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

Trade !... Not Aid! Ethiopia's/Africa's Cry!

Growing up in a city that is comparative to New York City, in its ability to reside so many non profits and other aid base offices, I had an opportunity to see the “glamorous” side of non-profit
organizations.

Addis Ababa is a city that showcase non-profit licensed cruisers and sporty cars, a site of high paying non-profit exec. foreigners crowding “elite” restaurants, bars and entertainment venues and highly paid local non-profit employees enjoy the benefit of aid.

Almost everyone prefers to work for these, “good doer” “non-profits”. The one element that I had faced to see, living in western hemisphere, is that the “ugly” side of the very existence of non-profit organizations.

TV infomercials of hungry and starved faces overwhelm you day in and out; with the promise of delivering your hard earned dollar to the “cause” and with a warning that the fates of these unlucky, impoverished souls are “destined to perish” with out your help – then you will just wonder! You just wonder how the “cause” is really true!

You try to make sense of how the squandering habits of non-profits help alleviate the pain of poverty stricken souls! You try to reckon how it creates a hope necessary to lift up the heavy burdened existence of the poor!

Here, I would like to point out that there are real “good-doer” non-profits out there, doing what seems unthinkable, feeding the hungry, sheltering the abandon, treating the sick and giving hope to the hopeless.

But, many non-profits exist feeding in to vicious cycle of the begging-donating-begging. These days, it starts to sadden my soul every single time I see one of these infomercials. There is a saying: “…give someone a fish, you will feed him for a day. But, teach him how to fish, you will allow him feed himself for a lifetime…” (Paraphrased!). The work of non-profits should be to create hope and sustainability, to show someone “how to fish”; to help transfer deprived souls from their current reality to a future filled with opportunity and hope! If a non-profit can’t deploy an objective of transformation and remain functioning at the premise of “continuous aid”, then it is pausing danger to people’s innate ability to overcome adversity to survive.

That is where I echo the slogan “… trade, not aid!..” . Yes! Non-profits are originated out of humanity’s good will to do good- a very commendable act! But, when it robs the very element of survival from humanity, just to maintain its existence, then its very existence to do well is questionable.
Teach people how to fish, open up the market space so that they can sell some of the fish, so that they can envision beyond survival. That really is a noble cause! That is Ethiopia is in need of, that is what Africa is in need of, that is what the world is in need of.

Ethiopian/African Poverty can be a state of mind!

For us human beings there is one element that we have control over, it is our ability to think what we choose to think. Whether we live under a strong hold, a dictator, a free world or under an impoverished state of life, we can think what we want.

As prosperity is primarily a state of mind, so are poverty and scarcity. Those who believe resources are limited and the gain of someone is a loss of another; then every inch of growth, every ounce of increase can be tied with a result of ripping off the other. Unfortunately those who uplift this weak notion of life as their norm, are either in dire poverty and live the gloom and doom or they are ripping off other people.

The fact that "Wealth is limited in once mind" is a concept that is very difficult to swallow. But, the journey begins in mind. I recall that we used to have a saying “nuro kalut mekaber yemokal”, a sad adaptation of “...the poor will get poorer...”.

But, I consciously decide to think along with the old saying “… elf silu elf yegegnal …”, yes think different and your life will be transformed forever. “..what the mind conceives, the mind perceives/achieves”. And with this fact, the lives of my people will be transformed; from poverty to prosperity, from scarcity and abundance.

Ethiopian Millenium, me and you!

It is a good reason to celebrate, since we are the only generation to make it to this Ethiopian millennium ( 2000), it only comes ones, it only changes ones. So, we hear that there is a great deal of preparation back at the homeland. this is true also in various cities of North America.

It is very refreshing that we celebrate our holidays in a magnificent manner,as a ritual. What makes the millennium unique is not just only it is a holiday, but it is a ONE time incident and it is the only opportunity for Ethiopia and Ethiopian to reflect.

Yes, we are proudly behind the world seven-eight years according to our Ethiopic calendar. But, the truth of the matter is we are also behind the whole wide world seven-eight centuries.

http://www.oxfam.org/en/programs/emergencies/eafricafoodcrisis/index.htm

What is the point? The point is that while we are celebrating our unique role in Africa and in the whole world, we need to remember we are also uniquely crippled for centuries. We have one opportunity, one unique time frame, one generation … with countless possibilities.

Let’s cling to the idea that “the time is now” to turn the country so rich with culture, but so stricken by poverty and corruption. Let’s believe and claim together “The generation is mine, the tools are my creativity, the people are my team who are determined to change the country/our country that has bowed down because of the heavy yoke of poverty, the heavy yoke of corruption”

There is only one millennium, there is only one opportunity, and that is coming! it is up to me and you, either to indulge in a very carnal "celebration" mood, or to craft a plan that will get us out of the dire poverty our families live in amass.