Since its
establishment, in 1985, ECAV has served not only as the social hub for
Ethiopians living in Victoria, but also organizing annual Ethiopian cultural
and sports festivities such as soccer tournament competitions for all
Ethiopians living in Australia and New Zealand during annual Christmas break
times and celebrating Ethiopian New Years by inviting popular and famous
Ethiopian celebrities and musicians.
In its 30
years operation, the community has endured enormous challenges and achieved significant
contributions amid struggling to keep members and attract more new comers
because of the political changes in the country.
I hear and
see celebrations of all sorts from around Australia and abroad by diaspora
Ethiopians about all kinds of achievements and establishments of their
communities and organizations alike. Needless to say, this is a significant celebration
for all of us. Our Victorian, Australian, community can still develop reflecting
on what they have accomplished over the last thirty years & strife to maintain
their goal for economically independent association where they can increase their
services and initiate to launch more programs such as “my brother’s keeper”, a new
pathways by addressing compulsory and growing needs for all younger generations
who are faced with disproportionate challenges & trends of obstacles in
their daily lives, the program which will empower them & finally paving the
way to their success.
I’m so
delighted to see our community for all Ethiopians marks its thirtieth
anniversary since its establishment and indebted to everyone who have involved
in its development in the process so far. There is still more to be done sustaining
our solidarity among all Ethiopians. It’s my hope that the community will
continue to fulfil its objectives and my pledge wouldn’t fall on deaf ears that
I sincerely ask the community to keep a timetable to organize a celebration of
unity, like all other diaspora communities, that will include a recognition
ceremonial for the past & present founding members & those who have
made substantial contributions to the community over the past three decades
with no exceptions, exclusions and regardless of our current political
differences created by an inevitable change of governance and disparities that
have been overlooked among our homogeneously and harmoniously interrelated
people.
It is common
to read history backward and assume that a particular group is destined to
become dominant, but conflict is part of the historical narrative and as such
unavoidable part of human experience marked by complex relations and a never
ending alternation between the oppressed and oppressors. A significant
component of the walls of suspicion among us is the baggage that we carry in
the form of historical narrative and particularly a deterministic notion of
identity. I am not in any way suggesting we should not be unmoved by the past
history of suffering and humiliation. After all, our experiences and memories
help to shape our identity. Only by acknowledging our historical legacy, even
when it might be painful, can we come to terms with our past as a way to better
understand ourselves, identify our weaknesses, strengths, accepting the past
and bridging the divide to transform to a better future for all Ethiopians. This year will also mark a celebration of different kind. Twenty-fifteen will be election time for Ethiopian people where we hope change is coming for the better this time around. We, in the diaspora, share our people’s endeavour & send them our encouragement in support of a peaceful transition and a democratically elected transparent government. We must show our solidarity and support opposition leaders and peace activists who stand for all Ethiopians, who are constantly under threats, intimidations and imprisonment pleading (bleeding) for freedom, justice and morally exercising their democratic rights.
Hopefully,
this combined celebration will remove the old approach of inadvertent &
ignoramus governance of nepotism & despotism and doing so will encourage
more participation & conducive to more collaboration and fetches
wholehearted appreciation from all Ethiopians, ultimately restoring the spirit
& integrity of the community, thereby, attracting more members and connecting
the crack and hopefully this unity, undoubtedly, will resonate back home
enticing the essence.
May God give
us the courage to live together as many entities but one community.
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