G.O.A.N.
Goan Organizations Associations Network (G.O.A.N.) was established by Goa Sudharop in 2000 to bring together Goan organizations, associations, non-profits/NGOs, and individuals. G.O.A.N. is the first and premier Goan network in the diaspora committed to bringing Goans together for the betterment of the Goan community.
Over the years, hundreds of Goan organizations/associations, non-profits/NGOs, and thousands of individuals have worked for the betterment of Goa and Goans, and have benefited by being able to tap into Goa Sudharop’s resources (time, money, talent) consistent with our aims and objectives.
For more information, please email George Pinto at georgejpinto@yahoo.com, or get in touch with us here.
One of the first projects Goa Sudharop launched in the year 2000 was World Goa Day, an idea mooted by Goa Sudharop co-founder Filomena Giese to bring Goans around the world together. In the 1990s, one Goan organization in the Gulf (GWS-Kuwait) had a local stand-alone fun-filled Goa Day celebration for its members. However, the idea of World Goa Day founded by Goa Sudharop is conceptually and organizationally very different. World Goa Day was promoted and advanced by Goa Sudharop and envisioned by Filomena Giese to bring Goan organizations in the diaspora together to work for the betterment of Goa and Goans. The late Jorge de Abreu Noronha (Lisbon) suggested World Goa Day be held in August to commemorate Konkani being included in the Indian Constitution on August 20, 1992. Basilio Magno wrote the song “Proud to be a Goan,” which helped internationalize this event. We collaborated with Rene Barreto, a Goa Sudharop supporter, to reach out to Goan organizations to make this a worldwide celebration. Goa Sudharop set up and paid for the initial logo, website, and sent out promotional and awareness information to kick-start the event. Later an email group “World Goan Network” was started. Recently, Rene acknowledged the role of Goa Sudharop in the founding of World Goa Day. We want World Goa Day to bring Goans together to work for the betterment of Goa and Goans as originally envisioned by us.
