Intercultural Tomares

The City Council and ONG Tomares Comparte came together to arrange an intercultural festival to front integration of the many foreigner in the town.

The centre of Tomares was filled with life when the event “Muchas culturas, un solo pueblo”, was held in the Jardines del Conde, right by the town hall Saturday afternoon. Many people visited the park during the day, and got to see a theatre play and music performed by two of Tomares’ local choirs. In addition, represents from different nations had prepared local plates, which were sold and took part of a gastronomy contest for the best plate.

Many different cultures were represented, and plates, desserts and appertives from exotic nations like Peru, Mexico, Brasil, Cuba and Norway where found in between many Spanish specialties from Andalucía and other Spanish regions. In the end the Cuban delegation won.

According to María del Mar, represent of the ONG Tomares Comparte, was this the first intercultural event held in Tomares.

- We in ONG Tomares Comparte are an organization which works to create a culture of brotherhood. Our objective is to help the people of the town, and we work with other organizations and institutions to reach out and help as many as we can.

The organization also work in international project in Burkina Faso and Peru, and she tells us that the inspiration to hold this event have been that they have seen that more and more foreigners choose Tomares as their place to settle down. Nevertheless, she feels that the people of Tomares haven’t been award of this immigration.

- In addition, I wish to mention that this a beautiful place to hold such an event, and that we have chosen gastronomy and music as our cultural theme, because it’s something universal that everyone can relate to and learn from, was del Mar’s last words to us.

This event was held thanks to the collaboration and initiative from the ONG Tomares Comparte and the City Council and Pilar Dominguez, town council for education and construction, as well as represent for Tomares’ many exchange students, shared her positive opinions about the festival. She said that the collaboration between the City Council and the ONG goes years back, but that this initiative is the biggest and most visible one so far, and hopes that this festival can bring more foreigners to Tomares.

The festival was not only an intercultural event, but also an opportunity for the local politicians to talk to the people and gather votes for the upcoming municipal election in May.

- I think we should host this event every year, and when I become mayor will we do it. I see a good environment where people are enjoying themselves, asking questions and learning, told Cristina Perez us, when she was asked about her taughts of the event. She’s the PSOEs mayor candidate in the community of Tomares, and will be racing José Luis Sanz Ruiz and his Partido Popular.

Ole Martin Drevvatne