To feature any events or news in the monthly FEZANA Bulletin, email bulletin@fezana.org. All content must be received by the 20th of the month to be featured in the next month's bulletin. The Bulletin Editors reserve editorial right on all content received.

In This Issue…

FEZANA’s Zoroastrian Delegation to Present at the United Nations 68th Commission on the Status of Women

FEZANA participated at the 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Conference at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA in March 2024.

The theme was focused on accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective. FEZANA put together a diverse team of delegates to attend the conference.  

Delegates:  Amy Vatcha (Berkley, CA, USA), Anushae Irani (San Luis Obispo, CA, USA), Katayun Kapadia (Mount Laurel, NJ, USA), Marina Batliwalla (Los Angeles, CA, USA), Natasha Dungor (Spring, TX, USA), Nazneen Engineer (London, UK), Parinaz Dastur (Fremont, CA, USA), Peenaz Irani (Montreal, QC, Canada), Sabrina Bilimoria (New York, NY, USA), Yassna Khosravi (Los Angeles, CA, USA), Zyna Kharoliwalla (Verona, WI, USA), Afreed Mistry (Toronto, ON, Canada) and Behram Pastakia (Washington, DC, USA). The session was attended by 60 people and can be watched on the FEZANA YouTube channel.

Top Row L-R: Freddy Kharoliwalla, Zyna Kharoliwalla, Amy Vatcha, Sabrina Bilimoria, Yassna Khosravi, Katayun Kapadia, Marina Batliwalla and Behram Pastakia.

Front Row L-R: Delnavaz Dastur, Afreed Mistry, Natasha Dungor, Parinaz Dastur and Minaz Dungor.

This year the committee also hosted a FEZANA Booth at the CSW68.  We had all members of the team participate and speak to people about FEZANA and our presentation. Everyone showed a lot of enthusiasm and willingness to talk to people visiting our booth.

Read full article in the next FEZANA journal issue.

Zoroastrians at the White House

The Biden Administration hosted a Nowruz Celebration on March 23, 3024. In attendance were FEZANA ZAMWI association members Zarir Khademian and Kersi Shroff.

Invitees were representatives of faith based organizations, cultural organizations and professional from medicine, universities, businesses, etc. also different countries were represented where Nowruz is celebrated as part of Ancient Iranian influence —  such as Tajikistan.

Zarir has been invited to the celebration a few times since the Obama administration as a prominent member of the medical community.

Thank you Zarir and Kersi for representing Zoroastrians at the White House during Nowruz!

Zoroastrian Community of North America featured on Google

The PARZOR Google Arts & Culture Online Exhibition “Navroz: A Global Celebration” is now live on Google!

This project was led by Shernaz Cama, the Director of PARZOR, which is a UNESCO Parsi-Zoroastrian project aimed at the holistic preservation and promotion of Parsi-Zoroastrian culture.

This Google initiative has 6 exhibitions, featuring images and videos of Navroz celebrated in India & Pakistan, North America, Iran, Central Asian & Europe, and Asia & Australia.

Check it out on the PARZOR Google Arts and Culture page.

1. Navroz - https://artsandculture.google.com/story/YQUBLvB5z3DKvQ

2. Navroz in India & Pakistan - https://artsandculture.google.com/story/owUB1tBbGVJIzA

3. Navroz Across America - https://artsandculture.google.com/story/QQVhJTk6eLc15w

4. Navroz in Iran - https://artsandculture.google.com/story/8gUBvpYZ4UDZMw

5. Navroz Across Central Asia & Europe - https://artsandculture.google.com/story/KAVRA7uaKLEU8A

6. Navroz in Asia and Australia - https://artsandculture.google.com/story/egXhKAsSKEe5_A

If you do share it on Social Media, feel free to tag Parzor @parzorfoundation and our partners Google Arts & Culture @googleartsculture

A message from FEZANA’s Religion Education Committee

It has been a few years since the FEZANA Religion Education Committee (REC) established a teachers' Google email group to foster communication among educators specializing in Zoroastrian religion, history, and Shahnameh across various Zoroastrian communities. We kindly request your assistance in spreading the word to teachers in your community, encouraging them to join our Google group if they desire, by reaching out to us via email at education@fezana.org.

With contributions from community educators, FEZANA REC has developed comprehensive lesson plans spanning seven different subject areas and tailored for five distinct age groups. These resources can be accessed under the "Lessons" section on our website. Furthermore, archived Zoom educational sessions are readily available for viewing under the "Videos" section. Additionally, we offer a concise informational document and a bullet-point pamphlet on Zoroastrianism, both accessible under the "Zoroastrianism" tab. For more information, please visit us at https://fezana.org/education/

FEZANA’s ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2024

G C Z T Newsletter

BOOK REVIEW

In the heart of Pali Hill, the Beverly Hills of Mumbai, four friends await the arrival of Jonathan, a man "greatly appreciated for his wit, his effervescence, and his indignation," a man exiled from his home state. Through their conversations, we learn of the tumultuous life of Jonathan — how he single-handedly breaks up a gambling den, disarms a rioting mob, charms a recovery agent, evades arrest at a drug-ridden rave party, and brightens up the lives of sex workers and their children. Jonathan has a solution for every crisis that strikes others, but not for his own dysfunctional family life. It is left to life then to resolve matters for him. Drawing on the terse intensity of a play, the sparkling wit of a stand-up comedy, and the insights of a thought-provoking novel, Waiting for Jonathan Koshy reflects the triumph of a spirit that refuses to let up on humor and quick thinking in the face of intense personal adversity. It is a book about friendship, perseverance, and duty. Most importantly, it is about life's late but redeeming powers. 

Murzban F. Shroff is a Mumbai-based writer. He has published his fiction in over 65 literary journals in the US and UK. His short story collection Breathless in Bombay was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in the best debut category from Europe and South Asia and rated by the Guardian as among the ten best Mumbai books. His novel, Waiting for Jonathan Koshy, was a finalist for the Horatio Nelson Fiction Prize and has been published in India and China.  

VIDEO RECORDINGS

The Public Relations Committee of the California Zoroastrian Center (CZC-PR) cordially invites you to watch videos on Zoroastrianism crafted by Mr. Caleb Goodfellow, a dedicated student of the Gathas. Mr. Goodfellow, who underwent his sedreh pooshi ceremony through our organization in 2023, offers insightful perspectives on our faith.

Visit Ashemvidam on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ashemvidam

UPCOMING EVENTS

READ MORE: https://nazc2024houston.com

CALENDAR

EVERY SUNDAY  9pm Eastern | 6pm Pacific
ZYNA Hangouts for ZYNA Youth 15-35 years on ZOOM

April 26-28, 2024

FEZANA 37th Annual General Meeting hosted by Zoroastrian Assoc of Metro Chicago (ZAMC). Check https://fezana.org/2024-agm/ for updates

May 24, 2024 to June 2nd, 2024 | Apply HERE

World Zoroastrian Youth Leaders Forum 2.0: Empowering Future Leaders at the ASHA centre.

Saturday June 1, 2024

Deadline to submit entries for the 2024 Bapsi Sidhwa Literary Prize

Dec 29, 2024 - Jan 1, 2025

18th North American Congress 2024, Houston.

IN OTHER NEWS

Women of the future ESG

50 rising stars in ESG celebrates the talented women trailblazers and role models aged 35 and under from round the world who are at the forefront of ESG. Now in its third year, the campaign showcases brilliant leaders working across different aspects of ESG who have made a lasting and positive impact on their organisations, environment and wider society. We would love to continue to unearth and share more inspiring stories of women making an impact globally. The 2024 listees will be announced in October Nominations close April 13th for women aged 35 and under from any part of the world

CLICK HERE to read full article.

Where Will The Real Nowruz in 2024 Happen 

Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, is the only scientific New Year celebrated today. It is celebrated precisely at the moment when the Vernal Equinox takes place. Nowruz has crossed all religious and national boundaries, and everyone who once formed the great Persian Empire celebrates it. According to the Avesta and the Shahnameh, Nowruz dates back some 12,000 years to the last Ice Age when Shah Jamshid celebrates the first spring after the ice age.

To learn more about the history behind the celebration of this auspicious day in different parts of the world, CLICK HERE