Farewell Speech by Ambassador Aurelia E. Brazeal
Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce
Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to be here once again as a guest of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce, and I want to thank Ato Andualem and all the members of the Chamber who have been such gracious hosts and enthusiastic program partners during my time in Ethiopia.

This is my final speech in Ethiopia, as I have come to the end of my three-year tour.

In thinking about what to say today, my heart and mind said, “Go back to your roots growing up in Atlanta, Georgia.” As a diplomat and ultimately as an Ambassador, I have frequently reflected on my childhood days and how valuable they were to me. At home I received knowledge about and an appreciation for African–American culture, which has been a bedrock of inspiration, motivation, and strength as my work unfolded. Then, as now, I particularly liked what was called, when I was a child, Negro Spirituals. One song in particular, “Done Made My Vow” by African-American composer Adolphus Hailstork, is particularly meaningful. Learning about this song from my cousin Brazeal Dennard – himself, I am proud to say, a distinguished conductor and composer – I was drawn to the text and to the emotional content of the music.

My cousin told me how our parents’ generation relied on the lesson in this spiritual and many others to get them through difficult times. However hard times were, their total and complete message to us as we grew up was that we must persevere to achieve our goals in life, no matter how difficult it seemed. In my life experiences I have drawn upon the spiritual and emotional ties to my culture as an African American. I am still guided by the inspiration of my formative years in the home, church, school, and the community at large, and I am still drawn to the text of “Done Made My Vow:”

“Done made my vow to the Lord;
I will go, I shall go to see what the end will be.
My name is toil, my mother strength,
my future achievement, my goal is pride.”

I am also a child of the 1960s and of what we in the U.S. call the “Baby Boomer” generation, that groundswell of children born in the optimistic wake of World War II. One thing we brought the world is a passionate belief in the power of positive change. Those of you here today, and even your children, are members of generations that will surpass the baby boomers both in size and in contribution; you have the chance to bring tremendous changes to your country and to the world.

You not only will have to decide whether to be a force for positive changes, but also what those changes will be. You have the history of Ethiopia behind you, together with your parents’ hopes and the accomplishments of generations past. As Ethiopian men and Ethiopian women, you have the responsibility – and the privilege – to go see what the end will be.

In thinking about what that end will be, let me focus on women for a moment. In most countries of the world in which I have been, women are major agents of societal change. Why? Because women think beyond self, beyond the individual. A woman thinks of her children, the next generation, and of family and is willing to make changes that promise to benefit the group. She is inclusive, working to spread the benefits of change broadly, with an awareness that even if she herself does not benefit, the larger body will. Because she is usually not in a privileged position in her own society, she does not narrowly think to hoard privilege just for herself. Because she is inclusive, she works with other like-minded persons, leveraging the impact of change. If she is an African or an African-American woman, she also brings awareness of the history of black people in the world and supports the impulse of generosity. When she does reach the position of rulemaker, she listens with an ear to avoid the arrogance of power, having been on the receiving end of arrogance. She values her uniqueness, relishes her role, and is the welcoming face to others seeking the same enlightenment.

As the first American woman Ambassador to Ethiopia, I applaud Ethiopian women and the progress they have made in very difficult societal circumstances and their enduring efforts to go see what the end will be.

What else marks the presence of agents of positive change? These women –– and men –– understand the great challenge of the 21st Century –– or of any century for that matter: how to get those in power to share power with those who have none. In Ethiopia, I believe a clear consensus exists on the need for political pluralism and multipartyism and on the need for economic liberalization and removal of restrictive government controls in order to promote economic growth. I also believe that most Ethiopians believe in the rights protected by your Constitution. I also believe most Ethiopians want balanced access to the media. I also believe that most Ethiopians realize that a democratic form of government, with its respect for the civil rights of the individual, creates the most favorable conditions for assuring that their hard earned gains will be honored in the future.

Let me tell you what ordinary Ethiopians tell me. They tell me that as parents, they do not want their children to live through the violence and upheavals that they experienced. They tell me politicians should respect one another, talk civilly to one another, and focus on issues important to the people, not focus on tearing each other down. They tell me Ethiopian society historically has not valued compromise and accommodation but yet they yearn for these traits for their children and for their country’s leaders. They tell me they want the political parties to accept election results, join Parliament, and work from within the system. They value their democratic institutions and the constitution, and they want political parties to do the same. They want peace. They want wise leaders.
Let me tell a short story to illustrate. The version I read – in a speech by Nobel Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Toni Morrison, a famous African American writer – was of an old, blind, but wise woman, who, given her wisdom, was held in awe by her community. Even so, there were those who derided her and sought to exploit her blindness and to make fun of her. Three young people visited her one day to ask a question. One of them says: “Old woman, I hold in my hand a bird. Tell me if it is living or dead.” The old woman waits a long time before speaking but finally says, “ I do not know whether the bird you are holding is dead or alive, but what I do know is that it is in your hands. It is in your hands.”

Her answer could mean: if it is dead, you either found it that way, or you killed it. If it is alive, you can still kill it. Whether it is to stay alive is your decision. Whatever the case, it is your responsibility. As I depart Ethiopia, I give you my trust with the bird because it is still alive, the bird of democracy. I can say look, how lovely is this thing you have done –– together. I hope all political parties will take their seats in Parliament and participate in government under the Constitutional framework. Then we can all go see what the end will be.

Toni Morrison also has spoken about what she calls “the future of time.” She used this phrase to express her concern that people have become too mired in the past – too focused on what has been – and too little interested in the future. Looking forward , for example, is there a consciousness of a year 3000 , a year 4000 that hovers in or near our consciousness? The past is getting longer, and the future is seen by many to be withered and without promise. Morrison calls on us to discard that which holds us back and to harvest the best of our past – “emancipation, generosity, acute political awareness and a sense of shared and mutually responsible society” – and use it to build a better future.

Now, some sections of the media say the future is already a catastrophe. Why is this? In Ethiopia, I believe there are a couple of factors. One is what I would call “Identity politics” and the other, especially at this moment, is what I think of as “Internet politics”.

Identity politics is when, as was the case in last year’s elections in the U.S., a voter is too often urged to choose a candidate or party based upon their identification with a narrow issue or group, rather than on higher principles of national good. In the Ethiopian context, Internet politics is when a loud and vitriolic minority of voices, many of whom have not been in this country for years or even decades and have far less at stake than Ethiopians at home, urge those actually living here to act on the basis of old-think ethnic identification or frozen and aged images of how Ethiopia used to be.

The future, then, if we let it, may well be shoved to the periphery of social debate by those who would deify the past. There are Ethiopians fixated on the political conditions that existed in 1974, or 1991, or even 2000. There are those who want to say there has been no positive changes since then, or even no positive change, period. There are those who want to bury the undeniable positive central features of Ethiopia’s present and deny the country’s promising future.

These central features are: a multiparty system here to stay; a legal constitution and institutions to frame debates, even about how to change both; economic reforms to come – and I personally urge faster reforms – as Ethiopia races to join the global economy; a vigorous press and a social climate that increasingly promotes free expression – another area in which I hope there are great strides in the near future; and a development agenda that promises grassroots results. These are features that, if carried through forcefully and positively, prefigure a redemptive future and national renewal.

How will this be accomplished? By reinvigorating the age-old concepts of shared values and coalition building, values that have demonstrated their effectiveness in settings throughout history and around the world. By being inclusive. By rejecting the destructive potential of bigotry and prejudice, those kinds of hatreds based on ethnic differences.

In Ethiopia, a nation made up of over 80 ethnic groups, it is not surprising that some degree of ethnic rivalry should exist. But, as our knowledge of the world all too clearly demonstrates, when rivalry turns to hatred, all too suddenly, ethnic tension can erupt into more dangerous forms. So this afternoon, I want to make a plea for tolerance – the only antidote there is to ethnic intolerance.

There are too many groups and people in Ethiopia – just, I hasten to add, as there are in the United States and other parts of the world - going their separate ways, excluding others they see as different from themselves. Our young people must be reminded that we may not have to love each other, but we do have to respect each other, cooperate with each other, and live together in peace and harmony. That means we must practice tolerance. The vision then is not really a multicultural society – in America, in Ethiopia, or anywhere; rather, the vision is to bring into being a multicultural individual, one who values all the heritage his or her nation offers.

Ethiopia must now take the opportunity to examine itself, to strengthen its democratic foundations, and to make the participation of citizens in governance a meaningful and consequential experience. As Dr. Johnetta Cole, former President of my Alma Mater, Spelman College, said, “We are for difference, for allowing difference, for learning to understand difference, and for respecting difference until difference doesn’t make any more difference.” I think Ethiopia can reach this state, with your help.

I opened with a song, so let me close my remarks with the third verse of another African-American song, one that very much represents my hopes for Ethiopia and its people, moving forward. For me, this verse is like a prayer:

“God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who hast by Thy might,
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever on the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.”

I shall go, I will go, to see what the end will be. I hope you will go too. Above all, I know that I shall cherish the memory of my time in Ethiopia and with the peoples of Ethiopia for the rest of my life.

Thank you.

wow what can I say?

Your excellence,
Yes all Ethiopians wish for peace and stability. Yes all Ethiopians yearn for freedom and demcoracy. However, peace, stability, development and freedom are not achieved by appeasing a tyrant dictator. Peace and development are not achieved by letting a dictator rob peoples of their votes.

With all due respect Madam Ambassador, there is nothing wrong in standing firm on principle and demanding for the respect of the will of Ethiopian people as declared in the May 15th election.

I am not sure who the ordinary Ethiopians you talked to are.The ordinary Ethiopians, Ms. Ambassador, are those who were murdered, jailed and are being harrased by the soldiers and cadres of PM Zenawi.

I wonder if you have talked to those who lost their children, their spouses, parents or friends to the mass murder ordered by Mr. Zenawi. I would not imagine that these victims of the inhuman acts of Mr. Zenawi told you to let them get more of the same from Mr. Zenawi.

The ordinary Ethiopians, your excellency, are not those that are regulars in embassy parties and the big hotels such as the Sheraton. Those whom you met in those places are the primary beneficiaries and members of the corrupt regime of Mr. Zenawi.

It is really sad and shocking that you endorse a tyrant dictator in the name of peace and stability. Is not the right to vote and having once vote counted the primary right of citizens of a democratic country? Or are you saying, like some white supermacists, so much is enough for Africa. I sure hope not, lest it would be self degrading on your part.

Your excellence,

The paper you've read on your farewell doesn't look like yours at all. Someone
force you to read it as if it is yours.

1. You didn't ask ordinary Ethiopians; as they are not in Sheraton. They are in jail, tortured, killed and some left their country.
2. The election which the whole world knows is NOT FAIR, democratic but fradulant.
3. You try to be Christian by quoting some songs. You might be religious as some colonizers who used the religion for their own gain to enslave your anscestors. You do not have a hint of being Christian as you twist the truth carelessly!
4. You do not have a clue what the diaspora
have in relation to our land-Ethiopia. Do not use your experience as ours & make a formula!

Finally, to put your farewell speech in short: "WHAT AN EMBARASSMENT TO ALL AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND PEACE & DEMOCRACY LOVING COMMUNITY IN THE WHOLE WORLD AT LARGE"

I hope you will confess the damage what your reckless speech made to your reputation and embarassment to your spouse
and children to say the least.

Farewell for good!

Email: millab_@hotmail.com

City: Montreal

A man cannot serve God and stand on the side of evil. Everything on this earth has a purpose. God sent you to Ethiopia to be a witness for their sufferings and be the voice for the voiceless of his people but you failed miserably. You chose to stand by the killer of innocent people, and you gave deaf ears to their cries for justice. SHAME!

I know now why you where trying to force the opposition to participate in the fake parlimentary process.

Instead of standing with the people and ask for indenpendent investigation you clearly sided with the tyrrant who is nothing but looter and killer.

I don't believe what you said is your honest assessment of the fact. Niether it is the voice of ordinary ethiopians for I am one of them.

I REMEMBER AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN WHO USED TO ISSUE VISA. ONE OF MY FRIEND SAID SHE PAID 20,000 BIRR TO GET THE VISA SHE IS LEGALLY INTITED TO as her legal husband is residing in us with migrant visa. I know people pay as much as 70,000 birr. This all happens despite the expection that we get help from African americans due our blook tie.

That is what happens in us embassy in ethiopia. May be american officials in us have no clue about this facts.
Why do I believe you are free from such things?
other than just wishing it wouldn't be.

Thanks,

Email: ayalew03@hotmail.com

It is heart breaking to hear from an American amabssador which according to her we the minority Ethiopians living in a disaspora follow or ask our brothers,sisters, parents, relatives and fellow citizens to live and act in <> .
We have the right to express our dissatifaction. I am against adminstrating the country on the basis of ethnicity and so as my whole family as well as friends of mine living in Ethiopia. so what is wrong with you? I agree with you that there are Ethiiopians who favour this policy but try to have a balanced view and stay away from giving similar comments. I want to go back to my country and be part of the development and don't want to stay like your ancistors here. So we care a lot about Ethiopian politics and that is why we knock your doors!Learn to have a good poletical judgement and try to communicate you points in a balanced manner like a .

Thank you and have safe trip back home!

Email: m@yahoo.com

City: US

The Ambassador put the words aired just because she sees both an outsider and insider how we Ethiopians never live with differences. It is quite true that we have never accepted the reality of politics. It's hard for many of us to see what the Ambassador sees because as she put it we live in the Diaspora and never commit ourselves to go back home and volunteer in the process of the economic development. How many of us have even thought of rendering volunteer services to our poor people? How many of us express an interest of going back home and work for a short period of time? We don't need to have a PhD or other profession but we only need the willingness to help. Regardless of profession, one can contribute to his/her village.

We have a peculiar nature of blaming one another. The Ambassador is the last person who needs to tell us that we who live in the Diaspora are nothing but a fire match on our people. The Ethiopian Orthodox church here in the U.S is the best example to demonstrate the Ambassador's speech. This religious institution has never yelled to the Ethiopian poor people at all. Rather they glorify the fire here inside among the Diaspora and we take the flame back to our people.

I can't express the political attitude of our opposition parties better than the Ambassador. She said it all in a very gentle way. They need to learn to live within the system and vision the future from within. Boycotting the parliament, creating another violence and threaten the peace helps them only to destroy what they have but never help them at all. We who live in this country (U.S) never bring to our poor people and will never bring a single support back.

You may keep blaming the Ambassador again as you have done to all those who tell you the fact and what is best for the country.

God Bless Ethiopia

Why is JUSTICE a hard word to understand for the ambassador.
Is it fair that the Ethiopian people should be denied their voice, their right to their votes, be violently murdered, their leaders be intimidated, assaulted and detained?

Your excellency,

I am sory to say your words doesn't represent America's spirit.

How can you defend a dictator regiem who enjoys to kill teenagers on road sides at a mid day? A government who sponsers murder.

Do you love your father? I am sure you do. Do you know how many children have lost their fathers of this EPRDF sword? Fill it.

Email: rettazefere@yahoo.com

City: Columbus

Social Democrat,

Unless you are one of those Woyane cyber warriors
who likes to murder the truth as much as you like murdering human beings, it is an incontrovertible fact that the Opposition has won the May 15th election. Tell the banda Woyanes "to learn to live within the system and vision the future from within."

Yea, right, tagaye Paulos is doing such an incredible job of fighting injustice in Ethiopia. I wonder why the clergy in the Diaspora are not emulating him.

Email: kinijit2005@hotmail.com

City: Portland

The Ambassador seems to have problem with Ethiopians who live abroad and with Ethiopians who have access to the internet. Those people who she called " loud and vitriolic" are peace lovers who are angerd and frustrated by the arbitrary killings.
Ms. Ambassador, We may live abroad but we have families in our home land. We are not war mongers and above all we Love our country. T o portray us as thoughtless while covering Meles' mistake and even worse approve his action is low and unbecoming but you are a polititian so I wll not be surprised.
You blind support Meles.

"What holds for Ethiopia in the years ahead is not difficult to conjecture upon. EPRDF is a rejected party that will stay in power simply because it has the monopoly over the security, military and police forces of the country. The years ahead are definitely hellish for the opposition and its supporters. EPRDF cadres will exact ‘sweet revenge’ on individuals, communities and regions through a wide range of crude and destructive measures. The series of actions taken by the rubber stamp legislature to enact laws that are aimed at incapacitating the future administration of Addis Ababa amply demonstrate the level of maturity of the current leadership. The prime minister’s latest explanations on the causes, sequences and consequences of the political turmoil in the country leave no ground for optimism and complacency. The leadership is wrongly imbued with the notion that it is the only fountain of democracy in Ethiopian society. Democracy is not a piece of bread to be distributed in measured quantities to a hungry population. It is a deep-felt expression of all freedom loving individuals and people to have a say in their societies’ day-to-day functioning. It is a quest for self-actualization and the enjoyment of a secure, prosperous enriching life that is free from oppression, terror, want, discrimination, ill-health and abuse.



The rejection of EPRDF by the most politically conscious electorate of the country sends a clear message that the incumbent party has lost whatever little legitimacy it may have earned by its recourse to the rhetoric of a liberator from the oppression and terror of the former regime. Unfortunately, the last 14 years of revolutionary democracy were no less terrorist and abusive than the 17 years of military dictatorship and terror. The leaders of EPRDF have lost their self-declared right to govern the country in the polls. EPRDF is at the end of history and there is no time for revisionism of any kind. The voice of the people can not continue to be trampled ad infinitum."

City: Addis

Let us not criticize anyone who seems to differ in his or her opinion from us. why don't you try to re-examine your views based on patrics' and her statements. every high official in addis seems to say exactly the same thing to say regarding the election ... the elections was fair and square. i havn't heard anyone who has said otherwise. i know the congressman said something to that effect but he doesn't reside in the Ethiopia and his infomation is based on hear-say. the ambassador is more credible as she has lived in ethiopian for three years and she know what she is talking abt. as she rightly put it, most of you havent stepped your feet in the motherland and your assessment of the current situation are based on hear-say. What ethiopians need is action and not just talk. how many of you - in this formu - will be willing to donate 10 bucks to your country. 10% or even less and you still claim you love your people who are starving day in day out and asking n crying for your help. the majority of people are not hungry of politics but rather of food. some of you even went to extent of asking others - foreigners - to stop giving aid to Ethiopia. where is the love my country men and women??? i believe most of you - those in diaspora are exploiting the current situation your own hidden agenda and i don't think it's fair on the people of ETHIOPIA.
Long live Ethiopia

Email: gsquare10@hotmail.com

City: awasa

MRS. AMBASSADOR , THANK YOU FOR YOUR NICE WORDS. HOWEVER I AM AT A LOSS YOU DID NOT EVEN MENTION A WORD THAT 42 UNARMED YOUNG PEOPLE WERE GUNNED DOWN ON THE STREETS OF ADDIS ABABA. AS A WOMEN, I HAVE NO IDEA IF YOU WERE A MOTHER YOURSELF, YOU SHOULD HAVE FELT SOMETHING FOR THESE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES.

IT WAS THIS UNJUST MASS KILLINGS OF OUR PEOPLE THAT EXPLODED LIKE A VOLCANO AROUND THE DISPORA COMMUNITY. IT IS A SHAME WHEN COURAGEOUS PEOPLE LIKE MR. CHRIS SMITH CLEARLY SPEAK OUT AGAINST KILLINGS IN ETHIOPIA YOU CHOSE TO REMAIN SILENT. WHAT UPSETS ME MOST AND MAKES ME SAD INDEED IS YOU WERE ACCUSING THE DIASPORA COMMUNITY FOR STANDING UP FOR THE VOICELESS , THE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES WHO LOST LOVED ONES ON JUNE 8/2005 IN ETHIOPIA.

MRS. AMBASSADOR, Do you really know what it looks like to live under brutal, corrupted and despotic rulers?

If there was a legitment parliament which is ruled by its constitution, nobody would be happy than the opposition party and the people of Ethiopia. The opposition did not ask more, but only the respect of our people’s voice. If this not respected, the opposition and the people of Ethiopia must boycott the parliament and continued their peace full struggle.

Email: yilmagirma@yahoo.com

City: Denver

What a lie!!!

You claimed as if you are christian and said, I had spoken with ordnary Ethiopian. This is not christianity at all. You and ordnarry people never met because the ordnary people do not have chance to come to sheraton hotel!!!Ordanary people of Ethiopia never come to embassy to tlak to you !!! By the way, are you the one who go to their home to see how they doing in life? or they are the one who come to see you.If you think the people who come to give money for visa and talk they are not ordnary people because they do not have 50,000 birr,or 70,000 birr. By the way I would like to ask you to stay in Ethiopia and pay back this money one by one;You are already exposed.

My third concern is about your speech to advise Ethiopian women.
Are you teaching as submission? Madam, What a jock!!! You cannot teach Ethiopian mother how to love her childern;She knows how to take care and love , how to feed her child in poverity,hanger,war,.....she knows what is the priority for her chidren. Are you trying to teach Ethiopian mothers?This is the one evidence that you never met the ordnary people.You exposed your lack of knowlage in the history of women around the world. My advise for you is go back to history and study women's movement which puts you to day in the ambassador position.It is better to start from 1st Wave,2nd Wave 3rd.....and to the 21st century of feminism and then you can have a clear understanding how the women movement supose to be.

Email: zewditu@rogers.com

City: Toronto

I have a feeling the ambassador’s letter was pre approved by the Secretary of State, Candi Rice’s office before the Ambassador read it. Ugly enough, I think that is the US govt.'s final analyses about the Ethiopian election. I hope I am wrong.

Who is that ordinary Ethiopian who told you the parties must accept the election result?If you really go deep into the people they will tell you I want a change of government and I donot want an "Atnager Atgager barlama".You did your best to please the top woyanes for your smooth farewell!

City: Addis

BYE Ambassoder.

WE HAVE WITNESSED how many ethipians from diaspora kept trying to be HOME, but THIS OBSTACLE WOYANE puts more problem and so many of them went back, SOME EVEN GAVE UP TO TRY AGAIN.

WHAT A SHAME!! TO HEAR THIS FROM A WOMAN.
AS A WOMAN, I AM SURPRISED. HOW COME SHE DIDN'T MENTION THOSE INNOCENT LIVES??

WOYANE EXPOSED BY HIS OWN DICTATORSHIP, A LOOSER.

THE DIASPORA ETHIOPIANS VOICED FOR VOICELSS INNOCENTS, WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED BY WOYANE.

gigi, another woyane cyber warrior,

Yes! Long live Ethiopia and God save her from her enemies like you. You look like us, but you are not one of us. It is not the Diaspora Ethiopians who have a hidden agenda, but turn coats like you who parrot woyane's lies. The election was fair and square,the Diaspora wants to stop the flow of aid blah..blah..
What is it in you people's psyche that glorifies begging and abhors working. Tell me is there anything
that the farmer in Awasa will be unable to grow if given the tools he needs? Which proud Ethiopian farmer would choose to feed his family with donated
food as opposed to producing it himself. You have robbed him of his self-respect for the last 14 years
and now you want to rob him of his voice. It ain't gone a happen.

By the way, it is the billions of dollars that we lovingly send to our families, to our relatives and to all those we help that is keeping the Ethiopian
economy alive. If it was not for our families we would have brought woyane to its knees in a heart beat. And I bet you the 10 bucks you were paid to
utter this nonsense came right out of my pocket.
Consider it my Filseta mitsewat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Email: kinijit2005@hotmail.com

Gigi,
You should blame Mr. Melese Zenawi - the Yara Prize award winner - for letting millions of Ethiopians starve under his watch while squandering millions of dollars of aid money in perpetuating his brutal rule (can you guess how many dollars worth of bullets his security forces used to mass murder innocent Ethiopians?).

If you love the Ethiopian people as you claim, you would not wish them to live on hand-outs from foreigners or ethiopians abroad.

With the right form of governance, and the right set of economic policies, the country has enough resources to feed its people. The problem, my sister, is your beloved dictator: Meles Zenawi and his bankrupt policies.

Like his look alike murderer predecessor, Mengistu H/Mariam - Meles is saying hungry people do not deserve to be free and you concur. Poor soul!

Your excellency,

Go to hell!!!!

Email: dadidan@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

Dawit,

Thanks for articulating what I fell.

Salut SocialDemo,
I respect u......u said it all!!!

City: %%%

Lola,
Every time, I am discussing the performance of the current governemnt, people raise the issue of starvation. Yes, there is starvation year in, year out but it's getting better by the day. Rome wasn't build in one day. hopefully, if you guys stop your madness, the country will some day become prosperous. when the current regime came to power, there were no infrustures, no sound economic policy, high employment, high illitrecy and the list goes on. but the government has done quite a lot of work. it hasn't been as successful as it wished, but it had made some progress. as the ambassador said, some of you will blindly ignore the positive changes that have occured to our beloved country and continue your destrictive criticism.
coming the issue of asking aid - or as u put it begging. what do you expect the government to do, when things go out of hand due to many factors. there are some of you ... in the diaspora who feel ashamed of being ethiopian because we ask for aid when we need it most. but sorry the lives of millions are more worth than your pride - arrogance - I will be disgusted if you are advocating the strategies used by Mengistu to keep quite and let the people starve to death. I think it's out of greed that you ask meles not to beg just for your sake. i'm tired of the diaspora politics ... exploiting every opportunity for their evil intension. meles will never stop asking for aid to make you feel better.

Email: gsquare10@hotmail.com

City: awasa

Mrs. Ambassador, you sound like a social worker.Do you really meet ordinary Ethiopian people? you mean Sheraton, Hilton...etc.Dont get me wrong those are government officials, they are not ordinary Ethiopians.Where have you been when more than 40 innocent civilians were gunned down by EPRDF cadres? You know what, after all this brutality by EPRDF cadres the people of Ethiopia are trying to achieve democracy in peaceful way.The Ethiopian people demands nothing but to respect people's vote.Trust me Mrs. Ambassador, the Ethiopian people knows what is best for their *******
GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA

Email: dahab@mts.net

City: Winnipeg

The ambassador has expressed the position of the US Department of State relative to the outcome of the elections in Ethiopia. The EU or AU may express different opinions. They will however eventually fall in line. I believe that te US's position is a most pragmatic position. It reflects an assessment of the balance of power in the country. On one hand stands a highly armed ruling party led by a PM who is smart enough to have the ears of western leaders. On the other hand, a rather disorganized opposition with no other fighting power that that of the demonstrations in the streets of western capitals and the easy access to the internet. The option to oppose the ruling party through some form of armed insurrection requires a more firm ideological unity among the opposition factions that it appears to be a suicidal option. The opposition will not change the current international opinion which tends to favor the ruling party, by simply refering to the loss of innocent lives during the AA demonstrations. The daily killings in Iraq and other hot spots in the world keep dwarfing all reference to the 40+ who died in AA. The option to cripple the Ethiopian by civil desobedience is also short sighted. In an economy where the middle class is almost insignificant, such an option can only deteriorate the already desperate situation of the working poor. The government will continue to exist and will repress the leaders of the opposition after accusing them of creating hardship to the poor people. The only wise option is to just accept fefeat and keep working hard at finding smarter ways of building a strong middle class for creating more jobs through investment.

Email: defar@yahoo.com

City: Washington

We are hearing all along about Ethiopians origin in Diaspora mainly in US. There number and success is describing them as if they are all that. I also heard about the number of medical doctors only in DC is more than the number of doctors the whole Ethiopia. I thought it was true and in one side I was getting sad while on the other I was very happy looking their positive involvement in US politic towards Ethiopia and they will back home with their knowledge and property to develop Ethiopia after the TPLF rulers disappeared.
What I see right now is that they Even are not in a position to defend themselves when a confused US Ambassador in a poor country (Ethiopia) describing them as if they are not Existed. US is the country of Immigrants. You, who are living in US including those without citizenship right have the same right as anybody else as the country is belonging to those came/come from every corner of the globe. E.Brazeal and each of you have the same right to be an American. When she criticizing you, she is not criticising you as an Ethiopian first but mainly as Americans where you are living and working.
People in Diaspora have to play active roles. But except the few, most of them are not doing what the time and situation ask them to do. I think you don't know who you are. If you use your knowledge, right and financial ability in the right way, you would contribute to Ethiopia more than any body else. But when I heard a small rank Ambassador treating you as if you are still in refuge camp and you have no ability what so ever to influence against her political career, I shifted my all hope to pray to God to save the Ethiopian people rather than relaying on you who are not doing the right thing, on the right way and time. Wake up people. You are in US. Stop counting and living for money as little as cents. Money is an instrument to have good life. Good life is also not translated only by having car, home or other human made benefits but for good causes, too. Use your knowledge, money , experience and love to the Ethiopian cause with determination character.

Email: Gimma@hotmail.com

Dear Mrs. Ambassador,

I am not surprised by your fallacy and poisonous comments as ambassador of the US since the US never stands in line with the will of majority Ethiopians apart from its own interest. Neither supports towards the long term development initiatives except for food aid. Even most measures taken seem acceptable to the US not only if it maximizes its interest but also need to be detrimental to the country.

I never expect positive and long term support to Ethiopia from your country. But make sure that you or the US can not reverse Ethiopia’s springing future promised by the almighty God.

Ethiopia will rise again in grace.

Farewell for good...

Email: thewodrosdires@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

The Ambassador knows that all public press is serving the tyrant, not the owners, or the people. So is she interested to jam the only vehicle of information for Ethiopians by trying to denounce the use of the internet for communucation?

The tyrant is unwilling to liberalize the economy, and the government, so that Ethiopan diaspora cannot return and invest to contribute for development. All the economy is controlled by the tyrants' political party. It has made private bussiness out of function. The economy can never improve until free economy is put in place, unless TPLF withdraws from its grip of the national economy.

Why did the she Ambassador keep quiet to comment on notorious apartheid imposed by TPLF upon Ethiopians? This was the formula put in use by Italian colonialists as a viable to divide and rule. Was she interested to see the plight of the unfortunate Amharas who were treated as second class citizens on just thier own land? You can take me for example. I belong to a poor family, as most Amharas are. I had a job. And there came a scholarship opportunity for us. Candidates had to be selected for the only place offered. Then criteria came from TPLF. It says: AMHARA will lose 5 points out of 100, others will gain as much. The crime? Being born Amhara. That is enough. Then, high value citizens received the opportunity. It was in Bahir Dar, the very heart of Amharaland. This is ongoing. I then left my beloved country for this unbelievable crime against humanity. What other crime can be committed against a society than this? Apartheid is rejected worldwide. It is prohibited in countries neighbouring Ethiopia. The Ambassador must have heard such discrimination in Ethiopia. She should have uttered a word about this.

Plus TPLF's arrogance that it will never move out of office. Is that acceptable by her. Does she think that this is wise? Will ignoring the masses lead to peace? Is a small minority which is to be respected or the majority. Who really makes history and shape the desitiny of peoples? She had better speak up some of the foul deeds of the minority junta, which relies only on brutal force than the art of wise leadership.

OK, she is assigned by US government to act on behalf of it. But fighting terrorism alone she not persuade AMERICA to back the tyrant. They would get it from other parties. Other parties are more committed to peace than TPLF which is based on force alone.

Any way, the time will come when we will celebrate our joy of getting out of bondage. No doubt about it.

Thanks,

Email: abathun@yahoo.com

City: BD

The world, this very world of ours is always unfavorable to those at disadvantage. Ethiopians are poor and above all we are in a continuous state of critics, no one listening the other, even those who are doing the most destructive acts or at least who fail to bring any development in the course of time make them selves believe that they are the only saviors for the poor and brag of positive changes in spite of millions and millions of people starving and the level of poverty deepening.

I sometimes get surprised what is going wrong among us? What is going wrong? It happened during the previous regimes, it is happening now, who is the looser? I am sure there is no one gaining from this destructive action.

The foreign diplomats from which innocent Ethiopians expect a miracle, are always cautious and their steps guided from the benefits of their own nations, we can not blame these diplomats as this is their prime responsibility, even though this may be difficult for an ordinary Ethiopian, who is grown up with the moral values and religious perspectives, to understand some of the immoral and sided reactions from these highly posted and highly respected diplomats. I will site as an example her Excellency’s call for the oppositions to compromise, but said nothing on the other side and did not call the government to respect the vote of the people and above all did not criticize the inhuman action of the government of massacring the innocent or torturing thousands just because of their political views. She also said nothing about the recent action of the government which attempts in crippling the forth coming parliament. Just to please the political leaders? I don’t think so it should be to protect the interest of her state, after all it is the government who will take actions towards safeguarding the interest of her country if any not these poor people who could not even able to feed themselves.

It is also amazing to learn that the western diplomats being very critical when it comes to their own democracy will tell us to take it easy in our case. Imagine a vote rigging in the USA and the reactions of same diplomats! I hope they will not encourage both parties to compromise! Surprisingly the opposition parties here have been compromising and the government in power always deciding on the major and decisive issues. Take the case of the recent election so many compromises but the decisive issues like the issue of the Electoral board have never been touched.

What so ever, there are certain important issues that the Ambassador have raised. After all we Ethiopians are the ones who should take the responsibility for all the destruction and suffering of our people, yes! It is the Ethiopian Government and the Ethiopians who are spearheading the suppression; the mass rigging and what have you!! And I wonder how long we are going to lie to our selves? And still I wonder with all the good cultures and close ties that we have we fail to reverse the un-democratic process and suppressions to wards democracy and prosperity.

I wish we all start to think positively blame ourselves for the wrong deeds in the past and most importantly believe that cultivating democracy in Ethiopia is our responsibility, the responsibility of the Governing party, the oppositions and the people at large. I am sure we don’t have to be told by externals who in one way or another are of the "I don’t care, as far as my country's interest is protected the rest is up to you" type, from my point of view the message from the ambassador underscores this fact, behind her speech I listen the echo saying "as far as there is no any danger for US’s interest, there is no problem the rest will come later any way you are too poor and back ward to deserve and enjoy these democratic rights" but this to our dismay comes from an African American who have experienced the brutal discrimination and suppression of blacks.

But one thing very irritating; which in fact makes me right this letter, if our leaders enjoy the fantasy of fabricated news that I can understand but the news of an ordinary Ethiopian’s view (which I think mixes general truth with specific issues) of the ambassador’s is beyond my expectations, I am sure as an ambassador of the USA in Ethiopia, which had a vested interest on the political situation of the country for hundred and one reasons, she should have a well balanced information of the views of ordinary Ethiopians, there is no question that there are people of that opinion but there are millions of people on the other hand who oppose this view as well so why did she failed to give a balanced view?

Finally, I would like to remind her Excellency that we Ethiopians are also religious, we have a strong believe on God and I am sure God will bless our country and will end this odd time of ours to replace it with joy and prosperity?

Yes, I agree with you ambassador. Yes there has to be tolerance, for us to see peace. I donot think most of you have been to Ethiopia recently, but it is easy for you to comment and aggravate the situation. You know you are not the first to pay all secrifices. It is always the disadvantaged poor Ethiopians, who never had enough to eat will be on the forefront to be secrificed. Yes Ethiopians needs tolerance, atleast for the sake of poor Ethiopians.We are fighting with our own people and we can resolve our diffrences with tolerance, we can get rid of woyane,shabeias if we are wise to deal with them. If you realy want change ,go back to your country , share the pain, and secrifice yourself.

Email: Yeti@yahoo.com

City: Telemark

Madam Ambassador,
I understand your speech is directed at the business community in Addis Ababa. However, it is not uncommon for foreign envoys to use such opportunities to pass on constructive crtisisms to their host governments.

As you very well know, Ethiopia is at cross-roads. The Ethiopian people have come out in massive numbers and voted. There are clear indications that these votes may have been tampered with. Irrespective of this fact, you are urging the opposition to join the next parlamient. This may be one of the options left to the opposition. However, you have failed to outline and demand from the government of the day the very minimum requirements for pluralism, multi-party democracy and respect for human rights to flourish. In so doing, you have failed to address the root cause of the current political crisis.

You seem to be afraid to expose the weekness of the various political institutions such as the Election Board, the jusiciary and the police. You have also failed to expose the modifications made to the parlamintary procedures and how these are likely to muzzle the opposition parlamentarians.

As the out-going ambassador of the only super-power in the world, the expectation of the Ethiopian people was that you would highlight the flaws observed in the election process and call for an indpendent and strong Electoral Commission (with security of tenure for its officials), for an independent and strong judiciary (with security of tenure for the jusdges and the attorney general), complete sepration of the police and the defense force from party cadres with true allegiance to the consititution only. An immediate stop to parliamentary procedures enacted by the outgoing parliament which should not be allowed to enact laws after the electioneering period, etc.

I don't know whether you have used other mediums to communicate these but the Ethiopian people have not heard you address these grave and serious issues. You are also deafningly silent on the use of excessive force that led to the killing of over 40 demonstraters recently and other human right abuses.

In short, everyone I have spoken to is more than disappointed in your handling of the current crisis and I hope the US government would send us someone with a better sense of justice than you for our country is crying out for friends that really care!

God speed!

Email: gdwolde@yahoo.com

Lola,

You are right. Me, I did not know this until one day, I read a report saying that 50% of the Ethiopian foriegn currency is obtained from relatives abroad. That is equal to $5 billion. The country earns the other half. In total $10 billion.

So if you stop sending money for one year, then Woyane is gone. But please make sure that your relatives are not dying of starvation.

Good idea.

Email: abathun@yahoo.com

City: BD

Well done your excellency!!!

Even an African American women of 60's does not want to atleast remmember how it feels to live under evil rullers. I understand she has her boses who work for a country, whatever evil there is as long as it works for there interest throwing a few lines reproach is more than enough for the likes of us. I do not care if the little-man and his use and throw tugs or whatever an oposition there is comes to power as long us my people live in a country where the number one religion is the RULE OF LAW. That is what we are asking help for.

But forget it!!! It is hard for her even to
critisize those perpetrators for the blood bath they commissioned.

She acts poitic simply to tell the oposition "go in to the parlament, sit in there, do nothing as it ever been in your history for no parlement of yours ever done anything except aplouding whoever was the dictator, giving an immpression to the outside world you have a parlament" since everything is already desinged by her favorites to make the oposition sit paralized while they root-out from the country this URGE OF CHANGE for which they are over qualified.

Sorry Ambassader, I do not think we get anything to learn from you. You just mocked us while we are mourning because everybody is hailing our strangllers than piting our nonstop suffering.

Except for GOd we were always alone.

Dear Ambasador,

If we accept the misery, the corruption, the dectatorship and etc... Yes, we will be peacful doves waiting a miracle from the sky. If not for the sacrifice made by Martin Luther King and the like, you would still be a "******" not in the position you are now. What the people of Ethiopia are saying is that "WE NO MORE ACCEPT SLAVERY". In a way you are telling us to obey the tyranny and accept slavery as our fate.

You mentioned that there are some who advocate Ethnic politics. Do you know who they are? the EPRDF. They are the ones who introduced this ethnic based politics. We are saying that please do not divide us. We are one and will remain one.

Dear Ambassador,
Go to the nearest church and repent of your sin and ask for God's forgiveness.
Don't be afraid, Woyanes are not around you.
God bless Ethiopia.

Email: Hagere1997@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

I read your statement, your honor, with great dismay.I lost all the hope that the U.S. Embassy in Addis will do some thing of value to the Ethiopian people.

At a time when our only source of information, as you very well know,is the VOA Amharic and Afan Oromo services you are telling us to live continuesly under these slavery. I don't think that is the mind set of the heroic African Americans of the 60's . I don't think your President whom you represented here believes in your distorted mission and vission. You know we heard a lot of what you said from your TPLF friends, "your ordinary Ethiopians"

Are you telling us Ethiopia is for TPLF and not for other Ethiopians. Are you telling the Oromos and the Amharas, who constitute more than 80% of the Ethiopian population to keep quite and feel the operation for more than 14 years. I hope by now you know that we prefer honorable death than countinued humilation by the TPLF.

Email: Biyaroba@yahoo.com

City: Arsi, Ethiopia

I am amazed as to how the American Ambassador has seen through things.
I would like to ask this question to whomever is visiting this site.Just give your honest answers, considering yourself as an individual not as a memeber of a certain group.
1. Is there ethnic hatred in our country currently?
2. To what end is our political attitude directing our country? Do we really want that direction?
Remember!
Discretion will protect us, and understanding will guide us'
Discretion and understanding of our actions and their consequences is the best way to build our country.

City: Addis Ababa

I want give some general comments for most Ethiopians.

Please, please don't be always offended by any foreigners views and talks.

The majorities are genuine and nutral. Excpet some of them would be missinformed by Meles and his Cadres. They will be absolutly misinformed and cheated by him. Beacuse Meles and his followers are a well known liers.

Hence, Please don't always blame and critizie all foreigners specifically westerns. They can be cheated by liers but when they know the truth they are always a true people. They are not like all belly African leaders. We should also understand their background. They are coming from Genuine society.

In fact EPRDF cadres can write such rubish criticse for expecting some advanatges from the X-ambassador.

Please before you give any comment read all the issues raised by the ambassador since she begun her mission in Ethiopia. With a single talck some body cannnot say any thing about her.

This from a genuine Ethiopian

Email: Kassatek@yahoo.com

City: Jimma

Your excellencey!
I applaud your courage, your honesty, and your profound sapience. I am sorry to say that the Ethiopian diaspora has become clueless. It is driven by wild, demented passion. It has even acquired this brazen, dismissive attitude about anything that didn't conform with its belief.
But, enough about that.
The main purpose of this email is: God bless the American Ambassador. May the rest of her journey in this life be met with love, honesty and integrity as she so vividly displayed.

Sincerely,
Teshome.

Email: G.Giyorgis@yahoo.com

City: Los angles

I agree with the moderator that it is this kind of diplomats who turn the world against the US by supporting murderers and atrocious regimes, instead of siding with the people who are struggling for true democracy.

In any way, we will achieve true democracy and defeat enemies of freedom, justice and liberty with or without the help of the so-called superpowers.


Justice,


Victory to the Ethiopian People!

In regards to the Ambassador's speech, I believe she gave a truethful speech, but of course, this wasn't what most Ethiopians in the diaspora, particularly those advocating the return of ancient regimes, wanted to hear.
Well sorry, truth is truth.
Yes, the speech may be a bitter pill to swallow for some, but truth can't be altered, compromised or lulled. Ambassador Brazeal who retraces her roots emanating from the courage and honesty of the great African-American heroes of the 60s is a stellar diplomat that America should be proud of.
God bless you Madam Ambassador!
Kebie.

Email: Kebie@yahoo.com

City: Los angles

If Martin Luthrking rises from his death he would be ashamed of this lady from Atlanta,she is a disgrace for black people.Thankyou Ana,you are my hero.

Email: dlemma60716@aol.com

City: V BECH

I did not know the ambassador is African American. What a shame, this woman has sold her sole. Good-bye! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Education is supposed to free people from physical and mental slavery. It is indeed a shame beyond words, to see educated people giving testimony that is somehow with intentions to please some people and/or with intention to remain in a "comfort zone", by telling not the truth. It is no different than committing a crime, when one fails to testify the truth but instead to throw diplomat words. That is nothing, but an act of mental slavery. Telling nothing but the truth is an act of freedom. Telling the truth, is not necessarily achieved by going to universities. It is achieved by fearing God. However, education is supposed to give one, a free mind that should be influenced by nothing but the truth. It should come natural to an educated mind, "telling the truth", saves lives. A great living example is: Ana Gomes. May God bless her, for she is a Woman of Truth!! May God bless the Great Ethiopia.

I read your statement, your honor, with great dismay.what kind of person are u talking about staff like that i am so desapointed by u and US well we don't need any thing from you guy's We Ethiopian people we know where we going the only place Just pray go God he will help as in every thing u well see that soon.

City: mmeshesha@hotmail.com

Dear Ambassador,

I appreceate your love and concern to this country . In my humble opinion, however, I feel that you have no idea of the nature of TPLF. We are dealing with leaders whose mere objective in life is to punish the people who they think have subjugated their forefathers. That is what the TPLF thugs are. I cannot blame you for this, but you will never understad what it feels to have leaders who work to bring the country they lead to its knee. Guided by hatred, puffed up by arrogance, our leaders think they can stay in power for ever and break the backbone of the people they see as deadly enemies. They have not changed a bit after staying for fourteen years in power, and I don't think they will ever change. Five years from now, they will have taken thousands of lives of enemies as they call us. They will have make the country even poore and more divided. They will never work with opposition because they wouldnt let them accomplish their hidden agenda.

Your excellency,

The fight in today's Ethiopia is between the agents of the devil (the king of hetred and darkeness), and the Ethiopian people who hope to live in peace with their differnces, and who hope to create a country that treats everone equally whether they belong to this or that ethnic group. Do you ever think times when the devil will let poor humans to live in peace will come?

Email: Dib22@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

Who supported the corrupte regime of hialesellasi madam it is the us.who did nothing for ethiopia when we suffer under menegestu while your goverment was supportig the contras and other anti-communist groups. did the us do anything . Read history the us is the one that stands contrary to the people of ethiopia all the time .Thanks EU .We shoud look forward to work with the EU and the chines people .

Email: meneshu@aol.com

City: columbus

Well Done Mr Ambassador.............Ethiopians need to learn to do business with subtlety and compromise.

Your observations are second to none in their usefulness to the wider Ethiopian public.

I salute you !!

City: Addis

Ted, i agree with you.

She need to go to the nearest church for her sin.

The Ambassador made a wrong and embarassing statement and it will fire back sooner or later in a way the American International Relation deteriorates through out the whole world. My mom used to say "You harvest what you have planted."

Selam le Ethiopia

Email: bdemissachew@juno.com

City: boston

Selam,
I do not think the problem of American international relation is the American people, the problem is their diplomat tiwisted information,such as,Ethiopia's Ambassador African-American deplomat Madam... So,we need to tell directly to this woman and for the writers Meles Zenawi's weyanes.

Madame Azurit,
Please do not quote your cousin.Rather tell us about the great American Patric Henry who said

Geve me Liberty or Give me Death

Or the great Martin Luther King who fought a peaceful fight against slavery and rejected the go slow approach proposed by his fellow African American clergymen.I think you need to remember that it is the sacrifice of so many selfless people like Dr. King which put you in this position.Overall good speech though but you did not get the real problem in the Ethiopian politics - Woyane Azurit Adrgobishal

Email: mesfin777@hotmail.com

City: san jose

sorry,

Correction,

If you believe in God, I sware there is no such different education policy in Ethiopia. I reapeat I sware to God. Ask neutral people.
Alemu,

Email: Alemu_05@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

I respect the views of the Ambassador, but if she expect us to accept everything then she is wrong. The reason why we are where we are today is because we have been accepting bad leaders for years.

If we accept every thing then, we will never see election in our country ever again. It would also give the green light to those nasty leaders that they can do what ever they want.

City: AA

Right Mame,

I totally agree with your view Mame. The american people has nothing to do with the ambassador's statement. Let alone her speech, many americans wouldn't even know her existence as an ambassador, nor as a person. But, the fact of the matter is she represents them with her mess and reflects the american policy towards Ethiopia. I don't think she brought up her own personal agenda without any consent from her bosses. May be I am wrong, but if the US embassy's position differs from this let's hear it out loud.

Selam le Ethiopia

Email: bdemissachew@juno.com

City: boston

Your Exelency,
What a sad farewell speech.You don't have to stand with us or againist us. You could have told the unversal truth, that we are all equal, and all humans are entiltled to liberty'equality and the pursuit of happiness. As a black american, as a woman you should have understood our hunger for freedom. Even if your country's position was forcing you to stay quiet, and to be diplomatic, there was no need on your part to insult us with your half baked advice regarding working in a rigeed parlament. Martin Luther King didn't ask for a little piece of freedom, didn't bargain for a handout. I am glad you wernt one of his advisors. As for Ethiopia we have survived 17 years of the military, 15 years of TPLF and we always come out ahead. When the time comes, we will remember who stood with us. As for you I wish you heel on earth, because that is what your house (Nig)boy Meles is offering to our people. Please wash your shoes before you leave my country, we dont't want any of our precious soil to leave with you.

Taik bout the black maid farewell speech who have no gut to speak up behaif of her.In my book she came in like a maid she left like a maid.Period.

Email: DillingerJ1@aol.com

City: DC

Ato Dillinger,

If you are intellegent enough to write a book, it is better to tink twice about the topic,it may not be poletically correct!!!

W/o Ethio,unless you're Ethiopian you could,would never feel the pain and suffering what our people going thru and you have a nerve to tell me if i write a book would i make politicaly correct?let the 42 dead bodies speak valumes you never seen.

Email: DillingerJ1@aol.com

City: DC

i know it is hard for you guys to swallow the truth.i donot think you know ethiopia.i have great resepect to the Ambassader for telling the truth and truth only.that is what helps to make a differnce.Ethiopia is cxhnging .there is a sea change in ethiopia.some of them are irreversable.do you think ,the west with all sophosicateed intelligence they have would make Meles their friend had ethiopia not be in the right truck . as the ambassador rightly put it old thinking has no place in ethiopia.ethiopia can not be step- mother for us no more.thaks to the constitution and speciully to Art.39.our riths have

Email: bdesalegnb@yahoo.com

City: addis

Degefa,

You sound quite an unEthiopian. Is claiming stolen people's vote, and hence democracy and freedom an old thinking? It is rather the other way round (the dictatorship, dishonesty... by Meles and collaborators) which should be considered an old thinking. Ethiopians are just fighting together to get rid of this old, immoral, negative and destructive thinking.

Email: wazeleke@yahoo.com

zwa
do you think EPRDF stolen the vote of ethiopian people.who told you that ?CUD?
let's us be frank and discuss about it .
how on earth do you think CUD could won the present election?.let us see some facts.
1/ cud got no vote at all from somalia ,gambela ,benishangol,Afar,Harer
2/cud got only less than 16 seats in Oromia conistituency and only in towns where the Metes( the northerners and the gurages live)
3/in south region it got only few seats in gurage area and in Awasa
4/cud won all the addis constituency and good number in Amhara region.and this is the utmost cud could win in its present position.
taking this in to account do you think there is any possibilty CUD and other opposition parries could win this election.the answer is no.
for me lets not forget that Cud is an organizatiion which is very young-less than a year old.so what is good is to be pragmatic and work for better future.

Email: bdesalegnb@yahoo.com

City: addis

degefa,
Poor child! You are totally brainwashed by Meles and his chorines.

degefa,

daka ,i me be poor child but as an ethiopian i need explanation"as you said i me be brainwahsed.but i know for sure one thing CUD has no ground at all in Oromos , in Tigrai somalia Gambela Afar, Benihangul and in most part of nortern people.this constituencies consitute more than 400 %of the the parliamnet seats.i would be glad to hear from any one who has any sound argument that Cud won or could won ion this areas by miracle.
what i donot want to hear is that "EPRDF is so much hated and people do want a change" i am saying this b/s this is the end of the argument of most supporters of CUD. what i want to tell you is that i belive we all are ethiopian.i dont belive on what you call ..true and special ethiopians.and ethiopia should not continue mother for some and step mother for others

Email: bdesalegnb@yahoo.com

City: addis

Degefa,what do you need a mentor to tell you TPLF the best leader you love?it seems you love them then why you in Ethiopian forum?

Email: DillingerJ1@aol.com

City: DC

Degefa,

I saw that you responded to my previous message. Thank you.

Your tone was so poisoned with narrow tibalism that, for a while, I was reluctant to respond to you. This is the kind of thing I also see in PM Meles, Mr Bereket... No surprize if you are one of them. However, for other readers, I would like to briefly say the following.

Although you may physically belong to Ethiopia, because of your belief and atitude of narrow tribalism, you do not seem to reflect an Ethiopian viewpoint, which includes a much broader (and thus fairer) aspect of the country and its people. That was why I noted in my previous message that you sounded like an unEthiopian.

You listed a number of places where you "believe" EPRDF won and CUD lost. Please understand that here (and before) I am not only talking about EPRDF and CUD. I am more concerned about democracy in general and the dictatorship by EPRDF/Meles against the interest of Ethiopian people.

You wrote about the results of the election reported by NEB as if the election was free and fair throughout the country. Everybody knows that this was not the case and the recent EU observes' report is just one testimony for this. However, the Ethiopian people, as participating citizens, know more than what has been reported by EU and others. The only places where the election was free and fair were in those ones where international observers were present and actively involved. In almost all of these places EPRDF lost and the opposition won. Also, in places where voters were more organized and strong to defend their rights, again EPRDF lost and the opposition won. EPRDF was able to claim winning votes mostly in places where it could freely and illegally manipulate the voters or their votes. Even in these places, whenever people tried to resist the manipulation by EPRDF cadres, they were killed, imprisoned, or intimedated... This has been well reported in the media that were not controlled by the government. In some other places opposition party members were not even allowed to register/run. An example for this was Tigrai region where opposition party members were kicked out by EPRDF cadres before voting dates. If you do not call these crude and illegal actions of EPRDF "stealing the votes of the people", what do you then call them. Reliabel projections have shown that if the election in Ethiopia was accried oy freely and fairly definitly EPRDF would be declared a loser big time.

If what EPRDF is claiming now is allowed to happen, democracy will not be realized in Ethiopia. The majority of the Ethiopian people have expreseed that this should not happen. Personally, at this time, I do not really care who wins or loses the election, but I sincerely want the vote of the Ethiopian people to be respected unconditionally and, therefore, democracy to flourish in our country. Unlike you, I am not limiting myself to a certain tribal/ethnic group or party line for ever blindly. I am looking for a choice best representing the interests of our people. I believe, this is the essense of democracy.

Email: wazeleke@yahoo.com

dear….
If I am not mistaken what I gather from your letter is that 1/the election was not fare and free 2/the reason why opposition managed to won in some areas was due to the presence of International observer and the organized effert of the concerned people in certain constituencies.you have also said in tigray region the opposition parties were kicked of by EPRDF cadres befor votiong dates.
I have been hearing this things so many times but any of the arguments hold no water. As far as I know and as it was confirmed by all observer the pre voting process ,including the registration thing was quite good. To be frank I do not think you yourself are convinced by what you said about tigray.neither the Int’l observers nor the opposition parties has said any thing in public.
About the result of the election –the observers where not only in Addis ,some Amhara and gurage constituencies ,they were also in Oromia Tigray Afar and North Ethiopia…….this people were equally organized and strong to defend their rights like people in some amhara and gurage constituencies. so where is the logic………..what I am saying is that you seem to be very much brainwashed by opposition parties propaganda. Pls don’t mistake me for saying there is no problem in our land.i can tell you one thousand and one. but i am optimist things will be changed for good.
The election process and what have been taking place in the past some years has been very encouraging. I am very optimist. lets join hand in hand and contribute something for our beloved land.

Email: bdesalegnb@yahoo.com

City: addis

Negiso,

You tried to defend Degefa with a job not well done. Almost all what you put as an argument was not true. You simply wrote your own fictitious or diverted ideas as if they are true only to come to the conclusion that EPRDF was the winner. Let readers decide who is telling the truth and who is not.

My friend, you cannot change the fact that the election was not at all free and fair, and EPRDF cannot stay in power under this condition. EPRDF did not only steal the votes of the people, but its leaders also ordered the killing many innocent and unarmed Ethiopians. I know that you know this very fact, but your group wants to rip off the country as much as possible before the rule of the people previals in the country. If the testimony of the Ethiopian people and the evidence from many international observers reported so far are not enough for you to be worried or convinced, please listen to the recent interview given by Herman Cohen who said that the election in Ethiopia was not free and fair. I hope you do not deny this time who Mr. Cohen is. Also, please do not threaten him like what your boss did to MS Ana Gomez.

At the end of your message, you said something like: "Let us join hand in hand and contribute something for our country" Yes, this is a very good idea but I say to you "first thing first". Let us first remove dictatorship and tyrany from Ethiopia and establish a democtratic government that represents the intrests of the Ethiopian people (not that of a few selfish and tribalist individuals). Can you join me for this? That is what the Ethiopian people want to do at this time. Freedom comes before anything else. The people cannot postpone this for some other time in the future, which cannot be garanteed under the tyrany and destructive policy of EPRDF.

Email: wazeleke@yahoo.com

I do not subscribe to any of the parties.i'm writting
this not to discrouge the brave and admirable oppossion parties.the possion of EU on who should rule Ethiopia was made clear by there the negative decision they have wrapde up the EPRDF as unfit and
broad-light theif of ethiopian vote!
Not so the AMERICAN racest goverment.Ambassador Aurelia,in her farewell speech has made it clear that
the oppossion should be content with there gain and let the EPRDF form goverment because we THE AMERICAN
GOVERMENT HAVE DECLARED THEM WINNERS.RECENT WHITE
HOUSE STATMENT HAVE CONFERMED THE SAME statment by saying thAt
america expect the formation of new goverment as soon as possible.Many Ethiopians by this statment are miss led .they are in for a big surprised.Know this for sure.Nowhere did the American say EPRDF&KENJET must form a transitional goverment to better prepare for a more transperant democractic election.rather ,the US wants the present ruling party to come up with new goverment of its owen group(EPRDF)
It is therefore futile and absoluteiy illusionary for the oppossions and there supports to enterian the idea that the US is with side of democracy!
If you do not belive me read the statment of ambassador AURELIA E BRAZEAL!

Email: messayewossen@yahoo.com

City: los angFORels

The CUD news thats echoing back to them and they think its everywhere.

1. Some ethiopian created the news that some US official called for unity government.
2. Sudan Tribune quoted it
3. BBC monitoring got it, just like other rumours
4. CUD requotes it from the BBC monitoring

After that its circles.

These folks think that power in africa can be achieved this way. They are used to rumours generated in tejji bet and echo in another part of town.
What a useless bunch of hipocrites these are.

dear ZWA
dear brother
waht i gather from your writing is only generalizations.i would be glad if you dealt with some fo the points i mentioned .the truth is on the ground.i have not heard or read any one including the international observers saying the oppositions won the election.even the opposition did say that they won the election what they say is that there is irregularities here and there.i heard Dr Brhanu saying we have evidence for winnig 154 seats.but this doesnt make them to rule the country even with other parties.
lets not forget one very importnat point.you and me might hate EPRDF, but ethipia is a country for morethan 80 ethinic group. i am worried about ethiopia.i hate destructive politics. i know one thing for sure , EPRDF in its present position has much more base than the oppositions.the opposition namely CUD, had it not been for Dr.Brhanu nega,they would not have half of what they got.lets not forget that CUD is one year old organization.this is my personal opinion.
the other important point is that EPRDF is not as weak as some of you think.i do not think you know this organization very well.this is b/s you are listening to yourself.you do not follow the political development in this country.this time around no one ,no force on earth can over throw EPRDF. we have witnessed some psitive devlopments in this election and in the past some years(,the young but relativly free pressans judiciary..... )lets add valve on them.lets not be destructive.we need more institutions to stengthen our democracy.let's live democracy
we have young,but free press and judiciary.pls.lets work on it and contribute some positive things.

Email: bdesalegnb@yahoo.com

City: addis

Dear Negiso,

I appreciate your plea but not convincing. It does not work that way, my brother. You have not added any thing useful to what you wrote before. As I mentioned earlier, you and I, and, for sure, many others in Ethiopia know that the points you raised in support of EPRDF are not true. To me, this is not unusual from 14 plus years experience. You did not even want to admit that candidates from the opposition were kicked out of Tigrai. It would be a lie on my part if I claim to provide you specifics of the election procedures in every place in the country at this time, and there is no need for me to do that and lie. But, again, everybody knows that the election was not free and fair across the board. Projections have also shown that if the election was conducted freely and fairly, EPRDF would be a loser. Under this condition a government by EPRDF cannot be considered legitimate, whatever lies and manipulations may be applied to justify. People will not trust this kind of government and no honest Ethiopian and any fair minded person, for that matter, accepts this. This is not at all good for our country and people. If not addressed properly, it will have a long-term negative impact and this worries me very much more than anything else. The simple solution is to put a legitimate government in place, which will be accepted by the Ethiopian people. This can be done if there is a will on the part of EPRDF.

Please do not wrongly assume that I hate EPRDF—not at all. And also I do not have special affiliation to CUD. I wish you also have the same view. I love Ethiopia and its people irrespective of ethnic origin and want the Ethiopian society to be on the path of democracy. I have been in many countries and I have seen many things. I believe that Ethiopian people deserve to be treated respectfully. I object anything that hinders the establishment of democracy in Ethiopia, which EPRDF appears to be doing presently. This is not personal antagonism, etc. As you boastfully noted in you message, yes, EPRDF may stay in power for a while by force using killing machines imported from outside with money obtained from donors for other purposes. This is not civilization and something to brag about but simple barbarism.

Email: wazeleke@yahoo.com

CHEBUDE, Lawyer, Debalque etc MORONS:
Can you show me one, just one simple difference between Derg and the TPLF fascists? Can you tell me the difference between serving Derg and TPLF? Can you just show one simple difference between Meles Naziawi and Mengistu H/M? Can you tell the difference between bedeno, arbagugu, sene 1, Murdering Assefa Maru, Murdering university students, Murdering 40 innocent men, women, children,and that of the Derg red terror???? Can you show me the difference between the ethio-Eritre war under Weyane and that of the Derg???? Can show me the difference between losing 100 thousands soldiers within two years and 65 thousands soldiers within 30 years???? Are you in the right frame of your mind when you dare to say Weyane is better than Derg? Can I dare to say you have no sound mind? You are moron number one.
Email: banley@hotmail.com
Email: hagere_ethiopia@yahoo.com

Email: hagere_ethiopia@yahoo.com