Ottawa Bahá’ís gather to celebrate Ridván Festival, elect Local Spiritual Assembly

On Monday April 20, 2015, Bahá’ís in Ottawa gathered to elect the nine members of the Local Spiritual Assembly, the governing council that will manage affairs for the Ottawa Bahá’í community for the coming year. The annual elections are held on the first day of the 12-day Festival of Ridván which commemorates Bahá’u’lláh’s proclamation, in 1863, of a new divine revelation.

As the Bahá’í Faith has no clergy, the Local Spiritual Assembly guides and administers the affairs of the community. In this way, governance in Bahá’í communities springs from the grassroots. All adult Bahá’ís vote by secret ballot without nominations or campaigning, and all are eligible to serve as Assembly members. Removing partisanship from the electoral process increases the likelihood that those elected are not bound by narrow interests, but rather seek the well-being of the entire human race.

On Tuesday April 21st Ottawa Bahá'ís gathered to celebrate the beginning of Ridván. Hundreds of local Bahá'ís and their guests enjoyed a memorable program that included prayers in English, French, Mandarin, and Arabic, selections from the Bahá'í sacred writings followed by musical presentations on the significance of the Festival of Ridván.