Fighting Racism, Prejudice and Inhumanity

As I read and hear of all the hope from around the world being bestowed upon, one man, Barack Obama, I wonder if there will be any hope left for ourselves. Don’t we have a responsibility to invest hope in ourselves? If we can muster enough hope in ourselves, maybe, the hope that we had for Obama will come to fruition. We Africans at home and around the world must strive to be the best at whatever livelihood we pursue. Respect for each other is indispensable and we must also be able to disagree without being condescending and unpleasant towards one another.

President Barack Obama on his current visit to Ghana, Africa, in his address speech, said, “Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at war. But for far too many Africans, conflict is a part of life, as constant as the sun. There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes. These conflicts are a millstone around Africa’s neck. We all have many identities – of tribe and ethnicity; of religion and nationality. But defining oneself in opposition to someone who belongs to a different tribe, or who worships a different prophet, has no place in the 21st century. Africa’s diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division. We are all God’s children. We all share common aspirations – to live in peace and security; to access education and opportunity; to love our families, our communities, and our faith. That is our common humanity. That is why we must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology. It is the death sentence of a society to force children to kill in wars. It is the ultimate mark of criminality and cowardice to condemn women to relentless and systematic rape”.

He continued explaining more about the honesty, transparency and good governance in all African countries that will undoubtedly lead to respect for humanity and prosperity for the entire nation.

He said, “Repression takes many forms, and too many nations are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers. No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top, or the head of the Port Authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, and now is the time for it to end.”
As I have said so many times in my previous written comments, our problem, no matter how and when should be resolved and reconciled in our own traditional way without copying western political styles which will not blend in the African way of life.

The President asserted that notion when he said “We must start from the simple premise that Africa’s future is up to Africans”. No one can clean up and fix our own mess in our back yard, but ourselves. The President reitrated my word on that one when he reminded the Ghanaians his election winning truism ‘YES WE CAN’ He said, “Here is what you must know: the world will be what you make of it. You have the power to hold your leaders accountable, and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities, and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease, end conflicts, and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can”.

Don’t we know that we need not be reminded that we take responsibility for our own destiny and country’s future? Well, it is easier said than done. Sometimes we need somebody to be stimuli for our innate wisdom to come to the fore. Here is what Mr Obama said to remind us, “Things can only be done if you take responsibility for your future. It won’t be easy. It will take time and effort. Opportunity won’t come from any other place, though – it must come from the decisions that you make, the things that you do, and the hope that you hold in your hearts. Freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom’s foundation”. I Also made a comment about those people who wrote letters to the President and prominent figures that it will not change the policies regarding the atrocities being committed by our own government, I feel sorry for them that their applications fell on to deaf ears from what Mr Obama emphasised here, “it is our own responsibility”.

He told the Ghanaians, “Make no mistake: history is on the side of these brave Africans, and not with those who use coups or change Constitutions to stay in power. Africa doesn’t need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation – the essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny. We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don’t, and that is exactly what America will do. As I said earlier, Africa’s future is up to Africans.
The people of Africa are ready to claim that future. In my country, African-Americans – including so many recent immigrants – have thrived in every sector of society. We have done so despite a difficult past, and we have drawn strength from our African heritage”.
The culprit: Africa, more or less, has inherited foreign culture, become largely westernized or asianized. Almost 90% of Africans today continue to buy, sell and wear western outfits, rather than African traditional clothes, and all that it has to impose or offer. We no longer care about our roots, villages, languages, cultures and inheritances. We despise ourselves, despise and denigrate our fellow Africans if they exhibit themselves wearing their cultural outfits and aspire only to compare ourselves with all that is not us or to be like those who are not like us.

No wonder everyone is scrambling to grab pieces of Africa because we are not prepared and committed to treasure and protect our own backyard and our own brothers and sisters and allowing foreign aids to corrupt us and not being recognized as equals in the eyes of those who render their alms.

This brings me to the question of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is a good model for the administration of international justice beyond the borders of sovereign states, western double standards and arrogance have made it irrelevant and this in-turn has made it possible for Africans to go soft on our despots.

The western society, Americans, wouldn’t allow or permit even their lowest citizen to be tried by the ICC. How come they want African leaders to be tried by the ICC? One has to ask the bigger question we are facing today: why are the indictments mainly against African leaders and/ or rebels? Africa doesn’t have a monopoly on atrocities. What about “the three stooges”, George W. Bush, Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Australian counterpart John Howard, who have created axis of evil reigniting the sixteen century “triangle trade” or the transatlantic slave trade era of slavery rule of law in the twenty-first century; lied to the world community about what they called weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in order to silence, oust and kill those who opposed their policies; they committed unforeseen atrocities against humanity, displaced so many families, murdered, tortured and incarcerated millions of children, men and women around the world. Why wouldn’t they be persecuted and appear before the World’s Court? Who are the governing body of the so called world court, “ICC”?

“I don’t admit that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia by the fact that a stronger race, a higher grade race, has come in and taken its place”-Winston Churchill to the Palestine Royal Commission, 1937.

What comes out, of all of this, is what most Africans see as organized hypocrisy, selective justice, orchestrated double standards, and a refusal by the western world to see and treat African blacks as equals and responsible.
Don’t get me wrong that I am not complacent, approving or taking pride in the abuse of law, justice and freedom committed by the leader in my country and leaders of some African countries but besides living through it in my daily life, this injustice brings tears to my eyes that how in broad day light the principle on which the ICC was formed categorically ignored.

Alike Iraq or the Middle East, it seems that the primary motive underpinning the cries of Darfur’s genocide is not a concern for humanity but to seek control of Sudan’s oil or to ensure the breakaway of South Sudan and Darfur. If the concern was highly motivated to save human lives, one would genuinely ask, what about the genocides committed in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo where millions of lives perished in an oil free country? Alternatively, this is to instigate a regime change that will impose a US- friendly government at the helm where Darfur to be used as justification by South Sudan to secede, China, Malaysia and India would lose significant sources of oil and investment. With all my conscience, I am regrettably forced to say that everyone is taking a free ride and profiteering at the expense of developing country’s genocides. One can only presume if Africa as, labeled “the Dark Continent”, a black country being ignored by the living opposites.

When people with different cultures and views live side by side, in the absence of effective interaction, it’s natural for them to make assumptions about the other. When such neighbouring groups compete over resources, or when there is conflict of interest, those assumptions develop into prejudices and bigotry.



Therefore, assumption, prejudices and bigotry are present in any diverse society and they often die out as interaction and interdependence among communities increase. But if and when one group dominates the other and imposes its cultural, political and economic will, those pre-existing assumptions and prejudices become fertile ground for dehumanization, discrimination and exploitation.

In other words, what we call racism today is a situation in which the powerful suppresses the powerless based on those pre-existing social differences. We cannot simply wish away bigotry and ethnic hatred; we must face it head on and deal with it.

The man we all admire or we either hate him or love him, for his ingenuity and conceptual contribution to today’s relative warfare, Albert Einstein said, “It is hard to crack a prejudice than an atom”. The Western democracy or and Australian practice has never been fair to black people; hopefully one day, like President Barack Obama, election of a black person as Prime Minister of Australia would finally be an audacity of hope being realized.

The recent Walk for Harmony, in July 2009 in Melbourne, Australia, was a tale of same, same but different! A lot of community and ethnic organizations have been left out because of the government’s failure to tackle racism issues and unfair deal in its judicial system.
All ethnic community groups in Melbourne should have taken part and allowed to address the crowd rather than being used to satisfy Victorian Premier’s political propaganda. The attacks against Indian students were the initial motivation to persuade the Premier to call “Walk for Harmony”.

Australia still remains to practice implicit racism cannily operated and very hard to amplify for those least affected and even harder when others imply hypocrisy and diplomatically character assassinate others because they are different. Former Telstra CEO, Sol Trujillo aggravated Australians for telling the truth on his departure when he said, “Australia is racist and backwards”. http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,25539478-462,00.html

Mr Trujillo was not the only person who honestly revealed the truth about Australian racism. Sandy Gifford is a professor in the school of social sciences, La Trobe University and director of the La Trobe Refugee Research Centre who said on a Melbourne newspaper, “Australia is a racist society. There, I've said it. I've wanted to say this for the past 24 years — from the time I arrived here”. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/lifting-the-veil-on-our-ingrained-racism-20090612-c637.html?page=-1

Another Victorian prominent figure, Waleed Aly, is an Australian lawyer, Muslim community leader, frequent 774 ABC Melbourne guest standing in for regular host Richard Stubbs, grew up in Melbourne's eastern suburbs and is a former student of Wesley College. He studied Engineering and Law at the University of Melbourne and an academic lecturer in politics at Monash University exposed his analysis of racism in areas of employment. http://www.watoday.com.au/opinion/no-equal-opportunity-in-job-losses-20090130-7u0r.html?page=-1

The issues of race, class and identity are broad and I will not attempt to tackle them here, except the agreement we should all bear in mind that racism is not limited to color of one’s skin, but about shared values, cultural diversity, striving for social, economical, political, equality, justice and creating national and international solidarity for the disadvantaged. We are obsessed with the politics of race- a clear sign of inhumanity and disunity instead of discussing solutions on matters regarding unity, security, political progression and stability or the impact of globalization on the cultural dislocation of families.

One thing black people ought to know for sure that we can’t be free until we free ourselves. This can only be achieved through the power of learning and attaining knowledge, and pushing our self up as Obama, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and others have done. Life will never be fair to all of us, if we just sit there and contemplate negative thoughts about everything, rather than directing our energy toward accentuating positive attitude and looking forward to a bright future.

Like many of our heroes, we need to persevere, be courageous and keep on fighting racism, prejudice and inhumanity until we turn things emulating the philosophy of Obamology- yes we can. Rejection or racial discrimination should not dissuade us. Instead, we should stirrup our dormant potentials and face any adversity without fear, of course, given the opportunity, allowing, accepting and welcoming us in the mainstream participation. We can be better and make our children’s and humanity’s better future if we wake up and start doing something now.

Let me share with you a story a friend told me. A man came across an old lady searching outside her house for a needle she lost inside. The man asked her why she was looking outside if she lost it inside. Her response was that there is no light inside. The man asked “what is easier, finding light for your house or searching outside where you know the needle is not there?" The situation in our day-to-day living with racism or and any adversity is similar, there are too many problems, but needless to say, the pertinent solution must come from inside not outside.

Let’s, therefore, motivate our people, people of the world, to become great achievers and tolerant instead of focusing on what those who don’t wish us well are doing.

Long live! Humanity before ethnicity. Remember, we all are African origin.

THE NEED TO FORGE BONDS IN DIASPORA COMMUNITY

I had always believed – as I had been taught – with great conviction, though perhaps foolishly, that Ethiopians were kind and generous to one another and even to foreign visitors. I certainly never, even in my wildest dreams, thought that Ethiopians could also be so hostile, so outrageously cruel and so humiliating to one another. Yes, even though I was one who occasionally accused Ethiopian political leaders and activists of recklessness and of leading weakly organized and dysfunctional organizations housed in shaky buildings constructed from cane and bamboo, with supporters who are lawless, scary militants, blindly following in the footsteps of their political leaders and of activists those who are not in peace with themselves and with each other, much to my astonishment and naïveté, however, I never envisioned that the sudden waves of optimism that came to light in 2005 might be replaced by additional shackles of hatred.

I honestly did not know that we Ethiopians could be so inhuman and so ready to obliterate those who refuse to be blind followers, who disagree with our self-centred and hidden ends and our feeble, vague organizations or political parties – political parties that have little or none of the necessary fundamental political structures, strategies, political maps and legal foundations. Nor did I know that we Ethiopians could be so terribly stubborn and jealous - unashamed liars who appear determined to trash and eliminate our own compatriots – not to maintain the territorial integrity of our country, to realize carefully planned socio-political and economic transformation, or to help educate Ethiopians about the terribly necessary modern political culture (a political culture that is entirely absent in the land we call Ethiopia and among the Ethiopian Diaspora community) or about the meaning and significance of democracy and accountability. Instead we do this for the most hazardous and frightening reasons – to support personal, family and group status and interests.

Isn’t this extremely frightening and depressing? What is most disturbing is that these cruel and shameless individuals call themselves “the gallant and true children of Ethiopia,” and do everything to convince us that they behave the way they do – engaging day in and day out in character assassination and false charges against known and unknown innocent individuals – because, they argue, they love their country, Ethiopia, enormously – more than anyone else. They also continue to insist that they are the ones who are capable of scaring Meles Zenawi’s regime, preventing them from handing over Ethiopia’s fertile land to Sudan and continuing the repression of our people at home. Maybe some of us just missed our old seat and want to regain it by complaining to the brink of self destruction.

More importantly and depressingly, however, the political events of May 2005 have magnified the long existing unhealed wounds and darkened the prospects for positive, relatively civil and respectful communication within the Ethiopian Diaspora community and Ethiopian society at large. Yes, even though most Ethiopian political activists and the unorganized interest groups would prefer to tell us otherwise – saying that the May 2005 election helped to expose the repressive nature of Meles Zenawi’s regime and weakened its political and economic position, both nationally and internationally – in fact in concrete terms, for the majority of Ethiopians both at home and abroad, the direct and indirect repercussions of the May 2005 election and the subsequent turmoil of the past four years have been costly, dreadful, tragic and full of disappointment and embarrassment.



Many in the Ethiopian Diaspora community came to regard it as either a leisure time activity or as a pastime of “see-ra-fe-to-ch/ bo-ze-ne-wo-ch,” those who have little or nothing else to do.
the reputation of being nothing more than “barking dogs that are unable to bite.” the most important factors and actors that have persistently, perhaps even permanently, prevented the Ethiopian Diaspora community from becoming a collective, harmonious force with a single face, a community that is both respected and proud of itself and its activities, and has kept it from playing a meaningful role that contributes to mending bridges among community members and to alleviating Ethiopia’s multiple, prolonged suffering.

We attempt to imitate the systems, political and democratic models of other nations, to implement them in our own land and incorporate them into our minds, but we fail to first understand and deal with the cardinal foundations and requirements of the many-sided components of democracy and democratic patterns and principles, and to consider and study their appropriateness to our situation, the openness of our culture and our socio-culturally molded attitudes and mindsets.

Not just to initiate new discourses and educate ourselves, but first of all to stress the urgent need to think and look critically, either individually or collectively, at the historical components that have shaped Ethiopian culture and molded our uncompromising, irreconcilable and sometimes vindictive attitudes and uncaring behaviours.

Through such engagement, after addressing the root causes of our inabilities to forge bonds, live and work together and find the remedies we need, and after inculcating concepts of respect, trust, confidence, accountability and shared responsibility for each other – combined with a mindset among the members of our society that includes a sense of belonging, a feeling of nationhood – we can achieve a basis for democracy and democratic systems to gradually take root in the land of Ethiopia.

There is an increasing difference within the community in terms of educational background and the extent of involvement in Ethiopian Diaspora politics. A more crucial element in relation to Diaspora politics, which I would like to see taken under consideration by the Ethiopian Diaspora community – especially if we are willing to make a serious attempt to forge bonds among ourselves, become a socially and politically influential community and play a meaningful role in helping ourselves and possibly also our country – is to issue calls underlining the urgent need for the establishment of a common, single House for the Ethiopian Diaspora, a professional institution, free from any direct or indirect influence from any political party, with visions and strategies, systems and rules – systems and rules that reward and obligate its members to serve, provide support and comply.

This would be an institution within which we can all educate ourselves; provide the means and the required material and educational tools to help in the development and expansion of civil society in our country; rebuild the badly needed trust, confidence and accountability among ourselves; engage in positive and constructive discourse and research about the many sided positive and negative cultural elements of our society; redress previous wrongdoing; and fashion new and helpful tools and strategies that will help to heal wounds, whether long existing or freshly inflicted, upon particular sections and generations of Ethiopian society.

Within such an institution we can produce acceptable, maturely written policies relevant to our contemporary political challenges and debates about the process of democratization, the development and role of civil society and the future face and direction of our country and its people, and we can rebuild the badly needed respect and love among ourselves. Such an institution is also needed to help maintain and expand our long-established positive cultural elements and use these to fashion a new political culture, extending our cultural patterns to include habits of working and living together with accountability and responsibility.

This will allow us not only to influence the forces and processes of future socio-economic and political changes in our country, both directly and indirectly, but to play an indispensable part, with a meaningful, positive, substantial role in helping and defending each member of our community in times of personal or collective difficulty, no matter how severe.

That’s the change we want!

PROPOSITION FOR ALL ETHIOPIAN OPPOSITION PARTIES

All opposition parties to, ideologically not politically, engage in a unified, peaceful, honest and transparent behaviour to reflect their philosophy of governance, to the people starting now and leading up to their nomination in the election process in order to create a sustainable government for Ethiopia without going at each others throat.

Whatever ethnic he might be that person will be the people’s choice, elected by the people, for the people and governs the people democratically until the next election. There will not be despotism and draconian style rule of business as usual, once elected continue to govern until forcefully evicted causing catastrophic atrocities.

Our main concern at present however is not about what we currently witness happening but rather what we failed to see happening. The single most important absence, at least to our knowledge, is the stepping up of mutual consultation and engagement among various opposition political forces. The fact that each strives to solely realize one’s own organizational objective without paying due attention to the larger governing possibility could only lead down the road to a chaotic situation and not to a viable political alternative. It is an objective fact that each has got its own perspective through the prism of which it is looking at the current situation in the country. Besides, be it big or small, each are presumed to have their own respective constituencies the interest of whose social segment they claim to be representing. At the same time, most of opposition political groups are believed to share a very strong anti-Woyanne stance that provides them with a solid common ground upon which they can build their shared strategy and tactics.



Holding serious negotiations among various opposition groups that aim at developing a joint political platform that reflects an optimum combination of those diverse interests, in our opinion, is long overdue. The ideal scenario at about this time should have been the clear articulation of a transition modality that is arrived at through a thoroughly conducted negotiation among various groups of opposition forces. As for us, we see no alternative to such a concerted move. Besides, we would still like to reiterate that unless we manage to establish such a nucleus within the soonest time possible, it is difficult to believe that opposition forces are seriously providing our people with any meaningful practical alternative. For the successful realization of such a lofty objective, some may be required to address in-house challenges first like the tendency towards fragmentation we regrettably witnessed around OLF and Kinjit. We see no reason why some may not be able to transcend the hitherto existing minor differences and come together especially in the face of the currently prevalent troubling situation in the country. In fact, they ought to have long understood that the petty differences they are obsessed with are so trivial to merit any attention this time let alone leading to the squandering of whatever political capital this organization has built over the course of so many years.

Our emphasis on such a collaborative effort however does not mean that we underestimate the significance of those familiar activities we mentioned herein before. In fact, remarkable achievements have already been scored through the medium of those engagements by a group of opposition leaders that operate inside the country. These leaders, during their engagement with the representatives of the Netherlands government, publicly humiliated and tossed out the representative of UEDP-Medhin, an organization everyone in the country knows to be an appendage of Woyanne, from among their rank as opposition group. This is truly a remarkable achievement that unbelievably has a long term impact on other subsequent manipulations intended to be staged by Woyanne.

UEDP-Medhin being measured to its proper size and texture publically henceforth has got only itself to fool around by impersonating opposition political forces. The place it belongs clearly designated now, it can freely proceed with its intended course of self-deception by continuing to preside over Woyanne organized public gatherings as its own. Like it is for every other stunt actors, this particular group of political stunts seems destined to shoulder all too demanding tasks on behalf of Woyanne. The only difference being, political stunts toil at the forefront for the ultimate benefit of the back stage manipulators while in the film industry they constitute an essential part of the whole.

If things go as planned, our sources indicate, UEDP-Medhin is poised to be declared as “opposition party” that scored a significant gain only next to Woyanne in the forthcoming election. Then, of course, updates on the negotiations to be held with this “opposition party” on the possibilities of forming a “coalition government” will be orchestrated and released in a carefully measured way.

We welcome and wholeheartedly support the holding or organizing of different discussion forums as we strongly believe that the kind of understanding we yearned for our politicians earlier could only be achieved through such engagement. Such discussion forums however in as much as they are expected to promote understanding, unless we handle them prudently, could also end up being the venue for sowing discord among people or derailing the issue from its proper track though the intention of the organizers at any rate may be far from that.

We consider such formulation of discussion topic like “How conducive is the political climate to hold a free and fair election in 2010?” to be more helpful and engaging than say such a formulation like “peaceful or armed struggle”. Our reason is plain and simple. The latter one derails the focus of political discourse by putting primacy on methods of struggle before we are able to clearly articulate the very cause we need to struggle for in the first place. The former approach encourages free and open discussions while the latter one deters people from freely expressing their views. Besides, the latter kind of issue formulation tends to wrongly associate or attach “peaceful” with the group in power while depicts the others as may be pondering over to opt for “armed struggle” thus blurring the real picture one could get if one focuses on the objective assessment of the current situation in the country. The objective assessment of the current situation in the country, unlike what such a formulation suggests, places those mentioned forces in a diametrically opposite domain. Most of our people have rightly started to wonder whether ascending to power through armed struggle makes one susceptible to try to govern the country through that very means. Hence, the question of “armed struggle” may pertain more to Woyanne at present than it is for any other group as it seems engaged in a kind of “permanent armed struggle”.

New Ethiopia Now!

SOLIDARITY IS THE ROAD MAP TO CHANGE

Ethiopia was built by our forefathers and foremothers who struggled and sacrificed so that we might live free and better. They shed their blood for centuries to keep our country free from colonial rule; secured our culture and civilization in religion, literature, music and art; maintained our unity and identity as a people and sowed religious and ethnic harmony among them; looked beyond our borders to promote African unity and solidarity; made Ethiopia the center of continental African affairs; insisted the cause of international law and justice before the League of Nations and made Ethiopia a founding member of the United Nations. Like Australia, Ethiopia was hewn from the granite of sacrifices made by ordinary men and women. We must also pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking Ethiopia.

Barack Obama said, “There is not a liberal America and a conservative America. There is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America. There's the United States of America.” He also said, “We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.” Ethiopia is no different. There is no Oromo, Amhara, Tigray, Gurage, … Anuak Ethiopia. There is only one Ethiopia. Its history is shaped by its entire people, its culture and traditions reflect longstanding ties of family, kinship and ancestry.

Another pragmatic issue is an inter-party rivalry problem among the opposition parties. It has been common among the opposition that one opposition party makes a ferocious attack on another party and allegedly tries to sabotage, condemn and undermine the other. For example, ethnic based opposition parties, like the ruling party, have used ethnicity as a weapon to blame and intimidate the other ethnic opposition parties. However, if all opposition parties focus and extend the issue of ethnicity beyond its limits by putting aside the main national issue, then the evils of ethnicity (violence, genocide and so on) might shatter the country’s socio-economic conditions as manifested in perennial famine.

The other problem is personality differences of few opposition personnel. Some opposition parties rely on the charismatic appeal of single individual or few individuals, and decision making is highly centralized. As such, it is the enemy of democracy, and also it will be an obstacle to form coalition, cooperation and to work together with other oppositions. These kinds of parties face split whenever another rising star challenges the founder or the leader of the stronger party. Thus, personality conflicts of few opposition parties have contributed to the emergence of many fragmented political parties that we see both at home and abroad. Of course, the “divide and rule” and the “carrot and stick” policies of the ruling party is the main reason for this to occur and the fragmentation of opposition parties.

Apart from the dictatorial nature and power fixation of the ruling party, the problem of intra-party conflicts, inter-party rivalry and personality conflicts of all opposition groups that follow armed or peaceful struggle have undermined issue-based politics and reinforced the power of the regime. So far, the opposition parties both in the peaceful and armed struggle categories have failed to take a unified stand and miserably failed to coordinate their efforts, giving the current government a chance to use fake elections to perpetuate its rule. Now, it is time for change and all opposition parties to take note of the aforementioned problems and refrain from doing them again. Now, it is not the time to raise the past misdeeds. It is not the time to form a fragmented new opposition parties. Now, it is the time to put aside all that might separate or distract us and focus on freeing Ethiopia as the top overriding issue. Now is the time for all Ethiopians back home and abroad with their ethnic communities and all political parties to start a civil dialogue among themselves to reconcile their differences with the view to form solidarity, if possible or to show willingness for cooperation and collaboration with the aim of living together as a cohesive community and together able to form a transformed New Ethiopia. The cooperation and coordination of all ethnic Ethiopians, communities and all opposition parties is very vital to galvanize a new renaissance that will be able to expose the misdeeds of the ruling party, at the same time, facilitate the struggle against the regime. The grand strategy of solidarity, cooperation, and coordination accompanied by actions of all opposition parties will help to achieve its objectives and defeat the ruling party without violence. Moreover, now is the time even for some “phony oppositions” sponsored by the ruling party to join in the really united opposition parties to free and form New Ethiopia.

The destiny of Ethiopians and Ethiopia is not shaped by petty and small-minded power hungry individuals or by begging foreign countries to cleanup our own back yard but by the courage and sacrifices of its people who has a long standing history of patriotism to crash its invaders united as one. We can repeat that history in the coming election by being united to form the new democratically elected government of Ethiopia without bloodshed. “YES WE CAN”. Why fake it, when we can make it! I think we should congratulate the people of Ghana for continuously showing courage, patience and patriotism in their people’s and party’s unity in forming new governments at every election.

This is our time to answer the questions for this and coming generations, to stand up and declare to ourselves and to the world that the stale political arguments of ethnic division and hatred that have consumed us for so long no longer apply; that the lines of ethnicity, language, religion, class will be deleted from our hearts and our minds. It is time for all Ethiopians back home and around the world and their respective ethnic communities to come together and open their heart for a dialogue of understanding and attain a consensus to compromise each other and embrace the politics of solidarity and practice the divine arts of reconciliation, respect, mutual concern, appreciation and love for each other.

It is TIME FOR CHANGE!
This is our time! Let’s seize the moment!

Time For Change

Endless feuding and infighting from the grassroots level on upwards have made it difficult for Ethiopians to attain the organic solidarity necessary to build and sustain the institutions necessary for democracy. I think it is imperative that pro-democracy activists make awareness of intra-group conflict a top priority in the struggle for democracy. But before I make my case, I would like to describe the nature of the problem in greater detail.

Here are a few interesting points. First, the intra-group conflicts we see in Ethiopian collectives are seldom caused by differences in ideology, organizational structure, or other substantive reasons. Nor are they confined to organizations whose members come from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives. Indeed, the most virulent conflicts occur in apparently homogenous groups whose memberships have not only similar ideologies, but similar frames of reference, perspectives, and interests. The current ethnic related conflict, for the most part, is an example of this.

Another interesting point is that such conflicts occur just as much in the Ethiopian Diaspora as they do in Ethiopia. This is interesting because, in the Diaspora, factors such as poverty, political oppression, lack of education, etc., do not exist.

Finally, intra-group conflicts are not restricted to organizations of a political nature. They are found in all types of Ethiopian collectives. We can observe chronic feuding and infighting in families, extended families, non-political civic organizations such as professional associations, churches, local community organizations, charity organizations, and others.

So, why is there so much intra-group conflict, characterized by personal feuds and infighting in Ethiopian society? And when there is conflict, why is conflict resolution so difficult? One explanation is that we have been brought up in an environment where certain dysfunctional behaviors that hamper effective communication and cause conflict are the norm. Below is a list of some of these behaviors that I have observed. I ask readers to reflect on whether you have seen them in yourself; in others; in meetings and other group settings.

• Personalization of issues (ha-sa-bu ye-ne-ne-woo): This is when we are unable to conceptually distinguish between people and their ideas or thoughts. For example, if someone objects to a suggestion I make, I see the objection as personal attack, not as a simple difference of opinion. In response to the perceived personal attack, I respond with a personal attack, instead of discussing the issues. Hence, the initial disagreement over ideas turns into a personal struggle, and because it is a personal struggle where pride and survival are at stake, we end up unable to constructively ‘agree to disagree’. Groups whose members find it difficult to ‘agree to disagree’ become paralyzed by feuding and infighting and eventually collapse.

• Parochialism (we-ge-na-wi-ne-t or ze-re-gna-ne-t): We tend to irrationally favor those from our own kin or we-ge-n—family, village, team, and ethnic group— no matter what the cost. For example, if a person from my we-ge-n has a conflict with a stranger (be’a-da), a person outside my we-ge-n, I automatically favor my colleague, no matter what the substance of the disagreement. Furthermore, I extend the conflict to a dislike of the stranger and his entire we-ge-n—his family, friends, place of employment, ethnic group, etc. This is the root of blood feuds (de-m). Parochialism within organizations leads to ineffectiveness, as decisions are made based on who supports the decisions, rather than on their merit. It also leads to organizations being split into smaller and smaller factions, and eventually collapsing. For example, an organization may split into two main factions. Factions will develop within those factions, and further splitting will occur, until the organization fails.

• Chronic suspicion and mistrust (tee-ree-ta-re): We view each other first and foremost as potential threats. With such a heightened level of threat-awareness, any idea or thought, no matter how innocuous, is quickly considered to have negative ulterior motives behind it. Even the most innocent comments by the closest of friends can be misinterpreted as sinister, resulting in the breakup of fruitful relationships. This behavior is a fundamental cause of conflict in a group setting. By definition, no group can be effective without trust.

• Paranoia: As we view everyone as a threat, we tend to disproportionately develop a paranoid outlook in our interaction with others, with the ‘threat’ foremost in our minds in all our interactions. This paranoia, in a group setting, results in organizational paralysis, with everyone looking over their shoulder and hesitant, instead of working towards the common goal.

• Lack of empathy and understanding: Empathy, the ability to identify with or understand others’ situation, feelings, and actions, is critical for effective communication and teamwork. However, in Ethiopian society, we are not sensitized to the importance of empathy. We do not ask questions such as ‘what in his background might have caused him to react this way’, or ‘what would I have done in his shoes’. This leads us to make erroneous judgements based on incomplete understandings, which leads to misunderstanding and conflict within groups.

• Lack of suspending judgement or giving others the benefit of the doubt: Suspending judgement is fundamental to effective communication. Unfortunately, the combination of chronic suspicion and lack of empathetic understanding lead to the absence of awareness about the concept of suspending judgement and giving others the benefit of the doubt. If someone does something we do not understand, we do not ask, ‘Perhaps there is something he knows that I don’t,’ or ‘Let me wait and see before making a judgement.’ We judge hastily, without taking time to examine all possibilities. This results in erroneous judgements and personal conflicts.

• Character assassination (si-m ma-tee-fa-t/ alu-ba-l-ta/ we-re-gna-ne-t): Rather than addressing conflict directly, we chronically spread rumours and innuendo about those with whom we disagree. We engage in character assassination because we know that it is an effective weapon in our society. Since we do not give each other the benefit of the doubt, we tend to believe bad things about others! A strategy of muddying someone’s reputation will render them useless, as people will simply have had their existing suspicions confirmed. Obviously, character assassination quickly leads to infighting and paralysis in groups, a scenario with which most of us are familiar.

• Lack of openness (ya-le-me-te-ma-me-n): Openness facilitates effective communication. As Ethiopians, we are not open and forthcoming about our thoughts and expect the same guarded approach from others. This is related to our lack of empathy, which makes us afraid of being judged hastily and incorrectly if we speak openly. This fear leads us to be initially vague, unclear, and non-committal, which inevitably leads to communication gaps and communication breakdown, as others persistently try to interpret the hidden meaning of what we say, and often end up interpreting negatively and incorrectly. Lack of openness leads to misunderstanding and conflict.

• Holding grudges (qee-m me-ya-z/ me-que-ye-m): We tend to chronically hold on to personal grudges. Understanding or forgiveness of perceived affronts is seen as weakness, as it is assumed that everyone is and remains to be a threat. In a group setting, there are bound to be conflicts, and if people hold on to grudges, there can be no effective teamwork.

• Envy (qee-na-t/ mee-que-gnee-ne-t): We hate it when others are better off than us in any context, but instead of struggling to improve our own lot, we work to reduce others’! This comes from our ingrained perception that everything in life is a zero-sum game. If someone is rich, it is because another is poor. If someone is happy, it is because another is sad. It is as if the world has been allotted a fixed amount of wealth, happiness, etc., and it has been ordained that everyone should have more or less the same amount. Failing this, the ones with more must have committed some kind of crime to improve their lot and the ones who have less must be cursed.

• Stubbornness and lack of compromise (gee-tee-ree-ne-t and ya-le-me-s-ma-ma-t): Because of our zero-sum view of the world, compromise is seen as a weakness. We do not understand the concept of compromise as a building block for future win-win endeavors. Instead, compromise is seen as a loss forever.

I am sure that all of us have seen first hand these behaviors manifested in various contexts. We have also seen the resulting conflicts in our various collectives, from families to religious groups to political organizations.

On the other hand, most of us in the Diaspora have been exposed to non-Ethiopian collectives where, generally speaking, such conflicts occur far less often. We have also observed that these collectives are, as a result, far more effective and efficient than Ethiopian collectives.

In order to bring Ethiopian collectives, including Ethiopian pro-democracy and human rights organizations such as KUSA and KIL, to this level, it is crucial that we find a way to raise awareness that intra-group conflict is a fundamental barrier to democracy, to put an end to our dysfunctional group behaviors, and to promote positive, constructive behaviors that reduce conflict, increase our capacity for conflict resolution, and increase collective consciousness and organic solidarity.

To this end, as a first step, I suggest that all organizations draft a code of conduct document. The aim of this document should be primarily to raise awareness about dysfunctional behaviors, the problem of intra-group conflict, and the importance of effective communication. In addition, the code of conduct should provide guidelines of behavior and conduct, along with explanations for the guidelines.

My second suggestion is that there should be a collective attempt to stigmatize dysfunctional behaviors in our everyday lives. For example, we must make it tee-lee-k ne-woor to attack anyone personally instead of addressing issues. We must not only refuse to listen to character assassination, but openly chastise and correct those who do it. In a charitable and constructive manner, of course, we have to keep in mind that most of us engage in such behavior almost unknowingly, because of the culture we have grown up in. Unless sensitized to the ramifications of such speech and actions, we cannot become fully aware of the consequences. We need to change our attitude in general.

I believe that these two actions alone will result in a significant reduction in the chronic feuding and infighting in our collectives and organizations. The resulting increase in organic solidarity and collective consciousness will, in due course, crowd out dictatorship at all levels of our society, including the political. The democratic culture at the grassroots will end up being reflected at the national level.

Indeed, imagine Diaspora pro-democracy groups devoid of feuding and infighting. They would make great strides in improving the prospects for democracy in Ethiopia. Imagine that behaviors such as suspicion and paranoia were no longer the norm in Ethiopia. Dictatorship, which thrives on suspicion and paranoia, would disappear shortly.

Doing away with dysfunctional behaviors and intra-group conflict is the only way to achieve democracy. To those who believe in democracy for Ethiopia, I say, we need an all-out campaign for change: Let us declare war on dysfunctional behaviors!

Time for change!

CHANGE OF HEART AND ATTITUDE

Change must first come within our hearts. We, Ethiopians, in Diaspora need to come to a new understanding that transcends the bitterness, petty grudges, personal animosity and hatred, recrimination and distrust because of the past injustices. At a time when lawful internal opposition is crushed, dissent stamped out, human rights trampled upon, famine is spreading like wildfire, and we cannot afford to stand by idly suspicious and distrustful of each other. We have a higher duty that requires us to purge our hearts of thoughts and feelings that weaken us as a united democratic opposition. The time has come to take a stand, to make a public declaration that our differences are far less important than the urgent need to work together in the cause of freedom, democracy and human rights in Ethiopia. We must replace the self-defeatism and self-doubt which weighs heavily on our hearts today with the courage of a can-do spirit and defiance in the face of Evil. We must stop practicing the politics of personal destruction of our allies and potential allies in the cause and embrace the politics of collective reconciliation and consensus-building. We must begin to cultivate a genuine sense of brotherhood and sisterhood.

One of Ethiopia’s unique virtues is its multi century tradition of the coexistence of people with various Semitic faiths which exist to the present day of Ethiopia. Religious conflict has long affected mankind before any political discourse ever descended to armed conflicts and indeed the subjugation of any nation by conquest of war even in today’s modern geopolitical theater. What makes today’s terrorist conflict more dangerous is it mushrooms not from super power ideology of the cold war, but indeed from long unresolved religious conflicts, injustice and maltreatment that has reignited with such unprecedented zeal for global domination. From the world snapshot and especially the geographic location where our nation lies, Ethiopia remains the only independent nation who has contained these elements of highly explosive mixtures to live together side by side in peace and tranquility for hundreds of years.

By in large, The Ethiopian Christians, Moslems and Jews together have long recognized the individual right to worship free from any coercion and persecution as the only way to social cohesiveness of the nation. Throughout Ethiopia evidence of common inter-religious and ethnic marriages, co-observation of holidays, social assimilation, mutual dependence for trade and even the gallant sacrifices shared to defend the freedom of the country is a rare find anywhere on earth. It is a unique model in play when considering the approximation of the very region to where these religions originated from, and thus remains the great wonder of Ethiopia’s history. This virtue is in our genes passed on from our forefathers, and it is truly Ethiopia’s greatest gift to the world.

The current ruling party represents a self obsessed ethnic faction and denies the reality of mismanagement which is a common tactic that substitutes deliberate ignorance for thoughtful planning and has sworn to dismember the very state it rules and ignorantly planning to create civil conflict between all the ethnic parties. The EPRDF regime who rules with impunity is devoid of the tiniest drop of national interest thereby relinquishing the mandate for Ethiopia’s history or its consequential legacy. The people of Ethiopia and only them who collectively continue to exhibit these important elements for peaceful coexistence among different religious and ethnic groups are the only owners of such asset. Ironically, those were the Ethiopians who in 2005 went out in unprecedented numbers to give the opposition party the clear choice, and more importantly the necessary democratic mandate to govern them. There lies the unique opportunity and the necessary tools to fight global/regional terrorism which the world was never privileged to see under PM Meles Zenawi.

Today, we must develop a new approach to the struggle for democracy in Ethiopia based on an express commitment to a set of core values and principles that will enable us to defer our differences for another time.

That’s why The Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia, spearheaded by our own human rights activist a young Ethiopian genius, leader Obang Metho, reminds everyone of us that our core values must be built on two compelling principles of no one is free in Ethiopia unless we all are free and to do so we need to put our humanity before ethnicity. How profound and transformational is that declaration or affirmation? If we aspire to these two core principles, open our minds and hearts and collectively pull together, we will soon find ourselves in an indomitable situation. Our unity will be indispensable among so many fragmented parties.

We are becoming a culture of nit-pickers who likes naming, blaming, shaming and who cannot even talk to each other civilly let alone unite and present a credible alternative to a forthright and unwavering leadership. Because of our fragmentation and inability to forge a common democratic front and maintain solidarity, we have been unable to act effectively and help our people in the motherland. Because we have been unable to learn from our past mistakes, make corrections and come to a collective resolution on an action plan to help overcome the challenges facing the motherland, we find ourselves in a state of political paralysis. Because we have been locked into despotism for so long where only one side wins and the other side always loses, we find ourselves in an endless loop of loose-lose outcomes. Because we have been concerned with turf - some political leaders want to maintain insularity and primacy, some civic society leaders run their organizations through a narrow field of vision, political and civic groups often compete for the same base of membership often resulting in conflict and antagonisms, etc. We have been unable to focus our collective energies on the enormous tasks before us.

That’s why I absolutely support and endorse the solidarity movement for representing all Ethiopians, for unity is the one and only way we can forge forward. Now is the time!

If Zenawi leaves tomorrow, the symptom that manifested itself in his dictatorship may be removed; however, the traditional disease of despotism, intolerance of dissent, narrow-mindedness and prejudice will not be gone with him.

So, extreme care must be exercised by all parties not to antagonise or drive the already volatile and violent government to torture and slaughter its own innocent people as revenge again. They (the current government) have their own right like any other party to represent themselves as an incumbent candidate for the coming elections. It is up to the Ethiopian people to stand for themselves and reclaim the freedom they have lost in 2005 election. In 2010, a democratic election can only take place with our unity, common decency and fully monitored by the world community representatives. This time, with an absolute care and without the agony of repeating the 2005 election massacre unnecessarily, all Ethiopians back home and in Diaspora must come together as one to unshackle over a decades of injustice by the repressive EPRDF Party.

PEACE TO THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE!

WE NEED CHANGE not VENGEANCE

We need to ask ourselves that is it well founded and justified to punish others to avenge ourselves? To analyse the moral justifications for vengeance or retribution against those considered to have caused us pain or committed crimes against humanity and question ourselves, if any punishment ultimately satisfies the moral purpose to which it is attached. One does not hate a hailstorm or a plague; one hates only men, not because they are material causes of material damage, but because they are conscious authors of genuine evil.

With the whole concept of vengeance, my deepest concern is for the individual’s creation of a meaning to existence and I see this creation of meaning as inherently bound to an ethical relationship with the other. While every individual is responsible for the creation of his own existence, this existence is always connected with others. I cannot exist without being in relationship with other people. My presence in the world, the choices I make, even the choices I make not to make choices, impacts on others- immobile or in action; we always weigh upon the earth. Every refusal is a choice; every silence has a voice… each of my actions by falling into the world creates a new situation for the other. We all have something to learn from one another irrespective of our core knowledge.
In order to fully recognise the humanity of another, one must be able to accept and recognise the ambiguous nature of both self and other. A ‘will to freedom’ can never be achieved at the cost of another’s freedom, because to do so would in effect be a denial of both one’s own true humanity and that of the person one seeks to master.

A reciprocal interpersonal bond is essentially destroyed when one person abuses the other as thing or ostracises because he does not belong to their social preferences, when a person is degraded and stripped of his subjectivity and freedom and is treated as an object. Do we need to struggle with ourselves to justify the notion of one individual essentially claiming mastery over another individual through an act of vengeance? Having endured life as a citizen in a torturous and tumultuous country of mine, I am aware of the horrific acts of brutality committed by the current government. I acknowledge that such acts awaken a deeply felt need for retribution. Watching the degradation of our fellow humans to the status of objects arouses in society a passionate hatred and rage against the perpetuators of the evil. When there is great suffering, there is an almost primeval need to avenge, to make it right, to obliterate the horror of dehumanisation from memory and restore a balance or a natural order where evil once dominated.

Essentially, this need is a cry for the restoration of humanity, for the recognition by the abuser that the greatest crime was to treat the victim as non-human, a thing- to make the abuser understand the impact of his causing of discomfort amongst us all and crime on another person. One understands torture by undergoing it. Therefore, the demand for vengeance is the demand for the abuser to exchange situations with his former victim, and through himself becoming a victim, viscerally understanding his crime. While it would be difficult to criticise the immediate acts of vengeance by particular individuals in particular situations, it always has a disquieting character. While one may understand the reasons for acting on the deep wells of hatred and rage, when an avenger aspires to set himself up as judge, the very notion of vengeance becomes suspect: but if we look into our own depths, who among us dares say: I am better than that man? It requires a lot of arrogance and very little imagination to judge another. While an action taken to redress a wrong may stem from a desire to restore the balance of justice, it may equally stem from the desire to power and mastery that slumbers in all of us. Who can say if the avenging act is retribution, or tyranny? We must be aware that if personal acts of revenge or retribution are undertaken, if one acts as judge and executioner in response to a passionate hate, one simply replaces one abomination with another. One act of revenge calls for another act of revenge, evil engenders evil, and injustices pile up without wiping one another out as Gandhi put it, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”.

Therefore, the rule of law justly forbids individual acts of retribution, and in removing judgement to the impartial justice system it effectively distances the act of vengeance or punishment from the passionate hate that demands it. Social justice does not condemn the aggressor in his totality, as mob justice does, but rather condemns the perpetrator as the agent of evil acts repudiated by society. One needs to act positively, swiftly above all with broad common sense. Every person or every leader commences his struggle for the pursuit of happiness for mankind and as time unfolds sinks himself into corruption and regresses back to the same old system of injustice.

However, the raw emotion simmering below the justice system demands that suffering be avenged, and there is great anger and frustration when this right is perceived to be denied. But even if the abuser feels what his victim felt, it won’t remedy the evil the abuser caused: it will not balance the wrong committed. While we seek vengeance as a way of balancing the scales of justice, in reality we are left with the realisation that we cannot ever control the other in his freedom. We can never compel the aggressor to feel the pain of the original suffering. We cannot compel regret or repentance. We can never reach the core of any individual. So, if the intent of vengeance is to reassert the reciprocity of human relations, to restore a balance to the world, then that intent can never be satisfied.

Although all punishments are partially a failure, inevitably, justice/retribution is necessary if only to recognise the evil that is in man. When a man deliberately tries to degrade man by reducing him to a thing, nothing can compensate for the abomination he causes to erupt on earth. There resides the sole sin against man. The mistake is to think that vengeance achieves the moral purpose it sets out to achieve. This is rarely possible. Vengeance cannot compel the freedom of a person, the aggressor, to create anything other than what he wants to create for himself. Vengeance is not the serene recovery of a reasonable and just order. If punishment or vengeance is to have any point, it’s not as a balancing or restorative measure, but rather as a public acknowledgement of humanity’s refusal to accept degrading behaviours.

I see the ethical perspective as essentially a constant questioning of individual motives and intentions. The meaning of one’s existence emerges through an active acknowledgement of the ambiguities of the past, present and future, of a life lived in consciousness of death, and of the relationship of self and other. Ambiguity is at the core of what it means to be human. The ethics built on that ambiguity bears within it not the certainty of success, but the acceptance of the possibility of failure. It may not be possible to compel the aggressor to understand or repent his crimes against humanity: it may not be possible to balance wrongs; all punishment may be a failure- but nevertheless the human cry for meaning demands that the degradation of humanity can never be ignored: their crimes have struck at our own hearts.
It is our values, our reasons to live that are affirmed by their punishment and yet the questions remain, as significant today as eighteen or sixty years ago: What does humanity lose in the act of vengeance? And what does it gain, if anything?

I accept your genuine comments, suggestions and criticisms on all of my articles and about anything without throwing punches for NO reason.
Write to me, email: simmeneh@yahoo.com

Peace, love and health to you all!

GRASSROOTS PARTICIPATION IS VITAL

Selam,

For those who have read my comments of “LET US IMPROVISE”, this is a concrete opinion for those who have commented for ideas how we are going to do it and demanded enough of talking the talk and demanded an action that will make every one start walking the walk. I am calling on all Diaspora Ethiopians and their community members and leaders, all political parties and their support groups, grassroots advocates and activists, religious organizations and their members and concerned individuals to join at a central convention place and facilitate a grand dialogue to resolve all issues that divide us.

We must urgently open dialogue on what is good for our unity in our community and the country our children will inherit.
We need to initiate broad discussion about the core issues that bind Diaspora Ethiopians. I believe there is widespread support among Diaspora Ethiopians on the need to work together on the issues of democratic institution-building for basic freedoms, unity and protection of human rights. I believe it is necessary to provide a public discussion of principles and intentions of our efforts to ensure maximum transparency and accountability.

There shall be no precondition for participation in the dialogue except for philosophical agreement on the two core principles mentioned above. Second, leadership and active participation in the dialogue must not be left entirely to the business as usual suspects of the academics, the political party leaders and the partisan advocates. All segments of the Ethiopian Diaspora community must be encouraged to participate in the dialogue. Most of all, the involvement and participation of the younger generation of Ethiopians and women is paramount.

Effective action requires active involvement of these two segments of the population. Young people and women bring dynamism, energy, fresh ideas, and renewed commitment to the cause. If there is any doubt about the enormous role women can play in defending freedom, democracy and human rights in Ethiopia, one need only look at the heroic contributions of Birtukan Mideksa. We should insist on the full engagement of women and young people, not only in this dialogue, in our community discussion activities.

We must make a clean break with the troubled dialogue of the past which emphasized ethnic, linguistic and regional differences, historical grievances and political or ideological differences.

We have a duty to mend our aching hearts with a clear message that says Ethiopians in the Diaspora have resolved to speak in one voice for the cause of democracy, freedom, unity in our community and human rights in Ethiopia.

As Barack Obama thoughtfully reflected on the situation in America, “Our problems are rooted in past mistakes, not our capacity for future greatness.” One can make the same argument for Ethiopians. We must not be prisoners of past mistakes; rather we should use genuine dialogue and consensus-building as weapons of liberation and transform ourselves into a mighty force of solidarity in Diaspora Ethiopian communities and democratic change in Ethiopia.

Our beautiful dream for the Ethiopia that our children will inherit should be one where the rule of law is woven into the fabric of the society and permeates the deepest recesses of the consciences of every Ethiopian; where every man, woman and child shall have the freedom of opportunity; where there is full legal and social equality among men and women; where one’s ethnic, linguistic or regional origins are respected and protected by law; where the free press performs its natural office of informing citizens and serving as a watchdog on government corruption and abuse of power; and where no person will be imprisoned or persecuted because of their political ideas or beliefs.

These are my “beautiful dreams” for Ethiopia, as I hope they are for many Ethiopians in the Diaspora. That is why I have committed myself to the cause. I have no illusions about the enormity of the task and difficulty of the enterprise we are about to undertake. Some well-intentioned people might be skeptical of the call to dialogue and my urgent plea on behalf of this beautiful dream. Some may consider it idealistic and impractical. Some will laugh boisterously and bet our efforts will fail. As some have disdainfully questioned many times before, some will do so again: How can some aspire to serious dialogue when some can not even talk to each other under ordinary circumstances. Let some laugh! But we should not be discouraged in our efforts to form a united Ethiopian Diaspora voice for freedom, democracy, solidarity and human rights in our communities where we live that undoubtedly will reflect back to Ethiopia. The true test of our success is in holding the dialogue by putting the urgent needs of our unity in our Diaspora all Ethiopian communities and above our own narrow interests. We must act now and begin the dialogue.

Tomorrow is too late. That’s why I am calling on all Ethiopians and ethnic communities in the Diaspora to come together with the fierce urgency of now and sit together at a dialogue of brotherhood and sisterhood and form a united alliance in respect to our ethnic communities.

We cannot afford to sit down with folded arms and wait for something to happen. We must act now as a united Ethiopian Diaspora force. If we don’t, a bad situation could become dramatically worse. We did not arrive at our present predicament suddenly or by some accident of history. What we see today has been unfolding for the last 18 years. During this period, many Diaspora Ethiopians stood watching on the sidelines in silence, and did nothing because of various petty issues not worth mentioning. That option is no longer available to us. It’s time to move on to a brand new day with ray of hope reflecting on each and every one of us.

We should all forward our ideas and a centralized convention venue with specific and concrete proposals for a Diaspora dialogue in the foreseeable future. For now, I plead earnestly with all Ethiopians and their respective ethnic communities in the Diaspora to close ranks, open hearts and minds, shake hands and once again prepare for a new dawn in our community that eventually echoing back to our homeland.

Yechalal

FROM SLAVERY TO THE WHITE HOUSE

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there," Obama said in Chicago, Illinois, before an estimated crowd of up to 240,000 people.

Barack Obama wrote a new chapter into US history becoming the first African-American elected president, capping a stunning rise which in just four years propelled him into the Oval Office.

With unflagging energy and vitality, he took on the political establishment, defeating former first lady Hillary Clinton in the party primaries, overturned the perception that America was not ready to vote for a black president, and crushed the weight of the Republican attack machine.

Four short years ago, Obama was just a little-known but charismatic Chicago politician with a ready smile, who wowed the 2004 Democratic convention with a dazzling speech. The world’s greatest boxing champion, Ali, once said, “Champions must have skill and good will. The good will must be stronger than the skill”.

Certainly, Barack Obama possesses both qualities enormously and used them effectively to achieve a long, overdue dream, walk to freedom. Obama said “America change is now or never…, America you have spoken…., this is your time…. and this is your choice…..” and obviously, the choice was manifested on November 4th, 2008 electing him as their president to the White House. www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1856914,00.html

The next biggest choice and change would be the name of the White House which is outdated and it was named at the time of white domination and the American people need to carry on with the choice and change by naming it with universal names such as American House, Open House, Lincoln House or Obama House to mark this audacity of historic hope and change in progress.

"There is no a black America, and white America and Latino America and Asian America- there's the United States of America," he proclaimed then. The same is true if I say there is no a Black House, and White House and Latino House and Asian House- there is the American House, …..

It was a message he has used to ignite a new fervor and excitement in a country angered by the economic crisis which has dragged down the world's top economy and sickened by the Iraq war.

In defying the odds, the 47 year old, Obama has reshaped conventional wisdom on how to pay for a successful White House bid by harnessing the Internet as a powerful fund-raising tool.

As a community organizer, he understood that the younger generation is the locomotive of change. Obama directly addressed and motivated the young generation and middle income communities to embrace a new agenda called ‘change we believe in’. By so doing he galvanized millions of young Americans to enroll for change and preached so well that America change is now or never. On the contrary John McCain solely depended on traditional followers that are the haves and CEOs.

McCain lacked mass base, resources and energy to bring to Americans the change they want in the 21st century.

Obama’s campaign also put together a formidable grass-roots organization, especially in key battleground states, which in the end gave him an unstoppable momentum towards the White House.

The son of a Kenyan, African, father and a white mother from Kansas, America, Obama has sought to rise above the issue of race and project himself as the candidate for all Americans.

But his victory on will remain bittersweet for Obama, after the woman who raised him to believe he would be whatever he wanted to be passed away just hours before his crowning moment.

His white maternal grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, whom he called "Toot" lost her battle with cancer in her home in Hawaii, never living to see Obama realize the aspirations of generations. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7436720.stm

In a rare show of emotion, from a man who has been seen as cool and collected throughout the grueling 21-month campaign, tears streamed down Obama's face at a North Carolina rally.

His voice thick with grief, Obama said this was a "bitter-sweet time for me. She is going home".

Obama recapped his grandmother's life from her birth in 1922 and her marriage to his grandfather, their struggles through the Great Depression and with his infant mother through World War II.

"She was one of those quiet heroes that we have all across America," said Obama. "They're not famous. Their names aren't in the newspapers," he said, vowing to fight for all the country's quiet heroes.

Born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961, Obama's path to the White House has not been backed by the privilege and wealth often enjoyed by past candidates.

His father left when he was just two, and the young Obama later moved to Indonesia with his mother, Ann, when she re-married.

He spent several years in Jakarta, before returning to Hawaii to live with his maternal grandparents when he was in his teens.

After attending Columbia University in New York, Obama went to the elite Harvard Law School, where he was the first black American to be president of the influential Harvard Law Review.

It was while working at a Chicago law firm that he met and then married Michelle, a fellow lawyer, in 1992. The couple has two young daughters, Malia 10, and Sasha, seven.

On November 4 the world, as it expected, saw an African American, Barack Obama, rise to the highest post of the most powerful nation on Earth.
It's how everything that happened with black people and the drastic changes were in the past, and for once it's in the present and we can have a stake.

I screamed so loudly and cried during his victory speech. Words cannot describe how proud I am of Barack Obama and his accomplishments. I have followed his race repeatedly, joined barackobama.com site and most importantly I began to believe that he could win during his campaign. The road ahead of us will be difficult and the fight will be hard, but last night was a great victory, and I honestly believed that Obama can beat John McCain.

I watched McCain's speech and I didn't see change- I saw the same old politics and the same legacy of elderly Anglo Saxon men leading America. Americans want real change! They want a better foreign policy that is not driven by arrogant bully tactics. They want an educational system that actually doesn't leave a child behind. They want a leader who knows more about the economy than I know, I know and I do. They want a leader who understands the complexity of race relations in America and civil rights issues.

And dammed, I want somebody that looks like me in a leadership role for a change!

I was so excited watching history being made - the election of Barack Obama, the first black president.
Until now, the history of the black civil rights movement in America has been largely that - history.
The great moments and characters that define it - the desegregation of schools, the "I Have a Dream" speech of 1963, the Rosa Parks and Martin Luther Kings - serve as the milestones describing the slow transition to equal rights. For blacks living being marginalized in a just and equal society is equal to prisoner’s in a death raw waiting for their doomsday to come.

Who will forget the infamous Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, who issued a proclamation against integration and stood in a doorway to prevent two black students enrolling at the University of Alabama in the 60s?

In this planet earth there is no place where you could find respect for black race including our own Africa. Blacks are facing insults, beating and killing for exercising their right to speak up, belong to any party they choose and vote in any kind of elections by their own government who have low expectations and respect for their own black people.

The monkey chant in European sport stadiums and the street attack by white supremacists on European streets and the Asian countries prejudice against black people is all known.

Now, Americans by putting a black person as their leader has now challenged the world to show respect for fellow black people wherever they are.

I have no doubt; however, it is only in America blacks can reach to the highest office through democratic election living as members of the minority community. This could not have been possible in Europe and you should not even think in Asia and Australia.

We as a people congratulate Americans for their unity as “one people” and for electing Barack Obama as their president. Congratulations!

Watching a black man become president is an inspiration, a reflection that the fabled land of opportunity has opened the doors to people of colour as well, a coup for blacks, the United States and the world.

It's very inspiring to know we've gone from nowhere to somewhere, from nobody to somebody and from slavery to the White House having a black man as president.

It will be a great influence on all the people that are racist against blacks. Obama's election is one of the greatest achievements for America and for black people around the world living in obscurity.

Bigotry is still well and alive and flourishing implicitly. But the fact that Obama explicitly and smartly muted race issues during his campaign gave way for his vision of hope and change to gracefully emerge. www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7743407308044900839&postID=1514072184902445175

Racism is far more widespread in the United States, UK and other countries than in Australia.
The race issue is not as prevalent in Australia as in the States, with its gangs and crime.

I don't think the country’s politicians are sensitive to the subtleties of Australian race issues. Still, the effect of having an intelligent, articulate black man on TV on a regular basis can't help but have a positive effect.

Yet again, you can't underestimate the value of breaking those stereotypes. To do so Australia and other countries must give equal opportunity and allow black people/artists to take part in the media rather than paint white people’s faces as black to take part in comedy and artistic roles. There are more black artists equally talented if not overly artistic to do the job.

For Australia, apologizing to the stolen generation is just symbolic when the road to recovery and change is so steep by not giving Aborigines and other blacks an opportunity and support, to perform in the mainstream artistic industry and managerial positions, without resenting and discriminating.

Nevertheless, one day change will come to Australia that a black man will be the leader of the Democratic Republic of Australia, New Zealand, UK and other European and Asian countries.

At last! With role models like Obama and new generations raised in a multicultural mix, we're finally nearing the point where a candidate of colour will no longer be an issue.

In good spirits,

Congratulations and thank you, Mr. President!

LET US IMPROVISE

We Ethiopians are plagued by what has become a destructive political culture that we have inherited from our past generations.

The old politics of fear tactics that disseminated to the public by few good natured naïve or/and evil individuals including some egotistic need not to be taken so gravely and avoided but discussed mutually to arrive at an amicable resolution for a common cause.

We need to build a system of transparency, honesty and accountability if we all Ethiopians need to work together in a united effort.
We often attempt to destroy instead of building on or improving the existing projects, organizations and other supportive entities, to fulfill our self-righteousness.

We should also not be disconcerted by those people who have weighed down our contributions and unity by creating division, destruction, rumor mongering, mischief, blaming, lying, envying rather than commending those who have achieved enormously in their personal life or helping others and those who are sharpening and strengthening their self-interest.

At sometime in our lives, no doubt we men deserved our shame for our past mistakes, but as justified as they may be, naming, blaming and shaming our fellow comrades are solid barriers to connecting, understanding and only serves to create bitterness, widening isolation and more wounding.

Therefore, we must drop our culturally inherited blame game and not pursue who is wrong and right as this will not serve our purpose and see the good side of our common cause and start our journey of healing.

The blame game will stop when we understand each other in ways that delight us, or inspire our compassion, revealing our true identity when communicating electronically or visually rather than using nicknames and fake identities which will create more suspicion and limits heart to heart interactions and encouraging each other with healing words and, most of all, offering our recognition and gratitude for the good works we have done.

If honesty is the best policy why conceal our identity. Only if we reveal our true identity to each other that we will be able to redeem our mistakes and communicate honestly and earnestly.

If all is not well and taken too far, it becomes the pursuit of power and self-interest appears as controlling behavior, bullying and insensitive to the needs of everyone.

Let us improvise our rich society. We need to coordinate connections to have the Barack Obama’s new message of “hope and change” in our attitude and reach out across all Ethiopians by all means necessary.
Forgive me, this, may be, is not construed as comparison but, if Obama and America can make a change, we, as Ethiopians and Ethiopia can make huge difference. Yichalal!!

The right to solidify our unity should not be restricted by race, gender, belief, social status, intelligence, or status of other Ethiopian ethnic communities. We all are Ethiopians regardless of our different ethnic communities, organizations and any political parties we choose to belong.

Barack Obama’s big impact to making his message of hope and change became a reality because of his uniting message to the American people when he said, “there is not a black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America – there is the United States of America”. “We are not collection of red states and blue states – we are the United States”.

Today, some ethnic Ethiopians living around the world do not interact with their fellow Ethiopians because of a whole lot of past grievances, political and ideology differences. I highly respect and sympathize with them knowing how my culture back home operate without going in to detail as you all know leaving that to your imagination.

However, irrespective of our interactions, we share the love of our mother land and our families and friends back home.

We should not hold grudges for our past, force and condemn individuals for they have their own unique views like ours for not taking part in any organizations, parties and community endeavors. We need to accentuate positive moral principles and welcome every Ethiopian with an open mind and a warm heart.

We should respect everyone regardless of their commentary values for just taking part to make a difference.
We can not afford not to smile to each other, to feel resentment and to dwell on the past. It is time to move on embracing, not denigrating, each other.

We should not see differences as divisions rather is our right to exercise our freedom to do what’s right for ourselves without harboring hatred and alienations from our community, friends and common ideals.

By abandoning our unity, we are neglecting the struggle for reversing the alarming danger of ethnic violence and potential disintegration of Ethiopia. This further tears apart the community than uniting. Consequently, this will lead the struggle for democracy and freedom for all Ethiopians in disarray.

The choice is ours; we either disengage ourselves from political process out of frustration or reclaim the unity we lost for achieving higher purpose. If we, Ethiopians, wish to live in democracy, prosperity and dignity disengaging ourselves is not the best choice. The choice we should all have, unity, is apparently difficult but with new dream and approach, it is attainable.

The political process of Ethiopia has been a mixture of genuine struggle for democracy, ethnic politics, prejudice, corruption, personal animosity, defamation of political figures and more. All are sources of division, but there are more important reasons that unite us than the reasons divide us.

As Obama did in his campaign, great American leaders never put their race or ethnicity before their humanity and believed in the American motto of ‘E pluribus Unum’ – out of many, that we are, one!

Yes, out of many, we are one! This is my message for all Ethiopians including for those who are fighting to liberate the Oromiffa-speaking side or our Ethiopian Oromo Community Associations, for those who claim to be protectors of the Tigrians or our Tigrian Communities and the predominantly governing elites of Amharas or Ethiopian Communities as others observe, it is run by Amharas leading to its fragmentation due to political differences of the people managing the community monopolizing to one ethnic group inevitably.

However, as a prime founding member of the first Ethiopian community, I strongly object to that notion because of my indelible beliefs and ideals that it should and stands and serves all Ethiopians without all the prejudices. Ethiopia is a multicultural society and the people are interrelated by marriages, religions, strong friendships and good neighbourhood beliefs.

It is time to realize, Obama’s words, that “our stories are singular but our destiny is shared,” it is time to understand that no one is free until we all are free - it is time to join the Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia to bring real change to our own country.

Barack Obama told supporters that "change has come to America" as he claimed victory in a historic presidential election.

It is our turn now to emulate the great principle and bring change in our community consequently to our country, Ethiopia, in a united effort

”…And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright, tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth but from the enduring power of our ideals – democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope! That’s the true genius of America! That America can change! Our union can be perfected!” - President-elect Barrack Obama said on November 4th, 2008.

The new impetus of Solidarity movement for New Ethiopia seems, in comparison to Obama’s Doctrine, a genuine movement of “hope and change” that represents “the united states of Ethiopia”.

This movement is spearheaded by genius of Ethiopia Obang Metho, Executive member of the Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia, from Anuak, Gambella, Southwestern region of Ethiopia fully supported by all Ethiopian communities around the world and getting momentum every day and currently he’s been invited by Ethiopian community in London to speak to Ethiopians. Obang is highly driven by Obama’s doctrine, I hope as we all do, is currently preaching what he practices all around the world.

Obang Metho asked all Ethiopians to focus on our humanity before ethnicity and wanted us to acknowledge no Ethiopian is free until we all are free! Obang has convincingly argued why opposition political leadership cannot provide any significant change unless the rank and file of the respective parties holds them accountable. He convincingly argued that the tyrannical regime in Ethiopia is the only beneficiary of the division.

To my knowledge, Obang Metho has been non partisan, like Obama inspirational speaker, good Ethiopian and, most of all, stood for Ethiopian territorial integrity and unity among its people. What I saw in Obang is a decent unifying character and a character that truly transcends partisan and ethnic politics.
The challenge for him is to overcome the incongruent political reality and inspire the public with his vision of truly, united, democratic, and prosperous Ethiopia. Through Ethiopian Solidarity Forum he has started the long and arduous journey to convince ordinary citizens and politicians alike to abandon their most deeply held positions in an effort to bring an end to self destructive political culture and put their country before self-interest.

If Obang’s message is about unity and as a people we must refocus all our energies to fight for common cause rather than fight among ourselves. My observation may be limited but I cannot accept anything without reasoning. Regardless of his ethnic background, Obang should be accepted and listened to any democratic speeches he is making about our country, Ethiopia, with an open mind.

It is astonishing that recently I was inspired by his conviction and fervently followed Obang’s forum, discussion conferences and his captivating speeches and I have observed a much larger turnout for meetings called by opposition whose speakers were Amharas, Oromos, and Tigrians. In the recent past, there was a large scale debate on the merit of attending or not attending the meeting called by controversial figures but with dubious vision for Ethiopian people unity and territorial integrity. Surprisingly, some supporters of the oppositions have tirelessly worked in wide scale propaganda and campaigned to go out and participate in these meetings.

Why not the propagandists did the same for Obang’s clear message of unity? Are we discriminating among the messengers? Are we down playing the wisdom of the humanity loving minority leaders? Are we regarding the messages of persons coming from broader ethnic group as superior? It appears to me that we still have to fight against prejudice. If we do not win the cultural war we will have difficulties to win the political war. The idea of traveling in one direction must end for Ethiopia and Ethiopians and must use all the avenues that are available.

While America seems to be ready for black president, we Ethiopians seem to have a problem with ethnic background. The greater danger we face in opposition group, as Obang notes, is to allow new walls that divide us. Opposition groups and their supporters are not perfect. They make mistakes, and there are occasions that their actions do not match with what they preach, this is just one of the many hang-ups all oppositions are facing.

I conclude by saying that our political culture must focus on the issues, not on the messengers, that may help us tearing down the walls that divide us. Obang could be one of the persons who are capable of bringing the divided Ethiopians to the roundtable that desperately needed. But, he cannot do it alone!!

We can enrich our Ethiopian community in Diaspora while practicing solidarity to unite all Ethiopian ethnic groups by building bridges to connect everyone by delegating respective leaders from each group regardless of our differences and ethnicity by embracing our humanity and ONE Ethiopia. As we reach out to each other and celebrate our differences and hope for the emergence of New Ethiopia.

Therefore, I’m asking all members of the various Ethiopian ethnic communities and Ethiopian communities to invite the charismatic Obang Metho with a united spirit to speak about his principles, objectives and aspirations of the formidable missions of Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia. Let’s bring change to Ethiopia by bridging change in our community.

The Ethiopian communities should take a leading role to reach out to all Ethiopians and ethnic communities by radio announcements, mail, e-mail, on the web, phone, word of mouth and other ways deemed necessary to connect and have a constructive dialogue to form solidarity for New Ethiopia and invite Obang jointly.

Finally, America, by not electing African-American, Los Angeles Mayor, Tom Bradley as California governor in the 1982 campaign, changed the “no you can’t” response to the “yes we can” that led to the election of Senator Barrack Obama as the 44th United States President on November 4, 2008.

In good spirits,
TIME FOR CHANGE!

Read more comments:

http://www.addisvoice.com/symposium_on_ethiopia.htm
http://addisvoice.com/article/obama_has_opened.htm
http://addisvoice.com/article/obama_effect_in_ethiopia.htm
http://addisvoice.com/article/is_ethiopia_ready.htm

THE PEOPLE’S PRINCE

Barack Obama's remarkable rise really does equate with his campaign's theme: "Change you can believe in."
In that many Americans today are concerned, even fearful, of what their future holds. Obama has demonstrated sound judgement; excellent decision making abilities and a sincere character and electing him president would be a fundamental change in leadership for America. I wouldn’t be wrong if I say that he truly is the people’s prince because he is a formidable candidate in American history who inspired millions of people around the world and we all have seen that a sea of people in America rallies and around the world absolutely adored and endorsed him to be the next President of United States of America who, undoubtedly, will bring change and re-instill the American dream and bring about peace and stability in the world.

BY FAR THE BEST MAN
I have read the stories of past presidents of America and have seen others in my life time, only a handful has been extraordinaire influential people like Senator Barack Obama. Amazingly, I read about the most prominent United States newspapers, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times & Chicago Tribune, have endorsed Senator Barack Obama to become the next United States President by praising his leadership ability, intelligence and political skill while blasting, both his opponents, Senator McCain and his running mate Gov. Sarah Palin.

Washington Post described Obama as “a man of supple intelligence, with a nuanced grasp of complex issues and evident skill at conciliation and consensus-building”. The Post also wrote, “Mr. Obama has the potential to become a great president”.
Los Angeles Times backed Obama on its Website editorial saying, “a leader who demonstrates thoughtful calm and grace under pressure”.
Obama’s hometown newspaper, Chicago Tribune, is the first time it has come out to support a democratic candidate since its founding in 1847, says.
The number of United States newspapers endorsing Obama in the November 4 election has reached 51, against 16 for his rival Senator McCain, a tally by the Editor and Publisher trade journal.
Therefore, my conclusion is, needless to say, Senator Barack Obama is by far the best man for the President, Commander in Chief, of the United States of America.

For more than 20 months, Obama has been running for president against tough and experienced opponents.
There have been some serious challenges during this time, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the revolt by some of Senator Hillary Clinton's supporters, but he has demonstrated the kind of calm leadership, intelligence and skillful communicating that will be needed as America deals with the present economic crisis.

Obama, who has led McCain by a relatively narrow margin over weeks, now has been deliberate and careful; never losing his cool, acting presidential, if you will, before voters decide if that indeed will be his next job.
McCain has failed to sound any consistent themes; was all over the map during his final debate over the federal bailout package; McCain looked as if he has hearing problem when he incorrectly misquoted Obama’s stand on Joe the plumber’s taxation problem, looking for more criticism on Obama’s past performances rather than tangible messages of his own. He said to Obama’s face, “The witch you associated with”. Obama seemed unflappable.

Whenever Obama is speaking about very important issues, McCain was like African meerkat on the lookout looking everywhere erratically and his eyes blink 100 miles an hour grimacing and apprehensively. He looked so abrupt and smart every time Obama is telling the truth about his negative campaigning and issues of unworthiness, McCain recoils and buries his head on to his note pretending to take what was being said.

One very important thing I couldn’t understand why McCain started off the debate by mentioning the death of JFK in Dallas. I do hope that nothing like that will happen this time. Should anything happen to Obama, the Vietnam veteran is accountable. He is carrying too much anger on his chest.
Because he made a huge mistake by picking Sarah Palin, he has no choice but to embrace, impress, uplift her spirit by saying “she is a role model and I am proud of her”. Simply Pathetic!
For the current economic situation, he has come up with a $300 billion plan to buy distressed mortgages, without any description of how he would pay for it.

So far, the experienced candidate, “I know this and that, I have been there, I can fix it” Fix what? Damn, tell us. McCain has acted more like a first-timer on the national stage in contrast to Obama's consistency and calm.
Clearly, Palin is not yet ready to lead the country, but just as clearly she has struck a chord with many conservative and working-class voters and at least given the ticket a chance. While McCain's advisers were wrong to shield her for so long from journalists, the media's mockery has only added to her stature among supporters, already angry over the nearly universal adulation granted Obama.
Palin, however, is not the main issue. Eight years of the Bush administration have left America weary and yearning for hope. McCain not AcGain!
Obama, for many reasons, has given many people a sense of hope- change that America needs.

GLOBAL ISSUE
Issues such as climate change and energy will have to be dealt with during a painful recession.
The next president will need the kind of qualities that Barack Obama has demonstrated in his long and historic fight to lead the United States of America.
I worry about the environment and how America may not be the only cause of global warming, but is the biggest contributor to it. America need to focus more on alternative fuels and sources...nuclear will only be a short term answer... Change is needed. Americans have gone on in an oversized hunger for oil and not focused on what their choices in their past have done to impact their children's futures.
American schools are having less and less funding so their future leaders of tomorrow are not getting the full educations needed to be able to make educated decisions they will be forced to make. How can they lead and make educated decisions without an education?
I'm hearing more solutions than excuses from Obama. The only thing that McCain and I agree on is marriage; I think it should be only between a Man & a Woman. But I think that Gays should be able to have a lawfully binding ... civil unions that allow them the same financial rights as married heterosexual couples. The only difference is marriage is reserved for between a Man & a Woman...sorry it's Biblical...abortions, I believe woman have a right to a choice but I also believe after a certain point the fetus/baby has a right to life. Abortion should only be used in the event of rape or Extenuating circumstances.

RACIAL RHETORIC
John “That One” McCain and Sarah “That Winker” Palin have a fundamental moral and leadership responsibility to denounce the violent rhetoric that has pervaded their recent political rallies instead of screaming along encouraging hatred. When rally attendees shout out such attacks as 'terrorist' or 'kill him' about Senator Barack Obama, when they are cheered on by crowds incited by McCain-Palin rhetoric -- it is chilling that McCain and Palin do nothing to object but show their own agression instead. I must have incorrectly heard him say “whip his …you know what? Or he really meant it. America do you really want this man to be your president? Everyone should say I don’t because his anger is going to put you back into unwanted war again.
Why isn't McCain doing anything about his supporters shouting disgracefully at his rallies? You could see him jerk when someone shouted out terrorist at one of his rallies, but he has said nothing about it. This is not an honorable man running an honorable campaign. This is a desperate man “say anything, do anything” racing against time and trying to energize his base and losing it. He just called his followers his fellow prisoners at a rally.
McCain called on rally supporters, "Friends, we've got them just where we want them," he said. "What America needs in this hour is a fighter”. He sounded like George Bush. McCain has already stirred the pots of hatred that he's brewed. Backing off now doesn't mean much, because his message has already been delivered by his messenger Barbie doll, Palin. She is definitely a pit-bull in lipstick; someone needs to put her back in the kennel.

Barack Obama and John McCain traded jibes at a black-tie charity dinner in New York. McCain at the end of his night’s jokes said, “Today, it’s a world away from the crude and prideful bigotry of that time, and good riddance. I can’t wish my opponent luck — but I do wish him well.” I find some of his jokes were venomous and full of bigotry and I saw a lot of people laughing to tears including Hillary Clinton. McCain seemed like on full last minute campaign again he may be “did not get it” this was supposed to be a light hearted charity dinner.
Then it was barrack Obama’s turn telling jokes about the housing crisis, saying it had hit McCain and his multiple homes heavier than most. “Contrary to the rumors, I was not born in a manger,” he said, also winning laughs for returning to the “that one” comment from McCain and delivering a one-liner about his middle name, Hussein. Obama’s jokes were crisp and jovial, none evasive.
“Many of you know that I got my name, Barack, from my father. What you may not know is that Barack is actually Swahili for ‘that one’,” he said, referring to his Kenyan father. “And I got my middle name from somebody who obviously didn’t think I’d ever run for president,” Obama said. “But to name my greatest strength I guess it would be my humility. Greatest weakness, it’s possible that I’m a little too awesome.”

In a world where unspeakable violence is too often promulgated by extremists, it is no small or trivial matter to call someone a terrorist or to incite potentially dangerous individuals toward violence. John McCain and Sarah Palin are walking a very thin line in pretending not to hear the hateful invectives spewed at their rallies. McCain should end this line of attack in the strongest possible terms. Anything less puts McCain in the same camp as the racists and extremists of the bygone era and those who are bringing their angry rhetoric to his campaign events.
“I know there are some people who won’t vote for me because I’m black, and that’s ok,” said Democratic candidate Barack Obama.Even as the economy seems to be in freefall, as Americans grapple with whether to vote for Obama, the first African American presidential nominee, or his Republican opponent, John McCain, it’s a decision unavoidably colored by race whether they like it or not.
Barack Obama, the son of a white American mother and a black father from Kenya, says his race is not an issue for him. “I self-identify as African American. That’s how I’m treated and that’s how I’m viewed, and I’m proud of it.”But, unquestionably, his race is an issue for some Americans. If in any case, God forbid some how, Obama loses this election, it has to be written again in American history that America still don’t accept blacks in any higher positions than them and they implicitly continue to show their racist attitudes. However, if Obama wins this election, he won it because of his formidable campaigning strategy and intelligent management skills that he has shown us throughout his campaign. Joe Trippi, was a former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley’s deputy campaign manager, a Democratic political consultant and an analyst for CBS News, says that Obama is running to be America’s president, “not African-American’s president or White-American’s president, but everybody’s president”.
In fact, race is a political hot potato that burns anyone who gets close. When Hillary Clinton said she more than Obama appealed to “hard-working Americans, white Americans,” she was accused of exploiting the racial divide.
When Sarah Palin tells her crowds Obama doesn’t see America like they do, she says she means he’s an elitist. Others see that as a racial issue.

The race issue forced Obama to tackle race in America head-on, in a speech last March in Philadelphia where he said,” I have asserted a firm conviction - a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people - that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.”

University of Washington social psychologist Anthony Greenwald says, “Implicit bias,” or unconscious attitudes don’t control behavior but they lurk in all of us. When it comes to Americans’ attitudes on race, he found a widespread preference for whites.

This is also a wakeup call to world news media manipulation including that of UK and Australian media hype to play an equitable game when reporting or writing about Obama or other high status blacks around the world.
Media too often play bigotry by portraying deep-seated jealousy, inferiority complex and so often the truth will suffer for such ridiculous arrogance. It should not only be limited to their misfortune and tumbling but their achievement as well. I have seen very limited news of Barack Obama but a lot of news on his opponents in the Australian news media. We do not see and hear much about, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State, all the efforts she is making around the world trying to bring peace and stability. But we have seen and read almost everyday about the former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright when she was making the same effort. These are just tip of the iceberg without going into details of argy-bargy because you all know what’s being said here. Time to move on! Time for change! Read......

www.simenehmakonnen.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-it-racism-sexism-or-everything.html

David Sears from UCLA calls it, racial resentment - the belief of some whites that blacks complain too much, or don’t try hard enough - attitudes they take into the voting booth.
Undoubtedly race matters. When Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley ran for governor in 1982, it appeared he was certain to become California’s first black chief executive when the last polls had him up 10 points. Yet, he lost. Joe Trippi says, “It was probably the most crushing defeat I’ve been part of.” “It gave us the term “the Bradley Effect” - the assumption that when it comes to black candidates, polls or rather people who talk to pollsters lie, fearing they’ll be seen as bigots.

One would ask what about Obama? I hope it will not happen this time.Trippi thinks the country has come a long way and race may not be an issue but he warns that the fire is not gone out yet and others believe that the Bradley effect is an artifact of the 80s and does not apply to today’s society.
Others comment about high-ranking blacks in the Bush White House have gotten Americans used to blacks in positions of authority. Even pop culture has helped Americans entertain the idea of a black commander-in-chief. Strong, successful black presidents in movies like Morgan Freeman in “Deep Impact” and TV shows like Dennis Haysbert in “24″ may have set the stage.

UCLA sociology professor Darnell Hunt says, “The media are pretty good at normalizing things, and if people see it enough in the media, suddenly it seems like something that, yeah, this can happen.” But this is the real world, with the real world issues: two foreign wars, and an economy in deep crisis. America had the first African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State, General Colin Luther Powell (picture), but never had black Commander in Chief or President before.

A long time Republican Colin Powell crossed his party lines to join Democrats and endorse Barack Obama for president. He specifically cites, “And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities – and we have to take that into account – as well as his substance. He has both style and substance. He has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming in to the world, on to the world stage, on to the American stage. And for that reason, I’ll be voting for Senator Barack Obama”.
Wow! That says it all. That is a huge order from the General!

Perhaps the long awaited ‘Roots’, now, have grown and fully ripe and I hope that America will get over the past injustices and choose Senator Barack Obama who is the best candidate to transform the predicament of American Values with a renewed Spirit.
In good spirits,
Simeneh

BARACK OBAMA SHOWS PROFESSORIAL DISCIPLINE

In the presidential matchup debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, it was one of Barack Obama’s possibly best performance of the campaign and I thought it had a lot to do with the format. All along we’ve heard how John McCain excels in town hall settings.
But tonight he seemed old, cranky, and downright tired as he trooped around the stage. His movements were stiff and jerky–surely a product of his brutal treatment in Vietnam, but nonetheless pitiless to watch. My hunch is that McCain has benefited from having the stage to himself in past town hall meetings. Sharing the spotlight with a much younger, more vigorous and agile Obama really highlighted his physical liabilities in a way that hadn’t previously been apparent.
By contrast, Obama really benefited from his years as a law professor. He was fluent and very much at ease walking and talking at the same time. He had a professor’s ability for making eye contact and maintaining it while he walked a questioner through a multi-step response. And his answers were much more concrete and intuitive than I’d ever heard them.
On the question of health care, for example, Obama was effective at defusing McCain’s cheap anti-government rhetoric with tangible evidence at every step of the way. He explained why healthcare should be a right by describing his mother’s fight with insurers during the final months of her life.
He explained that the reason he mandates coverage for children is that they’re “relatively cheap to insure and we don’t want them going to the emergency room for treatable illnesses like asthma.” And he exposed the shallowness of arguments about government intrusion by pointing out that, without regulators, insurers don’t always deliver on what you pay them for. The answer was so clear that it was professorial in the best sense.
The best example of Obama’s explanation came when the debate turned to Pakistan. The questioner seemed hostile to Obama’s approach: “Should the United States respect Pakistani sovereignty and not pursue al Qaeda terrorists who maintain bases there, or should we ignore their borders and pursue our enemies like we did in Cambodia during the Vietnam War?”
In response to the question, Obama did a number of important things. First, he provided some critical background: We wouldn’t even be having this discussion had Bush destroyed al Qaeda before invading Iraq. Instead, Bush allowed al Qaeda to escape to Pakistan, from which they’re sniping at our troops and destabilizing the region. Next, Obama explained that we’d first exhaust other options–giving the Pakistanis an incentive to do the job themselves–before launching a strike. Only at that point, he said, and only “if we have Osama bin Laden in our sights and the Pakistani government is unable or unwilling to take them out,” would he give the go-ahead. It was about as far from gratuitously belligerent as you could get–and all thanks to Obama’s soothing, professorial wrap up.

John McCain’s crankiness starting to show similarities with Australia’s war hero and a dogmatic racial creepy-crawly, Bruce Ruxtorn, whom I met once in the ABC TV studio full of audience discussing immigration issues. For that matter, both men resemble in the way they act, interact and spit bad languages of racial intolerance.
For his part, McCain mangled his explanations and stepped on his own canned punchlines. His diction was bizarrely geriatrician at times, culminating with his inexplicable reference to Obama as “that one”–language befitting a grandchild who refuses to eat his broccoli. McCain criticized his Democratic rival for supporting the 2007 Bush-Cheney energy bill, "It wa s an energy bill on the floor of the Senate, loaded down with goodies, billions for oil companies, and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney. ... You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one," he said, gesturing toward Obama. "You know who voted against it? Me."

To McCain’s demise, Obama recently said, "I can take four more weeks of John McCain's attacks, but America can't take four more years of John McCain's Bush policies."

Though McCain has traditionally been deft at larding his responses with anecdotes, tonight was mostly argument by cranky assertion. I counted over a dozen times when McCain began a sentence or clause with the phrase “I know”–as in “I know how to get America working again” and “I know how to fix this economy.” Great, but a lot of voters don’t know and believe you. How about an example or two next time?
McCain faced a tough choice coming into this debate. He looked as if he wishes he wasn’t there. Tonight McCain managed to pull off an impressive achievement. He managed to do nothing particularly dramatic, yet still give the impression that he’s old and unsteady. I see very little for him to build on after tonight’s debate. Sorry, the game is over for John McCain.

Bush or McCain not AcGain!

CHOOSE THE BEST & LEAVE THE WORST!

Is Sarah Palin a good winker or thinker?

Vice-presidential nominee Alaskan Governor and former beauty contestant Sarah Palin started her debate winking at the audience and her opponent Democratic vice-presidential nominee Senator Joseph Biden.
Her debate performance was pretty much what expected of her, rambling everywhere by avoiding to answer the real question when confronted by the moderator.
She has been ridiculed so many times on recent interview stumbles, and some conservatives are questioning McCain’s wisdom in selecting her.
He only chose her to play the old game of politics on Senator Obama but didn’t know if his vice-nominee is qualified to do the task of executing responsibilities without repeating the same mistakes like that of George Bush’s.
She is at risk of becoming presidential Barbie doll. She reminds me of Pauline Hanson of Australia. Check it out http://simenehmakonnen.blogspot.com/2008/09/obama-is-creating-good-karma.htmlml
Being quick study, has become the problem as the McCain campaign has overloaded her with more information she can muster. The US economic crisis has skidded and knocked the wind out of both candidates McCain and Palin and they are struggling to regain grip.

Don’t be hoodwinked by McCain and Palin’s reckless last minute gasping campaign of condescending, blaming, smear tactics and prepared to do anything against formidable opponents, Obama and Biden, and obviously racing against time and the change they have never experienced before.

On the contrary, Senator Biden gave strong and detailed analysis of every question he’s been asked during the debate. Furthermore, Governor Palin while making accusations on Senator Obama has never ever called him Senator, not even once.
How arrogant is that? That’s why she acts, talks, looks, stumbles and so on like Australian Pauline Hanson.
Sarah Palin was not chosen for her foreign policy expertise or intellectual might either, no amount of coaching can reverse that.
Therefore, she returned to the very traits that made her an attractive, winker political upstart and held her own against a much more experienced, opponent, candidate, Senator Biden. In the process she may have helped shore up some nervous voters who initially warmed to her winking smile but were in danger of skidding away.
Sarah can wink, charm and smile but she can’t fool the whole America like George Bush did with his wicked smile.

BUSH or McCAIN not AcGAIN!
John McCain wants to cut and run from the presidential campaign but keep our troops in Iraq indefinitely. John McCain didn't know the nation was in a financial crisis and didn't know his campaign manager was defrauding Freddie Mac. John McCain wasn't aware that his campaign aide was on the bankroll of the Georgian president. John McCain didn't know Sarah Palin was for all the earmarks he was against. And he didn't know she could stare into Putin's eyes from her balcony. John McCain didn't know he could still participate in the presidential debate without having to be on the stage in the same city. John McCain also didn't know how to set up an e-mail account. John McCain didn't know that his attempt to sabotage his campaign by pulling a Palin on his crew, and the White House-led GOP at the last minute without notice, wouldn't get him out of the campaign that easy. John McCain also didn't know that his latest cowardly efforts to duck and dodge not only jeopardize his "war hero" status, but also lends credence to the notion that he is running from questions about his complicit involvement with Freddie Mac and dodging efforts to prevent any investigative media from asking Sarah Palin legitimate questions that conveniently Fox News forgot to ask (which would be every question in a real reporter's notebook).

John McCain realizes that he has made one of his greatest mistakes in his life by choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate and, unfortunately, has no option left but stay in a fight or flight situation.

Sarah Palin doesn’t think of what the future holds or conveys about the consequences of her actions; messages, remarks, accusations, vague policies and gaffes.

Right now, John McCain and Sarah Palin are trailing because the American people finally realized their rhetoric and the same old gaffes and cheap political tactics that put John McCain in the White House for 26 years in the first place.

For McCain and Palin this new wave of technological political change is in their way and find it hard to swallow, especially for John McCain as in the past who used to winning by bickering and throwing stones at his opponent without clarifying his policies to the American people.

I recently watched the documentary that shows John McCain’s failed philosophy and poor judgement that led to economic crisis. Watch the video- http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/keatingvideo.

Senator Barack Obama, up until now, has never pointed a finger at McCain and Palin to expose McCain’s past economic misjudgement that put millions of Americans at risk by losing their jobs and homes. Despite all the personal attacks made about him he instead chose to continue talking to the American people about the issues that matter the most.
America! You accepted all the advancements in technological changes, why not political changes?

FAWLTY TOWER IN WASHINGTON
Britain’s Ambassador to Washington recently paradoxically admired Barack Obama saying, he is “elegant”, “mesmerizing”, “highly intelligent”, “star quality” and “tough & competitive”.

How in the world then a person of all these virtues will “have less of a track record than any recent president”? This is what the Ambassador wrote back to his British Prime Minister Gordon Brown detailing his inappropriate espionage style letter. It seems that signs of discontent starting to emerge as Obama’s resilience is shinning through McCain’s neighborhood. I think all diplomats should learn from Obama’s intelligent and exuberant approaches to interpersonal relations. Time for change!

YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE BUT SPEAK WITH RESPECT

I thought McCain was very arrogant and abusive by playing cheap lying tactics about Obama's credibility and abusing him by saying "he doesn't understand" and "he doesn't know" plus he kept repeating the same thing over and over again by going over his time limit and Jim Lehrer, the moderator, was allowing him for that. Obama was the clear winner despite the fact that Lehrer let McCain have the last word most of the time. Was that fair? Think about that, seriously. What about the debate rules? I hope the American people saw McCain for what he truly is - an old dinosaur with old ideas and abusive debater!!!

He’s completely out of touch. He’s somebody who’s giving tax cuts to the wealthy when it’s the middle class and low income earners who needs tax cuts. Just last week he thought the fundamentals of the economy were strong. So, he doesn’t get it. That’s what he has demonstrated. He’s out of touch. And when you try to use sort of insulting language as he did tonight it doesn’t really appeal to voters who are looking for a positive solution to their own lives and the struggles that they’re going through. McCain's language is "insulting" when he says that Obama “doesn't understand” in all his speech.

Obama conducted himself with dignity and respect, and Americans appreciate that kind of concerned forthrightness. You can see from the picture how warm and accepting, welcoming and sincere Obama is. That just qualifies Obama’s comment about McCain when he said respectfully, "It's not because John McCain doesn't care, it's because John McCain doesn't get it."

On the contrary, Obama was respecting him by agreeing with what McCain was saying. So, be warned, McCain was playing cheap and old abusive tricks trying to score points by criticizing his rival rather than getting to the specifics and what he can do as a President. I was impressed with Obama. He presented a platform of change, discussed the issues well and showed a plan. McCain certainly did not show any real platform of change and just profiled his experience of 26 years in office which led us to no where but economic disaster and an unqualified war that wasted American lives.

In good spirits,

OBAMA IS CREATING GOOD KARMA

Come on America! This is wake-up call! McCain’s smart tactics to pick a woman of no substance and credentials is only to cover his weakness and downfall to gain vote against his rival for not picking a woman as his running mate. It is a vote getter trick!( http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,24271327-5012748,00.html )

A RAY OF HOPE
McCain is a four-term Arizona senator, where has he been? What has he done all those years? Just support the Bills and changes that are presented by the Bush administration?
All the economic fall out now is a perfect example for the McCain’s term sluggish administration.

On the other hand, Obama is only a first-term senator from Illinois and records show that he has tremendously contributed so much to his Democratic party and in doing so he excelled in his KPI’s to run for the highest office in the land. Obama lamented Republican policies over eight years that he said "encouraged outsized bonuses to CEOs while ignoring middle-class Americans" and said: "Instead of prosperity trickling down, the pain has trickled up — from the struggles of hardworking Americans on Main Street to the largest firms of Wall Street."

Obama generally supports stronger consumer protections, better regulatory oversight and more government intervention, while McCain broadly prefers a market system of less federal involvement and red tape.
Obama seeks to cut into inequality between rich and poor by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans and give breaks to the middle class and lower-income people.
Obama chastised McCain by saying: "It's not that I think John McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of most Americans. I just think he doesn't know. He doesn't get what's happening between the mountains in Sedona where he lives and the corridors of power where he works." That’s just a legitimate and honest assessment of McCain’s, three degrees of disaster, pure ignorance, poor judgement and pathetic economic mismanagement.

MCCAIN’S RANK OF TREACHERY
John McCain owns more houses than he can count and his wife wears $300,000 earrings. McCain divorced his first wife (after he cheated on her) to marry Cindy who was wealthy. Prior to that he was pretty much a loser. He eventually graduated, despite some difficulties near the bottom of his class and was a cocky, but bad, bad pilot in the Vietnam war leading to his plane getting shot down and him getting captured. This was the fifth plane McCain had lost in his short military career (and he only saw 20 hours of combat during the Vietnam war).

Further, McCain actually cooperated with the Vietnamese and provided them with information in exchange for medical care (not saying I blame him given his life was at stake, but merely stating what happened).
It makes you wonder whether John McCain is a real life instance of the Manchurian Candidate.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, was raised by a single white mom who needed food stamps. He worked hard, graduated from one of the highest Universities in the land, Harvard, and overcame tremendous odds and hardles to get where he is today. Phew! These are not opinions but prooven facts. To even think that he is an elitist is the biggest farce in the world.

A ray of sunshine is gradually beaming rainbows of hope for America and the rest of the world because OBAMA IS CREATING GOOD KARMA. Obama will bring audacity of hope to all. Read more very interesting comment on (www.abugidainfo.com/?p=6027 ).

BOOK OF LIES AND DECEIT
Jerome Corsi just published a new book full of lies and deceit. Sounds like the writers from The National Enquirer. This is nothing but another stint & sensational writing full of lies to arouse people more interested to read expecting what will happen next on fictional stories that never existed and to anyone’s demise nothing will happen at all. People are so attracted to bewildering stories they will continue to buy such stirring and dramatized stories of newspapers, magazines, and books so forth.
Obviously, this writer chose a good time and opportunity to make money regardless of his strong support for both parties and making evil effort to undermine Obama’s credibility. No fat chance, Pal. You can make the money but you can’t make the man the way you think.

In good spirits

Ethiopian Tournament reflects/deflects our traditional value

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.

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 12 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 fueled 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 year, this year's event was not without controversy. The two big issues were whether the newly formed 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 our collective name, Ethiopian community Association of Victoria. Particularly, the acceptance of this federation was in question because of the influence it might have on the founding principles of our unity in the community and deflects our tradition by creating divisions instead of unifications.

Last year’s Annual Ethiopian soccer tournament, organized by the Ethio-Australian Sport Federation, was held in Melbourne. It marked the organization’s first hosting of soccer games for Ethiopians under their new name. Since the events’ inception twelve years ago, 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 organized by, our community, the Ethiopian Community Association in Victoria originally established in 1985.

The community 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; the federation was formed and organized its first tournament the same day as the Ethiopian community’s annual gathering. United, we conquer, divided we fall; the festival was inevitably divided between the federation 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 federation 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, where both 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—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, jewelry 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.

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 “New Ethiopia” 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 channeled into these young people, by their parents, community and activity organizers, deeply caring about those stuck in the TPLF apartheid regime 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 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 colors, 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 this regime who are supposed to be protecting them, but instead brutalize 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 onboard 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 Djibouti. 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 naive 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 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.

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, as I wrote in my earlier comments “WE ALL ARE ETHIOPIANS”, irrespective of ethnicity and build one, many communities if need be, community, 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. 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 tranquility to the soul of Ethiopia.
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 revitalization.

Therefore, let’s breakdown the walls of excuses and denigrations and march together to achieve our common goal. 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 ethic 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!
In good spirits,
Simeneh

What is it, Racism, Sexism, or Everything?

I am commenting on an unnecessary opinion Robyn Riley, from Heraldsun Australian newspaper, (www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,23415573-5000112,00.html#submit-feedback.) has made against Richard Williams regarding the racist allegations, she assumed, he has made on behalf of his two professional, remarkable, tennis players, Venus and Serena. His perfectly brilliant comments are the deep rooted grassroots racism that has made not only his life difficult, the lives of every black in the world.
She failed to grasp the weight of his comments that they are neither ego nor delusional. As far as I know he is a perfectly healthy and caring father who has observed what has been happening to his tennis wonders regardless of the wealth they have gained from playing tennis, endorsements and their personal motivation to get in to the industry dominated by white fashionistas.
She needs to wake up to her conscience unless she perfectly denies that racism never existed and does not exist.

Australia is long way from accepting blacks into their community. The government’s intention to take in minute percentages of refugees from Africa comparing to other European countries is a perfect example of modern day hypocrisy and they are taking them because they are pressured by an international community and humane organisations. In the new millennium Australia still continues to show an implicit form of racism. ( www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,24416160-661,00.html )
In case you haven’t noticed if you watch the news and sports on TV or read Australian newspapers, they are only showing or commenting on white winners, be it Australian or other, in the tennis or any sport competitions.

On any of the Australian media including SBS, which used to be the media outlet for ethnic communities, Barack Obama the Illinois Senator who is the American Democratic Presidential, hopeful, nominee, is hardly mentioned on the news, however briefly, except when there is negative news against his name while the rivals, John McCain or Hillary Clinton, names come up about hundred times if they managed to score a good point even if it doesn’t make any differences at all. This is an indirect racism and hypocrisy purposely trying to sabotage and suppress reports in the media for the promotion, advancement of black entrepreneurs and empowerment of power and prestige.

It is a perfect example of modern day racism that still bothers our white community unable to accept black advancements in all areas of achievements. Is it just pure sexism, racism or combination of everything? How many blacks suffer from the effect of racism in finding employment? (www.theage.com.au/national/hope-is-alive-despite-the-knockbacks-20080731-3nzq.html ) (www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,24195608-2862,00.html ) It is so implicit and cruel even the most educated end up driving taxis and working in factories to support their families. The organizers of Wimbledon are at shame about the game for playing Venus out of the appropriate court she deserves as a defending champion.

The Australian media reports or writes very little if any on the Williams sisters. Always reflect at their lowest of lowest form, especially, channel 9 for not showing the women’s, Williams’s sisters, final when it was clearly indicated on the weekly TV programs. What about if the final was not all in the black? The Newspaper media pulls off sexism with infinitely greater pledge. What a dull and infantile article they write, sometimes. Hey, I say to you, crawl out of the Stone Age and into the 21st century. It’s time for change.
The Williams sister’s game has many strengths and even the most blue-collar of tennis fans could see that. It is so sickening to see the newspaper Medias are also biased that they hardly write about black sports' achievements.

I for one am looking forward to seeing the sisters rewind time and take us back to a great time in tennis. This year's Wimbledon has made for quite a good story. It's always interesting to see two sisters face off in a final, especially when they have such differing on court personas. I would much rather watch them than watch someone like Federer, who has got the game but no on court persona whatsoever and so boring with no charisma. At least Nadal helps to keep things interesting though.

Also you should remember that because the sisters have been equally impressive in the doubles competition you failed to show it.
Wimbledon refuses to give equal pay to female athletes. In a world where inequality between the sexes still exists, it is thus very important for the All England Club to send out the message that: Women are just as capable of making the same achievements as their male counterparts. No one should be discriminated in any ways for something they have no control of.

The talk about Venus and Serena spending times outside tennis has been going on for so long that it is becoming tiresome to hear. For one, it is their lives. Unlike some tennis players who struggle to go past the first couple of rounds of a grand slam, despite the fact that these players have almost no life outside tennis, the Williams sisters have managed to accomplish so much while wining a combination of 14 grand slams. With results like that, who can question that they are not "Full time Professionals"? And as outsiders, we do not have the right to judge the way they choose to live their lives. After all, if an actor can write books, why can't a tennis player design clothes?
I think the media and everyone should wake up to their conscience that the time for change has come. Face up to the reality, tolerate and accept black people's achievements, enough is enough, how long can you go on dominating your fellow human beings.

We need media vigilance against racism’s permanence, its modern implicitness and its insidiousness. Racism will always be with us in a more implicit manner than past treatment of aborigines and South Africa’s former apartheid policy and African-American segregation calamity. The responsibility is more accentuated for policy makers, political and community leaders, educators, religious groups, the mass media and the police, as they attempted to steer the community to moral, empathetic and humane ends. It is a social tragedy that this inhumane treatment still exists in today’s society. Further reading ( www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,24035840-2862,00.html ).

So I say to my dear Robyn, you need to further educate yourself about the predicament of racism before engaging your brain in this very sensitive and grassroots domination by white population. You need to liberate yourself and reflect your ideology in a way that is acceptable and enlightening to others. Don’t do unto others, what youth don’t want others to do unto youth.

In good spirits,
Simeneh

SAY NO TO RACISM

Where is the mantra of "ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED EQUAL?"

It is time for big change for mankind. Let's FACE reality.

In good spirits,

Simeneh

WE ALL ARE ETHIOPIANS

By Simeneh Makonnen March 28, 2008

As a true blue Ethiopian, and a person of the Ethiopian Diaspora, it upsets me to see our people, all Ethiopians, keep steering for our individual differences instead of appreciating and coming together for our collective enrichment. I don't know about you, but hollering about our ethnic culture, trying to earn distinction as Gondere,Menze, Amhara, Tigre, Oromo, Guragie or ya addisabba lij, bragging about our ethnic superiority, to one another, has not earned us one break in life. We all, some of us, work like everyone else to make ends meet, if I missed a social club that offers benefits of being of a "special" ethnicity or culture, please someone let me know. Assuming that there is no such club, why then do we constantly go out of our way to elevate our egos at the expense of other Ethiopian ethnics.

While the unfortunate many are living in impoverished states of Ethiopia: Tigray, Oromia, Amhara, Harare, etc., the blessed minority of us, whether in Australia or elsewhere, are obsessed about our ethnic individualism instead of coming together to revive our respected country. We have been blessed with the gifts of intellect and ambition necessary to advance our cause; instead we use these gifts to attack each other. Trust me, you are not helping out the average Ethiopian by constantly disparaging your supposed enemy; the only thing you are doing is enabling the power hungry government and individuals who uses these differences to enrich themselves at the cost of other people.

It's easy to attack someone in the abstract, to denigrate a very weak individual, but next time you feel like uttering a word of hatred, regardless of your nationality or ethnicity, look at the ethnic, Ethiopian, woman in the store with two kids who did nothing to you, your words are aimed at her the same as they are at your supposed enemy.
Look at the, ethnic, Ethiopian, man who is working midnight shift driving taxis or trams or buses or working in the factory, trying to put his children in college, your words of hostility are wedged at him the same way they are wedged at your weak opponent.
Look at the, ethnic, Ethiopian child who is trying hard to attain the Australian dream, your word of contempt target her/him as much as it targets some powerless challenger.

We all know that there have been historical injustices and that no one ethnics’ hands come out totally clean, but how many generations we have to fight the same battles before we call a ceasefire. We should not be captivated by the sins of our fathers or the bitterness of past generations. The hurtful venom that is discharged in the name of ethnic pride is nothing but empty rhetoric that diminishes our collective aspirations and dreams.
The fingers of the hand are weak, you can’t clap with one hand, nor can a thumb by itself build a house, working together, they can move mountains, clenched they become a powerful force to protect our shared rights.

Imagine if we are united together in Australia to advocate for policies that advance our community and collective interests instead of denigrating each other’s achievements and personal journeys in life.

A perfect example would be, as my Ethiopian-Australian friends would certainly acknowledge, that they collectively supported my strong commitment and determination to establish the first Ethiopian Community Association in Victoria in 1985.
From there on, we strengthened our unity and established the first African Soccer Club comprised of various Ethiopian ethinc groups and Africans playing soccer match competitions every Sunday in the Amateur Soccer League of Victoria. The rest is history.

Why it all fall apart? What caused all the divisions? We need to understand our failings and learn from it, if we have to make a democratic community respecting our diversity which was my basic principles to form a community that entails all Ethiopians irrespective of our differences.
It is a very disenchanting story to see the downfall, why we all allow or agreed to disengage our communal and fraternal pursuit for enjoyment of life by creating divisions amongst ourselves. We should appreciate those who have helped us to succeed in our personal and business achievements.

My urge is, it is never too late, to create a dialogue that can filter our differences and unite our objectives to create an atmosphere of friendship, whether in Ethiopia or elsewhere, as we are people of diverse cultures living in an environment of democracy, prosperity, tolerance, mutual respect and harmony under the supremacy of Law and Justice.

After all, we have more in common than we have that sets us apart. The way forward for Ethiopians is not through ethnic extraordinarily, rather it is through social and economical collectivism, and we have to enter into a new age of a post-ethnic philosophy.
Think about the impact of our unity wherever we are and the effect it can have is even greater back in Ethiopia.
We should never forget the power of Unity: "United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs."
Next time you want to point a finger in the air to brag about being "number one", just remember that the finger you point upwards will not do anything to build or protect the very ethnic you are so proud of.
Collectively we are powerful; individually we are always going to be impotent, letting others exploit our minds, resources and historical wealth while we stand apart bragging about our ancestors and past accolades.

Watching Barack Obama's historic speech about race and its omnipresence in the lives of all Americans, I was inspired by his honesty and his tedious assessment of our collective and individual deeds that perpetuate and divide one community against another. It was this powerful moment that led me to some profound thought and how my own actions perpetuate the intangible yet real walls that separate neighbor from neighbor, co-worker from co-worker and in some instances a friend from a friend.
I feel I am reinvigorated and ready to strengthen the spirit of my community which I always believed; we are many, united as one.

The experience that constructs my life narrative is that of being an Ethiopian and an African-Australian. Sometimes I feel blessed because I have a connection to my culture; at other times, I feel as though I walk an invisible line, wavering between my Ethiopian culture and my African-Australian culture.
It is this double life, this distinction between two cultures that challenges the notion that I have transcended the divide between the African-Australian culture and my Ethiopian culture.

The racial divide that Barack Obama spoke about is not contained within the quarters of black and white Americans; it is an undercurrent that exists within people of the same color and, in some cases, of the same country. It reaches out beyond black and white, extending the reaches of division on tiny basis of dark and light, African and African-American. The same goes here in Australia; the divisions are so vivid, between different African-Australians and amongst Ethiopians.
It is hypocrisy, if we believe in the grassroots mainstream of multiculturalism in Australia, when we don’t even acknowledge our own long standing diversity that have lived and fought together to preserve our country’s freedom to the present.

I assumed that my experience walking the line between my Ethiopian and African-Australian identities had cautioned this divisive mindset. I figured that I was enlightened, that I transcended the ethnic divides simply because I am a sincere friend of many cultures, Ethiopians, Australians, African-Australians and those from countries in almost every continent.
To one degree or another, we are all guilty of the practices that kept us divided; the very victims of discrimination can often be its perpetrators. The hatred that has taken centuries to fester claims as victims those who preach it and those who are its target.
Discrimination does not reside in the narrow confines of black and white; it permeates all societies, the impacts of which are felt across racial and ethnic lines.

Therefore, for us, all Ethiopians, who seek to see a united Ethiopia where equality, prosperity, social justice and harmony in diversity would be and inherent features, this is a great opportunity. I think time has once again presented us with an opportunity to see a room for commonalities in difference and toward to establishing trust for united action against the struggle for power among parties everywhere and dictators in Ethiopia.

I love my Ethiopian heritage, I love my African-Australian experience, and I love my Australian journey; however, my own journey towards true inclusion and unity is far from attained. In our own ways, we all have our faults and strengths, which contribute, to the divisions and unity that exists between our communities.
Even if we disagree on political matters and ideologies, whatever parties we may engage in, members of any social gatherings, different ethnic communities, we should always exercise the enticing power of mutual respect between us.

Nonetheless, we all are Ethiopians. In general, our failings do not define us, that we are not still, and that we can grow beyond the walls that have defined our experiences to attain the true meaning of unity; to achieve the essence of diversity, out of many united fronts, is like Menelik’s army triumphant in the face of adversity.

In good spirits

SELF REVELATION

By Simeneh Makonnen February 24, 2008

It has been a long, long time to try to find the lost soul, not knowing, that has lived within me so quietly. I was not the real person of a true identity everyone would think I should be. However, I have lived and felt, I must admit, like somebody else without revealing my true identity simply because I was accepted in the western culture and have benefited by doing so immensely.

I created my false self with no intention of staying that way for so long. It all started in the 70s when people couldn’t say my name and gave me their preferences and I went along to fit in, gain status, the prospect of better jobs and all the benefits of social promotion in a new culture.
I was and am always proud of who and what I was and where I was from till I faced with the probability and dilemma of trading my true identity for social classification.
It has all been to my advantage and I have no regrets about my past actions. The stake was so high and the availability of opportunities which would have been otherwise with my own name. Well, regardless of what will happen in the future, with my identity, it is time to move on in spite of people having difficulty to say it.
What started as a joke built up over years and became my new personality, self-image and identity that I experienced more or less most of the time.

I didn’t experience the false self all the time because, thankfully, sometimes I was in touch with my true self, and those experiences, which I tend to think of as peak experiences, serve to remind me of who I really am.

The experiences grew amicably. Partly because of my name’s association with the 70s movie called “Simon Templar”. Interestingly, everyone started calling me just that when I was in Europe and the rest is, like they say, history.

That was then! This is now! Three decades later I am starting to wonder and ask myself what has happened to my birthright name. I am starting to feel uncomfortable to introduce myself with my borrowed name, Simon, to everyone I meet. I can see that everyone rolling their eyes refuting this is not my true blue name.
When I see the false self’s treatment of others, I realise that is how I actually treat myself, it becomes apparent how my troubles began.

Having done that, up and about till early 90s; I was so popular with that name among girls, boys, workmates and almost everyone I met in general. I also had no trouble finding jobs, meeting girls and making friends. No wonder I kept it for so long. “It may seem good idea at the time”. Feels like that.
These days no one cares and believes even if you tell the truth.



My naivety with an aspect of the true self brought an emptiness which my ego mind couldn’t abide and it automatically filled up to prevent feeling empty and inadequate.
We all have our own ways of perceiving things differently. The desire of our hearts, expressed in our own unique ways, always embody essential qualities such as peace, love and happiness.
We are all seeking wholeness, divinity and enlightenment because those are the aspects of our soul’s nature. The true self, the soul, is whole and divine.
My true self, or authentic self, is obscured by years of conforming to others’ views of who and how I should be. This is the self that is pure, unaffected by years of conditioning to be “someone”, an elusive someone I can never quite manage to figure out how to become. Conforming to an ego-based ideal, and the exhausting strain involved, need plague me no longer.
After discovering my true self I managed to live authentically, I now know that I am in harmony with my values and beliefs, and my actions are in honest alignment with what I feel is important.
Living this way, everything that I bring into my life will be what I want rather than what others think I should be and have.
After courageous self examination, I finally realized my inherent worth as an individual is a far more serene and sober option than defining self by others’ views and expectations.

What an astonishing journey! “Free at last!” Great struggles in life bring great triumphs.

As I have conscientiously started to experience those important aspects of my true self, I am on the way to feeling a sense of who I am, why I am here and where I am going. This is more exciting, to me, and an important quest of discovery of myself, than anything else I can dream of.
In order to live a life full of great relationships, with my family, friends and everyone, perfect health, of course my conscience and success in all my endeavours, it is imperative to strengthen my connection to all aspects of my true self. And it is simple; all I need is the courage to face the truth.
“You can’t handle the truth” is a famous Jack Nicholson’s screech at Tom Cruise in the movie…..
Honestly riding that rocket ship into my inner space is the only way to reveal the wonder and beauty of who I am. Only the truth can set me free, if I can handle the truth. When I rise above my experiences and beliefs and take responsibility for having created my current life’s situations, not blaming someone or something else, I am ready to find the true self and heal. I am already feeling better having the courage, to face the music, to tell you about my bumpy experiences.

Therefore, I made up my mind to find me and use my birthright name without hesitation.
The identity I have inherited did not fit with my persona, beliefs and preaches. So, it is time for me to practice what I am preaching.
I can’t tell you how relieved and comfortable I am since I have found me and started introducing new me to everyone I meet.

As a result, I want everyone to know that from today on ward my correct name would be Simeneh (si-mae-nah)
If everyone can say Schwarzenegger ( she-wa-z-ni-gger), Arnold with double “g”, certainly, they can “Say my name” promptly with little trouble. Whatever happens, absolutely, I won’t be back! Please, try saying it now!

Recently, true anecdote, I introduced my self to someone with my real name and after his first attempt; he said to me, do you mind if I call you Sam? I just laughed myself off to tears and explained the story to him. Not again! And I said to him, definitely, I do mind and even if you can’t say or remember it, by hook or crook, it is ok. Please, don’t call me Sam. That’s how this whole enigma started in the first place.

First and foremost, to my families back home and in Australia who stood by my false and true self over the years, I thank you for your patience and understanding. You knew I have never meant to be someone else. It’s all been nothing but fun and self gratification to survive the life dominated by the rich and famous; respect and appreciation which is prejudiced by the who is who culture. I just wanted to live like everyone else without being judged by the colour of my skin, race, nationality and status.
Despite my quest for self fulfilment and pursuit of happiness, for the inconveniences and painful conditions I have inflicted upon you in your daily life, from the bottom of my heart, I say to you, I am sorry.

To all my friends, my community in Australia which I co-founded and all others who knew me who I was and where I came from but reluctant to use my foreign name to call me, introduce me to others, admire me or talk good of me in general, if you were disappointed in me, I say to you with all my heart, I am sorry.
For setting a bad example and having an impact on some of you directly or indirectly for changing or contemplating to change your names at one time or another, I can’t express enough, I am really sorry.
To all my friends in Europe and America, it has all been nothing but fun, happy time and all of the above, if you have been disappointed for changing my name; I am truly sorry.

My final word to all, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters in Diaspora, what may seem good idea and fun at the time can be complicated and deceitful on your long journey in life without revealing your true self.
I say to you, today, forget whatever you called yourself in the past or now and reassess your options in life and stay with your true identity, heritage, culture and birthright name that matches not only your persona, your origin as well.

In good spirits,
Simeneh

BARACK has the EXPERIENCE and WISDOM

Barack Obama has all the prerequisite to be the president of the United States of America.
Exceptionally, he would make the best modern era extraordinary president and commander-in-chief of the United States.
Barack Obama has immeasurable talent and wisdom to govern and lead this great nation. He is not by all means a cowboy or arrogant leader who will use his authority to maintain peace and social stability at home and around the world. Instead, he is a pragmatic, influential and persuasive diplomat who would resolve all matters through a civil communication.
So, do not be hoodwinked by Clinton’s reckless campaign of parading to get votes by talking about Barack’s inexperience. One should ask what her experience is. If Clinton wants to be back in the white house, she should tell the American people her own policies and experiences rather than condescending her opponent. Remember, what JFK said, “Think not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. The same goes for Clinton. Stop telling US what Barack Obama can and can’t do for US, but tell what you can do for US.
The Clintons want to go back to the white house with their personal problems and old ideas of her husband again telling her what to do. With the foreign policy issues where was Bill Clinton when 200,000 poor people of the African nation of Rwanda died from genocide? Didn’t he use guns not roses to kill more people of the old European Country of Yugoslav, now a divided nation of Bosnia and Kosovo, to settle the dispute? What about the unresolved peace deal in Northern Ireland and the impassable Middle East conflict between Israel and its Neighbours, root of all the problems the world can muster.
Come on! The past, old and looking for the gun when the tough gets going experience was, is and will be futile. About time America needs change. New Change they Can Believe in.
The one and only person that can undoubtedly bring those changes and lift the American spirit and dream from the brink of downfall is Barack Obama.
I believe Barack Obama practices what he preaches and that is in itself a sign of colossal leadership.
Barack Obama possesses the personal attributes of a great leader – an even temperament, an open-minded approach to even the most challenging problems, a willingness to listen to all views, clarity of vision, the ability to inspire, conviction and courage.

In good spirits,
Simeneh

AN INSPIRATION FOR THE NEW GENERATION

Barack Obama is either the reincarnated Abraham Lincoln or spiritually connected to Martin Luther King who has inspired all walks of life not only in America, around the world as well. It was a devastating agony that the world lost a charismatic persona that changed the social malfunctions of that time for ever.
Today, America and the world are at the highest point of happiness to regain that inspiration 40 years later. But live at the lowest of lowest life creating inequality and animosity at home and around the world. America needs to bring changes that make the world a liveable place without fear, war and spending and building unnecessary arms to destroy each other.
If I say that Barack Obama means equality, liberty and fraternity, I would not be further from the truth. In the so fast changing world we live in, change is so inevitable and only if that change is transparent and accountable to all. I believe the American people would make that judgement with complete care and honesty to vote for the person who would bring those changes to live not only the highest life, the happiest with equality,…..

Barack’s personal journey has been so admirable and encouraging overcoming overwhelming living hardships and the loss of his father early on and his mother to sickness and later death is a testimony to his unshakeable strength, determination, compassion, perseverance, honesty, integrity and ability to deal with obstacles, anything and everything, no matter how big, that stands in his way.

Therefore, my fellow American brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, I urge you to vote for Barack Obama who would bring about those changes you and the world need to live with dignity, high spirit and economic prosperity leading all humanity to a common goal-PEACE, LOVE and the Pursuit of HAPPINESS!

In good spirits,
Simeneh

OBAMA for PEACE

Barack Obama is not only eloquent, with that ability to speak both to you and to speak for you, he has a quality of thinking and intellectual and incredible emotional honesty that radiates from his presence is extraordinary.
Barack Obama clearly has an impeccable academic credentials and longer legislative experience than Hillary Clinton. Obama’s congressional records show that most of the Bills he has written became Laws.
Experience is not necessarily a function of age; otherwise John F. Kennedy, formerly a junior senator from Massachusetts, who turned out to be one of the greatest leaders in the world, 44 years old when he entered the White House, would not have become the leader of the United States of America.
Senator Barack Obama is the twenty first century God sent Messenger of peace to save the world.
His honest preaches and words of wisdom are very much like that of John F. Kennedy. There is a uniqueness and conviction in Barack Obama’s speech delivery. The similarities between John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama symbolises: the youth, the magnetism, the natural grace, the eloquence, the wit, the intelligence and the hope of a new generation.
Barack Obama also has tendencies of President Lincoln. Like Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama challenges United States of America to rise up, to do what so many of us long to do, to call upon “the better angels of our nature”.
Come on! America this is a genuine wake up call. This is the biggest and best opportunity for you to elect Barack Obama as your President, if you want to live in equality, fraternity and liberty with the rest of the world.

May God Bless America
May God Save Obama
Ingood Spirits,
Simeneh