Baháʼí Faith in Guyana

The first Baháʼí to settle in Guyana was Dr. Malcolm King, a Jamaican, who traveled from his home in the United States in 1953[2] via Trinidad.[15] 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.[16] 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).[16]

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.[17] In early February, 1968 Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khanum visited giving public talks, visiting a school for the blind, and civic leaders.[18]

In 1970 the Baháʼís of Guyana, Surinamé and French Guiana first elected a regional National Spiritual Assembly.[13] Rúhíyyih Khanum represented the Universal House of Justice at the convention to elect the assembly.[19] 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.[20]

The first regional Baha'i Youth Conference was held in Paramaribo, December 29 through 31, 1972.[21] 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.[22] 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.[23] Early in 1976 the first members of the Macushi and Wai Wai tribes joined the religion.[24] In December 1976 the assembly was able to officially incorporate.[25] 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 continue to arrive in Guyana.[26] 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.[27]

Guyanese citizens have also moved to other countries where some have become Baháʼís as well.[28]

Since its inception the religion has had involvement in socio-economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women,[29] promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern,[30] and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural coops, and clinics.[29]

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.[31] 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.[32]

The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released.[33] Baháʼís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Baháʼí teachings, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. World-wide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Baháʼí socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482. In the 1980s the Guyanese Baháʼí community's established an Office of Social and Economic Development which consulted with rural communities on a needs assessment which focused on the issue of literacy.[34] In 1984 Baháʼí Frank Fernandes, a native of Guyana, was the guest of honor at a dinner of civic leaders followed by a piano recital at, and a fundraiser for,[35] the National Cultural Centre for an audience of 250.[36] One response of the community was to contact the Baháʼí communities in Canada, the US, and the UK. Together they made arrangements for 40,000 reading books which became the basis of libraries in 65 villages. Training workshops were organized with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education which were developed in the context of the Macushi and Wapashana languages. As recently as 2000 Baháʼís were noted contributing to the training of 1500 teachers for this project.[37] Also in the 1980s some Baháʼís opened a private school - the School of the Nations in Guyana, an all age private Baháʼí inspired school. There are 650 full-time students (representing 22 nationalities) and 300 adults who pursue the International General Certificate of Secondary Education in the evenings.[38][39][40]

In 1988 represented a year of multiple events.[41] In April an inter-Guyana conference of Baháʼís was held. In May Baháʼí youth mobilized for activities from which over 200 converted. In June two Baháʼí physicians from Great Britain visited Guyana for two weeks to conduct lectures and work at Georgetown Public Hospital and then toured the country at Baháʼí events. In 1992 the government of Guyana honored the Baháʼís by releasing stamps overprinted noting the Baháʼí Holy Year in 1992.[42] In 1999 the national assembly contributed to the dialogue on the reform of the Constitution of Guyana.[43]

In the 2000s Baháʼí organizations cooperated with projects to fight the spread of poverty[44] and AIDs among youth - as well as studies on the effectiveness of religion in motivating people to deal with social ills.[45] In 2002 the Baháʼís collectively and individually contributed to the Guyana Peace Education Institute at its inauguration[46] and to discussions on reform held at the Muslim Youth Organization office.[47] Youth workshops were noted in 2006 presenting patterns for change to cycles of social ills like alcoholism and family violence[48] and participated in national discussions and exhibitions on ethnic relations by the National Commission on Ethnic Relations in 2006[49] and dialogues on religious tolerance.[50] The Baháʼí community was also noted for its support for inter-religious activities through the Inter-Religious Organization (IRO), a nongovernmental umbrella organization for Christian, Hindu, Islamic, and Baháʼí organizations, and the Ethnic Relations Commission.[51]

• Religion in Guyana
• History of Guyana
• Baháʼí Faith in Suriname
• Baháʼí Faith in French Guiana

• Official Webpage of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of Guyana