formation and COMMITMENT of eachi
The Institute currently has ten Executive Officers and a nine-member Board of Trustees. It has its Head Office in Chicago, USA and a branch in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. The Institute has most of its members in the United States, Nigeria and Europe.
The Institute is committed to pride itself in Edo history and to promote Edo arts and cultural awareness between Edo Kingdom and the world. The Institute seeks to use all resources available to it in finding solutions to the lack of historical documentation and preservation, so that Edo arts and culture will take its place in the annals of world history.
What EACHI has been doing since initial development:
1. Collaborated with Charles H. Wright Museum of African American history in Detroit Michigan to hosted a symposium on Igue Festival in 2007
2. Started Edo traditional naming and wedding ceremonies in 2011.
3. Started Igue Festival in Chicago in 2002
4. Created website (eachi.org) now eachinstitute.org
5. Collaborated with Art Institute of Chicago to organize program to compliment “The Benin Kings and Rituals” Exhibition in 2008.
6. Collaborated with the Art Institute of Chicago to conduct teaching and teachers’ workshops to compliment the 2008 exhibition. Major Edo Arts loaned from Nigeria and several European countries remained exhibited for a period of two years. Edo Arts given to the Art Institute of Chicago are still visibly displayed for visitors to see and admire till today.
7. Accompanied by the Curator of Africa and Caribbean Arts at the Art Institute of Chicago, EACHI members visited the Historical Cahokia Art Mounds in Collinsville, Illinois.
8. On invitation by the City of Chicago, EACHI hosted a day in the African Festival of the Arts September 2008.
9. Promoted and conducted several Edo traditional wedding ceremonies.
10. Hosted and promoted monthly Ibota, Edo folk law story events.
11. Sued Igbo residents in Edo State in 2016 to prevent them from installation of Indinzigbe (Oba of Igbo) in Benin City.
12. Participated in the famous Chicago Annual Bud Billiken Parade to display some aspects of Edo Arts and Cultures. EACHI is the only known Africa organization to have participated in the Parade which started 1929. It has been held every year since then
