Ethiopianism - Part I

If you are ashamed to stand by your country, you had better seek another flag.  ~Author Unknown

Reading the above quote made me ponder, puzzle, gaze, stare and wonder. Like millions of my fellow Ethiopian, I left the land for betterment of myself and (possibly my family and my fellow country man).  But, it never occurred to me that my journey was rooted on shame of the state of my native land Ethiopia or that I sought for another flag.

The quote almost forced me reflect on an article I read on abugidainfo website, where the writer, named Yared Ayicheh, described how the behavior of some Ethiopian he encountered in the paltalk platform ( what he called “Paltopians”) caused him feel so shameful that he concluded with a lamentation “ I wish I’m an American”.

I don’t deny or betray my Ethiopian upbringing; neither I lament wishing what I could’ve never been. But, I am yet to find an Ethiopian that is not perplexed by the continuous impoverished state of our existence.  I am yet to meet this individual, who, with boldness and confidence confesses what Ethiopia really is.

The type of exaggerated picture of Ethiopia; that the 3 thousand year old history, a gift from God, a nation with unprecedented natural wealth, and a nation that is a role model to the human race... the type hyper inflate picture of Ethiopia hasn’t stopped millions of us from fleeing the nation as if running away from a disease infested rat hole.

As for me - there is only one condition that will enable me to lift my head up with an Ethiopian pride – when my nation’s beggar hands that have stretched for generation are folded down and begin carrying our own head; that is the only beginning of the end to our shameful placement in the face of the world.

What does Ethiopianism mean to me? I’m still digging!

Pazion - 2011

I love Ethiopia!...? – Part II

I love Ethiopia! … Really? – Part II


“The men who followed Him were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same. “Billy Graham

In part I of the “I love Ethiopia” series I attempted to inquire the exact texture of the love we claim we have for our country. We have the type of patriotism that boils our blood in the notion of protecting the mother land. Our tear bags broke loose when we watch the Teddy Afro’s Anbessa Youtube Clip . We are full of enlivened when we refer to our new year or the idea of ‘hager alegn’ slogan. It is all good!

If this burning passion of our upbringing, our communal identity, our protectiveness of the historical heritage we inherited; if this deep sense of ‘love for Ethiopia’ can’t compelled us to strive to make our Ethiopia the best and the greatest, then it is an illusion of a passive love that has no real impact aside from the ‘move-screen’ display it is being played. I used the quote “He loves his country best who strives to make it best” to make a point that our sense of love is measured by how much engaged we are in making Ethiopia the best.
Our Communal identity, in my opinion, is both our blessing and our curse. Our attachment enables us to dine together, to celebrate together, and to cry together; but it seems to lack to enable us to work together, to strive together or to envision together. It is sad but true that at times I have seen our “Ethiopian” people joining hands with our enemies in an attempt to ‘destroy’ the ruling governance. Little they know they are carelessly destroying the nation and its resource that can lift up their livelihood. An inquiry mind wants to know who has stolen their sense of right and wrong. I have no intention in supporting or denouncing governance but rather I question the motives that drive us to destroy our nation that we claim we love; I question the sincerity of bringing about pseudo-change that is not founded on collaboration or mutual growth.
Unless our heart, our mind and our world turned to “the right side up”, it will be a wishful thinking of having a love relationship with the idea of ‘our beloved Ethiopia’. When we have the right motive, we are like well equipped warriors who are determined to never stop until the beloved nation is transformed. We are willing to collaborate and pour our sweat for the betterment of our people. We are so determined not to leave behind a scrambled and a dead nation held by a thin thread of survival. We are happy about our brother’s success that we abstain putting a trap underneath his feet.
When we go beyond the “passive love of coffee shop conversation”, when we surpass the pseudo ‘die for country’ slogan that fuels corruption and separation, when we look in to the eye of our neighbor and are willing to accept him/her for who they are but not their tribal identity, when Ethiopia is tattooed in our heart beyond the three color of our flag, when our unity is more than the causes that separate us – then we can boldly say “I’m the new generation who has so much love and passion for my nation Ethiopia”!

So, do you really love Ethiopia?

I love Ethiopia! … Really? – Part I

I love Ethiopia! … Really?

“He loves his country best who strives to make it best” | Robert Green Ingersoll

Love is many things, at times it replaces feelings otherwise can’t be explained adequately. Recently, I read a Facebook page that has a description “I will die for Ethiopia”. And it became an inspiration to the many series of articles I would like to discuss about.

To die for a country is beyond the shallow definition of love! At the same time it is in order to mention that I have no intention to dissect and bisect the very raw definition of the word “love” – unless I find it relevant.

So, here it is. Do you love Ethiopia? When we say "we love Ethiopia" what do we try to communicate? Do we mean we love the people? Do we mean we love the land, the green-yellow-red flag? Do we like the positioning of our country in the face of the world? or is it about our historical heritage?

Many Ethiopians have a deep sense of patriotism that is mostly rooted on the foundational pillars build by our history. Yes we are proud that it is the only nation that had never been colonized! Yes we are a nation with thousands years of historical heritage! Yes we are a nation with an old and unique scripted language. Yes, we are … ! Yes, we are …! ….

Where is the love? Where is your love? I will end this introductory article with the quote I began from Robert Green “… He who strives to make his country best, he loves his country best …” do you really love Ethiopia?

to be continued.

Confusion - the state of mind of Ethiopian relationship!

Confusion – the state of mind of Ethiopian relationship!

When you ask a simple question like “How old are you?”, then don’t be surprised by various responses you will get from fellow habeshoch. At best you will get “hmm, I’m “xx” and smile! True, in the Habesha hemisphere age might not be a good gauge to evaluate deeper elements like relationships. Mind you, by relationship, I’m not appealing only a ‘relationship of opposite sexes’. But, if I give scores to relationships, the intimate relationship ( … between lovers …) might get a high score ( in my score board).

The habitual and casual things we do, (like having multiple birthdates, change of names and other obscure elements) for the sake of survival, creeps on to our life when we attempt to live a “meaningful righteous life”.

Innately we have the desire to live a ‘righteous’ life; but, unknowingly (or knowingly) we have crossed the boundary of “right” – because we have to survive, because we have to help family, because everybody is doing it, because…

I, by no means, have the desire to judge and criticize the various ways of living arrangement most habeshoch practices. But, when I see the same people pass judgment and criticism on others, it literally disgusts me. More importantly; when double-standard seems to be the “norm” amongst us Ethiopians, the stench is unbearable.

All the craziness aside, at least people deserve to have a ‘truthful’ life. After all, isn’t the Biblical Paradigm that teaches us to “… come as we are?...”. For someone who is aware of his weaknesses, who is aware of the “imperfect” life he has led, there is no room to arrogantly echo “his way or the high way” adage.

Furthermore, if one chooses to consciously conceal some elements of her identity, I wouldn’t want to marry her, I wouldn’t want to be her friend, I wouldn’t want to conspire with her. If one is not trust worthy to himself/herself, then he/she you will never be worthy of my trust.

So, let’s be more open, more truthful and less judgmental. This will help eliminate the confused state of mind most Ethiopians live in.

The Ethiopian ATTACHMENT

Selam Wud-Zegoch,

After the last blog post, some of you emailed me raged about my expressions of Ethiopia-winet , some of you though, appreciated and commented that I might use less harsher words.

Both comments taken: the good critique and the bad ones too.

Before I go on posting today’s blog, I would like to re-emphasize endegena that the only intention of

ethiomind is not to impose any form of judgment and criticize the very essence of Ethiopiawinet , but rather to empower it and possibly to shine a light on the weak shadow that always haunts us – ethiopia-yawians.

In-fact I learn long ago that he who judges will not be excluded to be measured himself with the same ruler that he is using to measure others. Pointing one finger outward implies pointing three folded fingers to self…………. And as we know “… he who judges….”

So, I go …. Blogging again…

Let’s talk about the notion: “I’m better than you and better than all. Me and my family are the most talented, the most educated, the wealthiest of the society. Ohh, no I can do better than him, this is nothing, it is not his work, I went to blah blah private school or I was in blah blah sefer, ohh I don’t associate with habesha people, ohh in my sefer there is no black people even habesha…”
I want to approach this subject from inside out. As mentioned in the past article, identity is the fabric that we are made of. The creator made us different to b-e-a-u-t-f-y us … not to divide us, not to disguise us, not to empower some to be above others….. With out unity, identity is in crisis.

The plague that has invaded us “ethiopia-wians” is not only in our external interaction amongst our own race or others, but it is prevalent amongst ones closet family.

This might not apply 100% for all families (as it is not un-unchanged yemaylewet word of God), yes it is true some families have managed to go above and beyond the weak competitive attitude. ALL POWER TO THEM – we all should learn from them.

It is my belief that society is the grand sum of families, where as families are a collection of close siblings and extended ties. If we take a single habesha family (as a nucleus); at times it is full of competition, jealousy, pull downs and immeasurable turmoil. What I experienced and observed with my interaction with many other sidete-gnoch what haunts us day and night is the ever growing guilt trip and snare that has been imposed from our own family ties.

The result is that we have thousands of Ethiopians living in the land of opportunity, living below the poverty line. In the land of free, modern day slaves to some menial, back breaking jobs just trying to fulfill some greedy un-understanding family member who is creating havoc to a sidetegna soul.

Here I want to emphasize few things; I AM NOT SAYING THAT HELPING FAMILY IS WRONG; I’M NOT SAYING THAT DOING MENIAL JOBS ARE WRONG. I help my family every day; first by not being a burden on them, second by doing every possible thing that I can with out jeopardizing my existence.
As far as menial jobs go, I have done it all – but as a means to my end – temporarily. Then I moved forward….. forward

The saddest part of it all is that, after sidetegnaw sew creating all this show and drama to satisfy a selfish, jealous sibling back home or elsewhere, there is no gratefulness and encouraging words that come out to refuel his exhausted soul. But, rather dissatisfaction. Which is a major cause of loss of energy, time and a useful lifespan ---- the cycle goes on.
An inquiry mind wants to know – WHY???? How many are touched by this? ( bet yikuterew )

Why can’t family members be happy for one’s achievement, one’s effort, one’s success… why are many people rejoice in hidden for the failure of the other. Yewedeke zaf misar yibezabetal
Of course, there is always an exception to everything and anything…. I want to learn from that, we all should learn from that –I applaud the positive outcome.

There is no individual success and achievement, with out a strong supportive family as a backbone.

Next I will blog on …. Veering off- of individual-to-family to a family-to-society tie.

So, hang on… write back

Selam Qwou.

( ethiomind@gmail.com)