Zoroastrians Abroad
Countdown to 11WZC
"The countdown begins! Only 365 days to go… for the 11th World Zoroastrian Congress (11WZC), Perth, June 1 to 4, 2018. Please do inform your family and friends! Australia is getting ready to welcome you,” noted a WhatsApp communication from Congress chairman Firoz Pestonji on June 1, 2017.
A concurrent email message declares: "The new website of the 11WZC is live now…” Although there are indications of three kinds of registration — early bird (until September 30, 2017), standard (until December 31) and last minute (until February 28, 2018) –
no rates have yet been announced. Currently prospective participants may "register interest” for information updates.
As per the program announced on the website 11wzcperth.com.au, the first day of the Congress at the Astral Rooms, Crown Complex, allows for meetings of the Global Working Group and tours through the day with a jashan in the early evening and a gala and traditional aboriginal opening with entertainment later in the day.
The second day has scheduled Australian regional presentations, a religious discussion, youth session, Unsung Heroes of Australia and the globe, priests worldwide, women empowerment, wives of great men and an optional dinner cruise. Simultaneously there will be deliberations on the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC), the World Zoroastrian Organisation, Zoroastrians online and demographics.
The third day will feature Zoroastrian scholars and global issues as also past Congress reports and Return to Roots for the pre-lunch sessions, Zoroastrians and medicine, reports from Indian anjumans, Pakistan, Iran, fathers-and-sons panel for the afternoon slots and the awards ceremony and closing program with dinner and dance for the finale. When Pestonji was asked whether there would also be a session for mothers-and-daughters, he responsed there would be for fathers-and-daughters and even mothers-and-sons.
The fourth day has been set aside for sightseeing and tours: the morning tour of Perth extends to Kings Park, Swan River and Fremantle Tour. The afternoon tour includes Swan Valley, Wildlife, Winery and Chocolate tour. The website has a section devoted exclusively to pre-Congress and post Congress tours.
Since all congresses have "limited time for discussions and debates,” the website has made provisions where viewers can post comments and voice their opinions on community issues. "This is the first time that digital media is being utilized for the WZC in this manner... Being an educated community we must tolerate and welcome other people’s views.” The Discussion page on the website has provided 11 heads under which views can be expressed: business and entrepreneurship, community infrastructure, education and innovation, empowering women, health and medicine, heritage, Zoroastrian culture and arts, religion, science and technology, senior, youth and others. Filters will enable viewers to see the latest or oldest comments, the most viewed, most voted or most answered subject. A panel of moderators will however ensure that the content has "no vulgar, sexist or racist remarks against anyone; no promotion of any sort including political parties and candidates; no remarks that could be deemed derogatory towards other people, cultures or religions etc.”
To induce greater participation in the Congress the website carries 36 photos of individuals and families from across the globe who are "coming to the Congress.” Starting with Lord Karan Bilimoria of UK, past and present trustees of the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hongkong, Canton and Macau, Jal Shroff, Neville Shroff, Rustom Jokhi, Homiar Poonawalla of Hongkong, current and past presidents of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, Homi Gandhi, Rohinton Rivetna, Katayun Kapadia, Bomi Patel, global president of the WZCC Edul Daver, former president of the Singapore association Rustom Ghadially, chairperson of the Ninth WZC Meher Bhesania of Dubai, former trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet Dinshaw Tamboly and Khojeste Mistree, Parzor founder Dr Shernaz Cama, eminent industrialists and professionals from India Nadir Godrej, Percy Master, Sam Balsara.
A concurrent email message declares: "The new website of the 11WZC is live now…” Although there are indications of three kinds of registration — early bird (until September 30, 2017), standard (until December 31) and last minute (until February 28, 2018) –
no rates have yet been announced. Currently prospective participants may "register interest” for information updates.As per the program announced on the website 11wzcperth.com.au, the first day of the Congress at the Astral Rooms, Crown Complex, allows for meetings of the Global Working Group and tours through the day with a jashan in the early evening and a gala and traditional aboriginal opening with entertainment later in the day.
The second day has scheduled Australian regional presentations, a religious discussion, youth session, Unsung Heroes of Australia and the globe, priests worldwide, women empowerment, wives of great men and an optional dinner cruise. Simultaneously there will be deliberations on the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC), the World Zoroastrian Organisation, Zoroastrians online and demographics.
The third day will feature Zoroastrian scholars and global issues as also past Congress reports and Return to Roots for the pre-lunch sessions, Zoroastrians and medicine, reports from Indian anjumans, Pakistan, Iran, fathers-and-sons panel for the afternoon slots and the awards ceremony and closing program with dinner and dance for the finale. When Pestonji was asked whether there would also be a session for mothers-and-daughters, he responsed there would be for fathers-and-daughters and even mothers-and-sons.
The fourth day has been set aside for sightseeing and tours: the morning tour of Perth extends to Kings Park, Swan River and Fremantle Tour. The afternoon tour includes Swan Valley, Wildlife, Winery and Chocolate tour. The website has a section devoted exclusively to pre-Congress and post Congress tours.
Since all congresses have "limited time for discussions and debates,” the website has made provisions where viewers can post comments and voice their opinions on community issues. "This is the first time that digital media is being utilized for the WZC in this manner... Being an educated community we must tolerate and welcome other people’s views.” The Discussion page on the website has provided 11 heads under which views can be expressed: business and entrepreneurship, community infrastructure, education and innovation, empowering women, health and medicine, heritage, Zoroastrian culture and arts, religion, science and technology, senior, youth and others. Filters will enable viewers to see the latest or oldest comments, the most viewed, most voted or most answered subject. A panel of moderators will however ensure that the content has "no vulgar, sexist or racist remarks against anyone; no promotion of any sort including political parties and candidates; no remarks that could be deemed derogatory towards other people, cultures or religions etc.”
To induce greater participation in the Congress the website carries 36 photos of individuals and families from across the globe who are "coming to the Congress.” Starting with Lord Karan Bilimoria of UK, past and present trustees of the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hongkong, Canton and Macau, Jal Shroff, Neville Shroff, Rustom Jokhi, Homiar Poonawalla of Hongkong, current and past presidents of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, Homi Gandhi, Rohinton Rivetna, Katayun Kapadia, Bomi Patel, global president of the WZCC Edul Daver, former president of the Singapore association Rustom Ghadially, chairperson of the Ninth WZC Meher Bhesania of Dubai, former trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet Dinshaw Tamboly and Khojeste Mistree, Parzor founder Dr Shernaz Cama, eminent industrialists and professionals from India Nadir Godrej, Percy Master, Sam Balsara.
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From the archive