Contents 2 EDITORIAL ◆ From ‘Caterpillar’ To ‘Butterfly’ 91 THE SHORT STORY CONTEST Consciousness To Achieve The Sustainable DOLLY DASTOOR Development Goals Of The United Nations Through Education MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 3 ◆ Fezana Participates In High Level Political ARZAN SAM WADIA Forum On The Sustainable Development Goals Of The United Nations 4 FEZANA UPDATES ◆ Zoroastrianism And The Environment ◆ Progress Of Faith Based Organizations In 28 75th Anniversary of UN & SDG Support Of The United Nations Sustainable FEZANA Journal Development Goals Vol 34, No 3 - ISBN 1068-2376 ◆ Crash Not Accident: Un Sustainable Development Goals On My Street FALL/ September 2020 ◆ Slow And Steady: Achieving Sustainability PERSONAL PROFILE One Drop Of Yogurt At A Time 77 Editor in Chief: ◆ Jehaan Kotwal Is The Ceo Of Jfk 98 MILESTONES Dolly Dastoor Transporters Pvt. Ltd. edItor(@)fezana.org ◆ Creating A Gender-Balanced Workplace 101 OBITUARY In Pakistan Cover Design: Feroza Fitch ◆ Empowering Women To Stay In The ffitch(@)lexicongraphics.com Workforce: Maternity Leave And Supporting Return To Workplace Graphic & Layout: Shahrokh Khanizadeh www.khanizadeh.info 80 IN THE NEWS Technical Assistant: Coomie Gazdar Consultant Editor: ◆ An Ancient Bill Of Rights And Its Progeny Lylah M. Alphonse lmalphonse(@)gmail.com ◆ Celebrating The 75th Anniversary Of The United Nations, And The Importance Of Language Editor: Faith Based Organizations In Supporting Its Douglas Lange Global Agenda Deenaz Coachbuilder ◆ The World Bank And The International Monetary Fund : An Inside View Publications Chair: ◆ Diamonds Or Pearls ? Behram Pastakia bpastakia(@)aol.com ◆ Zoroastrians In North America Need To BETWEEN THE COVERS Confront Anti-Black Racism 103 Marketing Manager: ◆ Decolonizing Zoroastrianism: An Anti-Racist 108 LIST OF ASSOCIATIONS Nawaz Merchant Approach To Learning Our History [email protected] ◆ How We Got The Sustainable Development 109 ORDER FORM Goals And Why They’re Important Copy Editors: Yasmin Pavri ◆ Sunmoksha: Empowering Lives, Catalyzing Vahishta Canteenwalla Sustainable Development Nazneen Khumbatta ◆ The Future We Want SDG Subscription Managers: Arnavaz Sethna WINTER 2020 Guest Editor Farishta Dinshaw Kershaw Khumbatta Beyond the Kitchen:How Zarthushti’s Contribute to the Food and Beverage Sector Asst Subscription Manager Fall-Paiz 1389 AY 3758 Z Farzana Sidhwa Mehr- Avan – Adar 1389 AY (Fasli) Ardebehesht – Khordad – Tir 1390 AY (Shenhai) Khordad - Tir – Amordad 1390 AY (Kadimi) SPRING 2021 ZARATHUSHTRA’S GATHAS IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. GUEST EDITORS KEKI DADACHANJI & JAMSHID GOSHTASBI Opinions expressed in the FEZANA Journal do not necessarily reflect the views of FEZANA or members of the editorial board. All submissions to the FEZANA JOURNAL become the property of the publication and may be reproduced in any form. Published at Regal Press, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. (USPS 021-495) published quarterly by FEZANA 8615 Meadowbrook Dr., Burr Ridge, IL 60527. Periodical postage rate is paid at Oakbrook, IL 60523 and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscription US $35 (US and Canada) and $80 (air) for other countries; details on subscription form. POSTMASTER: send changes to Fezana Journal, 8615 Meadowbrook Drive, Burr Ridge, IL 60527. PB FEZANA JOURNAL FALL 2020 1 Editorial DOLLY DASTOOR The Year of Reflections and New Beginnings he year 2020 will be remembered for the Covid Narges Kakalia T19 pandemic and how we emerge out of this. Our has written an responses will determine how fast the world recovers, informative whether we achieve the Sustainable Development Goals article on the 75th of the UN, or how we handle pressing challenges of anniversary of the climate crisis, gender violence, racial violence, economic UN by drawing the disparity, etc. But it will also be remembered for the 75th parallel between the anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations in Cyrus Cylinder and 1945 and for the 5th anniversary of the implementation of the UN Declaration the Sustainable Developmental Goals of the UN adopted of Human Rights. on September 25, 2015. Audrey Kitagawa, The principles on which the UN was formed the Chair of the after WW 2 , calling for collective action for peace and Board of Trustees of the Parliament of World’s hope to end wars, and those in 2015 for the Sustainable Religions has contributed an article on the UN and its Developmental Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN to importance of faith based organization in supporting the bring about a healthy, peaceful equitable future for all global agenda. Zenobia Panthaki gives an insider’s view has been called into question by this pandemic which on the working of the World Bank and the International does not discriminate and knows no borders.It has Monetary Fund (IMF). exposed deep fissures in our world wide community, of COVID 19 has unleased the power of technology inequalities in wealth, in economics, in health services, and brought us together in spirit. The FEZANA AGM in climate change, and placed the environmental was conducted virtually with a record number of 70 sustainability for the future of the planet in question as participants attending. A new young team is leading to whether we can maintain our current levels of human FEZANA together with new positions of Chief Social activity on the environment. From pollution of our air Media officer and Communications Officer we also and contamination of our water, to land degradation, have a new series on Zoom, FEZANA TALKS. The climate change, and biodiversity loss without destroying Zoroastrian Association of Houston conducted its annual the biological systems that sustain life. COVID-19 is youth camp virtually with 74 attendees from the US and derailing the efforts on the implementations of the SDGs Canada, and one from Pakistan! and threatening the achievements already made in many areas. Zoroastrian high achievers in many diverse However we are pleased to report in this issue fields like nuclear astrophysics, architecture, that FEZANA through it members, young and old has naval command, aviation medicine, neuroscience, been supporting the SDGs much before the pandemic hydrometerology, mapping of the Zoroastrian-Parsi started. These young adults are working towards zero Genetic genome and publishing a prize winning novel hunger(#2), good health and well-being (#3), quality are recognized. education (#4) gender equality,(#5), clean water and For the past 75 years, royals, presidents, prime sanitation, (#6); industry, innovation and infrastructure ministers and other world leaders have been coming (#9); reduced inequalities (#10); sustainable cities (#11); together at the UN General Assembly every year in New responsible communities and production (#12); Climate York to discuss and attempt to peacefully resolve the Action (#13), peace, justice and strong institutions (#16). planet’s gravest challenges. This year, for the first time We also have an insiders view from Bruce Knott, who since the end of the Second World War, they will stay at was on the planning committee for developing the SDGs, home. But the conversation and cooperation should and and finally David Korten, former faculty of the Harvard will carry on to make a better sustainable world for this graduate school,who challenges us to think critically in and all future generations. his article on Unsustainable SDGs whether the well- being of people and of our world should supersede the growing of GDP and the financial assets of the rich. Dolly Dastoor Ph.D APOLOGY In the article by Marzban Giara, "Contributions Beyond Compare (Fezana Journal, Summer 2020, page 53) it was inadvertently stated that Dr. Kaikhushru Nusserwanjee Bahadurji was the first Parsi and Indian to pass the medical exam in London instead of the MD exam. The error is regretted. Ed. FJ. 2 FEZANA JOURNAL FALL 2020 3 Message FROM THE PRESIDENT little over three months ago the new FEZANA Executive took over. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Apause button on our planet. The frailty of human life and the systems of our modern times were exposed to their full extent. However out of adversity, arose opportunity. And our community here in North America and all around the world has played its part magnificently. For the first time in 33 years, FEZANA cancelled the AGM in person. In its place we had our very first virtal AGM. Many of our 27 member associations did the same. Religion classes for kids went online. Dozens of new initiatives were now on “zoom” with everything from Gatha Classes, quiz contests to cooking classes and so much more. While the first few months of the pandemic were reactionary, the next few months were evolutionary. We learnt to do things with the tools we had in our midst. However, what became apparent, is, that nothing can replace the human need to interact in person. For the first time our agiaries and atashbehrams in India, Pakistan and North America went empty during Muktad. Our amazing mobeds went beyond the call of duty, risked their own health, and conducted the Muktad ceremonies like they do every year. At FEZANA Associations for the second time in less than 6 months, our new year functions were cancelled. Auspicious days when the community throngs to Dar-e-Mehrs to celebrate had to be cancelled. In July, the collective FEZANA community grieved the loss of life of Mobed Arash Kasravi who was murdered while on a visit back home to Iran. Mobed Kasravi was a continually active and integral member of the Southern California community and his loss is felt by the thousands who knew him. Over the past few months, the FEZANA Talks have welcomed hundreds of participants from all over the world. We welcomed Tanya Hoshi our very first Chief Social Media Officer and Jim Engineer our very first Chief Communication Officer to enhance FEZANA’s communication and engagement with the whole wide world primarily over digital platforms. FEZANA also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Toronto towards our long- cherished dream of setting up the FEZANA Professorship in Zoroastrian Literature and Languages.