Dear Friends,

In its Ridván message this year, the Universal House of Justice stated that “much vibrancy and strength is generated in any society by its youth being awakened to the vision of Bahá’u’lláh and becoming protagonists of the Plan”. While the Atlantic region is immensely blessed with many enkindled youth, there are countless others who are yet unaware of Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of the individuals we can become and the society we can build.

In light of recent guidance from the World Centre, and in consultation with our Counsellor and institutions, we feel it is timely to announce that plans are under way for a series of youth conferences to take place across the region. The purpose of these conferences will be to explore the special characteristics and tremendous potential of young people, to inspire them to contribute to the spiritual, intellectual, social and material well-being of their communities, and to channel their latent energies and talents toward the “release of the society-building powers of the Faith in ever-greater measures” in their communities.

We envision that each conference will be attended in large numbers by youth from wider society, and we look especially to the Bahá’í youth to “resolve to reach out to their peers and bring them into this work” with “immense kindliness, courage, and complete reliance on God.”

Conferences will likely be two to three days in duration followed by a combination of intensive institute campaigns and weekly study circles, so that youth continue to advance in their capabilities to serve. Small subregional teams largely composed of Bahá’í youth and their peers with support from institute coordinators and Auxiliary Board members have been asked to organize, and begin a learning process around, the conferences. The vision is to hold them twice a year, close to winter and summer school breaks. Each team is currently meeting to have specific dates for the upcoming Winter break conferences for each of the four subregions – North Carolina, Northern Virginia, Southern Virginia, and North Atlantic (which includes Delaware, Maryland and Washington DC). These dates will be shared shortly. We also anticipate that a few spaces for youth will be organized in the weeks to come to share more about the nature and aims of these conferences.

This is an exciting development that will surely infuse the movement of youth across our region with vibrancy and strength!

With loving greetings,

Atlantic Regional Training Institute Board

Dear friends,

Now that more than a month has passed since the National Spiritual Assembly issued its seminal letter on the Nine Year Plan and the Destiny of America, we trust that friends across our region have become familiar with that beloved institution’s call for Regional Bahá’í Councils to organize a series of global conferences similar to those held back in 2022. It is with tremendous excitement that we wish to announce the launch of these preparations.

These conferences, organized by friends serving close to the grassroots, whether at the neighborhood, community, or cluster levels, will take place in numerous locations, and we hope they can be convened sometime between February and May of 2025. The target audience includes all the Believers and their friends in every community of the region. Content will be drawn from those same materials used two and a half years ago. And far from being a one-time event, this wave of conferences will only be the beginning of a process of learning how to progressively “widen the circle of those who are involved in the life of the Bahá’í community”. This means that organizing teams will be certain to arrange for follow up activities, such as intensive campaigns to advance through the institute courses, not to mention anticipating a continued rhythm of conferences into the future. 

Dear friends – Now is the time to begin thinking about effective ways to generously invite others to these conferences – not only those who are already connected to the community-building process, but even those who may be completely unfamiliar with the sacred work we aim to accomplish. How will your unshakable conviction that Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation is the one world-redeeming force available to humanity inspire those invitations to become a means for extending “to everyone the hand of friendship, of common endeavor, of shared service, of collective learning” in order to “advance as one”? 

Needless to say, the success of these conferences will be fortified to the degree that souls residing throughout Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and North Carolina are able to count themselves as participants. Every single one of these souls has a role to play in this significant, society-building initiative. Every single one of these souls has a God-given right to the opportunity to respond to the claim of Bahá’u’lláh. 

You can expect to hear more about the specifics of these conferences in the weeks to come. In the meantime, we encourage each Bahá’í in our region to employ every effort possible to generate enthusiasm for attending them. Be assured that the success of those efforts will be the subject of our fervently offered prayers.

With love and affection,

REGIONAL BAHÁ’Í COUNCIL of the ATLANTIC STATES