World Daman Day 2008 Celebrated Worldwide on 20th August 2008World Daman Day 2008 was celebrated by people of Daman origin living outside India in countries like the UAE, USA, Canada, Holland, Macau, Portugal and the UK along with the 9th “World Goa Day” on the 20th of August 2008. The theme for World Daman Day 2008 was, Viva Damão! Keep the culture alive! World Daman Day like World Goa Day, is primarily celebrated outside of India in an effort to first establish identity and later turn it into a brand as Goa has already done. The date, though significant for Goa vis-à-vis the status of the Konkani language, isn’t of any significance to Daman. But there was the benefit of getting a helping hand from the much-experienced organizers of WGD. In any case, ultimately, it was the spirit that counted and which turned a black number on the calendar into a red-letter day! Said Faustinho Mendonca, Chairman - Daman Community of Peterborough (UK), “Be it any date, I can assure you of our cooperation all the time.” The motto was to promote, publicize and celebrate all things Damanense by showcasing the unique Damanense cultural heritage, expressed culturally and artistically.
The first step was setting up a website which was bombarded with traffic minutes after Rene Barreto shot out his press release on the Internet. As World Daman Day 2008 came closer to D-Day, everyone felt that the festival was already turning into a movement! To keep the momentum and meet public demand, “Daman Global” was launched on Google Groups – a place to network, share news, make announcements and to do what Damanenses do best and enjoy most... gossip! This was followed up with the first global eZine, “Daman Global eNewsmagazine” which brings news updates from all the countries where Damanenses live in. The inaugural issue was released in November 2008. World Daman Day 2008 - UK (Leicester & Peterborough)The largest body of Damanenses outside India is based in the UK comprising largely Catholics, Hindus and Muslims who have literally transplanted the culture on to British soil.Says Franco Fonseca, Peterborough-based Country Coordinator for the UK, “the British come to observe our social and cultural events but not with the intention of adapting to the culture… they have adoption in mind.”
The show they put up is the biggest we’ve ever seen and is best expressed by some of the Damanenses in Leicester, “Assim, nosso nutinho ulhado na Damao temem.” The Damanenses in the UK proved that just performing the ‘vira’ on stage is not what culture is about... it’s beyond that, more inclusive and much, much bigger... it’s a way of life – the Damanense way of life. It’s more than obvious now, that the centre of gravity of the Damanense world has moved to the UK! World Daman Day 2008 - UAE (Dubai, Sharjah & Fujairah)The three country coordinators for the UAE organized cultural, culinary and sporting events as well as picnics and excursions, which included a visit to a Portuguese fort in Fujairah.Lysa Lopes, the coordinator for Sharjah, uploaded some of her best Damanense recipes on the World Daman Day 2008 website. Tourists to Daman often ask where they can sample Damanense or Indo-Portuguese cuisine. Damanense food is not served in any of the hotels though many label some items on their menu as ‘Daman special.’
Canada, US, Holland, Portugal and MacauDamanenses in Canada, the US, Holland and Macau being a handful only, could not do much by way of shows, programs and competitions but they did an excellent job of spreading the word via the Internet, giving Daman global exposure never enjoyed before! Said Oscar Noruega of Macau, “Exchange all we have of our culture, specially songs, lyrics, music, notes and other arts.” What better way than through the Internet?
Daman – Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?On reading about World Daman Day 2008 in the Hindustan Times and the Times of India, Damanenses in Daman too wanted to join in the partying. “The whole world is celebrating and what are we doing about it?” asked Mr. Fremiot Mendonca, the go-to person when researching the local history and culture of Daman. In a matter of minutes, the Damanenses in Daman got their act together, using nothing but their telephones!
‘Viva Damão’ is not just lip service for the Damanenses – it’s the real thing and they don’t just ‘do it’ – they do it right! So, though late in getting into the groove, Damanenses in Daman perceive World Daman Day 2008 as a new beginning and look forward to World Daman Day 2009.
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Message from Dr. Adelino da Costa
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