Irish President makes historic visit to Baha'i Centre

DUBLIN, IRELAND, 28 May (BWNS) -The President of the Republic of Ireland, Mary McAleese, has praised the universality of the Baha'i teachings and the contribution its members make to the life of their nation.

"You are marked out as people with values that are worth observing, worth learning from, worth looking at, worth imitating and so never be in any doubt of the value you are every single day in this world," President McAleese told a gathering of some 60 Baha'is during her first ever visit to the National Baha'i Centre in the Irish capital.

"Something you probably do not know, and I am sure it is true of many of you, is that in and through your lives, you are extraordinary ambassadors for your Faith," she said in impromptu remarks.

President McAleese, first elected as Ireland's President in 1997, made her special visit to the Baha'i Centre on 30 April to mark the Festival of Ridvan, the anniversary of Baha'u'llah's declaration in 1863 that He is the most recent in a line of divine Messengers that includes Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, Mohammed, Moses, Zoroaster, and others.

To the Friends In Iran

“The heroic steadfastness of the friends in Iran in the face of such relentless persecution inspires their fellow believers around the globe to redouble their efforts to serve humanity and contribute to its material and spiritual progress.” May 2010 - Universal House Of Justice

Alternatives to consumer culture is the focus of new Baha'i documetnt

"A new statement challenging the common assumption that human beings are slaves to self-interest and consumerism has been issued by the Baha'i International Community.

A more profound look at human nature would reveal the ability to respond to a higher calling, suggests the document – issued this week for the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development as it began its annual two-week session.

"The culture of consumerism ... has tended to reduce human beings to competitive, insatiable consumers of goods and to objects of manipulation by the market," it says.

In fact, "the human experience is essentially spiritual in nature: it is rooted in the inner reality – or what some call the 'soul' – that we all share in common," it states.

The document, titled "Rethinking Prosperity: Forging Alternatives to a Culture of Consumerism," challenges the view that there is an intractable conflict between what people want – which supposedly is to consume more – and what humanity needs.

The statement can be read at http://bic.org/statements-and-reports/bic-statements/10-0503.htm.

What we do in difficult time?

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands

in moments of comfort and convenience, but where

he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Conquering any difficulty always gives one a secret
joy, for it means pushing back a boundary-line
and adding to one's liberty.
-- Henri Frederic Amiel

Perseverance is not a long race:
it is many short races, one after another.
-- Walter Elliot

Studies have shown that there are characteristics that positively influence resilience:

· Optimism: staying positive prevents needless worrying or negativity

· Engagement: getting involved with life prevents passivity and promotes a “take-charge” attitude

· Mobility: staying active helps control feelings of stress

· Adaptability: being flexible and adapting to change maintains a feeling of balance and calm