Your Net-Work Determines Your New Net-Worth!

We live in a new world where systematically building and investing to enhance our ‘Social Capital’ is the only long-term sustainable solution to survive, thrive and prosper. To that end, what a brilliant, powerful and timely idea this ‘Udvada Utsav’ has been …particularly, for a unique community like ours, which needs and deserves, to not only survive, but also thrive and grow on its own steam, without any external protection or reservations.

For those uninitiated in ‘Social Theory’, let me explain the simple idea -we live in a new world, where our net-worth is determined not by the money in our bank accounts, but by the quality and strength of the net-work of strong, social relationships that we have developed in our social accounts. The quintessence is simple – ‘Relationships are the measure of Social Capital – the prime source of creating Economic Capital in the new world’.

A microscopic minority community like ours has all elements, which otherwise has, a potential to make us lose the winning edge of our unique characteristics. Whilst we are well educated, economically strong, socially trusted and generally respected on the one hand, we also are very small, fiercely independent in thinking, outspoken, litigious and caught in the myriad trap of suspicion and never-ending tintinnabulations of infighting, on the other hand.

Our only solution is enhancing our collective Social Capital. The old monkey will have to learn new tricks. As a community, we will have to draw on the strengths of those amongst us who are strong and successful, and in return, support others, who may like to learn and draw on our strengths.

There are 8 distinct benefits of building Social Capital that could flow to a small community like ours through conducting such a powerful community bonding intervention like the grand ‘Iranshah Udvada Utsav’. These are:

1. Reiterating A Sense Of Belongingness: Members of microscopic communities need to feel that they are part of a larger social group that they culturally identify with and belong to, so that they don’t feel insecure, lost or mixed-up in a sense of identity-dilution.
2. Bonding And Bridging Within: Unless members feel bonded and bridged with other fellows of the common community, they do not passionately feel for each other and thus do not participate in the furtherance of common agendas.
3. Developing A Feeling Of Pride, Trust And Safety: which adds to the collective confidence of all in the group, when they feel collaboratively consolidated.
4. Periodically Re-cementing Foundations: of a mutually reciprocal and helpful society, which in the absence of such cohesive initiatives to build Social Capital, would corrode the basic cementing.
5. Participation And Engagement Of Our Youth: alongside other successful icons of our community, thus encouraging mentoring and networking efforts.
6. Broadbasing The Concept Of Responsible And Wholesome ‘Citizenship’: within our community to evolve a strong acceptance of common ethos and collective consciousness, based on the pious tenets of our religion and its values.
7. Re-Appreciation Of Our Culture: Our art, crafts, foods, dressing, music, literature and our cultural artifacts to build a sense of common identity.
8. Having Fun And Thriving On Our Collective Happiness: Us Zoroastrians are a God-loving people, not a God-fearing tribe. God is our friend, why should we fear him? Thus, having positive fun as we remember Him, is an integral part of enjoyable social bonding! Aren’t we all known for, and take great pride in, our sense of humour, fun and light-heartedness?

You cannot build Social Capital in boring class-room settings. Bonding will have to be via the enlightening and fun route… through collective cultural activities, games, songs, music, debates, stories, drama and dance, that captures the attention and interest of our youth. Remember, the ‘millenials’ do not get stimulated the same way as the ‘baby-boomers’ do! Try doing that and you will lose the appeal of this great social initiative.

Whilst caution of some of our fellow Zoroastrians is understandable and needs to be valued, my experience tells me that we have an extremely responsible youth which is self-governed and will not do or indulge in doing anything which will otherwise destroy the sanctity or piety of our holy places or our religious tenets. Worry not for it is their religion as much!

Let us therefore wish everyone ‘Ushta Te’! May happiness be unto us all! Let us not unnecessarily be ’tilting at the windmills’ like Don Quixote. Let our search for ‘Ashha – the truth’, be blessed with ‘Humata, Hukata and Huvarashta’ … may we always be led by Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds!

I wish you all a very Happy New Year!