BY AL MARIAM, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR – 05/29/17

 

Ethiopia has been under a state of emergency decree since October 2016. That decree imposes “draconian restrictions on freedom of expression, association, and assembly that go far beyond what is permissible under international law.” There has been a significant deterioration in human rights violations in Ethiopia over the past decade.

For over a decade, Representatives Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) and the late Donald Payne (D-N.J.) toiled tirelessly to pass a bill promoting democracy and human rights accountability in Ethiopia. In 2007, HR 2003, co-sponsored by 85 members, passed the House.

That bill sought to promote human rights, democracy, judicial independence, press freedom and counterterrorism cooperation; and it strongly urged release of all political prisoners. The bill died in the Senate, supposedly due to a hold placed by Sen. James Inhofe(R-Okla.).

 

In February, Representative Smith introduced H.Res. 128  to “support respect for human rights and encourage inclusive governance” in Ethiopia. Last Week, Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced S.Res. 168, co-sponsored by 14 senators, which mirrors the House version.

In a statement, Cardin cautioned “partnering with the Ethiopian government on counterterrorism does not mean that we will stay silent when it abuses its own people.” Rubio underscored the “critical” need for the U.S. to remain “vocal in condemning Ethiopia’s human rights abuses against its own people.”

During the March 9 hearing on the H.Res. 128, Smith stated  that there are “at least 10,000 political prisoners” in the country. He condemned the arbitrary imprisonment of opposition party leaders, criminalization of journalism under an “antiterrorism law” and the absence of the rule of law and “lack of due process in Ethiopian courts”.

Ranking member Karen Bass (D-Calif.) also underscored the “steady assault on the human and civil rights of citizens” and the deprivation of the “right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression” in Ethiopia.

In its 2017 report on Ethiopia, Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented the large-scale “crack-down” by “Ethiopian security forces” against “largely peaceful demonstrations, killing more than 500 people.”  HRW also documented that, “Security forces arrested tens of thousands of students, teachers, opposition politicians, health workers, and those who sheltered or assisted fleeing protesters.” HRW’s findings are corroborated by the U.S. State Department and Freedom House.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Ethiopia ranked fourth on is 2015 list of the 10 Most Censored Countries and is the fifth-worst jailer of journalists worldwide. In May 2010, the ruling regime in Ethiopia claimed to have won 99.6 percent of the parliamentary seats. In 2015, it claimed 100 percent of the seats.

The ruling regime in Ethiopia has refused all requests for an independent human rights inquiry by U.N. special rapporteurs. Similar calls by the European parliament, the African Commission and the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights have fallen on deaf ears.

Despite a history of massive human rights violations, the Obama administration has provided unwavering political and financial support to the ruling regime in Ethiopia. When Obama visited Ethiopia in July 2015, he anointed that regime, which claimed to have won all parliamentary seats, “democratically elected.” Between 2010-16, the U.S. has provided well over $5 billion to Ethiopia, making it the second-largest recipient of U.S. aid in Africa.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a speech to State Department employees announced  that, “Guiding all of our foreign policy actions are our fundamental values: our values around freedom, human dignity, the way people are treated.”

In a speech of 6,511 words, Tillerson devoted a stunning 1,057 words to talk about American values and their role in guiding the future of American foreign policy. Tillerson declared the way “we represent our values” is “by conditioning our policy engagements on people adopting certain actions as to how they treat people”.

Human rights represent the rock-solid foundation of the American Republic as eloquently proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and implemented in the Bill of Rights. Without Eleanor Roosevelt, there would have been no Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

President Jimmy Carter rightly affirmed  in his farewell address that, “America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, it is the other way round. Human rights invented America.” In a 2012 N.Y. Times op-ed, Carter wondered if the U.S. had abdicated its moral leadership in the arena of international human rights.

The pending human rights bill is judiciously crafted to help advance human rights protections, promote democratic shared governance and institutionalize accountability and transparency in Ethiopia by improving oversight and monitoring of U.S. assistance. Congress should pass it.

There a quiet riot, if not a creeping civil war, taking place in Ethiopia today. The massive uprisings and resistance in the Oromiya and Amhara regions of the country over the past year and the militarized response backed by an emergency decree is merely one indication of the downward spiral into a vortex of civil strife compounded by muted ethnic hatred and hankering for revenge.

There are deep grievances against the ruling regime than cannot be papered over by an emergency decree. With claims of 100 percent election victory, the regime suffers from a serious legitimacy deficit, which creates conditions for violent and nonviolent resistance. Ethiopia today is at a tipping point.

Passage of a human rights and inclusive governance bill will go a long way in staving off widespread internecine conflict in Ethiopia. By insisting on structural reforms, the bill creates the necessary conditions for peaceful political dialogue among contending groups and helps open political spaces for peaceful change.

For instance, the provisions in the bill demanding repeal of the draconian “anti-terrorism” and “civil society” laws could help open the political space for dialogue and negotiations. The alternative to passage of the human rights bill is for the U.S. to watch idly as the slow burning fuse inches closer to the Ethiopian powder keg.

 

Alemayehu (Al) Mariam is a professor of political science at California State University, San Bernardino, with research interests in African law and human rights. He is a constitutional lawyer and senior editor of theInternational Journal of Ethiopian Studies.

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The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill. 

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Ethiopia’s current government has committed genocide against several ethnic groups, but the Amhara, whose traditional lands the regime’s senior leadership has annexed to their Tigrayan tribal homeland, have been the hardest hit.

The Amhara, according to Wikipedia, “an ethnic group traditionally inhabiting the northern and central highlands of Ethiopia, particularly the Amhara Region. [Although Ethiopian government statistics are notoriously unreliable,] according to the 2007 national census, they numbered 19,867,817 individuals, comprising 27.12% of the country’s population. They are also found within the Ethiopian expatriate community, particularly in North America. The Amharas claim to originate from Solomon and primarily adhere to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church”

The Amhara population in the above-cited Ethiopian government’s own 2007 census was 2.5 million less than what was projected based on the 1997 census and the population growth rate for the rest of Ethiopia: the rate of growth for the Amhara population was 1.7%, while the average rate for the rest of the country was 2.6% annually.

This is believed by experts to be due to systematic denial by the government of critical medicine and aid, as well as the coercive sterilization of Amhara women.

Beside this larger “silent genocide”, a book published in Amharic, titled Yetifat Zemen (Age of Distraction), details the violent mass killing of the Amhara from 1991 to 2015. It covers about 8 zones in Oromia, one Zone in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNP), a village in Afar, the whole Benishangul Gumz, Dire Dewa City, Harari and Amhara Regions geographically. The author, journalist and human rights activist Muluken Tesfaw, has shared the following comments below:

“I employed snow ball sampling technique to get the participants everywhere. I have interviewed in depth with Genocide survivals, victim families and eye witnesses. I have collected some names and photographs of massacred Amharas and visited mass grave yards, cliffs where the Amhara people thrown alive, and so forth. I have used secondary and primary sources like support us letters and complaints written by the Amharas by the time, local identify cards, HRCO reports … and so on with the help of trained data collectors.

Former Ethiopian Human Rights Council (the current HRCo) has reported a number of times about the mass killings and evictions of ethnically Amhara people.

The number of massacred Amharas is very shocking. The highest number of people are killed in West Hararghe Zone of Oromia region and Metekel zone of Benishangul Gumz Region. Not less than 40,000 people have been massacred in these two areas alone. I have some pictures of cliffs and mass grave yard areas as well as videos and audios of witnesses. In the rest of the areas from 10 to 2000 people have been killed.

The Genocide active years were 1990-93, 1999/2000, 2005/6 and 2013-15.

Apart from massacre of Amharas, these people are being evicted everywhere. Just to mention some:

• 9 woreda inhabitants (woreda is the second administrative unit [district] next to kebele [neighborhood]) in East Arsi in 1991/2. Their houses were burnt and evicted
• 60,000 Amharas in West Arsi and East Shoa by the same year
• 14,000 in Wolega in 2000
• 22,000 in SNNP in 2013
• 10,000 in Benishangul Gumz in 2013.

I have partial lists of the names and families of evicted Amharas in SNNP and Benishangul Gumz with order letters of eviction from authorities.

There are thousands of genocide survivors and witnesses. The places which should be investigated are identified on maps. There are a lot of secondary sources (documents) open for proofing.

There are mass graves for investigation. Anyone can easily find human skeleton or bones at least in the deep wells, natural cliffs and jungles till this day. Any local inhabitant can easily identify the names of massacred people in their villages.

I would be pleased to provide all the documents I have. By the way, there is still active genocide in Ethiopia. I hope you may have heard about the Wolkait Amhara Identity Struggle, where historically Amhara lands are forcefully annexed with Tigrai. The regime is killing, jailing and enforcing ethnic cleansing to force Amhara out and settle Tigreans in the area. About half of the indigenous people have left the area and more than half a million Tigreans are settled in replacement. The indigenous women are being sexually enslaved and forced to bear Tigrean children. The crimes committed against these people meet and even surpass the criteria for genocide set by the UN.”

It’s important to note that many of these crimes against humanity occurred while the new World Health Organization Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, held senior positions as Minister of Health and, then, Foreign Minister with this government.

Additional documentation will be posted soon.

Please help share this information as widely as possible.

Thank you.

Source- https://www.facebook.com/notes/operation-conscience/a-large-genocide-is-happening-in-ethiopia/1770226759934660/

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TPLF (Tigray People’s Liberation Front) celebrated its 26 years on power on 28th  May 2017. Unlike the outward perception, the brutal regime led by TPLF is slightly and gently cracking. In its field days and early years following control of power in 1991, its members were hard core fighters with religious type of conviction to their purpose than other life desirable events (material wealth, money, cars, relationship, houses, etc). After few  years of brutal rule, majority of them converted to the latter. Its members and affiliates’ would like TPLF to rule longer  to maintain their economic, political and military power  so that they would continue to loot further and accumulate wealth to enrich themselves  and pay handouts for their servants or  paid mercenaries.

TPLF is  a minority  parasitic regime  currently bleeding, wounding, imprisoning, selling, killing and terrorizing Ethiopians for the last 26 years. It is a private company  which controls Ethiopia under the pretext of political party owned by an  elite  ultra-Tigrayans and pro-Eritrean secession family members. It owns the Ethiopian economy, military, foreign affair, security and all the important  sector of the society.

Unlike old days, they will not fight as soldgers if any bitter oppositions confront them, rather they send others to fight  for them. They have the economic, military and security means to enable this. Whatever money and resources they spend; this will not be like a determined, spirited and convinced “fighter” they used to be.

The last few years, they are accustomed of “city” life; driving the latest car, owning and building luxury houses, sending their kids to best school and abroad, dating the trendy modern ladies of the town, saving millions of birr or foreign currency in local or foreign banks, etc. They tested the “sweetness” of rulers life. They wouldn’t dare to go back to the field  and fight if a determined and spirited opposition fighting force comes.

TPLF also run out most of the tactic it has used to rule the country. People are aware of the impact of divide and rule policy, anti-democratic ethnic policy and their false propaganda. They  lost a very significant chairman who was charismatic, shroud, street smart and make-believe con leader whom they couldn’t replace any persona like him. The civil uprising of Ethiopians in Central, Southern and Northern Ethiopia in 2015/16 shaken the regime until it rescued by Emergency State decree.

TPLF is no longer strong as it was but it is very rich. It owns several billions of dollars  and has long reach hand. It is able to use the money it looted from Ethiopians  to pay for its domestic and foreign mercenaries who work day and night for TPLF regime to continue. Unlike the former regimes, TPLF pays millions of $ to  foreign lobbies to influence the international world which have been successful. The question is how long this will continue?

Just observe the media outlets and social media in Diaspora. The outspoken one which praise TPLF are led by non-Tigre (mainly ‘Amhara’). TPLF no longer needs its ‘native’ members to do such, but paid mercenaries of other ethnic members who own the radio, TV, Pal talk rooms, chat show etc.  These paid  mercenaries present themselves as die hard supporters more than the “natives”.  Some of them tasked with appearance of opposition but essence of TPLF. Some are dormant chat show persons with mission to character assassination  of patriotic  Ethiopians under the pretext of  Critic. Although many people feel sadness due to these mercenaries’ action (some of them used to be leading opposition in the past), it is not unusual for some Ethiopians to sell their soul for money and wealth despite living in “free world” where they can earn their bread by their own means. We remember that during Italian Invasion, there were many Ethiopian who were ‘Banda /Shumbashes’.

Their spies, gate keepers, affiliate members who make life miserable to majority of Ethiopian in Ethiopia are non-Tigre Ethiopians who sold their morality, humanity and soul for  bread. These will not be dependable force if the wind blow the other direction. If any more offer comes, they would abandon the regime.

Unlike TPLF’s 25 years of comfortable rule, for the first time the Northern Ethiopia farmers raised arm. These will make TPLF sleepless. TPLF knows well the impact of  Rural people/farmers raising arm. They used farmers to be successful in their struggle for power which they achieved in 1991.

TPLF’s top brass are also ageing, and their dream of  passing the power button to  its new generation hasn’t been easy. There are many power mongers among themselves. These have created lots of rift among themselves. Although these days TPLF appears elephant on appearance, the truth is it is a squirrel.

The Ethiopians people anti-TPLF struggle (though currently fragmented) have to continue. Solidarity  and Unity among these forces is a must to win the war. A determined, spirited and convinced “fighter” is the only to win the current weak TPLF.

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By Jemal Y. Adem

Note: I wrote this commentary to share what I believe in about mono/ multi-ethnic state in the context of language and its implications. (Jemal Y. Adem)

The views of people about wealth, nations, race, religions and many more complex issues determine the social order of a given country. Given these complex nature of humans, people of any homogenous or multi-ethnic nation quite often have differences on the political system they are governed by. The divergent views of the people, thus, lead to the birth of a variety of political forces. If the opposing forces which are competing for political power stand on irreconcilable positions, it would be pretty difficult to sustain the nationhood, let alone prosperous. For example, the power struggle between the two opposing forces; Unionist Vs Separatist, Religious Vs Secularist, Capitalist Vs Socialist is a very common phenomenon in the world. Unfortunately, these opposing forces could not live under the same roof for a long time. As we witnessed in our life, the winner (by arms or people´s voice) take the driving seat and try to (re) shape the country. Being on the seat, however, does not mean that you have a total control of the situation.

As there are so many polarized views in the multi-ethnic state, the political forces, therefore, should come half-way (middle ground), rather than think and apply ALL or NONE approaches. Because “my way or no way mentality” facilitates people´s fall to the deepest and misery hole. It is very understandable that, there could be tensions among ethnic groups within a country; however, there are also ways to avoid the tensions from becoming a deadly confrontation. So, engagement among polarized forces is the very best approaches people can do to resolve their setbacks without bloodshed. Believe me, there are so much uncomfortable things to listen / discuss, but it would be even more uncomfortable & deadly, if we failed not to listen to each other with a hope of consensus.

There are about 6,500 spoken languages in the world. If the country has to be built by the people who speak the same language, we should have 6,500 countries by now. But there are only 195 countries to this date. Thus, if we are really genuine, and determined for the benefits of all citizens in heterogeneous states, definitely, there are ways to have a vibrant and stable multi-ethnic state. What I meant is diversity could not be sources of the mother of all problems. If having a single language was a pre-requisite to establish a nation, Somalia would not have been a failed state. The biggest cause of the problem is, I think, we are not ready to open up ourselves to the reality of the present. We are evolving all the time, yet we are tightly closed not to accommodate the social changes. Now, let us take a look at some experiences across the world.

The USA is the most powerful country today. If we look at the timeline of this country, it went through horrible experiences. Even these days, the Americans have problems here and there and are not immune to conflicts.

The case of USA in terms of nation-building is a bit different. The majority of Americans emigrate from Europe. Thus, there was a possibility that the Europeans could have created a multi-ethnic state of USA. They, however, form new identity called “Americanism”. To be precise, they left their different languages behind and used English as an official language. Nevertheless, there was fierce resistance from Germans. It is important to note that this assimilation process happened in 18th. And the same kind of assimilation approaches had been tried across the world. Few were successful and others were failed. OK, it is fine to think that the emigrated Europeans were successful to create “Americanism”. Could American like assimilation be working these days in multi-ethnic state? Honestly, I do not think so, rather it back-fires very dangerously. Possibly, in American case, assimilation was not a daunting task for elites, partly because people (European) were emigrating in mass from their homeland to America, and found themselves in a pre-existing system led by the colonizer, Britain. Perhaps, people may opted to assimilate themselves in order to be an active player and to have a sense of belongingness in their new land what they called HOME.

Unlike America, with the highest degree of certainty, forced assimilation cannot be applicable in Africa. However, I would like to stress very very highly that ethnic nationalism should not be inflated too much in a way that threatens the survival of a bigger organ called country. I am not making ethnic groups less worthy, because they are the building block of a greater nation. To make my point clear – their (ethnic groups) sum is bigger and stronger than an individual ethnic group and more importantly the ethnic groups of a country should be driven by the highest level of engine – which is ideas and ideals as opposed to their ethnic lines.

Switzerland is one of the most stable multi-ethnic states. It consists of Germans, French, Italians and Romansh. Each language has an official status even though there are a stark difference in the number of speakers – Germans (63%), French (22%), Italian (8%), and Romansh (0.5%). As each language is officials, they can be used both in Federal government and parliament. For the sake of administration, the people opted to have canton (territorial district). Though, most cantons have mono-ethinic affiliation, still the citzens of Swiss get the service they are in need of in any part of the canton. Moreover, each Canton is functioning to the fullest within their constitutional mandate. So, what could we learn from Swiss Federal system then? 1) The success of Swiss is beyond establishing Canton, 2) In order to keep and flourish ethnic identity, people should not

necessarily possess a certain region, which is named after their language, and 3) The less number of ethnic groups, the more efficient federal system it would be.

Middle East: I brought this issue here to look at a different perspective – in the context of language. There are dozens of “independent” Arab countries in the Middle East. If the language, Arabic, were the unifying power, We would have seen a “State of Arabs” rather than a country called Saudi, Qatar, Yemen, Egypt…… the reality is quite the opposite. It is obvious that, today´s borders among Arab, African, and other countries are made during occupation or colonization. If the language was the only biggest unifying factor, the Arabs could have made ONE great nation after the occupation. Clearly, this shows that there are a lot of issues we have to deal with when it comes to nation building. It should not be considered as simple as eating a piece of cake. After all, the smaller the nation you are, the easy prey you would be.

Wait for a second…. if you think that achieving your own “independent” small village will make you the greatest, I guess you are making one of the biggest mistakes. After all, the question has to be the opposite! Big dream – Big output. Not separation, rather taking the wheel that drives you to the greatest height of power. For example; Eritreans fought for 3 decades and became “independent”. I´m not exaggerating, if I say Eritrea is a bed room of a single guy. Moreover, its citizens are running away from the land they fought for. In this inter connected world, being small makes you a soft target and you can be bullied or pushed away anytime soon, if that is the will of the big elephants.

Is not it funny to think that you are all the time “protected” from aggressors simply because you are an “independent nation”? The principal reason why union of an “independent” nations formed is to avoid conflicts through economic & political integration. In addition, they are more powerful to deter the aggressors with a least cost and time. In addition, their influence is very far reaching. It extends to the other parts of the world. So, this is the way I understand it – stronger together. Therefore, in multi-ethnic state, I think, the better way to go forward and further is based on the strength of the bond/ attachment among ethinic groups. With this regard, we should go for the strongest bond – United regions rather than to the weaker bond- Union of regions. But this can only be achieved, if we address at least the base-line principles of Unity.

The lists of examples could go on and on but I would like to make my remarks here: regardless of the composition of the people- homogenous or heterogeneous, there still will be differences in politics, economy, and society across their territory (states). Thus, it is just insane to think that homogenous nation are /will be free of tensions. But the tensions could be stronger in heterogeneous nation. Nevertheless, the tensions would

not be out of hands & minds, if we stand behind ideas and ideals. Keep in mind that people have full right to exercise their cultural heritages including their languages but it should not be to the extent that shake their own and others survival. We should not run for dominance/ knockout game rather we should appreciate our uniqueness for the benefits of everyone in the game. Nation building is not a 90 minutes game – it is a generations which costs life and resources. Hold on here folks, let me say one thing from a basic biology, for instance; an organ liver and heart are made of hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes, respectively. These organs along with others, they made the higher level of component named a System. We could not appericiate the system without acknowledging both the organs and their building blocks (cells). Above all, if the cells in question are in very bad shape, so does the organ and eventually the system will collapse. Fascinatingly, if we cure the problem at cellular level, we are in the right track to let the system function as it should be. So that, there is nothing wrong, if people are exercising ethnic identity. Are you still asking why? Because they are the building blocks of a nation. But I will repeat it again, it should not be on the expenses of others. Let us make the building block in a good shape, the system will take care of itself.

Finally we are here: What kind of agreement can be reached between pro-ethnic federalists vs pro-unitary forces?

At least, these forces believe in building a greater country in terms of land mass, economy, and all other influential establishments. But their major difference is How to make that happen. To begin with, the failed experiments should be singled out. No need to cover up. Let us deal with it. This is a point of discussion right? So, let both groups bring their menu in, and debate on ideas with active participation of the general public. No rooms for hatred, fabricated lies, and unrealistic hopes. Then, let the people (the ultimate deciders on the issue) heard their voices through votes for collective benefits over individual interests.

If few people are benefiting while the majority is struggling, it would be a zero sum game, if not collapsing. If the majority of the people are leading a reasonable life, we will emerge as a formidable force with stronger stability, thereby the people choose to prioritize cooperation over brutal competition, unity over separation, and hope over fear.

Of course as a citizen, I could say my own thoughts on the issue and when it comes to the final decision, I only have one vote, not more – not less and I´m abiding with the rule of the game and so do you. PEACE!

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To: Ethiopians in New York and New Jersey

Subject: Occasion at the Church of Holy Family at 315 East 47 St on June 3, 2017

Date: 01 June 2016

Dear Sir/Madame

We respectfully ask you NOT to celebrate Ginbot 20. Unless you are protesting, your presence at the Church of Holy Family on June 3, will mean you are celebrating ethnocentrism, the torture and killings of innocent Ethiopians. Instead we ask you to spend your precious time praying for thousands of Ethiopians who have been killed and tortured, millions that are starving and millions that are denied their basic human rights of speaking the truth.

For the past twenty-four years the TPLF regime in Ethiopia has been perpetrating crimes against humanity on Ethiopians including, mass killings, tortures, assassinations, imprisonments of opposition leaders, journalists, bloggers and peaceful demonstrators.  In the past year alone the same government has been shooting directly on peaceful demonstrators resulting in killings of more than 800 Ethiopians. The same government has declared a state of emergency since early October 2016.  Since the state of emergency, the military has been killing innocent civilians, imprisoning close to 40,000 youth, torturing, raping, confiscating cellphones, entering houses and breaking TVs, dismantling dishes installed on houses for access to international/national news and burning houses, farms and businesses to punish those who demanded democratic rights.

The following are a few examples of how Ethiopians are treated by the TPLF regime you are celebrating.

These Ethiopians are just like you except for the fact that they live under the most corrupt, ethnocentric and brutal regime. Just like you, they have kids, brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents.  They are being mistreated because they want to have equal rights.

If you celebrate Ginbot 20, you will be celebrating a killer regime that is torturing, killing and mass arresting its people, and a regime that is encouraging ethnic cleansing for selfish reasons.

Sincerely

Ethiopian Task Force of NY/NJ

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ESATDC Daily News Thur 01 June 2017

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OPPORTUNITY FUND 2017 Student Application    

By U.S. Embassy Ethiopia | 2 June, 2017 |

Program Overview,    Calendar,    Eligibility    Requirements    

The EducationUSA Opportunity Fund (OPF) program assists competitively selected students prepare to apply to U.S. universities. OPF is looking for 10 highly qualified, economically disadvantaged students who excel in math and science and are interested in studying in one of those fields. The program will select students who are likely to be awarded full financial aid from U.S. colleges and universities but lack the financial resources to cover the up­‐front costs of obtaining admission. The U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa is offering a six­‐week summer program for selected students to provide test preparation and English support for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the ACT and/or the SAT, exams required for attending university in the United States. The program will also include academic counseling and essay writing. The Opportunity Fund provides financial support for the six-week program as well as for testing and college applications. The program will meet five days per week from July–August, 2017 at the U.S. Embassy with the goal of students applying to U.S. universities to begin study in August 2018.

In order to apply, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Must be living and attending school in
• Must be an Ethiopian student from an economically disadvantaged background
• Must have taken your 10^thgrade national exam scoring an “A” in math and English as well as an “A” in at least two of the three: biology, chemistry, and physics
• Must be able to attend the entire six-week program without missing significant portions
• Must be interested in studying in the math or science fields at university

If you meet these eligibility requirements, please fill out the following application, gather the necessary paper work, scan the documents and email to addisedusa@state.gov with the subject “Opportunity Fund Application.” If you would prefer to submit a paper application, you may bring the application and required documents to the U.S. Embassy and leave them for Wondimalem Geneti. If you do not meet the eligibility requirements, you will not be considered for the program.

Applications must be received by Friday, June 16, 2017.  Any applications received after this date will not be considered for the program.

Application Instructions

Remember, this is a competitive application. We want to get to know you as well as possible. Please complete this application form providing us as much information as you can about yourself, your dreams and ambitions, your family background, and your academic and community service record. Please make sure to write clearly so we can read your information. Read all directions carefully and put your name at the top of every page. It is essential that you attach the documents listed below to your application. Please send all parts of the application together at the same time to ensure that your application is complete and has as much contact information or you as possible. You can add extra pages to this application if you need more space to write. Please do not send originals of certificates or reports, as we cannot guarantee the return of any documents. Photocopies of this form are acceptable.

Attach the following documents to your application:

1. 1. A photocopy of your 10^thgrade national exam results
2. 2. A photo copy of your secondary school transcripts, all grades you have completed (9, 10, 11, 12)
3. 3. One letter of recommendation explaining your character, talent and skills from a teacher, headmaster, pastor or NGO or community leader who knows you well, including their contact information. (See page 6 for more information)

For questions or additional information, please contact us at addisedusa@state.gov

Click here to download the application form. (PDF 452 KB)

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The four-time Africa champions commenced their preparations for the upcoming qualifier on Wednesday at the Accra Sports Stadium with 16 players under the watchful eye of coach Kwesi Appiah.Deputy skipper of the Black Stars Andre Dede Ayew has set his sights on starting the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia with a victory.

And speaking to reporters after the training session, Ayew declared, “It will be very important to start the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaign on a note. We have a goal which is qualifying for the 2019 AFCON and we must start by getting good results here and we know the bad results we had against Uganda made our World Cup campaign a difficult one even though is not yet over.”

“But we have sidelined the World Cup agenda and now thinking about the game against Ethiopia where we want all three points and we’re going to work towards that,” Ayew noted.

The Black Stars will continue their training at the Accra Sports Stadium till Sunday as they are scheduled to depart to Kumasi on Monday.

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‘I’m sorry’ – former EBC-TV Journalist Biruk Endale – SBS Amharic

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View of Porc-Epic Cave (photo by A. Herrero; all images © 2017 Rosso et al., used under CC BY 4.0 license)

According to a new study, the Porc-Epic Cave served as a site for the continuous production of ochre powder for at least 4,500 years.

Caves may not get great natural light, but a low-ceilinged one in Ethiopia represents one of the earliest known and longest-running art workshops. According to a new study by a group of European archaeologists, published in the journal PLOS ONE, the 40,000-year-old Porc-Epic Cave in eastern Ethiopia served as a site for the continuous production of ochre powder — which prehistoric people often used for paint — for at least 4,500 years. Over that time, cave dwellers built up a nearly 90-pound cache of the reddish, iron-rich rocks, the largest known East African ochre assemblage from the Middle Stone Age.

“Considering the large amount of ochre processed at the site, this continuity can be interpreted as the expression of a cohesive cultural adaptation, largely shared by all community members and consistently transmitted through time,” the researchers write. In other words, the site functioned similarly to a modern-day paint workshop, as a center where ochre was imported in large slabs or small pieces, then hand-ground into fine powder. Researchers even found particular rock pieces that may indicate the work of apprentices who were training to properly flake and grind the raw material. The findings resemble those from another cave in South Africa, a 100,000-year-old site where humans processed ochre and stored it in abalone shells.

In the case of the younger Porc-Epic, archaeologists examined about 4,000 pieces of ochre — now all housed at the National Museum of Ethiopia — as well as a number of ochre-processing tools and ochre-stained artifacts, to understand how humans transformed the naturally occurring substance into a valuable tool for their community. The researchers also ground up some ochre themselves, experimenting with different stones and analyzing the results. What they found was that myriad shades and powders of varying coarseness could be produced from the material, from yellow and oranges to reds and grays.

The pigment was used for a variety of purposes, but samples were likely made mostly for “symbolic activities,” the researchers write, such as cave or body painting; some ochre pieces even appear to be ground to a point at one end, as if they were once used like crayons. Another notable find: a round pebble half-covered with ochre that suggests use as a stamp to apply pigments to or even form patterns on soft material.

It is possible that some powders served more functional purposes. People may have used them to tan animal hides or applied them to their skin as an early form of sunblock or insect repellent, the study explains. What’s certain, though, is that Porc-Epic remained a busy site of ochre processing for over four millennia, evidently catering to communities that relied on the expertise of generations of artisans.

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Mammo Muchie, Professor

Director: Research programme on Civil Society and African Integration
University of Kwa Zulu Natal(UKZN), Durban South Africa.

Contributing Editor: African Renaissance

“I know no national boundary where the African is concerned. The whole

world is my province until Africa is free.”

– Marcus. M. Garvey.

Professor Mamo Muchie

The expression of many identities is seen as the celebration of diversity and a legitimate vehicle for claims to political and other forms of rights. The resolution of diverse identities into compound /combined identities and unities is often suspect bearing the implication that rights and diversity might be sacrificed in the process of bringing about a new combination or synthesis to distinct and plural identities.

Also combined and hybrid identities are seen to command less loyalty than identities derived from origin, biology, cultural and other distinctive behavioural characteristics. It is argued that combined identities continue to bear schizophrenic, bifurcated and even fractured loyalties leading to breakdown in harder times than when the political and economic circumstances is going well.

The combination may not remove residual loyalties to the pre-existing

entities. Worse, unless there is a new ontological base to back the

combinatory initiative, and a consciousness to overcome the possible

self-assertion from the constituting entities, there will be a tendency for a

phenomenon of loyalty bifurcation and even fractured expressions of

identities within the combination to prevail, thereby rendering

identity-hybridist endlessly unstable. The danger of combination can

therefore be more unwelcome than the status of remaining with

fragmented identities. That has been the argument that some of the leaders

of the first post-colonial generation made against the combinatory

ambitions to express an African identity and will. This more ambitious

direction was the road that Africa was not to travel despite the universal

and shared expression and appeals to political unity by nearly all the

leaders of post-colonial states during the period of decolonization in the

1960s. Those appeals gave birth to the Organization of African Unity, but

not to African unity. States retained their sovereignty in alliance mainly

with the system that subjugated Africa under colonialism without any

reform. State-identity building to make Africans citizens of largely

disunited post-colonial states continued. This has not prevented the

post-colonial state from being challenged by subversion, threats to

disintegration and re-making by ethnic or clan identity self-assertions,

outbursts and affiliations from within, often aided by external interests.

What makes the search for an African identity current and compelling is

the fact that hordes of disaffected identity groups mount precisely

opposition by taking advantage of the structural weakness of the

post-colonial state, its continued conceptual arbitrariness, and its inability

to become independent and rely and be accountable to the population

within its jurisdiction.

If it has been said that combined identity may not command loyalty as

local and less remote and familiar identities, it is even more true to say that

putting together groups that share little in common with each other in one

state, and splitting those that share more with each other into different

states, has given cause for identity groups to mobilize ethnicities into

national movements for political power.

The Meaning of Identity

In general identity expression is neither good nor bad. Identity posits two

interdependent and distinct entities. The first is the ego, self, inside person

or the in- group, and the other is the out-group, outside person, the other,

or even the other of the other. Historically and anthropologically a more

potent expression of identity has been ethnic identity. The latter defines a

group by distinguishing the persons entitled to belong to it through their

physical, behavioural, and social character and their myth of origin. Often

the ethnic identity has been used as a demarcation criterion of inclusion

and exclusion to determine who is inside and who is outside the group.

Selection of persons for inclusion and exclusion in the group is often based

on: a) physical characteristics such as skin colour and hair type, b) social

characteristics such as language, religion and belief, c) behavioural

characteristics such as style, ritual or traditional customs, and d) myth

based on imagined or real common origin, history and social-political

experience.

Some see identity as a naturally fixed, static and a historically given

concept inured with the binaries of exclusion and inclusion, particularity

and generality, and the inside and the outside. In the naturalist conception

of identity, historical interaction is defined by the assertions of identities.

Though history may dilute identity, in the final analysis, it does not

overcome it. The proponents of fixed and essentialist identity stress the

unchanging cultural and psychological attributes of a group’s survival and

roots in the enclosure of identity, heredity and blood. Such fixed identities

that brook no dilution by any social and historical experience can

degenerate into racialism. For instance I once met an Englishman who was

originally from Liverpool in a social event in Durban who told me he

would be migrating to Edmonton, Canada. I asked him why he wanted to

leave South Africa. His reply astonishingly was racist: “The blacks will

never change.” He was convinced that that South Africa under black

leader would implode sooner or later. This is a clear case of a racial

conception of who is entitled to rule, and who is not. I told him it would be

good riddance if his thoughts were coloured with such vile racism.

Identities that offer premium to natural attributes of genealogy,

kinship, race, clan and religion are narrow-minded and often lead to

barbarian consequences. Such conceptions resist hybridisation, and are

driven by a desire to control and oppress.

Control of women’s sexuality is often at the top of the list of the

expression of essentialist identity. Women have to be controlled to bring up

children to grow up as members of the inside, and not the outside – the

race, ethnic group, religion, clan or kinship. Marriages are arranged

formally or by informal pressure to gear women’s reproductive capacities

to reproduce the particular racial and ethnic group. This control of

women’s sexuality is at the core of an essentialist strategy for keeping

identity undiluted and pure. Some religions also insist that marriages have

to remain within the religion and frown upon inter-faith marriages.

In Africa we have a serious problem in relation to the oppression of

women by naturalistic and religious expressions of identity. In South

Africa, there is a serious attempt to carry out a gender revolution to

confront all forms of essentialist conceptions that limit women’s agency in

Africa.

Making African Identity

When we speak of African identity, such an identity must be built on a

rejection of essentialism. There is no such thing as an essential African

character that has been frozen from time immoral. Africa has always lived

in history and through history. Its identity must be expressed through the

rejection of racism, ethnicity, parochialism, exclusivity and barbarism. It

must be an identity rooted in its earlier civilization, its experience of

resisting injustice and its record of humanising the world. Thus African

identity must posit an inclusive, non-essentialist and emancipatory goals.

The negative connotation of essentialism has to be replaced by the positive

connotation of building an inclusive, tolerant, civilized and combinational

African identity. As the distinguished African scholar Ali Mazuri puts it,

Africa needs a social engineering: “emphasizing what is African,

nationalising what is tribal, idealising what is indigenous and indigenising

what is foreign.” This is one of the greatest challenges in the making of the

African and of the Africa –nation. The African and the Africa-nation exist.

They are recognised by those who define Africa by its negative and those

who define it by its positive such as Kwame Nkrumah and Thabo Mbeki.

Africa invokes negative definition as it does positive. Those who define

Africa only with its negatives contest fiercely any positive narratives of, or

from Africa. Those who define Africa with its positives constantly contest

the negative representation of the African and the Africa-nation.

The substantive discursive referent of the negative representation of the

African and Africa is reproach, which is itself born from the undiluted

prevalence of essentialism and racism when it pertains to anything

African. The most potent way by which the idea of Africa is relayed to the

world by those who buy into the essentialist discourse (Africans and

non-Africans) is the reduction of African capabilities to solve problems

through African own resources. Its main mode of representation is to

associate the name of Africa with reproach and despair, and Europe with

civilization and hope. “Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible

disease.” (President Bush Jr.) Africa is “out of the world” operated by

“private indirect Government.”(Achille Mbembe). Africa is a “shackled

continent” (R. Guest). It is a ‘hopeless’ continent. (The Economist). It is the

heart of darkness (J.Conrad). Africa works through disorder (Chabal and

Daloz). Like Adam and Eve’s fall from grace , Africa’s hopes lies only if

there is hope from a tree of evil (Bayart). The kind of staggering

self-defeat mentioned above, simply boggles the mind. This goes beyond

describing a situation; it becomes a total moral condemnation of Africa.

Africa is defined by condemnation, reproach and lack of agency.

In our time we have a positive definition of Africans and Africa in

Thabo Mbeki’s notion of African Renaissance. This optimistic,

non-condemnatory and non-reproachful direction opens a new

perspective for Africa to seize the historical opportunity to bring about a

post-colonial revolution. The new conception builds on the positive

achievements of Africans throughout the world, without denying the

problems and the challenges.

The key platform from which Africans can find solace is that they have

successfully dealt with, and defeated a major contemporary enemy. Yes,

Africans can be proud of their victory over formal colonialism and its

attendant institution of white minority domination. The harder problem

that remains to be achieved is Pan-African integration. Despite all the

efforts of the OAU, AU, NEPAD and other regional and sub-regional

groupings, Pan-African political and economic integration is still at the

lowest end of the curve. One of the key missing elements for the lack of

progress in actual integration is the absence of ideology. Pan-Africanism,

for all its worthy contributions, has evolved more as a movement rather

than providing a coherent framework for African integration. It was Walter

Rodney who said that the “OAU does far more to frustrate than to realize

the concept of African unity.” The reason for that is because the leaders of

the post-colonial states that constituted the OAU never shared a common

African ideology on how to forge a united political and economic African

space beyond opposition to colonialism and racism. Frantz Fanon also

pointed out that opposition to colonialism and racism in itself does not

provide a sufficient condition for Africa’s full freedom. In his words,

“colonialism and its derivates do not, as a matter of fact, constitute the

present enemies of Africa. In a short time, this continent will be liberated.

For my part., the deeper I enter into the cultures and the political circles,

the surer I am that the great danger that threatens Africa is the absence of

ideology.”

In Africa, there has always been a goal-identity that is shared by all

types of political communities. When the OAU was formed in 1963 both

the radical Casablanca group with its slogan of “Africa Must Unite Now!”,

and the more conservative Monrovia group’s belief that Africa should

unite gradually- had both unity as a shared goal-identity. We can say they

shared the ultimate goal but differed on strategy. The chief architect of the

Monrovia group, the late President Flex- Houphouet-Boigny had declared

that “Africa is seeking her salvation through unity, unity of action.” The

situation is exactly the same now with the African Union that replaced the

OAU. There are some Africans who wish to form a more integrated Africa

by accelerating the tempo of unification and others that think the best way

to avoid the chaos of immediate unity is a gradualist approach. Like in the

earlier period, both would like unity as a goal-identity to take place.

While the Right says we must bring about such unity through

functional coordination and ceding sovereignty inch-by- inch through the

long haul, the Left wishes to bring a rapid combination of African

post-colonial states into a unity-identity. The fact that there is no

difference in achieving the ultimate goal is perhaps a very welcome

development that bodes well for the project of African unity.

Diversity in Africa constitutes the Achilles hill of Africa’s undoing.

Fractured and disunited, the lack of primary loyalty to African-ness

remains the sore problem undermining efforts to bring about Africa’s fully

decolonized future. Africans have neither recognised being African as their

premier identity, nor have they discovered that identity. They still express

multiple identities from their birth to their death, and have not yet

privileged as a principal and dominant identity the fact that they are

Africans. The reason why many Africans find President Thabo Mbeki’s “I

am an African” speech very attractive is because it provides the basis for

building the Africa-nation. It is the basis for constructing a common and

shared identity.

Between the individual and humanity lies the nation. Africa as a

nation-identity emerges when the African becomes the key nucleus for

bearing citizenship. This process has accelerated over the last three years

with the new rhetoric to change AU from an only state-centred to a

peoples-centred institution.

Africa is not a country. Africa is more a concept bearing the logos of

final freedom for people who were forcibly excluded from its soil as well

as those whose resources are daily robbed, and whose humanity and

liberty are denied and undermined by an indifferent and exploitative

international arrangement which they were denied agency in forming as

partners. Thus, as an identity, being ‘African’ expresses the desire to dream,

to deal with fear, to resist oppression and to promote a project. What is

lacking is the ideology and purpose to bring Africans together to build on

resistance identity against colonialism and racism, and to build on a

renaissance project identity so ably articulated by the current president of

South Africa. Being African expresses a double purpose: reject reproach,

affirm renaissance, reject the negative idea of Africa, and bring in the

positive idea of Africa. Only the development of an ideology of an

Africa-nation can complete the liberation of Africans the world over.

References

Ali Mazuri, (1972): Cultural engineering and Nation Building, Evanston, North-Western University Press,1972.

Frantz Fanon, (1967): Towards the African Revolution, (Grove Press, New York)

Felix Houphout-Boigny, (1947): “

Le continent African en marche,” Democratie

Nouvelle, no.2 Ferier, pp.74-79 reprinted in Rupert Emerson & Martin

Kilson, (1965): The Political Awakening of Africa, Prentice-Hall, Inc, Englewood Cliffs,

N.J., pp.38-41

29

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(based on the Bible principles)

(Yosef Worku Degefe)

In this photo taken Tuesday, May 9, 2017, Teddy Afro, the controversial singer whose album “Ethiopia” is topping the Billboard world chart, poses for a portrait during an interview at his home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Known for the political statements he makes in his music, an infectious mix of reggae and Ethiopian pop, Afro, 40, whose birth name is Tewodros Kassahun, told The Associated Press that raising political issues should not be a sin. (Mulugeta Ayene/Associated Press)

Two top stories to talk about Tewodros Kasahun (a.k.a Teddy Afro). He is standing top in the world’s music album Billboard. Great news in changing the country’s image. And with his very powerful and treasured motto, “Love Wins” the Ethiopian super star have made a huge impact on the strengthening of the fading-out Ethiopian nationalism or national unity. Particularly, this time around where there are no spiritual and political leaders who can stand up against the deep hatred and potential tribal/racial conflict in the country, Teddy has done great by chanting and cheering with his nationalistic songs. He is counseling citizens to keeping in a harmony of spirit. When the spiritual leaders are not preaching about loving one another, worse comes to the worst. Also, when there are no wise politicians who can stand up together for the national unity of the country, worse comes to the worst. It’s only few individuals like Evangelist Yared Tilahun, and Pastor Dr. Tolosa Gudina that preaches/warns about potential tribal/racial conflict in the country. But, it is Artist Tewodros Kasahun who chants about Loving one another and National Unity like no others singers before.

I want the readers know first that because of my faith affiliation, I have no interest or intending to listening to any secular songs. But, whether I like it or not, I am exposed to listening to Teddy Afro’s songs that consulate about Loving one another and National unity. I cannot shy away to express my feeling that his songs have played a great role in the enhancement of the fading-out nationalism or national unity in Ethiopian. Some of the lyrics, except it has no spiritual context, it is chanting about love and national unity. Thus, great number of people have been engaged, mobilized by these nationalistic songs across the country and all over the world. It’s a paradox when Teddy Afro (which spirituals call him a secular singer) is preaching about love and unity, while spiritual leaders are doing nothing.

Tewodros Kasahun is constructing a bridge between generations. He proofs that he is not only a singer, but also he is versatile person who can act like the Good Samaritan in the Bible. He expresses his feeling and thoughts vividly with convincing power. He is highly influential figure both in his songs and speech. He always talks and walks with good intention, for the love of the people, the country. I haven’t known any songwriter who assess our thousands long history and make it songs. Thus, wide-ranging Teddy is a great asset to the country. In addition, one of his humanistic qualities is, he has good heart. Uncorrupted personality comes not from education, wealth etc., but only from good heart. He generosity also comes from his good heart. Overall, Teddy’s best quality is that the choice he made. He chooses Love over hatred. And that is what God want us to do. When we value Love over Hatred, unity over falling apart, our differences including languages, political and religious affiliation do not affect our national unity. The greatest challenge now in Ethiopia is not how to eradicating poverty, but how to prevent hatred and potential tribal/racial conflict.

On the other hand, the government shouldn’t be freaking out when Teddy Afro and other people are chanting out for National unity. We are living like one for all and all for one. Citizens have rights and duties both individually and collectively. What is wrong with chanting and cheering for nationalism, unless there is a hidden agenda. Instead, if I were the government, I would use Teddy and other influential public figures for the good, for the greater outcomes. It is a baloney when government is banning Teddy’s concert if his works are not divisive at all. Who get benefited, and who loses by banning concerts? Teddy or the government? It’s clear that the government is losing because of its unwise move. Yet, Teddy Afro is gaining, because of his wise move. His wise move is, he is prudent in loving his people, his country. The other actual smart move by Teddy’s is, he is following after people’ heart. The more the government is banning Teddy’s concerts, the more the government is doing off beam. Teddy even seems very wiser than opposition party politicians. The other great attribution by teddy is towards building human capital. With his great messages in his songs Teddy tries to collect the intangible human assets/capital and use it to the nation building, to the national unity.

The other ill-advised trading by the government is that overlooking or undermining, if not harassing, many million citizens, including Teddy Afro’s fans, people who cannot identify themselves from a single tribal group (people born from two or three tribes/races) and opposition party members/supporters, etc. Nevertheless, these people are left out by the government, they have great input and impact on the country, including politic. The government is supposed to stand for all citizens, not for some interest groups only. This type of move hurts everyone including the ruling party itself. Thus, the government need to do something for its own survival. First and foremost, the government need to change its attitude. Attitude matter most. The government attitude its motto, termed “if you are not with me, you are against me”. This motto is very dangerously biased and excluding policy. In the recent crisis, we all see the outcome of this motto. There was firing back and there will be firing back, if the TPLF/EPRDF ruling party is not changing its attitude. The other government attitude is that its ideology and policies. The régime need to changes its ideology and policies for the good of all citizens, not for few opportunistic publics. In Ethiopia, today people is not only demanding for economic equality, but it’s also for democratic and human rights. The quest for Economic, democratic and human rights in Ethiopia is not a question of nonessential, but it’s a question of essential or survival. Thus, let citizens exercise their rights by the rules of the law, not by the authoritarian leadership. Let’s there be justice for all citizens. Before everything else, let there be national forgiveness and reconciliation event that may lead to the national consensus.

All in all, Teddy is giving priority in his songs to loving one another and building national unity. Let every citizen also choose Love over Hatred. Let’s all have good heart over hateful heart. Bad thoughts come only out of wicked Heart. And it is impossible to compromise over our common interests with wicked heart. Also, it’s impossible to getting along if we are living with bad hearts which is good only for revenge. If it is very hard to love people, still we can manage not-to-hate people. Either we choose Love or hatred, but we cannot choose both. If we want national unity over failed/fragment nation, let’s choose love. Finally, let’s be thankful to God who loves us unconditionally. Who also can give us wisdom. Wisdom is the source of good heart. Teddy deserves to be the Man of the People for his doing great with his motto, “Love Wins!” Let God bless him in many dimensions.

Shalom, Selam, Peace for all!

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FILE – People wait for food and water in the Warder district in the Somali region of Ethiopia, Jan. 28, 2017.

Forecasters are warning that Ethiopia could face more rainfall deficits, deepening a drought that has left nearly eight million of the country’s people in need of aid.

Dr. Chris Funk is a climate scientist at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) whose research focuses on African and Asian countries. He told VOA’s Horn of Africa Service that there is a 50 percent chance another El Nino weather event could form in the Pacific Ocean this year.

“If it’s a moderate or strong El Nino, that would definitely tilt towards odd, below normal rain for northern Ethiopia,” he said. “That is what happened unfortunately in 2015, when we had a strong El Nino that reduced rains in northern and central Ethiopia and we are concerned about that possibility.”

Ethiopia tends to receive its heaviest rain between mid-June and mid-September, especially in the north.

The moderate rainy season that runs from February to May was disappointing, said Dula Shanko, deputy director for the Ethiopian meteorological department.

“March rain was very poor for areas that get rain [in] this time,” he said. “In April and May it shows little progress but not enough.”

He added that rain was sparse in the southern regions of Somali and Oromia.

Out of 7.78 million Ethiopians in need of food assistance, 3.6 million are in Oromia.

Lower than normal rains in 2015 and 2016 contributed to the ongoing food crisis by killing livestock and reducing farm output. The drought has forced farmers and pastoralists to search for water, pushing students to drop out of school in some areas.

The impact has been especially harsh in Oromia, where massive protests against the government took place two years ago and officials have maintained a state of emergency. In this region, Borana, Guji, West Guji East, West Harerge, North Shewa, East Shewa, Arsi and Bale provinces are highly affected, according to a government report.

Ethiopian officials say they are working to counter the drought by providing food for both animals and people.

“The combined effort from local, federal government and citizens averted the country from falling to famine before it happens [and] saved countless lives by allocating millions of dollars for this purpose,” said Debebe Zewude, a public officer for the National Disaster and Risk Management Commission (NDRMC).

But government intervention only goes so far when it doesn’t rain.

“Carcasses of cows, goats litter over the roads throughout the districts,” said Dida Guyo of Nagelle Borana, a city in Oromia. “I would say thousands of animals are dead due to drought from this area.”

The situation is grave, said Borbor Bule, a resident of Dubluk, a town in the south of the country.

“This is our only source of income,” he added. “We have lost our proud breeds. I have lost more than 10 animals. More than 50 animals are dead in my village alone.”

“I have never seen anything like this in my life,” he said. “… God forbid, we are fearing for human life.”

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One Love…At No Security Cost!

Suicide bombings and other such acts that our western media perceives to us as cold acts of terrorism, happen, and has been happening in many diverse countries all over the world for years now, but, to the much greater extent, these have been confined to the Middle East hot-bed that surrounds Palestine and the State of Israel, and to the African Continent. However, the panic button rings out deafeningly whenever the scene of terror shifts outside of this general constellation, and particularly so if that scene is in the U.S.A. or any other member country of the NATO alliance.

The height of panic and trepidation for the earth’s inhabitants, which had been rising consistently with mankind’s developments in technology and destruction capacity over the same years, may have topped off now with the suicide bombing carried out in the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England last Monday, May 22, 2017, given that the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility as an act of revenge; the fact that the world’s capacity to destroy is unthinkable; and, the fact that one Donald Trump speaks for the most powerful politician in this world. Surely now, it would seem, we’ve reached our final stanza of touch and go…to total destruction.

What we have seen is that mankind’s longtime commitment to the racist nationalist fervor in the assertion of power and in the assurance of wealth and prosperity, has really taken us down into a pit hole, where, as more and more of the earth’s resources were being utilized in building the war factories, war machines and war academies; as the earth’s environment was being more and more compromised, they were saying, to make us more secure, we were all the time actually becoming less and less life sustainable…to the point we’ve now reached. The children now have hardly anywhere to really play!… no pun intended on what they were doing in the Manchester Theater. After all, we all are, or can choose to be children of either the ONE or, … ANOTHER.

To stand proudly with clenched fist held high and to declare “Black Power!” was easy and almost automatic for those of us blacks who were knowledgeable enough about our enslavement and persecution by the white man, especially over these past four hundred years, and we just as easily ate up Marcus Garvey’s black nationalist philosophy, not realizing that it was this same type of fervor that drove people like Nimrod, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander, Caesar, Herod, Napoleon, Mussolini, Hitler, Botha and others. In other words, a demand cry for power is not exclusive to the black man, but has to be backed by force, and therefore only makes him a mimic of those who think they will always have the power of resources and weapons over him.

Ever since earth departed from the perfection of the Almighty, mankind has sought to perpetrate a Babylon System of exploitation and exclusivity of a relative few above all others, and no matter what ism or schism is used to describe or support different shades of Babylon System, the reality is that, if it hasn’t occurred as yet, we’ll definitely find out shortly that we are all owned by three individuals who don’t give a damn about music.

We are unable to say how long the Almighty’s perfection would have lasted for, but, since a thousand ages in his sight, is but an evening gone, it could well turn out that, whenever we do get to know, that this life was just a relatively short interruption of that perfection, for us to walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

H.I.M. Haile Selassie I, the ”Christ in his Kingly Character”, in one of his renowned speeches made on…………pointed out to the world that a mere one-tenth of what mankind was spending on war, defense and security could rid the entire world’s problem of hunger and starvation. (Majestys quote) What the Emperor was effectively saying to mankind, was that an application of the Almighty’s commands unto us to (scripture), and to Love One Another, would see all inhabitants of the earth living in peace, abundance and happiness…with all the children having lots of wonderful places to really play! This is the One Love of Rastafari. This is the livity of the perfection of the Most High that the creation was held in for a period that we are quite unqualified to even estimate. This is the only livity that can and will rehabilitate and refine mortal back to immortal, the only combination to unlock Satan/Babylon’s stranglehold over life in the earth. This is the livity for which Jesus the Christ came to be the logos for, the patent, the First-Fruit. Incidentally, he rode the donkey, and…the Emperor rode the colt.

It is plain to see that, if the world would unite around the Circle Psychology of Rastafari’s One Love, that this would take mankind in a totally opposite direction from where the Triangle Psychology of racist nationalism fervor has taken us today. In the Triangle of only 180 degrees, there’s always a feeling that there is never going to be enough, and the focused push is to get as close as possible to one of the three apexes. One quickly realizes that the closer that one would get to whichever apex, is the more of others that one will have to put underfoot. So much so, that, where there are only three contenders for the apex, you can be sure that two of them will be plotting the demise of the third. Conversely, in the Circle of 360 degrees, there’s never any anxiety over supply meeting demand, everyone gets their  seat around the table, everyone gets their chance to speak, and everyone is listened to with genuine attention and understanding. Everyone also speaks Truth. There is no need for great walls, mistrust, and weapons of indescribable wickedness!

Mankind, earth and the environment are all diseased and in desperate need for a cure before disaster sets in. Life on the planet is locked into a chronic fix of pride and jealousy, deception and sabotage,  greed and corruption, genocide and vengeance. All these are carried out and/ or maintained at a tremendous expense burden upon the economies of countries, and under a cloak of fear. The cure is the One Love of Rastafari, and, in Jamaica (Zion/Spiritual Jerusalem/Jamrock/Ephrata), we have the ideal, strong little nation (see Isa.60 v 21-22) well poised to be the logos to Africa and to the rest of the world. Our National Motto of “Out of many, one people” must have been divinely chosen, because, although this has thus far been but a nightmare for most of the African majority of Jamaica… it is in fact a prophetic destiny!… but…there’s one thing first!….. 2 Thess.2 v 3-7: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there be a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition:

Who opposeth and exhalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way”.

The day of harvest beckons, and the Reaper arouses. It is time for the poisonous, obscuring and confusing strands of Garveyism to fall away and allow for the true light of Rastafari’s One Love to shine through.

Musically speaking , “Hop offa mi fenda”…(Cool Ruler of Reggae, Gregory Isaacs); “Love and hate, can never be friends”…(Crown Prince of Reggae, Dennis Brown), and, “Give us the teachings of His Majesty, We no want no devil philosophy”…(King of Reggae, Bob Marley).

Destination ONE LOVE, anyone?…at NO SECURITY COST?

Bertram ’Ras Mandito’ Johnson

Author of “The Testament of Rastafari…Unlocking the KJV” search www.lulu.com

CD Album “History of the World”, 7th Trumpet Label https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/history-of-the-world/id1082728884

E-Mail> almondrodlive@gmail.com

               rasmandito@yahoo.com

Tel. (876) 384-9625 

The post ONE LOVE…AT NO SECURITY COST! – Bertram ’Ras Mandito’ Johnson appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Voice Of Meret Ethio – Israel Interview With Doctor Tesfaye Demelash

The post Voice Of Meret Ethio – Israel Interview With Doctor Tesfaye Demelash appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.

Addis Ababa – Ethiopia’s government has suspended adoptions, leaving dozens of foreign parents unable to unite with orphans they have legally adopted, according to officials from four western embassies whose citizens are concerned.

The measure has also frozen hundreds of pending applications for inter-country adoptions, blindsiding families who have in some cases waited years and spent thousands of dollars to adopt a child from the Horn of Africa nation.

A spokesman for Ethiopia’s Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs declined to comment on the suspension, which diplomats said came into effect on April 21 without warning.

“We haven’t been explained what the reasons are behind (the ban), and what the intentions are,” Spanish ambassador Borja Montesino told AFP.

Ethiopia is a popular destination for families interested in inter-country adoption.

Spanish families took in 1,200 Ethiopian children in 2010 and 2011, which even led to a brief backlog when the embassy had to halt applications for a while, Montesino said.

American families have adopted more than 5,500 Ethiopian children since 2011, according to the United States embassy.

Adopting a child can involve months, if not years, of vetting by adoption agencies, courts, and embassies, along with thousands of dollars in fees and travel costs.

‘We’re legal parents’

American Jon Oren and his wife are among those who had already been made legal parents of an Ethiopian child who they are now unable to take home.

The couple had been waiting for the required permission to take their new three-year-old son out of the country when the suspension took effect.

“Now that we’re legal parents, documented parents, I’m effectively responsible for his wellbeing,” Oren told AFP.

“I kind of can’t just undo what I feel are my desires and even legal obligations as a father.”

About 40 other American parents are in a similar situation, according to a US embassy statement to AFP, and more than 200 families who have only started the process to adopt have had their application put on hold.

In Spain, about 50 families have had their applications frozen, the ambassador said, while a British official said around a dozen families from the United Kingdom have been affected.

Ethiopia’s adoption system has faced allegations in the past that children who are not really orphans are being put up for adoption, prompting embassies to impose new regulations to vet prospective adoptees.

Jozef Naudts, deputy head of mission at the Belgian embassy said he had been told by officials that Ethiopia was reviewing its entire adoption system.

Five Belgian families’ adoptions have been blocked by the ban, he said.

“We are just hoping that a solution can be found for the families that are in the process and get kind of stuck because of this decision,” Naudts said.

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Dr Frank Ashall: Professor in Ethiopia (2012-2017)

Dr Frank Ashall: Professor in Ethiopia (2012-2017)

I took all of the photographs on this page in 2016 and 2017. They are a handful of hundreds of photographs I took there during my four years in Ethiopia as a professor.

Don’t get me wrong, though. Ethiopia is a beautiful country, with amazing natural beauty and historical and archeological sites, and so many wonderful people. I will share my photos of some of these on a happier post.

But wherever people live, extensive areas of poverty are evident, especially in rural areas, where over 80% of Ethiopians live. Even in its capital city, Addis Ababa, poverty abounds, but much of it is hidden from sight by tall trees, and fancy hotels and malls, close to where the poor and homeless beg on the streets, hoping for donations from the few who can afford to frequent those hotels and malls.

You will see in the news, and officials of the oppressive Ethiopian government will  smile convincingly when they tell you, that Ethiopia is thriving with a “double-digit” economic growth.

Yet many experts and scholars will explain to you why this claim to double-digit growth is really triple-digit nonsense and quadruple-digit propaganda.

Below are some articles worth reading. The first is written by Professor Alemayehu Mariam, a human rights lawyer and professor at the University of California at San Bernadino, whose knowledge, scholarly opinions and analyses can be relied upon.

http://almariam.com/2017/01/08/the-world-bankliars-in-ethiopia/

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2015/12/24/ethiopias-fake-economic-growth-borrows-from-enrons-accounting/

http://www.madote.com/2016/03/ethiopia-double-digit-economic.html

https://stesfamariam.com/2016/03/19/ethiopia-double-digit-economic-growthreality-check/

https://asokoinsight.com/news/is-ethiopia-moving-from-double-digit-growth-narrative-to-collapsing-economy

Truth is the best friend of Freedom

“The poorest regions are in Chad, Burkino Faso, Niger, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Uganda and Afghanistan.”

The above quote is taken from Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2017, a report of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). You can download a summary of this report here:

http://www.ophi.org.uk/wp-c…/uploads/B47_Global_MPI_2017.pdf

In fact, of 103 developing countries studied, Ethiopia ranks 101 out of 103 countries. It is the third poorest nation on Earth. Only two countries are poorer, by MPI score, than Ethiopia.

The global MPI is an index based on three “dimensions” of poverty: health, education and living standards, and on ten indications within these, including child mortality, access to nutrition, sanitation, quality drinking water, electricity, and more. You see, poverty isn’t simply about money. Some governments- including the Ethiopian government- will use indicators such as GDP per capita, but poverty is much more complex than that.

Poverty is about the quality of people’s lives, and how they struggle to survive on a daily basis.

The Global MPI score is a scholarly index that takes these factors into account.

And Ethiopia is doing very poorly. The MPI data for Ethiopia (http://www.dataforall.org/dashboard/ophi/index.php) indicate that:

• 87 % of Ethiopians are MPI-poor
• 71 % of Ethiopians live in severe poverty
• 58 % of Ethiopians are destitute

I lived and worked as a professor for four years in Ethiopia and the poverty made me weep with sadness on almost a daily basis. The government presents a rosy image of an “Ethiopian Renaissance,” supporting it with its falsified “double-digit growth,” but it is largely propaganda, and few people can speak out there because they are silenced by fear, oppression and proclamations that stifle free speech and human rights.

In Addis Ababa alone, estimates are that as many as 100,000 children, possibly even more, live on the streets. Add to that the homeless adults and families in Addis and elsewhere, and the number is not known, but it is staggering!

And we haven’t added yet the huge number of people who live on the edge, at risk of losing their basic security at a moment’s notice. When I lived in Ethiopia, I met many people who earned barely enough money to pay their rent and buy basic food, and I saw how precarious their lives were. Loss of a job, a serious illness or accident, loss of a working spouse, for example, can put someone onto the streets at a moment’s notice. In the countryside, as we speak, severe drought has put millions of poor Ethiopians at risk for famine.

Some people, including, myself, might even argue that we should add indices of freedom to the definition of poverty. After all, deprivation of ones right to freedom of speech and expression is surely a type of psychological poverty? If that were the case, Ethiopia might well fall to the very bottom of the list. Freedom House lists Ethiopia as “NOT FREE,” and even trending down in 2017:

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2017/ethiopia

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2017

If people have no freedom to speak out against poverty and its causes, to campaign for a better deal for the poor; if they have no voice because their mouths are glued shut by state oppression, they will be confined to the chains and shackles of poverty.

The wealthiest people in Ethiopia

There are wealthy people in Ethiopia, but there are many, many, many, many more poor people there.

A search of the internet will reveal various sites that name the richest Ethiopians. There are some minor differences, but here is one of them:

http://www.zeethiop.com/the-top-…

The richest person there is said to be businessman, Sheikh Mohammed Al Amoudi; he is worth about $11 billion. Of the others in the top ten wealthiest, according to the above and other sources, at least four are, or were, politicians, including the former First Lady, Azeb Mesfin (worth about $3 billion).

The government receives billions of dollars in foreign aid, and some of that helps corrupt politicians and government officials amass their wealth, while millions of precious citizens live in poverty or on the fence between poverty and very minimal security.

If you ask me, though, who are the wealthiest people in Ethiopia, I will tell you beyond doubt who they are, because when I lived there I made a point of getting to know some of them. They are the homeless, and the poor who live on the borderline, many of them rich in humility, spirit and gentleness, who somehow manage to produce the best smiles you ever saw in your life.

And the poorest? The oppressive leaders who deny them their basic human rights, and silence those who want to speak out for them, through intimidation and proclamations that stifle human rights.

The post Double-digit growth? Quadruple-digit propaganda! Ethiopia’s top 10 wealthiest people, and Ethiopia’s 87 million poor appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News | Breaking News: Your right to know!.