Special Edition-World Goa Day 2011
The Voice of the Goan Diaspora Worldwide
GLOBAL GOENKAR A change for a better Goan World Newsletter of the World Alliance Of Goan Associations Editor & Creatives: Kenelm Santana Lopes
The Global Goan Awards We've had great participation & are grate‐ ful to one and all for the effort & time taken to participate. We recieved many nominees, articles & participation for the quiz too. Our con‐ gratulations to all nominees, writers & quiz constestants. We realized that every nominee has con‐ tributed in their own way & it would be unwise to judge as we do not feel we have the expertise to do so. Hence, we decided to provide the certificates to all the nomi‐ nees & consider all as winners. Many thanks to the creative team, for their assistance provided, without which this would not be possible, Rene Baretto, Founder World Alliance of Goan Associations (UK) Mary Silveira, President of Quebec Goan Association (Canada) Rohan Lobo, Administrator for the Global Goan Youth (Goa) Catherine Rose Baretto (Tanzania) Tony Colaco (Australia) Jeroninio Almeida (Goa) A Note: We are looking at expanding our team so that we can bringing out bigger and better issues of the Global Goenkar. If you have the time and talent to spare, come join us ! ‐Global Goenkar Team globalgoenkar@gmail.com
In what little social life I have, I interact with doz‐ ens of Diaspora Goans returning from Goa who lament that Goa is ‘not what it used to be’. They mourn the loss of the fields, the emergence of slums, the problem of migrants, the pollution, the destruction of heritage homes, the increased crime and corruption. As part of the niceties of being Goan, one is expected to listen and pa‐ tiently curse a common enemy. Suddenly in a moment of reflection one day, I felt terribly ashamed at how much we talk and how little we do ! Being fortunate enough to make frequent trips to Goa, I still see much to hope for. Unfortu‐ nately a lot of the ills we suffer from stem from a corrupt system with corrupt politicians and offi‐ cials . But there is no merit in cursing the Devil. We need to look at how to manage the problem as responsible Goenkars. Some guidelines for us Know Yourself and your own: Spend time and effort to learn about your own patch of Goa. Know what your town or village is like, under‐ stand the geography , the history and potential. There have been industrial estates and SEZ’s sanctioned within villages with most citizens grossly unaware till too late. Huge tracts of fertile land are labeled as barren and acquired for de‐ velopment that your village infrastructure cannot support. Be aware of the legislations and devel‐ opment projects that get approved. Network with your own: Form mailing groups and forums for your fellow villagers so that infor‐
mation can spread quickly in the whole group in case of any new developments. Similarly you can discuss projects and offer employment op‐ About the Goa in ‘World Goa Day’ Kenelm Santana Lopes Editor, Global Goenkar, Special Edition –World Goa Day 2011
portunities to local youth. As a step further you may identify far more viable suggestions that can be forwarded to the right people Form Civic groups: Form a small committee / team to represent your interests. These can liaise with the local municipalities and pancha‐ yats regularly. It may even be a good idea to involve honest and forward thinking councilors and panchas in your group. Be generous with small donations towards any costs towards legal representation, Unite for a cause and pool your strengths: Put aside small differences and rally together to save what little of your Goa that can be saved We seem to live in turbulent times and the op‐ timist will argue that this is part of a positive churning process where the butter separates and something better emerges as we discard what we do not need. This year, on World Goa Day, as always, we think of Goa very fondly as we join our breth‐ ren across continents as we celebrate our proud heritage. We join you in your celebra‐ tions but this year there needs to be a some moments spent in grave contemplation on a
World Goa day 2011 What and why we celebrate World Goa Day Goans all around the globe observe August 20 as World Goa Day, the objective is of bringing Goans from different parts of the world to‐ gether to Celebrate their Goan Cultural Heri‐ tage. World Goa Day, is a day when Goans world‐ wide, young and old alike, unitedly take pride in celebrating every aspect of their beautiful culture , language, traditions, the performing arts, cuisine and all things Goan. It is also a day when thousands of Goans remind themselves of the need to work to preserve our culture, music, history, language, cuisine, and art for our children, the non‐Goan community, and for posterity. It is a day when Goans, Goan institutions and social organizations all over the World plan activities that relate to their Goan Cultural Heritage these celebrations are held to rein‐ vigorate in us, our families and our friends ‐ our Cultural Heritage, echoing what many Goans say "I was born a Goan and will die a Goan". A true Goan in life as well as in death ! Let's not forget that a community without a language of its own becomes a pariah commu‐ nity. The Goans have a very rich language and the only Indian language written in Roman script. It is our special heritage. KONKANI ! The World Goa Day is a social triumph for the Goan communities the world over. It is a phe‐ nomenal event born out of nothing, just few e ‐mail blasted on all Goan nets the unmistak‐ able message of the virtues of Goan unity and the love of Mother Goa. It has helped the Goan Associations to fall in line with a call made in the year 2000, and year by year their number has grown abun‐ dantly. Every year, festivities are held in all five different continents by over sixty Goan organi‐ zations, including India. The idea would have died a natural death had it not been for the internet collaboration of Goan Associations, many Goan Forums, Goan news networks, and Goan Individuals which helped to propagate the idea to Goans in every corner of the world.
Though some of us may be far away from home for whatever reasons, lets not forget, where we come from and try our very best to carry Goa with us, wherever we go and spread the Goan essence far and wide so that people will know and admire our great Goan
http://www.goa‐world.com/goa/music/proud_to_be_a_goan.htm
culture and our heritage Over the years, we have learned much from
Rene Barreto Founder‐World Goa Day
World Alliance of Goan Assoc. United Kingdom
non‐Goans and improved ourselves in the process. We have a lot to offer the world and should not be ashamed of or shy away from our own glorious culture. We are as gifted as any other people, and we should be willing to demonstrate that pride in our actions. Dreams and ambitions take hold more quickly when shared with others. We have done so through the various GOAN organizations and e‐ groups we have established in the past few years and the cooperation of Goans wherever they are. Goan Basilio Magno from Spain wrote the theme song, "Proud to be a Goan," especially at my request for the very First World Goa Day on August 20, 2000.His composition has be‐ come synonymous with World Goa Day cele‐ brations. The lyrics and music perfectly express love for and solidarity with our motherland, Our beloved Goa. Generous giving and receiving are the basic aspects of positive social relationships and healthy Communities. There are no limits to what we can achieve together! The theme of "Giving back to Goa" is a good way to inspire our Goan community to do more for Goa and Goans worldwide. Let WORLD GOA DAY be a beacon of light and an inspiration throughout the year and for the rest of our lives. Let us make our motto:"Proud To Be a Goan," live up to it and help make it a reality. We should celebrate WORLD GOA DAY in our hearts, in our minds, in our homes and in our Communities. Let us dwell on the Positives and let no negatives set foot in our lives. The real wealth of any Society is its people. Each of us has valuable experience ‐ to contrib‐ ute to the well being of our Community. Let us be a part of a change , a change for a better Goan World.
World Goa day 2011
Sneak Peak World Goa Day 2011 Goan Welfare Society Nairobi Dear Members and Friends, The GWS takes great pleasure in inviting you and your friends to celebrate this auspicious World Goa Day together with its preceding events: 1. World Goa Day Family Football Date: Sunday, 14th August, 2011 Venue: Goan Institute, Juja Road Time: 10:00 a.m. Teams: 6 men, 2 ladies and 2 children. 4 teams have already confirmed participation Co‐ordinator: Marvin de Souza 0721 631652 2. World Goa Day Date: Sunday, 21st August, 2011 Venue: Goan Institute Details to follow Please note the above dates, so that you do not miss out on the fun and activities. Nita Coelho Secretary GWS WORLD GOA DAY ‐ AUSTRALIA Club de Goa is celebrating World Goa Day at Gold Coast on Sunday 21st August 2011. The park is located in the centre of the city. It is bordered on three sides by canal and river frontage and offers views across the city skyline of Surfers Paradise, Main Beach and Broadbeach. Come along to a day of fun in the park, catch up with your members or let the kids enjoy the fantastic kids playground! There will be lots of prizes to be won for Kids and adults alike. Details are as follows: Time: 11.00am onwards. Venue: Evandale Park, Ouyen Street, Surfers Para‐ dise What to bring: a traditional Goan dish for shared lunch & desert, drinks, hats, sunscreen, water bottles, chairs / picnic blankets, musical instru‐ ments. What's happening: Games & fancy dress for kids, lunch, sing song, Trivia, bingo and prizes for the best Goan dish, best dressed, trivia winner and bingo winners. See website for more details: http:// www.gcparks.com.au/park‐details.aspx?park=856 Look forward to seeing you there! Please feel free to invite your friends! Club de Goa Brisbane Postal address: P.O. Box 2183, Chermside, 4032 Email: cdegoa@hotmail.com Kind regards Tara Kung (nee De Souza) President ‐ Club de Goa Inc Brisbane
World Goa Day @Bangalore Goa in the Monsoons! What a euphoric picture that conjures up! The green swaying paddy fields drenched in water, the long,wet, winding roads, the gushing, overflowing canals and streams, the lashing incessant rain, the locals both children and adults in their monsoon gear and the fragrance emitted when the rain crashes on the dry earth; its such an unbelievable experience, it makes us rain‐ starved, traffic‐jammed, pollution‐crazed Goan Bangaloreans nostalgic! Your New Managing Committee brings to you our first Function for the year... THE WORLD GOA DAY at the OPUS on Sunday 21st Aug 2011 commenc‐ ing at 11am. THE THEME COLOURS ARE BLUE AND GREEN ......the soothing blue of the sea ( we didnt want an angry grey!) and the vibrant green of the picturesque goan countryside....... Our VP Mafalda is doing what she does best...training our little ones to lead us in konkani mandos. Our Commitee Member Lilian who is now handling the goans@kgabangalore.com site has been brainstorming to ensure that all you wonder‐ ful people out there have one helluva time! Dont miss this Show for the World! Be there, be dressed in the Theme Colours but before that send in your photos for the GOA PHOTO COMPETITION. Fantastic Goan Cuisine, Konknni Mandos brought to you by our Little Ones, Konknni Masala and other favourites by the Youth, Prizes galore to attract you including Kingfisher Tickets to Goa; what more could you ask for?!!! Adele Britto President Karnataka Goan Association WORLD GOA DAY GLOBAL FESTIVAL of GOAN CUISINE Goemkars and Friends ! It is my pleasure once again ‐ to share with you Goans and Friends of Goa a specially prepared Menu by Cyrus Todiwala Cafe Spice Namaste ‐ London, Uk for our very first WORLD GOA DAY ‐ Global Festival of Goan Cuisine. The response from other Restaurants serving Goan food has been encouraging too. We hope that next year we will have a bigger partici‐ pation from other Restaurants. I d like to thank Cyrus Todiwala ‐ for his encour‐ agement, support and also for his participation in this our very first event. Cyrus has some great ideas that he will share with us in the years to come. .... I am sure we will hear from Cyrus ....... rene barreto ‐ together we have made it happen !! Get to know : Cyrus Todiwala: http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Cyrus_Todiwala
World Goa Day New Zealand Good Day! We are having our Konkani Tiatr .... On World Goa Day on the 20th August 2011 all actors are locals Who have very much in favoaland their home all are Goans. This is our sixth Tiatr in New Zealand. Regards Corvin Carvalho GOANS of New Zealand. World Goa Day‐World Konkani Day—Bahrain The World Konkani Day will be celebrated for the first time in Bahrain. The monthly internet news‐ letter of Bahrain Goans ‘Xit‐Koddi’ has created an awareness of this important day in the history of konkani among the Goans in Bahrain. The day is observed to mark the inclusion of Konkani in the 8th schedule of Indian Constitution, thereby recog‐ nising Konkani as one of the official languages of India. A workshop entitled ‘Bahrainche Goenkar ani Konkani’ is planned on August 20 to mark this day in Bahrain. The workshop will deliberate on various opportunities available to the Goans based here to promote konkani, Goan culture and tradi‐ tions. The workshop will also feature recitation of konkani poems by Maria Pereira, who is due to release her second book of konkani poems enti‐ tled ‘Goenchi Girestkai ‐ 2 ’. The workshop is pro‐ moted by ‘Xit‐Koddi’ edited by G.R.Crasto and supported by the Young Goans Club, Bahrain. The Young Goans Club, one of the oldest in Bahrain has a history of celebrating everything Goan here, from Carnival to Christmas, however off late the activities of the club are on the decline. The An‐ nual Day of the Club coinciding with the feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated every year on Decem‐ ber 3, with religious as well as social activities. This is one event that brings the maximum number of Goans together in Bahrain. World Goa Day Picnic—Canada
Dear Member,
Please mark your calender for our next big event. 11th World Goa Day picnic to be held in Mont‐ real.o n Sunday the 21st August, at 9.00am. Parc Agrignon. at Lasalle. It will be a POT‐LUCK LUNCH ‐ Bring a dish (Goan Cuisian would be great), Also bring all your picnic stuff( chairs, umbrellas, sun‐ block, drinks.etc.) Rain or Shine the picnic will be on. So bring the family and friends for a day full of fun and surprises. If you like, Please donate a prize.
Thank You Mary Silveira PRESIDENT ‐ QGA
World Goa day 2011 GOA’S MOVEMENT FOR SPECIAL STATUS Goa’s Movement for Special Status (GMFSS) has raised the ante by taking its demand to each and every Member of Parliament who have been sent a copy of the memorandum presented to the President of India, listing why Goa needs the special status under Arti‐ cle 371 of the Constitution of India. The memorandum lists out the unique fea‐ tures of Goa like the natural beauty of the clear beaches and thickly wooded forests, the pleasant disposition of its people and the unique culture of the land. Besides, the equi‐ table laws that not only dispel gender biases but also treat all religions on par in the form of the Common Civil Code, which is much appreciated by all and sundry is only in force in Goa and needs to be preserved and pro‐ tected. But more significantly, the memorandum harps on the small size of the State which is expected to be further reduced due to the effect of global warming and points out that unrealistic pressures of housing particularly in the form of second homes, should not be
put on such a small state. Besides, the memorandum pointed out that Goa was not represented in the Constituent Assembly as it was still under the Portuguese regime then and therefore the needs and aspirations of Goa and Goans were not placed before this body that charted the path for the country’s progress. While pointing out that Goa is preparing to celebrate the golden jubilee of its liberation from the Portuguese rule, the memorandum appeals that the Special Status be given as a gift for this momentous occasion. The memorandum has already been submit‐ ted to the President of India earlier and now it has been sent to all the Members of Parlia‐ ment so that they can raise up this matter in the Parliament and support Goa’s rightful claim. The special status is sought in order to pro‐ tect the natural beauty of the State which is currently under threat due to increasing pressures on land for construction triggered off with the craze for a second home in Goa
amongst the rich and famous from other parts of the country. Besides, the lopsided industrial policy has resulted in migration of labour force in large numbers which is changing the demography of the State and also affecting the culture that was attracting tourists and fears are expressed that tourism may soon die in Goa if this is not checked urgently. Another arguments forwarded by the GMFSS is that since more than 60 per cent of Goa’s population comprises of ST, SC, OBC the State should be accorded Special Status on the same lines as that granted to Arunachal Pradesh. The special status is sought to stop sale of Goan land to people who are not of Goan origin, to also protect the Personal Law and also to ensure that the Communidades are protected and not further destroyed.
Matanhy Saldanha Chairman GMFSS, 3rd Floor, Despamonte Building, St. Inez, P.O. Box 242, Panaji – Goa. Ph. No.: 2222273, 9822160941
matanhysaldanha@gmail.com
GOAN ACROSS THE WORLD with GROUPS Goans looking very chic in their
CASA DE GOA ‐Lisbon, Portugal white cottons, linens and casuals for CULTURAL SOCIETY‐GOA DAMAN & DIU ‐MACAU the white themed event. The MC Lloyd EDMONTON GOAN ASSOCIATION‐Edmonton,Canada FENNY FEVER ‐ UK Sequeira rolled off festivities with the G.N.A.T.‐ Canada games session including ‘stampin the G.O.A. Kuwait, UAE tail’..(Get a crepe paper tail and are GLOBAL GOANS ‐ Dubai, UAE required to pull it out with legs; one GOA HERITAGE ACTION GROUP, Goa‐India GOAN ASSOCIATION CALGARY, Alberta‐Canada partner had to protect it and the other GOAN ASSOCIATION OF DC, USA tried to remove), balancing the balls(a GOAN ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA‐USA mushy affair involved couples balanc‐ GOAN ASSOCIATION OF HUDSON, USA GOAN ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY‐USA ing plastic balls between the nose, GOAN COMMUNITY OF OMAN‐Oman forehead and lips) and loads of others GOAN INSTITUTE KAMPALA ‐UGANDA with interesting Goa related quiz ques‐ GOAN INSTITUTE SAN FRANCISCO‐USA tions being thrown to the crowd for GOANS OF ARUSHA (GOA)‐Tanzania, East Africa GOAN OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION ‐GERMANY prizes. GOAN OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION ‐NSW ‐ Sydney, Australia Our president Louella made a speech GOAN OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION ‐TORONTO ‐ CANADA though her effervescence said far more GOAN OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION‐Vancouver,Canada GOAN SHUTTERBUGS than her few lines as she gushed with GOAN VOICE UK happiness at the beaming crowd and GOAN WELFARE ASSOCIATION‐Doha, Quatar the huge contingent of young Goans GOANS IN BANGALORE‐India who were so enthusiastically attending GOANS in HOUSTON ‐USA GOANS in NETHERLANDS and participating for the first time in GOANS INTERNATIONAL KGA history. GOANS Of America ,LA‐USA A few dances were in order of course GOANS of MOZAMBIQUE GOANS of PAKISTAN and the long time KGA members led GOANS of UGANDA the way to the dance floor. It was obvi‐ GOANS WORLDWIDE ous at this stage that the event was a GOENKARANCHO EKVOTT‐ Delhi, India runaway success to be celebrated with KARACHI GOAN ASSOCIATION ‐ KARACHI KARNATAKA GOAN ASSOCIATION ‐ Bangalore, India the mouth watering starters that were KONKANI ROCKS & HERITAGE JAZZ ‐ Panjim, Goa being sent across by the courteous MUMBAI GOA ASSOCIATION‐Mumbai, India Opus staff faster than we could eat QUEBEC GOAN ASSOCIATION ‐ Quebec, Canada SERULA ARTS AND CULTURE ACADEMY them. All pretensions of diet and glut‐ ST XAVIERS SOCIETY ‐ Dar es Salaam, Tanzania tony being a sin were abandoned as THE CANORIENT CHRIST ASSOCIATION OF METROPOLITAN TORONTO‐Canada we sunk our teeth into the chouris YOUNG LONDON GOAN SOCIETY‐ UK
We thank all our contributors. Please ensure that your contributions are sent well ahead of time for future editions. Due to the tremendous response, we might not have the space to include it at the last minute. Any errors/omissions are unintentional. Presidents of Goan Associations/Groups enrolled with us are requested to update information/logos with Mr. Rene Barreto For those of you who have not already done so, we urge you to appoint a contact person for the Global Goenkar from your organization who must preferably have easy access to the internet, This will allow better synergies between us and the Goan group that you represent E‐Mail: goanint@yahoo.co.uk, kenelmlopes@gmail.com Blog : http://globalgoanassociationsalliance.blogspot.com/