Celebrating Heritage Month in South Africa

Photo by Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town

South Africa is a country with rich and diverse cultural heritage. Its cultural diversity is signified by the representation of people from African, Asian, European and American descents in the country. Heritage Day celebrates different cultures and traditions in South Africa, a symbol of a rainbow nation. Mostly when we hear and talk of Heritage Day we mostly think about it as a celebration of South African indigenous ethnic groups in the country forgetting that the country attracts people from other countries/regions who have migrated into the country either voluntarily/involuntarily at a temporary or permanent basis. Migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers also contribute to the rich heritage of South Africa. Aligned to the theme of this year’s Heritage Month, which is “Celebrating our cultural diversity in a democratic South Africa”, we should take into consideration the diversity of the cultures in South Africa and the contribution of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees to this diversity.  During this year’s heritage month, the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town (SCCT) hosted its first Welcoming Week. Welcoming is key to SCCT as it promotes an intentional space for all to come together. The week was filled with a variety of activities including the celebration of diverse cultures. SCCT drew its inspiration for this event from Welcoming America: Building A Nation of Neighbours: https://welcomingamerica.org/

 

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