African Currents

Cultural Pride & Diaspora Power on Display at August Edo Festival Russia

The Edo Festival held in August in Moscow was a vibrant cultural exchange connecting the historic Benin Kingdom to the world. The event was organized to enhance economic growth and development in critical sectors and deepen ties between Edo State and Russia by highlighting the legacy of influential Edo indigenous and fostering cultural diplomacy.
Sputnik
The Edo community in Russia is making great strides in integrating Edo culture with the Russian community, Dr. Loretta Oduware Ogboro-Okor, a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist, Global Good Will, and UN Eminent Ambassador, Former Labour Party Guber Aspirant in Edo State, told African Currents in an interview. However, more focused efforts are needed to present the state creatively, as well as its heritage, people, and endowments on the global map, she noted, adding that this year's festival has made a meaningful impact in that direction.

"I always say that the extent to which your country's culture permeates the world and is globally accepted is directly proportional to how much you are able to [...] integrate your own culture. So, Edo Union Moscow, Russia, is blazing the trail. And really working hard to infuse our culture into the Russian psyche and vice versa. However, I want to point out to us that doing this would be a whole lot more. We need to decisively and in a focused manner think of ways outside the box to propagate Edo State to the world. And I think this year's festival will go down in the annals of history as something that really, really touched the hearts of everybody that came," Ogboro-Okor notes.

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