Teddy Fikre, C.E.O. of Brown Condor Productions and Member of Ethiopian Americans for Change, is keeping busy these days. Teddy is planning The Brown Condor Launch Celebration which will take place on December 12th, at Jin Lounge in Washington, D.C.
Perhaps no other story represents the deep and rich history Ethiopians and African Americans share rather than the story of Brown Condor.
Brown Condor is the nickname given to Colonel John C. Robinson, born in 1903 in Carrabelle, Florida. When Ethiopia was invaded by Italy in 1935, Colonel Robinson volunteered his services to Haile Selassie. He flew reconnaissance flights and commanded the Ethiopian Air Force.
Numbers are important and Ethiopian-Americans for Change, formerly Ethiopians for Obama, is taking the initial steps of making the Ethiopian community within the United States ‘count’.
During the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, the diligent work of Ethiopian-Americans for Change (then Ethiopians for Obama) earned a great deal of attention. Newspapers and online publications such as The Washington Post and The Huffington Post wrote about the group’s effort in working to elect Barack Obama. Obama’s campaign also acknowledged the work of the group in the form of a first letter ever written by a presidential candidate directly to the Ethiopian community… Read More
FALKIRK, Scotland (AP)— Two runners and two hurdlers from Ethiopia were reported missing Tuesday after leaving their hotel before a track and field meet in Scotland.
The four are Betelhem Shewatatek (women’s 200 meters), Feleke Bekele (400 hurdles), Hagos Tadesse (men’s 400) and Tirehas Haileselassie (hurdles).
Scottish Athletics chief executive Geoff Wightman said his organization reported their disappearance to the police.
The Ethiopians were to compete Wednesday in the Falkirk Cup, a meet also featuring England, Ireland and Scotland. The four athletes are not regulars at major meets.
“My colleague actually tried to restrain two of them but they ran off,” said Dagmawit Amare, who is part of Ethiopia’s team management in Scotland and has been working with Scottish Athletics. “This is such a sad thing to happen for my country and the sport.”
NEW YORK — The critically acclaimed and winner of the 3rd annual Addis Film festival Guzo screened at Helen Mills Theater in New York city Saturday August 8th taking theatergoers for one emotional rollercoaster ride. Organized by Abshiro Kids & Tsehainy.com it was a very successful screening.
Guzo tells a story of two young adults (Lidya and Robera) who are taken from their city life of Addis Ababa to live in the country side of Ethiopia. Both are firm believers that they are able to handle this shift. For twenty days we witness their ordeal of tackling farm life duties while formulating a bond with the families they stayed with. … [read more]
Hear Ethiopia Reads founder and finalist for the CNN Hero 2008 AwardYohannes Gebregeorgis speak about his work in New York and New Jersey, This week.
New Jersey
Place: Maplewood Memorial Library
51 Baker Street
Maplewood, NJ 07040
Date: Saturday, December 13, 2008
Time: 7 – 8:30 PM
New York
Place: Cafe Addis
435 West 125 Street
New York, NY
Date: Saturday, December 13, 2008
Time: 2:00 PM
Ethiopia Reads (www.ethiopiareads.org) is a grassroots non-profit geared toward bringing literacy and literacy related resources to Ethiopia. Since Ethiopia Reads opened Ethiopia’s first free children’s library in 2003, thousands of children have experienced the joy of reading for the first time. Ethiopia is considered one of the three poorest countries in the world with a life expectancy of only 41 years.
Yohannes Gebregeorgis, a native of Ethiopia and children’s literacy advocate, has been named a Top 10 Hero of the Year by CNN. Mr. Gebregeorgis was selected from more than 3,000 individuals nominated by viewers throughout the year. Finalists were selected by a Blue Ribbon panel of judges that includes Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall and Deepak Chopra.
NORTH SHEWA – The unseasonable rain of last September, October and early November has damaged much of the harvest in the rural part of North Shewa of Oromya and Amhara regional states.
Leguminous plants, teff and wheat have already started germinating in their cases on farms.
“We received much of these crop varieties from aid organizations and the government as part of the scheme to be returned this year right after harvest,” said farmer Getachew at Mescha kebele of North Shewa, Amahra regional state.
However, the farmers could not have a harvest for themselves leave alone the return of those seeds. This has threatened the livelihood of the farmers and their families in Oromia and Amhara regions. For the years to come, these farmers will probably need seed and food aid.
International reports have shown that more than 14 million people need food aid, but the Ethiopian government says the figure is only 4.5 million.
