Vol. LXXVI No 220 24 May 2020 Ginbot 16 , 2012 Price Birr 5.75 Let us unite with love; surpass in forgiveness! Page 3 Page 3 Page 20 5 bln. seedlings for the upcoming rainy season Four billion tree seedlings were planted last year in Ethiopia-setting an unprecedented world record of planting 300 million in just 12 hours. Of these seedlings 84% are confirmed prolific. Preparation has been finalized to plant 5 billion seedlings for the upcoming rainy season as well. With diligence and preparation, we will register unparalleled result. ADDIS ABABA (FBC) – Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed congratulated all the Muslim Community on the 1441 st celebration of Eid Al – Fitr Holiday. Extending his Eid Mubarak wishes to all Muslims, the prime Minister said Ramadan is a holy month when Muslims learn fighting all temptations of the flesh through bold spiritual practices. “The Ramadan month is a season when human beings experience the taste of the eternal life in heavens. That’s why Muslims feel extreme happiness when the fasting starts.” the premier noted. Dr. Abiy said the already concluded Ramadan is unforgettable for it has served as a spiritual weapon to fight COVID-19 adding Muslims spent the month praying at home due to the pandemic. He expressed his gratitude for Religious leaders and the Muslim Community in general for adhering to the precautions set to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic during the month of Ramadan. The premier reflected his hope that the next Eid Al Fitr will be celebrated joyfully without threat of the pandemic for it is fully beaten. Eid Al Fitr is celebrated with strong social bonds by showing kindness and compassionate to the needy ones, the premier said. Eid al-Fitr which celebrates the end of the fasting which from the very beginning undergoes charity activities concludes with zakat al-fitr, at the eve of the celebration, Dr. Abiy noted. “We have to maintain our longstanding culture of mutual support among one another besides fighting the pandemic using Islamic Values”, the Premier urged the Muslims. “The pandemic is nothing more than a lesson if we cooperate against it”, he stressed. PM congratulates all Muslims on Eid Al-Fitr Holiday Amended policy bump up coffee production, quality Agency creates 1.2 million jobs X-TRA Sunday ERALD Sunday The Ethiopian ዘ X-TRA Page 18 Page 28 Page 19 Page 22 Page 8 Page 24 Practice in string art hones my skills to perfection Ethiopia’s versatile genius of amazing skills Capital should be put in the hands of talented entrepreneurs! Fostering exploitation of renewable energy Nairobi/ Addis: A tale of two cities /2009 Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and the timetable for dam filling
Transcript
Vol. LXXVI No 220 24 May 2020 Ginbot 16 , 2012 Price Birr 5.75
Let us unite with love; surpass in forgiveness!
Page 3Page 3 Page 20
5 bln. seedlings for the upcoming rainy season
Four billion tree seedlings were planted last year in Ethiopia-setting an unprecedented world record of planting 300 million in just 12 hours. Of these seedlings 84% are confirmed prolific. Preparation has been finalized to plant 5 billion seedlings for the upcoming rainy season as well. With diligence and preparation, we will register unparalleled result.
ADDIS ABABA (FBC) – Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed congratulated all the Muslim Community on the 1441st celebration of Eid Al – Fitr Holiday.
Extending his Eid Mubarak wishes to all Muslims, the prime Minister said Ramadan is a holy month when Muslims learn fighting all temptations of the flesh through bold spiritual practices.
“The Ramadan month is a season when human beings experience the taste of the eternal life in heavens. That’s why Muslims feel extreme happiness when the fasting starts.” the premier noted.
Dr. Abiy said the already concluded Ramadan is unforgettable for it has served as a spiritual weapon to fight COVID-19 adding Muslims spent the month praying at home due to the pandemic.
He expressed his gratitude for Religious leaders and the Muslim Community in general for adhering to the precautions set to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic during the month of Ramadan.
The premier reflected his hope that the next Eid Al Fitr will be celebrated joyfully without threat of the pandemic for it is fully beaten.
Eid Al Fitr is celebrated with strong
social bonds by showing kindness and compassionate to the needy ones, the premier said.
Eid al-Fitr which celebrates the end of the fasting which from the very beginning undergoes charity activities concludes with zakat al-fitr, at the eve of the celebration, Dr. Abiy noted.
“We have to maintain our longstanding culture of mutual support among one another besides fighting the pandemic using Islamic Values”, the Premier urged the Muslims.
“The pandemic is nothing more than a lesson if we cooperate against it”, he stressed.
PM congratulates all Muslims on Eid Al-Fitr Holiday
Amended policy bump up coffee production, quality
Agency creates 1.2 million jobs
X-TR
A
SundayERALD
SundayThe Ethiopianዘ
X-TR
A
Page 18
Page 28
Page 19
Page 22
Page 8
Page 24
Practice in string
art hones my skills to perfection
Ethiopia’s versatile genius
of amazing skills
Capital should be put
in the hands of talented
entrepreneurs!
Fostering exploitation
of renewable energy
Nairobi/ Addis: A tale of two cities /2009
Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and the timetable for
dam filling
Herald Exclusives THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020 PAGE 2
BY GENET FEKADE
ADDIS ABABA - The opposition party, Ethiopian Citizen for Social Justice Leader and aknown Economist Berhanu Nega said, the country’s economy will not suffer further harm if the agriculture sector is spared the brunt of the pandemic. Otherwise, he said, the challenge will be high.
He told EPA’s journalists that agriculture is what underpins country’s economy and from which the largest segment of the population eke out a living. Luckily COVID-19 has not yet set its tentacles on this backbone of country’s economy. Except floriculture and horticulture, it has not started challenging the highest agriculture sector.
In addition, it has surfaced before the production time and still it has not encroached on rural areas. If it is march is halted and if agricultural production proves Okay up to next year, the economy will be
“The country’s economy will be fine if the pandemic casts not shadow on the agriculture sector”
- Pr. Berhanu Negafine.
But if it the opposite turns out to be true, the country will be confronted by hunger. So the economic challenge of the pandemic depends on how much the nation averts it and which type of economic sectors could be challenged by the pandemic. So it is very critical and it needs higher attention, the politician stated.
As to him, the pandemic has made it negative influence felt through decreasing foreign exchange. It has curtailed exports. The stay at home message has contained foreign remittances .This has led to higher limitation of exchange.
Berhanu also appreciated the government’s apt response in forestalling impacts of the virus here. It is doing its best to cushion the challenge. This is a good move to buttress the economy. But it is difficult to expect the
government to inject relief into the sector fully. That’s why most African countries are not focused on barring everything. The
people and the government do not have a capacity to cater to needs. Ethiopia is also doing the same, he added.
BY MEHARI BEYENE
The pandemic disease has brought mammoth predicament in food systems of developing economies, according to International Union of Food Science and Technology.
On the occasion hosted by the International Union of Food Science and Technology, Dr. Ruth Oniango, Chair of the Board of Sasakawa Africa Association indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic to a conflict, with major disruptions in peoples lives that impact food production for majority of smallholder farmers and also disrupts the food supply chain. The virus was slow arriving on the African continent. With the whole world predicting the worst for Africas 54 sovereign states, countries with very weak economies were forced to get ready, despite the fact that these governments do not have social safety net programs to cushion the impact on their populations. They have no reserves, coping with their periodic food crises through donors that now have to mobilize all resources to help themselves. In addition, bad governance leads to the kind of inequality seen over the decades, leaving low income citizens unable to cope with hunger and malnutrition that result from drought and conflicts.
Added he said that a number of the countries that had a head start with the virus are highly urbanized. In most African countries, much of the population lives in rural areas, while 80 percent of the urban populations live in urban settlements, with meagre incomes. People derive comfort and security from living together but this social culture is now are challenged through social distancing and requirements to wash hands are imposed, even though there may be no water or it has to be bought.
COVID-19 crisis implications for food systems in developing economies He capitalized that the virus is impacting in the middle of the land preparation and planting season in East Africa and, with many sub-Saharan African countries adopting measures similar to those by Western countries, major food deficits are anticipated. However, to every challenge there is a silver lining. COVID-19 provides African countries the opportunity to find local solutions and to revisit relevant policies that have hitherto not been taken seriously. As lockdown restrictions begin to ease, countries and regions have to come back with new ways of cooperating and more equitable ways of working together. There is a lot going on in many countries; hopefully, all this can be documented.
Catherine Bertini, World Food Prize Laureate, Former UN Under Secretary and Executive Director of the World Food Programme. He said, concerning the Crisis Management and in the interruptions in the food chain, that the hope is that countries yet to be hard hit by COVID-19 are planning and learning lessons from other countries. From villages to nations, leaders must be nimble and move quickly to fix disruptions in food chains. Examples include the shutdown of the food service side of the food industry. As restaurants close, suppliers lose customers. Wherever possible, guidance should be provided to those food suppliers to pivot to sales in markets and stores where demand is growing. As schools close, school food programs, should be maintained with arrangements for orderly pick up of food from the schools or distribution in relevant areas.
“As demand for food rises, rules for acceptable sales and distribution to avoid wasting of food must be implemented. As national leadership reacts to growing food
needs, they should avoid knee-jerk political decisions, such as closing borders, that negatively impact their own consumers, farmers, and processors. Organizations and governments must find creative approaches for delivery of food and food aid, sometimes even house to house. Systems are needed to avoid people rushing the food distribution process. He added
He went to say that the importance of food assistance within the first 1000 days of life from pregnancy until the age of 2, must be recognized as the most critical time in development, during which the requirement for adequate food must be met with the creation of more production and distribution of special food for this vulnerable population to avoid a generation of stunted children. Poor leadership decisions can make matters worse. Leaders at every level must surround themselves with thoughtful advisors from a variety of disciplines to help them to make quick and informed decisions to protect the health and wellbeing of their people. In addition, the voices of women in their community and family leadership roles must be heard.
African nations are faced with technical and practical problems, but governments do not have the finance to implement meaningful interventions and support. People depend not only on protection from the virus but also on access to nutritious and sufficient food without which they lose their livelihoods, sparking tension and social unrest, he added.
He stated that as the COVID 19 pandemic takes hold in Africa, it will spread like wildfire, taking advantage of favorable preconditions: people on the extreme end of the hunger spectrum, weak and less well equipped to face any pandemic; the majority of the African population
depending heavily on traditional, seasonal agricultural production and its attendant job , fishing or pastoralism; and the lack of health facilities, promiscuity, existing and frequent comorbidities, such as AIDS, hypertension and diabetes.
“The globally accepted practice of closing down cities and businesses is difficult to implement in the African context. If the farmers have no planting season, seasonal workers are restricted, and access to seeds and markets are closed, it will lead to food shortages, price increases and starvation in vulnerable populations. Efforts should be made to assist workers impacted in the hope that with support from the international community, some of the foreseeable negative impacts of COVID 19 can be mitigated. He pointed out.
He mentioned that there is no doubt of the impact of the pandemic on the food system, for chefs, farmers, food service workers, processing and distribution workers and many other, is critical. Governments across the continent have stepped up measures to contain the massive spread through means of screening of travellers and deployment of agents for surveillance, cut down on flights, tightening of borders, restrictions of movements and gatherings with social distancing, and closing of schools and public places, all under a state of curfew and emergency with measures to go along with it. While some measures are generic, some must be country, region specific and consideration must be given to how best to apply them to avoid causing more harm than good.
PAGE 3 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020
Herald Exclusives
BY TSEGAY HAGOS
Ethiopia is the cradle land of coffee Arabica. An indigenous coffee referred as the “black gold” by many Ethiopians has been serving as the backbone of nation’s economy for several decades now. Its coffee yields makes the nation the world’s fifth largest coffee producer. As to the Central Statistical Agency, coffee covers the highest export trade accounted for 34 percent of the total export sector. However, it has not been garnering sufficient foreign currency due to many factors. Lack of feasible coffee policy was among the challenges hampering the sector from further fructifying.
Having realized this, the government has designed coffee policy modification that aims to enhance coffee export, produce and productivity. As a result, a significant development was witnessed on foreign currency generation since the revised policy came into force.
The reformed policy has improved export trade and empowered farmers engaged in the sector, Deputy Director of Coffee and Tea Authority, Shafi Oumar, says.
‘‘Coffee is top on our important resources catalogue. The reform guideline would ensure quality, yield and production. It will also guarantee the advantage of producers, retailers and exporters. Beyond this, it has a crucial role in catering to the local consumption,’’ he explains.
Amended policy bump up coffee production, quality
The authority had planned to maintain 94 million USD last month but it gained 104 million USD, as to Shafi.
The deputy director insists that the new reformed policy entitles producers the chance to generate sufficient income through directly exporting their yields.
Among 600 registered farmers, 60 of them have already started exporting their coffee and this move has downsized the influence of agents and contrabandists, he explains.
‘’The new system would help our country to be competitive. It as well strengthens its bargaining power in the global market
through enhancing quality. Consequently, this would boost the income that would be generated from coffee export as well,’’ he elucidates. Adding: ‘’expanding supply and export opportunities, creating market linkages and other reforms were included in the guideline. Accordingly, fruitful results have been gained so far in quality and foreign currency earnings.’’
Qellem Wolega Zone is one of the top coffee growing areas in Ethiopia. According to the Zone’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Office, more than121 tons of coffee was harvested in this fiscal year and this has significant increment compared to the
previous fiscal year.
Though the reformed policy has played pivotal role in increasing produce and productivity, the nation should exert maximum efforts in establishing coffee processing industries so as to emerge compete in the international market, Yonatan Kesete, Economics Lecturer at Mekelle University said.
‘’Ethiopian coffee is known for its flavor and taste. It has high market demand. However due to its traditional way of export system, the country hasn’t been gaining income to the level it deserves,’’ he points out. Adding: ‘’exporting raw coffee wouldn’t be that much beneficial in the red hot global market. Therefore, we need to add value to our products. To realize this ambition, agro-processing industries should be built in those coffee growing areas of the country. This would create jobs for the local people as well’’
Distributing specialized coffee grains to producers would have huge significance in improving the quality, production and productivity. Hence, the government has been striving towards specializing coffee varieties to modernize the sector.
‘‘Feasible research activities should commence to improve the quality and volume of coffee export. This would enable the nation to compete in the global market. Furthermore, streamlining the activities of coffee growers, retailers and exporters should be strengthened,’’ he emphasizes.
BY GENET FEKADE
ADDIS ABABA - Federal Urban Job Creation and Food Security Agency said it has created more than 1.2 million job opportunities in the course of the past nine months of this fiscal year.
It has accomplished about 84 percent of its envisaged task. Though the envisaged goal was to create 1.5 million job opportunities in the sector during the specified period about 1.2 million jobs are created.
Bekele Menigistu Job Creation and Enterprises Development Deputy Executive Director at the Agency told The Ethiopian Herald that the activity on job creation is successful in light of the plan but there is a lot to be desired given the higher number of job seeker citizens.
In the government-run gigantic projects, more than 349 thousand jobs are created in the nine months of the fiscal year which is above the envisaged plan, he said.
Regarding small and medium scale enterprises development , more than 731 thousand jobs have been created in the space of nine months of the ongoing fiscal year through five main sectors like manufacturing, urban agriculture, and construction the Director stated.
He added, in different governmental and non-governmental organizations, lots of citizens have got hired.
The expansion of sectors like construction, urban agriculture, trade, among others, are the positive opportunities to wide open doors for job seekers, he said.
Agency creates 1.2 million jobs
BY MEHARI BEYENE
Most major political parties organized along ethnic and regional lines arouse the danger of mutual mistrust and polarization. A proper resolution through dialogue and education is not only decisive for deepening and broadening the democratic unity of Ethiopia; but also an agenda long overdue, so said by scholar.
Former United Nations Policy advisor in
Ethnic, regional-sentiment based political parties advance polarizationNew York, Dr. Costantinos Berhutesfa said that if the recent elections and the compartmentalization of reaction to them is any indication, one must question whether there is unity and solidarity of our communities, sufficiently strong to allow the free play of competitive interests. The political experiment so far tried may have been seen to reinforce the ethnic division in the society and aggravate group polarization. As a result of this, there is now
See Ethnic, ... Page 6
After the urban agriculture implementation strategy, which is more modern and which focuses on animal husbandry, poultry, market garden and other related farming, achieving turnarounds and creating more job opportunities were made possible. Pressing ahead with the task is within the realm of possibility. There is a plan to introduce urban fish farming and fishing at level two in the near future, he pointed out.
As to Bekele, the government’s limited capacity towards supplying loan and giving working places are pressing the country to create more jobs for citizens.
COVID-19 is a formidable challenge for other sectors and it is also posing the same challenge on the job creation sector. As to the Agency, working with other stakeholders, short term plans are chalked out to arrest the spread of the virus, he noted.
deep division and heated debate about the wisdom of ethnic based politicization of the country.
He went to say that some groups in the political system advocate and press for the regional administrative division of the country along ethnic lines as a realistic and lasting solution for the country›s ethnic problems. While many others fear and worry that, this would jeopardize the country’ unity and ignite centrifugal implosion of the
nation.
He indicated that it does not mean that Ethiopias ethnic heterogeneity will inevitably lead to the breakdown of the democratic process. Multi-party democracy is not incompatible with national unity and in fact if it is well adhered to, might be a lasting remedy to the problem of ethnicity. Moreover, there are too many instances in the history of the country, which prove the
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020 PAGE 4
BY MEHARI BEYENE
The European Union has delivered an urgent support packet of 450 000 EUR to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights to boost its efforts to counter human rights abuses during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to European Union.
This partnership will allow the Kenya National Commission Human Rights to take up urgent public interest litigation cases that benefit the vulnerable and marginalized members of society in particular. It will also facilitate enhanced public education and awareness programs through community radio stations and social media campaigns encouraging citizens to report violations. It will enhance technology infrastructure that will enable the Kenya National Commission Human Rights receive information and analyze it at the click of a button through systems specifically adapted for the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the launch of the event, the European Union Ambassador Simon Mordue underlined as “The European Union believes that all human rights are universal and indivisible, as described in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Whether one has COVID-19 or not, whether one is a city dweller in Eastleigh, a woman supporting her household in Wajir, whether one is a civilian who wants to know more about his rights, or a state institution that needs to abide by its Human Rights obligations, Human Rights need to apply everywhere”
The measures Kenya has put in place to curb the spread of the virus, like in many other countries around the world, are necessary.
frican NewsEuropean Union delivers support packet to Kenya to counter human rights abuse
These include social distancing, a dusk to dawn curfew, as well as many support measures such as cash transfer programmes. Unfortunately, in spite of the Government’s best efforts, the implementation of some of the measure have also had a negative impact on human rights, for example the reported cases of police brutality, restricted access to information, discrimination in access to health services, and widening gender inequality and gender-based violence. It is therefore essential that human rights defenders can report human rights concerns and violations as they occur within their localities. The European Union support to the Kenya National Commission Human Rights will help to address all these areas.
The Kenya National Commission Human Rights has been a long-standing partner of the European Union Delegation to Kenya. In 2016, the European Union already supported the Commission to empower grassroots human rights defenders through training and mentorship programmes. European Union Member States have provided support as well the Netherlands between 2018 and 2022 is providing Ksh 134.5 million to the Kenya National Commission Human Rights to enhance access to justice, rule of law and accountability. Germany provided Ksh 7.7 million in 2019 to the Kenya National Commission Human Rights for the protection and promotion of the rights of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs).Team Europe continues to support Kenya on human rights as well as Kenya’s overall COVID-19 response with over 330 million EUR.
articulate the message of a movement are strong determinants of success.
The FT focuses on how social interactive processes create a motivation for normal activists to evolve into terrorists. In other words, FT explains that violent radicalization and terrorism occurs by a distinct presentation of world view to members of violent groups. Such presentation of world view frames problems not just as misfortunes, but injustices. It ascribes responsibility for these “injustices,” and presents an argument for moral justification of using violence. This is done to right the wrong.
In contrast to various arguments, the Frame Theory focuses on the individual “position” rather than individual “characteristics.” Moreover, in contrast to Strain Theory discussed above, FT takes a dynamic view on radicalization. The communication process of “framing a problem rather than the problem itself” is the key to understanding radicalization. There is, for example, hunger in a society, but the “framing” of the hunger problem is the essence of radicalization.
Framing Theory has been applied in case studies of the transnational religious movements. Such
movements support the use of violence against targets in their own countries. Observing such movements, Wiktorowicz suggests that “activists emerge” through the following four steps: 1) a personal crisis, experienced discrimination or repression, or chance-encounters with charismatic movement leaders create an opening by which an individual becomes exposed to new ideas; 2) a search for new ideas, channeled by religiosity; 3) “frame alignment” between the individual desire and the objective of the movement. This alignment increasingly “rings true” to the individual. It is also pointed out that existing members do “not” immediately present to the potential recruits the violent parts of the movement. Instead they focus on common and widely shared concerns with the plight of people in conflict zones around the world; and finally, 4) when the recruit has come to accept the key elements of the objective of the movement, more intensive socialization takes place in closed study groups through face-to-face interaction.
At this point, emotional appeals are reinforced by ideological teachings, encouraging the recruit to reach a conclusion. This recruit may conclude that the movement does not only represent the truth, but that he or she has a personal obligation and responsibility to join and
become active. Group bonding and peer pressure reinforces the emerging commitment of the recruit.
Conclusion: The youth is defined by different age groups in different countries. But, this differential age category does not necessarily discolor the similarity of youth characteristics and behavior. Generally speaking the youth in the developing countries are targets of political groups, civil rights movements, anarchists, and militant groups. They are exposed to peer-group influences, engaging in intense discussions, discourses, debates and dialogues that may lead to violent actions if agreement is not reached.
As in Ethiopia, the youth are easily exposed to ideological, militant and anarchist missions. They may be radicalized and recruited by terrorist organizations to fulfill suicide missions as they did in Ethiopia in the 1970s. Ethiopia suffered from White and Red Terrorists who murdered each other and innocent citizens for no apparent cause, except claiming “prior” exposure to Communism! Generally, terrorists enjoy becoming self-less diehard militants after succeeding in one or two killer squad missions. The greatest and most difficult hurdle is the first mission to
kill a targeted enemy. This target is normally a government official or party apparatchik or a functionary of the ruling party.
Power struggle and/or ideological attachment, racial, ethnic and tribal infighting leaves no room for political ingenuity in a developing country like Ethiopia. Lack of political space in time of peace is a fertile ground for the spread of radicalization. Also, power mongering contributes to and encourages terrorist violence, using the innocent youth as cannonballs. Being a political novice, the youth is manipulated to participate in terrorist violence. The government has, therefore, the responsibility to maintain peace for the welfare of the people by redirecting the energy of the youth from destructive radicalization towards productive development. The youth should be informed of its responsibility to safeguard the unity of Ethiopia. The country is currently facing violent forces of disintegration from all sides. Their target is power and personal glorification or anarchy, forgetting the misery of the people on whose behalf they commit everything. Shame!!
Thank you.
Social mobilization. . .
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SundayThe Ethiopianዘ
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Practice in string
art hones my skills to perfection
Ethiopia’s versatile genius
of amazing skills
Capital should be put
in the hands of talented
entrepreneurs!
Fostering exploitation
of renewable energy
Nairobi/ Addis: A tale of two cities /2009
Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and the timetable for
dam filling
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020 PAGE 6
BY MEHARI BEYENE
Ecobank Group, the pan-African Bank, in collaboration with Google is helping to equip African Small and Medium Enterprises with the necessary digital skills to navigate the rapidly evolving business world. The aim is to assist African businesses remain relevant and fulfill their potential by embracing digital capabilities, according to Apo group.
Josephine Anan-Ankomah, Ecobank’s Group Executive for Commercial Banking saidas “As a longstanding pioneer in providing cutting-edge digital solutions for African businesses we are delighted to collaborate with Google to offer timely and relevant solutions, including Google My Business and Google Ad products. These are specifically tailored to meet the needs of our
frican NewsEcobank, Google help to equip Africa Small and Medium Enterprises
Ethnic, regional-sentiment...
Small and Medium Enterprise customers.”
“Our objective is to be the partner of choice for Small and Medium Enterprisess, by meaningfully supporting their success and growth. It is therefore a natural step for us to work with Google to help improve the capabilities of our SMEs customers. We are focused on helping them thrive by adopting technology, which is becoming increasingly essential for survival of businesses .” Added Josephine Anan-Ankomah.
Ecobank’s invaluable eBanking product suite is increasingly relevant in this era of lockdowns and physical distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With this robust platform, Ecobank provides 24/7 access to customers, conveniently meeting
the evolving cash management, payment and collection needs of businesses. It is essential that African Small and Medium Enterprisess take full advantage of the commercial opportunities having a digital presence provides. It will ensure comprehensive engagement between SMEs and their customers as well as potential new customers. Ecobank’s digital banking suite, coupled with its collaboration with Google, will empower SMEs to win.The digital packages are expected to be available to Ecobank’s Small and Medium Enterprisess customers across sub-Saharan Africa in May 2020.
Ecobank Transnational Incorporated is the parent company of the Ecobank Group, the leading independent pan-African banking
transcendence of ethno-centrism, and narrow linguistic and religious affiliations, which could be quoted as examples.
For a lot of intellectuals that have grown to idolize our blood-soaked nation, a much tortured earth that is proud of its tenacity and strength of struggle against both internal and external tyranny, we see it as probably the only fair stamp of the varied trajectories of our Ethiopianness. For those compatriots that have paid in blood, their country speaks in tongues with its varied peoples, but its language is universal. It speaks against the cruelty of privilege, of intolerance, and that nation-consuming power-lust that has equally corroded the essence of leadership, he added.
According to him, it has brought to light that power cannot be negotiated: that it must be tamed. It is an acquired instinct to recognize differences between the rulers and ruled, between dominance and free will and between coercion and collaboration. It is to identify the correlation of all such polarities with the rights and responsibilities of the individual within the community; of which every individual is not simply a part, but a fundamental unit.
He capitalized that with a genuine and dedicated endeavor on the part of the political leadership, democratization process under one geographical entity and
nationhood could be preserved. The political leadership can be said to have instituted a new paradigm of political discourse, agency and ideology; this is not to suggest that the strategy is uncontroversial or uncontested. For many, particularly but by no means exclusively the elite, the values, sentiments and symbols of our unity they cherished and took for granted have suddenly become objects of controversy and deconstruction. Many grumble that more than that it is our everyday social and economic life, which has come under stress and strain in the highly ethnicized political order.
He mentioned that the single most important influence over how political liberalisation in Ethiopia has been conceived, initiated and is being formalised is the politics of ethnicity. The urban and rural liberation war waged by the people of Ethiopia and the particular form of political consciousness acquired at the inception and in the course of that struggle has made ethnic-based self-determination the linchpin of the democratisation strategy.
He added said that consistent with this strategy, a major restructuring of the Ethiopian polity has been undertaken, setting the foundation for and cutting it up into a score of regional governments based on linguistic, ethnic and cultural identity. Although swiftly executed, the strategy appears to have been effective
not only in allowing to carry out a specific political agenda and ideological goal; but also in setting the tone for institutionalising political agency and activities of alternative and opposition groups.
As to him, we also need to be alive to the fact that Ethiopia is not a newly coined lingo. It traces its history back more than three thousand years; though the territory and the ethnic groups it embraced have varied from time to time depending upon the outcome of battles fought among internal rivalry kingdoms and against external invaders. It is a populist minority of elite that have mouths wider than the majority of the oppressed. It is a populist minority that requires a specific distancing from the very vulnerable society for their own egoistic complication and safe livelihoods abroad and in country.
“It is a populist minority that requires the mystification, the dogmatic complication of the relationship of the individual to community, in order to magnify their own individual sense of being. In other words, the ruled, that is, the majority, constantly find themselves confronted by the deliberate, purely opportunistic paradox of being castigated as victims of the very disease with which that power-hungry minority is incurably afflicted -- a heightened anti-social individualism, indeed, Solipsism he noted.
He indicated that because the idea of self-
determination has radically transformed the old image of Ethiopia and replaced it with a completely new vision of national unity, it may have raised worries and fears among certain social strata in the country and very prominently among the Diaspora. The response from the populist elite has been, for most that radiate from the multi-ethnic, multilingual and multi-religious nature of the formation of our nation. This is a threat to the lingering ambition of hitherto dominant groups to impose their wills by way of coerced unity and uniformity. This has resulted in deep ethnic hostility and national division varying in degrees ranging from self-determination to outright secession.
He remarked that notwithstanding the doubts and worries it has raised, ethnocentric nationalism remains the bedrock of the democratisation strategy; representing a larger issue having to do with the restructuring of the polity as a whole. It is not one of simply changing or improving the position and status of nationalities, or, in simpler terms, ethnic groups; but the radical transformation of the values, traditions and institutions of the Ethiopian state itself in its historic and contemporary forms. It is wrestling at once with the question of the self determination of nationalities and the vision our unity based on equality, connected with it.
BY MEHARI BEYENE
The World Bank Board of Directors have approved a 1 billion USD budget support operation for Kenya, which helps close the fiscal financing gap, while supporting reforms that help advance the government’s inclusive growth agenda, including in affordable housing and support to farmers’ incomes, according to World Bank.
The Kenya Inclusive Growth and Fiscal Management Development Policy Financing, is the second of a two-operation programmatic series aimed at recreating fiscal buffers over the medium term and crowding in private investment. Preparation of this DPF preceded the COVID-19 pandemic, but its approval is
timely, since it will help to fill the financing gap generated by the severe, ongoing shock to Kenya’s economy. The DPF thus complements the recently approved Kenya Covid-19 Emergency Response Project which seeks to prevent, detect and respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and strengthen national systems for public health emergency preparedness.
“COVID-19 represents an unprecedented shock to the global economy. The World Bank remains very committed to support our client countries in these very challenging times. This operation provides concessional resources to help Kenya navigate the current COVID-19 crisis and to cushion the impact on livelihoods
and jobs, while supporting the continued operation of essential public services,” said World Bank Country Director for Kenya, Felipe Jaramillo.
To secure the financing, Kenya has undertaken policy reforms that directly benefit many low-income Kenyan households. Small holder farmers will now benefit from better targeting of subsidized agricultural inputs through electronic vouchers. The supply of affordable housing is expected to increase, on the back of the updating of antiquated legislation that hindered the development of housing market.
Supporting more transparency in public
financial management is a major focus of the operation. Ordinary Kenyans will for the first time be able to review details of public procurement contracts via the public procurement information portal. Further, a new Debt and Borrowing Policy sets Kenya up to manage its public debt more strategically and transparently, including by specifying clear oversight and audit responsibilities over the use of borrowed funds.
“The reforms achieved through this operation have begun yielding results for ordinary Kenyans and are expected to help in the rebuilding of the Kenyan economy Post-COVID. While much has been achieved, more needs to be done.
World Bank approves budget support operation for Kenya
group. The Ecobank Group employs over 15,000 people and serves about 20 million customers in the consumer, commercial and corporate banking sectors across 33 African countries. The Group has a banking license in France and representative offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Beijing, China; London, the United Kingdom and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The Group offers a full suite of banking products, services and solutions including bank and deposit accounts, loans, cash management, advisory, trade, securities, wealth and asset management. Ecobank Transnational Incorportated is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchanges in Lagos, the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra, and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières in Abidjan.
PAGE 7 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020
FITSUM GETACHEW
There has been a flurry of explosions of outrage among Ethiopians having noted the recent developments on the negotiations with Egypt and Sudan regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, GERD. Many Ethiopians were heard expressing their indignation to assertions that transpired from some international media regarding the ‘limits’ to be imposed on the legitimate rights of Ethiopia.
Most of those solicited in a ‘vox pop’ survey conducted in Ethiopia were heard stating, “There is one very important and fundamental fact about Ethiopia that some people may feign to forget, down play or turn a blind eye to. And that is ‘Ethiopia is not a colony of any country. It cannot take orders from any force on how to use its own natural resources! It is a respected sovereign and dignified land of one hundred ten million souls who have deserved their sovereignty with uninterrupted sacrifice across the centuries!’
Such manifestation of public opinion is common also because during the past nine years since the beginning of the Grand Dam project, Ethiopians have been rallying behind it. They reinforced their solidarity with the government. The sense of injustice buried in the psyche of all Ethiopians regarding the usage of the Nile through all those years has burst out. The sense of regret that was borne out of the negligence or incapacity of various governments that do not resolve this weakness has exploded
Editor's Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect
the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
Unwilling to outgrow the outmoded colonial legacy of optimizing solely own profit and hardening to the disadvantages one’s barefaced acts of wholly parasitizing resources inflict on others, Egypt has continued to display a theatrical hysteria on the global arena in a frantic bid to persuade both the credulous and the skeptic to stand by its side regarding the stoppage of GERD.
In a last ditch effort to strangulate GERD from lightening the darkness hitting two turbines units soon with the water it is due to hold, Egypt has continued to draw attention to an imagined foul play. This is despite tangible facts that Ethiopia, marked for time-tested considerateness to others, has gone long steps to demonstrate moves are wedded with scientific ideals and international water laws that espouse equitable and sustainable development of transboundary waters.
Egypt is dragging feet to buy time till by fair means or foul the rest of the world backs it blind to the depth of despicable selfishness it sank into. The smoking gun to its dishonesty could be detected from its interest to seek support from quarters (Hypocrites & Arab league) that do not have a direct link to the Blue Nile water resource, while treating riparian countries or organizations that represent the continent with a colder shoulder.
About 85 percent of the longest river in the world that goes by the name Blue Nile(Abbay) emanates from Ethiopia to snake past its boundaries with might and mien carrying the country’s alluvial soil to lower riparian countries—Sudan and Egypt. Tragically however, as Ethiopia has not yet put it to proper use half of Ethiopians are strange to electricity. Ethiopia’s electric kWh per capital power supply is 83, while that of Egypt is 1623. This sounds a paradox for one who has an objective mind. Egypt’s contribution to the Nile water is almost none. Nevertheless, it is not unusual to hear its fatuous claim that the lion’s share of the water belongs to it if not all of it. Regurgitating colonial mentality it had been browbeating Ethiopia’s attempt towards harnessing the river that gushes out from its bosom to unshackle itself from poverty. Covertly and overtly it has been discouraging Ethiopia’s entitlement towards harnessing its trans-boundary water resource rationally as per international law and the approval of experts in the field.
With the moral, financial, arsenal and diplomacy support from superpowers marked for realizing their objective using countries that help them effect their geopolitical advantage making others pushovers Egypt is still heard bragging Ethiopia’s move to such an end will be militarily opposed if not emasculated by poisoned diplomatic venues. Due to such hurdles Ethiopia was lax to harness one of its big resources—Blue Nile— for long. Needless to mention, its economy remained in tatters.
Egypt’s power-mongering leaders who want to deflect internal political tensions often opt to blow a trumpet in the air about military prowess to cannon fodder their citizens in an unjust war. Perusing history books they fail to remind themselves as to who time and again emerged triumphant in a similar engagements.
Unheeding such empty words, Ethiopia has pressed ahead with building GERD on its sovereign land as per the dictates of an equitable and fair utilization of a transboundary river. GERD, which galvanized all Ethiopians across the globe that are financially irrigating it, is 78 per cent through.
Watching the actualization of the dam before its eyes Egypt is seen running to and fro in search of a dupe that could buy its sugar-coated fallacious claim. With this mentality it the Birth of GERD has become a headache to it. That is why it laboring to leave no stone unturned till it sees the disruption of the river or its protraction till it proves dysfunctional. The news has continued to hit headlines. Some media try to portray the case in a manner divorced from the principle of journalism, honesty to the truth and the audience, while others make sure they present the case in its true light. The former should know that they are undermining the intelligence of the reading-audience who could discover the truth reading a tad further.
Ethiopia that has a firm stance that Blue Nile should be a source of cooperation but not contention has pressed ahead with a just and reasonable utilization of the water as per the consent of the global community. It is remote in Ethiopia’s mind creating a significant harm on the lower riparian countries. Its interest is to do things as per the convention. It is doing things as per prerequisites indicated on of the convention that enumerate reasons for a fair utilization of such a common water resource. Population size is one reason. With 110 mln. people, Ethiopia has the second highest population in Africa. It is also experiencing population boom. Climate change is also posing a challenge on Ethiopia which relies on a rain fed agriculture. Ethiopia’s inability to get a return from its bountiful resource is a source of anguish to Ethiopians. The topography of the country tells utilizing the Blue Nile River for hydropower is a must-do. This becomes all the more imperative in the face of the country’s desire to achieve socioeconomic growth.
All these add up not delaying the utilization of the river towards the aforementioned objective.
The bickering that has been permeating riparian countries’ atmosphere could be parried if and only if it gets a lasting solution once and for all on common growth. This should win the credence of all riparian countries.
No more masks
‘The equitable usage of the Nile is Ethiopia’s sovereign right!’surface the true concealed intentions of not only the downstream countries but also how these prevarications are used as a strategy to possibly sabotage Ethiopians’ aspirations towards progress.
The Nile is a shared treasure given by God to all riparian countries and it should be shared with a spirit of good neighborliness and not convert it into a ‘bone of contention.’There are no legal nor moral reasons to attribute the ownership or usage of the waters of the Nile to one or two countries excluding the others. This may have worked once upon a time. But now it is totally inconceivable. With the scarcity of the resources and the parallel great increase of the population of the basin countries, the situation becomes even more explosive and difficult to control. That is why the current frame of mind relying on old treaties cannot be entertained. That belongs to the past we are now living in a globalized world interdependent and harmonious. Ethiopia has been at the receiving end of a whole series of historical wrongs and injustices but now it has no choice but to being to claim its rightful share of such common natural resources. It abhors any form of monopoly on such resources.
One point must be underlined: The colonial pacts of the past are null and void for obvious reasons. Claiming exclusive rights
and now there is this resolve to go to the limits of their capacity and beyond. Every resource available and attention is directed towards this project dismissing any form of campaign our adversaries or enemies may stage in any platform.
Such movement is on top on the agenda of the nation and the feeling of patriotism beyond any potential political disagreement on a number of issues has been sidelined. History tells us that whenever an alien force threatens the sovereignty of the country all internal discrepancies vanish in thin air and unity prevails and turns to triumph. Today, the focus of every Ethiopian is on the GERD even more than COVID 19.
Ethiopians believe that the perceived arrogance on the part of some states and certain assertions heard on some foreign media seem to purposefully undermine their country considering it the sacrificial lamb on the altar of a ‘more important nation’.
No wonder for Ethiopians this is nothing short of an indigestible humiliation! To this if one adds certain aggressive and chauvinistic rhetoric one hears in the media of certain countries, the picture becomes complete and creates a sense of outrage and frustration on Ethiopians.
The recent emotional outbursts of Ethiopian nationals: “Ethiopia, not being a colony of Egypt’ cannot be required to consult or take orders from it on the usage of its own natural resources’ is just one demonstration of such spirit. The so called negotiations on the way the dam is to be filled have brought to the
OPED THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020 PAGE 8
Capital Should be put in the hands of talented entrepreneurs!BY TEKLEBIRHAN GEBREMICHAEL
The underlying cause of Ethiopia’s Economic backwardness
The reason why Ethiopia has remained economically backward for so long is because it has not yet found her Einstein of politics who understands and appreciates other Einsteins in their respective fields of study and endeavour, particularly in economics, business, engineering, science, mathematics, informatics etc. For example the great powers of the past few centuries attained their economic, scientific and technological supremacy through outstanding politicians and leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, F.D Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Charles de Gaulle, Bismarck, Angela Merkel, Lee Kuan Yew, etc. Arguably, Menelik II and Haileselassie may well he cited as the two most outstanding Ethiopian leaders in recent history.
Under US America’s great political leaders, exceptionally brilliant business giants thrived and blossomed including Carnegie, Rockefeller, Walt Disney, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and very many others. China and Singapore astounded the world by their meteoric rise from rags to riches through their truly remarkable leaders Deng Xiaoping and Lee Kuan Yew. These Einsteins of politics essentially succeeded by following the economics founded by the economics genius, Adam Smith, who advocates free markets, free competition and, implicitly and explicitly, level playing grounds. The other economics genius, Karl Marx, has to wait for his economic predictions to be fulfilled until Smithsonian competitive capitalism exhausts its growth potential. It is here necessary to point out that Deng’s economic strategy was essentially capitalist in nature although China’s Communist Party is in power as a futuristic institution to accommodate the potential emergence of a radically different society after the culmination of private /state capitalist development.
Closer to home, the seeds of capitalist development were significantly sown under Menelik II and promising green shoots were seen under Haileselassie during whose reign private commercial farming, industrial development, exports and imports, domestic trade, etc. began to be visibly present. Important business leaders, few though they were in number, emerged including Tedla Abebe, Mammo Kacha, Hunegnaw Mera, Tedla Desta, Teferi Sharew, Keder Ebe, etc. On the other hand, Mengistu Hailemariam’s socialist experiment failed not because of lack of commitment but because of counter- revolutionary civil war and the inherent weaknesses of socialist development, which is intrinsically anathema to natural and basic human self- interest. At this juncture, it would be appropriate to differentiate between socialism and communism. The latter represents a natural and almost inevitable progression from capitalism which must of necessity reach its culmination some
time in the future, however distant that may be. By contrast, socialism is seen as an unnatural and forced intermediate period to communism imposed by diktat although it has long been argued, including by Karl Marx himself, that the natural transitional system to communism is capitalism.
The Economics of Adam Smith
There is a Darwinian flavour to the economics of Adam Smith. Darwin’s theory of evolution, the struggle for survival and natural selection seem to have their parallels in free markets, free competition and struggle to maximize gains. Economic competition under capitalism has produced the best economic outcomes, particularly where it is governed by the rules and regulations of fairness and impartiality. In Smithsonian and neo- Smithsonian economics, although the four factors of production are identified as being land, labour, capital and enterprise, pride of place is given to the entrepreneur who is the central figure who organizes and institutionalizes all the four factors of production (including his/her own) into a production, distribution and consumption process.
In Smithsonian competitive economics, barring unforeseen and unforeseeable imponderables, the best economic outcomes are expected to be registered by the best entrepreneurs who are actively but impartially promoted by the best political leader or leaders. In a competitive economic system, all potential entrepreneurs are given equal access to land, skilled and unskilled labour and capital (particularly to domestic bank credit capital and foreign exchange). Entrepreneurs will be evaluated and judged by the outcomes of their investment, recruitment and financing decisions in the face of competitive alternative entrepreneurship. Of course, profit is the ultimate measure of business success but reliability, expansion, goodwill, employment generation, research and development, etc. are all good indicators of continuity. But all such competitive entrepreneurial success stories can be recorded only in the presence of equally competitive politics or failing this upon
the rise of a political Einstein by chance or even by force a la Deng or Yew!
Entrepreneurship in Ethiopia since Mengistu
As hinted above, Mengistu Hailemariam tried to experiment with a theoretically and practically moribund ideology and fled the country after being defeated in a civil war without having a fair chance to fully implement the ideology and find out for himself that it would not have succeeded anyway. Meles Zenawi attempted to impose his own version of latter- day neo-feudalism by taking control of land, the domestic state banking system and foreign exchange and allowed himself and his coterie of lackeys to accumulate wealth and income largely through ownership of prime land, high –rise buildings, cash hoards in domestic and foreign currency at home and abroad. This state of affairs would perhaps not have mattered all that much had this group of people had the natural talent, some degree of business education and training and acumen to do business and turn a profit and ultimately make not only themselves but also society at large prosperous. Sadly, that has not been the case. Quite on the contrary, their major investments have been in real estate (commercial real estate, to be precise) with largely bank credit which they obtain not on common merit criteria, but on orders from the higher –ups (i.e. what the IMF calls “directed credit”). In what may seem to be adding insult to injury, these same people sometimes succeed in having their bank loans cancelled, you guessed it, on orders from the powers that be. Rarely, when they venture into more productive investments such as commercial farming and agro-industries, their track-record has been one of outright plunder (as in the 5bn birr heist in Gambella) and massive direct and indirect corruption and waste (as in the 77 bn birr financial scandal associated with some ten sugar projects)!
Hence, Ethiopia’s land, real state, cash hoards in local and foreign currency, bank credit capital, capital in the form of cars and other vehicles, etc. are concentrated in the hands of a tiny, unworthy fraction of the
country’s population who have completely failed to reproduce these various forms of capital with any speed so that the country’s economic development has been so badly retarded that at present there is just no light at the end of the tunnel. In other words, Ethiopia’s capital resources are owned and controlled by a small group of people who do not have the basic minimum e n t r e p r e n e u r i a l talent to reproduce capital and thus spur economic progress
on a massive scale.
Reform or radical change?
World history has unequivocally shown that economic take-off is a function of brilliant political, economic and business leadership. There is just no way corrupt, inefficient and incompetent political and business leaders can effect a genuine economic quantum leap forward such as that witnessed, with wonder and admiration, in China, Singapore, S.Korea, Japan and several other countries. We cannot reform a broken political and economic system;We can only scrap and replace it. There is just no room to recycle and use those same people that have been instrumental in creating the broken system and that have in fact benefitted from it. It just does not make sense to recycle persons to positions of power and responsibility that have debased the national currency from 2.07 birr per USD to over 40 birr to the US dollar, and that have helped spawn a cumulative inflation rate of nearly 6000 percent in the country! Very little can be gained from re-appointing to positions of executive and advisory power persons who have been, directly or indirectly, complicit in painting iron bars a yellow golden color and letting them pass as gold bars worth over 150 million birr without ever being held accountable for what they did or did not do in the scandal!
No! I believe what is needed is not reform but radical change. How can people suspected of having colluded in a massive 30 bn USD capital flight do any good for Ethiopia? Indeed, how can we trust officials who have poured hundreds of billions of birr into the economy in the form of bank loans and credits whose chance of repayment is close to zero! How can we allow these corrupt and incompetent people to hold on to the country’s vast majority of capital resources and then expect to bring about rapid economic development? These capital resources should be restituted to an elected government and then re-distributed to worthy Ethiopian entrepreneurs and to the Ethiopian people at large!
BY GETACHEW MINAS
Introduction: Some youth in the developing countries become fascinated with militancy. They engage in various intense discussions that may lead to violent action. Those exposed to political, ideological, and socioeconomic influences easily cross from discussion to aggression. They become radical and turn violent terrorists. In the absence of initiatives that restrain the violent youth, there is no limit to the spread of radical ideas. “Lack” of political ingenuity and goodwill is a fertile ground for the spread of radicalization. The questions raised are when, why, and how do people living in a democratic and non-democratic societies become radicalized. The youth is willing to try or support the use of terrorist violence against leaders and civilians.
The issue of violence has been at the center of both academic and public debate over the past years. But, there is still an insufficiency of empirical knowledge on the issue raised. There is no agreement among researchers regarding the approaches to apply to the study of violent radicalization and mobilization.
A study has been made by Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen on the contribution of Social Movement Theory (SMT) to explore the question of violent radicalization. He also provides an overview of the main schools and major scholars, who have applied SMT to the study of terrorism. It identifies three main schools: Strain Theory, Resource Mobilization Theory, and Framing Theory and discusses their respective strengths and weaknesses. SMT points to the most promising approaches for further research into violent radicalization.
Major Schools of SMT: SMT has been applied in a number of historical studies of leftist and nationalist terrorism. It offers a way of conceiving violent radicalization with an explicit focus on processes of political mobilization. SMT looks at larger groups and the relationship between the individual, the group, and the broader society. It conceives of social movements and their violent subgroups as “rational actors,” driven by a political agenda and a set of political goals. The Social Movement Theory links structural factors, group processes, and individual motivation in an integrated analytical framework. Porta and Wiktorowicz suggest that SMT also comprises potential “feed-back” from the society to a social movement.
A social movement organization is generally conceived as self-conscious group. It acts to challenge the existing social order by “confronting” existing authorities. Social networks, according to SMT, are the key vehicle for transmission of grievances for facilitating recruitment and for mobilization. Terrorists thus, according to this perspective, should be understood and studied as small minorities within larger socio-cultural environment. Radicalization should be seen as a result of “social relations” rather than innate individual behavior.
A number of different approaches exist
OPEDPAGE 9 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020
See Social... page 4
Social mobilization and radicalization
within SMT. For the sake of overview they are categorized below into three types of theories as mentioned earlier. These theories are presented here for the purpose of analysis and comparison.
1. Strain Theory: Early studies of social movements conceived of political mobilization as a “response to grievances.” The focus of these studies was on external strains on society. These strains erode the efficacy of existing institutions, leading to political instability and mass mobilization. Such mobilization in society leads to a sense of isolation and impotence in the face of broad societal changes. Joining a social movement provides an “outlet” and “alleviates” the strain.
The notion of strain is supported by research in both developed and developing countries. These studies point to how educated immigrants who moved to larger cites experienced the frustration of “blocked” social mobility. These immigrants, therefore, became open to the messages of militant groups. A related argument which is frequently used by the militants themselves points to an accepted political, economic, and social domination.
Foreign economic, political, and military pressure “combined with” repressive indigenous regimes create strains in society. This leads to the emergence of social protest movements. Religious movements frequently become the vehicle for such protest when opposition political parties are “banned” as in a number of developing countries.
Critics of Strain Theory have pointed out that strain does not always create social movements. It might thus be a necessary, but not a sufficient condition to cause a movement. Moreover, critics argue, Strain Theory tends to ignore the goal and purpose of political and organized social movements. They claim that social movements are not only social mechanisms but they are also rational collective actors.
2. Resource mobilization theory (RMT): This focuses on how intermediate factors translate discontent into a political action. It has addressed the criticism directed
at Strain Theory. RMT concentrates on how movements actively engage in gathering support. It focuses on how they enlarge their constituency and how social “networks” and organizations disseminate grievances. These networks may include organizations such as churches, schools, and charities that may serve to define and propagate protests.
Studies show that social mobilization is engineered and facilitated by networks. Individual members have been aware of grievances “prior” to joining these networks that counter social problems that had existed in the society. These studies also compare “supporters” of social movements with those “actors” involved in actual movements. What distinguished the two groups was not their sense of grievance or the strength of their identification with social justice. Instead, the two groups were set apart by their belief or lack of belief in the efficacy of movements. One group is supporter of the movement and the other is a functionary in the movement.
The same studies also point towards the key principles of the RMT which have focused on how social movements actively and rationally seek to exploit the political space. These movements operate based on assumptions that their target audiences support actions with the greatest “chance of success.” The critics of RMT point out that it still represents a mechanical view of mobilization and recruitment.
The critics claim that the emergence and endurance of a social movement has to do not only with the availability of resources and political opportunities but also with the “needs” of a constituency. A key to success is the extent to which movements manage to explain and promote their cause in terms of the needs of their potential constituency. To understand these processes it is necessary to place more emphasis on the social issues and “interpretation” of grievances. RMT overlooks the variability in the subjective meanings people attach to their individual situations. It is pointed out that one cannot understand participation without paying attention to interpretation of grievances. There is a need to focus on the “rationales”
for active engagement in the movement.
Even if RMT focuses on social networks as vehicles for recruitment, it explains some of the processes and the structure of the growth of the movement. It is, however, argued that RMT cannot account for the “interpersonal” processes which occur once recruiters engage with potential recruits.
3. Framing theory: This theory focuses exactly on the social production and dissemination of meaning and on how individuals come to conceptualize themselves as a collective. The key principle of Framing Theory (FT) is that events “rarely” speak for themselves. Varying levels of information, the presence of individual bias, attempts at deception lead to confusion. The existence of more competing “authoritative” interpretations of a situation entailed differing versions of the social reality. The concept of “scheme” refers to an individual world view consisting of values, notions about right and wrong and beliefs about the world. According to Snow this scheme helps an individual to make sense of the reality and organize his or her experience, and guide his or her action.
“Framing” refers to the active interactions for the success of a social movement. The success is measured by the ability to mobilize resources and gain adherents. According to Crenshaw, the capacity of the elite to create and spread a frame of ideas which attracts followers is crucial for the success of the movement. The “elite” diagnose problems and attribute responsibility, offer solutions, strategies, and tactics and provide motivational frames. This helps to convince “potential” participants to become active members of the movement. In this perspective, the key to successful mobilization is whether the movement’s version of the reality “reflects” that of the target group or constituency.
Some scholars have referred to this process as “frame alignment.” This is the emergence of similarity between the interests, values and beliefs of the individual and the organization. In some instances a movement simply reaches out to a “sentiment pool.” This is a group of people who are already sharing the grievance and tendency of the movement. But, they lack a means for organizing and expressing these grievances. In other instances, mobilization requires that the entrepreneurs of the movement are able to manipulate the values and beliefs of potential recruits or constituents.
Overall, factors such as the degree of “similarity” between the message of the movement and the broader cultural context, the risk and costs associated with involvement in the movement are crucial elements for success. The extent to which the message is internally coherent and convincing, and the existence or absence of other competing movements are important factors to consider. Porta pointed out that the reputation and status of those who
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020 PAGE 10
Business InformationECX daily commodity exchange data
PAGE 11 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020
Media Review
BY SOLOMON WASSIHUN
The Green Legacy InitiativeBY SOLOMON WASSIHUN
Concerning the COVID -19 situation, the past week has been the worst for Ethiopia. Health officials including the Health Minister have appealed to the public to strictly adhere to the safety guidelines and thereby contribute their share in the nation’s struggle to contain the virus alarming spread.
The Health Minister has told the media last Wednesday that at the end of the first two months of the breakout,the total number of cases in the country was only 135, but within the period of the previous two weeks,230 new cases have been recorded.
From these figures one can easily deduce that the virus is spreading at an accelerating pace in the country. Some health professionals had been expressing fears that carefree overcrowded Easter holiday markets seen across the nation would have serious consequences that would become evident a few weeks. It appears their fear is happening now. This would hopefully pressurize law enforcement authorities to step up tougher measures to ensure the full implementation of the state of emergency regulations aiming at limiting the impact of COVID-19.
It was last Monday that Ethiopia saw the largest number of new cases recorded in 24 hours. The capital city continues to be the epicenter of the pandemic, claiming around 61 % of the total number of confirmed cases in the country. The virus is now confirmed to have spread to seven of the nine regions,
while Somali and Afar regions being risk-prone given the high potential of the influx of people through porous borders from the highly infected neighboring countries namely Djibouti and Somalia.
The BBC has published last week a news report which tends to downplay the present serious status of the pandemic in Ethiopia “In recent days, the number of cases detected daily has risen from single to double digits. This has raised some concern, but the overall number is still low - less than 400.[ by which standard?].This is even though Ethiopia, unlike many other states, has not introduced a lockdown, taking limited measures, such as a ban on sporting events and gatherings of more than four people, to curb the spread of the virus. A doctor in Addis Ababa says he was looking for signs of unreported Covid-19 cases but he did not detect anything unusual. There was no increase, for example, in the number of patients with pneumonia, a severe complication caused by the virus. Similar reports were given by a doctor and a nurse [we] spoke to in eastern and southern Ethiopia respectively” the BBC reported
The task of contact tracing and surveillance activity is one of the most indispensable tools being used by the health authorities to contain the spread of the pandemic, but it is not a trivial thing that can be done by a single professional. The capital city administration and some regional states have already deployed the required inputs and been engaged in the task for several weeks now.
The result reported so far from the surveillance and contact tracing activities in the capital city is startling. Health officials have reportedly indicated that a cluster of 66 infected individuals has been traced from a police station in Addis Ababa. 17 of the individuals were inmates at the police station,40 had contacts the inmates and the remaining 9 are said to be staffs of the police station. The health officials also disclosed that 16% of the total confirmed cases in the country have no history of travel abroad or no known contact with a confirmed case. These situations indicate the virus is spreading at the community level, and therefore intensifying door to door surveillances and mass testing is of paramount importance.
In addition to adequate resourcing, the capacity building of health professionals who are in the front line of the fight against the pandemic is another area that demands the focus of health authorities. The Health Ministry has launched last week a new mobile phone training platform for frontline Health Extension workers, HEWs, which would help them build up their skills in surveillance, early detection, tracking the spread of the disease and treating cases. “Using their own basic mobile phones, the HEWs would be able to interact with audio messages, and SMS texts from wherever they are. This will enable them to identify and refer suspected cases and thus prevent transmission of the disease in their community. All HEWs across the nation will be trained in one month period.” says the
press statement issued by the Health Minister.
We understand that the government is mobilizing all the available resources to fight the pandemic in collaboration with stakeholders and donor agencies, but the question is whether the government infrastructural response capacity could grow at a proportional pace with the accelerating speed of the virus spread. It is obvious that the international community of donor governments and agencies should step up their support to bolster the COVID 19 response system of the country, the second-most populous nation in the continent.
Taking the midweek [Wednesdays] as the margin line, the gradient in the rise of the total number of cases in the past week is about48% a little bit lower than that of the previous week, 62%. But looking it from an actual increase in the number of cases, the new cases in the past week was the largest ever recorded,137. The figure for the week before was 101. This is hard evidence that the virus is tightening its grip on the nation despite the government’s all-out efforts to contain the spread of the disease.
The consolation for the previous week’s COVID 19 situation is that the death toll has remained unchanged, 5, and none of the 260 active cases are in critical health condition as it has been last week. Ethiopia’s test coverage per million of its population has shown remarkable improvement in a week rising to 606. Still there is a lot more to go to reach the desired figure.
The Corona brief – week 10
Among the foremost qualities of a good leader is being cool-headed. In times of multiple crises, like the one we are currently in, good leaders think clearly, remain focused on their plans, and do not forget what needs to be done each and every time. Ethiopia is currently stretched to her limit with several crises: the COVID-19 health crisis, the economic crisis, the GERD crisis, the election crisis, the locust crisis…..but the Ethiopian leadership seems to remain cool-headed. They did not forget the major rainy season is almost upon us. They still have the gut and the time to plan and prepare to continue with the reforestation campaign named “Green Legacy Initiative.
Last year the green initiative has set a world record by planting the largest number of saplings in one day. Citizens across the nation have volunteered to plant a world record 353 million trees in a single day on July 30, 2019, and a total of over 4 billion tree saplings between May and October 2019. It is worth remembering here foreign nationals of the diplomatic community have also participated in the “green” campaign last year.
Organizing and executing tree planting campaigns on a national scale is a huge endeavor. But it would be a futile effort if little is done to keep the planted saplings to survive the long dry season and make it to become a fully-fledged tree. But to our delight, the Premier has confirmed to us last year’s tree planting campaign was a truly a fruitful endeavor.
He wrote in his recent FB message the extensive follow-up works undertaken on the
saplings planted last year across the nation have enabled 84% of them to survive and thrive.“This is an indication that our efforts have born fruit as we prepare diligently to commence the planting season this year.” he wrote
It has been reported recently that Ethiopia was making preparations to plant over 5 billion tree seedling during this upcoming rainy season which means one billion more than the amount last year. The Premier has recently deliberated with relevant federal government officials and chief administrators of regional states on the Green Legacy Initiative and on the preparations underway for the upcoming nationwide tree-planting campaign. Preparations were reportedly well underway to ready the required amount of saplings since the end of last year’s planting season.
ENA has quoted the Premier saying it was of paramount importance to continue and finish what has been started with the Green Legacy Initiative which aspires to plant 20 billion trees within the next few years. “The public response to last year’s Green Legacy planting season was overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. Last year we aimed for 4 billion and we executed accordingly. While we work to respond to COVID19 head-on, we will also build on our Green Legacy aspirations as a nation.”
Some government offices are trying to add on to the Green legacy Initiative by helping with increasing the number of indigenous tree saplings that are to be planted in the coming season. Indigenous trees are reputed for their multifold benefits in ensuring a stable
climate, better productivity, and preserving biodiversity. Out of the over four billion saplings planted last year, only 1 million were said to be indigenous trees. The figure is expected to make a huge change in the campaigns ahead. There is a plan to scale it up to 10 million in the coming three years.
Experts estimate that the forest coverage of the country is showing improvement, and it stands now around 15.5%. They attributed the rise in forest coverage partly to the consecutive tree planting campaigns done so far across the nation. The indispensability of afforestation to such agrarian economies of rain-fed agriculture like Ethiopia is unquestionable. More forest would simply mean more streams and more rain, and this implies our rivers would flow for the year around brimming to the full. The blessing of forestation goes beyond our countries borders to benefit our neighboring nations and those beyond whose survival depends upon our rivers.
If we are to scale up the country’s forest cover to the maximum attainable extent, then the Green Legacy Initiative project size should be multiplied or many more similar afforestation projects need to be initiated. At times, I feel that neighboring countries dependant on Ethiopia’s waters, especially [ Sudan, Egypt, Djibuti] have a moral obligation to support Ethiopia’s green initiatives.
If Egypt and Sudan firmly believe that they have a historical right to use the Nile water and that the Nile issue is a matter of their survival as a nation, then they should be equally concerned with and committed to the afforestation and reforestation development
in Ethiopia. Instead of asking the Ethiopian government to guarantee them their yearly fresh water supply, they should join Ethiopia and other upper stream states in rejuvenating their forest, which is the sure way to ensure there would be enough water for all of us.
I even wish that the GERD Talks agenda should have been wide enough to include the idea of trilateral co-operation aiming at widening and upgrading the green legacy initiative at a sub-continental level as well as to include other initiatives such as prevention of deforestation, protection of wetlands, and catchment area development
Yet, currently the Sudanese and Egyptians are concerned only with consuming the water. They didn’t show initiatives to be part of the process of making and protecting the water. This idea reminds me of the wise words of the Ugandan President he uttered while criticizing the Egyptians approach to the Nile issue during an interview he had 2 months ago with an Egyptian journalist.
“The Egyptians do not care about the Nile. It is like wanting the cow without feeding the cow. The cow would give you milk, but you do not feed it. You just wait for the cow in the evening to give you milk, but you do not have the time and interest to take care of the cow during the day. Everybody including the Egyptians these days knows what is good and what is not good for the Nile. But the Egyptian authorities do not care to work on it. They just sit up there, and came down here only to talk about the amount of water. We [the upstream countries] are struggling alone to protect the Nile, instead of working together[with them]”
BY MEHARI BEYENE
Professor Getachew Aderaya has been Internist and Chest physician for many years. Initially, he was
working at Addis Ababa University in Black Lion Hospital. During the past 10 years, he had been working in the private sector initially. During the past 4 years, he established “Hallelujah General Hospital”. Then gradually, he launched Halleluya General Hospital where he is working as Clinical Coordinator now.
Herald: How do you measure your success and your accomplishment in the healthcare industry?
Professor Getachew: I have been working in hospital industry for almost 40 years. I initially served as a general practitioner in Humera and then moved to Harar Hospital where I served as general practitioner and medical director in one of the hospitals in Harar.
Then, after I served for 10 months, I moved to Addis Ababa to join post graduate training in internal medicine.
At that time, there were not enough candidates to join in the program. In course of time, I had to stay for one year to serve Zewditu Hospital as general practitioner. After I completed the training, I joined the university and decided to study respiratory and chest medicine. After few years, I moved to Canada to study on pulmonary medicine.
After I completed my training, I came back to my country and continued to work in the university. It was a time a lot of medical practitioners were fleeing out of the country.
I committed myself to coming back in the country and doing something. I did not like to stay a refugee in North America. Americans and Canadians wanted us to stay over there to take advantage over us. I really abhorred the Derg regime which was a dehumanizing system.
In light of my caliber I see that as something weak. Although I never had any idea about EPRDF, I made sure that it was not following the footstep of the Dergue regime. I hope the EPRDF has streamlined things in an integrative manner.
The unreformed EPRDF proved worse than the Dergue regime. Pondering if the EPRDF does not allow me to stay in my country, I will move to other Africa countries I decided to come back to my country and joined the university to do meticulous researches in the areas of HIV and infectious diseases.
I got PHD in infectious diseases in Canada. Then, I built a family business clinic. Gradually, I built Halleluya Hospital. This is the journey I consummated with success.
The Executive THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020 PAGE 12
From antagonism to a state of cooperation
Herald: Is there any improvement in health industry? If yes, brief us about that?
Professor Getachew: The health industry here is really proceeding well. The government has been encouraging in the expansion of primary health care service. In general, the Ethiopian health care system did not move as much as it should because it does not include the private health sector. Of course, over the past, the EPRDF has really been doing upright job. We have so many kinds of health clinics and private hospitals.
In terms of numerical expression of health delivering services, there should be major improvement through acknowledgement of World Health Organization’s goal measurements.
Ethiopia has really performed very well in the sphere of health sector. There should be a lot to be designed, particularly; there should be a strong relation between public and private sectors. There should be in consideration of complementary process. Now, the government understands that the
private sector is playing a critical role in the health industry.
Herald: Would you say something regard world-wide healthcare practices?
Professor Getachew: World health practice is getting well off the ground economic development of the state. In general, it has improved in diagnostic technology and in providing treatment opportunity for patients. Proportionately, Ethiopia’s improvement speed in health sector seems tardy. The world is really travelling at fast speed due to the current availability of diagnostic modalities. We have to work in this aspect.
As we are at the age of globalization and population explosion, how much health services and doctors are needed, can be a critical issue to rise. So, you have to catch up in this main point to response for health care problems.
Unless the developing countries attempt to control the population size, the development sector would be easily affected. There is, of course, an improvement at world scale. It should be going as fast as in consideration of the demand sides in need of health care. This is my major concern.
Herald: What is your say on the hospitals that see to the inception and delivery new infants even if the mother is at a menopause period? Does this affect the increment of population size?
Professor Getachew: This case does not have effect on the increment of the population size. There are few hospitals involved in this aspect. Developing countries are way behind. These countries are not still aware of the value of unlimited family. This number could not majority
As we are at the age of globalization and population explosion, how much health services and doctors are needed, can be a critical issue to rise
I got PHD in infectious diseases in Canada. Then, I built a family business clinic. Gradually, I built Halleluya Hospital
PAGE 13 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020
The Executive
affect the population size.
Herald: How could your hospital scale up its service in accordance with global level?
Professor Getachew: When I and my family members decided to build the hospital, we have objectives. One of the objectives is that we should introduce services which are not readily available in this country. It could be made available but for some reasons the services are not available in this country.
Since I have a rich medical background not only in here but also in other countries, there is usually curiosity to start up new services here. So, we introduce new services. As I am a pulmonary and respiratory physician I have introduced full pulmonary function test. This service was not available in this country before. I also initiated a sleep laboratory test which was not available before here in this country.
It is not available in neighboring countries as well. We have planned to introduce hair restoration and hair transplant as well as kidney transplantation service. There are so many things to do in health service.
We need to boldly start them. Our initiation is not to replica of the pre-existed service but to introduce new services. To do this, a lot of time, money and trained manpower are needed. These are the major limitations in this country.
Herald: What contributions does your hospital have in the expansion of programs and in the attainment of high in customer demands?
Professor Getachew: We have 150 beds in the hospitals. We have emergency and minor services, chemotherapy unit, inpatient and outpatient, dialysis unit, cardiology units and among others. It requires effort in the expansion program as well. I think we are one step ahead to fill gaps and make available healthcare service in this country.
Herald: Does your hospital zero in on medical research and professionalism as well as doing scientific researches? If yes, brief us about that?
Professor Getachew: One of the
objectives establishing this hospital is not only providing health services but also intimating support medical research. I have experience in doing researches. I am doing researches in my hospital. There are about two research mechanisms in medical issue. Basic and clinical researches are the main medical researching ways.
Basic scientific research requires a lot of money and support. This is going to happen in the near future. My study mostly revolves around doing clinical research. We are already doing clinical research and doing study paper through gathering data from the patients and other variables. The other objective I have resides in working in the area of sub-specialist program thereby doing researches.
Herald: Does governmental organizations, particularly, Ministry of Health support your hospital? If yes, could you brief us about that?
Professor Getachew: We are moving antagonism in the previous regime. Currently, we are in the state of working together with the government body. The government shows support to the private sector. Now we are moving from a state of antagonism to a state of cooperation. The government should support us in acquiring land space to build hospitals and training centers
Herald: what do you think about the introduction of medical insurance in the country?
Professor Getachew: Medical insurance is an excellent idea to implement in the country. This helps spare a lot of people from spending more money for health coverage. Medical insurance is an upright idea. The service should be affordable for the common people.
The medical insurance companies should negotiate with the health centers in terms of managing the amount of payment, the extent of patients visiting the doctors. The detail should be studied in such a way that neither hurting the patient, the insurance companies nor the healthcare providers. All over the world medical insurance is a way to render medical service.
Some many people die because of the mistakes done by doctors and medical practitioners. Of course, nowadays, a lot of people go to court in quest of justice because of the mistreatment of doctors and hospitals as well clinics in both private and governmental health institutions. Special committee and the Ministry of Health are looking the fairness of accusation and also to see the extent of the breach of ethics.
They are who see to fair judgment. This is not really simply putting in the document shelf of court case. Many patients are dying following mishandling by doctors. It is something that should be put in the legal paper. The special committee should do its task with fair assessment.
The punitive measure, for the violation of ethical standards and judgment on someone’s life, should be stronger and stronger. This happens through realizing strong decision and judgment as well as legitimate manners.
Basic scientific research
requires a lot of money and support. This is going to happen in the near future
Short StoryBY TEKLEBIRHAN GEBREMICHAEL
Shangrilla is a virtual –reality utopian Kingdom at the foot of the Himalayas negating a hell of a real
country in Sub-Shara Africa. Rasselase is a resident of Shangrila who graduated from the former Haileselassie University with a BA in economics and an MBA from the US Stanford University. After graduation, Rasselase joined the CBE’s (Commercial Bank of Ethiopia’s) Business Development Department but soon became disillusioned with the promise of career challenge he had anticipated and moved to the nearby NBE (National Bank of Ethiopia) where he was made a senior member of the Economic Research Department.
After working for about ten years at the NBE, Rasselase unfortunately developed a schizoid personality, which he still attributes to the contradiction between the media hype and the reality on the ground as regards Ethiopia’s national economy. The media hype, he maintains, puts the annual GDP growth of the country at about 11 percent. On the other hand the stark reality on the ground for the vast majority of the population indicates not positive but negative growth. The economic propaganda machine, he says, propagates the notion that nearly 2 million jobs are created every year while impressionistic and anecdotal economic evidence shows that the country is engulfed by a sea of overt and covert unemployment. State controlled media channels argue that inflation has been controlled, that the rate of exchange is stable and that the fiscal deficit is within limits and that foreign direct investment is growing rapidly while facts on the ground point to the opposites of these developments.
So, Rasselase’s mind which was no longer able to accommodate such a simultaneous utopian sureality and a dystopian reality created the idyllic Kingdom of Shangria and started inhabiting it. When the Governor of the NBE once asked him to write a report on the state of the Ethiopian economy, he submitted an assessment whose opening statements ran as follows: “judging by my lifestyle, Shangrila no doubt is heaven on earth. My usual lunch is an eleven – course affair. I chase my lunch down with the finest wines in France, Spain and Italy. I live in a sumptuous mansion and drive a limousine. My wife is a fashion model who was crowned Miss Universe the year before. I commute to work by helicopter, of course privately owned. My monthly salary is more than that of the Prime Minister of Singapore. I own a beautiful luxury yacht which I use with my good friends President Essayas Afeworki. My net worth, my accountants tell me, is now more than that of President Trump. I can’t realy complain. In fact, what more do I want?”
The flabbergasted Governor of the NBE, shocked at the extent of Rasselase’s mental
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020 PAGE 14
Art & Culture
The Psycho of Shangrila
disorientation, did not quite know what to say and how to respond and simply said: “Rasselase, are you ok?”
“How do you mean, Ok? You know that’s only the introductory part. I will definitely get the whole report ready well before the deadline.” The Governor said “never mind”
and left. He phoned his Head of Personnel and instructed him to take Rasselase to an experienced psychiatrist and to tell him the diagnosis and the course of treatment required. The personnel head did as he was told. Three days later he met the Governor with the psychiatric consultancy results. The handwriting in which the diagnoses and the prescriptions were written was awful, but since the Personnel Head had asked the psychiatrist and had written them out in his own more legible script, he read them out loud as follows: “Definitive symptoms of schizophrenia with significant markers of previous psychoneurosis.”
“ And what does all that mean? Never mind, just go get him the medications prescribed from the Banks Clinic and let the pharmacist tell him how to take them”, the Governor said and hurried to go to a meeting with the Prime Minister.
The Personnel Head accompanied Rasselase to the Banks Clinic and the pharmacist on duty, who recognized the patient, asked: “Ato Rasselase, anything the matter with you?”
“ I have no idea why anybody would want to drag me into a place like his when my life and health are marvelous beyond description in my heavenly Shangrila,” Rasselase said.
“Do you know why you are here?” the pharmacist asked.
“I ll be damned if I do! I haven’t got the slightest idea why anybody would want to be in the company of sniffling, smirking, gasping and yelling sick people and patients,” Rasselase replied.
“Well, Ato Rasselase, you have unfortunately been diagnosed with a serious mental illness called schizophrenia accompanied by assorted psychiatric abnormalities,” the pharmacist said, picking the prescribed medicines from the shelves behind his desk and entering their labels in the computer on the desk before handing them over to Rasselase and his assigned companion, the Head of Personnel.
Then Rasselase launched into an extended lecture –like confabulation: “There is a lot you don’t know about me. I am a BA economics graduate from H.I.M. Haileselassie University with very great distinction and an MBA graduate from none other than the world-famous US Stanford University with honours. All economic, business and financial information, knowledge and wisdom reside in my person, the one and only Rasselase of Shangrila. I have lectured all and sundry in Ethiopia that the only way they can transform Ethiopia into a cornucopia of economic and financial abundance is by utilizing the coruscating genius of formidable intellects like my own (excuse me for being rather narcissistic on this point) to construct the sinews of economic infrastructure and then, you guessed it, the wings of economic take- off. Since we have all failed to do that,
and particularly since I have failed to do what needs to be done on this front, I have chosen to become a disembodied soul residing in the virtual –reality Kingdom of Shangrila at the foot of the Himalayas. My body was separated from my soul by rampant inflation because I was not able to earn enough to put body and soul together at the current skyrocketing prices! I was in fact murdered and slaughtered by rampant inflation and by a perverse incentive system which rewards corruption rather than merit, mediocrity rather than genius and brilliance, treachery rather than honesty and integrity and duplicity rather than probity!”
The pharmacist was astounded at Rasselasse’s verbal incoherent coherence. There was a lot that made sense in what Rasselase said, but then his acute narcissism was almost palpable. It was as if his brilliant lucid intervals were interrupted by distinct schizophrenic lapses. At any rate, Rasselase was finally sedated after taking two of his different psychotropic medications. Rasselase and the Personnel Head left the pharmacy and the Banks Clinic and the HR man gave Rasselase a ride home.
Home for Rasselase was a nifty two-bedroom villa in a newly gentrified locality in Addis Ababa. But as the effects of the sedative and psychotropic medication waned, Rasselase began having hallucinations and started to defend himself against his imaginary (to us) enemies who were real to him. He reached for his 0.38 colt revolver in his bedside drawer. He thought for a moment to decide who his real enemy was: Himself or rampant inflation. His narcissism helped him to point his finger outward beyond the self. Then he started talking to himself aloud: “Am I not the MBA graduate of the famous Stanford University? Have I not mastered the old and modern quantity theory of money? Don’t I know that the velocity of money does have the de facto impact of increasing the volume and supply of money? Am I not the equal of Milton Friedman in unequivocally asserting that inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon? Aren’t NBE and CBE equally responsible for the 6000 percent cumulative inflation in Ethiopia? Who rendered me unable to pay my bills: NBE or CBE? The Governor of NBE, the President of CBE or the Currency Manager of NBE? Are these persons or institutions? How can I kill institutions if they are the latter ? Or maybe I am my own worst enemy!”
Then, he pulled the trigger and once again became a disembodied soul and flew back to the virtual – reality utopian Kingdom of Shangrila at the foot of the Himalays. Thus, thousands of miles away from the ravages of hyperinflation, exchange rate depreciation, unemployment, housing, water, electricity and transport shortage, and now Covid -19, the psycho of Shangrila lived happily ever after!
The pharmacist was astounded
at Rasselasse’s verbal incoherent coherence. There was a lot that made sense in what Rasselase said, but then his acute narcissism was almost palpable. It was as if his brilliant lucid intervals were interrupted by distinct schizophrenic lapses
Art & CulturePAGE 15 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020
This is Mikey Canny
Greetings from Germany
How are you? I hope you are do-ing fine.
In the following, I am sending you two short poems for The Ethio-
pian Herald.
If you don't think that they are appropriate, just let me know and
I can send you other ones.
All best
First poem: Reckoner
fireworks at blank shoresrevenge of the innocent
the victims are to blame forwho are the culprits?
i don't know if you knowmy brothers and my sisters
burning sandstormsplayful twisters
stroke me gently babyno one is to blame for
milk my brain and try to feelmilk my eyes and try to be
Second poem: Last Verses
imagine that the virus wouldkill me fully and my versesfloated through algorithms
like real and fo shizzle
ain't no other take on this worldcollapsing states the virus rages
should we all live inside of cages?these are just words; just a poem
right? sure about your life?everything is nothingness
people are packed with stresswho will read the last mass?
covid-19people dying
Nostalgic about the past BY ALEM HAILU G/KRISTOS
When birds on nearby Big olive trees
A mellifluous music make Cognizant time for daybreak
I often used to get awake. They always chirp
To say “Get up!
What is your plan For today?”
Tragically, after People recklessly
Felledd down trees Concrete jungles
To advance I have missed for The alarming bell
A chance. A vicious cycle of drought Makes the harvest naught.
Food insecurity Has become
Some countries’ identity. Rivers, which used to gallop,
Ebbing out, that trend Has stopped.
Unlike in the past Walking without umbrella
No sane person can For h/she will be
Victimized by the sun. Nature, which
We used to bully, Has become
Unruly ! Alas .unless one puts on
A glass The reflection from a nearby
Tower’s environment - not-friendly window
Could cast on one’s iris A shadow. In the past
Summer was summer While winter winter
But now has taken their places Gray matter.
The air was salubrious But now it has said” Adieus!”
Dear Editor,
A Peek/This is Ethiopia
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020 PAGE 16
Photospread
Buurisame, Sidama’s New Year’s bright hueBY GENET FEKADE
See Distance celebrations,... page 17
BY HAFTU GEBREZGABIHER
Last Tuesday Sidama people of Ethiopia had observed the Fichee-Cambalaalla, an event that heralds the ensuing of their New Year. This time the day was observed stripped of the annual colourful mass celebrations due to the dark cloud the pandemic COVID-19 casted all over the globe.
In the culture of Sidama nation, nationalities, which anonymously voted last summer for statehood separating them from the several nations within the Southern Ethiopian Nations, Nationalities and People’s State, the celebration usually goes with cultural festivals ‘Ayyidde Chambalaalla’
In the messages Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) conveyed to the Sidama nation and the Ethiopian people in connection with the event he said that the celebration is a living billboard to the fact that Ethiopia is multicultural and graceful. The Ethiopian celebrations, such as Fiche Chambalalla are imbued with hope, eager for something new, point to the newyear with hope and anticipation.
The Fiche Chembalalla Festival symbolizes our ancient relationship to astronomy. The elders determine the day of the festival by observing the order of the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars and studying the composition of these bodies, he added.
Thanks to the transition from the old year to the new one, the coming year is a beacon light. It is one for the creator to bring us peace, love and prosperity. They will throw down nettle the truth that the Creator has
bestowed upon us.
The advice of the elders is based on seven essential principles. To help the people to work hard, to honour and help the elderly, to cut down native trees, He advises people to abstain from untoward activities, to abstain from petitions, from theft and falsehood. The festival teaches the essence of being part of a community. It requires good governance. It promotes social co-operation. It promotes co-existence and co-operation with others, PM Abiy further stated.
“In Chambalalla, Children are told the
stories of their mothers and the culture of the people. They inherit the oral tradition. You will be invited to participate in the festival activities and get to know them. The existing knowledge is passed from parent to child through the narrative of elders. This is a wonderful asset that we should always implement in our home.”
PM Abiy also said that during this Corona virus pandemic, which is threatening the world and our country, we beseech the Creator to lead us into the path of prosperity in the New Year.
Due to the Corona virus, it has not been possible to celebrate the occasion like in the past, where throngs of people are not possible. Understanding the condition of the world, Sidama leaders are showing responsibility for their country and their people, with the timely message that ‘the celebration is to be marked at home.’
“I would like to express my appreciation for the fact that life is more important than anything else,” the PM added.
In the celebration of the Sidama’s cultural
Distance celebrations, helping others: Sidama’s New Year Fiche Chambalalla
Fichee Chambalaalla, Sidama people’s New Year has just been marked for ages. Even if the due to COVID 19 pandemic Sidama people have not celebrated it at Gudumalle square as usual, luncheons and dinner parties were thrown at household level in Sidama.
Before Covid-19 eclipsed the vibe this Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO was celebrated colorfully every year accentuated by the peoples’ cultural activities and ceremonies.
Buurisame is one of the holiday’s catchy events.
Fiche Chambalaalla is a gratitude expressing way of married Sidama women who visit parents and relatives annually. A sidama woman brings “to the family upon her visit. Buurisame” is a mouthwatering dish made from false banana powder, milk and butter. The food is not only for the consumption of the family. It is shared among neighbors. It is still
Photo: Addis Standard
a big component of Chambalaalla festivity in addition to music and dance.
When Fiche Chambalaalla comes every year, Sidama elders use the event to transfer down their customs and values for the new generation. Women in particular, see to it that the preparation of Buurisame is passed down to their daughters and other girls in their respective villages.
A Peek/This is Ethiopia PAGE 17 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020
fathers and elders, we will all celebrate at home with the rainbow trout ceremony in our homes, washing our hands, keeping our distance, and helping others. May the Creator help us to celebrate this day with the whole Sidama in public, as it has been before, in the light of the creator’s goodwill, he concluded.
Ristu Yirdaw, Southern Nations, Nationaliteis and Peoples State Vice-President congratulates the Sidama Nation on New Year’s eve for his part stated that
it is certainly a treasure to our nation and to the people of the world, beyond the fact that the Sidama Nation’s New Year’s celebration has long been a symbol of our identity.
The festival is recognized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an unparalleled legacy of humanity, and the festival has been celebrated with great celebration every year.
Regarding the holiday, the importance of
promoting tourism to visitors has also great importance to our country.
Its importance to introducing our country to other world is significant and I have great gratitude and respect for the Sidama Fathers and Mothers who have kept such colourful celebrations to pass it from generation to generation, which is an expression of our great values.
I would also like to point out that the role of youth and other stakeholders in the pursuit
of this colourful festival is also significant. Since we are a hallmark of unity and tolerance, we need these values more than anything at this time.
Although we cannot publicly celebrate the festival due to the Corona virus, we all must be careful to endure the trials we face and save the lives of ourselves and our loved ones, he added. “Because the spread of the virus is increasing, it is important to expect every citizen to take precautions.”
on a transboundary river is a call for trouble and may be a concealed manifestation of force. But relying on force is only suicidal in such cases. No such problem could have a violent solution. It is wise to learn from history not to repeat it.
The pacts of 1929 and 1959 are scandalous because they were intended to satisfy only the colonial ambitions of the then masters dictated by not only economic returns but also long term insatiable geopolitical interests.
Today, such circumstances have melted away and trying to determine the internal political and economic life of a country cannot be envisaged unless the country in question agrees to self inflict suicidal wounds. For Ethiopians this is unheard of and inconceivable because the great tradition of Ethiopians who preserved this value for ages forces them to fight it with all their resources. Ethiopia as it stands now is a child born of extreme sacrifice by its forefathers who were jealous of their dignity and pride! Alien aggression has never had space in Ethiopia.
Throughout its embattled existence Ethiopians have always waged all sorts of wars to preserve their independence and territorial integrity and a quick reference to history books makes it crystal clear.
The issue of the GERD and the entire negotiations regarding how and when to fill the dam to be imposed on Ethiopia become a crucial watershed in the recent history of Ethiopia.
The timeline and size of the way the water is rationed so to say cannot be determined by a foreign force unless Ethiopia decides to commit suicide as a sovereign nation. It recalls to us the indirect attempt to put into a ‘protectorate status’ Ethiopia during the famous Treaty of Ucciale when the imperial or colonial Italy of the eighteen eighties tried to ‘control’ Ethiopia. Historians have recorded how it ended.
Ethiopia should demonstrate the resolve that is necessary to go about all the legal paths that do not contradict its international commitments while not bringing its people down to their kneels by giving in to pressure. Testing the waters could result to crossing the red line! This particular issue is one of “to be or not to be”. No intimidation, no threats can have space. As much as the Nile water means an issue of life or death for Egypt, it is equally a matter of the preservation of the survival of one hundred ten million Ethiopians!
What is more this is a project in which each Ethiopian has invested not only morally but also financially with the hope that with the
electric power the dam generates they will say adieu to darkness. It should be known that more than half of the population of Ethiopia lives in darkness whereas one every five Ethiopian lives under the poverty line the UN has demarcated.
It would be ‘a crime against humanity’ to prevent an Ethiopian government from trying to exert every effort possible to liberate its people from such predicament! And the completion of this project is one significant chapter in this great trajectory. It is a launching pad for the future ambitions of progress in the country and it is good news for Africans and good news for the entire humanity. It serves to halt migration of all sorts to other nations and eases the tension in the subregion always associated with violence, terrorism and tribal clashes.
Ethiopia has always been a peaceful and peace-loving country demonstrated repeatedly along the years with the contribution to peace beginning from the days of the League of Nations to the United Nations, to the AU and the various participations in the peacekeeping ventures sacrificing its own troops for peace. And currently it happens to have a Nobel Laureate prime minister who has repeatedly stretched a peaceful hand towards all the parties involved in the
ongoing controversies. ‘Ethiopia is doing its part’ how about the others is a question that remains to be seen.
The spirit of cooperation with which the GERD project has been conceived must have been spearheaded by the downstream countries with financial and moral support. However, unfortunately what has been observed has been one of creating obstacles in every stage of the project. And now that the final stage is approaching, attempts have been noted to dismiss the project as one that undermines the sovereign and monopolist claims of certain Egyptian circles who seem to thrive by insisting on certain ‘narratives’ on the Nile.
There have been suspicious moves of the strategic and systematic interference in the internal affairs of Ethiopia through various direct and indirect, overt or clandestine manners in collaboration with certain ‘mercenaries’ who could be recruited not only from abroad but also internally for fancied political gains. This can only be condemned and repelled with the same vigor as the country’s patriots have done in the past with the invading forces to the territory of Ethiopia. Please refer to history books and it becomes clear that there is in Ethiopia’s DNA the repulsion for any forms of aggression or subjugation.
‘The equitable. . .
WitnessTHE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020 PAGE 18
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
I stepped down at Jomo Kenyatta Airport at around noon of Sunday November 1, 2009 and I could see that there was
nothing particularly impressive about the airport. It was busy but quite old and relatively out fashioned, but well maintained. My comparison with Bole Airport was unavoidable. Ours seemed bigger and more modern. I noticed that there were more duty free shops and busier, possibly because it was a real tourist destination with its famous safaris in the interior. Looking at the city itself, one can only confirm that it must indeed be convenient for tourists.
For someone who comes from Addis, the first thing that impresses them is the fact that cars are driven on the left side of the roads, the first heritage of British influence. The other such trace seems the very large and green areas in the city beginning from the airport to down town for eighteen kilometers. There is this very nice road with little traffic given that it was a Sunday. My taxi driver told me that in a working day ‘the traffic is ‘horrible’. Well I can understand because so is it here, and with older vehicles, and more pollution. Old cars are not admitted to Kenya, I was informed. The driver also complained about the dry weather heralding me that the rain that we saw that day was unprecedented for five long years! I tried to joke telling him that I brought it from the Ethiopian highlands.
East Africa was then among the worst affected areas by the El Nino phenomenon. There were less and less dependable cycles of rainy seasons unlike these days when there is lot of floodings causing casualties and damages! Kenyans as Ethiopians rely heavily on rain-fed agriculture and with the climatic aberrations problems of food security loom.
The taxi that took me to my hotel was a sort of a van which with an agreement with the airport authorities caters for travelers who want to go inside the city.
Securing my luggage and traveling to the hotel took quite a while. At three o’clock I was at room 424 at the fourth floor. The view outside was green and inviting. During the official dinner we had in the evening, I came to know a Kenyan, William Thiga from Nakuru in the North West, a participant of the workshop and together we had some Tusker Beer over a chat.
The next day it rained during lunch, but just a bit and the weather was warm. In the hotel I came across a plethora of TV channels, both Kenyan and foreign. I envied Kenyans; we did not have it here. Coming incidentally across a RAI Italian program, and seeing former Italian football giants like De Sisti and D’amico acting as pundits during a match of Serie A was ‘amarcord’ for me. A trip to the past. Today, the Owens, Linekers and Nevilles are familiar to Addis sports fans. But then it was fascinating for me.
Traveling downtown next day I familiarized with the ‘matatu’, the famous multicolored minivans engaged in transporting residents
Nairobi/ Addis: A tale of two cities /2009
only that they were larger, more comfortable, more expensive and full of colourful paintings! Thirty shilling for a trip downtown was six times what we would pay here, I calculated. But payments were with receipts and no chance for disputes, not unknown here.
Nairobi is impressively clean and for an Addis resident, it must be a source of envy. No signs of garbage anywhere, and I never came across someone resorting to unleashing their physiological needs along the streets. I was impressed. There were places prepared for that with a minor fee. People observed the rules. The sewerage system also looked fine because there were no ponds or muddy roads despite the heavy showers. Note the contrast with Addis where we often see high quality avenues inundated with floods obstructing easy traffic flow. Unfortunately, the rainy season in Addis is often a source of such hiccups.
Another thing that fascinated me of Nairobi was the absence of street beggars. Hopefully, with some of the municipal projects led by the premier’s new vision for the city, these inconveniences may be dealt with bringing Addis to the level of internationally acclaimed cities. As seat of the AU, it does deserve it.
Youngsters peddling things along the roads are a common sight in Nairobi, just as in Addis. But I noticed they had only car accessories and décor. What surprised me was seeing people selling socks and sweets in the ‘matatus’. I also saw Gospel preachers besides the ones you see more extensively in the city centre. What impressed me were also the ticket sellers on the ‘matatu’ yelling the names of places they served (just as practiced here…some say this tradition was imported from Kenya?) and people got into the vehicles following the indications. The prices were also yelled out: forty, thirty or twenty shillings…
The extra security precautions on every floor of the hotel did remind me that the threat of terrorism and crimes was tangible there. There were lots of personnel in the
corridors and floors. Control hence was quite visible. The precautions could only serve as a reassurance given that the times were hard.
I thought it would be good if that was done also along the streets because I was told by people that so was not always the case. Crimes may be rare in the rich districts but not so in the poorer neighbourhoods. Addis records of crimes were definitely better although some say things may have deteriorated during the past few years.
Another interesting observation about Nairobi was that I was also told that the biggest part of the wealth of the city was owned by big companies or individuals, mainly foreigners or nationals of foreign origin. Indians, British and lately Somalis as well were in the list. I was told that even Ethiopians owned restaurants or small businesses or ‘matatus’. I also noticed that many of the shops and hotels were owned by Indian Kenyans, may be originally with British passports, but later converted. Many were also born in Kenya.
One Somali fellow complained with a sense of anger that the social classification favoured foreigners at the expense of locals. He did not approve what was going on. I saw however that even those in the service sectors looked quite content with their conditions, although I did not have the chance to conduct a survey.
The restaurant out of town called Carnivore is famous. I did go to visit that. People ate in continuation all sorts of meat beginning with the common ones such as beef and chicken to ostriches and crocodiles and what not! There were lots of sauces and sausages, vegetables and special drinks such as ‘Dawa’ made of vodka and other ingredients. Very spacious, there were hundreds of clients almost all of whom were tourists. They enjoyed their stay there and traditional music and dances followed the lavish dinner.
The parks of Nairobi are really impressive with Uhuru Park at centre stage. I regret not making it to see the game park but it is one of the pluses of Nairobi. The artificial pond in the middle of the Uhuru Park and the Kenyatta Conference Center are also features
of Nairobi’s beauty. The fountains were all activated and there was an atmosphere of a festivity going on as there were thousands of delegates for an international Malaria Conference.
I then visited the monument of the Founder of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, the father of the current President Uhuru. I also visited Emperor Haile Selassie Avenue right in the heart of Nairobi alongside the Kenyan heroes such as Tom Mboya Avenue and Kimath Avenue, Jomo Kenyatta Avenue. What I did not see was the famous zebra crossings that I was familiar with in Addis. People knew where to cross the roads and I noted that there were no hard and fast rules on that. Drivers as well did not care to give priority to pedestrians!
Down town Nairobi is filled with huge buildings, big business centers and luxury hotels besides a myriad of small shops which specialized in electronics, food products or even catered for food and drinks. The tiny shops that were owned by locals were so small or shared among six to eight people, one could appreciate how industrious these people had to be to survive the high cost of living in Nairobi.
By Ethiopian standards, everything appeared to me very expensive except that perhaps Kenyans earned more. Seeing many ordinary people using the electronic banking services told me we had a long way to go. Today we are narrowing this gap but Nairobi residents are truly ‘electronic savvy’. People queued around these automatic machines and there was really order in doing that without any specific supervision. The banks were kept really as fortresses given the conditions I suspected. The doors are open only when the guard at the door wanted and re-locked it always. The other door where there were the tellers was even more strictly supervised and guarded. Being a victim of some sort of mugging was not so uncommon there. Addis here seemed better off. But it may catch up even in this respect. A few months ago motorcycles were banned on this account but then readmitted with some more controls on their movements.
PAGE 19 THE EHTIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020
The Horn
BY MULUGETA GUDETA
The Middle East Monitor, an online news portal this week wrote that Ethiopia escalates what it called the
Renaissance Dam crisis with decision not to notify Sudan and Egypt about start of dam’s filling. “The Ethiopia acting foreign affairs spokesman announced that the country’s plan to start filling the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in the upcoming wet season is part of the scheduled construction, and there is therefore no need to notify Sudan and Egypt.”
There is little doubt that Middle East Monitor’s slanted reporting on the GERD is written in a way favorable to Egypt’s standing on the dispute.
The online news portal also quoted acting foreign affairs spokesman Amsalu Tizazu saying the letter Egypt recently sent to the UN Security Council about the dam controversy was irrelevant because the filling of the dam is a logical step in the construction of the dam which at a certain stage requires the filling process to start according to schedule.
The Ethiopian government has put forward two main agendas that it will work hard to implement during the remaining part of its mandate. The first is the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic while the second is the continuation of work on the Great Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) until the time the filling of the dam will start early next Ethiopia year. According to recent statements from the Prime Minister’s office, the GERD is Ethiopia’s flagship project that no force can reverse or put an end to before its completion. This reassertion or expression of strong resolve on the part of the government is also received with equal determination and enthusiasm from the general public
There is no disagreement among all political forces in the country as to the need to complete the GERD project no matter what time and effort it might take. On the contrary, there is now a patriotic fervor regarding the GERD project. All Ethiopians in every walk of life are still rallying behind the government’s call to close ranks and heighten vigilance in the ongoing construction of the project. By the same token, all parties agree on the need to fight the pandemic with equal determination because it has direct and indirect repercussions on the country’s political, economic and social development projects. Judging from recent events and developments, we can say that there is a strong national consensus on the continuation of the GERD project despite the odds.
Unfortunately, the GERD has never been free from controversies since its inception down to this day. It has passed moments of frustration and even threats of disruption by internal and external forces hostile to Ethiopia’s greatest construction project. At one moment, mismanagement and corruption threatened the project with disruption. At another time, the hostility came from foreign sources intent on stopping the project in its infancy.
Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and the timetable for Dam filling
However, the greatest challenge came from those quarters directly concerned with the very idea of building a mighty dam on one of the greatest rivers in Africa if not in the world. These are forces that tried to roll the wheels of history backwards or infringe upon Ethiopia’s inalienable right to use its natural resources to promote the welfare of its own people.
Since its inception nine years ago, the GERD project has passed through many ups and downs, diplomatic twists and turns as well as moments of much foot-dragging in negotiations. These were followed by accusations and counter-accusations and much war of words until the matter assumed a diplomatic shape and entered a period of principled debates among the disputing parties. As we all remember, Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan were, and still are, the main players in this diplomatic tag-of-war. However, out of the three parties to the dispute, only Egypt proved inconsistent and sometimes aggressive in its bid to get the upper hand on the diplomatic front and nip in the bud Ethiopia’s quest for economic development by resorting to soft and hard tactics of intimidation and threats as well as other tricks.
On the other hand, Ethiopian diplomacy on the GERD is not only consistent with international principles. It is also pragmatic, flexible and all-inclusive in the sense that it is intended to benefit all the stakeholders no matter what their contribution to the waters of the Nile river is. A good example of Ethiopia’s diplomatic pragmatism may be its willingness to attend the Washington talks on the Nile on the invitation of the US administration because Addis Ababa has always been open and transparent as well as ready to hear all voices irrespectively where they come from.
Ethiopia’s diplomatic patience is also remarkable. While it is clear that Ethiopia has a legitimate request on the use of the Nile waters, it did not try to impose its views in any way or treat the other parties as junior partners in the talks. Ethiopia has consistently pursued a diplomatic line that is based on finding a win-win solution for every party involved in the talks. Ethiopia never tried to win extra advantage from the talks simply because it is the main source of the Nile waters. Instead, it regards all parties to the talks as equal partners and this has found practical expression during the
preparation and the execution of the GERD project that has taken the interests of other riparian countries into consideration.
Egypt does not contribute a drop of water to the Nile but it has been benefitting the most from it throughout its history. Ethiopia is contributing more than 80 percent of the waters of the Nile but it has not so far used a drop from the mighty river to promote its economic development. Egypt is one of the leading economic powers in north Africa while Ethiopia is one of the least developed countries in Africa with the twin threats of famine and drought hanging over its head for centuries. This is why Egypt’s opposition to Ethiopia’s project looks ridiculous if not puzzling.
By comparison, Egyptian diplomacy on the Nile has been meandering along an uncertain and tortuous course since the Nile dispute started when Ethiopia decided to exercise its legitimate right on the Nile waters. By comparison, Egyptian diplomacy is marked by rigidity and lack of solid and honest principles that could guide it along a more realistic and more just course that would take into consideration the interests and aspirations of all the Nile riparian states. The rigidity of Egyptian diplomacy on the Nile is anchored in the colonial time agreement the British imposed on the country. Egypt as a sovereign state is still embracing and promoting this imperialist-inspired agreement instead of rejecting it and joining its African neighbors and work for collective development. In this way, Egyptian diplomacy on the Nile waters in general and on Ethiopia’s quest for economic development is not only archaic but also dysfunctional.
As early a few months back, Egyptian diplomacy brought the dispute out of its African context and sought to secure the assistance of extra-regional forces in order to promote its colonial era interests. The United States was the last card Egypt tried to play in its bid to find a superpower that would impose Egyptian interests on Ethiopia in order to stop the construction of the GERD project or modify it in a way that would serve Egypt more than it serves Ethiopia.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has upset so many things in the world. It has also upset Egypt’s plan to use the might and weight of the US in order to force Ethiopia accept the Egyptian terms of the Nile agreement.
True, the US is a major ally of Ethiopia and the biggest aid provider. But it would be unrealistic to expect Washington to serve as a Trojan Horse to promote Egypt’s policy or any other country’s interests in Africa or in the context of the Nile dispute.
As many analysts and GERD-watchers pointed out several times in the past, the basic thinking behind Egypt seeking US diplomatic intervention was presumably to use Washington as a leverage or as a conduit for Egyptian policy on the Nile and push Ethiopia into accepting Egyptian position in the dispute. However, this could not be realized as expected following the global outbreak of the corona virus that has hit the US hardest and pushed its mediation efforts to the back burner. Egypt is impatient to wait until the global health crisis subsides so that the US could consummate its mediation efforts. Instead, it has chosen to look for another alternative in its search for other partners in its bid to disrupt Ethiopia’s project.
Since then, Egypt has made efforts to bring the issue to international mediation by subtly portraying itself as the victim of Ethiopia’s premeditated plan to deny Egypt of its absolute control of the Nile waters as in the days of British colonialism. Previously, there were threats from the Egyptian side to bring the matter to consideration by international bodies instead of calling on African or continental bodies such as the African Union or one of its agencies to intervene and seek a fair, impartial and realistic solution to the dispute. Looking for an African solution to an African challenge has never been Egypt’s choice. Instead of that, Egypt sought Arab League solidarity in its bid to put pressure on or frustrate Ethiopia’s honest, transparent and all-inclusive attitude in the Nile negotiations.
The latest Egyptian diplomatic step and the letter written to the UN Security Council cannot change the reality on the ground because construction on the dam has already gone a long day and reached an irreversible stage. It has not budged Ethiopia that has always remained true to its original principles and actions on the GERD project. Ethiopia is continuing work on the GERD while Egypt is leaving no stone unturned to sabotage it through third parties as it did in the case of US mediation efforts.
So Ethiopia is carrying out the twin tasks not only as a matter of emergency and commitment. They are also inescapable national tasks that this generation of Ethiopians is committed to achieve come what may. What is amazing is that the GERD project has recently reached 70% completion level despite the many diplomatic zigzags, advances and setbacks of the last nine years. The Filling of the dam is expected to start early next Ethiopian year and that will mark another milestone in the history of the construction of the biggest hydroelectric project in Africa if not in the world. No force can stop this inexorable process but constructive diplomacy can turn the tide in favor of the three main parties to the Nile dispute.
BY MEHARI BEYENE
Ambassador Tibor Nagy has recently briefed journalists, drawn from various Africa countries concerning relation between Africa and US in combating the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and other epidemic diseases as well as in establishing researches model. The digital conference was hosted by US embassy in Ethiopia, for the Ethiopian journalists including The Ethiopian Herald.
This issue has significance to Ethiopia in creating a click with US and other western countries as well as Africa countries in terms of setting up partnership with neutral think-thank groups to respond to man-made and natural calamities in the country. Excerpt:
Herald: What relation does the US government have with the Africa continent?
Ambassador Nagy: our relationship with the African people will come out of it even stronger. I say this from experience and from the knowledge that our commitment to Africa will endure.
In addition to our long-standing partnership on health, we are working together towards good governance, increased trade and investment, enhanced development of Africa’s youth and women’s entrepreneurship, and increased security across the board. As Secretary Pompeo has repeatedly stressed, now is the time to reinforce Americans long-standing partnership with our African friends. We have a long history of working together, on meeting public health challenges, and I’m confident that our relationships and shared experiences over decades will help us meet today’s crisis.
Under President Trump, that partnership has continued to grow ever stronger. We are by far the largest donor nation to Africa and our impact is felt across the board. The United States has committed more than 100 billion USD over the past 20 years towards public health on the African continent, trained over 285,000 healthcare workers. With PEPFAR alone, over 18 million lives were saved in 18 years.
The administration is also actively working to save lives in Africa by fighting Malaria, Ebola, Avian Flu, and Cholera. The Presidents Malaria Initiative, or PMI, has helped save over 7 million lives while preventing over a billion cases of Malaria in the last 20 years. Where PMI is present, Malaria deaths have seen a 60 percent decline since 2006.
And now, in the fight against COVID-19, that commitment continues. No other nation is doing more than we do. Of the more than 780 million USD the U.S. has pledged worldwide to fight the virus, close to 250 million USD is geared towards Africa. And our response goes beyond this new money.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020 PAGE 20
In the sphere of diplomacy
US backing African countries in debt cancellation
In places such as Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, Sierra Leonne, and Mauritania, field hospitals, tents, and ambulances intended for international peace-keeping missions were repurposed for COVID-19 efforts. Our mutual trust built over the years has
also played a role given the enormous efforts by African Governments, airlines, and others to help repatriate over 10,000 Americans from the continent.
Furthermore, it is not just our government leading; we also have what we call an all-of-America approach. Businesses, NGOs, faith-based organizations have contributed. Together, Americans have committed nearly 6.5 billion USD.
This also is a time to reflect on the importance of transparency. It is times like these that show who you can trust and Im proud to say our African partners have, by and large, been there for us as we have for them. Unfortunately, there are other actors in this world who have not lived up to that virtue, but rather made it worse through secrecy and deceit.
We recently marked World Press Freedom Day and we note with concern that some countries have used this COVID-19 crisis to further constrain media freedoms, particularly in response to independent reporting relating to the crisis. Government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic must focus on protecting public health. Governments should not use the disease as a pretext for repression of people or ideas in the media or elsewhere.
A vibrant, free press is more important than ever to ensure the public receives timely
and accurate information about the virus and how to stop its spread. Government transparency and accountability and freedom of expression, including for members of the media, are critical for an effective response to COVID-19.
As we reflect on the importance of transparency and other matters, such as aid, debt, and health information, the benefits of working with a free and open society versus one that is not is readily apparent. I trust our African friends will see the difference.
As always, the United States will continue to collaborate with our African partners to address COVID-19 and whatever other challenges come our way. We will come through this as always for the health and security of the American homeland and the African continent.
Question: What is the United States response to African countries welcoming Chinese doctors and medical supplies to help deal with the COVID-19 pandemic on the continent?
Ambassador Nagy: Well, again, countries are sovereign. Countries can decide who they are to deal with and in what manners. Our asking or urging is for transparency, full transparency from all donors, whether it regards assistance on COVID or whether it regards debt alleviation or aid programs in general.
The United States of America, we are very focused on providing assistance across the board, making sure that the material we send is of the highest quality. So again, the only thing I would say is pick your partners as you will. We totally support sovereignty and freedom of choice. Just make sure that you are making a wise decision.
Question: how much of that of US support is really geared towards research? Because I think if we are well-empowered to do research, we should be able to bring solutions, possible solutions.
Ambassador Nagy: Unfortunately, I cannot give you dollars and cents as to what the specific components of that are, because the funding that we are making available is basically across the board from A to Z. So it includes medical supplies, medical equipment, the ventilators. Of course, it involves supporting research, it involves medications, it involves supporting healthcare professionals, institutions, and for the other purposes.
And of course, here iss the important part: Again, with the United States, its not only the CDC, health and human services, other government health agencies that are involved in this, but the hundreds and hundreds of U.S. universities, because so much research is done through universities. We have a number of the U.S. universities that have very strong partnerships with African universities, with African labs. So, its a whole-of-world approach.
The administration
is also actively working to save lives in Africa by fighting Malaria, Ebola, Avian Flu, and Cholera
PAGE 21 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020
In the sphere of diplomacy
And I have also seen with interest some of the reports concerning some of the potential treatments to alleviate the illness. And of course, those have to be looked at very carefully with a scientific analysis, but everybody is going as quickly as possible. But rest assured that significant funding is going to the research.
And I said, we have people from the CDC throughout the African continent who are working and collaborating very closely with their host country counterparts, through the U.S. embassies, through the host country governments, to make sure that there is a full flow of information in both directions.
Question: To what extent the United States is encouraging African governments to be as forthcoming as they possibly can concern infection rates and death rates?
Ambassador Nagy: one of the key themes that is very important to the United States Government is full transparency in all matters, whether its research, whether its reporting, when a donor community looks at how we are going to help African countries alleviate their debt. So, the sanctity and the trueness of the data is critically important, and what are the possible reasons why there is not full transparency or availability? Some of it can be malicious; some of it can be innocent.
Governments withhold data on purpose to obfuscate the truth or try to keep the truth from getting out. That is absolutely malevolent. On the other hand, we know with some governments, there are severe limitations of number of test kits available, the quality of some of the test kits that they have gotten from certain sources. So, the intent behind it I think is very important.
Also, as you well know, Kevin, in Africa
we do have the situation where Africa still majority of the population is still rural, and its very, very difficult to do testing in so many parts of the continent, whereas its much more available in the urban areas. But there, again, there may be limitations on the availability of the material.
So, our embassies are keeping a very close watch on what going on in their countries. They are reporting it to us. They are also engaging with their governments. And one of our messages to governments is that its critically important for the entire globe, for everybody to be as forthcoming and transparent as possible regarding these, because its absolutely vital for everybody to know that the data is correct so that we can act accordingly.
Question: What is the total U.S. contribution in Africa in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Ambassador Nagy: we have made available to Africa, specifically for the COVID emergency, has been 247 million USD. But we have to also remember that the annual U.S. aid to Africa is 7.1 billion USD out of which 5.2 billion USD goes to health alone. We have given incredible amounts of money to Africa over the last 20 years, and much of that money went to things like helping African countries build up their health systems, training African health workers.
So the moneys were being givien now, yes, I believe its quite generous, but we have to also see that in the light of what we give aside from that, which also is helping African countries prepare for this kind of an emergency. Like I said also, for America its not just the government that gives; its our private sector. For example, I’ve been reading report after report of how much individual U.S. companies that are engaged
in Africa are also contributing to this, or our NGOs, our faith communities, our churches in the United States tend to be extremely generous and very altruistic in doing work in Africa.
So, while the for example, total U.S. Government response to the COVID very generous. 2.4 billion USD. But if you add to that American private sector, American NGOs, and the American faith-based community, that number gets kicked up to USD 6.5 billion. So, its almost three times as much. So, the United States and this is the people of the United States are I think being about as generous as they can be in helping the globe confront this horrendous, horrendous emergency.
Question: A proposal for debt moratorium for African countries after coronavirus was tabled. As it will be very difficult for African economies even beyond this moratorium, does the United States have in mind any kind of support plan for African states?
Ambassador Nagy: obviously, we are just in the early part of examining what the various policies are that we can pursue in that regard, because it will be absolutely in the interest of everybody that, as I said when Africa comes out of this, to be able to get on the road to prosperity as quickly as possible. African economies coming into this, some of them were the fastest-growing economies on Earth. Obviously, this is going to have a devastating economic impact on the entire continent, so the question is going to be coming out of this: How can we work together to get back on the road, first, to economic recovery, then on the road to economic prosperity?
The G20 has made its initial first step. I know that various international institutions, international partners, are in very close
deliberations on potential next steps, what can we do next. And here, I want to go back to some of the introductory comments I made about the critical importance of transparency. Africa has a number of bilateral debtors around the world and it will be very important for all of those countries that hold African debt to act together, to act in a very transparent way as to how they will address the debt so that it is not opaque, its not done under the table, but its done so that everybody can see what is truly involved in these kind of transactions.
Question: What is the government’s reaction, to the arrival of Cuban medical teams in Africa, and more specifically, a large contingent in South Africa? Do you have any views on that? Do you have any questions or concerns about it?
Ambassador Nagy: African governments have a long history of dealing with Cuban medical personnel. If the countries will pay the Cubans for their services directly, we have been able to accept that. The problem becomes when countries pay a considerable amount of money to the government of Cuba and that the medical professionals themselves are not paid.
Again, unless its something that contravenes a United Nations Security Council resolution with certain countries, we respect countries for their sovereignty and their views and their own individual ties, despite how we may feel about somebody. But Cuba has a long history of sending medical personnel. Our problem has been on the way that countries pay for those medical experts. So, we recognize South Africa’s long history and long relations with a number of other countries in southern Africa. And as you said, during the Ebola crisis, there were certain mechanisms made.
Africa has abundant and wide-ranging renewable energy sources. Wind, solar, and geothermal energy are but to mention a few. There is also a high demand by countries but due to lack of sufficient technology and finance countries are unable to bridge the gap between demand and supply.Linos Mopha works at African Climate Policy Center as Senior Environmental Officer under the Economic Commission of Africa.As to him, there is a vast renewable energy source in Africa but the continent suffers from energy paradox. The resource potential is very high but the availability is very low. To fill the gap, private investors have taken the initiative and governments show their willingness to cooperate with them. Currently, projects aiming at exploiting the resource in different countries are underway. The same is true here in Ethiopia. The projects also have set as a goal not only supplying energy but also mitigating climate change as per the Paris COP agreement.Availing energy supplies requires infrastructural development such as roads, telephone lines and health facilities which were stipulated by The African Energy Initiative and ratified by member countries.It is also to be recalled that decades earlier Africa had begun a massive program for regional integration to support countries through fostering road and rail transportations. It has established a continental free trade area, which boost economic progress. Investing on linkage among countries lays the ground for massive energy exploration, proper exploitation and
appropriate transmission for private sector as well as the public one. The availed resources can be used in the needed areas. In such a way the gap will be narrowed down.Obviously, exploiting energy resource needs technology. Asked whether countries are required to import the technology, Lion said that, it is not about importing technology; currently, globally, the price of the renewable energy technology has so much. Over the last six years now the prices of solar panels have fallen by 80 percent and turbines by 70 percent and from time to time the price has continued to fall.Other costs such as installation and full deployment of the technology depend on the respective countries. The transaction cost, the exchange rate of local currency against hard currencies, the time duration of investors getting license and other agreements might result in additional costs. But what matters most is that countries promote the technology in the local context and take the opportunities for technology transfer through imitating the design by their own skilled labor, job creation and value chaining.On the other hand, based on the enabling environment created in the countries, foreign investors manufacture the equipment there. And such a practice, through time, strengthens local capacity. Experience shows that, in many countries, private public partnership is not developed as it is required. Even in some countries instead of cooperation there is confrontation. In this regard complaints are raised by private companies. Hence, for successful accomplishment of projects governments should show their commitment.
As to Linos, to minimize the possible dispute between the two parties, the African energy summit signs up an up to date initiative.The private companies also sign it up.There are three pillars of the initiative. The first one is sustainability that means the energy investment has to go to the system in which socially and environmentally sustainable. There must be a reason for investment on the part of the private companies otherwise it will not succeed. One of the ways via which countries could check the sustainable use of their national commitment to climate change mitigation is developing renewable energy dimension.The second pillar which is very important is the governance pillar. It requires the countries put in place an enabling policy framework—the government’s system of leadership, transparency and translation of the action that has been reached on the African energy initiative and removal of bottlenecks that create obstacles to investment .The private sectors entity is also required to live up to their commitment so that they would find themselves in the responsible manner without compromising the environment and the social wellbeing. The United Nations energy pact also stipulates the strict follow up of responsibility in investment.The third pillar is that once the countries develop the system of responsibility and assure their good governance then the finance inflow will keep on going.Of course, renewable energy development is part of a mitigation strategy to climate change. It also serves for the implementation of adaptation program. As mentioned above,
there is a huge potential on renewable energy development in Africa. Renewable energy does not only mitigate outdoor pollution but also in house gas emission.It should be known that where the gas is emitted does not matter. The impacts are global because climate change knows no boundary. Therefore, any mitigation ambition of any country has value in global dimension in climate action.With regard to replacing, carbon based energy by renewable one step by step Linos said that, the African energy initiative makes countries to be robust, resilient and reliable in terms of energy utilization.The more countries bring renewable energy to the table the more diversified will be their energy sources and the more they get energy mix and they will be the most secured and reliable. When the cost of renewable energy gets down then countries prefer to use renewable energy than the carbon-based energy and overtime they will give up carbon energy.Similar to Ethiopia most developing countries rely on biomass energy particularly for cooking and lighting which in turn devastate the environment. As to Linos when countries develop the renewable energy because of reduced price people prefer to purchase the renewable one. In so doing, step by step, they shy away from using biomass for household energy.And whenever the poor are provided solar panel and biogas in the remote rural areas, dependency on biomass also gets reduced in a bid that mitigation of global warming realized.
Fostering exploitation of renewable energy
PAGE 23 THE EHTIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020
Indepth
BY MULUGETA GUDETA
When the corona virus pandemic started to make its presence felt in Ethiopia, the country was facing a difficult period of ethnic and nationalist inspired conflicts, displacements and threats of a general political implosion. Many churches and mosques were burnt down by groups of fanatical religious zealots with divisive agendas. Political parties both in government and the opposition were subjected to internal splits and external pressure and extremist ideologies seemed to be taking the upper hand.
Obviously there is hardly anything good that could come from a pandemic like the present one. But COVID-19 had deeply changed the political scenario in Ethiopia by turning public or government attention away from the bloody conflicts of the last two years since the onset of the transition period. The pandemic had the curious effect of stopping all the above threats and conflicts because of its menacing presence. No one was spared from the anxiety and deep concern about the spread of the virus and politics retreated to the background of national life.
In the last two or so years since the start of the transitional political hundreds if not thousands of people were killed during senseless ethnic or nationalist based conflicts inspired by media agitation or so-called activist groups. COVID-19 is a deadly pandemic but in the last two months, it has taken the lives of less than ten people. Many commentators and analysts agree that had the violence of the last two years continued for the last two months many more people could have been killed senselessly and the situation could have degenerated badly.
This is not however to say that given the choice, people could prefer the pandemic over the ethnic-inspired violence. Not at all. In the long ran, the pandemic could prove more devastating than any conflict although both the pandemic and political conflicts could be equally devastating to the economy and social life. The choice could not be between two equally evil phenomena. Yet, as things stand now, the pandemic has caused less disaster than the ethnic conflicts that consumed the lives of innocent people and threatened to engulf more communities in their wakes.
On the other hand, the pandemic has given the government a breathing period because in the pre-COVID days, it was largely busy putting out one fire of conflict after another, thereby stretching its resources that could otherwise be used for productive purposes. By the same token, the pandemic has deterred many potential cases of destabilization and violence by opposition groups that were slowly abandoning he peaceful and democratic alternative.
Thus the pandemic has not only changed the role of the government from one of being a fire brigade to one of being the nation’s ‘surgeon general’. It has also stopped the government’s plan to go ahead with preparations for the August 2020 election. Even at the initial stage of the election process, the government
Election disputes, constitutional crisis and the need for political consensus
has spent money, time and energy to put in place the logistics of the election. It has spent so much time and human energy to go ahead with the pre-voting process leading to August 2020. In this way, COVID-19 has a dual and contradictory impact on government activities. On the one hand, it has cut short the security threats while on the other hand it has temporarily postponed the long quest for a truly democratic election.
If there is another impact of the pandemic, it is the fact that the post-COVID period has witnessed a kind of rapprochement between opposition parties and the government. Opposition parties that were divided over the government’s plan for the coming election could come together and rally behind it in the fight against the pandemic. Many opposition parties were not only opposed to the government. They were also divided among themselves not only over the election plan but also over many things pertinent to ethnic and nationalist-based strategies and practices.
The pandemic has forced many of them to abandon their previously hostile attitudes but also brought them together against the pandemic. Groups that were engaged in violence in some parts of the country have stopped their activities following negotiations between government officials and leaders of the movements. Yet, the main factor that forced them to enter into negotiation or agreement with the government was the impossibility of carrying out their agendas in the midst of a pandemic that claims the attention and concern of all the communities. In this way, the groups were forced by the pandemic to temporarily stop their destabilizing activities that could have claimed additional lives.
Although those parties are forced to abandon their violent strategies due to the advent of the pandemic, the general consensus is that most of them are now following the path of a negotiated settlement than forcing the government accept their unilateral political alternatives. The main point of dispute is of course the election plan put forward by the government and now interrupted by the pandemic. There is now a broad division between parties that are more or less insisting on holding the elections a month before
September 2020, or before the present government outlives its constitutional mandate, and those who put forward alternatives such as forming a transitional authority composed of all parties or a care taker government that would be formed through negotiations.
The government on its part has come up with a plan for settling the electoral disputes through proper interpretation of the constitutional provisions pertinent to the election. It is to be recalled that this move has been endorsed by the country’s parliament that is still the supreme authority on the matter. The office of the president of the supreme court last week entertained a national discussion on the issue by involving legal experts, lawyers and intellectuals both here at home and abroad. The discussions were directly transmitted via electronic media although the general public could not be involved directly in the discussions simply because the issues are complex and sophisticated or because they are not directly relevant to immediate public health and other concerns.
Opposition parties on the other hand largely question the validity of the government’s plan for constitutional interpretation as a way out of the looming legal and political impasse. In a way, COVID-19 pandemic has thus provided enough time for the parties to sit down and think with cool heads and work out jointly agreed alternatives. Unfortunately, a consensus is far from being achieved at this stage because the legal issues are so complex that they require expertise and solid legal grounding in order to attain some degree of agreement not only between government and opposition parties but also among opposition parties themselves that are already polarized on many issues. The fact that each opposition party often thinks that its position or ideas are the right ones while the other positions are wrong has led to further polarization instead of cohesion. As a result of this attitude it has often been impossible to reach a middle ground among opposition parties let alone between the ruling an and opposition parties.
Party politics in Ethiopia is a very recent phenomenon. It dates back to the 1970’s following the Ethiopian revolution that brought about all the political differences into the open and forced groups of
intellectuals to articulate their views through political parties. The first parties were more or less coming from the Leftist political spectrum because it was inspired by the Ethiopian student movement that had a left-leaning political tradition. However, the emergence of modern political parties has been interrupted by the military regime that abolished their existence and established a one-party dictatorship.
The post-1991 period was more favorable to the re-emergence of old and new parties but when they did emerge, they changed their forms and contents by switching from Left-leaning political tendencies to ethnic or nationalist tendencies that led to more conflicts and sabotaged the democratic process that in turn led to the forced dissolution of many parties and to the exile of others. This was a very daunting period for the growth of party politics in Ethiopia. As it happened in the 1970s, political parties faced the fate of further weakening, dissolution and disappearance although many of them tried to stay alive by going underground or into exile.
The new reform program launched two years ago by the transitional government now in power has no doubt created another opportunity for the re-emergence of former parties or for the creation of new ones. However this process, although positive in essence has also many challenges because most of the parties have nationalist agendas with varying degrees of militancy and an appetite for extremist violence. In place of ideological or class-based parties came ethnic and nationalist parties to reclaim the political space or impose their agendas by any means possible.
It is often difficult for nationalist parties to come in terms among themselves or attain consensus with the ruling authorities because they often lack pragmatism, flexibility as they often play the “winners take all” game. They show a tendency to monopolize power and refuse to share it with parties or groups with similar political agendas within similar ethnic or nationalist constituencies. That is why a single national entity is often represented by half a dozen parties or groups with similar objectives but divergent strategies and tactics. This is also basically what makes Ethiopian party politics unyielding for compromise and often complicates the political equation.
The coming four or five months are expected to be crucial for Ethiopian politics because compromise and consensus among the parties would lead to a more positive outcome while lack of consensus would further complicate the transition and the electoral process. With more luck and hard work, the Ethiopian public is expecting a positive outcome that might usher in a new political culture of democratic power bargaining in the country and the end of a long authoritarian and repressive political history. The search for common grounds between government and opposition parties is bound to continue until this vision will be realized sooner rather than later.
Success Story THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY2020 PAGE 24
BYGENET FEKADE
Practice in string art hones my skills to perfectionAs sources indicate, string art invented by Mary Everest Boole at the end of the 19th
century renders mathematical ideas more accessible to children. It was popularized as a decorative craft in the late 1960s through kits and books.
These days many practice the art as a labor of love and also a means of stunning and entertaining others.
But here in Ethiopia it is rarely one gets individuals who practice string art. From such finger counted individuals The Ethiopian Herald has just sat down with a youth to discuss about string art and his life in practicing the art. Excerpts
Herald: Would you tell us about yourself please?
Amanuel: My name is Amanuel Lemi. I was born in Bishoftu /Debrezeit town. After I attended my high school there I came to Arbaminch University to attend my first degree. I have a first degree in civil engineering and also I received my MA degree in the same field from this university. And now I’m a lecturer at Arba Minich University.
Herald: How do you define string art?
Amanuel: String Art is an art which is performed using string, chipboard and nails. There are also two types of string art. The first one is geometrical string art. In this art we can perform the art in triangle and rectangle shapes. It can also allow us to create different pictures through creating circles. This geometrical string art needs some mathematical and architectural touch. It also needs better color selection to make more beautiful art.
A free string art is the second type which allows one to work in any shape. Via this art practitioners give vent to ideas that spawn in their mind.
Herald: How was you got attracted to this art?
Amanuel: I started practicing string art when I was busy and stressed. I was a postgraduate student. I had been watching videos as a pastime and entertainment. Once, I watched a video featuring a man busy in string art .I found the task easy and very much interesting. I immediately downloaded the video and tried to do the same thing. As the saying goes easier said than done doing it was not as easy as simply watching others doing it. I tried to come up with better things practicing the craft again and again. Finally I came up with the same shape in the video. Then I felt happy and started translating the art into practice working on plank and chip wood.
Practice makes perfect, so after a long practice I succeeded to blend colors of my choice and managed to explain my ideas.
Herald: Is there any connection between String Art and your profession, engineering? How do you manage to handle both professions together?
Amanuel: Sometimes engineering and String Art have commonalities they share but not always. Geometrical string art presupposes
two things—visualizing needed geometry and perceiving architectural touch. When it comes to these two there is connection with engineering. But when it comes to the Free String art there is no connection, the picture is already known before it comes to the ground.
Accordingly, it is not necessary to be an engineer to engage in String Art. Everyone can enjoy the art.
Herald: How much could you express your feeling and ideas through the art?
Amanuel: Expressing all one’s feelings on geometrical string art has somewhat a limitation because one works in a given shape. But one can express one’s feelings through
colors one is using. I give more emphasis to our tricolor. Nonetheless, the free string art is better to express one’s internal ideas as it has not limited shapes.
In my String Art, Ethiopia comes to the center stage. When I engage in a geometric art, I liken things with the Ethiopian flag colors to create a sense of national feeling touch. For instance the design could be a map, leaves or in any other thing, most of the time I try to show my Ethiopia for others.
When I engage in the free art, I zero in on my clients’ feeling. It may be a logo or picture or words. If they ask me to do gift artifacts special for birthdays, weddings or other events, I craft the gift as per the prescription.
Herald: When do you work it? Do you have an idea to change your art to a business?
Amanuel: I engage in the art when I have free time. But at this time as the cloud is eclipsed by covid-19 most of us are staying at home. As such we have an opportune moment to do more artistic things. So I’m doing it better than before. And I’m teaching for family members how to do it and how we can generate income from it.
It is difficult for me to change my art to formal business as I’m busy due to my professional engagement. So I preferred that teaching my families and I have a plan to open String Art store with my wife and brother and it will happen soon.
Herald: Ethiopian youths are not familiar with String Art. What do you think about it and what should be done?
Amanuel: Yes it is not usual in our community to enjoy the art. But now some are starting to practice it. Still most of the people are not familiar with the art. They think it is difficult .But this art is very easy and enjoyable to practice every day.
Herald: What is your plan for the future regarding the art?
Amanuel: I have two plans down the road. The first one is teaching interested individuals follow suit after acquiring knowledge .The second one is opening a gallery-like store. This enables people to access my handicrafts easily at the shop to beautify their home. I have also a plan to stage exhibition with other professionals and I need to develop the society’s awareness and practice the art as they are familiar with music, painting or other arts.
Herald: At last, do you have anything to add?
Amanuel: Finally, I want to advise your esteemed readers particularly youths that it is necessary to use every access to develop skills. Nowadays, at lots of places there is enough internet access. Not only on arts, if youths use their free time effectively it is possible to create changes in lots of sectors. Short online courses are available for self-training and if they use social media for positive action, positive changes will not be long in crystalizing. Youths should not shy away from challenging their limits when they come across something new. Instead they should say to themselves “Let me try it” I believe this way they can do their best!
Herald: Thank you very much
Amanuel: You are welcome.
One to One/Herald Guest
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 MAY 2020 PAGE 28
BERHANENA SELAM PRINTING ENTERPRISE
BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
Ethiopia is a country rich in cultural heritage and profound wealth of literature due to her own written
language which has developed through centuries of being in the custody of the Orthodox Church. Many writers of the country, having gone through church education, have attained the excellence of literary work among which today’s Herald’s guest of honor happens to be the one. Our guest has climbed up the royal road of literary eminence relentlessly. Herald appreciates his absolute consent to give interview.
Herald: I appreciate your consent to give Herald interview. Could you kindly tell us your name?
Ato Ayalneh: My name is Ayalneh Mulatu Abeje.
Herald: What are you doing currently?
Ato Ayalneh: Now, I am a lecturer at Addis Ababa University in Theatrical Arts Department. On top of this, I have other job pertaining to literary work.
Herald: What is your responsibility in your present field of work apart from lecturing?
Ato Ayalneh: Now, I am engaged in provisional job. The Ministry of Culture has designed a music drama project program that can transform the current Ethiopia’s image locally and internationally; it is actually similar to that of People-for-People musical drama during the time of Derg.akin to that, the Ministry of Culture assigned Honorable Dr, Mulatu Astatke and me to carryout activities related to the project and because of that we are given this office here at Cultural Assembly Hall. Here we are now.
Herald: How long have you been working with this responsibility?
Ato Ayalneh: It is about six months now. I am the chairman of the committees. We have been engaged in assessing the nature of the different documents, the composition of the musical drama, the expenses, the places where we are going to and our activities inside the country. In this business, it is not only the two of us, but there are committees comprising people from Addis Ababa University and from other different institutions that are organized to be involved in the work. Regarding this musical drama, we are now through with the paper work and ready to translate it to practice in accordance with the guidance and instructions from Ministry of Culture.
Herald: How is your present occupation related to the former one?
Ato Ayalneh: For your information, my life career is totally chained to literature, and I believe that I have done a lot related to that. Let alone my former job, even while I was a student, I was engaged in writing. I have been in it the whole of my life, and neither have I tried anything else. I have been developing it since my childhood; apart from this, I don’t have any other job at all.
Ethiopia’s versatile genius of amazing skills
Herald: It is known that you are a play write. Could you please brief Herald on that?
Ato Ayalneh: Yes, I am a play write. Play writing is not something casually done. It has a big role in any part of the world, and the person fully engaged in it is a professional who writes dramas shown on the stage. Based on his writings, actors, painters, editors and others are all involved in developing it until it is shown on the stage. Play writing is not something done by chance; it is a profession that requires a lot of care. The natural gift of the person has to be developed through learning and training. Nevertheless, many local and international writers are not trained in this profession; they develop their writing gift through experience. Play write in Ethiopia like Tsegaye G.Medhin, Mengistu Lemma and many others did not graduate in play write. Even myself, I didn’t graduate in that profession. Natural gift alone doesn’t amounts to anything; but the natural gift, coupled with a long time experience, reading and techniques, enrich the work and make the person a professional writer. The great play write Shakespeare, the creator of play write, had only a grade four education; during his time there were no school of theatrical arts. Yet, he adequately developing and using his God-given gifts, to the wonder of all in the world, has become a famous play write. A true play write is not a person who copies or translates other’s work from English to Amharic or French to Amharic, in an attempt to give it Ethiopian tone. But one has to write his play based on the objective realities of the country, its joys, pains and sorrows. Such a play write tremendously contributes to the growth of the art of the country. He alerts the people and criticizes the government. In general he serves as a bridge between the government and the people. Such a writer is essential for the country. As I previously mentioned, I am not referring to literal translators. Many of translated writings have a remarkable role and have remarkably contributed to the development of the art and literature.
Shakespeare himself is among those who contributed to the development of literature worldwide. The translations of Tsegaye G.Medhin and Kebede Michael are categorized in the same line.
Herald: What are the social and political contents of your dramas?
Ato Ayalneh: There are a lot to be mentioned. I have composed quite a number of play scripts; yet, most of them are based on the objective realities of the country; it laments the sorrow and sings joy of the people. And because of that fact, many people think my writings are politically tuned. But this is not true. Apparently, in this world, nobody is free from politics while writing. Someone is called politician only if he belongs to one political party and promotes the program and the strategy of that party. Yet, if you expect an author to write politics-free issues, what can he write? He cannot do it, as there is nothing he can write without the touch of politics. During the era of Decadence, as capitalism was frustrated and intensified its corruption more than any time, groups known as Arts-for-Arts Sake, were confused as to which ideology to support. If they were to support capitalism, it was submerged in the mire of embezzlement, and socialism, on the other hand, was so tender that it was not strong enough to be followed. Thus, they came up with the motto art-for-art sake; we write art for art sake and wisdom for wisdom sake and nothing else. They found themselves in a big problem. With such a firm position, they could not identify themselves with any of the two systems and remained suspended in mid-air. They could have come down to earth. It is utterly impossible to think that an author can write anything devoid of politics. Yet, the politics should take into consideration the balanced conditions of the country and should listens to the grievances of the people and expose the government for its injustice. Equally, it should also reveal and promote the good sides of the government. Such dramas that can create awareness and agitate the people for a high-
level struggle should be written; and my dramas are of such quality contextually.
Herald: Have the changes in political ideologies the country follows ever affected your political theories?
Ato Ayalneh: Not at all! I have worked in three governments: Haile Selassie’s Constitutional monarchy, the military junta and the EPRDF. I had problem with each one of them. During Haile Selassie’s era, I was beaten up and hospitalized in Police Hospital for two or so months simply because I was involved in students’ movement that was struggling for the right of the farmer in the feudal land system, and political issues alike. Later, as the king was deposed, the socialist military junta took over the power, all people and those of us who came from abroad, too, rallied behind the new government with the firm belief that scientific socialism had really prevailed in Ethiopia. Prior to that, I was in Russia and Tsgaye G. Medhin came and said, “The socialism you have been crying for has come. So, you have to come and we should work together to realize our dreams.” Thus, he brought me to Ethiopia with him. The tragedy of it was that the socialism I knew and the one I saw in Ethiopia were diametrically opposite. The job I was assigned to was not suitable for me either and I continued with my usual ideology. Owing to this fact, Ato Tsegaye and I, due to our belief, were imprisoned. Therefore, I believe that my ideological line is still right and that’s why Haile Selassie and the Mengistu imprisoned me. Afterwards, Ethiopian People Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), chased me out of the university and this is a clear indication that the third government similarly did not accept the ideology I pursued. The conclusion is such that ideology is not that keeps changing, but it can develop. It is not something in which one , like a chameleon keep changing one’s color to assimilate oneself to the new system. What I want you to realize is that some people, even those who were working with us, were awarded medals for their commitment to support Haile Selassie’s rule. Many authors and play write, including our colleagues, were also awarded. Soon, the anti-feudal government that propagates and proclaims socialism emerged. These very award winners were again recognized and awarded by the Dergue for their staunch supports of its government in furthering its policies and strategies. The position of these people is rather intriguing. Sometimes it would occur to me whether or not Mengistu’s socialism was an extension of Haile Selassie’s feudal system. Even today, if those people are still alive, EPRDF would award them. I just want you to know that I was not awarded by any of the governments; rather I was imprisoned by the Dergue and was chased out of the university by the EPRDF and I don’t know what will happen in the future. Thus, ideology is something that one should cling to, and keep developing it. One should not keep shifting from one ideology to the other. …to be continued
...I was in Russia and Tsgaye G. Medhim
came and said, “The socialism you have been crying for has
