January 28, 2022

A World Zoroastrian Congress is a moment in time every four years, when we meet as a faith and community; to take stock of where we are, and to chart future aspirations for where we want to be in the years to come.

The Program Committee of the 12th World Zoroastrian Congress was formed nearly 18 months ago and has now come up with the most varied and representative program possible at an event of this stature.

We would like to share major aspects of the program with you all. What is listed below is not all-comprehensive and in the coming months we will post exciting additions, tweaks, and refinements. Stay tuned for further announcements on our speakers, panelists, and sessions.

Our goal is to promote or equip attendees with the tools to recover from uncertainty, rebalance our lives and reconnect with our worldwide community

Some salient program features are

Young Zoroastrians will shape the future of Zoroastrianism. Their presence will be felt every day of the World Zoroastrian Congress 2022. On July 1, in a session called ‘Youth for Youth’, they will get to know each other through creative activities, and form bonds that will endure. On July 2, in a session called ‘Our Voice’, they will discuss questions that are important to them and search for answers. On July 3, in a fireside chat format, youth leaders from various regions of the globe will take questions from the audience. In this final session we will feel reassured that leaders are emerging in all regions of the world and that the destiny of the faith is secure in the hands of passionate and visionary young Zoroastrians.

Zarathushtra’s universal message makes no distinctions between men and women; however, gender inequalities have persisted in our times. In We, the Zoroastrian Women: Voices of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow celebrate the great achievements of women in our community and elsewhere and seek ways to create a support system that breaks down all barriers in the way of women struggling to reach their full potential. We believe men can and will be equal partners in achieving this goal. The session will be designed to showcase the great achievements of Zoroastrian women, understand and address obstacles in the path of many women, and give birth to a network that will connect Zoroastrian women across all regions to form a model of gender equality that can inspire women everywhere.

In Faith Matters you will hear prominent representatives from the Christian, Judaic, Hindu, Sikh and Zoroastrian faiths. All great religions are grounded on common truths. By emphasizing these commonalities, we hope to promote harmony across the followers of all faith traditions.

As the world confronts the existential threat of unprecedented ecological crisis, a panel discussion titled Custodians of Zamyad- the Spirit of the Earth aims to inspire a renewed commitment for Zoroastrians to take leading roles as custodians of the earth, both through an exploration of the theology and literature of our forebears and by highlighting the efforts of contemporary Zoroastrians to confront environmental issues.

The Khorshed F. Jungalwala Memorial Lecture will bring the world’s two leading Zoroastrian scholars, who will share with us their thoughts on the history and religious education of Zoroastrians, offer ideas of how to foster and grow Zoroastrian Studies, and how academic studies could be better communicated to communities around the world. The conversation will present an overview of Zoroastrians in the past and a vision of Zoroastrianism in the future.

The Zoroastrian community has seen a dramatic transformation from the times it was regionally confined to Iran and South. Among those changes is a rise in families where some members are not born Zoroastrians. In Identity, Belonging and Community in Zoroastrianism four panelists will share with us their personal experiences, in their own words, as members of interfaith families. Their stories, their feelings, aspirations, frustrations, joys and hopes, will help foster mutual respect, and acceptance of any differences in outlook that may exist.

Good people intend well. We intend to make choices and decisions in a manner that is accurate and fair while also being in our own interest and that of our communities. Research from the last fifty years has challenged the possibility that we do so. Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People is a session that will be participatory in nature and involve educational and even entertaining hands-on exercises. One of the world’s leading experts in implicit bias will be leading the seminar. The intention is to reveal mental blind spots and create awareness so that we can align our values with behavior.

The mission of the GWG is to undertake charitable work in the geographies where it is most needed. GWG’s initiatives extend to welfare of Mobeds, alleviation of poverty, emergency assistance, preservation of manuscripts and heritage, encouragement of cultural initiatives, coordination of World Congresses, demographics etc. The GWG does not and will not interfere in religion or religious practice. In Linking Arms Across the World – Global Working Group you will hear from Zoroastrian leadership around the world on their challenges, success and vision for the community globally.

Like the rest of the world’s population, many Zoroastrians struggle with depression and anxiety during different stages of their lifespan. In Conquering the Unquiet Mind – A Guide to Mental Well-being, a panel discussion; information about understanding and addressing depressive symptoms and anxiety will be shared in a framework that is relatable and relevant to Zoroastrian community members across the world.

The purpose of the Reimagining Religious Education sessions is to highlight innovative methodologies and frameworks that could assist teachers and parents in designing learning experiences that are fundamentally sound and developmentally appropriate for educating children, youth, and adults about the Zoroastrian religion, culture, history, and way of life.

A faith-driven awakening has been achieved in Kurdistan, Iraq. Under the theme “Bridging the Global Zoroastrian Existence”, the unique aspirations of Kurdish Zoroastrians will be examined in-depth before a worldwide audience. A long-time Zoroastrian activist from Kirkuk, Iraq, who has also translated the Gathas into the Kurdish language, is specially invited to give an objective account. The session One Zarathustra, Many Zoroastrians: Iraqi Kurds Reclaim Their Heritage will be moderated by a scholar who has conducted on-the-ground research and studies in Iraq of minority faiths and is due to publish a book on Kurdish Zoroastrianism.

As Zoroastrian presence worldwide has evolved, so have the Mobeds who serve, guide, and educate the laity. Mobeds have demonstrated their commitment to serve their communities. This session will address unique Zoroastrian migration patterns, the cultural and spiritual treasures that Zoroastrians bring to their new homelands, how co-religionists have adapted to the culture and practices in their new homelands while remaining proud Zoroastrians, and how Mobeds are meeting the challenges of modern-day society and adapting to new realities.

Do you wish to be a successful entrepreneur? Do you wish to learn how to create value? Do you wish to give back to the community? Do you wish to promote Ushta in Ahura Mazda’s kingdom? If the answer is YES to any of the preceding questions, then you must attend Making the Impossible Possible: Enhancing the Global Zarathushti Excellence through Entrepreneurship – WZCC

The Healthy Aging track aims to take the audiences’ body, mind, and spirit to an optimal level of wellness. The definition of health may change as we age, but the goals for quality of life and healthy aging are a continuous process and remain the same. Join us to learn how to start your health-aging strategy!

In Joyful Centenarian hear from individuals who created a successful Act Two, changing the definition of “retirement” to a productive life of purpose. They switched careers in mid-life by leveraging talent, interest in hobbies, philanthropy, and volunteering. Learn how they maintain deep personal connections and find their inner sense of engagement

The above is just a flavor of what you can expect at the 12^th World Zoroastrian Congress. Besides the above programming, we will have dedicated activities and tracks for children 5 – 13, broken into smaller sub-groups. A dedicated track for teens will allow them to explore things relevant to them at their age, while also interact with parts of the overall program that would pertain to them. Professional Babysitting facilities for toddlers and infants will allow parents and grandparents to attend all the sessions, having peace of mind that the youngest of our attendees are being taken care of.

We hope that the above encourages you to avail of the early bird registration rates for the Congress. We cannot wait to welcome you all on July 1^st, 2022 in New York. Till then, stay safe and healthy, be well.

Aban Rustomji & Keki Dadachanji

Co-Chairs, Program Committee, 12th WZC 2022 NYC

January 28, 2022

Theme

Bridging the Global Zarathushti Existence

The tone for a Congress is set by its theme and from the outset we are committed to developing a WZC that will resonate with Zarathushtis from all over the world. More importantly, we are committed to a theme that reflects the aspirations and challenges of the larger Zarathushti community on the cusp of emerging from the first quarter of the twenty-first century.

We anticipate that attendees from all over the world will bring their unique perspectives and formative influences based on their respective cultures. Our goal is to ensure that we bridge Zarathushtis from across the world, and also bridge age, gender and spiritual differences.

We look forward to a robust attendance from our global Zarathushti community and are dedicated to developing a program that will be rich in content and appeal to the diversity that we hope will be represented. Our community today is truly global, and represents a diaspora that brings with it its unique challenges. The WZC will give us the opportunity to strengthen connections and build bridges while respecting our diversity.

Our Zarathushti existence is not static, but ever changing. Even as we look back at our existence, we will also look forward during the WZC. As we stand here in 2021 and look forward to 2022 and beyond, we should expect to continue to evolve – demographics, geographies, social media – all of these will influence our global community and continue to pose the questions – Who Are We? What Do We Represent? What will our future be or look like? While abstract, these questions are particularly relevant to us and our future generations. We expect our program content will raise these thought provoking questions and leave attendees with a renewed sense of pride and purpose that we will endure.