Semahagn Gashu Abebe
This article aims to analyse the major challenges of adopting ethnic federal system in Africa with
special focus on the context of Ethiopia’s ethnic federal system. It is argued that though the adoption of ethnic federal system in Ethiopia has created the opportunity for minority groups to exercise their cultural and linguistic rights, the ethnic federal experiment has faced enormous challenges. The challenges include problems of legitimacy, unprecedented emphasis on ethnicity and lack of genuine democratization process. The article argues for concrete measures to be undertaken on political accommodation of various political groupings, realization of genuine democracy and establishing efficient political institutions as well as the need to accommodate minority rights in a manner that fosters social cohesion and national unity in the country.
Key words: Ethnicity, federalism, Ethiopia, diversity, democracy, democratization.
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Monday, April 15, 2013
Ireland’s Michael Higgins calls for land deal rules to tackle hunger
In a hard-hitting speech, Ireland’s president calls for international framework to regulate land acquisitions in developing countries
by Mark Tran
Ireland’s president has called for a strong regulatory framework to cover land deals, the transfer of water and speculation on food commodities to address global hunger.
In a hard-hitting speech at an international conference in Dublin, Ireland, on hunger, nutrition and climate justice, Michael Higgins said global hunger represents the “grossest of human rights violations, and the greatest ethical challenge facing the global community”.
Higgins expressed support for international regulation of land acquisitions in developing countries by rich investors. “What is required is a robust regulatory framework which protects our fragile and threatened environment and which respects the right of small landholders to remain on their land and retain access to water sources,” he told the conference co-hosted by the Irish government and the Mary Robinson Foundation.
Citing sub-Saharan Africa as an example of land acquisitions and the transfer of water rights to investors, Higgins said: “The lack of any supranational regulating or monitoring mechanism for land acquisitions has enabled the acreage of transnational land acquisitions to rise from 15m–20m hectares in 2009 to more than 70m in 2012.”
Higgins blamed worldwide food speculation for contributing to the dramatic increase in the price of food in the developing world and he drew attention to how large corporations increasingly dominate the food sector, with five companies controlling 90% of the world’s grain trade and three companies controlling 85% of the tea market.
A report in Monday’s Financial Times (paywall) said the world’s top commodities traders, such as Glencore and Trafigura, made nearly $250bn over the past decade. The net income of the largest trading houses since 2003, the FT reported, surpasses that of the combination of Wall Street banks Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.
Though Higgins welcomed the introduction of an agriculture markets information system by the G20 group of countries to provide transparency in key commodity markets, he emphasised that there are urgent moral and ethical issues in relation to food speculation, particularly at times of famine.
“We must not lose the opportunity to put the stamp of our shared humanity on these challenges,” he said. “The institutional and structural reforms that are necessary are now more urgent than ever. We need both bottom-up and top-down processes to create an enabling environment where marginalised groups have the capacity to claim their rights. This means overcoming perceived constraints and ensuring that political processes towards the solutions are accountable, participative and courageous.”
Meanwhile, the UN agency for children (Unicef) released a report highlighting successful examples from 11 countries of tackling malnutrition (pdf). The report said more and more countries are scaling up their nutrition programmes to reach children during the critical period from pregnancy to two years old. These programmes are working, says Unicef, as countries that are reaching mothers and children with effective nutrition during the first 1,000 days are achieving results.
“Stunting can kill opportunities in life for a child and kill opportunities for development of a nation,” Anthony Lake, Unicef’s executive director, said. “Our evidence of the progress that is being achieved shows that now is the time to accelerate it.”
One in four of all under-five children – 165 million children – is stunted because of chronic undernutrition in crucial periods of life. An estimated 80% of the world’s stunted children live in only 14 countries. The damage done to a child’s body by stunting is irreversible. It drags down performance at school and future earnings. Stunted children are also at a higher risk of dying from infectious diseases than other children.
The report highlights successes in Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania and Vietnam. In DRC, a community-based approach is significantly increasing the number of children receiving treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries in Europe and central Asia, has pioneered the distribution of sachets of nutrients to infants to combat anaemia. Vietnam last year passed legislation extending maternity leave and banning advertising of breastmilk substitutes for children up to 24 months.
In Maharashtra, India’s wealthiest state and second most populous, 39% of children under two were stunted in 2005-06. That dropped to 23% by 2012, according to a state-wide nutritional survey, largely by the efforts of frontline workers improving child nutrition. In Peru, stunting fell by a third between 2006 and 2011 following an initiative that lobbied political candidates to sign a “5 by 5 by 5″ commitment to reduce stunting in children under five by 5% in five years and to lessen inequities between urban and rural areas.
Source: guardian.co.uk
by Mark TranIreland’s president has called for a strong regulatory framework to cover land deals, the transfer of water and speculation on food commodities to address global hunger.
Michael Higgins told the Dublin conference on hunger, nutrition and climate that hunger is the ‘grossest of human rights violations’. Photograph: Julien Behal/PA
Higgins expressed support for international regulation of land acquisitions in developing countries by rich investors. “What is required is a robust regulatory framework which protects our fragile and threatened environment and which respects the right of small landholders to remain on their land and retain access to water sources,” he told the conference co-hosted by the Irish government and the Mary Robinson Foundation.
Citing sub-Saharan Africa as an example of land acquisitions and the transfer of water rights to investors, Higgins said: “The lack of any supranational regulating or monitoring mechanism for land acquisitions has enabled the acreage of transnational land acquisitions to rise from 15m–20m hectares in 2009 to more than 70m in 2012.”
Higgins blamed worldwide food speculation for contributing to the dramatic increase in the price of food in the developing world and he drew attention to how large corporations increasingly dominate the food sector, with five companies controlling 90% of the world’s grain trade and three companies controlling 85% of the tea market.
A report in Monday’s Financial Times (paywall) said the world’s top commodities traders, such as Glencore and Trafigura, made nearly $250bn over the past decade. The net income of the largest trading houses since 2003, the FT reported, surpasses that of the combination of Wall Street banks Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.
Though Higgins welcomed the introduction of an agriculture markets information system by the G20 group of countries to provide transparency in key commodity markets, he emphasised that there are urgent moral and ethical issues in relation to food speculation, particularly at times of famine.
“We must not lose the opportunity to put the stamp of our shared humanity on these challenges,” he said. “The institutional and structural reforms that are necessary are now more urgent than ever. We need both bottom-up and top-down processes to create an enabling environment where marginalised groups have the capacity to claim their rights. This means overcoming perceived constraints and ensuring that political processes towards the solutions are accountable, participative and courageous.”
Meanwhile, the UN agency for children (Unicef) released a report highlighting successful examples from 11 countries of tackling malnutrition (pdf). The report said more and more countries are scaling up their nutrition programmes to reach children during the critical period from pregnancy to two years old. These programmes are working, says Unicef, as countries that are reaching mothers and children with effective nutrition during the first 1,000 days are achieving results.
“Stunting can kill opportunities in life for a child and kill opportunities for development of a nation,” Anthony Lake, Unicef’s executive director, said. “Our evidence of the progress that is being achieved shows that now is the time to accelerate it.”
One in four of all under-five children – 165 million children – is stunted because of chronic undernutrition in crucial periods of life. An estimated 80% of the world’s stunted children live in only 14 countries. The damage done to a child’s body by stunting is irreversible. It drags down performance at school and future earnings. Stunted children are also at a higher risk of dying from infectious diseases than other children.
The report highlights successes in Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania and Vietnam. In DRC, a community-based approach is significantly increasing the number of children receiving treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Kyrgyzstan, one of the poorest countries in Europe and central Asia, has pioneered the distribution of sachets of nutrients to infants to combat anaemia. Vietnam last year passed legislation extending maternity leave and banning advertising of breastmilk substitutes for children up to 24 months.
In Maharashtra, India’s wealthiest state and second most populous, 39% of children under two were stunted in 2005-06. That dropped to 23% by 2012, according to a state-wide nutritional survey, largely by the efforts of frontline workers improving child nutrition. In Peru, stunting fell by a third between 2006 and 2011 following an initiative that lobbied political candidates to sign a “5 by 5 by 5″ commitment to reduce stunting in children under five by 5% in five years and to lessen inequities between urban and rural areas.
Source: guardian.co.uk
Ethiopia’s Desisa, Kenya’s Jeptoo win in Boston
by By JIMMY GOLEN, AP Sports Writer
BOSTON (AP) — The Kenyans finally face a challenge to their dominance of the Boston Marathon, and it’s from their East African neighbors.
Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa took the title in the 117th edition of the world’s oldest marathon on Monday, winning a three-way sprint down Boylston Street to finish in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 22 seconds and snap a string of three consecutive Kenyan victories.
“Here we have a relative newcomer,” said Ethiopia’s Gebregziabher Gebremariam, who finished third. “Everything changes.”
In just his second race at the 26.2-mile distance, Desisa finished 5 seconds ahead of Kenya’s Micah Kogo to earn $150,000 and the traditional olive wreath. American Jason Hartmann finished fourth for the second year in a row.
“It was more of a tactical race, the Ethiopian versus the Kenyans. That fight played out very well,” defending champion Wesley Korir, a Kenyan citizen and U.S. resident, said after finishing fifth.
“The Ethiopians run very good tactical races. One thing I always say is, ‘Whenever you see more than five Ethiopians in a race, you ought to be very careful.’ As Kenyans, we ought to go back to the drawing board and see if we can get our teamwork back.”
Rita Jeptoo averted the Keynan shutout by winning the women’s race for the second time. Jeptoo, who also won in 2006, finished in 2:26:25 for her first victory in a major race since taking two years off after having a baby.
After a series of close finishes in the women’s race — five consecutive years with 3 seconds or less separating the top two — Jeptoo had a relatively comfortable 33-second margin over Meseret Hailu of Ethiopia. Defending champion Sharon Cherop of Kenya was another 3 seconds back.
Shalane Flanagan, of nearby Marblehead, was fourth in the women’s division in her attempt to earn the first American victory in Boston since 1985. (Two-time winner Joan Benoit Samuelson, running on the 30th anniversary of her 1983 victory, finished in 2:50:29 to set a world record for her age group.)
“The hardest part about Boston is the Bostonians want it just as bad as we do, which really tugs at our heart,” said Flanagan, a three-time Olympian. “We all want it too. We want to be the next Joanie.”
Kara Goucher, of Portland, Ore., was sixth for her third top 10 finish in Boston as many tries. The last American woman to win here was Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach in ’85; Greg Meyer was the last U.S. man to win, in 1983.
“There’s just more pure numbers of African runners,” said Goucher, who noted that the field of five American women with personal bests under 2:30 was the strongest in years.
“That’s a good team of American women,” she said. “One day the opportunity is going to be there.”
This year it was the men’s race with the sprint to the finish.
Desisa, 23, was among a group of nine men — all from Kenya or Ethiopia — who broke away from the pack in the first half of the race. There were three remaining when they came out of Kenmore Square with a mile to go.
But Desisa quickly pulled away and widened his distance in the sprint to the tape. It’s Desisa’s second victory in as many marathons, having won in Dubai in January in 2:04:45.
He is the fourth Ethiopian to win the men’s race and the first since his training partner, Deriba Merga, won in 2009. Desisa is the 24th East African to win in the past 26 years and Jeptoo is 15th East African winner in the last 17 years on the women’s side.
A year after heat approaching 90 degrees sent record numbers of participants in search of medical help, temperatures in the high 40s greeted the field of 24,662 at the start in Hopkinton. It climbed to 54 degrees by the time the winners reached Copley Square in Boston.
Lelisa Desisa crosses the finish line claiming the first Ethiopian men’s victory in Boston since 2009. Picture: AFP/Jim Rogash Source: AFP
“Here we have a relative newcomer,” said Ethiopia’s Gebregziabher Gebremariam, who finished third. “Everything changes.”
In just his second race at the 26.2-mile distance, Desisa finished 5 seconds ahead of Kenya’s Micah Kogo to earn $150,000 and the traditional olive wreath. American Jason Hartmann finished fourth for the second year in a row.
“It was more of a tactical race, the Ethiopian versus the Kenyans. That fight played out very well,” defending champion Wesley Korir, a Kenyan citizen and U.S. resident, said after finishing fifth.
“The Ethiopians run very good tactical races. One thing I always say is, ‘Whenever you see more than five Ethiopians in a race, you ought to be very careful.’ As Kenyans, we ought to go back to the drawing board and see if we can get our teamwork back.”
Rita Jeptoo averted the Keynan shutout by winning the women’s race for the second time. Jeptoo, who also won in 2006, finished in 2:26:25 for her first victory in a major race since taking two years off after having a baby.
After a series of close finishes in the women’s race — five consecutive years with 3 seconds or less separating the top two — Jeptoo had a relatively comfortable 33-second margin over Meseret Hailu of Ethiopia. Defending champion Sharon Cherop of Kenya was another 3 seconds back.
Shalane Flanagan, of nearby Marblehead, was fourth in the women’s division in her attempt to earn the first American victory in Boston since 1985. (Two-time winner Joan Benoit Samuelson, running on the 30th anniversary of her 1983 victory, finished in 2:50:29 to set a world record for her age group.)
“The hardest part about Boston is the Bostonians want it just as bad as we do, which really tugs at our heart,” said Flanagan, a three-time Olympian. “We all want it too. We want to be the next Joanie.”
Kara Goucher, of Portland, Ore., was sixth for her third top 10 finish in Boston as many tries. The last American woman to win here was Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach in ’85; Greg Meyer was the last U.S. man to win, in 1983.
“There’s just more pure numbers of African runners,” said Goucher, who noted that the field of five American women with personal bests under 2:30 was the strongest in years.
“That’s a good team of American women,” she said. “One day the opportunity is going to be there.”
This year it was the men’s race with the sprint to the finish.
Desisa, 23, was among a group of nine men — all from Kenya or Ethiopia — who broke away from the pack in the first half of the race. There were three remaining when they came out of Kenmore Square with a mile to go.
But Desisa quickly pulled away and widened his distance in the sprint to the tape. It’s Desisa’s second victory in as many marathons, having won in Dubai in January in 2:04:45.
He is the fourth Ethiopian to win the men’s race and the first since his training partner, Deriba Merga, won in 2009. Desisa is the 24th East African to win in the past 26 years and Jeptoo is 15th East African winner in the last 17 years on the women’s side.
A year after heat approaching 90 degrees sent record numbers of participants in search of medical help, temperatures in the high 40s greeted the field of 24,662 at the start in Hopkinton. It climbed to 54 degrees by the time the winners reached Copley Square in Boston.
Aid agencies turn blind eye to ‘catastrophe’ in Ethiopia
Survival International . Three new reports predict disaster in Lower Omo Valley
Three independent reports have warned that the controversial Gibe III dam, and land grabs for plantations, risk imminent ‘catastrophe’ in Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley.
Half a million tribal people in Ethiopia and Kenya stand to be overwhelmed by these projects, whose immediate suspension Survival International has demanded.
- Lake Turkana and the Lower Omo – Hydrological Impacts of Major Dam and Irrigation Projects published by the Africa Studies Centre at Oxford University predicts the Ethiopian government’s Kuraz Sugar Project alone will cause Lake Turkana, the world’s largest desert lake, to drop by up to 22 meters. Much of the lake’s aquatic life will be destroyed, including fish stocks vital to the Turkana and other peoples living by the lake.
Bodi, Kwegu and Mursi tribespeople are now being forcibly evicted for the Kuraz project and moved into resettlement areas. Once here, they are told they must sell most of their herds and can only keep a few head of cattle. The Bodi have been told they will only get food aid when they have moved.
Humanitarian Catastrophe and Regional Armed Conflict Brewing in the Transborder Region of Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan published by the Africa Resources Working Group concludes that 200,000 tribal people in Ethiopia and 300,000 in Kenya will suffer irreversible impacts from the dam and plantations.
It warns that because the dam will cause the elimination of the Omo River’s natural flood, the river’s flow will be reduced by 60-70%, and the livelihoods of the tribes who live along its banks and in its plains will be devastated. It predicts ‘major inter-ethnic conflict’.
- The Downstream Impacts of Ethiopia’s Gibe III Dam – East Africa’s Aral Sea in the Making? published by International Rivers warns that the hydrological changes from the dam and associated irrigation for the plantations, which will use fertilizers, may lead to dead zones in the Omo River.
It says that the ‘destruction of livelihoods in the Lower Omo and the coercion necessary to appropriate their lands for plantation agriculture will severely disrupt the lives of an estimated 200,000-300,000 [tribal] people’. It calls for funding for the dam to be halted.
Three new reports predict ‘catastrophe’ for half a million tribal people such as the Mursi of Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley.
Half a million tribal people in Ethiopia and Kenya stand to be overwhelmed by these projects, whose immediate suspension Survival International has demanded.
- Lake Turkana and the Lower Omo – Hydrological Impacts of Major Dam and Irrigation Projects published by the Africa Studies Centre at Oxford University predicts the Ethiopian government’s Kuraz Sugar Project alone will cause Lake Turkana, the world’s largest desert lake, to drop by up to 22 meters. Much of the lake’s aquatic life will be destroyed, including fish stocks vital to the Turkana and other peoples living by the lake.
Bodi, Kwegu and Mursi tribespeople are now being forcibly evicted for the Kuraz project and moved into resettlement areas. Once here, they are told they must sell most of their herds and can only keep a few head of cattle. The Bodi have been told they will only get food aid when they have moved.
The Gibe III dam will stop the Omo River’s natural flood, on which the tribes depend.
It warns that because the dam will cause the elimination of the Omo River’s natural flood, the river’s flow will be reduced by 60-70%, and the livelihoods of the tribes who live along its banks and in its plains will be devastated. It predicts ‘major inter-ethnic conflict’.
- The Downstream Impacts of Ethiopia’s Gibe III Dam – East Africa’s Aral Sea in the Making? published by International Rivers warns that the hydrological changes from the dam and associated irrigation for the plantations, which will use fertilizers, may lead to dead zones in the Omo River.
It says that the ‘destruction of livelihoods in the Lower Omo and the coercion necessary to appropriate their lands for plantation agriculture will severely disrupt the lives of an estimated 200,000-300,000 [tribal] people’. It calls for funding for the dam to be halted.
Tilahun Regassa wins Rotterdam marathon
ROTTERDAM (Apr 14) -- Ethiopia's Tilahun Regassa won the Rotterdam marathon on Sunday in a time of 2hr 05min and 37sec for the 23-year-old's first marathon victory.Regassa's time was more than a minute below the record in the Dutch port city of 2:04:27, set in 2009 by Kenya's Duncan Kibet Kirong.Ethiopia's Getu Feleke finished the 33rd Rotterdam marathon second, as he did in 2012, with a time of 2:06:46.Kenya's Sammy Kitwara came third with a time of 2:07:22.Winner Regassa made his marathon debut in Chicago last October. Tilahun Regassa (Photo: SuperSport)Kenenisa Defends Title at Great Ireland Run
(GreatIrelandRun) -- The legendary Kenenisa Bekele produced an awesome performance, despite gusting winds reaching 50 miles per hour, to comfortably defend his SPAR Great Ireland Run title in Dublin.
The Ethiopian on a day definitely not favouring fast times confidently coped with the conditions to win the 10km race in 28:51, well clear of Ukrainian Sergey Lebid and the winner's fellow countryman Ibrahim Jeilan who clocked 29:08 and 29:18 respectively.
Lauren Howarth, better known for her performances over shorter distances, claimed the women's crown in a much closer contest defeating fellow Britons, the defending champion Gemma Steel by 13sec with a time of 33:36 and Julia Bleasdale who finished in 33:53.
Bekele has never been beaten on Irish soil winning the World Cross Country long and short course title's there in 2002 and last year's SPAR Great Ireland Run in an All-Comers' record of 27:49, and this year was no different as he stood head-and-shoulders above his rivals at the Phoenix Park venue.
The 30-year-old and Jeilan who deprived Bekele of his World Championships 10,000m title in 2011, were at the front of the pack from the first kilometre towing them through and then passing 2km in 5:52.
Bekele running conservatively then stepped up the pace around 6km taking the highly rated Australian Collis Birmingham, Jeilan and Lebid well clear of the field, before unleashing his first real change of pace.
The speedy input after 21 minutes running saw the World 5,000m and 10,000m record holder open a gap of five metres with Birmingham , who finished an outstanding eighth in last month's World Cross Country and was the only opponent brave enough to try and track him down.
The Aussie paid the price though falling away and looked broken and exhausted after 8km as Bekele relentlessly forged even further ahead in his first race since losing his Olympic 10,000m title at last summer's London Games.
Indeed Birmingham's legs became so weary that Lebid flew by him at 9km followed by Jeilan, who also had a second wind, but neither was ever going to catch the world's greatest track and cross country athlete who had flown through the marker looking awesome.
"It's fantastic," said Bekele determined to make amends for his drop in form over the last couple of years, mainly with a serious calf injury. "I am so happy with my performance."
The multi-World Championships gold medallist determined to regain his title from Jeilan who has a "wildcard" entry in Moscow this summer, added: "Now I am slowly, slowly, getting better. This year will be a great year for me. In all championships I will do better." (April 13, 2013)
Haile Gebreselassie wins Vienna Half Marathon
Ethiopian distance star Haile Gebrselassie won his third consecutive Vienna half marathon on Sunday, timing one hour one minute and 14 seconds.Gebrselassie, a double Olympic 10,000 metres champion who turns 40 next week, took control of the race at the midway point.After crossing the line ahead of Kenya's Hosea Kipkemboi (1hr02.21) and Ethiopian Mekuant Ayenew (1hr02.21) he reflected: "It was a magnificent festival, with a golden public who didn't stop encouraging me."In March, Gebrselassie stated he was still in love with running and had no intention of retiring."As long as I enjoy it so much I will keep running and I don't know how and when this will finish," he said.He is scheduled to take part in a race in Bern on May 18 before defending his Great Manchester 10km Run title on May 26.His Vienna performance was outside his two previous winning times in 2011 and 2012, and well short of his best ever half marathon mark of 58 minutes 55 seconds set in Phoenix in 2006.Waldorf students reflect on service learning trip to Ethiopia
Fiona Craig, Eryn Graham-Amodeo, Alexander Lawson and Julia Karp left for Ethiopia on Feb. 17 and returned March 1. They were chaperoned by high school music teacher Katie Hooper and seventh-grade teacher and lower school chairman Brian Ruel.
Last week, the four students gave a presentation on their trip to fellow students, teachers, parents and donors to the trip, sharing Ethiopian food, photos, stories and reflections on what the experience meant to them.
Welcome to the whipped nation - FDRE
By Yilma Bekele
April 15, 2013
Animal trainers use a whip with a stiff handle to show who the boss is. A whip is used to gain control and achieve compliance using pain. During slavery in the US whipping was a powerful weapon used by the white master. Whipping to humiliate was the hallmark of the Apartheid regime in South Africa. Whipping is an old fashioned tool and really not that effective. Today psychological form of mental whipping is what is practiced by totalitarian regimes.This cruel art was perfected by the old Soviet Union and taken to new heights by regimes such as East Germany. The Woyane regime in Ethiopia and the dictatorship in North Korean are the new practitioners of this inhuman method of turning a whole nation into one big concentration camp. How do they do that?
April 15, 2013
Animal trainers use a whip with a stiff handle to show who the boss is. A whip is used to gain control and achieve compliance using pain. During slavery in the US whipping was a powerful weapon used by the white master. Whipping to humiliate was the hallmark of the Apartheid regime in South Africa. Whipping is an old fashioned tool and really not that effective. Today psychological form of mental whipping is what is practiced by totalitarian regimes.This cruel art was perfected by the old Soviet Union and taken to new heights by regimes such as East Germany. The Woyane regime in Ethiopia and the dictatorship in North Korean are the new practitioners of this inhuman method of turning a whole nation into one big concentration camp. How do they do that?
The North Koreans use communism in tandem with a home grown philosophy called Juche to reengineer the human brain. Individualism is substituted by collectivism, self-reliance and independence is not tolerated thus vertical collectivism meaning hierarchical form of structure is deemed to be the norm. With the old Soviet and China using it as a buffer for their own interest N. Korea has managed to survive for over fifty years as a pitiful example of man’s inhumanity to man. The demise of the Soviet Union and the slow pace of China’s crawl towards freedom is what is unnerving the N. Korean dictatorship.
The Ethiopian situation is a little different. Our old tradition steeled in isolation is a fertile ground for any and all usurpers’ that want to use our good nature for ulterior means. The fall of the benevolent Imperial regime opened the flood gates to all sorts of undesirable and unhinged individuals to come to power. The Mengistu regime was a perfect example of an experiment gone wrong. The little Colonel was obviously out of his depth as a leader of a nation when he was not even experienced or competent enough to lead a unit. His motto was kill’em all before they kill you and it worked.
Meles Zenawi and his rag tag TPLF army was served our country on a silver platter and inherited a demoralized and confused nation on the verge of total melt down. The coward Mengistu’s only interest was to save his criminal behind and left our country in the middle of the night with the door wide open. That is what we have been dealing with the last twenty years or so, another experiment gone totally wrong.
Meles Zenawi was a street smart, definitely a mentally deranged individual with enough intelligence to hide his antisocial behavior. Here is a definition of psychopathic type in Cleckley’s book the ‘Mask of sanity’
‘Primary symptoms of the antisocial personality are amorality (lack of ethical standards and consistent moral judgment) and impulsiveness. They typically have a hunger for stimulation and a lack of responsiveness to social controls. The sociopath will commit the same crimes or antisocial behavior repeatedly, even if caught and punished. When caught red-handed, a sociopath makes charming apologies and talks of how life will be different from now on. But he or she is likely to slide back into the same bad patterns. There is little effort to conceal wrongdoing; if caught, the sociopath freely confesses and tries to make everything all right with personal charm. But a sociopath has no real regrets over hurting people or breaking rules; the apologies come almost too readily because they are totally insincere, a means of minimizing the consequences of being caught rather than expressing true regrets.’
What do you think? Doesn’t this personality trait describe our recently departed bully? This was the person that was left in charge upon the other sociopath’s departure. This is what our poor nation has been dealing with the last forty years. The next question is what is it about us that attractssuch abusers and mentally disturbed individuals to positions of power and authority? To answer that question we have to look at our rankings in such fields as education, health, technology and general quality of life of our homeland. How we interact with each other, how we interact with our leaders and how we view life in general is based on how much knowledge and sophistication we have achieved in our everyday life. It is not based on wish but on existing reality that is definable, measurable and real. Here is a general description of where we stand as a nation and people on important qualities that makes us who we are.
Dr. Getachew Belaineh Memorial Fund launched
GAINESVILLE, Florida -- A Dr Getachew Belaineh Memorial Fund has been launched by relatives and friends of the late scientist whose passion for the environment had won him the admiration of his colleagues and all those who had known his invaluable contributions. Beyond contributing to environmental issues, Engineer Getachew was also a concerned scholar about the wellbeing of his native country and people of Ethiopia for which he wrote insightful articles that were published on Ethiomedia.com. Friends and family members would like to immortalize Getachew by launching a memorial fund that would build on the legacy he left behind.Following is the full text released in connection with the launch of the Dr. Getachew Belaineh Memorial Fund.Dr. Getachew Belaineh, a visionary and passionate advocate for the conservation and sustainable utilization of natural resources and environmental protection, died on February 18, 2013 in Gainesville, Florida after a brief illness. He was surrounded by his family, relatives and friends.
Dr. Getachew was born on May 21, 1954 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He attended both the Menelik II Elementary and Secondary Schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Dr. Getachew was a consummate family man. He was married for 23 years, and he was the father of two beautiful daughters, whom he dearly loved. He was a dear friend to many, fun and energetic, had a great sense of humor, and he treated all people with respect.In 1978 he received his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from Addis Ababa University Alemaya College of Agriculture, (now Haramaya University, Alamaya, Ethiopia) and was subsequently awarded a full scholarship by the United Nations Development Program to attend the Utah State University, where he was awarded his Master of Science in Irrigation Engineering in 1984 and his Doctor of Philosophy in Civil and Environmental Engineering (with an emphasis on groundwater hydrology) in 1995.
In the early years of his career, Engineer Getachew worked in both the public and private sector. As a field technician for the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, he contributed to an irrigation development project for low-lying semi-arid areas. As the head of the Ethiopian government's Large-Scale Irrigation Project in the Great Rift Valley region, he worked with international engineers and contributed tremendously to the development of modern irrigation schemes. In 1986, Dr. Getachew moved to the Ethiopian Office of the Council of Ministers and served as water resource technical advisor to the prime minister. In this role, he coordinated agriculture and water resource development, international aid, and helped to set policy, goals and budgets.After his PhD, Engineer Getachew joined the St. Johns River Water Management District in Florida. In his most recent position as a Senior Engineer/Scientist, he brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the District and greatly benefited the region. He managed several environmental protection and restoration projects, including the one in the lower St. Johns River basin near Jacksonville, Florida, and another in the State’s northern coastal basin. He oversaw the collection of water quality data, which was used to quantify the effect of tides, and helped to develop computer simulation models to assess the effects of environmental variables. Recently, Dr. Getachew had become the leader of a group of scientists who collaborated with scientists from Asia, Europe, Africa, and the United States to develop strategies to reduce pollution in the Indian River Lagoon, a large coastal water body in Florida.Dr. Getachew also was a dedicated scholar and he was a lecturer at Arba Mench Water Technology Institute. Dr. Getachew presented his research at many national/international meetings and he organized Technical Symposium and Workshops related to Hydrodynamics, Hydrology and Water Supply Impact Study (WSIS). Engineer Getachew published numerous research and technical papers cited frequently by many other authors. Most importantly, his brilliant intellect and seminal works in groundwater simulation and modeling have changed the course of water reservoir decision rules and stream and aquifer system flows.
As his colleagues at the St. Johns River Water Management District have attested, “Getachew was a great engineer/scientist.” He was passionate and actively engaged in coastal environmental issues. He always ensured that we would “get the science right.”
In addition to his direct responsibilities, Dr. Getachew also wrote several insightful articles related to Ethiopian economic development, environment, and water resources. Among them are:
A Note to the New Ethiopian Prime Minister; A Personal Memoir: The Ameliorating and Deteriorating Faces of Addis; Ethiopia: Chronicle of Addis Ababa’s Extreme Makeover; Environment and Development in Ethiopia; Thank You Alwero and Baro Rivers of Gambella, Ethiopia; and A Translation of the Water Cycle in Amharic.Through his elegant solutions to complex environmental problems, Dr. Getachew catalyzed dialogue amongst citizens, and he contributed tremendously to our beloved country. He will always be remembered as an inspiration to others, and his consistent good nature, professionalism, and big heart will be sorely missed, not only by his family, but by relatives, friends, colleagues, and the scientific community.Dr. Getachew family, relatives and friends established memorial fund to continue his legacy live on through science and technology related to the environment. Donations in his honor and memory can be deposited to the following account: Dr. Getachew Belaineh Memorial Fund Bank: Bank of America
Account Number: 063100277
Routing number: 898058728902
Contact: Tesfaye Mersha: 513-512-9591
May the Almighty God grant that his soul rest in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Ethiopia: Regime tries to break morale of jailed female journalist
By Sudan Tribune
April 13, 2013
Addis Ababa — The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed concern about the safety of Reeyot Alemu, a jailed Ethiopian journalist and teacher.
In a protest letter to Birhan Hailu, Ethiopia's justice minister, Joel Simon, CPJ's Executive Director asked that Alemu, whose health has reportedly deteriorated since being held on terrorism charges, to withdraw the threat of placing her in solitary confinement.Human rights and press freedom groups have long accused Addis Ababa of using its controversial terrorism legislation to curb opposition and stifle the media in the East African nation."Prison authorities have threatened Reeyot with solitary confinement for two months as punishment for alleged bad behavior toward them and threatening to publicize human rights violations by prison guards" said CPJ's letter, which was published on its website.
Despite pledges to the contrary Ethiopia's Ministry of Justice has failed to ensure that Reeyot's full human rights have not been violated during her detention, which began in June 2011."We urge you to fulfill Ethiopia's promise to build a humane and democratic state by withdrawing the threat of solitary confinement against Reeyot and ensuring her access to adequate medical care" CPJ said.
"No journalists should face detention or imprisonment in the exercise of their duty"Reeyot, a columnist for the now-defunct independent weekly Feteh, is being held of the basis of accusation that she was involved in a vague terrorism plot.In January 2012 she was sentenced her to 14 years in prison under the country's anti-terrorism law however an appeals court later in August, reduced the initial sentence to five years after the court dropped most of the terrorism charges pressed against the journalist, who is known for writing columns critical of the government.CPJ has also expressed grave concern over the deteriorating health conditions of Reeyot saying she has been denied of access to adequate medical treatment after she was diagnosed with a tumor in her breast.Reeyot is a 2012 winner of the International Women's Media Foundation Courage Award.International human right groups accuse Ethiopia of using the country's broadly defined anti-terrorism law to punish critical journalists and opposition members, an allegation Addis Ababa denies.In 2011 the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, Juan E. Méndez, urged the prohibition of "the imposition of solitary confinement as punishment - either as part of a judicially imposed sentence or a disciplinary measure."In the report the special rapporteur urged Ethiopia to fulfill its obligation as signatory to the United Nations Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
April 13, 2013
Addis Ababa — The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed concern about the safety of Reeyot Alemu, a jailed Ethiopian journalist and teacher.In a protest letter to Birhan Hailu, Ethiopia's justice minister, Joel Simon, CPJ's Executive Director asked that Alemu, whose health has reportedly deteriorated since being held on terrorism charges, to withdraw the threat of placing her in solitary confinement.Human rights and press freedom groups have long accused Addis Ababa of using its controversial terrorism legislation to curb opposition and stifle the media in the East African nation."Prison authorities have threatened Reeyot with solitary confinement for two months as punishment for alleged bad behavior toward them and threatening to publicize human rights violations by prison guards" said CPJ's letter, which was published on its website.
Despite pledges to the contrary Ethiopia's Ministry of Justice has failed to ensure that Reeyot's full human rights have not been violated during her detention, which began in June 2011."We urge you to fulfill Ethiopia's promise to build a humane and democratic state by withdrawing the threat of solitary confinement against Reeyot and ensuring her access to adequate medical care" CPJ said.
"No journalists should face detention or imprisonment in the exercise of their duty"Reeyot, a columnist for the now-defunct independent weekly Feteh, is being held of the basis of accusation that she was involved in a vague terrorism plot.In January 2012 she was sentenced her to 14 years in prison under the country's anti-terrorism law however an appeals court later in August, reduced the initial sentence to five years after the court dropped most of the terrorism charges pressed against the journalist, who is known for writing columns critical of the government.CPJ has also expressed grave concern over the deteriorating health conditions of Reeyot saying she has been denied of access to adequate medical treatment after she was diagnosed with a tumor in her breast.Reeyot is a 2012 winner of the International Women's Media Foundation Courage Award.International human right groups accuse Ethiopia of using the country's broadly defined anti-terrorism law to punish critical journalists and opposition members, an allegation Addis Ababa denies.In 2011 the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, Juan E. Méndez, urged the prohibition of "the imposition of solitary confinement as punishment - either as part of a judicially imposed sentence or a disciplinary measure."In the report the special rapporteur urged Ethiopia to fulfill its obligation as signatory to the United Nations Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Liberating a “Prison Nation” – Alemayehu G. Mariam
by Alemayehu G. Mariam
Ethiopia today is a “prison of nations and nationalities with the Oromo being one of the prisoners”, proclaimed the recently issued Declaration of the Congress of the Oromo Democratic Front (ODF). This open-air prison is administered through a system of “bogus federalism” in which “communities exercise neither self-rule nor shared-rule but have been enduring the TPLF/EPRDF’s tyrannical rule for more than two decades.” The jail keepers or the “ruling party directly and centrally micro-manage all communities by pre-selecting its surrogates that the people are then coerced to ‘elect’ at elections that are neither free nor fair”. Ethiopians can escape from “prison nation” and get on the “path to democracy, stability, peace, justice, and sustainable development” when they are able to establish a democratic process in which “all communities elect their representatives in fair and free elections.”
The ODF is a “new movement” launched by “pioneers of the Oromo nationalist struggle” who “have mapped out a new path that embraces the struggle of all oppressed Ethiopians for social justice and democracy.” Central to the collective struggle to bust the walls and crash the gates of “prison nation” Ethiopia is a commitment to constitutional democracy based on principles of “shared and separate political institutions as the more promising and enduring uniting factor” and robust protections for civil liberties and civil rights. Shared governance and the rule of law provide the glue “that will bind the diverse nations into a united political community” and return to the people their government which has been privatized and corporatized by the ruling regime “to advance and serve their partisan and sectarian interests.”
The Declaration foresees genuine federalism as the basis for freedom, justice and equality in Ethiopia. It argues that the ruling Tigriyan Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) hijacked the federalism, which was originally birthed by the “mounting pressures of the struggles for self-determination by the Oromo and other oppressed nations”, and subsequently corrupted it into a political scheme that serves the “present ruling elite’s aspiration of emerging and permanently remaining as a new dominant group by simply stepping into the shoes of those that it replaced.” The ODF “aspire[s] to build on the positive aspects of Ethiopia’s current federal set-up” by “remov[ing] the procedural and substantive shortcomings that stand in the way of democracy and federalism.”
The Declaration finds traditional notions of unity inadequate. “Invoking a common history, culture or language has not guaranteed unity. We similarly reject the present ruling party’s presumption that it serves as the sole embodiment and defender of the so-called ‘revolutionary democratic unity.’” It also rejects “the ruling party’s illusory expectation that the promotion of economic development would serve as an alternative source of unity in the absence of democratic participation.” The Declaration incorporates principles of constitutional accountability, separation of powers and check balances and enumerates “bundles” of participatory, social and cultural rights secured in international human rights conventions. It proposes “overhauling” the civil service system and restructuring of the military and intelligence institutions to serve the society instead of functioning as the private protective services of the ruling party and elites. The Declaration broadly commits to economic and social justice and condemns the mistreatment and “eviction from ancestral lands of indigenous populations, and environmental degradation.”
Significance of the Declaration
The world is constantly changing and we must change with it. Henry David Thoreau correctly
Ethiopia today is a “prison of nations and nationalities with the Oromo being one of the prisoners”, proclaimed the recently issued Declaration of the Congress of the Oromo Democratic Front (ODF). This open-air prison is administered through a system of “bogus federalism” in which “communities exercise neither self-rule nor shared-rule but have been enduring the TPLF/EPRDF’s tyrannical rule for more than two decades.” The jail keepers or the “ruling party directly and centrally micro-manage all communities by pre-selecting its surrogates that the people are then coerced to ‘elect’ at elections that are neither free nor fair”. Ethiopians can escape from “prison nation” and get on the “path to democracy, stability, peace, justice, and sustainable development” when they are able to establish a democratic process in which “all communities elect their representatives in fair and free elections.”The ODF is a “new movement” launched by “pioneers of the Oromo nationalist struggle” who “have mapped out a new path that embraces the struggle of all oppressed Ethiopians for social justice and democracy.” Central to the collective struggle to bust the walls and crash the gates of “prison nation” Ethiopia is a commitment to constitutional democracy based on principles of “shared and separate political institutions as the more promising and enduring uniting factor” and robust protections for civil liberties and civil rights. Shared governance and the rule of law provide the glue “that will bind the diverse nations into a united political community” and return to the people their government which has been privatized and corporatized by the ruling regime “to advance and serve their partisan and sectarian interests.”
The Declaration foresees genuine federalism as the basis for freedom, justice and equality in Ethiopia. It argues that the ruling Tigriyan Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) hijacked the federalism, which was originally birthed by the “mounting pressures of the struggles for self-determination by the Oromo and other oppressed nations”, and subsequently corrupted it into a political scheme that serves the “present ruling elite’s aspiration of emerging and permanently remaining as a new dominant group by simply stepping into the shoes of those that it replaced.” The ODF “aspire[s] to build on the positive aspects of Ethiopia’s current federal set-up” by “remov[ing] the procedural and substantive shortcomings that stand in the way of democracy and federalism.”
The Declaration finds traditional notions of unity inadequate. “Invoking a common history, culture or language has not guaranteed unity. We similarly reject the present ruling party’s presumption that it serves as the sole embodiment and defender of the so-called ‘revolutionary democratic unity.’” It also rejects “the ruling party’s illusory expectation that the promotion of economic development would serve as an alternative source of unity in the absence of democratic participation.” The Declaration incorporates principles of constitutional accountability, separation of powers and check balances and enumerates “bundles” of participatory, social and cultural rights secured in international human rights conventions. It proposes “overhauling” the civil service system and restructuring of the military and intelligence institutions to serve the society instead of functioning as the private protective services of the ruling party and elites. The Declaration broadly commits to economic and social justice and condemns the mistreatment and “eviction from ancestral lands of indigenous populations, and environmental degradation.”
Significance of the Declaration
The world is constantly changing and we must change with it. Henry David Thoreau correctly
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