Aang Serian Peace Village - Vision

For thousands of years indigenous communities have existed in harmony with nature and through this unique relationship developed deep spiritual ties with it. Traditional songs, dances, mythology and arts and crafts are a reflection of the unique bond that exists between these communities and their environment.

Today these echoes of our ancestors' voices are under threat from external forces, causing millennia-old cultures to disappear. The diversity of peoples and cultures in the earth is an attribute of the Creator: everyone has a right to live on this earth, following the ways of their forefathers. No-one, whatever their faith, has the right to destroy another culture - or to claim superiority for their own.

In the past, the birds spoke to people. Trees spoke. But now, after all we have done, we have no friends left on this earth - and we are becoming slaves to the machines we have built. We still have a choice. But unless we take the right choice now, our children may not…

Among the 120 tribes of Tanzania, the Maasai are one of the few peoples who still keep their culture relatively unspoiled. These warrior-like pastoralists, untouched by western norms, are seen herding their cattle under the open African sky. However, on a daily basis their land, which is the keystone of their lifestyle, is threatened by the encroachment of private and public interests alike, thus endangering their unique culture.

Aang Serian - meaning House of Peace in the Maasai language - is a cultural organisation managed and operated primarily by young Maasai. Its mission is to preserve and promote indigenous culture in general and the Maasai culture in particular. Aang Serian regularly organises festivals aimed at creating public awareness of the importance of sustaining indigenous cultures, as well as providing a forum for cultural and religious boundary-crossing dialogue.

Many organisations offer you an insight into African life and culture. What makes our `Spirit of Tanzania' Cultural Program special is that it's brought to you by the real experts - the local people themselves. It'll certainly be different from anything you've ever experienced before. It calls for commitment, an open mind and heart, and full participation; there are no easy options! Are you ready to take up the challenge?

1. About Aang Serian and its activities

a) Background

Aang Serian (the name means "House of Peace" in the language of the Maasai of East Africa) was founded in March 1999 by a group of youth in Arusha, Tanzania. After a successful Arts and Crafts Festival at the National Natural History Museum in Arusha, the organisers felt the need for a permanent forum to promote East African culture and raise the self-esteem of youth - and so Aang Serian was born.

Initial fundraising by The Gregg School, Southampton, UK, enabled us to buy a plot of land at Monduli Chini, near Arusha, and to start building our community centre for youth - the Peace Village itself. The Gregg School also helped to set up a fair trading initiative, "Fair Traditions", selling Maasai bead jewellery in the UK.

In November 1999, Aang Serian was officially registered with the National Arts Council of Tanzania (BASATA) as an organisation for the promotion of arts and culture. The UK Branch of Aang Serian was set up in Oxford in February 2000, and is responsible for fundraising and publicity as well as dealing with volunteer applications. We're now applying for UK Registered Charity status. An American branch is also being started up in Indiana.

The decision to advertise for volunteers was taken after meetings with Indigenous Peoples' organisations at the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nairobi, Kenya in May 2000.

b) Aims

Aang Serian is not linked with any religious or political movement. We promote equal rights and opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender, race, age or class. Our aims are:

1. To promote the culture, spirituality and traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples - their unique relationship with their environment and their Creator.

2. To help to reduce poverty in sustainable ways.

3. To build self-esteem and cultural identity among indigenous youth, and promote positive images of traditional cultures in the media.

4. To provide a forum for students to gain first-hand knowledge of traditional cultures, and study specific aspects in depth

5. To work with research initiatives on traditional medicine and medicinal plant biodiversity, with a focus on sustainable use and intellectual property issues (see later).

6. To provide a venue for small-scale youth conferences and meetings on environmental, peace and human rights issues, and for inter-faith and cross-cultural dialogue.

7. To bring together Indigenous Peoples from around the world to share ideas, knowledge, dreams and visions.

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