11 July 1985
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
GREATLY PLEASED ANNOUNCE INAUGURATION PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE WORLD CENTRE WITH BRANCH OFFICE SOON TO BE ESTABLISHED NEW YORK. THIS NEW AGENCY BAHA'I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO EXTEND SCOPE CO-ORDINATE WORLD-WIDE ACTIVITIES DESIGNED INCREASE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AIMS ACHIEVEMENTS CAUSE BAHA'U'LLAH. PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL BLESSED BEAUTY FURTHER DEVELOPMENT INSTRUMENTS HIS UNIQUE ORDER.
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)
Based at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel, with a branch office in Paris, the Baha’i International Community’s Office of Public Information (OPI) oversees and organizes public information activities throughout the worldwide Bahá’í community in conjunction with a network of National Public Information Officers (NPIOS) who carry out the external affairs and public information work of National Spiritual Assemblies.
The Haifa office receives dignitaries and other important visitors to the Bahá’í World Centre. From Ridván 2003 to 2004, the office arranged 253 special visits for some 2,291 dignitaries, leaders of thought, and prominent people from 81 countries. The visitors covered a broad range of professions and included diplomats, religious leaders, military officials, educators and students, journalists, business people, and members of civil society and nongovernmental organizations.
The office received 16 ambassadors from 15 countries as well as government ministers from Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lithuania, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela.
The office also received film crews, reporters, journalists, producers, and photographers from both local and international television and radio stations. Media coverage centered greatly on the Shrine of the Báb and surrounding terraces.
(The Bahá’í World 2003-2004)
