Baháʼí Faith in Guyana

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, wrote a series of letters, or tablets, to the followers of the religion in the United States in 1916–1917; these letters were compiled together in the book titled Tablets of the Divine Plan. The sixth of the tablets was the first to mention Latin American regions and was written on April 8, 1916, but was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919 — after the end of World War I and the Spanish flu. The first actions on the part of Baháʼí community towards Latin America were that of a few individuals who made trips to Mexico and South America near or before this unavailing in 1919, including Mr. and Mrs. Frankland, and Roy Wilhelm, and Martha Root. Root's travels to Latin America began in the summer of 1919.[18] The sixth tablet was translated and presented by Ahmad Sohrab on April 4, 1919, and published in Star of the West magazine on December 12, 1919.[19] He listed the countries and islands of central and south America, including "the guianas", as places that the Baháʼís of north America should visit and open to the Baháʼí Faith.[1]

Following the release of these tablets and then ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's death in 1921, a few Baháʼís began moving to or at least visiting Latin America. In 1927 Leonora Armstrong made public mention of the religion in the capital city of Georgetown of what was then British Guiana.[2]

Shoghi Effendi, who was named ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's successor, wrote a cable on May 1, 1936 to the Baháʼí Annual Convention of the United States and Canada, and asked for the systematic implementation of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's vision to begin.[20] In his cable he wrote:

...Would to God every State within American Republic and every Republic in American continent might ere termination of this glorious century embrace the light of the Faith of Baháʼu'lláh and establish structural basis of His World Order."[21]

Following the May 1st cable, another cable from Shoghi Effendi came on May 19 calling for permanent pioneers to be established in all the countries of Latin America. The Baháʼí National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada was appointed the Inter-America Committee to take charge of the preparations. In 1936 Dudley M. Blakely, after becoming a Baháʼí in 1920, embarked with Elsa, his wife, on worldwide travels to promote the religion and travelled to Guyana for several weeks to promulgate the religion.[2][3] During the 1937 Baháʼí North American Convention, Shoghi Effendi cabled advising the convention to prolong their deliberations to permit the delegates and the National Assembly to consult on a plan that would enable Baháʼís to go to Latin America as well as to include the completion of the outer structure of the Baháʼí House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois.[20] In 1937 the First Seven Year Plan (1937–44), which was an international plan designed by Shoghi Effendi, gave the American Baháʼís the goal of establishing the Baháʼí Faith in every country in Latin America. With the spread of American Baháʼís communities and assemblies began to form in 1938 across Latin America.[20]

The first Baháʼí to settle in Guyana was Dr. Malcolm King, a Jamaican, who travelled from his home in the United States in 1953[2] via Trinidad.[22] In 1955 the first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in Guyana in Georgetown.

Following the election of the regional National Spiritual Assembly of South America in 1950, in 1957 this assembly was split into two - basically northern/eastern South America and one of the western/southern South America.[23] In 1963 smaller groups of Baháʼís were known in Campelville, Kitty and Lodge Village (now suburbs of Georgetown), Grove and Providence (both in Demerara-Mahaica in East Bank Demerara), and MacKenzie (now part of Linden).[23]

In August 1965 the Baháʼís of Georgetown hosted a regional conference with Hand of the Cause Jalál Kházeh and Baháʼís from British, French and Dutch Guiana, northern Brazil, eastern Venezuela and Trinidad attending.[24] In early February, 1968 Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khanum visited giving public talks, visiting a school for the blind, and civic leaders.[25]

In 1970 the Baháʼís of Guyana, Surinamé and French Guiana first elected a regional National Spiritual Assembly.[20] Rúhíyyih Khanum represented the Universal House of Justice at the convention to elect the assembly.[26] There were 54 delegates representing at least 10 assemblies in Guyana, 3 in Surinamé and 3 in French Guiana. The members elected were Jamshid Ar-jomandi; Henry Dolphin; August Holland; Cheryl Plerre; Ellen Widmer; Mr. Rivadavia da Silva, Eileen Hill, Ivan Fraser, and Daisy Hahnfeld. While there Rúhíyyih Khanum again spoke to the public press and civic leaders this time including then President Arthur Chung. Her comments dwelt on the Baháʼí teachings of the oneness of humanity and ending racial prejudices.[27]

The first regional Baha'i Youth Conference was held in Paramaribo, December 29 through 31, 1972.[28] The Conference was especially for Baha'i youth of Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana. A sixth youth conference was held in 1979.[29] Meanwhile, in 1975 the National Assembly asked for guidance from the Universal House of Justice on the approach to respond to requirements of national service which advised such service for agriculture was approved while trying to minimize the chances of service requiring combat.[30] Early in 1976 the first members of the Macushi and Wai Wai tribes joined the religion.[31] In December 1976 the assembly was able to officially incorporate.[32] In 1977 the Surinamé and French Guiana communities organized their own national assembly and Guyana elected an independent assembly. The elected members of the first National Assembly of Guyana were Sheila Dolphin, Henry Dolphin, Ellen Widmer, Frank Sheffey, Ivan Fraser, Eileen Hill, David Morris, Rooplall Doodnauth, and Krishna Seegopaul.[4] Meanwhile, pioneers continued to arrive in Guyana.[33] In July and August 1980 Shanaz Furudi, a Baháʼí from India toured Guyana and addressing the public and offering training for Baháʼí institutions. Guyanese residents of Asian Indian extraction learned of the religion's situation there. While she was there the first Baháʼí of the Arecuna (see Pemon) converted.[34]

Guyanese citizens have also moved to other countries where some have become Baháʼís as well.[35]

In Guyana in 1980 saw the first Baháʼí women's conference. A main topic through the conference was the role of women in religion as well topics dealing with life in the tropics.[36] In April 1981 more than 60 artists attended a workshop set up by five Baháʼí artists which presented workshops emphasizing spiritual issues and introduced Baháʼí sand-painter David Villasenor to the Guyanese.[37]