Bahá'í World Congress
Encyclopedia
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
from across the world that is called irregularly by 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...
, the governing body of the Bahá'ís. There have only been two conferences of this nature; in 1963 and 1992.
1963: First Bahá'í World Congress
The first Bahá'í World Congress was held in Royal Albert HallRoyal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and approximately 6,000 Bahá'ís attended. It was called to announce and present the election of the first Universal House of Justice, elected by the participation of over 50 National Spiritual Assemblies
Spiritual Assembly
Spiritual Assembly is a term given by `Abdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Bahá'í Faith. Because the Bahá'í Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community...
.
1992: Second Bahá'í World Congress
The Second Bahá'í World Congress from November 23rd -26th, 1992 took place in order to pay homage to the 100th anniversary of the passing of the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, Bahá'u'lláhBahá'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...
. 30,000 Bahá'ís attended the event in the Jacob Javits Center
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is a large convention center located on Eleventh Avenue, between 34th and 38th streets, on the West side of Manhattan in New York City. It was designed by architects I. M. Pei and partners. The revolutionary space frame structure was undertaken in 1979 and...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA, for four days of commemoration in the form of music, speeches, artistic performances and social gathering.
The Congress participants represented the diversity of the Bahá'ís from over 180 different nations. The purpose of this World Congress was to "celebrate the Centenary of the inauguration of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh and to proclaim its aims and unifying power."
Program
The main sessions of the World Congress took place two hours each day at the Jacob Javits Center.- Day one concentrated on the recognition of Baha'u'llah as the Promise of All Ages.
- Day two celebrated `Abdu'l-Bahá`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...
as the Center of the Covenant. The program highlighted the nature of the CovenantCovenant of Bahá'u'lláhCovenant in the Bahá'í Faith refers to two separate binding agreements between God and man. A Covenant in the religious sense is a binding agreement made between God and man wherein a certain behaviour is required of man and in return God guarantees certain blessings...
, and New York as the City of the Covenant. - Day three covered some achievements of the Bahá'í community.
- Day four explored humanity's encounter with Bahá'u'lláh as a prelude to the culmination of the congress, a message from the Universal House of Justice.