Welcome to the first edition of the UK Bahá'í Review. There have been Bahá'ís in the UK since 1898. The community has grown slowly but steadily and is increasingly engaging in important issues, such as Agenda 21 and sustainable development, the equality of women and men, local community development and, now, social cohesion. The Bahá'í community functions actively at local and national levels, through its elected local and national governing councils, and perhaps most importantly through the initiatives taken by concerned individual members of the community.

Bahá'ís believe very strongly that every individual on the planet is a trust of the whole of humankind. Humanity is like the human body: the whole cannot be healthy unless all the parts are healthy; the parts cannot do their job unless the whole body is flourishing. It is essential to understand this principle if we are to look forward to a global civilization that is equitable for all its citizens.

I hope you will find UK Bahá'í Review informative and stimulating. Each quarter we will update you on the activities of the Bahá'ís in the UK and around the world.

Barnabas Leith
Secretary General
Bahá'í Community of the UK