Empowering Youth to Preserve Intergenerational Knowledge of the Zoroastrian Faith

Zoroastrianism, one of the oldest religions in the world, has had a disproportionately large influence on universal principles like human rights, social justice, and environmental conservation. The cultural and religious knowledge that resides in the contemporary stories of displacement, migration, survival, resilience, and community building as the Zoroastrian diaspora has spread globally, is at risk of being lost to posterity. Younger generations must take on the mantle of preserving the lived experiences of their older generations as therein lies the collective memory of the struggle to defend a religion, its customs, and traditions. We discuss ways in which Zoroastrian youth have been engaged in consolidating the contemporary history of their community to empower future generations, to defend their own and others’ human rights. There are potential lessons for all faiths that struggle to make their religion relevant, critically conscious, and meaningful for future generations.