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Delphi
Academy of Santa Clara Notes:- Delphi Teacher Honored by San Jose Mayor
& City Council Members
 On
September 8, 2009, Ms. Sewasew Meaza was recognized for her outstanding
individual contribution to the Ethiopian community in a ceremony held at
San Jose City Hall. San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed presented her with a special
plaque to honor her hard work and personal efforts to offer cultural
support to the 25,000 Ethiopian immigrant families in the Bay Area. Ms.
Meaza and her colleague Ms. Semunesh Arega founded the Ethiopian Cultural
Institute seven years ago where they teach Amharic - the original
Ethiopian language - and keep Ethiopian culture and traditions alive.
A
Reply to Jawar�s Reply
Messay
Kebede
Neither
Jawar nor the leaders of the OLF are willing to drop the ideology. Why?
Because it would allow extremist groups to rise and marginalize the
present leadership. This is the inevitable price for cultivating and
spreading for such a long time a divisive ideology. At one point a
situation is created where it becomes impossible to reverse course. All
the more reason for allying now with Ethiopia�s moderate and progressive
forces, for only the engagement of the country in the path of resolute
democratization can block the rise of extremist groups.
Looking Ahead
Donald Levine
University of Chicago September 21, 2009
It is time for EVERYONE to stop nursing grievances and
extending blames, and to begin open, honest, searching discussions of issues which ought to concern Ethiopians of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints: poverty, food insecurity, energy, environment, women's rights, health, and quality of education.
The major responsibility for seeing to it that 2010 becomes a resounding success rests with the EPRDF regime and the Parliament. The current regime can claim enormous achievements in the areas of infrastructure development, expansion of schools and medical services, and openness to Green Technology�the energy hope of the
future.
Ideology
or organizational inefficiency?
-
A response to Professor Messay Kebede
By
Jawar Siraj Mohammed | September 21, 2009
It
is no secret that over the last decade the OLF leadership has been dancing
around dropping the goal of establishing an independent state but have
been unable to do so. The leadership does not have the political capital
to reshape the belief that the �original� goal has more support and
hence they fear that an opposing faction might purge the reformers by
accusing them of revisionism. In contrast, a successful leadership would
have more moral capital to silence opponents of reform. TPLF's military
success gave it enough room to reform its agenda of liberating Tigray and
go for the bigger prize of dominating the larger Ethiopia.
 President
Obama Nominated Daniel W. Yohannes, Originally from Ethiopia, as CEO
of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
The
Obama Administration could not have picked a better suited
person to lead this highly appreciated project not only by the people
of the Unted States but also by the whole world.
Daniel W. Yohannes is President and CEO of M&R Investments, LLC, a privately-held investment firm specializing in real estate, financial institutions and the green energy sector. Previously, he served as Vice Chairman of U.S. Bank for the Commercial Banking Group, Consumer Banking Group and as Head of Integration for Community and Public Affairs. In this role, his responsibilities included leading the integration of U.S. Bank and Firstar, which resulted in the 6th largest bank in the country. From 1992 to 1999, Yohannes was President and CEO of U.S. Bank (formerly Colorado National Bank), where he grew the Colorado franchise from $2 billion to $9 billion in assets. From 1977 to 1992, he worked at Security Pacific Bank (now Bank of America), where he held a number of leadership roles.
Building Democratic Ethiopia
�Nation of Individuality� Models Proposed
By Zewge Fanta
 It is important to know that Ethiopians will enter unwittingly the Second phase of thiscontinued destruction when the May 2010 election is about to take place. The plan is to leave Ethiopians without any hope of change and with no chance of a way out from the devilish poverty and brutal
oppression.Ethiopia is questioning the passion of this generation in ways that it never did of any of its children
through the ages. Ethiopia is demanding those whom she fed/raised to pay her back so that she can reach the next generation. The leaves, roots and rocks of Ethiopia must yield the medicine that will eradicate the carrier of Kilil virus.
Ethiopian
Languishing in Jail for distributing Bibles in Jijiga - CDN
Christian
sources in Ethiopia said that, contrary to Ethiopian law, 39-year-old
Bashir Musa Ahmed has not been formally charged since his arrest on May 23
in Jijiga, capital of Somali Region Zone Five, a predominantly Muslim area
in eastern Ethiopia. Zonal police arrested him after he was accused of
providing Muslims with Somali-language Bibles bearing covers that resemble
the Quran, the sources said.
On
Living Democracy
By
Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)
The
features of democracy are freedom, dissent, tolerance, justice and
fairness. These features are both moral and political. As moral terms they
function as lodestars of action. They provide us with value frames and
standards of appropriate conduct when we share space with other
persons.
Ethiopia: The Unhealthy Nation
By Lemlem Tsegaw
Last but not least players are the international community which includes;� Human right watch, Amnesty international, supporters�etc., need to focus on facts and make those who fund and enable the regime to be accountable.� It will be relevant to go after the government human right commission and its managers instead of complaining for the PM and to demand fund recipients accountability by articulating their expectation of transparency on expenditures.� When all is said and done, for Ethiopia to be healthy there ought to be a paradigm shift and reframing of the federal government structures, �... He who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality.� - Anwar Sadat
The
OLF: Ideological or Leadership Bankruptcy?
Messay
Kebede
Oromo
leaders claim to uplift the Oromo people by defending secession. They are
actually doing the opposite, given that the Oromo could become the force
that democratizes and consolidates Ethiopia instead of dismembering it.
The distorting impact of the secessionist ideology is such that Oromo
elites do not even recognize greatness. Take the case of Ras Gobena:
though in alliance with Menelik he created a formidable empire that even
colonial powers feared, he is seen as a sellout and secessionists as
authentic Oromo.
DEFIES
ALL COMMON SENSE, REASON & STATUS
By
Genet Mersha, September 5, 2009
The
purpose of this article is not to look back into history, but to assess
critically the present. The pursuit by the Ethiopian government of its
advantages with utmost expediency and at the expense of public interests
has become reminiscent of the situation President Harrison had faced over
a hundred years ago. Worried by internal political struggles that seemed
to override the nation�s good, the president
sought to stop it by devoting his Inaugural Address to awaken public
awareness.
Lock, Stock and barrel
A scenario of Zero sum game?
BY:BERHANE EYASU
Likewise, the writer�s fear and a morsel concern is that the political moves and its maundering whereby the government is talking something in a vague, rambling, or incoherent ways has been a pattern to glossing over the real policy issue by blaming and counter blaming which always paves the way for a cloistered excuse to leave the main plot under the carpe:. The issue of Massawa and Asab!
 ..
Reporter
TAND
Is an alliance between forces of unconditional unity and forces of self-determination possible?
By Fayyis Oromia
If rightly exercised, the genuine ethnic federalism based on free will is the good common ground for both the forces of unconditional unity and the forces of self-determination. Therefore if the camp of unconditional unity gives up its stand of having Ethiopian unity as a precondition for the possible alliance, the move of the two camps to struggle together for freedom and democracy in Ethiopia is very smart and timely.
We
celebrate the great life of Senator Edward M. Kennedy (1932-2009)
 Senator
Edward Moore Kennedy was a great Senator for America, but a Giant
Statesman around the World to all who love their freedom and dignity.
Senator Kennedy was born 22
February 1932
and died on 25
August 2009
at the age of 77 survived by his wife Victoria Reggie Kennedy and his
three children from a former marriage (Kara, Edward Jr. and Patrick) and
two step children (Curran and Caroline), and a huge extended family of
nieces and nephews, and cousins et cetera.. He was the senior Democratic U.S.
Senator from Massachusetts. He was in office from November 1962 to
August 2009. He matured and metamorphosis into the �Great Senator� he
finally become. He was the greatest champion for causes that were
controversial but humane, at times unpopular and more often going against
the grain�championing the causes that were easily overlooked or avoided
by most. He devoted his life to serving his fellow man, a universal
concern to all of God�s children. We celebrate Ted Kennedy�s great
life. Requiem Eternum. TH
Urgent
Notice Regarding Scam Using My Email Address:
PLEASE
DO NOT FALL FOR THIS IMMORAL AND ILLEGAL SCAM.
My e-mail and password have been stolen, and messages are being been sent
out in my name claiming I am in trouble in Nigeria and stranded.
The messages are asking for both small and large amounts of money
to be sent to some address in Nigeria or elsewhere.
Please
note that I am NOT stranded in Nigeria and continue to reside at my
residence in the U.S.A.
It is important that you do not fall for this immoral and criminal
scam.
The stolen e-mail address is [email protected].
Please be advised that the proper legal authorities have
been notified of this scam.
Thank
you, My Good Friends and Relations.
Tecola
W. Hagos
August
23, 2009
How to make Amhara elites accept and respect "ethnic" fedralism!
Opinion
Critiquing
the Decision and Award of the Eritrea-Ethiopia
Claims Commission
By
Tecola W. Hagos
 I
emphasize the fact that it must be understood that the Claims Commission
was constituted pursuant to Article 5 of the Algiers Agreement of 12
December 2000, an Agreement that many Ethiopians consider to be illegal. A
number of Ethiopian scholars consider the Algiers Agreement as a kind of
fig leaf to cover a fundamental anti-Ethiopia movement bent on fracturing
Ethiopia into several mini-states. It was signed by representatives of two
individuals fully involved in that goal since 1976 in liberation movements
that succeeded to overrun the Military dictatorship of Mengistu
Hailemariam. The Algiers Agreement was signed by Meles Zenawi and Isayas
Afeworki in Algiers, two dictators who do not represent the people of
Ethiopia or for that matter the people of Eritrea either respectively.
�Baby Face Destroyer�
[Homage to the World�s Greatest Running Champion, Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia]
And God said, �Let us make us a wonder,�
And gathered the winds of Segele Meda, into a lump of clay,
Lo and Behold �Let there be Tiruye!�
Wondrous work of the Lord.
Fast and enduring, lightening rods for legs,
Grace and rhythm of life ever touch the ground.
No wonder they called out for you in awe and affection,
�Go for it, Tiruye!� millions shout from the stands�
�Baby face Destroyer,� with diamond earrings.
Your sculpted legs, with tendons of steel,
Your youthful gait and your valiant heart,
And courage to match, with wings of eagle.
The one and ever the one, Tirunesh Dibaba!
Tecola W. Hagos
copyright � Phineaus St. Claire, 2009
OPEN LETTER TO THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION,
H.E. PRESIDENT MUAMMAR GADDAFI
A
Vatican priest blessing the Fascist Italian army on its way to commit the
crime of genocide in Ethiopia.
The Debate Over The Need For Or Inadvisability Of Cooperating With Isaias Afewerki And His Regime:
Cooperation With Isaias Afewerki: A Pragmatic Necessity For Ethiopian Opposition Groups Or the Height of Folly?
By: Ayal-Sew Dessye
The Ethiopian people through connivance and the use of nefarious means and divisive tactics. Ethnic based ideas and politics are by definition too narrowly drawn to be compatible with country wide politics. Nor can such a movement ever hope to win the trust of other ethnic groups simply because it has already defined itself as being as separate and distinct from the rest of the country's population. Once a group goes down1this road, it is only a short step before it views
o ther groups through the prism of "we" and "they", and a further short step before the "other" is seen as the "enemy." And if such a group ever gets the chance to seize power at the national level, it is foolhardy to expect anything different from what we have seen in the last 18 years under the TPLF.
ETHIOPIA: The Liberators Going North or
Coming South
By Zewge FantaSeattle,
July 24, 2009
Meles is preparing to step down. It will be a blunder to change the expected huge event. He will anger not only the Ethiopians, more so the entire World. Meles has given all the reasons for his departure, and he cannot afford to fool the World that is waiting to shower him with accolade for his good example for leaving peacefully. An award of some sort if not Nobel Prize must be on its way and if so, it shall be delivered to him on the same day he gives his sad farewell speech. That act may impress every Ethiopian both admirers and foes alike. This author may not weep and cry like a few others will, but he shall salute the tough leader seeing him step down and leave with dignity and honor.
LET THE PRIME MINISTER STEPS DAWN ON GOOD PHASE!
BY: BERHANE EYASU
Failing
by self aggrandizement, and deliberate glossing over policy of EPRDF of
denying of owning a country�s
ports designed by the prime minister, we have seen enough for the last
eighteen solid years that Ports are not a mere export import presumptuous
places per se as he has out rightly claimed to be rather it has unbearable
cost which ransacked the country billions of dollars which could have been
channeled towards other development efforts. Not enough of that it has
brought inestimable instability to the country to say the least.
The
Reporter: ተቃዋሚ
ፓርቲዎች፡-በራሳቸው
ድክመት
ላይም
ተቃውሞ
ሊያሳዩ
ይገባቸዋል
Reporter:
በውጭ
ጉዳይ
ሚኒስቴር
አሳሳቢነት
ጥሩነሽ
ዲባባ
እና
ጌጤ
ዋሚ
መሬት
እንዲመልሱ
ታዘዙ
The Power of Our Culture
By Haile Desta
Ethiopia in history is noted in terms of keeping its traditional values
and paying huge sacrifice to preserve its precious traditional heritages
and secure its existence as a sovereign nation. Call it far-fetched, or
impractical, our culture plays an important role in the spin of Ethiopian
history. It serves as a force of our survival and inspiration and will
continue to give much more in the future if we keep it safely and adhere
it strictly.
Free Birtukan
Mideksa
by Abebe Gellaw
Ethiopian
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has been brutally efficient in eliminating his
political rivals by killing, jailing or forcing them into exile. But
because Ethiopia is seen as a �strategic ally� by the U.S., Mr. Obama
failed to publicly speak out against human-rights violation by the Zenawi
regime on his recent trip to Africa or even mention Ms. Mideksa�s name.
Obama�s
Vision for Africa is Short of Substantive Vision
IDEA
Editorial
July
13, 2009
Some
of the most important points Obama raised in his speech are, �no nation
will create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy�; �Africa does
not need strong men but strong institutions�; �development depends on
good governance� etc. We agree with Obama that good governance or a
committed and visionary leadership will ultimately play a crucial role in
the transformation of the Continent. Sometime in the early 1980s, the
famous Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe said, �the Nigerian problem is
the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the
responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the
hallmarks of true leadership.�
EFFORT and The TPLF Business Empire
Report of Ginbot 7
July 13, 2009
Editor�s Note: We are posting this Report of Ginbot 7 on TPLF control of the Ethiopian Economy for the list of the companies controlled by Meles Zenawi and his gang of supporters who are acting as a Mafia organization holding an entire country hostage and looting its wealth in the name of an ethnic enclave. However, it must be clearly understood that the people of Tigray have nothing to do with the creation or the management of the corporations under the control of Meles Zenawi and his Mafia group. The people of Tigray have not benefited from the wealth that is being looted from Ethiopia and deposited in the names of individuals who are Meles Zenawi and his band of criminals.
The Report of Ginbot 7 has a tone of ethnic bashing that we do not endorse. Ginbot 7�s rhetoric in the report is juvenile and unnecessary. For example, statements like this one should not be included in any serious report. �[I]t is a moral imperative for the Ethiopian people to continue the struggle against the total economic and political domination of the Tigrai ethnic minority regime, that hails from one of the poorest regions of Ethiopia and produces no exportable commodity, yet, parasitically exploits the natural resources of the country for its sole benefit.� [emphasis mine] TH
CORRUPTION COLUMN:
Eye on the Prize
TPLF Plc. � Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely . By Azmera Tesfaye
The critical action that shades light on how, at the immoral cost of the Ethiopian people, Meles and the TPLF Plc milk aid money for the narrow interests of the Dejena/EFFORT conglomerate is the manner of how the regime uses its absolute power to corrupt public funds absolutely. After the usual drama of aid being given and ferenjis shacking hands with high officials who cutting ribbons, the real job would be schemed in the offices of the TPLF Plc.� For instance, in 2006, after the CDC gave health,
pharmaceutical, laboratory and medical and technology equipment in aid, the PLCU Plc. run amok to swindle these materials. This was what happened. On this occasion it is the officials named above who give the PLCU the green light to control and/or sell those aid materials. Hence, PLCU Plc, of course was awarded the contract to handle the materials.
An Open letter to President Barack Obama by Teodros Kdiros PH.D)
Dear President Barack Obama;
I
am confident that your informed mind is also aware that the current Ethiopian Prime Minister, who also fooled the Ethiopian people with the promise of change eighteen years ago, has now given his back on the emancipatory theme of change and is busily imprisoning the icons of change and the architects of a future Ethiopia guided by the organizing principle of Classical Ethiopianity, ready and willing to overthrow Fascistic
Ethnocentricity
STOP
RIDICULING OUR VETERANS!
BY
BERHANE EYASU*
To
me, TPLF divided or not, of those you term quitters, if they come up with
first hindsight, retrospection and viable observation which is a true
account of their observation as well as a true reflection of history of
their part and above all a biting information where by people will learn
the highly secretive nature of the organization for decades, I recon the
sky would be the limit for them and it would be under the domain of a
public interest to pursue these historical facts and harness them the
benefits of the society.
From The Times July 11, 2009
Seven Somalis beheaded by extremists for 'spying for
government'Tristan McConnell in Nairobi
Seven people accused of renouncing Islam and spying for the Government were beheaded in Somalia yesterday in a move that underlined the growing authority of the country�s Islamist insurgents.
The extremist al-Shabaab group is battling the interim Government in Mogadishu and has implemented a strict interpretation of Sharia in the parts of the country that it controls.
ጸልዩ
በእንተ
ሰላመ
ቤተ
ክርስቲያን
- ስለ
ቤተ
ክርስቲያን
ሰላም
ጸልዩ
Thursday, July 9, 2009
COLLABORATION WITH ERITREA
IS BETRAYAL OF THE ETHIOPIAN NATION (PART I)
(A reply to the self-defeatist camp of Neamin Zeleqe)
By Tsegaye Kassa
Self-defeatist
groups are mushrooming in the movement for democracy and liberation of
Ethiopia, a country which has been under the throes of an ethno-fascist
junta for the last 18 years. There are many Neamin Zeleqes in our ranks be
it by design or by persuasion as the result of the frustrating political
situation in Ethiopia. Whoever Neamin Zeleke is and whatever motivation he
has, we should judge him only by what he objectively is trying to add to
Ethiopia�s problems or possibly contribute to the liberation of Ethiopia
from the dictatorship of TPLF-EPRDF.
FROM
THE CRYPT: WEEKLY COLUMN
Ethiopian
Think-Tank Pioneering Conference
By
Tecola W. Hagos
Here
I am including my unsolicited words of caution addressed
 to the
Organizers: stay the course and do not change these excellent start-up
presentations by distinguished scholars and others into some third rate
political advocacy appendage to some political party. I urge the members
of the group to stay above the fry and deal with issues concerning
Ethiopia
in a universal sense.
Michael
Jackson and the unrealized visit to Ethiopia
By
Teodros Kiros ( Ph.D)
 We
are the world, you said; the Ethiopian world is ours you added. You sung
to comfort the patients of famine, the language of Ethiopian poverty. You
motivated your fellow singers to sing for the Ethiopian world, and
Ethiopians will continue to herald your name, and sing for you in their
hearts.
Obama appoints Mehret Mandefro as a White House Fellow
WASHINGTON,
DC � The White House
announced today the appointment of 15 outstanding men and women to serve as White House Fellows. The 2009-2010 class of White House Fellows represents a diverse cross-section of professions including medicine, business, media, education, non-profit and state government, as well as two branches of the U.S. military. The 2009-2010 class of Fellows and their biographies are included below.
THE
NEED FOR PARADIGM CHANGE - III
By
G. E. Gorfu
Another
hot topic of the day is the recent interview of PM Meles Zenawi and his
wish to step down. This is not the first time the PM expressed this wish,
and it is a great decision. It will usher in a new era in Ethiopian
politics.
Ethiopia
and Zenawi�s gangster capitalism
By Abebe Gellaw
 Despite
the fact that Sebhat was in command of the fraudulent enterprise until he
was recently replaced by the dictator�s wife, Queen of Mega Azeb Mesfin,
he could not recollect the amount of wealth EFFORT has been accumulating
since it started monopolizing the Ethiopian economy in 1995. But it is
easy to guess when an illegal entity operates under legal cover without
paying income taxes or serving bank loans.
 We
support the courageous men and women of
Iran
fighting for their human rights and human dignity and justice, and rule of
law. We honor those who lost their lives in such a great cause and
struggle.
We believe the election result announcing Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad
as
President-elect
by
the Government and endorsed by the �Supreme Leader� Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei
to
be bogus and unacceptable. There
should be a new election with international observers.
EDITORIAL:
Shame on You Sebhat Nega!
By
Tecola Hagos
 For
the last eighteen years, Ethiopia�s wealth had been looted, illegally
transferred to private ownership of sham corporate structures and fully
controlled by TPLF leaders such as Sebhat Nega and Meles Zenawi. The
shortage of foreign exchange, the price hiking, the disappearance of gold
bars from the national reserve worth hundreds of millions of dollars et
cetera are all tied to the monumental corruption created by the economic
monopoly and lack of accountability, and corruption of the leadership of
TPLF of which party Sebhate Nega was for years the leading representative
and executive of EFFORT that controlled mega millions in such investments.
In
Defense of Classical Ethiopianity and against Ethnocentricity
By
Teodros Kiros (PhD)
Let
us use these resources and fight for a new
Ethiopia
. What will save us now is
our humanity, our Ethiopianity, and the deep bonds of our sameness, and
not the divisive ethnicities that the regime in power has boxed us in. We
must jump out of these ethnic boxes towards the sunlight of classical
Ethiopianity.
32
alleged coup plotters charged in Ethiopia
afrol
News, 9 June - Ethiopian authorities have
charged 32 alleged coup plotters for allegedly planning to assassinate
government officials and to disrupt public utilities in the capital Addis
Ababa. Local reports have said a group of men
who were arrested in April for planning to overthrow the Ethiopian regime
and were ordered to stay behind bars in May while prosecution was
preparing to lay the charges. Reports further said some of the officers
have been brutally tortured by the secret police, while their lawyers are
also not allowed to consult their clients including being shut out of
court hearing.
Defenders of TPLF: The Mighty Opportunists
Zewge Fanta Seattle, 2009
Ethiopia
cannot be compared to the
United States of America
in any form or shape. The fact that the regime enacted a law similar to
the Patriotic Act of the
United States
does not mean that the dictators in
Ethiopia
cannot use it to oppress the people and the Opposition Political Parties.
Gizaw has effectively explained the concerns of the Opposition who are the
targets of Meles. In
America
, no person even the President can get away misusing a bill or breaking
the law. In
America
, three independent branches of government maintain the �Check and
Balance� of power. In case Mekonnen is not aware of the reality in
Ethiopia
, the three Independent Government Branches in
Ethiopia
are Meles, Azeb and Bereket.
In
Search of Peace: Ethiopia�s Ethnic Conflicts and Resolution (For
discussion purpose only)
By
Messay Kebede
The present policy of the TPLF
prevents the emergence of national ambitions and intra-ethnic group
competitions by the method of democratic centralism, which protects client
parties from competition. Moreover, the principle of balanced power does
not command the establishment of federal units. In particular, the two big
regions of Amhara and Oromia create a serious imbalance endangering
national unity. Wisdom advises the fracturing of these two regions into
smaller units as a necessary condition of promoting ethnic cooperation.
Dead Aid: Why Aid did not help Africa! A Better way without Aid!
Fekadu Bekele
Moyo sees African governments as passive agents, which accept the advices of the donor community without examining whether the policies work or not. That means African governments are either unwilling or capable to produce their own ideas and implement them. On the other hand why the African elite handle the issues like this is not thematically analysed. As long as we do not know the root causes of such irrational handlings which ruin the continent, it is very difficult to work out a viable development program.
THE LIBERATION OF ETHIOPIA IS AT HAND
By Tecola W. Hagos
What
I find laughable in the answers given by Issayas Afeworki at that
interview is the fact that he still thinks he can warm his way back to
Ethiopia
�s grace by professing his silly concern about the development of
Ethiopia
. In the first place, he does not seem to acknowledge the fact that he
personally is the cause of the current hateful animosity that started out
as a family feud between the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea, he who
created a fantasy in order to dismantle a family to satisfy his ego built
around the illusional identification with colonial masters�the Italians.
We discern similar psychological dwarfism in members of the elite class of
most former colonies of European powers all over the World; for example,
in some sever cases of self hate and loss of identity, we find ex-colonial
subjects claiming that they are �British� or �French� et cetera.
Similar trend is developing also in
South Africa
where you find illiterate poor South Africans identifying with their
Apartheid former overlords and insulting even violently attacking Black
Africans from other parts of
Africa
.
The
Need for Paradigm Change - I
By
G. E. Gorfu
One serious issue is making sure Ethiopia
is free from hunger and poverty. In spite of the many years the government
worked hard to eliminate poverty, Ethiopia still seems to be a long way
from self sufficiency in food production and is dependent on food aid from
abroad. Many farmers have become dependent on imported fertilizers which
may be subsidized, but do not seem to solve the problem of low food
production. There are those who are advocating the return to traditional
farming techniques and crop rotation rather than the dependence on
fertilizers. They may have a point, and it may be wise to look at that
option seriously. Not everything we copy from the west is good, or to our
advantage.
Ethiopia's
new climate of fear
Despite
the generosity of donor nations, Ethiopia is ruled by an authoritarian
government with virtual impunit guardian.co.uk,
Tuesday 19 May 2009
By
David Dadge ,
The
European Union, United States and other major donors will pump about
$2.5bn (�1.6bn) into Ethiopia this year, a sum that does not even begin
to include the cost of medicines, famine relief and countless other
services provided by non-profit groups in one of the world's most
impoverished countries.
CURRENT
EFFORTS AT CHANGING EPRDF �S
IMAGE----THE
CART IS FOUND BEFORE THE HORS
By
Genet Mersha, April 29, 2009
This
brings me back to the subject of the new information management and
dissemination technique, about which the government has been consulting
media specialists in London. Theoretically, it is aimed at focusing
government efforts at improving the regime�s
acceptability both at home and abroad. In reality, however, it represents
a change of format, but not of content. The regime is under bizarre
illusion that its rejection especially by urban dwellers and the educated
citizenry mostly is the outcome of its failure to communicate effectively
and appropriately its vision and its achievements. It appears that they
have not realized the fact there is a difference between propaganda and
information.
Part
II: Mental Problem- from the Ethiopian Context
By
Fekadu Bekele, Ph.D
April
29, 2009
Some
suggest that we Ethiopians do not need such kinds of �rubbish things�
like philosophy, because what
Ethiopia
needs is only a political struggle, and to get rid of the Woyane regime.
Such kind of a cry was also common during the late student movement in the
70s, because what was needed that time was to topple down the regime of
Emperor Haile Selassie and Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam. We know the
consequences of such kind of a political struggle which ended in total
anarchy, and bloodshed. The fact that few �heroes� shamelessly focused
only on the political power, and forgot the necessity of raising the
political and social consciousness of the masses, had produced unnecessary
contradictions that culminated in unnecessary war and bloodshed. Those who
were eager to seize political power remained at the end in vain. Goethe
and Schiller, after they had studied the consequences of the French
Revolution distanced from such kinds of adventures and murderous struggle
which did not bring anything. According to their views, only when the
human mind is changed through proper education one can bring real human
civilization. As Schiller and Schopenhauer affirm, nature does not know
how to jump. Likewise, societies could not be easily transformed from one
stage to the other by revolutionary means or through bloodshed, but only
through evolutionary processes.
Remembering
ARTIST/Dr. Telahun Gessese: The Thunderous voice of the King of
Ethiopian Music
By
Dr. Teodros Kiros
Joy.
Laughter. Dance and more dance. Pride and tradition, modernity and
Classicism. These are the languages of the Ethiopian youth and some of
their
parents on this cold winter night as they jubilantly flood the dance
floor.
Society
- East Africa - Ethiopia - Sudan - Diplomacy - Justice
 Ethiopia
and Omar al-Bashir, henceforth, inseparable Sudanese President
expresses appreciation for US President International
war crimes suspect and Sudanese President, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, has
showed his most determined contempt against the International Criminal
Court�s (ICC) warrant for his arrest as he seeks to reinforce his
country�s relations on his recent visit to Ethiopia, the first
majority Christian country to welcome him since he became an
internationally acclaimed wanted man.
Ethiopian
emperor's singer dies
The
popular Ethiopian singer, Tilahun Gessesse, has died at the age of 68.
He
had been the most dominant figure in Ethiopian music for more than
half a century and will receive a state funeral later this week. The
country's radio and TV stations broke into their programmes to
broadcast tributes. He started singing in the days of the Emperor
Haile Selassie, and was for a time the lead singer in his imperial
bodyguard band.
April 17, 2009
Statement
from Arena Tigray for Democracy and Sovereignty
Stop Harassments and Intimidations!
The worst features of the ruling party are
being revealed after the formation and opening of the offices of Arena in
these vicinities. In a very short moment harassments and intimidations
have become rampant. These cases have been strongly evident in particular
in our office in Shire. The following are the harassments and
intimidations perpetrated on our party in Shire.
Mental
Problem- a phrase to be clarified!
Fekadu
Bekele-
we
Ethiopian intellectuals must think about the method of struggle we are
using, and our approaches towards foreign forces. Unless we are not ready
to change our way of thinking, and the method we are using to liberate
Ethiopia
, our country will remain poor for a long time; and at the end she will be
disintegrated by forces which are working day and night.
Book
Review
A
Review of Tesfatsion Medhanie�s Towards Confederation in the Horn
of Africa: Focus on Ethiopia and Eritrea.
(Cuvillier Verlag
Gottingen
, 2009) By Teodros Kiros, PhD
Medhanie
argues that confederation is simply speaking a political good that
Ethiopia
and
Eritrea
, as members of the Horn ought to embrace.
Desperate times call for desperate measures even though it has
shortcomings, it is helpful to bring suffering people some workable
relief leading to more intimate relationships. No doubt, to some
Ethiopians and Eritreans, confederation is a desperate measure
provoked by a desperate political condition. To others confederation
is a vision, a possibility of a political form which could ground an
economic partnership among the nations of the horn.
The
G-20 summit- Promises that cannot be translated easily!
April
6, 2009
By
Fekadu Bekele (PhD)
The
two leaders who represent two strong EU Member countries, feel this
time that they have full confidence that history is no more on the
side of the Anglo-Americans, and especially the new American
administration that is lead by President Barack Obama, will not
frustrate the European vision of bringing a workable solution to cope
with the present financial and economic crisis. It is no secret that
President Barack Obama is attracted by the welfare state model of the
European type which is until now proved to be a workable model which
could keep social harmony within the western capitalist model. It is
believed that the laissez fair model of the Anglo-American type, which
is especially accentuated in the 1980s, and propagated world wide as
the only viable solution which could bring economic growth to all
countries which apply it, become disastrous. The Popes of the
free-market ideology are now on the defensive; and they are crying
that the state must intervene to curve the economic down turn before
it resulted into major depression.
LET
THERE BE LIGHT!
THE
GILGEL GIBE SAGA, The BOND & DILEMMA OF
ETHIOPIAN
DIASPORA
By Genet
Mersha
In
the light of this, if a diaspora investor�s motive were to respond
to an initiative that
would transform
Ethiopia
�s future, surely there would be no better
opportunity
than this, despite citizens� detestation of the authoritarianism of
their government.
As an Ethiopian, I strongly believe that GGHEP-III is a vital
undertaking
for
Ethiopia
�s economic future and its social development.
In
Defense of the Ethiopian Coffee Exporters
Seid Hassan, Murray State University
April 4th, 2009
The problem is that Ato Meles
Zenawi does not believe in the market system, despite his many
attempts in faking it. Lest people would think that I am making this
up, I ask them to look into what he wrote in his so-called upcoming
book titled: �African Development: Dead Ends and
New Beginnings.� In fact, I vividly remember well Mr. Zenawi�s
interview with the BBC, describing himself as a proponent of the
discredited Albanian communism and an extoller of the then Albanian
strongman,
Dr. Getachew
Metaferia
New Book: Ethiopia
and The United States - History, Diplomacy and Analysis - By Getachew
Metaferia (Ph.D.)
Revisiting
Ethio-Eritrean issues
March
28, 2009
In brief,
his presentation focused on confederation as the framework for the
closest relations possible between the two countries. He dwelt at
length on the difference between confederation and federation. But
even for this confederal union to be realized, there are some
prerequisites. They include political changes in both Eritrea and
Ethiopia; this means, among other things, that there have to be
governments of national unity in both countries. Besides, there are
also psychological barriers on the part of Eritreans as well as
Ethiopians that have to be addressed. The elites of both countries
have a big role to play in this regard. Professor Tesfatsion
emphasized that if the peoples of both countries are satisfied with
the process of the confederation, they can in the future voluntarily
decide in favor of a closer relationship including federation.
There
is only one Democracy
By
Alula Kurabachew March
28, 2009
True
Democracy is founded on the principle of equal opportunity.
Equal opportunity means merit based access to the political,
economic, educational and other aspects of life of all citizens,
irrespective of political affiliations.
Government officials may assume offices either through election
contests or other standards, but, after ascending to the public
office, they must be devoid of partisanship outlooks towards citizens.
If they do so, they just represent only a certain group
interests, not the interests of the whole society. Such governments
lack the capacity and legitimacy to use the standard, the rule of law
Ethnicity
and the Tilting Balance of Ethiopian Politics
By
Messay Kebede, March 27, 2009
The
crucial issue that remains, however, is the huge task of democratizing
the ethnic state, as shown by the dictatorial outcome of the Eritrean
secession and the hegemonic practice of the TPLF. To move toward
democratization means to raise issues of individual freedom and
liberty, of economic development and its equitable distribution; it
also means the promotion of national sovereignty and unity on which
depend the prosperity and safety of all ethnic groups. All these
themes are associated with individual freedom, and so are essentially
cross-ethnic. For instance, the right of individuals to elect
representatives of their choice is not concerned with the fact of
being Amhara, Tigrean, Oromo, Gurage, Christian or Muslim: any
multiparty competition within the ethnic regions requires the
liberation of freedom as an individual characteristic.
An
abomination called the Government of Saudi Arabia .
In
our World, where rational thinking, wisdom, and compassion is supposed
to play a role in the decisions governments make that affects the
lives of individuals, we have in the Saudi Government, which is run
by degenerates who call themselves Kings and Princes, the most
primitive and immoral group of men. I have hereunder reposted
three articles dealing with real life cases of human suffering
representative of the thousands of cases that reflect the brutality of
Saudi official policy, which is truly revolting to any decent human
being. I do not see any rational in attacking Saddam in Iraq or the
Taliban in Afghanistan when the worst gangs of degenerate, depraved,
and violent men, who keep committing the worst crimes mankind had ever
confronted in its thousands of years of civilization, are to be found
in Saudi Arabia, still fully engaged in their blood curdling crimes
against women, immigrant workers, and the conscience of the World in
general. I urge the West and all decent Governments to dissolve this
abomination and wipe it out from the face of the Earth.
TH.
Attention: To All Ethiopians!
Richard Cummings is an author, playwright, theorist and critic. He is the author of the comedy Soccer Moms From Hell and the biography of Allard
Lowernsein, The Pied Piper - Allard Lowenstein and the Liberal Dream, which discloses Lowenstein's work for the CIA. His one act play Play On Words or the War Will Be Over Soon was selected by Edward Albee's Playwrights Unit to be performed under the direction of John Lithgow and he is an alumnus of The Lark. He is a contributing editor of The American Conservative and a columnist for
Lewrockwell.com.[1] He produced and moderated his public service radio program, "Free Speech," and also produced and directed a film on the life and work of the Spanish artist, Esteban Vicente.
OBAMA
AND ETHIOPIA, TIME FOR FRESH THOUGHT, NEW DEPARTURES?
Donald
N. Levine Professor Emeritus
(www.eineps.org/forum)
on links between Ethiopia�s needs and the promises of an Obama
presidency. Now that President  Obama
is in office, what might we project? What, that is, might it mean to
reconsider U.S. relations with Ethiopia in ways that align them with
the orientations of an Obama presidency? Eyeing policies the Obama
administration has already implemented and earlier statements suggests
at least half a dozen aims: 1) employ state-of-the art technologies to
advance human welfare; 2) develop energy sources to replace fossil
fuels, and in other ways conserve natural environments; 3) link
upgraded education and health services with a strengthened economy; 4)
avoid sharp polarities of pronouncement and of conduct; 5) curtail
terrorist tactics, but in smart ways; and 6) restore moral direction
for a market economy and public service from the citizenry. In what
follows I explore implications of those principles and priorities for
U.S. relations with Ethiopia.
Press
Release #2:
[Ethiopian
Unity Diaspora Forum, INC]
Release
Judge Birtukan Mideksa without any Preconditions
The
Founding Members of Ethiopian Unity Diaspora Forum (EUDF) demand the
immediate and unconditional release of Judge Birtukan Mideksa who was
imprisoned as of 29 December 2008 by the Government of Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi.
What
Senators Didn�t Hear About Somali-American Jihadists
By
Patrick Poole 03/28/2010
Events
in Somalia are not so distant. Since this past summer, as many as 40
Somali-American men have left the U.S. to join
up with al-Shabaab and train in their
terrorist camps in Somalia. And one of those men, Shirwa
Ahmed, a graduate of the University
of Minnesota, launched
a suicide attack in northern Somalia
on October 28 that killed at least 30 civilians � the first recorded
case of an American suicide bomber. And
earlier this week it was reported that a federal
grand jury has been impaneled to
investigate the escalating issue of Somali-American jihadists and
Somali terrorist groups operating in the Minneapolis area, which adds
to the list of ongoing
investigations in Columbus, OH;
Washington, DC; San Diego, CA; Boston, MA; Atlanta, GA; Seattle, WA;
and Portland, ME. The problem has concerned investigators to the point
that high schools in some of these areas have been briefed by law
enforcement to watch out for signs of radicalization among their
Somali male students.
Ethiopian
Unity Diaspora Forum Conference
February 28, 2009, Columbus, Ohio
Unity, Hope and Vision: Ethiopia Yesterday
and Today and Tomorrow
The
Ethiopian Unity Diaspora Forum held its first organizational
Conference in Columbus, Ohio on February 28, 2009. Despite their
diverse backgrounds, the Participants displayed one common passion�the
shared love of the Motherland. The preservation and maintenance of the
Sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ethiopia was without question
the unifying factor that beckoned the Participants to meet at the
first organizational conference of the EUDF. Some of the participants
drove hundreds of miles, and all Participants financed their own
travel and lodging to
participate in this historic Conference.
PRESS
RELEASE:
Ethiopian Unity
Diaspora
Forum Conference
February 28, 2009
Columbus
,
Ohio
During
our recent national history, we have been subjected to social and
political tsunami that has
eroded our national pride, and left us with deep wounds of conflicts and
divisions. It was also emphasized at the Conference that the Ethiopian
people are currently suffering from lack of democracy, rule of law,
respect for human rights, and freedom of expression. In this regard, the
Participants stressed the necessity of being
inclusive as much as possible so that a growing number of
Ethiopians of the Diaspora community contribute to the struggle for
democracy and individual rights in
Ethiopia
Prof. Bahru Zewde
Society, state and history Addis Ababa University Press
Review by BT Costantinos, PhD
Bahru as a public intellectual:
Prof Bahru�s recently published �collected essays� -- Society,
State and History, segmented into historiography, ethno-history and
language, economic history and political economy, intellectual and
social history, political and military history, political violence and
environmental and urban history, reminds us of the prevailing
intellectual movement of the Renaissance - humanism, a philosophical
underpinning that humans are rational beings and emphasizing the
dignity and worth of the
individual, an emphasis that was central to Renaissance developments
in many areas.
Al-Bashir indicted by the International Criminal Court
March 4, 2009
 Sooner
or later, the criminal activities of dictatorial leaders usually catch
up with them. Finally, the butcher of Darfur, President Omar
al-Bashir, is indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity. It
would have been within the Genocide Treaty to indict him for �genocide.�
The brutality and inhumanity of the Janjaweed and the Sudanese
security and military, who were instruments of al-Bashir as the
President and Commander of the Sudanese Military Forces, is no
different than the brutality and atrocities of Hitler�s SS.
Al-Bashir and his brutal Government have betrayed the Sudanese people.
First and foremost they are answerable to the Citizens of Sudan. TH
By
Laeke Gebresadik
Testimonial:
Richard and Rita Pankhurst
By
Tecola W. Hagos February 25, 2009
 I
think such openness and vulnerability is the physical manifestation of
the very humane qualities of the entire Pankhurst family including
their parents. It will be very shallow for me even to attempt to
list the great contribution of this family of Pankhursts to
Ethiopia
and Ethiopians. As a scholar, Professor Pankhurst is at the pinnacle
of great scholars of Ethiopian history and culture. As a fellow
Ethiopian, I simply cannot think of this family otherwise, he has
endured much and has done to help his beloved
Ethiopia
more than anyone I can think of. And the generosity and dedication of
the Pankhursts to
Ethiopia
and to the well being of Ethiopians has no equal.
What You should
Know!
By
Fekadu Bekele
As
a development economist you must have some philosophical background.
Philosophy is the key to knowledge The more you understand philosophy
the more you know yourself If you have a philosophical background your
feelings, thinking and actions will have purposes. As a development
economist you have to question the purpose of life in this world, and
the essence of belonging to a given society. As an educated person you
have to understand that you are responsible for your society. What you
are doing, especially in the field of economic planning touches every
part of the society. In this case your way of thinking and handling
must not damage the social fabric of your society.
EU
should not tolerate Ethiopia�s repression
By Lotte Leicht
18.02.2009 / 12:46 CET
The
EU should have condemned one of world�s worst laws on NGOs. Instead,
it gave Ethiopia �250 million. On
30 January, European Union policymakers sent a clear signal to
Ethiopia: no matter how repressive the government becomes, vast sums
of aid will continue to flow. This is emerging as a case study in bad
donor policy.
Editor's
Note:
Lotte Leicht
article speaks on very many levels to all kinds of people--political
leaders, civic leaders, merchants of poverty, saboteurs, et cetera and
such people may have attached different significance to the article.
To me I have one single concern: showing compassion to fellow
human beings. I ask you all what would you do if you come across
a man or a woman or a child on the street dying of hunger. Would
you be interested first to know before you give assistance to such a
person who caused such condition of deprivation? It is
Exactly what the EU is doing, showing compassion to the helpless
who will starve and die otherwise without assistance. That is what must not
be overlooked. This reminds me of a Biblical Story of a mother whose
child was wrongly claimed by another woman, pleading to a judge
(Solomon) who threatened to split the child into two. The false
mother agreed to the scheme, but not the real mother who pleaded with
the judge to give the child to the other woman, for as a mother
she could not bear to see her child or any child split into two. As
far as the real mother is concerned, it was far better the child grows
in another household than be divided and die as a result of being
divided into two. I ask you all, are you the fake mother who
insist to have the child divided? Tecola
Hagos
Beware
of Most Racist Russian Jews in
Israel
!
'Ethiopian
tenants? Out of the question'
Ugly
racism in Ashkelon: R., a real estate agent from Ashkelon, arrived at a building in
one of the southern city's neighborhoods recently with a couple of new
immigrants, and was shocked to discover that the place has a policy of
not selling apartments to Ethiopians.
A thorough investigation revealed that this
policy is shared by all of the building's tenants, and perhaps the
residents of additional buildings in the area as well � most of them
of Russian descent.
P
R E S S R E L
E A S E February
16, 2008
WHICH
WAY
SOMALIA
: CONTINUED ANARCHY OR PEACE?
The
withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from
Somalia
as well as the election of another transitional federal government
headed by Sharif sheikh Ahmed should facilitate a unique opportunity
for
Southern Somalia
to embark on a fresh path of peace, stability, democracy and
development. However, such a positive development could occur only
with a collaborative action by Somali leaders who ought to be more
dedicated to the interests of the Somali people than their own narrow
objectives of gaining political power at any cost.
Observation
on Ethiopian Political Insanity!
By
Haile Desta February 11, 2008
The
lack of compatibility between what we like ideally and what we can
really accomplish based on the skill and knowledge we possess to make
happened the desired result. In other words, we fail to figure out how
to move from the old system to a new one while keeping the unity of
the country intact. In our past journey, our educated people failed us
to come with a bold and visionary response and slacken to look deeply
for the secret what makes Ethiopia and what holds Ethiopians together
as people for centuries.
This way Ethiopia: Constitutional Monarchy or Liberal Democracy?
By Tecola W. Hagos
February
9, 2008
Almost all of the
literature generated by the students� movement against the
Government of Emperor Haile Selassie did not seem to include scholarly
critical discussions of that regime, but was mainly rhetorical and
one-sided diatribe against Emperor Haile Selassie and his aristocratic
government. The best of such writings may not be more than polemical.
Even the gifted economist Eshetu Chole�s writing was polemical. The
favorite subjects often discussed in student publications, other than
the subject of the corruption of Haile Selassie and the aristocracy,
were the huge number of farmers of Ethiopia. The description of the
miserable life condition of the Ethiopian peasantry as presented in
articles written by student writers was not a social or economic study
meant to illuminate the sources of poverty, deprivation, ignorance,
lack of hygiene, et cetera of the Ethiopian peasants.
A Case of Misdirected Zeal
Mitiku Adisu February
6, 2009
It is in this vein that I would like to engage the current religious situation in Ethiopia.
Despite the fact that the Constitution is clear on the separation of Church and State, it has
been the case that the State would not leave the Church alone. Even worse, Church and
State have continued to thrive, at times, on an unholy and symbiotic relationship. The
current government and its predecessor both overreached in appointing the head of
th Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Conversely, the Church was not organized or reformed
enough [for lack of a fearless and graceful leader] to defend her autonomy, to dispense a
bridge-building role or to provide moral guidance to a confused and scattered flock.
Which
way
Ethiopia
?
By
Messay Kebede February 6, 2009
To sum up, the debate over
the use of violent or nonviolent means becomes serious only if
opposition forces are ready to fully implement the resources of each
strategy. No doubt, it is easy to argue against armed struggle, but the
real issue is to come up with a real alternative, that is, an
alternative other than participation in elections, which are not
winnable under present conditions. Only when peaceful struggle includes
disobedience, so I argue, does it surge as a real alternative to armed
struggle. This article is not meant to take a side by supporting or
condemning any one strategy. Nor is it intended to tell those who are
bravely doing politics under dire conditions or militarily fighting
against the regime what they should do. Rather, it is to contribute to
the ongoing debate in such a way that Ethiopians have a clear vision of
what the alternatives are. Clarity is necessary to decide which
alternative can bring change faster and with the least suffering and
destruction.
Letter From Donald N. Levine
([email protected]) Awassa
center blazes new way to help youth
Keburan'nna keburannent wedajotche hoy!!
The
past two years have seen the Youth Campus grow a lot--and now the time has
come to expand its impact and provide it a new level of support. The AYC
vision is to adapt this exemplary model for enhancing the moral growth and
life skills of young people to other venues in Ethiopia�initially Harar,
where officials have expressed enthusiasm for creating such a resource as
an alternative to the growing khat culture�and also to become proactive
in the community to temper gang violence.
Zimbabwe's MDC plan to extradite Mengistu Haile Mariam to Ethiopia
 Martin
Fletcher in Harare The Times February 5, 2009
For
17 years Mengistu Haile Mariam, the former Ethiopian dictator who
slaughtered opponents on an industrial scale in the �Red Terror�,
has lived in Zimbabwe as the honoured guest of Robert Mugabe, dividing
his time between a heavily guarded villa in Harare, a farm near the
capital and a retreat on glorious Lake Kariba.
Last year an Ethiopian court sentenced the �Butcher of Addis� to
death after convicting him of genocide in absentia but Mr Mugabe
flatly refused to extradite the man who helped to arm Zanu (PF)�s
guerrillas during Zimbabwe�s 1970s liberation war,
Which way
Ethiopia
: Constitutional Monarchy or Participatory Democracy?
An
Outline.
By
Teodros Kiros January 29, 2009
Ethiopian history is essentially a history
of petty Kingdoms and reigning monarchs, and each monarch in his own
way sought to unite the petty kingdoms under a single rule. Emperor
Tewodros and Emperor Yohannes were both motivated by the vision of a
united
Ethiopia
under a single monarch. These emperors were at once, Executives,
Legislators and Judges. They combined all three functions into one. In
addition, they assumed an active leadership of the Ethiopian Orthodox
Church.
Prof.
Tecola Hagos's comments on Messay Kebede's latest Book
By Wondwossen Hailu January 29, 2009
The generation we are talking about rejected every thing Ethiopian, at least in thought, and tried to immerse itself in foreign culture, which it did not and could not understand. In this vacuum and emptiness, a very simplistic and seemingly logical ideology swept through the student body. It was also attractive because it proclaimed class warfare, satisfying the Oedipus complex urge on one hand, and harking back to the warrior tradition of Ethiopian history on the other. It is fascinating to watch a student wager because he has read or recited a poem, acted a famous leader in Ethiopian history. I am told that Walellign became what he turned out to be after playing the role Tewodros in Dessie theatre when he was a student there.
A
review of Messay Kebede�s Radicalism
and Cultural Dislocation in
Ethiopia
, 1960-1974. (
University
of
Rochester
Press, 2008)
By
Teodros Kiros- January 22, 2009
Messay
Kebede successfully presents the Ethiopian student movements, whose
leaders either have passed away, or are part of the current Ethiopian
regime, as a paradigmatic example of a failed student revolution.
His mission is to explain the
notion of cultural dislocation and how that notion applies to the
Ethiopian student movement.
Somali executed for 'apostasy'
An Islamist militia has executed a Somali politician who they accused of betraying his religion by working with non-Muslim Ethiopian forces. An Islamist spokesman in the port of Kismayo told the BBC that Abdirahman Ahmed was shot dead on Thursday.
Mr Ahmed was also accused of spying for Ethiopian forces, said to be backing the forces of warlord Barre Hiraale in trying to recapture Kismayo.
Text
of President Barack Obama's inaugural address on Tuesday, as prepared
for delivery and released by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
President Obama
This
is the meaning of our liberty and our creed � why men and women and
children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across
this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty
years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now
stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
EDITORIAL: Congratulations, President Barak Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America
January 19, 2009
By Tecola W. Hagos
 I
detected the tell-tell signs of these profound changes in Americans
some years back in my students, who were mostly suburbanites from
different ethnic background and social standing, that the issue of
race discrimination in class discussions was becoming exceedingly
hollow and to a degree superficial. And I, prematurely, criticized my
students for espousing some form of post-modern philosophical
tendencies�of narcissistic self-love. What I failed to recognize was
that the young generations of Americans were far ahead of me, very
much well adjusted and becoming comfortable in sharing what America
offered without any claim of privileged entitlement due to ethnic or
race identity.
Open
Protest Letter to the Parliament of European Union:
Land
Locking of
Ethiopia
and interfering in the Internal Affairs of
Ethiopia
is unacceptable!
By
Tecola W. Hagos January 18, 2009
The literature is full of instances where parties to a dispute do not agree and the decision of the arbitration commission or tribunal cannot be entered, the right approach had been to fold and declare the process ended without legal effect. All the Commissioners could claim is the payment of their fees. The Commissioners have failed to understand the distinction between an arbitration commission (tribunal) and a court. An arbitration tribunal or Commission is hired by the parties to do certain services, and if the parties failed to comply with instruction of the commission or the tribunal, the process of arbitration comes to an end and the commission cannot proceed as if it is a court setting new terms of arbitration, and new procedures. There is no provision in the arbitration agreement that allows virtual demarcation..
On
14th January 2008, Ethiopians in the diaspora held a worldwide protest
in various cities to request for Freedom and Justice for
Ethiopians inside Ethiopia ....................
Pictorial
Reportage... Updated
16th Jan
 Standoff Between Toga and Zenawi
During two successive afternoons, on Dec. 5 and 6, prime minister Meles Zenawi convened 45 ministers and senior civil servants to outline the results of his government at length.
During the Dec. 5 session he specifically pointed the
finger at Teshome Toga, speaker Ethiopia's
parliament, and accused him of spending the government's money on trips and entertainment
instead of fulfilling his functions. The Indian Ocean Newsletter
To
Messay Kebede: the Center is One Step Closer
By
Tecola W. Hagos January 13, 2009
I
do hope this brief critique will generate further discussion on
several important issues discussed by Seeye Abraha and also the
critical appraisal of that by Messay Kebede. By no means, it should be
considered as definitive, but as a starting point.
Ethiopia
is moving into unfamiliar territories. I greatly admire Messay Kebede�his
ideas are always thoughtful and impregnated with possibilities. Seeye
Abraha is expanding his horizon on several fronts be it in history,
political science, sociology, et cetera. Here is why every Ethiopian
should look after every other Ethiopian. The
continued use of the term �Woyane� to identify the Government of
Meles Zenawi will simply polarize the issues up for discussions. It
marks a whole class of people with negative identity. It creates
unnecessary resentment and animosity between people further alienating
groups from participating in the political life of
Ethiopia
.
To Seye Abraha: the
Center Is One Step Further
By
Messay Kebede- January 10, 2009
Seye�s
article originates from the clear perception of the impending danger
and suggests ideas as to the best way to avert the danger and map out
a better future. The danger of national disintegration with its
inevitable ethnic clashes clearly shows that national survival is the
common good, which survival should, therefore, become the overriding
concern of opposition parties. And the only way to ward off the threat
is to unite to defeat those who put the country in danger by their
stubbornness to remain the sole ruling body.
THE
MORAL AND LEGAL DIMENSIONS OF PRESIDENT BIRTUKAN MIDEKSA�S
IMPRISONMENT
By
Teodros Kiros ( PH.D)-
January 7, 2009
For
Professor Messay Kebede, what is at issue is the moral status of the
very idea of asking for pardon, when one is not convinced that one has
committed any wrong, in light of the indisputable legal facts that
Professors Almayehu G. Mariam and Tecola W. Hagos compellingly
presented, with both concluding that President Birtukan did not commit
a crime. According to Professor Messay Kebede, the intention then was
not that President Birtukan committed a crime and that she must be
punished by the rule of law, but that the Dictatorship wanted to
humiliate her publicly.
Open
Letter to the Brave Warriors of Ethiopia Returning Home From Somalia
By
Tecola W. Hagos
January 5, 2009
Given
a chance for me to be anywhere in the world, I would have chosen to be
with you in Somalia sharing in the hardship and risk that you endured
for the two years period you were deployed in Somalia. There is no
greater showing of love of country than fighting and risking ones life
in the best interest of ones country and people. You have done that
every single day in your mission in Somalia. You brought a degree of
stability and stopped a brutal Jihadist insurgency from further
damaging and brutalizing the Somali people. You were invited to help
by the Somali Government, and as a good neighbor you responded to that
appeal for help, for it also served and preserved the integrity and
security of Ethiopia.
 
Seeye
Abraha
Birtukan
or the Appeal of the Heroine
By
Messay Kebede-January 4, 2009
My
view is that a retraction would have been harmful, not because the
Ethiopian opinion would have failed to understand its merits, but
because the EPRDF would have accomplished the three mentioned
objectives with flying colors. When the now defunct Kinijit leaders
were released from prison following the so-called presidential pardon,
I wrote that the purpose of the whole drama of pardoning them after
the court�s guilty verdict was to humiliate them. The intent to
humiliate is not only a personal vendetta; it has a clear political
goal as well. It creates a pernicious fissure between the people and
its would-be leaders on the ground that leaders, who are not ready to
sacrifice their comfort and even their life, if necessary, do not
deserve to be leaders. The purpose of humiliation is to demean
would-be leaders in front of the people they claim to defend
Freedom
for Judge Bertukan Mideksa:
Ethiopia
�s Hypatia*
By
Tecola W. Hagos- My understanding of Bertukan�s statement is
that  she
was making a legal distinction between constitutionally supported
processes using established statutory procedures vs. ad hoc improvised
process that does not confirm to the procedure that was in use at the
time. It so happened as jurist of considerable expertise Bertukan was
correct in her legal analysis of the hierarchies of laws and
regulations and practices when she commented on the pardon procedure
leading up to the release of the leadership of Kinijit and herself.
Related
press coverage from Reporter
WE
MUST RESIST THE IMPRISONMENT OF OUR LEADERS BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY
By
Teodros Kiros (PhD) Dec 29,
2008
My
concern goes deeper, to the marrow of the bones. If our leaders, who
are peacefully organizing the people to demand change cannot exercise
that right, what rights are then allowed them by the constitution?
Should not the rights of the people who are coming in record numbers
to listen to their leaders, count for something, or is the democracy
that the regime never fails to mention, a democracy that listen only
to those who sing its praises?
PRESS RELEASE
ANDINET NORTH AMERICA ASSOCIATION OF SUPPORT
ORGANIZATIONS
Call for Immediate and Unconditional
Release of Judge Birtukan Mediksa: Chairwoman of the main opposition party
(UDJP) in Ethiopia
Press Release
December 29, 2008
We just learned that Mrs. Bitrukan Medekasa has been arrested and taken to
prison by Ethiopian security forces from her party�s headquarter. Her
colleague, Professor Mesfin Woldemariam and her driver who were with her
at the time were physically assaulted by the security officers. It is
reported that the elder Professor Mesfin is taken to the hospital.
 
File
image of Samuel Huntington
Sat
Dec 27, 3:58 PM EST
Political
scientist Samuel Huntington, whose controversial book "The Clash
of Civilizations" predicted conflict between the West and the
Islamic world, has died at age 81, Harvard University said on
Saturday.
Huntington,
who taught for 58 years at Harvard before retiring in 2007, died
Wednesday at a nursing facility in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts,
the university said on its website. In his 1996
"The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World
Order," which expanded on his 1993 article in Foreign Affairs
magazine, Huntington divided the world into rival civilizations based
mainly on religious traditions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism
and Confucianism and said competition and conflict among them was
inevitable.
Black
Utopias: A Re-evaluation
By
Teodros Kiros December
23, 2008
Change
begins with the self, and then it is shared with other selves. The
African-American middle class needs to penetrate this history and heal
itself. A people must know its history. That is what Du Bois advocated
in his time, and it is what we need now. With Africa as background and
foreground, Du Bois created an original historical and existential
philosophy of race
This
link may serve as a conclusion on the case of Midroc
vs. the Reporter, which you had posted on your site a few weeks
back. I admire the journalistic courage of the good citizens at
Reporter who have began to bring the dark side of this Tycoon to
light.
Tafere
 Sad
news, the death of Dejazmatch Zewde Gebreslassie.
Source: Reporter
PART
ONE AND PART
TWO
BOOK REVIEW
AND COMMENTARY
Messay
Kebede,* RADICALISM AND CULTURAL DISLOCATION IN
ETHIOPIA
, 1960 � 1974,
Rochester
,
NY
:
Rochester
University
Press, 2008. [PP 235] [US $75]
By
Tecola W. Hagos [December 13, 2008]
 As
I stated above, Messay seems to have changed his mind in the sense of
crystallizing his thoughts on ethnicism. And I take his latest
statement in his book to be his conclusion and final stand on issues
dealing with individual rights versus ethnicity. In his recent book,
Messay stated in one of his most eloquent statements that ethnicity
maybe considered as a passing phenomenon that wrecked havoc in the
struggle for self-realization and individual freedoms by �educated
elite� Ethiopians, and the future of Ethiopia is dependent on
internalization of �universal� principles and not mincing in a
highly relativistic and parochial manner, in the name of ethnicity,
what should be a commonly (universally) shared freedoms and rights.
Better still, let us read him in his own monumental words. More
importantly, Messay�s treatment of the subject of �ethnicism� or
�ethnicity� in his book was scholarly and objective and not
parochial. To begin with, as a good scholar he took himself out of the
equation completely i.e., he neither promoted nor defended his own
ethnic origin. When I mentioned to a friend that I was buying Messay�s
book, my friend told me that Messay is rumored to �hate� Tigrians
and that he was an Oromo narrow ethnicist. I challenged my friend on
those allegations, for I had read most of Messay�s writings and did
not see anything overtly or secretly hateful or narrow reflection of
ethnicism. Having read this book, I can say without any hesitation
that neither allegation is true.
BOOK
REVIEW AND COMMENTARY
Messay
Kebede,* RADICALISM AND CULTURAL DISLOCATION IN
ETHIOPIA
, 1960 � 1974,
Rochester
,
NY
:
Rochester
University
Press, 2008. [PP 235] [US $75]
By
Tecola W. Hagos
Let
us consider Messay�s most poignant and probably his most
controversial categorical assertion that the Ethiopian student
movement was not a result of economic deprivation and social class
antagonism extant in
Ethiopia
, but a consequence of the alienation of Ethiopian students from their
own culture, tradition, and religion. He asserted in several of the
Chapters of his book that Ethiopian students were isolated in a bubble
of their schools, and were uprooted and alienated from society. In
other words, Messay seems to believe that Ethiopian schools (from
grade school to university colleges) functioned as insulations against
the very society students were supposed to learn from progressively
both technical and social skills that would have helped their
integration and absorption as useful members of the community.
Notes
On The Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia
Teodros
Kiros (PhD)
DEC 6, 2008
I
have decided to wrap myself with this reflective statement and declare
that I am proud to be part of The Solidarity movement for a New
Ethiopia (SMNE), a grassroots movement that elevates humanity above
ethnicity, love about hate, compassion above greed, and commitment
above indifference.
Alamudi
not paying 20 million Bir for land rent
Reporter
In
celebration of Ethiopian Youth: Work in Progress
By
Teodros Kiros (PhD) November 24, 2008
It
is the fearless youth who environed the musical genius to Teddy Afro,
at the infamous Ethiopian millennium. Blessed by the billions of stars
that graced the night at the people�s stadium, where Teddy refused
to take orders from the rich and powerful who wanted to sing for them
at the Sheraton, and chose the stadium instead, Ethiopian youth risked
their lives and came to listen to the justly famous, song, �Altseralegnem�,
in which the prevailing regime was indicted and found guilty for not
delivering, for not changing, for not saying, �We can�.
POLITICS-ETHIOPIA:
Disappointed But Not Defeated
Michael Chebsi
ADDIS
ABABA, Nov 20 (IPS) - She fought alongside men in the Ethiopian
liberation struggle. She fought for a free and fair society. But
today, Yewubmar Asfaw feels that Ethiopia's revolution has failed to
deliver a fair share of political power to women.
In her book, published this year in Amharic, Asfaw, 52, describes how
the liberation groups marginalised women fighters during the struggle
and after the fall of the military regime in 1991.
What Barack Obama means to African politics
By Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)
November 19, 2008
My vision of what Obama would say is based on my hope of what he might say, and what his administration might want to adopt as a genuine Africa centered foreign policy, based on a dispassionate analyses of the failed Bush policy. In the absence of a comprehensive Africa centered foreign policy, I can only present what Obama could say by consulting African experts who understand the needs of the continent. My own take focuses on the needs the Ethiopia, which I know the most.
Eritrean rebels claim killing 285 government troops
Monday 17 November 2008.Source Sudan
Tribune
By Tesfa-alem Tekle
November 16, 2008 (MEKELLE) � An Eritrean rebel group, The Red Sea
Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) claimed killing over two hundred
government troops during an attack carried last week against a
military training center inside the country. The Red Sea Afar
Democratic Organization (RSADO) on Sunday said that its fighters have
killed at least 285 Eritrean military officers including top military
leaders in what it called was the most devastating assault taken
earlier this week at a military training base in the remote central
Denkelliya region of Afambo local area.
The Abominable Saudi Government's Brutal "Justice" Against A Doctor
Egyptians decry doctor's sentence of 1,500 lashes Egyptians decry doctor's sentence of 1,500 lashes in Saudi Arabia
SALAH NASRAWI Associated Press Writer
AP Nov. 12, 2008
Raouf Amin el-Arabi, a doctor who has been serving the Saudi royal family for about 20 years, was convicted last year of giving a patient the wrong medication. Egyptian newspapers reported that he was accused of driving a Saudi princess "to addiction."
Arms race, uneasy peace in Sudan
By Heba Aly | Correspondent of The Christian
Science Monitor from the November 12,
2008 edition
In the south, the parliament voted to double its budget to cover military spending, and the north spent 20 percent of its budget on the military."Even
if Khartoum has no interest or intention of going to war, it has
every incentive to maintain a credible threat of war to ensure that
Juba will choose unity in the referendum. Likewise, even if Juba has
nothing to gain from conflict, it must make conflict as costly as
possible for Khartoum to prefer peace over war if peaceful partition
is to be a real strategic option for Juba."
The President and the Strategic manager of Andinet in London
Posted 12th November 2008
The
conditions are still live and breathing to date. If the regime and
Electoral Commission meet those demands, Andinet would take part in
the election. Otherwise, they would be their escort. They would fight
for justice. This point had been the position of the two delegate
members, W/t Birtukan and Ato Akilu.
Listen
to the audio of the UDJ meeting in London 9/11/2008
 Part.1
Part.2
Two Machiavellis
By Teodros Kiros (PH.D) November
11, 2008
Politics, argued Machiavelli, cannot be anchored on moral goodness-that is too utopian, but rather on virtu (flexible disposition) and Fortuna (luck). Both concepts are crucial for the understanding of the distinctly political. Virtu produces appropriate political action swiftly, intelligently and courageously; Fortuna projects ample opportunities that favor the moves of Virtu. Both Virtu and Fortuna work in concert to move the people from passivity towards social movements that aim at changing their lives and increase their freedoms by creating power and counter the tyrannies of an oppressive regime.
Lij Michael Imru
(1929-2008)
Addis Journal-
News of his death has come on
Monday [27 October 2008). Lij Michael Imru, who died at the age of 79, had been in and out of
intensive care for several months here in Ethiopia, Thailand and the USA. The former prime minister
might have been absent from the public and the media for some
time. But his long career had been anything but obscure. Born into prominent parents, Imru moved to
Jerusalem during the Italian occupation.
Response to MFA post in Aiga Forum, November 1, 2008:
"The US Presidential election and anti-Ethiopian lobbying"
Donald N. Levine University of Chicago
As everyone who followed president-elect Obama's discourse realizes, what he stands for is precisely open dialogue, not combativeness. The latter was the approach of retiring president Bush who declared in January 2000, well before he won the Republican nomination: "When I was coming up, it was a dangerous world. . . It was us vs. them, and it was clear who them was. Today, we are not so sure who the they are, but we know they're there."
The
People�s Machiavelli.
By
Teodros Kiros (PhD) November 9, 2008
On
the latent reading, it the people who matter; it is the people who
make laws, although, given their sheer number, they cannot execute the
laws that they could legislate, by choosing organic leaders who
represent their interests. Moreover, since stability was so important
to Machiavelli, he could not imaging a stable republic that is not
loved by the people, and in order to love the order, the people must
create it, the people must participate in the creation of power in
concert with the right sovereign, who governs democratically and not
tyrannically, since tyranny is the way of beasts and democracy is the
way of the enlightened, the way of moral leaders.
 Announcing
A New Book
Messay
Kebede, Radicalism and Cultural Dislocation in Ethiopia, 1960-1974.
Published by the University of Rochester Press, 2008.
The book focuses on the prime agent
of the revolutionary upheaval that derailed the course of Ethiopia�s
modernization, namely, the Ethiopian student movement. Most remarkable
about the movement was that a great number of Ethiopian students and
intellectuals had espoused the most dogmatic version of
Marxism-Leninist ideology, with the consequence that they had become a
highly polarizing force. And as John Henrik Clarke puts it, �When a
people are not too sure about who they are loyal to and what
their commitments are, they represent a danger within the cultural
mainstream of their society.�
THE
RECENT TPLF FUNDRAISING AND THE DIASPORA�S FOUL PLAY OCTOBER
31, 2008
Professor
Seid Hassan- Murray State University
Due
to the vicious nature of this show, many of the Ethiopian Diaspora
community have come to think that
such a discourse is inherent in those who come from the same region,
Tigrai. Such utterances of
unflattering words against our Tigrain compatriots indicate that some
of the
members
of the Diaspora community have indeed succumbed to the ploy that the
TPLF planted for them. One cannot
even escape the thought that a minority group could have seized this
opportunity to advance their own
parochial interests. Some of these folks could be those who want to
continuelecturing us that the struggle is between Tigrians and the
non-Tigrians.
THE
WORLD REACTS TO OBAMA'S VICTORY
Many
in the world were frustrated by America's go-it-alone tendencies under
President George W. Bush. Congratulatory messages have poured in for
his successor Barack Obama -- and many leaders have cited a wish to
work more closely together with the US. It didn't take long for the
congratulatory telegrams and telephone calls to begin pouring in.
Almost immediately after the polls closed on the West coast, world
leaders began contacting US President-elect Barack Obama to offer
their support and backing as he approaches a daunting list of hotspots
and problems that urgently need attention. Mostly, though, the world
simply wanted to congratulate America's new leader.
The Barbarism of Somali Jihadist "Liberators"
Militants stone to death Somali rape victim, 13
Amnesty: Stadium packed with 1,000 spectators watched horrific slaying
Initial local media reports said Duhulow was 23, but her father told Amnesty International she was 13. Some of the Somali journalists who first reported the killing later told Amnesty International that they had reported she was 23 based upon her physical appearance.
No
Hiding
Place in the USA for Murderers and Torturers in Foreign Countries
November 1,
2008
Ex-Liberian is convicted of torturing-
 A federal jury in Miami convicted the son of onetime Liberian leader Charles Taylor yesterday in the first test of an American law that gives prosecutors the power to bring charges for acts of torture committed in foreign
lands.
A
woman accused of adultery has been stoned to death by Islamists in
Somalia. Source
: SKY News, UK / October 28,
2008
Representative Donald Payne, the unofficial agent of the Eritrean Government, is still writing garbage [See his Press Release of 23 October 2008] about human rights abuses in Ethiopia, while the real issue of human rights abuse is in Somalia perpetrated by the Jihadist terrorists who are now in control of Kismayu. See the article below. TH
The
Crisis of a Democratic Civic Culture as an Impediment to Democratic
Development in Ethiopia: A Point of View
By
Tesfaye Habisso -October
28, 2008
Finally,
the struggle for democracy, human rights and the rule of law and
market economy is bound to take a long time before it takes root and
bear fruits, as these �values� are still the hardest thing to
import and to modify. We can learn new techniques or acquire new
knowledge, but it is notoriously difficult to adopt a behavior that is
based on values that are foreign to one�s society. Societies�
fundamental values evolve gradually, and the introduction of new
values is always faced by traditional reflexive reactions.
Furthermore, this struggle should not be conceived only in terms of a
struggle over the distribution of wealth, power and private
accumulation but also the creation of commonwealth by mobilizing all
sections of the population beyond ethnic, religious, political, etc.
divides in order to improve the living standards of the majority of
the population, to enlarge the �national pie� that we all must
share equitably, so speak.
The
free radical
By
Tafere Hailemariam-
October 26, 2008
Due
to the nature of our diverse ethnic upbringing and ideological
background, which is full of mistrust, there are hidden motives as
there are genuine intentions in the way we express our opinion in the
context of Ethiopian politics. For this reason, we all tend to
entertain divergent views simply because of the way we think
differently from each other - which is logical. If all people could
think in an identical fashion, wouldn�t life be boring?
Nevertheless, as for my case, a sincere intention stemming from the
love of my country is the sole driving force behind my urge to express
my humble opinion as a show of solidarity and I don�t write for fame
nor is hate in my vocabulary.
Obama
Will Be One of The Greatest (and Most Loved) American Presidents
Obama
is one of the most intelligent presidential aspirants to ever step
forward in American history. The likes of his intellectual
capabilities have not been surpassed in public life since the Founding
Fathers put pen to paper. His personal character is also solid gold.
Take heart, America: we have the leader for our times. I say this as a
white, former life-long Republican. I say this as the proud father of
a Marine. I say this as just another American watching his pension
evaporate along with the stock market! I speak as someone who knows
it's time to forget party loyalty, ideology and pride and put the
country first. I say this as someone happy to be called a fool for
going out on a limb and declaring that, 1) Obama will win, and 2) he
is going to be amongst the greatest of American presidents.
A
Note to Ethiopian Writers October 16, 2008
By
Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)-Readers
deserve to read articles that educate the public on matters of life
and death of the average Ethiopian. Editors of websites should not
specialize in singling out very able writers, who insist on attacking
the regime every singly week, when the precious time of the reader
should be spent more on writing short, sharp and readable articles on
the Ethiopian crisis that goes beyond the politics of the current
leadership, and focus on famine, poverty, freedom, social movements
and much more, reflecting the depth of the Ethiopian crisis and the
hidden pains of the alienated Ethiopian public.
Rights
group condemns Saudi beheadings
Saudi Arabia beheaded two
men Tuesday, the latest state-sanctioned killings in a country where
use of the death penalty has risen sharply in recent years and a
disproportionate number of those executed are foreigners, a rights
group said. The executions were announced by the Saudi Interior
Ministry. They bring the total number of people beheaded in the
kingdom this year to 72, according to an Associated Press count.
PRESS RELEASE
Ethiopianamerican
October 11, 2008
THE QUESTION OF ASSAB AND THE ALGIERS AGREEMENT AND THE ISSUE OF TERRORISM IN THE HORN OF AFRICA.
There is no basis for someone to claim that the Eritrean case is a
colonial question since Ethiopia cannot colonize part of its own territory i.e. Eritrea.
Besides, there are historical and economic factors among other things, that characterizes
colonialism as in the case of European colonizers and their former colonies. For instance,
Europeans were by far more advanced in economic development relatively compared to
their former colonies. In that regard, Eritrea was actually more developed, especially in
the industrial sector than the rest of Ethiopia. We could have discussed other factors to
show that the Eritrean case is truly a national question instead of a colonial question.
ADDIS
ABABA, Ethiopia (CNN) -- At age
19, Yohannes Gebregeorgis  borrowed a soft-cover romance novel entitled
"Love Kitten" that changed his life forever. Born
in rural Ethiopia to an illiterate cattle merchant who insisted upon
his son's education, Gebregeorgis had seen a few books in school. But
it was the experience of having a book of his own that sparked a
lifelong commitment. Today, at 56,
Gebregeorgis is establishing libraries and literacy programs to
connect Ethiopian children with books. Vote
for Yohannes, one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes for 2008  
VIDEO
 
Editor�s
Note:
Thank
you Senator Brownback for your statesmanlike stand in recognition of
the difficulty facing the people of Ethiopia in a highly volatile
region while carrying out their international responsibilities. Thank
you for not being a fair-weather-friend and for upholding the
principles of mutual respect, comity, and friendly relations among
states. Thank you for respecting the Sovereign dignity and worth of
the truly ancient people of Ethiopia. God Bless Ethiopia and all her
Friends; God Bless the People of the United States. TH
CONGRESSIONAL
RECORD: SENATE, PAGE S10466, Oct. 2, 2008
Senator Brownback made a powerful statement in the Senate
supporting Ethiopia.
A
Follow up on My Open Letter to Senator Feingold et al
By
Tecola W. Hagos-I want it to be clearly understood that I was not selecting facts to fit my argument and the conclusion thereof. I did not undermine the suffering of Ethiopians in the hands of a brutal and vicious government and leader. However, I would like to underscore the fact that the suffering of Ethiopians did not start yesterday, and it is not only due to bad governance, but is also due to a stagnant and exhausted ancient culture, some centuries old social norms that inhibited creativity, ignorance, and isolated life et cetera. It seems nature and history has conspired also against our development. It is not any lack of effort on our part either, and I know of no people on Earth who work any harder than Ethiopians. Even when it comes to our own Diaspora politics, what I read from the vociferous and often sever statements of my critics is their uncalled for ethnic slurs and trash language. The problem of underdevelopment, poverty, or social ills cannot be so easily explained even by serious scholars of poverty, such as
Amartya
Sen, a Nobel Prize Laureate, let alone by amateurs.---
Rested
Gebrselassie Tops His World Record
Haile
Gebrselassie of Ethiopia again
showed why many consider him the greatest distance runner ever, breaking
his own world record in the marathon in Berlin on Sunday and becoming
the first person to run the 26.2-mile race under 2 hours 4 minutes.
Clean Water Means Life Itself In Ethiopia
SUSAN STEVENOT SULLIVAN, Special To The Bulletin Published: September 25, 2008
The morning light, and days of travel within Ethiopia, further illuminate the rich diversity and stark contrasts of this historic African country, where skinny sheep and goats crop bits of grass along the streets of the capital while, nearby, machine-gun carrying federal police stand guard on the verdantly overgrown perimeter of the presidential palace.
EPLF:
THE MOTHER OF ALL CIA POLITICAL SURROGATES IN ETHIOPIA - HOW RICHARD
COPELAND (MILES COPELAND )OF THE CIA RECRUITED ISSAYAS AFEWORK :1969
as
told by Tesfa Mikael Giorgio
(Senai
magazine, Addis Ababa, February 1985 Eth.cal (1993) translated by us
from the
Amharic,
and annotated)
Open
Letter to Senator Russ Feingold, Representative Donald Payne, and to all
Members of the Congress of the United States September
12, 2008
By
Tecola W. Hagos
Mentioning
Ethiopia alone in the Feingold Bill and in HR 2003 of a year ago, in a
region where there are nations with worse records of
violations of human rights, is a pointed insult to our Ethiopian
national pride and a serious erosion of our Ethiopian Sovereignty. What
is tragic is the fact that the people behind all this anti Ethiopia
movement are agents of our historic enemies such as Egypt, Sudan, Saudi
Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Pakistan, and now Eritrea. It is clearly
established due to his activities that
Representative Donald Payne is no different than an official agent of
the Eritrean Government. What Al Mariam and supporters are doing is that
in trying to hurt Meles Zenawi, they are hurting Ethiopia and Ethiopians
that will last a long time. Government leaders come and go, what endures
is Ethiopia. Thus one must be very careful in fighting to oust Meles
Zenawi so that one does not throw the baby with the used bath water.
Editorial:
I
Object to the Public Display of Children for Political End
By
Tecola W. Hagos- September 6, 2008
It
is precisely the incongruity of the act of public display with the
emotion of being a loving parent that triggered my reaction and resulted
in this short Editorial. A loving parent will be sensitive to the
emotional scar that may be left behind after such identification of a
child as being different, even worse having one�s private moments at
the beginning of one�s life being part of the public domain. The fact
of adoption must not be overlooked because of my legitimate doubt that
adoptive parents would display their natural born children with some
anatomical defects, as �freaks� for the world to see.
Who
is Benefiting from the Flood of Construction Projects in Ethiopia?
By:
Seid Hassan, Ph. D. - Murray State University
September
6, 2008.
Lately,
the EPDRF has been showcasing infrastructure building, particularly the
road and real
estate-based
construction that has been taking place in Ethiopia. In one of my
previous write-ups, I dismissed the propaganda spread by the EPDRF
showing that not only there is no economic
development in Ethiopia, but what we observe is misery and squalor. In
response to my write-ups, the agents of the government have been busy
spreading their lies on many Diaspora paltalk shows about the growth in
the economy- a few of them telling us that the economy of Ethiopia was
growing at 11.5% in 2008. A majority of them- possibly the ones paid by
the EPDRF who do its dirty work- have been seen jumping around on many
paltalk shows, showcasing the ongoing road and real estate construction
projects.
Reporter
Editorial
September 3, 2008
Dear
Editor:
Please, accept my heart felt appreciation of your great effort to expose the
scandalous illegal detention and kidnapping in broad daylight of
Amare Aregawi, the venerable Editor of The Reporter. I hope you
realize that when some of us were crying "wolf" it is/was not
just the figment of our imagination. Now you realize how many innocent
Ethiopians must have been in detention through such illegal
governmental or official actions. Imagine a situation where Amare
Aregawi was not a famous Editor (and supporter of Meles often), what
would have been his fate. He probably would still be in detention
or murdered. Our tragedy, I mean Ethiopians in general, is that when we
allow little men assume the role of leadership we end up with thugs
and violent criminals. I hope this is a great lesson to all of us
including to Amare Aregawi too. Power, must be counter checked. In the
alternative, what we have is a mafia type structure pretending to be a
government!
Yours Sincerely
Tecola W. Hagos
�SPEAKING TRUTH
TO POWER,�*
LIVING IN A DANGEROUS WORLD
August 28, 2008
By
Tecola W. Hagos-It
is in the best interest of the United States and Russia to be on
friendly terms. It is utterly silly for the United States and its allies
to try to befriend small and insignificant break away countries while
shunning the one country that truly matters. It is incomprehensible to
me why would any one avoid sitting at the table with the master of the
house and opt to eat frefari
with the appendages of the master? Russia has the richest mineral
deposits in the world. It has well educated population willing to
embrace �capitalism.� All of these factors in connection with Russia
indicate great potential for cooperation and close economic ties with
the West. It should have been the General Motors, the GEs, the Exxons of
the World that should have been at the forefront racing to form
equitable partnership to invest in Russia rather than local con-artists,
smugglers, money launderers with no past record of legitimate investment
management experience taking over the economy of a huge county like
Russia.
PART ONE
Sustaining Growth:
Ethiopessimism?m
by Ken Ohashi
World Bank�s Country Director for Ethiopia and Sudan
The international community in Addis seems to have suddenly turned
pessimistic about the prospects for Ethiopian economy. Inflation, which
was troublingly high at 19% in January, has by June jumped to 55%
(measured as the 12-month increase in the overall Consumer Price Index).
Ethiopia's foreign exchange reserves are running low, making it more
difficult for domestic investors to secure foreign currencies needed to
import key materials and equipment. Though much better now, load
shedding had affected daily life in many areas last several months.
Above all, however, the food crisis and images of children in acute
malnutrition are enough to make anyone not just saddened but gloomy
about the future. Was the five years of rapid economic growth all so
fragile? Was it only a result of good weather and a �rebound� from
the 2002/03 drought?
Note
from the Editor
Mitiku's Article here posted represent the
best in writing with insight and universal appeal. I recommend that
readers, especially Ethiopian readers, take time to ponder what
Mitiku is telling us in his beautifully written article. I am not
exaggerating at all when I write that Mitiku's article is philosophical
mega statement about the fragility of the human condition but also its
triumph. TH
To
Win Gold And Not Lose Silver Sat,
23 Aug 2008
By
Mitiku Adisu
Here
are Tirunesh and Elvan (a.k.a. Abeylegesse). Truneshand Elvan are not
chasing each other. They are chasing a dream. Tirunesh is trailing. What
goes through their minds at this point in the race is not difficult to
guess. Both know one of them will shortly
be
declared the winner. Both are determined to beat the other to the finish
line. (No one competes for the fun of losing.) Both run fully aware of
their humanity, national origin, youth and what is at stake. Both
gracefully bear the pounding. Both realize the hurdles involved to make
it this far; that it takes leaving behind fellow athletes vying for the
same prize.
Are
Democracy and the Rule of Law Necessary for Ethiopia?
By:
Dr. Seid Hassan, Murray State University
August
15, 2008
The
purpose of this short article is to show that there are indeed quite a
few economic policy lessons to be learned from the experiences of
Southeast Asian countries. Second, if the last 18 years that Ethiopia
has been under the EPDRF are any witness, this country is neither in a
position to mimic these countries and bring about measurable economic
change, nor is the political and economic phenomena of Ethiopia
comparable to those countries. In the process, I refute the argument
that is being presented by the EPDRF representatives on both factual and
empirical basis. I do so by briefly presenting the economic, social, and
political experiences of the Southeast Asian countries and by comparing
and contrasting them with that of the Ethiopian economic situation and
political realities. I then present a series of conjunctures on why the
regime wants us to believe that democracy is unnecessary for Ethiopia.
Kenenisa
Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia:
The
Greatest Athletes in the World
Congratulations,
Kenenisa and Tirunesh!
You are the greatest distant runners the World had ever seen.
Once again you set new Olympic World records in both men and
women ten thousand meters. Kenenisa successfully defended his Olympic
10,000m title winning the Gold, with his countryman Sileshi Sihine
winning the Silver. The other great Haile Gebre Selassie was fifth,
despite his advanced age, the asthma, and the Beijing stifling humidity
and smog. The previous day Tirunesh Dibaba, the Golden Girl, won the
Gold setting a new Olympic record, followed by her countrywoman, Elvan
Abeylegesse running for Turkey. These men and women are real
�Champions� in a real sport that requires great endurance, courage,
and strength. The ten-thousand-meter-run competition is neither a
child�s play nor it is splashing around in bath tub as some countries
make such a big deal of. Kenenisa Bekele�s new World Record is 27
minutes, 1.17 seconds, breaking his own World record he set four years
ago. Tirunesh Dibaba, still a young woman of 22, set a new Olympic
Record. Editor
EDITORIAL:
August 10, 2008
Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin: The Great Nationalist
By
Tecola W. Hagos
Go for it, Putin. You are doing the right
thing in protecting the vital interest of the People of Russia. You have
done the right thing by standing up for  the
economic interest of the People of Russia. You have done the right thing
by blocking the carpetbaggers from looting the wealth of the People of
Russia. Now, move in and take back all the old territories of the Soviet
Union, now states, ceded by traitors. That scheme of ceding territories
and creating puppet states did not help alleviate any of the political
or the economic problems facing the ordinary citizens of such regions
Putin defends Russia's Ossetia incursion, slams Georgia over 'genocide'
By News Agencies
2008 Olympic Games Preview
 10,000 METERS
Two world record holders seek to lift Ethiopia's hopes on and off the track. Tirunesh Dibaba and Kenenisa Bekele have courage, endurance, and blazing kicks. What else do you need?
By Adam Buckley Cohen
How to describe Ethiopia? A country roughly twice the size of Texas with three times as many people. A complex blend of massive highlands and dissected plateaus divided by the Great Rift Valley. One of the oldest inhabited areas in the world, perhaps the seat of all human migration. Or, if you're a track fan, the alpha and omega of distance running. At the Athens Olympics, in the 5000 and 10,000 meters, Ethiopian men and women took home seven of 12 medals, improving on the six golds they won four years earlier in Sydney. So how does a country that constantly battles droughts and famines of biblical proportions beat out the combined total of every other country in the world?
Dr.
Fekadu Bekele August 7, 2008
Dr.
Fekadu Bekele August 4, 2008
Sudan
sentences 22 more 'Darfur rebels' to death
by Abdelmoniem Abu Edries Ali
Thu Jul 31, 10:26 AM ET
KHARTOUM
(AFP) - Sudanese courts on Thursday sentenced another 22 alleged Darfur
rebels to death over an unprecedented attack on the capital last May in
which more than 222 people were killed.The sentences from two special
courts, set up to try those arrested in a crackdown following the May 10
assault, bring to 30 the number of alleged members of the Justice
and Equality Movement (JEM) condemned to death
House
apologizes for slavery and Jim Crow
The House on Tuesday issued an unprecedented apology to black Americans
for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered
under slavery and Jim Crow segregation laws.It says that Africans forced
into slavery "were brutalized, humiliated, dehumanized and
subjected to the indignity of being stripped of their names and
heritage" and that black Americans today continue to suffer from
the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow laws that fostered
discrimination and segregation.
A Few Reasons Why some of the Ethiopian Diaspora Community Members are
not Interested and/or against �Investing� in Ethiopia: A Summary of selected
conversations over coffee and by telephone.
By Dr. Seid Hassan Murray State University-
July 28, 2008
Despite the importance of Diaspora FDI, however, remittances are much larger (for example,
remittances from Africans working abroad between 2000 and 2003 averaged roughly 17 billion
dollars per annum, according to a 2005 report by the United Nations Office of the Special
Adviser on Africa. Ethiopian Diaspora remittances exceed $1.1 billion per annum in the last few
years.
[The
article/interview on the voidability of the Algiers Agreement of 2000 and
the future of Assab that was posted in The Reporter was brought to our
attention by Paulos Fasil of Canada. Tecolahagos/Ethiopia Website
greatly appreciate Paulos Fasil and all concerned Ethiopians who
forward articles/essays/interviews to our Website www.tecolahagos.com
that concern Ethiopia's territorial integrity and Sovereignty. Editor]
FROM THE DESK OF DR. FIKRE TOLOSSA
Dr.Fikre Tolossa's feature film, "Multicolored Flowers", a coming of age drama with comical and satirical overtones and undertones, will be featured in Los Angeles, California on Sunday July 27, starting 3:00 PM at the Jewish Community Center. If blacks "acted white" in the past to fit in, now whites "act black" to fit in, in this movie, which witnesses that times are changing.
In the spirit of artistic cooperation, in addition to Dr. Fikre Tolossa, the young film-maker Mekdelawit
Tadesse, will present a one hour documentary on the lives of a few movers and shakers Ethiopians residing in the United States, entitled, "Immigrants". Moreover, a budding poet, Asfawossen
Alemseged, will premier his latest book entitled, "Tsehay
Tiwotalech" , reciting a few verses out of it. Ethiopians living in Los Angeles and its surroundings are welcome to feast on this unusual combination of artistic extravaganza.
Some
Doubts on the Veracity of the Torah or the Old Testament Stories
July. 12, 2008
The idea of Moses receiving the commandments from God on a
mountain was taken from the Persian legend related to Zoroaster - One
day, as he prayed on a high mountain, in the midst of thunders and
lightning�s (�fire from heaven�), the Lord himself appeared before
him, and delivered unto him the 'Book of Law'. While the King of Persia
and the people were assembled together, Zoroaster came down from the
mountain unharmed, bringing with him the 'Book of the Law', which had
been revealed to him by Ormuzd. They call this book the Zend-Avesta,
which signified the Living Word.
Sudan�s president to be charged with genocide
First attempt by international tribunal against sitting head of state
By
Colum Lynch and Nora Boustany
updated
9:32 p.m. PT, Thurs.,
July. 10, 2008
UNITED
NATIONS - The chief prosecutor of the Internationals Criminal Court will
seek an arrest warrant Monday for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir,
charging him with genocide and crimes against humanity in the
orchestration of a campaign of violence that led to the deaths of hundreds
of thousands of civilians in the nation's Darfur region during the past
five years, according to U.N. officials and diplomats.
A BRIEF NOTE ON THE ORIGIN OF THE AMARA AND
OROMO
By Fikre Tolossa
Pertaining
to the Amara language, it had already begun to evolve as far back as
3000 years ago.In fact, it had existed long before Geez. Menelik the
I declared Geez as the official language of Ethiopia about 2950 years
ago to honor and empower the Agazi, a tribe he brought from Gaaza
which fought for him when Ethiopian tribes warred against him treating
him as a Jewish "keles" who had ambition over the
Ethiopian throne. Indeed, it had developed and evolved more than
3000 years; i.e, a while before Geez was decreed by Menelik I as
the official language of Ethiopia by imposition
Ethiopia: Government Prepares Assault on Civil Society
Repressive New Legislation Should Be Amended or Scrapped.
Ethiopia�s government has already made meaningful public engagement in governance impossible in many areas by persecuting its critics and cracking down on freedom of expression and assembly. The clear intention of this legislation is to consolidate that trend by taking the �non� out of �nongovernmental� and putting civil society under government control.
Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch
Ethio-Sudan
Border Affairs Committee (Press Release)
Source: Abbay
Media
Remembering
Asnakech Mekonnen (1961-2008): The voice of resistance
By
Teodros Kiros ( Ph.D)
Her life begun when she chose at a very young age to be a liberation fighter, when she left her beloved home to fight the Ethiopian Derg�s oppression by joining the Ethiopian liberation force, and moved to Sudan. Her handsome brother, Yohannes Mekonnen of Cambridge city, who himself was a liberation fighter, remembers saying farwell to his sister, when he himself was fourteen years old. Yohannes, her heart broken brother remembers her as gallant, kind, and unafraid to speak truth to power.
Shame
on you Meles Zenawi! June 25, 2008
 By
Tecola W. Hagos-What is alarming is
the fact that this traitor is running around dismantling our
Ethiopia that was built over the Centuries with great courage and
sacrifices of our parents and forefathers. He is arrogantly
throwing his half-cooked juvenile ideas in our faces, and we are
doing nothing about it. The recent secret agreement he made with
the Sudanese Government ceding Ethiopian territories, which was
settled and effectively controlled by Ethiopians and previous
Ethiopian governments for over hundreds of years, has angered
Ethiopians from all walks of life. We need to do more than just
register anger and protest against Meles Zenawi and his
Government. We must excise this cancerous growth and threat to our
very existence as a people and a nation, by all means at our
disposal. This is one of the reasons that I support the call made
to all of us by patriotic Ethiopians, Ethio-Sudan Border Affairs
Committee, to a Conference and a Demonstration on July 2 and 3
against Meles Zenawi and his secret agreement ceding Ethiopian
Territory to the Sudan.
Failed leadership, not a failed state
By Raffique Shah June 01, 2008
These
shortcomings and many more are justification for many to refer to the
country as a �failed state�. But again, I register my dissent with
this view. When New York and many other cities in the US were riddled with
crime, was America declared a �failed state�? That country�s health
system is in crisis. Millions cannot access free medical attention, have
no access to health care the way we do. And in spite of the crime levels,
thousands flock restaurants, bars and clubs nightly. Night concerts are
sold out: witness the recent Plymouth Jazz Festival.
By
Obang Metho-The failures of the Meles regime are rapidly accumulating and not only Ethiopians know about it now. The news and incriminating evidence is reaching out into the international community and it will soon become increasingly difficult to suppress and excuse the behavior of this oppressive dictatorship.
Human rights violations incorporated in this 30th Regular Report are based on complaints received from victims, evidence gathered through onsite investigations and testimonies of witnesses. As could be gathered from the report, there still remains much to be done to improve the human rights situation in the country. The fact that many of the violations are being perpetrated by government security forces and other agents of the state with impunity makes the situation even more worrying. Thus, EHRCO urges the government to respect and protect the fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of the country.
Genocide in Sudan
U.S., activists decry genocide in Sudan
AP Associated Press, Tues., June. 17, 2008
The United Nations so far has been unable to bring peace to Sudan or to prosecute its alleged war criminals. Williamson pointed to 2 million people dead and more than 6 million displaced in Sudan's north-south civil war.
Is Ethiopia Really Enjoying Economic Development?
By Dr. Seid Hassan June 16, 2008
On the other hand, Ethiopians, including those of the members of the Diaspora
experience increased squalor, disease, unemployment (known to be way over 50% in urban
areas), hopelessness, unnecessary deaths, chronic poverty, these same filth and misery and
chronic poverty increasing over time. Every time the members of the Diaspora visit their country
of origin, they observe that the people they used to know and their own families are growing into
abject poverty. Most importantly, they read Ethiopia being listed at the bottom of the world
country rankings.
Dr.
Fekadu Bekele
Zenawi
lied and it is Darfur Style Scorched-Earth Land Grab
By
Desta Woldemariam
The
relationship between the dynamics within states in the Horn of
Africa (Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia) and the
distribution of power among them is constantly changing. The
Global, Regional and Sub-Regional situations and dynamics
temporarily strengthen one or two states in the Horn, while it
exposes and exacerbates their failing on many occasions. The
states in the Horn are getting too weak and poorly governed to
address challenges within their borders and cannot prevent then
from spilling out and destabilizing all surrounding states
Abugida
invites you to check out a poem dedicated to the victims of 2005 massacre
by the blood thirsty zenawi's regime at
international.html
A
film depicting memorable political events in Ethiopia in the month
of "GINBOT",it can be seen here
documentaryeth.html
Border Demarcation with Sudan Causes Anger in Ethiopia
By Alisha Ryu Nairobi 05 June 2008
Residents and community leaders in western Ethiopia say thousands of people in several border regions have been displaced by Sudanese troops in recent weeks, following what they describe as a secret, illegal deal between the governments in Addis Ababa and Khartoum. Critics say the secret deal to demarcate the border gives Sudan the right to occupy areas Ethiopians historically consider sacrosanct. VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu has details from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi.
Ethiopia
and
Sudan
Border Issue Committee
June 2, 2008
We,
the representatives of Ethiopian political, professional, civic,
social and cultural organizations, would like to bring to Your
Excellency�s attention worrisome developments concerning the
demarcation of the common boundary between
Ethiopia
and the
Sudan
. We are gravely concerned that this important subject which
affects the lives and welfare of millions of Ethiopians has been
approached, at least on the part of the purported representatives
of
Ethiopia
, in total secrecy and in complete disregard of relevant treaties
and the historical rights of
Ethiopia
.
Does land
swap bring peace, or does peace bring land?
Source Reporter
Famine,
Hunger, and Public Action: Consolidated View*
May 30, 2008
Teodros
Kiros (Ph.D)-These subtle
words apply to the recurrence of  famine and perpetual hunger in
Somalia now and soon in Ethiopia with unprecedented urgency. If
you asked any Ethiopian legislator why famines occur with such
consistency, he might look at you in surprise, and reply that it
is a natural mishap manifest in crop failure, and the sluggishness
and cursed existence of the victims. Of course, some of our ardent
critical revolutionaries seek to advance what they call structural
explanations. The latter explanation is the correct one.
PART
TWO
Sudan
Annexing Ethiopian Territory:
The Moral Imperative and Principles and Norms of
International Law
May
22, 2008
By
Tecola W. Hagos-This effort of Meles Zenawi to justify his treasonous  ceding of Ethiopian territory by redefining and limiting what constituted
Ethiopian territory is the same type of treasonous
�judiciousness� he used often defending the interest of
Eritrea against that of Ethiopia in endless speeches, interviews,
and formal papers to such ridicules extent even the
Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Arbitration Commission found it necessary
to point out the fact that Meles�s submission has declared a
particular Ethiopian territory in dispute to be part of Eritrea
and that the Commission had no other choice but �to
adjust the Treaty line so as to ensure that it is placed in
Eritrean territory.�
----
Famine,
Hunger and Public Action: Modest
Policy Proposals for East Africa
May
17, 2008
Teodros
Kiros (Ph.D)- Most importantly,
legislators must be advised to avoid costly wars that plunder
value creating economies. Peace and prosperity for all must be the
goal of the hopeful
Ethiopia
. Famines and hunger can be eliminated by the actions of a morally
sensitive market and systematic public action. Diversification and
peace must be the engines of change in a new
Ethiopia
.----
Editorial:
Response
to the Press Release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
On
the Annexation of Ethiopian Territory by Sudan
May 15, 2008
By
Tecola W. Hagos- Press Release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has alleged that the
Government of Meles Zenawi is simply concluding what was laid out
by previous Ethiopian leaders as part of a lengthy negotiation
with the Government of the Sudan, especially pointing out the
treaty of 1972 entered during the Government of Emperor Haile
Selassie. This is an absolute lie, for Emperor Haile Selassie did
not enter any such dishonorable and treasonous treaty to cede over
ten thousand square kilometers of fertile and productive Ethiopian
territory to the Sudan.
Ethiopian
Territorial Integrity and Ethiopiawinet:
Sudan
annexing Ethiopian Territory.
By
Tecola W. Hagos-It
is extremely difficult for me even to imagine  ceding
an inch of Ethiopian territory let alone such huge tract of land.
The insidious activity of Meles Zenawi is not limited to such
treasonous crimes against the territorial integrity of Ethiopia,
but was extended to the violations of fundamental rights against
the People of Ethiopia who have lived in those areas for
generations. They were forced to defend their homes while
Meles�s security force members were standing by watching
Ethiopian citizens being driven off their homes and land. Shame on
you! Shame!.-----
Einstein letter calls Bible �pretty childish�
Famous scientist also dismisses belief in God as product of human weakness
Editorial:
May 12, 2008
On
Posting the �Official� Statement of the Government of Meles Zenawi
By Tecola Hagos-The
fact that there was negotiation and dispute or challenge by Sudan in the
past does not completely negate the principle of territorial acquisition
as laid out above, which entitles Ethiopia with the rights and privileges
of a Sovereign to all the territory that is illegally being annexed by
Sudan now. Meles�s Government has repeatedly shown its skewed ideas of
what is meant by negotiation in international conflicts in the Sudan as
well as the Eritrea border disputes. There is no �absolute� in
international claims of limited starting point, except what one claims to
be the case. Thus, the Ethiopian government must claim as extensively as
it is possible even to the extent of all land all the way to ancient Meroe,
rather than assume these stupid pretensions of judiciousness at the
expense of our interest. I
shall elaborate all the issues raised in this Editorial and elsewhere in
other essays I have written dealing with the issue of Ethiopian territory
and Sovereignty, in my upcoming article �Ethiopian Territorial Integrity
and Ethiopiawinet: Sudan
annexing Ethiopian Territory:
Ministry refutes hearsay ''Ethiopian territory given to Sudan''
Addis Ababa, May 11, 2008 (Addis Ababa) - The ministry of foreign affairs said some mass media and irresponsible bodies have been disseminating groundless information by saying that the government has given a part of Ethiopia�s territory to Sudan.
In a statement it sent to ENA on Sunday the ministry said that it refrained to respond to the hearsay as border issues need to be dealt with great care and as it believed that it is unnecessary to respond to such groundless rumor.
The
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Foreign Affairs and National
Security Policy and Strategy
Ethiopia
's policy towards Somalia May
12, 2008
Our
fundamental policy remains to persistently work towards the birth of a
peaceful and democratic
Somalia
. But in light of the continuing instability, the policy we pursue should
essentially be a damage-limitation policy to ensure that the instability
does not further harm our country, the region and the people of
Somalia
. If the instability is not stopped, the only option left is to limit the
damage that may be caused. There are three main options to limit the
damage.
The Causes of the Current Ethiopian Soaring Inflation Rate: A Non-Technical Analysis.
May
11, 2008
By Dr.Seid Hassan
The most significant and daunting problem facing Ethiopia today is the rampant
inflation rate. As reported by bloomberg.com, the Ethiopian Statistical Agency has reported that inflation
for March 2008 has risen to 29.6%, food price inflation being even higher (39.4%). Some reports
indicate the inflation rate in January 2008 to be in the range of 36%. According to Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi, the causes of this rampant inflation rate are a growing economy, greedy
merchants, and/or farmers who happen to demand higher prices for their products or an increase
in demand.-----
Larger map
ETHIOPIA'S
DIRE TUNE: THE NEW BOSTON MARATHON 2008  CHAMPION
CONGRATULATIONS, DIRE TUNE FOR WINNING THE BOSTON MARATHON 2008.
YOUR COURAGE, STAMINA, AND FAITH RENEWED US ALL IN OUR
ETHIOPIAWINET. YOU MAKE US ALL FEEL GREAT, WE ARE ETERNALLY
GRATEFUL TO YOU AND ALL THE ETHIOPIAN LEGENDARY GREAT DISTANT
RUNNERS AND MARATHON RUNNERS, AND WORLD AND OLYMPIC
CHAMPIONS. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU SOME MORE, ALL OF YOU OUR
GREAT HEROES AND CHAMPIONS.
SYSTEMIC
AND SYSTEMATIC CORRUPTION IN
ETHIOPIA
UNDER MELES ZENAWI: A VIEW FROM THE SILENT DIASPORA. April
22, 2008
By
Wardoffa Banti
It
is also necessary to continue equipping the political, social, and
pressure groups that have a stake in our country to hold rational and
reasoned policy and political positions that would challenge the political
leaders into realizing the ideals of fairness, justice and equality that
would lay the foundations for a sustainable nation. It would be a matter
of time before the (outwardly strong but decaying) TPLF to acknowledge
that there is more to equitable and democratic governance than political
expediency of consolidating political tyranny insulated from the
interests, will and participation of its subjects. The growing
brainstorming and crystallization of the foundations and mechanisms of the
TPLF's driving rolled TPLF to crack because of internal rust, its
paralysis to change and absence of rational and reasoned agenda and
backing.
Reading William Easterly�s The White Man�s Burden: Why the West�s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good (2006)
April 21, 2008
By Getachew Mequanent-
To conclude, Easterly isn�t really talking about the �ills� of aid, as the title of his book suggests. He is talking about the problems of aid management. As I read the book, I kept remembering a man who was the president of the Canadian International Development Agency in the 1970s, speaking at a conference, angrily asking, �why did we fail the world�s poor children?� Having spent sixteen years at the World Bank, Easterly�s writing style combines both passion and experiences of frustration, as you can see from this quotation (p. 368) telling donors what to do:
Discard your patronizing confidence that you know how to solve other people�s problems better than they do. Don�t try to fix governments or societies. Don�t invade other countries or send armies to one of the brutal armies in a civil war. End conditionality. Stop wasting our time with summits and frameworks. Give up on sweeping and na�ve institutional reform schemes.
NES
COMMENTARY No.17
Network
of Ethiopian Scholars (NES) (April
17, 2008)
From
the Edge to Over the Edge: The root cause of the food crises is the
endemic governance crises in
Ethiopia
!
Very often and invariably, this is what the regime does to the people when it plays the so- called democracy game: the regime invites the people for an election charade only to disabuse them when they vote for the candidates or parties of their choice by harassing those not toeing the official line backed by the military and police might at its disposal. Why the regime prefers to go through the motion of an election, when it has literally zero interest or commitment to honour the choices and voices of the people particularly when they vote for opposition party candidates, strikes any impartial observer as nothing else but activities that are supremely diversionary, opportunistic, cynical and immoral.
Some thoughts on Understanding What Lies Ahead for Ethiopia
By Wardoffa Benti (from Germany)-
April 16, 2008
The title chosen
for this short abstract of a bigger idea is daunting and beyond the reach
of the intelligence and capacity of this author. The idea is to tip a
discussion on the manner of political discourse in the political community
for scrutinizing the real issues on political transformation of
stakeholders. When people come into some kind of union (unitary, federal,
confederate or other forms of governmental structure), the basic notion is
that these peoples have agreed to forge a formula where they would strike
concessions and compromises that would be fair and workable for the groups
and classes of people to be bound by that structure. Thus a Constitution
of a country, which in essence means a tool where the various
constituencies of people who are living in a relatively coherent and
adjacent geographical entity, agree to come under some form of union after
by a majority (super-majority) of their people or their elected
representatives.
-----
COMMENTARY
Paradigm of poverty and humanism: Undoing Ethiopia's
modernity
By Prof. Tecola W. Hagos -
[Because the crucial issues discussed some five years ago in an article titled �PARADIGM OF POVERTY AND HUMANISM: UNDOING ETHIOPIA�S MODERNITY� (July 25, 2003) posted in this Website are still the most acute issues concerning Ethiopia, we have decided to repost or up-link that article in our archive one more time. Readers are invited to take a fresh look at the article with the current political and economic reality in Ethiopia in mind.]
Instead of revisiting the same old political and economic programs that have been the main stay of every political group and aspiring political leader since the 1960s, I suggest that we start with new approach within a rubric of a Humanistic-Poverty Paradigm. A paradigm is not in itself a political ideology, but a way of looking at distilled consistent and compatible ideas. It has the advantage of satisfying all ideas of truth. This in itself is remarkable. It should not come as a surprise to us, for the humanistic paradigm, after all, reflects the ethos or the zeit-geist of a people (period). Another additional factor to consider is the fact that the Paradigm is not a liberation movement, but rather a creative process; unlike other liberation movements the struggle is not against the State of Ethiopia but against poverty, ignorance, pestilence, greed, exploitation, dehumanization, oppression et cetera.
What the election of Barack Obama would mean to African politics
April 7, 2008
By Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)-As an African-American of a Kenyan ancestry, I am reminded of my father�s dream, the dream of putting Kenya on the world map, as a player in world politics. I wish every African nation to abide by International law, and treat its citizens with dignity, with inviolable human rights, and call upon Ethiopia�s Meles Zenawi to treat Ethiopians with fairness, respect and dignity. I demand that African leaders either be transparent or move out of the way. No African nation should get our aid if it intimidates, tortures and imprisons its citizens.
-----
March,
30 2008
The
Beautiful People: Champions of Edinburgh 2008
Tiruniash
Dibaba -
Gold Medal;
Kenenisa
Bekele - Gold
Medal
Genzebe
Dibaba - Gold Medal
(Women Junior)
Ibrahim
Jeilan -
Gold Medal (Men Junior)
Congratulations!
You all are the pride of Ethiopia. You brought glory and respect
to all of us. This
is the quintessential fabulous Ethiopian team winning first place
in all divisions. One thing for sure, the Edinburgh highland
weather, with its rain and mud, should not have been more
welcoming to the Ethiopian team. The Ethiopian cross-country
runners were defeated by the stifling tropical weather of Mombassa
of last year�s contest. This is a comeback performance.....
PART THREE: March,
29 2008
THE UGLY AMERICAN:
HOPE AND REDEMPTION FOR ALL
By Tecola W. Hagos-It seems we are hearing the voice of reason and witnessing in the person of Obama the emergence of new generations of Americans�coming-of-age, of exquisitely beautiful new generations of Americans who seem to go beyond such contentious racist narrow view of the American identity, who seem to take �the color of water,� if I may borrow an apt phrase from a book title. [James McBride, The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, Riverhead Books (1996).] In that book McBride�s White Mother uttered the phrase �the color of water� in reference to God as being not black or white but all, as the color of water that picks up the hue of its container. This philosophy is radically different than the militancy of the civil rights movement; it is not accusatory and vengeful, but refined understanding of the human condition, thus is a precursor of Obama�s generation of African American individuals who see beyond the injustice of white America but the hope of a just and harmonious society due to the healing power of understanding and direct
actions.....
Saudis
Gone Mad: Violations of Human Rights
March,
30 2008
A
woman was beaten up and shot dead by her father for talking online
with a man she met on the website Face book.
The
case was reported on a Saudi Arabian news site as an example of
the "strife" the social networking site is causing in
the Islamic nation. It said the man shot his daughter after
discovering she had been chatting online to a young man she had
met on Face book.
PART
TWO: The Ugly American
THE
HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE:
MELES ZENAWI
AND MOHAMMAD AL-AMOUDI
March,
23 2008
By
Tecola W. Hagos-The
secret for our future political success is to be found in our
capacity to create bridges of relationships connecting the newly
formulated political organizations with all other opposition
groups, such as those of Kinijit, Beyene Petros, Merara Gudina,
Lidetu Ayalew et cetera. One must find important common interest
such as questions of civil rights, territorial integrity and
sovereignty, law and order et cetera to champion. Most
importantly, the opposition group must identify and focus on one
or two personalities in the present Ethiopian government and from
those that are collaborators rather than direct its opposition in
a generalized form to the entire group. One must be able to create
division and dissension within the Government of Meles Zenawi.
Meles Zenawi and Mohammad Al-Amoudi must be identified as the two
most dangerous individuals who are threats to the very existence
of Ethiopia and as enemies of the people of Ethiopia.....
..
Prince Rasselas, Fact of
Fiction?
A Glimpse at our History
By
G. E. Gorfu-March,
22 2008
 That
then is why traditional kings and queens of
Ethiopia
were highly educated people. Atse Libne Dingel had assumed the
throne as a young boy with his mother, Queen Eleni, as Reagent and
Caretaker of government. His army, we are told, used to spear
Mount
Bokan
near Dukem, begging and praying for war. He never saw Wohni Amba,
and had a poor grasp of his own history or tradition. This, some
historians say, was the main reason why he lost his throne to
Ahmed Gragn, who defeated him, chased him, and besieged him for
several years on Mount Debre Damo, in Tigray, until his death by
thirst and hunger.......
The
Tigre Question March,
20 2008
By
Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)-There is a
serious problem of stereotyping with grave consequences, which we
Ethiopians must correct, if we wish the motherland well. That not
all Tigreans are beneficiaries of the wealth, the power and the
connections that the regime in power has amassed for the members
of its inner circle, some of whom happen to be Tigrean-Ethiopians.
That is the first fundamental truth that we must own, that we must
keep mind, when we meet Tigreans. That some of these Tigreans are
dirty poor; others have comfortable incomes, and very few are
conspicuously wealthy. Our scholars need to have the hard facts
and disseminate them among us, so that we can think intelligently,
factually, and truthfully. That is the fundamental feature of a
genuine Ethiopian. We need not open our mouth, until we have the
facts on our finger tips.....
Return to the
Source: Aleqa Asres Yenesew and the West. March,
15 2008- Messay
Kebede-For Asres, Westernized Ethiopians may know many  things
about the West, but they are pretty ignorant when it comes to
Ethiopia. In rejecting Ge�ez, they make themselves unable to
understand Ethiopia and to use the treasure of accumulated
knowledge to further its interests. All they can do is read
Ethiopia through the lens of alien and borrowed concepts with the
consequence that they come up with distorted notions. Far from
being the scouts of the society, renegade intellectuals carry the
viewpoint of the colonizer, and so replace real knowledge with
critical declarations. Grandfather,
1974
Collection of Ethiopian National Museum 32 x 30 cm oil on board.) Their so-called knowledge
does not emanate from their society�s history and defining
features; it is made of normative pronouncements deploring the
extent to which their society failed to develop the features of
the model society, i.e., the Western society........
ANDENET
is sparking interest among Ethiopian Readers
March,
14 2008-By
Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)-However,
given the complexities of the problem i.e. the intransigence of
the government, the ossified experiences and centrifugal
tendencies of some significant opposition groups, the not so
conducive international (security more than democracy) and
regional (surrounded by authoritarian regimes save Kenya) context,
the politics of ANDENET won�t be an easy one.
EDITORIAL: March,
13 2008-
Mourning
Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho
 We
share in the sorrow and anguish of all Iraqi Christians who are at
this moment under tremendous persecution by local fanatical Sunni
Moslem thugs and the Shiite led Government of Iraqi. We deplore,
condemn, and totally reject any form of discrimination and
persecution based on religious differences. The persecution of
Christians and other religious groups throughout the Arab World,
especially in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, and also in Iran
is the gravest under-reported violation of fundamental human
rights and of social injustice in the World for the last thirty
years.
Paulos
Faraj Rahho of Mosul. Our condolences also to the
families of Faris Gorgis Khoder, and Ramy and Samir, three of his
assistants (driver, bodyguards) who were martyred in the process
of the kidnapping of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho. Requim Eternum.
VATICAN
CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Thursday condemned the death of
the kidnapped Chaldean Catholic archbishop in Iraq as "an act
of inhuman violence that offends the dignity of the human
being".
BARACK
OBAMA AND YE-TEBARAKETCH ETYOPIYA
March,
10 2008- Donald
Levine-'Such
concerns were central to the recent mission of General Siye Abraha
to Ethiopian communities in the United States. The message of
candidate Obama is in this vein: do not fear to talk to one
another, and see what can be done if you work together. As he
expressed the point in a talk given at Martin Luther King's old
church in Atlanta, 'We can no longer afford to build ourselves up
by tearing each other down.' If the US presidential campaign can
produce an inspiring figure like Barack Obama, who projects that
transformative vision for Ethiopians, I cannot imagine anything
more salubrious.'.......
Reconciliation
and Change are the languages of ANDENET
March,
9 2008 By
Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)-My
dear Ethiopians: there is a misconception of power within our
society. The current regime has successfully tied power or
leadership of the country with a privilege that comes with one�s
ethnicity. For a long time, Amharic and Tigrigna speaking people
of Ethiopia have been portrayed as elites who govern the country.
In fact the current regime has successfully blamed the oppression
and atrocities of the past regimes on Amharic speaking people in
general. This illusion has brainwashed some Tigreans, who have
been led to believe that Amharas are indeed the privileged enemies
of all other Ethiopians.
THE
UGLY AMERICAN
AND HIS JEWEL BOX March, 3 2008
By
Tecola W. Hagos- Tocqueville wrote, with
keen insight, about the national characteristics of Americans,
which characteristics are a far cry from that assumed by Americans
themselves. He wrote:
Americans,
in their relations with foreigners, appear impatient at the least
censure and insatiable for praise. The slimmest eulogy is
agreeable to them and the greatest is rarely enough to satisfy
them; they pester you at every moment to get you to praise them;
and if you resist their entreaties, they praise themselves. One
would say that, doubting their own merit, they want to have a
picture of it before their eyes at each instant. Their vanity is
not only greedy, it is restive and envious. It grants nothing
while demanding constantly. It is entreating and quarrelsome at
the same time.� [3]
Andenet
(Unity) and the Political Imaginary of Adwa
 by
Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)-Menelik
was a shrewd sovereign, who intuitively what he had to in order to
save
Ethiopia
from foreign aggression. In
the language of MAAT, the African female principle of governance
through political goodness informed by compassion and uprightness,
the Emperor managed to control his ego and engage his former
rivals and enemies and invited them to join him to overcome a
deadly enemy. He appealed to the people for help, for
understanding, and the people joined him to do the work.
The Emperor himself internalized reconciliatory comportment
and put himself in the mood of work guided by
Ethiopia
�s common good. It is precisely this kind of shrewdness that the
prevailing Sovereign in
Ethiopia
is desperately lacking. The prevailing is intent on rejecting
reconciliation and intent on doing everything by Orwellian
political cruelty and a short-lived arrogance that would one come
to haunt it.
 ANDENET
(UNITY)
by
Teodros Kiros (PhD)-The
hurt and the divisions are so deep that only time can heal us all,
so that we can all willingly live as a united people of a historic
nation- drinking from the fountains of Ethiopiawinet mediated by
ANDENET. So understood ANDENET for now is only an ideal, but once
the wounds of NE are healed, ANDENET can be a realizable idea.
Ethiopiawinet, as I understand it, would have to be grounded on
Andenet, for the idea to function as a vital force that can unite
the Ethiopian people, who remain profoundly divided by negative
ethnicity.......
Editorial:
February 16, 2008
Continuation of Diplomatic and Economic Disaster in Ethiopia
By Tecola W. Hagos- If the Eritrean Government moves into the area
 that the Commission had identified on paper and later has asserted that it constituted as the �virtual demarcation� of the boundary, Meles will only protest to the United Nations Security Council, and the Eritrean Government will counter by claiming that it violated no Ethiopian boundary but only is occupying what the Commission has
Larger
Map
designated as Eritrean territory. The Security Council will be hard pressed in accepting that claim by the Eritrean Government since to do otherwise will be contradicting itself. The maximum reaction by the Security Council might be a very mild censor of the Eritrean Government on protocol (procedure) that it should have waited for a formal diplomatic note rather than marching on its own. Thus, Meles would have once more completed his diabolical mission against Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people. This is very serious challenge to the Sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Ethiopia.......
For
those who do not approve the arrival of Siye Abraha:
Thinking
the Unthinkable
February
15, 2008
B y
Sabataa Dubbii-Are
you ready to think unthinkable? What if the current army as a
whole may be supporting what had been argued by Siye group prior
to 1998 war between Ethiopia and Eriteria? I believe the situation
in all its forms and continents in Eritrea could have angered the
armed forces for the last decades; what is your reason that Siye
could not play a central role in bringing in such a boiling energy
into action if he becomes a formidable force against Meles Zenawi?
Meles Zenawi and his government does not wish any confrontations
with Eritrea as it has been demonstrated in Tunis at a round
table. Meles might have been negotiating with Eritrea to remain in
power by burying the central issues of democracy with war cries
from Jubilee Palace.....
Why
I write? February
15, 2008
By
Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)-I
enjoy writing from the margins, where there is so much pain, so
much abuse, and yet, as long as my words flow from the depth of my
heart, and are monitored by the Transcendent, and the writing is
right and beautiful, I will have obtained a sense of fulfillment
which money cannot buy. My recent writings on Seeye are motivated
by a single idea, and that is, at this particular moment in time,
Seeye, the reconciler, the insider, who has decided to tell it all
by risking his life, and correct the mistakes that the party that
he and the other members of Woyane made, will save Ethiopia from
the path of destruction. Seeye is a symbol of change, of a new
beginning, of a new rendezvous with Ethiopian history.
Saudis
to execute woman for 'witchcraft 'Human rights group appeals to
Saudi king to stop execution
The
Associated Press-Human Rights
Watch's statement came a day after Yakin Erturk, the U.N. special
investigator for violence against women, wrapped up a 10-day visit
to Saudi Arabia during which she highlighted another controversial
case that has attracted international criticism.....
Mr.
Seeye Abraha deserves a better treatment other than Surveillance.
By Teodros Kiros (PhD) February
12, 2008
The
Ethiopian regime in power continues to persuade the western world
that it is a democratic government, which is honoring human
rights, thereby protesting against the passing of HR 2003, the
sharp edged blade, which is aiming at shaming the regime and
exposing its undemocratic ways...
Seeye
Abraha in Virtual House Arrest
February 12, 2008
Chairman of the Human
Rights advocate of the horn of Africa
By Desta Hagos-We have received evidence that Ato Seeye
Abraha, a 
bridge to democracy in Ethiopia, appears to be under house
arrest. We have come to this conclusion because government personnel have
taken it upon themselves to screen individuals who come to visit him. Upon
his return from a successful visit to America, where he met with Senators,
Congressmen and other citizens, to tell them about human rights abuse in
Ethiopia, from his own personal experience, visitors to his home have been
intimidated at his front gate...
NES
COMMENTARY. No.15
Mammo
Muchie-
 There
is a pervasive and corrosive phenomenon characterized by the
gratuitous trading of insults that we believe has been
disorientating the Ethiopian opposition lately. Though the
opposition is passing through a difficult phase at the moment and
life has not been certainly easy, it is clear that it remains
(whether it acts fragmented or in a composite fashion!) still
strong having entered a state of reflection to find insights with
new and invigorated foresight to make realignments that can work
better than the alliances that seem to have unraveled with so much
public and open hostilities.
Security
Council extends UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea
Un
News Center 01/30/2008
In
a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council called on the two
sides to �show maximum restraint and refrain from any threat or
use of force against each other, avoid provocative military
activities and put an end to the exchange of hostile
statements.�
The 15-member body also emphasized that
�Eritrea and Ethiopia bear the primary responsibility for
achieving a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the border
dispute and normalizing their relations.�
New
revelations about Eiraeiro [Eritrea] prison camp - �The
journalist Seyoum Tsehaye is in cell No. 10 of block A01�
"Independent
journalist Seyoum Tsehaye, the most recent winner of the Reporters
Without Borders - Fondation de France press freedom prize, is
still alive and is being held in a secret prison camp called 'Eiraeiro,'
located near the village of Gahtelay in a mountainous desert
region north of the Asmara-Massawa road. Seyoum is in cell No. 10
of block A01, which is reserved for the most sensitive political
prisoners. Reporters Without Borders learned this and other
details this month from an Eritrean who has had access to the
prison, where many political leaders are held. The source must
remain anonymous for his protection."
Meseret
Defar and Tirunesh Dibaba:
ETHIOPIA'S
GREAT DAUGHTERS: CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD!!
Meseret
Defar, Ethiopia's great and World champion won the women's
two-mile run of the Boston Indoors on Saturday, January 26, 2008,
in Boston breaking her own record. Tirunesh Dibaba, another
Ethiopia's great and World champion, won the women's 3,000 during
the Boston Indoors, Saturday, January 26, 2008, in Boston.
The
Beauty of Faith : The Most Beautiful Cross in the World - The Lalibela Ethiopian Cross
By
Tecola W. Hagos-One may
generalize that the genius of the Ethiopian
artists who created the Lalibela Cross is not limited to their 
great structural abstraction, but also extends to their absolute
control of the religious symbolism integrated in the cross from
overwhelming the over all design. There is absolute balance
between each part of the Lalibela Cross. In fact, the Cross seems
to be contained by far more profound and subtle narrative just
touching the subconscious represented in the general matrix of the
artifact. However, one should not forget the fact that the
Lalibela Cross is an item of devotion, thus essentially
utilitarian. Is that not what religion is supposed to be?
...
Siye
Abraha's
Groundbreaking Tour of the United States
Laeke
Gebresadik
January 26, 2008
Demolishing ethnic barriers-, Siye
spoke eloquently, nothing like a slick politician trying to
dissipate the lingering question on his role as a former official
of the EPRDF. I found it quite a treat to listen to a very sincere
man who put such a difficult and complex mission before any
political agenda. He was able to engage his audience with his most
important mission of demolishing the ethnic walls that, no doubt,
Ethiopians themselves helped the EPRDF build around them. After
all, Siye did not go to the EPRDF and plead to do away with its
divisive ethnic policies. Instead, he came to ordinary Ethiopians
and challenged them to do it themselves as the first step for
dialogue and nation building.
...
Ethiopianity
January
26, 2008
Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)-The modern Ethiopian state is composed of this classical idea, Ethiopianity. Ethnic rivalries are increasingly denuding us of our rich history. Our Ethiopianity is too splendid to be watered down by a one hundred years history of self-determination, a tool of dividing the nation into ever hostile language and ethnic groups.
Ethiopianity is to clean our hearts and unapologetically express our differences and similarities as Ethiopians born to different practices born out of culture blended with customs. The new topic of Ethiopianity must pay close attention to the reconciliation and change that Mr. Seeye Abraha is calling from the depth of his heart, without
motives......
Unveiling
the Anatomy of Desperation January
26, 2008
Teodros
Kiros (PhD)
-By
using reason in concert with will and conscience Ethiopians
recently filled the corridors of gatherings in Boston, DC, Denver
and Seattle, and they responded to Seeye�s message with a
resounding yes, and proceeded to begin organizing civic
associations and salons of discussion wherever and whenever they
can. These actions
have frightened the regime, and it is sending its handlers to
attack writers with the cheapest means at its fingertips. Needless
to say the abuse have not stopped the abused writers from the use
of the of the silent power of the pen, thanks to the mighty
Lord.
...
Haile Gebrselassie ran the marathon in two hours four minutes and 53 seconds.
Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie has won the Dubai Marathon and the winner's purse of one million dollars, although he failed to beat the world record time he set in Berlin.
1. Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) 2:04:53
2. Isaac Macharia (KEN) 2:07:16
3. Sammi Korir (KEN) 2:08:01
Women:
1. Birhane Adere (ETH) 2:22:42
2. BMC Ezun Unefh (ETH) 2:23:09
3. Tafa Askale (ETH) 2:23:23
ILLUSIVE
PEACE IN EAST AFRICA: MUHAMMAD MEGALOMMATIS
ADVOCATES GENOCIDE AGAINST
ETHIOPIANS!
[ Paper
Submitted for the Emergency Meeting, Afrikan Unity of Harlem, Inc,
19
January 2008]
By
Tecola W. Hagos- The type of
attack that Megalommatis
is waging against Ethiopia can be identified as a variation of the
old form of �divide and rule� tactics used by both earlier
colonizers and the present day neocolonialists. The effort of
Megalommatis against �Amharas and Tigrays�
who make up the majority of the diverse
people of Ethiopia is far worse than anything seen on the African
Continent, except the Rwandan and Darfur Genocide. Megalommatis
is not even an Egyptian, but a mercenary of Greek nationality (by
his own admission) and yet he is advocating of the elimination of
close to forty million Ethiopians. One thing is obvious that such
individuals if left unchallenged would sow the seed of strife
among the many people of Africa. ...
SEYE ABRAHA: MYTH AND
REALITY
 By
Tecola W. Hagos-I
see in Seye a river, a courageous individual willing to serve his
people and his country. Seye made it absolutely clear that his
role is that of a bridge builder between warring political groups,
between antagonistic political leaders, aggrieved people against
traditional Ethiopia et cetera. And I believe in his sincerity,
and I think that he is the right person who will be able to bring
about unity, reconciliation, and understanding to all of us his
people by helping build a bridge, but also by becoming a bridge
himself for us, his people to walk all over him to safety......
Seeye
Abraha, Ethiopia�s National Treasure, speaks Truth to Power: An
outline of Seeye�s New Thinking.
By
Tedros Kiros, PhD January 7, 2007-
Ladies
and gentlemen, he said,
�
I developed my country�s leading party, the EPRDF, the very
party that I founded has now criminalized me. I was imprisoned,
but thanks to my loving people, who protested and wrote on my
behalf, I am now free. I will not rest, however, until all those
political prisoners who are languishing in prison are released, as
there are hundreds of them. The regime falsely calls them hoodlums
and criminals. I call them political prisoners, indeed, they are
prisoners of conscience�.
Beyond
The Fence--Double Agony
January
06, 2008
Almaz
Mequanint-We
need to fight and address to the Ethiopian Environmental
protection authorities for the adoption and implementation of
appropriate, ecologically sound, and socially equitable policies
to satisfy our needs for such necessities as water, health, food,
education and information to our society. Let�s make a
difference which will transform the lives of so many victims in
Wonji, Wonji/Shoa & Metehara.
Editor�s
Note: This is a belated posting on the subject of the
Ethiopian Millennium Celebration. The reason for posting it is to
bring to our readers and visitors a different and interesting
perspective, not so much on the celebration but on the evaluation
offered by Paul Henze (an expert on Ethiopia and a long time
friend of Ethiopians) on both questions of economic and political
development underway in Ethiopia since 1991.Having said all that,
I believe that on one important fact Henze should be highly
commended for his reservation on the 2000 Algiers Agreement, which
makes him a �brother� to me and all fair minded Ethiopians. At
any rate, this is a piece worth reading. Tecola
W. Hagos.
ETHIOPIAN
MILLENNIUM:
Trip
Report
By
Paul Henze-The
excitement of Millennium celebrations did not obscure the serious
problems Ethiopia faces in Somalia and with Eritrea.
The two have actually become linked, for Isaias Afewerki
has been trying to combine Somali Islamists with anti-EPRDF
groups, such as the Oromo Liberation Front, to build an
anti-Ethiopian alliance under his control.
ETHIOPIA
IS BEING CIRCLED BY ITS ENEMIES:
Oppose Ould-Abdallah�s Proposal to
Deploy Saudi and Pakistani Troops
. By
Tecola W. Hagos
December
26, 2007
One
important national concern that is above everything else is that
our people are being divided by party affiliation, ethnic groups,
religious sects et cetera. When we are divided we lose our
patriotic zeal. As individuals, we can be broken easily one by
one, but united we can withstand any assault on us by Jihadist and
fanatics or neo-colonialists. My appeal is to all leaders, both
political and religious, to set aside differences and focus on our
immediate security needs.........
SETTING
THE RECORD RIGHT: December
26, 2007
ALMAZ
MEQUANENT AND FLUORIDE POISONING
Editor�s Note:
The
letter addressed by Almaz Mequanent to Aseged Tefera (whose
�article� appeared in The Reporter of December
19, 2007) is meant to correct several grossly misleading
statements in that article and to inform the reader the true donor
of the 500 wheelchairs and the organizer of the whole process. The
�article� by Aseged Tefera is a good example of �yellow
journalism� at its worst, enduring characteristics of most
Ethiopian newspapers, online journals, blogs et cetera including The
Reporter.
The article by Aseged Tefera of December 20, 2007 in The
Reporter shamefully did not even mention this great lady
or the donor The Free Wheelchair Mission in that misleading
article. TH
Editorial:
Honoring Almaz Mequanent, a Great Ethiopian Lady
By Tecola W. Hagos- December 16, 2007-
Almaz
Mequanent is like the Biblical pearl of great worth that we  Ethiopians
should hold dear close to our hearts. Almaz waged a lonely, but a
most honorable fight for the rights of much trodden and overlooked
Ethiopian victims of HVA agro-industrial greed in Awash Wonji and
Metehara Sugar plantations and processing industry. The mission
that Almaz undertook is pure and unadulterated personification of
civil responsibility and love of fellow human beings (not just
Ethiopians). What Almaz did was an act of great selfless love that
only a �mother� is capable of giving.
Ethiopian
groups in Israel to rally against 'apartheid'
Dec
11, 2007
Ruth
Eglash, THE
JERUSALEM POST
A
wide cross-section of Ethiopian groups is planning to protest
Wednesday in Petah Tikva against what is sees as a policy of apartheid
adopted by the education system specifically and Israeli society
in general. The demonstration, which is set to kick off at 10 a.m.
opposite the town�s municipal building, is to express the
community�s anger over the revelation last week that a Petah
Tikva school had been keeping four Ethiopian second-grade pupils
separate from the rest of the student body. �This phenomenon of
apartheid by the education system should be a cause of concern to
all the Israeli public and not just the Ethiopian community,�
commented Avraham Neguise, head of a coalition of Ethiopian groups
in Israel.
�As Jews, we moved here to be part of Israeli society and not to
be kept separate. �Among those expected to participate in the
rally are Ethiopian community spiritual leaders, heads of
community welfare organizations, students, Knesset Members and any
one who believes in justice, wrote Neguise in a statement. Ethiopian
children hold sign reading: "There is no hope for Ethiopians
in Petah Tikva." Photo: Benny Voodo
THE CONCEPT OF FORGIVENESS: A CHALLENGE TO A JUST SOCIETY
By Tecola W. Hagos- December 4, 2007
In
a political rear-view mirror, things that appear to be near,
profound, and honorable may be in reality remote, ordinary, and
even corrupt. When speaking or writing about social justice or
injustice and the development of civil society, one must restrain
oneself from going blindly overboard, in praising or condemning
any one individual or any one particular event, especially when
one is being carried on the crest of populist political waves.
This is easier said than done, for I too in the past have written
essays overlooking some of the virtues of some leaders.........
The
Poors of Ethiopia: who will feed the poor of the poorest in
Contemporary Ethiopia?
By Teodros Kiros (Ph.D).
December 4, 2007
The
poors of Ethiopia feel like plucking out their envious eyes and
remove their ears. They condemn themselves for being born and
promise not to be born. They say in their hearts with Gubena-
Aleweledem. The regime does not
know what to do with the poors; it throws them away in tin houses.
Even those tin houses are not available anymore. Diaspora
Ethiopians have enough in their hands. They cannot stretch their
hands any further..
....
Wherein
the law is enforced by the art of brinkmanship, injustice reins
free
Tafere
Hailemariam,
When faced with
challenging issues, they dread it and their resentment kicks in to
high gear resorting to threats and bassets not realizing the fact
that cyber hectoring does not bear practical jurisdiction outside
Ethiopia. Constructive criticism and talking about the need for
reform is not of a good test to our statesmen; which is a clear
signal that the regime is steadily drifting into a Sultanate style
absolute monarchy, that of Brunei where opposing voices are
considered taboo.
.
Full
Text
EDITORIAL:
Meles Zenawi, Dump the 2000 Algiers Agreement, and Void the
Boundary Commission and Its Decision...
SUMMARY
- EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL:
Meles Zenawi, Dump the 2000 Algiers Agreement, and Void the
Boundary Commission and Its Decision...
By
Tecola W. Hagos
 There
is nothing Meles Zenawi would lose that he had not lost already by
being a �good boy� to the United States and letting the
Boundary Commission enter its final demarcation on a map the
Commission had threatened to do by the end of November 2007, an
illegal procedure in itself because the Commission has no
authority to create such new procedure. Proactively rejecting and
invalidating the Algiers Agreement and voiding the Boundary
Commission and its decisions, Meles would have created a unique
situation that would only benefit Ethiopia. If Meles for once
become an Ethiopian patriot and take formal steps thus
invalidating, nullifying, and voiding the Algiers Agreement and
the Boundary Commission and its corrupt decision, by such simple
act of real politick and legitimate legal maneuvering, he would
have taken Ethiopia to its original position before the signing of
the Algiers Agreement. There is no need to be encumbered with one
more illegal procedure of markings on maps. Act now!
 
EDITORIAL: HOW TRUE STATESMEN PERCEIVE ETHIOPIA
By Tecola W. Hagos- November
11, 2007
 The
United States Congress should have brought up such consideration
for discussion in the House to build monuments for friends of the
United States; instead, what we received is the insulting and
scurrilous Bill H.R. 2003. It is my remembrance of such glorious
history of friendship and loyalty of Ethiopians to the American
People that infuriated me, especially when I see some ersatz
Congressman, a Johnny-come-lately, campaigning against such great
friendly nation as Ethiopia. The greatness of America cannot be
determined or measured by such individuals, who come into office
at some point in the American government, especially by
individuals who take advantage of particular circumstances to
subvert the truth and the great legacy and current struggle of
Ethiopians of the past and those of the present.
Development
and the control of Political space that is miserably failing in
Contemporary Ethiopia
By Tedros Kiros, PhD
November 4, 2007
EDITORIAL: NO WAR AGAINST �ERITREA� October 28, 2007
By Tecola W. Hagos-
After all, it is a fact
that the United States is behind the land locking of Ethiopia, the
alienation of its territory in the guise of creating an �Eritrea� out
of Ethiopian historic territory, and it is also currently harboring ONLF
leaders and supporters here in the United States or is blind to the
terrorist attack of the ONLF on Ethiopia�s military forces and citizens
living in the Ogadeen area. The history of the relationship between the
United States and Ethiopia of the last one hundred years shows clearly the
fact that the United States Government, at all crucial moments in the life
of Ethiopia except in the case of the 1977-78 invasion of Somalia, has
worked without fail against the interest of Ethiopia. Simply put, the
United States Government is not the friend Ethiopians think it is, but
rather has been acting as if it is the number one enemy of Ethiopia.,.....
By
Dr.
Fekadu Bekele
Introduction
to Eros and Revolution.
By
Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)-Eros and Revolution
is bound to be the manifesto of all those voices of freedom who
are fighting for a new world as the old world is slowly dying, and
the new world is struggling to emerge......
Text
of President Robert Mugabe's speech at 62nd
Session
of UN General Assembly
Your
Excellency, President of the 62ndSession of the
United
Nations General Assembly, Mr. Srgjan Kerim,
Africa
has
not called for a Nuremberg trial against the white world which committed
heinous crimes against its own
humanity.
It has not hunted perpetrators of this genocide, many of whom live to this
day, nor has it
got
reparations from those who offended against it. Instead it is Africa which
is in the dock, facing
trial
from the same world that persecuted it for centuries.
In
conclusion, let me stress once more that the strength of the United
Nations lies in its
universality
and impartiality as it implements its mandate to promote peace and
security, economic and
social
development, human rights and international law as outlined in the
Charter.
 Congratulations Vice President Al Gore!
We believe in your great work. We are greatly indebted to you for courageously reminding us that we are at risk of losing our extremely fragile world�a world the great artist and poet Gebre Kristos Desta of Ethiopia described in one of his poems as �dew suspended in space��that we share. You fought for all
humankind, for our
habitat, for life itself. Your foresight and courage is exemplary. You taught us by your words and actions to be a citizen of the world, for we all are in it. You pleaded with us to stop polluting and defiling our only home risking extinction, which advice often fell on deaf ears specially those of the greedy industrialists and financiers whose only interest is to make money at all cost. In this award, we commend the Nobel Committee for bestowing the Nobel for Peace Award on you who truly deserved the recognition and applause. Thank you, AL Gore, for all your work and congratulations.
Tecola W. Hagos , Editor
ISAIAS
AFERWERKI - FROM STATESMAN TO DESPOT AND WRECKER
Recollections
- A Historical Puzzle
Paul B. Henze-
Reading my record of this meeting more than 14 years later.
I find it hard to understand why this man proceeded to fan
tensions with Sudan, Yemen and Djibouti during the years 1994-1197
and then finally to invade Ethiopia in 1998.
Since Ethiopia defeated his armies in 2000 he has pursued a
program of implacable hostility.
Instead of welcoming aid for developing Eritrea, he has
harassed and finally forbidden most international agencies and
private organizations from operating in Eritrea.,.....
Reorienting a fellow Ethiopian: A reply to �The Irrelevance of the Millennium�
October
10, 2008
By Dan Bahta-f you look back at our history, it is all about dignity we never demeaned ourselves. Neither do we recognize anything as better than us. We celebrate what is uniquely ours. And we celebrate passionately, not superficially. We are reasonable; we celebrate because we have defended as well as preserved our
honor, integrity; our cultures and social values, for thousands of years. Why couldn�t you see that Ethiopia is a land of struggle and survival as well as pride? Not enough for a cause to celebrate?
Statement on the passage of �H.R.2003� by the Institute on
Religion and Public Policy.
October 7, 2008
 President Joseph K. Grieboski of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy (Washington, D.C.) released the following statement on the passage of �H.R.2003, Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007� by the House of
Representatives: The House of Representatives does nothing to advance human rights and democracy by imposing H.R. 2003's restrictions on aid to Ethiopia. Such limits serve to hinder Ethiopia's ongoing battle with religious extremism in the Horn of Africa and to deter Ethiopia's capacity to continue the ongoing assistance and support it has provided both directly and indirectly in the global fight against terrorism.,.....
QOSHITE:
ETHIOPIA�S POLITICAL PUZZLE
By
Tecola W. Hagos PART
ONE-
October
5, 2008
 Both
written presentations of October 2, 2007 by Judge Bertukan Mideksa
and Dr. Berhanu Nega, at the Subcommittee on Africa and Global
Health hearing chaired by Congressman Donald Payne, were carefully
crafted documents avoiding any support of H.R. 2003 by name or by
inference. What they both did was recount the fact-based numerous
violations of human rights and democratic rights of Ethiopians by
the Government of Meles Zenawi. I do not find any reason to hold
them criminally accountable for their statements as a violation of
any Ethiopian criminal law. I may consider their appearance at
that hearing, however, a lapse of politically sound judgment,
which fact may disqualify them in the eyes of many Ethiopians at
home from being leaders for they have breached the single most
sacred duty of all Ethiopians�to keep Ethiopia in freedom and
independence. It is very troubling to me to watch or hear any
political leader compromising the honor and sovereignty of
Ethiopia either directly by his or her actions or by his or her
association,.....
Editorial:
Opposing H. R. 2003
[1] October
1, 2008
By
Tecola W. Hagos-Just
because one nation is poor or lean or  starving
and the other rich and bloated or overstuffed, does not mean one
has to suffer through some disrespectful relationship. It is
simply unacceptable. After all it is the people of Ethiopia who
are suffering, thus how is it legal or moral for the Congress of
the United States to behave as if Ethiopia is some Ghetto within
United States that they end up drafting such insulting resolution
and legislation. Wealth neither undermines nor exaggerates the
humanity of an individual anywhere. Just because your belly is
full, it does not mean that you can go around pushing and
insulting poor people in Ethiopia or elsewhere in the World. I
challenge the Congress of the United States to withdraw this
insulting draft bill, HR 2003, from its list and apologize to the
people of Ethiopia.....
Of"
The Opposition Pentecostals" & Road Ahead
By
Mitiku Adisu-
How dare
[DEKI ALULA] THE IRRELEVANCE OF THE MILLENNIUM - by Teodros Kiros (Ph.D) desecrates my heritage?
Dr Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH September 20, 2007
Why should Ethiopia carry the placenta of such geniuses who do not produce any vision nor any strategy to share their creativity except curse every one.
The Irrelevance of the
Millennium September 17, 2007
by Teodros Kiros (Ph.D)
What
is it that Ethiopia just celebrated? Celebration must have a
cause. What is our cause? Reasonable people celebrate because they have achieved a
dream, realized a goal, and exacted a plan. Ethiopia has not achieved any of these, since the days of Axum
and Lalibela, pillars of classical Ethiopian history.....
Constitutional
and Human Rights Violation in Tigray - TPLF dissident supporters
face assassination attempts and arrests
Dekialula.com
Editorial September 14, 2007
The Government of Meles Zenawi is trying to intimidate all
would-be members, the leaders, and those active supporters of the
new party of the former TPLF officials and their supporters. For
example, last month an assassination attempt had been perpetrated
on Gebre Medhin Gebre Yohannes, one of Gebru Asrat�s previous
bodyguards, who was actively engaged in collecting signatures for
the formation the new party. It was at 11:00am in the morning that
the assassination was attempted. The unidentified individuals who
fired at Gebre Medhin while he was entering his home, which is
located in the center of Maichew town, may be a separate group of
death squad than the Police. It was miraculous that he was not
murdered, for the roof of his home was badly damaged by several
astray bullets targeting him.
EDITORIAL:
I would rather celebrate �Ethiopia�
by Myself
By Tecola W. Hagos-
The whole program is manipulated and distorted by the
same obnoxious group of people and their gullible followers, who
have for decades usurped our Ethiopian legacy and drove our
country into the hands of brutal leaders such as Mengistu and
Meles. Starting from the very top of the program, where they have
deliberately tried to promote the interest of a particular ethnic
group, what I see in the Celebration program are Mahel Sefaris and their spawns, with distorted and corrosive
revisionist �history� of Ethiopia, promoting the limited
particular ethnic interest or cultural connection......
The Love of Ethiopia Heals Us All
August
11, 2007
By
Tecola W. Hagos- People of
my generation, let alone those of the generation of my seniors,
ought to shelf any political ambition we might have. And we ought
to look at our current political and economic situation with clear
eyes. We need new blood infusion of new leaders. Is there some
magic formula that we can use to alleviate the suffering of our
people? There is no single ideology that will solve all of our
problems, but there is starting foundational bedrock that we can
all stand on to start the reconstruction of our country. There is
no need to cast the difference in approach to solve such political
problem as some kind of a feud, and even more so as a conflict
between the young and the old. The Aristotelian �laws of
contradictions� will not work either in our circumstances. We
have to deal with so many twists and turns that we hardly could
see any clear picture of our political situation. It is very
difficult under such current Ethiopian political processes to deal
with categorical syllogisms........
Justice
Teodros Kiros (PhD)-Change under the tutelage of a just leader, or better still organized by a social movement, must be tenacious, resolute and populated by numbers. Consider the following example. In the Ethiopian condition, millions of people live in tin houses, millions go without food and clothing, and yet 1% of the population dances away and eats away at fancy hotels. By the standards of MATT�s comportment, this pre-political condition is so unacceptable that it must be protested against by the people in revolt...........
A Brief Response: "Anatomy is Destiny" August
3, 2007
Tecola
W. Hagos-There is this one
pathological disease that defenders of Meles suffer from, which I
have identified as �ye
qomatta bet birqe ttat syndrom,� which syndrome is a real
block against any enlightened discourse. From morning to sunset,
what I see and hear Meles Zenawi doing is being involved in
twisted conspiratorial activities either to marginalize his equals
in his party leadership, or undermining the interest of Ethiopia
and selling off our legacy to Sudan and other hostile nations
around the area. There
is nothing mysterious or profound about the fact that Meles Zenawi
survived by out foxing so many courageous individuals, most of
whom a better of him ten fold, to get where he is now. The people
who helped him to this level and stage of prominence are all cut
from the same type of cloth whose characteristic is marked with
deceit, deceptiveness, conspiracy, treason, egotism, and short
stature,.........
 August
3, 2007
An interview in Amharic conducted by Dr. Fekadu Bekele with Woizero Zenebech, an Ethiopian lady who spent a couple of months visiting Ethiopia. Woizero Zenebech has made some penetrating observations of the political and economic situation in our beloved country. Dr. Fekadu's questions and comments are to the point, informative, and educational.
The
march of Genuine Democracy. July 25, 2007
Teodros
Kiros, PhD- We must stop
producing self-perpetuating rulers with morally disorganized
selves. All our leaders now are morally dysfunctional and must be
fully medicated by MAAT. Where they pretend to be moral educators
they merely throw at us meaningless slogans about democracy,
Neither the regime in power, nor CUD, not even the emerging new
parties has linked the struggle for genuine democracy with the
foundational cement of organizing principles.
Hastily erected five year plans, ten year plans, or badly
written empty manifestos organized by the principles of ethnic
dirt and hate are no substitutes for carefully thought out,
plainly written principles, which can be digested by a literate
citizenry and serve as the public reason of the citizens. The
latter require the use of moral intelligence, the language of the
human heart, as the seat of thinking..........
Which way Ethiopia?
July 24, 2007
Teodros
Kiros (PhD)-I suggest once again that all those who are flooding the
airwaves take the notion of MATT seriously, translate the concept in to
our native languages and let the people choose their future leaders not by
their ethnic garbs but by the depth of their thoughts and their infusion
of MAAT in their character and soul structure. I challenge all those who
are writing in the air waves to respond to the calls of MAAT, Africa�s
ancient language of moral intelligence.........
EDITORIAL:
Mane
Amno Yewotal Ye Sembelett Mama�
The
CUD/Kinijit Opposition Leaders: Life Sentence/Pardon
July 23, 2007
Tecola W. Hagos- I am glad the political prisoners are free. However, let us not forget the fact that the process of having an extra legal procedure is never a democratic process. The wanton disregard of law and order, the blatant abuse of power, the violation of fundament human rights, murder and mayhem et cetera is still the hallmark of Meles Zenawi and his system of government. Tens of thousands of Ethiopians are in detention, and some of them imprisoned for over a decade. Centuries of brutal elimination of the best and the courageous has resulted in a community that could be characterized as a community of opportunists, subservient, and cowardly individuals creating thereby a society lacking those qualities that makes up a great community............
WELCOME
SEYE ABRAHA: JUSTICE LONG OVERDUE
July 14, 2007-By
Tecola W. Hagos-There is no question that Seye Abraha was a victim of
Meles Zenawi and the Mahel Sefaris. The Mahel Sefaris who
are now Meles Zenawi's "elfign askelkies," effectively
demonized Seye Abraha and other truly national heroes starting in 1991 in
collaboration with a small band of double agents by labeling such heroes
as narrow ethnicists accusing them of working for the supremacy of a
narrowly defined Tygrei nation. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Seye fought for Ethiopia at great sacrifice to his family (father executed
by Mengistu's thugs, brothers dying fighting for freedom). It is not
without reason that Berhanu Nega, the leader of the Opposition held him
with such high regard.....
Illegitimate advocates and illegitimate regimes
(In response to Dr. Solomon Terfa�s �solution� of handing over Badme to Eritrea)
July 4, 2007
By Laeke Gebresadik- Ethnic extremists think all Ethiopian institutions benefit the Weyane and do everything to deny it the benefits. They make these institutions their main targets, including social and economic infrastructures to further their ethnic political agendas. They affix the term �Weyane� to the name of any of these institutions. They call the Ethiopian army the �Weyane army�, giving the wrong impression that it is composed of mainly Tigreans.
There are some tenets held by the ethnic extremists as the foundation for their hate politics against the Tigray ethnic group. These tenets largely explain the profanity of their ethnic politics. They portray the TPLF and the people of Tigray as one and the same for political expediency, hence an ethnic minority group ruling over the rest of Ethiopia.....
REVISITING
THE POLITICAL OPPOSITION: On the Conviction of CUD Leaders June
25, 2007
Tecola
W. Hagos-When
an individual becomes a public figure, the personal life is held at bay.
One must think of one�s actions in terms of the impact it may have on
the public, and because of that, one may have to sacrifice the private
life and all self-interests. It is easy to prescribe different course of
actions than the one taken by an individual who is immersed, body and
soul, in a struggle, for someone from the comfort of one�s own home. As
the saying goes, �Letekematch
semai qrbu.�....
EDITORIAL: Part Two: On the
Interview of Sebhat Nega
Dumping the Decision of the Boundary Arbitration
Commission June
10, 2007
By
Tecola W. Hagos-I
have not even began to discuss the disastrous regional turmoil that would
affect the United States Government�s presence and influence in the
Middle East during this period of upsurge of Arab nationalism and Islamic
fundamentalism. Ethiopia is the only reliable ally of the United States
in the region. Eritrea will be swallowed up by the creeping presence of
Islamic fundamentalists within and on its borders. It is highly
irresponsible and juvenile for anybody to advocate the imposition on
Ethiopia an illegal and fraudulent decision and thereby weaken, even
destroy, Ethiopia in this time of conflict and tremendous resentment for
the United States in that part of the World. The argument and attention of
statesmen should focus on empowering and stabilizing Ethiopia. Such wise
statesman-like approach must include throwing the decision of the
Commission of 2002 and the Algiers Agreement of 2000 into the �dust bin
of history.� ..
EDITORIAL: Part One: On the Interview Given by Sebhat Nega
By Tecola W. Hagos-The
responses of Sebhat Nega of May 28,
2007 to questions asked by a friendly interviewer are against the
territorial integrity of Ethiopia in the extreme, which would send any
patriotic red-blooded Ethiopian into uncontrollable rage. When Sebhat was
asked how far the TPLF was involved in promoting the independence
movements of Eritrea, he answered with arrogance that the TPLF even more
than any Eritrean political organization had put tremendous effort and
resources within Ethiopia and outside of Ethiopia in order to effect the
breakup and independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia, even going against the
desire of the EPLF to reach a negotiated settlement with Mengistu and his
government...
Who
Speaks for Ethiopia and Why? May 30, 2007
By
Mitiku Adisu-Let me first make a few observations. I do not think
anyone disagrees that diversity of thought is a necessary right; in fact,
any restrictions on thought are bound to under-nourish public
conversation. None of us has the final word on procedures or how they turn
out; time has a way of shedding light on matters that conspire to leave us
in the dark. Finally, it must be stated that people generally understand
what works for them if and when the terms are clearly presented........
THE
ETHICS AND POLITICS OF FORGIVENESS:
A CHALLENGE TO A JUST SOCIETY.
By
Tecola W. Hagos-In
a political rear-view mirror, things that appear to be near, profound, and
honorable may be in reality remote, ordinary, and even corrupt. When
speaking or writing about social justice or injustice and the development
of civil society, one must restrain oneself from going blindly overboard,
in praising or condemning any one individual or any one particular event,
especially when one is being carried on the crest of populist political
wave. This is easier said than done, for I too in the past have written
essays overlooking some of the virtues of Ethiopian leaders I severely
criticized. Ours is a period of great disappointment and as a result a
time of self-examination and of genuine reevaluation of all events that we
have held sacrosanct for some time now. The quotation above seems to
indicate that Immanuel Kant the greatest philosopher of moral certitude is
having second thought about our human moral condition. Thus, it is only
commonsensical for me to revisit one of our current controversies�the
concept of forgiveness. .......
Dr.
Fekadu Bekele
From
Structural Adjustment to WTO membership! Squaring poverty!!
Dr.
Fekadu Bekele-The
introduction of the free market policy and especially the program of the
structural adjustment in Ethiopia in 1993 is a historical turning point in
the socio-economic conditions of our country. With the introduction of the
SAP, it was from the outset clear that such kind of a wide range policy
will create new social conditions and social relationships that our
country has never experienced before. By creating new conditions, and
formulating new laws, and practicing new policy that are totally different
from the policy of the previous government, the policy makers were
convinced that Ethiopia and its people will march on the road of market
economy that brings prosperity and eradicate poverty once-for-all.........
The
Curse
of Factional/Fractional Politics in Ethiopia and the Imperative for
Consensus and Convergence
Assafa
Endeshaw, London, England- February
24, 2007-
The
serious question that needs to be tackled today consequently is whether
there are any political forces with a sufficient depth of grasp of, and
firm commitment to, democratic values that can single-handedly or in
cooperation take hold of the state and transform it into a democracy? It
may come as no surprise to the reader that we do not find even a single
force that qualifies currently for such a historical task....
PART
TWO:
The
Role of Religion in the Political Life of Ethiopia:
The
Ethiopian Orthodox Church �Synod in Exile�
February
18, 2007-Tecola W. Hagos-In
Ethiopian politics of struggle for power, there are not just two or three
sides to a story, but several layered more bizarre dimensions than can be
imagined. The tragedy is that this breakup of the Church was not
necessary. And the victims in all these recrimination and fracture are the
faithful people of Ethiopia who have no voice in the matter. At any rate,
I would not have been that much concerned if the breakup was due to
ideology or on points of reformation. The Ethiopian Church is in need of
serious reformation starting with the election of Patriarchs and the
investiture of Abunas (Bishops)...
ETHIOPIA
�S
VITAL INTEREST: NATIONAL SECURITY VS. POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY
.
February
12, 2007-Tecola W. Hagos-I challenge anyone to show me how
diversified the current Diaspora Opposition leadership is. What I am
observing is the aggregation of �birds of the same feather� closely
bunched and allowing no space to the larger community of Ethiopians from
outside of Addis Ababa and vicinity, and not reflective of the diversity
of religion and ethnic background of Ethiopians. This is a very serious
setback that must be reversed if one wants to avoid horrendous bloodshed
in the future...
THE
SOMALIA CRISIS: EYE ON THE BIG PICTURE
By
Hanna Yohannes-
In
order for peace, democracy and economic growth to permanently settle in
Ethiopia, the Ethiopian government should do all it can to ensure that law
and order prevail in the country and its neighborhood.
The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) did tremendous damage to the
Ethiopian state and its people by challenging Ethiopia, its territorial
integrity and the authority of the Ethiopian government among other
things. Most direct, the UIC
declared war on Ethiopia. But
even more menacing were its constant pokes to drag Ethiopia down to the
chaotic level of Somalia. ....
Editorial:
�Kinijit�
and the Somali Crises
January
5, 2007
Tecola W. Hagos-The true essence of Kinijit
Press Release is its hunger and blind greed for power. Here we have a
situation that is a threat to the very survival of the state of Ethiopia,
and this opposition group is lamenting its loss of the election of 2005.
It is unbelievable to see such blind hunger for power by individuals who
had such terrible sense of timing and no political savvy. No matter how
the election of 2005 was lost, the continuation of a struggle based on
such loss in disregard of the current Somali crises is in itself poor
political judgment not to mention its damage to the security of the
Ethiopian State. The danger of the Islamic Courts must be appraised as a
danger to Ethiopia not to Meles Zenawi and his government. ....
Letter
to the Editor
I
wish you a happy new year first. It was with keen interest that I read
your article dealing with the Somali crisis in which you pointed out the
dangers facing Ethiopia. While appreciating your efforts to analyze
the situation in terms of your own perspective, I wholly disagree
with your calls to rally behind the vehemently anti Ethiopian regime
of Meles Zenawi......
The
Execution of Saddam Hussein: A Lesson We Never Learn, But Should.
 By
Tecola W. Hagos- This brief essay is not a
eulogy or a requiem to a brutal tyrant, but a sad observation of life in
its specificity and in its generality too�as Unamuno would put it, �a
tragic sense of life.� I cry for all of us, for all human kind, what a
sorry figure we cut even in times of our greatest triumphs. What all these
condense to is that one group of people are dancing in their streets after
hanging their former President, while another group of people in another
part of the world are giving a dignified send-off, a State Funeral, to
their former President who lived to the ripe old age of ninety three years
pampered and indulged...
Echoes
of war and the imperative to mobilize our good senses
Mitiku
Adisu- December 28, 2006
Editor's
note- Even
though it is overtaken by recent developments on the ground, we have
posted Mitiku Adisu�s article on the current Somali Crises in this
Website because the views expressed are different than the views held by
the Editor of this Website on the Somali crises....
IS ETHIOPIA A COMMON POOL RESOURCE?
December 28, 2006-
Michael Seifu-If
we let Ethiopia continue to be a common pool resource and if we do not
stop believing that the Ethiopian entity is not beyond a simple sum of its
individual parts then our tragedy ends in a failed state.....
ON WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU? ETHIOPIA AGAINST THE WORLD
December 26, 2006
By
Tecola W. Hagos- I need not
remind my fellow Ethiopians, that
the current crises in and war with the Jihadist Islamic Courts is the
beginning of a well organized attack by Ethiopia�s historic enemies and
newly minted ones to destroy Ethiopia completely.
 Ethiopia
has every right to defend itself from Jihadist attacks no matter who
started the conflict. We must separate the two issues dealing with the
leadership of Meles Zenawi and the defense of the territorial integrity
and sovereignty of Ethiopia, in order for us to reach a decision that will
preserve our national interest.
Ethiopia is being choked by its historic enemies on all
sides with no outlet to the outside world except through Kenya. The Port
of Djibouti is now in the hands of Dubai and Qatar, two utterly obnoxious
enemies of Ethiopia ever tightening the noose of destruction around
Ethiopia...
Darfur
Note: For the archives of Tecola Hagos,
please see the Tecola Hagos Page.
|
Zimbabwe:
Calls for Mengistu Extradition.
Opposition
representatives, top human rights lawyers and church leaders in Zimbabwe
have called for the extradition of the former the Ethiopian president
Mariam Mengistu who was last week convicted in absentia for crimes of
genocide by a court in Addis Ababa.
MENGISTU
HAILEMARIAM:
NO SAFE PLACE
FOR DICTATORS - FOUND GUILTY OF GENOCIDE
Tecola
W. Hagos
 Finally,
Mengistu Hailemariam, the little fraction of a man with enormous appetite
for murder and mayhem, was found guilty of genocide, crime against
humanity, murder, abuse of power et cetera on Tuesday, December 12, 2006
in a trial held in Addis Ababa fifteen years after Mengistu run away,
abandoning his bloody government, in 1991 in fear of the EPRDF forces on
his heels. Mengistu Hailemariam, also known widely among Ethiopians as the
�Butcher of Addis Ababa,� over a period of seventeen years in power,
had committed genocide, crime against humanity, murders, torture and
illegal detentions, et cetera on biblical scale....
Understanding
the Ethiopian-Somalia Relations & seeking Permanent Solutions to the
Conflict in the Horn of Africa.
December 10, 2006
Ghelawdewos
Araia PhD.Ethnic-based
politics is dangerous not only to the existence of a supra-national state,
but it is also detrimental to the very existence of the clan or ethnic
group itself. As in the former Yugoslavia , the Somali experience clearly
demonstrated that clan warfare or sub-clan fratricidal wars (as in the
case of Ali Mahdi and Farah Aideed) can easily destroy the nation. The
center cannot hold in a clan-based politics; the pillars that support the
clan superstructure inevitably collapse as it happened in Somalia ....
�A
Question of Justice?�
What
is social justice and what would a socially just society look like?
November 15, 2006
Tekue
Woldemariam-Aside
from being necessary, such changes may eventually even become desirable in
their own right, to prevent the weight of years and escalating lack of
momentum from suffocating an otherwise bright and dynamic society.
Nevertheless, grassroots action within individual spheres of influence is
always going to be the driving force and lasting impact of any worthwhile
change towards a more socially just society....
Ethnicity
and National Identity in Ethiopia
November
12, 2006
Harvard
Law School, Pound Hall, Room 101
1563
Massachusetts Ave.
Schedule:
�FAITH
IN SCIENCE� - COMMUNITY DISCUSSION AT
MONTGOMERY
COLLEGE (26 October 2006)-
The
Ethical Limit of Knowledge:
Principles
of Plenitude and Continuity
Tecola
W. Hagos (panelist) What I see
most encouraging despite Darfur, Rwanda, Bosnia et cetera, is the
undeniable fact of genuine development of ethical principles and
sensitivity to the needs of the poor, the oppressed and the disfranchised.
Despite the inhumanity of war and destruction in the Middle East, Africa,
Europe and the Far East, I see hopeful signs that we are, after all,
breaking new grounds on fellowship, knowledge, and universalization of
ethical principles.....
President
George W. Bush and Darfur
Tecola W. Hagos
October 12, 2006
The President of the Sudan, Omar
 al-Bashir,
should be indicted by the International Criminal Court for genocide, and
crime against humanity, as well as for war crimes. Bashir is trying to
hide his international crimes by claiming that the atrocities committed in
Darfur were not committed by his government�s soldiers, but by Arab
militias, the Janjaweed. However, that does not exonerate him form
prosecution. As head of the Sudanese government, he has the duty to
safeguard and keep safe every single Sudanese citizen.
 President
George W. Bush and
Darfur
Tecola
W. Hagos October 1, 2006
Millions
of Sudanese citizens, the people of
Darfur
, are driven out of their homes and land; hundreds of thousands
have been murdered, and countless number of women raped. All
these atrocities and crimes were committed by the Janjaweed,
armed and assisted by the Sudanese Government. The Government of
Sudan itself was destroying scores of villages, murdering
uncountable number of people using its army and advanced weapon
systems of helicopters ......
In
Defense of Pope Benedict XVI: A Case for Freedom of Thought and Expression.
Tecola W. Hagos-
September 16, 2006
 This
attempt, painted with broad strokes, at a critique of modern
reason from within has nothing to do with putting the clock back
to the time before the Enlightenment and rejecting the insights
of the modern age. The positive aspects of modernity are to be
acknowledged unreservedly: we are all grateful for the marvelous
possibilities that it has opened up for mankind and for the
progress in humanity that has been granted to us......
Post-Election 2005 Ethiopia--A Sketch of Political Trends and Follies
Assafa Endeshaw (United Kingdom)-For
a nation that has been constantly in decline for many decades
and in a world with rapidly changing economic and technological
parameters, it will not be enough to have a transfer of power
from one group to another. The millions of people afflicted with
poverty, illness and the gruesome struggle for survival need and
deserve the creation of the broadest coalition of all possible
forces to be able to start the journey towards a more decent and
respectable livelihood. The era of single issues and small
groups fighting for a portion of the pie should come to an end......
Reflections
on �African Development: Dead Ends and New Beginnings�
Ghelawdewos
Araia-August 23, 2006 The
objective of this article is to critically examine the overall
thesis of Meles Zenawi�s paradigm shift with respect to
African development. It is, in effect, an overview of the theme
under discussion and the tenets and points of view incorporated
in the preliminary draft presented by Meles Zenawi (henceforth
MZ), the Prime Minister of Ethiopia....
 Emperor
Yohannes IV of Ethiopia
ATSE
YOHANNES IV HIGH SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY
Bereket
Kiros-In celebrating this
Anniversary of the establishment of the only high school named
after Ethiopia�s great Emperor Yohannes IV in that part of
Ethiopia of our Tigrai no less than four million people we need
to reflect on the painful journey we Ethiopians have to travel
to this point in our lives in the Diaspora. I am wag in between
great satisfaction, of celebrating the anniversary of the only
monument of some note to one of Ethiopia�s greatest Emperors
(who defended Ethiopia against all foreign and domestic
disruptive forces), and sadness, .... ...
The
Martyred King of Kings: Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia.
Ghelawdewos
Araia July 3 2006-
After
Emperor Tewodros, Emperor Yohannes IV is another great visionary
whose person is characterized by unparalleled altruism,
incomparable sense of justice and humanist principle at its
core. By his utmost commitment to his people and his country and
his indefatigable patriotism, Yohannes makes every Ethiopian a
dwarf-thinking animal.
THE
MEDUSA AND THE NUDIBRANCH:
An
assessment of the political life of Ethiopians
Tecola W. Hagos-
May 22, 2006- It
is in light of such looming disaster of civil war, even worse
stagnation by being caught in the eternally recurring loop of
oppression and poverty that we suffer, that I am suggesting this
particular solution of imported leadership. I realize that it is
insulting to our Ethiopian pride even to think of having
foreigners leading us let alone formally suggesting it in a
website for all the world to read. Beshitawon
ye debeke medhanit yelowm. We have to save
Ethiopia
from destruction even if it means having to swallow this last
bitter pill of humiliation of importing leaders. The benefit of
importing leaders greatly outweighs the temporary setback of
lost national pride. The imported leadership will act as a
buffer between warring groups, and would give us time and
guidance to organize truly democratic political parties,
introduce discipline on democratic governance, and lay out
traditions of democratic political process. We must also know
that imported leadership is not a long-term feature for our
nation, but an anomaly of short duration of a generation or two
in order to give a number of young talented Ethiopians, some
still in school, to mature and crystallize their democratic
sentiments.
DARFUR: Shame on You, African Leaders.
Tecola W. Hagos- May 3, 2006
EDITORIAL:
DARFUR
GENOCIDE - SHAME ON YOU AFRICAN LEADERS
The
people of Darfur should not accept the manipulation and white-washing being
pushed by the so called "wise-men" of
Africa
lead by a technocrat, Mr. Salim A. Salim. These negotiators are
simply polarizing the issue of genocide and self determination.
At any rate, their effort is simply a temporary
time-getting scheme helpful to the genocidal government of Omar
al-Bashir and his collaborators. The Sudanese Government is
fully responsible for the genocide committed on the people
of Darfur wherein no less than half a million people have been
murdered, burned, dehumanized, brutalized, raped, tortured, and
over two million people of Darfur are disinherited and chased
out of their homes and their ancestral land. Countries like
China
and members of the Arab League are equally guilty of the
crime of genocide just as the Sudanese Government is for
their camaraderie and close relationships with the Government of
Bashir of Sudan. The United States, even though acting timidly
and not like a Superpower, is the one country that has brought
the issue of genocide to the world forum. Even if the
US
effort to have the Security Council of the United Nations
to sanction four individuals as responsible for the Darfur
genocide may be seen as a half-hearted and amateurish
foreign policy, the fact is that the
US
is at least trying to do something on behalf of the people
of
Darfur
. We condemn the Sudanese Government and specially its
President, Omar al-Bashir, for genocide committed against the
people of
Darfur
. We stand in solidarity with the great and beautiful
people of
Darfur
!!
ABOUT
TIME!!: Yohannes Mengesha, Assistant Secretary-General (UN)
May 1, 2006
Tecola
Hagos-I hope this great recognition of our
brother is an uplifting occasion for all of us and all the
people of our Continent. In these depressing days of our
political and economic situation back in
Ethiopia
, we need to grasp at every strand of hope-giving event that
comes our way. From the short sketch given by the United Nations
announcement of the appointment of Yohannes Mengesha, other than
the fact of his outstanding academic record graduating from one
of the finest Universities in the world,
Cambridge
University
, even more important his work experience tells us a lot more
about his integrity and discipline. Yohannes Mengesha is an
outstanding Ethiopian. What we have here is a nugget of gold
tested with fire, and coming out of that fire of real life
examination as pure as they come.
The
Future of Our Legacies
Mitiku Adisu
April 26, 2006 I
submit legacies of our leaders have become the Achilles� heel
of the nation. We pride ourselves on having a rich cultural
heritage. The same heritage, however, is too fractured,
unrepresentative or irrelevant to grasp our predicament. It
should not come as a surprise for example that the lion, the
symbol of our indomitable spirit, was deliberately used to
enfeeble the public, induce anger or de-memorialize the past.
Not minding the past squanders the future. Reframing the past
could redeem the present. The lion may yet represent hope and
the desire to overcome life�s persistent challenges, and not
simply conquests. Legacy intimates vulnerability, continuity,
and the termination of power or death. Ethiopian leaders evade
the reality of these events. The present for Ethiopians seems to
swing between suffering and waiting and between instant
gratification and non-committal. The acquisition and loss of
power has been mostly violent and unpredictable.
AFRICAN LEADERSHIP? AN OXYMORON [April 20, 2006]
(Comment by Tecola Hagos)
Extract from the Nixon Tape: Conversation between President
Nixon and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan � then U.S.
representative to the United Nations � on the ability of
Blacks (Africans) to lead nations. October 7, 1971, 10:32 �
10:58 am. Conversation No. 10-116, Cassette No. 1049 and 1050,
White House Telephone.
Nixon: I think. Now what I
am getting back the wrong way around is this: I think something,
I think something could be, uh, that is eventually gonna come
out here is this � that � and it�s right beneath the
surface, this whole black-white deal is gonna come out the fact
that. . . Asians are capable of governing themselves, one way or
another. That we and the Caucasians have learned it after
slaughtering each other in religious wars and other wars for
many, many years, including a couple in the last�this century.
The Latins do it in a miserable way, but they do it. But the
Africans just can�t run things. Now that�s a very, very
fundamental point in the international scene. See my point?
[White House]
Moynihan: Oh boy, you sure
see it around this place! [At the United Nations]
Nixon: Well, of course you
do, you see them � You know, I have mixed feelings�I receive
their ambassadors, they change all the time, and I�ve had in
the past� I love �em, they�re so kind, and so nice�and
they�re children!
Moynihan: Yeah.
Nixon: Children�
Moynihan: [Laughing] Yeah�and
they always want something like children�
MONTGOMERY
COLLEGE
COMMUNITY COLLOQUIUM:
NAVIGATING
UNCERTAINTIES*
How
do you discover and correct errors in your beliefs?
Tecola
W. Hagos- April 14, 2006-
I think mankind�s �Golden Age�
is in the future. The achievement of science in our time is
unparalleled by any other period in human history. This
technology is no less than revolutionary, totally transforming
the world and people all over the world with hitherto unknown
universalized humanism. What is happening in the world now is
analogous to the coming of age of mercantilism into the
industrialization period of the Nineteenth Century. The new
world is being born in political structures, economic systems,
technological capacities, new sciences et cetera. To some of my
contemporaries and people in general, the present world
situation may be terrifying due to wide spread conflicts and
wars, famine, natural disasters et cetera. Some may feel that
they are losing control of their lives and destiny. The fast
paced change taking place all over the world may be overtaking
millions of people without giving them any chance to adjust to
their new circumstances. As a consequence of such tumultuous
time, people may seek clear directions, even dogmatism, and
strong-hand guidance from those who are responsible for the
upkeep of our political, religious, and economic institutions.
1
dead, 17 wounded by knife-wielding assailants
So
much for religious freedom, this is what you get when you have
fanatics and intolerant individuals. Ethiopians of all faiths
learn greatly from such incidents in Egypt and other Arab
nations whose intolerance of other religions criminal and
antidemocratic. The United Nations must call an assembly with
the outlandish and barbaric persecution of people in Arab
nations. Darfur is another Genocide being carried out based or
religion and race by the Sudanese Arab Government. And
the world, is watching doing nothing. Shame on you all for
allowing such barbaric persecution of individuals and groups
for practicing their own faith.
A
New Development Theory or Ending Poverty by means of Foreign Aid
?
A
Comment on Prof. Jeffrey Sachs's Book: The End of Poverty
Fekadu
Bekele-
March
21-2006
In order to end poverty from the
African soil we must see the problem through the mirror of
physical economic principles which is the only viable scientific
instrument that brings real economic development in many African
countries. Since almost all African countries have never
attempted to dissociate themselves from the destructive policies
of the IMF and the World Bank, only the destruction of the
ideological basis of this policy will have the power of
redeeming the African people and use their natural creative
power to develop a harmonious and well functioning society. The
eradication of poverty is possible when African governments are
guided by this principle, and see poverty as a part of an over
whole economic and social underdevelopment.
 Ethiopia�s
Greatest: Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin (1936-2006)
Tecola
W. Hagos- March 12-2006 Consider the great poet to be
a man of the people because most of his plays and his poems have
qualities that may be considered down to earth and primordial.
This is not meant to imply crudeness or simplistic, for Tsegaye
in his work was extremely sophisticated and post-modernist. I am
sure that a number of people would disagree with me on this last
point also, for Tsegaye is often identified with romanticism
because of the fact that he often addressed issues dealing with
courage, nationalism, freedom et cetera.
...
A SYMPOSIUM AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, 11 FEBRUARY 2006
ETHIOPIA: PROSPECTS FOR DEMOCRACY:
Tecola
W. Hagos-February
21, 2006- The
current federal structure of
Ethiopia
that divided up �
Ethiopia
�
into nine ethnic �States� is at the very center of the
political crises in
Ethiopia
.
(See Articles 46
and 47, Constitution, 1994) Unless some drastic step is taken
now, the federalism of ethnic based �States� will certainly
deteriorate to a point of no return and
Ethiopia
will disintegrate into several mini states. In the process of
disintegration, horrendous atrocities will be committed by the
majority ethnic group on minorities within each �State� of
the current federal structure of
Ethiopia
.
In order to counter both disintegration and ethnic based
atrocities against minorities within such ethnic enclaves, we
may need to look for and find solutions even unorthodox ones.
ETHIOPIA:
PROSPECTS FOR DEMOCRACY
A SYMPOSIUM held SATURDAY,
FEBRUARY 11, 2006 Harvard
Law School, Pound Hall, Room 1011563 Massachusetts
Ave. Panel
1: 10:30 - 1:00 pm Panel
2: 2:30 - 5:30 pm
Fail to spell your name properly, someone will misspell it for
you and you will have no one to blame but yourself.
Mitiku
Adisu February 1, 2006-
Michela Wrong (hereafter, Michela)
encapsulates for us the power of a media that have cast a long
shadow on our public image. The choice of her is coincidental
and nothing more. A high-caliber journalist, Michela does not
need anyone�s permission to do what she does best. Similarly,
we reserve the right to question the validity of her writings as
they pertain to our history. The objective here is four-fold: to
question few of the author�s assumptions and the impression
her book is bound to leave on the unsuspecting and ill-informed
reader, to highlight the power of the media and the
opportunities they present, to show some of the ways we shoot
ourselves in the foot, and to point out the subtleties of
policy-making from the seemingly mundane happenings.
...
Empowering
Africa Through eLearning
Supporting Open, Distance and eLearning (ODeL) in African
Universities"
eLearning is high on the agenda in Africa. Governments and
educational institutions look at eLearning as the only option to
achieve one very important Millennium Goal which is �Education
for All�. In many countries new ambitious infrastructure
programmes form the basis for unprecedented �great leaps
forward� in providing access to and outreach in education and
training. Seminar on May 24, 2006
The
Greatness of Ethiopia: Witness of History
Tecola
Hagos,
January 12, 2006- There
is no other country in the history of the world that had seven
of its emperors accepted as "Saints" or "Tsadikan"
by a conservative religious organization or a Church at that,
any where in the world. In fact, in the case of Emperor Caleb
(Ella Asbaha) (AD 514-540) what we have is a declared bona fide
saint for all three Christian Churches, including the Roman
Catholic Church. We find it exhilarating to have such profoundly
ethical leaders in our past where even hostile denominations
found our leaders as great moral agents. This should not come as
a surprise to us. We find in the earliest recorded history of
mankind, in the writings of none other than the father of
history Herodotus, that Greek Gods would travel to remote
Ethiopia because they preferred the company of Ethiopians than
anyone else because of the high ethical standards of the
"blameless Ethiopians." How far have we fallen
from our illustrious past that we are now pawns in the TH .....
FREEDOM
OF THE PRESS: Questions on Treason Charges
Tecola
Hagos,
January 12, 2006 The events of the last six months have brought the many
irresolvable issues and problems in the implementation or
interpretation of the 1994 Constitution of Ethiopia dealing with
elections, the political structure, the role of courts, the
power of the executive et cetera in sharper focus than
previously pointed out in articles and books by several lawyers,
scholars, and political scientists. The most important question
to all of us citizens, legal scholars, political scientists et
cetera is the question of who interprets the constitution and
gives us guidance or resolution in case of controversy dealing
with constitutional rights, fundamental or otherwise.....
 EDITORIAL:
WE GRIEVE AT THE PASSING OF ABUNA YESEHAQ, OUR GREAT
CHURCH FATHER OF
THE ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Tecola
Hagos, January 01, 2006 Abuna
Yesehaq died at the Beth Israel Hospital in New Jersey on
Thursday at the age of 72. We celebrate the exemplary life of
Abuna Yesehaq, a life of service and compassion, of one of the
great Fathers of our Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Let us all
remember the life he lived and be lifted from our daily grind in
the glory of God�s infinite grace for favoring us with the
service of one of his most dedicated and humblest servants,
Abuna Yesehaq. Let us not be discouraged in his passing, but be
uplifted by his Christian life�s work. For he had dutifully
followed in the footsteps of the Christ in the service of his
fellow man, he continues to live in the heart of all of us......
ETHIOPIA-ERITREA
BOARDER DISPUTE: Challenging the Opposition
Tecola
Hagos, December 30, 2005 The
Ethiopian community in the Diaspora is overwhelmed by deformed
presentation of the political situation in Ethiopia and the
future of Ethiopia by few agitators controlling the most heard
Radio Stations and Websites. Such outspoken individuals who seem
to speak on behalf of the Opposition are seeding hate and
destruction. It is up to the Opposition to issue again and again
�Press Releases� explaining their official position on very
many issues that are being polarized in discussion groups and
Radio commentaries and editorials. Within Ethiopia, we are
struggling against an oppressive government, and as a reaction,
we have now the most divisive political agitation going on
within the country supported and fuelled by an overwhelmingly
outspoken group of Ethiopians in the Diaspora.....
 EDITORIAL:
Wishing All Ethiopians Everywhere a Great Christmas Holiday and
a Great New Year, 2006.
Tecola Hagos,
December 22, 2005
A New Year celebration
is not a simple marker of the end of the old year. The New Year
comes with great hope and anticipation on our part for better
opportunities and fulfillment than the previous one.
It is a crucial moment to set our resolutions and wish
list that reflect our priorities for the New Year.
"The
Ethiopian," 96" X 60" (1970) Oil on
Canvas by Tecola W. Hagos, Photo
by Ephrem Girma (www.blengrafix.com);
Debre Hayq Ethiopian Art Gallery
 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE,
TRUTH, AND HUMAN RIGHTS
PART TWO: Sections II & III
Tecola Hagos,
December 17,
2005- Too
often, our voice is a voice in the wilderness when we challenge
minorities and ethnic groups demanding special considerations
that effectively breach the peaceful coexistence of the many
constituents of the whole. In an attempt to show how the
principles of human rights are universal principles cutting
across the entire human spectrum let alone one country, I have
also addressed the misapplication of principles of
self-determination that has spawned a number of �liberation
movements� in Ethiopia. I have included pertinent citations at
the end of this article that would be a good starting point for
more extensive research. .....
EDITORIAL:
On Political
Discourse
Tecola Hagos,
December 7,
2005- Labeling people
with their alleged ethnic identity such as Tygrean intellectual,
Oromo politician, Gurage businessman et cetera or labeling
people with negative identification such as anti-Amhara,
anti-Moslems, anti-Oromo et cetera is not helpful in
enlightening anyone. Such labeling is empty of substance. How
about bringing out the basic material that led anyone to use
such labeling and discussing it fully if there is a problem? At
any rate, it is unfathomable to me to see how our national
interest can be advanced by such negative polarizing labeling,
rhetoric, or argument .....
The
May 2005 Ethiopian Election: A Post-Mortem
Getachew
Mequanent-December 7,
2005-There is no doubt that the heated debate on the
election has polarized public opinion in Ethiopia and abroad.
Amid this situation, political observers and intellectuals
should have played a critical role in helping to understand
political issues and encouraging dialogue and understanding of
the pros and cons of the debate. It is unfortunate that this
does not happen, as the majority of outspoken observers and
intellectuals have taken political sides....
THE
AROMA OF CHANGE IS IN THE CLOUDS
Amare
_December 6, 2005-With
each passing day the Ethiopian government is finding it hard to
believe that power is slipping out of its hands as fast as it is
attempting to cling on to it. I sincerely believe that the
"Time has come" for the modalities of governing in
Ethiopia
. I don't really have a strong opinion one way or another about
how best this transition would take place. Neither do I labor or
lose sleep to figure it out. I leave it in the good hands of the
Almighty. ...
Editor�s
Note: I often observe a type of
reasoning, identified by logicians under the general name of argumentum
ad hominem, used by a number of Ethiopians writing
essays posted in Websites or writing synaptic remarks in
Internet Chat groups on political issues, such as Getachew Reda
and others. I find the piece by Getachew Reda, which is posted
herein below, most illustrative of such logical malady. Despite
the fact of misleading quotations offered out of context by
Getachew Reda, we posted the article as an illustrative
example that will help us focus on issues and not personalities.
However, I am not undermining the force of this form of fallacy
because on first blush, at least on the surface, appears to be
an effective tool in exposing the error of an opponent, but is
disappointingly hollow on closer scrutiny....
You
Have not Changed Far Enough. Change is Difficult
Getachew
Reda-November
28, 2005 As readers and you remember, last time on
EthioMedia. com, I have written a response to your critique of
the opposition and in general the current political atmosphere
in Ethiopia and the Diaspora opposition groups. (This time I
SENT YOU THIS ARTICLE TO BE POSTED ON YOUR WEBSITE BASED ON YOUR
COMPLAINTS LAST TIME FOR NOT SENDING IT TO YOUR WEBSITE TO BE
POSTED). As you well remember also, it looks you didn�t bother
too much to response to my questions knowing there were some
issues needed a response. ...
ETHIOPIAN
PEOPLE�S POSITION:
Mankelklot Haile Selassie (PhD)
November 28, 2005
- Whether one likes it or not, the regime is going to rule
at least five more years. Therefore the bottom line of the
struggle ought to be to create a situation where Meles would be
forced to step down within the coming five years. He should not
be left alone while he is destroying the nation and its
interactive social and cultural fabrics that took hundreds of
years to bring it to the exiting level. Nationalism is being
developed in Ethiopia. Had it not been for this process of
development strongly moving forward, the wishes of Meles, which
was and still is to destroy Ethiopia would have come to
fruition. The regime must be stopped from eroding it. For this
is one of the main reasons for the removal of the regime in
power is very critical. Having projected this important point,
Ethiopia would not become like Somali or Rwanda, as some would
like us to believe.
....
CIVIL
DISOBEDIENCE, TRUTH, AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Tecola Hagos, November 24, 2005
- The correct evaluation of our current political situation
is necessary before making any kind of suggestion as a solution
to our crises. It is quite disconcerting and even down right
depressing when I read articles supporting either Meles Zenawi
and his political organization or the Opposition [CUD] by
casting the current political situation as a fight between �Tygreans�
and �Amharas.� When confronted with such scene, my first
reaction is to shout out, �What about the other ethnic groups?
How about class struggle? How about ideological conflict? How
about selfish individual ambition?� My criticism and
opposition to Meles Zenawi and his Government has nothing to do
with his identity as a member of a particular ethnic group.
....
A
Sober view on the roots of Ethiopian Crisis
Amare
November 17,
2005- Webster's
defines an aggressor as one in the "practice of making
attacks". Doesn't the government fit the definition? The
police and the army visited massive violence upon the people.
When asked about the death of innocent civilians, the PM
said �I will reserve judgment as to
whether sufficient or excess force was used in controlling
riots. I have no doubts as to whether riots have to be
controlled or not. Riots have to be controlled. The police
forces have to put and end to them, and on that point I have no
second thoughts." There you have it.
....
IN PERSPECTIVE: The
Politics of Opposition
Tecola
Hagos November 7,
2005- Politics
is a process of deflecting what maybe immediately hurtful
without totally discarding it because it is possible that there
could be aspects that may be salvageable in the future for good
use. Ethiopia is going through tremendous change, thus, we need
to be careful what we discard and what we save. It is this same
fact that led me to the conclusion that all political groups and
their leaders are after power rather than bringing about freedom
and liberation to the people of Ethiopia as a whole. On a second
thought, maybe they were overwhelmed by the loyalists and former
cadres of Mengistu who joined them in droves on seeing such a
political opening�a chance to move their stalled resistance
movement with a political cover and respectability behind men of
notable history of struggle....
Response
Letter From Readers
 RESPONSE
FROM READERS
November 4,
2005-The
entire propaganda of the CUD-chauvinist group has been and is hate
on Tigrean ethnic group. If you ask any young boy/girl in the
streets of Addis Ababa will tell you that they are protesting
against Woyane-Tigre. If you ask grownups, the reason of the protest
all they say is �Tigre.� Please check some websites and you will
see what they declare. A lecturer in Addis Ababa University told the
Reuters that the police killing people in the street are not
Ethiopians, they are Tigreans and people can not communicate in
Amharic with them. Poison !
...
Tecola
Hagos November 3,
2005-It
is beyond reason that so many Ethiopians have to lose their lives in
order to maintain in power a man who has decimated Ethiopia's
territorial integrity and sovereignty.
There is no justification for the military and security
forces to be used against their own people. They are to be held
accountable for every Ethiopian life they have extinguished, every
life they have wounded, and every life they have tortured and
detained....
Tew Simagn Agere" by Tecola W. Hagos,
Oil on Canvas, 50cm X 96cm (1969)
 POLITICUS
ETHIOPICUS
Tecola
Hagos October 30,
2005-Now
seriously, what I want to hammer into all Ethiopian politicians,
whether from the EPRDF or the Opposition, is the fact that they all
are responsible as leaders to all of us and not just for some of us.
There can be no Ethiopian to be considered as a step-child by any
politician. There can be no privileged Ethiopian based on either
ethnicity or social status or wealth. All aspiring political leaders
must not forget the fact that they are responsible for all
Ethiopians, I mean every single one of us no matter where we may be,
or what religion we follow, or what social status we have, or what
economic niche we occupy...
The Politics of Leadership Vs. The Ethiopian Political Culture
Zewge Fanta October 9, 2005-Once
again, in the recent events as were in 1991, there may be external
elements who would like to see the political progress made by
Ethiopians reversed. Ethiopians have managed to bring profound
political changes that is about to alter the face of Ethiopia with
new social and economic programs. The environment in Ethiopia today
may not tolerate the political party leaders who may dare to betray
and let down the Ethiopian people by submitting to the spoiler
schemes of the enemies. ....
Trust
and the redemption of Ethiopian politics
Mitiku Adisu
October
7, 2005-
7, 2005-Trust
is essentially a state of mind, a nurturing interaction spurred by a
mutually beneficial outcome; it is having respect for each other and
acting on the basis of, what I would call, �a word and a hand
shake.� It means placing confidence in a Transcendent (God) or a
person or a thing and expecting a positive return. ....
|
EDITOR'S
NOTE:
The views expressed herein in the Article by author Tesfaye
Habiso is solely that of the author's. This Website does not
endorse or support such views. However, we believe some
important issues are entertained by the author that should be
carefully considered and critically evaluated by readers
interested in the direction and development of Ethiopia's
current politics and economy. TH |
The
Politics of Democratic Transition and Consolidation:
Overcoming
Dilemmas and Disillusionments
Tesfaye Habisso October 4, 2005-
Democratic
movement in the first place was born out of a unique set of
conditions prevalent in the Western world. Some of the ingredients
necessary for the evolutionary birth of a democratic order are
believed to be: (a) industrialization; (b) rise in literacy levels;
(c) abundance of resources; (d) isolation from negative outside
influences and, (e) political theoreticians whose vision spans the
past, present and future and who have a grasp of the physical
disciplines required in that particular age....
ON
THE QUESTION OF THE SOUTH AND SOUTHERNERS: An Open Letter to A
Friend in The Diaspora
Magane Sumbullo October 4, 2005- The
loss of identity and dignity, the lack of self-confidence and
courage to stand up for one's own rights, the psychological trauma
of self-hate and inferiority complex is, as you rightly argued, the
direct and indirect consequence of political domination and cultural
imperialism suffered by all colonized peoples the world over,
further exacerbated by the complete alienation of their lands by the
conquerors, and land, as we know, is the only source of dignity in
all traditional societies....
 REMEMBERING
AND HONORING SIMON WIESENTHAL 1908-2005
September
20, 2005- We
honor the memory of the sage Simon Wiesenthal, the great fighter,
humanitarian, and true hero to all freedom loving people around the
world who died this Tuesday September 20, 2005.
Heroes are never about themselves, and they do not even know
they are heroes. And such is the life-affirming story of the
uniquely courageous, dedicated, humanitarian Simon Wiesenthal. We
honor the life of Simon Wiesenthal because his life served all of
humanity. There is a singular lesson learned in the effort of one
lone courageous human being who devoted all of his life to bring to
justice individuals who committed atrocious crimes....
|
Meles�s
Infantile Delusion
B.
Solomon- September 10, 2005-EU-EOM
went to observe the election and certify whether the election
process is free and fair and meet the international standard. It
simply means that they have to take note of everything during
this process to report to the parties� involved and
international community. But for Meles that is strange or �a
lie�. For Meles a change of the parliament procedure,
transferring the police force and resources from Addis Ababa
Administration to Federal Government, reducing tax in Addis up
to 90% for the coming year has nothing to do with the election..
...
|
DR.
JOHN HATHAWAY SPENCER, 1907-2005
 WE
GRIEVE ON THE PASSING OF DR. JOHN HATHAWAY SPENCER, A GREAT JURIST
AND DEDICATED FRIEND OF ETHIOPIA. WE ADMIRED AND RESPECTED
DR. SPENCER FOR ALL HIS GREAT FIGHT ON BEHALF OF ETHIOPIA THROUGH
OUT HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE. IN A WAY, DR. SPENCER WAS MORE OF AN
ETHIOPIAN THAN MOST OF US ETHIOPIANS HERE IN THE DIASPORA. THE
TRUE MEASURE OF A MAN IS HOW HE FIGHTS FOR THE DISFRANCHISED,
THE VOICELESS, THE DOWNTRODDEN AND THE HOMELESS. DR. SPENCER, FOR
NO PROFIT TO HIMSELF, FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT. WE REGRET HIS
PASSING BEFORE THE LIBERATION OF ETHIOPIA AND ITS PEOPLE. HE
HAD LIVED A RICH, FULFILLING, AND PRODUCTIVE LIFE IN THE SERVICE
OF HIS FELLOW MAN. WE EXPRESS OUR HEART FELT CONDOLENCES TO ALL
HIS CHILDREN AND TO ALL FAMILY MEMBERS. MY GOD BLESS JOHN H.
SPENCER AND KEEP HIM SAFE. WE CELEBRATE YOUR GREAT
LIFE.
|
May
15 Election.(Amharic pdf) Fekadu Bekele (August
22, 2005)
 BOOK
REVIEW AND COMMENTARY
Fasil
Yitbarek, The Texture of Dreams, Chicago IL: Nyala
Publishing Chicago, 2005. [pp310] [US $15:95]
Tecola
Hagos- (August
22, 2005)The book seems to have an element of autobiography,
as is the case with all good novelists� first narrative works. It
is both technically wise and cognitively plausible to base a story
line and keep it moving chapter after chapter, page after page
having oneself as a companion running along the entire course. Fasil
has structured and developed his narrative in highly engaging
manner. Usually most current authors indulge in using several
threads of story lines where the characters in confusing manner are
weaved in and out of such narrative threads. Fasil used far simpler
and easier to follow narrative structure compared to other
contemporary writers......
Beyond
the protests, the needful thing
Mitiku
Adisu-(August
20, 2005)-Time is of the essence here: our
unending disputations over �what might have been� do not readily
translate into �bread and water� for the people we vow to stand
for. Time is slipping away and we are not growing younger. Indeed,
we may be losing the chance to enjoy the fruit of our labor or see
it espoused by the new generation. That is sad. It is time to speed
up our efforts and get off the political merry-go-round that
promises the illusion of taking us somewhere. It is also time to
revive or build on good practices no matter who initiated them......
 A
MOMENT OF RECKONING: THE SURVIVAL OF ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES
Tecola
Hagos-
(August 15, 2005)
One must recognize the indisputable fact
that Ethiopian Airlines is quintessential Ethiopian and represents
the best of Ethiopia. It is our national symbol and must remain so
being represented by Ethiopians at all level. This new Ethiopian
Government policy of hiring foreigners in order to undermine the
legitimate demand of the workers of the Ethiopian Airlines opens up
a door towards the destruction of the quintessential Ethiopian
symbol of success�the Ethiopian Airlines.......
Homage
to the Greatest Athletes in the World
Tirunesh
Dibaba of Ethiopia (C) and her compatriots Meseret Defar (L) and
Ejegayehu Dibaba compete during the women's 5,000 meters final at
the world athletics championships in Helsinki August 13, 2005.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Tulu
the inspiration as Dibabas keep it in the family
A
Constitution should work for the people and not against them
Amare
-(August
12, 2005) Ethiopia expects wise and
selfless leadership from all parties. Self serving action of any
party is a recipe for destruction. All Parties, the EPRDF, and the
opposition, must first place the interest of the country and its
people ahead of their parties interest. The current situation is a
unique one. Many mistakes have been committed before and after the
election.. ...
Press Release No.
11
From
Hard Choices to One Choice: Here goes the NEBE again�
Network
of Ethiopian Scholars (NES)-(August
10, 2005) In a series of
press releases, we have tried to strive, seek and discover a way
that will bring the best possible climate to facilitate the
production of a future that rehabilitates rather than a future of
violence and poverty that kill in our ancient country. We have shown
an unyielding determination to the argument that, what the people
achieved must not be stolen or lost. We have tried to unmask the
abuse of power and dismissed the arrogance of the high office
holders as wholly unbefitting to the challenges of building a free
and open society in Ethiopia.. ...
Editor's
Note: On the Current Political Bottleneck and UEDF�s Program
Tecola
Hagos-
(August 9, 2005)
Private individuals and an
association of Ethiopian scholars have been expressing their views
as posted in our Website on the future political resolution of the
bottleneck situation in Ethiopia. So far, two distinct approaches
seem to be evolving out of such discussions on the issue of the
structure of the future government of Ethiopia.. ...
A
PROPOSAL TO SOLVE THE CURRENT POLITICAL CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA
UEDF
(August 5, 2005)Tackling
these and similar problems requires a settled political atmosphere,
an accountable government and popular belief in the rightfulness of
the government that demands their obedience. The leaders of the G-8
countries, at their meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, have recently
made clear the urgency of promoting democratic and legitimate
governance in Africa if the problems of underdevelopment and poverty
in the continent are to be seriously tackled ...
Hiroshima
and Nagasaki
Ralph
Raico- This
excerpt from Ralph Raico's "Harry S. Truman: Advancing the
Revolution in John V. Denson, ed., Reassessing
the Presidency: The Rise of the Executive State and the Decline of
Freedom (Auburn, Alabama: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2001),
is reprinted with permission. (The notes are numbered as they are
because this is an excerpt. Read
the whole article.)
How
long does it take to accept the truth?
Seifeselassie
Sibhatu
(August 6, 2005)
-When
political parties participate in democratic election of a given
country the first objective is to win the thrust of the citizen and
form a legitimate government. Otherwise, the alternative is to
become a loyal opposition in the parliament
��loyal not to the specific policies of the government, but to
the fundamental legitimacy of the state and to the democratic
process itself.� [See Ref. 2]. Not only winning or loosing of
an election, parties should be prepared for the post election
realities of a democratic process as well. The winning party has the
mandate of the people to govern based on its vision of the country
in terms of the foreign, agricultural, economic, defence, etc
policies. ...
 Blue
Nile Treaties : for Ethiopia or Egypt ?
Getachew Sisay
(August 4, 2005)
-Ethiopia has never ever accepted
unilateral agreements for their perilous prejudice. According to
Hillawi (1998), during 1959 it claimed, �Ethiopia has reserved the
right to utilize the water resources of the Nile for the benefit of
its people, whatever might be the measure of such waters sought by
riparian states�. Irrespective of the type of regime in Addis
Ababa, the position of Ethiopia is one and one - to have a win- win
solution and legitimate right to use the Nile water for the
socio-economic development of the country ...
How
to deal with regime Defiance of Vote and Voice: The Hard Choices
Confronting Ethiopia
NEC
(July 30, 2005) The
ruling party would use the outcome from its violence, riggings and
the deliberate mismanagement from the national election board to
extend its authoritarian dictatorship with democratic fa�ade. The
people and the opposition will build on the gains they have scored
to turn every gain as an arena of struggle to realize the elusive
dream of scoring a historic achievement for the first time ever in
the nation�s long life: democratic transition that prepares a
national reconciliation condition to prepare the nation�s total
energy to eradicate the chief source of its humiliation: conflict
and poverty....
III.
Corruption, Disinformation And Duplicity, Inalienable Elements of
Treason
Laeke Gebresadik (July
30, 2005) The EPRDF by its
treasonous nature is well adept to deceitful use of information in
facilitating its crimes. It never refrained from fabricating
information to mislead or influence public opinion in an attempt to
execute its objectionable policies. The blatant use of deceptive
information is transformed into coercion when eventually met by
strong public opposition as in the border fiasco....
The YARA Prize And Corruption: Meles Zenawi With A Purse of Two
Hundred Thousands Dollars?
Why Not a Million Dollars!
Tecola
Hagos - (July
28, 2005) This article is a
criticism and open accusation of wrongdoing and of criminal
activities by the Yara Foundation and its Board in declaring Meles
Zenawi as its first �African Green Revolution Yara Prize"
winner with a purse of $200,000.00 and an art work of undisclosed
value. American corporations, such as Dupont, Lucent, Motorola et
cetera, often acclaimed for their business practices, are directly
affected by any corrupt practice by their European competitors in
the chemical, fertilizer, and telecom businesses worth trillion of
dollars in Africa or elsewhere in the world.....
Ethiopia's
Future in The Next Five Years: Seize The Moment And Seize The Time
Network
of Ethiopian Scholars
- (July
26, 2005) History does not open
critical political moments easily and frequently. Such historical
moments are rare especially in countries like Ethiopia where
political change has been for a long time under the grip of a
particularly virulent and violent authoritarian selection. Critical
political turning points offer opportunities or dangers, and
sometimes also opportunities that can turn into dangers, and dangers
that can turn into opportunities. They become indeed a country�s
dilemma and historical crossroad, bearing on the balance of
probability, bad or good, wrong or right direction in shaping and
articulating a country�s political future....The
t
A
MOMENT OF REFLECTION: FORGET THE ETHIOPIAN ELITES AND THE KUPAMANDUKAS?
Tecola
Hagos - (July
23, 2005)
Condemning an entire ethnic group for the misdeeds of the corrupt
few of its members, without making any distinction between Meles
Zenawi (and his associates) from the Tygrean population, who are no
less victims of the regime just like other Ethiopians, is a
destructive process. It has become exceedingly clear to me that Ethiopia has very few
heroic and selfless sons and daughters especially in the Diaspora.
What Ethiopia has given birth to seem to be mostly stillborns?
I am using such harsh terms because I am disgusted with the
selfishness and often-amateurish behavior of our politicians,
especially in the Diaspora....The
t
 �APOCALYPSE
SOON.� REALLY? AND WHO CARES?
Tecola
Hagos - (July
16, 2005) The
idea of a �just cause� to go to war may be distinguished from
the idea of a �just war.� In the sense that a �just cause�
may deal with problems involving the leadership in carrying out its
executive duties and commitments, whereas a �just war� involves
the nation as a whole on questions of national survival and serious
threat to the existence and security of a nation. In that sense
going to war for territorial acquisition in the past may have an
element of a just cause, for example, but it does not necessarily
constitute a just war...The
t
|
No
act of violence would solve the suffering of millions of
people under brutal dictators, religious fanatics, and
ideologically corrupted systems around the World. The problems
of the World are far too complex that violent terrorist means
to solve such problems would never succeed. We condemn in the
strongest terms the senseless terrorist violence on innocent
civilians in London transit systems of the 7th of July 2005.
We pray for all those who suffered and those who were hurt. We
pray to all those who died and offer our heart felt humble
condolences to the families of the victims of terrorism. There
is no room for such form of violence in a civilized world. We
urge all nations to examine the reasons and the existential
factors that would turn human beings into instruments of such
cowardly, vicious, and brutal actions against innocent
ordinary individuals. The Editors. |
How The West
Can Help Best
Temam
Ahmed (July 14, 2005) -The main
responsibility lies in ourselves and we should be the ones tackling
the issues of good governance, poverty or underdevelopment.
The materially rich west is in pursuit of its own selfish interest
and the handouts we receive from them either in the form of loans or
aid, have not gotten us a step ahead...
Response
to Editor's Note (My Turn on The Ethiopian Election Debate in
Diaspora)
Getachew Mequanent (July
12, 2005) -This experience has made me aware of the benefits of
Ethiopia�s ethnic, cultural, religious, geographic and linguistic
diversity. I have also become increasingly interested in new ideas
and thinking reflective of our time as well as responsive to the
enormous political challenge that Ethiopia faces. That is why I
suggested that we should continue to debate on the current federal
system and I trust that Professor Tecola and others will agree with
me....
Editor's
Note:
(July
10, 2005) -When I offer a
criticism it should be read in context and limited to the issue
under discussion. There is a sad tendency of a number of Ethiopian
readers and website visitors to jump into a generalized conclusion
based on specific incidents. We must be careful not to read more in
a statement that is of limited scope.....
My
Turn on The Ethiopian Election Debate in The Diaspora
Getachew
Mequanent (July 10, 2005) -Today the country is one of the three
poorest countries in the world. And EPRDF is blamed for it! The
truth is that the Ethiopian economy had suffered from decades of
government neglect. Emperor Haile Sellassie had an ambition to be
one of the richest men in the World and so he was busy appropriating
the country�s wealth, while the ruling class and state bureaucrats
divided what was left among them. Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam
created a brutal and corrupt regime which destroyed the social and
economic infrastructure of the Ethiopian society. It is too bad that
all the debate is focused on EPRDF vs. the opposition and we are not
considering we can learn from Ethiopia�s past.
.....
The
May 15, 2005 Ethiopian Election: A retrospective Analysis
Seifeselassie
Sibhatu (July 6, 2005) -We can argue about the level and nature of
the stage the country has reached from whichever perspective we are
observing. In Ethiopian political landscape, today more than ever
one thing has become as clear as day light; Ethiopian and Ethiopian
will never be the same again. The level and nature of the stage the
country found itself became a make or break situation. The initial
assumption, at least of mine, prior to the election date was the
election would be more of idea, dialogue and discussion about the
current and future political, social, economical and other issues
Ethiopia faces. However, contrary to this assumption we have been
forced to discuss the political, social, and economic and other
issues of the country�s past.....
|
Editor's Note:
The view expressed by Amare B. here below on the Press Release by the NES is not the views endorsed or supported by this Website. The reason we want this point clearly understood by all readers is due to the fact that we
received few notes protesting the views expressed by NES as if this Website had endorsed that view. We have a different stand from that of Amare B and the NES on the future of Ethiopian democracy, the EPRDF, and the
Opposition. TH
The
Implied Intent of Messer's Muchie et el Open Letter to The G8
Amare
B- (July 6, 2005) We call upon the G8 leaders to impress the
historic importance of constructing an alternative to forming
a Government either by the incumbent or aspirant alone, given
the election has been mishandled badly and the people who
voted for either side would feel cheated if either side
becomes a winner takes all." I would say who cares if
they feel cheated so long as the people's voice is respected?
Mind you elections are meant for the people to express their
will and not for the contestants to whine.....
|
 Azurit
Hailu
Yeshiwondum- (July 3, 2005) Though
the gist of this article is to remind opposition parties to
reevaluate and reform themselves in line with the rapid changes, it
is appropriate to reveal some of the irrational and contradictory
attitudes that need to be extirpated. Political parties have to
cease exploiting prevailing double
standards that reinforce prejudice in the society. It
is not enough for political parties to detach themselves from some
of the double standards only as a half-hatred diplomatic posturing. The
Ethiopian people have demonstrated time and again that nothing can
challenge their unity and their love for each other. The people have
done the right thing during and after the election.....
|
Public
Announcement Statistics For June 2005: We
are glad to announce that our Website had another record
number of hits in June of 2005 of 1,423,428 (one
million four hundred twenty three thousand and four hundred
twenty eight) hits, exceeding the one million hits of May by
almost fifty percent. The two maximum numbers of hits recorded
for hits in a single day of 24 hours were on June
9 of 67,976 hits and on June 8 and 14 of 66,390 hits. We
invite all to participate in this website that is dedicated to
serve all Ethiopians and the World at large. Your comments,
e-mails, et cetera are welcome as always. We thank our
Contributors, readers, and visitors for a momentous month. |
Opposition,
EPRDF, Supporters And Critics
Abegaz Bellete (July 1, 2005) Professor
Tecola�s recent article, �Forget the Opposition with Negede
Gobeze� is instructive although it looks a bit heavy handed
criticism. We know that Negede�s party (MEISON) is a member of
UEDF and we know that no one opposed it at the time of formation of
UEDF. As a member of UEDF, Negede may have the right to be
represented in UEDF�s activity. Yet, the main issue I think the
professor wanted to show has been that people that are not clean
(obviously destructive) during the past regimes should hold low
profile within the opposition. This is a positive comment and the
opposition should learn from it...
NES
- The Role of the Opposition Inside and Outside Ethiopia
By
the Network of Ethiopian Scholars (NES) - Scandinavian Chapter
June 30, 2005- In
a democracy we know there are many types of people who wish to stand
for election, some of whom may be people we may not agree with or we
may even have fought against in the past, but once these people
submit for election through a free and fair voting procedure and
system, it is not for us to judge them as fit or unfit, or bring up
what we believe to be their past history to ridicule the democratic
voice expression that legitimated them.........
�Don't
Throw The Baby Out With The Baby Bath Water�
Gelaye,
Onlooker from Jijiga (June
30, 2005) Nevertheless, a
credit should go where it is due. Observer has made a great point.
Observer noted, �It is no secrete what role Negede and co and
other remnants of the past regime had played in the Ethiopian
politics.� As a victim of the Derg regime myself, I understand
where the Observer is coming from. We need to bring criminals to
justice. For that to happen we need to have a democratic government.
Individuals like Negede can not disappear from the screen of the
broad masses of the Ethiopian people....
Response to the Editorial: "Forget the 'Opposition'
with Negede Gobeze" From Readers
Nolawi
- (June
29, 2005) Negede�s was a
different tone with a different �lyric�. Both his tone and �lyric�
were too wild and too weird.
To start with he was so angry that his facial expression was
already telling more even before words came out of his mouth. In his
hateful reaction to the very question he dared to clearly say that
there was nothing he would apologize for. He said without hesitation
all what he did was right, no questions asked.....
Response to the Editorial: "Forget the 'Opposition'
with Negede Gobeze"
Amare
- (June
28, 2005)
In spite of the screaming
and the shouting we hear from the different political persuasions
and their loyalist, one fact always remains true and unchangeable.
That is this: The
majority of Ethiopians both at home and abroad want peace and
peaceful transfer of power from one political group to another based
solely on the verdict of the people on the ballot box. We all should
contribute in whatever way we can to the coming to fruition of this
long standing aspiration of the Ethiopian people. We must expose and
object any group or group of people that is set to frustrate this
aspiration......
EDITORIAL:
FORGET THE �OPPOSITION� WITH NEGEDE GOBEZE
Tecola
Hagos - (June
27, 2005)
My
Fellow Ethiopians, we are rapidly approaching or reaching a point of
no return. Here is where our Ethiopian sensibility is being tested.
The reason I had reservation at the very outset on the 2005 Election
is being reinforced day by day. Since May 15, 2005, I have been learning
more and more about the characteristics of the Opposition. The
Opposition is becoming simply a den of aged former ex-officials, old
Red Terror participants, Mengistu�s Cadres, WPE members, rejectees
from an assortment of liberation fronts et cetera. The
association of such unlikely groups is not a healthy one. It is
their common hate to Meles Zenawi that is the driving force and not
an undivided devotion or love for Ethiopians or Ethiopia......
Ideology,
Class Struggle, And Ethiopian Politics
Tecola
Hagos - (June
27, 2005)As
members of the human family, Ethiopians too suffered similar
fracturing and preemptive social disassembly as the rest of the
world (humankind). It is only within that world-context of the
larger community of diverse peoples of the world that we could be
able to make sense of our peculiar problems. If we lose sight of
such world perspective, we will start thinking that our pedantic
problems are world-shaking problems and start mistaking the anthills
of our discontent for mountains of insurmountable adversities. We
are not unique in our suffering of injustice, deprivation and
exploitation in a desperate neck and neck struggle with an
exploitative class represented by all formal structures of
suppression and oppressors called governments.......
Response
to Abegaz Belette on Al Amoudi
Hannah Yohannes-(June
27, 2005)In trying to defend Mr. Al Amoudi�s foray into
Ethiopian politics at such a critical juncture, some individuals
have suggested that he should be thanked for his employment
practices. Apparently, forty percent of Mr. Al Amoudi�s companies�
employees are female and he employs individuals regardless of
religion and ethnicity. Although I would like to note that this is
the first time that I have read such data on Mr. Al Amoudi�s
companies (and it was not satisfactorily cited), I have no reason to
doubt the accuracy of such data........
[Editor's
Note:
We did not post the Press Release/letter of Sheik Al Amoudi of a few
weeks back because we found the content of that letter to be a
childish tantrum for being rightfully criticized for supporting a
brutal and violent Leader, Meles Zenawi and his Political Party, the
EPRDF. We are posting Abegaz Bellete's article herein because it has
ideas of public concern on the subject of the responsible use
of the media and not because it involves Al Amoudi as a subject of
discourse. TH ]
Mr.
Al Amoudi is not a ' Sacred Cow'
Abegaz
Bellete-(June
25, 2005) Slightly dissenting views were not entertained
including this article. As editorial, commenting on current issues
and taking timely positions would have increased much admiration.
While we agree that editorials are always expected to provide
balanced views, they cannot ignore the widely accepted wishes of the
public and hence should be accountable to matters affecting the
public. They are the defenders of the people........
 Meles
And Co. Pathetic Strategy Towards Tigreans
B. Solomon-(June
23, 2005) It sad to see
EPRDF sink to this level and distribute papers calling others to
rise up against Tigreans to make Tigreans feel insecure so that they
could rally behind a failing tyrant. What if some fools start
believing this evil propaganda? Does it worth such evil plan to keep
Bereket and Addisu on power, who are rejected at the polling
station? This is the most shameful crime that Meles, Addisu and
Bereket have committed against Tigreans......
Response
to "Ethiopian Reality: Quo Vadis..."
Ethiopian Reality: Quo Vadis* Opposition? [Ethiopian
Reality: Where to From This Point On?]
Tecola
Hagos - (June
13, 2005)
In order to build the
Ethiopia of our future, we need to be cognizant of our
past and current history in order to learn to avoid
similar mistakes of our predecessors. We need to use
history in a creative manner to solve future problems.
We should not be held hostages by our history or put in
a straightjacket of history. We should be able to
communicate with each other in a non-confrontational
manner to resolve political and economic problems. Our
national security depends on how well we work with each
other. This seems to be a new beginning for all of us.
Some of us have hurt Ethiopia much more than others;
nevertheless, there need be a change of attitude from
feelings of being victim to feelings of empowerment. For
whatever has happened in our past, in some way, we all
are collectively .......
 Amnesty
International urgent action Appeal
Large
numbers of demonstrating students have been detained in two
days of protests following the announcement of provisional
results from the parliamentary elections of 15 May by the
National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE). Amnesty
International fears that, as after university demonstrations
in 2001,
Celebrating
Brad Pitt: A Better Warrior Than Achilles
Tecola
Hagos - (June
8, 2005) Brad
Pitt is not just another �celebrity,� but also a man
touched by the hand of God or providence, if you will. Most of
us have heard about Brad Pitt�s visits to Ethiopia, but
never really saw much in pictures or television the details of
such visits. About a year ago, I heard from individuals that
Brad Pitt was quite taken by the suffering he saw in Ethiopia,
at times, I was told that he was moved to tears.
 Editorial:
The Beginning of The End: EPRDF's Government Brutality Against
University Students
Tecola
Hagos - (June
6, 2005) We
are witnessing the beginning of the fall of the violent and
dictatorial Government of Meles Zenawi. History is repeating
itself, and we are looking at the beaten paths that all
dictatorial regimes traveled of crackdowns on demonstrators,
detention of university students for expressing democratic
views, unleashing of brutal security and military unites on
peaceful citizens et cetera.....
 Expulsion
of Saudi Arabia From The United Nations
Tecola
Hagos - (June
4, 2005) The
State Department has identified Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar,
and United Arab Emirate in its 2005 Report as nations
trafficking with human beings that the Secretary of State
identified as no different from modern days slavery. It is to
be recalled that the four Arab nations mentioned above, along
with most of the other Middle East Arab nations, as well as
some African nations (Egypt, Sudan, Somalia et cetera), were
identified as notorious
violators of human rights with records of religious
persecution of Christians and Jews, atrocities, slavery et
cetera by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch,.....
London
Protestors Condemn Ethiopian Vote Rigging 6/2/2005
By Abebe Gellaw
Public
Announcement: We
are glad to announce that our Website had a record number of
hits in May of 2005 exceeding one million hits in one
month. The two maximum number of hits recorded for hits
in a single day of 24 hours were on May 19 of
56,396 hits and on May 16 of 49,407. We thank our readers and
visitors for permitting us to serve you.
 Editor's
Note:
We
have been critical of the public comments made by Former President
Jimmy Carter on dates prior to the election applauding the Ethiopian
Election 2005 as democratic. The linked report by President Carter
shows far different assessment of the election and the political
leadership of Meles Zenawi than was suggested in previous interviews
of President Carter. Thus, in fairness to all we have linked the Report
of President Carter
for the benefit of our readers. We do acknowledge that President
Carter seems to be mending some of his earlier remarks about Meles
Zenawi. Had he disclosed some of his judgment about Meles Zenawi
earlier, it would have helped us all Ethiopians to advance our
democratic causes much faster than creeping along for fifteen years.
Nevertheless, we welcome the Report of President Carter as a good
stating point for further enlightened and enlightening reports and
comments by President Carter.
 Saving
Ethiopia: A United Call For Tolerance
By:
Bereket Kiros-(
May 30, 2005)-The
May 2005 election probably have stopped the bleeding of our country,
but the wound must be cured. On the other hand, all hate and bigotry
in the name of saving Ethiopia cultivates the seed of future
destruction and will not heal the wound. Ethiopia has suffered not
only by Meles but under the brutal leader Mengistu as well. We
are now living in a volatile political situation and an economic
disaster looming all around us. We are surrounded by our historic
enemies and newly minted ones that are getting stronger by the hour.
Those of us in the Diasporas have a moral obligation not to promote
ethnic conflict and harmful propaganda on the supremacy of any
ethnic group thereby inflaming further a situation that is highly
charged with hate and conflict already.......
May 26, 2005 Washington DC. Demonstration
 Editor's
Note:
We
fully support the demonstration of concerned Ethiopians of May 26,
2005 at the State Department, Washington DC. The concern we all have
about the confirmed voting irregularities perpetuated by the
Government of Meles Zenawi is absolutely correct. The immense fraud
and violence against the Opposition and its supporters is a reality
that should not be denied by anybody including the officials of the
Government of the United States.....
 Post
Election Developments in Ethiopia: The UN Should Come In.
By:
Abegaz Bellete - (May
27 2005)- The
NEB has proved to be an offshoot of the EPRDF and its neutrality has
been disproved now beyond any doubt. In the face of this blatant
mischief by EPRDF, we hope the international community will not
press the opposition and the EPRDF in the same manner. The
international community should not be misled that the NEB and the
legal system can bring any justice when the head of the ruling party
is heard to announce its victory ahead of vote count. How
independent and courageous are these organs to undo the claims of
the ruling party?.....
 Political
Leadership and Legitimate Power in Ethiopia
By:
Ghelawdewos Araia- (May
23, 2005)- There is no doubt that the present political
climate in Ethiopia is promising, although we cannot for sure affirm
that Ethiopia is on the threshold of a full-fledged democratic
system. If at all, the popular elections manifest a fledgling and
not a robust democratic system, and with respect to the latter we
are toddlers at best and infants at worst. However, we must not fail
to recognize the positive contributions of the current elections
irrespective of the impetus (domestic and international) behind it......
 Ethiopia
The Phoenix: The New Caretaker Government:
By: Tecola
Hagos- (May
18, 2005)-
The Opposition has played a major role to bring to Ethiopia a degree
of hope and solidarity in the face of treason and betrayal of a
people and their utter humiliation in the world�s stage by Meles
Zenawi for the last fifteen years.
However, the election result has far more implication than just
counting ballots and declaring winners and losers. The importance of
the election should not be seen in light of such limited purpose for
establishing a new government.......
Editorial:
The Dawn of Ethiopia: The Struggle For New Leadership
By: Tecola Hagos-(
May 16, 2005) We
have declared the Ethiopian election of 2005 to be invalid and
illegal and not binding on any Ethiopian. In anticipation of his
winning the election and knowing the illegal method he used to win
the election and the inevitable peaceful massive demonstration
against his government, Meles Zenawi has taken over the command of
his repressive and brutal Police and Military Forces nation wide
including that of the city of Addis Ababa as of Sunday evening. All
governments that want friendly relationship with Ethiopia must allow
the current political upsurge of the people of Ethiopia take its
natural course.
. .......
Is EPRDF
Sincere to Build a Free Democratic Nation?
By:
Abegaz Bellete-(
May 13, 2005 )-The
TPLF-EPRDF so far has obviously become insincere to build democracy
in Ethiopia. It persecutes and terrorizes citizens, lies and
deceives the public, creates disparity among Ethiopians, spurs
ethnic hatred, denies the �full right to private property and
legal protection,� promotes corruption, bad governance and
executive dictatorship. EPRDF used government resources,
administrative structure, security, militia and military to the
disadvantage of opposition parties. .......
 Editorial:
Election 2005, Ethiopia: No vote for Meles Zenawi!
(
May 10, 2005 )-After
carefully studying the record of the governments of Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi for the last ten years, as well as the transition
period of 1991 to 1995, we have reached the unequivocal conclusion
that a vote for Meles Zenawi and his party the TPLF, and/or
associates on May 15 �05 is a vote for the destruction of
Ethiopia. [There is no real separation between the many members or
satellite organizations of the EPRDF and the controlling group of
the TPLF.] We want a unifier, a person who gives us all hope and
pride not someone who is constantly engaged in adversity against the
interest of all of us.
......
 Editorial:
Celebrating The End of Nazism and Fascism (World War II) Sixty Years
Ago Today
(
May 8, 2005 )-We,
Ethiopians, have suffered the destruction of our nation and the
death of millions of our Ethiopian brothers and sisters in the hands
of the Italy�s Fascist regime for five horrible years. With our
courage, and despite the sanction against us by Europeans, we single
handedly won over the Italians a second time. [The revisionist
history written by Westerners about Britain coming to Ethiopia�s
rescue is a very bogus claim. The British were there as mercenary
soldiers to help restore Emperor Haile Selassie to his Throne, which
he had abandoned, not for the purpose of Ethiopia�s liberation or
freedom. Through the great patriotic fight of five years launched by
Ethiopians against the occupation forces of Italy and its Askaris]......
 (
May 6, 2005 )
[Editor's
Note: We do not know if the statement contained in the Afar
Radio Report linked here under is true or not. We have no way
of ascertaining the veracity of the existence of such agreement
restricting or in anyway affecting the sovereign rights of Ethiopia
on its river Tikur Abai (Blue Nile River) signed on April 17, 2005
between Meles Zenawi and Hosni Mubarak, President of Egypt. If there
is any such agreement even remotely resembling the one alleged to
have been signed, Meles Zenawi is committing another treasonous act.
At any rate, it is up to the Government of Ethiopia to deny or
explain the assertion of the existent or non-existence of such
agreement. In the absence of such official government denial, we
must assume the worst. Therefore, let it be known to the Egyptian
Government and the people of Egypt that the Ethiopian people do
not recognize any such treaty or agreement by Meles Zenawi or
anybody else that undermines Ethiopia's full sovereign rights
to use the Blue Nile River appropriately under international law and
principles. No nation on Earth can impose any encumbrances or
legal restrictions on the sovereign rights of the people of
Ethiopia.]
Ethiopian
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak
discussed about Nile
 The
Splendor of Hope:George B.N.Ayittey And His Book [Africa
Unchained: The Blueprint For Africa's Future, palegrave, 2005]
Tecola W. Hagos-(
May 5, 2005 )
[Simply
put, Sachs�s solution is to throw more money at a problem, and
Ayittey�s solution is to throw in more leaders, but from a
different group. Neither solution on its own would bring about the
change that both authors want for Africa�s poor. It seems that
there may be a crucial fact that has eluded us all thus far, about
Africa and its diverse population, which fact may have retarded
not just European type political and economic development but any
meaningful accumulation of knowledge and the building of highly
interconnected and interactive social or political systems and
institutions. Without discovering that subtle reason that is
hindering us from solving our social, economic, political et
cetera problems, any suggestion by anyone, whether distinguished
or charlatan, would simply be like shooting in the dark blank
bullets to hit a target that may not even be there.].......
THE SPLENDOR OF HOPE: Book Review and Commentary
 Tecola
Hagos- March
27, 2005 )
Jeffery Sachs is an extremely valuable a person to be wasting his
great compassion, talent, and abilities defending and giving
credence and comfort to third-rate dictators and corrupt leaders in
the developing world. He must learn how to separate his personal
friendship with leaders of developing nations, which friendship I
find demeaning to such a distinguished and moral person, from
overshadowing his objectivity as to the value of the leadership of
such leaders to their people and not how agreeable they maybe to
Jeffery Sachs or the Western nations. It is a fact that power is
seductive not only to those who posses it but even to those who are
exposed to it�we all must be on our guard at all times.......
Articles of Interest
Stiglitz's
book review
|
|
Editorial:
The Return of the obelisk of Axum
Tecola W. Hagos-( April
27, 2005 )
We did not post the news of the return of the second largest Obelisk of Axum because we sensed that Meles Zenawi was timing that occasion to boost his election. We did not want to be a party to any such pathetic political manipulation by anyone whether it is the current Ethiopian Government or anyone else.
We posted Dr. Ghelawdewos's article now because it is highly
informative and educational and not a propaganda piece. It
reinvigorates our appreciation of our past. Thus, we welcome our
piece of heritage back to Ethiopia.........
The
Magnificence of Aksum: Revisiting Ethiopian Civilization
Ghelawdewos
Araia-( April
27, 2005 )
The return of the Aksum stela, after sixty-eight years of
hiatus, has once again revitalized the Ethiopian sense of their
heritage. Unlike the prodigal son who returned home on his own
volition, the Aksum stela finally headed home after an incessant and
immense pressure on the Italian government by Ethiopians and friends
of Ethiopia.........
Germany�s
Ratzinger elected Pope
Tens of thousands of people cheered as
Ratzinger, the first German pope in centuries, presented himself on
the balcony of St. Peter�s Basilica after the announcement to give
his first blessing.
We
Condemn The barbaric Execution of six Somalis by Saudi Arabia!
Editorial:
Tecola
Hagos- ( April
20, 2005 )We
condemn the barbaric execution of six Somalis by the government of
Saudi Arabia under its primitive legal system. A human life is worth
more than all the taxis driven in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Government
is one of the most corrupt and human rights violators in the World.
It is a shame that the United Nations has maintained as a
"member" such a government as representative of a state
that is more of a family holding than a responsible state in the
community of Nations........
FAIR
REACTION ON 6 SOMALI BEHEADING CASE IN SAUDI JUSTICE SYSTEM!
Congratulation
to the Great Ethiopian Athletes of Boston Marathon Winners of 2005!
Ethiopian
Hailu Negussie won Boston Marathon, taking $100,000 home. And
Ethiopian Elfnesh Alemu came second in the Women's Marathon.
Kenyan Ndereba won the women's race for a record fourth time. BOSTON
(Reuters) - Hailu Negussie of Ethiopia ended Kenya's dominance of
the Boston marathon on Monday by winning the 109th running of the
world's oldest annually contested marathon.
Negussie finished in an unofficial time of two hours, 11 minutes and
44 seconds. The course record of 2:07:15 was set by Cosmas Ndeti of
Kenya in 1994.
WE EXPRESS OUR SORROW ON THE PASSING OF POPE JOHN PAUL II (1920-2005) WHO HAS BEEN THE MORAL BEACON FOR OVER A BILLION PEOPLE BOTH CATHOLICS AND
NON-CATHOLICS. WE ADMIRED HIS COURAGE IN FACING AND SPEAKING TO POWER IN DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD. HE WAS A GREAT MAN WHO ENRICHED AND ENNOBLED US ALL THROUGH HIS EXEMPLARY LIFE OF SERVICE. OUR CONDOLENCES TO HIS CLOSE FRIENDS AND FELLOW CATHOLICS ALL OVER THE WORLD. POPE JOHN PAUL II, WE THANK YOU AND CELEBRATE YOUR
LIFE.
Pope
John Paul II Biography
March
26,2005
The
Impact of Current Trade Relationships And Strategies For Improvement
Fekadu Bekele, PhD
March 16,2005
If
we see the reality of the last 50 years this theory can't take so
many relevant issues into considerations. First of all the power
relationships in many Third World Countries is out of this
theoretical model. On international level prices of raw materials
are being dictated by cartels and certain multinational firms. If we
look the situations in many Third World Countries the peasants and
the seasonal workers are reduced to slave like situation......
Memorandum
[Editor's
Note: We condemn all politically motivated [and/or
arbitrary illegal] violence, murders, detentions, tortures,
disappearances, kidnappings perpetuated against Ethiopians by
the brutal Government of Meles Zenawi. We condemn all forms of
debilitating political, economic, and cultural interferences by
foreign governments in Ethiopia whether disguised as humanitarian
assistance or subtle coercion. With such concern in mind, we have
posted the Memorandum sent to our website by EAO believing it to be
an Ethiopian concern for the welfare and political and economic
liberation of all Ethiopians.]......
The
Rastaman Cometh, So Will 55 Days of Lent
By
Mitiku Adisu- March 1,2005 Let
us not forget the million-strong Diaspora navigating the Seven Seas.
What do Ethiopians want? When will they ever find rest? The
Ethiopian Lent season may be the opportune time to reflect on such
deep matters of ethics, community, and morality. And for this
Ethiopians need not look farther than the living church and their
humble abode.
Prostitution
in Ethiopia: Two Dollars With Or Without A Condom (Video)
Tecola
Hagos- February
24, 2005 ) The
video titled Two Dollars With Or Without A Condom seems to be a
limited study of prostitution and the effect of poverty and
political oppression in Addis Ababa. The video was financed by a
Swedish charity organization aimed to garner awareness of the plight
of young Ethiopian girls living on the streets of Merkato and at
times practicing prostitution. It also draws our attention on the
devastation of AIDS in the country. Successive Ethiopian Governments
were/are also responsible to the state of affairs of the nation
sinking into the present social, political, and economic crises. The
current government of Meles Zenawi is responsible for the endless
political as well as economic crimes committed against Ethiopians.......
February
9, 2005 Editor�s
Note: Fekadu Bekele, PhD, has provided us a book review of
Emmanuel Todd�s famous book [Super
Power America: Posthumous], on the decline of the United
States as a bulwark of democracy and world leadership. In his review
of the book, Dr. Fekadu Bekele has gone far beyond the role of just
being a reviewer, and has provided us with a fresh perspective and
insight on the decline and corruption of the United States in recent
years and of its bleak future. The implication to Ethiopia is
obvious. We recommend highly that people read Todd�s book with the
benefit of its excellent review by Fekadu Bekele. [You may try a
different title by the same author, After the Empire � The
Breakdown of American Order (2003)]......
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Editorial:
Participation in the
Upcoming Ethiopian Election
Tecola
Hagos February
9, 2005
We
call upon the leaders of the opposition political
organizations and their support groups to set aside their
differences, personal ambitions, and narrow political
interests for the duration of the election. The single most
unifying interest should be to save Ethiopia from destruction
in the hands of Meles Zenawi who is bent on ceding Ethiopian
sovereignty and territory piece by piece to neighboring
nations. The crime he has committed against the people of
Ethiopia can only be remedied by removing him first from
office......
Participation
in Meles's Drama
Woyessa Feyissa
February
8, 2005
Meles
Zenawi the uncontested boss of TPLF and loyal servant of EPLF
has dashed, not unexpectedly, the hope of holding a fair
and free election by rejecting the demands of the
opposition for an independent national election commission.
I was not surprised by this and other events surrounding the upcoming
election. It is an illusion to expect a dictator who seized power
by force to relinquish it through a ballot box.....
Government
Neglect and the Rights of Citizens: The HVA Case at the United
Nations
Tecola
Hagos January 15, 2005 At
the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations� Human
Rights Commission Sixtieth Session, the Ethiopian Government
was contacted to respond on the issue of pollution and the
effect of chemical residue (florid) affecting Ethiopians at
[Wonji, Metehara] sugar processing plants. It is the
responsibility of the current Ethiopian Government to preserve
and promote the wellness of its citizens. Rather than spending
tremendous resources in hosting international conferences and
building airports and buying expensive cars et cetera the
Government of Meles Zenawi should have concentrated on such
serious matters that had affected the lives of tens of
thousands of Ethiopians. It is a shame that such government
leaders,....
Historic
Meeting in Chicago :Ushering Reconciliation
On
January 9, 2005, a spirited public meeting was held in Chicago
by over a hundred twenty concerned Ethiopians opposing the
recent treasonous effort by Meles Zenawi. ....
To
Insure Peace, Prepare for War: International Relations and
History Recoup [Ethiopia]
Tecola
Hagos January 3, 2005
The
apology by former
Ethiopian President Negaso Gidada and former TPLF leader Gebru
Asrate, one of the Twelve Dissenters, for participating
in the 2000 Algiers Agreement fiasco, and their denouncing of
Meles Zenawi and his five-point initiative addressing a
demonstration of almost two hundred thousand Ethiopians in
Addis Ababa is highly admirable. Those two Ethiopians
demonstrated great leadership,
courage, and patriotic zeal in the face of great
danger. These are extremely positive developments that all
Ethiopians should embrace and welcome. That is the great
dilemma in life: the ever contradiction that life itself is.
With my respect and apology to all who have suffered and who
want nothing more than peace to recover from such horrendous
experience, I jump in to the fry of things, nevertheless.
....
WE DEEPLY GRIEVE AND EXPRESS OUR HEART FELT SORROW FOR THE
PEOPLE OF THE ASIAN COUNTRIES DEVASTATED BY THE DECEMBER 26,
2004 TSUNAMI. OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO ALL THE FAMILIES WHO
HAVE LOST FAMILY MEMBERS AND TO THE PEOPLE OF THE REGION. WE
URGE ALL THOSE CAPABLE OF GIVING A HELPING HAND, TO DO SO. LET
US ALL BE A PART OF THE RECOVERY PROCESS AS WE HELP TO REBUILD
OUR HUMAN FAMILY. WE PRAY THAT THE SURVIVING MEMBERS OF THOSE
WHO DIED IN THE DEVASTATION FIND SOME HOPE TO REBUILD THEIR
LIVES. MAY GOD BLESS AND REST IN PEACE THE SOULS OF THE
DEPARTED, AND MAY THOSE WHO GRIEVE FIND COMFORT. Editor
|
Say
No to Meles, Say no to More Betrayal!
Yohannes Kiros December
24, 2004 Once
again Ethiopia has made it to the headlines of the world media with
the startling news of the �new peace initiative� divulged by PM
Meles Zenawi, the sole actor of the Ethiopian political scene. This
peace overture proposed by Meles, as always smudged with the
intention to damage the Ethiopian people and territorial integrity
was put forward through the backdoors of the Ethiopian parliament.
After
declaring that the decision by the EEBC was a blatant miscarriage of
justice and unimaginable to be accepted by Ethiopia on Sept. 2003,
the same Meles accepts in principle the court�s decision.
Otherwise, according to his raison d'�tre it is tantamount to
defiance of international law.......
Meles
an Eritrean Surrogate: The Destruction of Ethiopia
Bereket Kiros December
19, 2004 Despite
our long-standing and unique historical ties with the United States,
the officials at the State Department have become the source of
instability on broader security and political and economic life in
the Horn.
Any
agreement entered by Meles would not represent Ethiopia�s interest
and would fail to bring lasting peace in the region. The United
States should not be involved by encouraging such destructive
process of alienation of Ethiopians and their territory. These
five points proposals are one way or another politically motivated
and detrimental to Ethiopia, while the Eritrean get substantial
benefit and gains in return. The challenge for Ethiopia is not so
much poverty and ignorance but good government that pursues long run
strategy, vision and security concern of the nation.......
Economic
Justice the Road Map to Sustainable Peace-It is the Economy Stupid!
Not Demarcation or Isolation!
By Belai FM Habte-Jesus
December
13, 2004 Ownership
by stakeholders. It is also critical to appreciate that peace
becomes sustainable only when there is ownership of the deliberative
process and expected outcome by all stake holders. Bypassing this
process by assumed representation or deputization or deliberate
confiscations of this basic right only prolongs the time of
confusion. Who are the stakeholders in the current peace proposal?.....
The Betrayal of Ethiopia Continues: Is the United States Friend or
Foe?
Tecola Hagos-
December
8, 2004 The United States
Government spent billions cultivating such democratic and friendly
images on shallow propaganda and showpiece grandiose programs, which
were identified as such with most of the repressive local
governments of African nations. The United States might as well
start by focusing on few friendly nations such as Ethiopia by
stopping its support of land locking and breaking up of Ethiopia, a
totally insane policy that might destroy the only friend the United
States has in that part of the World. The consequence of that
misguided policy is going to cost the United States a very high price
indeed. The United States will be left holding an empty bag while
new emerging economic and political powers such as China, the
European Union, even Pakistan are going to be the new powerhouses
that African nations will be beholden to for all their economic and
political needs. African nations are divided up into three or four
blocks, none of which friendly or welcoming to the United States......
[Editor's Note: We applaud the critique by Mitiku Adisu (posted herein) for
its great content as well as its style.
We are humbled by the gentleness and wisdom of a truly
brotherly comment that certainly will benefit us all.
Melkam tegsaz, ktlik mugesa ejig yebeltal.]
A
Somber Lesson in Political Leadership
Mitiku Adisu-December
The four-part essay is
essentially a reevaluation of modern Ethiopian leaders in the light
of available literature and reliable oral witnesses. Unsurprisingly,
all our leaders are found wanting. Hence, the professor advises us
to let go our all-too-human �heroes� (except, perhaps Empress
Taitu) and adopt instead such disembodied concepts as �courage�,
�patriotism� and the like (Part ONE, p.1). How feasible is this
proposition? Does a deeply religious and largely illiterate
population function well without some recourse to symbolic
representations? I think the severity of
Menilik�s blunders lay, first and foremost, in the breach of
trust. He made a deliberate and sustained effort to undermine the
authority and humanity of fellow kings. His greed was unbound. The
professor rightly and convincingly marshals relevant documents to
this effect. But why should this be unique to Menilik or even to the
Ethiopian polity?......
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|
EDITORIAL:
Reject
the Double-talk of Meles Zenawi on The Boundary
Commission's Decision
Tecola Hagos-November
26 Meles acceptance
�in principle� the decision of the Boundary Commission will not
change the fundamental injustice in denying Ethiopia of its historic
coastal territories, and will not avert the continuation of
hostilities and war in the region. Since the Boundary Commission�s
decision is full of errors of facts, misinterpretation, and
misapplication of international norms, principles and practices,
such decision will not lead to any peace, prosperity, or security of
Ethiopia.. ......
PART FOUR
Treaty
of Peace With Italy (1947), Evaluation, and Conclusion
Tecola Hagos-November
22
The search and exposition of historical truth must be seen as a liberating force and not as a subversive one.�
Whether comfortable or roughshod, I believe we have to reexamine some of our assumptions on past important incidents to reconcile ourselves with monumental errors our leaders have made. My essays are expositions of a corrective kind of what I believed was a distortion of history by an entrenched and highly polarizing group of people with their elites and supporters. I envision a far better Ethiopia that we could all claim as our own than the vision of those self-promoting groups. It is such a glorious vision for Ethiopia that prompted all of my essays. The vision of a glorious Ethiopia is some thing to behold and aspire for as a realizable future
reality.......
Reject
the Double-Talk of Meles Zenawi on The Boundary Commission�s
Decision
By
Tecola W. Hagos
PART THREE
King
Sahle Selassie, Emperor Menilik II, and the Betrayal of Ethiopia.
Tecola
Hagos-October
31, " I am a woman. I do
not like war. However, I would rather die rather than accepting your
deal...."
These were the words of Empress Taitu when the Italian advisor to
the Emperor, Antenolli tore apart the translation of the revised
Wuchale accord that in effect declared the agreement of the Italians
to discard article 17. The Wutchale Treaty, as stated above was the
first openly treasonous treaty Menilik signed as Emperor of
Ethiopia. During the dispute of the Wutchale Treaty leading to Italy�s
threat of military attack, Menilik was willing to give additional
territory consisting of the whole of Tygrie, part of Begemder/Semen,
and a chunk of Afar to Italy. It was the indomitable and exquisitely
brave Empress Taitu who mobilized her relations in Begemder, Wollo,
and of Tygrie and confronted Menilik with a war plan (either he
fights or risk being ejected and possibly be replaced by Taitu�s
favorite Mengesha Yohannes)......
PART TWO:
Emperors
Tewodros II, Yohannes IV, Menilik II, and Myth of Colonialism
Tecola
Hagos-October
17, 2004 The recent orchestrated effort of the Mehale Sefaris, aspiring intellectuals, ambitious politicians, die-hard chauvinists, and opportunist
brainless business Webmasters to redefine the meaning of Ethiopianness by using Emperor Menilik as a yardstick and standard defies both logic and history. The falsification of history and the effort to degrade Emperor Yohannes, in order to enhance the deeds of Menilik, was the primary focus of the Mehale Sefaris to this day.....
Revisiting"
THE ETHIOPIAN," Oil on Canvas, 8'x5' (1970)
Tecola
Hagos-October
2,
2004. In
the painting, we observe courage, heroism, determination, dignity,
pride, and fearless individual responsibility and sacrifice
represented in the person of the individual depicted dressed in a
commander�s red tunic of a vanguard (the tip of the spear
formation of attack) of a Nineteenth Century Ethiopian army......
Deconstructing
the Lies and Distortions of Tseggai Mebrahtu
Bereket Kiros -September
10,
2004 The
politics of division and personal ambitions of individuals have set
the political
agenda of our time; however, in reality our system is as old as the
centuries old process that has gone into the making of modern
Ethiopia. The last ten years has become a trend to portray all the illness of Ethiopia as the work of the TPLF, even though there is
enough blame to go around. Most of our intellectuals have failed us
in not leading us, or providing us with scholarly articles to guide
us in our search for meaningful coexistence........
We
grieve for the Loss of Innocent Lives in Beslan, Russia.
Tecola
Hagos -September
7,
2004
Our heart felt condolences to the good people of Beslan where more than 350
innocent people were murdered on September 1, 2004. We object strongly to
any form of terrorism or hostage taking
by anybody no matter how aggrieved
those who perpetuate such violence might be. Specially murdering children is
the most cowardly and damnable act by anybody. The massacre at Beslan of
school children is barbaric and inhumane. We condemn such activities by
anyone. Editor
Editor's
Note: Tseggai Mebrahtu Still in Month
Old Childish Tantrum
Tecola
Hagos -August 28,
2004 Tseggai Mebrahtu has posted a follow-up essay
continuing his raving and ranting with an avalanche of new vulgarity
and insults pouring out unabated. He seems to be a cesspool for such
trash language and peculiar lexicon. He seems to believe that if he
keeps on misrepresenting a piece of "trash" as
"gold" long enough that it might indeed change
into one--a child's fantasy of adulthood. I
have always admired the great sensibility of Ethiopians; that
Ethiopians have such great sophisticated sense of ......
Regression:
"Poisoned" Malice & Incoherence
Berhanue
Tesfaye -August
28, 2004 Instead
of directing their vigor to the cause of Ethiopia, there are some
Ethiopians, who squander their time on a project of defaming modern
and respected writers of Ethiopia. Such a �poisoned� malice and
stream of abuse from such myopic approach might have emanated from
envy, vanity, infantilism, and �I-know it-all� tendency or
simply as ebullition of feeling or frustration. Because of his
excessive obsession with Prof. Tecola, whom Tseggai mentions more
than forty times attributing statements ......
Editor's
Note:
Tecola
Hagos - August
25, 2004 The
conspirators and collaborators of Tseggai Mebrahtu, who wrote an
acrimonious flip-flop article a few weeks ago, are now trying to
shift the focus of contention of the last couple of Weeks from
Menilik II relationship with the Italian Government that resulted in
violence, lose of life, and ceding of Ethiopian territory, to the
issue of "Amhara" dominance or hegemony. There is no
question that Tseggai and his fellow conspirators are caught in
their own lies and indefensible positions of aggrandizing the
despicable feudal order of Ethiopia of the last one hundred years
since the 1900......
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The
Elections of 2005: Will There Be Fair and Real Election In
Ethiopia?
Zewge
Fanta-
The
images of poverty, disease and political repression have repeatedly
shuttered the hopes and aspirations of the citizens. There may be no
more patience left to make the existing conditions last longer. In
such state of deep frustrations, the heat may reach a boiling point
in no time. And when that happens, the move to divorce Ethiopia from
its present unholy union with men of peccadillo and surfeit may be
just around the corner. .......
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Editor's
Note: Zewge Fanta's Comment, Tseggai Mebrahtu, Girma Bekele....
Tecola
Hagos - The response of Zewge Fanta, my childhood friend, is
very much that of a sophisticated, subtle, and humorous man; above
all, the response is that of a man who loves truth and is a seeker
of truth. I appreciate Zewge�s candor and courage in expressing
his views as a responsible member of a community of Ethiopians. In
time, I too will address the raving and ranting of Tseggai Mebrahtu
in an essay that is full of lies and misrepresentation of my views.
Tseggai�s essay is nothing more than the tantrum of a boy trying
to be a man in a hurry. .
...
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In
Response To Modernization A Poisoned Chalice For Ethiopians.
Zewge
Fanta-
I would like to point out to my readers that we are running
dangerously low in the matters that keep us alert and afloat! There
was nothing to echo and nothing to yearn for in the dramatized
second-rated thesis of Tseggai Mebrahtu. The fatigue eyes and
exhausted mind have discovered nothing after going through Tseggai�s
thesis. I have ended my reading disappointed, to say the least,
about the redundancy and repetitiveness and abundant misconceptions
of the author. The quest for truth is not necessarily proving one
idea wrong, but identifying what is the common good if that is the
aim. .
...
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PART
ONE
A
Sobering Lesson: The Menilik Factor and the New Defeatism
"Alebabsew Biarsu Barem Yimelesu."
Tecola
Hagos-October
2,
2004 I
am a firm believer that no international treaty, convention,
understanding, or instrument should be kept a secret from the people
of Ethiopia except those very few treaties dealing directly with the
purchase of defensive weapon and national security matters. For far
too long, most Ethiopians including my detractors and critics had
been arguing about the �greatness� of Emperor Menilik with their
emotion and blind loyalty rather than having read all the Treaties
and Conventions I have included herein signed by Menilik. Here is
the time for Althea--reveling truth, not just academic �truth.�
Alebabsew biarsu be arem yemelesu! .....
Political
Economy: Min Teyzo Guzo series
Fekadu Bekele -September
27,
2004
The physical economic principle which is based on the Platonic
science of finding the truth by means of hypothesis building and
dialectical questioning can be fully materialized when it is again
guided by the principles of machine-tools. The machine-tool
principles which is the main basis of technological progress
enhances manifold growth; and once it is set in motion it opens the
door for an ever growing technological development......
Darfur
Genocide: The world Must Punish Sudan. Obligation Erga Omnes
Tecola
Hagos -September
20,
2004
Right
at this moment, as you read this article, millions of Sudanese
citizens, the people of Darfur, are driven out of their homes and
land, hundreds of thousands murdered, and countless number of women
raped. All these atrocities and crimes were committed by the
Janjaweed, Beja marauders, misidentified as Arabs whereas the
admixture is slight, armed and assisted by the Sudanese Government.......
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Development
Planning for Africa.
Fekadu
Bekele-
It is a
well-known fact that colonialism has pushed Africa towards a special
kind of structural deformation which has still existed to day in
many African countries. During the colonial time most African
countries were compelled to produce raw materials and exotic goods,
which were determined for the western countries for further
processing. Though this kind of division of labor was theoretically
founded and advanced by Adam Smith and David Ricardo, the allocation
of resources during the colonial time was put into practice by means
of extra economic-coercion.. ...
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DARFUR:
Shame on You, African Leaders.
Tecola Hagos-
With all the
atrocities going on right at the heart of Africa, African leaders
are not taking the necessary steps to stop the crime of genocide and
ethnic cleansing that has taken the lives of tens of thousands of
people in the Darfur region of the Sudan. African leaders should be
ashamed of their silence and in-action. Leaders of Africa have shown
an unbelievable degree of irresponsibility by their silence and
token gesture of calling some silly meeting between rebel leaders
and the Bashir Government.. ...Related
News
The
United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), CARE,
World
Vision, Doctors
Without Borders
Save the Children, Oxfam,
UNICEF,
AmeriCare
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PART
THREE
BEYOND RACISM AND RELIGION: Wahhabism, Arabs, and Ethiopians
Tecola Hagos
�If you want God to laugh at your jokes, just tell Him your
life-plans.� Putting in mind this quotation as a profound
statement, even if it is a cynical sneer at the effort of a rather
pitifully fragile life form (mankind), I will attempt to discuss
some hopeful projects and relationships with neighboring nations and
peoples. Before I embark on such perilous effort, I will first
address some issues I have with the recent essay by Dr. Fekadu
Bekele posted in this Website. The essay has generated some
interesting discussion on the current political situation in
Ethiopia, and that is what a good essay is supposed to do: bring out
important issues for discussion, and if possible provide some
solutions. ...
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The Darfur Genocide: A Warning for Ethiopians.
Tecola Hagos -For
the last two years, the renegade Sudanese government has been waging
an escalating genocidal war against one of the ancient peoples of
Africa, the original Nubians: the Fur people. �Darfur� means the
land or country of the Fur. It is the same Sudanese government that
had harbored Osama bin Laden, the same government that had been on
the list of several governments as a terrorist government, which is
now waging the present genocidal war of ethnic cleansing against the
people of Darfur. The Sudanese government past gross violations of
human rights for over thirty years, starting before the current
Government, is part of the shameful record of abuse, murder, and
total deprivation of political and human rights of millions of
people for years in Africa.Sudan:
Government Commits �Ethnic Cleansing� in Darfur
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Reflections in A crucible
Tecola Hagos -What
is troubling is that Henze is deliberately falsifying facts and
writing misleading analysis glossing over real important issues such
as questions of political corruption, economic disaster, and social
deterioration of Ethiopia during the life of the oppressive
government of Meles Zenawi and his collaborators. It is truly
disappointing to read such misleading essay by an individual who
profess love for Ethiopia, especially someone with unmatched
opportunity of access to serious material on economic performance,
political violence, corruption et cetera in Ethiopia, which most of
us could only dream about of accessing. ...
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Science or Slander? A Response to Ato Tsehaye's False Understanding
of my article of June 17, 2004
Fekadu Bekele -For
any political or socio-economic discourse which is written by an
individual, before one comes to any negative conclusion, it is very
important to understand the real message of the entire context. In
science it is not allowed to take one aspect out of a detailed
analysis of certain situation and give ones own judgment by driving
from that particular paragraph....
Min Teyzo Guzzo or the Lack of Political Philosophy
Fekadu Bekele - The
political understanding of the present government goes beyond ones
own imagination and its misconceptions of social formation like
Ethiopia is very ridicules. By using a very bad metaphor it has
tried to change radically the social fabrics of the Ethiopian
society. According to its philosophy the Ethiopian society must be
jarred like a bottle of Coca Cola. When the jarred bottle is opened
the gas overflows and the rest remains at stand still which could be
drank comfortably.....
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Egypt
and the Hydro-Politics of the Blue Nile
Daniel Kendie - [The
essay by Professor Daniel Kendie is posted here due to the urgency
of the Blue Nile issue that has been a source of great conflict of
interest in the region. We want our Ethiopian brothers and sisters
to be reminded of the importance of the Blue Nile River and its huge
Basin. Although the essay was posted a few years back, we still find
it to be potent and highly informative.]....
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World
War II and D-Day
Heroes
for All People: Honoring the "Greatest Generation"
Tecola Hagos - As
they say �old warriors never die,� but may fade a little. It was
a great moment of reflection for me this last week running into so
many �old warriors� who are in Washington DC for the dedication
of a long overdue memorial, the National World War II Memorial. No
matter who they are, old warriors have similar aura from wherever
they might be. Watching these great American old warriors, I could
not help but think about the aging Ethiopian warriors (patriots)
whom I watched in parades over thirty years ago in Addis Ababa.......
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HVA
Victims and the aftermath reality
Cora Romano
(Van Leeuwen)-
My
father worked for HVA and our family lived on Shoa
estate from 1964 till 1971. My sister has the brittle teeth
- we were always warned not to drink the water from the
tap but she was too young to understand; and my father died of mesothelioma
at age 65. We are Dutch. Reading the letter by Almaz
Mequanint shed a very different light on my
happy childhood memories of living on the estate......
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Tecola
Hagos Responds: Part One Beyond Ethnicism Molding the New Ethiopia
Tecola W. Hagos-The
responses to my review of the book Tagaie Siye Abraha
reflect a wide spectrum of opinions. Judging from the letters and
comments I received, it seems that some of my critics are reading
their own thoughts into my work. My aim in citing past historical
incidents, such as the lives of particular Emperors, is meant to
blunt the arrogance and at times unabashed grabbing of power by a
group of individuals on the basis of the alleged laurels of their
parents or ethnic group. I am trying to move us towards a better
understanding of our checkered past and not to sweep it all under
the rag as if nothing hideous or deceitful had not happened in our
history. This approach of disclosure will help us remove all kinds
of entrenched interests and all of its residual.. ...,
.......
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Innocence
Murdered: Mourning Nicholas Berg
Tecola W. Hagos-The
murder of Nick Berg will haunt us all for a long time, for what was
murdered was not only a human being but also our innocence as well.
Our deeply felt sorrow and condolence to the family of Nick Berg. It
was a horrible and senseless act of individuals who are neither
heroic nor courageous, but deranged murderers who could not
distinguish between their own perverted sense of vengeance from what
is good for Iraq or for the Arab world..,
.......
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War
Crimes Committed by the Government of the United States in Iraq?.
Tecola W. Hagos-It
is extremely distressing to any decent human being to see pictures
of Iraqi prisoners being subjected to all forms of torture,
humiliation, degradation, even death in the hands of the United
States soldiers. The atrocities committed against Iraqi prisoners
and wanton killing of Iraqi civilians proves once more the adage
that �power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.�..,
.......
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The
Path Forward: An Economic Viewpoint.
Sahle Mariam-
No doubt that Ethiopians are political animals.
In living rooms, weddings, bars, etc., all conversations
(assuming it is between trusted friends) will touch on politics.
The
basis of one�s political position is almost always driven by
principle. That, in
itself, is very admirable but in a country as materially poor as
Ethiopia (with recurring droughts and famines), some positions
should be based on economics. Likewise,
most Ethiopian politicians invoke economics solely to score
political points. If
the average citizen had a cent for every time a politician said, �our
number one enemy is poverty and backwardness� with no real
prescriptions, the country may indeed overcome its famine epidemic......
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"Saint
Catherine" of Ethiopia: Dr. Catherine Hamlin AC Honoring Above
All Whom We love and Respect
Tecola W. Hagos-
Our first honoree is a woman who is not an Ethiopian by nationality;
however, Dr. Catherine Hamlin is more of an Ethiopian than any of us
in her selfless humility, kindness, love, absolute devotion, and
service beyond and above the call of her professional duty to
Ethiopia and Ethiopians for over forty years. To date, over twenty
thousand Ethiopian young women who once were suffering, living lives
filled with fear and humiliation with bowed heads of shame, were
healed in body and spirit by Dr. Catherine Hamlin and her late
husband Dr. Reginald Hamlin (deceased in 1993), and their assistants
of patriotic Ethiopian doctors and nurses.,
.......
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Gossip,
Rumor-Mongering, and-Defamation in Ethiopian Politics.
Hailu
Yeshiwondim-The effectiveness of such defamation as a weapon lay
in the fact that it was impossible to argue one�s innocence
because the very nature of rumors does not allow any form of open
debate. Because, like fiction, rumor and defamation involve the
suspension of disbelief, there is a strong resistance to any
evidence contrary to the rumor already in circulation. Party members
of that time lacked any solid political education beyond a
superficial concise instruction, on a cell level, of the five
systems of society, from slavery to communism. Instead, a huge
amount of time and energy was wasted on political rivalry, party
feuds,
.......
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Tecola
will respond at a later date and encourages all dissatisfied with
the review to send their comment as soon as possible.
Letters on the Book Review
Book
Review and Comment
Abyssinian
Heritage Development Center, 
[Tagaie
Siye Abraha: Ye Hwahat Q�wsena Ye Zegotch Mebit Regetaa], Washington
DC, 2004.
Tecola W. Hagos
-
This book Tagaie Siye Abraha has many constructive qualities.
It shows us how the last minute action and counter-action took place
that resulted in the expulsion of twelve Members, almost half of the
Central Committee of the TPLF (hereafter referred to as Dissenters
or Dissidents). However, the Book lacks certain degree of
specificity in terms of proper dates of events and specificity of
circumstances. This may be due to the extreme secretive nature of
the TPLF and facts filtering out in piece-meals rather than as
coherent whole from that organization. For example, I would be interested to know who Meles used as his go-between when
he mobilized the forces against the Twelve Dissidents.......
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The Metaphysics of Fractal
Political Philosophy
Part
II
Tecola W. Hagos
- Ethiopia is like a mathematical set
of many members/parts, and as such the characteristic of such parts
is the characteristic of the set itself. At least for the duration
of this article, let us not forget the fact that Ethiopia is an
aggregation of several parts, but also a lot more than the parts,
best characterized as a synergy of the many in the power of a
singularity or unity. We Ethiopians have wasted almost fifty years
focusing all of our effort and having adopted the wrong premise that
political rights and economic development could only be achieved by
going after political leaders and by introducing alien political
structure replacing existing systems to the exclusion of anything
else.. .....
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John Kerry: The Next
President Of The United States.
Tecola W. Hagos
- American voting public is like �a
vigilant time keeper� of a �public political clock� always
adjusting the velocity and the distance and the duration of each
swing of the political pendulum. And the election of a particular
candidate is simply a part of such adjustment by the vigilant
timekeeper. All negative campaign advertisements, scathing
interviews by either candidate et cetera would not change the
outcome of this election. It will only leave bad after-taste
disagreeable to all. The �vigilant time Keeper� will do his or
her adjustment ever looking out for the welfare and survival of the
Republic in fairness and justice. .....
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The
Metaphysics of fractal political Philosophy*
Tecola W. Hagos
- With famine and the AIDS epidemics
added to the political oppression and economic deprivation,
Ethiopians are being decimated and on the brink of extermination.
This devastating situation is the main reason that made me rethink
accepted formats of struggle and the pursuit of democratic political
changes. The truth of the matter is that Western democracy is like
an iceberg where most of its essential and supporting elements are
not visible above water, and the tiny fraction that appears to be
the case .....
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What
is Globalization?
Fekadu Bekele- The
conclusion then is, there is one global order or global economy, and
humanity has no other aspiration other than implementing its ideals
in the market economy. Now the world market is open to everybody and
to every nation. Globalization is the only solution to the social
and economic disorder which is prevailing in this world. Humanity
will be freed from poverty, disease and hunger if it upholds the
banner of globalization. Period!!
....
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Do
Turkeys Enjoy Thanksgiving?
Speech of Arundhati Roy at the World Social Forum in Mumbai on
January 16, 2004
In the great cities of Europe and America,
where a few years ago these things would only have been whispered, now
people are openly talking about the good side of Imperialism and the need
for a strong Empire to police an unruly world. The new missionaries want
order at the cost of justice. Discipline at the cost of dignity. And
ascendancy at any price. Occasionally some of us are invited to `debate'
the issue on `neutral' platforms provided by the corporate media. Debating
Imperialism is a bit like debating the pros and cons of rape. What can we
say? That we really miss it?....
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Ethiopia-Eritrea
Boundary Issue: The Destruction of a Hundred Years
[RESPONSE
TO THE PRESS STATEMENT OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE]
The United States Government is attempting to dismantle
and destroy Ethiopia by land locking over seventy million people
depriving them their historic and natural coastal territories. At
the same time while making its draconian demand on Ethiopia, the
United States Government proclaims its friendship to Ethiopia. This
is not an action of a friend. What else an enemy can do to Ethiopia
and Ethiopians beyond destroying them thus?....
 Ethiopia-Eritrea
Boundary Issue (State
Department Press Release)
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Threat
Against Human Rights and Human Dignity in the 21st Century: More
Than a Book Review.
[David
Cole, ALIENS:
Double Standards and Constitutional Freedoms in the War on Terrorism,
New York and London: The New Press (2003). US $ 24.95]
Tecola W. Hagos
- Great books are
an amalgamation of the
lives of communities and the lives of their authors woven together
and forming great matrix of profound insight. One such great book
that comes to mind is the book by Fyodor Dostoevsky, NOTES FROM THE
UNDERGROUND; that book had profound effect on me in my youth and
continues to do so every time I reread it. Cole�s book ENEMY
ALIENS is a very personal book despite its very public message where
the personal struggle of the Author is both a trajectory and an
integral part of the Book. ENEMY ALIENS....
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Part
III
The Failure of Fascist "Legge Organica" to Kill Shoa:
Rising Patriotism in Spite of Brutal Repression, Mass Execution,
Wholesale Burning and Gas Poisoning Aleme Eshete - Accordingly
Shoa had to be destroyed completely through a policy of harsh
dismantlement and repression. The territory of Shoa was broken up
and by lumping the greater part to what it called the �Governo of
Amhara�, including Gondar, Gojam and Wollo with capital at Gondar
under Governor General Alessandro Pirzio Biroli but under the direct
control of the �Gran Governatore� of Eritrea...
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Fascism
and the Reunion of Eritrea with Ethiopia
Part
II
The
Eritrean Separatist Movement Part III
TPLF's
Outlook on Eritrea and Distortions of Ethiopian history Part IV
TPLF's
Relation with the Separatist Movements of Eritrea Part VI
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Relearning
from History: The Capture of Saddam Hussein
Tecola W. Hagos
- As
far as Ethiopians are concerned, Saddam Hussein, along with leaders
of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria and other tiny Gulf States, has
been a fiendish enemy and a terrorist financing the secessionist
movements of ELF, EPLF and others against the legitimate government
of Ethiopia. Ethiopians suffered and endured terrorist activities
long before it became known in the West. The leaders of those Arab
countries are all brutal dictators who have suppressed and abused
their respective citizens under some of the worst government
structures in the world. It is a historic fact that Ethiopia has
been targeted for destruction by Arabs because of the following two
main reasons:
......
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HVA
Wonji/Shoa, Methara Pollution Concern
By Almaz Mequanint- In the 1950s, HVA started to pioneer the sugar
industry in Ethiopia. Wonji, Wonji/Shoa and Metahara sugar factories
were established in 1954, 1960 and 1968 respectively.
There are three major departments in sugar factory manufacturing,
(a) mill house, (b) process house, and (c) boiler house. Each
produces different types of waste, and are responsible for the
emission of harmful gases into the air. There was also pungent smell
from the mill house. Molasses were poured on the streets in Wonji,
......
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Ceding
Ethiopian Territories to Eritrea in the Name of Rule of Law?
Which Law and Whose Law?
Foreign Lawyers and
Governments Involved in Illegal Deceit Against Ethiopia:
Part 2
Tseggai Mebrahtu - In
part one of this Article, we concluded by saying that despite the
discourse on rule of law and on popular sovereignty, there was no
political possibility in Ethiopia to review the constitutionality of
the acts of parliament and of the executive. The EPRDF constitution
for example provides that the parliament cannot make treaties which
don�t promote Ethiopia�s national interest......
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Canada's
House of Commons: Joining the Blackmailers Club.
Tecola W. Hagos
- Members of the
Parliament of Canada in their latest campaign to landlock and
destroy Ethiopia by demanding that Ethiopia accept the decision of a
corrupted Boundary Commission. In the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session a
report (11th Report) [attached herewith at the end of this article]
from the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International
Trade from its November 6 �03 57th meeting, a course of action
against the Sovereign Nation of Ethiopia is recommended in order to
force Ethiopia accept the decision of Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary
Commission.....
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Origin
of Tribalisation of Ethiopian Politics: From Fascism to Fascism.
Aleme Eshete - The
Nazis
of Austria - Hungary had already in the 1930's targeted Ethiopia as a
threat against white supremacy, and white colonialism in Africa, in
much the same way as the Bush
administration talks about Iraq's "weapons of mass
destruction" and threat to "Western Civilization." In
the case of Ethiopia, the classic work on the subject, which we
have repeatedly introduced to the Ethiopian public, myself and the
Ethiopian patriotic Diaspora in Germany, was, of course,
the book by the Austrian Nazi, Baron Roman Prochazka's
"Abyssinia the Powder Barrel" (Vienna 1935).....
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Aklilu
Habtewold: In the Footsteps of a Great International Law
Jurist: Disqualification
of Lauterpacht, Nullification of the Algiers Agreement, and
Rejection of the Decision of the Border Commission.
Tecola W. Hagos
- A careful analysis of
the speeches of Aklilu, as well as his report and his
communiqu� to Emperor Haile Selassie for instruction, revels
a man who was very much in full control of what he was doing.
Even though the political side of the equation at that time
was far more important than the �law of nations� that has
been twice breached resulting in two World Wars, I admired the
fact that Aklilu based his judgment on principles of
international law dealing with sovereignty and territorial
integrity of states rather than political expediency....
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Ceding
Ethiopia's Territories to Eritrea in the Name of Rule of Law?
PART 1
Tseggai Mebrahtu - One
of the various overt attempts by both internal and external
forces to give a semblance of legality to the illegal cession
of Ethiopian territories and maritime outlet to Eritrea is the
recourse to the discourse on the observance of the rule of
law. Thus, despite the current misleading legal trial of
strength between the Security council, the Eritrean regime on
the one hand and the Trojan Horse government in Ethiopia on
the other, there is no doubt that they have made common cause
to use and misuse the law to promote Eritrean Lebensraum at
the expense of Ethiopia.....
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Peras
Imposed to Apeiron: Rules make Art
Tecola W. Hagos
- An
advocacy for total freedom without any organizing principles,
rules and standards to be observed is simply a nihilistic
view. Philosophers have an unflattering name for such
outlook--solipsism. At its best it camouflage itself with the
concept of �freedom� and individual �autonomy� thereby
disarming simple minds to accept anti-social behaviors and
philosophies as some form of enlightenment of sort. Freedom in
the void is no freedom, the freedom of an individual becomes
meaningful in context of the goals and purposes that the
individual pursues..... |
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The
Blackmailing of Ethiopia: Phase Two
Tecola W. Hagos
- It
is inconceivable to deprive Ethiopia its historic Coastal
Territories of Afar and the Red Sea. It won�t happen,
America or no America. The West in pursuit of its own security
and economic agenda is simply feeding a few Eritreans.... |
Attempted
Blackmail Of Ethiopia By United States Congress
Tecola W. Hagos
- A
Bill, H.R. 2760, was introduced in the 108th Congress 1st
Session in the House of Representatives by Rep. Tom Lantos
(for himself and Rep. Donald Payne). The short title of the
Bill is �Resolution of the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Dispute
Act of 2003." [H.R. 2760 of July 16, 2003 is attached
here with at the end of this essay.]
It might as well should have been titled as �Resolution
for the Destruction of Ethiopia� and dispense with the
pretentious reference to both Ethiopia and Eritrea as if they
are being considered on equal footing.....
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International
Support for Addis's Right of Access to the Red Sea:
Jacob Haile-Mariam
- May
17, 2002
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Genealogy
of Heroes and Contradictions in Ethiopian Politics:
Ghelawdewos Araia May 9, 2002
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No
amount of jubilation can hide Ethiopia's territorial loss
.Ghelawdewos
Araia - April 16, 2002 |
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is
giving us alternative views and approaches: a challenge to
opposition parties and the EPRDF on how to achieve a democratic
Ethiopia through peaceful political processes. He introduced a set
of analytical tools and frameworks that show how to navigate on
the unchartered and risky political sea of our Ethiopia. He laid
the basis of a modern political process through reconciliation and
understanding of our political and cultural diversity.
The Horn of Africa is not just a locus of modern-day piracy. It is the keystone in a geostrategic arch where the interests of Ethiopia and her neighbors, including Somalia and Sudan, and all the major world powers, come together. This informative and authoritative study, the first of its kind by an Ethiopian scholar, presents the history of diplomatic relations and shifting alliances between the United States and Ethiopia in the context of Cold War politics, the role of the Ethiopian Jews (Bete Israel), and the role of Ethiopian diaspora in the West.