From: YPFDJ DENVER (ypfdjdenver@gmail.com)
Date: Thu Dec 24 2009 - 12:56:00 EST
*Successful YPFDJ-Denver Appreciation Dinner & Community Gathering *
* *
As YPFDJ members and future leaders of our community (local and beyond), it
was important for us to say thank you for the support that we have received
as well to communicate what we have been up to. To that end, YPFDJ-Denver
held its annual community-wide appreciation dinner on December 13, 2009.
Eritreans from the local community attended and enjoyed an evening filled
with food, laughs, and entertainment provided by YPFDJ members. The primary
purpose of the event was to say thank you to the local community for the
continuous support that YPFDJ has had over the last year but our secondary
purpose was to communicate our accomplishments, new and upcoming
programs/projects and some of the key issues that our organization
identified as causes of recent community conflict. Overall, the event was a
success and one that further demonstrated YPFDJ’s strong presence in
Colorado.
We began the evening with our members mingling and chatting with our guests.
In an effort to not only say thank you but to also demonstrate what the
community’s support has helped produce, we began the program with a
slideshow that highlighted YPFDJs successes, growth, how we provide service
and our operations. As guests finished up their delicious dinner that
members and mothers helped to prepare, we engaged three members of the
audience in Eritrean Jeopardy. Everyone enjoyed the trivia about Eritrean
history, culture, etc. It was entertaining as well as an opportunity to
showcase some of the information that we have been studying through our
political education program. We also were able to show off the growth in
our membership as well as inform the local community about the new
leadership team for 2010-2012.
For the second part of the evening, YPFDJ-Denver wanted to convey our
observations of key issues that are weakening the community and moving us
away from the just and timeless principles and values of our movement.
Through skits, pictures, poems and presentations, YPFDJ pointed out the
following:
- That there is no difference between the principles, values, and goals
of the people who make up the community and the principles, values, and
goals of PFDJ/YPFDJ, therefore the two should actually be one on the local
level
- That we should not allow the ideas and agendas of a few, to deter the
masses from their goals, principles and vision
- That youth are reflections of their families and that families should
model the behavior that they want their youth to have
- That gossiping, big egos, lack of political consciousness and the lack
of a clear vision, direction, organization and principles are all hindering
the community from reaching its full potential
- That a community has the ability to positively change when women and
youth are actively involved
- That it is important that we all move together as a collective
- The decline of national identity and the rise of ethnic, religious and
regional divisions means that we are actually moving backwards instead of
forward
- That we are safe to organize as strong Eritreans who care deeply and
support our country, without fear of deportation or other repercussions
- Being Eritrean means that you are inherently political and that there
is no such thing as being neutral
YPFDJ was proud to bring up the issues that so many in our local community
only discuss behind closed doors. We wanted to demonstrate that as youth we
are well aware of the issues in our community, that we are not afraid to
discuss them head on and that we have some pretty strong opinions about
what’s just and what’s currently happening in our community.
Overall, our appreciation dinner was a great success. Once again we thank
all those who have supported us. We are looking forward to another year
filled with success which includes launching HIDRI in January 2010,
membership growth and strong youth leading the local community as we
continue our struggle for a just, peaceful and prosperous society!
Awet N’Hafash
YPFDJ-Denver
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