Africans are promoting peace in Italy

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Kenyans in Salento and Nafsi Afrika Acrobats are promoting the Peace Vision Tour in Italy to celebrate cultural diversity “for a common future”.

What follows is their press release.

As our societies become increasingly multicultural, we need alternative visions of what it means to co-exist, interact, and learn from/in the community. Recently the European society is facing new challenges in economy and social life requiring innovative  strategies.

For more informations and reservations contact the Tour co-ordinater, Chrispinus Ouma Pamba, at+39.320.0106734

The Kenya in Salento and Nafsi Afrika Acrobats Peace Vision Tour seeks to imagine a future that celebrates the plenitude and diversity of the world’s cultures cooperating for a common future, within two major objectives:

  • Focusing on our shared human interests in peace, equity, and justice by providing fora in which Arts provide an expressive vocabulary for the examination of social and political issues affecting our communities.
  • Creating a space in which visual and performing artists can acknowledge difference and advocate creative, and non-violent conflict resolution, by engaging with each other and their audiences, especially young people.

The goal of this cross-cultural exchange of artistic ideas is to foster new aesthetic directions and endeavours, renewing our commitment to understanding each other and to peace and justice.

Introducing  innovative approaches to  youth education,  developing awareness about  a different  vision of Africa to overcome cultural, social, racial  prejudices.

Transferring values and practices  of respect, sharing and solidarity  for sustainability and stability of our society.

Relying on Arts as a platform for social innovation and peace and justice education, in order to inspire hope and build bridges across cultures.

BACKGROUND  INFORMATION

KENYANS IN SALENTO

Kenyans  in Salento (Puglia) is an association of Kenyans with the aim of  joining Kenya and Italy to roll out virtual, trade, art, entertainment, and physical local understanding, cultures, hospitality, shelter, reception, dishes (local cuisine) and fashion habits in the tourism industry which has been uniquely neglected.??We hope to spread out top quality Eco-systems understanding.

Our will is to encourage exotic cultural resorts and visits, which firms the Africans cohesive  mode of living with the Europeans culture , which will be upgraded to the international standards.

NAFSI AFRIKA ACROBATS

Nairobi is the home to the second largest slum in the world and the HIV rate in these slums can be as high as 40%.

Nafsi Acrobats use acrobatics, dance, yoga and theatrical performances to create solutions to some of the socio-economic problems facing these slums.

Nafsi Afrika is based in Kibera and Kawangware slums of Nairobi,  Kenya, where they  empower slum/street youths and children by giving them alternative to a life in the streets.

Besides the Trainings in informal grounds and the slums, Nafsi also collaborates with Sarakasi Trust (www.sarakasi.org) amd Koinonia Community (www.koinoniakenya.org)  in their children training programme.
They also train HIV infected children of Huruma Children Home.

Nafsi has participated in very many Youth conferences in Europe and Locally in Kenya.

The year 2008, after the Kenya post election turmoil  Nafsi helped avert a genocide in Kenya through the Pyramid Of Peace  initiative (www.pyramidofpeace.net).

They were later invited by Norwegian Red Cross to perform during a fund raising gala in Norway.

In 2008 through Agape and Community of Kenyans in Lecce invitations, Nafsi Acrobats perfomed in series of shows through Turin, Lecce and Rome.

In 2007, they participated in the Agape Ecumenico Youth Peace conference. Nafsi has participated in performances Festival del Farfa, Lazio.

In 2006 collaborating with Italy Peace Point, and Amani they exhibited their peace performances through Milan, Matera, Mirandola, Ferara, Firenze and Satirana.

OBJECTIVE FOR THE PEACE VISION TOUR / PROJECT

The Kenya Artist Peace Vision Tour is intended to last for three months, shall brings together 6  Nafsi Africa Acrobats , 2 drummers, dancer and singer.

The objectives are to:

  • Meet and interact with people in an inter-cultural and social exchange
  • Identify means and ways to:?
    • Communicate with marginalised youth? Cope with violence behaviour
    • Develop collaboration with Italian public and private institutions and organisations: schools,  youth and cultural centers, sports and religious organisation or associations.
    • Mobilize the Arts as educational forces: acrobatics, dance, music. Seeing artists in the vanguard of a movement towards renewing a common world
  • Expose students and young people to their work. Reaching through technique and form  to  new generation of leaders will touch the sources of cultural renewal for the communities we live in.
  • Show a different vision of the true African culture. Create awareness of prejudices and transferring values and practices of respect, sharing and solidarity  by art, performances , speeches etc.
  • Create a space for the free cross-cultural exchange of Artistic ideas, and to foster the kind of internal dialogue among artists and individuals that leads to new aesthetic directions, new styles, new techniques.

MISSION

To use Arts and inter-cultural learning in order to inspire a culture of Peace and Hope and educate youths on non-violent alternatives so as to create a sustainable, equitable, and harmonious European society.

To  transfer experiences in peace keeping in Kenya to inspire youth in  Europe   to develop a peaceful interracial and intercultural society and to transform violence in a creative and artistic energy

 

AGENDA

  • Depature from Nairobi: 8th August at 5.30 a.m.
  • Arrival in Milan/Rome 8th August 5p.m? 
  • Transfer to Agape (Perosa Argentina) Torino 8th August 
  • Agape 8th August to 14th August
  • Germany (Berlin) 14th to 25th August *** Cancelled (free dates, we are still looking for shows to fix during this period)
  • Borno (Brescia near Milan) 26th to 29th August
  • Transfer to Torino 30th August
  • Rose Alba’s wedding 5th Sept
  • Rivoli (Torino) 30th August to 10th September
  • Transfer to Lecce 11th Sept
  • Lecce 11th Sept to 20th Sept
  • Rome 20th to 24th Sept *** Depends with if our flight to Turkey will be from Rome
  • Istanbul (Turkey) 25th Sept 27th Sept
  • Rome (Italy) 29th Sept to 3rd Oct
  • Amnesty International Show 2nd Oct
  • Transfer to Milan 3rd Oct (Night)
  • Depature to Nairobi 4th Oct

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPq29yGAAPg

Pyramids

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