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Goenkars I have invited Constantino Hermanns Xavier , the Coordinator World Goa Day_ Portugal to Lead and coordinate the Young Goans International ly - for next year's * WORLD GOA DAY_2004. * He has gladly accepted my request . Constantino has shown great leadership qualities since I asked him to be the coordinator of WGD_PORTUGAL at the age of 20 ! He was responsible in bringing ALL the Goan Organisations in Portugal under the banner of WORLD GOA DAY , I believe Portugal was the Only Country in the world to have an ALLIANCE of GOAN Organisations ! Constantino has shown a keen interest in our theme of * GIVING BACK to GOA and the GOAN COMMUNITY * , he has also shown an interest in the welfare of Goans at large. We have the support of many Goan organisations in the formation of this WORLD GOAN YOUTH Organisation , your positive comments are always welcome , please do share them with us. TOGETHER we can make a better ... * YOUNG GOANSWORLD * rene barreto , Overall coordinator WORLD GOA DAY www.goaday.com 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 I am pleased to share the personal thoughts of Constantino Hermanns Xavier The Coordinator World Goa Day _Portugal and now the Leader of the YOUNG GOANS International ly 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 World Goa Day Portugal - Dia de Goa, Damao e Diu 2003 18th, 19th and 20th of September The goan community in Portugal celebrated for the third consecutive year World Goa Day. The attached report will give you a general overview on the three-day event, which is organized annually by a committee with representants from all 5 Goa, Daman and Diu community associations established in Portugal. But I would like to underline some aspects in particular. LETHARGY OF THE GOAN DIASPORA I have sometimes been denouncing on the "Goan Internet" the lethargy of the Goan diaspora around the world and the unproductive and sterile activities we Goans tend to hold in our respective communities. I think by now we're all aware of this, especially because when we travel to Goa we are hold co-responsible for what has happened to Goa (not only political corruption, but the state of health system, education, environment, heritage etc.). The best way to find out that we are sometimes no longer seen as Goans is to visit Goa, critize something and then... confront ourselves with the bitter critics (and resentment) coming from Goans living in Goa who are confronted on a daily basis with all these problems we just comfortably discuss sitting in front of a computer. I would like to call this gap between the goan diaspora and Goa "responsibility". We have sometimes chosen to forget this responsibility towards our villages, our friends, our causes (not necessarily political) and brothers in Goa. Everyone is free to do so, but as soon as we deny this responsibility we should also start forgetting Goa. TO EMBRACE RESPONSIBILITY So, for those who truly want to contribute for a better Goa, there is only one choice: to embrace this responsability and put it into practice. Of course words are important, written or spoken ones, but actions are far more valious. Which actions we may ask ourselves (and I do ask this myself regularly)? Different actions. Everyone has his stronger and weaker points. His preferences and aversion or incapacity in other things. So, we may and should act differently. A Goan doctor in Moscow will therefore help differently to the development of Goa than a Goan Engineering professor in Paris. One will put his knowledge into action by helping to develop the Goan health system, the other one will put his technical know-how to the service of a Goan NGO building wells in the isolated interior of Goa. And so on. These are just some very specific examples. Basic condition is we should all get nearer to Goa again, using the media, being informed about what's happening there. This is a unique opportunity for our diaspora. We do not have to travel anymore to Goa to be Goans and to contribute to Goa. We may now establish associations, NGO's and lobbies in our local countries; we may now build economical, cultural and social bridges between Goa and our new homes. We may now truly serve Goa, even if not "down" there. And as more bridges we will build, as more Goans we will feel and be. Closing the large gap which separates us from Goa will bring new opportunities, and, above all, will give a chance to the future generations of the goan diaspora of keeping up and developing their goan identity. HERE IN PORTUGAL... Here in Portugal we have been laying the foundations for this. For the third consecutive year World Goa Day was celebrated here and this time we had a discussion (and specific projects) on how to give back to Goa. A special word also to the goan and damanese youth, which has organized these events and proved they are capable of keeping up the link to Goa. As a lonely 20-year old I started this Goa Day in 2001 in Portugal. Now we are more than a dozen young people working on this annually event and work as an informal group, serving as a communication link between the existing 5 associations, who sometimes engage into disputes or do not even communicate with eachother. During the celebrations we have also expressed our solidarity with the families of the 31 victims of the collapse of the Daman bridge, collecting funds to support them. We have also presented some Goan NGO's like Goa Sudharop and Goa Desc to show Goans here what work has been done and how they can be an active part of it. Enough for today. Hoping we may overcome some (natural) differences and concentrate on what brings us together: Goa. Constantino Hermanns Xavier (Coordinator World Goa Day - Portugal) [EMAIL PROTECTED] 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Posted > rene barreto , Overall Coordinator WORLD GOA DAY , www.goaday.com 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################