It is worth asking what useful purpose Goan organizations in the diaspora
serve? 40-60 years ago
with fairly significant Goan immigration out of Africa/Goa/India to
England/Portugal/Canada and to
a lesser extent to USA/Australia there was a need for Goan social
organizations. Their annual
events provided a forum for people to socialize and meet, in come cases survive
the challenges of
their new land. A typical Goan (Catholic) calendar of events which has not
changed in decades:
1. Dance.
2. Picnic.
3. SFX feast.
4. Children's Christmas event.
5. Another occasion for a dance (pick some date).
Today, the calendar needs to be updated if expat Goans want to modernize,
integrate and come of
age (the reasons in some case are obvious but too lengthy to discuss here).
This change is needed
if Goan organizations are going to truly serve their community, engage youth
and have a future. In
no particular order of importance, a current calendar may look like:
1. Investing in your future - health, education, finance, culture.
2. Self and community development - responsibilities and duties to yourself and
others.
3. Understanding your roots/history in the larger context of world history.
4. Securing justice and equality for all in an interconnected, global world.
5. Maintaining your culture while living in the melting pot.
6. Goa's rich religious history - understanding various Goan traditions,
including the secular
tradition.
Regards,
George
