Anybody or any
leaders in the new generations are well informed and capable of accessing
helpful & informative ideas thanks to the internet technology and the
availability of free social media interactive information.
This testimonial
is demonstrated by the election of current new breed of leaders, like the Ethiopian
Prime Minister, human right activists and all others passionately involved in
various parties and justice activities, around the world. These people amassed
more facts and figures and most importantly educated themselves about the
acceptable resolutions to proficiently manage all the problems that are causing
their multiethnic societies to pity against each other.
It’s so distinctive
that everything the Ethiopian Prime Minister, political parties and other
activists have been articulating, from their individual personal changes to tirelessly
campaigning and promoting unity in diversity with forgiveness with no vengeance,
has been mentioned.
More importantly,
the emergence of the term ‘Medemer’
or ‘to be counted’ and ‘Ethiopiawinet’phenomenon, which have
all been commented in a diversified expressions (various terminologies) on
blogs and social medias, has been termed differently during successive revolutions
or changes in the country. The notion of Ethiopia Tikedem -‘Ethiopia
first’ & ‘to be counted’ task
is the same. The fallout of the former was putting it into practice.
ETHIOPIA TIKEDEM
Now, we’re moving
forward with openness with renewed ideology, vigor, freedom, peace,
forgiveness, love and all the poignant words we’ve never heard before, we’re,
hopefully, on the right ship sailing as one people in the right direction.
Our new young
generations need to be informed and learn more from our historical revolutions
than totally discrediting contributions of our strong generations.
I want readers
to know that I’m not suggesting that everyone has been to these sites, but it’s
most likely that like some of us, our shared ideologies, what we all have
cherished eventually come to a crossroads reflecting our mutual intentions
yearning to achieve the same welfares, ethics and principles to attain the
ultimate transformations on a personal level or collectively.
I
hope you think and focus on the message not the messenger and you don’t spend
too much time analysing the title ‘Ethiopia Tikdem’ (Ethiopia First) which was associated
with the former Derg –military government. Although, the message mantra was by
far a superior ambition, they failed to put it in practice. We can redeem that
now!
Like everything else, in life, change is a vital
course of existence. We all change as times go on, so is the rebuilding of the
nation after natural devastation, invasion and unification with another nation.
Whatever happened ages ago are history; whether it’s subjugation, isolation,
corruption, migration or invasion, it can’t be redeemed. It’s redemption time.
What we can do now is to change that course of isolation,
exploration, displacement, massacre, incarceration, torture, starvation, domination,
association, or whatever we want to call it, with sincere gesture of reconciliation,
forgiveness and appreciation to bring back everything that’s Ethiopian.
ETHIOPIA TIKIDEM
Change entails new way of thinking, doing and being.
These days in
age, we don’t need guns, weapons of mass destruction and separations to change
course of history, by sharing practical concepts as an interconnected society,
we can write and re-write anything until we get it right, peacefully.
We need to
cultivate and nurture the concept of cultural helpfulness and social cohesion
rather than our individual intelligence.
Nobody can
control what has happened in the past which may have caused certain
inconceivable factors to happen, but we have the resources & power at this
moment and move forward to choose and plan what we can do to change things for
the better.
The diverse
political groups, individual actors, intellectuals and political activists must
realize that the future of the Ethiopian state would only be solved via continued
dialogue, negotiation & cooperation.
All Ethiopian
ethno-nationalist groups must be considered integral actors in the changing
process and all negotiation procedures occupying the place they deserve on the
reconciliation and compromise issues.
Today, looking
at the history of ethno nationalist movements such as EPRP, the Pan-Ethiopian
nationalist movements emerged as inclusive political organizations, TPLF and
EPLF, the rebellions with ethnic grievances as their agenda, that mostly
emerged from Tigrigna speaking highlands as well as OLF, the Oromo Liberation
Front arose as rebel organizations that are exclusive to their ethnic groups’
interests and their ethnocentric views, Ethiopia’s contemporary history shows
that despite some political actors affiliated with such movements have come to evolve
in their views of what the Ethiopian state should be. It is crucial to
reminisce that these organisation’s political platforms remain embedded within their old
ethnocentric agendas.
Autonomy for
ethnic federal system was a self-gratifying fraught with conflicts denying
fundamental freedom, human rights, economic and social opportunity and
democracy to the vast majority of Ethiopians.
Ethnic federal
system lent itself to manipulation by federal, regional and local authorities
to serve TPLF/EPRDF government’s narrow economic, financial and political
purposes and gave them carte blanche authority to erode bonds among Ethiopia’s
diverse population.
It is time that all Ethiopians, academics, experts and
laypeople take the initiatives to stop incessantly criticizing, forming
fragmented organizations, activism as Amhara, Oromo, Annuaki, Somali or other.
The potential outcome of a united group and advocacy is far greater.
Some of our
scholars, I mean some, goes to the extreme argumentations and reflect gloomy
perspectives to say nothing nice but repulsively criticize, denigrate,
contemplate and spread their agnostic and ineffectual assessments that are
obstacle to changes.
I said some
because some individuals and intellectuals ultimately using our old mindset to
do business while some are flexible to change and show a sense of optimism,
opportunity and encouragement persistently. While the latter deserve unreserved
commendations for their contributions for instigating a peaceful change in our
country, we can still encourage the former to join peacefully.
Furthermore, unless
all of our people agree on the principles, values and structures that are
essential to implement the key ingredients ofinclusive values and principles, there will never be peaceful
efforts to reform our nation.
"LOVE YOUR ENEMIES"
We must
recognize that the most powerful weapon against any brutal government is unity
and collective action. When the people unite, there is nothing they cannot
achieve. The need for unity and transformation is greater than
ever and all efforts must be made to bring people together in the pursuit of
freedom through democracy, rule of law, justice and equality to achieve a real change.
The quest for
freedom and change is steadily enduring and we all must stand together for
fundamental change in a global village.
“YES WE CAN”,
Obama’s “unlikely” story has a resemblance to that of our own Obama, Abiy Ahmed’s
“Ethiopiawinet”. He is not just making rhetorical talks, but obviously building
up the bases for change instead of jumping the crocodile to build the ceiling.
Everything he’s done so far agrees with my own perception for change.
Therefore, I take my hat off to him and do my part to help him achieve his
mission for change.
"YES WE CAN"
Here is a
meritorious resemblance of the lives of the two most popular leaders, Obama and
Abiy, from two different but friendliest countries.
Barack Obama, USAAbiy
Ahmed, Ethiopia
Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii,
United States, in 1961. His mother is Stanley Ann Dunham, an American, English
descent and His father is Barack Obama, Sr., from Kenya, Africa. Obama grew up
without a father. His father returned to Kenya and saw Obama only once before
dying in an automobile accident in 1982 and Obama’s mother lived in Hawaii
before dying of ovarian cancer in 1994.
Of his early childhood, he described his
struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial
heritage.
Obama has seven half siblings from his Kenyan
father's family, six of them living, and a half-sister with
whom he was raised.
Obama was a Christian whose religious views
developed in his adult life. In The Audacity of Hope, he describes his father
as “raised a Muslim”, but a “confirmed atheist” when his parents met. Through
working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he
came to understand “the power of the African American religious tradition to spur
social change”.
Obama met, his wife, Michelle Robinson when
he was employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm and were married
in 1992 and have two wonderful daughters together.
Obama graduated from law school and served as
a professor of constitutional law and served as community organizer, senator
and finally as President of the USA, the highest office in the land, The
Whitehouse.
Abiy Ahmed was born in Agaro town, Jimma Zone,
Oromia Region, Ethiopia, in 1976. His father, Ahmed Ali, is a Muslim and his
mother, Tezeta Wolde, a Christian who passed away, like Obama’s mother, without
seeing her son’s highest accomplishment. Like Obama, Abiy Ahmed also never
habituated to seeing his father and he is the youngest of 6 siblings.
Abiy Ahmed, like Obama, was a product of two racial
families with different beliefs and lifestyles. Like Obama, he grew up with his
mother and amassed huge perseverance, resilience, and considerable self-discipline
to succeed in a racially and culturally competitive upbringing.
Abiy, is married to Zinash Tayachew and have three
daughters together, He met his wife while both were serving in the Ethiopian defence
forces and reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Like Obama, he’s a new breed of generations: a
successful scholar in various professions, smart, witty, articulate,
persuasive, humble, compassionate and humanitarian and has a quality &
fine-looking, qualified and suitable to his current position.
Barack & Wife Michelle Obama Abiy Ahmed with Wife Zinash Tayachew
Like Obama, he appeals to the people to work together,
“from the ground up”, not the other way around as this development was
undeniably not reflected in the past successive government practices, thus, appeared
to recycle status quo manifestations in our history.
Like Obama, Abiy
is the man who really understands and able to put himself in others shoes with
no hesitation, because he’s been, you name it, through it all and has the
tenacity, resilience and determination to change any harsh conditions fronting
our country, certainly, with our persistent support not defamation.
I
applaud him for his gestures of reconciliation and inclusion and I regret to
say many of us in the diaspora have not publicly responded in kind.
It’s
my deepest & foremost wish the country that I love will also change the
national flag emblem with Ethiopian symbolism and ultimately choose its own
democratic system of government and change all divided regions of the country
by borders and people with identifications and restore the unity and
Ethiopiawinet that have been uniquely Ethiopian values for centuries.
NEW ETHIOPIAN FLAG
Ancient united Ethiopian map Recently divided regions
United we can repair the pain
Today, it’s not enough to create change at
the level of symptoms and structures. We need to work together even more deeply
to change the underlying paradigms of thought and to connect with our deeper
sources of creativity and self in a heterogeneous society.
What is your life's blueprint?
Let’s accept what is, let go of what was, and have
hope & conviction in what will be.
I am so elated in a long time, with the nomination
of the new Prime Minister and hopefully, he will be re-elected again by the
people. I feel the winds of changes are really propelling our way, peacefully.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” –Lao Tzu.
Need I say changing one thing at a time; Abiy certainly will surprise all his
challengers.
Please, contain yourself from being hatemongering
and antagonist for having or presenting my views different than yours and
making any assumptions to judge me for what I stand for because whatever I wrote
here wouldn’t be a characterization of my persona.
We all can have different opinion without
contentions. It’s just my genuine insights, observations, thought provoking suggestions
and propositions for the change we need and I don’t mean to offend anyone for
no apparent reasons.
Most importantly, I send my greatest admirations to
our youths who have sacrificed their lives and those who continued to make
their voices for change amid their disrespectful spirits, the way the new Prime
Minister is handling the adjustments, every now and then. My absolute
admiration and appreciation also goes to my fellow Ethiopians –activists, all
opposition party affiliates and homeland loving people everywhere and those loyal
supporters in the diaspora who have used the technology to spread vital
information to our people to bring democracy and justice for all with
courageous demonstrations and persistent calls for equality and Ethiopiawinet.
We’ve
the choice to live together in harmony or continue to live in a world of hate and
inequality.
As one nation, we rise together as one people.
Let’s all watch each other’s back and more importantly
that of the Prime Minister!
I would like to express my
congratulations, highest optimism and exuding hope with the election of the new
Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, who stands for all Ethiopians.
We must, always, remember that every difference of
opinion & ideology is not a difference of principle and shouldn’t be
construed as a personal vendetta and should be discussed or expressed with
respect.
In 2008, making the first black presidential nominee
of a major U. S. political party, Barack Obama appealed to the nation in words
that millions now hope will never be forgotten by US government: “America, we
cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children
to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and
cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and
so many lives to mend…Let us keep that promise – that American promise – and in
the words of scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we
confess.”
When Barack Obama took office, it was assessed the
US faced the worst recession in eighty years, but he managed to fight back with
swift decisions.
The economic downturn Obama inherited from President
Bush was daunting with the US facing one of the worst financial crises: high
debt, growing deficit, huge unemployment, financial institutions on the brink
of collapse
After a century of trying, Obama declared the health
care in America is not a privilege for a few; it's a right for everybody.
Obama’s contribution to healthcare reform, by passing the Affordable Care Act
also known as the signature accomplishment, Obama Care, has been a
praiseworthy.
Obama put equality of opportunity policies in place
to support students a path to college giving the low-income students free
tuitions.
Obama also travelled around the world preaching a
new world order.
Obama clearly told the African leaders on the future
of Africans: “We must start from the
simple premise that Africa’s future is up to Africans. I say this knowing full
well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world. I have
the blood of Africa within me, and my family’s own story encompasses both the tragedies
and triumphs of the larger African story. …”
“Development
depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing in
far too many places, for far too long. That is the change that can unlock
Africa’s potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by
Africans. … “Africa doesn’t need strongmen, it needs strong institutions….”
He also launched the Young African Leaders
Initiative (YALI) – programs that mentors and funds projects for the next
generation of ambitious young African leaders.
Obama will be remembered and cherished for long time
to come for his contributions to social changes, inspiring and motivational
slogans such as “Change We Can Believe In”, “Yes We Can” and “The Audacity of
Hope”, thoughts on reclaiming the American dream, that encourages every walk of
life to tap their full potential in their pursuit of peace, happiness and equal
opportunity regardless of “who they are”, “where they come from” and “wherever
they live”.
Having closely watching and witnessing Obama, I
found Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Dr Abiy Ahmed’s liveliness and character is
similar to that of Obama.
Abiy Ahmed, like Obama, was a product of two racial
families with different beliefs and lifestyles. Like Obama, he grew up with his
mother and amassed huge perseverance, resilience, and weighty discipline to
succeed in a racially and culturally competitive upbringing.
Like Obama, he’s a new breed of generations: smart,
witty, articulate, humble, compassionate, and humanitarian and has a quality
& fine-looking stature of a star.
Like Obama, he appeals to the people to work
together “from the ground up” not the other way around as this scenario is
undeniably not reflected in the past government’s dealings which seem to
recycle a status quo in our history.
Therefore, is there anyone out there from any
opposition parties or who can be handpicked amongst the crowd who will
represent all Ethiopians far better than our own Obama, Abiy Ahmed, so we can
start promoting his succession to the throne, in the coming election, by
sharing his dreams and aspirations with no conflict of interest?
Why is there so much intra-group conflict,
characterized by personal feuds and infighting in our society? And when there
is conflict, why is conflict resolution so difficult?
One explanation is that we have been brought up in
an environment where certain dysfunctional behaviours that hamper effective
communication and cause conflict are the norm.
We can observe chronic feuding and infighting in
families, extended families, friends, non-political civic organizations such as
professional associations, churches, community organizations, charity
organizations, and others.
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 habits 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.
Indeed, the most infectious conflicts occur in
apparently homogenous groups whose memberships have not only similar
ideologies, but similar frames of reference, perspectives and interests.
The four parties
under the EPRDF: the OPDO, the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), the
Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Southern Ethiopian People’s
Democratic Movement (SEPDM) need to be vigilant and work together openly with
no favouritism.
Marginalized political groups develop an
ethno-nationalist discourse as opposed to democratic governance, arguing that
their exclusion violates the principle of ethnic representation as outlined by
TPLF’s own ethnic policy. The biggest challenge facing the future of democracy
in Ethiopia is indeed this notion of ethnic entitlement. One can only hope this
troubling form of identity politics has not yet become deeply entrenched to the
point where a new order based on democratic norms will not be able to fill the
crack created by ethnic division and the related deficit of trust among us.
Today, it’s not enough to create change at the level
of symptoms and structures. We need to work together even more deeply to change
the underlying paradigms of thought and to connect with our deeper sources of
creativity and self in a heterogeneous society.
Ethnically, the
population of Ethiopia is extremely diverse and there are more than 80
different ethnic groups declared within Ethiopia. Many languages are spoken by
the inhabitants, including Amarigna, Oromigna, Tigrigna, Guragigna, Somaligna,
and Arabigna. Numerous other local languages and dialects also are spoken while
Amharic is the country's only official language.
Keep in mind
that people have full right to exercise their cultural heritages including
their languages but it should not be to the extent that shake their own and
others survival. We should not run for dominance/ knockout game like in our
dominant past, rather we should appreciate our uniqueness for the benefits of
everyone in the game.
While we can
justly be proud of the fact that every generation of Ethiopians during those
centuries have paid in blood to maintain our independence, we cannot but feel
deeply insulted that at the dawn of the new millennium ours is one of the
poorest countries in the world. Over the course of our second millennium we
have gone from being one of the most advanced nations on earth to that of being
one of the poorest.
Even donors who
continue to support the regime is self-serving while maintaining an economic
structure that keeps the poorest of the poor trapped in a cycle of poverty.
This heroic country of ours deserve better than tired expressions.
Throughout this
process we have not been colonized by any foreign nations, thanks to our hero forefathers
and foremothers, and hence
we have always been the authors of our destiny, both our successes and
failures.
However, heroes
can be defined in many ways that satisfies receiver’s views regardless of their
differing, fields of endeavors, achievements and triumphs. It may sound like
comparing apples and oranges to some who are still wallowing in the old beliefs
and assumptions that heroes are only limited to warriors.
There are lots
of heroes who have contributed to our social cohesion in their own way and need
to be recognized open-mindedly. It’s not a conducive strategy to vent or throw
tantrums on anyone one, because they didn’t not act or fulfil our expectations.
“It's only after we've lost everything that
we're free to do anything.” –Tyler Durden.
The apparent inconsistency rested plain the TPLF’s
trickery and cynical ploy to divide the country along ethnic lines for the sole
purpose of maintaining its hegemony.
The underlying problem is the lack of good
governance and the absence of enabling factors: accountability, social justice,
transparency and rule of law. Focusing on transient issue of favouritism will
only serve to provoke and divert attention from the real struggle that is being
waged, and to undermine our resolve to build a just society.
The fallacy of identity politics is its mishandling
that created disunity and ethnocracy instead of democracy. Take for example
someone who was born in Addis Ababa (a cosmopolitan city by all account) whose
parents came from two distinct ethnic heritages - say Amara and Oromo- and yet
the only language s/he has spoken is Amharic. Which ethnic group this person
ought to be allocated? What if by virtue of his/her upbringing and the
multicultural environment of his/her surroundings s/he does not feel allegiance
to any of his/her parent’s ethnic heritage? The issue could be complicated even
more if we add to the mix of the unavoidable dynamics of intermarriage with
other group that constitute the Ethiopian cultural mosaic. I can go on with
other complex scenarios, but there is no need to press the point further, for
only in the context of democracy that the questions of choice arises. A
person's identity cannot be given to them instead a person must achieve a sense
of identity through personal experience and self-search as a result of his/her
cultural heritage and current surroundings.
Above all one can bear allegiance to multiple
identities at any one time. Obviously, Dr Abiy Ahmed’s diverse combinations of
generational experiences distinctively qualify him for the highest office in
the land.
“No,
no, we are not satisfied and will not be satisfied until justice rolls down
like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” –Martin Luther King Jr.
We need to break free from negative emotions of the
past, out-dated beliefs and opinions how we do things which passed on to us via
generational setting, inherited collective mind-patterns that have kept our
generations in captivity creating so much of their suffering for eternities
manifesting in our misery today.
“If you're walking down the right path and you're
willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.” –Barack Obama
Let’s accept what is, let go of what was, and have
hope & conviction in what will be.
These days in
age, we don’t need guns and weapons of mass destruction to change course of
history, by sharing practical concepts as an interconnected society, we can
write and re-write anything until we get it right, peacefully. The quickest way
to change how we feel is to change how we think.
Therefore, my
fellow Ethiopian brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, I urge you to fully
accept our own Obama, Abiy Ahmed, “because change has come” to Ethiopia, who
would bring about those changes he promised for our people to live with dignity,
collaboration, high spirit and economic prosperity leading our young
generations to a common goal –PEACE, LOVE and the Pursuit of HAPPINESS!
Let’s join together by resolving all trivial
differences and strengthen the team spirit to communicate with all Ethiopians
by inviting all local ethnic communities and business venders rather than
talking about each other, feeling honestly and friendly to talk to each other.
ONE ETHIOPIA FOR ALL, ALL FOR ONE ETHIOPIA!
So, the time has come when we all need to learn new
ways of doing things or businesses or interacting with others.
I have embraced all manners of esoteric arts, natural therapies, traditional forms of medicines, mind & body works, only to come up with nature's simplest of all remedies: rest & sleep, it has taken me all my life time to make peace with the enlightenment of rest & good sleep. I was the change that I was looking for in the wrong places at the wrong time.
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