From: johnb@uafphpl.uark.edu
Newsgroups: soc.religion.bahai
Subject: World Congress Media Advisory 1
Date: 12 Nov 92 16:53:28 GMT
Article-I.D.: ogicse.45969
Organization: -
 
	From THE U.S. BAHA'I OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION:

THE FOLLOWING MEDIA ADVISORY WAS ISSUED BY THE WORLD CONGRESS
MEDIA TASK FORCE AT THE END OF OCTOBER.


			 MEDIA ADVISORY
			      No. 1

  The World's Largest and Most Successful Race Unity Experiment

		 The 1992 Baha'i World Congress

     Colorful Pageantry as 30,000 Baha'is from 180 Countries
		     Gather in New York City

   A Cutting-Edge Movement with a Unique Vision for the Future

WHAT:	Once obscure, the Baha'i Faith is now the second-most
	widespread independent religion in the world, according
	to the "Encyclopedia Britannica."  Its members come
	from more than 2,100 different racial, ethnic and
	tribal backgrounds -- making the Baha'i Faith among the
	most diverse groups on the planet and at times referred
	to as "the world's largest and most successful race
	unity experiment."  The Baha'i Faith is an
	extraordinary demonstration of cultural and ethnic
	diversity.  Underscoring that fact, more than 30,000
	Baha'is will gather in New York City (November 23-26)
	to celebrate the distinctive unity of their worldwide
	community.

	In a world torn by ethnic and racial strife, this
	gathering will provide dramatic and visually uplifting
	evidence of the Oneness of Humanity --the central
	teaching of the Baha'i Faith.  As a news event, the
	Congress will provide a microcosm of two cutting-edge
	trends:  global interdependence and multiculturalism.

WHO:	Baha'is come from virtually every walk of life, from
	every racial, ethnic, tribal and religious background -
	- and this diversity will be represented at the
	Congress.  Individuals from more than 180 countries
	have pre-registered, and the Congress will be a window
	on this distinctive worldwide community.  There are
	five million Baha'is around the world, residing in more
	than 205 countries and territories, and their Faith is
	among the fastest growing religions in the world. 
	Available for media interviews will be a wide range of
	articulate Baha'is from respected academics to remote
	villagers who have never left their own province, let
	alone traveled to a city like New York.

WHY:	The Baha'i Faith has managed in 100 years to do
	something that no other religion has been able to
	accomplish:  to remain unified.	 Alone in this
	achievement among world religions, only the Baha'i
	Faith has remained free of sectarian division and
	schism.

	The 1992 Baha'i World Congress, in the simplest terms,
	will be a celebration of this accomplishment and an
	explanation of what unity can mean to the world,
	underscoring the pressing need for worldwide racial,
	ethnic and national harmony.

WHERE:	The 1992 Baha'i World Congress takes place at the
	Javits Center from Monday, November 23 to November 26
	(Thanksgiving Day).  In addition to main plenary
	sessions each day, there will be numerous musical and
	cultural performances and other events held in
	conjunction with the Congress, at venues ranging from
	Carnegie Hall (November 22 and November 25) to the New
	York Hilton Hotel.

		    Javits Convention Center
		     Monday through Thursday
			Congress Sessions
		     10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
		      3:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.

		      Press Center, Level E
		 [Telephone No. to be announced]
		Open daily 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

VIDEO AND PHOTO 
OPPORTUNITIES

	-Parade of Nations

	A stunning visual display of representatives from 180
	countries representing scores of tribes, ethnic and
	national groups.

			 Javits Center:
	Monday, November 23, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

	-Daily Congress Sessions:

	Two sessions are held daily to accommodate the enormous
	number of attendees.  Both sessions each day are
	identical, with four separate programs planned Monday
	through Thursday.

	Each session will take Congress participants on a
	spiritual journey, using live music (a 400-voice choir
	has been assembled with members from 36 countries),
	speeches, short films, and other audio-visual elements.
	Sessions are open to the media.

CUTTING-EDGE
INTERVIEWS
	Because of the Baha'i Faith's modern and progressive
	teachings, its distinctive globalism, and its uniquely
	diverse world community, the Baha'i community is
	rapidly becoming known for its cutting-edge, future-
	oriented approach to the world's social problems. 
	Baha'i experts on a wide range of social issues will be
	available for interview at the Congress.  Among the
	topics of contemporary interest that Baha'is have
	special expertise or points of view on are:

	-THE ENVIRONMENT:

	The Baha'i International Community was chosen to
	address the plenary session of the United Nations
	Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in
	Rio de Janeiro last June on behalf of all the world's
	religions and spiritual traditions.  In this role, it
	was the only religious organization to address UNCED.

	-FAMILY LIFE:
	Because of its distinctive moral principles and the
	diverse nature of its membership, the worldwide Baha'i
	community is increasingly seen as offering a new model
	for family life in a multi-cultural and ever more
	interdependent world.  For example, there is no "head
	of the household" in Baha'i families and husbands and
	wives jointly share family responsibilities.

	-RACE UNITY:

	The Baha'i community's view on racial and ethnic unity
	is motivated by	 simple but revolutionary principle: 
	the idea that all humanity is one race -- a premise
	that all Baha'is accept without equivocation.  Baha'i
	teachings, for example, promote and strongly support
	interracial marriages.

	-WOMEN'S ISSUES:

	Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith,
	explicitly stated that women and men are equal.	 Among
	the Founders of independent world religions, He is the
	only Prophet to have made such a statement.

	THIRD WORLD DEVELOPMENT:

	Baha'i communities worldwide operate more than 1,300
	small-scale grassroots social and economic development
	projects -- projects that are on the cutting edge of
	thinking about how to improve social and economic
	conditions for the vast majority of the world's
	peoples.

PRESS CREDENTIALS:

	To arrange for pre-registration, or for more
	information, contact:

			  Sally Wallace
		       Phone (212)756-3500
			Fax (212)756-3573

	 Press rooms at the Javits Center and New York Hilton
	 are open daily and working press can receive their
	 credentials on-site.	However, pre-registration is
	 recommended.	By pre-registering, reporters can make
	 specific appointments in advance to interview experts,
	 arrange for video footage, obtain information and more.

			      -30-