Shoghi Effendi: The Bahá'i Ten Year Plan 1953-1963

TEN - YEAR INTERNATIONAL BAHÁ'I TEACHING AND CONSOLIDATION PLAN 1953-1963

 

OBJECTIVES OF THE TEN-YEAR PLAN TO BE CONDUCTED BY TWELVE BAHÁ'I NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES, 1953-1963

 

 

1.     Adoption of preliminary measures for the construction of Bahá’u’lláh’s Sepulcher in the Holy Land.

2.     Doubling the number of countries within the pale of the Faith, involving the opening of:

41 countries in the Asiatic Continent

33 countries in the African Continent

30 countries in the European Continent

27 countries in the American Continent

3.     Over twofold increase in the number of languages into which Bahá'i literature has been translated and printed, or is in process of translation:

                            40 in Asia

                            31 in Africa

                            10 in Europe

                            10 in America

allocated to American, British, Indian, and Australian Bahá'i Communities.

4.     Doubling the number of Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs through the initiation of construction of:

                                    1 in the Asiatic Continent

                                    1 in the European Continent

5.     Acquisition of a site for the future Mashriqu’l-Adhkár on Mt. Carmel.

6.     Erection of the first dependency of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.

7.     Purchase of land for eleven future Temples:

3 in the American Continent

3 in the African Continent

2 in the Asiatic Continent

2 in the European Continent

1 in the Australian Continent

8.     Development of the functions of the institution of the Hands of the Cause.

9.     Establishment of a Bahá'i Court in the Holy Land, as a preliminary to the emergence of the Universal House of Justice.

10. Codification of the Laws and Ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Mother Book of the Bahá'i Revelation.

11. Establishment of six National Bahá'i Courts in the chief cities of the Islamic East:

    Tihrán

    Cairo

    Baghdád

    New Delhi

    Karáchi

    Kábul

12.  Extension of the International Bahá'i Endowments in the Holy Land, in the 

 plain of ‘Akká and on the slopes of Mt. Carmel   

13. Construction of the International Bahá'i Archives in the neighborhood of the Báb’s Sepulcher.

14. Construction of the tomb of the Wife of the Báb in Shiráz.

15. Identification of the resting-places of the Father of Bahá'u’lláh, and of the Mother and of the Cousin of the Báb, and their reburial in the Baha'i cemetery in the vicinity of the Most Great House.

16. Acquisition of the Garden of Ridván in Baghdád, and of the site of the Siyáh-Chál in Tihrán, of the Martyrdom of the Báb in Tabriz, and of His incarceration in Chihriq.

17.  More than quadruple the number of the National Spiritual Assemblies:

                             21 in the American Continent

                             13 in the European Continent

                             10 in the Asiatic Continent

                               3 in the African Continent

                               1 in the Australian Continent

18.Multiply sevenfold the number of the National Haziratu’l-Quds and their

establishment in the capital cities of the chief Sovereign States and in the chief cities of the principal Dependencies of the planet:

                                          21 in Americas

                                          15 in Europe

                                            9 in Asia

                                            3 in Africa

                                            1 in New Zealand

19. Framing of national Bahá'i constitutions and the establishment of national Bahá'i endowments in the capitals and cities of the same States and Dependencies.

20. More than quintuple the number of incorporated National Spiritual Assemblies:

21 in America

13 in Europe

12 in Asia

   3 in Africa

   1 in Australia

21. Establishment of six national Bahá'i Publishing Trusts:

                                      2 in America

                                      2 in Asia

                                      1 in Africa

                                      1 in Europe

22. Participation by the women of Persia in the membership of National and  

Local Assemblies.

23. Establishment of seven Israel branches of National Spiritual Assemblies:

                              2 Europe

                              2 Asia

                              1 America

                              1 Africa

                              1 Australia

24. Establishment of a National Bahá'i printing press in Tihrán.

25.  Reinforcement of the ties binding the Bahá'i World Community to the United Nations.

26. Inclusion, circumstances, permitting, of eleven republics comprised within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and of two European Soviet-controlled States within the orbit of the Administrative Order of the Faith.

27. Convocation of a World Bahá'i Congress in the vicinity of the Garden of Ridván, Baghdád, the third holiest city in the Bahá’i world, on the occasion of the worldwide celebrations of the Most Great Jubilee, commemorating the Centenary of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh to the throne of His sovereignty.

 

 

OBJECTIVES OF THE TEN-YEAR PLAN AT THE WORLD CENTER OF THE FAITH IN ISRAEL

1.     Preliminary steps for the construction of the Sepulcher of Bahá’u’lláh.

2.     Purchase of Land for the Temple on Mt. Carmel.

3.     Establishment of an International Bahá'i Court.

4.     Construction of the International Bahá'i Archives.

5.     Establishment of International Bahá'i Endowments.

6.     Development of the functions of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause.

7.     Codification of the Laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.

8.     Reinforcement of ties binding the World Bahá'i Community to the United Nations.

9.     Convocation of a World Bahá'i Congress in the vicinity of the Garden of Ridván, City of Baghdád, on the occasion of the world-wide celebration of the Most Great Jubilee commemorating the centenary of the formal assumption by Bahá’u’lláh of His Prophetic Office.

     10.  Establishment of Israel Branches of seven National Spiritual Assemblies.

 

The Bahá'i World 1950-1954, Volume 12, pages 256-257, & 267. 

 

 

*Please note that the establishment of the Universal House of Justice by 1963 was NOT an objective or goal of this Plan.  Shoghi Effendi intended for the International Bahá'i Council to evolve into a Bahá'i Court in the Holy Land.  This Bahá'i Court, according to item #9 above, in the world-wide Plan, was to be a 'preliminary to the emergence of the Universal House of Justice'.  Again, the goal of the Ten Year Plan was to establish a Bahá'i Court in the Holy Land, not the Universal House of Justice, by 1963. The Bahá'i Hands of the Cause, according to the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Charter of the World Order of Baha'u'llah which is the Promised Kingdom of God on earth, have exactly two functions: to teach and  protect the Faith.  Instead of obeying Bahá'i Law, the Hands stepped outside of their legal function and destroyed the Bahá'i Faith, the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.

 

In 1957, the Hands lied to the Bahá'i world and stated that the Guardianship had come to an end.  In fact, Shoghi Effendi appointed Charles Mason Remey as Second Guardian when he was named President of the International Baha'i Council, which was to become the Universal House of Justice according to objective #9 above.  The Guardian of the Cause of God is the presiding member of the Universal House of Justice as its permanent Head (see The Baha'i World, Vol. 12, pp. 40-41).  https://proofsforguardian.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-formation-of-international-bahai.html