MENTORING NOT MENACING IS THE KEY TO RAISING RESPONSIBLE KIDS

On behalf of all migrant Australians, I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we live and pay our respect to their elders past and present. I’m proud to call it ‘my home’ and pay my allegiance to the flag and privileged to use my democratic rights to make inoffensive comments when I see, hear and feel something that betrays our social cohesion.

I just want to get it out of my chest about recent swimming's great Dawn Fraser’s comments about Australian tennis players at Wimbledon. I was not bewildered or surprised with her comments because I hear and see revolting remarks like that every single day.

We all may have come by different circumstances but now we have boarded on the same boat either to navigate together with family spirit by look at the more realistic picture, as they say the devil is in the detail and change for the better or sink together titanically. “Whatever we practise we will get good at, for better or worse.” –Law of nature. 
     
I believe like majority of Australians, I do think Australian swimming great Dawn Fraser stepped over the line when she unconditionally said; young Nick Kyrgios & Bernard Tomic are “being paid too much, arrogant and if they don't like it, go back to where their parents came from. We don't need them here in this country to act like that."  Can you imagine if that applies to every Australian kid if they behaved badly?

Dawn Fraser like Pauline Hanson haunted by their past both speak what’s in the minds of some Australians who couldn’t have the opportunity and celebrity status to say what, how and when they feel the pinch.  

Irrespective of Nick or Bernard’s perceived behaviour or sportsmanship they are still learning how to associate themselves with the level headed environment and persevere their new status as the world’s best tennis players.

I believe society is expecting too much of young people to stay still and behave like everyone else or want them to be someone they admire. We can’t change elephants to be like lions or vice versa. We need to accept growing up kids for what they are or drive them to the limit where they will be traumatised and stigmatised to display even more anguish and unwanted behavioural problems.

Dawn Fraser who is old enough to know better has shown us and the rest of the world how the racist past still droning around among people of her generation.

On the other hand, the media extends their support telling us that Dawn Fraser has apologised after suggesting Nick Kyrgios "go back to where his parents came from" over the claims she apparently knew they labelled him tanking during his 4^th round loss at Wimbledon.

The message still is disappointing. The media should stop playing mouth piece spreading the apology messages. If Fraser honestly wants to apologise, she should appear live and say it as she did the dreadful call on the young tennis player in first place.  

Why didn’t everyone raise their eye brows when, the then 20 years old, Lleyton Hewitt, was lobbing all kinds of racist tantrums against a black linesman for twice foot-faulting him for offences he committed in the US Open in 2001 while playing against, another black man, James Blake?

 

Kyrgios & Tomic Wimbledon 2015                          Blake Hewitt US Open 2001
                                                                          
Hewitt goes on to say, "Look at him (the linesman) and tell me what the similarity is (beckoning towards Blake)," brutal words clearly picked up by the courtside microphones. "I want him off the court, I've only been foot-faulted at one end. Look at what he's done."  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/usopen/3011926/US-Open-Crowd-chide-racist-Hewitt.html

Besides all the Australia’s past social stigmas, do you think the weight of their names, Kyrgios, Tomic vs Hewitt, made a difference?

I beg you not to step over the line to challenge and abuse me; rather take a good hard look at the whole unfolding argument mindfully if you sense this problem is incensed by Australia’s past social norms regressing again like that of the recent US wave of racial brutality by the police force against its own people.

We should take Dawn Fraser’s comments as a wakeup call for the old and new generations and embrace it seriously without making offensive judgements and learn from it and refrain not to make the same mistake again and again. Dawn Fraser and her generation grew up in a time of racial inequality and rampant era of all sorts of discrimination.

Make no mistake, things have changed and it’s time for change, we absolutely need to accept anybody that acts and does anything and everything different than us, without judging and labelling, mindfully. We realize that we are all different species and make different errs sometimes and we should accept that as a warning to check ourselves in the mirror without banging our heads against the mirror or wall.

This wisdom doesn’t come without attention, but paying attention to the things we find most offensive or uncomfortable isn’t for the faint-hearted, so it also requires courage to observe with an unbiased attitude.
Apparently, Dawn Fraser didn’t seem to have a rosy past too.

Here is a copy of bizarre online comment about her by:               [ mawson01 3:23 PM on 07/07/2015 If I recall, Dawn was arrested stealing a flag at the Tokyo Olympics. Not only that, she was not a "team" player in refusing to swim the medley relay.

Pot calling the kettle "black" maybe a risk but appropriate metaphor.]

A B R U T A L M E R C I L E S S L O S S O F L I V E S

What promises to be a better, peaceful and prosperous new year, 2015 has shifted its passage of astral travel already causing brutal, to name a few, heartaches around the world.

The Islamic State militants in Libya cruelly shot and beheaded 30 Ethiopian Christians.
The Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram continues to harm innocent citizens.
The Attacks against foreigners including Ethiopians continues to haunt in South Africa.
The sinking of boats full of refugees in the seas of Middle East is becoming like the Watergate mystery.

The rampant culture of racism among United States police is regurgitating the social injustices that have been crushed, chewed and cremated in the past.

The dangers of online dating with the unknown and family violence crimes are creating indecisive results for justice systems.  

The Israelis and Palestinians continue to play tug of war destroying the peace process, people and their infrastructures.

The mysterious vanishing of Indonesian and Malaysian airplanes in the eastern hemisphere without trace continues to puzzle the International Air Transport Association and International Civil Aviation Organization.

The Bali 9 tragedy which saddened a lot of people around the world finally laid to rest.

Indonesian president, Widodo, executed Australian duo, Chan and Sukumaran and 6 other death row inmates from different countries in a cold blooded draconian style law and order while the 9th Philippine’s woman received a last minute reprieve.

I felt the pain pounding in my heart thinking what it would also be like for the families and friends of those executed by a barbaric style firing squad.

With all the miscarriages of justices and corruptions in judiciary systems in Indonesia & around the world, fortunately, luck has been with some people for surviving the merciless decisions. Regrettably, luck was not on Bali Nine Australian duo and 6 inmates’ side and certainly I am convinced that their time was up and destined to die this way mainly as a result of their Karma.

Karma is a fundamental doctrine that all of our actions- mental, vocal and physical will have equal repercussions, affecting us. It’s the principle of cause & effect where our intent and actions influence our future. Good intent and good deed contribute to good karma and future happiness, while bad intent and bad deed contribute to bad karma and future suffering.

It’s our actions, deeds and motives of the past, depending on its severity, that brought our harsh realities of incessant sufferings of today. 

We are mortal beings destined to go, in different circumstances good or bad, in an avoidable power like the source of a big torrential river grounded on our Karmic retribution. We can only redeem it in our present lifetime with good intentions and deeds for a very happy life in our next lifespan.   

Unfortunately, when our time is up nothing I mean nothing will save us. We all have seen people survive from unforeseen disasters like tsunami, bushfires, airplane crashes and so on, and tend to believe miracle and guardian angels are on their side.  

The truth is those survivors are not ready to pack up yet. Hey! I’m not talking about irrational wonder. This divine truth has been around since human evolution but we just haven’t been embracing it as a result of our varied upbringing and nurtured in a diverse spiritual choices. This may sound strange and new phenomenon to you but our life’s worth finding out more about the concept comprehensively without making overstatements or otherwise. We have the “Choice”.

However, this tragedy should be the day of awakening and whatever the cause maybe, good, bad, karma or else, the maximum punishments bestowed on human lives are excessive and unjustified and should be replaced with other forms of reprimands that can rehabilitate those honestly remorseful offenders.

They didn’t mean to bring anguish to their families and everyone around the world. Maybe they’re there to create a cause: telling the world that there still exist brutal injustices that need changing. They certainly caused huge impact of empathy reverberating in our nation and around the world that will bring change of hypocrisy, accountability and inequity.   

If offenders sincerely admit their youthful and stupid mistakes and asked you for forgiveness and mercy, what would you do?

As continuing track records of offences show, legitimizing death as a form of punishment to deter drug trafficking has never worked and lots of visiting innocent foreigners still keep falling victims of this brutal injustice. It’s very sad that this barbaric action would rather discourage more foreigners from visiting the beautiful Indonesian Isles thereby crippling its economy and human interactions.

Indonesian president Joko Widodo defiantly defends his reasons and appears to have rejected any clemency claims even before he reads each specific clemency petitions from death row inmates.

The president appeared inexperienced foreign policy diplomat who hasn’t anticipated the state of affairs that threatens to undermine Indonesian & Australian relations, a bilateral relationship far more important to Jakarta by ignoring an honest request for clemency of its citizens.

As for Widodo he will get his own remuneration as an effect of his deeds, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

It’s always a great occasion when nations decide to resolve their problems through diplomacy in a peaceful means of magnanimity, honesty, fairness, justice, and mutual benefits. Such great agreements are born out of strong principled presentations of each sovereign nation pursuing its national self-interest. Because of unpolarised interactions, national leaders will start to recognize the legitimacy of all well founded claims and concerns of each other as riparian conditions.

The exchange houses-diplomats are not to be used as rubberstamping institutions but as a functioning body to foresee and examine any requests, grievances, agreements, resolutions, treaties, even policies during the negotiations, ratifications and ultimately granting of the congenial decisions unconditionally.

This is a reminder to all countries who exchange diplomatic representatives such as embassies, consulates or any proxy agencies for their respective countries not as symbolic but must give assistance at a time of critical statuses and open to communicate effectively and fairly to listen to each other’s concerns and compromises to accommodate the interests in an harmonious and humane manner more specifically in a time of disaster and distress about their citizens.

I wish the Indonesian people and other present day law abiding countries to denounce the ‘out dated’ death penalty categorically and practice universal law to live with the global community humanely.

To those unsympathetic individuals who took an unlikely side because of offender’s ethnic backgrounds or filled with hate mongering biased moral judgement, must wake up to their consciousness to put “humanity before ethnicity” and practice the fundamental ethical principle of “treat others the way you want to be treated.” 

Finally, I send my deepest condolences to all the families of the executed, my warmest gratitude to the organizers of ‘We Stand For Mercy’ appeal, lawyers who indefatigably & effortlessly fought the injustice battle to the end and to those who took part in doing everything in this distressing, upsetting and heartbreaking epic journey.

 I hope 2015 finally ends on a very good and remarkable note.

Good bye & RIP 

OVERCOMING THE STATE OF NEW AGE BARBARISM

The group formerly established (by misguided & deceitful management? see video) as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) also known as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) recently renamed itself simply as Islamic state (IS), to represent worldwide Muslim Community, is appearing ferociously inhuman than first thought.

                Truth in Media - The Origin of ISIS from GC on Vimeo.
 

They remain condemned and unrecognized to this today. Many mainstream Islamic and non-Islamic communities refusing to acknowledge IS and considered the group unrepresentative of Islam.

The group has been designated as terrorist organisations by the United Nations & many countries are directly instigating war against them

.

They started their onslaughts by beheadings of soldiers, civilians, journalists and aid workers, as well as the deliberate destruction of monumental cultural heritage sites.

Now, they come up with a terrifying backwardness vengeance to crusade against Christians.

Recently dreadful news has been circulating around the world; this time IS is targeting Ethiopian Christians. Clearly, they must have run out of other justifications to turn their gun against their Christian fellow human beings.

Ethiopian authorities have finally confirmed 30 Ethiopians have been callously killed by IS extremists in Libya.
 

A song by Ethiopian Artist, Jacky Gossee, dedicated to Ethiopians killed by Islamic State in April 2015

The cold blooded execution of innocent Ethiopians by IS in Libya is heartless, horrible and absolutely against the teachings of Islam.

To the new generation’s young people whose opportunities are unlimited to succeed in anything they choose to do with the access of technology at their fingertips need to be extremely aware of the conundrums within it, their young and stupid identity augmenting their curiosity not to fall victims in the hands of IS or any radical organizations, which brutally carry out injustice against humanity, that will jeopardise their life.

This chilling fanaticism in the name of Islam against brotherhood of Christians is unsubstantiated and backwardness.

Come on IS! These acts of barbarity and primitive ideas of the crusade era won’t get you anywhere. You must find an ethical and vindicated reason for your resolution without killing unexpecting and uninvolved innocent people. 

 

We all understand the disparities and unfairness some of our Muslim brothers and sisters have to endure. The same is true for some Christian brothers and sisters but IS regrettably slaughtered amiable innocent Ethiopian migrants in search of peace, freedom and justice by instigating war on Christians.

Like all of us in the diaspora, those Ethiopians left home leaving everything behind and dispersed in every direction in search of all the opportunities that peaceful existence has to offer in an unknown distant country. Change, unfortunately, didn’t come as they anticipated for some fellow Ethiopians as they continue to suffer in the Middle East, Yemen and surprisingly subjected to discrimination assaults among our own bloodline in South Africa.

Opportunities in unknown distant countries have tremendously changed in the last two to three decades and apparently life has been harder for some previously migrated Diasporas everywhere for all sorts of reasons.

I hate to say but the truth will eventually emerge someday as more and more refugees mainly African origin, it seems, purposely dumped in the seas and an organized crimes have been committed by covertly sinking the refugee boats on their way to the imagined, “promise land”, better opportunities starting in Europe as a predominant destination.

        Ethiopian and Eritrean migrants on boat transporting from Libya to Italy

European countries can’t tolerate being a safe haven endlessly to the influx of refugees anymore as this continues to create all kinds of economic, political and social upheavals and imbalances with the already existing diaspora communities and its citizens. 

Now we have heard, seen and recognized all upsetting incidents thru all media hypes and the Ethiopian government’s guilty conscience pacification of 3 mourning days for the runaway peace seeking fallen victims, what do you think has to be done to stop this never ending brutal suffering?

An honest moral compass to transform our misfortunes ongoing in circles is to make an unconditional change in our own back yard. This may not be my areas of expertise but extensive life experience, my sense of right and wrong tells me that change starts with us (at home). Ethiopians need to change to create harmony among themselves and save our people from fleeing persecution to total destruction in the hands of a predator and Machiavelli. In addition, world communities need to take responsibility to defend its society from falling in the hands of terrorism in a concerted effort.

Above all, our leaders need to look at what worked and what did not and why. It appears that they were again finger pointing at each other for all the failures. None seemed to want to take the slightest responsibility for the letdowns.

Our political leaders do not seem to realize the importance of critical reflection and drawing lessons from past mistakes. Unfortunately, this trend seems to have been mainstreamed into the nexus of our culture. It is probably related to the failure of our institutions of higher learning in delivering and nurturing an intellectual nation that values competing models and views while promoting critical thinking. Such a culture has permeated all our social and political life.

Clinging to our established beliefs even in the face of contrary evidence, failing to identify real sources for our failings, failing to value the importance of doubt and scepticism in our thoughts and actions are only indicative of the failure of our educational institutions. We will never succeed in establishing participatory democracy until and unless we challenge this view openly.

This line of thinking encourages a fearful & reticent character which is adversarial to the democratic frame of mind. This is unacceptable, for it creates a roadblock to our collective search for democracy. Intimidating individual for offering a critique of an idea, action, or institution is an egregious violation of free speech, a quality vital in participatory democracy.

Let me be clear here that I do not blame the new generation or all the courageous young journalists who wanted to inform the public the truth thru the glass doors they grew in. They are products of a traditional society which is high in power distance, i.e., a culture that accepts inequality between leaders and the led, the elite and the common, the managers and the subordinates, the professors and the students, favouritism or partiality, nepotism instead of merit or competence, etc., etc.

Behaviours of all kinds that express such inequalities may be confused with humility or modesty or shyness culturally customary, prudence, and admiration that permeate our professional and social lives.

Let’s all be mindful, first we were divided as ethnic groups before we found our self-further polarised within our respective communities literally everywhere we look. Individuals with hard-line extreme views have held sway on our politics long enough leading us only to conflicts and failures, now it is time the forces of good from all sides of the divide start pulling in the same direction wisely focusing on the greater common good without dowelling much on the past. Our politics should move out of divisive cultures that characterised it for as long as we can remember by shunning the tendency of focusing on what makes us different since that approach has not only remained unproductive but also failed miserably and evidently as it stands out for the freedom it deprives and the refugees it produces. We have gone our separate ways with a great cost, yet any failure to chart a way of getting along constructively in any capacity either as people of one nation or as friendly neighbours is even likely to be at a much higher cost.

No words can describe the shock, grief, and compassion so many of us felt at the ruthless loss for the families and friends of those so inhumanely murdered Ethiopians. We owe our deepest condolences to them and utterly condemn these barbaric acts. I commend the diaspora Ethiopians for standing strong together as one Ethiopian family as we have always done irrespective of our religious differences to condemn the brutal suffering of Ethiopians wherever they are whether or not we share the same religion, ethnicity, political views, age, gender or any other characteristics.

We got it wrong once again and I beg to differ. I believe it is time to be free from the past and focus on humanity and citizenship rather than ethnicity. What brings us together is more powerful than what divides us.

It’s Time For Change that Ethiopians of every faith everywhere call out for our freedom and pursue the moral transformation of ourselves, our society and the government.
 

Ethiopia and its people will live together for ever!

H A P P Y 30TH A N N I V E R S A R Y

The Ethiopian Community Association of Victoria (ECAV) will mark its 30th anniversary in 2015 (more story http://www.simenehmakonnen.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/the-launching-of-ethiopian-community.html).

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.

TIME TO DO OUR LAUNDRY

How long can we go on wearing the same cloth, eating the same food, watching the same shows, driving to and from work in the same way and list goes on. Don’t you think changing all those things including our mindset is a healthy and necessary aspect of life?

If we always surrender and accept the way things are forever, we’re not going to make any effort to improve by rising to the challenges of unpleasant life situations. “We can’t solve problems with the same thinking that created it”. –Albert Einstein  

Change is about striving to go beyond our limitations and create something better both in our personal lives and collectively to eliminate or even lessen pain and sorrow from our and other’s life without reservation by relinquishing our inner resistance to take positive action and transform or discover something profoundly new without resignation.

I recently heard about a grapevine to transform a long standing religious conviction of celibacy to be banned. I think the idea of celibacy is an irrational and outdated moronic belief that one has to renounce his humanoid in order to be ordained as priesthood or a pontiff status only to commit cardinal sin, in any spiritual institutions, by attracting paedophiles.

If one has to completely abandon life (their other half) to become Holy Father as in the traditional believe, one must also be castrated so that he will not have the urge to break the cardinal rules.

All religious institutions must change their ancient draconian code of ethics that people must conform and wear particular attires, must not eat a particular food, and strict prohibitions that people not having the freedom when, where and how to believe in any beliefs of their choice other than the predominant or societally favoured religions without somebody pressuring someone in our timeless realm of the present. 

                                                               How old am I? Guess

Pope Francis and leaders of (all) religious organizations should take notice of global grievances and renew their codes and embark on rewriting overdue scriptures that people should believe in any religion of their choice without punishment for apostasy and ordained people in the religious establishment should be allowed to have a faithful relationship (partner) if they have to abstain from the continuing saga of countless promiscuity.   

GOSHU WOLDE, AN INVINCIBLE LION

Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Minister H.E. Col. Goshu Wolde 1983-1986

Colonel Goshu is addressing his innovative speech with a strong passion, fierce but convincing poise, melancholic but robust voice and feisty gesticulation pleading to the US sponsored committees assembling to discuss on the fate of Eritrean referendum.

Colonel Goshu is unequivocally determined to mesmerize, name & shame and persuade the sitting, stunned, dumbfounded, and staring bemused, congress for intervention to TPLF leader for the break up & dismemberment of his country, Ethiopia, and secession of Eritrea & he emphatically warned the futility of referendum without the consent & knowledge of Ethiopian & Eritrean people.

Undoubtedly, no matter how stunned they may seem, his articulation fell into deaf ears just like todays rhetorical do-nothing leaders who like to see other dictators immerse themselves in repression, deception and corruption.
 
Colonel Goshu Wolde was an Ethiopian Foreign Minister, from 1983 to 1986, during the time of Marxist government. Finally, incensed by injustice, he abandons his post in 1986, at the tender age of 39, in protest of his Marxist government's policies which he finally realized an unbearable behaviour of his iron-fisted leader and defected to the US declaring that he could no longer serve under him as he advanced more and more into totalitarianism and absolute repression with no vision for improvement.

Regardless of his status and service under extremely strong orders and stubborn leader of the Marxist government, I thank Goshu Wolde for his perseverance to serve our people heroically and standing very firm to protect our country. I also admire Goshu Wolde for his intelligence and resilience for bravely confronting the giants who always make decisions based on their benefits without democratically consulting other beneficiaries.
 
Ethiopia needs a passionate and patriotic leader of great moral integrity like Colonel Goshu Wolde who epitomizes audacity of our people’s hope and leads them into the twenty first century.

PREREQUISITES TO BE A RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER

POSTED COPY: RSPCA, Australia

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it's a responsibility. Dogs depend on us not only for food & shelter also caring & maintaining for a long term commitment that requires serious thought. No different from checking your lifestyle before having a baby.
If you already have a dog, you need to consider if you are fulfilling all your obligations as an owner.

I think there has to be a strengthened laws, responsibility and capability tests law instigated for the people wanting to raise a healthy and happy dog before they obtain/buy/given/volunteer a dog or any pet as a matter of fact to ensure their suitability and qualifications for ownership.

Once they pass all assessment areas of the check point successfully, they will be issued the personal evaluations clearance certificate to show it to any person, private or retail shops responsible for dispatching the pets, to get pets of their choice. This may sound thorny and bureaucratic but it is, absolutely, the right thing to do considering the constant abuses and mistreatments we see every day and the ongoing problems the humane animal respite, RSPCA, put up with constantly. Think about it!
 
We can’t just say I like a cute dog and need to get one just like we go and buy a nice looking donut only to feel sick after. It is absolutely essential to think seriously before we consider the long term emotional & financial commitment, above all, if the dog is rightly suited with our lifestyle. All aspects of our family's life – children, hobbies, activities, personalities, schedules - should be evaluated before we make the wrong choice. Making sure the dog gets along with children and vice versa and if our place is accommodating for our new partner for life who needs our attention just like our children or every Tom, Dick, and Harry.

If you don't own a dog, at least one, there is not necessarily anything wrong with you, but there may be something wrong with your life. –Roger Caras
Consider the poos and pees around the house and undeservedly locking them up all day like soldiers of POWs until you come home. If this is the case, can you afford to get pet minder? Please, note that these comments are a genuine rapport for your information (FYI) only and should not be construed as an advertisement to get a pet minder. 
  
How do I know all these? I am exposed to multitude of dogs every week and living with one happy breed of PUGZU, Mulu (whole/ complete, see pic), born May 31, 2011, that shouts for constant attention. So, this has been painstakingly long time involvement, doggedness and non-astronomical research effort as you can imagine.

                         Mulu Holidaying in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, November 2011

Little Mulu, August 2011, checking out toy world  

So, giving our dog affection is important for us as it is easy for them to give back, but must be done at the correct times.  Although dogs do have emotions that are different than those of ours, they do require constant affection and attention. They hold no grudges, ill feelings, discriminate, whine, argue, forgive instantly, among others and love you for what is.

Nevertheless, they do not premeditate or plan ahead, and do not dwell in the past or future. They live for whatever is happening at the moment. How good is that, if we follow that precept to live by?

Dogs do not live in the past or the future, as humans do. They live for the moment. That’s how we ought to live. “Living in the present”? Yes, dogs live in the moment; it is much easier to rehabilitate dogs than humans. 

Dogs are walkers & walking is an important ritual in keeping our dog mentally stable. Just like humans they need to get out and sniff fresh air and see others not only two but four-legged creatures as well. Simply having a large backyard is not going to satisfy our dog. To our dogs, our backyard is like a large cage in which they are trapped.

For a dog to be mentally stable, as an owner, our responsibility fares to take our dog for daily walks to release not only physical energy, but also for their mental equilibrium. A lack of exercise and the mental energy that can only be released by a proper walk can cause many behavioural problems in a dog. They also need medical attention from time to time regardless of their condition to keep them in tiptop just like ourselves.

The proper way to walk a dog is with the dog walking either beside us or behind us, never in front of us. This may seem petty in our mind, however it means a lot in a dog’s mind. Dogs know that the leader goes first.

If we begin treating our dog in a very self-assured manner, giving love to it at the right times, and correcting it at the right moments, we can change our dog into a happy and mentally stable dog. The more stable our dog is the calmer and submissive s/he will become and the more we can give affectionate love and the more we get it back instantly even if we can’t please them all the time. It's a "win-win" situation.

Dogs love everyone unconditionally and they don’t see anyone as strangers. No wonder why they are very much sought after pets.

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” ―Josh Billings

So, are you qualified to own one? Check yourself! 

UNCLUTTERING OUR SYSTEM

To be called or named by the superfluous English aristocratic Dame & Knighthood status of AM, AK, AD, AC, OC, OG, OM, OA, MA, Sir, Madame, Lady and so forth is worthless and a lamented honour. I very much respect some of the honours given to deserving Australian robin hoods for their worthy contributions apart for celebrity or socialite status.

 

George Ayittey, a Ghanaian economist & president of the Free Africa Foundation in Washington DC, calls the young African educated individuals who take responsibility of their country’s future as “Cheetah Generation” we similarly know them as Gen Y and in contrast “Hippo Generation” as older or we call them Gen X who are rigid and uncompromising archetype remaining in the old beliefs out of simple complacency relying on the government to change everything.

However, Australian Hippo and Cheetah Generations are by far different compared to the African ones.

Australia’s cheetah generation is vocal, free to demonstrate for their freedom and free to speak their minds to see change in the political system and the hippo generation, like African power mongrels, have chosen to stay with whatever is available to them and remain on the sidelines with their legs crossed acting like the three wise monkeys shamefully to stay with an old political culture with very little or no corruption unlike the African hippos.

Australian Gen Y, younger “Cheetah” generation must learn the mistakes of older, Gen X “Hippo” generation and try to redeem themselves mindfully and magnanimously without impertinence for Hippos no matter how things have happened, either self-aggrandizingly or inadvertently.
 
Tony Abbott's, our conservative and enigmatic, PM’s resurrection of “God Save the Queen” knighthood status which was “cremated & buried” long time ago is a self-promoting & sanctimoniousness move to achieve that honour at the expense of all Australians.
 
Sorry, Sir Tony! sorry, PM, nobody’s been consulted and voted for it. We believed we are moving forward by cleaning up all our historical mistakes and renewing reconciliation, recognition, republicanism, new coat of arms and flags with an Australian symbolism without looking back, picking and piling up old system of debris again.

We must change our mindset of “if ain’t broken why fix it” scenario. (Read more stories www.simenehmakonnen.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/what-is-australia-day.html)
 
We’re so lucky that our elected leaders are only serving their term voted-for unlike leaders of African dictators, “Hippos”, who are clinging to power in order to serve their life time once they are elected which is detrimental to any political and economic changes and prone to corruption and stagnation.
   
It is time for Australian “Cheetah” generation to advance Australia fairly with the rest of the world by maintaining the spirit of humanity ‘oneness’ by accomplishing all the changes mentioned as proposed without any preconditions.

Doing so eliminates intolerance and attracts all Australians, young & old, boys & girls, women & men, all races, sexes, colours, religions, dogs, cats, kangaroos, koalas, wombats, possums, crocs, Tassie devils, kookaburras, cockatoos … sorry if I left some out, and be able to sing “I am, you’re, we’re all Australian”. 

12 YEARS A SLAVE

My partner and I went to see, 12 years a slave, a very compelling and emotionally rousing movie, at times tempting me to scream out or enrage, about the shameful acts humans did to another human being. A truly powerful film well directed, choreographed and acted and has to be honestly endured and appreciated for its depiction of harsh realities.

Then, again, I contained myself mindfully for the ignorance that happened for eons and insightfully observed the rest of the movie. However, my partner’s continuous sobbing about the overwhelming condition, at times, put me under extreme pressure to screech out but when the film’s actor said to his colleagues “don’t despair”, I took that as premonition and continued to see the rest of tragedies in silence.

This type of enigma does happen even among the same/different races in Africa under altered name of subjugation and despotism even, today, the same colour people oppressing each other. Victimized viewers should not feel anger or animosities toward what happened in the draconian time and check their attitudes thoughtfully in their life time. Two hundred years later, what has changed? We have to be realistic that racism still exists discreetly and hard to amplify for those honest individuals and it’s our business to do our share with NO preconditions. Hopefully, those who saw or about to see the film should not be offended or sorry about the precarious atrocities committed by ignorance and ultimately learn to move on with a renewed approach/attitude.

የኛ - Y E G N A

Yegna (our) – the new Ethiopian Spice Girls sensation is an all Ethiopian Girls Band united to educate, empower & aspire the younger generations, especially, girls as well as women & message for the society to open their eyes to see the harsh realities of living under disparities, suppressions, oppressions, nepotism & despotism and transcend them with love & understanding with no exclusions.

The song is called ‘ABET’ –‘we are here’ -A call & a cry message for recognition for everyone to hear & understand their sufferings & disrespect. Disenchanted & dissatisfied of the harsh living conditions, enough is enough, they started singing educational songs as an entertainment to entice more audiences & in doing so, to free themselves & bring the changes that are necessary for all Ethiopians.

A very exciting, heart-warming cultural dance entertainment at the start & showcasing eclectic & jaw dropping dance moves of Ethiopian idols half way to the end.
Simply magnificent!

Hey, hey… The groups proved it’s in my DNA, why people wondered that I was such a good dancer all those years.

Hey! I still am!! Thank you.

T H E A W A K E N I N G

We need to be mindful i.e. to be fully present in the moment and with each moment of any involvement outwardly or inwardly, be able to restore our emotional suffering and make our life come alive by attaining blissful healing, by making radical personal & social transformation, invincible liberation by freeing ourselves from our preconceived mindset & self-criticism, mental projections of all sorts imagining problems, - negative endless internal opinions & dialogues constantly reinforcing & justifying how things must turn out, prejudging situations & conversations long before they happen, if they ever happen.

We need to break free from negative emotions of the past & out-dated beliefs of inherited collective mind-patterns that have kept our parents & ancestors in captivity, without blaming anyone, creating so much of their suffering for eons manifesting in our misery today, thus transferring that into our eternal parenthood obligations. If my poor Mom & Dad only knew all the predicaments & survival kits! Thank you for everything.

Our own wellbeing is inseparable from the wellbeing of those around us. No matter how separated we are geographically, culturally or by social status, our interests are inextricably linked even with those who disheartened, disappointed, abnegated, frustrated, and you name it, us in our relationships & close encounters.
 
An English Philosophical Poet, John Donne, wrote, “No man is an island.” an expression emphasizing a person's connections to his or her environs. Similarly, South African philosophy of UBUNTU which roughly translates to human kindness toward others is the belief in a universal bond of sharing with all humanity replaces the simple greeting of ‘How are you?’ with the more sentimental response ‘I’m well if you are well.’

Now, create or choose a strong and dynamic affirmation, time and again, that will take you through the days, weeks, months & years and repeat it to yourself every time your head is trying to spiral.
Here is one good act to follow: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

I came across the highly charged Eddie James, African-American, spiritual singer, singing “awakening”, while I was writing awakening & cherry-picked him to be relevant to my focus of humanity’s pursuit of self-realization through awakening irrespective of their religious & spiritual choices or beliefs.

O McCain You’ve Done It Again

Obama was in South Africa to pay his tribute to, his idol, a man who epitomizes humanity’s goodness and forgiveness. It was during this time world leaders met in harmony to pay their tribute to Mandela and took the opportunity to greet one another. It was also a marvel to watch during the leaders mingling time when the grim faced Raul Castro, Cuban president popped up to face passionate US president Barrack Obama and both leaders, accidental heroes, took the opportunity to shake their hands. 

Later, back in the US, 2008 presidential candidate John McCain who was looking for an excuse to blame, so frantically, a man who defeated him, Barack Obama,  by comparing him to Hitler conciliator for shaking hands with Cuban President Raul Castro at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in South Africa.

But McCain knows better than anyone that diplomacy sometimes means shaking hands with repressive autocrats. Take, for example, former Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi. McCain visited Gadhafi in Tripoli with other lawmakers on a diplomatic mission in 2009 for an interesting hangout he described on Twitter.

 

It is so blindingly obvious that John McCain remains bitter and unreconciled for his election defeat Obama. He still holds grudges for his election loss and walking around with his wound carrying the splinter in his hand waiting for the moment to throw it back to the man who he called ’that one’. “O McCain you’ve done it again”!

 

McCain needs to learn from Nelson Mandela who has been hailed as ‘the last great liberator’, who warned leaders, “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner”.

 

“…The primary significance of Mandela and King was not their willingness to lock arms or hold hands with their enemies. It was their unshakable resolve to do whatever was necessary to bring those enemies to their knees. . . . “- Richard Price

Barack Obama gave his most illuminating and enchanting eulogy to the South African people for a man who thought us how to deal with our enemies, preserve democracy and the rule of law.

 

He told the world leaders and others in charge of responsibilities, “And so we, too, must act on behalf of justice.  We, too, must act on behalf of peace.  There are too many people who happily embrace Madiba’s legacy of racial reconciliation, but passionately resist even modest reforms that would challenge chronic poverty and growing inequality.  There are too many leaders who claim solidarity with Madiba’s struggle for freedom, but do not tolerate dissent from their own people.  And there are too many of us on the sidelines, comfortable in complacency or cynicism when our voices must be heard”.

 

Former US presidents and other countries’ leaders present at the tribute stadium astounded and had a stern look on their faces. Then, he continued telling the rapturous crowd, “The questions we face today -- how to promote equality and justice; how to uphold freedom and human rights; how to end conflict and sectarian war -- these things do not have easy answers.  But there were no easy answers in front of that child born in World War I.  Nelson Mandela reminds us that it always seems impossible until it is done”.

 

Then, instead of using one of his own ‘yes we can’ truism, He reminded everyone to cherish Madiba’s mantra for life: “I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination.  I’ve cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.  It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve.  But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”



DEATH OF AN ICON, NELSON MANDELA 1918-2013

I sadly heard the jaw dropping morning news break, interrupting normal programs, briefing the death of an icon, Madiba, Nelson Mandela, aged 95, “At Last”. He lived it to the last gasp of his breath on the fateful night of Thursday, December 05, 2013.

Everyone dies, nobody lives forever. Madiba lived a life of principle. He lived a life of convictions. He lived it with moral courage according to his dreams and ideals much higher than himself. A life of principle lived to the fullest, a lifelong journey, with steadfast endurance, with so much gloom and pain in the process. All that for the advancement of freedom through his life long struggle in order for social justice and equality to prevail in his homeland and around the world.

Madiba, a great soul, faithful to his convictions, has stood his ground through thick and thin. He has stood his ground indeed with rare endurance and stamina to the last minute of his life. I know Madiba would disagree with my use of brutal words in describing even his political enemies because he honestly reconciled with those who jailed him without bitterness. Therefore, I say no more about his torture. Even if he was a fighter, it doesn’t equate to his torture and his people’s annihilation for freedom.  

But there are certain qualities of him that one can dare assert that Madeba is a rare breed even among that heroic generation. Always dreaming and desiring for a better and humane political order for his people, he never sold or surrounded his soul to the powers that be. Nor did he ever abandon his convictions to trade for the comforts and material gains which he could have acquired so easily with the kind of intellectual calibre, many facets of knowledge, as well as the practical wisdom he was imbued with regard to the social and economic edifice upon which a post-industrial society like the South Africa has been built. Nelson Mandela chose to live, however, a simple life, a modest life, with an unspoken contempt for the glitter that dominates this world that puts premium on gadgets, and all those outward signs and symbols of “success”.

One with a profound sense of self-worth and self-respect, yet he was a modest man, a humble man, always a man of the people at home and around the world.
Nelson Mandela, Madiba, we love you, we respect you profoundly. The struggle for which you gave your entire life with unyielding conviction shall continue and prevail. We can’t thank you enough for your indomitable legacy; dedicating your life for us, magnanimously inspiring us, struggling against injustice for us, incarcerated for us and sacrificing so much of your life for us.

May we cherish the ideas and ideals he struggled for throughout his life.
It’s hard to say Goodbye our dear Madiba. May your soul Rest In Peace.
To his fans and devoted supporters around the world who have chanted the “Free Nelson Mandela” song arduously to free him, I take this opportunity to congratulate you for doing just that and my condolences on his passing.

To his big families & brave South Africans may our thoughts and comforts be with you at farewelling, a man who gave you what you’ve been yearning for: freedom, peace & happiness, Madiba.

"The greatest glory of living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall."

WE SHALL MEET AGAIN.

The Story of a Mandela behind Mandela

By Kadiro Elemo*
This is the story of two Mandelas. Yes, there are two Mandelas. The first one is the Mandela of South Africa, who campaigned against the apartheid. The second one is an Oromo Mandela, who educated the anti-apartheid Mandela. The first Mandela is an international celebrity. He deserves it because he earned it. The other Mandela is an international obscurity, like his otherwise vast people, who are speaking for themselves and coming out from a shadow, a shadow imposed on them by the empire, racism and ignorance of international relations. The South African Mandela is a ferocious enemy of the Apartheid who wanted nothing less than the demise of the system. The Oromo Mandela wanted nothing more than amelioration of the system he faithfully served. The white South Africans tolerated Mandela who destroyed their rule. The Ethiopians killed the Oromo Mandela. What a contrast! The Apartheid system obviously had more clemency for its black subjects than the Ethiopian system for its Oromo people. Had the Oromo Mandela had a chance to witness history in 1994, he would have said that I was the one who gave the ABCs of soldiering to Nelson Mandela.

Recently, I read a fascinating piece, “The Story of Nelson Mandela’s Missing Pistol,” which was written by my dear friend and former classmate at Addis Ababa University, Awol Allo.  As Awol depicted brilliantly, movingly and beautifully, Nelson Mandela, who is widely and popularly known by his tribal name Madiba in South Africa, is an extraordinary man, a man full of courage, wisdom, vision, determination, and who wholeheartedly gave himself for the struggle and freedom of his people.  He is a great man of humanity, and humility, and a trademark of spirit of forgiveness, love and peace. In short, he is an icon of the black race and an epitome of “the best of humanity.” The purpose of my essay is twofold. Firstly, my friend has wonderfully portrayed Mandela the man and the political figure, and his status in the New South Africa. In this essay, thus, I want to shade light on the role of Colonel Taddasa Birru, albeit remote, in the anti-apartheid struggle. Secondly, Awol has brought into the spotlight how the apartheid system and Ethiopian rulers employed the very concept of law and justice to advance, conceal, and humanize their unjust and authoritarian brutality. By comparing the two justice systems, he concludes “that the scale of justice in Apartheid courts is more evenly tipped than their Ethiopian counterparts.” To substantiate his assertion, I will focus on the trial of Maccaa-Tuulamaa Self-help Association to establish roles of courts in Ethiopia in legitimation and perpetuation of the ruthless dictatorship. I should advise my readers that some of the stories in this essay are already discussed in my book, “Ethiopia and United States; The Tragedy of Human Rights.”
As Awol aptly reflected in this writing, Mandela is adored among his countrymen for instituting an armed wing of the African National Congress (MK). He resorted to a military solution when all peaceful venues were closed on the struggle of the Africans for equality. The guerrilla resistance, coupled with international sanctions, ultimately compelled Apartheid South Africa to step back from leaping forward with its affront to humanity and seek compromise with the ANC.
It was this mission of fighting the Apartheid regime that took Mandela to Kolfe, a suburb of Finfinne, in early 1960s. Mandela, an amateurish boxer, armed with nothing but bravery, a resolution, and a sparkling hope, desired to learn the art of war-making to advance the cause of his downtrodden people. This created an opportunity for the two future historic figures to meet, Mandela and Colonel Taddasa Birru.
In his memoir, “Long Walk to Freedom,” Mandela noted, “I was lectured on military science by Colonel Tadesse, who was also assistant commissioner of police.” The colonel taught him about ‘how to create a guerrilla force, how to command an army, and how to enforce discipline’. Mandela, a man who changed the world through his passion and compassion, indicated that the colonel opened his eyes to the military science and shaped his worldview. He lectured him egalitarian ethos of a liberation army, which made the MK popular among its ranks and files. This is how Mandela recalls a conversation with the colonel:

One evening, during supper, Colonel Tadesse said to me, ‘now Mandela you are creating a liberation army, not a conventional capitalist army. A liberation army is an egalitarian army. You must treat your men entirely differently than you would in a capitalist army. When you are on duty, you must exercise your authority with assurance and control. This is no different from a capitalist command. But when you are off duty, you must conduct yourself on the basis of perfect equality, even with the lowliest soldier. You must eat what they eat; you must not take your food in your office, but eat with them, drink with them, not isolate yourself.’

Mandela training in Kolfe was supposed to last for six months, but after two-months, he decided to go back to South Africa as the struggle was bearing fruit and a commander was needed on the ground. Mandela speaks,

Colonel Tadesse rapidly arranged for me to take an Ethiopian flight to Khartoum. Before I left, he presented me with a gift: an automatic pistol and two hundred rounds of ammunition. I was grateful, both for the gun and his instruction.

It was this very gun that Mandela had buried before he was sent to a prison cell on the Robben Island. The fall of the symbolic gun, in the hand of the Apartheid, would have been a psychological disaster, sort of propaganda coup for the apartheid. It is the story of this enigmatic gun that caught the attention of my friend, who was otherwise, went to see a site of the Rivonia Trial in Liliesleaf, SA. Awol has briefly walked us through the place, which transformed from the center of “sabotage and terrorism” to the center of “liberation.” He superbly elucidated the emotional, historic, and symbolic significance of the gun. The military science and the gun for Mandela were contributions of the Oromo hero in a fight against the Apartheid.
It was December 1960 that American educated Girmame Naway and his brother Mangistu Naway, Commander of the Imperial Bodyguard, decided to relieve Ethiopia from the rule of Emperor Hayla Sillase. At the time, the emperor was on the official tour in Brazil. They convinced a police commissioner, Warqinah Gabayyahu, to join the plot. As it was a Manzyan matter, they did not consult a man who would be a game changer, Colonel Taddasa, a decorated anti-fascist hero and the deputy commander of police. The news of the coup was a surreal moment,  a nerve-wracking and  an earthquake for the Colonel since he was indoctrinated that even speaking bad of the divine emperor was transgressing the Law of God that would lead to the fall of Sky. He lost his cool for the “sacred” office of “the God Elect” was disputed and violated. He prepared the Ethiopian Police Riot Battalion for the Kamikaze type mission. He gathered his fellow brainwashed policemen. They passionately chanted and chanted, ‘Let us sacrifice ourselves for our beloved emperor!’ “Let us Perish for Ethiopia.” He marched his men, along the national army, to restore the glory of King Solomon, the son of David, the Son of God, and, above all, to restore the Glory of God. Dying in the mission was dying for the cause of God, and the reward was The Eternal Zion.
The human wave overwhelmed the putschists, who intrepidly fought back, including massacring their hostages. Thousands died, and the coup failed. Mandela knew the Colonel’s role in aborting the coup, “Colonel Tadesse … had been instrumental in foiling a recent coup against the emperor.”
Therefore, at the time of Mandela arrival in Kolfe, Mandela and the Colonel were two totally different figures. Mandela was a man ready to stop the oppression, exploitation, and segregation of his people. Contrarily, the Colonel was a man who saved the throne that exploited and humiliated his people at its nadir.
In 1963 the farsighted minds of the Oromo, who were tired of imperial obstructionism and who were tired of self-mortifications, created a Maccaa-Tuulamaa Self-help Association to kindle development and education of their people.  The association was formed by those Oromos who fully assimilated to achieve the Abyssinian dream, but failed because of the government’s incapacitating system. It was this association that approached Colonel Taddasa to join it as an inspirational figure for his people. Because of his fierce Amhara nationalism, the Colonel was reluctant to join the education of his native people even in a language of the ruling class. At the time, he was also the chairman of the national literacy campaign. Eventually, he changed his heart after a number of appeals from Oromo elders.
Wanting to keep the Oromo masses uneducated forever, the empire did not like the Colonel involvement to enhance the condition of his people. Prime Minister Aklilu Habtawald invited him for a candid discussion. Assuming that the indistinguishable General was his fellow Amhara personage, he earnestly advised him that ‘educating the Oromos, in Amharic, is an ocean whose wave could flood them.’
What the Colonel heard was a rude awakening. This turned his worldview upside down; for the nation, he loved so much, never loved him back; and for the throne, he almost vanished for, wanted to keep his people under a literacy embargo.  It changed him forever. It changed him from the Ethiopian patriot into the father of modern Oromo nationalism. He shaded his Amara mask – a transition from pseudo persona to real self, from self-despise to self-respect, from subservience to assertiveness, and from accepting second-class status to yearning for equality and freedom. Although I do not know the extent of Mandela influence on the Colonel, I surmise that he desired to be a Mandela of his people – an Oromo Mandela who built especial place in the minds and hearts of the Oromo people, a Mandela that the world unrecognized.
For choosing to educate his people, the empire dealt a coup de grace to his colorful military career. He was fired. The decision embittered him. He was more committed than ever to become the mouthpiece of his unhappy people. Thus, the Maccaa-Tuulamaa Self-help Association became a popular movement and a semblance of a political party in the party-less imperial system, where there was only one candidate and one voter: Hayla Sillasse, The Elect of God.
As law-abiding and peace-loving citizens, the Oromos respected even the repressive law of the empire. The empire did not like the association. It was associated with fomenting tribal tension and, the government accused them of hurting a national sentiment of the country by using a forbidden language, Afaan Oromoo, for its meetings. At the time, it was illegal and un-Ethiopian to teach, write, preach, or broadcast in any Oromo dialect throughout the realm of Ethiopia. The association was banned.
As I mentioned earlier, Awol highlights the agency of the law in the execution of unjust and inhumane repression, all in the name of justice. When he draws the parallel between the courts under the Apartheid system and the EPRDF Ethiopia, his finding appalls him. Courts workings under the Apartheid system were benign in their instrumentality in rationalizing irrationalities of human wrongs compared to those under the current Ethiopian government. He amply made clear that the court houses were the only place for rationality to prevail under the Apartheid system, unlike the case in Ethiopia. I will corroborate the same argument by focusing on the trial of Maccaa-Tuulamaa Self-help Association in my next essay.
* Kadiro Elemo is a Chicago based independent researcher and the author of “The United States and Ethiopia: The Tragedy of Human Rights.”