President of the Global Indians Organisation (GIO) South African Chapter Claudette Sigamoney, says they are hoping to build international solidarity and cooperation, while also ensuring social cohesion among different cultural groups in KwaZulu-Natal.
She was speaking to Sunday Tribune on the sidelines of the gathering in Durban yesterday to mark the anniversary of Indian Indentured labourers.
The gathering combines the celebration of 164 years since the arrival of Indians in South Africa, and GIO Annual International Men' s Day Awards to celebrate the achievements and contributions of extraordinary men worldwide.
Sigamoney said they were pleased with the turnout, and wanted to use the platform to foster greater cooperation among different nationalities.
“We have over 50 delegates here coming from different parts of the world from France, and Germany to the United States and we would like such collaborations to be enhanced,” she said.
In addition to this, she emphasised the need for the Indian community to improve relations with their African counterparts in KZN and South Africa. “In KZN there is a high presence of Zulu and Indians and as part of the social cohesion project we want to see greater cooperation and cultural exchanges among these groups,” Sigamoney stressed.
More than this, the event is seen as a platform to send a positive message about Durban and KwaZulu-Natal as tourism destinations.
Sigamoney said the hotels in Umhlanga had been booked to accommodate the international guests as there was an appreciation of the importance of such a gathering.
Chairperson of Umhlanga Tourism Jeannie Sarno described the GIO delegates visit as a significant moment, also noting the timing in which it was taking place with the festive season at the doorstep.
Sarno explained the challenge when lobbying for Umhlanga as a venue, and how they had to ensure that all guests had an unforgettable experience.
“When it was first proposed that Umhlanga should be the location of choice for the conference, the international delegates were extremely concerned that it might not be the ideal location but after seeing some contents about the area and what KZN has to offer international visitors they quickly changed their minds with the large variety of hotels, restaurants and attractions to see in their short visit.Having a large group of international visitors will promote and encourage provincial travels, especially our neighbouring provinces,” said Sarno.