short now for us Bahá’ís to be able to first educate humanity and then tell it that the Source is this new World Faith. For their own spiritual protection people must hear of the name Bahá’í—then, if they turn blindly away, they cannot excuse themselves by saying they never even knew it existed! For dark days seem still ahead of the world, and outside of this Divine Refuge the people will not, we firmly believe, find inner conviction, peace and security. So they have a right to at least hear of the Cause as such!
(24 April 1949 to an individual believer)
Show full
May 24. On this date in 2001, the Universal House of Justice addressed [a letter](http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/#d=20010524_001&f=f1) "To the Believers Gathered for the Events Marking the Completion of the Projects on Mount Carmel" noting "the world is moving through a period of social paralysis, tyranny and anarchy..."
>The Universal House of Justice
>24 May 2001
>[To the Believers Gathered for the Events Marking the Completion of the Projects on Mount Carmel](http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/#d=20010524_001&f=f1)
>Dear Bahá’í Friends,
>One hundred and forty-eight years have passed since the moment in the darkness of the Síyáh-Chál when Bahá’u’lláh received the Divine summons to rise and proclaim to all on earth the dawning of the Day of God:
>>Verily, We shall render Thee victorious by Thyself and by Thy pen. . . . Erelong God will raise up the treasures of the earth—men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as have recognized Him.
>In terms of historical time, it is but the briefest of spaces that separates that primal moment from the splendid victory we celebrate here this week. You who have come together from every corner of the earth and from every segment of the human family represent a cross-section of those whom Bahá’u’lláh has raised up to aid Him, and no one among us can hope to express adequately the gratitude we feel at being in that company.
>The majestic buildings that now stand along the Arc traced for them by Shoghi Effendi on the slope of the Mountain of God, together with the magnificent flight of garden terraces that embrace the Shrine of the Báb, are an outward expression of the immense power animating the Cause we serve. They offer timeless witness to the fact that the followers of Bahá’u’lláh have successfully laid the foundations of a worldwide community transcending all differences that divide the human race, and have brought into existence the principal institutions of a unique and unassailable Administrative Order that shapes this community’s life. In the transformation that has taken place on Mount Carmel, the Bahá’í Cause emerges as a visible and compelling reality on the global stage, as the focal center of forces that will, in God’s good time, bring about the reconstruction of society, and as a mystic source of spiritual renewal for all who turn to it.
>Reflection on what the Bahá’í community has accomplished throws into heartbreaking perspective the suffering and deprivation engulfing the great majority of our fellow human beings. It is necessary that it should do so, because the effect is to open our minds and souls to vital implications of the mission Bahá’u’lláh has laid on us. **“Know thou of a truth,” He declares, “these great oppressions that have befallen the world are preparing it for the advent of the Most Great Justice.” “God be praised!” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá adds, “The sun of justice hath risen above the horizon of Bahá’u’lláh. For in His Tablets the foundations of such a justice** have been laid as no mind hath, from the beginning of creation, conceived.” In the final analysis, it is this Divine purpose that all our activities are intended to serve, and we will advance this purpose to the degree that we understand what is at stake in the efforts we are making to teach the Faith, to establish and consolidate its institutions, and to intensify the influence it is exerting in the life of society.
>Humanity’s crying need will not be met by a struggle among competing ambitions or by protest against one or another of the countless wrongs afflicting a desperate age. It calls, rather, for a fundamental change of consciousness, for a wholehearted embrace of Bahá’u’lláh’s teaching that the time has come when each human being on earth must learn to accept responsibility for the welfare of the entire human family. **Commitment to this revolutionizing principle will increasingly empower individual believers and Bahá’í institutions alike in awakening others to the Day of God and to the latent spiritual and moral capacities that can change this world into another world.** We demonstrate this commitment, Shoghi Effendi tells us, by our rectitude of conduct towards others, by the discipline of our own natures, and by our complete freedom from the prejudices that cripple collective action in the society around us and frustrate positive impulses towards change.
>The standards set out by the Guardian apply to the entire Bahá’í community, both in its collective life and in the lives of its individual members. They hold, however, particular implications for Bahá’í youth, who are blessed with the enviable advantages of high energy, flexibility of mind and, to a great extent, freedom of movement. The world that Bahá’í youth are inheriting is one in which the distribution of educational, economic and other basic opportunities is grossly unjust. Bahá’í youth must not be daunted by such barriers. Their challenge is to understand the real condition of humanity and to forge among themselves enduring spiritual bonds that free them not only from racial and national divisions but also from those created by social and material conditions, and that will fit them to carry forward the great trust reposed in them.
>Bahá’u’lláh encourages us to anticipate from the youth of His community a much earlier advance to maturity than is characteristic of the rest of society. Clearly, that does not in any way diminish the importance of the pursuit of education, of economic realities, or of family obligations. It does mean that Bahá’í youth can accept—and should be encouraged to accept—a responsibility of their own for moral leadership in the transformation of society. In vindication of these words, we invoke the memory of the One Whose Shrine has today set the Mountain of God ablaze with light, and the memory of the band of youthful heroes and heroines whose greatness of soul and sacrifice of self launched on its course the enterprise in which we are engaged.
>The achievement we are today celebrating brings into focus two paradoxical realities. Within the Faith itself, the gathering strength of the Bahá’í community presages a great surge forward, intimations of which are already everywhere apparent. Inevitably, as Shoghi Effendi several times emphasized, this advance will excite even more intense opposition than the Cause has so far encountered, opposition that will in turn release the greater forces needed for the still more demanding tasks that lie ahead.
>The world in which our efforts are taking place is likewise undergoing profound changes. On the one hand, the vast network of agencies and individuals that promote understanding and cooperation among diverse peoples affirms ever more powerfully the growing recognition that the “earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” **On the other hand, it is equally clear that the world is moving through a period of social paralysis, tyranny and anarchy, a period marked by the widespread neglect of both governmental and personal responsibility, the ultimate consequences of which no one on earth can foresee.** The effect of both developments, as Shoghi Effendi also pointed out, will be to awaken in the hearts of those who share this planet with us a longing for unity and justice that can be met only by the Cause of God.
>A long and arduous process of struggle, experimentation and construction has led to the victories that lift our hearts as a new century opens. **Through the rapidly proliferating system of institutes and the energy being invested everywhere in area growth strategies, the Bahá’í community has moved swiftly to capitalize on what has been achieved. However deep may be the gloom enveloping the world, the future has never looked so bright for the prosecution of Bahá’u’lláh’s mission.** We who have been privileged to gather here this week have witnessed, with our own eyes, the dawning fulfillment of the words revealed by the Lord of Hosts on this mountain over a century ago, words which cause the very atoms of the earth to vibrate: “Verily this is the Day in which both land and sea rejoice at this announcement, the Day for which have been laid up those things which God, through a bounty beyond the ken of mortal mind or heart, hath destined for revelation.”
>Such a privilege carries with it an equally great responsibility, the responsibility to do our part, whatever the sacrifice, whatever the difficulty, to see that the poignant desire expressed by Bahá’u’lláh on that historic occasion is fulfilled: “Oh, how I long to announce unto every spot on the surface of the earth, and to carry to each one of its cities, the glad-tidings of this Revelation—a Revelation to which the heart of Sinai hath been attracted, and in whose name the Burning Bush is calling: ‘Unto God, the Lord of Lords, belong the kingdoms of earth and heaven.’”
>With all the fervor of thankful hearts, we will pray at the Holy Threshold that Bahá’u’lláh will bless and confirm every effort you make to advance His purpose for the redemption of humankind and the healing of its ills.
>[signed: The Universal House of Justice]
Show full