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The Seattle
branch of the Eritrean Democratic Association will host an Eritrean Festival
to celebrate the culture, food, music, and history of the people of
Eritrea—a nation on the “Horn of Africa” facing on the Red Sea. It will
take place on Saturday, June 25, starting at 11:00 AM at the Seattle George Town
area at Eagles Auditorium, 6205 Carson Avenue S and Michigan St. A large
community of Eritreans, numbering approximately 6000 has settled in the
Puget Sound area in the last two decades, and has brought with them the
traditions of their homeland. The public, elected officials, and
humanitarian organizations from the US and Canada are invited to attend. The
festival is also an opportunity for those attending to learn about the
current political climate in Eritrea, which has resulted in large refugee
populations and repression of human rights by the central government.
Eritreans living in the US and Canada will share their personal experiences
and their knowledge of the plight of people in their country of origin.
The main goal of the Eritrean Democratic Association is to help
organize and empower Eritrean and other immigrants and refugees to attain
economic and social stability in cities and countries they live in—including
development of employment opportunities, job
training and translation. With many catastrophic events affecting
people in our former home, we feel morally obliged to make additional
efforts to raise the awareness of these problems with our North American and
international communities. Our organization also
is involved in helping the victims of wars, displaced people, and Eritrean
refugees in the Sudan with contributions for food, health-care and education
of their children.
Thank you for helping to raise public awareness of our “Eritrean Cultural
Food & Music Festival” and the plight of people in Eritrea.
For online
resources about the compound problems facing the Eritrean people, please
investigate the links provided below:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/eng-eri/index
http://www.afrol.com/articles/14043
http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/715/
http://www.afrol.com/articles/14857
http://www.afrol.com/articles/14474
http://hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=eritre
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41602.htm
http://www.unhcr.ch/
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/31/content_2770574.htm
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