Obo Arada Abashawl – May 13, 2011
The signs of the time: Cooperation or Confrontation (CC)?
Introduction
On April 22, 2011, on Good Friday, I have attended a book signing ceremony by Professor Bereket H. Sellasie. The book is titled Wounded Nation with reference to Eritrea.
In his presentation, the professor informed the audience that he has abandoned his ambition for power due to his old age (octagerian). I thought he was an intellectual meaning that his C-brain will not cease until his death. In other words, he was struggling in the war of liberation physically and emotionally all these years like that of Hafash who only use his/her D-brain. I can understand that the Hafash of Eritrea can arrest its political activity due to its weak physical condition. But I would never believe that this Mhur Akal professor would come to this conclusion having distracted the causes of Eathiopian for almost half a century. I presume that he has – as well – resigned from his teaching career.
When asked about the Eritrean opposition in the Diaspora, he told the audience verbatim that they come together to disperse. He did not know the reason. Again, I was puzzled by this professors statement. Was he emotionally or intellectually involved in the Eritrean struggle? A lawyer turned into rebel? Everybody can observe that there is lack of unity in the Diaspora Community. The question is why? The audience had expected reason for disunity from the professor or confession on his part.
Ato Kebede D.Yimam aka Esatu has posed a fundamental character issue about the professor. Professor Bereket in his presentation repeatedly said that the leaders of Eritrea were less intelligent than their Ethiopian counterpart and essentially had been referred to immaculate conception derived by deception and greed. Kebede’s challenge came as a surprise to professor Berekets anatomy of leaders. Kebede admitted that his political story was similar to Bereket H. Sellassie. I believe, at one time both Professor Bereket and Ato Kebede have been delegated as spokesmen for EPLF and EPRP in North America respectively.
In fact professor Bereket said to Kebede this is an astute observation nevertheless instead of admitting his mistakes of evaluating the leadership of EPLF and TPLF, he attempted to explain that he has been studying them for many years a study based on information from their friends and families. Dr. Bereket is not a sociologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist or any of the gist. He is a lawyer and a constitutional lawyer at that.
Due to the credit of Esatu, poet of struggle, he said he had almost read all Professor Berekets books while I have read none of his books. And I asked Ato Kebede if he is satisfied with the professors answer to his question. “Professor Bereket is too partisan to be African quipped Ato Kebede. The professors main theme of the night apart from selling books was to show how true an African son he was/is. It was like Colonel Ghadafis pronouncement for African Unity. I guess Howard University is the right place to make such announcements.
The signing ceremony was arranged by Professor Haile Gerima, owner of Sankofa, books, videos and film firm.
Collaboration and cooperation (CC): ADWA I
As most Eathiopian readers know, Professor Haile Gerima is known for his film making. With the exception of the unfinished journey, I have not seen any of Hailes films so far. So I should refrain from making any judgment about Hailes film making or professor Berekets constitution making conceptions and procedures.
The sure thing about these two individual professors that I know is the fact that both do not see eye to eye on the issue of Eathiopia (Ethiopia & Eritrea). The film maker perceives and evaluates Eathiopia from the victory of ADWA I whereas the constitution lawyer perceives and evaluates Eritrea & Ethiopia (Eathiopia) from the prism of abandonment by the Emperor of Shewa, Minilik II.
So why and how did these two professionals come together for a joint venture? From what I observed professor Haile were the coordinator and commercial announcer for the book signing. I have not asked them personally but that was what I saw.
My main theme of this article is the fact that two educated Eathiopians became comrade-in-arms so to speak as to disseminate information, knowledge and perhaps wisdom not only to the Eritrean, Ethiopian or African communities in the Diaspora particularly in Washington DC. That for me is the last straw that broke the camels back.
As I said in previous paragraphs, I have neither read the lawyers books and nor seen the film-makers films. But what I was sure of these two individual Mhur Akals objectives and goals in regards to their respective birth places. The lawyer was born in a village called Adi Nefas (country of winds) in Hamasien Awraja; the Artist was born in Gondar town. As knowledgeable elders, I want them to educate us what Hamasien and Gondar meant (call me by my name!). Instead, both of them have been fighting tooth and nail to tell us about the victory of Adwa I.
Adwa I for the Artist is the basis of Unity for Ethiopia whereas for the lawyer, Adwa I was the basis for Separation of Ethiopia. These antagonistic approaches by both professors have led to all Ethiopian and Eritrean deaths and migration for almost a century (1896-1991). I am glad to see these 95 years of feud by these two professional came to an end.
Without keen noticing on their part, Adwa II a group of individual leaders have come to rule Ethiopia for good or for worst. The professors should take close look at these groups intentions and motivations before they regret producing books, films and cds.
Confrontation and disintegration: Adwa II
Adwa II is about the coming of groups of individuals who are ruling Ethiopia and Eritrea separately for twenty years (1991-2011). I think that the lawyer true to his profession is deeply worried that there is no rule by law (as opposed to rule of law) in Eritrea and the Artist similarly believes that the application of the rule of law in Ethiopia is totally missing. Both professors will join the Diaspora opposition in rectifying the situation in both Eritrea and Ethiopia which I call Eathiopia.
I believe that these two professors have passed the argument and counter argument of ADWA I in terms of forgiveness. The only doubt I have is in their ability to forget about ADWA I for at the end of the discussion, Professor Haile Gerima challenged Professor Bereket for his saying that the American Revolution was peaceful. Professor Bereket declared that Thomas Jefferson gave the Americans a peaceful and perfect constitution. At this juncture Professor Haile Gerima was agitated about the statement for him the American Revolution was never peaceful and perfect. In fact, Professor Haile said emphatically that Jefferson had slaves and was cruel and bloody. Here lies unnecessary argument and side issues that we had inherited from these elders and professors. How do we pass the truth about ADWA I to our children? I hope these professors will answer my question in joint venture via films and books.
According to Professor Tesfatsion Medhane, political scientist and a lawyer wrote that Thomas Jefferson had never given Constitution to the American people but the Declaration of Independence. And so there is a gap of knowledge and lack of wisdom on the part of our educated leaders. Of course, I am referring to the Eway Revolution of Eathiopia and I am hoping that these two professors will learn about the Ethiopian Revolution in its true context. Professor Haile is on the way to getting acquainted to the Eway Revolution as he is gradually collecting data from individual EPRP members on why they joined the true Revolution as opposed to the fake Revolution by the DERG.
Concluding Remarks
One of the amazing things that I found it necessary to tell is the fact that the concepts of communication and intelligence in the Eathiopian Communities and societies are deeply unrecognized. For instance, Professor Bereket stated that PM Meles is more intelligent than President Issias. This fundamental flow is the basis for a lot of the educated mistrust by the Eathiopian masses.
For the majority of Eathiopians, communication is about listening and intelligence is about the willingness to learn. Both these traits are rampant in the Eathiopian societies.
In Meleses case, he is not willing to learn what is/will happen to the country or to its people. He is just lecturing or giving instructions every now and then. In Issais case, his lack of communication is poor. He is not listening to any body but to himself. This is the dilemma we are in. And that is why the majority do not want to follow the educated Drs or Professors. We hope they will change their attitude before they delivery information, knowledge or wisdom.
Intelligence and Communication skills are no alien to Eathiopians. AADWA III will demonstrate these characteristics in due course and time.
TRUTH WILL PREVAIL
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