Baha'i

The Harvard-Radcliffe Baha'i Association presented its call of "One planet, one people...please" at an information session yesterday at the Science Center.

The association is fully recognized by the College and currently has 12 members, said secretary Lori McLaughlin '85. James M. Markart '84, association chairman, explained that the Harvard group also works with a local chapter of Baha'is.

The Baha'i religion, founded in Iran in 1844, holds as its basic principle the unity of mankind, McLaughlin said. This commitment, she added, also includes equality of sexes and races, the refusal to fight, the advocacy of non-partisan nuclear disarmament, and the disavowal of all divisive actions.

"We don't want to convert people, we only want to share our gift," Markart said, also affirming the need for a personal search for truth.

The Baha'i Association also presented a collection of news broadcasts detailing Iran's current persecution of the faith's members. "They're told to recant their faith or die," McLaughlin said.

In the United States, there are 100,000 Baha'is, including 250 in the greater Boston area.

The Harvard-Radcliffe association has existed for more than six years, and it plans a library display, a joint effort with Phillips Brooks House, and a meeting with President Bok to discuss the group's agenda.