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To: |
FEZANA Member
Associations
FEZANA Small Groups Chairs,
FEZANA Committees and Ad Hoc Committees
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From: |
FEZANA "UN-NGO" Ad-Hoc
Committee's Sub-Committee to Celebrate the 3000th Anniversary of Zoroastrian
culture
Dolly Dastoor, Chair <Tamina Davar <>
Homi Gandhi Co-chair <homi_gandhi@usa.net>
Behram Pastakia <
Aban Rustomji < |
The Executive Board and General Conference of UNESCO, at its 161st
and 162nd sessions, received from member states, 47
anniversaries to be celebrated in the year 2002-2003 with which it could be
associated (these were presented for approval to the General Conference
by UNESCO’s Director General.)
Among the 47 anniversaries to be celebrated in the year 2002-2003, which
UNESCO is associated with, is the “3000th anniversary of
Zoroastrian culture”. This anniversary was submitted by the State of
Tajikistan. The government of this Central Asian country, very concerned
about their Zarathushti heritage, and eager to safeguard the memory of
their ancestral religion and culture, took this initiative to propose
this celebration – for which we applaud and thank them .
UNESCO PARIS, Bureau of Public information has confirmed that "Executive
Board and General Conference has voted in favor of celebrating the 3000th
anniversary of Zoroastrian culture in the year 2003" This information was sent
by Mr Roni Amelan, UNESCO Bureau of Information and announced by Mr Perera of
UNESCO at the Parzor premier and exhibition in Delhi, India.
Each member state who has proposed the anniversary has to finance its own
activities. Tajikistan is planning a major seminar in the month of November
2003, whose details we have not as yet received. Any contribution from UNESCO
will be financed under UNESCO's participation program.
FEZANA'S RESPONSE
The FEZANA "UN-NGO" Ad-Hoc Committee Co-chairs Homi Gandhi (ZAGNY) and Behram
Pastakia (ZAMWI), FEZANA coordinators at the UN, have been in contact
with the authorities of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. At the 2003 FEZANA
AGM in Boston, it was decided that FEZANA take the lead in organizing
appropriate events to celebrate the 3000th anniversary
In keeping with
this we suggest that:
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FEZANA Member
Associations, associate with and spread the word about our celebrating the
Tajikistan initiated celebration of Zoroastrian Culture and Heritage through
three millennia.
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FEZANA Member
Associations create or associate their various North American activities and
outreach with these celebrations, thus contributing to “worldwide” solidarity
and visibility of our faith and culture.
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those of us who
can, should try to attend Tajikistan’s celebrations, and show our solidarity
and support for their efforts.
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from now until the end of the year, any
event your association organizes should mention this celebration; and perhaps
consider the specific event as part of the celebration.
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printed materials (newsletters,
event flyers, emails, etc.) highlight these celebrations. A special
brochure and write-up is being prepared which we will send to you
electronically to use. This can be used for distribution to your community,
or to the press in your area or for a press conference.
Organizing and orchestrating celebrations that are of
quality and foster interest in our religion, traditions, practice, culture and
heritage is a mammoth undertaking that needs years of preparations and we have
only 5 months. Hence we are suggesting these action items:
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Form a sub-committee of enthused people
… particularly our youth … in your own communities.
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Send Dolly Dastoor the name and contact
information of the person who will be the point of contact for this FEZANA
UN-NGO sub-committee. We would like to maintain a record of all the activities
organized by the member associations
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Share your ideas with the FEZANA UN-NGO
sub-committee so that it can distribute them to other FEZANA Member
Associations.
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Finally, please feel free to contact
any of the members of this sub-committee – we all have a lot to do and we want
to get going!
Some of the additional activities we would like to suggest are:
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Encourage the public library and the libraries in the
schools in your area to have a book display on Zarathushti religion, art,
famous Zarathushtis. If the library does not have enough books, collect
books from the local Z community members and offer them to the library to
display. If you have any extra copies with you, donate them to the public
library
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Organize a lecture series/seminars at an institution of
higher learning near you that highlights the Zoroastrian influence on the
Western world. This can be done where there are several Z students in the
University.
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Organize events (happenings, film festivals, talks, radio
talk shows) that celebrate aspects of Zoroastrian doctrine, culture, history
in an appropriate manner
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Organize public readings of Zarathushti authors and
there are a few in North America.
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Send press releases re your events to the press; or
suggest story ideas to them
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Mention this at interfaith meetings; ask organizations to
include a paragraph on the celebrations in their forthcoming newsletters and
programs
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Associations around the world could organize a special
event for the Ayatheram Ghambar in October 2003 inviting community members and
local politicians to attend.
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Get a proclamation from the Mayor, Governor-General. Etc
Some of the activities we are planning centrally: a
special commemorative pin, a totebag, a stamp, press releases, a PowerPoint
presentation which all associations can use etc.
These are preliminary suggestions if you have any more do
send them on, or if you have any special expertise which you can offer to enrich
this celebration please volunteer.
The sub-committee looks forward to working with all of
you.
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