Bahá'í Faith in Tonga
Encyclopedia
The Bahá'í Faith in Tonga started after being set as a goal to introduce the religion in 1953, and Bahá'ís arrived in 1954. With conversions and pioneers
the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1958. From 1959 the Bahá'ís
of Tonga
and their local institutions were members of a Regional Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific. By 1963 there were five local assemblies. Less than forty years later, in 1996, the Bahá'ís of Tonga established their paramount Bahá'í school
in the form of the Ocean of Light International School
. Around 2004 there were 29 local spiritual assemblies and about 5% of the national population were members of the Bahá'í Faith
though the Tonga Broadcasting Commission
maintained a policy that does not allow discussions by members of the Baha'i Faith of its founder, Bahá'u'lláh
on its radio broadcasts.
Australian Stanley P. Bolton was the first Bahá'í to arrive in Tonga — he arrived on 25 January 1954. American Dudley M. Blakely, nephew of Lua Getsinger
, and wife Elsa also pioneered to Tonga on 12 July 1954. Each earned the title Knights of Bahá'u'lláh
for their service to the religion. Blakely was a designer and worked as an adviser to the Tongan government contributing to a number of buildings and furnishings as well as stamps and coins for the government. In 1961 he had designed a five-stamp special issue set commemorating mail deliveries to the islands changing from the era of the fishing boat to airmail
. In 1962 he designed a set of the first gold coins in Polynesia
. He designed Tonga's first decimal coin set in 1965.
By 1956 there were indigenous Bahá'í converts on the islands; three individuals who converted to the religion were prominent in Tongan society: Mosese Hokafonu, Lisiata Mak, and Suliana Halaholo. Mosese Hokafonu, who lived on the island of Tongatapu
, converted to the Bahá'í Faith in the early 1950s. For many years Hokafonu served on the Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Nuku'alofa
and donated a significant portion of the land for the site of the national Bahá'í Center. Hokafonu joined Gina and Russell Garcia
on board their boat the Dawnbreaker for an extensive trip which took them through the islands of Fiji
, Tonga and Samoa
. Hokafonu was the first Pacific Islander to undertake missionary trips of long duration — including Kiribati
and Tuvalu; Niue; the Solomon Islands; New Guinea; the Marshall, Mariana and Caroline Islands; Nauru; Australia and New Zealand (especially among the Maoris), Hawaii, Alaska and the continental United States. Baron Vaea
, a Tongan noble and former Prime Minister, a relative of Hokafonu, conducted the funeral service which was attended by many hundreds of people.
Lisiata Maka, a legal adviser in Tonga's lower and supreme courts, became a Bahá'í in 1957 and was elected to the Regional National Assembly, and was later appointed to the Continental Board of Counsellors
. Suliana Halaholo was born in Tonga in 1950 and began attending a Bahá'í school's
children's classes at the age of eight. Soon she was teaching classes and began being involved in administrative activities while she was still a youth. She was secretary of the youth committee of Tonga, and later of Fiji, and thanks to her academic achievements the government of Tonga gave her a scholarship to study dietetics at the University of the South Pacific
in Suva
, Fiji, where she obtained her Bachelor's degree. Halalholo devoted two of her vacations from schooling to translating into the Tongan language The Seven Valleys (one of Bahá'u'lláh's metaphysical works), and later the Tablet Words of Wisdom. Both translations were approved by the National Spiritual Assembly of Tonga.
, Kolonga
, Mu'a
, Nuku'alofa, Vaini, and smaller Bahá'í groups in Folaha, Tokomolo, Vaotu'u and isolated Bahá'ís in Felemea and several villages on the island of Haʻapai - Kotu', Lotofoa
, Na'ufanga, Nomuka
and Ohonua Eua.
Tonga developed international administrative relationships in tandem with its internal growth. Mr. Latu Tu 'Akihekolo represented Tongan Bahá'ís to an Bahá'í International Conference in Japan in 1958. Tonga was allocated delegates for the election of the regional Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific from 1959 to 1963. Eventually Tonga and the Cook Islands alone shared a regional National Assembly starting in 1970 and the Cook Islands Bahá'í community formed their own National Assembly in 1985.
Bahá'í pioneers continued to make their presence felt in Tonga whether their stay was short or long. Margaret Rowling was almost constantly traveling to Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Nouméa and the Cook Islands between 1956 and 1975. During 1974-79 Australian pioneers embarked to many of the Pacific islands including Tongo. Tongan Bahá'ís have also traveled to other lands; in addition to the travelers and travels mentioned above there have also been two exchange students from Tonga attended the Daystar International School, the first development project of the National Spiritual Assembly of Japan.
In 2004, during the golden jubilee of the Bahá'í community of Tonga, there were 29 local spiritual assemblies and the community has had visits over the years from prominent Baha'is — Hands of the Cause
Collis Featherstone, Abu'l-Qasim Faizi
, Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir
, Enoch Olinga
, Rúhíyyih Khanum
, and John Robarts
, and a member of the Universal House of Justice, Hugh Chance.
Celebrations held for the golden anniversary of the Bahá'í Faith in Tonga included the attendance of then Crown Prince Tupouto'a
, Native American artist Kevin Locke as well as choirs, dance troops, tribal story tellers and hundreds of participants. The brother of then Crown Prince Topouto'a, the Honoroble Ma'atu, died on 17 February 2004 after suffering a heart attack. Representatives of the Bahá'í community accepted an invitation to offer prayers at the memorial service held on 24 February and was survived by his wife Alaileula, the granddaughter of the late Malietoa Tanumafili II, former Head of State of Samoa
, also a member of the Bahá'í Faith.
Furthermore, even as late as 2008 the Tonga Broadcasting Commission
(TBC) maintains policy guidelines regarding the broadcast of religious programming on Radio Tonga
. The TBC guidelines state that in view of "the character of the listening public" those who preach on Radio Tonga must confine their preaching "within the limits of the mainstream Christian tradition." Due to this policy, the TBC does not allow discussions by members of the Bahá'í Faith of its founder, Bahá'u'lláh
, by name, or of the tenets of their religions. Members of the Bahá'í Faith utilize a privately owned radio station for program activities and the announcement of functions.
dated 20 October 1983 was released. Bahá'ís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Bahá'í teachings
, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Bahá'í socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482. The Bahá'í community in Tonga has organized various institutions and events in the country. The Ocean of Light International School
is a private internationalist
Bahá'í school
directly administered by a non-profit Board of Education nominated by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Tonga. The school is known as a Bahá'í school and is striving to incorporate Bahá'í ideals
, principles and concepts into the curriculum and organization of the school. The school is located in Kolomotu’a / Hofoa - about 3 kilometers from the centre of Nukualofa
. It offers classes from kindergarten (3 years old) to high school diploma using Cambridge International Examinations
including the International General Certificate of Secondary Education. There are Bahá'í youth performing periods of service at the school. Furthermore, Nancy Watters, a consultant promoting virtue oriented programs especially for schools toured Tonga in 2002. See also The Virtues Project
.
In October 2007, ‘Ilifeleti Tovo of Kolomotu’a was elected President of the University of the South Pacific
Students Association (USPSA) despite not being affiliated with a political party. The Bahá'í Faith does not condone party affiliations and Tovo resigned his party affiliation "...because I did not want to break my religious rules and ethics". In 2008, Tovo strongly criticized the salary range of University officers and was censured but salaries were adjusted downward by 45-65%.
There also exists the 1844 Rock band composed of Tongan Bahá'ís whose style is religious rock.
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1958. From 1959 the Bahá'ís
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
of Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
and their local institutions were members of a Regional Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific. By 1963 there were five local assemblies. Less than forty years later, in 1996, the Bahá'ís of Tonga established their paramount Bahá'í school
Bahá'í school
A Bahá'í school at its simplest would be a school run officially by the Bahá'í institutions in its jurisdiction and may be a local class or set of classes, normally run weekly where children get together to study about Bahá'í teachings, Bahá'í central figures, or Bahá'í administration...
in the form of the Ocean of Light International School
Ocean of Light International School
The Ocean of Light International School, located in Tonga, is a private internationalist Bahá'í school dedicated to the development of the spiritual, intellectual, and physical potential of the students and to the fostering of a new world society identifying itself with the principles of a world...
. Around 2004 there were 29 local spiritual assemblies and about 5% of the national population were members of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
though the Tonga Broadcasting Commission
Tonga Broadcasting Commission
Tonga Broadcasting Commission is the first and largest broadcasting station in Tonga, solely owned by the government of Tonga. It operates two free-to-air TV channels , one AM commercial radio channel , one FM commercial radio channel , and a 24-hour Radio Australia relay channel...
maintained a policy that does not allow discussions by members of the Baha'i Faith of its founder, Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
on its radio broadcasts.
Early days
In 1953 the twelve existing Bahá'í National Spiritual Assemblies were asked by Shoghi Effendi, then head of the religion, to help spread the religion. The community of the United States was to attempt to bring the religion to Tonga. In Tongo, the Bahá'í community grew much like it did in other Pacific communities — first the community emerged through the acts of both pioneers and converts and then grew by spreading through family and tribal groups or clan-structures.Australian Stanley P. Bolton was the first Bahá'í to arrive in Tonga — he arrived on 25 January 1954. American Dudley M. Blakely, nephew of Lua Getsinger
Lua Getsinger
Louise Aurora Getsinger known as Lua Getsinger was one of the first Western converts to the Bahá'í faith, converting in 1897. She was also a prominent disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá....
, and wife Elsa also pioneered to Tonga on 12 July 1954. Each earned the title Knights of Bahá'u'lláh
Knights of Bahá'u'lláh
The title Knight of Bahá'u'lláh was given by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, to Bahá'ís who arose to open new territories to the Faith during the Ten Year Crusade....
for their service to the religion. Blakely was a designer and worked as an adviser to the Tongan government contributing to a number of buildings and furnishings as well as stamps and coins for the government. In 1961 he had designed a five-stamp special issue set commemorating mail deliveries to the islands changing from the era of the fishing boat to airmail
Airmail
Airmail is mail that is transported by aircraft. It typically arrives more quickly than surface mail, and usually costs more to send...
. In 1962 he designed a set of the first gold coins in Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
. He designed Tonga's first decimal coin set in 1965.
By 1956 there were indigenous Bahá'í converts on the islands; three individuals who converted to the religion were prominent in Tongan society: Mosese Hokafonu, Lisiata Mak, and Suliana Halaholo. Mosese Hokafonu, who lived on the island of Tongatapu
Tongatapu
Tongatapu is the main island of the Kingdom of Tonga and the location of its capital Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with approximately 71,260 residents , 70.5% of the national population...
, converted to the Bahá'í Faith in the early 1950s. For many years Hokafonu served on the Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Nuku'alofa
Nuku'alofa
Nukualofa is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the southern most island group of Tonga.-Mythological origins:...
and donated a significant portion of the land for the site of the national Bahá'í Center. Hokafonu joined Gina and Russell Garcia
Russell Garcia (composer)
Russell Garcia, QSM was a composer and arranger who wrote a wide variety of music for screen, stage and broadcast....
on board their boat the Dawnbreaker for an extensive trip which took them through the islands of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Tonga and Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
. Hokafonu was the first Pacific Islander to undertake missionary trips of long duration — including Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
and Tuvalu; Niue; the Solomon Islands; New Guinea; the Marshall, Mariana and Caroline Islands; Nauru; Australia and New Zealand (especially among the Maoris), Hawaii, Alaska and the continental United States. Baron Vaea
Baron Vaea of Houma
Siaosi Tuʻihala ʻAlipate Vaea Tupou, who was more commonly known as Baron Vaea, was a Prime Minister of Tonga. Vaea was a nephew of Queen Salote, who ruled Tonga from 1918 until 1965, and a member of the Tongan nobility...
, a Tongan noble and former Prime Minister, a relative of Hokafonu, conducted the funeral service which was attended by many hundreds of people.
Lisiata Maka, a legal adviser in Tonga's lower and supreme courts, became a Bahá'í in 1957 and was elected to the Regional National Assembly, and was later appointed to the Continental Board of Counsellors
Institution of the Counsellors
The Counsellors are part of the administrative order of the Bahá'í Faith, and are part of a greater administrative branch called the Institution of the Counsellors, established by the Universal House of Justice in 1968....
. Suliana Halaholo was born in Tonga in 1950 and began attending a Bahá'í school's
Bahá'í school
A Bahá'í school at its simplest would be a school run officially by the Bahá'í institutions in its jurisdiction and may be a local class or set of classes, normally run weekly where children get together to study about Bahá'í teachings, Bahá'í central figures, or Bahá'í administration...
children's classes at the age of eight. Soon she was teaching classes and began being involved in administrative activities while she was still a youth. She was secretary of the youth committee of Tonga, and later of Fiji, and thanks to her academic achievements the government of Tonga gave her a scholarship to study dietetics at the University of the South Pacific
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
in Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, Fiji, where she obtained her Bachelor's degree. Halalholo devoted two of her vacations from schooling to translating into the Tongan language The Seven Valleys (one of Bahá'u'lláh's metaphysical works), and later the Tablet Words of Wisdom. Both translations were approved by the National Spiritual Assembly of Tonga.
Growth
The first Local Spiritual Assembly of Tonga was of Nuku'alofa in 1958., and by 1963 there were Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies in HoumaHouma
Houma can refer to:*Houma, Louisiana, city in the United States*Houma, Shanxi, city in China*Houma Tribe, a Native American group*Houma, a proper name*Houma, meaning cape, the name of some capes in Tonga and villages near them such as:...
, Kolonga
Kolonga
Historical Place NameKolonga is the largest village and populated settlement located on the northeast coast of Tongatapu in the Hahake District, Kingdom of Tonga. The current population of Kolonga was recorded in the Tonga 2006 Census as 1,199. One historical interpretation is that Kolonga was, at...
, Mu'a
Mu'a
Mua means first in many Polynesian languages and serves as name of several places.*Mu'a , the ancient capital of Tonga*Mu'a , a village on Niuafoou, Tonga...
, Nuku'alofa, Vaini, and smaller Bahá'í groups in Folaha, Tokomolo, Vaotu'u and isolated Bahá'ís in Felemea and several villages on the island of Haʻapai - Kotu', Lotofoa
Lotofoa
- See also :* List of islands and towns in Tonga...
, Na'ufanga, Nomuka
Nomuka
Nomuka is a small island in the southern part of the Haapai group of islands in the Kingdom of Tonga. It is part of the Nomuka Group of islands, also called the Otu Muomua....
and Ohonua Eua.
Tonga developed international administrative relationships in tandem with its internal growth. Mr. Latu Tu 'Akihekolo represented Tongan Bahá'ís to an Bahá'í International Conference in Japan in 1958. Tonga was allocated delegates for the election of the regional Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific from 1959 to 1963. Eventually Tonga and the Cook Islands alone shared a regional National Assembly starting in 1970 and the Cook Islands Bahá'í community formed their own National Assembly in 1985.
Bahá'í pioneers continued to make their presence felt in Tonga whether their stay was short or long. Margaret Rowling was almost constantly traveling to Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Nouméa and the Cook Islands between 1956 and 1975. During 1974-79 Australian pioneers embarked to many of the Pacific islands including Tongo. Tongan Bahá'ís have also traveled to other lands; in addition to the travelers and travels mentioned above there have also been two exchange students from Tonga attended the Daystar International School, the first development project of the National Spiritual Assembly of Japan.
In 2004, during the golden jubilee of the Bahá'í community of Tonga, there were 29 local spiritual assemblies and the community has had visits over the years from prominent Baha'is — Hands of the Cause
Hands of the Cause
The Hands of the Cause of God, Hands of the Cause, or Hands were a select group of Bahá'ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá'í Faith...
Collis Featherstone, Abu'l-Qasim Faizi
Abu'l-Qasim Faizi
Abu'l-Qásim Faizi or Fayḍí was a Persian Bahá'í. He studied at the American University of Beirut.He married Gloria `Alá'í in 1939. Together they pioneered to Iraq and Bahrain...
, Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir
Rahmátu'llah Muhájir
Raḥmatu'lláh Muhájir was a prominent fourth generation Bahá'í, born on 4 April 1923 in the town of 'Abdu'l-'Azím, Iran. In 1954, Dr Muhájir married Írán Furútan, the daughter of `Alí-Akbar Furútan, and together they pioneered to the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia...
, Enoch Olinga
Enoch Olinga
Enoch Olinga was born to an Anglican family of the Iteso ethnic group in Uganda. He became a Bahá'í, earned the title Knight of Bahá'u'lláh and was appointed as the youngest Hand of the Cause, the highest appointed position in the religion. He served the interests of the religion widely and...
, Rúhíyyih Khanum
Rúhíyyih Khanum
Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum , born Mary Sutherland Maxwell was the wife of Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921–1957. She was appointed by him as a Hand of the Cause, and served an important role in the transfer of authority from 1957–1963...
, and John Robarts
John Robarts (Bahá'í)
John Aldham Robarts was a prominent Canadian Bahá'í. He was born in 1901 in Waterloo, Ontario, to Aldham Wilson Robarts and Rachel Mary Montgomery-Campbell...
, and a member of the Universal House of Justice, Hugh Chance.
Celebrations held for the golden anniversary of the Bahá'í Faith in Tonga included the attendance of then Crown Prince Tupouto'a
George Tupou V
George Tupou V , is the current King of Tonga.-Early life:...
, Native American artist Kevin Locke as well as choirs, dance troops, tribal story tellers and hundreds of participants. The brother of then Crown Prince Topouto'a, the Honoroble Ma'atu, died on 17 February 2004 after suffering a heart attack. Representatives of the Bahá'í community accepted an invitation to offer prayers at the memorial service held on 24 February and was survived by his wife Alaileula, the granddaughter of the late Malietoa Tanumafili II, former Head of State of Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, also a member of the Bahá'í Faith.
Opposition in Tonga
While the Bahá'í community has grown in the country, there has also been opposition. In 1973, the Wesleyan Church of Niua Toputapu published an anti-Bahá'í polemic "The Baha'i Faith Answered by Christianity".Furthermore, even as late as 2008 the Tonga Broadcasting Commission
Tonga Broadcasting Commission
Tonga Broadcasting Commission is the first and largest broadcasting station in Tonga, solely owned by the government of Tonga. It operates two free-to-air TV channels , one AM commercial radio channel , one FM commercial radio channel , and a 24-hour Radio Australia relay channel...
(TBC) maintains policy guidelines regarding the broadcast of religious programming on Radio Tonga
Radio Tonga
Radio Tonga is Tonga's main commercial radio station, founded in 1961 by Queen Salote Tupou III, and operating as a service of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission . Its slogan is "The Call of the Friendly Islands"...
. The TBC guidelines state that in view of "the character of the listening public" those who preach on Radio Tonga must confine their preaching "within the limits of the mainstream Christian tradition." Due to this policy, the TBC does not allow discussions by members of the Bahá'í Faith of its founder, Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
, by name, or of the tenets of their religions. Members of the Bahá'í Faith utilize a privately owned radio station for program activities and the announcement of functions.
Demographics
In 1983, Bahá'ís constituted 3.9% of the national population and by 1987 the number of Bahá'ís was at 6.3%. Through 2000-2006 estimates ranged between nearly 5% or 6.09%. In 2007 Encyclopedia Encarta estimated the Bahá'í community constituted 7% of the national population, (about 8100 individuals) — more than twice the size of the remaining religious groups in Tonga.Multiplying involvements
Since its inception the religion has had involvement in socio-economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women, promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern, and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural coops, and clinics. The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of JusticeUniversal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
dated 20 October 1983 was released. Bahá'ís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Bahá'í teachings
Bahá'í teachings
The Bahá'í teachings represent a considerable number of theological, social, and spiritual ideas that were established in the Bahá'í Faith by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion, and clarified by successive leaders including `Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's son, and Shoghi Effendi, `Abdu'l-Bahá's...
, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Bahá'í socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482. The Bahá'í community in Tonga has organized various institutions and events in the country. The Ocean of Light International School
Ocean of Light International School
The Ocean of Light International School, located in Tonga, is a private internationalist Bahá'í school dedicated to the development of the spiritual, intellectual, and physical potential of the students and to the fostering of a new world society identifying itself with the principles of a world...
is a private internationalist
International school
An International school is loosely defined as a school that promotes international education, in an international environment, either by adopting an international curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge International Examinations, or by following a national...
Bahá'í school
Bahá'í school
A Bahá'í school at its simplest would be a school run officially by the Bahá'í institutions in its jurisdiction and may be a local class or set of classes, normally run weekly where children get together to study about Bahá'í teachings, Bahá'í central figures, or Bahá'í administration...
directly administered by a non-profit Board of Education nominated by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Tonga. The school is known as a Bahá'í school and is striving to incorporate Bahá'í ideals
Bahá'í teachings
The Bahá'í teachings represent a considerable number of theological, social, and spiritual ideas that were established in the Bahá'í Faith by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion, and clarified by successive leaders including `Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's son, and Shoghi Effendi, `Abdu'l-Bahá's...
, principles and concepts into the curriculum and organization of the school. The school is located in Kolomotu’a / Hofoa - about 3 kilometers from the centre of Nukualofa
Nukuʻalofa
Nukualofa is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the southern most island group of Tonga.-Mythological origins:...
. It offers classes from kindergarten (3 years old) to high school diploma using Cambridge International Examinations
Cambridge International Examinations
University of Cambridge International Examinations is a provider of international qualifications for students between the ages of 14 and 19, offering examinations and qualifications in more than 150 countries. It is an Examination Board under Cambridge Assessment, founded in 1858 as a department...
including the International General Certificate of Secondary Education. There are Bahá'í youth performing periods of service at the school. Furthermore, Nancy Watters, a consultant promoting virtue oriented programs especially for schools toured Tonga in 2002. See also The Virtues Project
The Virtues Project
'The Virtues Project empowers individuals to live more authentic meaningful lives, families to raise children of compassion and integrity, educators to create safe, caring, and high performing learning communities, and leaders to encourage excellence and ethics in the work place...
.
In October 2007, ‘Ilifeleti Tovo of Kolomotu’a was elected President of the University of the South Pacific
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
Students Association (USPSA) despite not being affiliated with a political party. The Bahá'í Faith does not condone party affiliations and Tovo resigned his party affiliation "...because I did not want to break my religious rules and ethics". In 2008, Tovo strongly criticized the salary range of University officers and was censured but salaries were adjusted downward by 45-65%.
There also exists the 1844 Rock band composed of Tongan Bahá'ís whose style is religious rock.