Good evening fellow Zoroastrians,
Greetings on the Shehenshahi New Year! On behalf of the FEZANA Executive, I wish all of you and your families, happiness, good health and peace.
I’d like to take a few minutes to share with you how FEZANA has worked to benefit you and our community this year.
The World Zoroastrian Youth Congress brought hundreds of young Zarathushtis together this past July in Los Angeles. This was not simply a networking and social event. FEZANA seeks to encourage our youth to build their own identities, and to be strong and resilient, so that they can navigate professional and personal circles, in which they may be minorities, with integrity. The Youth Congress that we helped organize with CZC aimed to do just this. We received positive feedback from many participants who appreciated this approach very much.
FEZANA continues to foster Harmony (HAMAZORI) by building strong relationships between various Zarathushti entities/ groups. Most recently, we did this in Orlando, where a small FEZANA Corresponding member, the Central Florida Zoroastrian Community, hosted the FEZANA AGM along with the WZCC AGM and Global Working Group meeting all in the span of a week. Attendees from all over North America and even from India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, and Australia participated in all three events with local Zarathushtis and learned about our global efforts at Hamazori.
Our growing participation in Interfaith activities —locally, nationally, and internationally—was highlighted by our participation in the UN CSW & Annual NGO meetings. Our work here will not just end with advocacy (Hukta), but it will be followed up with action plans (HVARASHTA) as well.
FEZANA continued work on many service projects: Our youth scholarships continue to help Zoroastrian students with the burden of college expenses each year. We supported WZCC and WZOT efforts to promote young Zarathushti entrepreneurs. We provided critical assistance to many Zoroastrians with medical expenses in North America, India, Australia and Pakistan. Two years ago, we mobilized your help to provide running hot water to seniors living in the Navsari senior center. This year, we will help to provide clean drinking water to the villagers of Bardipada, Nasik, which includes 20+ Zoroastrian families. This poor area desperately needs a solar pump and water tank, and a water purification system.
These are efforts that make a huge difference in people’s lives.
FEZANA’s work would be impossible were it not for our donors and also our volunteers. So, on behalf of our community, I thank our generous donors and all our volunteers who plan, confer, meet, act, and attend a host of committee meetings to execute FEZANA initiatives for the benefit of our community.
On this New Year, I look forward to continuing our work together.
Hama Zor; Hama Asho Bade!
May we all be united in strength and Righteousness!
Homi D Gandhi
President, FEZANA
