Re: [Goanet] notes from goan convention

[Gilbert Lawrence]

Hi Lisette,
 
At the outset let me thank you and the other committee members for the yeomen 
task of holding the recent Goan convention in Toronto. I think you should be 
proud of yourselves for being part of the effort. Two decades from now, as one 
reviews the Goan history in Canada, your names will certainly be mentioned. 
 
To me the issue is: Two decades from now will someone be writing well about 
Goans in Canada (and North America); as a positive successful community? Or 
will it be a history of a community that will be lamented for lack of growth, 
divisiveness and petty mindedness?  As individuals we likely will be doing 
pretty well.
 
One of the crux is as you put: Should this be a convention for 100 people, even 
as the Toronto population (alone) is in excess of 20,000? I view this 
convention to serve the Goan community of North America; just as the Bengali 
convention in downtown Toronto, held a few weeks earlier, served their 
community, with 6,000+ attendees,  paying a registration fee of hundred dollars 
($100:00), compared to the Goan registration of two hundred and fifty.  I think 
this is a take home message to all organizers. 
See:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Bengali_Conference
 
If the Goan convention got the attendance you planned for, your beef is not 
with Eugene; but with those who complained about the poor attendance.  Please 
do not spin the attendance numbers.  I heard at a recent medical presentation, 
"One can come to any conclusion, if one beats the data hard enough."
 
I think the above are fundamental issues of Goan conventions that we should be 
engaged in dialog, instead of the mudslinging that some view is occurring. I do 
not see much mudslinging, but I am not on the committee, and I do not read all 
the posts.  By the same token as a committee member you and others should not 
take it personally any discussion / post-mortem on the convention. In that 
case, we should end goanet because we are always writing on issues that may be 
perceived as negative to someone or an institution.
 
Eugene's posts and others on Goanet on this thread that I have read (I do not 
read all), is nothing compared to nasty posts we  see on other topics, written 
by several individuals who serve on and defend your committee.  I hope you can 
be an active participant on Goanet. Then you can attack these people who write 
vicious and 'near inappropriate' posts (since it passes the moderators), 
where personal attacks are made on individuals and institutions. Your reproach 
with a 'velvet glove' will moderate a few - some of whom are your admirers, as 
seen from their recent posts.  Do you not think we should apply the same 
standards and yard-stick?
 
Perhaps a good topic for the next Goan convention is reviewing the art of 
communication on Goanet with regard and respect; and focusing on the idea / 
topic; rather than the individual.  This would be an excellent topic at any 
forum, and one specially organized by GNAT..
 
My next topic of dialog on Goanet is "It is not so" regarding a heavily 
discussed past topic.  I will rely on a book which I have just completed 
reading - "Cracking Da Vinci's Code - You have read the fiction, now read the 
facts".  Likely you will enjoy this topic. It may help you as 
you encounter 'the fictional facts' about the Catholic Church.:=))
 
Kind regards, GL. 
PS: To those who likely will object to :=)), it reflects the oxymoron ... like 
'happy marriage'.:=))  
 
 
 LISETTE SALDANHA 
 
The academic portion of the convention was planned for 100-120 people as was 
evident in the venues we used. It would have been impossible to achieve the 
level of interaction and intimacy the convention provided if we had 
larger groups. Quite frankly I cannot imagine any room that could have housed 
10,000 people for an effective presentation even 20 years ago.  Should the next 
Convention's goals be to have a much larger crowd, than their organizational 
plans and goals will have to be different from the Toronto group.We had a 
100-110 people, 80 were paid registrants and the rest were volunteers, 
observers, presenters.

Re: [Goanet] notes from goan convention

[LISETTE SALDANHA]

Gilbert Lawrence writes regarding Eugene's posts,
(You provided a service to Goans by giving us the "story behind the story" 
and a segway for others who provided the 'not so pleasant facts' like the 
poor attendance.? )


Eugene's posts were largely innuendo and personal attacks. He has provided 
information about the committee, organization and planning without being a 
part of the committee or naming a source within the committee that has 
provided these insinuations. The committee members I have spoken to swear 
they have not spoken to Eugene. Only a committee member can talk about the 
inside story. Eugene arrived on the Toronto scene only on the Convention 
date. His 2 main contributions to the event was to try to get in free when 
he arrived, and later to stand up and rudely attack a speaker. There are 
better ways to phrase a question and Eugene appears to remain clueless as to 
why he was offensive.
The committee members who worked tirelessly to present this convention would 
be pleased to work with any other planning committee to provide pros and 
cons of our experiences. Why praise an agitator who from the time of his 
arrival at the scene of the convention was problematic. How can one depend 
on a "story" of personal attacks to form the basis of future conventions.


( It was just that the journalist in me sprung forth when I found that there 
were too many undercurrents?)


To my knowledge Eugene is not a journalist, besides writing his personal 
feelings on issues and reporting gossip, his claims to journalism can be 
held by anyone who writes on the internet.
His final post 4 was heavily edited and denies the Goanet readers to see the 
extent of the ramblings of a man who is not in control


( 'not so pleasant facts' like the poor attendance.? )

The academic portion of the convention was planned for 100-120 people as was 
evident in the venues we used. It would have been impossible to achieve the 
level of interaction and intimacy the convention provided if we had larger 
groups. Quite frankly I cannot imagine any room that could have housed 
10,000 people for an effective presentation even 20 years ago.
Should the next Convention's goals be to have a much larger crowd, than 
their organizational plans and goals will have to be different from the 
Toronto group.
We had a 100-110 people, 80 were paid registrants and the rest were 
volunteers, observers, presenters.


(It is often an unpleasant task to write about people and groups that one 
knows on a "personal" basis and not as professional subjects. )


Neither I nor Kevin know Eugene on a personal basis. My first interaction 
with him was at the registration desk at the convention (when he wanted a 
free entry, claiming he had already paid) at which point I was courteous and 
tried to seek him help from the treasurer, since he claimed to have 
pre-paid, but was found to be untrue. I never interacted with him on a 
personal basis then or now.


Gilbert there are many positive aspects of the Toronto Convention. Should 
you or anyone else serious about hosting the next convention want to take 
advantage of the momentum and change in people's hearts, particularly 
towards the awareness of connecting with their Goan identity and connecting 
with their homeland, then now is the time to move. Join the committee that 
is hosting the next convention if it is in your neighborhood


Lisette Saldanha