FREELIEF LAUNCHING INVITATION

 

We would like to invite everyone including recipients and donors on the opening day. If you have something to give bring it with you or call us before the opening date.

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FREELIEF DONATION BROCHURES

FREELIEF

FREELIEF is a non-profit project & the first of its kind dedicated to creating acts of kindness & doing universal good in Australia, and the humble beginnings of the project today is meeting needs of the population far beyond the capacity of government, and leading to the formalisation of FREELIEF, with a broader purpose to support the poor, refugees, jobless, asylum seekers, homeless, the distressed, the aged, and the weak.

Donations include, but not limited to, pre-loved & latest ladies’, men’s, children’s, work & casual clothing and other accessories such as mobile phones, computers, books, cassettes, vinyls, CDs, magazines, glasses, caps, hats, bags, purses, home products and many more items are given free of charge to individuals & families.

MISSION STATEMENT

FREELIEF is dedicated to helping children, families, refugees, jobless, asylum seekers, homeless, the distressed, the aged, and the weak in our communities to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice providing their immediate needs.

SERVICES

FREELIEF meets the specific needs of individual people through direct support services, and also works with whole communities, connecting people across gender, age and cultural divides to create a renewed sense of optimism and belonging.

FREELIEF is devoted to collecting generous donations to provide assistance to people whose survival is in crisis, threatened by violence, neglect, exclusion from care at no cost irrespective of race, religion, creed or political convictions, at a chosen venue.

Currently our donations come from non-governmental sources such as private & individual donors.

PREREQUISITES

FREELIEF operates independently and conducts evaluations & basic requirements on the ground to determine individual needs before facilitating the delivery of the best required assistance in the community.  

With the purpose of assisting everyone equitably, to receive help from FREELIEF, proof of one or two assessment verifications of the followings are required:

1. Refugees unable to sustain their day to day expenses & incapable to qualify for any other help
2. Homeless
3. Families receiving centrelink benefits
4. Jobseekers & students receiving centrelink assistance
5. Men or women affected as a result of economic disparity
6. Young people who can’t afford to fulfil their needs
7. A person is entitled to 5 different items at any one time. (e.g. clothing, electronics, books, household &.)
8. A person may receive donations again after one year period, thus, to accommodate everyone equally.
9. Natural disaster & fire victims 

BASIC GUIDELINES

 

FREELIEF is strongly committed, based on the humanitarian principles to provide independent, ethical & impartial assistance, helping those individuals & families who do not have extra cash to buy them.

 

As committed individuals, at FREELIEF, we are neutral & do not take sides in providing care on the basis of need alone, and pushes for increased independent access to victims of crisis as required under our strict principles of basic humanitarian guidelines.

FREELIEF is rightly prepared to raise help, create awareness and advocate with individuals, business owners & local governments on humanitarian concerns.

FREELIEF will organize meetings with benevolent individuals, and arrange regular speaking events and activities across venues deemed necessary to direct & obtain more help.

LEADERSHIP

Simeneh Makonnen, a consummate professional, employment consultancy and community development  & a leading pioneer in establishing, the two major institutions, the first Ethiopian Community Association  & African Soccer Club in Australia.

Halakhe Ganyu, Social Worker/Counsellor & Psychotherapist who amassed extensive experiences in counselling youths, adults, couples & families as well as appearing at various motivational seminars & provision of the African communities frequently.

We are both, refugees fortunately settled in Australia for so long, driven by our quest to help people by changing their trashes into treasures to help others & our own will not to accumulate material wealth until we are gone.

In our work experiences & community related activities, we often witness violence, atrocities, and neglect in the course of their work, much of which occur in places that rarely receive humanely attention.

At times, we may speak out publicly in an effort to bring a forgotten crisis into view, alert the public to abuses occurring beyond the headlines, criticize the inadequacies of the aid system, challenge the diversion of humanitarian aid for political interests, or call out policies that restrict access to personal care or essential needs, unless we all do our share, these causes might fall into deaf ears.

 

Even though we have limited financial, human, and logistical resources, we are committed individuals campaigning, operating independently and impartially to provide assistance for people caught in crises in our community & around the world hopefully attracting more talented volunteers to do their share by working together in accordance with our basic guiding principles of humanitarian ideals.

We have already witnessed the need in various communities as a result of economic disparities where different crises are constantly recurring and some charities selling donations to those people at excessive prices.

MANAGEMENT STATEMENT

Subject to our guides, to operate successfully, we will manage our project honestly and ethically creating an environment of trust, empowerment, respect and mutual support building and improving on the task entrusted to our care, working together as a team leveraging our talents and skills in a spirit of cooperation and trust, being fiscally responsible, keeping administrative costs low & inexpensive while ensuring the highest possible quality services to our community.

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." - Martin Luther King Jr.

For a charity it is perhaps even more significant considering as non-profit organisations depend on the goodwill and support of individuals, the business community and government for their ongoing existence.

 



WHAT WE NEED IS SOLIDARITY NOT RETRIBUTION

I wish my friends, former community colleagues and all Ethiopians, including those who have attended this yearly festival organised by both the youth and Ethiopian community association in Victoria and the Ethio-Australian sports federation, a happy and successful new year.

Once again, it was good to see the annual Ethiopian soccer tournament & cultural festival was organised here in the hub of the majority of Ethiopians. However, I am not condoning to organising the occasion only in one city. The festival can be organised wherever the amicable location is chosen by members and organising committee. Nonetheless, I remember the last tournament was held in Melbourne in 2010 on one ground all inclusive.

 

2010 Ethiopian's Soccer Tournament Melbourne

It was good to see that the overwhelming people supported the principle of solidarity not disparity and frugality. I could not help but saddened to see some of my friends chose to be otherwise. All in all, the organisation and the turnout at the festival prepared by the community were to full capacity. There were more families and children with entertainment such as jumping on bouncing carnival castle balloon hired for them.

I went over to Yarraville, where the federation’s soccer tournament was held, not far from Altona North where the community’s soccer tournament was organised, to see some of my friends and observe the outcome. Obviously, there were few crowds and I was told that only few players turnout and they have to forfeit some games. This is what happens when festivals are held on the same days and times creating the unpredictability of the last minute decision by participants. One couldn’t help but think what would have happened had this been organised in unison.

      2010 The Bold & the beautiful Team

I wish to express my deep gratitude and appreciation for all the volunteers, organisers and participants. I am thankful for all of the support and encouragement everyone has given the community irrespective of the festival being held in two venues reprehensibly on the same days and times not far away from each other. Although, disappointed whatever the reason for the predicament to occur, I don’t intend to make it irreparable by naming, shaming and talking evil of the already damaged circumstances and I sincerely plead to others to refrain from abusing this gloomy status quo.     

I wanted to thank everyone personally because being the founding member of the community, it has always been my greatest aspiration for all Ethiopians to be united and celebrate our cultural heritage in an atmosphere of harmony. We all must know that if one is affected, we are all indirectly affected.

As a prominent business stall holder, I was the only proud and grateful individual who has displayed my business promotions based on our cultural ideals and all sales of merchandises and T-shirt prints reflecting on our cultures & positive aspirations.

Zelalem Print Display Stall

2012 is gone now. As our saying goes, ላለፈው ክረምት ቤት አይሰራም, (roughly translated), we can’t build a house for the past winter. We can only hope mutual agreements can be reached for the coming year festival and change of those agreements will not happen again, specially, close to last minute preparation for the festival.

2012 Ethiopian's Soccer Tournament Melbourne

I urge both parties of the organising committee to be committed and make a strong resolution to solve this dilemma and call for solidarity to organise a better, bigger annual festival in 2013 by inviting more business stall holders adding more colours to the celebration. Whatever private or individual differences the other groups or members might have, for the sake of the community and as an Ethiopian we need to look in to our communal responsibilities, no matter how difficult and unmanageable the circumstances might be. “United we stand, divided we fall”. ድር ቢያብር አንበሳ ያስር.

Albeit we all came from different cultural backgrounds, we have incurable enigmas of intolerable secrecy and silence in common impeding the manner to open communication and honest dialogues harbouring fear of retribution and ostracism. Time to accept, appreciate our differences and differing of opinions without hatemongering and work together with those colleagues who have a shared passion for making a difference for individuals & transforming the community for the better. Time for change to take its course!
It is said that those who do not learn from past mistakes are doomed to repeat it. Many mistakes and errors have been committed by successive leaders in the past. These mistakes need to be identified, studied and lessons drawn from them so that they will not be repeated again. We need to build collective agenda to advance and support these mistakes and undertake not to repeat them.

We mustn’t disrespect others who have helped us pave the high way to success and mustn’t engage in character assassination (ye saaw sim matifat) of anybody by giving in to other peoples gossip (waare) & trusting the tall poppy syndrome saga (und saaw ye telawoon hooloom saaw metilat, ye tewededewoon mawooded bana woo qe woom) – to hate or like someone just because everybody does - instead of believing in ourselves to make our own judgement about other people.

We must, always, remember that every difference of opinion & ideology is not a difference of principle and shouldn’t be construed as personal vendetta and should be discussed or expressed with respect.

I am a strong advocate, passionate, rational, and strong leader in human rights and equal opportunity issues affecting, not only Ethiopian community, other African communities, a diverse range of communities, the development of services for the disadvantaged and marginalised groups. I always believed in cross-cultural community building and creating a healthy society when I took the first step navigating through storms to establish Ethiopian community.

It is time to replace bitterness with reconciliation; hate with love that heals the community; revenge with forgiveness; hope with despair; hurt with healing; fear with courage; division with unity; doubt with faith; shame with honour;  deceit with candour and sincerity; anger with reason; cruelty with kindness and caring; enmity with friendship; duplicity with openness; complacency with action; indifference with passion; incivility with gracefulness; suspicion with trust; selfishness with altruism; dishonesty with integrity; convenience with virtue; cunning  with moralities; ignorance with knowledge; benightedness with imagination; acrimony with civility, desire with fulfilment.

If there is one thing I detest and reject in the Diaspora Ethiopians, it is political bluffing, power mongering, egos and self-promotion/centeredness and hypocrisy. Breaking up, narrow group think, personality worships, arrogance, hidden agendas, one group trying to undermine the other and so on will not advance the common cause and or respond to the unity of all Ethiopians especially the youths.

It is that none of us can survive without each other. None of us can hope to prosper while the rest are disenfranchised and subjugated. None of us can make progress while the rest regress or stand still. We are now faced with the fierce urgency of creating the conditions of unity.

Playing the ethnic card game is to fall victim to destructive identity politics that breeds division, hatred, conflict, and cynicism.

The process of unifying people is difficult and the road to unity is often littered with the debris of historical grievances, animosity and resentment.

The realities today are different than they were ten or twenty years ago. Aligning one’s thinking and actions with changing realities and circumstances is a sign of wisdom and political maturity.

In general, society seems to have put power, ethnicity, and profit ahead of humanity. Our world is still struggling with poverty, environmental pollution, disease and the devastation of war while grieving over memories of both world wars, Gallipoli, Korean, Congo and others. Greed, the struggle for power between the haves and have nots has taken us on a path towards competition instead of cooperation paving the way for destruction and we still continue to torture each other while mourning for the past. As a result of all these circumstances, we have been disconnected from our heart and soul and from the earth that sustain us.

Failure can be turned into an opportunity to learn and grow. I say it can because it requires a particular attitude to benefit from our failure. Without that mentality, all our failures will go to waste. This is true in politics as it is in personal life for a leader as well as a follower. So what is that mentality?

It is a mentality that is willing and able to reflect on past experience – past actions and their outcomes. It is only through such reflections that one learns one’s strengths, weaknesses and the environment and conditions in which actions were undertaken and what could have been done differently that could have resulted in a positive outcome. It is not enough to admit collective failure. One needs to evaluate one’s role in the failure. This is even more so if one is a leader under whose watch an organization – business or political – failed. Denying (to one self and others) failures and personal accountability and scapegoating or blaming on “globalization, end of cold war, etc.” will not do. Leaders without such a mentality cannot educate themselves from past failures and therefore deserve no second chance.

To me, being educated means being responsible, accountable, open-minded, tolerant, compassionate, decisive, insightful, considerate, ambitious, realistic, and perseverant.

We see individuals, political leaders, groups and organizations of all stripes stoking the fires of ethnic and tribal hatred, fanning the flames of sectarian and religious violence and instigating all forms of strife, disagreement and enmity.

By reciting my mantra of personal convictions daily & living a life of principles to the fullest in a lifelong journey with steadfast endurance, with so much despair and discomfort, eventually, achieving happiness and contentment in the process, exclusively, knowing the success of founding the institution for all Ethiopians through my life long struggle to survive and continuing to fight for social justice and equality to prevail in our communities everywhere thereby beaming on our homeland, I feel I have fulfilled my mission without regret.

Ethiopia is one of the most mosaic nations in the world, mothering over 80 different ethnic groups all deserving equal opportunities. I do not mind if my leader/president is from dominant (e.g. Oromo, Amara) or minority nationalities (Walaita, Guragie) as long as s/he demonstrates the all the qualities the leader has to offer and based on merit not idolized personality profiles. Indeed, I will be extra glad if the leader/president comes from the tiniest ethnicities. That should be celebrated as it is one powerful way of ensuring social equity and justice thereby transforming society.

In his autobiography, Gandhi wrote, “Man and his deed are two distinct things.  Whereas a good deed should call forth approbation and wicked deed disapprobation, the doer of the deed, whether good or wicked, always deserves respect or pity as the case may be. ‘Hate the sin and not the sinner’ is a precept which, though easy enough to understand, is rarely practiced, and that is why the poison of hatred spreads in the world….”

 If one hates another because of race, colour, religion, ethnicity or other factors, the result is more hate. Mandela said, “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Needless to say that if hate is learned it can also be unlearned. If love can be taught it can be spread across the land.

We should really follow Gandhi’s precept that if we must hate, we “hate the sin and not the sinner.” It is a tough precept to follow and live by without perfecting oneself with enormous change of attitude & self-discipline. We have all been part of the problem and part of the solution at one time or another. If this is not true, then “he who is without sin should cast the first stone”. But now all of us have an opportunity to become part of the grand solution to the political problems facing all of us in the diaspora and in our country.

Let’s join together by resolving our differences and strengthen our solidarity to organise a cultural festival for all Ethiopians by inviting all business vendors to join by displaying their businesses at the chosen festival venues.

Good Health & Happiness

For more read at: https://timeforchangesociety.blogspot.com/2012/11/ethiopian-tournament-factions-thwarts.html

ETHIOPIAN TOURNAMENT FACTIONS THWART OUR TRADITIONAL VALUES

The establishment of Annual Ethiopian Soccer Tournament in Australia has been special not only for organizing to play soccer, but it reflects our tradition of family values by creating an atmosphere of unity, friendship and reunion.
This event was especially enjoyed by young Ethiopians who are growing up in Australia attending the event every year. The festival has planted a burning sense of nationalism as well as pride about who we are and the unity they trying to reflect.

                                              1996 Melbourne Ethiopian Tournament
For parents who have been telling their kids, how Ethiopians are good and that Ethiopian culture is special is a great opportunity to prove what they are talking about.
There were plenty of Ethiopian manners such as politeness, humbleness and respect around the ground while everyone in attendance was very happy to be among fellow countrymen and have a good time.
For the children of Ethiopia, events of the past 14 or more years and experimentation with alien ideology have brought only misery and divisiveness. While those who carried on this experimentation are getting older, the younger generation is seeking to try something different.

Ethiopian Soccer Tournament shined because it was fuelled by its participants' strength and character, indicative of the richness of Ethiopian culture. It also showed what Ethiopian values are individually and collectively. That is why this event was attended by huge number of young Ethiopians. One of them told me that nationalism and togetherness is the way to go for the young people.
In light of many negative news reports out of and about Ethiopia, and the polarizing political climate, the event provided a source of comfort, a display of nationalist feeling and a sense of togetherness.

Ethiopian Soccer Tournament is a beacon to all Ethiopians, the Ethiopia's politicians and leaders that the answer to the needs of Ethiopia is not found in alien ideologies and dividing cultures, but in each of us as we work together in solidarity for the common goals.
It is important to note that what keep this organization going are its founding principles which all of us like. These principles make it a non-political, inclusive, sports and cultural organization.

As in every other year, this year's event was not without controversy. The two big issues were whether the Ethio-Australian Soccer Federation should receive as much exposure that it got, and if it was appropriate for the federation to continue to form a new soccer tournament organization instead of strengthening the already existing club under one collective name working together with the sports & cultural body affiliated with Ethiopian community Association of Victoria dealing with the nature of sports & cultural organization unless otherwise both parties agreed to do all other businesses reaching at resolution not revolution.

Even if need be to work as a separate body of sports & cultural festivities federation, no issues are so important for all stake holders or factions and communities not to organize these once a year only social events in agreement or harmony.
Particularly, the acceptance of other sports factions and the federation was in question because of the influence it might have on the founding principles of our unity in the community and thwarts our tradition by creating divisions instead of unifications. God knows who is confusing who, as I only rely on my intuition of unity no matter what issues they (the differing groups) may have.

As we all know, last year’s annual Ethiopian soccer tournament was organized in two cities, Sydney and Adelaide, organizers failing to reach an agreement if there was one. Since the annual tournament events’ inception, Ethiopians from all Australian States have been coming together once a year, meeting as one Ethiopia to enjoy the soccer games and other social festivities. It is a time Ethiopians get together, not only for the sporting events, but for family reunions, cultural events and friendship. This gracious yearly event was principally initiated by an individual business owner whose idea was entirely reflected on organizing a cultural festive season for everyone annually. As time went by, everyone believed it is a free Ethiopian day festival ought to be organized by the Ethiopian Community Association rather than business ventures.

Although, this concept was precipitated by the community’s weakness, it obviously has come a long way to get where it is today. It is not very difficult to list who did what. It only can be said the hard work and dedication of those who are involved has paid off by making our community the longest functioning Ethiopian organization and still growing.

It was disheartening to see instead of collectively organizing the tournament; different factions were formed to organize events the same day as the Ethiopian community’s annual gathering. United, we conquer, divided we fall; the festival was inevitably divided between the factions and the community. While some members of the community attended the already formed Ethiopian community’s tournament, new members and young Ethiopians took part in the new factions and some found commonality and attended both tournaments in a bid to harmonize both parties and not to abandon their friendship in both as Ethiopiawinet.
As thousands of Ethiopians converged on Melbourne’s western suburbs for the year’s events in 2008, where both factions’ tournaments took place, Ethiopian flags, music, food, colors and sports drew young and old, men and women and Ethiopians originating from most every region of Ethiopia. These Ethiopians now live in many different cities and states throughout Australia, but they have not forgotten their Ethiopian roots. Despite the divisions, no other event has drawn more Ethiopians in the Diaspora to celebrate the beauty, diversity and joy of their cultural heritage than this one week in a year—a week that is super-charged with “everything Ethiopian.”

Although, there were not much of business stake holders at the ground, few were there to sell Ethiopian cuisines, jewellery and costumes. I am sure it would have been huge festival had plenty of Ethiopian business owners been notified to participate and had the tournament been organized by one united community in this once a year amicable gathering. The same scenario is repeating again and again like that of the political situation back home.

I was struck with the image of what a powerful force would emerge if such unity, joy and enthusiasm for Ethiopia could somehow be captured and used as the building blocks for the “one soccer tournament” I have been envisioning! Nowhere did I see this more than in the young Ethiopians who loved their heritage and each other without regard to tribalism, racial biases, factionalism and divisions found among older Ethiopians. This is the “New Ethiopia” of tomorrow that I saw on their faces. Imagine what we Ethiopians in the Diaspora could do in tackling our problems if we could transport such unity and openness to those in Ethiopia, not only to our families, but also to the greater family of Ethiopia.

However, on the other hand, I feared they were detached from the harsh realities of real life in Ethiopia. We rarely see any young people at any of the Ethiopian community meetings. Most everyone at these meetings is over thirty years of age. But at any soccer or social events and at the soccer presentation nights and New Year events, most everyone was under that age.

I wondered what would happen if older Ethiopians could embrace the youths’ view that placed little emphasis on ethnicity, political affinity, regional divisions and racial prejudices. I believe older parents are not including their children in the know what, why, when and how of the Ethiopian problem let alone some of the older ones fully participate in the community sector. I also wondered how well the youth understood the level of oppression, tyranny and hardship that Ethiopians were facing back home and wondered why no young people were attending the meetings. I then decided that the better of these two separate realities could be the answer. The question is how can we combine the best of both and act on it?

As I saw those flag waving happy young people, I was overwhelmed with the hope that somehow, this love of Ethiopia, alongside the joy of living in a free country like Australia with its openness and acceptance of other nationalities irrespective of its implicit racism, could somehow be channelled into these young people, by their parents, community and activity organizers, deeply caring about those stuck in the current situation and tragedy of life within Ethiopia. I wondered whether the gap between these two realities could come together to form a greater youth movement to free Ethiopia.

I also wondered whether older Ethiopians could learn from the youth who saw each other as “equally Ethiopian.” The youth were not being divided against one another based on ethnic suspicions and loyalties, regional background, political alliances, religious views and cultural backgrounds like their parents. Here in Australia, it is no longer mattered so much at least to the young people whose only joy is to get together and play soccer and have fun until they find out themselves where they truly belong.

In Ethiopia, something like ethnic loyalty and achieving dominance over other groups was equated with opportunity and even basic survival. Here it was equated with competition over who would win the soccer games—two different worlds.
The openness of the youth to each other showed a glimpse of a promising possibility—that if you the reader, not only the politicians, activists or educated Ethiopians, could change in this setting, we could change in another.

Despite the negative problems of Ethiopia, it makes me feel very happy to be part of it. When you look around, you see a rich background of Ethiopian images. You might notice the Ethiopian flags circling the stands or peaceful Ethiopians walking—young and old—smiling, holding the hands of their young children and perhaps, wearing Ethiopian flags on their clothing. You do not see the differences of ethnicity, but instead, you see people as Ethiopians or simply, people as people—all beautiful and unique.

Seventy per cent of the people at the soccer ground were young, meaning under the age of 35. They were showing their patronage of anything Ethiopia—buying Ethiopian flags, T-shirts with Ethiopian images and words, Ethiopian CDs with Ethiopian music and Ethiopian food. Hundreds of Ethiopians packed into the pavilion to watch the mini traditional dances of different Ethiopian ethnic cultural celebration before the game.

I have often talked about my dream of the diversity of Ethiopians becoming a beautiful society. What I saw at the soccer field were simply “Ethiopians,” not tribes, political groups or factions. What I saw was a momentary display of that beautiful society of Ethiopia, with all its diversity and complexity. I saw the solidarity in this society of different colours, shapes and sizes.
People frequently ask me what my wish is for Ethiopia and I can tell you, I saw it that day. I saw the dancing and the joy. I saw my society that I have lived and been dreaming about. I saw humanity before ethnicity. I looked at the beauty of each person as a unique human being. I saw the solidarity for a New Ethiopia. I temporarily disconnected from the harsh reality of what is going on in Ethiopia through participating in this celebration of our differences. When the music ended I was brought back to reality and the joy I had experienced was replaced with the knowledge that our family of Ethiopians were dying back home. I wanted all the more for this beautiful society to include them.

Those at the soccer field all seemed to be so in love with Ethiopia; yet, there was something missing - not only an understanding of how bad things were in Ethiopia, but a lack of involvement in changing the downward direction of the country. At every meeting, I saw no young people giving input or becoming involved. Those making the decisions for the future of Ethiopia were all older. Ninety-nine percent of them were men. I wondered where the women were too.

I also wondered why a whole generation of young Ethiopians is so disconnected from what will really change Ethiopia. Their love of the country will do nothing without action. Those young Ethiopians buying Ethiopian flags, T-shirts and so on should be taught and told about their country and that the future of the country is in their hands.
I was brought back to the reality of the children of Ethiopia who are dying because of the lack of clean water, malaria, or the lack of child and maternal health care. I think of the Ogadeni, Afar, Oromo or Anuak young women or girls who have been viciously sexually assaulted or raped by the military—the same military agents of the current regime who are supposed to be protecting them, but instead brutalizing them with impunity.

I think of those young and old who have spoken out against such abuses and ended up in jail. Consider the reality of life for the beggar, for the young girls selling their bodies because they have nothing to eat, the crying mother because she has no food for her children and for those running from Ethiopia for opportunity, but dying on the road or on board ships in the Red Sea instead of realizing their dreams of freedom while crossing to the unknown world or destinations.

I was brought to the reality of Meles making Ethiopia landlocked and then giving Ethiopian land to Sudan and foreign profiteers. And now he is gone, his protégé has taken over promising to finish what Meles has started. I think of how he has sent Ethiopian young men by force, with no choice, to die in a foreign land - Somalia.

I thought about the lack of acceptance between Ethiopians when someone will not like another Ethiopian simply because they are Oromo, Tigrayan, Gurage, Amhara, Adere, and Gambela or of some other ethnic background. I then thought about the divisions between leaders in our political organizations, religious organizations, and civic institutions who will not agree to disagree for the sake of a better Ethiopia. The reality of living with such hatred is that it robs us of our unity, joy and future as a country.

Gone are the naïve old days where activists and politicians design an ideology, strategy, and tactics, and tell everyone that their way is the best way. The only goal now is some form of institutionalized democracy and pluralism. The rest is flexible - whatever it takes to get there. One must be flexible while appearing decisive.

All of these realities hit me so much harder after I saw the solidarity we are trying to produce while creating divisions in institutions like soccer tournaments and the community. It is a tragedy filled with self-righteousness, greed and power motivated by personal ego attempting to create or build another dam instead of trying to find the solution to the fall out to the already established institution and rebuilding it in a united effort. This brought me to the reality that the purpose of living in this world is to live to the fullest of our purposes that God has given to every person. That nearly always means living with compassion and commitment for the well-being of others, going beyond a selfish existence where we focus only on our selves, those close to us or our families to say the least.

This reality of life for Ethiopians back home is vastly different than the Ethiopia being celebrated at this event. To this event Ethiopia is an illusion and any shreds of reality still attached to it are further disintegrating. As I celebrated with the bright and hopeful faces of young Ethiopians, I celebrated their solidarity and joy as I mourned in my heart for my people back home in Ethiopia and for those living here who unable to create solidarity and live in harmony, acceptance and compassion for all Ethiopians irrespective of ethnicity and build one community, many communities if need be, nonetheless, one Ethiopia.

I was reminded why I am doing what I am. I yearn for the two worlds to come together. Wake up and join the Struggle: Young people and women are a powerhouse in the struggle and making change for the better.
These young people at the soccer already have the mindset of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and equal rights between mixes of many people. They have gone to school in the West and have adopted the thinking that has formed the West. It now comes naturally to them without the baggage of the past failures of Ethiopian society. They know Australian people welcomed their parents to enjoy the freedom and opportunity to pursue their ambition with all its ups and downs. If this huge group of well-tolerated and educated Ethiopians could become engaged in changing Ethiopia, they would be a formidable force for good.

It will take a mindset that is willing to bear another’s burdens as a God-given opportunity to stand in the gap for their fellow countrymen and country women. Do they have the compassion and commitment to join the struggle for the future of Ethiopia? I think so, for if they do not, the Ethiopia they celebrate every year in such solidarity will continue to only be an illusion of what could have been. If they join their elders, along with the women, and challenge all Ethiopian political parties & politicians with what is really on their minds and hearts or if they tell them to stop this division or if they confront leaders who are going in the wrong direction to change or to step aside, they would have a tremendous impact.

At the same time, all new attendees could learn about the real Ethiopia and what happened to wreak havoc on Ethiopian society. It would open up the possibility of creating the solidarity in Ethiopia. We have much to do if we are to create this healthy environment at home.
Let’s even think of simple first steps. Imagine if all the attendees at this event would give just two dollars for the advancement of Ethiopia or to the starving children in Southern Ethiopia right now! With a group effort, they could build provide food, agricultural support, clean water, a hospital, a school, an orphanage, invest in developing private enterprise opportunities in the country or advance human rights and democracy in Ethiopia.

Young Ethiopians should not underestimate themselves. There is so much they could do to build respect, unity and reconciliation between people and community. They should consider taking on the cause of justice and human rights.
This is not about taking political sides. The youth can help older Ethiopians understand the meaning of working together in harmony without prejudices. Those older in the community should not protect them from the truth of the situation. Only then will we be able to realize the dream of a New Ethiopia!

My experience with these young people is I played soccer tournaments with them and I mentored them while I was serving as the President of Ethiopian Community’s Soccer Club by organizing soccer games in the Football Federation of Victoria in 2006. I surprised many by attending and playing soccer with them at my age which they find it very encouraging, an exemplary and positive act to follow.

I cannot get the idea out of my mind about what could happen if this young, talented, energetic and well-equipped group of Ethiopians awakened to take part in our struggle for a New Ethiopia. My question is can we help them bridge the gap between these two disconnected Ethiopians.
I am sharing these thoughts with you so that we, with help of each and individual interest, might bring these dreams into reality in Ethiopia, transforming a barren and harsh desert into a lush, spring-fed garden that could bring long-lasting sustenance and tranquillity to the soul of Ethiopians.

I believe organizing the tournament in every state in turn with a mutual agreement or the state where the majority of Ethiopians reside would be an ideal and also help to unite us and make it truly the peoples’ event forever, and help our tournament continue to be not only a shining model for Ethiopians, but an opportunity for transformation.

Therefore, let’s meltdown the walls of excuses and denigrations and instead, march together to achieve our common goals. It is the right time to talk about the one burning question in our minds and in our hearts the question that had given us so much headache and heartache for so long: Can we work together now and in the future to build a just and equitable community in Australia and a united society for all on that small piece of God’s earth we call our home, Ethiopia?

Can we act in unity to cherish our humanity in a single nationality, Ethiopian? Can we transition from the battle ground of recrimination and blame to a common ground of mutual concern, caring and respect? Can we work on the things that unite us and leave behind those issues that divide us? Can we find our destiny in harmony? The answer is a resounding, “Yes, we can!” to all of the questions above. Yes, we can because we belong to the same family, the extended Ethiopian family. It is true that our family members had been estranged from each other for a very long time.

We had not talked or communicated for years. We are not sure why that is so, but someone must have convinced us into believing that the mistakes and wounds of the past are so important that we should sacrifice our present and future for them. But now we say, yes, we can work together in harmony by putting our humanity before our ethnicity, by finding our identity in each other’s humanity, and our strength and greatness in our unity.

We can work together for a better future because we are willing to stand up and say to our fellow countrymen and -women, “Your pain is my pain. Your suffering is my suffering. Your indignity is my indignity. Your future is my future, and we will travel the same road to get there. And never again will we commit the crime of moral indifference against each other.”

For the longest time, we were blinded by historical grievances. We could only see each other from the prison bars of history; and penned like cattle behind the political bars of so-called ethnic federalism, we sneered at each other. We did not care much for each other. Indeed, we held each other in contempt from a distance. But when we opened our eyes shut blind by hatred and distrust and opened our hearts hardened by indifference, we could see that we are members of the same family living in the same home called Ethiopia.

We realized that as we wagged accusatory fingers at each other, our home had been set on fire. An arsonist had slipped by and stoked the fires of ethnic hatred which continued to burn in our hearts for so long. We were duped into believing that we are not our brothers’/sisters’ keepers. So, when innocent demonstrators protesting a stolen election were slaughtered in gunfire, we did not cry together because “they” were not part of us. When hundreds of thousands of our brothers and sisters were warehoused in jail without due process of law, tortured and killed, we pretended not to hear, not to understand the cry for help from “prisons that speak Oromiffa”.

When our Anuak brothers and sisters were massacred, we asked, “Who?” When our innocent brothers and sisters were bombed in the Ogaden, we shrugged it off as if they were strangers. When the Afaris were strafed because they said the Port of Assab is part of Ethiopia, we pretended to be blind, mute and deaf. When crimes against humanity were being committed by ruthless criminals, we were quick to slap the guilty and innocent together and direct our anger and outrage indiscriminately towards the innocent. When our brothers and sisters are scandalized as plotters of a so-called interhamwe, a genocidal massacre, against their compatriots, we failed to collectively object.

But no more! We were once blinded, but now we can see. We are all Ethiopia’s children – the Anuak, the Ogadeni, the Afari, the Gurage, the Gomuz, the Sidama, the Oromia, the Amhara, the Tigrian, the Wolaita, and the rest of us.

There is new thinking that is beginning to take hold among Ethiopians in the Diaspora. It is new thinking based on the realization that never again shall we become prisoners of the past. We have to start working together for a common future. We need an army of bridge builders and brigades of fire fighters. We need fire fighters to save our homeland from the conflagration of ethnic warfare, hatred and distrust. We need bridge builders to get us safely from our present predicament to a future where human rights are guaranteed, democracy is based on the consent of the people and no one is above the law.

Not much is needed to qualify for these jobs. You’ve got the job if you are willing to keep an open mind, rid yourself of hurtful bigotry and trust in the good will of others; and believe that our humanity is more important than our ethnicity or nationality. We are not prisoners of the past, but we are captains of our future.

We are our brothers’ keepers and our sisters’ too. Our destiny is in our hands, and we refuse to let others manipulate and magnify our fears. We can tear down the walls of hatred and bigotry anywhere we find them, and build vines of hope and understanding among all Ethiopians. We can achieve far more together than we can ever hope to achieve separately. Let’s tear down the wall of divisions, and hatred among all our Ethiopian Ethnic Communities, and be united to organize Annual Ethiopian Soccer Tournament and other national festivals together by respecting our individuality and Ethiopiawinet.

Let’s get busy building bridges and putting out fires in the coffee shops, on the streets, in our homes, in our emails, on the radio, on the websites and wherever we happen to meet each other. Bridge builders and fire fighters of Ethiopia, unite! I am writing this message because bitter, partisan fights and out-dated ideas, of the past, left and right, won’t solve the problems we face today. But a new spirit of unity and shared responsibility will.

Good health & happiness

THE COMMENCING OF AFRICAN SOCCER CLUBS DOWNUNDER

In January 22, 1989, while serving the community and driven by the success of community’s progress, I proudly proceeded on to establish the first African Soccer Club & named it Harambee (unity; together) African Soccer Club. It all started when I observed, so many groups of brilliant Ethiopian soccer players, former national players, few former club players and talented friends from other African countries, all got together and played soccer on the weekends.

When our national soccer players denied opportunities or merely offered bench prone chances to play professional soccer starting with state leagues despite the fact soccer was yet an emerging sport in Australia and the environment they found themselves in was unsympathetic and intimidating to take part when given chances sporadically to line-up for games.

                                    ETHIOPIAN NATIONAL PLAYERS STORY

Read, The Age, January 1986: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19860106&id=ADRVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FJUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5255,2218968&hl=en 
 Therefore, to no avail, they rather favoured to continue practicing on weekends with their fellow countrymen. As the weekend training strengthened and the number of players grew exponentially, on January 22, 1989, we organized to play a friendly match with Mauritius team at Seaford United Soccer Club’s ground, Seaford North Reserve, Railway Parade in Seaford and we won the game 2to1.

Extremely encouraged by the team’s exuberance, determination, performance and winning a friendly game, I put a question to a fired up champions to put their aspirations in one basket and consider about forming a soccer club and registering in the soccer league for yearly competitions and electing committee members to run it immediately after the game while we were enjoying a bright sunny African sky in a lush beautiful park.

Following my wealth of experience & acumen, I facilitated the meeting to elect committee members containing a President, Secretary, Treasurer, Publicity Officer, Team Manager and Coach of the Club on the day. Our good friend, Bedawi Mohammed, was elected as President and me as Team Manager of the Club with heavy emphasis on my experiences and the workloads ahead more than just managing the team.  

Harambee’s seniors’ team

Harambee’s reserves team.  Front row from left Bedawi Club President

Needless to say my friend Ermias Wondimu who has been coaching us during our training on weekends has been elected to continue as the team’s coach as he did throughout the soccer games assisted by his brother Solomon while the other fellow national players partaking in mentoring. We also decided to choose a suitable name that will reflect our purpose by calling the club Harambee African Soccer Club and our first home ground being inside Fawkner Park, just off Punt Road, opposite Alfred Hospital, in South Yarra and from here we relocated to a more open & reachable ground, Como Park North, on Alexandria Avenue, in South Yarra, which was the last home for Harambee. 

Harambee’s seniors and reserves team

In 1992, realizing the majority of members and players of Harambee were Ethiopians, some members and I agreed to change the club’s name to Ethiopian but with the same significance calling it Andenet (unity; together) Ethiopian Soccer Club and remained at Como Park as our home ground until we have, finally, relocated our ground in the western suburb, to Dobson Reserve, Maidstone, in order to attract more Ethiopians and create atmosphere of unity with Ethiopian community. While we were at Como, I created weekly Andenet Newspaper for members and players to read club news and express their views. 

   Players photos on the cover of Andenet News Papers 

In doing so, I encouraged few of our own ethnic nationals and other African members and players to stay with us if they wish to irrespective of political differences.  However, the ideas of changing the name & combining Harambee with Ethiopian community lead to the beginning of the withdrawal of other African friends & some of our members to contend with us by forming their own clubs & community.

 

Andenet’s reserves team with Coach Ermias Wondimu

Despite the misfortunes of missing all our friends and supporters associated with them who stood with us forming the club, I continued to serve the new club as President until 1994. Having served the soccer club and the community for a long time, giving way to the new generation and making clear about my intents to support if need be to members who have indicated to me that I should serve again; I finally parted on good intentions.

Andenet’s few seniors & reserves team

Again, in 1998, I recalled and regrouped former Harambee and Andenet players and talented new comers forming a team of mature age and young players based on the principle of non-political and all inclusive groups, outside the community, to establish a new soccer team called Como Park Soccer Club by returning to our old home where a lot of people still have strong emotional connection for various reasons during the formation of the clubs and I was elected to serve as President.

 

Como Park Team June 17, 2001

I registered the Soccer Club with the Amateur Soccer Federation of Victoria and submitted objectives, rules and regulations of the Club to the office of Incorporation. Performed all other club duties as required until finally members gradually disappeared, because of various personal reasons that I can’t speak for everyone, without any notice and the club finally lost plenty of matches and missed few match games eventually becoming insolvent.

 

Como Park Teams & Families

             

Again, in 2006, I was asked by one of the former member & player friend to move back to my old home (community) to regroup the club again by working with Ethiopian community as an affiliated sport body. I accepted the call; Once again, because I wanted to readdress and bring back the course of an enchanting harmony and unity as one Ethiopian club through sports. The committee to run the club was formed & I was elected to serve the sport club as President within the Ethiopian Community. I, once more, suggested its new name, the Melbourne Lions Soccer Club, and enabled to reform together with the former club members and players. Again, we have chosen a closer, better and bigger stadium like pavilion most suited for children & families, the Maribyrnong Reserve, in Maribyrnong.

We have changed the former name Andenet to a local name because of the prohibitions of personalised names, by Football Federation of Victoria, creating nationalistic behaviours among other local players which led to violence numerous times. Soon after, we called back all former Andenet and Como Park players, who have disappeared from the limelight as a result of different personal reasons such as commitments: married, family, jobs, school, growing old, moving away, mortgages and so forth, to attend to training nights with the new transformed Soccer Club.  

I facilitated to register the club with the office of incorporation and with Football Federation of Victoria (FFV) three teams comprising of youth team, under 13^th children’s team and the senior’s team consisting of former soccer club players and new players, particularly, to engage & encourage those who have become fathers to stay fit, to participate in an annual soccer competition with other teams within the FFV. I continued to perform all other required soccer club management duties & responsibilities as I have always done so.

I should also mention here that a lot of people have been instrumental in the development & growth of the clubs & community since the beginning and without the interests and support of these people; I wouldn’t have succeeded to bring the conceptions & executions of both institutions on my own to where it is today regardless of their shabby progresses.   
Please forgive me, I purposely avoided listing the names of those people, who have made my job easier and contributed so much while I was serving the community and the clubs, extremely dreading that I might leave out those who have done their significant share as well.
Frankly, at this time, I’m only concerned in revealing how the “history in the making” dramas have been established; who was originally involved, where and when were all these accomplishments unfolded.

With all my strength and tenacity, I believe I am a self-effacing person, never craving for unjustified publicity for myself, my club or my community. I never liked to take the centre stage, as some might think, to tell everyone what I was due to my humility and utmost shyness which we all have inherited from our upbringing in our culture.
In today’s Ethiopian terms, things have changed fundamentally and will continue to change even more dramatically in the near future.

Also see http://www.timeforchangesociety.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-launching-of-ethiopian-community.html

Peace & Good health                                                   

THE LAUNCHING OF ETHIOPIAN COMMUNITY DOWNUNDER

                   Simeneh Makonnen, founder of Ethiopian Community in 1985.

I thought founding of the Ethiopian community would be a significant contribution, not only to Ethiopians, to the Australian mainstream culture, to establish and introduce a new multiracial migrant community on its own accord, adding to some of the already existing multicultural communities in Melbourne.
I continued to sustain a steady friendship with some of the Ethiopian migrants at the Hostel in Springvale, especially, with former Ethiopian National Soccer players Solomon and his brother Ermias Wondimu who have managed to flee, with two of their fellow players, when they were sent overseas with national teams to play soccer. I drive all the way to Springvale some weekdays and almost every weekend to meet and spend an enjoyable time together, which was a memorable & life changing rendezvous. As our friendship continued to flourish, they introduced me to their fellow national soccer players, who they also migrated with, Sisay Kebede and Lema Kibret along with other close friends of theirs. We continued to enjoy each other’s company and started to discover the life styles of Melbourne outings.

Flanked by former Ethiopian National Team brothers from left Solomon & on the right Ermias Wondimu

Few months later, I popped up a hearty feeling spontaneous question, while we were enjoying the moment with other close friends, about forming Ethiopian community by gathering everyone at a meeting. They were excited and agreed about the concept overwhelmingly & decided to plan a meeting place outside the Enterprise Hostel centre where few of the migrants already moved by renting after they have secured work.

I organized everyone to spread the word that a meeting will be held at Wareham Street, off Springvale Road, Springvale, where some of our friends live who I met during my course of discovery. I amicably call this place the second Enterprise Hostel centre because it was a gathering venue for everyone, every week, to enjoy a home like friendship and escape from the day-to-day stresses of life and find ways to integrate with the Australian way of life.

In my part, I contacted Bedellu Detsa who has been living in Australia before everyone else. I met Bedellu somehow somewhere earlier as we both live in close proximity while he was living in the suburb of Preston where he was still attending Latrobe University.  I told Bedellu about my intentions of forming Ethiopian community and about the meeting which was scheduled on Sunday and invited him to come and take part.

I wanted Bedellu to come to the meeting to support, share and use his life experiences in addition to mine in order to mentor our fellow new comers and persuade those attending the meeting about the ultimate importance of establishing our community. Bedellu accepted my invitation with less enthusiasm stating the difficulties of forming a community of multiethnic groups. I encouraged him that at least we can start to form the foundation and then we will deliberate ways of sustaining it. This is a true story.

In 1985, the enthusiastically awaited scheduled day of meeting, to establish Ethiopian community, at Wareham Street, Springvale has arrived, but only friends, acquaintances and very few people of diverse Ethiopians, perhaps less than twenty, showed up. Regardless of the small number of people at the meeting, after very happy moments of Sunday afternoon informal but dynamic discussions, we all agreed to schedule another general & centralized meeting location for everyone to attend.

The Pan-African place on Smith Street Collingwood which was operating by assisting Africans in the past was recommended as being a free venue to have our next all inclusive general meeting. Bedellu and I were provisionally designated to disseminate the information and thereby assemble the general meeting.

In 1985, a little less than a year after I arrived, I embarked on making a lifetime success story by establishing the first Ethiopian Community Association in Victoria. The general meeting was held at the Pan-African place on Smith Street, Collingwood, with new attendance of more than thirty, different Ethiopians, at least six, ethnic groups, all inclusive gathering. Bedellu & I chaired the meeting to take its course with spirited and civil dialogues. After a very constructive, important discussions and election of committee members to run the community, the meeting was finished without any altercations as the participants were from diverse Ethiopian ethnic groups.

From left former Ethiopian National Team player Sisay, myself, Foggi & far right RIP Alex TRAM (known as)

The elected committees were Bedellu Desta as President, myself as a secretary, a treasurer, a publicity officer & two support members of the committee. I immensely valued my position which will suit my ability to organise all the duties and responsibilities with a principled democracy built on a foundation of the values of tolerance, cooperation and compromise to serve and embrace a diverse groups of Ethiopians indiscriminately.

As I remember, there were people from different ethnic groups who were elected as committee members to serve the community at the beginning until, gradually, they continue to drop out either deliberately or inadvertently as a result of various reasons such as ethnic nepotism, denigration, divisiveness, mishandling, politics, irreconcilable differences and lack of cohesion in the community.

I was furious and strongly appalled to write this article, as simple and clear as possible, because of the news circulating around time and again misinforming the public about the exact anniversary date of the community’s establishment in 1985.

I see incorrectly represented information at the immigration museum and other local departments and I, here, try to enlighten the public with concise evidence how, where and when the community was formed.

I believe the committee members who have been elected to work for the community have either irresponsibly displaced the original documents of meetings including those original records & the elected members in 1985 as I have specified earlier or deliberately or disrespectfully changed to 1986 for self-promotion & personal gratification.

Unfortunately, my premonition being the latter, I just want everyone to know the truth, nothing but the hard truth without naming & shaming anyone, 1986 was the year newly arrived members have been elected to serve the community and they would like to ponder that the community was formed on their watch. I’m sorry that somebody made a huge mistake by putting the entire one year ahead for daylight saving instead of putting an hour foreword. Sorry guys, that’s very funny! Well, maybe for some. Those people should be liable for contempt perverting the course of history, but no one is pressing charges for mistakes of the past as long as acknowledgements are endowed. 

I always sought a common ground even among differing; hard line opposing political views and opinions. At other times, I may display that line of the forlorn idealist intellectual, one who appears deeply in observation due to the multiple problems and tragedies of this world and the ever present suffering of humanity all around us. But I was always with that ever present infectious smile on my face not to disappoint everyone and an ever radiating optimism and hope about the future of our community and people.

One of the greatest weaknesses is our patriotism Ethiopiawinet which has been the ideology of  bygone era of choosing someone with noble & high profile personality connotations (chawa saw naw, ye taweke saw naw, egele tiru saw naw, ke yet naw, ye egele lij naw……; zaare ayee seram….). Time and again, the community has created idealized, acquaintance-based and heroic beliefs of individuals as leaders, sprinkled with absolute flattery, praise and nepotism, which we have inherited, instead of competency and merit. Let us remember that every time we do this, we are producing identical seed and mentoring future autocrats to do the same thing again and again.

I served the community I longed, founded and stood for up until, my final year, 1990. There is a hard reality that most of us in the older generation in our community have been unable to face. That reality is we need to learn to get out of the way. Let's give the younger generation a chance to lead and help them to develop from the sideline if required. After all, it is their future. We can be most useful if we help them learn from our mistakes and guide them to greater heights. If there is one thing universally true about young people, they love their freedom more than anything else.

I am a tenacious and steadfast advocate who is not easily deterred. So, I offer the same advice, again, now, that the political game has transformed and despite the repetitious responses among the leaders of the community that nothing has reformed and things are continuing as before.

In spite of many setbacks and adversities encountered during my service to the community, I treated all Ethiopians equally, regardless of political, ethnic, and other differences. I embraced the community that provided an  environment  to work together not only to compete in elections but also in formulating comprehensive programs, encouraging broader representation of all Ethiopians expressing their views and demands in order to improve our services to the community.

One of the many Ethiopian New Year Day Celebrations in Melbourne

 

During my services to the community some of my duties and accountabilities include:

• Served the community as Secretary and President consecutively until 1990
• Maintained administrative duties by working with elected management committees
• Provided culturally sensitive humanitarian assistance such as death in the family, various legal issues and other support deemed necessary for members of the community and beyond
• Acted as community broker to obtain full assistance from local councils to facilitate and strengthen services within the community
• Arranged registration of membership and maintained record keeping of community members
• Prepared and presented written funding submissions to local governments
• Liaised with human service provider organizations in relation to improving and sustaining delivery of services
• Designed a united all Ethiopian original logo, wrote and articulated objectives, internal rules and regulations of the community

 

ORIGINAL LOGO 



• Prepared, wrote and submitted objectives, rules and regulations of the community to the office of Incorporation
• Organised and chaired periodical and annual meetings of management committees and members
• Assisted migrants settling in the culturally diverse Australian way of life in setting up their ideal business
• Proposed, prepared and facilitated community programs and maintained it until goals were achieved
• Assisted migrants with interpreting/ translating in various tasks such as law enforcements and welfare agencies
• Contributed to the personal development individuals to understand significant barriers in gaining a sustainable employment, housing, communication and promotion material to assist, improve services and opportunities
• Attended regular forums of local governments and functions regarding all issues ranging from immigration and detention to community funding at Migrant Resource Centres
• Organised cultural activities for the community such as celebration of Ethiopian New Year, sport and recreation, visual art shows and participation in the Australia Day and Moomba festivals
• I was there at every event, public meeting, every demonstration calling for Ethiopian unity, for freedom, justice and the rule of law to prevail in Ethiopia.
• Liaising with local media outlets.                                                                                           

AN AWARD RECEIVED DURING THE SERVICE

Read more on the name change story that helped a lot of people to reclaim their name at:   https://timeforchangesociety.blogspot.com/2008/04/self-revelation.html

Here is the interview given to THE Age Newspaper reporter. Some of the comments were not correctly addressed and he took it out of context, particularly, about the number of languages we speak and the lack of Ethiopian female’s migration issues at the time. 

THE Age Newspaper Interview (Click to view)

See the AGE NEWS paper site:

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/120484000/

The NYALA African restaurant first opening in Brunswick St, Fitzroy, is being publicized about their new business venture at the time. Restauranteurs Ermias and his brother Solomon Wondimu were happy to be reunited with their sister Seble to join them in launching their one and only Ethiopian Restaurant business in the most livable city.

 

The community was also exemplified an important role in resettling and assisting its country’s folks and fellow Africans who are detained at immigration centres and other problems they’re confronted with in integrating in their new home.

                                                            THE Age Newspaper Copy

This was an interview I gave to THE Age Newspaper protesting on behalf of Kifle Assefa, an Ethiopian, who was on hunger strike in disputing his case while in Melbourne immigration detention centre. In those days, it was a good time to protest to get a sympathetic public if your case was as valid as Kifle’s one. Imagine the hassles asylum seekers are going through in today’s timeslot.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the untold story so far. This is a true story not only that I was being there, actually, accountable for its inception and foundation. This is absolutely not what some of the members and readers probably think that I’m crying for self-promotion & appreciation. Far from it; I say to those who already know me and new fellow Ethiopians, regardless of whatever conclusion you may draw that I have never expected gratitude & don’t intend to. Although it is a natural and ethical inclination to be appreciated, more importantly, I do things because it is the right thing to do and my personal satisfaction is more important for my conscience than appreciation by others.  
Next see THE COMMENCING OF AFRICAN SOCCER CLUB DOWNUNDER at: https://timeforchangesociety.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/the-commencing-of-african-soccer-clubs.html

Peace & Good health

Anyone having comments or questions about the article can do so.