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Distance is not a deterrent anymore although nothing beats actual human interaction,” remarked Arzan Wadia, president of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA), when highlighting their community activities for those attending the 13th annual meeting of the Global Working Group (GWG) on the Zoom platform on January 15, 2022. Within the three minutes assigned to each region, newsworthy developments were briefly alluded to by the world leaders after discussing organizational and welfare issues (see "Tenacity by the Trust,” Parsiana, February 7-20, 2022).
With FEZANA having revitalized its youth wing — Zoroastrian Youth of North America (ZYNA) — "around 150-200 youngsters meet virtually and have serious discussions. The youth are able to adapt to new technologies more easily. While functioning independently, they come to us for funding. We thereby make them accountable yet independent. We empower them to be leaders within the community; not just youth leaders,” added Wadia. This resurgence in youth has been a positive outcome of the Seventh World Zoroastrian Youth Congress held in Los Angeles in 2019, he believed.
Included in their other accom­plishments during 2021was FEZANA’s presence at the Parliament of the World’s Religions as also the establishment of the FEZANA Professorship of Zoroastrian Languages and Literature at the University of Toronto made possible by nearly 250 magnanimous donors. Among the institutional donors, he named the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hongkong, Canton and Macao as also the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) whose largesse "helped take us over the hill” and reach the targeted amount of USD 1.1 million (Rs 8.15 crore). He considered this support as "a testament of how GWG networking and the meeting of like minds can help different regions achieve their goals.”
The UK community is preparing for two events, the Eighth World Zoroastrian Youth Congress as also the annual general meeting and "conclave” to be hosted by the UK chapter of the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) in London in 2023, reported ZTFE president Malcolm Deboo. ZTFE has fully funded three students who are undertaking Zoroastrian studies either at the doctoral or postgraduate level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ZTFE’s "Care in the Community,” an outreach program for senior citizens, has been growing in strength as also the Z Club for Senior Citizens that was temporarily suspended during the lockdowns. Appreciating that "we are blessed with the National Health Service in the UK” that provides medical assistance without charge, Deboo noted that in response to various appeals to assist those adversely impacted during the pandemic, they raised GBP 25,000 (Rs 25,24,334) .
Although their Zoroastrian Centre premises had to be kept shut in the first half of 2021, their priests continued to perform all ceremonies for the souls of the departed. The muktad ceremonies were conducted in person and relayed by Zoom to devotees across the world.  ZTFE’s presence through its president was evident at interfaith and national events in the UK. With ZTFE patron Lord Karan Bilimoria serving as the first ever president of Asian descent of the Confederation of British Industry, "he keeps the Zoroastrian flag flying,” stated Deboo.
"We have not been having regular meetings… We are trying our best…. Elections may be held a few months’ hence. Right now the matter is in court,” reported Armaity Tirandaz, chairwoman of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) and president of The Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India.
"Dubai is always there to help people around the world,” assured Meher Bhesania although in the last year travel regulations had impeded their movements. Despite the hurdles eight million visitors are known to have visited the ongoing Dubai Expo that offers opportunities to "anybody looking for a global connect.” At the community level they advertised job openings for different skills at different levels, with vacancies arising in the Emirates once again. In addition to hosting webinars, Bhesania was able to use the surplus time on her hands to make films for the GWG and the WZCC.
"Although we are trying our level best, sadly the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of  Oceania has not yet been formed due to some negativity,” reported Firoz Pestonji of Perth. He referred to the Australian Zoroastrian Association (AZA) of New South Wales in Sydney deciding not to join "because of which we could not go ahead. We have not given up hope. We have formed an informal WhatsApp group of Oceania regions.”
AZA trustee Farida Irani admitted that like in every region "we have a few elements in our community who like to put a spoke in the wheels.” She was hopeful that when the next managing committee is elected they may be able to resolve the issue. In the meantime, the community in the southern hemisphere continues its charitable work, regularly contributing to appeals for funds from India.

 

GWG offshoots
While some members had woken up very early to attend the Zoom call that started at 5.30 a.m. on the west coast of USA, others in the Far East had stayed up till well past midnight to participate in the three-and-a-half-hour meeting. Community associations continue to draw inspiration and strength from each other as gleaned from the reports from the nine GWG standing committees dealing with arts and culture, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, education, publication, youth, finance, operations and mobeds; and two ad hoc committees UN-NGO (United Nations-nongovernmental organization) and settlement of immigrants and demographics.
"Infrastructure is integral for the formation of a community… Our common religion/ethnicity always draws us together,” sated FEZANA founder president Rohinton Rivetna of Chicago and Rustom Engineer of Houston in their note. "There are two endowments that every community must have in addition to other secular endowments: one is the resident priest endowment and the other is an endowment for gahanbars,” they recommended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The duo had drawn up a list of 17 infrastructure items they felt the community needed like global headquarters, website and quarterly periodical as also an organization to monitor demographics. A website with information on temporary accommodation/transportation available in different regions would assist international travelers, they noted.
 "Isolation in old age is the number one killer,” stated Engineer, convinced that "on the top of our list of priorities has to be housing for seniors, close to an atash kadeh.” He urged GWG members to send details on infrastructure projects in their region so that other associations could learn from their experience.
On behalf of the Entrepreneurship Committee, Edul Daver, former president of the WZCC, referred to the establishment of the Zarathushti Entrepreneurship Development Foundation (ZEDF) as the major accomplishment. The WZCC-FEZANA collaboration on ZEDF has resulted in their raising USD 248,854 (Rs 1,85,86,283) of which USD 168,025 (Rs 1,25,49,367) was generated in 2021 to fund loan applications from entrepreneurs in North America.
Entrepreneurship, stressed Daver, "involves creativity, innovation and calculated risk and is thus practiced not only by start-ups and small companies but also pockets of large corporations, professionals, non-profits, education, government, homemakers… We have finally achieved the very meaningful but elusive objective” of providing debt financing, equity financing, facilitating venture capital to budding entrepreneurs and a ZEDF loan scholarship leading to a Master’s degree.
The Zoroastrian Faculty Network (ZFN) is "a nascent program and also fragile,” said Prof Farrokh Mistree on behalf of the education committee. He was referring to the partnership between GWG and WZCC that seeks to "empower Zarathushti students to learn how to create economic, cultural, intellectual value and to reinvest in the Zarathushti community.” The encouragement for them is expected to come from "role models who have the dyanat (willingness) to give back to their own community. It is a challenge to identify Zoroastrian faculty who wish to be a part of this  program and wish to give back to the community.” To empower students, during the year they convened 12 webinars on subjects like planning where to study, applying for postgraduation degrees in the UK and USA, writing a winning application essay and statement of purpose, guide to public speaking and presentation skills. The ZFN’s tie-up with WZCC would serve as "the right jodi (partner),” commented former ZTFE president Dorab Mistry who was serving as moderator at the GWG meet.
The GWG is like the United Nations (UN) that has "the same goals of creating a prosperous, healthy, well-connected community of individuals,” said Dr Behram Pastakia when presenting the UN-NGO committee report. He highlighted the efforts of different Zoroastrians who participated in UN’s environmental programs last year. While generally Covid-19 is regarded as a spoilsport, to view it in a positive light, the concept of "Pandemic as portal,” an opening to new possibilities, was introduced by child psychologist Dr Ayesha Rabadi-Raol. This was during a training session for the UN Commission on the Status of Women last March, mentioned Pastakia. He referred to another development in the same month when Ayesha Ghadiali representing the US Forest Service to the UN partnered with Dr Rashneh Pardiwala to showcase the reforestation work undertaken at the Bombay Doongerwadi.

 

 

 

 

 

When reporting on the progress of the Ava Project that promotes care for all creations, and the efforts by several Zoroastrians to participate in international fora, Pastakia suggested implementation of the "hanjamana” concept. As previously explained by Mobed Mehraban Firouzgary of Iran, the term is meant to convey: "May the thoughts of all participants at the congregation (anjuman) come together just as tributaries and streams mingle to form a mighty river that flows to the vast ocean.”
Providing an overview on the settlement of immigrants and demographics, FEZANA past president Homi Gandhi stated, "Every Zoroastrian community has some form of ‘Welcome Wagon’(welcoming newcomers to the local community or neighborhood) like activities. But with the coming together as a GWG we now have the means to connect with each other, track population shifts and help newcomers (be they families or students pursuing higher academics) in various regions.”
Revitalization of the M. F. Cama Athornan Institute in Andheri that had in the past come up for discussion was broached again. Dinshaw Tamboly, chairman of The WZO (World Zoroastrian Organisation) Trust Funds was of the view that since the Dadar Athornan Institute that has a capacity for 100 students currently has only 22 boarders, a parallel institution would only mean duplication. Rivetna reminded that revitalization of the Cama Institute was deemed necessary for the higher training of mobeds that needs to be given some attention so that they can be spiritual leaders of the community.
"You need to start developing a second tier. Our tomorrow is not a part of these committees. The next generation that can take this forward seems to be missing. What is the sustainable plan for the future? We need to work on this. Whatever discussed is for now,” commented BPP trustee Viraf Mehta. While Mehta sought to put the onus on the elders, Bhesania insisted, "It is the youth who need to put their heads together and come up with a plan.”
Mistry pointed out that the community already has youthful presidents at FEZANA and ZTFE, and even two BPP trustees — Mehta and Xerxes Dastur. Kersy Bhesania of Dubai referred to the sustainability clause included in the proposed Global Council of Zoroastrians Trust stipulating that "existing members must retire to make way for the new.”
In his introductory remarks, GWG non-executive chair Neville Shroff had recommended, "We need more projects involving the youth. We should empower more youth on our standing committees and projects so that they continue the legacy. Our promising initiatives should not become meaningless… The bottom line is succession planning.”
Describing the meeting as "very productive,” Shroff thanked each region for the good work being undertaken. "Many issues we did not understand have come to light. We need to work in harmony,” he reiterated while "sincerely wishing and praying that we can meet in person next year.”
Those who could be identified at the online GWG meeting were: Firoz Pestonji and Farida Irani from Australia; Armaity Tirandaz, Viraf Mehta, Xerxes Dastur, Burjor Antia, Sam Balsara, Dinshaw Tamboly, Yazdi Tantra and Farrokh Rustomji from Bombay; Kersy and Meher Bhesania from Dubai; Neville Shroff from Hong Kong; Kersi Deboo from Navsari; Homiyar Vasania from Singapore; Malcolm Deboo, Rusi Dalal, Dorab Mistry, Sheherazad Kapadia and Sanaya Khambatta from UK; Arzan Wadia, Homi Gandhi, Rohinton and Roshan Rivetna, Astad Clubwala, Katayun Kapadia, Edul Daver, Dr Behram Pastakia, Rustom Engineer and Farrokh Mistree from USA. The Press was represented by FEZANA Journal, Parsi Khabar and Parsiana.