1st WORLD DAMAN DAY – 20TH August 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 FESTIVALS
· 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]>
USA – Dr. Paresh Mane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Canada – Anthony Machado <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Websites – http://web.mac.com/noelgama/wdd08
http://worldgoan.blogspot.com/
