Junk file .com



Recap of Actionable Discussion items

from the Coming Together RoundTable 2007

Mumbai, January 8, 2007

I. Supplies and Services for overseas Zarathushtis. e.g. liturgical items, sudrehs, kushtis, sukhad, ses, diva, prayer books, books, sending flowers/gifts, financial and accounting services. (Owners: Yazdi Tantra-India is developing . Parsiana is developing a Global Yellow Pages directory)

II. Global Networking.

(Owners: Ader Gandi -California and Yazdi Tantra - India are developing a worldwide directory - , (for matrimonials) and (for news).

III. Need to Coordinate Welfare Programs.

Welfare efforts worldwide. ( Contacts: In North America, welfare appeals are processed by the FEZANA Welfare Committee Houtoxi Contractor, Hosi Mehta and Freyaz Shroff).

Procedure for sending donations from overseas for welfare, critical assistance, natural calamities, etc. and their tax implications. (Owner: Firdosh Mehta-Dallas)

Explore welfare needs in India for which Overseas Zarathushtis can provide assistance. (Owner: Porus Dadabhoy-Chicago visited possible Welfare Programs in India in 2007).

Coordinate with Parsi Resource Group’s programs for Youth, Mobeds and Agiaries. (Owners: Jimmy Mistry of PRG-India will coordinate with Houtoxi Contractor, FEZANA Welfare Committee, about “Adopt-a-Child” and “Adopt-an-Agiary” programs.

Coordinate efforts of Trusts in India. Review archaic systems, be accountable and share a coordinated application process for Welfare and Scholarship programs. (Owner: Homai Modi-India will facilitate efforts to revive the Liaison Committee.)

IV. Other Worthwhile Projects Needing Support

Among several PARZOR (India) projects that need funding are: Genetics and Fertility Research Center at Masina Hospital; publication of children’s book by Shernaz Cama; language studies; and other projects. (Contact: Armaity Desai-India, armaity@)

Need for a study on Aging and Elder Issues. (Contact: Minoo Shroff- BPP chair, India)

“Doctors Without Border”s network started by Dr. Mehroo Patel-Chicago. (Contact: Porus Dadabhoy-Chicago, porusdad@).

Operation Eyesight offers eye care and glasses to the needy. (Contact: Behram Pastakia - Washington, bpastakia@).

Zarathushti Peace Corps, encouraging individual acts of charity. (Contact: Behram Pastakia - Washington, bpastakia@).

Genealogy Archives project by Dr. Rubina Patel will help Zarathushtis understand our common heritage. (Contact: Behram Pastakia - Washington, bpastakia@).

Developing a State-of-the-Art Environment at Parsi General Hospital. (Contact: Behram Pastakia - Washington, bpastakia@)

V. Preservation of Rare and Valuable Manuscripts and Documents

The dire need to preserve and restore rare and valuable books and manuscripts at the Navsari Maherji Rana library and elsewhere. At a subsequent meeting Dasturji Kotwal mentioned the critical need to rebuild the dilapidated storage building at the Navsari Library.

(Owner: Homi Dhalla, WZCF-India, wzcf@bom8..in, has placed 45 out-of-print books on a CDROM. ) Note: Dr. Dhalla has offered a collection of 400 old books to any worthy Zarathushti library.

(Owner: Natalie Vania will look into Google’s project to digitize great works.)

(Owner: Homai Modi described ongoing restoration efforts at K. R. Cama Oriental Inst.)

(Owner: Shernaz Cama of PARZOR has undertaken restoration efforts for the Navsari manuscripts.

(Owner: Mention was made of ZTFE librarian Malcolm Deboo’s efforts to look into cost of professional restoration of manuscripts).

Persepolis Tablets, excavated by the Oriental Institute, Chicago, are under contention. (Owner: Rohinton Rivetna, Chicago is in touch with Oriental Institute archeologists.

VI. Archeological and Cultural Projects

The World Zarathushti Cultural Foundation, India, has undertaken projects including: Excavations in Sanjan; an Archeological Museum for excavated artifacts; a forthcoming book on Navsari; reviving Gujarati language and monajats; conservation work at Bahrot Caves; a traveling Textiles Exhibit. (Owner: Homi Dhalla, WZCF-India, wzcf@bom8..in.

Shirin Mistry - Australia, requested help in collecting artifacts for a Zarathushti Expo at the World Youth Congress.

Alayar Dabestani mentioned that sculptor Homer Abramian of Australia plans to place 100 statues of Cyrus the Great around the world. There was some sentiment that replicas of the Cyrus Cylinder may be more appropriate.

VII. Interfaith and UN Programs

Organizations should seek UN-NGO status, as FEZANA has, and participate in humanitarian and peace programs. (Owner: Behram Pastakia has offered help in securing UN-NGO status.)

Need for a traveling Zarathushti Exhibit, that could be loaned around the world. (Owner: Homi Dhalla is working on this through WZCF)

Promote Zarathushti participation in Interfaith circles. (Owner: Behram Pastakia is working on placing Zarathushti logo at UN Chapel.

(Owners: Rohinton Rivetna and Homi Dhalla are working on an All-India Parliament of Religions.

VIII. Public Relations

Need for a coordinated response to misinformation in the media. (Owner: FEZANA PR Committee is addressing this).

IX. World Congresses

Need a formal process and guidelines for holding world congresses, including World Youth Congresses. (Owners: Firdosh Mehta, Behram Pastakia and Rohinton Rivetna are writing a document giving the selection process with RFP, requirements and guidelines.)

X. World Zoroastrian Council

Alayar Dabestani suggested that a “Think Tank” be formed to address the new “World Zoroastrian Council” that has been established in Paris, to cater to the purported large numbers who claim Zarathushti ancestry. (Owner: Open).

XI. Iranian Committee

Alayar Dabestani pointed out the need to form an Iranian Ad-Hoc Committee to aid Zarathushtis in the event of a political emergency in Iran. (Owner: Open)

XII. Proposal - World Zoroastrian General Assembly

Kayzad Namdarian of Australia submitted a proposal in absentia: “United Towards Frashokereti,” for a World Zoroastrian General Assembly (WZGA), to serve “as an evolutionary step forward from the Coming Together Meeting.” The proposal is “to create an open structure forum of Zoroastrian entities around the world, for the following objective: To ensure that Zarathushtra’s message survives future millennia, by solving common problems in a non-binding, voluntary way.” WZGA is conceived to be “simply a formalized gathering forum” and not a “body of bodies”. It is completely non-binding, and serves to address common issues in a professional, formal way through dialogue, action and results.

(Contact: For the full proposal, contact Kayzadnamdarian@)

XIII Passing the Torch to the Next Generation

Nauzer Kasad, Chair of the Indian Federation of Zoroastrian Youth (FOZYA) painted a bleak picture of youth ready to give up, drifting away, due primarily to lack of support from Parsi organizations.

(Owner: Jimmy Mistry mentioned PRG’s ongoing Youth Empowerment (YES) and Making a Difference (MAD) programs.

(Owner: Freyaz Shroff mentioned ZYNA’s (Zoroastrian Youth of North America) efforts to create a World Youth Directory and an online youth network, and its active participation at the local and national levels in North America).

(Owner: Minoo Bhujwalla of New Orleans - mbhujwa@, has submitted a proposal for a Save the Zarathushti Youth Program and youth camp.

(Owner: Shirin Mistry of Australia (shirinmistry@.au) mentioned the Friends Forever program at the World Youth Congress in Melbourne in 2007, and hoped that a legacy of that Congress would be closer bonding between Zarathushti youth.)

(Owner: Rohinton Rivetna mentioned “Next Generation Challenges” conference (possible venue Chicago in Oct 2007).

=====================================================

Items Leftover from RoundTable 2007

to be discussed at RoundTable 2008

Mumbai, Jan 15, 2008

(1) Discuss the role of Zarathushtis living abroad - their duties to the mother country and reciprocally their rights and privileges in mother countries.

(2) Worldwide calamity preparedness (e.g. earthquakes, floods, global warming effects ….)

(3) Cultivate the ethic of collective giving - demonstrate its power through organizing small projects, enhancing self-help.

(4) Zanzibar Agiari demise - a lesson.

(5) Commemorate the memory of Dadabhoy Naoroji - a Dadabhoy Naoroji memorial/monument/library in Delhi.

(6) Assistance for installation of a continuously burning fire in North America.

(7) Develop a “Code for mutual trust and respect"  -- tearing down of walls between Zarathushtis.  Promote co-existentialist values, with respect for diversity and a striving for harmony amongst diverse views.

(8) Develop a “Code of Civil Conduct” - inspire civility.  Refrain/restrain from maligning each other in public, making ourselves a public spectacle in the media.

(9) Demographic and population studies

(9) Address concerns about rise of Interfaith marriages.

(10) Address concerns about Zarathushtis being drawn to other ideologies/faiths/cults.

(11) Establish local Zarathushti Mandals in Mumbai to form a network - need for smaller parochial units.

(12) Develop a network of Mobeds worldwide

(13) Develop Worldwide Youth Network

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download