versus “YES WE CAN”
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 of inclusive values and principles, there will never be peaceful
efforts to reform our nation.
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.
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, USA Abiy 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.
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
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.
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!
ONE ETHIOPIA FOR ALL, ALL FOR ONE ETHIOPIA!
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(የአማርኛ ጽሑፍ) ለአገራችን
ለውጥ
ጥሩ ሀሳብ፣ምክር፣ጊዜና መተባበር ወሳኝ ናቸው።
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