




                          Framing the Terraces story 

     Telling the story of the opening of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Bab 
to the media is a complex and challenging task.  There are many stories to 
tell, depending on the audience and the type of media.  The main story is 
Baha'u'llah and His message of hope and unity for the entire human race, but we 
have to present the story through particular angles or focal points, such as 
tourism, architecture, landscape design, music, or human interest and 
multiculturalism.  For example, if a young indigenous woman is coming to the 
opening of the Terraces, perhaps travelling outside her country for the first 
time, we can tell her story through youth and women's magazines.  

     The important thing is to internalize and understand deeply the spiritual 
significance of the projects on Mount Carmel, even if we cannot fully express 
it in words.  Although we may not be able to tell the whole story behind the 
Terraces to every journalist, we should be able to convey its basic message and 
adapt our presentation or "pitch" according to their particular interests.  

     Remember:  News is something new, interesting, informative, 
entertaining, and unusual.  A good story is something that you would find 
interesting to read in a magazine or newspaper, or watch on television.  
Reporters are competing for an audience share, and their main goal is to hear 
something that makes them say, "Oh!  That's interesting!" 

     Success in public information is almost always based on building personal 
relationships in the media.  These relationships should be built with a long-
term strategy in mind.  As a result of patient and consistent efforts, some of 
the best coverage of the Terraces may come months after the opening in the form 
of feature articles or documentaries. 

     The following ideas may serve as starting points for approaching 
different media.  These ideas are intended to pique a journalist's interest, 
and could be developed into a fuller story.  Keep in mind that the media may 
be interested in covering the story before, during and after the event. 

-  The opening ceremonies on 22 May 2001 will be a showcase of the principle 
   of world citizenship, since they will draw some 3,500 Baha'is from 
   virtually every country in the world, many in brilliant native costume.  
   For many it will be their first time away from home, their first time in an 
   airplane, and their first visit to the world center of their Faith. 

-  The ceremonies will feature an original oratorio by award-winning 
   composer Lasse Thoresen of Norway and a choral symphony by Tolib Shahidi 
   of Tajikistan, performed by artists from Europe, North America and 
   Israel.  The following day, performances of indigenous music will 
   precede the reverent first ascent of the Terraces by the diverse 
   participants.  

-  For Baha'is, the completion of the Terraces is concurrent with the Faith's 
   full emergence as a world community and the realization of a century-long 
   dream to create a spiritual and administrative center which will 
   befittingly represent the religion, long persecuted in the land of its 
   birth, Iran.  

-  The Terraces and Gardens, while designed to promote a feeling of peace, 
   calm, and serenity in visitors, are also highly advanced in their design, 
   featuring the latest in water management, pest control, and ecological 
   sensitivity.  The irrigation systems were developed in  





 



Framing the Terraces story                                              Page 2


      -  consultation with Israeli experts in the field.  Recycled water 
   flowing down the mountain drowns out the noise of the city and attracts 
   birds and animals native to the area. 

-  The Terraces and the two newest administrative buildings were completed 
   over a period of 10 years, at a cost of US$250 million in voluntary 
   contributions from Baha'is worldwide, the vast majority of whom live in the 
   developing world.  The Baha'i Faith only accepts contributions of funds 
   from its own declared members.  All 19 terraces will be open to the public 
   for their enjoyment, free of charge.  

-  With the completion of the Terraces, the number of tourists to Haifa is 
   expected to triple  
   to 1.2 million annually.  The city has made the project a key element in 
   its urban renewal campaign, incorporating the restored German Templer 
   colony and the Louis Promenade along the crest of Mount Carmel.  Together 
   with the Terraces, they create a 3-kilometer- long pedestrian walkway - one 
   of the most attractive urban developments in the Mediterranean region.  
   Israel's Postal Authority has designed a special 9-centimeter stamp to mark 
   the completion of the Terrace project. 

-  The Terraces are connected to a series of classically designed buildings 
   that make up the international administrative and spiritual heart of the 
   Baha'i world community.  Through the efforts of Baha'is in every country, 
   this historic mountain, held sacred in many traditions, has been 
   transformed into a paradise of gardens, terraces, fountains and running 
   streams - a metaphor of the Baha'i Faith's central message of unity in 
   diversity. 

-  Country-specific:  Some countries have a connection to the project that 
   could be of interest to media in that country; for example, Canadian 
   architects have played a key role in designing the buildings and Terraces 
   on Mount Carmel; a Norwegian composed the music; the Terraces were designed 
   by the architect of India's Lotus Temple; and believers from every country 
   contributed funds for the construction. 

-  Many attempts were made by clergy and rulers throughout the nineteenth and 
   twentieth centuries to stamp out the spread of this new movement.  The 
   opening of the Terraces on Mount Carmel and the arrival of thousands of 
   Baha'is representing a cross-section of the world's diverse peoples 
   symbolize a remarkable story that no one imagined possible:  the very 
   existence of a human community capable of unifying groups previously 
   divided by religion, race, class or education; a community where people 
   cooperate rather than compete; where men and women function in equal 
   partnership; where leaders are elected on merit rather than through power-
   struggles and campaigns; and where decisions are made and carried out with 
   the full participation of those affected by them - proof that peace and 
   justice are not only possible, but practical realities. 

-  The members of the delegations coming from each country may be the best 
   story for the media.  Highlight their diversity, the fact that they 
   represent all regions or ethnic groups in your country, youth and elderly, 
   women and men, and the fact that they are joining thousands of others from 
   around the world to consecrate a holy place in Israel. 

-  Add a point about what Baha'is in your region are doing to implement 
   Baha'u'llah's vision of a just and peaceful world order.  Highlight your 
   collaborative efforts with others to promote human rights, the advancement 
   of women, moral education, or social and economic development.   





 



Framing the Terraces story                                              Page 3



     Attached is a sample press release that you should feel free to modify or 
adapt as necessary.  Instead of trying to load the initial press release with 
more information about the Baha'i Faith than most reporters can handle, it is 
helpful to place a "Note to the editor" which provides them with basic 
background information.  You may also add a list of "bullet points" (such as 
those above) along with the release, to give reporters more ideas about other 
aspects of the story that might be interesting for their readers/listeners.  
Always provide contact names and addresses at the bottom or the top of the 
press release. 


Attachment 





 
