The Goan Association (UK) Awarded Historic Grant
The Goan Association (UK) has been awarded a historic grant of £38,300 by The Heritage Lottery Fund. This is the first grant of its kind, supporting a study of the British-Goan community which arrived predominantly from East Africa by mid-twentieth century. Sue Bowers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund London, affirmed, “Both British colonial history and Goan heritage in the UK will be enhanced by this project that will also help current and future generations learn more of their cultural background.”
The two-year project will gather information primarily through video and audio interviews, conducted by a team of volunteers, to study the displacement, transition and resettlement of the community emerging from post-Colonial East Africa. The findings will be disseminated through seminars, a publication and an exhibition. They will be archived in leading British institutions as well as a website designed for the purpose. Mr Flavio Gracias, President of The Goan Association (UK), said, “This grant assures us that the Goan community is part of the national narrative and the preservation of its historical and cultural past is an integral part of Britain’s heritage. The study is an opportunity to re-examine and put right misconceived stereotypes, engage in conversations with a larger audience and build a repository of learning for future generations of Goans.” The project will be led by Selma Carvalho, author of ‘Into the Diaspora Wilderness’, Clifford Pereira, Historical-Geographer, academic researcher and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and Eddie Fernandes, editor of GoanVoice UK.
