دان اسیه گگ

Hello,

I am both honoured and flattered to have been given this opportunity to speak for this wonderful occasion.  I would like to thank Mr. Halimi and the entire Hamsafar team for contributing their time and effort in organizing this event.  Also, I would like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous new years.

My Happy New Year wish for you
Is for your best year yet,
A year where life is peaceful,
And what you want, you get.

A year in which you cherish
The past year’s memories,
And live your life each new day
Full of bright expectancies.

I wish for you a holiday
With happiness galore;
And when it’s done, I wish you
Happy New Year, and many more.

Nowroz, is a joyous time of year, where friends and family come together  to laugh and have a good time.  I must say, I am very happy and surprised to be here today standing in front of you all, the hazara people have faced many hardships throughout the past few hundred years and for us to be here today under the umbrella of unity demonstrates our true, strong and defiant nature.  Those who do not want to see us united, has a lot of work ahead because the hazara spirit will never die and the hazara strength will never diminish.  It is important for us to stand up and oppose those who are against our exisitence, against our happiness, and against our right to be all that we can be.  Those who want to damage our community by creating conflict are those who have no dignity and no self-respect.  We must ignore these kinds of people to get ahead; we must take the lead of our own future and figure out ways to become more progressive and structurally sound.

It is our duty to represent the hazara community at large with utmost pride, dignity and

respect.  We owe it to the younger generations to form the foundation of a strong and

unified community, to provide them with a framework that excludes none and embraces

 all.  The essence of belonging to a community is essential for the younger generation, we

 must provide them with a positive environment where they can learn who they are and

where they come from.  And it is up to us to take the first step.  I encourage the hazara

youths to take initiative of building a better stronger community, and to become the

leaders of tomorrow.  Leadership is not about being elected or appointed to an office. The

 office does not teach someone how to be a leader. Leadership is an attitude cultivated

over time.  Each small decision you make takes you one step closer to your goal.

Remember the goal is not to get power, but to get your vision and your purpose across.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a

trail.  Aristotle, a famous philosopher once said, “We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”  We got it in us to become the best, but it

is up to us to use the right tools and maintain a more progressive mentality.   We must say

what we mean, and mean what we say.  Talk is cheap; we must show others what we

 hazaras are capable of doing.  We must stand united and become one by setting aside our

differences and coming together to form a strong society, if not, then we lose. We lose to

those who work so hard to destroy us, and we must never let that happen.   

By: Nadia Haidar

Second year University of Toronto student

Major: Political Science