Don't preach, reach out for a better world.

23-year-old Mumbai-based media professional shares her idea of how to bring peace in the world with culture, art and music.

A web correspondent with Magna Publishing, Friya Pavri is a dog lover, food lover and a social media bee. In her strong opinion about India, Friya believes that her country is a melting pot of various cultures. “I am happy to be living in India, where culture and values form our identity. Being a part of every festival, across the many thriving religions and cultures, makes me proud. Though there has been a few crucial political and societal developments recently, I think India is still a better place to live in,” says the 23-year-old, who belongs to Zoroastrian religion.

Zoroastrian is one of the foremost religions known to mankind and while they may just be a handful in numbers, the members of this community are known for their king-sized heart, love for animals, charity and the importance they bestow on education and tolerance. “We may seem eccentric (for instance, Parsis take fond interest in looking after their cars), but we are quite fun to be around,” quips Friya, as she asserts that every culture has a distinct feature which reflects the diversity of this world.

“So, there are certain features in my culture too which strongly differentiate us from others and without which, we would certainly lose our identity,” the young woman says, adding that diversity forms the base of this world's existence.

Given a choice of creating her own world, Friya promptly exhibits her love for animals and says, “I cannot imagine my world without animals. Most of the times I feel happier being around them than people. There is so much love that they can give without expecting much. Apart from that, I'm lucky to live in an area where people are helpful. So, these few things would make my small world quite comfortable.”

Friya's parents have diverse taste in music and this has helped her develop liking for music, art and culture. “Be it of any genre, music is an instant mood-booster for me. My parents' knowledge of music helped me widen my knowledge. Though a Parsi, I have always been enthusiastic to celebrate Diwali and Christmas with equal fervor and so, I think culture, art and music are the finer joys of life. It makes you tolerant and respectful of other culture,” she believes.

Of late, the world has been experiencing unpleasant events which are born out of conflicts related to religion, race and intolerance towards holistic existence. Friya says the solution to stop these violent acts born out of trivial issues, is that every individual takes responsibility to reach out to the affected ones. “People often use religion as an excuse to implement many of their wrongdoings, which in turn only causes harm. I feel that in troubled times (terrorism, natural calamities), one must not preach, but instead help individuals overcome their sorrow, irrespective of their religion. Only when one human will start understanding the other, will the concept of religions coexisting peacefully will find its base,” says Friya.

To conclude, Friya shares taking India as a point of reference, where every culture gets its place and several festivals of all the cultures are celebrated, it is possible for culture and religion to coexist.

And to ensure that the local traditions, culture and rituals are preserved, Friya says a conducive corporate environment, education and the urban, cosmopolitan population can play an important role.

“So, should technology, as I believe that it can help immensely to strengthen the cultural exchange between different faiths. But it is possible only if technology is used in the right way by respecting other viewpoints and learning to coexist even when we do not get differing opinions,” the Parsi girl exclaims, adding that unless these things are not brought into practice by one and all, the idea of one world family remains a distant dream.