How to strengthen the relationship between
Zoroastrian youths in Iran and Zoroastrians around the world
Behnam Firoozfard - Parto Kavoosian

Introduction:

Zoroastrians in Iran are known as people who have been living in the country where the Zoroastrian religion was first born around 3700 years ago. Since fourteen centuries ago the population of them has been reduced year after year. At the present due to an increase in immigration especially among youths the population of Zoroastrians is decreasing rapidly.

Parsis are known as another pole of the Zoroastrian society since fourteen hundred years ago. Because of their better economical situations, in the past century, they have helped Zoroastrians in Iran to have a better life. Manekji, Markar and other Parsis came to Iran, made schools, hospitals,…

Maybe if there wasn’t the help of Parsis, there wouldn’t be any Zoroastrians in Iran now. But the world has changed, it’s not like what it was before. It’s not enough to provide young people with the FISH. We have to teach them FIFHING if we want to help Zoroastrians in Iran survive.

Today Zoroastrians are living in different countries around the world; North America, Europe, Iran, India, Australia and lots of other countries in south east Asia. It’s time that young Zoroastrians in Iran have more communication with other Zoroastrians all around the world to know about them, their ways of living, their culture, their economical situations to be able to decide with awareness; is it better for them to go abroad for their progress? Or is it better to get the help of people abroad and build their own society in Iran? Where would they be of better help to Zoroastrian society and people?

Development in technology has made it easier for people to communicate with each other. Internet has connected people from east to west; nowadays countries have gotten closer and it’s much easier to get information about different things happening around the world.

Let’s have an example from industry. In the world of competition among industries only the companies can survive and stay in the market that have gained a competitive advantage and are trying to keep it and develop it. For example investing on the oil industry of a country is a competitive advantage. Another instance could be investment on the cheap workforce of a country.

Gaining competitive advantage to survive could be seen among minorities in Iran, too. Armenian minorities in Iran are well known for having technical skills and that’s why they have been able to live a good life. They have introduced lots of experts in fields of movie, music, mechanic,… to Iran. Now it’s young Zoroastrian’s turn to gain a competitive advantage to survive, to live a good life and to be an active member in the Zoroastrian society and in Iran.

Now they shall be the benefactors of the lands who follow the satisfaction of good mind, and base their actions through righteousness on your teachings, wise one. They indeed have been made to fight anger.
Yasna, song 13.

The writer’s focus is on making a competitive advantage for young people and the society through different means of communication to expand the knowledge and viewpoint of Zoroastrians in Iran to have more hope in the future and share it with others.
This report contains the following parts:


Conditions of communication among youth Zoroastrians in Iran today:

To study the conditions of communication at the present it’s better to design a questionnaire. The sample questionnaire will be attached to the report. We hope to gather 100 filled questionnaires by the time the congress is supposed to start in order to analyse them in this part.

According to the evidence bellow it seems there isn’t much communication between the Zoroastrians inside Iran and Zoroastrians abroad:

- There are just a few Iranians attending the Zoroastrian congress.
- Many Zoroastrians in Iran don’t have information about the situation of Zoroastrians in other countries, their facilities, their way of living, their culture and customs and…
- There are only a few tours from Iran to other countries in which Zoroastrians live. The few tours that travel to these countries don’t promise a communication between the visitors and the residents.
- Zoroastrian websites in the world have a few members from Zoroastrians in Iran.
- Iranian immigrants to America are doing inferior jobs, although some are educated, because of having little information about the condition of life and work in that country, how to find a job and where to start.
- Communication between Zoroastrian in Iran and Zoroastrian abroad could be summarized in visiting relatives from other countries.
- Zoroastrian news websites in Iran mostly mention problems and news from Iran and don’t give information or news from Zoroastrians around the world.


The ideal condition:

We are looking for a situation in which our communication leads to the achievement of useful information and profitable relationships so that in the end every individual can progress and benefit from that.

In this part we will mention a comparative study to get the ideal condition from that.





- Zoroastrians in Iran 40 years ago
• Many Zoroastrian engineers, doctors and businessmen returned to Iran after finishing their education abroad and were helpful to the society:
- Esfandiar Yeganegi: established the new way of  watering the plants in Iran
- Fereydun and Mehraban Zartoshti: successful businessmen who did a lot of charity
- Parsis at the present
• Nowadays young Zoroastrians in India are immigrating to Australia, New Zealand and America, the difference is that they do it with awareness and enough information and with preparation before leaving their country.
- Armenians in Iran in the past and present
• Having learnt technical skills, some of the famous people in the movies industry are Armenians and still the most skillful and famous mechanics in Tehran are Armenians, this skill has been achieved and been up to dated from generation to generation.

The ideal situation has the general characteristics as below:

- Many Zoroastrians attending the congresses and seminars held with new ideas about expanding the philosophy of Zoroaster, religion,…
- Tours with plans to get acquainted with Zoroastrians around the world with easier conditions for young people to register for these tours.
- Being active members of Zoroastrians international websites like Zoroastrian chamber of commerce.
- Informing Zoroastrians in Iran about the cultural and economical conditions of Zoroastrians around the world.
- Young Iranian Zoroastrians having Zoroastrian friends from countries all over the world.
- Deciding whether to immigrate or not and where to, with awareness; according to the information found from different resources. Studying all aspects of immigration and planning beforehand for living, working or studying abroad with the help pf Zoroastrians abroad, websites,…


Communication problems among young Zoroastrians:

Why are we in the present situation? There are different reasons. Cultural, economical and social background of the country has a lot of effects on this condition.

Some problems are listed below:

- Iranian’s weakness in English.
- Absence of websites, books, resources in internet,… for providing people with information.
- Expensive costs of traveling and living abroad.
- Lack of strong and close communication between Zoroastrian organizations in Iran and their counterparts abroad.
- Anjuman in Iran (Zoroastrian association in Iran) mostly attends to its current problems and issues, doesn’t have enough focus on youth problems (marriage, housing, job, immigration, …)
- Social and cultural activities are planned for the Zoroastrian society in Iran not internationally for every Zoroastrian around the world.
- Iranian news websites only mention a few pieces of news or problems about Zoroastrians in the world and the news mentioned are not easily available for every Zoroastrian in Iran; vice a versa Zoroastrians around the world don’t know the news and problems about Zoroastrians in Iran.


Solutions:

To solve the problems mentioned, the suggestions below are offered:

- Communication between Iranian businessmen and Zoroastrian businessmen abroad, Zoroastrians with same interest, job, field of study all around the world with each other.
- Offering education scholarships to Zoroastrian youths to study abroad.
- Providing facilities for Zoroastrian youths to educate abroad, like living in a Zoroastrian family.
- Offering work scholarships to Zoroastrian youths to work in Zoroastrian industries abroad.
- Providing facilities for Zoroastrian youths to work abroad, working for a Zoroastrian individual or company.
- Giving opportunities to Zoroastrians to go abroad for a short time work, taking a course to learn a skill or study in creditable industries or universities with the support of Zoroastrian companies, organizations or individuals.
- Holding courses of skill learning for young Zoroastrian either inside or outside Iran.
- Making a website like “Facebook” for Zoroastrians.
- Making websites in Persian that give the information and news about Zoroastrians from all over the world
- Holding seminars and congresses to know more about Zoroastrians in different countries, their culture, their points of view, their way of living,…
- Preparing programs for a tour coming from other countries to Iran to visit Zoroastrians in Iran, attend their gatherings and ceremonies and vice a versa.
- Informing young Zoroastrians in Iran about the conditions of work and education abroad through websites, providing them with enough information about the country, work, education, housing, cost of living,...
- Establishing an office in America to help immigrants newly arrived find a place to live, a job, continue their education, learn English,…
- Holding ceremonies like Gahanbar in different countries each time and announcing the place and time to Zoroastrians in the world to take part.
- Holding sports/religion competitions or cultural activities internationally. Like “Manthra Olympics” for instance that every Zoroastrian is informed about the time and place of the competition so that they can participate in the competition attending it or through email,…
- Anjumans in different countries share their database including information about all Zoroastrian in their country to make it easier for them to know about Zoroastrians in the world, their skills, job. If a Zoroastrian industry in one country needs an engineer in a specific field, why not find the expert among those Zoroastrians in another country with that skill looking for a job?








Conclusion:

Let’s provide young Zoroastrians in Iran with information, skills and knowledge to help them make good decisions for their lives with awareness and become a useful member of their small society and their country and be able to have a good life. With information they can decide how to live, with skill and knowledge can attend an honorable job and no matter where they live, they can be of benefit and glorious.

In order to achieve the solutions mentioned we need the cooperation, collaboration and a good plan made by Zoroastrian organizations and Anjuman inside and outside Iran and the help of charitable individuals in the society.

Let’s strengthen the young society to strengthen the root of the Zoroastrian society in the birth place of Ashu Zartosht.

And may we be among those who make this life fresh. You, lord of wisdom, who bring happiness through righteousness, come, let us be single minded in the realm of inner intellect.
Yasna, song 3.

Aydoon Bad
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