Message to all believers from the National Spiritual Assembly following the Youth Conference
National Spiritual Assembly
nsa@bahai.org.uk
2 September 2013
14 Asmá’170 B.E.
To all believers in the United Kingdom
Dearly loved Friends,
The National Spiritual Assembly was overjoyed and humbled to witness the youth conference that took place over the last three days at Warwick University! In a spirit at once exultant and purposeful, and with an energy matched by a fervent commitment to action, around 1,000 souls from Iceland, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom came together from an exceptionally diverse mix of backgrounds to engage in “earnest discussions that lift the heart and awaken the mind to the possibilities of what could be”. The conference was particularly blessed by the presence of two representatives of the Universal House of Justice, Counsellors Uta von Both and Shirin Fozdar Foroudi. The materials provided for study by the Universal House of Justice gave all present an opportunity to develop a unity of vision as to the contribution which their generation is now called upon to make, the responsibilities they hold—especially towards those younger than them —and of the actions they can take to help to build the materially and spiritually prosperous world envisioned by Bahá’u’lláh. In addition to the palpable spirit of love, unity and friendship that grew throughout the weekend, it gave us particular pleasure to hear the testimonies of the many participants who are either new to or investigating the Faith at this time, which exhibited a profound understanding of the task at hand and enthusiasm to realise its aim.
We are pleased to include a photograph of all those who gathered to participate in this historic occasion. The wave of conferences taking place across the world during these months can be followed on the Bahá’í World News Service (http://news.bahai.org/community-news/youth-conferences/).
The seeds sown during the conference must now be nurtured and cultivated. Notably, many of the participants have already made plans for action or will be doing so in the coming days. It is, therefore, a vital responsibility for the community—parents, individuals and institutions alike—to welcome the youth on their return; to accompany them, encourage them, and consider how best to support them in the realisation of the their plans; to learn with them in their devoted endeavours; and to do their utmost spiritually and practically to enable the youth to fulfil their high destiny. We have every confidence that the community will arise to support the youth in this way, and look forward with eager anticipation to seeing the fruits of this effort.
With our heartfelt love,
National Spiritual Assembly
Patrick O’Mara,
Secretary
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