O Bahá’í o Samoa ma Amerika Samoa
~ The Bahá’ís of Samoa and American Samoa
“O outou o fua o le lā‘au e tasi, ma laulā‘au o le lālā e tasi. Faia ia e outou e le isi i le tasi i le matuā alofa ma le aufa‘atasi lava, i le fefa‘auoa‘i ma le fegalegalea‘i.”
Bahá’u’lláh
“Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship.”
Bahá’u’lláh
Ua fa’amanuiaina lava Bahá’í o Samoa ma Amerika Samoa i lo latou alala i totonu o atumotu e matagofie tele ona laufanua, ma ua fa’atamaoaigaina i ana tū ma aganu’u iloga. O lo latou faamoemoe, ia lagolago atu lea i le atinae o lo latou atunuu, ma le faaleleia o le sosaiete a Samoa ma Amerika Samoa, ina ia avea ai nei atumotu ma puna o le pupula o le aufa’atasiga ma le manuia auiluma, mo le vasa Pasefika atoa.
The Bahá'ís of Samoa and American Samoa live in islands of great natural beauty, having a rich and distinguished culture. Their purpose is to contribute to the development of their nation and the betterment of society, so that these islands will become a radiant source of harmony and progress for the entire Pacific region.
Sa faavaeina le Faatuatuaga Bahá’í i Apia ina ua taunuu mai le tama'ita'i o Liliani Wyss i le 1954, ma ua iai nei le Faatuatuaga i motu uma o Samoa ma Amerika Samoa. O le to’atele o tagata e nonofo i Samoa, o tagata Samoa lava. E faapea fo’i le la Faatuatuaga Baha’i, o le tele lava o ona tagata o Samoa uma fo’i. O tagata Baha’i ia, sa iai isi talitonuga eseese, ae o le to’atele lava sa Kerisiano. O se tasi o tulaga e ese ai le Faatuatuaga Baha’i, o le leai lea o ni faife’au, se tofi lea sa tau’aveina e alii i le talafaasolopito o tapua’iga esesese. Ina ua faatasi ai loa ma le talitonuga Baha’i e tutusa lelei alii ma tama’ita’i, ona alia’e mai ai lea ose tapua’iga e matuā ese mai lava i tapua’iga sa faatinoina e tagata i Samoa ma Amerika Samoa. O se isi tulaga e ese, se tulaga o loo ua amata o na amana’ia a’ia’i e le tele o tagata o le lalolagi; o le tāua lea o le ‘au’auna mo isi, faatasi ai ma le taumafaiga ia maua ni nuu olaola ma tuputupu malolosi āuāu i luma. I le Atu Samoa, ua amata nei o na amana’ia tagata Baha’i ona o ā latou taumafaiga mo le faaleleia o nuu ma alalafaga, i le faatinoina lea o ā latou galuega ‘autū, e pei o a’oga a tamaiti, a’oa’oga faaleagaga, ma le polokalame mo le faamalosia o talavou tau’āmata, atoa ai ma a latou ‘au’anaga e faatinoina ai a’oa’oga.
First established in Apia in 1954 following the arrival of Ms. Lilian Wyss, the Bahá’í community in the Samoan Archipelago, which includes American Samoa, is now spread throughout the islands.
Reflecting the population of wider society, the Bahá’í community in the archipelago is largely made of Samoans who come from a diverse range of religious backgrounds, albeit mainly Christian.
One of the distinguishing features of the Bahá’í Faith is that it has no clergy, a position customarily held by men in religious history. This, coupled with the belief in the equality of the sexes, presents a paradigm of worship that is very different to how religion is commonly practiced in Samoa and American Samoa.
Another distinguishing feature that is increasingly being recognised by wider society in the archipelago, is the important role of service to others and the aim building resilient and vibrant communities. Bahá’ís throughout the islands are becoming known for their efforts aimed at the betterment of society through core activities such as moral education and the junior youth empowerment program with its inbuilt service component.