To all National
Spiritual Assemblies
Beloved friends,
The time has now
come in the progress of the Nine Year Plan when the Bahá'í world must devote a
greater effort towards the development of the Faith at its World Centre.
Nearly all the
accessible unsettled territories of the Plan have now been settled, bases have
been established throughout the world for the future expansion of the Faith; a
programme of progressive consolidation is being pursued hand-in-hand with
continued expansion; plans for the construction of the Panama Temple are well
advanced; the Haziratu'l-Quds, Temple sites and endowments called for in the
Plan are being steadily acquired; by the end of the next Ridvan period 81 out
of the 108 National Spiritual Assemblies called for by 1973 will have been
established; and the opening of the period of the proclamation of the Faith is
fast approaching.
Since the Universal
House of Justice came into being in 1963, its primary concern at the World
Centre of the Faith has been with the basic, minimum essentials of undertaking
repairs to the Holy Places; establishing its administrative offices;
reorganizing the accommodation of pilgrims; gathering its staff, developing a
suitable housing programme for the Hands of the Cause and their families, the
members of the House of Justice and their families, and all other believers
serving at the World Centre; formulating plans for the expansion of the Gardens
and taking the first steps in their initiation; collating the Sacred Texts and
the letters of Shoghi Effendi and indexing them; and fostering relations with
the Government of the State of Israel and with the United Nations.
The increased burden which these essential steps have imposed upon the International Fund we have endeavoured to keep at a minimum so that, in the early stages of the Plan, the maximum resources could be utilized in the teaching work throughout the world.
However, we must now
embark upon certain major undertakings vital to the future progress of the
Cause. Extensive beautification of the sacred endowments surrounding the Holy
Shrines in Bahji and Haifa, as well as at the site of the future Mashriqu'l-
Adhkar on Mount Carmel must be undertaken, both for its own sake and for the
protection of these lands which are situated within the boundaries of rapidly
expanding cities; the work of classifying and codifying the Holy Texts must be
urgently prosecuted; the arrangements for pilgrimage may have to be greatly
expanded to provide for the ever-increasing number of applications from East
and West; the Intercontinental Conferences and the International Convention
must be held and paid for; and the auxiliary institutions of the Universal
House of Justice must begin to unfold so that the ever-growing and increasingly
complex work of the World Centre of the Faith may continue to be efficiently
discharged. Moreover, the vital assistance given by the International Fund to
the work of the Hands of the Cause and National Spiritual Assemblies must be
maintained.
The minimum budget
requirements of the International Fund have nearly doubled since 1963, and if
in addition we are to be enabled to undertake these developments, a much
greater flow of funds will be needed than is now available.
We call upon every
National Spiritual Assembly to consider now the amount that it can allocate as
a contribution to the International Fund in its budget for the coming year. In
some cases this may mean that contributions made hitherto will be doubled,
trebled, or even more greatly increased. Please write as soon as your decision
has been made, and not later than 21 April, telling us the estimated amount of
your allocation.
This is a vitally
important matter, and we shall pray in the Holy Shrines that the friends
throughout the world will respond wholeheartedly to this call.
With loving Bahá'í
greetings,
The Universal House
of Justice
(‘Messages from the
Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)
