On July 10, 2024, the Eritrean festival and the remembrance of the Golden Jubilee of Festival Bologna unveiled its curtail for the public. Encompassing all the national ethnic groups cultural beauties, economic potentials and achievements of all six zones, book fairs, Diaspora communities’ historical background and accomplishments, technological inventions and more other, along the entertaining centers for all ages.
The 50 golden Anniversary of Festival Bologna (1974-2024) is another color adding event. In a well-organized setting almost all the major European and Middle Eastern diaspora communities make available their respective historical and current missions and achievements with photos and other appealing archives. Here, the robust role of the diaspora communities in our struggle for freedom and the nation building process is clearly visible.
Historically, the Eritrean festival officially started in Bologna Italy in 1974. Before, there were small gatherings in 1970 in Munich Germany and in 1972 as well as 1973 in Italy. Those gatherings were the bridge to the considerable and well organized Eritrean festival in Bologna. The festival had three core objectives: to bring all the Eritrean diaspora communities to the common national vision, to convey the deep Eritrean desire for freedom to the other world communities and in the end to enhance the communities’ contribution in the Eritrean struggle for freedom.
The Eritrean festival is the reflection of the Eritrean identity. Since festival is an event where citizens interact to share their history, cultural practice and ideas, through which they develop national integration and identity. Here, the Eritrean festival reflects all the national values and norms (unity, resilience, tolerance, peace, self-reliance, discipline, nationalism and others) that made up the national identity in cultural, economic and historical categories.
Culturally, all six regions with all the nine national ethnic groups set stages to familiarize attendees with their rich customs, practices, crafts, oral traditions, foods, dresses and music in colorful and enlightening styles. Local attendees and the diaspora communities, especially those who were born and raised in the Diaspora, got a great chance to be aware with the cultural beauties of all diversities and developed cultural relativism.
Economically, all six zones exhibit their economic potential in the mining and agricultural sector. Oftentimes, they focus on the agricultural sector and the production level that has been reached so far; in which, the Northern and Southern Red Sea Regions, exclusively emphasize on the abundance of the red sea coast, as they’re situated along the purely rich red sea coast that extends for more than 1200 sq. km. What all the six regions share in common is their tourism potential, due to the magnificent land scape and archeological sites they each hold.
Politically, every citizen refreshes its memory to reconnect with the historical journey and the sacrifice the Eritrean people paid to be sovereign and self-reliant. The exhibition of the Diaspora communities, six regional zones, nine ethnic groups and other historical presentations; expands the attendees’ cultural, economic and historical knowledge and raises their political consciousness. Since national festival is a national meal where every citizen gathers to feed all the national norms and values, it determines people’s well-being. Furthermore, the nation’s worldwide image amplifies when foreigners attend the festival.
Eritrean youths, especially those from the Diaspora are among the most beneficial. They interact with all the national norms and values, they widen their national knowledge, they get a chance to display their talent and they find their social role and position in the national vision.
In conclusion, Eritrean festival is the reflection of Eritrean identity. Where all citizens bound to inculcate all the national values and norms which constitutes the Eritrean identity. Eritreans cultural, economic, historical and other knowledge are well exhibited to local and foreign attendee. It offers national well-being when every citizen is refreshed with the sense of belongingness. Therefore, let’s all visit our festival to sincerely bond with our national identity and reenergize our spirit in the nation building process.
Written by Kidane Shimendi