Farm workers remove weeds from young plants at the palm oil plantation owned by Karuturi Global, near the town of Bako, in Ethiopia.
The idea of south-south co-operation evokes a positive image of solidarity between developing countries through the exchange of resources, technology, and knowledge. It’s an attractive proposition, intended to shift the international balance of power and help developing nations break away from aid dependence and achieve true emancipation from former colonial powers. However, the discourse of south-south co-operation has become a cover for human rights violations involving southern governments and companies.
A case in point is the land grab by Indian corporations in Ethiopia, facilitated by the governments of both countries, which use development rhetoric while further marginalising the indigenous communities that bear the pain of the resulting social, economic and environmental devastation. It is against this scenario that international solidarity between communities affected by the insanity of a development model that prefers profits over people is reclaiming the principles of south-south co-operation.
Ethiopia’s late prime minister, Meles Zenawi, welcomed India‘s expanding footprint in Africa as essential for his country’s wellbeing, a vision shared by his successor, Hailemariam Desalegn. The Export-Import Bank, India’s premier export finance institution, gave the Ethiopian government a $640m (£412m) line of credit to develop the controversial sugar sector in lower Omo. Indian companies are the largest investors in the country, having acquired more than 600,000 hectares (1.5m acres) of land for agro-industrial projects.
With 80% of its population engaged in agriculture, Ethiopia is home to more than 34 million chronically hungry people. Every year, millions depend on aid (pdf) for their survival. Amid such hunger, large-scale land deals with Indian investors are portrayed as a win-win situation, modernising agriculture, bringing new technologies and creating employment.
Research by the Oakland Institute, however, contradicts such claims. Most of what is produced is non-food export crops while tax incentives offered to foreign investors deprive Ethiopia of valuable earnings. The promises of job creation remain unfulfilled as plantation work at best offers menial low-paid jobs.
Worse still, the Ethiopian government is using its villagisation programme to forcibly relocate (pdf) about 1.5 million indigenous people from their homes, farms and grazing lands to make way for agricultural plantations. Those who refuse face intimidation, beatings, rapes, arbitrary detention and imprisonment, and even death. The repression of social resistance to land investments is even stipulated in some land lease contracts: “[it is the] state’s obligation to ‘deliver and hand over the vacant possession of leased land free of impediments’ and to provide free security ‘against any riot, disturbance or any turbulent time.'”
It was to challenge this form of south-south co-operation that the Oakland Institute, in partnership with Indian civil society groups the Indian Social Action Forum (Insaf), Kalpavriksh and Peace, organised an Indian-Ethiopian summit on land investments in New Delhi in February. Obang Metho of the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia and Nyikaw Ochalla from the Anywaa Survival Organisation, members of the Anuak community of Gambela, Ethiopia, travelled to India with shocking testimonies of how their community has been dispossessed of livelihoods, ill-treated and subjected to misery while the Ethiopian government leases land to Indian corporations at giveaway prices.
This coming together of Indian and Ethiopian civil society groups marks a turning point in the struggle for land rights and livelihoods in the two countries and beyond. For the first time, the agony of communities who face human rights abuses as their lands are taken over has reached the investors’ doorstep, sending a powerful message to the investors and governments of Ethiopia and India. At the same time, it initiated a rewriting of south-south co-operation where the takeover of communal lands that have been homes, grazing grounds and water sources for generations, by corporations – even if they are from the global south – is being recognised as a new form of colonisation. It was a starting point, and plans for further collaboration are under way.
Unlike the Ethiopian leaders who met the Indian business delegations in person, Metho and Ochalla did not get a hearing with Indian government officials, despite several requests. Instead, it was activists who are challenging land grabs across India who travelled to New Delhi to meet them. They told how control over land and natural resources is spurring violent clashes in nearly 130 districts of India. Meanwhile, reports came in that 12 platoons of police had moved in on villagers in Govindpur and Nuagaon in Odisha, to forcibly clear lands for the Korean Steel Posco project. Women and children were beaten indiscriminately and people were arrested as they tried to prevent the demolition of their betel vineyards – one of the most viable local livelihoods.
We need to challenge the paradigm of development that trivialises and ignores the human consequences of these land acquisitions by corporate investors and governments. The idea that “some have to be sacrificed” for the “larger national good”, which is nothing more than the double-digit economic growth that benefits a few, must be rejected – even if the deals are between developing countries and framed by the rhetoric of south-south co-operation.
• Anuradha Mittal is founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute, an independent policy thinktank based in Oakland, California
Agents of The Tigray People’s People Liberation Front (TPLF) routinely generate conflict within Diaspora Ethiopian communities. They spy on, harass and intimidate those associations and organizations they are unable to infiltrate. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), in particular, and now the Ethiopian Muslim communities, are their prime target. As the video below shows, the TPLF venom is spreading through out the fabric of Ethiopian community across the glob, and places of worship are not spared.
Forty-six detainees are women, and most likely face deportation. The authorities have accused them of converting Muslims to Christianity. There is no religious freedom in the country: the monarchy allows private worship of other faiths, but the religious police carry out indiscriminate arrests.
Source: Asianews.it
February 20, 2013
Damman (AsiaNews / Agencies) –
Saudi Arabia has arrested 53 Ethiopian Christians – 46 women and six men – for holding a prayer meeting in a private home. Police officials have sealed the house and taken the faithful away, accusing the three religious leaders present of attempting to convert Muslims to Christianity. The incident occurred at Dammam, the capital of the Eastern Province of the Kingdom, and dates to February 8, but local sources, linked to the World Evangelical Alliance’s Religious Liberty Commission (WEA-Rlc) recently reported the news.
According to the WEA-RLC, Saudi authorities should release two of the Christians who hold residency permits. In all likelihood, all the others will be deported.
Saudi Arabia does not recognize, or protect, any religious expression other than Islam. The religious police (muttawa) carries out controls to eliminate the presence of Bibles, rosaries, Crosses and Christian assemblies. And even if the royal family allows religious practices other than Islam, at least in private, muttawa agents tend not to differentiate.
This is not the first episode of religious persecution against the Ethiopian community. In December 2011, the Saudi authorities arrested 35 Ethiopian Christians, 29 of them women, charging them with “illegal socialization.” In this case, the faithful were detained in the middle of a prayer meeting in a private home in Jeddah. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the imprisoned women were subjected to arbitrary “medical inspections”.
The city of Dammam, where the accident occurred on February 8, is a major industrial center and port, rich in oil and natural gas.
A semi-literate TPLF operative by the name of Entehabu Berhe lobs poisonous charges against the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church (EOTC) in the Diaspora. The EOTC’s opposition to government interference is disingenuously presented as an attack on the people of Tigrai. Ethiopia’s ruling party appears ready to defame and destroy both Christian and Muslim leaders who refuse to march to its orders.
“An Unorthodox Idea for the Tewahedo”
By Entehabu Berhe | Aigaforum
Feb 13, 2013
Ethiopian’s take pride in their faith, tradition and history as the custodians of the Holy Ark and as a people who continue to believe that the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church (EOTC) was inspired, preached, guided and consolidated by the revealing power of the Holy Spirit! ……..
A quick pick into the crevices in the body politic of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church in exile (EOTCE) indicates an unhealthy dynamic between competing political groups within the church resulting in conflicts, rancour, disillusionment and disenfranchisement of many parishners (sic!).
A concerned elder of the church decried the lingering ethnic naratives in the politics of the EOTC in the diaspora. He was surprised that twenty years later church pulpits in the diaspora continue to be used to dispense partisan politics or condemn, disparage and denigrate rivals and perceived enemies. He said, I wish the clergy would focus more on their pastoral duties and show their congregants the way to the ‘truth and the light’. He is dismayed that he had to drive a long distance to find an accomodating (sic!) church. He resents the fact that he was forced to leave the closest parish despite his advancing age and desire to encourage his grandchildren to remain connected to their religeous (sic) tradition and culture. Many others are also unimpressed or do not feel comfortable with all the extra excelestiatic (sic!) happenings at their churches. It is not unusual for liturgy and Sunday mass to be followed by partisan sermons that leave many church regulars buffled (sic!), disappointed and dispirited. Many are openly asking what went wrong?
What happened to the calling many of the exiled religious fathers signed up for?
It is apparent that some way ward opposition politicians (sic!) in the diaspora (diasposition) have taken over the EOTCE. It is an open secret that some exiled men of the cloak have directly and/or indirectly encouraged unwarranted collective attack on the people of Tigray, the people who have anchored the core identity and character of Ethiopia and Ethiopianism in general and the EOTC in particular.
It boggles the mind to hear that some among the exiled clergy have proudly declared a non cause, i.e., the cause of a, supposedly disenfranchised and disrespected, nation, the Amhara people as their cause celebre. Oh brother! Whoever said the historic and proud Amhara, who continue to heroically defend their nation and the traditions of the EOTC needed a saviour! It seems to me this dangerous act of desperation may be a last act by some misguided clergy men who of late have been running high on emotions and displaying some swagger and puffery of righteousness.
It is difficult to fathom that our religious (sic!) leaders, the decendants (sic!) of a deeply religious people and a sanctified and ancient church, would adopt an image of God that doesn’t deeply and compassionately consider others. Weren’t we all created in the image of God? or as some prominent modern theologians have asserted, does our image of God create us?
One thing is clear, no man or group is bigger than the church. It is time to examine the fruits that our beliefs and the sermons of our clergy bear and challenge ourselves for more humility. We can’t let disgruntled individuals drive bigger wedges among the people and exploit old sentiments and perceived (sic!) fault lines to advance their political ambitions. A clear delineation between spritual (sic!) and worldly issues can be a good start. Enough already!
Some in the exiled church have been dragging the EOTC into smallness. It reminds me of the supposed encounter between Emperor Theodros and the fabled Aba Gebrehana. The story goes like this: the Emperor, during his inaugural visit of a Church, admired the workmanship and archtecture of the building and exclaimed, this is big! While everyone present nodded in agreement, the Emperor noticed that the Aba didn’t seem to be impressed . The Emperor then wanted to know what was on Aba Gebrehana’s mind and asked this is a big church, isn’t it? The Aba retorted, yes indeed; it can definitely accommodate (sic!) two priests and three deacons! At the time Emperor Theodros was working hard to reform some of the excesses of the church. So he did not remain in good stead with many of the church leaders and the clergy who made much of his reign difficult.
A historical parallel can be drawn between the delegitimizing efforts by some of the exiled church leaders and their supporters, both towards the reign of his Holiness Abune Paulos and the leaders of the ruling party and/or the government of Ethiopia and that of the relationship between the Emperor Theodros and the Aba Gebrehana’s of his time. The impact of the soured relationships and accompanying vicereal reactions, between the church and the government of the day, however, invariably distract, detract and diminish all involed (sic!) ; but not equally. Some observers believe the internecine conflict between the mother church and the exiled church leadership has disproportionately diminished the stature of the exiled fathers.
As a matter of fact, people who have no brief for the late patriarch, his Holiness Abune Paulos, think he had served the EOTC with grace and dignity and was a rare scholar who understood the deep history and traditions of his ancient church, used his knowledge and credibility to shepherd the church in a righteous path and worked tirelessly to restore it to prominence and glory.
Many observers also believe despite being unfairly demonized by his detractors since the early days of his enthronment (sic!) , he remained open to peaceful resolution of differences and any outstanding contentious ecclesiastical (sic!) issues in the hope of reconciling and unifying the church. Unfortunately, his wish and efforts couldn’t be realized within his life time. May the almighty keep him in his favour!
So in the parlance of Aba Gebrehana, do the exiled Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church (EOTCE) leaders think they are content with a church that can barely accomodate two priests and three deacons?
Close observers of the exiled church point that the inscesant (sic!) rancour, political manoevering (sic!) and rivalry among the disparate political backers of the exiled church has become a constant source of discord among the laity and has dragged the church to smallness and is forcing it to titer on the edge of irrelevance.
Many have now started to write off the ability of the exiled church and its leaders to influence the Holy Synode (sic!) and the majority of the faithful as marginal and temporally limited. Infact (sic!), some have gone as far as stating that it is highly unlikely that the exiled church will be able to justify its existence beyond the life time of Abune Merkorious and the few elderly ex-officio fathers. It will simply die off along with its founders or possibly return to the fold of the mother church out of necessity. It is now evident that time is not on the side of the exiled fathers and their bag holders. So far, some of the most concerted efforts at reconciling the exiled church leadership with the Holy Synode (sic!) and the patriarchate in Addis have been twarted because of behind the scenes political machinechines (sic!) of the political backers of the exiled church and some exiled church fathers who have failed to recognize that:
disputes related to any historical, traditional, legal and procedural matters can be resolved by utilizing the wealth of the recieved (sic!) wisdom within and among members of the Holy Synode (sic!) or when necessary by tasking an independent research commission which can be composed, from among the church scholars within and without, to clarify the issues and provide facts and impartial opinions.
their primary interest lies in not leaving a legacy of a weak and divided church in the diaspora
since their departure two decades ago the demographic, social, cultural, religious (sic!), political and economic landscape has significantly changed which necessitates the reexamination of the practicality and relevance of some of their preconditions and demands
their power and legitimacy derives from the church and the faithful; and over the last two decades some of the influence, sympathy, support and loyality (sic!) they garnered within the EOTC may have waned and that they may have very limited leverage on the Holy Synode (sic!) and the EOTC.
The window of opportunity created by the early depature (sic!) of the late patriarch, Abune Paulos, could have better been utilized to negotiate a return to the fold of the mother church in order to participate and/or attempt to influence in the selection of the new leadership of the EOTC. Furthermore, the possibility that the exiled leaders may not be presented with a similar opportunity due to their advanced ages and the likelihood that any of their exiled successors may not be afforded a simmilar (sic!) opportunity by the Holy Synode (sic!).
The church’s and the leadership’s interest is better served by a negotiated settlement, i.e., if the church fathers wish to restore the sanctity of the Church and their good names and standing within the EOTC.
Political agendas are best left for the many career politicians that attempt to spin any percieved religious (sic!) cleavages and issues to raly (sic!) political support and simply want to use the church as a cover.
Pronouncements and condemnations, where warranted, should be used with extreme care and due diligence.
All may not however be lost. Despite the premature failure of recent mediation efforts and an increasingly narrowing window of opportunity, many are hoping for restoration and glorification of the EOTC and the resolution of the wedge issues that have caused so much acrimony and disunity within the ranks of the family of the church.
So at this moment of reflection , when Orthodox Tewahdo Christians in Ethiopia and other members of the Ethiopian Tewahdo Orthodox Church (EOTC) family are once again praying for a righteous shepherd who can confidently and competently lead his flock; guide and show the way and the light; and protect and shepherd his flock in purity and righteousness, consider the following unorthodox thought:
The precedent setting resignation of Pop Benedict XVI and the alleged abdication of the seat of Abune Tekle Haimanot by his Holinnes Abune Markorious can be a blessing in disguise. It means no absolutes are violated when the head of a church for one reason or another abdicates his seat and is replaced before he departs to meet his maker. In fact many theologians are now of the opinion that the life-long reign is fraught with problems. Some are asking what would happen if a pontif or a patriarch suffers from dementia or another deblitating (sic!) illness? It is not clear how the EOTC would deal with such eventuality. What is clear is the EOTC won’t be beholden to a tradition that may have outlived its usefulness. A progressive church requires an ability to choose dynamic and effective leaders.
It would also allow the church to reconcile with the leaders of the exiled church by allowing the dethroned patriarch, his Holiness Abune Merkarious, to segue to a life of pope passim with his dignity intact and a latitude to continue with a modified duty within the church hierarchy . The role can be negotiated between the ex-officio patriarch and the Holy Synode (sic!). However, the church can’t have dual seats of power; so the outgoing patriarch should pledge to go to the sunset by surrendering all power to the incoming patriarch and possibly into a life of prayer and contemplation. Once out of office, he can’t be allowed to meddle or contradict the edicts of the presiding patriarch.
Another caveat offcourse (sic!) would be that any decision (sic!) for vacating the throne would be left to the patriarch and can only be exacted with his full consent and autonomy. The separation of church and state enshrined within the constitution provides a legal shield and can be used to protect the institution of the EOTC and the Patriarchate from external and involuntary push.
So as all concerned somberly consider the merit of the above proposal, in the spirit of peace and reconciliation, may the almighty give them courage and wisdom. Amen!
Entehabu Berhe, Ph.D. (really?) (Can) – is a Principal Analyst and Consultant in emerging trends, opportunities and options.
