Edo Shepherds Forum, Inc.
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Introduction

An Introduction Into the Edo Kingdom

All through human history, societies have had to wrestle with the important question of identity. Ancient tribes established their identities through various norms, values, artifacts, festivals, and ceremonies, which, combined with their language and dances formed very solid parts of their BEING later known as their culture. Culture is an integral part of the human society. But culture is, for the most part always in constant flux, creating room for the natural 'wear and tear' of the values in the culture. This constant flux is naturally fanned by what sociologists now refer to as 'cultural dispersion.' A root cause of this is the effect of modernization resulting from changes in lifestyle, migration from country to country and from one continent to another. Thus the original content of the tribal or nuclear society is generally lost as the indigenous members of the community migrate to other lands where they are seriously influenced by their host culture.

The General Human Society

The saying "When in Rome, act as the Romans" is very popular. The general human society is never at a loss in this experience, because as they lose their inherited values and cultural norms in the outside world in which they find themselves,  the immigrants who come to settle in their former homeland are influenced by the values they experience. Is there any culture that has not lost its bonafide sons and daughters to foreign cultures? No! While the above descriptions are the general experiences of many African societies, the fact remains that some indigenous Africans hold their cultural values very dear and they often dread losing such values that are integral to their being.

One such value is their native language. Language is a God-given gift and is the first and most important method of expression and identity. Even when a foreigner is fully absolved in the host culture, the individual may still be betrayed by the accent of his/her original language. During the 20th century, large populations of the African peoples have migrated to Europe and the Americas. These have dispersed far and wide, to the extent that the possibilities of their close concentration to enable their original cultural practices are very remote. Besides, the acquisition of higher education and skills for which they migrated to foreign countries can, in most cases become very overwhelming, to the extent that adherence to their native cultural values is of no concern.

However, they would later realize that they have lost a significant part of their God-given identity. It is common therefore to find immigrants forming their native social clubs, to help to remind themselves of their lost values. For the Edo people of Southern Nigeria, the hue and cry about this loss have led to the creation of this media ministry. The name defines it so! Edo Shepherds Forum means a forum where Edo people are brought together under the umbrella of the Shepherd-Priest, Shepherd-Bishop of his people, the Edo people. The Edo people are about the fourth largest ethnic group in Southern Nigeria. Although smaller in population, compared to some other ethnic groups like the Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo, the Edos lay claim to a higher ethnic authenticity than any other native group in the continent of Africa.

Not only is the Edo Kingdom one of the very few ancient kingdoms that can trace their history to times before Christ (BC), Edos actually have their Creation story, which, biblical scholars identify as the nearest in content and meaning to the Hebrew Bible's account of creation. The Edo monarchy is as great as it ever was, even in these days of mixed cultures and diversified civilizations. The above hint of Edo people tells us why and how they regard their culture as the integral part of their BEING, which they can hardly part with. It is for this reason that this ministry is established, to serve the Edo people through the media avenues of this Website, Facebook, and YouTube. The services of this ministry include teaching the Edo language to all lovers of good things. The invitation is timeless.