CALL ME BY MY NAME: The SYMPOSIUM, XXX

Obo Arada Shawl alias Wolde Tewolde  July 1, 2008

Head-to-Head of EPRP Collective leadership

Heart-to-Heart of EPRP Membership

Face-to-Face of EPRP Army

Soul-to-Soul of Ethiopians

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ONE DAY EVENT

To reach consensus on how to fight for the release of Debteraw Tsegeye

Two ways to look at Debteraw’s a One Day Event. The Inward and the Outward.

THE INWARD will be a conversation with our self. It will be an examination of a dialogue that requires us the courage to be honest about who we are, what we are doing, and what we want. This requires the courage to sort those things we have come to cherish about ourselves from those things that we picked along the Long March of EPRP that caused us harm.

THE OUTWARD is about engaging with others. We have to share our vision, we have to tell our truth, and we have to ask tough questions to the Ethiopian Mass media, Religious and civic organizations about the fate of Debteraw. EPRP has to own its contributions to the past, the current and the past situations in Ethiopia, Eritrea and in the Diaspora Community.

Having done that, we have to honor the outsiders by seeking to understand their situation and their fears, hopes and dreams of unity, peace and stability via DEMOCRACIA – a legacy and a hallmark of EPRP.

WHO IS DEBTERAW?

The question of self-determination including up to secession as addressed by Walle Mekonnen and now being abused by TPLF was not Debteraw’s forte. (This will be addressed in future articles). Instead Debteraw as a literary giant, as a true Revolutionary and a Prisoner of Conscience should be told to the whole wide world. There are many different kinds of people in the world and we can never assume that everyone will react to the situations of Debteraw Tsegeye. Debteraw is a unique person in a unique position.

There are wolves in lambs’ clothing, when deceived or outmaneuver they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. For that matter, we have to choose our victims and opponents carefully. Above all we should be careful not to offend or deceive the wrong person. In our lifetime, we have come across many breeds of opponents, suckers and victims. Debteraw taught me about the art of power. He used to tell me that we have to be able to distinguish the wolves from the lamb, the foxes from the hares, the hawks from the vultures. The distinction of these categories will lead us to success without coercing anyone too much. But if we deal blindly with whoever crosses our path, we would have a life of constant sorrow. Being able to recognize types of people and acting accordingly was very critically to Debteraw.That was my first lesson that I have received from Debteraw Tsegeye Gebre Medhin. In the revolutionary parlance, it used to be called N’IK’AT, the first step for the Long March.

My second lesson from Debteraw was about ORGANIZATION. Debteraw first introduced me to Godjam province. When I joined the Highway Authority, I criss-crossed the streams, the valleys and mountains of Godjam and have discovered for myself that it is the center of or for the Eway Revolution. Debteraw and history books have taught me that Godjam Kifle Hager was and is the heart of Ethiopia. Debteraw had felt the spirit of the source of the Nile when he was teaching in Bahr Dar. However the then authorities forced him to be transferred to Chagnie aka Kehas Ber – a remote and inaccessible town. It was like banning him to asylum. However, Debteraw without complaint has taught children of Chagnie the fundamentals of knowing thyself. I am sure there are many of these children who are now working at various organizations and ministries. Thanks to Debteraw’s analytical and geographical teaching about Ethiopia.

As far as self-determination including up to secession, Debteraw likes to teach by example. That concept was only applicable to Godjam province for one of the criteria for self-determination was a complete separate territory. Abay alias-Blue Nile and Dinder Rivers surround Godajm completely. The only natural access to Godjam is through the Sudan.

My third lesson would have been to join the Army of EPRA to which I was reluctant to discuss at length. Nevertheless, we have discussed and he proved it in hindsight that he was correct, the concept of ENCIRCLEMENT as opposed to coup d’etat and Insurrection.

If the entire so-called secessionists accept the logic of SELF-DETERMINATION and DEMARCATION using the model of Godjam, we could have saved millions of lives, and resources. God has already demarcated the Region of Godjam. Tana was clean and harmless. Now, Bahr Dar has been polluted by the fake Amhara center.

WHERE IS DEBTERAW?

That is a million dollar question. Inasmuch as the Americans are looking for the CRIMINAL Osama Bin Laden, Ethiopians should look out for the whereabouts of the INNOCENT Debteraw Tsegeye G. Medhin.

WHY DEBTERAW TSEGEYE GEBRE MEDHIN ARAYA?

Outsiders see the TRUCE within EPRP collective leaders, party members and ex-members of the army as hopeful and necessary, but skeptical elements of EPRP senses failure and angry. That is understandable. We have to clear the confusion before the truce.

Debteraw Tsegeye, the Ethiopian scholar, the man of Kinet and the Prisoner used to explain to us all about the human heart of our body. He did not study science but he understood the function of the heart. But he studied the Head and the Soul. As Debtera (Ethiopian scholar), DEBTERAW used to

Listen to divergent point of view

Find common ground

Build visionary ideas

I believe that Debteraw would have solved problems that nobody is willing to solve and that his EPRP is the most important party organization to bring the country and the people together. Debteraw had the passion to love people and to die for a cause. Let us fight for his FREEDOM.

By the way can any one tell us why this Ethiopian icon for new Ethiopia is mixed up with Tsegeyae G. Medhin (laureate) and Tsegaye G. Medhin Araya also known as Mulugheta Lule?

CONCLUSION

For several decades, some of EPRP’s fiercest supporters, most of them educated have been struggling with a defeat that burns and a question with no soothing answer; what next?

Sometimes anger settles in the mind like sediment waiting to be shaken or stirred. The story of Debteraw Tsegey properly understood is an anger-shaker. No one finds “faulty” analysis with the historical records of EPRP. Moving forward as proposed by Assimba’s evolving approach is the way to reconciliation and healing a la DEBTERAW’S way.

Debteraw wanted to show the Ethiopians how to live with love and how to die honorably. As there is no honor in AETHIOPIA today, I believe Debteraw is not dead!!! He cannot be dead! He is alive and let us fights to free him to free us.

DEMOCRACIA is missing

TRUST is missing

POLITICIANS are missing

I hope the ONE – DAY- EVENT for Debteraw to be held on the eve of the American Independence will lead us to many heads, one heart, one army and many souls.

For comments and criticism

woldetewolde@yahoo.com

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