WeDiasporan’s Visit To Verona City Hall: How Verona Can Become a Gateway for a New Era of Diaspora Cultural Tourism
On Monday, April 28, 2025, inside the storied walls of Verona’s City Hall, a new chapter in cultural connection began to unfold. WeDiasporan, a pioneering voice in African diasporan storytelling, presented its visionary project—The Diaspora Memorial & Tourism Exchange (DMTE)—to Councillor Jacobo Buffolo, whose portfolio spans Youth Policies, Equal Opportunities, Innovation, Historical Memory, and Human Rights.
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More than a tourism plan, DMTE is a movement: a bold initiative to weave the often-overlooked narratives of African diasporan heritage into the very fabric of Verona’s cultural landscape.
Starting in this northern Italian city, DMTE seeks to build bridges between Africa and its global descendants, using cultural tourism as a platform for healing, identity, and lasting global connection.
A Legacy of Collaboration and Cultural Memory
Since its founding in 2014 in Verona, WeDiasporan has been a vital force in preserving and amplifying the voices of African migrants in northern Italy. What began as a grassroots documentation initiative has evolved into a cultural movement, anchored in powerful storytelling and historical truth.
See also Become Part of Diaspora Memorial & Tourism Exchange (DMTE) – WeDiasporan Volunteer Series 2/21
Through two important books: The Journey – Africans in Verona and The Color of Our Children, alongside three compelling documentary films, the organization has chronicled the African migrant experience in Verona from 1976 to the present day.
At the heart of this work is Obehi Ewanfoh, a Nigerian author, researcher, and host of The Obehi Podcast, whose personal journey and dedication continue to shape the organization’s mission.
His leadership has helped transform scattered memories into an organized archive of lived experiences, highlighting not only the struggles but also the profound contributions of the African community to Verona’s evolving cultural fabric.
Over the years, WeDiasporan’s work has earned the support of local figures such as former Councillor Anna Leso, who attended multiple events, including the 2016 Human Migration Conference at the University of Verona. These early partnerships laid the groundwork for deeper civic engagement and positioned WeDiasporan as an essential voice in conversations around identity, migration, and heritage.
With that momentum, WeDiasporan now turns a new page—expanding its vision through the Diaspora Memorial & Tourism Exchange (DMTE). This latest initiative builds on a decade of community research, offering a sustainable model for cultural tourism that centers African diasporan heritage.
Monday’s presentation marked a significant introduction of this expanded vision to the city leadership, beginning with Councillor Jacobo Buffolo, whose broad portfolio includes Youth Policies and Equal Opportunities.
DMTE represents more than an extension of past work, it’s a transformative step toward integrating diaspora history into Verona’s future.
A Vision for Cultural Exchange
The meeting brought together key voices shaping the intersection of heritage and innovation: Obehi Ewanfoh, President and Director of WeDiasporan; Councillor Jacobo Buffolo, who leads the city initiatives on Equal Opportunities, Innovation, and Historical Memory; Veronica Atitsogbe, Deputy Vice President of the City Council; and Professor Alessandro Lanteri, a scholar exploring opportunities between cultural heritage and Italian business sectors.
Councillor Buffolo welcomed the DMTE initiative with enthusiasm, offering thoughtful perspectives on how Verona could integrate African diasporan history into its broader cultural narrative.
Among his key suggestions was the creation of a dedicated tourism map, a living archive that charts the African presence in Verona, from early migrant communities to contemporary cultural contributions. Such a map, he noted, could serve as both an educational tool and a symbolic gesture toward a more inclusive city identity.
Ewanfoh responded by highlighting WeDiasporan’s rich archive of primary materials—videos, photographs, and oral histories, painstakingly collected since 2013.
These resources, he emphasized, are not simply historical records. Instead, they are the foundation of an authentic, immersive tourism experience that allows visitors and locals alike to engage with Verona through the lens of African heritage.
With this material, the proposed tourism package can become more than a city tour, but becomes a journey through stories that have long been hidden in plain sight.
Beyond Sightseeing: An Immersive Experience
The Diaspora Memorial & Tourism Exchange (DMTE) is not your typical travel itinerary—it’s a deeply immersive cultural journey designed to inspire reflection, reconnection, and transformation.
Far from just ticking off landmarks, DMTE invites participants to experience culture as memory, identity, and bridge-building.
Take, for instance, WeDiasporan’s upcoming three-day event planned for October 2025 in Verona. This gathering is designed to go beyond the surface of tourism and dive into the emotional and historical layers of the African diasporan experience. Among the highlights:
- Ancestral Healing: A powerful session inviting participants to reconnect with their lineage through storytelling, reflection, and communal rituals rooted in African traditions.
- Strategic Heritage Tours: Curated walks through Verona’s neighborhoods and historic sites that trace the footprints of African migration, offering historical context and personal narratives that have long shaped the city’s multicultural identity.
- Theater Performances: Proposed collaborations with local artists and city representatives to stage performances rooted in African storytelling, allowing art to become a vehicle for dialogue, empathy, and cultural exchange.
Together, these experiences form a holistic program that educates, heals, and reconnects individuals, both from the diaspora and beyond, with the richness of African culture as it lives and breathes in new geographies.
You might also like to see Opening A New Chapter in the WeDiasporan Journey: A Meeting with Professor Emanuela Gamberoni at the University of Verona
But DMTE is not a one-time event—it’s part of WeDiasporan’s long-term vision. As a movement, it aims to reframe cultural and heritage tourism as a tool for empowerment, particularly for the African diaspora, while welcoming anyone eager to explore African culture through a more authentic and human lens.
Already, the momentum is tangible. Over 20 tourism and heritage organizations across Africa—from Ghana and Ethiopia to Tanzania and Kenya—have signed on via DMTE’s online interest form to be part of this initiative.
These early expressions of interest are more than symbolic; they signal the readiness of African partners to join a global effort that reclaims cultural narratives and builds sustainable connections through tourism.
WeDiasporan is now entering a new phase of development—actively pursuing partnerships with ministries of culture and tourism across the continent.
Early conversations have been promising, pointing to a future where cities like Verona and destinations across Africa collaborate not just through trade or politics, but through shared memory, cultural pride, and the power of human connection.
Economic Opportunities and Collaborative Ventures
Monday’s meeting also opened the door to promising economic conversations, pointing to how cultural heritage can evolve into platforms for international collaboration and diaspora-driven development.
One exciting proposal discussed was the organization of a CineConference—a signature event format of WeDiasporan—focused on exploring different economic opportunities, including a possible partnership between Italian businesses and Nigeria, with a spotlight on high-impact sectors such as agriculture and agri-processing.
This initiative is a key component of the second phase of the WeDiasporan vision, where storytelling becomes strategy. At the heart of this phase is the CineConference model—a fusion of film screenings, expert-led panels, and high-impact networking sessions.
Designed as a cultural and economic crossroads, the CineConference, part of the WeDiasporan projects creates a unique space where Nigerian Nollywood meets the Italian film industry, and where stories spark dialogue that drives real-world partnerships.
Here, culture, commerce, and community intersect, transforming cinematic expression into a platform for collaboration, innovation, and cross-border opportunity.
For members of the African diaspora in Italy, this could become a vital launchpad for business ventures, investment linkages, and strategic partnerships that strengthen bilateral ties and drive shared prosperity.
See also Capturing Your Verona Memories: My Verona Journey Series, Part 9
Adding a broader context to the discussion, Professor Alessandro Lanteri made an insightful comparison between WeDiasporan’s work and the MEI – Museo Nazionale dell’Emigrazione Italiana in Genoa, a national museum dedicated to preserving the stories of the Italian diaspora.
Drawing this parallel reinforced the idea that diaspora narratives—whether Italian or African—carry tremendous value. They’re not only cultural assets; they’re keys to understanding migration, memory, and how communities can shape the world across generations.
Ultimately, the conversation reaffirmed a powerful truth: when cultural projects are paired with economic vision. They have the potential to transform identity into opportunity for cities, countries, and communities worldwide.
A Step Towards a Unified Future
The meeting concluded with expressions of gratitude from WeDiasporan director and president, Obehi Ewanfoh, to Councillor Buffolo and Deputy Vice President Atitsogbe for their support and active participation in the conversation.
We envision a collaboration between the Verona City Council and WeDiasporan as a meaningful step toward embedding African heritage into the very fabric of Verona’s cultural identity. What we are aiming for is not as a side note, but as a celebrated and visible part of the city’s evolving story.
As the DMTE project progresses, it holds the promise of not only enriching Verona’s tourism offerings but also strengthening the bonds between the African diaspora and the city.
By embracing these shared histories, Verona can become a model for other cities seeking to honor and celebrate their multicultural identities.
The Broader Impact of Diaspora Tourism
The Diaspora Memorial & Tourism Exchange (DMTE) is more than a cultural initiative—it is part of a rising global movement that recognizes the profound economic, cultural, and emotional value of diaspora tourism.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), intra-African tourism now accounts for over 40% of international arrivals on the continent, with the African diaspora playing an increasingly important role in shaping travel patterns and investment opportunities.
One of the most compelling examples of this trend is Ghana’s “Year of Return” campaign in 2019. Designed to welcome the global African diaspora back to the continent 400 years after the transatlantic slave trade began, the initiative attracted over 1.1 million visitors and generated an estimated $1.9 billion in revenue, according to the Ghana Tourism Authority.
See also Coordinating Volunteers and Supporting Teams for Greater Impact – WeDiasporan Volunteer Series 20/21
The campaign also sparked a powerful cultural revival, bringing global attention to African heritage and inspiring new generations to reconnect with their roots.
DMTE taps into this same momentum, offering a vision of tourism not as passive sightseeing but as a transformative journey of remembrance, reconnection, and renewal.
It invites participants to engage with history, build bridges across cultures, and celebrate the enduring legacy of African contributions worldwide.
Whether you are part of the African diaspora seeking to rediscover your heritage, a cultural enthusiast eager to learn more, or a policymaker or business leader looking to foster meaningful international partnerships, DMTE is a space where stories meet strategy, and memory fuels movement.
This is only the beginning. As the project unfolds in Verona and across continents, DMTE stands as a bold invitation to reclaim history, reimagine heritage tourism, and reshape the future—together.
Stay connected for more updates as WeDiasporan continues to build this global cultural bridge.
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