Amani
Festival Committee
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How It All Started The AMANI Festival was founded in the summer of 1994 by a group of community minded people who saw the need to work toward the elimination of racial, ethnic and other forms of discrimination and prejudice by fostering respect and appreciation among all peoples. It was with that in mind that the AMANI Festival was born — a dream that we would enter into the 21st century with a deep appreciation of culture and diversity. The AMANI Festival has grown with the help of those volunteers and sponsors who are committed to the same dream — that of enriching lives with the sights, sounds and smells of many diverse cultures culminating once every year. The creation of CHILDREN’S ALLEY lies at the core of the Festival. It is here where parents and children can jointly participate in creative activities, workshops and entertainment. Families can experience an overwhelming sense of world community - where side-by-side the richness of differences among people is celebrated. This is where AMANI, the word for peace in Swahili, comes alive. And it is CHILDREN’S ALLEY where the legacies of togetherness and difference are no longer mutually exclusive. The AMANI Festival Committee will continue to network with organizations in the community to encourage respect among all people -- organizations such as the NCBI (National Coalition Building Institute), Carlisle School District’s Anti-Bias and Character Education Committees, Social Justice Coalition, CVC (Carlisle Victory Circle) and many other organizations in our community. Today, I ask you to say the word AMANI to yourself. Say it to your children and your friends. Say it to a stranger, so that what you experience today lives on within you and within our community.
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