AVI Conference (Asha Vahishta Conference)
Please note that ONLY THIS DAY (JUNE 9) is OFF-SITE (not at OZCF). The location details are:
Greenbriar Rec. Centre (Community Room: Enter building and take stairs or elevator to basement).
Address is 1100 Central Park Drive, Brampton.
Telephone number is 905-791-2240.
The program for the day is listed below, running from 10am-8pm.
Audience members may stay for the entire day, or particular sessions, however, please do RSVP this information to
Xerxes Madan at Xerxes_madan@hotmail.com
For further information regarding the AVI (seminar synopses, Full Conference Brochure, Conference Panelist Biographies, the AVI Vision Document “The 101 Inspirations”) – please visit the OZCF website at: https://ozcf.wildapricot.org/
Programme (June 9): OFF-SITE
{Greenbriar Rec. Centre. 1100 Central Park Drive, Brampton. 905-791-2240}
Re-Discovery Through Re-Orientation
Main Theme: Self-perception of our relationship to Creation, determines social conduct and toleration for injustice. Re-discovering the stewardship of Earth/Creation requires a mental/spiritual re-orientation.
Session 1 (10:00am-11:00am): Chair
The 101 Inspirations:Axioms, Epistemology, Cosmovision, Covenant.
(Eliminating the contest of ‘authorities’…text, tradition, scholars, priests).
Session 2 (11:30am-12:30pm): Bagli/Panthakis/Austin/Dastur
From Mobed to Mage: Re-conceptualizing Clergy as Pastors of Faith and Fellowship
(Vibrant/dynamic faith requires communicators of inspiration, not detached managers of status-quo religion to their congregations).
Session 3 (1:00pm-2:00pm): Clough
A Unified Theology of Ecology, Environment, and All Creatures: Solving Human Made Problems Requires Spiritual Reaffirmation.
(Environmental Degradation, Economic Abuse, Animal Cruelty, are all problems created from human entitlement and spiritual separateness).
Session 4 (2:30pm-3:30pm): Raffaelli
Interdependence and Reciprocity: Zoroastrian Cosmology in Solidarity with Global Indigenous Ways of Knowing/Being.
(Western (Abrahamic religions) notions of theology, differ from Daena Mazdayasni (Earth/Creation centred). Faith deciphers divinity/purpose)
Session 5 (4:00pm-5:00pm): Rambachan
A Hindu Theology of Liberation: Inspired Diasporic Re-imagining/ Re-claiming.
(A case study of how a South Asian tradition is successfully re-oriented and re-vitalized towards social justice initiatives. And why this is vital).
Session 6 (5:30pm-6:30pm): Austin, Homavazir, Doctor
Finding Mashyane in Diasporic Faith and Fellowship: Women in Daena Mazdayasni.
(Making women prominent in faith/fellowship. Citing historic episodes and enlightened text is insufficient. From subjects to participatory agents).
Session 7 (7:00pm-8:00pm): Gazdar/Panthakis/Homavazir/Doctor
From Out-sourced Zoroastrianism to Dynamic Daena Mazdayasni: Youth Engagement as Diasporic Re-discovery.
(Home-grown youth expression of lived faith and fellowship, not out-sourced Zoroastrianism. Legitimate expressions of self/location/concerns).
