Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/288180
14 APRIL 2-8, 2014 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Fayetteville is a diverse community. People from all around the world and from all walks of life have come to this thriving community and embraced it. Often cultural organizations look for ways to share the cultures of their native lands. On April 12, the Southeastern North Carolina Asian Indian Association (SENCAIA) presents a showcase of the Indian community. Dancing is an art form that every culture has embraced. Indian dancing in particular has a strong cultural significance as a method to pass on religious and cultural traditions. It is a method of storytelling. "It gives a glimpse into the culture and into the cuisine. We will have entertainment all day. There will be someone on stage at all times. There will be dancing and singing. Some of the performers will be local and some will be from out of town," said Dr. Sumedha Dalvi, who has been involved in the festivals organization from its inception. Entertainers of all ages will showcase their talents. The sheer effort that is put into the dances that are performed is astounding. "When you see the kids perform a five minute dance, that dance took weeks of practice, it is impressive. These kids are busy with school, sports, homework and things, but they still make the time to practice. Those five minutes take so much work because they want their performance to be perfect. The parents and the kids have a great time and they get to show off their talents. They'll even invite their friends from school to come support them," Dalvi said. Another important aspect of any culture is its food. People can experience Indian food in several different ways at the festival. "There will be two food vendors. People can purchase all different kinds of Indian food. There will be vegetarian and non- vegetarian options. You can get a snack or a whole platter. This is always very popular. We will also have Indian drinks like chai and fruity drinks like mango and lychee," Dalvi said." There will be cooking demonstrations every hour on the hour as well. "People from our community will demonstrate how to cook traditional Indian dishes. People always like this because they get to learn how it is made and sample it. We also have a spice garden that is a booth that will be selling Indian spices. If people try a dish at a vendor and ask what is in it and want to make it at home, the booth will have spices and recipes and things." The traditional clothing of India is also a distinctive and beautiful aspect of the culture. "There will be three fashion shows. First, we have the kid's fashion show, then a youth fashion show and finally, a ladies and couples fashion show. The theme for our adults fashion show is a wedding — so they will all be dressed as a bride or groom or as someone in the bridal party. We will have a bridal procession leading up to it and a fashion show on stage," Dalvi said. Additionally, vendors will sell beautiful and traditional Indian clothing and jewelry. Two women will also help with the wrapping of the clothing. There will also be a bargain corner for donated and lightly worn traditional Indian clothing and jewelry available to purchase at a lower price. The India Festival is a lot more than just a festival. It is a celebration and benefit the entire community. "All of the proceeds, after the cost is covered, go to local charities. This is our way of giving back to the community. We've been here 15 years, but coming from India and getting settled here ... the community has really embraced us. This is a way to show our culture and to give back," Dalvi said. The event is on April 12 from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the Crown Arena. The Arena is located at 1960 Coliseum dr. Admission is $2 per person and kids under three get in free. India Fest: Explore the World without Leaving Town by ERINN CRIDER Starting in April, Operation Ceasefire will host its movie night initiatives in an attempt to reduce gun and gang violence in Cumberland County. All movie events are open to the public and held outdoors. The movies start at 7:30 p.m., and everyone is encouraged to bring chairs, families, friends and colleagues to enjoy a free movie under the stars. Operation Ceasefire is an intervention program dedicated to improving the quality of life for all residents of Fayetteville/Cumberland County by reducing gun and gang violence in our community. Although Operation Ceasefire is not an amnesty or a gun turn-in program, it does work to reduce gun violence and inform felons of their restricted rights and new responsibilities pertaining to firearms and ammunition. Not only does this program seek to reduce violent crimes in our community by maintaining strategic and effective partnerships, but it also offers to assist individuals in successfully changing their lifestyles. There are several businesses dedicated to hiring former felons or assisting them with job placement, ministries that are willing to mentor, admonish, and exhort individuals struggling with changes they undergo in life, and resource organizations designed to help with the daily needs and challenges of successful living. Operation Ceasefire is not a program that forgives offenders for their violent acts, but rather a program that meets individuals where they are and helps them to reach the next level of change, if change is something they really want. For those who continue doing harm, it is a promise to bring the full impact of a united community to vigorously prosecute violent crimes. Operation Ceasefire has had an 80 percent success rate in intervention. More than 6,000 residents have made connections with law enforcement and one another at a Ceasefire Movie Night events, and more than 1,000 children have made the commitment to stand against gun violence. In 2011, fugitive surrender cleared 200 warrants, peaceably removing over 130 names from the "WANTED" list. The plan for Operation Ceasefire is to offer help to former offenders that want to change and need assistance turning from crime and violence, to teach offenders about state and federal firearms laws and Operation Ceasefire's role in enforcing the same, to respond to future incidents of violence through arrest and prosecution to the fullest extent of state and federal law aggressively and to promote firearm safety and gang prevention throughout the county. The national received rate of individuals with criminal record averages 67 percent. Without intervening programs like Operation Ceasefire, most of those individuals would continue to commit crimes again and again, leading them to be incarcerated within three years of their last conviction. From Jan. 1, 2011, through June 30, 2011, Fayetteville experienced a 10 percent reduction in gun crime compared with the same time frame in 2010. Of the participants called-in from August 2010 through July 2011, 80 percent have either successfully completed probation or are in good standing with no criminal violations. The dates for the movie nights are April 11, May 9, June 6, Sep. 19 and Oct. 10. For information on the event locations, contact Operation Ceasefire Resource Coordinator Lisa Jayne at (910) 433-1017 or LJayne@ci.fay.nc.us. Additional useful resource links for investigators, parents, children and community stakeholders can be found at http://ceasefire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ links.aspx. Community Partnerships Aim to Cease Firearm Violence by JOSÉ GREEN Operation Ceasefire is an intervention program dedicated to improving the quality of life for all residents of Fayetteville/Cumberland County by reducing gun and gang violence in our community. JOSE´GREEN, Intern, COM- MENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. ERINN CRIDER, Staff Writer. COM- MENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910.484.6200. The India Festival is a lot more than just a festival. It is a celebration and a benefit to the entire community.