Zerbanoo Gifford, founder and mentor of the ASHA Centre in the UK, has been welcomed into the Honorable Society of the Knights of the Round Table, a three-hundred-year-old organisation set up to follow the chivalry of the knights of old with emphasis on (courtesy, mercy, faith, generosity and hospitality) as their model following in the footsteps of King Arthur and his knights in the UK. At a fabulous event worthy of Camelot, the President Admiral Lord West as King Arthur knighted Zerbanoo in the Armourers’ Hall in London. Attending her was her husband, the international lawyer Richard, and their youngest son, play-write Alex; and Director of the ASHA Centre, Adrian Locher. Alex and Adrian both escorted Zerbanoo to the knighting ceremony as ancient symbols of her two squires who presented her to King Arthur.

Zerbanoo Gifford has also been a recent guest speaker at the Knight’s annual Guinevere dinner, which was held at the Barber Surgeon Hall in the City of London. Subsequently she was invited to join the Round Table of Knights for her globally recognised work in the field of human rights and the founding the ASHA Centre in the Forest of Dean for the young. The center, near Flaxley, is globally recognised as one of the most vibrant places for young people to be empowered and taught the importance of sustainable living, the arts, and community understanding and action. The work of ASHA reflected the charitable work undertaken by the Society of Knights to ensure talented young people from the diverse fields of arts, music, law and medicine were given financial support to undertake their studies.

Speaking to Parsi Times, Zerbanoo said, “One of the greatest honors bestowed on me has been the induction into the Honourable Society of Knights of the Round Table. The ancient order has only recently invited a few women to be part of their universal work. I was drawn to them from the time I was a young girl. I was enchanted with the famous knights of old, their heroic deeds and the glamour of Camelot. Also, many of the more recent knights, include the wonderful Dickens and Lord Tennyson and the founder of the scouting movement, Lord Baden Powell, and many distinguished members of the Royal Houses of Europe and campaigners for truth and social progress, who changed the way we live our lives for a better today.

The present Knights, all with outstanding credentials in the fields of politics, business, the arts and the armed forces, were fascinated by my explanation of Zoroastrianism as they have never had a Zoroastrian Knight grace their society. Interestingly, a knight takes an oath to stay with their religion and do good among their own people and the global community. Of course, everything the knights stand for is what we Zoroastrians have a deep understanding and respect for. Philanthropy, compassion for the weaker members of society, fighting corruption and greed and doing good deeds – which are the basic tenets of our Zoroastrian faith, is demanded of us knights. I hope in the years to come, I will bring great honour to the Zoroastrian community globally, through the work I do with other knights to empower the young and fight injustice in its many ugly forms.”

With the motto, “Non Nobis Solum Sed Toto Mundi Nati,” translated means, “Not for us alone but for the whole world created,” it is worthy to note that greats including Charles Dickens, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Baden Powell and members of the Royal Houses of Britain and Europe have been Knights over the Society’s illustrious 300-year history, to be celebrated in 2020