Chronology: Date 1974

Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1974, descending — sort earliest first

date	event	tags	firsts
1974 1 Dec 197-	The Bahá'í International Community appointed a representative in Nairobi. [BIC History 1974]	Bahá'í International Community; Nairobi, Kenya; Kenya
1974 5 - 16 Nov 197-	The United Nations World Food Conference was held in Rome. [BW16p344] The Bahá'í International Community delegates to this conference presented the brochure, One World, One People - A Bahá'í View. See the statement presented by the Bahá'í International Community to the Conference.	United Nations; Bahá'í International Community; Rome, Italy; Italy
1974 25 Oct 197-	FUNDAEC (A Spanish acronym for Foundation for the Application and Teaching of the Sciences) was founded by a group of scientists and professionals led by Farzam Arbab, a renowned physicist who had arrived as a visiting professor to the University of Valle in 1970. The non-profit, non-governmental organization focused on training and development in the rural areas of Colombia and other countries in Latin America. [FUNDAEC website] They would go on to establish SAT (Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial) which expanded across Latin America to reach more than 300,000 students, and become accredited and recognized by a number of governments. The Brookings Institution, a major think tank in the United States, described SAT as "catalyzing an education revolution" by "transforming how education is conceptualized, designed, and delivered." It does this by focusing on skills that are beyond the traditional academic skills, such as moral and character development, and it conceives of learning as something much broader. The philosophy is one of nurturing socially minded young people who can support and sustain development in their own communities. It bridges theory with practice by linking classroom work with practical projects, like encouraging students to learn mathematics and science in the context of growing vegetables or using their language abilities to start small study groups to promote literacy. One difference between SAT and other widely accepted classroom models is the concept of "tutors." Teachers working with SAT are referred to as tutors, and their role is defined as guiding and facilitating the learning process, rather than only imparting information. The lack of hierarchy is "an important distinction", wrote Brookings, "as it creates a culture of mutual respect and trust between tutors and students". [BWN1155]	FUNDAEC; SAT (Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial); Colombia
1974 13 Sep 197-	The National Spiritual Assembly of Denmark, with financial assistance from Canada, purchased a Hazíratu’l-Quds for the Greenland community in the centre of Godthaab. [Bahá'í News No 527 February 1975 p5-6]	Haziratul-Quds (Bahá'í centres); Denmark; Canada; Greenland
1974 11 Sep 197-	Annemarie Krüger, a German citizen and a granddaughter of Dr Auguste Forel, arrived in Moldavia (then the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, a part of USSR) on the first of her teaching trips to Chisinau (Kishinev) as a tourist. In 1985 she was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh by the Universal House of Justice, although she never lived in the country. [Candle9 28 July, 2008]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Annemarie Krüger; Moldova	first teaching trip to Moldavia
1974 28 Aug - 2 Sep 197-	The conference held in St Louis, Missouri, to launch the Five Year Plan in the United States attracted some 10,000 Bahá'ís, the largest gathering of Bahá'ís to take place anywhere in the world to date. [BW16:203; VV40] See "From Badasht to Stain Louis; An Evaluation of the First Bahá'í Conference and the Largest" by Zikrullah Khadem, ZK266-278.	Conferences, Bahá'í; Zikrullah Khadem; St. Louis, MO; United States (USA); Badasht, Iran; Iran
1974 19 - 30 Aug 197-	The 3rd World Population Conference was held in Bucharest, Romania. The Conference was attended by representatives of 135 countries. The debate focused on the relationship between population issues and development. The Conference adopted the World Population Plan of Action, which stated, among other principles, that the essential aim is the social, economic and cultural development of countries, that population variables and development are interdependent and that population policies and objectives are an integral part (constituent elements) of socio-economic development policies. [United Nations site] The Bahá'í International Community delegates to this conference presented the brochure, One World, One People - A Bahá'í View. The paper emphasized that 'effective medium and long-range plans for solving the world food problem must rest on a conviction, by the individual and society, of the organic oneness of humanity, and a commitment to education and work that will be of service not only to one's fellow citizens, but to mankind as a whole', and suggested, among other considerations, that 'agriculture must be acknowledged as a vital human occupation and given a position of prestige in society'. Delegates to the conference included Dr. Victor de Araujo, Miss Anneliese Bopp, Dr. Marco G. Kappenberger, and Mr. André McLaughlin. [BW16p344]	United Nations; Bahá'í International Community; Victor de Araujo; Anneliese Bopp; Marco G. Kappenberger; Andre McLaughlin; Bucharest, Romania; Romania
1974 18 Aug 197-	Laura Clifford Dreyfus-Barney, (b. 30 Nov 1879, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA) passed away in Paris. [BW16:296] For her obituary see BW16:535–8. She was buried at Cimetiere de Passy, Paris, City of Paris, Île-de-France, France. She is best known for having compiled the Bahá'í text Some Answered Questions from her interviews with `Abdu'l-Bahá during her visit to Akka between 1904 and 1906. [Wikipedia] See Laura Barney's Discipleship to 'Abdu'l-Bahá: Tracing a Theological Flow from the Middle East to the United States, 1900–1916 by Layli Maria Miron in The Journal of Bahá'í Studies 28.1-2 2018. She was the only Western woman to have been designated as "Amatu'l-Bahá" (Handmaid of Bahá) by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [Some Answered Questions" and Its Compiler by Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani published in Lights of Irfan, 18, pages 445; M9YA314] At the end of the war she placed her faith in the League of Nations and represented the International Council of Women in that body, playing an important role in cultural exchange. She was the only woman named by the League Council to sit on the Sub-Committee of experts on Education, a post which she held for many years, beginning in 1926. On 23 July 1925 she was appointed Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur. In that same year she formed under the aegis of the League of Nations the 'Liaison Committee of Major International Organizations to promote through Education better Understanding between Peoples and Classes' and became a permanent member of the committee as well as its liaison officer. In 1934 she became a member of the Advisory Committee of the League of Nations on Teaching; she was also a member of the French Committee on Intellectual Co-operation. [BW15p537] See A Glimpse into the Life of Laura Dreyfus-Barney by Mona Khademi for a brief biography of Laura Barney and her family. My Interview with Laura Dreyfus-Barney by Jack McLean (1967) See The Life of Laura Barney by Mona Khademi published by George Ronald in 2022. See page 67-71 for an account of her recording of the "table talks" of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. See page399 for her listing in Who's Who in America.	Laura Clifford Barney; - In Memoriam; - Births and deaths; Amatul-Bahá (title); Some Answered Questions (book); Paris, France; France
1974 11 – 18 Aug 197-	The first Teaching Conference of the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe took place in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. [BW16:110] The conference was seen as an historic one in that it was the first to which participants had come to order to discuss the whole area of the European Arctic and sub-Arctic stretching from Finland in the west in Greenland in the east, from Svalbard in the extreme north to the Scottish islands in the south. Iceland is the only country in Europe that has planned and systematically carried out, year by year, a program of proclamation (now in its fourth year) that has taken the Faith throughout the entire country, north, south, east and west. (Betty Reed, Continental Board of Counsellors for Europe) [BN No 525 8 December 1974 p10-11]	Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Teaching; - First conferences; - Circumpolar regions; Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; Faroe Islands, Denmark; Arctic; Finland; Greenland; Svalbard, Norway; Scottish Islands	first Teaching Conference of Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe
1974 4 – 8 Aug 197-	The first International Youth Conference, the largest conference ever held in Hawaii to date, took place in Hilo. [BW16:229]< For picture see BW16:232.	Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Youth; - Conferences, International; - First conferences; Hilo, HI; Hawaii, USA	first International Youth Conference in Hawaii
1974 Aug 197-	The first local spiritual assembly in Andorra was formed at Andorra la Vella.	Local Spiritual Assembly; Andorra	first Local Spiritual Assembly Andorra
1974 Aug 197-	The first Bahá'í to settle on Christmas Island, Stanley Foo, arrived from Malaysia.	- First travel teachers and pioneers; Christmas Island, Australia	first Bahá’í to settle on Christmas Island
1974 13 July 197-	The dedication of the Bosch Bahá'í School north of Santa Cruz, California. (Bosch Bahá'í School website, Bahá'´News page 716]	Bosch Bahá'í School; - Bahá'í schools (conference centres); Bonny Doon, CA; Santa Cruz, CA; California, USA; United States (USA)
1974 9 Jun 197-	In a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Iceland, the Universal House of Justice reiterated the laws not yet binding on the Bahá'ís of the West in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. [9 June 1974]	Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book); Laws; Iceland; - Bahá'í World Centre
1974 Jun 197-	The first Alacalufe Indians to become Bahá'ís enrolled in Puerto Eden, Chile. [BW16:215]	- First believers by background; Villa Puerto Edén, Chile; Chile	first Alacalufe Indian Bahá'ís in Chile
1974 20 May 197-	The Iraqi military court tried nearly 50 Bahá'ís and handed down in absentia sentences of life imprisonment on ten Bahá'ís, two of whom were deceased and a number of whom were of other nationalities or Iraqis not resident in Iraq. In the weeks following, 24 Bahá'ís had their property confiscated, one Bahá'í was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment and another to 20 years. [BW16:138]	Persecution, Iraq; - Persecution, Court cases; - Persecution; Iraq
1974 May c. 197-	The first National Youth Conference of Burma took place during the visit of Hand of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum. [BW16:251]	Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum; Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Youth; Youth; - First conferences; Myanmar	first National Youth Conference of Burma
1974 23 Apr 197-	At the trial of nearly 50 Bahá'ís in Baghdád, the Iraqi military court sentenced 13 men and one girl to life imprisonment, one man and two girls to 15 years' imprisonment, and two men and seven women to ten years' imprisonment; 13 Bahá'ís were fined and released. [BW16:138]	Persecution, Iraq; - Persecution, Court cases; - Persecution; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
1974 Ridván 197-	The National Spiritual Assembly of Eastern Malaysia and Brunei elected in 1972 was dissolved and re-constituted under the name the National Spiritual Assembly of Malaysia and the territories of Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei were brought under its jurisdiction. The Assembly was incorporated on the 26th of September, 1974. [BW16p225]	National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Malaysia
1974 Ridván 197-	The first local spiritual assembly of Kotzebue, an Iñupiat Eskimo community situated north of the Arctic Circle, was formed.	Local Spiritual Assembly; Kotzebue, AK; Alaska, USA; United States (USA); Arctic	first Local Spiritual Assembly Kotzebue
1974 Ridván 197-	The National Spiritual Assembly of South East Arabia (Arabian Peninsula) was formed. [Naw Rúz Message 1974; BW16p88]	National Spiritual Assembly, formation; South East Arabia; Arabian Peninsula
1974 Ridván 197-	The National Spiritual Assembly of Hong Kong was formed with its seat in Kowloon. [BW16:233, 251; BWIM114] For picture see BW16:452.	National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Hong Kong	first NSA Hong Kong
1974 Ridván 197-	The National Spiritual Assembly of Japan was formed with its seat in Tokyo. [BW16:233]	National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Tokyo, Japan; Japan	first NSA Japan
1974 Ridván 197-	As part of the the Five Year Plan the Canadian Bahá'í Community was asked to "Cultivate opportunities for courses on the Faith in Canadian institutions of higher learning". In response the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada established the Canadian Association for Studies on the Bahá'í Faith. From 1974 to 1979 four annual meetings were held. The Association grew in membership, published a series of high quality monographs, initiated work on a textbook on the Faith of university calibre and stimulated formal presentation at universities and colleges throughout Canada. [Analysis of the Five Year International Teaching Plan 1974-1979 p76; BW18p194]	Bahá'í studies; Bahá'í Studies, Associations for; Association for Bahá'í Studies (North America); Canada
1974 Ridván 197-	The Universal House of Justice launched the Five Year Plan (1974-1979). [BBD181; BBRSM159; BW16:107; VV17] For the message of the Universal House of Justice setting out the broad objectives of the Plan see BW16:107; Message Naw-Rúz 1974. Three major objectives: -preservation and consolidation of the victories won -a vast and widespread expansion of the Bahá'í community -development of the distinctive character of Bahá'í life particularly in the local communities.	Five Year Plan (1974-1979); - Teaching Plans; - Bahá'í World Centre
1974 21 Mar 197-	In its Naw-Rúz Message the Universal House of Justice announced that there would be eight International Teaching Conferences will be held during the middle part of the Five Year Plan; two for the Arctic, one in Anchorage and one in Helsinki during July 1976, one in Paris in August 1976, one in Nairobi in October 1976, one in Hong Kong in November 1976, one in Auckland and one in Bahia, Brazil in January 1977 and one in Mérida, Mexico in February 1977. The theme of these conferences was the urgent need for the Bahá'ís to ARISE to teach the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. (Arise-Reach-Individual-Souls-Everywhere). 14,500 Bahá'ís attended. [Naw-Rúz 1974.]	Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Teaching; - Conferences, International; Teaching; Arising; Universal House of Justice; - Worldwide
1974 4 Mar 197-	Following the arrest of more than 50 Bahá'ís in Iraq, their trial opened and the Bahá'ís were exonerated. The Revolutionary Council was dissatisfied with this result and the case was ordered to be reopened in a military court with the death sentence requested for all the detainees. [BW16:138]	Persecution, Iraq; - Persecution, Arrests; - Persecution, Court cases; - Persecution; Iraq
1974 Mar 197-	The Bahá'í Publishing Trust of the Philippines was established in Manila. [DM318]	- Publishing Trusts; Manila, Philippines; Philippines
1974 7 Feb 197-	The construction of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice was initiated with the acceptance of the design conceived by architect Husayn Amánat. [BW17:73]	Hossein Amanat (Husayn Amanat); Universal House of Justice, Seat of (Haifa); Architecture; - Bahá'í World Centre
1974 4 Feb 197-	The death of Charles Mason Remey, Hand of the Cause of God (1951-60) and subsequently a Covenant-breaker. in Florence, Italy. (b.15 May 1874) [Wikipedia] Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii] He was declared a Covenant-breaker by the Hands of the Cause on the 26th of July, 1960.	Charles Mason Remey; Covenant-breaking; - Births and deaths; Florence, Italy; Italy
1974 1 Feb 197-	The passing of Daoud Toeg (b. Baghdad, Iraq in 1897) in Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau). After he had learned of the Faith he enrolled eight other persons before writing the Guardian with his own declaration. He pioneered to Italy in the 1930s for about a year and a half. In 1954 he was appointed Auxiliary Board Member for Iraq, on the first Auxiliary Board for Asia. He served for sixteen years. He supervised the construction of the Hazíratu'l-Quds in Baghdad and was helpful in securing a Temple site. Mr. Toeg served the Guardian by conveying artifacts and Huqúqu'lláh payments from Persia to the Holy Land at a time when there was no direct communications. He served as a representative of the Huqúqu'lláh for the believers in Iraq. He was instrumental in locating and photographing the caves of Sar-Galú in Sulaymáníyyih, Kurdistán where Bahá'u'lláh lived for two years while in retreat. He, his wife Latifa, and their sons pioneered to Kirkuk during the Ten Year Crusade but after seven years were asked to return to Baghdad to assist with the work there. The family left Iraq in 1970 and settled in Hull where they helped to establish the first Local Spiritual Assembly. [BW16p527-528, Bahá'í World 16, Grave]	Daoud Toeg; - In Memoriam; Auxiliary board members; Hull, QC; Quebec, Canada; Baghdad, Iraq; Sulaymaniyyih, Iraq; Kurdistan; Iraq	First Local Spiritual Assembly of Hull
1974 (In the year) 197-	Oscar DeGruy founded Bahá'í youth workshops to reach disaffected young people battered by racism, gang violence and drug abuse. The groups aided youth to explore the social problems plaguing the world and to identify the spiritual principles that could address them. The groups created dances that creatively addressed different issues, such as ending racial prejudice, substance abuse, and the equality of men and women. A generation of Baha'i youth in the U.S. were raised with the workshop model. Eventually the idea spread worldwide, and youth in other countries used the workshop model to explore the application of Bahá'í principles to the issues in their own countries. The performance troupe "Beyond Words" in 2009 comprised youth from South Africa, Cuba, Taiwan, Ireland, United Kingdom. [One Country Jul-Sep 1997 Vol 9 Issue 2]	Dance workshops; Oscar DeGruy
1974 (In the year) 197-	The publication of The Bahá'í Faith: Its History and Teachings by Reverend William McElwee Miller. This book was an update of his 1931 publication Bahá'ism: Its Origin, History and Teachings. Forty-three years earlier he had predicted that the Bahá'í Faith would soon only be known to students of history. Now he revised his assessment to say, "Whoever peruses the thousands of pages of the thirteen large volumes of The Bahá'í World will be impressed by the fact that the Bahá'í Faith is indeed a world faith." [MCSp766] See The Cyprus Exiles p102 by Moojan Momen for information on how Miller got a great deal of material for his book. See "Missionary as Historian: William Miller and the Bahá'í Faith" by Douglas Martin published in Bahá'í Studies, volume 4. In 1940 William McElwee Miller published and article titled "The Bahá'í Cause Today" in The Moslem World (Vol XXX October 1940 page 389). The periodical was described as being "A Christian quarterly review of current events, literature and thought among Mohammedans." Marzieh Gail published a rebuttal in World Order Vol 7 Issue 2 May 1941 p46-63.	Criticism and apologetics; William McElwee Miller; Pennsylvania, USA; United States (USA); Marzieh Gail
1974 (In the year) 197-	In Cambodia, political upheaval and a ban on the Bahá'í Faith had scattered its communities and caused some believers to be imprisoned briefly. Dempsey and Adrienne Morgan returned in 1971 and discreetly helped facilitate communication among Bahá'ís. Once the ban was lifted in 1974, he assisted in re-formation of several Local Spiritual Assemblies and instituted training classes. The foundation built by the national Bahá'í community helped it endure the devastating upheavals of subsequent years. [The American Bahá'í, Servants of the Glory page 48] "All effective contact with the Cambodian Bahá'ís was lost during the period of Khmer Rouge rule (1975-79), and apart from contact with Bahá'ís subsequently found in refugee camps in Thailand, the community had to be completely re-established in the 1980s." [Religious Freedom in the Asia Pacific: The Experience of the Bahá'í Community p87 by Graham Hassall] "With the conclusion of warfare and the establishment of the new regime all Bahá'í activity in Cambodia is at a standstill, as far as can be ascertained. For a time the national Teaching Committee secretary wrote of continuing teaching activity among the believers and enquirers but there are now no available channels of communication and there has been no recent news of the fate of the Khmer Bahá'ís". [BW16 p.138]	Dempsey Morgan; Adrienne Morgan; Persecution, Cambodia; Cambodia; Thailand; - Persecution, Bans
1974 (In the year) 197-	The Canadian Association for Studies on the Bahá'í Faith was created. [BW16:200] For its history; terms of reference and programmes and publications see BW17:197–201.	Bahá'í Studies, Associations for; Association for Bahá'í Studies (North America); Canada
1974 (In the year) 197-	The Bahá'í Publishing Trust of Malaysia was established.	- Publishing Trusts; Malaysia
1974 (In the year) 197-	The Bahá'í Publishing Trust of Japan was established.	- Publishing Trusts; Japan
1974 (In the year) 197-	The first Native Council took place in Haines, Alaska, attended by 50 native Bahá'ís.	Firsts, other; Haines, AK; Alaska, USA; United States (USA)	first Native Council in Haines, Alaska
1974 (In the year) 197-	Owing to difficulties within the Bahá'í community, the National Spiritual Assembly of Thailand was disbanded.	National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Thailand
1974 (In the year) 197-	Owing to the failure of the Indonesian Bahá'ís to obtain religious liberty, the Universal House of Justice instructed that the national convention not be held.	Persecution, Indonesia; - Persecution, Bans; - Persecution; Conventions, National; Indonesia
1974 (In the year) 197-	The first International Bahá'í Youth Conference to be held in Botswana took place in Mahalapye. [BW16:150]	Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Youth; - Conferences, International; - First conferences; Mahalapye, Botswana; Botswana	first International Bahá’í Youth Conference in Botswana
1974 (In the year) 197-	As a result of an intervention by the Egyptian chargé d'affaires, Bahá'í activities in Burundi were banned. [BW16:137] At the request of the Universal House of Justice and through the able intervention of Dr. 'Aziz Navidi, several representations were made to the Government.	Persecution, Burundi; - Persecution, Bans; - Persecution; Aziz Navidi; Burundi
1974 (In the year) 197-	The National Television Network of Ghana broadcasted an interview with Dr William Maxwell, the first mention of the Bahá'í Faith on television in the country. [BW16:168]	William Maxwell; Ghana	first mention Faith on television Ghana
1974 (In the year) 197-	The National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward and Virgin Islands held its first annual National Teaching Conference. [BW16:187]	Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Teaching; Teaching; - First conferences; Leeward Islands; Virgin Islands, US	first annual National Teaching Conference Leeward and Virgin Islands


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