Baháʼí Faith in Guyana

The country has experienced large migrations[7] and the size of the Baháʼí community has also dramatically changed. Rapid growth took place from 1964 to 1996,^[8] but levelled off and was affected by emigration. The 2002 national census showed about 0.1%, or 500, Baháʼís mostly in three of its 10 Regions, though Baháʼís were noted in every Region.^[9] Baháʼís are now widely distributed across Guyana and are represented in all major racial groups and regions.^[10] In 2019 a reporter for the Guyana Chronicle wrote that there were more than 800 Bahá’is, "spread across the 10 administrative regions of Guyana".^[11]

Size and demographics

Baháʼí sources state there were 110 members in 1969 and that by 1989 there were 22,000, with 11,000 joining the religion in a three-month period in 1989.^[12] C. 1990–1996 Baháʼí sources claimed their population to be over 5% of the population.^[13][14] Large migrations,^[7] including many Baháʼís, left Guyana for other places, especially New York and Toronto.^[15] By the time of the 2002 national census the Baháʼí population had ebbed to about 500 Baháʼís mostly in Regions 3, 4, and 6 though Baháʼís were noted in every Region.^[9] The 2012 census only noted that Baháʼís were less than 1% of the population.

The first edition of World Christian Encyclopedia (1982) estimated the Baháʼís in Guyana to be 1,700 in 1970, 2,200 in 1975, and 2,700 in 1980.^[16] The second edition of World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) estimated the Baháʼís in Guyana to be 13,000 in 1990, and 14,584 in 2000. It also noted that the Baháʼís in Guyana experienced, "Rapid growth from 1 local spiritual assembly (1964) to 17 (1973), then to 68 LSAs by 1996."^[8]

In 2005 the Association of Religion Data Archives (relying mostly on the World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 13,000 Baháʼís.^[17]

More recently the national assembly mentioned adding assemblies in

Svetlana Marshall, writing for the Guyana Chronicle, wrote in 2019, "More than 800 Bahá’is are spread across the 10 administrative regions of Guyana".^[11]

Opening

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan

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]

Seven Year Plan and succeeding decades

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]

First Baháʼís

The first Baháʼí to settle in Guyana was Dr. Malcolm King, a Jamaican, who travelled from his home in the United States in 1953

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]

1980—2000

The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released.^[38] 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.^[39] In 1984 Baháʼí Frank Fernandes, a native of Guyana, was the guest of honour at a dinner of civic leaders followed by a piano recital at, and a fundraiser for,^[40] the National Cultural Centre for an audience of 250.^[41] 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.^[42] 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.^[15][43][44]

In 1988 represented a year of multiple events.^[45] 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 honoured the Baháʼís by releasing stamps overprinted noting the Baháʼí Holy Year in 1992.^[46] In 1999 the national assembly contributed to the dialogue on the reform of the Constitution of Guyana.^[47]

Modern community

In the 2000s Baháʼí organizations cooperated with projects to fight the spread of poverty

Le Repentir Cemetery in Georgetown has a section for Baháʼí burials.^[56]

See also

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

Notes