Skip to main content

Regional Bahai Conference - Battambang -Cambodia

Regional Bahai Conference in Battambang, Cambodia


I was delighted and happy to spend a few days in Battambang recently with my wife Debbie. I attended a Baha’i Regional Conference, where some 2,100 members of the Baha’i Religion from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam gathered in this Cambodia's second-largest city for a historic conference that had citizens of all four nations sitting side by side to discuss service activities in their communities. It was very spiritual. 


An Official Representative of the Government of Cambodia is seen                                                     delivering the opening remarks

I was also amazed by the efficiency of the Cambodian friends, especially the the youths to organize such a large gathering in Cambodia. 


This gathering was one of a series of 41 Baha'i conferences being held in major cities around the world. The events began on 1 November in Lusaka, Zambia, and will conclude on 1 March in Kiev, Ukraine.


Some 75,000 people have participated to date in the conferences (as of Feb 23) which began on 1 November and will conclude on 1 March, 2009 - last of the series of 41, which will be in Kiev, Ukraine.



Youths from Vietnam is seen performing a traditional Vietnamese dance for the participants


In Battambang, a representative of the provincial government, Aem Thoeurn, addressed the conference and emphasized the diverse nature of the gathering.



Nearly 2,100 Baha'is from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam participated in the Conference


"The unity of religion and the harmony of its followers is essential for peace," he said. "Your gathering here is proof that this is possible." He expressed the wish that "each one of us will bring this (spirit) back to our own people."


As in many of the cities hosting the conferences, Baha'i organizers in Battambang were challenged to find a venue large enough for all participants. The Battambang city hall fit the bill, with 1,500 people filling the main auditorium and others watching proceedings by video link from tents set up outdoors.


All the conferences are being held at the call of the Universal House of Justice, the head of the Baha'i Faith. The purpose is to celebrate achievements in community-building and make plans for future work. This includes devotional gatherings; children's classes; and programs for the moral education of young people.


The Bahá'í Faith is the youngest of the world's independent religions. Its founder, Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), is regarded by Bahá'ís as the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad.

The central theme of Bahá'u'lláh's message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society. God, Bahá'u'lláh said, has set in motion historical forces that are breaking down traditional barriers of race, class, creed, and nation and that will, in time, give birth to a universal civilization. The principal challenge facing the peoples of the earth is to accept the fact of their oneness and to assist the processes of unification.

One of the purposes of the Bahá'í Faith is to help make this possible. A worldwide community of some five million Bahá'ís, representative of most of the nations, races and cultures on earth, is working to give Bahá'u'lláh's teachings practical effect. Their experience will be a source of encouragement to all who share their vision of humanity as one global family and the earth as one homeland.

To learn more about the Bahá'í Faith, please visit www.bahai.org


Comments

cadmiumblu said…
Thank you for your wonderful blog. It is of great assistance as I research the locations of each of the 114 Youth Conferences.
July 23, 2013 at 3:00 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

VISIT TO ABDUL BAHA VILLAGE IN MYANMAR (BURMA)

In 1989, the military government in Burma, officially changed the English translations of many names dating back to Burma's colonial period, including that of the country itself: "Burma" became “Myanmar.” The name Burma has been in use in English since the 18th century. Burmese are very friendly. Highlight of our visit to Burma included a visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda and Abdul Baha village. Shwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar. It is sacred to Buddhists from all over Asia and it is believed to contain relics of the four previous Buddhas of the present kalpa. Myanmar's military yielded to a civilian government in 2010 and has dramatically reshaped its economy, opening up various sectors, including energy and infrastructure development, to direct foreign investment. Many foreign investors, especially from ASEAN countries rushed to set up factories and raze old neighborhoods to build luxury housing estates. New hotels and large condominiums
5 comments
Read more

BUILDING A COMMUNITY IN A VILLAGE IN BIHAR, INDIA

Bihar is a State in India, where Lord Buddha, the founder of the Buddhist Religion is said to have attained enlightenment under the Banyan tree. Millions of Buddhists around the globe go on pilgrimage to this place. But, in a small village in the Bihar sharif cluster, about 80 km from Patna, the capital city of the State of Bihar, the villagers are striving hard to build a community that will contribute to the spiritual and material transformation of society. I had the distinct opportunity of visiting the Bihar sharif cluster and meeting with the villagers and the chief of the village. To create such a society, it is essential that every one in the village be empowered to participate in the constructive process that will give rise to it. It is just happening in this small village of population 2,000. The village is called Hargawan. I visited this village during my recent trip to India and my trip was coordinated by Mr. Rajnish Singh, an Auxiliary Board Member (ABM), an appointed mem
2 comments
Read more

PREPARING CHILDREN IN VALUE EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Preparing Children in Value Education in the 21st Century ( a paper developed by me when I was working at RiverDale International Residential School, in Pune, India as the Vice Principal) ABSTRACT Facing a worsening moral dilemma in today’s complex world, everyone recognizes the need for educating youngsters about the importance of moral values. The decline in ethical standards, poor parenting, dishonesty by government and business leaders and violence have come to characterize the present day society all over the world. However, social changes and scientific progress during the past decade have been enormous. A new social media culture is silently taking over the world. Therefore, the current environment of political, social and religious decay  has lead to a renewed interest in teaching moral values to our children. As we enter the 21st century, character and good moral values must become an important part of social life during the periods of childhood and youth if we want t
Post a Comment
Read more