29. March 2008 by Assimba.

By Geresie Bonkie

We can think of democracy as a system of government with the following key elements:

1. A political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections;

2. The active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life;

3. Protection of the human rights of all citizens;

4. Transparency and accountability to the public;

5. A rule of law, in which the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens.

In a democracy, the people are sovereign-they are the highest form of political authority. Power flows from the people to the leaders of government, who hold power only temporarily. Laws and policies require majority support in parliament, but the rights of the minorities are protected in various ways. The people are free to criticize their elected leaders and representatives and to observe how they conduct the business of government. Elected representatives at the national and local levels should listen to the people and respond to their needs and suggestions. For elections to be free and fair, they have to be administered by a neutral, fair, and professional body that treats all political parties and candidates equally. All parties and candidates must have the right to campaign freely, to present their proposals to the voters, both directly and through the mass media. Voters must be able to vote in secret, free of intimidation and violence and etc. But none of the above-mentioned are exercised in Ethiopia, instead under the disguise of democracy and fake election, high crimes have been committed for the last three decades.

In the latest May 2005 national election, 25 million of Ethiopia’s illegible voters stood in line for long hours to cast their votes. Mr. Zenawi’s regime was overwhelmingly defeated by the opposition. However, Mr. Zenawi had difficulty in accepting that the opposition had won the national election and declared himself a winner, ordered his security to shoot and kill more than 193 innocent citizens, embarked on a massive and sustained crackdown of all dissents in the country. Thousands of innocent citizens, mostly young, were held in 5 specially arranged Nazi-type concentration Camps.

In this regard, if we quote from the recent U.S. Department of State country report of 2007, which is almost identical to the predecessor’s years, on human rights practices, it is reported as follows. “Human rights abuses reported during the year included: limitation of citizens’ rights to change their government during the most recent elections; unlawful killings, and beating, abuse, and mistreatment of detainees and opposition supporters by security forces: poor prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, particularly of those suspected of sympathizing with or being members of the opposition or insurgent groups; detention of thousands without charge and lengthy pretrial detention; infringement on citizens’ privacy rights and frequent refusal to follow the law regarding search warrants; use of excessive force by security services in an internal conflict and counter-insurgency operations; restrictions on freedom of the press; arrest, detention, and harassment of journalists for publishing articles critical of the government; restrictions on freedom of assembly; limitations on freedom of association ……….”

Here we go again, Election! recycling evil in the name of democracy in Ethiopia. Prescribing fake election to cover up the high crimes being committed and clinging to power, not through the will of the people, but through the barrel of the gun. In Ethiopia, gun culture is ruling over reason and logic.

The current regime in Addis Ababa has routinely engaged and continues to engage in tortures, beatings, systematic abuse, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment of dissidents and opponents in violation of their own Constitution. The regime of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has severely curtailed the right of freedom of associations and the right of the people to engage in unrestricted peaceful political and civic activity. The regime continues to violate the people’s right to assemble freely by disrupting or unlawfully banning opposition party meetings, arbitrarily denying or delaying or engaging in last minute revocation of public meetings or demonstration permits, and by using pressure tactics on ordinary Ethiopians, including requiring opposition members to renounce their party membership, even systematically harassing and intimidating opposition parliament members and their constituents not to hold meetings to address any issue. The regime continues to harass, persecute publishers, editors and journalists and controls all broadcast media. The regime relies on politically appointed judges to obtain predetermined outcomes, which often result in a miscarriage of justice.

If all the crimes committed by Meles Zenawi regime for the last three decades are investigated by international independent investigators, we are sure that the world would be shocked and it will be one of the records at the top in the 21^st century. As we speak, the regime in Addis Ababa is busy hiding its crimes on humanity. It should be painful to mention that all the above said crimes and human rights abuses were happening under the watchful eye of United Nations and western countries, who claim that they stand for human rights and democracy, turning their blind eye and deaf ear to all the atrocities committed against Ethiopians.

We Ethiopians have paid for democracy and the rule of law in terms of our blood and treasure for years. Ethiopians say democracy and ask all to stand with the people of Ethiopia whose rights are denied. You can right wrongs, and say enough of blood and tears in Ethiopia to stop the ongoing crimes being committed under the cover of democracy and fake election.

Stop Recycling Evil In The Name of Democracy and Fake Election in Ethiopia!

Geresie Bonkie March 2008

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23. March 2008 by Assimba.

Obo Arada Shawl alias Wolde Tewolde  - March 23, 2008

Three days ago, a girl whom I met at the Starbucks surprised me by telling me that she has never heard about ABYOT let alone to know what it meant. On the other hand, she perfectly remembers very well about the Wars of Maichew and Aduwa, Korea and Congo. She further told me that she was going to Ethiopia to get married in a traditional wedding. She prefers the marriage to be consummated in Ethiopia for cultural and religious values.

“What religious and what cultural values are talking about?” I have surprised her in the same way she puzzled me about ABYOT. I told her that I did not return home in Eritrea since 1972 and to Ethiopia since 1986 for lack of traditional, religious and cultural values.

I believe that the Ethiopian Revolution aka known as the Eway Revolution was to be remembered. It was not destructive, as some writers wanted us to believe. The Eway Revolution should be understood in its proper context of change, i.e. Revolution via Democratization.

I was about to explain to this young and vibrant lady what ABYOT or the Eway Revolution was/is meant, when suddenly her ride came to take her home, i.e. Ethiopia. We will discuss about ABYOT, Tradition and Marriage when she returns in about three months. But in the mean time, let me switch to a different and explosive topic for America and Ethiopia.

The Eway Revolution is not about nationality, ethnicity, language or ideology as was subscribed in Ethiopia and Eritrea as indicated below.

Leaders Tenets Symbolic Tools_______

Haile Sellassie I Christianity The Lion of Judah

Menghestu Haile M. Socialism The Black Lion

Mellese Zenawi Ethnicity Star of David in pentagram

Essayas Language Camel, olive tree and colors

For Debteraw and his political Party, EPRP it is none of the above. For Debteraw and EPRP, it is about the Ethiopian Security and the Eritrean politics by means of Revolution via Democratization.

For Ethiopia, the E-Way Engine (EWE) has brought a new way of thinking, thanks to Deteraw and his political party, EPRP.

For America, the Search Engine (SE) has brought a new way of thinking, thanks to Obama and technology.

However, the politics and experience of Debteraw and Obama are markedly different in many ways but similar in some ways. The origins of race, color and religion (RCR) are traced in Ethiopia, but they are nowhere a threat to Ethiopia as they are to America.

SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (FLF)

This week Obama spoke loudly and vividly something that was simmering on underground. The talk of race, color and religion were everywhere and but nowhere as an issue for - America is believed to be a melting point for everything. RCR was not discussed in public as a political issue. Now Senator Obama talked about it in such a way that it will help America because of his mixture of races. What races? Obama did not say it enough. He should have said that he is from a black and a white skin color. It is all about the color of the skin. This is what we call in Ethiopia K’L’S. He should have confirmed that his skin is a mixture. Instead Senator Obama says time and again that he is a unifier and not a divider. His reasoning is that has adapted various cultures by living in different places with different people. That is the trouble. It is not the mixed culture that will assist him to be a president. It is the single value that will unite the country. After all, Americans are known by their Flag (13 stripes and 50 stars), by their Latin alphabet and by their Freedom (FLF) and not by their culture, as Obama campaign wants us to believe.

Obama’s value is embedded in his name rewritten in Latin alphabet. Did he live by his name? Or alternatively, does his name signify something? That I do not know.

DEBTERAW TSEGEYE GEBRE MEDHIN (FFF)

In Ethiopia a person’s skin did not matter. The same womb can deliver black or white regardless. In Debteraw’s country a human being is a human being. He is an Ethiopian, a child of God regardless. But in recent years, especially after the so-called modern education, things have changed. Some individuals began to hide their identify, especially after the Italian colonization. Some intellectuals began to hate their identity. They were captured by false pride of being educated without the “Alphabet” of GE’EZ. Here comes the scholar Debteraw Tsegeye into the picture.

Without the development of GE’EZ Ethiopia/Eritrea would not have been civilized. Civilization by definition is of mental exercise and record keeping. In the absence of GE’EZ, or any other alphabets enormous things would not have been possible. Philosophical thoughts, Biblical religion and Organization of societies would not have been possible without the written word. GE’EZ had and will continue to have great impact on social, economic, political, cultural and educational investment sectors.

What is GE’EZ? Fidel or Abugida?

I want to leave the answer to be discussed by my readers. 

U-T (HePe) ever since we know how to read and write, we have never thought of where it came from or how it was evolved. The answers to these questions were only told by foreign researchers mostly enamored themselves to be known as Ethiopinists. Inasmuch as they themselves were foreigners, they had to say that GE’EZ came to Ethiopia from outside the country via South Yemen.

Scholars of Ethiopia like Debteraw insisted that GE’EZ is an indigenous script and language. In order to dispel or reveal the truth of the value of GE’EZ language and in order to communicate with the alphabet of it, Debteraw became a debtera instead of a priest and had deciphered the content of the language of Ge’ez in terms of Qine-qidase-wazema-trgum-sewasw (QQWTS) and this has scarred not only the high priests but also the high government officials. While on the other hand, Debteraw went to college in order to understand the values of the western world written in Latin.

Those who became literate and educated in Latin alphabet are basically against Ethiopia and Ethiopians – essentially against themselves. Their own identity is at stake. What a tragedy?

First year students who attended Geography 101 class used to tell us that PMWM starts by teaching about Ethiopia in the following manner. He starts from the North, Eritrea is stone, Tigrai another stone and before saying more some students withdrew from Geography class thereby becoming ignorant of their own country. What do you call this? Hatred or ignorance?

Another example as narrated to me by a friend was as follows. While Emperor Haile Sellassie I was visiting the library of Alemaya College, the emperor asked the Dean of the college whether the library houses GE’EZ books. The dean bowed without saying any thing. Haile Sellassie again asked him the same question, the dean again bowed. The Emperor said, “ Is that the answer”, the dean bowed for confirmation. So we can see why the responsible officials like the dean of Alemaya, the lecturer of Geography in Addis Ababa never like to promote the true educational system for Ethiopia. The history of Axum, Meroe and Egypt (AME) do not seem to sink in the minds of our educated professors. Call me by my name. What is my name?

As if that was not enough, Mesfin Wolde Mariam is making sure that Debteraw will never see sunlight while he (PMWM) is alive. What a travesty? The reason is simply because Debteraw is literate in GE’EZ and English and he knows the difference between knowledge and wisdom unlike the professor who only negotiates his way via information.

Mesfin writes about Obama and not about Debteraw! Can anyone ask the professor why he is not writing about Debteraw? This question should be added to the 20 questions posed to the professsor by www.EthioLion.com) to become the 21st question. What a tragedy? Is he an Ethiopian or is he a mixture of cultures as Obama himself. I am wondering!!!

Semitic, Hamitic or Cushitic as a language was not an issue for Debteraw. The choice of FIDEL (GE’EZ) as in ATT (Amharic-Tigrigna-Tigre) and the Latin alphabet together are of fundamental importance for our peoples’ communication. The Afaan Oromo, with a modified Latin alphabet called Qub’ee as presented as Oromo Script is another alphabet to compete with GE’EZ. What a wonderful world of choices!!!

For comments and criticisms

woldetewolde@yahoo.com

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20. March 2008 by Assimba.

FRETSIDIQ FEKADE.

I have been, to the best of my ability, scrutinizing every steps of the current politics marching and yet not found the punch line significant to arrest all perspectives in a nut shell. The profound and grass rooted ideals such as mass base movement with strong political mobilization has not yet gotten a definitive look and approach to establish a united and uniform struggle substantive to empower the poor and oppressed citizens. Subsequently, obligated concerned citizens to re examine the major gridlock which deter us. Let me cite few among a number of problems as to why we are staggering to go straight forward and fight the real fight:

A. intra parties’ crisis and skirmish; for instance, either in CUDP or EPRP caused by traitors allegedly serve the incumbent more than their own polity.

B. unconscious political participation of many individuals galvanized by political whim but have been witnessed to lack prudence and reasoning or understanding of the political arena in its entirety; Precisely speaking, deficient of multi-disciplinary approach to the precursor of the problem. To mention a few, those naïve attendee at Siye’s city hall meeting, who is as criminal and responsible for the destruction of Ethiopia as Meles Zenawi

C. lack of principled disputation and systematic approach to analysis in discussion forums, electronic medias or paltalk rooms to achieve the desired goal.

The later suggests ways of influencing people to distance or preclude themselves from the political platform or gravitate them toward the struggle depends on how the politics is maneuvered. Bearing this in mind, I would like to stress on the third factor for the rest are being dealt extensively from every angle ostensibly or truly, siding with the voice of the majority or vice versa, regardless, the truth will be unveiled sooner or later.

Maulana Karenga, An Africentric psychologist has said once “ truth that isn’t born of struggle ( disputation ) is not truth at all; it is just mindless agreement”. The rhetorical and oratorical discourse that is flooding the cyber chat rooms with a silent majority are at the receiving end busying clapping and whistling, oscillating between lines while the very few CONCERNED individuals at times presenting sound political arguments as well as their counter parts, arresting their case one after the other; very often the discussion or dispute is conveyed by music or poetry, the audiences are best situated in the lobby to either listen to a speaker or find a foe or a friend depends on the context of the texts scribbled; at the end of the day, with few exceptions, people are satiated and sedated by frivolous dispute that goes on from dawn to dusk without a conducive goal achieved.

So far, in my experience of the last few months in Ethiopian paltalk discussion forum, I have felt the warmth of the radical view (explicitly embrace the very foundation of ethiopiawinet) and the cold arbitrary ( no reason or a rhyme) models; claim to afford an effective alternative to prevailing ways of viewing Ethiopian politics functioning. Irrespective of both views, the matter still remained ambiguous and obliged me to ask how can we come out of this little podium and tackle the real cause of the problem in the open in stead of circumventing the centric point ? The radical view assertively question: how much we exclusively define weyane as an enemy? What are the most prominent characteristics to identify weyane? What kind of political, social, and psychological orientation or model best serve us to survive as a nation in the midst of repression or there after ? Is the question of democracy weighs more than the question of freedom? And so forth.

unlikely, the rubbish and insignificant issues what I call the smooth or arbitrary model which I dare to identify intruder‘s modus operandi, too myopic to meet the end while pre-occupied dodging the means. Unjustly necessitate or conveying a message entails “compromising alien topics forge similarity with a tenet of participatory democracy, bounce or un bounce unfit characters according to room‘s policy, how do we accommodate people classified as anjas or bandas as though it were the mother of all issues and some more falsified grandiloquence which is an extended version of blah blah,” are being dealt at equivalent rate along with the emergency and sensitive sovereign issues of the mother land. Imagine the equivalence . Alas! What a futile endeavor. This argument is best analogues to what Tsegaye Debteraw’s says in his poetry; “Ethiopian eyatanat yilunal alem yenante nat”

For some egoistic, self-inflated, and ineffectual current political “personage’’, the paltalk “vanilla” politics has become of a magnifying glasses to enlarge their portrait beyond its actual size or render hyperbolic presentation. For some hypocrites and opportunist it has been a privilege to capitalize on issues endangering people as we speak for their own benefit. For some mentally belittled and afflicted weyane cadres, the medium has been a serviceable instrument to promote, promulgate, and project only their own image and selfish ethno interests. For fakers and phony personalities who are in the shadow and disguise in Ethiopiawinet but are real weyane as in the case of the DIASPORA ROOM’S THUG “ATSE” WHO LIVES ON MANIPULATION AND MASQUERADE, the specified room has been a tenure to make a living. And yet, while all these and other stuffs are taking place, we Ethiopians adamantly striving for unity and freedom are naively sit and talk gratifying a whim in addition to that, indulge our mentality in political exclamation. Is this a mentacide or what? Has there ever been any disputation resulting in good terms? Poor Ethiopians how are we going to prevail when harboring agents in our vicinity sugar coated with conventional thinking designed to attract and confuse people without keen selective judgment? WHAT OTHER WAY DO WE KNOW AS A PEOPLE TO STAND UNIFORMLY FOR THE TRUTH?

A lack of prudent and principled struggle combined with immature strugglers, the struggle will always end up in division as opposed to synthesis. Division, segregation, polarization among fellow ethiopians is what inspires weyane . However, if we were genuinely dispute over ideas that can truly build up Ethiopiawinet, the resulting disputation uncompromisingly bear strong nationalist individuals. This is not a biased or over reactive view, however; is my observation and evaluation based on facts on ground for some time has afflicted my “little mind”; thus oblige me to seek a proactive and systematic measure to revise what I have experienced. I am not here to destructively criticize every figure participate in paltalk room or its general aura; as a matter of fact, needless to mention names, there are a number of people that I have a great deal of admiration because of their systematic political analysis is no less than academic scholarly review. For that matter, their demeanor and nationalist point of view is worth my time.

What bug me so often is the average time being spent on untimely issues inadvertently or intentionally being covered to relegate and denigrate the core issues believed to have been an essence ( grass rooted ideals ) to the struggle. May that be a matter of curiosity? It is common every where that the mind’s hunger is initially manifested in curiosity, specially, as in the case of oppressed and robbed mind ( us), which is victimized itself and actively looking for ignorance. The politics that involves the lives of 80 million Ethiopians suffice to evade our boredom never the less elicit nothing more than nihilism. Here, ironically, curiosity doesn’t only kill the cat but also those driven by unconscious mind reluctantly respond to “911” ( an emergency). Has our collective mind been raped, violated and obliterated or subliminally submitted to the oppressor? I will leave this to the reader’s and paltalk rooms audiences’ own power of discernment.

One must ask how do we make a good use of this medium so as to constructively engage ourselves to find a remedy? My answer is plain, focus on fight or flight! Fight according to the magnitude of suffering our fellow citizens are enduring: atrocity, genocide, poverty, injustice, women trafficking, illegal adoption, imprisonment, corruption, epidemics, migration, war, torture, etc. who is responsible for all of these? Eyasu or Hailu shawel, what a parody! We know it all the enemy residing in “arat killo” is responsible for every problem there is to it. Taking all adversaries into consideration, we shall take action immediately as opposed to letting the issues fall in a deaf ear. when we compromise with the enemy, we become like some forms of cancer, the cells which should protect the organism from alien (enemy) intrusions begin to attack the life giving cells. As we stretch the struggle without the discipline and principle it requires; disappointment, frustration, anger, hopelessness ensue and the tenets and integral part of the struggle will fade up. Subsequently, stagnate or affix us with no point of reference. So, I say unto you, know your enemy and give a definitive look to the struggle at hand. Our fellow citizens voiced up time again the repression is enough. Therefore, let us neither stimulate nor flagellate ourselves solely in political discourse to no avail. Substantiate what is to be substantiated in the struggle to Fight with determined spirit in timely fashion or flight and get out of the mess.

Ethiopia will prevail!

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18. March 2008 by Assimba.

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16. March 2008 by Assimba.

By Gemencho

An ex-leader of the EPRP, who had left the organization a while ago, was asked by one of the diasporic magazines, how he sees himself with regards to the party that he helped build, now he is out of it. The interview was made in part to inaugurate his book on the history of the party. Since then, other accounts that contradict his understanding of that history have appeared, particularly by those who had worked with him and knew him in person. But that was not my issue at the time I was reading the interview. What caught my attention then was the way by which he confronted the question. He told the interviewer that he sees himself in “EPRP’s state of mind”. I took this to the heart and attempted to reconcile it with the political stance that he had taken at the time. At the time, the man did not just leave the organization. He left, because he could no more resist of being at peace with the regime in Addis Abeba, of being in Weyanne’s state of mind. Unless the ex-leader assumes EPRP is like a spirit thing that is everywhere, once in it always in it kind of phenomenon, I was not sure how he had found himself, in two parallel states of minds that were at war with each other. There are others who have applied his doctrine of wishing EPRP’s death while claiming to be one.

This is what the current anja, after rupturing itself, at its own convenience, from the ideals (which it calls the status-quo) of the organization, did. In the tradition of outright opportunism, it took advantage of the weight the name EPRP holds, to use it as a tool for its own group interest. It refuses to see the conflict it finds itself in, that is, waving its name, swearing in its name, while simultaneously attacking the very ideals which the name bears witness to. The group stands vehemently opposed to those ideals and still dares to call itself EPRP.

But what is in this name, EPRP? What does it tell, and who does it speak for? In his eloquent commentary about the political and cultural life of Debteraw, Obo Arada Shawel raises the significance of the name EPRP which he looks at, through this sacrificial life of an Ethiopian revolutionary. So, the name has cultural, social and ideological loci. It is not a phenomenon that is outside of history. It is not for everyone It speaks to a particular constituent and thinking. It is Ethiopian, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, fiercely independent, and uncompromising in its ideals. It is partisan and non transferable.

One hopes the anja would consider this and come to its senses and stop being a fake duplicate of the real one. One hopes it would avoid its own confusion by having the conscience and courage to leave the name to where it belongs. . . .

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14. March 2008 by Assimba.

Obo Arada Shawl alias Wolde Tewolde

March 13, 2008

Confused or Confuser

Am I confused or a confuser (no such word is found in the English Dictionary, though)? My pen name is Obo Arada Shawl, which signifies that I stand for Rural Ethiopia, inner cities of Addis Ababa and Asmara respectively but my real name is Wolde Tewolde. Am I creating some confusion for my readers? If there is, please let me know as our given Names signify something of value.

In my previous article, actually it was a commentary on professor Mesfin Wolde Mariam who might intentionally or unintentionally lived in a confused environment or smart enough to confuse others during our lifetime. In the past, I had attempted to save Ethiopians from confusion made by a prominent Poet, deceitful geography professor and by an emotional journalist in Diaspora. I have always believed since years back that three professions (personalities) namely of Arts, Geography and Journalism can create distortion on any Ethiopian realities.

MWM (Geographer)

I do not want to go on answering the twenty questions posed to professor MWM by EthioLion.com. Besides, no one asked me to do so despite my plea. However, since the professor cannot stop meddling in the affairs of innocent Ethiopian/Eritrean lives, we have to continue to reveal and disgrace his personality a la mode of CC (combat & challenge) and TT (Tagel & Tateq) style of struggle. CC was the name of the publication of EPRP whereas TT belonged to MEISON’s. Both style of struggle were anemic to MWM. He likes Yaz & Leqeq despite his pretension as a leftist professor. When the EthioLion editor pleaded with the professor as to when to get off from the Ethiopian peoples’ back, I responded that he would never do that until he finds out his DNA. When I wrote that comment I did not mean his DNA in order to find out his paternity or his criminality record. I was trying merely to locate his space in life, namely his political geography.

Now, true to my prediction, he wrote an article on Obama (see Abbaymedia.com). He labeled Obama’s presidential race as a spirit. What kind of a spirit, one may ask? This kind of jumping into conclusion is what harmed our people and country. I am sure this is another blunder by the professor to be seen in the near future.

Every time there is a wind of change or a hope for change professor MWM jumps and make some serious mistakes including some irreparable damages. For instance, the professor had joined a panel of eleven PhD holders that was formed to demarcate the Ethiopian polity under the DERG. He also joined the group of so-called independent Ethiopians who went to London to witness the surrender of the Ethiopian government to EPLF/TPLF/OLF. This time, the professor had joined with three PhD holders and three Masters. One can go on listing his calculated or erratic activities. What I do not understand is why many Ethiopian intellectuals follow his example instead following the right people regardless of their titles. Call me by my name. What is my name? (Girzmatch, Kegnazmatch, etc. etc.)

I do not know whether it is true or not, but one simple explanation of the professor’s attitude of character and personality is given like this.

• In his professional field, at a certain time during a proposed meeting of some local Amhara officials to be held somewhere in rural Shewa village, they did not know the location of the village and so MWM was summoned by the Emperor Haile Sellasie I in order to locate the meeting place and so the professor true to his geography knowledge pinpointed the village. From there on, the Emperor reported to have said that ‘there is nothing that Mesfin does not know’. Could this be a reason for his arrogance?

• In his family life, when asked why he wanted a divorce from his wife, it was circulated that he said, “Two husbands couldn’t live in the same house”. Let us hope that Mideksa has liberated him this time around.

Our Issue, Then

How do we handle our aspirations for Unity, Peace and Democracy? At the time when I met Debteraw, our communication was three dimensional, in religious terms (father-son-holy spirit), familial (husband-children-wife), governmental affairs (monarchy-church nobility), political (party-army-masses) and so on and so forth.

Specifically, Debteraw used to insist that the practical solution for bringing Unity-Democracy-Peace was through READ (Revolution-Education-Art-Democracia). For Debu and me the letters of A&E are one and the same (usage in pronunciation as first & fifth). However, their contents were fundamentally different from mine as AE = Arts and Education (he was excellent in Kinet and Education). For me, the letters of K& W were/are relevant as KW = Knowledge and Wisdom. Our common agreement for working together was based on Revolution and Democracia (RD). By the way every nation has progressed via Research and Development while ours was set on Revolution and Democratization.

Our Issue, Now

I do not want to go into detail as why each leader/professional, country/countries or global organizations aspire to indulge in Ethiopia or Eritrea. Suffice to indicate to my readers in a nutshell what is behind agendas of our time.

So what is our stand on these issues? What do we need to do? Let us discuss them.

On Domestic affairs

• Engineer Hailu for Costs

• Economist Berhanu for Benefits

• EPRDF/TPLF for confusion

On Foreign affairs

• USA for Strategic purpose of fighting Terrorism

• UNMEE for Employment

• AU/EU/China for Trade and Aid

Our Issue then and now

Domestic and foreign: Although all organizations, groups and individuals attempt to resolve the Ethiopian issues, they all do it in around about way. That is by switching places for the letters of U (unity), D (democracy) and P (peace). Changing names will not help to solve the problems of Ethiopia and Ethiopians. Prioritizing, yes.

EPRP for Unity, Democracia and Peace

For EPRP, it is not about prioritizing. It is about putting the three letters together. They have done this for four decades now. EPRP’s main tasks as at yesterday, today and tomorrow were, are and will be as follows: -

• Visionary Solutions

• Fearless leadership and

• Timeless principles in

• Domestic and

• Foreign sectors.

What I wanted to bring to the attention to all my readers is that there is no Unity in Diversity as Debteraw has been fighting for a long time. We cannot go on using the same phrase or mission of Vive La Difference! I believe now that we have to bring Unity in Clarity. That is why I am asking intellectuals and other literate Ethiopians to expose their true nature in terms of Names, Symbol, Ritual and Values. Call me by my name? What is your name?

True to the nature of Debteraw Tsegeye’s proposal for Ethiopia, I still insist to continue to dwell on the political solution based on Ethiopian History, Culture and DEMOCRACIA. He used to call this HCD. It is purely based on Ethiopian political History, Cultural and social/religious path (AAgmelago). To put it simply, let us see what has been said and presented to Ethiopians both at home and abroad.

EPRP is a unity of a political party, peace at the top of Red Mountain (ASSIMBA.com & Assimba.Org). Democracia in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

• Let us share our experiences

• Let us write our shared experiences or perish as they say and

• Let us finish the Marathon of struggle with ADE

When the war broke out between EPLF and TPLF and later agreed to settle their dispute through an arbitration but never materialized the agreement, but continue in disrupting the peoples’ daily lives, I proposed in such a way that Europeans should settle in Zala Anbesa to administer them, to let America to settle in Assab so as to develop the Red Sea and to let the Chinese to let them to settle in Badme to develop agriculture. At the time, nobody heeded my call. What about now? I have now different types of proposal. Here it is.

For EPRP, Ethiopia is a Center for the Universe and Eritrea is a Key for the World.

It is about CK. It is that simple.

Proposal

The senator from Wisconsin, Russ Feingold described Ethiopia as demarcated/bounded by a failed state of Somalia, by an ethnic cleansing Kenya, by a genocidal Sudan and by an inaccessible authoritarian Eritrea. Of course, the senator forgot to add the country of Djoubiti. It is inconceivable without D for our project of SEEDS country.

For comments and criticism

woldetewolde@yahoo.com

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4. March 2008 by Assimba.

CALL ME BY MY NAME: A commentary  Obo Arada Shawl alias Wolde Tewolde

March 3, 1983

“As one of the reigning heavy heavyweight in Ethiopian political arena, we know the power of your punch,” writes the editorial. Twenty questions (EthioLion.com) were posed to the professor and we all are too naive if we expect a single reply by the professor. It will be reasonable for all readers to ponder over the questions and respond if possible. I would volunteer to start to answer the first question to be followed subsequently.

1. “What role did you play as an educator in the student movement of the Addis Ababa University in the late sixties and early seventies?”

First things first. Call me by my name? What is my name? Most names contain origins, meanings, variations and famous namesakes. For those of us who are not aware of how our names were given to us, in Ethiopia, there were three ways for giving names. In religious way, familial way and a popular fashion. Compare this as Ghanaian name where every body was named after each day of the week.

I do not know the intention of why Ato Wolde Mariam gave his son a popular name of MESFIN. A popular name to become a nobleman in the upper class of the Ethiopian societies. Professor’s name appears as normal name when deciphered (including his father’s name) will read as matter-wisdom-money.

I can understand the name of his father – a Christian who was not only a Christian but also an Orthodox one.

Popularity names change every year. That is parents search names for their baby names. The reasons are enumerated in the following cuts into two ways.

• Psychologists say a child with a common name or popular name seems to have better odds of success in life than a child with an uncommon name.

• A child whose name is at the top of the popularity poll may not feel as unique and special as a child whose name is less common.

So what was wrong with the professor’s name? Enough for his name. Let me say something about his role in the student movement.

Professor Mesfin Wolde Mariam (MWM)

Versus

EPRP’s Crocodile/Animal Leadership

When professor Mesfin W. Mariam was teaching at the Addis Ababa University at Arat Kilo, he was considered as a model for leading and openness in the academic public life. What was not open was his role as a husband and a family man. Although it was a male’s world in Ethiopia at the time, student leaders have observed in the professor’s oppression of woman even to his own wife by keeping her for long hours waiting for him in his/her car for hours in end. When some concerned/obedient students asked the lady of the professor to inform her husband that she has arrival to pick him up, she used to inform them that her husband would not appreciate. And so she keeps waiting until late into the night inside the car with nobody to talk to.

As the desire for change gradually creeps in, professor was challenged by politics of government and politics of woman’s oppression, he was caught in an open discussion. As far as politics was concerned it was a fistfight with some Eritrean students and an angry tone with the progressive Ethiopian students. The professor turned aggressive towards the student body and defensive towards the University Administration though nobody knew what was happening inside his family.

Having an Ethiopian Revolution after so many ups and down in the University Campus, in theory, in organizational and political matters by challenging

• Firstly, the Administration of the University,

• Secondly the Lecturers and

• Thirdly against the subject matter that was being offered in the University curriculum. The University students union struggled to the end not only the Monarchy but to make an Eway Revolution which will have brought peace in Eritrea, Ogaden, Bale and Godjam, prosperity and stability in the rest of the country. Who were these vanguard leaders and who were those lecturers and administrators who were for the Eway Revolution?

On the University Campus, three types of personalities were being developed, passive, aggressive and assertive (PAA). The passive students were victims of the professor or while he himself was aggressive towards everyone and everybody. Those who were leaving the right of the academic freedom became aggressive.

Why did the professor behave in an aggressive behavior? And why do the student leaders become assertive?

There was a serious consequences for the professor, the Administration and for the Ethiopian government. Issues for admission/graduation to the University, issues of Academic freedom and room & board came into question. Here lies a challenge and an opportunity for the professor and the students.

As far as the passive students was concerned, they were not aware of their rights or they grew up in rural areas where passiveness or obedience to authorities were normal and rewarded. Rewarded by the professor or the University!

What about the assertive students? There was two ways of becoming assertive, in a clandestine way (named as Crocodiles) or in the open way (as become to be known as Animals). Both the animals and the crocodiles were basically the same in their mission, vision and not necessarily in their ultimate goals.

Their primary task was to decipher the letter “B” which holds a stumbling block in the middle of the ABC Eway struggle. Such was the professor “MWM”. A changing pattern in a very short span of time resulting in an aggressive behavior, for lack of deciphering the letter “B”.

At the time I am referring to was a time when sociology, psychology, anthropology even geography were not popular subjects to be enrolled in. The trouble for the professor arrives when the Animal of EPRP leadership has arrived into the university when they challenged mainly the subject matter including geography, physical as well as political geography. The professor was literally was forced to go out of the university and see the rural Ethiopia for himself instead of collecting and using student assignments for using as teaching materials. At the onset of the Eway Revolution, the professor indulged in this way “Youth involvement and activities increased with the launching of the student campaign by the regime. The idea was originated at the Haile Selassie University by Professor Mesfin Wolde Mariam in April 1974, shortly after the 1974 movement began.” (Kiflu: The Generation p: 179). We all know how disastrous the student campaign would have been had it not been for the wise decision of EPRP leadership to turn it around for positive thinking. The professor was always as one of his own colleagues Dr. Siuom G. Egziabher said that ‘Mesfin understands the timing for betrayal.’ To my opinion, the Professor has not participated in the principle of big B (Belief) but in the small B (benefit) or B (blood).

CONCLUSION

“When are you going to say the time has come and get out of the lives of Ethiopians in order of the rest of us to say good-bye?” EthioLion concludes its editorial.

The answer is never as long as he does not reveal his DNA.

For comments and critics

woldetewolde@yahoo.com

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