Denver, Oct. 21
Kinijit town hall meeting in Denver, Oct. 21, 1:00 PM
More info: 303 264 7999 or 303 594 4907
————————————————————————————————-
Chicago, Oct. 21
Click here to enlarge
Kinijit delegation visits Chicago, Oct. 21
————————————————————————————————-
South Dakota, Oct. 21
Click here to enlarge
Kinijit leaders visit South Dakota, Oct. 21
————————————————————————————————-
Washington DC, Oct. 28
Public Meeting and Fund Raising
Grand Hyatt, 1000 H Street NW, Washington DC
Time: 2:00 PM
More info here
————————————————————————————————-
Revised CUD Delegation Itinerary from Sunday September 16 – Oct 27, 2007
September 16, Sunday, starting at 1:00 PM
Delegation holding Public Meeting with the Ethiopians in the DC metro Area, and fund raising
Sept 17-20, 2007
Meetings with support groups, congressional groups and US federal and local government officials
Sept 22-24, 2007
Delegation visit to Boston and Upstate New York to meet with CUD Support groups and the public
Sept 24-28, 2007
Delegation in Washington DC for more meetings and discussions
Sept 27-30, 2007
Delegation visit to Oakland
Sept 30-Oct 2, 2007
Delegation visit to Dallas
Oct 2-5, 2007
Delegation visit to Las Vegas
Oct 5-7, 2007
Delegation visit to Seattle
Oct 7-12, 2007
Delegation visit to Los Angeles
Oct 12-17, 2007
Delegation visit to Atlanta
Oct 19-22, 2007
Delegation visit to Minneapolis, South Dakota, Chicago and Denver
Oct 23-28, 2007
Delegation will be in Washington DC
Oct 27, 2007
CUD North America Chapters’ general meeting with the Delegation in Washington DC
CANADA Schedule for Delegates to Canada will be announced as soon us their entry visa is granted
————————————————————————————————-
Cities Visited
Boston
Ethiopians in the Boston area are preparing an elaborate welcoming ceremony for Kinijit delegation at the Boston Logan Airport when they arrive on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 9:30 AM. According to Ato Samuel Belihu, a representative of Kinijit Boston, after the welcoming ceremony, the Kinijit leaders will go to their hotel where they will meet with Ethiopian community representatives in the Boston area. At 6:00 PM, they will arrive at a dinner event organized by Kinijit Boston that is expected to be attended by hundreds of Ethiopians. High level officials of the City of Boston and the State of Massachusettes are invited to attend the dinner event as guests of honor.
Fund Raising Dinner with Kinijit Leaders
Date: Sept. 22, 2007Time: 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Place: Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church
145 Brattle Street, Cambridge MA
Poster
————————————————————————————————-
Oakland, California
Kinijit leaders will arrive in the San Francisco
Bay Area on Sept 29
Saturday Sept. 29, 2007
Town hall Meeting
Time: 2:00-6:30 PM
Dinner and Entertainment:
7:00 PM – Midnight
Greek Orthodox Church
4700 Lincoln Ave. Oakland CA 94602
For Information:
(510) 575-7931 or
enlarge poster
————————————————————————————————-
Dallas
Kinijit leaders will arrive in Dallas on Sept. 30
A Grand Public Gathering
Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007
Time: 3:00 PM to 8:00PM
Place: The Radisson Hotel
1981 N Central Expressway Richardson, TX 75085
For more info:
972 375 1334
or 214 727 9995
enlarge poster
————————————————————————————————-
Las Vegas
Kinijit leaders will arrive in Las Vegas on Oct 2
The Kinijit delegation will arrive in Las Vegas, Mc Carran International Airport, on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007, at 11:00 AM.
On Wednesday, Oct. 3, there will be a public meeting at
The Palace Station Hotel
2411 W. Sahara Ave.
3:00 PM – 11:00 PM.
For further info:
702 403 2342
Kinijit-Las Vegas
————————————————————————————————-
Seattle
Kinijit leaders visit Seattle, Oct 5
Let’s give heroic welcome to Kinijit leaders on Friday, Oct. 5, 11:00 AM at SEATAC Airport.
Town Hall Meeting with Kinijit leaders
China Harbor Meeting Hall
(free parking)
2040 Westlake Ave N Seattle, WA 98109
For further info: 206-380-9309 or 206-604-4835
The Kinijit leaders’ visit in Seattle is coordinated by an Ad Hoc Committee set up by the Kinijit North America leadership in collaboration with Kinijit chapter in Oregon and Vancouver.
ሲያትል ሆይ ስሚ፡ ቫንኩቨርም አድምጭ፡ ፖርትላንድም ታጠቂ፡ እነሆ ጀግኖችሽ መጡ…
ሙሉውን ጽሁፍ ለማንበብ እዚህ ይጫኑ
————————————————————————————————-
Los Angeles
Kinijit leaders visit Los Angeles, Oct 7
Los Angeles Airport (LAX), Terminal 2, 11:15 AM
Town Hall Meeting
Sunday, Oct. 7, 2:00 PM
Hollywood Park Casino
Inglewood, CA 90303
enlarge poster
————————————————————————————————-
Atlanta
Kinijit leaders visit Atlanta, Oct 13
Atlanta International Airport
Delta Airlines
Arrival: Oct. 12, 3:00 PM
Public Meeting
Oct. 13, 1:00 Pm
Georgia International Convention Center
2000 Convention Center Concourse
College Park GA
enlarge poster
————————————————————————————————-
————————————————————————————————-
Minneapolis, Oct. 19
Kinijit Minnesota Support Group for Democracy & Development Association
P. O. Box 28181 Crystal, MN 55428-0181
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kinijitmn.org
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The recently released leaders of CUDP, the main opposition party in Ethiopia, are continuing with their tour of major US cities to meet with and express their thanks to supporters as well as human rights protectors for their unwavering support and protest against their unjust incarceration. CUDP delegate members were imprisoned for almost two years following the May 2005 general election charged of genocide before their release from prison this summer. They were also sentenced, by the ruling Party’s kangaroo court, to life imprisonment .
The high-powered delegation has already held very successful town hall meetings in Washington, DC, Boston, Oakland, Dallas, Las Vegas, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. A CUDP delegation headed by the Vice Chairperson, Judge Bertukan Mideksa will arrive in Minneapolis on Oct. 19, 2007. A colorful welcome ceremony will be stage at the MSP International Airport at 3:30 PM.
The esteemed delegation will hold a briefing to the Ethiopian community in Twin Cities on Saturday, October 20, 2007, at 5:00 PM under the theme of “Democracy and Ethiopia.” The event will take place at First Christian Church 2201 1st Ave M PLS, MN 55404. Kinijit Minnesota Support Group and the Ethiopian Diaspora in Minnesota are working hard to help bring about democratic changes and the rule of law in Ethiopia through peaceful and non-violent ways. We are, however, concerned by the many hurdles the ruling party is raising against kinijit, and alarmed by the rapidly deteriorating political situation in Ethiopia.
The upcoming welcoming event is is organized jointly by Kinijit Minnesota Support Group for Democracy & Development Association (KMSG) and Kinijit North America Association of Support Organizations (KNAASO). We invite Ethiopians in Twin Cities to come out in force, meet, and greet Ethiopia’s modern heroes.
For more information about the program, please visit the Kinijit Minnesota Support Group web site.
Woyanne $50,000 per month for DLP Piper at work
____________________________
Senator Jim Inhofe statement on Ethiopia resolution
Watch video here
October 17, 2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today made the following statement criticizing legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week titled “The Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007” (H.R. 2003):
“Though this legislation states that its purpose is to ‘encourage and facilitate the consolidation of peace and security’ in Ethiopia, in reality it focuses only on shortcomings while blatantly ignoring the unprecedented progress the country has made,” Senator Inhofe said. “Ethiopia takes great pride in being the oldest independent country in Africa. They continue to be a close friend of the United States and a strong ally in the War on Terror in the Horn of Africa.
“The language contained in H.R. 2003 enflames tensions already present in the Horn of Africa, threatening regional stability and long term U.S. national security. The growing instability in Somalia and the Ogaden region, combined with the unresolved border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea in the north, has created major challenges for Ethiopia. While I agree that the violence and intimidation that took place in the country after the 2005 election was an unnecessary use of excessive force, the Government of Ethiopia has taken significant steps to regain a democratic process that is fair and respectful of human rights.
“I care deeply about Africa and visit the continent frequently. It is an area of strategic importance globally and to our country. During my recent trip to Africa in April, I witnessed first-hand Ethiopia’s democratic progress and commitment in fighting terrorism.
“Although I appreciate the increased attention being given to Africa and particularly Ethiopia, I believe the bill takes the wrong approach by placing demands on a friend and ally that has made obvious advancements in democracy and human rights. Ethiopia continues to be the central bulwark in the fight to deter the growth and disrupt the influence of Islamic extremists in the region. Our country’s strong support of Ethiopia during this significant time is imperative – it builds stability and encourages democracy and human rights.”
Source
Video
By Teshome Beyene
In defense of the fallen Heroes and Heroines
One might comment negatively for what happened over 35 years ago with the benefit of hindsight. EPRP members then believed fighting for a just cause and in doing so they died for it without the advantage of foresight. We lived and still live in a country where expression of ideas is alien. I or others did not see that fighting to redress gross injustices would be wrong. That is why so many selfless individuals joined EPRP. In the process many perished for the cause they really believed in. For many it was not power or wealth that prompted them to rise in arms, it was freedom, it was justice, and it was equality, as simple as that. Most knew they would not see the fruit that they fought for and yet they marched forward to die for it because they believed their fellow country men would enjoy the freedom they achieved with their blood. No one should be second guessing them; they have proven themselves beyond doubt by paying the ultimate price with their lives. One may argue that the sacrifice was not worth it, and that may be true, but I make no apology for their principled stand. They are not here to analyze the past; that is a luxury only for the living.
I cannot say the same to some of its leaders. Of course, some of them died along the rank and file. They did not have an inkling that they would die in vain. They would not know the party they died for would be controlled by a clique and would go down killing the hopes, dreams and aspiration of the Ethiopian youth of the time. Controlled by Iyasu Alemayehu and his late brother, EPRP was not to be what members and leaders alike thought to be. It became a personal fiefdom where the vassals paid tributes, a different form of feudalism.
It is sad that Iyasu’s clique gave bad name to our fallen heroes and heroines. It seems that the EPRP we cherished is being defined by today’s impersonators. Of course, some may be confused, but others had an axe to grind to start with and the Iyasu clique has given them great opportunity to do so.
EPRP as we knew it ended over 28 years ago when legitimate issues were raised by members, and leaders failed to address it. Some joined TPLF, others left the party altogether, and still others had a conference for about a month and eventually decided for a strategic retreat. The retreat was to call for a congress to address issues and also to elect new leaders. Little we knew that Iyasu and clique were laughing at this noble Idea of free expression of ones wills. At the time the brothers and few henchmen were in Sudan calling members as cowards. Imagine, he who never smelt gun powder talking about others’ state of mind in regards to courage. Iyasu remained a virtual remote control commander. He had no army to lead then, and he does not have any now.
Iyasu had not only the China connection, but he had control of the purse strings for the party. All money given by any group or country to EPRP was in his control. While the army was starving and bleeding, Iyasu was chasing girls in European cities. He never sweated, much less bleed for the cause he preached from the comfort of peaceful European cities with the money collected in the name of those gallant fighters. Those who died with their belief would turn in their graves if they knew what they called EPRP then is being used for personal gratification (he enjoys the role of a Grand Wizard; also the main reason for the current infighting) and economic means.
For a long time Iyasu has attempted to forge a kind of coalition that would create a forum and control for him. He began cooperating with what was its ardent foe, MEISON and even EDU. He tried to work with others as long as he was in control. Nothing materialized that could lead to something substantive. He cannot accept any organization in which he has no hands in it. The control freak could not have it any other way.
The marriage of convenience right now with Ato Hailu Shawel and the extremists serves Iyasu well. On one hand, he believes that fractured CUD will eventually wither out. On the other, with no strong organization in sight for the Ethiopian cause, Iyasu will continue to deceive his followers and the money will keep coming. What do you expect from a group who never worked in their lives but depended on others’ money?
However, what Ato Hailu sees in Iyasu’s mafia is beyond me. One cannot lean on some one who cannot support themselves. It is not only that they cannot support, they will drag one down. And that is the whole purpose: If not them no body is good enough, pure enough (Ethiopian), courageous enough to solve the Ethiopian problem. That is what you sense from what they do and say, but you should not discount the economic (dependency) side of it even for a minute.
EPRP as we knew it is no longer in existence. What you see and hear is Iyasu’s phantom organization using a popular name. Again, there is NO EPRP as we knew it. Wright or wrong, those who fought for freedom for their fellow country men are either dead or they have left the organization many years ago. Those who call themselves EPRP are in essence few leftovers that seem to make a living by using the name EPRP. They are not fighters, but war mongers. It is clear to everybody that they preach war but cannot fight.
Solution for Ethiopian body politics means demise for this group, and therefore they have to spoil anything they think that might lead to solution for our problems. They cannot tolerate any organization in which they do not have a hand in it. Remember, their survival as a group for the last 30 years was dependent on the lack of strong organization in Ethiopia. Therefore the unholy alliance against CUD is because it is a direct threat to their very survival and that they will do and say anything to undermine the people’s choice. But it cannot be in the name of those martyrs who gave their live for a better Ethiopia. That EPRP has been long gone.
_____________________
Teshome Beyene can be reached at [email protected]
