The South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services (SOICS) annual OneWorld Festival returns to the Penticton Lakeside Resort on Feb. 23.
This free admission event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and teaches attendees about cultures from all around the world. According to Tahira Saeed, executive director of SOICS, this year’s event will showcase 30 different cultures through various mediums.
“A number of volunteers at the event are immigrants who have either attended our language classes or utilized other services,” said Saeed. “They happily volunteer their time and energies to help vendors with their respective booths.”
Performers will entertain the crowd throughout the day, while informational booths will offer art, food and cultural artifacts to give people insights into life outside of Canada. Saeed said this event provides the opportunity for locals to learn about the community’s newcomers while they in turn make this community their home.
One volunteer for this year’s event, Mohammad Azeem, said he and his family were inspired to teach others about their culture after attending the festival in 2018. Azeem and his family will have a booth showcasing the unique culture of Pakistan.
“We decided (after visiting last year) that we should represent out country for the next one,” said Azeem. “We’ll be showing a little bit of culture, history and geography of Pakistan. Many people from B.C. would not know where is Pakistan located or what the culture or people are like.”
Azeem said he has found that people confuse Pakistan with other cultures, so he’s excited for the opportunity to provide clarity. He added his three daughters will be in traditional dresses at their booth, helping to teach about their traditions.
“It’s very important to have these types of festivals. Canada is quite diverse, and people can understand each other through their culture—how they dress, what language they speak—all these help in understanding people.”
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<>Jordyn Thomson | Reporter
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