WORLD GOA DAY 2008 MESSAGE FROM AUSTRALIA.
We, the Goans of Australia, send a message of solidarity and friendship to
all our fellow Goans all over the world as we celebrate World Goa Day during
July and August 2008 in the various major cities of Australia .
This year our twin theme is the "Proud villages of Goa" and our "Youth"
which has so well coincided with the just concluded World Youth day in
Sydney ! We were also privileged to have our very own priest from Goa who
celebrated a mass on World Goa Day in Sydney during July 2008. The priest
later visited Melbourne en-route to Goa and the group of Goans associated
with Melgoans i.e. families of Salus Correia, Newton Marques and Oscar Lobo
spent the day with the priest and gave him a tour of Melbourne.
The various village associations in Australia are the backbone of the
mainstream Goan organisation and the youth are our future and the flag
bearers of our rich and unique cultural heritage. Goans in Australia are
looking forward to working closely with organizations that would uphold and
maintain our Goan identity, culture and values which have been embedded for
over 4.5 centuries.
We have always felt that World Goa Day be celebrated by designating a day
specifically for Goans to reflect on our Goan identity and to consider what
being a Goan means to us as well as to take pride in being Goan and to unite
with Goans all over the world, in solidarity, to celebrate Goa's history,
konkani language, music, cultural heritage and traditions. In Melbourne we
have been celebrating WGD for the last 6 years and for the last 3 years in
Sydney.
Sydney celebrated WGD on 27th July and Melbourne Goans - Melgoans, will be
doing the same on 23th August.
This will be followed by celebrations in Brisbane and Perth.
Let us all join in to celebrate World Goa Day and work together for a caring
and sharing Goan community worldwide.
Tony Colaco - World Goa Day Overall Coordinator - Sydney www.goansw.com
Oscar C. Lobo - World Goa Day Overall Corordinator - Melbourne -
www.melgoans.com
