MAINThe 11th edition of the magnificent Eritrean Cultural festival was held in the Swedish capital, Stockholm from July 30-August 2 with a record attendance of circa 10,000, organizers said.
The four-day extravaganza held at Eggebygård drew people not only from a myriad of areas in Sweden.
Attendees also came from other Scandinavian countries, Great Britain, Germany, the USA, the Middle East and Eritrea.
Organized by the National Holidays Coordinating Committee(NHCC), the festival, according to chairman Alem Teklegiorgis, is primarily intended to “gather us together, create enthusiasm for Eritrea because together we can do something to help our government.”
“We want our children to feel like Eritreans in Eritrea; to see how we respect and tolerate each other. Another goal is to hold onto our identity. We are not ashamed to be Eritreans and Africans. We want our children to be very clear about who they are.”
He said the jamboree is the product of a conglomeration of efforts of several Eritrean organizations in Sweden.
Each organization helps with funding and then operates booths in during the gig to raise funds for its activities which include financially supporting the relatives of Eritreans martyred during the country’s long struggle for freedom from colonialism.
Other sources of funding included local businesses and the Stockholm Municipality.
This year’s festival was a spectacle to behold. It was not just about music and dancing. There were several seminars presenting information about several aspects of development back home in Eritrea.
Popular commentator Sophia Tesmariam, who heads the US Foundation for the Horn of Africa, talked about the media and lobbying and called on her compatriots to propound Eritrea’s safety, low crime, peacefulness, tourism opportunities, cleanliness and hospitality as useful selling points to brighten the country’s image.
“Encourage people to visit Eritrea”, she added, noting that “the image of Eritrea can be changed in a heartbeat when people step on its soil.”
There were useful discussions about the fight against the crippling illness Fistula and the efforts being made by the Swedish Eritrean Forum for Development Cooperation to battle it.
The Eritrea-based Road Safety Association presented a picture of traffic safety in the country.
Professor Mehari Gebremedhin of Uppsala University gave an upbeat picture of the country’s Millennium Development Goals.
Eritrean Government official Abdela Jabir spread out the situation in the country and the Horn of Africa.
Swedish journalist Donald Boström, who exclusively interviewed Eritrea’s President Issaias Afewerki in May, laid out the relationship between Sweden and Eritrea.
Other presentations included a media history of the country’s war of freedom by journalists who traveled from Eritrea while Tegadalai Abdu Idriss Omer spoke about Operation Nadew, the decisive battle that proved to be the beginning of the end of Ethiopian control of the country.
The event also welcomed several members of Sweden’s diplomatic community while an Eritrean Embassy official made a thoughtful speech.
There were several activities for all.
The young and old were treated to several shows including dances, a clown (Tekle from Germany), beauty contest, musicians from Eritrea and a song contest which was won British-based singer Saba Tewelde, with her Injera Soul.
The NHCC plans a bigger festival next year. “We do this to strengthen our unity and our sense of commonality,” remarked Tedros Goitom,the head of the NHCC’s Arts and Entertainment Committee.
