A delegation headed by Carmo Santos, Chairman of Goan Cultural Centre-Kuwait – a registered Indian organization with the Embassy of India in Kuwait are all set to attend the Global Goan Convention 2009 to be held at the Indian Embassy Auditorium on November 5- 6 in Muscat, Oman. The theme of the convention is dedicated to the Gulf Goan. About 250 Goans from all over the world, and more particularly those residing in the GCC countries, have already registered for the convention.

The event will be organised under the patronage of Commissioner for NRI Affairs, Government of Goa and the Indian ambassador to the Sultanate. The members of the Goan Community of Oman (GCO), Celso Fernandes, vice-president; Dr Mario D’Souza, general secretary; Baltazar Fernandes, joint secretary; Alan D’Costa, treasurer; Raul de Oliveira Fernandes, coordinator, Helpline; Anthony Lourence, coordinator, cultural; and Navneet Kasbekar, member, organising committee, attended the press conference. The Government of Goa has been holding Global Goan Conventions since 2006. The first one was held in Goa, followed by one in Portugal (2007) and Canada (2008). The conventions will see presentations on topics such as Overseas Goan groups, employment opportunities and conditions abroad, preserving and promoting Goan identity and culture, family issues — education, communication, travel, housing, entertainment, investment opportunities in Goa and relocating to Goa.

Besides speakers from various Goan groups in the Gulf, eminent speakers are expected to address the convention. They include Eduardo Faleiro, Commissioner for NRI Affairs; Anil Wadhwa, Indian ambassador; S.K. Srivastva, chief secretary, Government of Goa; Ulhas Kamat, director, NRI Affairs, Government of Goa; Satish Nambiar, president, Indian Social Club; Dr Oscar Rebello, physician and social activist; Dr Prajal Sakhardande, Prof. of History and Heritage, Dhempe College; Dr Rajendra Kerkar, noted environmentalist; and Adv. S.V. Pikale, advocate and industrialist. As part of this convention, there will be an exclusive Konkani Convention session on November 6, from 2pm to 4pm. The following Konkani experts will elaborate on the relevance and concerns of Konkani in today’s world: Tomazinho Cardoso, former speaker of Goa legislative assembly, president of the Dalgado Konkani Academy, and well-known tiatrist; Vincy Quadros, vice-president, Goa Konkani Academy, and respected Konkani literary activist; Yusuf Abdulla Sheikh, former station director, Doordarshan, Konkani poet and lyricist, freelance writer and journalist Ashok Chodankar, editor and publisher of Konkonn Divo Konkani periodical and freelance writer. This session is open to all Konkani-speaking people, including non-Goans from Mangalore, Mumbai, Karwar and Kerala.

Carmo Santos’ social services in Kuwait has been well recognized by the Government of Goa as well as appreciated by several Indian organizations in Kuwait. Carmo Santos was one of the selected Goans from the Gulf countries to be bestowed with the Goan NRI Leadership Award at the hands of the then Hon. Minister for NRI Affairs Ravi Vayalar at a special ceremony organized at the Conference for Indian Expatriates in the Gulf Countries at the Convention Hall at Hotel Mandovi in Goa’s capital city in March 2008. The award was presented by the NRI Affairs Directorate of Goa Government in recognition of the social activities towards the Indian community in Kuwait. A staunch Konkani supporter, Carmo Santos will be also accompanied by members of Goan Cultural Centre and other Goan community members at the Convention. The programme for the convention has been displayed on the GCO website http://www.goansinoman.com/. “Interaction, dialogue and exchange of ideas are essential to bring out the best for the Goan community and specially for the NRI Goans”. “I have conceptualized and presented several of Goans’ concerns for their implementation and study by the Digamber Kamat Government”, he commented.