1st WORLD DAMAN DAY – 20TH July 2008
WORLD DAMAN DAY is being celebrated for the very first time on the
20th of August 2008 under the aegis of WORLD GOA DAY courtesy, Mr.
Rene Barreto – the founder himself!
Daman has always looked upon Goa as its 'Big Brother.’ But no two
fingers are alike and so it is with siblings. These cultural
differences though subtle, lend Daman its uniqueness.
This worldwide event is a CELEBRATION of the unique culture of the
people of Daman who have an identity of their very own – the DAMANESE!
“Damão is not just the former name of Daman,” says Noël Gama, Overall
Coordinator of WDD-08. “It’s another name for the Indo-Portuguese
subculture of Daman and is a way of life.
But most importantly, when broken up into its two syllables, it
reveals the secret behind the characteristic hospitality of the
typical Damanese – 'Da mão' – which literally translates as, 'give me
your hand,' in Portuguese meaning, ‘welcome!’”
The organizers are sure that the Administration of Daman and the
Tourism department in particular, will support this endeavour.
But only the proactive participation of Damaneses abroad will make it
a resounding success.
So, we call upon all Damaneses wherever you may be around the globe,
to dedicate the 20th of August every year, to PROMOTE, PUBLICIZE and
CELEBRATE all things DAMANESE by showcasing Damanese cultural heritage
through artistic and cultural expressions and celebrations like…
· DAMANESE MUSICAL FESTIVALS & COMPETITIONS
· DAMANESE FOOD FESTIVAL
TRADITIONAL/FOLK DANCE PERFORMANCES & COMPETITIONS
· ART & CRAFT DISPLAYS
· POETRY & SONGWRITING COMPETITIONS
People of Damanese origin, all over the world, are invited to come
together and not only actively participate but initiate these
worldwide celebrations, which will be coordinated by Noël Gama who is
based in Daman.
Let’s all celebrate all that is Daman – the sights, the sounds, the
senses and the ‘saudades.’ Let the party begin – feel, think, breathe,
live, eat and yes, drink to Daman!
FOR MORE DETAILS – Please contact your coordinator in your country of
residence or the Overall Coordinator in Daman at: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
About the Overall coordinator – Noël Gama is the winner of the "Writer
of the Year 2007" award of The Writers Bureau, UK and the author of
"Culture Wise INDIA," now listed on Amazon.com. His signature
Blog2Book projects caught the attention of a former Consul General of
Portugal in India, who launched one of his websites, www.noelgama.com
on Indo-Portuguese culture and is now being turned into four books
viz., "Viva Damão! The Indo-Portuguese Subculture of Daman,"
“Saudades! Folk Memories of Damão,” “If You Ever Come to Damão –
Ultimate Travel Guide to a little-known Ex-Portuguese Hideaway”and
“Where Angels Tread – Photo guide to the Churches, Chapels, Crosses &
Grottos of Daman”
Country Coordinators:
Portugal – Bosco Mendonca <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
UK – Franco Fonseca <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Bertoldo Lopes [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Macau – Noel Libano <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Holland – Veridiana Veloso de sousa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Fujairah – Maria Franco <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sharjah – Lysa Lopes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Australia – John Machado <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Saudi Arabia – Sylvia Rebello <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
UAE – Joe Colaco <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Ajman – Maria Noruega <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Abu Dhabi – Anthony Colaco <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Dubai – Jack Machado <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Oman – Sharmila Mascarenhas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Saudi Arabia – Brian D’costa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Kuwait – Veronica Fernandes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Websites – http://web.mac.com/noelgama/wdd08
http://worldgoan.blogspot.com/
