External Event - FEZANA Talks: Dr Sarah Stewart
2 February 2022
The FEZANA Talks Presents:
Zoroastrians as Keepers of the Natural World
Presented by Dr Sarah Stewart
Moderated by Shernaz Engineer
Saturday 5th February, 5pm GMT
The first 2022 FEZANA Talks Session will highlight the way in which Zoroastrianism, perhaps uniquely among the religions of the world, has placed man in harmony with nature through the doctrine of the Amesha Spentas. It will also cover what Zoroastrians today think about environmental issues according to the landmark global survey, Gen Z and Beyond , which although in its early stages is already producing interesting results.
Speaker
Dr Sarah Stewart holds the SOAS Shahpoorji Pallonji Lectureship in Zoroastrianism and is co-chair of the SSP Institute of Zoroastrian Studies. Her principal area of research is the Zoroastrian living tradition. Her publications include, in collaboration with Mandana Moavenat, Voices from Zoroastrian Iran, Volumes 1 and 2, which are based on fieldwork accompanied by an archive of recorded interviews.
Sarah was the lead curator of the exhibition The Everlasting Flame, Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination (Brunei Gallery, SOAS 2013 and the National Museum, Delhi, 2016) and has recently launched a short introductory online course on Zoroastrianism (https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/zoroastrianism-history-religion-belief).
Moderator
Shernaz Engineer is a Fellow of the Institute of Recruitment Consultants and owns and runs Verity Appointments which places commercial and office staff and City Education which places supply teachers to schools. Shernaz is Chair of the Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce- UK Chapter which encourages entrepreneurship within the Zoroastrian Community. She is also a Trustee for Learning for Life, a charity which enables South Asia’s most marginalised children to gain access to education, health and employment.
She was awarded the ‘London Day Business Award’ by the Mayor for making a difference to Life in the Capital in 2003. In 2011, she won the Asian Achievers Award for Business in the Community Shernaz, in 2019, was one of the 100 women nominated by Mayor Sadiq Khan as ‘Women who make London Great’. In 2021 Shernaz was one of the 50 Leading Lights on the Financial Times List of Kindness and Leadership. Leaders who are harnessing the power of kindness. She is an ambassador and supporter of the British Heart Foundation and is on their events committee.