Kimiko Schwerin

Kimiko Schwerin
Kimiko (right) with her husband John Schwerin.
ABM	Asia ???? - 1990
Counsellor	Asia 1990 - 1993
ITC member	1993 - 1998
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Kimiko Schwerin is a Japanese Bahá’í who served as a member of the International Teaching Center.

Background

In the 1960's Kimiko married American John Schwerin. In the early 1970's she was slapped in the face on a train in Japan by an elderly Japanese man for having married a foreigner. As of 1971 she was serving on the National Teaching Committee of Japan. In 1972 she visited Hawaii and read a prayer at a session of the Hawaii House of Representatives and Senate at which Bahá’í Holy Days received official recognition, and as of 1974 she had been appointed as an Auxiliary Board member for Japan.

In November 1980 Schwerin delivered a talk at a national teaching conference for Japan in Shizuoka, and in May 1981 she visited Australia and consulted with the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia on developing collaboration between the Bahá’í communities of Japan and Australia. In 1985 she spoke at a United Nations Day celebration in Machida, Japan, alongside the director of the Peace Office of Japan. In 1989 she served as translator for Fariborz Sahba when he delivered a talk to a meeting of architects and artists in Tokyo.

In 1990 the Universal House of Justice appointed Schwerin as a Continental Counselor for Asia for a five year term, however she only served three years as she was appointed to the International Teaching Center in 1993 moving to the Holy Land to serve on the body. She served one term on the International Teaching Center completing her service in 1998 and returning to Japan.

In 2006 Schwerin served as a member of a delegation which participated in a meeting for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York.