Reconciliation is about bringing people together to move them beyond the past through reestablishing trust and normalcy, forgiving each other, in a justifiable society where the previous belligerents would be able to coexist peacefully… [read more]

ICC, Ethiopian Community to Hold Demonstration Demanding Saudis Release Ethiopian Christian Prisoners

WASHINGTON DC (ICC) – International Christian Concern (ICC) and the Ethiopian community in Washington DC will be holding a public protest demanding Saudi Arabia release 35 Ethiopian Christians arrested for praying at a private home on December 15. The protest will be held on February 21, at 10 AM in front of the Saudi Arabian Embassy located at 601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037.

Saudi Arabian government officials have severely mistreated the prisoners because of their Christian faith. The Saudi Arabian officials assaulted the men and strip-searched the female prisoners when they were imprisoned. In early February, the Saudis also began pressuring the Christians to convert to Islam.

Speaking to ICC from Briman jail in Jeddah, one of the female prisoners said,

Why don’t they release us? We want to go back to our country and worship freely

In a message to Christians around the world, another prisoner said,

We want you to help us to get out of prison in every way you can. Please tell your governments about our plight, contact human rights organizations and others and inform them about us.

Kebadu Belachew, an Ethiopian-American human rights activist and one of the organizers of the rally said,

These are law-abiding Ethiopian citizens. They were simply arrested for practicing their faith at a private home. The Saudi government should set them free. We are organizing this protest as part of the effort to set them free.

ICC’s Jonathan Racho said,

We urge all those concerned in the Washington D.C. area to participate in this protest. Saudi Arabian officials have refused to release the Christians despite quiet diplomatic pressure. We must raise our voices and demand the Saudis release the prisoners who were imprisoned simply for praying together.

Please sign this petition asking the Saudi Arabian government to release the Christian prisoners.

Call the Saudi Arabian Embassy in your country and ask them to release the prisoners.

United States: (+1) 202 342 3800
Canada: (+1) 613 237 4100
United Kingdom: (+44) 207 9173-000
Australia: (+61) 2 6250 7000
Germany: (+49) 30 88 92 50
France: (+33) 1 56 79 4000

When we think of discussions as a contest, conflict occurs because we are more concerned with getting what we want than with attempting to understand each other’s needs, harms and emotions. We become defensive about our respective positions… [read more]

UDJ Party official Andualem Aragie has been beaten up in jail and his captors refused him medical tratement, according to Dr Negasso Giddada. The following is a letter that is sent out today by Dr Negasso:

Yesterday, around noon time, I received information that Andualem was beaten up by an {www:inmate} in his prison cell by an inmate day before yesterday and that someone should come to the prison and see him. I phoned his brother and his lawyers to ask them if they could
visit him in the afternoon. They could not go to the prison in the afternoon because the visit hours were only in the mornings.

They could see him today and came to UDJ office to report what they found out. First of all about Andualem’s condition. Andualem, who is usually emotionally and spiritually strong, was down. He was depressed and was weeping when he met his brother and his lawyers. He complained of headache. A small bruise can be seen on his face on the right side below his eye. He expressed that he has fear that “they” want to kill him. No medical care has been given to Andualem so far.

Background: Andulem is in a prison cell for 14 people in the so called maximum security zone (Zone 3) with people such as Ato Bekele Gerba of OFDM and Olbana Lelisa of OPC and Dr. Tilahun Fantahun. The cell does not have windows.

About a month ago a prisoner named Ibas Asfaw was added to Andualem’s cell. Ibas has been in prison for 16 years and was once sentenced to death because of murder. His sentence was latter changed to life imprisonment. It is said that he has transmittable illness. Ibas is
{www:provocative}, insulting and {www:quarrelsome}. He takes away food from his cell inmates by force and gives it away to others. He is frequent visitor to the office of prison administration and is said that he is in friendly relations with the authorities there.

Ibas started insulting Andualem since the 13th of February. He took away papers Andualem was using to writ his defense case for the court in two weeks. No one knows where he took the papers. On the 14th, Ibas comes to the cell at around 13 hours with another prisoner
from outside the cell and closes the door and asks Bekele and Dr. Tilahun, who were resting, telling them to get out of the room because they have something secret to talk with Andualem. The two refused to get out. Ibas then went directly to Andualem and kicked him on the left side of his head. Andualem fall down. Ibas boxed Andualem three times while he lay unconscious on the cement floor. Bekele was trying to push away Ibas while Dr. Tilahun called the guards. The guards took Ibas away.

It is rumored that he was taken to the prison administration office and received more than Bir 2,300 and taken to another cell in zone 1. It is said that he receives money since 2005 because he was injured during the shooting in prison when many prisoners are said to have
been killed.

To the questions of the lawyers the prison authorities said that they can allocate prisoners in any cell they want, that this is administrative matter, they will deal with Ibas administratively, they can get Andualem’s papers from Ibas and Andualem can forward appeal and accusation to the prison administration if he wants to. The prison administration did not take the matter seriously.

Conclusion: We suspect that the placing of Ibas in Andualem’s cell is deliberate and that it was an indirect way of torturing Andualem, humiliate him and have him morally, psychologically and physically broken down, as has been done to Burtukan Mideksa.

The Executive Committee of UDJ will discuss on the matter tomorrow and will decide what action it would take. In the mean time I appeal to all friends to forward this information to all defenders of the Human Rights to condemn what happened to Andualem and demand that he gets medical attention as soon as possible.

Dr. Negaso Gidada, Chairman of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party

By Geletaw Zeleke

In Ethiopia, in order to build trust between government and the people two kinds of trust must be supported for building a successful reliable system, namely, conscious and systemic trust. The confidence flowing between the people and the government moves through the following channels to build a successful and reliable system: The following points are very important.

Building Accountability

In all institutions of the government should be structured by and around a system of accountability. For example, in a given sector when officials provide a service to people there should be an organizational body that is responsible for holding that official accountable for his conduct and service, among other things.

Accountability can be seen from two perspectives one is accountability for upholding rules and regulations and the other is accountability of conscience. People trust and rely on the system and the fair judgments of civil sector officials and employees. There are a multitude of day to day judgments and practices that are not written into the management of offices and official duties. It is the responsibility of the civil servant to protect the interests of the people.

Transparency

The system itself has to be clear for people and available for them to know, use, understand and rely on.

The smooth flow of operations as well has to be clear for people. It should be timely and reliable so that people can depend on getting tasks accomplished efficiently and effectively.

Vision

A clear vision has to be presented and known through out sectors. Those leaders who do not have a clear vision are blind leaders who people can not trust in. Sectors lacking vision lose the power to make change. Those leaders who lost vision are victims of emergencies.

Participation

The government sector has to allow the populace access to administrative positions and the power to influence and evaluate government performance. Plans and programs of sectors must serve the community base. Just as corruption will destroy confidence and trust in government serving the populace will build confidence and trust in local government.

Competence

Another critical element to build confidence and trust in government is competent leadership and civil servants including level of skill, knowledge and attitude.

Building Independent Institutions

The civil service sector has to be free from the direct or indirect interference of political parties. Especially the court and media must be free from any political interference. The Ethiopian Constitution of course declares that these sectors are free and independent from the influence of politics, but in reality they are highly dependent on government interference. The problem is that the constitution does not have the power to influence public sectors instead the power is transferred to officialized and highly centralized government representatives.

Leader personality

The personal character and personality of high ranking government officials can impact the fate of our nation either positively or negatively. People who are affected by corrupted personalities or those who have psychological problems can spoil the system as a whole. Look at the differences brought about by Adolf Hitler, Muammar Gaddafi, Mohamed Suharto, Ferdinand Marcos, Mobutu Sese Seko, Sane Abacha and Idi Amin,

On the other hand look at the differences brought about by Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln.

When parties recruit or select representatives they should be very careful to judge their physical and psychological health and character as it can have such a beneficial or detrimental affect.

Top-down trust

When we talk about vertical trust we are talking about the flow of trust from government to people and from people to government as we have said. The government needs to trust its own people by the following areas.

Working habits

The government in order to implement its own development plan it needs a good working habit.

Capacity building

The people capacity to accept innovative ideas and to implement its programs

Perception and attitude of the people

Horizontal Trust and Across the groups

Mostly horizontal trust is the reflection of vertical trust. If the vertical trust, which means the trust between the political representatives and the government and the people in good conditions then the reflection of this can be seen in the people’s day to day life.

Ethnic groups naturally do not fight by their external differences I have never heard that a group who fought my food is delicious your is not good my clothes are beautiful your clothes are ugly My wedding ceremony is meaningful yours is meaningless, my holidays are important yours are not or my dance is beautiful yours is talent less my language is expressive yours is simplistic or we are beautiful but you are not Etc.

Instead groups are interested in seeing new culture excited by usually, Groups fight whenever their differences are politicized. And because of this when they lack justice and democracy they develop politicize their identity and they become greedy about their immediate geography and natural resources. After this they become los to trust amongst the groups.

To build horizontal trust the play of politics has to be far away from religion and ethnicity. In Ethiopia the groups’ difference can be seen under culture and language we can not put the Ethiopian ethnic groups’ difference on the level of race since all Ethiopians are Black under the major race categories.

The government and the people have to work hard on the horizontal cultural unity that can be an anchor for the unity of the people and it is important to stable peace and development.

Development needs peace it is impossible to make a positive change if there is a conflict and fractured social structure.

Germany Radio (Deutsche Welle) Amharic Service reports that 35 Ethiopians continue to languish in Saudi Arabia jail for no reason other than praying in their homes. Listen below:

Listen Part 1

Listen part 2