The Good Minds Project – Roshan & Rohinton Rivetna

Today, we start a series of interviews with stalwarts in our community – those who have worked hard and done us proud over the years.

The Good Minds project celebrates the people of good action who have brought happiness to the lives of others through their work. We seek to share the inspiration from their progressive thought, acknowledge the good work and inspire future generations to continue in their footsteps. It is our way of showing gratitude for their colossal work, sacrifices and successes to grow the community in more ways than one.

Our first episode features Roshan & Rohinton Rivetna of Chicago. Come, enjoy & appreciate their journey!

Start to 9:21 – Roshan Rivetna: Growing up.
9:21 – 14:12 – Rohinton Rivetna: childhood and academic journey. Perseverance and what a monkey can teach us.
14:12 – 19:40 – On meeting each other, overcoming challenges, marriage, early quiet leadership
19:40 – 23:14 – Rohinton’s inspiration, early quiet leadership
23:12 -29:52 – Rohinton furthering his academic journey -decisiveness … turning point… on to London.
29:52 – 35:10 – Cycling through Europe and camping – losing a passport.
35:10 – 45:10 – Applying for jobs – interviews.  Moving to Calcutta. Motorcycle ride to through Europe in Winter…through passes in the mountain… unforeseen circumstances.
45:10 onwards – Calcutta – job in a manufacturing industry, back to England, then… Thoughts to serve the Community.
 
 

Start to 12:57 – Roshan Riventna on arriving in Chicago 1966 and an experience with salesmanship.
12:57 – 17:26 – Difficulties and Happiness. Doing what you like is freedom  – liking what you do is happiness
17:26 – 19:26 – Roshan on Community and the Diaspora
19:26 – 27:41 Rohinton on ‘A Privilege to serve the Community’ and Leadership in the Community. Living the Zarathushti Religion in Actions. Leadership Disarming opposition and working together
27.41  – 34:29 – working in line with Asho Zarathushtra’s guidance – Finding ways to Harmonise/ welcoming difference in opinions to improve one’s own viewpoint and solution finding. Implementing Yasna 29.3, 30.2 and 51.5
34:29 – 37:30 – Respecting peoples self-esteem and working together, and dealing with negative opinions- learning from everything. SEEK COOPERATION NOT CONFRONTATION.
37:30 – 48:00 –  Roshan on the details of Community effort structure. Rohinton on finding peace among religions. POWR details. Learning and understanding and respect for each other.
48:00- 51:25 – Different organizations. Plant the seed, nurture it .. step back and let it grow and flourish. Nudge at appropriate times not tinker/disturb. Start the system right…for it to last: from ASHA to AMEERATAT – the Amesha Spentas in action
51:25 – 58:30 – Congress 1973 Bringing the World community together. Proper pyramid. Then realized in 2005 – Coming together RoundTable London. Finally in Dubai – meeting to organize -floated the idea of Global Working Group – Building organically – formalizing. Bringing people together with Vohu Manah – The Good Mind in action.
58:30 – 1:05:30 American story brief and formalizing things within. Global Council of Zoroastrians Trust. Formation of the Atash Kadeh. Importance of building a property rather than transforming. Dar-E-Meher – errors and corrections. Absence of sanctosanctorum. Subtle messages to the next generation through structure of the Dar-E-Meher if religion rituals are given only a small area, while main hall is given for Community activities – how to make that change…..is discussed to transform people’s thinking. Aatash Kadeh – nomenclature – getting it right.
1:05:30 – 1:09:30 – clarification of Aatash Kadeh vs Dar-E-Meher – What do you want future generations to understand about the Zarathushti Daena. Dar-E-Meher is the proper term whether Dadgah, Adaran or Aatash Behram. While the Community Centre is kept for Community events the building of places of Prayer need to be built. Hamonising rather than sameness.
1:09:30 – 1:13:56 – Clarification of the name Dar-E-Meher further. Levels of consecration of fire also needs to be recognized within the overall nomenclature. Respecting Specificity despite different names. Houston is going to be a Dadgah. Ceremonies in the future – the nomenclature.
1:13:56 – 1:26:11 – WZCC: With Homi Davier, Kobad Zarolia and Sarosh Collector writing the WZCC charter. World congress 2000- officially announced and had first meeting ZCC. Concept of chaordic organization. Pervez Varzavand organized Iran chapter. Meeting Yazdi Tantra and working together.
1:26:11 – 1:33:42 – The Core of the Community – When priests are well respected – everything else falls into place. A model for the Community – Hong Kong and Neville Shroff for sustaining activities. Strengthening the Core of the community the Priests need to be well looked after with respect. The Resident Priest is the Key Person in the Community – care and respect is important. Engaging people the Potential, the drive and the philanthropy
1:33:42 – 1:38:20 – A discussion on infrastructure and services.  Tapping into the potential of the young Zarathushtis. Feeling the Responsibility and growing the Community. Collective giving and the tradition of respect.
1:38:20 to end –  Demographic study and the future : Roshan Rivetna explains.

0 – 4:54 – Roshan Rivetna explains the initial journey – theirs and the Zoroastrian Community.
4:54 – 13:38 – Rohinton’s vision : Five major institutions of Human kind – and how to implement what we build into these building blocks. Governance – associations …  Religion – Rituals, scriptures, Ministry. Business and Commerce – WZCC; Education – SSZ – vision for the American Academy of Religions. Peace through Religion, Interfaith work.
13:38 – 23:00 – Roshan : Demographics, the Diaspora and making a home away from home and ….Badam ni Boi
Working on matching people – an effort at helping people make homes.
23:00 to the endOn their wonderful children – the Legacy being carried forward.
 
 
 

Grateful thanks to Dr. Karishma Koka for her enthusiastic and tireless efforts to bring this to reality!

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