Buddies Without Borders | Amplifying Cultures And Promoting Diversity.
Cultural exchange brings two or more people/communities together to interact and exchange information regarding their lifestyles and backgrounds. The main aim of cultural exchange is to make people develop a common understanding of their social behaviors.
This became possible when the world moved from the region and local-based to globally based. Then there was an increase in migration of people from different parts of the world, thus mixing up cultures and creating a mish-mash of cultures and traditions in a region.
Experiencing different cultures through educational and cultural exchange enables young people to understand themselves and those in other parts of the world, hence deepening their knowledge of foreign cultures and strengthening international relationships.
Leaving what is familiar behind and plunging into the unknown shows a commitment to understanding other people and cultures; and learning about the world in a way that books, school assignments, and a professional career can never reveal.
The Government of Kenya, having ratified The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005); was required to provide for culture protection in the new Kenya Constitution (2010) which is aptly done in Chapter Four, Article 11, which recognizes culture as the foundation of the nation and cumulative civilization of the Kenyan people.
The article commits the government to promote all forms of national cultural expressions and protect the intellectual property rights of the Kenyan people. Kenya as a country has, over the years, struggled to implement the legal instruments it so readily ratified through the establishment of the Ministry of Sports, Culture, and Heritage, whose vision is to create a vibrant, cohesive Kenyan society that thrives and prides in the richness of her cultural diversity.
The Ministry has promoted culture through organizing cultural festivals, performing arts conferences, food festivals such as the Cake Festival Kenya and music and arts through the Story Moja Festival and the Maulidi Festival in Lamu, and sporting activities such as The International Carmel Derby Festival in Samburu among others. It has also collaborated with corporate entities to accomplish its mandate further, most notably the Safaricom Jazz Festival by Safaricom, a telecommunications company in Kenya.
Other non-state actors include non-governmental organizations and companies through their social corporate responsibility schemes. As a youth-led organization, The Youth Café also seeks to support the government in promoting culture through its arts, culture, and sports program, which supports young sports and creative professionals by promoting collaboration and building networks to reinforce cultural exchanges and intercultural dialogues.
Working towards achieving this vision, The Youth Café, in partnership with Indonesian Youth Foundation, is organizing a youth virtual cultural exchange intended to be an event where Kenyan and Indonesian youth between the ages of 16 and 35 engage and network and build linkages. The workshop will open up the world to the wide diversity and richness of Indonesian and Kenyan culture, a fascinating tale of two countries waiting to happen. Kenyan and Indonesian youth will be able to showcase their talents and the rich diversity of their cultures in food, language, traditions, and fashion.
The virtual workshop, dubbed transcultural virtual workshop, will be the first of its kind in The Youth Cafés arts, culture, and sports program. It is intended to have as wide a reach as possible to capture the essence of the Kenyan-Indonesian cultural space. The partnership with Indonesian youth would also see that unique cultures are represented globally. Indonesian youth would get a snippet of Kenyan culture and vice versa.
The transcultural virtual workshop would be a fun-filled 3-day event on a zoom platform with participants from Kenya and Indonesia taking part. This event would also be an example of how the world is evolving in the use of digital spaces to promote globalization through cultural exchanges.
Participating in this workshop will allow Kenyan youth to share what art, culture, fashion, food, and music we have to offer, thereby exposing a vast array of talent.
“Cultural difference should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity. Also, intercultural dialogue is the best guarantee of a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world.”
The event will also bring youth who would normally never have interacted together, creating a cultural soup of sorts. Our collective strengths and cultural diversity will shine through for the world to see.
The Youth Café works with young men and women around Africa as a trailblazer in advancing youth-led approaches toward achieving sustainable development, social equity, innovative solutions, community resilience, and transformative change.
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