Countdown to the Congress

"Thank you for your overwhelming response. The Congress goes full and registrations now stand closed,” notes the Ninth World Zoroastrian Congress (9WZC) website www. wzcongress.org "The total count has exceeded the figure of 700 delegates coming from around the world,” Congress chair Meher Bhe-sania of Dubai conveyed to Parsiana.

The deliberations over the four days are to be conducted at Dubai’s Crowne Plaza Hotel. In fact even the pre-Congress activities on December 27 that include the Coming Together Round Table Conference and the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) pre AGM (annual general meeting) will be at the same venue. Only the khushali nu jashan will be at Astoria Hotel on December 27.

Crown Plaza Hotel dots the Dubai skyline

Commencing with a benediction, lighting of the lamp, Congress anthem and unfurling of the Congress flag on December 28, 2009, the first day’s pre-lunch highlights include a film Footprints on the Sands of Time produced by the Congress organizers and a ballet Unity in Diversity depicting the story of Zoroastrians from the 17th century onwards.

A new legacy program to be introduced by the organizers is the Youth Leadership Enhancement Program (YLEP) aimed at "encouraging community leadership among 23 to 35-year-olds” with the objective of building "a network of enthusiastic young individuals and (creating) a sustainable pool of next generation leaders that will benefit the community in the long run.” With mentoring by eminent industrialists/entrepreneurs, selected youth will be "encouraged to support community causes and explore the qualities of leadership, collaboration, entrepreneurship, creativity and community rootedness,” according to an explanation on the website. In 2008, applicants to the Program were to learn how to design life goals and explore ways to accomplish them while the current year saw them divided into teams thereby "encouraging teamwork in leveraging resources for the community.”

The regional directors of YLEP are slated to make presentations on the first day of the Congress and participate in the "Youth Vision building exercise” on the second and third day to be moderated by Sorab Mistry who has experience in international marketing communications. In "Meet the Titans” session on the second day, the youth will get an opportunity for a question-answer session with legendary business luminaries. Yet another youth oriented session is "Think Big – A youth forum” on the third day to be moderated by Rustom Engineer and Behroze Daruwalla of USA where the speakers will be Firdosh Bhesania (director USB, Microsoft and vice chairman of Bluetooth USA), Lara Balsara (Madison World, India) and Shayan Italia (multi award singer and song writer). A session in Farsi will focus on the "Achievements of Youth in Iran” where Dr Ekhtiyari, Zarathushti Member of Parliament in Iran, will speak.

To continue the journey of Operation Eyesight started at the 7WZC in Houston, the 9WZC has devoted time on the first day for presentations by Shahnaz Tarapore and Dr Behram Pastakia. The goal of this charity initiative is to meet the need for vision care by recycling used lenses. "Look through your desks, drawers and closets for used and usable eyeglasses (excluding sunglasses) and pack them with you when you come to Dubai or send them with your friends,” urge the coordinators.

Intellectual inputs on the first day will include a keynote address by Lord Karan Bilimoria of UK and talks by Sam Balsara (chairman and managing director, Madison World) on "Zoroastrian Vision 2010 and beyond;” by Dr Villoo Morawala Patell (founder of Avestha-gen) on "The DNA code — A gene study and results,” and a Farsi session by Dr Rustom Khosraviani, head of the Tehran Anjuman on "The Zoroastrian community in Iran.”

Dubai’s chief attractions: shopping and sand dunes

The second and third day starts with a Breakfast Show where the media gets to interview leading personalities at high level round table sessions. The Trade Show will be launched on the second day by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president, Dubai Department of Civil Aviation, chairman and CEO of Emirates. Zoroastrian bodies that are gaining in momentum get to highlight their programs on the second day. The WZCC AGM will have its program as also its awards ceremony. The session on Zoroastrian Women’s International Networking (ZWIN) will have speakers Dr Zareen Karani Araoz, president, Managing Across Culture, and Dolly Dastoor (editor of FEZANA Journal). Dr Shernaz Cama will talk on "The Parzor Project: Tradition and Transmission,” and FEZANA president Bomi Patel on "Zoroastrians in North America – Future and Present Trends.”

The second day will see speeches by Nadir Godrej (managing director of Godrej Industries Limited) on "Rekindling the Spirit of Entrepreneurship;” by Talmiz Ahmad (Indian ambassador to the UAE) on "New approaches to Global Economic Interactions;” by Neville Shroff (chairman and CEO of Shroff and Company, Hong Kong) on "The success formula in difficult times;” by Bilimoria on "Managing a recession;” by Marzban Giara on "Famous statues;” by Dhun Noria (chief of laboratory medicine, Scarborough Hospital) on "Women Power;” and by Rastin Mehri of North America delivering the Khorshed Jungalwala Lecture series.

At the Gala Awards Night on the second day five recognitions will be conferred by way of an Outstanding Zarathushti Award; Excellence in Performing Arts, Painting or Literature; Community Service Award; Technology and Engineering Award; and Excellence in Medicine Award.

The third day will bring together Zoroastrian associations from different corners of the world on a common platform. At the Coming Together Round Table to be coordinated by Rohinton Rivetna, the world leadership forum will be co-chaired by Dinshaw Mehta, chairman of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), Ekhtiyari, Paurush Jila, vice president of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) and Patel. Subsequently there will be independent presentations by Mehta, Jila, Phil Madon who will speak on "Zoroastrians in Far Eastern countries,” and Vicky Mistry on Zoroastrians in New Zealand. The afternoon will have yet another session "Community Cares” to be moderated by Firdosh Mehta which will bring together BPP, FEZANA, World Zoroastrian Organi­sation, ZTFE, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Hong Kong, Australian Zoroastrian Association and Zoroastrian Association Singapore. The symposium "Hands across the oceans” will feature a medical panel that includes Dr Noshir Wadia who will speak on neurological disorders, Dr Anahita Pandole and Pastakia on infertility, Dr Pilloo Hakim on allergy and asthma and Dr Zenobia Madon on medical diseases. "Opportunities for Zoroastrians to serve as bridge builders world wide” will be the subject of Jehangir Sarosh’s talk.

The final day has the potential to be constructive as it has three sessions set aside for: "Round up of Coming together Round Table Program,” "Vision Building Exercise for the Big 5 goals,” and "Announcement of top 5 goals to be achieved by the Youth and Key Community Organizations before the next Congress.” Additionally there will be speeches by Dorab Mistry of UK on "The story of Zoroastrian Centre for Europe and the remarkable Zartoshty Brothers,” by BPP trustee Khojeste Mistree on "What the Diaspora can do for India and what India can do for the Diaspora?” and by the Indian Consul General in Dubai Venu Rajamony on "Unity in Diversity.”

Once the torch is passed and awards conferred on December 31, the Closing Ceremony will bring the proceedings to an end, leaving the delegates time for sight seeing or shopping before the New Year’s eve celebrations that include a music performance by Italia, a Persian dance show, a gala dinner, entertainment extravaganza and grand finale.

In fact on each day the organizers have planned fun activities like sight-seeing trips, visits to the malls and desert safari in the early evening followed by cultural programs at night that include dance shows by Hormuzd Khambata and Team, the Boman Irani show, entertainment at Bedouin tent site. Lunch time will provide an avenue for networking by exhibitors and delegates for the promotion of their products and services. Well-known astrologer Bejan Daruwalla’s predictions for businessmen and professionals for 2010 will be an added attraction during luncheon on the first two days. A prescribed dress code for the four-day event stipulates formal suits for gents, and formal suits, dresses or garas/saris for ladies.

As Meher Bhesania was quoted in SynergyZ, "Not all of us leave behind a lasting imprint but what we can is a legacy for our people… WZC is one such wonderful legacy that I am proud of being associated with as the chairperson and to have worked with an inspiring team when the Congress enters its golden jubilee year.”