Commentary
Sawa Youth Festival 23rd – 28th of July 2004
By Yared Tesfay
Jul 14, 2004, 05:51

Hundreds of Eritrean youths in the Diaspora, eager to cement positive relationships with the youth in Eritrea, will be travelling from places as far away as Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, and from the United States to Eritrea to participate in the 2004 Eri- Youth Festival which is being held from July 23-28, 2004.

The festival is comprised of academic, artistic and musical presentations. There are several activities planned for the 2004 Eri-Youth Festival:
• Sport activities including soccer, basketball and volleyball games, athletics, cycling, chess, camel and horse-racing, body building and billiards;

• There will be cultural activities including live music, discos, drama and puppet shows, general knowledge competitions, poetry, short stories and fashion shows. The Youth Festival will be featuring quite a number of local and international talents. Some very talented musicians will be going to Sawa, happy to share their musical traditions and amongst them will be Winta Efrem from Norway, Rahel Ghile from London and Madcon, also from Norway who will make their first ever appearance in Eritrea at the Eri Youth festival.


•There will be tree-planting activities

•Group discussions around a campfire

•Panel discussion and seminars: Eritrean youth will discuss the country’s past, present and future. There will also be presentations by scholars, historians and other experts regarding Eritrean youth and the country in general;

•Zagre Award Ceremony: Zagre is a prize awarded to outstanding students in both high school and university;

•Proud to be Eritrean: Eritreans from the Diaspora who are 18 years old during the years 2003-2004 will be presented with their official Eritrean ID cards (which are prepared in their respective Eritrean Embassies) from senior members of Eritrea’s government;

•‘Sense Eritrea’: tours for young people to different parts of Eritrea in order for them to experience the natural beauty and amazing diversity of this unique country;

•Youth villages: young Eritreans from all over Eritrea and from the Diaspora will introduce the cultural heritage of their own geographic areas with traditional artefacts and handicrafts produced by the youth of their region. Fantastic experience; chance to learn about the history and culture of the Eritrean people.

This historical moment belongs to the youth and it promises to be a remarkable week of celebration and sharing.
See you in Sawa.


© Copyright 2003 by Ministry of Information, Eritrea