Pride in its antiquity

The 3000th anniversary celebrations of Zoroastrian culture has taken on a life of its own. All sorts of good things are happening because of the importance people are attributing to the event. It seems the community on this continent and around the world is coming alive, a new found pride in our culture and heritage is shining through.

Major celebrations took place in India, England and new ones are planned in Singapore, Toronto, Sydney, California, Edmonton, New York. The music of ancient Persian nations and tribes was celebrated at the Mehergan Festival in Vancouver so also was a film festival in Chicago and an opening of a library in Houston. All this has helped put Zara-sthushtra and the Zarathushtis on the radar screen of the mainstream community. And we have Tajikistan to thank for this awakening which kicked off the first celebrations in September.

However when an event is sponsored in Washington, jointly by UNESCO, the John W. Kluge Center of the US Library of Congress and the World Zoroastrian Organisation, we begin to feel that Zarathushtis are finally making inroads in places where we need to be counted. Their scholarly colloquium on "Zara­thushtra’s Contribution to Humanity” on December 11 from 2-5 p.m. at the Thomas Jefferson Building was publicized in the US Congress, the White House, think tanks, universities, etc and was to be videotaped on its website and archived in the Library of Congress.

It is particularly significant as it is the first major collaboration between UNESCO and the United States since the United States rejoined UNESCO on October 1, 2003. The letter from Richard Engelhardt, UNESCO, Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific states, "It is therefore fitting and propitious that UNESCO is able to join with the Library of Congress in co-sponsoring this event to honor one of humanity’s seminal thinkers (Zarathushtra).” The letter ends by saying "UNESCO is pleased to co-sponsor this significant event.”

DOLLY DASTOOR and HOMI GANDHI

Co-Chairs, FEZANA, 3000th anniversary celebrations (NGO-sub-committee)