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News
Local named to NZ's governing Baha'i body
Tuesday, 03 May 2005
HOWICK resident Steve Drake has been elected to the governing body of Bahai in New Zealand.
He was among five Manukau City residents at the 49th New Zealand election in Auckland recently.
Manukau representatives, from left, Faafoa Poliko, Dr Rowshan Khaleghian, Elahe Khaleghian, Steve Drake and Behzad Eghdamian. Photo supplied.
Fellow residents were Rowshan and Elahe Khaleghian (Manukau), Behzad Eghdamian (Bucklands Beach), and Faafoa Poliko of Manurewa.
The members elected to the governing body reflect the diverse cultural backgrounds and regional spread of the Baháí community in NZ.
Mr Drake will serve alongside Sheryl Davis (Whangarei), Kahurangi Davison (Taupo), James Lau (Hamilton), Kambiz Ma'ani (Auckland), Suzanne Mahon (Auckland), Peter Manins (Dunedin), Michael Vaughan (North Shore) and Alan Wilcox (Waitakere).
National secretary Suzanne Mahon spoke of a demoralised world and the breakdown on many levels.
She said Baháís felt morally bound to bend all their energies and put into resolute action programmes that offered hope and a pathway forward.
The convention consulted extensively on the contribution the New Zealand Baháí community can make to society in the coming years.
One key focus of our deliberations was on the empowerment of junior youth (11-15 year olds), because this is a critical age, said Mrs Mahon.
The two primary tasks of each delegate (elected by the local community) are first, to elect the nine-member national governing body, known officially as the National Spiritual Assembly (NSA) of the Baháís of New Zealand, and second, to make recommendations to the incoming NSA.
Since the introduction of the Bahaí faith in to New Zealand in 1912, it has grown rapidly, drawing from all age groups and a wide range of racial, social, occupational and religious backgrounds.
There are around 4000 Baháís in New Zealand, and around five million globally.