| Author | Message | ||
     Yvettep "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 546 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
Via Afro-Netizen http://afronetizen.blogs.com/afronetizen/2005/06/african_village.html The African Village festival in the Augsburg zoo perpetuates racism say many. Medhat Abdelati was completely blindsided by the media blitz and public outrage. The Egyptian head of the German event-planning company maxVita GmbH has thrown numerous African festivals in recent years in both Vienna, Austria and Munich, Germany, and had come to think of himself as a bit of an expert in such celebrations of Dark Continent culture. Why should his new project turn out any differently? He should have known better. This time around, his festival, which opens on Thursday and is scheduled to continue throughout the weekend, has turned into an ostrich-sized international egg on the face of the southern German town of Augsburg. Why? The "African Village" event is innocuous enough -- it brings together food stands, traditional crafts, basket weavers and hair braiders for the kids. The problem this time, is that is being held, of all places, in the heart of the Augsburg Zoo. Grass huts and "African" culture are nestled between the monkey cage and the Savannah exhibit -- an uncomfortable juxtaposition for many. (Also see: http://www.africanfront.com/AF033.php) |