The Council were recently asked to attend a reception in Stormont held on behalf of Trocaire, a Catholic relief organisation. The aim of the event was to seek support for an early day motion against slavery and bonded labour. The main speaker was a Mr Dennis Uba who works for an affiliated organisation of Trocaire's and who is based in Bangkok.
His talk gave graphic examples of slavery and bonded labour in third world
countries. The aim of which was to raise awareness of this social evil. In the discussion, following the talk, mention was made of the Bahá’í way of sending their children at a certain age for a year of service. Mr Uba approached the Council representative at the conclusion of the meeting and expressed great respect for this initiative of our community stating that it showed great maturity and wisdom. He went on to reveal that he had visited the Bahá’í Temple in New Dehli. It is at meetings such as this that the wisdom is seen of creating a younger generation that is more truly knowledgeable and sensitive to global needs through their participation in international service projects.
The Council have appointed a Year of Service Co-ordinator:
Mrs Susie Agahi, 72 Deramore Pk South BT9 5TY ph: 90945152
Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’u’lláh it is to you I pray
please help me be a better person each and every day
Please eliminate my ego, eliminate my pride,
May I only think of others and put my needs aside.
Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’u’lláh it is to you I pray
please help me to try harder each and every day
To make the world a better place for everyone to live,
May I love those who hurt me and learn to forgive.
Master, How can others really be attracted to us
If all we do at meetings is disagree and fuss?
Only when others see us love, laugh and smile,
Will they be interested in staying a while.
Bahá’u’lláh, Baha’u’llah it is to you I pray,
please help me be a better person each and every day
To truly show compassion and to really try,
Every day in every way to be a better Baha’i.
BBC Radio Foyle transmitted a ten-minutes interview with Iain Palin on 21st March. It was not about Naw-Ruz (though that was mentioned elsewhere on air) but about the National Spiritual Assembly's recent statement on family violence. The Derry Baha'is have sent it to many local women's and community groups and also prepared a leaflet format customised with local Baha'i contact information which has been printed up and the believers are distributing. The interviewer was interested to hear of the activity and praised the aims and content of the statement.
In the last edition of CommuNIqué it was written that "Ian Long gave us a lovely glass mosaic made from the broken pieces of stain-glass from the Shrine of the Bab". This was among the various presents given to the Council. This is not entirely accurate and the true facts are as follows. All the broken stained glass pieces removed from the original windows installed by Shoghi Effendi in 1946 were all numbered and carefully kept in a special box in the glass workshop. Replacement pieces were made out of new coloured glass. The experimental piece Ian Long gave to the Council was constructed from broken pieces of new coloured glass lying about the workshop.