Public Notice Detail
Hennepin County Courts, PEACE to Host East African Festival June 10
Posted: Thursday, June 8, 2000
More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the second annual East African Festival from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday. Parents of East Africans Common Efforts (PEACE), the Hennepin County District Court and other local African community organizations are hosting the event.
“We must do what we can to foster greater understanding between the district courts and the African Communities,” said Hennepin County District Court Judge Tanya Bransford, who is co-chair of the District Court Equal Justice Committee. “By sharing food, music and information, the festival gives us a great chance to teach immigrants about our judicial system while we learn more about East African communities.”
More than 40,000 immigrants from East Africa live in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Representatives from Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Eritrea will provide displays featuring ethnic food, fashion and art. Other activities will include live African bands and a soccer match.
In addition, several Hennepin County judges, members of the District Court Community Initiatives Team and the District Court Equal Justice Committee will be on hand to answer questions about the district court and its services. The event will give immigrants a chance to learn more about the courts and how the American legal system works.
“This festival is at the heart of immigrants, a shared opportunity to reflect on the past and to understand how to better navigate the American way of life – especially the legal system,” said Dabala Rikitu, executive director and founder of PEACE.
Immigrants from East Africa often have difficulty understanding the U.S. court system because they are used to a disparate and vastly different judicial system in their home countries. In African countries, legal systems often revolve around families, local communities, religions or the historic influences of European countries.
“This is an opportunity to show that immigrants can be united in dealing with community issues,” said Edwin Bogonko, executive vice president of PEACE. “The festival will help break down the cultural barriers and help immigrants understand how a unified legal system operates.”
Judge Kevin Burke, Chief Judge-Elect of the Hennepin County District Court, said he appreciates the work of PEACE and his colleagues in Hennepin County who helped organize the event. “We’re excited about the opportunity to reach out to the African immigrant communities and find out how we can make the justice system more accessible to every citizen,” he said.
PEACE was created in 1994 to help East Africans adjust to their new lives in Minnesota. The organization provides culturally appropriate services that allow them to fully participate in western society while they maintain the culture of their home countries.
The Hennepin County Equal Justice Committee consists of district court staff and representatives from other criminal justice departments who provide diversity training to staff and address equal access issues. The Community Initiative Team, made up of court volunteers, was formed to reach out to the community and educate it about the courts.
Who: Hennepin County District Court Judges, District Court Equal Justice Committee, the Hennepin County District Court Community Initiatives Team, PEACE (Parents for East African Common Efforts).
What: Second annual East African Festival.
When: Noon to 7 p.m., Saturday, June 10, 2000.
Where: Matthews Park, 2309 28th Ave. South, Minneapolis.