Month: June 2022

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Nationals in Belgium celebrate Independence Day

Eritrean nationals in Belgium colorfully celebrated the 31st anniversary of Independence Day under the theme “Independent Choice-Backbone of Our Pride”.

The celebratory event organized in Brussels, Belgium, on 4 June featured cultural programs with strong participation by Eritrean youth.

Indicating the unity and heroism the Eritrean people demonstrated in realizing the national independence and safeguarding the national sovereignty, Mr. Michael Tesfai, from the Eritrean Embassy, congratulated the Eritrean people inside the country and abroad.

Speaking at the occasion, the Eritrean Ambassador to the European Union and Benelux countries, Mr. Negassi Kassa on his part indicating  the unity, love of country, perseverance and resilience the Eritrean people demonstrated in the past 31 years of independence, congratulated the Eritrean people inside the country and abroad as well as the Eritrean Defense Forces.

Pointing out that preserving the noble societal values and transferring them to posterity are timely responsibility, Ambassador Negassi called on nationals to strengthen organizational capacity and participation in the national affairs.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Zoom Hires Greg Tomb as President

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) today announced that Greg Tomb will join the company as President effective June 7, 2022. Tomb brings more than 20 years of experience and comes to Zoom from Google Cloud, where he was most recently Vice President of Sales, Google Workspace, SMB, Data & Analytics, Geo Enterprises, and Security Sales.

Reporting directly to Zoom founder and CEO Eric S. Yuan, Tomb will oversee the company’s go-to-market strategy, revenue efforts, and office of the Global CIO. Tomb will help shape Zoom’s next chapter as the company continues transforming into a multi-product platform that enables communication, hybrid work, and an expanding number of business workflows.

Mr. Yuan said, “I am so excited to welcome Greg to the Zoom team. Greg is a highly-respected technology industry leader and has deep experience in helping to scale companies at critical junctures. His strategic thinking, can-do attitude, and value of care he brings to customers make him the perfect addition to our strong leadership team.”

Mr. Tomb said, “I’m thrilled to join forces with Eric and the Zoom team to help drive growth. I strongly believe that Zoom has an impressive foundation with its multi-product platform, and I look forward to the tremendous opportunities ahead to help businesses around the world address their communications and collaboration needs.”

About Greg Tomb

Greg oversees Zoom’s go-to-market strategy, revenue efforts, and office of the Global CIO. Most recently he was Vice President of Sales, Google Workspace, SMB, Data & Analytics, Geo Enterprises, and Security Sales at Google Cloud. Before Google, Greg was the President of Sales and GTM for SAP’s cloud offerings, including Intelligent Spend, SuccessFactors, Customer Experience, Digital Supply Chain, Concur, as well as SAP Business Technology Platform. Prior to SAP, Greg served as CEO of Vivido Labs Inc. and has held management positions at Accenture Consulting and Comergent Technologies Inc. He is also on the Board of Directors of Pure Storage Corporation.

About Zoom
Zoom is for you. Zoom is a space where you can connect to others, share ideas, make plans, and build toward a future limited only by your imagination. Our frictionless communications platform is the only one that started with video as its foundation, and we have set the standard for innovation ever since. That is why we are an intuitive, scalable, and secure choice for large enterprises, small businesses, and individuals alike. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom.

Zoom Public Relations
Colleen Rodriguez
Head of Global PR
press@zoom.us

Zoom Investor Relations
Tom McCallum
Head of Investor Relations
ir@zoom.us

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Zoom et Genesys annoncent un accord stratégique positionné de manière unique autour de Zoom Phone pour améliorer la collaboration et l’expérience client

Genesys devrait activer activement les canaux indirects et directs avec la solution combinée de Zoom Phone et de Genesys Cloud CX

SAN JOSÉ, Californie, et SAN FRANCISCO, 06 juin 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ : ZM) et Genesys®, un leader mondial du cloud en matière d’orchestration de l’expérience client, ont élargi leur partenariat pour aider les entreprises à offrir une expérience client sans effort en s’appuyant sur leur intégration entre Zoom Phone et Genesys Cloud CX™. Ensemble, ces offres fournissent aux organisations un centre de contact cloud facile à configurer et riche en fonctionnalités, ainsi qu’une solution de communications unifiées qui permet aux équipes de mieux collaborer pour répondre aux besoins des clients.

Le partenariat élargi des sociétés comprend une relation de mise sur le marché où Genesys permettra à son canal mondial direct et indirect de fournir la solution combinée Zoom Phone plus Genesys Cloud CX.

InflowCX, un fournisseur de services de conseil et de services professionnels pour les centre de contact, l’expérience client et les communications unifiées, voit un potentiel accru pour les organisations de déployer Zoom et Genesys dans le cadre de leur transformation UCaaS et CCaaS.

La société a récemment aidé deux organisations, un prestataire de soins de santé pédiatriques et une compagnie d’assurance automobile, à mettre en œuvre les offres intégrées de Zoom et de Genesys. Les deux organisations ont pour objectif de faciliter le transfert d’informations entre les utilisateurs du centre de contact et d’autres secteurs de l’entreprise afin que les clients et les patients puissent être servis de manière plus transparente, qu’ils appellent, interagissent avec les canaux numériques ou qu’ils se rendent à un bureau.

Mike Dolloff, directeur des revenus d’InflowCX, a déclaré : « Aujourd’hui, les entreprises ne veulent pas faire face à des flux de travail encombrants et frustrants simplement pour déplacer les interactions client entre les piles technologiques. En travaillant ensemble, Zoom et Genesys résolvent un énorme obstacle pour bon nombre de nos clients, en reliant les communications dans l’ensemble des organisations et en améliorant l’expérience des employés et des clients. Dans tous les secteurs et quelle que soit leur taille, les entreprises nous disent constamment que la présence et la disponibilité des répertoires entre Zoom Phone et Genesys Cloud sont essentielles pour permettre aux employés d’obtenir une ressource adéquate en temps réel. »

« En approfondissant l’alignement de notre partenariat avec Genesys, nous accélérerons l’introduction de Zoom Phone dans la solide base de clients de Genesys Cloud CX, en apportant à ces entreprises une solution de téléphonie cloud moderne dans le cadre d’une plateforme unifiée et transparente afin d’améliorer la collaboration des employés et de créer des expériences client plus fortes et plus significatives », a affirmé Ryan Azus, directeur des revenus chez Zoom. « La solution téléphonique innovante de Zoom s’aligne parfaitement sur les capacités d’orchestration de l’expérience de Genesys et l’objectif de transformer la manière dont les entreprises communiquent avec leurs clients et leurs employés. Nous sommes ravis d’associer cette intégration renforcée à notre écosystème de partenaires ouverts afin de fournir aux entreprises la flexibilité et la capacité d’optimiser leurs solutions de communication et de centres de contact cloud. »

« La demande croissante du marché pour des solutions combinées de communications unifiées et de centres de contact est une reconnaissance des entreprises qui finissent par servir les clients, qu’ils soient en contact avec les clients ou non », a commenté ML Maco, directeur des revenus chez Genesys. « C’est pourquoi, avec Zoom, nous réduisons les obstacles pour les entreprises et permettons à notre écosystème d’aider nos clients communs à mieux connecter l’entreprise et à dépasser les attentes des consommateurs dans un monde numérique en constante évolution. »

Pour en savoir plus, rejoignez Genesys Xperience 2022 cette semaine pour entendre le directeur des produits de Zoom Oded Gal et Peter Graf, responsable de la stratégie de Genesys, discuter de la manière dont les entreprises travaillent ensemble pour aider les entreprises à gagner la confiance des clients et des employés lors d’une session animée par l’influenceur CX Blair Pleasant, président et analyste principal de COMMfusion. La session conjointe avec Zoom et Genesys a lieu le deuxième jour de Xperience de 5h30 à 6h HE, de 13h30 à 14h HE le 9 juin, et à la demande après l’événement. Inscrivez-vous dès maintenant.

À propos de Zoom
Zoom est pour vous. Nous vous aidons à exprimer vos idées, à communiquer avec les autres et à bâtir un avenir limité uniquement par votre imagination. Notre plateforme de communications sans friction est la seule qui a commencé par la vidéo comme fondement, et nous avons établi la norme en matière d’innovation depuis lors. C’est pourquoi nous constituons un choix intuitif, évolutif et sécurisé aussi bien pour les grandes entreprises que les petites entreprises ou les particuliers. Fondée en 2011, Zoom est cotée en bourse (NASDAQ : ZM) et a son siège social à San José, en Californie. Rendez-vous sur zoom.com et suivez-nous @zoom.

À propos de Genesys
Chaque année, Genesys orchestre plus de 70 milliards d’expériences client remarquables pour les organisations de plus de 100 pays. Grâce à la puissance de nos technologies cloud, numériques et d’intelligence artificielle, les organisations peuvent concrétiser l’expérience en tant que ServiceSM notre vision pour des expériences client empathiques à grande échelle. Avec Genesys, les organisations ont le pouvoir de fournir des expériences proactives, prédictives et hyper-personnalisées pour approfondir leur connexion client à travers chaque moment de marketing, de vente et de service sur n’importe quel canal, tout en améliorant également la productivité et l’engagement des employés. En transformant la technologie de back-office en un moteur de vitesse des revenus moderne, Genesys permet une véritable ingéniosité à grande échelle afin de favoriser la confiance et la fidélité des clients. Rendez-vous sur www.genesys.com.

©2021 Genesys. Tous droits réservés. Genesys, le logo Genesys, Genesys Cloud CX, Genesys Multicloud CX, Genesys DX et Experience as a Service sont des marques commerciales, des marques de service et/ou des marques déposées de Genesys. Tous les autres noms et logos de sociétés peuvent être des marques déposées ou des marques de commerce de leurs sociétés respectives.

Relations avec la presse pour Zoom
Bridget Moriarty
Partenaire spécialiste des relations publiques
press@zoom.us

Genesys
Rachel Faulkner Perez
Directrice principale des communications externes
Rachel.FaulknerPerez@genesys.com
+1 317.403.1781

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Zoom e Genesys anunciam acordo estratégico posicionado exclusivamente em torno do Zoom Phone para aprimorar a colaboração e experiência do cliente

Genesys irá ativar ativamente o canal indireto e direto com a solução combinada Zoom Phone e Genesys Cloud CX

SAN JOSE, Calif. e SAN FRANCISCO, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) e a Genesys®, líder global na nuvem de orquestração de experiência do cliente, expandiram sua parceria para ajudar as empresas a oferecer experiência ao cliente sem esforço, com base na integração do Zoom Phone com o Genesys Cloud CX™. Juntas, as ofertas fornecem para empresas um centro de contato na nuvem fácil de configurar com vastos recursos e uma solução de comunicação unificada que permite que as equipes colaborem melhor para resolver as necessidades do cliente.

A parceria expandida das empresas inclui um relacionamento de entrada no mercado, onde a Genesys permitirá que seu canal global direto e indireto ofereça a solução combinada Zoom Phone plus Genesys Cloud CX.

A InflowCX, um prestador de serviços de consultoria e profissionais para soluções de centro de contato, experiência do cliente e comunicações unificadas, está vendo um aumento potencial das empresas implantarem o Zoom e a Genesys como parte da sua transformação UCaaS e CCaaS.

A empresa recentemente ajudou duas empresas, uma prestadora de serviços de saúde pediátrica e uma seguradora de automóveis, a implementar as ofertas integradas da Zoom e da Genesys. As duas empresas visavam facilitar o repasse das informações entre os usuários do centro de contato e outras áreas da empresa para que os clientes e pacientes pudessem ser atendidos de forma mais integrada – nas ligações, interações com canais digitais ou entrada no escritório.

O Diretor de Receita da InflowCX, Mike Dolloff, disse: “As empresas hoje em dia não querem lidar com fluxos de trabalho complicados e frustrantes para mover as interações dos clientes entre as pilhas de tecnologia. Com o seu trabalho conjunto o Zoom e a Genesys resolvem um enorme obstáculo para muitos de nossos clientes, fazendo a ponte entre as comunicações em toda a empresa e aprimorando a experiência dos funcionários e clientes. Empresas de todos os tamanhos de vários setores têm indicado que a presença e a disponibilidade de diretórios entre o Zoom Phone e a Genesys Cloud são essenciais para capacitar os funcionários a obter um cliente para o recurso certo em tempo real.”

“Ao aprofundar o alinhamento da nossa parceria com a Genesys, aceleraremos a introdução do Zoom Phone para a robusta base de clientes da Genesys Cloud CX, que oferece para essas empresas uma solução moderna de telefone na nuvem como parte de uma plataforma unificada e contínua para aprimorar a colaboração dos funcionários e criar experiências mais fortes e significativas para os clientes”, disse Ryan Azus, Diretor de Receita da Zoom. “A inovadora solução de telefone do Zoom se alinha perfeitamente com os recursos de orquestração de experiência da Genesys e com o objetivo de transformar a forma como as empresas se conectam com seus clientes e funcionários. Estamos entusiasmados em incorporar essa integração reforçada ao nosso ecossistema de parceiros abertos para fornecer às empresas a flexibilidade e a capacidade de otimizar suas soluções de centro de contato e comunicações na nuvem.”

“O aumento da demanda do mercado por comunicações unificadas combinadas e soluções de centro de contato é um reconhecimento por parte das empresas de que, em última análise, cada funcionário atende o cliente, falando ou não diretamente com ele”, disse ML Maco, Diretor de Receita da Genesys. “É por isso que, juntamente com o Zoom, estamos reduzindo as barreiras para as empresas e permitindo que nosso ecossistema ajude em conjunto os clientes a conectarem melhor a empresa e exceder as expectativas dos consumidores em um mundo digital em mudança.”

Para mais informação, junte-se à Genesys Xperience 2022 esta semana para ouvir o Diretor de Produtos da Zoom, Oded Gal, e o Diretor de Estratégia da Genesys, Peter Graf, discutirem como as empresas estão trabalhando em conjunto para ajudar as empresas a conquistarem a confiança dos clientes e funcionários numa sessão moderada pela influenciadora de CX, Blair Pleasant, Presidente e Analista Principal da COMMfusion. A sessão conjunta com o Zoom e a Genesys será realizada no segundo dia do Xperience das 5h30 às 6h ET; 13h30 às 14h ET no dia 9 de junho; e sob demanda após o evento. Inscreva-se agora.

Sobre o Zoom
O Zoom é para você. Ajudamos você a expressar ideias, se conectar a outras pessoas e se preparar para um futuro limitado apenas pela sua imaginação. Nossa plataforma de comunicações sem atrito é a única que teve início com o vídeo como base, e que nos permitiu o padrão da inovação. É por isso que somos uma escolha intuitiva, escalonável e segura para grandes e pequenas empresas e pessoas. Fundado em 2011, o Zoom é negociado publicamente (NASDAQ:ZM) e sediado em San Jose, Califórnia. Visite zoom.com e siga @zoom.

Sobre a Genesys
Todos os anos, a Genesys orquestra mais de 70 bilhões de experiências notáveis de clientes para empresas de mais de 100 países. Através do poder das nossas tecnologias de nuvem, digital e IA, as empresas podem realizar a Experience as a ServiceSM, nossa visão para experiências empáticas do cliente em escala. Com a Genesys, as empresas podem oferecer experiências proativas, preditivas e hiper personalizadas para aprofundar sua conexão com o cliente em todos os momentos de marketing, vendas e serviços em qualquer canal, além de aprimorar a produtividade e o engajamento dos funcionários. Ao transformar a tecnologia de back-office em um moderno mecanismo de velocidade de receita, a Genesys viabiliza uma verdadeira intimidade em escala para promover a confiança e a lealdade do cliente. Visite www.genesys.com.

©2021 Genesys. Todos os direitos reservados. Genesys, o logotipo Genesys, Genesys Cloud CX, Genesys Multicloud CX, Genesys DX e Experience as a Service são marcas comerciais, marcas de serviço e/ou marcas comerciais registradas da Genesys. Todos os outros nomes e logotipos de empresas podem ser marcas comerciais registradas ou marcas comerciais de suas respectivas empresas.

Relações com a Imprensa da Zoom
Bridget Moriarty
Parceira Especialista em RP
press@zoom.us

Genesys
Rachel Faulkner Perez
Diretora Sênior, Comunicação Externa
Rachel.FaulknerPerez@genesys.com
+1 317.403.1781

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Zoom and Genesys Announce Strategic Agreement Uniquely Positioned Around Zoom Phone to Improve Collaboration and Customer Experiences

Genesys to actively enable indirect and direct channel with combined Zoom Phone and Genesys Cloud CX solution

SAN JOSE, Calif. and SAN FRANCISCO, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) and Genesys®, a global cloud leader in customer experience orchestration, have expanded their partnership to help businesses deliver effortless customer experience by building upon their integration between Zoom Phone and Genesys ​​Cloud CX™. Together, the offerings provide organizations with an easy-to-configure and feature-rich cloud contact center and unified communications solution that enables teams to better collaborate to solve customer needs.

The companies’ expanded partnership includes a go-to-market relationship where Genesys will enable its global direct and indirect channel to deliver the combined Zoom Phone plus Genesys Cloud CX solution.

InflowCX, a consulting and professional services provider for contact center, customer experience, and unified communications solutions, is seeing increased potential for organizations to deploy Zoom and Genesys as part of their UCaaS and CCaaS transformation.
The company recently helped two organizations, a pediatric healthcare provider and auto insurance company, implement the integrated offerings from Zoom and Genesys. Both organizations aimed to make it easier for employees to pass information between the contact
center users and other areas of the business so customers and patients could be served more seamlessly – whether they were calling, interacting with digital channels, or walking into an office.

InflowCX Chief Revenue Officer Mike Dolloff said, “Today, businesses don’t want to deal with clunky and frustrating workflows just to move customer interactions between technology stacks. By working together, Zoom and Genesys are solving a huge hurdle for many of our clients, bridging communications across entire organizations and improving employee and customer experience. Across industries and regardless of company size, we’re consistently hearing from businesses that presence and directory availability between Zoom Phone and Genesys Cloud is critical to empowering employees to get a customer to the right resource in real time.”

“By deepening the alignment from our partnership with Genesys, we will accelerate the introduction of Zoom Phone into Genesys Cloud CX’s robust customer base, bringing those businesses a modern cloud phone solution as part of a seamless, unified platform to improve employee collaboration and create stronger, more meaningful customer experiences,” said Ryan Azus, Chief Revenue Officer, Zoom. “Zoom’s innovative phone solution aligns perfectly with the experience orchestration capabilities of Genesys and goal of transforming how companies connect with their customers and employees. We are excited to incorporate this strengthened integration into our open partner ecosystem to provide businesses with the flexibility and ability to optimize their cloud contact center and communications solutions.”

“Increasing market demand for combined unified communications and contact center solutions is an acknowledgement from businesses that ultimately every employee serves the customer, whether customer-facing or not,” said ML Maco, Chief Revenue Officer, Genesys. “That’s why together with Zoom, we’re reducing barriers for businesses and enabling our ecosystem to help joint customers better connect the enterprise and exceed consumer expectations in a changing digital world.”

To learn more, join Genesys Xperience 2022 this week to hear Zoom Chief Product Officer Oded Gal and Genesys Strategy Officer Peter Graf discuss how the companies are working together to help businesses earn the trust of customers and employees in a session moderated by CX influencer Blair Pleasant, President & Principal Analyst, COMMfusion. The joint session with Zoom and Genesys is held on day two of Xperience from 5:30-6 am ET; 1:30-2 pm ET on June 9; and on-demand following the event. Register now.

About Zoom
Zoom is for you. We help you express ideas, connect to others, and build toward a future limited only by your imagination. Our frictionless communications platform is the only one that started with video as its foundation, and we have set the standard for innovation ever since. That is why we are an intuitive, scalable, and secure choice for large enterprises, small businesses, and individuals alike. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom.

About Genesys
Every year, Genesys orchestrates more than 70 billion remarkable customer experiences for organizations in more than 100 countries. Through the power of our cloud, digital and AI technologies, organizations can realize Experience as a ServiceSM our vision for empathetic customer experiences at scale. With Genesys, organizations have the power to deliver proactive, predictive, and hyper personalized experiences to deepen their customer connection across every marketing, sales, and service moment on any channel, while also improving employee productivity and engagement. By transforming back-office technology to a modern revenue velocity engine Genesys enables true intimacy at scale to foster customer trust and loyalty. Visit www.genesys.com.

©2021 Genesys. All rights reserved. Genesys, the Genesys logo, Genesys Cloud CX, Genesys Multicloud CX, Genesys DX and Experience as a Service are trademarks, service marks and/or registered trademarks of Genesys. All other company names and logos may be registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.

Zoom Press Relations
Bridget Moriarty
Partner PR Specialist
press@zoom.us

Genesys
Rachel Faulkner Perez
Sr. Director, External Communications
Rachel.FaulknerPerez@genesys.com
+1 317.403.1781

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39 Million People Relied on GFN Member Food Banks for Meals in 2021

In the face of further economic turmoil and supply chain disruptions, food banks once again played a pivotal role in providing emergency food assistance—at a level 128 percent higher than before the pandemic.

Chicago, IL, USA, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) announced that food banks in 44 countries served 39 million people in 2021, demonstrating that need for food assistance is continuing at high levels in the face of rising food prices and disrupted supply chains.

The data is part of GFN’s annual Network survey, and this year’s responses emphasize the importance of a strong network of food banks in times of crisis.

“Communities around the world are facing hunger at unprecedented rates,” said Lisa Moon, president and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network. “Consistently, food banks are stepping up and using their unique expertise to connect millions of people to nutritious food.”

The 39 million people who sought emergency food assistance is a 128 percent increase over 2019 pre-COVID levels of service. Additionally, about 54 percent of people were served regularly for more than three months during 2021 while 44 percent of people served visited food banks occasionally, temporarily, or for the first time due to a shift in economic circumstances.

More than three-fourths of people served by GFN member food banks live in emerging and developing market economies. Most of the people who visited GFN member food banks in 2021—about 24 million—live in Asia and Oceania. Another 8.8 million food bank visitors are from Latin America. Children ages 17 and under comprised more than a third of the total people served.

Food banks, on average, distributed 57 percent more food and grocery products than the previous year, despite sourcing challenges brought on by breakdowns in supply chains and other factors. The most commonly distributed products are fruits and vegetables—constituting 30 percent of what an average food bank provides.

While need for hunger relief has been unprecedented, so has the generosity and determination of people partnering within the Network. Nearly 317,000 people volunteered with GFN partner food banks, a 14 percent increase over 2020, providing more than 8 million hours of support.

2022 is already proving to be another challenging year for people facing hunger and food insecurity, with the Ukraine invasion compounding the continuing effects of the pandemic and leading to further rises in food prices. But food banks will continue to respond quickly and efficiently in the face of crises, leaning on the experiences of the past few years.

“Unfortunately, we are likely on the precipice of a global hunger crisis,” said Moon. “Food banks will be central to the response. The lessons learned during the pandemic have strengthened the Network, better equipping us to provide ongoing services to children, individuals, and families in vulnerable situations.”

About The Global FoodBanking Network:

The Global FoodBanking Network supports community-led solutions to alleviate hunger in more than 40 countries. While millions struggle to access enough safe and nutritious food, nearly a third of all food produced is lost or wasted. We’re changing that. We believe food banks directed by local leaders are key to achieving Zero Hunger and building resilient food systems. For more information, visit foodbanking.org.

Nina Rabinovitch Blecker, Vice President, Strategic Communications
The Global FoodBanking Network
+1.617.823.4107
nblecker@foodbanking.org
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Dancing for Cultural Preservation

With a dedicated instructor and coordinator to a group of youngsters relentlessly working to promote and preserve culture, Meras Dance Group has come a long way to garner the achievements it has registered so far in the Eritrean art. This dance group aims to helping young nationals get closer to their identity on top of promoting and preserving the culture through their unique and extraordinary choreographies and performances. We were able to get hold of the group’s coordinator, Amanuel Dawit, and some of his crew for an interview. Following is a brief from the long chat we had.

  • Please introduce us with your group?

My name is Amanuel Dawit, coordinator, instructor and choreographer of Meras Dance Group. Meras was founded in 2014 with a small number of dancers and have been actively working under the Commission of Culture and Sports ever since. At first, the group totally focused on choreographies that promote and preserve our culture and identity. After a couple of years, the dance group begun expanding its works to cultural dances with a modern twist in it.

  • What is the status of the dance group at this time?

Currently, Meras dance group has 20 female and 20 male members. Members of this group came from different backgrounds, mostly selected based on their performances at various high-school cultural dance competitions and aerobics shows. The main objective for the formation of this group is to preserve and promote the culture, history and identity that Eritreans possess. We believe that art, especially dancing, is a very powerful work of art that can be used to express and tell someone’s history, identity, culture, background, and so much more.

We have worked in many hit music videos so far, in addition to different stage performances for national and religious holidays. We won 1st place in the Znar- Tbebat competition held in 2019 and we were also the winners of 30,000 Nakfa for standing second place in a national competition held in 2018.

I feel like the first and most important thing in maintaining a group is to have a clear goal and purpose on why you are doing what you do. The first thing that they learn when they join this group is maintain good work ethic. They are required to be consistent, hardworking, self-made and so much more.

Dancing, although very common and highly praised in our society, isn’t something that anyone would choose as a profession here. We are striving to break these kinds of norms and trying to prove that it’s a means of communication that can make us shine even more. Our group wants to present the nine ethnic groups and introduce them to the rest of the world. We are trying to tell the world about our beautiful culture and society through dancing. But in the process of doing that, we also try to keep a good eye on our members.We try to connect with each other to choose the right and healthy path. We try to communicate and help each other like family. The bond we try to maintain within our group has helped us to be more productive in this field.

  • How is it affecting our cultural development?

The group is playing a big part in promoting and preserving the culture. The fact that our members are young is also an advantage. Some of them are in high-school and some are in colleges. Those young people keep learning more about their country and share it with their peers and schoolmates. They spread their culture and identity throughout the younger generation.

We have also been performing arts for solidarity and friendly events with other countries. We have performed our cultural and modern dances of all the nine ethnic groups during different celebratory functions. We use the opportunity to express and introduce who we really are and what we are made of. The feedback that we get from the audiences during such international events are so promising and motivating. We performed other countries’ dances as well. For instance, we have performed Chinese traditional and hip hop dances which helps to strengthen the bond more. Hence, I personally think that this group has a strong will to make our society and the rest of the world cherish the culture we have.

  • How about female participation?

We try to help young females participate equally with their fellow male friends. As I mentioned earlier, there are 20 female and 20 male members now. We intentionally opened up a safe space for them and promoted the participation of female dancers in different music videos. Because we believe that females can do everything, they just need an opportunity. We try to communicate and bond with their parents too, to discuss about what we do and how their kids are working hard guided by discipline. We recommend parents to give their children an opportunity to try what they love to do especially if it’s something that can be beneficial both personally and at a national level. Our society should accept dance as an important part of art and should be respected equally like the other professions and jobs.

  • What difficulties and challenges do dancers pass through?

Dancing is not as easy as we think it is. You have to synchronize your body and mind to be able to perform well. It’s exhausting and takes a lot of effort and sweat to reach a point. We have to practice every single day without a break for a very long time to prepare even for a 5 minute show.

We have tried to achieve great outcomes despite some shortages. We have wardrobe shortages for instance. It’s not easy to find complete set of outfits for all the nine ethnic groups. But we still try to not miss out performances due to such problems. I really hope that we get support on such shortages for a better outcome.

  • Future plans

We want to be the best at what we do first of all. Our motto is based on our identity and culture. Our culture must be preserved and presented throughout the world. That’s what we are striving to achieve. And we’ll hopefully make our country’s name shine in the world through our cultural dances. Thank you!

Thank you for your time!

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea