Bermuda to host Diaspora meeting
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) says that in addition to being a beneficial economic activity, tourism can be an significant way of communication and dialogue among individuals and civilizations, while also being a way of presenting and enhancing the heritage.
That's clearly shared by the tourism authorities on the Atlantic island of Bermuda, which will host the second international African Diaspora Heritage Trail Conference from September 27 to October 1, 2006, at the Hamilton Princess Hotel.
Sponsored by the Bermuda Department of Tourism and co-chaired by actor and community activist Danny Glover, the conference is part of an initiative to unite African descendants from all over the world in an effort to enhance the success of cross-border cultural tourism and promote stabilization of economies in Diaspora communities.
According to the conference website, the concept of the African Diaspora Heritage Trail (ADHT) educates visitors, enhances the economic viability of African Diaspora countries and conserves the essence of African descent, culture and history.
The ADHT Conference itself will boost long-term relationships between Bermuda and the Caribbean, African nations, North America and South America. It is also an opportunity for the best minds to gather annually to discuss heritage and cultural issues pertinent to tourism, culture, education, economic development and improvement of the quality of life within host communities. The first conference was held in 2002.
UNESCO says cultural tourism policies sustain cultural pluralism and preserve cultural diversity as well as the authenticity of the living and monumental heritage. Such policies also are aimed at encouraging greater awareness of cultures, combating cultural prejudice and contributing to development and the fight against poverty.
Dr. Ewart Brown, Bermuda's deputy premier and minister of tourism and transport, said "cultural travel is on the rise, and its success is vital to Diaspora communities as it not only enriches the economies but also awareness of each area's unique historical significance." Knowledgeable Diaspora scholars who will offer their thoughts on African heritage and advancing the growing sector of cultural tourism include Dr. Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian Nobel Prize Literature Laureate and noted correspondent for National Public Radio's cultural desk; Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Ghanaian minister of tourism and diasporean relations and president of the African Travel Association; Andrew Young, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and Dr. Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
According to U.S.-based African-American marketing consultant Michael Deflorimonte "any opportunity for Diaspora professionals to connect must be seized. In order to leverage resources and take advantage of our synergies, we need to be in regular dialogue. Let's hope that delegates will emerge from the Bermuda talks with a plan that can be immediately executed and which delivers tangible results for the peoples of the Diaspora."
The Bermuda Department of Tourism, along with various global tourism and cultural organizations, such as UNESCO, the Africa Travel Association, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, International Institute of Peace through Tourism, World Tourism Organisation and Travel Professionals of Color, has developed four full days of informative lectures and discussions, an International African Diaspora Cultural Heritage Travel and Trade Show, tours of Bermuda's Diaspora Trail sites — including the four-century-old town of St. George, a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and evenings filled with international cuisine and live entertainment.
For more information, visit http://www.adht.net/.
By: Springer, Bevan, New York Amsterdam News, 8/17/2006
That's clearly shared by the tourism authorities on the Atlantic island of Bermuda, which will host the second international African Diaspora Heritage Trail Conference from September 27 to October 1, 2006, at the Hamilton Princess Hotel.
Sponsored by the Bermuda Department of Tourism and co-chaired by actor and community activist Danny Glover, the conference is part of an initiative to unite African descendants from all over the world in an effort to enhance the success of cross-border cultural tourism and promote stabilization of economies in Diaspora communities.
According to the conference website, the concept of the African Diaspora Heritage Trail (ADHT) educates visitors, enhances the economic viability of African Diaspora countries and conserves the essence of African descent, culture and history.
The ADHT Conference itself will boost long-term relationships between Bermuda and the Caribbean, African nations, North America and South America. It is also an opportunity for the best minds to gather annually to discuss heritage and cultural issues pertinent to tourism, culture, education, economic development and improvement of the quality of life within host communities. The first conference was held in 2002.
UNESCO says cultural tourism policies sustain cultural pluralism and preserve cultural diversity as well as the authenticity of the living and monumental heritage. Such policies also are aimed at encouraging greater awareness of cultures, combating cultural prejudice and contributing to development and the fight against poverty.
Dr. Ewart Brown, Bermuda's deputy premier and minister of tourism and transport, said "cultural travel is on the rise, and its success is vital to Diaspora communities as it not only enriches the economies but also awareness of each area's unique historical significance." Knowledgeable Diaspora scholars who will offer their thoughts on African heritage and advancing the growing sector of cultural tourism include Dr. Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian Nobel Prize Literature Laureate and noted correspondent for National Public Radio's cultural desk; Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Ghanaian minister of tourism and diasporean relations and president of the African Travel Association; Andrew Young, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and Dr. Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
According to U.S.-based African-American marketing consultant Michael Deflorimonte "any opportunity for Diaspora professionals to connect must be seized. In order to leverage resources and take advantage of our synergies, we need to be in regular dialogue. Let's hope that delegates will emerge from the Bermuda talks with a plan that can be immediately executed and which delivers tangible results for the peoples of the Diaspora."
The Bermuda Department of Tourism, along with various global tourism and cultural organizations, such as UNESCO, the Africa Travel Association, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, International Institute of Peace through Tourism, World Tourism Organisation and Travel Professionals of Color, has developed four full days of informative lectures and discussions, an International African Diaspora Cultural Heritage Travel and Trade Show, tours of Bermuda's Diaspora Trail sites — including the four-century-old town of St. George, a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and evenings filled with international cuisine and live entertainment.
For more information, visit http://www.adht.net/.
By: Springer, Bevan, New York Amsterdam News, 8/17/2006
posted by Eddy Brown at 10:03 AM
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