On May 18, 2014, the Eritrean Diaspora Network (EDN) hosted E’lal with EDN, the first of an ongoing, town-hall-style discussion series. The objective of the series is to create a safe and welcoming space for young Eritrean-Americans to share their feelings, experiences, and reflections on the status of Eritrea and the Eritrean diaspora.
The conversation opened by identifying the positive aspects and strengths of our community and culture, such as the tradition of community support to those in need, and our history of unity. However, participants also noted the Eritrean diaspora faces many challenges, including the erosion of its unity due to fear, misinformation, and a lack of respect for diverse viewpoints. In addition, the assimilation of the Eritrean diaspora into the societies in which they now reside has caused many young people to move further away from their Eritrean identity. This trend toward de-Eritreanization” is being accelerated by the political discord and vitriol in our communities, which has further alienated our young people.
Given these realities, many participants were eager to support EDN’s mission of creating nonpartisan, depoliticized social spaces that can reverse the trend of disengagement among our diaspora youth.
The approximately 30 participants shared their varying views in a lively and respectful manner, and offered concrete solutions that could improve the prevailing situation regarding the diaspora and youth engagement.
Taking this feedback into consideration, EDN has identified the following projects and initiatives to be carried out this year and into 2015:
- A voter education initiative that will commence next month in the lead-up to national midterm elections.
- Providing sustained support for recent arrivals from Eritrea in the DMV area.
- Capturing and nurturing our human resources through the creation of an Eritrean Professionals Network
- Social gatherings, with no agenda!
We cannot do this alone. We need to harness the talents and dedication of our young people in order to truly serve and better our community. If you are interested in how you can get involved with EDN’s future programming, please send us an email at eridiaspora@gmail.org.
Here are some pictures from the event, visit our FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM pages for more!
