My advise to Ethiopians

I’ve recently been to Ethiopia, a great country with rich historical heritages. During my two-week stay, I visited the magical Lalibella rock-hewn churches, the amazing Gondar castles and the wonderful Axum obelisks. These magnificent historical heritages are witnesses to the glorious past that all Ethiopians should be proud of.

Having said that, I was shocked and disturbed by the level of the crushing poverty throughout all the towns and villages I visited. I spent my first night at the Sheraton Addis, which boasts to be Africa’s first ‘luxury collections’. It was beyond my expectations and I felt as if I were in the heart of Las Vegas. The next day I decided to see some interesting sights in Addis with the help of a guide. I didn’t enjoy it much as every single step led me to a confrontation with poverty assaulting the vulnerable making their lives nothing but an endurance test of unacceptable proportion. I continued to witness massive scale suffering until I flew out of the country.

I have so many great friends from this tragic land who encouraged me to visit their country. After my return, my views towards Ethiopia have changed though I have retained my respect to the people and their glorious history…

No matter how difficult it might be, Ethiopians should make tackling poverty incumbent upon themselves. I realize that such an onerous task requires responsible leadership. It seems the government in power is good for nothing. I agree with any Ethiopians who are aspiring to change tyranny.

However, Ethiopians in the Diaspora should come together to make significant contributions to tackle grinding poverty among their fellow countrymen. Each one of you can give hope to at least an orphaned child. Each one of you can change the life of a neglected elderly person who just waits for death without much care and assistance…. In my opinion inaction and negligence of duty is as much despicable as snobbery.

Forgive me if I am wrong, I have found Ethiopia sleeping on a comfortable mattress called history…Glorifying your past over here, without doing anything worthwhile to change the present, doesn’t do any good to your people. There is an urgent call for all of you. What have you done so far to reach out those who need your help? I salute those who have already been making efforts to bring a better day to the wretched of the earth in Ethiopia. Those who have been shackled with inaction should heed to the urgent call to fight against the most unacceptable level of poverty I have ever witnessed.

You said it well sister.

Mamo Qilo

Dear Diana,

Thanks for your honest comment about Ethiopia. Yes the level of poverty is out of this world. The most shocking thing is how normal it is for the people. For Ethiopians like me who go back whenever we can, it is heart breaking to see the situation. I go to Ethiopia every September as it is our New Year, I teach those who can’t go to school. It is the most rewarding thing I do.

As far as I am concerned as long as there is a great deal of money to be made from the suffering of the Ethiopians people, the real poverty won’t be tackled. Governments make money from it as well as charities. Once I asked a World Food Programme worker, what he would be doing (job) if it wasn’t for the hungry people in Ethiopia, his reply was ‘I don’t know’. As long as the world keep funding nasty governments, extreme poverty will always be part of the norm.

We all do what we can, but if there is no political will from the government, our efforts is like taking a baby step.

Diana:
Thanks to take time to write this heart felt letter. You are right. We all should do our best to help our fellow Ethiopians. I am doing my part. I have two household totally depended on me. I am glad to help. The biggest problem is the current government. Money flows to Ethiopia from all over the world like never before. But once the money gets to Ethiopia it never gets to the needy. The govt. spends it as they please. Please do your part on behalf of all Ethiopians to talk to your congressman.

Thanks again.

Well said! It is a wake up call for all of us!

unless and otherwise its enemy, Meles Zarqawi, is removed ,how can Ethiopia move forward? Absolutely impossible. The country is led not by her own man but her enemy man of other country. This is the very problem of Ethiopia. So this has to be well understood by all the intermnational community.

Email: btworkie2003@yahoo.com

City: Stuttgart

Diana,
You are so right on th money! Unfortunately, most of the discusssion, on this forums and others, is not about helping to eradicate poverty to the most beutiful people in Africa. Most of Ethiopia's sons/daughters are obssesed with the current govt, loose complete site of what matter to the poor and hungry. They are exaserbating things even worst without willing to pay the required sacrifice for the ideas they put forward. Without giving room to other ideas, I am afraid we will be in the same vicious cycle for the forseable future....

Email: mamo@yahoo.com

Thank you Diana for raising this critical issue. We need to be honest...the struggle for democracy should be fought with care and compassion for our people. It is our duty to show real concern and comapassion for our people....We can make a difference if you genuinely want to. Let put poverty on the agenda.

You are right. Talking poliics isn't enough. Who ever loves their country should also love their people.

Yes Diana,

We know,the government of Meles Zarkawi is good for nothing. That's why we are fighting to stop the lord of poverty from staying in power with the blessings of Mr. Bush.You would do us a big favor if you can pressure the U.S government to stop supporting Ethiopia's Bin Laden. Mr. Bush is sending our tax money to line up the pockets of this ******* and his cronies. The Ethiopian people have chosen the party that will lead them out of this grinding poverty that is the hallmark of Meles' 14 years of misrule. For some unknown reason, Condi Rice is preaching the virtues of democracy to Mubarek in Cairo but turns a blind eye to the obscenely un-democratic deeds of the
" Al qaida leadership" in Addis. We are witnessing the
great highway robbery in Ethiopia and the shameful
complicity of the Bush Administration.

If Mr. Bush, who claims to be a christian has the guts to stand for the truth and do the right thing,
he should not stand in the way of the Ethiopian people
by denying the CUD/UEDF from ruling Ethiopia for the next five years. They have won the election fair and square, they have the mandate of the people. If CUD?UEDF comes to power I'll personally invite you to Ethiopia, so that you can witness the incredible transformation in all the areas that you have visited.

Thanks for your help

Email: kinijit2005@hotmailcom

Ethiopian,

You are confusing the opposition (which is in Ethiopia led by CUD and UEDF and) the support in the diaspora. The opposition is forwarding a peaceful strugle to make the people vote count. I for one have in all my postings rejected any call for violence. Most of the participants on this forum are supporting a peaceful struggle to have the peoples vote count. The poor people have given the mandate to CUD and UEDF. Meles is trying to rob them of this choice. And you are bending backward to justify this under a lame excuse. I was surprised to read in one of your messages that you even misquoted Hailu (for example you said that he denied there was no demonstration in Ethiopia on June 8) to support your argument.

Asking for your right to uphold democracy and the rule of law are not mutually exclusive with fighting poverty. Or are they?

Mamo Qilo

I am getting confused and am not clear what Ethiopian is saying. Mamo's position is clear. Ethiopian you are being illusive. Tell us what you are saying.

You have been clear on what CUD and UEDF should do? That is accept what ever EPRDF is willing to give them, not the full mandate that the people seem to have given them. This seems to be clear from your writings.

What, in your opinion, should Meles undertake that shows a fundamental change in his governance structure to assure the people that EPRDF will change its way of doing things before we agree to let it continue in the palace. Things like "promise to listen to the people" is not concrete guarantee that it would do. What institutional and organizational changes should they introduce as a compromise. You have to be clear when you ask compromise from the opposition. If your request is targeted only at the opposition, then what Mamo has been saying is right. You are asking the people to surender not compromise.

Yejib Tila

MAMO
How comes you didn't diagnose Diana's accent/grammer?
even if she told the truth but the whole truth.
The silent listner.

Let us stick to the issues raised by Diana.

Yo,

Your question is valid. But Genet's observation is even wiser.

Mamo Qilo aka
Yejib Tila

You are right sister Diana,
If you are an American citizen, tell your govt the truth about what you have seen in Ethiopia. Innocent millions of Ethiopians are suffering because of few criminal rulers indorsed by your govt unfairly. Because bad policy, incompetent, corruption, unaccountability and dictatorship behaviours by the current rulers, the situation in Ethiopia became the way as it is. Yet your govt is assisting these few criminals to stay on power for the next 5 years in order the situation becomes worst if there is something left to be worst than what is now. Your govt and the EU are working hand in hand to restore the openly rejected regime in ballot box by the population to rule with terror, fret, harassment, hunger, imprisonment, disappearance and killing. Ethiopians do like very much their country. There are more medical doctors in the Washington area that the whole Ethiopia. There are thousands intellectuals in Diaspora. Almost all them of want to go back to build the country. The only thing they want is good governance in Ethiopia. The current regime is a record breaking with crimes against humanity. Yet your govt is in love with this kind or regime. So, sister Diana; write or tell to the US govt in order the people's vote to be respected. Tell also about your govt wrong and devastated policy against the Ethiopian people assisting a regime that took power 14 years a go with gun and currently lost the election all cities and towns in the country and the rural areas. If really you are a true human being and you want to help the poor Ethiopians you have witnessed their life condition, don’t blame the Ethiopian people but your govt and EU by appointing criminal leaders not to lead but to rule the nation to darkness.

Email: Hirut@hotmail.com

What about our contributions regardless of the crimes of the government? Our ideas should be solution oriented rather than being evasive of our responsibilties. Diana suggestions should be considered.

Good comment

Folks,

Really, what’s all this exercise in futility, aren't you by now aware of the fact that Tim Clarke is simply and errand boy whose only purpose is to deliver a message between EU & USA, and between the ruling party and the opposition.

Get over it, Tim Clark makes nor has the power to change minds as he has no influence over anyone party. Remember, Tim Clarke dismissed Ana Gomez at the behest and insistence of Meles Zenawi, because of her assertive demands for a independent and transparent conduct by NEB and castigating Meles for attempting to incite ethnic violence by making the speeches in which he invoked interhamwe like massacre.

For all exhaustive purposes, neither Tim Clarke nor the US congressman are in a position to alter the position that USA and EU have decided to maintain stability under tyranny over democracy with assured stability. Ironically Condi Rise and her mentor Bush gave impressive lip services to the world espousing to stand with nations aspiring democracy...bal...bla bla...bla. As far as US & EU are concerned, they have made their desire abundantly clear to the opposition party. I suggest you go back and re-read Tim Clarke's message of last week to the opposition party.

As I said all along in my aggravation and disappointments as any frustrated and disappointed genuine fellow Ethiopian, the fate of Ethiopia and the realization of our democratic aspiration lies in the hands of the Ethiopian people and not in the benevolence of the EU, UK, USA, Condi Rise, Tony Blair or Tim Clarke, nor Jimmy Carter.

The opposition party would be more effective if it acted under the auspices and collective power of its constituents and the Ethiopian people by (a) rejecting the election results as fraudulent and defective, (b) demanding the abolition of the existing NEB, (c) creation of a neutral board comprising of the ruling party, the opposition parties, and a fresh army of international observers excluding the carter center. Following that, the opposition should put the world on notice, organize a coordinated massive peaceful public demonstration in every major urban and rural areas of the country with the involvement of all public and civic organizations for however long it takes with determination and vigilance. The Ethiopian people are ready for it if the collective leaderships of the opposition party has the chutzpah.

Anything short of this viable option will only strengthen and legitimize TPLF/Meles' rule of oppressions and assured retribution.

It was apparent from early on that Tim Clarke was covertly setting up the opposition and working for the proponents of the ruling party under the facade of a seeming mediator/ambassador. To those of you who your hopes and faith on Tim Clarke, SHAME ON YOU!!

As Empress Taitu wisely and fittingly observed early on in history "Engliz letenkole neu yetefeterew"

"Yalteretere temenetere"

Folks, this is where the rubber meets the road!

Beheg-Amlack