"Haste thee, O Carmel, for lo, the light of the countenance of God, the Ruler of the Kingdom of Names and Fashioner of the heavens, hath been lifted upon thee... Rejoice, for God hath in this Day established upon thee His throne, hath made thee the dawning-place of His signs and the dayspring of evidences of His Revelation. Well is it with him that circleth around thee, that proclaimeth the revelation of thy glory, and recounteth that which the bounty of the Lord thy God hath showered upon thee..."

~ Bahá'u'llah

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and the nations shall flow unto it."

~ ISAIAH 2:2

Every year thousands of Bahá'ís visit Haifa and Acre as pilgrims and have the privilege of visiting these sites in the company of fellow believers from all parts of the world. At five-year intervals the elected representatives of the national Bahá'í communities gather in Haifa to elect the members of the Universal House of Justice , which administers the international affairs of the Faith from its Seat on Mount Carmel. The staff of the House of Justice comprises Bahá'í volunteers drawn from many different lands. Living in the Haifa/Acre area, staff members serve by invitation for varying periods of time.

~ Adopted from the official Bahá'í World Center web site

Founded on a set of unique electoral and consultative principles that are democratic in spirit and method, the Bahá'í administrative order is organized around freely elected governing councils which operate at the local, national, and international levels. This hierarchy devolves decision-making to the lowest practicable level--thereby instituting a unique vehicle for grassroots participation in governance--while at the same time providing a level of coordination and authority that makes possible cooperation on a global scale. Bahá'u'lláh called these governing councils "Houses of Justice." The Universal House of Justice today guides the activities of the global Bahá'í community. This body was instituted by Bahá'u'lláh Himself as the supreme legislative organ of the Bahá'í administrative order. Its members, Bahá'u'lláh wrote, are "the Trustees of God among His servants."

To read about news and see pictures of Bahá'í activities and events worldwide please click on Bahá'í World News Service and Bahá'í Terraces.