"For advancing social change through human-centered media,” Firdaus Kharas was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest honors on December 28, 2023. Founder and chairman of Chocolate Moose Media, an animation and documentary creator, his hybrid venture makes for-profit television series and not-for-profit media campaigns. He is recognized as "a social entrepreneur, humanitarian and mass communications media producer.”
The governor general of Canada Mary Simon was quoted on their website www.canada.ca as stating, "I greatly value the opportunity to celebrate individuals whose perseverance, ingenuity and community spirit have benefited Canadians throughout the country. I have seen first-hand that our communities are rich in both excellence and diversity, which we need to do our utmost to recognize.”
Clockwise from top r: Firdaus Kharas; some of his mass media creations;
insignia of the Officer of the Order of Canada
Last month, the 78 new appointments to the Order of Canada included three Companions, 15 Officers, one Honorary Officer and 59 Members. As stated on the website, "Every year since its creation in 1967, the ranks of the Order of Canada have been enriched by the appointment of new members whose contributions reverberate in communities across the country and beyond. Through their exemplary commitment, they inspire and challenge us to join them in making Canada a better country.” The motto of the Order, Desiderantes Meliorem Patriam, translates to "They desire a better country.” At a given time there are just over 1,000 Officers in a population of 40 million.
"I am deeply moved to receive this high honor which is especially meaningful to me as an immigrant. Although a high achieving community, Parsis… number only 3,630 in Canada so it is extremely satisfying to be noticed in this way,” remarked Kharas. When Parsiana sought a clarification for his source of Parsi numbers in Canada, he provided us a link to 150statcan.gc.ca which shows a breakup of visible minorities according to religion. The row on Zoroastrians states 3,630 are of South Asian origin and 2,390 are of West Asian origin. The former are presumably Parsis from India and Pakistan and the latter, Iranians, who have migrated over the years. Kharas entered Canada as a student in 1978 and became its citizen five years later.
When asked whether he was the first Parsi to earn this distinction he scanned the Wikipedia list of Officers of the Order of Canada since inception and shared the link with Parsiana too but there was not a single other name that could be identified as Parsi or Iranian.
Ottawa based Kharas specified that he is "entitled to use the post-nominal letters OC after my name and to wear the lapel pin signifying the rank. The insignia, a medal worn around the neck, will be bestowed at a later date.” A member of several high level Canadian trade missions, Kharas has discussed broadcasting and content policies with foreign government ministers and senior officials from around the world. For his humanitarian projects, he conducts in-country research to understand the subject.
The choice of the name Chocolate Moose Media reflects his love for good chocolate with the moose (featured on Ontario’s provincial coat of arms) depicting his Canadian connections. "As an animation producer creating humorous series I decided my company name should not be too serious,” he stated. Operating without an assistant or an office, he mentioned, "I use freelancers around the world. My animation is done in India.”
Over the years he has established television production companies in Canada and Asia including partnerships with the Royal family of Malaysia, the News Corporation and UTV of India. Specializing in social and behavior change media productions, he notes, "Shedding light on real issues is my passion.” Over the last 28 years he has created campaigns for malaria prevention, rights of refugees, Ebola containment, anti-racism, HIV/AIDS prevention, forestallment of domestic violence. "I never turn down important work solely because of cost concerns,” he declared.
According to his website chocmoose.com their animations are amongst the most multilingual. Having created, directed and produced over 4,000 animated behavior change communications shorts, these have been viewed in 198 countries, adapted into over 500 languages versions. "Bringing the right message to the wrong audience or vice versa is like trying to fill a dump truck with a spoon,” he believes.
Born in Calcutta to Coomi and Jamshed Kharas, Firdaus’s mother was a British trained barrister who was the secretary for India for Women's Voluntary Service, a women’s charity. His father was a mechanical engineer and served as director of Armstrong Smith Ltd. His brother Cyrus is now retired. He acknowledges that he was introduced to progressive causes by his mother who taught him the realities of disenfranchised people.
"There being no Zoroastrian association in Ottawa, Zoroastrians from there generally tend to join the associations in Ontario… As I travel a lot I have not been an active member,” admitted Firdaus.