Anyuak Culture Day Coming Saturday April 19, 2007
The Anyuak Student Association will have their second annual Anyuak/Gambella Culture Day Saturday in the CSU Ballroom. The event, which starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m., will include Anyuak music, dancing and food. Several speakers will also highlight the event. “I want people to come and explore a new culture and relax from the stressful studying this time of year,” said Minnesota State Anyuak student Okony Cham. The speakers of the event will focus on the difficulties the Anyuak suffer in their homeland of Gambella Ethiopia and in areas of Sudan. Journalist Doug McGill, one of the event’s speakers, has written extensively about the plight the of Anyuak people at the hands of the Ethiopian government. MSU graduate Apee Jobi will also be speaking on behalf of the Gambella Relief Organization. Similarly, Senior Adviser for the Anyuak Justice Council Jill Anderson will be speaking. In addition to the speakers, many Anyuak will travel south from the Twin Cities to participate in the event by playing music and performing traditional cultural dances. “One main goal is for people to discover Mankato and MSU,” Cham said, explaining he thinks Mankato is a good place for Anyuaks. “It’s a quiet neighborhood for kids and students. It’s a peaceful place for people to work and live.” William Okwary is an Anyuak who lives in Minneapolis. He will be coming to Saturday’s event as the leader of a band that will be performing. “I’m looking forward to being with people who are eager to listen and learn about other cultures,” Okwary said. About interaction between different cultures, MSU Anyuak student Peter Othow said it is nothing new but a normal part of the human experience. The Ethnic Studies student makes the point that Anyuak culture is now American culture as the Anyauk are American citizens and he wants Americans to see this new part of their culture. “America is a good example of multi-cultural diversity,” Othow said. “You see so many different faces.” On December 13, 2003, members of the Ethiopian military killed 420 Anyuaks in Gambella according to Human Rights Watch and other reputable human rights organizations. This one bloody day is the epoch in a long, troubled history for the Anyuak in the Gambella region of Ethiopia. Humans Rights Watch describes the situation in Gambella in this way: “Since late 2003, the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) has committed numerous human rights violations against Anyuak communities in the Gambella region of southwestern Ethiopia that my amount to crimes against humanity. These abuses have taken place in a region plagued by long-standing ethnic tensions to which the Ethiopian military has become party.” Jon Swedien is a Reporter staff writer Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) More
The Anyuak Student Association will have their second annual Anyuak/Gambella Culture Day Saturday in the CSU Ballroom. The event, which starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m., will include Anyuak music, dancing and food. Several speakers will also highlight the event. “I want people to come and explore a new culture and relax from the stressful studying this time of year,” said Minnesota State Anyuak student Okony Cham. The speakers of the event will focus on the difficulties the Anyuak suffer in their homeland of Gambella Ethiopia and in areas of Sudan. Journalist Doug McGill, one of the event’s speakers, has written extensively about the plight the of Anyuak people at the hands of the Ethiopian government. MSU graduate Apee Jobi will also be speaking on behalf of the Gambella Relief Organization. Similarly, Senior Adviser for the Anyuak Justice Council Jill Anderson will be speaking. In addition to the speakers, many Anyuak will travel south from the Twin Cities to participate in the event by playing music and performing traditional cultural dances. “One main goal is for people to discover Mankato and MSU,” Cham said, explaining he thinks Mankato is a good place for Anyuaks. “It’s a quiet neighborhood for kids and students. It’s a peaceful place for people to work and live.” William Okwary is an Anyuak who lives in Minneapolis. He will be coming to Saturday’s event as the leader of a band that will be performing. “I’m looking forward to being with people who are eager to listen and learn about other cultures,” Okwary said. About interaction between different cultures, MSU Anyuak student Peter Othow said it is nothing new but a normal part of the human experience. The Ethnic Studies student makes the point that Anyuak culture is now American culture as the Anyauk are American citizens and he wants Americans to see this new part of their culture. “America is a good example of multi-cultural diversity,” Othow said. “You see so many different faces.” On December 13, 2003, members of the Ethiopian military killed 420 Anyuaks in Gambella according to Human Rights Watch and other reputable human rights organizations. This one bloody day is the epoch in a long, troubled history for the Anyuak in the Gambella region of Ethiopia. Humans Rights Watch describes the situation in Gambella in this way: “Since late 2003, the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) has committed numerous human rights violations against Anyuak communities in the Gambella region of southwestern Ethiopia that my amount to crimes against humanity. These abuses have taken place in a region plagued by long-standing ethnic tensions to which the Ethiopian military has become party.” Jon Swedien is a Reporter staff writer Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) More
No comments:
Post a Comment