Bahá'í World Congress
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The Bahá'í World Congress is a large gathering of Bahá'ís from all over the world that is called ever so often by The Universal House of Justice. There have only been two conferences of this nature. The first Bahá'í World Congress occurred in 1963 and the second in 1992.
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[edit] 1963: First Bahá'í World Congress
Approximately 6,000 Bahá'ís gathered in Royal Albert Hall in London, England for this occasion. 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.
[edit] 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'lláh. 30,000 Bahá'ís from all corners of the globe gathered together in the Jacob Javits Center in New York City for four days of commemoration in the form of music, speeches, artistic performances and social gathering.
The Congress participants represented an extraordinary example of human diversity, with Bahá'ís from over 180 different nations. The program appealed to Baha'is of varying cultural backgrounds, different levels of literacy and familiarity with the official languages of the Congress, and with different expectations and motivations. It is said that the World Congress Program captured the hearts of all its participants. According to the World Congress Program Committee, 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."
[edit] The Congress Program:
The main sessions of the World Congress took place two hours each day at the Jacob Javits Center. The sessions represented a spiritual journey for each participant:
- The journey began on Day One with the recognition of Baha'u'llah as the Promise of All Ages, and concluded with a tangible demonstration of "the Covenant as the pivotal center of unity for all mankind."
- Day Two celebrated `Abdu'l-Bahá as the Center of the Covenant. The program highlighted the world-embracing nature of the Covenant, New York as the City of the Covenant, and an intimate and personal appreciation of `Abdu'l-Bahá.
- The Third Day recounted the achievements of the Bahá'í Community assembled beneath the banner of the Covenant.
- 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.
[edit] References:
| Series on the Bahá'í Faith  |
Central Figures | Scripture | Key Figures | Principal Teachings | See also | |||||
| The Báb Bahá'u'lláh Abdu'l-Bahá |
Kitáb-i-Aqdas Kitáb-i-Íqán Hidden Words Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Summons |
Shoghi Effendi Martha Root · Táhirih Badí‘ · Apostles Hands of the Cause |
Unity of humanity Unity of religion Gender equality Science and religion Auxiliary language |
Symbols · Literature Teachings · Laws History · Administration Calendar · Pilgrimage Index of Bahá'í Articles |
