By Obang Metho
The failures of the Meles regime are rapidly accumulating and not only Ethiopians know about it now. The news and incriminating evidence is reaching out into the international community and it will soon become increasingly difficult to suppress and excuse the behavior of this oppressive dictatorship.
The pressing question now is whether Ethiopians are ready with solutions to the many crises facing Ethiopians should this regime suddenly fall. Unfortunately, I think we are not! We have spent far too much time concentrating on our complaints, but too little time on solutions.
We cannot wait any longer to start initiating a strategic plan to avert what otherwise could lead to even greater disaster. It is all a ticking time bomb. We must take action or our lack of preparedness will be dangerous to our short and long term interests and even to our survival.
It is time to initiate a grand strategy of action that would be in place if and when needed, so that worse chaos does not break out in our beloved country. We call on committed Ethiopians in and outside the country to step out to contribute to finding the needed solutions before it is too late. We are now forming a leadership team to launch the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia. It is a movement to Revive Ethiopia!
Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia—What Does This Mean?
We want to elaborate more on what this Solidarity Movement means. This will not be another political party, but an umbrella movement that will try to bring our people together. The reason it is called a solidarity movement is because right now, everyone is divided based on ethnicity, regional interests, religion, gender, age and viewpoints. We do not have anything that unifies us as one multi-ethnic and pan-Ethiopian institution.
Even the EPRDF who portray themselves as such, is not truly a “pan-Ethiopian” organization but is fake, like their plated gold with only steel on the inside. The EPRDF has always been dominated by the TPLF and advances the interests of a small group of elite within that organization. This is absolutely not about Tigrayans as a people, but about the leadership of this self-serving organization.
The reason we have used the term “new Ethiopia” is because the kind of Ethiopia we envision will be totally different from the Ethiopia we have now or have had in the past. We all know what kind of Ethiopia this has been. It has been toxic to our survival as a people. It is one of the reasons we have so many liberation fronts wanting to separate from us because the poison of this regime is killing all of us. It is one of the reasons that some of us have not felt included as Ethiopians. It is the reason so many of us, especially the educated among us, have fled from Ethiopia for better opportunities in western countries where there is freedom.
The new Ethiopia we want is the kind of Ethiopia where there is equality for all, where we put our humanity before our ethnicity and where there is a rule of law that supports and advances the values of justice, human dignity, freedom, equal opportunity, peace and prosperity, without bias.
This is a movement to Revive Ethiopia because the image of a dying Ethiopia can be seen everywhere—by the image of our dying children who are the future of our nation, by the image of our famines, drought and hunger, by our constant begging for others to feed our people, by a constant stream of new reports regarding gross human rights abuses, the death of any form of democratic or judicial process, by the lack of opportunity leading to so many of us wanting to leave our own country for another or by the death of hope seen in the eyes of our people young and old, including our mothers, sisters and our wives who are now struggling to help the millions of those who are dying —are all signs of the imminent death of this nation.
The revival of our nation will require a moral transformation that can only originate from the breath of our Almighty Creator who will never abandon Ethiopia, but have we abandoned our God and our moral responsibility to our brothers and sisters? We Ethiopians have prided ourselves in being a “proud people” who have never been colonized, but we are killing ourselves with our tribal thinking that continues to divide us into factions with opposing tribal and self interests.
Only from humbly praying to God for moral change within ourselves and then reaching out to others, forgiving those have hurt us and asking for forgiveness from those to whom we have hurt, will we be able to see the dawn of true transformation come to Ethiopia. God will not force us to do the work, but we must choose to follow his life-giving principles and we only then, will we begin to see the revival of life to our nation.
The primary mission of the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia will be to bring all the factions together—political groups, religious groups, liberation groups and civic groups in order to find a path to free the country. We believe that anything that will not include everyone will not provide a lasting solution, but will only lead us to repeating our mistakes of the past.
The Signs of Increasing Decline are Rapidly Accumulating
Almost daily, we Ethiopians hear about another problem in the country that can be at least partially attributed to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his corrupt gang of leaders. The list is endless. Here are some, most all of which have been absurdly denied by the government of Meles as “fabricated” or exaggerations; others which have been blamed on others:
drought and crop failures,
skyrocketing inflation,
starvation and malnourishment of millions of Ethiopians,
the giving away of Ethiopian land to Sudan from Gondor to Gambella,
the intimidation of the opposition
EPRDF control of the recent election,
the thousands of remaining political prisoners,
the repression of the media,
the increase in military spending rather than in feeding the people
lack of agricultural development,
the lack of progress in healthcare, access to clean water, education and infrastructure in most regions of the country,
the lack of private enterprise and land ownership
the gold-plated steel bars in our treasury,
corruption in high places with great disparity between a select elite minority and the rest of an impoverished nation
the human rights atrocities in the Ogaden, in the Afar region, in Beninshangul-Gumuz, in Oromia and other place
constant need for hand-outs from the international community
the inclusion of Ethiopia as being one of the worst countries in the world on most every index of well-being
the pervasive lack of hope throughout the whole country
the lack of unity in addressing these problems
In addition to these many, complex problems within Ethiopia, the entire Horn of Africa is simmering with tension and potential conflicts. An example is the tension between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the tension between Eritrea and Djibouti, the EPRDF invasion of Somalia and the potential problems with Sudan now that the secret deal between Meles and Omar al Bashir, in the making for seven years according to some reliable sources, has come out in the open to the astonishment of most Ethiopians.
Ethiopia has been a key player in establishing alliances—often detrimental to Ethiopians—or in destabilizing relationships between countries in the Horn of Africa. A stable, secure, democratic, free and prosperous Ethiopia could positively affect its neighbors as well as influence others on the continent of Africa as much as the reverse has undermined progress in this area.
Unity Does Not Simply Mean Being Against Meles!
Tomorrow, we will discover another problem area and will hear many call for unity, but what does that really mean? For one, it means action in reaching out to others more than simply rhetoric and secondly, being against the “same enemy” is not enough to develop and to sustain our unity!
For example, it is easy to agree to “hate” Meles and the evil for which he has perpetrated in every corner of Ethiopia, but unity that is sustainable, must mean far more than that. We must start unifying as a country by pro-actively finding solutions to our problems by developing a grand strategy for the future that includes short-term and long-term goals!”
Right now we can find disunity in most every institution, political party, religious group and civic organization within the country and in the Diaspora. We can try to blame Meles for our disunity, which he has indeed tried to advance for his own political gain, but in the final analysis, we are part of that unhealthy system that only works to keep us divided if we agree to play by those rules.
Why do we keep doing so when many are calling our attention to this flaw? I would suggest that the underlying reasons lie within each of us and collectively, we need to re-examine our thinking if we are to change our future. We have tried feudalism and it did not work. We have tried communism and it did not work. We now have tried a tribalism, and fake democracy and it is destroying us.
All of these flawed models required dictatorial leadership that repressed the people. Perhaps, that is the mindset we are in right now that is creating a climate of destructive competition rather than a climate of encouraging the gifts, talents and contributions of many to be collectively used to revive Ethiopia. We must look inside ourselves for our own motivations and evaluate others on this basis as well. If we fight against each other in order to become the next “Meles,” we will not have achieved anything and all who lost their lives will have died in vain.
Instead, a fearless inner battle must be fought in every person and institution between the lust for power, prestige and self-interest and the desire to follow the higher moral principles which will demand sacrifice and service for others, frequently without any material reward.
For instance, do we align with one leader over another because they are “part of our tribe—offering us greater opportunity” or do we support them because they have a larger more inclusive vision for everyone? The best indicator as to whether we have rid ourselves of the pattern of deposing one dictator only to birth another just like the first—like replacing Mengistu with Meles—is whether enough of us change our thinking on the inside. Otherwise, we will be like the person who leaves one abusive spouse only to find another just like the first—or second—someone who may be even worse than the what we had in the beginning!
A Grand Strategy Must Be Developed Now!
Right now, all of the serious problems facing the Meles regime are accumulating exponentially. What that means is that they are apt to reach a tipping point where everything could explode. It is impossible to know what the right triggers may be, but it is clear there are many warning signs. We are in a very dangerous position and we must start preparing so that our country does not fall into greater chaos, suffering and violence—something that would make recovery horribly difficult. Reviving Ethiopia will already be an immensely difficult challenge. We do not want to make it worse by being unprepared.
To date, no one has come forth with a grand strategy for Ethiopia should this government fall. We know what has gone wrong, but do we know how to correct it and how to address the immediate needs of the Ethiopian people for law and order, food, emergency health care, clean water and protection?
Do we know how to prevent ethnic violence, revenge and chaos from breaking out, particularly in light of the great stresses and frustrations of hunger, inflation, injustice, displacement and repression that the people have been enduring for the last years?
Do we know how to engage the institutions of Ethiopian society in embracing the people and providing needed structure and direction during a time of upheaval? These are only the first needs to be addressed immediately. Many layers of less critical, but yet vitally important issues will require careful thought, planning and subsequent action as well.
More complaining and focusing on Meles will not give us the kind of preparation we need; neither will the formation of another group. Yet, no one is stepping up to organize this effort and when people have tried, no one seems to listen possibly because they want to be the ones to do it. This failure to move ahead may be because of jealousy, disagreement, sabotage, lack of focus on developing a vision or because of intimidation and obstructionism on the part of the Meles regime to any opposition parties. Regardless, we must make every attempt to go forward anyway. We do not have the luxury of waiting and must simply do the hard work of developing a strategy, regardless of the obstacles before us.
That is what I am now proposing must be done with great urgency. This is not the first time we have called on Ethiopians to create a greater non-political movement that will push forward a national strategy for the advancement, security and reconciliation of Ethiopians under one umbrella organization. We called for this as far back as when the Kinijit leaders were still in prison and again after they were released—even before their division that led to destroying much of the hope of the Ethiopians people.
We again attempted to call for such a movement on November 17, 2007 in Washington D.C. when we invited Ethiopians from all different ethnic groups and regions in Ethiopia. We did the same on May 15 to 18 during the Worldwide March effort. All of these calls are evidence of why we refuse to stand idly by any longer, allowing Meles to achieve his goals of destroying this nation. Because of that, we are readying ourselves for the next steps of organizing a Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia.
Many talented Ethiopians have joined already. One of the top and most respected leaders who came into this struggle, Dr. Golto Aila from the Solidarity Forum of Ethiopia, joined the Worldwide March committee because he said his conscience would no longer allow him to ignore the misery, pain and horror he is hearing about in Ethiopia.
I cannot name all of the names of the great, bright and committed Ethiopians from diverse ethnic, religious and regional backgrounds because there would be far too many to mention. Therefore, I will only mention a couple of others like my mentors and friends Professor Mammo Muchie and Professor Al Mariam. I admire these individuals and many others for their wisdom and love of their country. They have joined with us not to be the next Meles, but to help free Ethiopia from its bondage.
Urgent Need for a Short-term Plan to Address Possible Emergency Issues
It is absolutely essential that a team of individuals focus on the development of a short-term plan of action to address possible emergency issues that may develop in Ethiopia. We have had a jumpstart on bringing such a team together due to the preliminary work already done by the organizing committee for the Worldwide March for Freedom, Human Rights and Justice in Ethiopia.
Members from this group have strengthened their commitment and determination to now step forward to organize a venue for a leadership team from diverse groups to come together with the purpose of working towards the development of such a vision plan. In doing this, we want to make it very clear that we are not forming another political party. However, we firmly believe that even a small group of committed individuals can make a difference and can lay the groundwork for more to join.
We applaud and value the work of every political party, civic organization, religious group and other groups which are working for the purpose of bringing justice, freedom and prosperity to Ethiopia. We are not in competition with anyone but we are willing to work with all different groups in making this national effort work for the survival of all of us. We may choose different approaches, but hopefully they will join together as we proceed. Also, we understand how very difficult Meles has made it for opposition groups within Ethiopia; yet, hopefully, we will complement each other.
In other words, we are what we have been waiting for and so are you. Together we can free our country. Our purpose is not to be the next Meles, but to pave the way for an environment and a prepared Ethiopian citizenry which can implement and sustain the robust freedoms in Ethiopia that would lead to the formation of a genuine democracy. This team must address how to revive this dying nation and they will need many diverse experts to help, but the work must be started without delay and we trust that experts will be found.
Our immediate goal is the formation of a team of committed core people who are able to address the most critical short-term emergency issues affecting the lives of Ethiopians should the Meles government fall such as:
1. How to ensure law and order in Ethiopia so the rule of law is observed by all people so that Ethiopians are safe.
2. How to feed nine million people who are malnourished, some of whom whose lives are in jeopardy from starvation.
3. How to develop/utilize agricultural resources within the country as soon as possible.
4. How to deal with soaring inflation, especially in light of the food crisis.
5. How to build unity within the country between diverse and alienated groups to ensure peace and stability.
6. How to lay the preliminary groundwork for justice, reconciliation and democracy.
Communication Blockages with Ethiopians Must be Overcome!
It is imperative that a means be found to communicate with the Ethiopian people within the country. Right now, most channels of communication are purposely blocked by the EPRDF, but we have creative, resourceful and gifted Ethiopians who should be able to come up with a means to overcome these obstacles. Financial resources are needed, but again, there are also many successful and well-to-do Ethiopians with the financial assets to pay for such a communication plan and implementation. The time is urgent and we need help from these people. If the situation in Ethiopia explodes, we want to not be caught unprepared.
Experts and Committed People Needed in Most Every Area
Experts, Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians alike, in most every area are needed such as experts in agriculture, economic development, private enterprise, land issues, journalism, broadcasting, government, criminal justice, security, education, family and social problems, health, law, the judiciary and food distribution. Religious leaders, activists and thinkers as well as humanitarian workers are needed along with others in civil society, all of whom must help rebuild, reconcile and reshape Ethiopian society and institutions.
A Team Effort is Essential to represent the Best Interests of the Ethiopian People to the International Community
On numerous occasions we have heard from key government and NGO decision-makers that Ethiopians must become united and speak with one voice in order to exert the greatest impact on international policy-makers who could make a difference in Ethiopia.
This leadership team would initiate pressure in a concerted effort, something far more credible, persuasive and powerful if accompanied by a legitimate, well thought out strategic plan for how to strengthen and stabilize Ethiopia. Regardless, the greatest responsibility for changing Ethiopia remains with the Ethiopian people making it essential for them to come up with a genuine and workable plan for the immediate and long term future.
Our Focus Must Stay on Solutions Rather than in Competing with One Another
Consider what will happen if we become so engaged in counter-productive competition for leadership that we lose our focus on solutions. It would be like a family whose children continue to squabble over toys while a spark has ignited the roof of their hut. They are in danger, but refuse to acknowledge the impending threat to their lives and property.
In order not to lose everything, including their lives, they must start working together to put out the fire. To do so, they must forget about fighting over their toys just like we in the family of Ethiopia must forget about fighting over power or we could lose everything! Instead, we need to think and plan ahead so we are prepared for anything.
This is the main focus of this team. We are ready to take action and work towards finding solutions to present and potential crises because waiting may simply be a death sentence on what Ethiopia could become under the nurturing and protection of those who love this country and its people. The problems of Ethiopia are very complex, but solutions can only be achieved by the people of Ethiopia themselves and this is the hour to revive our dying nation.
We have no agenda of being the next leader of Ethiopia. We are doing this to free the country. Having said that, we are hoping and willing to bring everyone together, starting with those outside of the country to help organize a dialogue among themselves. Once they agree on a common agenda, then we hope to connect to the people in Ethiopia for another dialogue which could eventually will put all the opposition groups on one table and the Ethiopian government on another table to resolve the problems of Ethiopia similar to what has been done in South Africa. We really believe this could be done if opposition groups are willing to put their political agendas aside and focus on freeing the country as the top overriding goal to achieve.
We want to work as a facilitator, not discriminating against any groups or favoring others as long as we can agree on working towards freedom, justice and the respect and dignity of all Ethiopians. We cannot wait for others to do it any longer. We will now pursue this path, God willing, with great diligence. We pray that our God Almighty assists us every step of the way.
For those individuals who are willing to participate as individuals or as an institution, we would be more than happy to hear from you.
Let us put aside all that might separate or distract us and stand together as one. May God empower and guide us!
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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.” (Jeremiah 29: 11-14)
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For more information please contact Mr. Obang Metho, by email at: [email protected]
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22 thoughts on “Meles Will Ultimately Fall – Are We Ready?”
I have nothing but a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Obang Metho and his vision for the Anuak and Ethiopia as a whole. God Bless You.
Mr. Obang I am absoulty agree with your entire idea.As you clearly elborated we need to maintain our solidarity in order to achieve our ultimate goal, i.e. removal of the tplf regime.
By the way I garantee you that many of the Ethiopian people inside and out side of Ethiopia are ready, but I doubt about the so called ERPP group who are concentrated in the Diaspora retiremnet centers and hailu shawel are ready to take the next step since they objective is to destroy and keep fighting major oppostions groups esepecially led by Dr. Birhanu.
When Ethiopia liberates its victory from weyane, the EPRP hyena group lead by Eyasu will continue to cuss out Dr. Birhanu and others again for another 35 years, if they are lucky enough to alive.
My heartily thanks to Mr. Obang. I shared all of your ideas. I do realise the danger and this is what I am looking for. Let the almighty God helps fellow Ethioian’s who care for our country towards the realisation of the solidarity movement.
God bless you and all of us.
Great article. Dear Obang Metho, you’ve nailed it right on the head here. Thanks.
Lets get together and form this movement.That is the only choice we have for our country.We do not depend on poletical groups who have faild us for so many years any more.Yes EPRDF IS slowly diying,and is not to long before it fall.By the way I garantee you that many of the Ethiopian people inside and out side of Ethiopia are ready, but I doubt about the so called ERPP group who are worthless.
What words would I use to describe Obang: clarity, hope, action, dedicated, focused, resilient, and simply a true Ethiopian. And what words would woyane’s use to describe the brother: a migraine headache. We support you Obang in your unwavering relentless dedication in exposing the bandas and working toward a united Ethiopia. I hope people see your previous efforts and plans for the future and donate.
http://www.anuakjustice.org/donatePP.htm
Elias!
Please post this article on the main page.
Thanks.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The education policy of ethnic segregation and spiraling crises inside Ethiopia’s classrooms
In this article, I will focus on drawing some comparison between the Bantustan education policy under the apartheid government in South Africa and the current ethnic-based policy of educational segregation against the Oromo, Sidama, Affar, Gambella, Somali and Southern Nations and Nationalities in Ethiopia. This is to show the existence of a clear double-standard in Ethiopian education system. I will base this analysis on my observation of Ethiopia’s higher learning institutions for a decade now both as a student and as an academic.
This kind of topic requires a detailed empirical research at post-graduate level. Given the current restriction on academic freedom in Ethiopia, it is unlikely that a student or a professor in Ethiopia will be allowed to research such as sensitive, controversial but real topic, which can have the implications of severe punishment: imprisonment, torture or death included. The debates about separate development on Ethiopia’s education policy needs to go beyond conversations and rumors between close circles of friends, relatives and family and needs to attain prominence at least amongst the academics in Diaspora, who have the freedom to engage in such a generation-saving endeavor.
Bantustan Education Policy at a glimpse
In South Africa, the Commission on Native Education, 1949-1951, came up with a report that powerfully influenced the content of the Bantu Education Act of 1953. The report described the key nexus between state education policy and political and economic control of the African population (Badat & Harvey, 2002: 50). The African population included Black South Africans, Indians, Colored (some Asian ethnic groups especially the Chinese were also considered Colored). The African population was isolated and forced into enrolling in under- resourced and understaffed learning institutions that were few in number. Badat and Harvey (2002) further say that besides issues of poor resource and staff, the Boer-government made sure that the curricula of the African schools and universities reflected the dominance of the ideology of white rule and superiority. In effect, African children were forced to learn all subjects in the Afrikaner medium. African education was then placed under the direct control of the Department of Native Affairs.
The act clearly defined what native education meant and what principles it had to follow:
Native education should be based on the principles of trusteeship, non-equality and and segregation; its aims should be to inculcate the white man’s view of life, especially that of the Boer, which is the senior trustee (Brook and Brickhill 1980: 13).
In this way South Africa implemented its notorious and racist policy for a harsh 51 years until the end of apartheid. This and other repressions became one of the factors that led to the famous Soweto uprising of 19 76. The riot was a series of clashes between African youth and South African authorities. The policy surely has had debilitating effects on the skills-shortage on the part of the African population even in post-Mandella South Africa.
The unwritten ‘Bantustan or Oromotustan’ Act in current Ethiopian education policy
I argue that there are real similarities between forms of education policy of the minority-led apartheid South Africa and the minority-led Ethiopia. At primary school level grades 1-8 in all the 9 regional states except Tigray and Addis Ababa, children are taught in their first languages. This is a written policy. I still believe that using first languages in primary education, grade one through six, is a good idea.
The unwritten policy, however, is that students in Tigray region and Addis Ababa ( Finfinnee ) region as opposed to other regions study all subjects in English ,starting at their seventh grade. This gives Tigray and Addis Ababa students better performance because they have two years advantage over students from other regions as they study all subjects in the English language. In high schools and universities the medium of instruction is English in Ethiopia. Students from the 7 other regional sates also want to start their education in English as early as grade 7, but the government has systematically denied them this opportunity.
At their tenth grade students from other regions, Tigray and Addis Ababa sit for the same national examination that set in English in order to pass to preparatory and vocational streams. This is where the policy of segregations deals a below failures to thousands very, very immature children both in terms of their verbal and mathematical skills.
A solid background in English is critical in secondary and university education as textbooks are generally available only in English, which is the official medium of instruction. That is the reason students who are deficient in English skills will not be able to keep up. Besides, the major advantage of speaking English is to use it as a neutral lingua franca to do business and to create wealth across state lines and internationally. However, from the view point of the extremist dictatorship economic growth is not as much a benefit as keeping the population from communicating with one another for political reasons. Also, only the ruling tribes will be able to communicate effectively on a global level.
The model of adopting English as lingua franca is successful in most Anglophone countries in Africa. My Nigerian friend, whom I met in South Africa, told me that Nigeria has over 3000 dialects. He added, “If we were not to speak English, there would be total chaos”. He admits that each tribe fiercely competes with another as they all want their own language to be the best of all. We are facing the same challenge of inter-linguistic competition for prominence in Ethiopia. If English were a successful way of keeping Nigeria together, why cannot it be in Ethiopia?
How can policy of segregation happen in the same country and why? The answer is the regime promotes the supremacy of one ethnic group in education and the economy just like the former regime in South Africa. This is why usually universities are battlegrounds between all other students and the state authorities, and university administrators, who are directly appointed by the Ethiopian Ministry of Education.
If you are a university educator in Ethiopia and do a little bit of observation as well as take a sample of your student grades and compare, the performance difference between students from the two regions advantaged by education policy and 7 others disadvantaged by it even becomes starker. Over five years, I have compared letter grades and raw scores of students from various regions and came up with an observation that in terms of performance ranking students from Addis Ababa region come first, Tigray region second, and then the rest will follow . I asked many of my colleagues informally and they witness the same phenomenon in their student performance.
There is a huge amount of quantitative and qualitative difference not only in grades of students subjected to different policies but also in terms of their class participation, motivation, involvement in tasks, group works and speaking in front the class. The vast majority of students (90 %) of the class I teach make me hopeless in their problem-solving skills and may perhaps lack the skills for leadership in the global market economy, in and outside of their country. Tigray and Addis Ababa states’ students have undoubtedly attained the level of superiority that the regimes have wished for them. Oromo students their counter parts in the 7 other regions share a bitter reality of intellectual underdevelopment and marginalization. Everyday for them is a ‘Bantustan’ experience’ and a ‘Soweto’ experience, discriminations and uprisings. The universities remain to be beleaguered by violent and bloody scenes between the armed Ethiopian authorities and the pen-and-paper-wielding students.
Forced assignments
The criteria the Ministry of Education uses for assigning students to adequately equipped and staffed universities are not clear. This deliberate opacity and vagueness in policy procedures seem to be the ways the unwritten policies of segregation are implemented behind the scenes. Nonetheless, it is clear that the vast majority of students from the repressed regions in the South are assigned to remote, under resourced, understaffed and non-equipped universities. Major universities such as Addis Ababa University and a few others are reserved for students from Tigray and Addis Ababa. Students from the other regions, more often than not, are forcefully assigned to a university and a field of study that is not of their own choice.
Staff composition and recruitment
This is the area where it can be starkly seen that the repressed majority in the country are in the minority in all public universities. It is very rare and hard to find professors from Oromo, Anuak, Gambella, Affar, Somali, Sothern Nations and Nationalities (SNNP). They become even rarer in the ranks of various university leadership positions such as presidentship, deanship, and department head-ship, which are definitely attained by political appointment. 82 % of the country’s population is under-represented in these crucial areas. This has to do with the state’s policy of segregation, mostly unwritten policies, that are easy to see at work in the real world. Many of the unwritten nature of the policies make it more difficult and systematic to question their existence. If something is spelt out, the mass can further take to the streets like Sowetan South Africans did to challenge the legitimacy of such policies. It will also become easier for the international community to condemn these policies if they were written and made publicly available. For a foreigner to see their effects, it requires to be a participant observation researcher, who is willing to stay there and observe for a few years.
Aside from famine, disease, war and all other evils we are seeing under this regime, it should worry us when ‘the thinking organs of a society’- students- are systematically crippled. It is already in question whether the current generation of students will be able to provide leadership in the disciplines they have been trained in, nationally as well as internally. The de facto TPLF/EPRF government of Ethiopia, like its deceased Afrikaner racist government in South Africa, has been promoting ethnic racism and economic supremacy and political domination by a minority. In apartheid South Africa, it was easy to distinguish the skin color of the oppressor from the oppressed; the white Afrikaner was the oppressor while the blacks and Asians were the oppressed. Although the color of the TPLF leaders is distinct from its former analogy in South Africa, the content of their character is essentially the same. The skin similarity of the oppressor and the oppressor in Ethiopia even makes it harder for international onlooker to see the difference and to intervene to stop the animosity.
While this article provides a fairly introductory and incisive insight into the current spiraling crises in Ethiopian education, it invites experts in the field of education to further look into the current malicious educational policies, which are merely there to produce and reproduce the ideological supremacy of the minority tyrant government in stead of producing knowledge that can be used in nation-building.
Qeerransoo Biyyaa
Posted by Oromia at 12:35 PM
0 comments:
WOW! Now,that’s what i call a man with a brain.My prediction for Meles regime to fall is two years. The stars aligning against Meles. Remember, what goes up_must come down,eventually. Let’s be ready!!!
Mr. Obang,
I wish I could speculate that way.
TPLF’s colapse may not come that simple, because of its internal solidarity within. By within, I mean, Tigrean nationals would resuscitate TPLF through its staggering stages for perhaps 30 t0 50 years to come. One need to understand the Tigrean inner works and phobias to predict accurately what moves they take next. Its not Zenawi we are against, but the philosophy per say. Mr Zenawi’s fall from grace does not bring the total colapse of the said ugly philosophy the TPLF brought to our neighbore-hoods. Infact it may be revived by affiliates within TPLF inner circles to another 20 years, then another figuere, to 50 some years. By then Oban and many of us are not arround to even witness true democracy, peace and stability.
The cultural bravado, within nepotist Tribal frame works within Mr. Zenawi cements his fate of philosophy for the years I predicted above, for one.
The second, issue is these sleeze bugs, have no shame, nor humility to care for anyone on this plannet. If Bush shut them out or Washington closes its business with them, they never to hesitate to buddy with Iraq or even Al quadas. This is their true nature they change by the minutes to supplement for their deficits from unsuspected spots of the world.
How do I know all these? I know the Tigrean nepotism from personal expriences, also look they loot and build mega million personal estates from the money they loot both from donors and citizens at home. If these personalities won’t replace aite Meles with another brutal, barberous killer meles?
Third, there is no armed resistance that would stand up and annalliate them at this second, even farmers from Tigray can carry gun and overrun Ethiopia at spare of a moment.
I don’t think, people of bush can colapse because of economic strains. They are used to their filthy lifestyles, they can live and pose threats from anywhere.
Obang Metho …DERG has been telling us the same all the same 17 years ago, but to your surprise the weaker EPRDF has gotten a lot stronger 17 yrs later, could you wake up from your dreamland brother, what you are doing in reality is you are enjoying your dream, and you wanted us all to enjoy your dream, but too bad we don’t have time to sleep and enjoy dream like you w, we are too busy in building Mama Ethiopia…but if you want i shall get you a nice Ethiopian coffee to keep you up.
The multifarious impediments to the fragile growth of democracy in Ethiopia
Ethiopia has too many ethnicities, too many religions, too many languages, and too many destitute people, and with all these diversities, it has survived many wars, famine, and political persecutions until the breakaway of Eritrea from Ethiopia.
More breakaways may follow, I’m afraid, unless those various Ethiopian political leaders come up and work together with a pure love of a country that has nothing to do with the love of one’s own ethnicity, locality, religion, language, culture, and political affiliation – all these are impediments to the future growth of democracy in Ethiopia.
Indeed, it is too hard to avoid one’s own personal interest in one’s own region, in one’s own hometown, in one’s own religion and history; for example, the Amhara people may say that they have been the rulers of Ethiopia for many, many years, and that they have a long history that qualify them to rule Ethiopia for another century. The Oromo people may say that they are the majority, and that alone would qualify them to rule the country. On the other hand, the Tigryans would say that they have been the cradle of the Ethiopian civilization so that they are the only legitimate rulers of Ethiopia.
How can one then bring together all Ethiopians who have different faiths, ethnicities, histories, expectations, and admirations into one faith, one ethnicity, one history, one expectation and one admiration under one leadership crafted skillfully and which appeals to every Ethiopians?
Is it possible to teach the Ethiopians that they have only one God, one country, one history, one language, one culture, one origin, and one expectation – to be a democratic country?
If we all need the unity and prosperity of our country, each one of us must give up something for the sake and love of his/her country; for example, we Ethiopians are Muslims, Christians, Jews, and other religions, and each one of us loves his/her religion, but for the sake of unity, we have to completely exclude religion from politics; each person can worship God in his own way and pay tithes to his own church according to his/her own will and conviction and preference of time and place.
As far as language is concerned, Amharic should remain an official language of the entire country since most Ethiopians speak this language fluently. One region in Ethiopia may be richer in history than the other regions, but still the history of that particular region belongs to the other regions too. For example, the Tigray people should not say Axum is their own; they should rather say that Axum belongs to all the Ethiopian people. The rivers – for example, Tekezie River, Omo River, Abay River, and many other rivers in Ethiopia – belong to all Ethiopians, and the same thing is true with the mountains, the valleys, the wild animals, the birds – they all belong to all Ethiopians. In short, as this one Ethiopian flag belongs to all Ethiopians, in the same way, we all Ethiopians, despite our differences, ethnicities, histories, localities, and religions, are one Ethiopians, not two.
Thus when all Ethiopians feel they belong to one country and all the wealth of the country belongs to them, and then they will never think good things for themselves alone but for the welfare of all other Ethiopians, too.
The future leaders of Ethiopia must be equipped with all the necessary talents, wisdom, humility, and complete servitude to the Ethiopian people before they put their names for an election. They must know ahead of time that they are running for an election to be leaders of the Ethiopian people to serve the people, not to be served, to help the people, not to be helped, to guide the people, not be guided, and to enlighten the people and share their burdens.
These future leaders of Ethiopia must also admit the power of reasonable defeat gracefully if the lose the election, and they should not overjoyed over their victory as the American presidential candidate, Howard Din once did and lost the election. They must control their emotions over defeat and victory during an election time.
We have thousands of young educated Ethiopians to run as candidates to serve Ethiopia, but are they sincere in their candidacy for this awesome job as they try to lead such a proud nation with a long history of its own? I’m sure, they can run the country if they avoid these impediments that hinder any educated person from becoming an effective leader: ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, personal wealth, personal history, such as he or she is yebalabat Lij, so a good leader must not always vaunt of his/her social status.
are we now having a movement (solidarity)within a movement (Ginbot 7)? Please explain…
Thanks Obang Metho. I congratulate you for having such wonderful vision and frequently being a source of positive energy.
If leaders uphold such a losfty vision, real change would be within a reach. Every wonder in this world had at one point started as a set of good thoughts and ideas, just like the ones you reflected. And these good ideas become a reality if committed folks pursue them. Keep the good work up!
Great!
Mr Metho
Meles has been strong and is getting stronger except some global challenge and those challenges are being handled to the best of his ability.
Keep in mind that it is not you and your like who are challenging Meles. For him, you are just like a fly and him the lion.
It is you and your like who are always falling down, without the luck to see yourself standing on two feet.
I wonder how you can handle the global challenge Meles is facing now while you can not even handle the “ye buna mahber” challenge like ……..showel…..birtukan……berhanu……..
Thank you, Mr. Obang for the article.
The answer is WE ARE NOT YET READY.
Can someone tell me if Wayanne falls who is ready to take the leadership whom we most of us agree on?
mr metho historical perspective about ethiopian past and present problems seem to be well adjusted theoritically .ethiopian society doesn’t have shortage of opinions and theories,but prudence of practical application.in theory ,even dictator melese regim has remarkable abstracts of how to govern society.one revolution after another the people of ethiopia have benifited nothing but further misery. having such experience among ethiopians how could u be sure that the new ethiopia organization will bring some tangible change in ethiopia? unless i can observe mr metho vision practically,it is hard for me to swallow his propositions. we ethiopian have faild to produce visionary individuals who have a burning desire to bring change on the ground. untill every goverment building occupied by such group of ppl,i am afraid that the cicle of injustice and poverty will continue in ethiopia.
Dear haq,
If Woyanne falls, one of the Woyanne army generals will take the leadership. In other words, anyone who is in command of the army will be the leader, and I don’t believe anyone without armed soldiers will be the leader of Ethiopia; neither UDJ nor Ginbot 7 has the army, and Ethiopia may still fall to a third dictator. We just have to pray to God to give us a good leader. Your question is a valid one.
ZIMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM malet yishalal
why not Obong joins Birhanu instead of forming a new movement- I am curious!!!!!!!!
tazabi..lol..one of the great tragdy in society is to say nothing while the people of ethiopia have been dying from left to right..my precious brother,don’t be silent when ur house is burning.ur house is obviously mom ethiopia.
Dear Obang and other brothers & Sisters,
I appreciate your notions. ” BIHONIM BETAM YITASEB”.
Surely the regional governments decide on the year at which students switch to English as the medium of instruction? Doesn’t responsibility for the advantage that students from Addis Ababa and Tigray have as a result of switching to English at grade 7 rather than grade 9 lie with the regional governments of Oromiya, SNNP etc, and not with the central government?