January 2024

OUTREACH

IN THIS ISSUE
Jan. 2024 Calendar .
NPDG Activities, andAnnouncements

Vol. 3 # 2 Dec.'23 -Feb.
'24) Eritrean American
Harmony - the online
quarterly magazine ofthe National Public
Diplomacy Group will
be out this month.
For the previous issues,
QR codes are at theback cover of this issue.

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January 15
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PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ACTIVITIES
Azmera Zerai

MLK Community Clean-up
Event, Dallas, Texas.

Dallas Public Diplomacy volunteering
at MLK Clean Your City Event 2024
“Life’s most persistent and urgent
question is, what are you doing forothers?” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Dallas Public Diplomacy
group registered and joined
the MLK Community clean-up
event. We met with thevolunteer group, picked up ourT-shirt, trash bag, and gloves,and got to work. The area
assigned was the South Dallas
area. Even though the weather
was chilly, we needed toparticipate to honor MLK andbe part of the community.
After completing our assigned
area, Weyni introduced us toone event organizer, PaulFranklin, and presented him
with an Eritrean scarf. He wasdelighted. He stated they areplanning a Juneteenth event
for March 15, 2024, and hewants the public Diplomacy
group to participate andvolunteer.

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PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ACTIVITIES

Weyni Kahsay has played apivotalrolein
fosteringconnections within the Eritrean
community, collaborating withother organizers in the DFW
area. MLK FEST DFW is aprominent volunteer service
event.
We visited a mural painting
dedicated to the legacy of Mrs.
Juanita Craft, who was known
for her unwavering advocacy
for desegregation, equal pay,equality in healthcare, andvarious civil rights causes. Mrs.
Craft’s
impactwascommemorated during this
impactful morning of service.
The festivities continued with alunchtime celebration at theMLKCenter,featuringdelectable food, live music,andcompellingspeakers
gracing the Dr. King outdoor
stage.

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PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ACTIVITIES
Dallas, TX.
On
January
5,2024,
the“StorytellinginSolidarity”
initiative unfolded at the South
Dallas Cultural Center, attracting
34 participants, including Ermias,a veteran Eritrean Freedom
fighter, and his two children. The
event provided a sneak peek into
the captivating ‘The Untold
Stories by Dallas Eritreans.’
Sharing Eritrea’s untold stories isvital because history repeats
itself, offering hope to othernations striving for independence.
The initiative, sparked by theencounter between Maera andWeyni at Garland’s Bloom Cafeduring the inaugural “Storytellingin Solidarity” event curated by
Maera, aims to establish aplatform for storytelling, spoken
word, and poetry. This initiative
serves as a means of connecting
individuals in solidarity withhistorical and current liberation
movements
worldwide.
Recognizing storytelling as theoldest art form, practicing andpreserving this tradition becomeseven more crucial, as it can foster
understanding and unity.

Azmera Zerai
The Untold Stories by Dallas
Eritreans
DocumentaryOn
December 16, the first showing of‘The Untold Stories by Dallas
Eritreans Documentary’ happenedat the South Dallas Cultural
Center, produced by Weyni
Kahsay. This event included
poetry, a documentary screening,
and an informal panel discussion.
Participants included Eritrean
youths, individuals from the older
generation, and a diverse mix of
non-Eritrean people. Started theevent
byeducatingtheparticipants about ‘Zikre Sematat’and ended with a Wedi Tikul songand dance tutorial of Tewedeb. Itwas alongside the Sunny SouthDallas Food Park, making a sharedspace for cultural enjoyment. The
event also had an Art Gallery byDaisha Board Gallery, the only one
in Dallas owned by a Black woman.
The documentary aims to connect
different Eritrean generations, andthe process of the documentarystarted in June 2023 andpremiered in August 2023 at theNational Eritrean Festival inSeattle.

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PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ACTIVITIES

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PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ACTIVITIESIts goal is to heal, understand,and preserve Eritrea’s history
by sharing untold stories. Thisis crucial in teaching others
about Eritrea’s past, ensuring
that
thestruggles
andtriumphs are not forgotten.
The documentary explores
Eritreans’ experiences during
the 30-year struggle withEthiopia(1961-1991),
revealinghiddenstories
contributing to healing in theEritrean community. Besides
its cultural importance, thedocumentary provides a safe
space for sharing stories andhas been translated into
English for broader impact.
Excitingly,
threemore
showings are scheduled inDallas for 2024, extending theopportunity for more people
toengagewiththisenlightening
documentary.
This marks the beginning ofanongoing
journey
tocapture diverse experiencesand viewpoints, all with thecrucial aim of educatingothers about Eritrea’s richhistory.

www.npdg.online

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ACTIVITIES

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PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ACTIVITIES
Biniam Tsegai,
New Orleans, Louisiana.
14 January 2024 was the final and draw day for the Eritrea Fights Cancer raffle
tickets, and the winner was Ronny Bundy, a local fisherman from Laffite, LA. It
was a success. Tickets were distributed to be sold by the public diplomacy teamof New Orleans, and most tickets were sold in-store, inside Tewelde’s Market.
Two days before the drawing, Mr. Tewelde set up a table outside the grocery
store for the Eritrean Fights Cancer Program (Tewelde’s Market). The Tewelde’sMarket had a sale that day, with a traffic of 11,000 customers. For the store, it
was a success regarding the sale, and for the public diplomacy, it was indeed asuccess. We were able to sell out the Eritrea fight cancer program.
Thank you all for all your support.

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ANNOUCEMENTS

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
The National Public Diplomacy Group designed and printed
bookmarks. On one side of the bookmark are books in Tigrinya andTigre/Tigrayit. On the other side are books on/about Eritrea
published in English.

www.npdg.online

ANNOUNCEMENTS
More products from the National Public Diplomacy Group.

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QR CODE OF THE LATEST ISSUE OF ERITREAN
AMERICAN HARMONY MAGAZINE

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HARMONY: Quartely Online Magazine of NCEA'S NPDG
QR codes for Harmony Quarterly Online Magazine

HARMONY: Quartely Online Magazine of NCEA'S NPDG
QR codes for Harmony Quarterly Online Magazine