What is "World Goa Day?" Why do we need to celebrate it? "World Goa Day" (WGD) was born in 1999. It was primarily unveiled to mark a day in the year where Goans, globally, would come together in solidarity with Goa and Goans. That modest vision has today amplified into something bigger. The Day honors the vibrant history, language, music, cultural heritage and traditions of Goa.
"World Goa Day" is celebrated on (or around) August 20th. After much campaigning and canvassing by numerous Goans, Concannim was added to the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and recognized as one of the official languages of India on August 20th, 1992. Needless to say, our common language strengthens our identity; it is one of the strongest fibers in the tapestry of Goan identity that connects Goans from all parts of the world. It is not enough to merely honor our language. We should make every effort to strengthen and promote Concannim among ourselves and our children that the Goan culture may be passed on to future generations in and out of Goa. Goan communities have gathered to commemorate "World Goa Day" in many major cities around the world. This year, for example, thousands of Goans will congregate (or have already flocked together) to spend time with each other, share food, music, games, stories... to have a good time. The Goan Association of New Jersey (GOANJ) celebrated the occasion on July 23rd under the leadership of Felix Menezes. The gathering raised $1,304.00 toward building the Cavelossim-ASRO Aids Center for runaway kids in Fatorda, a measure sponsored by the local Don Bosco Technical Center. On that same day, Oscar Furtado, President of G.O.A. (Toronto, Canada) led thousands of Goans to join together for the festivities. The day-long program included cultural items, soccer, volleyball, darts, and badminton tournaments. There was live music to dance to. Scores of food stalls catering to the Goan palate offered numerous delicacies: cheuris-pao, sannas, bebincas, perad and more. Flavio Gracias and his Goan Association (U.K.) brought together Goans from other organizations in the UK and celebrated "World Goa Day" in London on July 31st. The event was solemnized with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Alex Dias of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The Goan Association of Germany celebrated WGD in Frankfurt on August 6th with a show entitled, "Goencho Avaz" featuring a number of Goa's illustrious tiatrists. That was the day also, that the Goa Heritage Action Group (in Goa), expressed solidarity with WGD with the release of a book, "Walking In and Around Panaji, Goa." In Vancouver, Canada, Goans celebrated WGD on August 14th with an annual picnic. As a matter of great honor, Rui do Carmo Costa was interviewed on CREA- RJ.ORG.BR/WEBRADIO on August 16th by Bene Rodrigues of Centro Brasileiro in Brazil. We have a few more celebrations coming up... The Goa Su-Raj Party, on August 20th, will release its "Road Map for Goa" a booklet outlining their hopes for a better Goa. That event will be highlighted with a 1km "Open Event" bicycle race in Panaji, Goa. In Melbourne, Australia, Oscar Lobo and his MelGoans will celebrate their third World Goa Day on August 20th. The Quebec Goan Association has planned to celebrate WGD on August 20th with an annual picnic in Montreal, Canada. Among other events, there will be a Youth Essay Competition for Goan youth (ages 9 through 20). The topics: "Why do I call myself Goan?", "What does it mean to be Goan?", "How does it feel to be a Goan living abroad?", and "What do I like about Goa and Goans?". The Goinkars Own Academy in Karachi, Pakistan, under the supervision of Deborah Santamaria, will celebrate WGD on August 20th. There is news from India that the Karnataka Goan Association is coming together at the Catholic Club in Bangalore to celebrate WGD on the same day. In a different continent, Goans in Maputo, Mozambique will celebrate WGD on August 21st. Incidentally there are some 160 families of Goan origin that live in Maputo. Ralph Figueiredo and the Goans in Los Angeles, California, USA, will meet together also on August 21st for a grand WGD celebrations. The highlight will be a "Goan Idol" competition. Another Goan group, the Divar Association of Canada, plan on celebrating the Bonderam Festival and WGD in Mississauga, Canada on August 27th. The main feature promises to be the traditional Bonderam Parade to the tune of Viva Bonderam, composed and sung by Andrew DeSa. Again, on August 27th, Goans in New York, USA, under the leadership of Peter D'Souza, will convene at their annual picnic at Lake Sebago Beach to celebrate WGD with the theme "O' for the Goa State of Mind." For the sake of practicality, on the same day, another group of American Goans will meet at Manorhaven Beach Park in Long Island, USA to celebrate WGD. The expected program will include an "Indian Idol" competition. Goans in Lisbon, Portugal are coming together in mid-September for a commemorative luncheon to observe WGD. Their extensive program is presently on the work bench. And there are several other World Goa Day celebrations around the world not listed above. Mention needs to be made of two noteworthy figures: Rene Barretto, UK-based expatriate Goan, is the visionary who dared to launch World Goa Day. On the flipside, it should be noted, World Goa Day would not be so widely celebrated were it not for the support of Goans and Goan organizations around the world at the inception of World Goa Day and today. Out of Spain, another Goan, Basilio Magno composed a song, "Proud to be a Goan" to memorialize WGD. The above catalog of World Goa Day celebrations make it palpably clear that we Goans are proud of ourselves and our heritage. We demonstrate this in our robust spirit of camaraderie, our yearning to maintain our culture (food, drink, and music) and aspiration to pass on ethos to our children. And we do a great job too! But limiting ourselves to brummagem amity is not genuine enough. External celebrations are wonderful expressions of zealous goodwill. However, we need to go a step further - translate our pride into something tangible. We should use these opportunities, such as World Goa Day, as stepping stones to fire up consciousness about Goa. We need to raise issues and embark upon enterprises relevant to Goa and especially to Goans in Goa. With privilege comes responsibility. Goans of the Diaspora - who supposedly left Goa for a better life need to develop an awareness of accountability. We can and should do more for our fellow Goans in Goa in terms of social and educational outreach in a more cohesive manner. Many Goan groups outside Goa have stepped up to the plate. Associations in the U.K., the U.S., Australia, the Middle East and elsewhere have established foundations, charities, raised money for worthy causes, established a support system for the disadvantaged and the deprived, and completed substantial efforts for villages, individuals, institutions and organizations in Goa. There is no dearth of opportunities. While we revel in celebrating our cultural heritage, we have to keep an eye to relieving the burden of our less fortunate brethren in Goa. Let us contribute concretely to express our solidarity with Goans in Goa. That way, we can associate with our heritage, people, language and culture with genuine gratification, not vacuous pride. That will truly enhance the celebrations of World Goa Day and make them momentous. Viva Goa !! Bosco D'Mello Toronto, Canada