Bahá'í Faith in Dominica
Encyclopedia
The Bahá'í Faith in Dominica begins with a mention by `Abdu'l-Bahá
, then head of the religion, in 1916 as Latin America
being among the places Bahá'ís should take the religion to. The island of Dominica
was specifically listed as an objective for plans on spreading the religion in 1939 by Shoghi Effendi
, who succeeded `Abdu'l-Baha as head of the religion. In 1983, William Nedden is credited with being the first pioneer
to Dominica at the festivities associated with the inaugural election of the Dominican Bahá'ís National Spiritual Assembly with Hand of the Cause, Dhikru'llah Khadem
representing the Universal House of Justice
. Later research records Ivor Ellard arrived two days before, April 17, 1966. The first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Dominica was elected in 1976. Since then, Bahá'ís have participated in several projects for the benefit of the wider community, and in 2001 various sources report between less than 1.4% and up to 1.7% of the island's approximately 70,000 citizens are Bahá'ís.
in 1916-1917; these letters were compiled together in the book titled Tablets of the Divine Plan
. The sixth of the tablets was the first to mention Latin America
n regions and was written on April 8, 1916, but was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919—after the end of the First World War
and the Spanish flu
. The first actions on the part of Bahá'í community towards Latin America were that of a few individuals who made trips to Mexico
and South America
near or before this unveiling in 1919, including Mr. and Mrs. Frankland, and Roy C. Wilhelm, and Martha Root
. The sixth tablet was translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
on April 4, 1919, and published in Star of the West magazine on December 12, 1919.
on May 1, 1936 to the Bahá'í Annual Convention of the United States and Canada, and asked for the systematic implementation of `Abdu'l-Bahá's vision to begin. In his cable he wrote:
Following the May 1 cable, another cable from Shoghi Effendi came on May 19 calling for permanent pioneers
to be established in all the countries of Latin America. The Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada appointed the Inter-America Committee to take charge of the preparations. During the 1937 Bahá'í North American Convention, Shoghi Effendi cabled advising the convention to prolong their deliberations to permit the delegates and the National Assembly to consult on a plan that would enable Bahá'ís to go to Latin America as well as to include the completion of the outer structure of the Bahá'í House of Worship
in Wilmette, Illinois. In 1937 the First Seven Year Plan (1937–44), which was an international plan designed by Shoghi Effendi, gave the American Bahá'ís the goal of establishing the Bahá'í Faith in every country in Latin America. With the spread of American Bahá'ís in Latin American, Bahá'í communities and Local Spiritual Assemblies began to form in 1938 across the rest of Latin America. Dominica was specifically listed as an objective for plans on spreading the religion in 1939. There is a record of a Elena Marsella, from Boston, in Dominica before June 1947 though other sources claim no Bahá'í had settled in Dominica through 1966 and other references of Marella show her in the Dominican Republic.
s arrived on April 17 (Ivor Ellard) and 19 (William Nedden), 1966. From 1966 the region was reorganized among the Bahá'ís of Leeward
, Windward
and Virgin Islands
with its seat in Charlotte Amalie
with Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies in neighboring islands to Dominica by the end of 1963. Nedden moved to other nearby islands. For five weeks in 1970 Hand of the Cause Ruhiyyih Khanum
toured Caribbean Islands. On the island of Dominica she could only find one Bahá'í, a pioneer from Haita, as the rest were semi-nomadic. From 1972 the regional assembly was reorganized for Barbados
, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent
, Grenada
and other Windward Islands. About December 1975 Bahá´ís again visited the Carib Indians; this time leaving them with Bahá'í literature
. The first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Dominica was elected in 1976 in St. George
. In 1977 the first Carib joined the religion Joe Rabess. In 1978 assemblies were elected in St. Luke
, St. Paul
and St. Joseph
. In 1979, Category 5 Hurricane David
impacted Dominca and Errol (Bobby) Martin, who was vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Leeward and Virgin Islands and an officer of the Montserrat Amateur Radio Society provided the loan link off the island for communication for some time.
Early in 1983 a team of Dominican Bahá'ís set out to tour several cities and villages to makes contact isolated Bahá´'ís as well as promulgate the religion in new areas - they may have been the first time to do so composed only of Dominican citizens. Later in 1983 Hand of the Cause, Dhikru'llah Khadem represented the Universal House of Justice, which succeeded Shoghi Effendi as the head of the religion, at the inaugural Convention for the National Spiritual Assembly of Dominica in Roseau
. In October 1984 the Bahá'ís of Roseau held a youth conference. In 1988 the National Assembly oversaw the translation and publication of the Hidden Words
of Bahá'u'lláh
.
dated 20 October 1983 was released. Bahá'ís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Bahá'í teachings
, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Bahá'í socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482. In 1982 the Bahá'ís starting holding observances of World Religion Day and in 1986 the observance included a tribute of Martin Luther King, Jr.
by a Dominican official brought the largest audience to far and coverage by national radio news. Through the rest of 1986 the distribution of a publication of the Universal House of Justice, the Promise of World Peace reached a point where it or the author were noticed in a number of venues from non-Bahá'ís until the Bahá'ís themselves lead a procession through several villages and an art contest celebrating peace. In 1988 Carib Indians from Belize visited Dominica as part of a Trail of Light series of events Bahá'í native Americans have been undertaking. Interviews of the travelers was taken and broadcast on Dominican radio several times as well as in print for the island newspaper. Public performances and private audiences between the visiting and native Caribs took place. In 1989 a translation in Creole of The Hidden Words was published and was recognized as a contribution to the preservation of the Dominican culture. In 1990 teams of Caribbean youth traveled among the islands and a team went to Dominica and worked for the Association for the Disabled. In 2000 Bahá'ís of Dominica hosted a prayer gathering in an auditorium at the University of West Indies Centre in Roseau and accomplished literacy and education projects. The Dominican government supported the United Nations
General Assembly
vote on the "Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran" (A/56/583/Add.3 Draft Resolution) on 19 December 2001.
reported 1.7% of Dominicans were Bahá'ís.
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
, then head of the religion, in 1916 as Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
being among the places Bahá'ís should take the religion to. The island of Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
was specifically listed as an objective for plans on spreading the religion in 1939 by Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
, who succeeded `Abdu'l-Baha as head of the religion. In 1983, William Nedden is credited with being the first pioneer
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
to Dominica at the festivities associated with the inaugural election of the Dominican Bahá'ís National Spiritual Assembly with Hand of the Cause, Dhikru'llah Khadem
Dhikru'llah Khadem
Dhikru'llah Khadem was a prominent follower of the Bahá'í Faith, and was appointed by Shoghi Effendi to be a Hand of the Cause in 1952....
representing the Universal House of Justice
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
. Later research records Ivor Ellard arrived two days before, April 17, 1966. The first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Dominica was elected in 1976. Since then, Bahá'ís have participated in several projects for the benefit of the wider community, and in 2001 various sources report between less than 1.4% and up to 1.7% of the island's approximately 70,000 citizens are Bahá'ís.
Pre-history
`Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, wrote a series of letters, or tablets, to the followers of the religion in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1916-1917; these letters were compiled together in the book titled Tablets of the Divine Plan
Tablets of the Divine Plan
The Tablets of the Divine Plan collectively refers to 14 letters written between September 1916 and March 1917 by `Abdu'l-Bahá to Bahá'ís in the United States and Canada. Included in multiple books, the first five tablets were printed in America in Star of the West - Vol. VII, No. 10, September 8,...
. The sixth of the tablets was the first to mention Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n regions and was written on April 8, 1916, but was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919—after the end of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
. The first actions on the part of Bahá'í community towards Latin America were that of a few individuals who made trips to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
near or before this unveiling in 1919, including Mr. and Mrs. Frankland, and Roy C. Wilhelm, and Martha Root
Martha Root
Martha Louise Root was a prominent traveling teacher of the Bahá'í Faith in the late 19th and early 20th century. Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith called her "the foremost travel teacher in the first Bahá'í Century", and named her a Hand of the Cause posthumously...
. The sixth tablet was translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
Mírzá Aḥmad Sohráb was a Persian-American author and Bahá'í who co-founded the New History Society and the Caravan of East and West in New York, and was excommunicated from the Bahá'í Faith in 1939 by Shoghi Effendi.-Early life:...
on April 4, 1919, and published in Star of the West magazine on December 12, 1919.
His Holiness ChristChristChrist is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
says: Travel ye to the East and to the West of the world and summon the people to the Kingdom of GodKingdom of GodThe Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven is a foundational concept in the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.The term "Kingdom of God" is found in all four canonical gospels and in the Pauline epistles...
.…(travel to) the Islands of the West Indies, such as CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, HaitiHaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, JamaicaBahá'í Faith in JamaicaThe Bahá'í Faith in Jamaica begins with a mention by `Abdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, in 1916 as Latin America being among the places Bahá'ís should take the religion to. The community of the Bahá'ís begins in 1942 with the arrival of Dr. Malcolm King. The first Bahá'í Local Spiritual...
, the Islands of the Lesser AntillesLesser AntillesThe Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
(which includes Dominca), Bahama Islands, even the small Watling Island, have great importance…
Seven Year Plan and succeeding decades
Shoghi Effendi wrote a cableTelegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
on May 1, 1936 to the Bahá'í Annual Convention of the United States and Canada, and asked for the systematic implementation of `Abdu'l-Bahá's vision to begin. In his cable he wrote:
Appeal to assembled delegates ponder historic appeal voiced by `Abdu'l-Bahá in Tablets of the Divine Plan. Urge earnest deliberation with incoming National Assembly to insure its complete fulfillment. First century of Bahá'í Era drawing to a close. Humanity entering outer fringes most perilous stage its existence. Opportunities of present hour unimaginably precious. Would to God every State within American Republic and every Republic in American continent might ere termination of this glorious century embrace the light of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh and establish structural basis of His World Order.
Following the May 1 cable, another cable from Shoghi Effendi came on May 19 calling for permanent pioneers
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
to be established in all the countries of Latin America. The Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada appointed the Inter-America Committee to take charge of the preparations. During the 1937 Bahá'í North American Convention, Shoghi Effendi cabled advising the convention to prolong their deliberations to permit the delegates and the National Assembly to consult on a plan that would enable Bahá'ís to go to Latin America as well as to include the completion of the outer structure of the Bahá'í House of Worship
Bahá'í House of Worship
A Bahá'í House of Worship, sometimes referred to by its Arabic name of Mashriqu'l-Adhkár ,is the designation of a place of worship, or temple, of the Bahá'í Faith...
in Wilmette, Illinois. In 1937 the First Seven Year Plan (1937–44), which was an international plan designed by Shoghi Effendi, gave the American Bahá'ís the goal of establishing the Bahá'í Faith in every country in Latin America. With the spread of American Bahá'ís in Latin American, Bahá'í communities and Local Spiritual Assemblies began to form in 1938 across the rest of Latin America. Dominica was specifically listed as an objective for plans on spreading the religion in 1939. There is a record of a Elena Marsella, from Boston, in Dominica before June 1947 though other sources claim no Bahá'í had settled in Dominica through 1966 and other references of Marella show her in the Dominican Republic.
Establishment
As far back as 1951 the Bahá'ís had organized a regional National Assembly for the combination of Mexico, Central America and the Antilles islands. A Bahá'í made a trip to Dominica specifically to try to reach the Carib Indians on May 7, 1959. PioneerPioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
s arrived on April 17 (Ivor Ellard) and 19 (William Nedden), 1966. From 1966 the region was reorganized among the Bahá'ís of Leeward
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
, Windward
Windward Islands
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the...
and Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
with its seat in Charlotte Amalie
Amalie
Amalie is a feminine given name, and may refer to:Places* Amalie, California, former settlementPeople* Amalie Malling , Danish classical pianist* Amalie Schoppe , German writer-See also:* Amélie is a 2001 romantic comedy film...
with Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies in neighboring islands to Dominica by the end of 1963. Nedden moved to other nearby islands. For five weeks in 1970 Hand of the Cause Ruhiyyih Khanum
Rúhíyyih Khanum
Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum , born Mary Sutherland Maxwell was the wife of Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921–1957. She was appointed by him as a Hand of the Cause, and served an important role in the transfer of authority from 1957–1963...
toured Caribbean Islands. On the island of Dominica she could only find one Bahá'í, a pioneer from Haita, as the rest were semi-nomadic. From 1972 the regional assembly was reorganized for Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
, Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
and other Windward Islands. About December 1975 Bahá´ís again visited the Carib Indians; this time leaving them with Bahá'í literature
Bahá'í literature
Bahá'í literature, like much religious text, covers a variety of topics and forms, including scripture and inspiration, interpretation, history and biography, introduction and study materials, and apologia...
. The first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Dominica was elected in 1976 in St. George
Saint George Parish, Dominica
Saint George is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by Saint Paul and part of the Boeri River , Saint Patrick , and Saint Luke ....
. In 1977 the first Carib joined the religion Joe Rabess. In 1978 assemblies were elected in St. Luke
Saint Luke Parish, Dominica
Saint Luke is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. George , St. Mark , and St. Patrick ....
, St. Paul
Saint Paul Parish, Dominica
Saint Paul is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. Joseph to the north, St. David to the east, and St. George to the south. It has an area of 67.4 km² , and a population of 8,397....
and St. Joseph
Saint Joseph Parish, Dominica
Saint Joseph is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. Peter to the north, St. Andrew to the northeast, St. David to the east, and St. Paul to the south. It has an area of 120.1 km² , and a population of 5,765....
. In 1979, Category 5 Hurricane David
Hurricane David
Hurricane David was the fourth named tropical cyclone, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. A Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, David was among the deadliest hurricanes in the latter half of the 20th century, killing...
impacted Dominca and Errol (Bobby) Martin, who was vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Leeward and Virgin Islands and an officer of the Montserrat Amateur Radio Society provided the loan link off the island for communication for some time.
Early in 1983 a team of Dominican Bahá'ís set out to tour several cities and villages to makes contact isolated Bahá´'ís as well as promulgate the religion in new areas - they may have been the first time to do so composed only of Dominican citizens. Later in 1983 Hand of the Cause, Dhikru'llah Khadem represented the Universal House of Justice, which succeeded Shoghi Effendi as the head of the religion, at the inaugural Convention for the National Spiritual Assembly of Dominica in Roseau
Roseau
-Architecture:The central district of Roseau is tightly packed with small and large houses and even larger modern concrete structures. There is little green or open space situated within the city, and this is even more so today, as many of the courtyards which was once commonplace within the city...
. In October 1984 the Bahá'ís of Roseau held a youth conference. In 1988 the National Assembly oversaw the translation and publication of the Hidden Words
Hidden Words
Kalimát-i-Maknúnih or The Hidden Words is a book written in Baghdad around 1857 by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith...
of Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
.
Modern community
Since its inception the religion has had involvement in socio-economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women, promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern, and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural coops, and clinics. The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of JusticeUniversal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
dated 20 October 1983 was released. Bahá'ís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Bahá'í teachings
Bahá'í teachings
The Bahá'í teachings represent a considerable number of theological, social, and spiritual ideas that were established in the Bahá'í Faith by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion, and clarified by successive leaders including `Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's son, and Shoghi Effendi, `Abdu'l-Bahá's...
, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Bahá'í socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482. In 1982 the Bahá'ís starting holding observances of World Religion Day and in 1986 the observance included a tribute of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
by a Dominican official brought the largest audience to far and coverage by national radio news. Through the rest of 1986 the distribution of a publication of the Universal House of Justice, the Promise of World Peace reached a point where it or the author were noticed in a number of venues from non-Bahá'ís until the Bahá'ís themselves lead a procession through several villages and an art contest celebrating peace. In 1988 Carib Indians from Belize visited Dominica as part of a Trail of Light series of events Bahá'í native Americans have been undertaking. Interviews of the travelers was taken and broadcast on Dominican radio several times as well as in print for the island newspaper. Public performances and private audiences between the visiting and native Caribs took place. In 1989 a translation in Creole of The Hidden Words was published and was recognized as a contribution to the preservation of the Dominican culture. In 1990 teams of Caribbean youth traveled among the islands and a team went to Dominica and worked for the Association for the Disabled. In 2000 Bahá'ís of Dominica hosted a prayer gathering in an auditorium at the University of West Indies Centre in Roseau and accomplished literacy and education projects. The Dominican government supported the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
vote on the "Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran" (A/56/583/Add.3 Draft Resolution) on 19 December 2001.
Demographics
According to the 2001 population and housing census for Dominica, 1.4% of the population belonged to "other" religious groups, including the Bahá'í Faith. However, the 2001 World Christian DatabaseWorld Christian Encyclopedia
World Christian Encyclopedia is a reference work published by Oxford University Press, known for providing membership statistics for major and minor world religions in every country of the world, including historical data and projections of future populations.The first edition, by David B. Barrett,...
reported 1.7% of Dominicans were Bahá'ís.