I am greatly appreciative of Goa Sudharop and the efforts of its members including Filomena's but I couldn't quite figure out her interview. It seems to me that Goa Sudharop directs its efforts towards the education of young people of Goa but at least in the interview she doesn't mention any conversations she had with young people. If she did and she failed to mention it I would be interested in knowing her opinion. Its they who are the future of Goa. What is their forte and what are the areas they lag behind - it would help all Goan associations to better focus their efforts. After reading her interview I got the impression that she was actually pessimistic but her optimistic character did not allow her to be so.This is in response to Fred's question "FN: So is your view of Goa pessimistic, optimistic, or a mix of both?" Why so? From my conversations with the young people in India, I come back to the USA with a great deal of admiration for their ambitions, their savvy and their academic achievements.When I compare them to their Western counterparts I feel they lack in a few areas but do immensely better in others. Apropos "The future lies in building a bridge between Catholics, Hindus, Muslims to save the values we share. We're not really doing that. I do wish we could do more" my question is: Did Filomena speak to any Hindus and Muslims? In Fred's interview she has only mentioned Catholic Goans - I would be interested in knowing what feedback she got from other communities. Finally how does Filomena think her life would have been if her parents had not taken her to Singapore at the age of five. I was raised and educated in Goa so I am interested! Helga
Subject: RE: [Goanet] Interview with Dr. Filomena Sarawati Giese Hello George and Fred, Thanks for the letting me know about the interview with Dr. Filomena Giese. I was happy to read about her new perspectives on Goa in the light of her travels through North India. I was happy to know of the roles her parents played in developing her "Goan Identity." However, I was surprised that Filomena made no mention of her sister Ligia Brito who like her has been a dynamic force for Goan causes in the San Francisco Bay Area. May their tribe increase. May Blessed Joseph Vaz continue to bless Goan causes, especially his canonization! _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list (Goanet@goanet.org)