the Universal House of Justice in 1968. This same mat was gifted to the King at the dedication of the temple in 1979. Meanwhile, cooperation with the government of Samoa expanded. In 1967 Baháʼís presented Baháʼí literature to the kings of Tonga and Samoa with more planned for leaders of government. In 1967 the government of Samoa sponsored the observance of United Nations Day. In years past it had been the Baha'i community of American Samoa that had sponsored the observance, with the aid of the government of American Samoa. This year Governor Aspinall appointed a United Nations Day Committee which included the chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific Ocean, Suhayl Ala'i, as member of the Committee for Iran. Mr. Ala'i made suggestions resulting in the inclusion of the Baha'i prayer for unity in the program and the committee secured the services of Hand of the Cause Ugo Giachery as guest speaker. By 1968 King Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa privately converted to the religion and announced it publicly in 1973 when he wrote a letter to the convention to elect the Universal House of Justice. The Universal House of Justice asked Baháʼís individually to not seek publicity of the issue at the time. In 1974 King Malietoa Tanumafili II attended the national convention and congratulated work on construction of a Baháʼí center and KVZK-2 recorded a series of three 15-minute programs to be broadcast as part of its daily show Talosaga. In 1976 the national assembly was registered with the United States, the first Baháʼí center on Tutuila was raised, and King Tanumafili visited the grave of Shoghi Effendi. In 1986 as part of a series of events (see below) highlighting the importance of peace the Baháʼís had meetings with the American Samoan Speaker of the House and the prime minister of Western Samoa attended including a presentation of the statement by the Universal House of Justice called The Promise of World Peace. In 1987 the Baháʼís helped celebrate the 25th anniversary of the independence of Western Samoa with a commemoration at the Baháʼí House of Worship which included a surprise unveiling of a large portrait of king Tanumafili, and at a parade for the anniversary Baháʼís won third place in a contest of floats. At the 27th anniversary Baháʼís double purposed the celebration with a service dedicated to World Environment Day which was followed