Once again, it was good to see the annual Ethiopian soccer tournament & cultural festival was organised here in the hub of the majority of Ethiopians. However, I am not condoning to organising the occasion only in one city. The festival can be organised wherever the amicable location is chosen by members and organising committee. Nonetheless, I remember the last tournament was held in Melbourne in 2010 on one ground all inclusive.
2010 Ethiopian's Soccer Tournament Melbourne
It was good to see that the overwhelming people supported
the principle of solidarity not disparity and frugality. I could not help but
saddened to see some of my friends chose to be otherwise. All in all, the
organisation and the turnout at the festival prepared by the community were to
full capacity. There were more families and children with entertainment such as
jumping on bouncing carnival castle balloon hired for them.
I went over to Yarraville, where the federation’s soccer tournament
was held, not far from Altona North where the community’s soccer tournament was
organised, to see some of my friends and observe the outcome. Obviously, there
were few crowds and I was told that only few players turnout and they have to
forfeit some games. This is what happens when festivals are held on the same
days and times creating the unpredictability of the last minute decision by
participants. One couldn’t help but think what would have happened had this
been organised in unison.
2010 The Bold & the beautiful Team
I wish to express my deep gratitude and appreciation for all
the volunteers, organisers and participants. I am thankful for all of the
support and encouragement everyone has given the community irrespective of the
festival being held in two venues reprehensibly on the same days and times not
far away from each other. Although, disappointed whatever the reason for the predicament
to occur, I don’t intend to make it irreparable by naming, shaming and talking
evil of the already damaged circumstances and I sincerely plead to others to
refrain from abusing this gloomy status quo.
I wanted to thank everyone personally because being the
founding member of the community, it has always been my greatest aspiration for
all Ethiopians to be united and celebrate our cultural heritage in an
atmosphere of harmony. We all must know that if one is affected, we are all
indirectly affected.
As a prominent business stall holder, I was the only proud
and grateful individual who has displayed my business promotions based on our
cultural ideals and all sales of merchandises and T-shirt prints reflecting on our
cultures & positive aspirations.
Zelalem Print Display Stall
2012 is gone now. As our saying goes, ላለፈው ክረምት ቤት አይሰራም, (roughly translated), we can’t build a house
for the past winter. We can only hope mutual agreements can be reached
for the coming year festival and change of those agreements will not happen
again, specially, close to last minute preparation for the festival.
2012 Ethiopian's Soccer Tournament Melbourne
I urge both parties of the organising committee to be
committed and make a strong resolution to solve this dilemma and call for
solidarity to organise a better, bigger annual festival in 2013 by inviting
more business stall holders adding more colours to the celebration. Whatever
private or individual differences the other groups or members might have, for
the sake of the community and as an Ethiopian we need to look in to our communal
responsibilities, no matter how difficult and unmanageable the circumstances
might be. “United
we stand, divided we fall”. ድር ቢያብር አንበሳ ያስር.
Albeit we all came from different cultural backgrounds, we
have incurable enigmas of intolerable secrecy and silence in common impeding
the manner to open communication and honest dialogues harbouring fear of
retribution and ostracism. Time to accept, appreciate our differences and differing
of opinions without hatemongering and work together with those colleagues who
have a shared passion for making a difference for individuals &
transforming the community for the better. Time for change to take its course!It is said that those who do not learn from past mistakes are doomed to repeat it. Many mistakes and errors have been committed by successive leaders in the past. These mistakes need to be identified, studied and lessons drawn from them so that they will not be repeated again. We need to build collective agenda to advance and support these mistakes and undertake not to repeat them.
We mustn’t disrespect others who have helped us pave the
high way to success and mustn’t engage in character assassination (ye saaw sim matifat) of anybody by giving in to other peoples gossip (waare) & trusting the tall poppy
syndrome saga (und saaw ye telawoon
hooloom saaw metilat, ye tewededewoon mawooded bana woo qe woom) – to hate
or like someone just because everybody does - instead of believing in ourselves
to make our own judgement about other people.
We
must, always, remember that every difference of opinion & ideology is not a
difference of principle and shouldn’t be construed as personal vendetta and
should be discussed or expressed with respect.
I am a strong advocate, passionate, rational, and strong
leader in human rights and equal opportunity issues affecting, not only
Ethiopian community, other African communities, a diverse range of communities,
the development of services for the disadvantaged and marginalised groups. I
always believed in cross-cultural community building and creating a healthy
society when I took the first step navigating through storms to establish
Ethiopian community.
It is time to replace bitterness with reconciliation; hate
with love that heals the community; revenge with forgiveness; hope with
despair; hurt with healing; fear with courage; division with unity; doubt with
faith; shame with honour; deceit with
candour and sincerity; anger with reason; cruelty with kindness and caring;
enmity with friendship; duplicity with openness; complacency with action; indifference
with passion; incivility with gracefulness; suspicion with trust; selfishness
with altruism; dishonesty with integrity; convenience with virtue; cunning with moralities; ignorance with knowledge;
benightedness with imagination; acrimony with civility, desire with fulfilment.
If
there is one thing I detest and reject in the Diaspora Ethiopians, it is
political bluffing, power mongering, egos and self-promotion/centeredness and
hypocrisy. Breaking up, narrow group think, personality worships, arrogance,
hidden agendas, one group trying to undermine the other and so on will not
advance the common cause and or respond to the unity of all Ethiopians
especially the youths.
It
is that none of us can survive without each other. None of us can hope to prosper
while the rest are disenfranchised and subjugated. None of us can make progress
while the rest regress or stand still. We are now faced with the fierce urgency
of creating the conditions of unity.
Playing
the ethnic card game is to fall victim to destructive identity politics that
breeds division, hatred, conflict, and cynicism.
The
process of unifying people is difficult and the road to unity is often littered
with the debris of historical grievances, animosity and resentment.
The
realities today are different than they were ten or twenty years ago. Aligning
one’s thinking and actions with changing realities and circumstances is a sign
of wisdom and political maturity.
In general, society seems to have put power,
ethnicity, and profit ahead of humanity. Our world is still struggling with
poverty, environmental pollution, disease and the devastation of war while
grieving over memories of both world wars, Gallipoli, Korean, Congo and others.
Greed, the struggle for power between the haves and have nots has taken us on a
path towards competition instead of cooperation paving the way for destruction
and we still continue to torture each other while mourning for the past. As a
result of all these circumstances, we have been disconnected from our heart and
soul and from the earth that sustain us.
Failure can be turned into an opportunity to learn and grow.
I say it can because it requires a particular attitude to benefit from our failure.
Without that mentality, all our failures will go to waste. This is true in
politics as it is in personal life for a leader as well as a follower. So what
is that mentality?
It is a mentality that is willing and able to reflect on
past experience – past actions and their outcomes. It is only through such
reflections that one learns one’s strengths, weaknesses and the environment and
conditions in which actions were undertaken and what could have been done
differently that could have resulted in a positive outcome. It is not enough to
admit collective failure. One needs to evaluate one’s role in the failure. This
is even more so if one is a leader under whose watch an organization – business
or political – failed. Denying (to one self and others) failures and personal
accountability and scapegoating or blaming on “globalization, end of cold war,
etc.” will not do. Leaders without such a mentality cannot educate themselves
from past failures and therefore deserve no second chance.
To me, being educated means being responsible, accountable,
open-minded, tolerant, compassionate, decisive, insightful, considerate,
ambitious, realistic, and perseverant.
We
see individuals, political leaders, groups and organizations of all stripes
stoking the fires of ethnic and tribal hatred, fanning the flames of sectarian
and religious violence and instigating all forms of strife, disagreement and
enmity.By reciting my mantra of personal convictions daily & living a life of principles to the fullest in a lifelong journey with steadfast endurance, with so much despair and discomfort, eventually, achieving happiness and contentment in the process, exclusively, knowing the success of founding the institution for all Ethiopians through my life long struggle to survive and continuing to fight for social justice and equality to prevail in our communities everywhere thereby beaming on our homeland, I feel I have fulfilled my mission without regret.
Ethiopia is one of the most mosaic nations in the world,
mothering over 80 different ethnic groups all deserving equal opportunities. I
do not mind if my leader/president is from dominant (e.g. Oromo, Amara) or
minority nationalities (Walaita, Guragie) as long as s/he demonstrates the all
the qualities the leader has to offer and based on merit not idolized
personality profiles. Indeed, I will be extra glad if the leader/president
comes from the tiniest ethnicities. That should be celebrated as it is one
powerful way of ensuring social equity and justice thereby transforming
society.
In his autobiography, Gandhi wrote, “Man and his deed are
two distinct things. Whereas a good deed
should call forth approbation and wicked deed disapprobation, the doer of the
deed, whether good or wicked, always deserves respect or pity as the case may
be. ‘Hate the sin and not the sinner’ is a precept which, though easy enough to
understand, is rarely practiced, and that is why the poison of hatred spreads
in the world….”
If one hates another
because of race, colour, religion, ethnicity or other factors, the result is
more hate. Mandela said, “No one is born hating another person because of the
colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to
hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes
more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Needless to say that if
hate is learned it can also be unlearned. If love can be taught it can be
spread across the land.
We should really follow Gandhi’s precept that if we must
hate, we “hate the sin and not the sinner.” It is a tough precept to follow and
live by without perfecting oneself with enormous change of attitude &
self-discipline. We have all been part of the problem and part of the solution
at one time or another. If this is not true, then “he who is without sin should
cast the first stone”. But now all of us have an opportunity to become part of
the grand solution to the political problems facing all of us in the diaspora
and in our country.
Let’s join together by resolving our differences and
strengthen our solidarity to organise a cultural festival for all Ethiopians by
inviting all business vendors to join by displaying their businesses at the
chosen festival venues.
Good Health & Happiness
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