Semester in WashingtonPortfolio

Social media, videos increase awareness of Nigerian diaspora

by Kendra Johnson

WASHINGTON – A year ago, Vwogho Emarievbe began working on a documentary to share his experiences as part of the Nigerian diaspora. One year later, he is helping other members of the diaspora tell their stories. Emarievbe, 28, was born in Malaysia and moved to Nigeria when he was 3. In 2008 he came to the U.S. as an international student for a better education and economic opportunity. He graduated Saturday with a master’s degree in international studies from Morgan State University in Baltimore where he lives. Emarievbe is searching for a joband plans to return to Nigeria in a year. Emarievbe said he wanted to work on the documentary to give back to Nigeria. “Nigeria is still a developing country,” he said. “I wanted to speak of my experiences and my reality.” Africa’s most populous country – with 155 million people – Nigeria is known mostly for corruption and mismanagement. The country has a median age of just over 19 – it ranks third from the last on a list of 222 countries – and life expectancy of about 48 years for both men and women. Nigeria has made progress toward democracy and civilian rule in the past decade. Emarievbe and Kalu Ugwumo, who also worked on the documentary, are full of praise for their homeland. Emarievbe said Nigeria has the potential for major

growth and change, and the people are optimistic about change. “The people are always happy, always hopeful and always optimistic – despite their harsh realities,” he said. Emarievbe began working on the documentary after the U.S. Institute of Peace’s 2010 Youth Diaspora Conference, which brought together displaced youth from Haiti, Nigeria, Iraq and Sri Lanka. Diaspora refers to people from a common origin who have scattered elsewhere. A 2009 survey by the Census Bureau found more than 200,000 Nigerian-born people living in the U.S., more than a thousand of them in Washington. Emarievbe is working to design programs to empower women and resolve conflict in Nigeria. He said it is difficult to effect change in his country because he often feels disconnected from the people there. “You come back home and you’re not fully in sync with what’s going on,” he said. “You relate to people differently because you seem to be out of touch. It’s hard to completely integrate when I go back home because it’s like I’ve lost some of my ‘Nigerianess.’” Ugwumo, 26, said he also feels disconnected when he returns to Nigeria because he spends most of his time in Washington, where he lives. An American citizen, born shortly after his parents arrived in the U.S., Ugwumo is an independent consultant and mentor

“You come back home and you’re not fully in sync with what’s going on,” he said. “You relate to people differently because you seem to be out of touch. It’s hard to completely integrate when I go back home because it’s like I’ve lost some of my ‘Nigerianess.’”

-Vwogho Emarievbe

to young Nigerians. He began working on another video about the Nigerian diaspora. “Getting involved with the diaspora work just came from my heart,” he said. “I wanted to make a change. It is hard sometimes because some people are reluctant to being filmed or photographed because they are like, ‘Who sent you and why are you here?’” Ugwumo is working on the film to raise awareness about Nigeria. He said he enjoys using newer technology to expose more people to the diaspora. Ugwumo relies heavily on social media to reach a younger demographic. He said attracting younger diaspora members will increase awareness about Nigeria and give them a more active role in affecting their government. “It’s a bit overused, but youth really are the future,” Ugwumo said. “We have to start taking responsibility for our future.”

by: Kendra Johnson

Wiesel to memorial award audience: ‘Silence is forbidden’WASHINGTON - Nearly 17 years after genocide erupted in Rwanda, survivor Clemantine Wamariya still hears the yells of her grandmother “to run.” Wamariya, 22, shared memories of her genocide experience during the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s 2011 National Tribute Dinner on Monday. The dinner honored Nobel Laureate and museum founding chairman Elie Wiesel for his contribution to Holocaust remembrance. Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor who gained prominence through his literary writings, was awarded the 1968 Nobel Peace Prize. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed him chairman of

the President’s Commission on the Holocaust. Wiesel was awarded the museum’s inaugural United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Award. Wamariya and several other speakers, including former secretary of state Colin Powell, praised Wiesel for his work and his role in “confronting hatred, preventing genocide and promoting human dignity.” “We must not be silent when we see injustices,” Wamariya said. Sara J. Bloomfield, the museum’s director, described Wiesel as “transformative.” She said has used many of his books in classes and workshops and has seen a change in the people she taught. “No one else has done so

much to honor the victims of the Holocaust by working tirelessly to create a more just world in their memory,” she said. “His legacy to humanity is unique and extraordinary. It is our great privilege to present him with the institution’s inaugural award.” The museum named the award in his honor, it will now be known as the U.S. Holocaust Museum’s Elie Wiesel Award. During his acceptance speech Wiesel said there is still much work to do and encouraged those at the dinner to “remember the suffering and remember the fight.” “Silence is forbidden,” Wiesel said. “There is still so much to remember.” The dinner was part of the museum’s “Days of Remembrance.”

Rwanda genocide survivor Clemantine Wamariya, left, and former secretary of state Colin Powell spoke at a ceremony to honor Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, right, as part of the U.S. Holocaust Museum’s “Days of Remembrance.” SHFWire photo by Kendra Johnson

by: Kendra Johnson

Members of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition meet with the Bouncing Bulldogs International Rope Skipping Demonstration Team on Tuesday as part of a promotion of fitness programs for children and families.SHFWire photo by Kendra Johnson

Athletes, health specialists seek grassroots solutions to obesityWASHINGTON - An impromptu rope-skipping demonstration and exercise session led by fitness expert Donna Richardson Joyner energized athletes and health specialists as they developed new strategy to promote healthier lifestyles. The Bouncing Bulldogs International Rope Skipping Demonstration Team, of Chapel Hill, N.C., was asked to perform a series of synchronized routines during a meeting of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. The team performed that morning at an event for National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and was touring the Senate office building where the council was meeting. A press aide spotted them and invited them in for quick performance. Coach Ray Fredrick said that, while the team was not prepared to perform, he was glad they had the opportunity because he supports the council. The council, chaired by New Orleans Saints quarterback and 2009 Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees and three-time Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes, is concentrating its efforts on developing new programs in conjunction with Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move Campaign.” Monday afternoon at a White House event, the first lady announced a new focus for the council. The campaign’s primary goal is eliminating childhood obesity, and the council will now

target the entire family. “We want to encourage and inspire kids and adults throughout the U.S.,” Michelle Kwan, an Olympic figure skater and council member, said. Charlene Burgeson, executive director of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, said it is important to develop an informed network of parents, the community and school officials for the new initiatives to be successful. “Physical activity needs physical education,” Burgeson said. The “Let’s Move in School” campaign seeks to bring educators, parents and policymakers together to develop physical education programs with more physical activity. One key initiative the council emphasized is the President’s Active Lifestyle Award Challenge. Participants, mostly children, create individual fitness plans and monitor their

progress online. Council members and outside organizations have committed themselves to promoting the challenge in schools and communities. New Orleans Hornets basketball player Chris Paul, a council member, said he is mandating that every child enrolled in his basketball camp sign up for the challenge. The council and the Department of Health and Human Services want a million people join the movement by September. Council members recently began to focus on the role of good nutrition in overall wellness. Council member Dan Barber, chef at New York’s Blue Hill restaurants, said the country is undergoing a revolution that largely revolves around food. “We tend to disconnect good food or the role of the chef from good nutrition – they’re one in the same,” Barber said. “Good food and nutrition don’t have to be separate entities.”