Ethiopianism - Part II

“A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.”
― Tony Blair

I had a great dialogue with a friend of mine about this obsession of the meaning of being an Ethiopian, which seems to sprawl its roots in me. We consciously attempted to flip every historical footprint that is ever declared on behalf of our birthplace.

We gazed at the chronicles; from the tribe of Kush to Queen Sheba, from the Axumites to the era of the Kings, from the fables to the controversial declaration of what being an Ethiopian mean for a native of the land.

Our upbringing was filled with the mystical and heroic stories of Ethiopia and Ethiopians that the feeling of greatness hovers above our head like a piece of blessed cloud.  It is almost impossible to assert one’s Ethiopian identity outside this prideful curtain that is most deeply rooted in the historic “past”.

But then reality hits; why in the world, how in the world, these glamorous and prideful existence led many, Ethiopians, go astray like flock of sheep without a shepherd.  Tony Blair once quoted “A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.”  As we Ethiopians jokingly say, almost every person would like to leave the land – if given a chance.  Our self dismantling way of life is not a sign of a great nation and its people!

So, I wonder, and then what does being an Ethiopian really mean?  If the historical account is put aside, if the arrogant curtain of “...I’m better than you, we are better than everybody, we are greater than everybody ...” bluff rolled up, what is the real meaning of being an Ethiopia to each native?

I’m still digging!

Pazion - 2011

Freedom of Speech! Really?

See, it is so troubling when the very people who are fighting for freedom of speech , fighting back the very freedom of speech them selves. It is a pure paradoxical ignorance – at its best.

We Ethiopians, at times, love the warmth of the mob mentality. When it comes to opposing, dissing, lamenting, complaining, gaming up to pull someone down, we can form solidarity. we even have a saying that boasts itself “Ye Telate Telat Wedaje New” loosely translated “ the foe of my enemy is a friend of mine” - unfortunately it is true!

What is the point here? Recently I was so struck by some of so called “intellectuals” narrow minded view of freedom of speech.

Let’s get some facts straight:
1) The very thing I detest about the current government and other dictators is while freedom of speech is the right of humanity, they should not hold our mouth from speaking what our hearts compelled to utter.
2) Every one that posses a balanced out look of the world should be instrumental voicing up for core human rights violation; one being freedom of speech. We Ethiopians should voice up for the same cause when OUR government functions otherwise.
3) Any individual or organization or group that claims to defend this freedom of speech should not fall under the hypocritical path of double standard by becoming an anti-freedom themselves with their my way or the highway attitude.

What compelled me to speak of freedom of speech is the behavior so rampant in some of Ethiopians website sites, blogs and published materials. Some even go to the extreme to call names and to throw stones at any opinion that doesn’t seem to suit their shallow outlook of ‘the enemy of my foe…’ view. It is so shameful and embarrassing to claim the “peace-seeker” but to fail to be the “peace-maker”.
Then What seems to be true is:

1) If I have my opinion, then you get yours! Then, there should never be a reason why you are ready to kill me while you are preaching peace!
2) If your intention is to shut all the voices that sound different from ‘your own’, then you are no different from the very dictators who are committing atrocity on humanity.
3) By doing so, you are limiting the type of exposure and learning your might gain in shaping up your world outlook.
4) You make more enemies, and you prove that you are the worst type of Hypocrite the new Ethiopia would never accept.

We live in 22nd century; the world has changed so much. Our country, Ethiopia, has issues of the 19th century content. Broaden your mind (especially those in Diasporas and exposed to different ways of thinking), develop an all inclusive point of view. Even if you don’t accept an opinion don’t loose your sense of respect. That is the only way you gain respect back.
Once the great Mother Theresa was quoted saying :"I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there."
See! The difference is in the outlook! If we seek freedom of speech, then we should practice and preach freedom-of-speech ourselves.

That is the new Ethiopia!

“MY WAY OR THE HIGH WAY… PART II” of ETHIOPIAN’S APPROACH!

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The story goes like this:

A peasant raised a dog, this dog used cause all kinds of troubles. This peasant repeatedly warned the dog, but the dog did not cease its misbehaving and its mischievous acts.

One day this exasperated peasant took the dog to the weekly market, and then he started yelling … “Mad dog, Mad dog … Watch out!”. The crowd started to throw stones at this mischievous dog……

The peasant got his revenge… and the story of the dog foiled down sadly….

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Selam All,

Some of the comments I have received after the last ‘my way or the highway’ blog implied that it is a worthy/healthy thing to self-examine. I agree with you. As Socrates once said ‘The unexamined life is not worth living. ... Wisdom begins in wonder. ... There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.' “

Then I don’t see why some of you readers think, shining a light up-on my Ethiopian way of thinking, my brain wiring and my expression in the world would be wrong?

And then again, I asked my self the job of 'teyaki' in 'ethiomind' is to ask questions on how we Ethiopian’s think. A Question that tickles our inner most brain cells. And the hope is that some day many of us might find ourselves awake from our day dreaming.

The one and most absurd comment I have received is that I might be a banda, who is hired by the government. An idea like this seems to be one of the recent fad, which is spreading faster than the Californian wild fire. What a stretch!

Pointing out that the idea of ‘my way or the highway approach’ doesn’t serve Ethiopia and Ethiopian’s doesn’t mean upholding the government philosophy. Or it doesn’t require being a hired pen to express my opinion. Thanks to the technology.

Of course, I had said that the so called ‘intellectuals’ pretension to know ALL the answers to Ethiopia and there is no other view than their ‘sophisticated’ approach… is just an eerie feeling.

This extends to all disciplines of study and walk of life. Our strength and our power is in our mutual acceptance to one another and respect the other person’s opinion. At the end of the day the winner is the all inclusive person/race.

But, it triggered another issue that is equally important in Ethiopian’s way of thought process. It is label giving and calling names. Especially those we have a ‘beef’ with. Well, the world was supposed to revolve around us – I guess.

Zemene Mesafint, Zemene Negestat, Zemene Derg, Zemene Zenawi… it is imperative to know that the years, days ‘zemenochu’ are changing and we are in the year of technology & communication zemene siltane….. but we haven’t graduadted from the SAME school of thought.

It is sickening to hear and see us ‘Ethiopian’s’ (especially the once living in the western hemisphere) still dwell in our ‘comfort zone’ while in reality we live in amnesia. That we don’t know or remember we are suffering from sleep paralysis. We are W-A-Y behind from the whole world. We can’t afford to live in a very narrow approach of life, in a narrow kind of circle, in a very narrow kind of existence.

I found it to be very comical that we demand even the ‘westerns’ should accept this bias of ours. Well for some-one who defines the boundaries and the standards, it might be a legitimate demand to make. But, are we, can we???? Not really.

Let’s stop putting name tags and labels. Let’s stop hair splitting, and see our REAL stance on face of the world. Physicians tell us the awareness of the problem is the first step in finding the real solution.

These are my two cents, I blog on

So, hang on… write back

Selam Qwou.
(ethiomind@gmail.com)

“MY WAY OR THE HIGH WAY…” of ETHIOPIAN’S APPROACH!

Selam wud zegoch,

As I stated repeatedly in the past Blogs, it is not the intent of this blog ( ethio-mind) to place all Ethiopians under the same ‘category’. But, it is my personal assessment on what seems to be the most obscure contradiction that invaded most of ‘us’ Ethiopians. And by doing so, I am intended to question tiaque our very approach, our attitude and our view.


These days it is almost impossible to embrace very optimistic approach of Ethiopian politics, Ethiopian culture, Ethiopian survival, Ethiopian accomplishment,… in general Ethiopian existence with out getting a huge chastisement for not adhering to the ‘norm’ of following the crowd.

Even the so called ‘intellectuals’ seem to buy in to the idea of ‘my way or the high way..’ approach in solving the many complex issues we Ethiopian face inside and out of the country.

Individually, to take a good use of a given opportunity (especially for those of us who dwell in the western hemisphere), sometimes requires to be an outcast.

If you don’t do the same way a family member wants, the same way aparent wants, the same way the community wants, then it is a given that you will be judged, criticized and chastised.

As a society we seem to have a ‘simple’ solution to every problem we face, but we haven’t discovered a healing medicine to our SEVERE POVERTY. We seem to know all political formulas, but we still dwell in the propaganda of ‘if you don’t support THIS party or THAT party, you are a trader of Ethiopia’.
More and more I am struck to learn the so called ‘intellectuals and professionals’ per se are pretending to be they are the master of ALL solutions regarding Ethiopian individuals or the overall country.

They can’t avoid but falling in to promoting what the ‘yekolotemari’ blogger ‘wegesha’ called it Double Standard

If we have Ethiopian medical doctors, it is wonderful… we need lots of them to positively contribute to improve the lives of the so many Ethiopian’s. But, they can’t and should not pretend to know all the answers concerning Ethiopia and Ethiopians.

If we have Ethiopian Economists, all power to them… Ethiopia’s need for a seasoned economist is unquestionable. But, they can’t and should not pretend to know all the answers concerning Ethiopia and Ethiopians.


If we have Ethiopian Bankers, I’m proud of that too… each of us and Ethiopia needs their advice to learn how to play effectively in the financial world. But, they can’t and should not pretend to know all the answers concerning Ethiopia and Ethiopians.

And then again if we have experienced psychologist, psychiatrist or counselor, it is a wonderful… thing! Their expertise can be utilized in the ever confusing world and family turmoil our society is going through.

They could use their profession to educate and empower the lives of so many of us Ethiopians who are struggling everyday to balance our life with our family, to fit in the ever changing world community and also to build a strong family; from which our society and our country will be build of.

But, they can’t and should not pretend to know ALL the answers concerning Ethiopia and Ethiopians.

These and the so many professionals can play a significant role ( as shown by few Ethiopian role models). But, at the same time it is VERY SAD to hear and see some of these professionals grab a hold of an ideology that ‘if I am educated in these, then I should know better’ attitude and create contradiction to them selves.

Many of the recent political platforms can prove that, even though I’m impressed with their ‘well articulated’ writing ability, it is almost a shame to hear them pretend they are ‘the seasoned politicians, solution makers’ and ‘their way or the highway’. If you don’t follow this ideology, this political party, this opinion….then you are doomed.

Am I making a point that they can’t have a say in the other issues, wheather in politics or other socio economic issues –which can be different from their field of study? Of course NOT! But, when they pretend to know ALL the answers and to portray just that, creates an eerie feeling.

Many others adapt this narrow mentality, instead of learning the good out of these professionals. “My relative xx is this and that, there fore what ever he/she said should be right” is so dominative in the habesha world today.

Both ‘educated professionals’ and their view holders seem to interpret (take it qal beqal) the old saying "yetemare yigdelegn" , but they are not aware that they are a victim of their own ‘double standard’

Hence, I only label them ‘educated hypocrites – gibzoch’ . One major point I probably make is that I’m not passing judgment here. As I repeatedly had said it is not the intent of ethiomind to do just that. But to shine light up on issues that seem to prevail our society.

In conclusion, being an ‘educated’ person or being ‘professional’ is great! I preach it all the time; I perceive it all the time. But, after all by being educated what we have is information that others don’t have that somebody else has taught us. Intellectualism should lead us to be critical thinkers and should allow us to lead many others to see the light – the guiding light out of poverty, a light out of disparity.. a light that leads to a better governance, a light that leads to a better society … a light that is full of optimism.

We need ( Ethiopia needs) all kinds of guiding lights, be it seasoned politicians, doctors, economists, engineers, scientists, bankers, psychologists………. Etc etc…

I’m desperate to see an un-biased ‘educated’ coming out of these experts; I’m desperate to learn an optimistic approach of Ethiopia’s so many problems. Not an egg-headed individual who thinks that ‘he has’ all the answers for every problem we face individually or as a society.

I’m desperate to see a web site that will display an open mentality full of guiding lights, not a ‘political garbage’ that is based on the un-informed majority’s voice, not ‘another website’ about nothing but some hateful pessimistic ‘professional’ who pretends to solve all of our problems in one formula/prescription.

It is my guess the reason why many of us Ethiopians have this single view attitude towards everything – MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY-. May be we learned it from the 'other' individuals who are full of double standards?

It is my guess…. And then again I blog more about these and other issues..

So, hang on… write back


Selam Qwou.

Teyakiw (ethiomind@gmail.com)