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Person of the Year – nominees

Posted on , Updated on by Elias Kifle

Ethiopian Review is resuming its tradition of naming “Person of the Year” at the end of every year. The man or woman chosen as person of the year is believed to have made significant contributions for the betterment of Ethiopia in the past 12 months. Readers’ opinion is heavily weighed in making the selection, so let’s hear from you. The following are the nominees:

[In alphabetical order]

Alemayehu Gebremariam
Andargachew Tsige
Berhanu Nega
Bertukan Mideksa
Chris Smith
Daud Ibsa
Donald Payne
Ephraim Isaac
Haile Gebreselassie
Issayas Afeworki
Meseret Defar
Mesfin Woldemariam
Mohamed Omer Osman
Obang Metho

The announcement will be made on December 31, 2007.

485 thoughts on “Person of the Year – nominees”

  1. TOLA #79 YOU ARE CORRECT EVERY ONE SHOULD REMEMBER WHAT BIRHANU SAID”IF YOU WANT FREE ETHIOPIA FREE YOUR OWN SELF FIRST.”DR.BIRHANU MUST BE THE MAN OF THE YEAR

  6. There are no enough women in Ethiopia to be nominated for person of the year? What about Seblework Tadesse, the young female prisoner whom we once admired of her effors? There are so many others too. This cannot be representative.

  7. Dr Birhanu is the hope of millions of Ethiopians but he got some serious enemies like EPRP and power hungry diaspora politicians who has been taking the money of diaspora Ethiopians in the name of political and armed struggle. For such people Birhanu is a night mare. Ethiopians back home love Dr Birhanu and see him as a messenger

  11. Dr. Birhanu is one of the best outspoken openminded visionery leader our country ever had.
    I wish if people like him get together and moblize all behind them with there beautiful words and deeds … so that our country could enjoy the fruits of living in free society.
    I wish him long life and good health

    I believe he will galvinize us once more to our expactation
    Dont let us down Dr. Birhanu
    You are our voice
    we follow you

    If we find wrong in you.. we will acuse you… remember
    And I know you know that … that it is democracy!

    Bless you God

    Go Go Go
    Dr!

  12. The same poll was conducted by nazret. Unfortunately nazret has lost the moral authority and decided to include the killer and the nightmare of our nation. Surprisingly manipulated the data to post the killer as a person of the year, to me it seems nazret has collected his friends and woyane mafias to vote for the thief.

    Elias,
    Thank you for excluding the butcher from the list.
    My choice is for Prof. Alemayehu

  13. Dr. Berhanu Nega,
    You are the greatest, I wish if you could be named as person of the century.I wish if your picture could be on the cover of Time megazine so that the world would know who you are and where you came from.
    keep up the good job!!!!

  14. Dr.Birhanu comes from hard working family who has developed the art of making wealth through a love of a country whereas the thug (dureye) Meles comes from a banda parents known selling the interest of that land to enemies.Melles has never worked and paid tax nor his parents but he got the freedom to kill and distroy a land he grew up abusing so how on earth would anyone compare the incomparable unless she or him are Bandas.

  16. If Kinijit was a person it would be by far my favourite person. But it is not, as we all know.

    For me Dr. Birhanu Nega is the man of the year. He is richly gifted with a brilliant mind, courageous, witty, and full of compassion. I highly admire prof. Al Mariam, Mr obang Metho, W/t Birtukan Mideksa, Ato Andargachew Tsige, Prof. Mesfin W/ mariam as well. Big respect to Mr. Daud Ibsa, Mr. Chris Smith, Mr. Donald Paine.
    Elias you didn’t make us the choise that easy :-))

    God bless Ethiopiachn!

  17. Dr Birhanu Nega is the Person of the Millennium. No one can match him. He is a visionary, democrat, genuis, affable and most importantly diplomatic. So, Dr Nega is best of the best. He shouldn’t be in this category.

    My vote for Person of the Year goes to Meron Ahadu. She is the Birtukan or Lady Liberty of the Diaspora Ethiopians. She is the force behind the HR2003 taskforce. Her works for HR2003 is priceless. Besides, she courageously left the hardliner EPRP’s women forum so called “International Ethiopian Women’s Organization” after she found out their hidden agenda. I say MERON AHADU is the Person of the Year!!!
    !!Go Meron Go!!!

  24. Berhanu is the most articulate and passionate advocate of representative democracy and sustainable development in Ethiopian politics today.’

    None of us has taken a poll, but I tell you, I’ve never seen anyone inspire Ethiopians like Berhanu. I’ve seen completely apathetic folks roused by his speeches. He’s so different from the rest, they say.

  25. Demis Belete
    I am not aware of any other Ethiopian journalist that accomplished what Demis Belete did. Some people don’t want the existence of EPPF to be recognized, but Demis revealed it. They smeared negative propagandas and lies, and he exposed the naked truth. No one dared to go to the war zone, through Eritrea, to verify lots of activities, but he took the risk and did it. Some want us to feel hopeless about EPPF and other organizations including the Eritrean people, and yet he gave us hope by shading light to the hidden truth. One word that defines him and his friend Mej. Gen. Meskerem Ataly is that they both are risk takers and love Ethiopia deeply. More importantly, he documented the history with his camera and video. The man of the year should be a man with courage, honesty and integrity, of course, for sake of his fellow men, and fulfilling his personal values; he did it before; he did it a second time, and he will do it again, and that man is Demis Belete; comparatively speaking, all the rest are doing it in their comfort Zones except Demis Belete— putting at risk all that he owned for the sake of the people of Ethiopia.

  28. so difficult me to nominate as a person of the year. judge Birtukan , a uniqe and simply golden human being. articulated politician, real judge,polite and the most beatifull woman on earth,Dr birhanu well educated economist, articulated politician, open and sharp minded, visionary leader, prof ale, just hereo man, ato andargachew, talented, articulated ,open and sharp minded, judge obang metho,open and sharp, peace lover and true ethiopiai, ato dawi ibsa is freedom fighter , better than other narrow minded his colleages,dedicated and communicable man.so difficult to nominate or to give the highest grade especially for the first four. soI NOMINATED EITHER BIRTUKAN AS PERSON OF THE YEAR, IF NOT I NOMINATED MY SELF.I THINK THE LAST DECISION IS BETTER, BECAUSE IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO NOMINATE ALL THESE GREATE ETHIOPIANS

  32. Birtukan Mideksa is the only one for me.She is beautiful, she is inteligent, she is a mother, she is courageous, she is honest she is young and full hope. Above all she is our modern brave politician who sacrifice a lot for Ethiopian people. Went to prison for two years leaving her only child with her family. Birtukan so brave she ignore the brutal Melse warning to kill her and went back to Ethiopia. She is our era of Etege Tayetu. Please vote for Birtukan.

  34. Dr Birhanu Nega is man of the decade ! Birtukan Mideqsa, Alemayehu and Obang Meto all deserve the status. As I have to choose one, so I cast to the visionary Birhanu Nega !

    Geda

  46. Prof Efrem,”Ethiopianism in action yesyerday and to day”
    Loves and stands for Ethiopia thruout his life,regardless of politics,his efforts showed results,he spends his time and resources to help Ethiopian causes.His personality is a role model to any one who opposes or supports the EPRDF.

  49. Birhanu Nega is a leader with a new mind-set, and a new political attitude; unusually open mind politician, which is very hard to be accepted in our old political culture where dogmatism, shrewdness & secrecy is appreciated like intelligence, as oppose transparency and honesty is considered foolishness. But, I can tell you this is the only way out from the usual vicious cycle of Ethiopian politics. It may sound inadequate for some, but no hard headed leader for Ethiopia any more. The new breed of leaders must be the people’s person, with great vision willing to share, ready to be corrected and to compromise if necessary.

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