Character is the combination of personal qualities that make each person unique. Teachers, parents, and community members help children build positive character qualities. Most adults and parents agree that assisting teenagers and young adults in building moral character is a worthwhile goal. Some of the virtues stressed in society today include: compassion, courtesy, cooperation, responsibility, fairness, tolerance, self-control, courage, knowledge, citizenship, perseverance, helpfulness, honesty, and respectfulness (toward self, others, authority, property and the environment). So how can we instill these character qualities in teens and young adults?

Schools often have character education programs that focus on the qualities of character that are honored by most cultures and traditions. Character education is the development of knowledge, skills, and abilities that encourage children and young adults to make informed and responsible choices. Most children of today take it as adults telling them what to do, how to live, behave etc. and they rebel. This leaves no real involvement in children lives when it comes to them crossing over from childhood to adulthood, sexual maturity.

At the age of 13-20 when elders tell you what you should or should not do, what's right and what's wrong it feels more like they are making you become someone you’re not or just scolding you. The children don't look at it as teachings that would needed to be a well rounded adult. Many parents run into this problem with their children. Not able to thoroughly teach children to be respected, hardworking, responsible adults and parents. Or maybe it’s a single mom or dad that needs a little help getting through to their child of the opposite sex. I think people would agree only a woman can teach a woman to be a women and a man can only teach a man to be a man. Amma Oloriwaa! saw as a single mom she wouldn’t mind a man or just a community of people help teach her two sons to build character, so she started Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin, creating her own rites of passage organization for young men and women.

In many cultures rites of passage is used to mark the socially recognized transition to sexual maturity. Among some of the indigenous societies of Africa and Australia, intentionally painful genital surgery has been an important part of such rites of passage. In some indigenous cultures you are even sent away from their community and on their own learn to build character and develop sexual maturity. They are welcome back to the community once they have matured and ready to act like young men and women. In the US that is something that obvious cannot be done. It is left to your parents, school teachers, community leaders or a family member or family friends to help build character and develop sexual maturity.

Rites of Passage are experienced practices in African and Native American traditional cultures. The Egbe Iwa Odoíkunrin * Egbe Iwa Odoíbinrin, Inc. culturally based traditional Rites of Passage Program was established in June 2003 in Brooklyn, New York, It is the first of its kind in the U.S. The meaning of Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin tells the organizations purpose in its name. Egbe means “Society” Iwa means “Good Character” Odo’kunin “Young men” Odo’binrin “young women”, creating the name “The Society of young men and women of good character”. The organization mission is to “prepare and empower young men and young women to assume age appropriate responsibilities at each stage of life. The name coming from a African culture, Yoruba, Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin does not religiously practice the Yoruba culture but draws its principles from this culture. Amma made a statement “it’s having a culture to draw from to create a strong foundation” and that is what The Egbe Iwa Odoíkunrin * Egbe Iwa Odoíbinrin Inc has accomplished drawing from Yoruba culture.

The Egbe Iwa Rites of Passage Program offers a positive alternative that is based on the Yoruba indigenous people of Nigeria, West Africa and Native American example as well as the traditions of African-American, Afro-Cuban, and other cultures of the Diaspora. From the ages of 13-20 Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin vows for a year to teach a different topic each month. Having instructionals and ILE ISONA ( workshops) on sexuality or urban living,i.e. teaching a young man how to carry himself in case he has a run in with police officers. Teach them and helping them Understand what helps to create and sustain themselves and their community. The Ile Isona include, but are not limited to, Basic Spirituality, community service, advanced education, puberty, sewing, wood craft, traditional African arts, dance, writing, rules of dating, courtship, and marriage, respect of self, self awareness, self esteem, social consciousness, manners and etiquette, environmental awareness and protection, financial planning, cooking, cleaning, time management, goal planning, and more! There is not a topic that does not in some way help build the qualities of a person with good character. This 12 month program builds on the cultural aspect of OGUN, which represents hard work, strength, bonds of brother and sisterhoods, protection, focus, concentration, and attaining oneís goals.

They are then tested at the end and have a graduation, a form of rites of passage to signify the completion on the Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin organization. GALA ITE SIWAJU (GRADUATION) year ends with a Black Tie, wear Your Finest African Attire and there is a Commencement Ceremony. This is an exciting event where the full community comes out to witness, celebrate and congratulate the Akekoís(mentee) right to pass through to young adulthood.

Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin does not leave you only with learning virtues of society: compassion, courtesy, cooperation, responsibility, fairness, tolerance, self-control, courage, knowledge, citizenship, perseverance, helpfulness, honesty, and respectfulness (toward self, others, authority, property and the environment), but gained brothers and sisters for life. The alumni all stay in touch and come back to help their fellow sisters and brothers of the Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin community. The program has gone on for 7 years and now has 5 years of graduates to have their success shine through. Amma Agyapon graduate and daughter of Amma Oloriwaa! the founder of the organization considers her experience with the rites of passage program liberating she says: “These rites bring joy and excitement not only to the youth and their families, but also to everyone in the community. As a child becomes an adult the community is assured that itís traditions and values will continue on and never fade away. Like any change, the idea of changing roles can be frightening. This program allows the Akeko (mentee) to safely grow and learn”. And to help celebrate this success Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin had Egbe Iwa Day on March 13th,2010.

Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin received a grant from “Miracle Corners of the World” foundation to produce Egbe Iwa Day. It was held at The future leaders institute in Harlem. The hurricane like rain and winds did not keep away the community on Saturday. This was an event filled day with numerous free activities and workshops, all adults, teens and young children were able to take advantage of the fun hosted by Egbe Iwa Odo’kunrin Odo’binrin Rites of passage program. Attendants were first greeted by graduates of Egbe Iwa Odo’kunrin Odo’binrin. These young adults were wearing their sashes, which show the merit pins that they earned during their year in the program, then lead folks to sign up for two of Five workshops. After opening remarks, they Debuted Egbe Iwa’s new video for their Hip-Hop anthem “Aiye Aiye”. The video received a standing ovation, and the crowd loved the message of the song. The song features different artists to represent the Yoruba Diaspora. Yomi & Amma (two graduates of the program) Brazil's premiere MC Eli Efi and For Something, talk about the positive impact of Egbe Iwa in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Egbe Iwa day continued with Basketball with workshop leader Bill Matthews, Hip-Hop Dance with workshop leader Lovely Nicolas, Afro-Cuban Dance with workshop leader Tiola Baker, Cultural Arts & Crafts with workshop leader Kaleiah Dyson and Drum making with workshop leader David Coleman. Everyone left drum making with their own hand-decorated/handmade drum, and learned about the significance of the drum to music.

Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin gave the people the opportunity to take part in cultural activities to show how other cultures come together and express their happiness. From drum making to Afro-Cuban dance class, from basketball tournament to the cultural arts and crafts corner for the kids, there was something there for people of all ages to be a part of.

The message Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin is to build character, teaching our teens and young adults how to be compassionate, courteous, cooperative, responsible, fair, open-minded, strength of will , knowledge, determination, goodwill, honesty, and respectfulness (toward self, others, authority, property and the environment). It’s a big task but someone has to do it, it’s teachings that our kids of today lack most. For more on Egbe Iwa Odo'kunrin Odo'binrin please visit egbeiwaday.eventbrite.com.

CHTA Raises $70,000 for Caribbean Youth

The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHT - A EF) raised approximately US$70,000 last weekend with a Silent Auction at The New York Times Travel Showin New York City. More than 100 participating properties throughout the Caribbean contributed hotel stays drawing a huge crowd of attendees who trudged through the New York snow for the chance to bid on a tropical Caribbean getaway.

The second annual CHTAEF Silent Auction in New York City saw a huge improvement over last years event, doubling both the number of auction registrants as well as the scholarship funds raised for Caribbean hospitality students. CHTAEF Chairman Tom Pas conveyed the charity organizations gratitude to each of the participating hotels and resorts, as well as The New York Times for providing complimentary booth space at the show, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts for providing discounted accommodations for the Foundations volunteer staff who flew into New York to assist with the auction. We worked hard to make this years silent auction a success, but it wouldnt have been possible without the support from The New York Times and each of the hoteliers who donated stays, said Pas.

The funds we collected over the weekend will directly benefit a number of Caribbean students pursuing hospitality degrees, he added.

While the Caribbean youth were the true winners this weekend, winning bidders received a great deal on their next Caribbean hotel stay along with the rewarding feeling that comes with supporting a worthy cause.

New Yorkers came out in droves for a chance to bid on one of the 100-plus Caribbean hotel stays at the CHTAEF Silent Auction.