Bob, Rita Marley Foundations to Build Palace Museum

[XXPANTHAXX]

The Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa)
February 4, 2005

By Dagnachew Teklu
Addis Ababa

The Bob and Rita Marley Foundations announced plans to build
a palace museum in Addis Ababa in the near future.

The Foundation's officials told The Daily Monitor that the
palace museum would be built in commemoration of the late
Emperor Haileselassie.

The museum will be having various historical and cultural
items as well as Emperor Haileselassie's heritages.

The officials indicated that an event aimed at raising funds
for the construction of the palace museum is scheduled to be
held on Friday and Saturday evening at the Sheraton Addis and
the National Palace.

"The Bob Marley Foundation is committed to build this palace
museum. That is why we would be holding the fund raising
event in connection with the celebration of Bob's 60th
birthday here in Addis Ababa where we all are proud to be,"
they said. The Foundations are holding discussions of the
initiative with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture on
when and where to build the museum.

They said that they have received a confirmation from the
government that would enable them to use the palace for fund
raising event which is going to be private.

The organizers also indicated that part of the funds,
scheduled to be raised from various event's including the
Sunday's concert, would be utilized to support various
projects in Ethiopia and other African countries.

"We are also going to make money out of the sale of CDs, DVD
and documentary films of the event. Those contributions and
funding would go towards both Ethiopia and the continent of
Africa and to projects that are being implemented by the Bob
and Rita Marley Foundations," the organizers added.
During the one month event over 300,000 people are expected
to attend.

The organizers and the Addis Ababa City Administration are
working jointly to avoid problems related with hotel booking
and other issues.

"If there occurs a shortage of bedrooms in the city, there is
a plan to build temporary shelters in selected areas of the
city. But we are working hard to avoid overflows at hotels.

We are working with the city administration on that," they
added.