This video was the introductory segment on the session titled "Intergenerational Dialogue: Motivation, Inspiration, Action !". This was presented at the XVI North American Zarathusti Congress 2012, hosted by ZAGNY in New York in August 2012.
Intergenerational Dialogue: Motivation, Inspiration, Action !: Session at XVI NAZC 2012 from ZAGNY
Outline
The intergenerational panel will showcase community activism from the local to the global arena. The session will focus on two key themes: community involvement and identity.
Growing up in a small Zarathushti community is often difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. Farzin Avari never had the support of a big community and was forced to learn things on her own. At the last North American Zarathushti Congress she met people who inspired her to start Sunday school in Atlanta. There have been many obstacles, but it is truly the most rewarding part of her life. Come hear her story and learn the tools needed to build a successful Zarathushti community, no matter how small it is. You can get involved, take action and make a difference.
How do you coordinate a successful global community philanthropic effort? Listen to Behrose Taraporewalla as she shares with you the successes, challenges and lessons behind the First International Day of Service, “Zoroastrians Stepping Forward.” This presentation will illustrate what motivated a young team of Zarathushtis to coordinate a project for our religious community to come together for those who lack the basic necessity of shoes. Local or Global? Ritualistic or Spiritual? Parsi or Irani? Conservative or Liberal? As a community we can be divided by many ideas and beliefs, however, Behrose will share how intergenerational dialogue and collaboration united the Zarathushti community behind its tenets, striving for a better society all together.
What motivates a teenager from New Jersey to train to be a priest when he was only nine years old? Poruz Khambatta will chronicle his journeys to India for his Navjote, Navar and Martab ceremonies, revealing the colorful memories and deeper understanding of our heritage that he brought back to the United States. He will discuss his involvement with ZAGNY and the Zarathushti community in North America and how these experiences have shaped who he is today. Listen to him as he shares his thoughts on some of the significant challenges facing our community and what he believes we can do to overcome them. Working together as a community, we can make a difference.
A busy work and family schedule often prevent us from getting involved, presenting a challenge to make time for it all. But Trity Pourbahrami knows the value of educating the youth to instill Zarathushti values that will carry her children and others forward into the future for generations to come. Trity has always dedicated her time to the Zarathushti community through various leadership roles. Today, her involvement, passion and dedication continue even as she juggles being a wife, mother and managing a full time job. Let her inspire you as she shares her personal story on what motivates her to stay connected to her community, the opportunities and challenges of an interfaith relationship and raising Zarathushti children in a multilingual and multicultural society. Through involvement and connection, we will prosper.
Panelists
Behrose Taraporewalla
Farzin Avari
Poruz Khambatta
Trity Pourbahrami
Moderator
Navroz Gandhi