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Arts Correspondent
This year’s edition of Culture Week which celebrates the importance of cultural diversity throughout the country was successfully launched last weekend at Bolamba Culture Centre in Gwanda.

The national event coordinated by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) was officially launched by the Vice President Kembo Mohadi.

Speaking at the launch, the Vice President said the commemorations were a way of celebrating and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions.

“The Culture Week format is Zimbabwe’s distinct way of celebrating and commemorating the United Nations World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development which falls on May 21 each year.

“We value our culture and heritage to the extent that we commemorate not just a day but a full week. This is so that we may effectively inculcate a deep and effective love of our culture,” he said.

The Vice President also applauded the ministry for practising and embracing the Zimbabwean culture.

“As Government we commend the Bolamba Community, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and its parent Ministry, the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation for ensuring that our unique and diverse cultures are not only embraced and respected, but that they are practiced and safeguarded for posterity,” he said.

Culture Week will be punctuated with various activities that express cultural heritage of humanity, augment and transmit through the different cultural expressions by using diverse modes of creation.

In a statement, NACZ spokesperson, Catherine Mthombeni said the week-long event will be commemorated under the theme “Culture: A Tool for Building Communities” which signifies identity and a true sense of belonging.

“Culture binds communities, binds nations and ultimately binds the entire world though diverse in nature and practice. Countries are united by a common consciousness whose national expression is laid bare by culture. It is culture that rightly defines a people, a community and ultimately an entire nation. Zimbabweans are known in a community of nations primarily because of cultural traits,” said  Mthombeni.

Culture Week is celebrated as part of the universal declaration on cultural diversity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), which declared May 21 as the World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

In commemorating this day, countries are encouraged to celebrate the uniqueness of diverse cultures found in them as part of world culture.

Culture Week will run up to May 25 and it is intended to provide an opportunity for the flaunting of various cultural heritages that need to be preserved for posterity.