By Elisa Lipsky-Karasz | WWD.com
Liya Kebede at her desk in the LemLem studio. [Photo by Talaya Centeno]
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Liya Kebede is almost annoyingly PERFECT. Pretty, classic looks? Check. Handsome hedge-fund-manager husband and two adorable children? Check. Still in demand to open fashion shows despite being 15 years older than most other models? Check. And she spends a significant portion of her time doing good works? Come on.
But it’s true. These days, the Ethiopian native acts as Goodwill Ambassador for the World Health Organization and heads an eponymous foundation to benefit her home country, all while tending to a nascent acting career and a fledgling children’s line, LemLem.
The collection, whose name means “flourish,” or “bloom,” in Amharic, is no vanity project. Kebede started the line in order to provide employment for traditional Ethiopian weavers. “They don’t have a market anymore. I wanted to give them a way to showcase their art and get money from it,” explains the 31-year-old, who decided to design for kids because she is an avid shopper for her own young son and daughter. The results — cotton bloomers, shirts, onesies and dresses — have proved irresistible to mums, so much so that shirts and scarves are now being made in adult sizes.
Though production is very small-scale (indeed, a cardboard box of clothes arrives direct from Addis Ababa to LemLem’s Chelsea studio as Kebede explains the line), six pieces are exclusive to J. Crew in a first-time collaboration, and others will be sold online and at retailers in Paris and London. The extra business gels with Kebede’s plan to encourage industry rather than simply dole out handouts.
“I thought this [collaboration] was the right fit because it brings the Western market to them,” she says.
Of course, the male weavers are not accustomed to working at the intense pace of the New York City fashion industry. “They think we are nutcases,” she laughs. “They don’t understand why we want [something] done two millimeters differently. We’re like, ‘No, trust us.'”
Liya is incredibly invested in having this project work and having it be viable,” says J. Crew’s creative director Jenna Lyons.
Kebede put an equal amount of diligence into her turn on the big screen in the upcoming “Desert Flower,” a biopic of Somalian model-turned-activist Waris Dirie — so much so that cast and crew took to calling her Waris during the shoot. Kebede, who made her film debut in 2005’s “Lord of War” and appeared in “The Good Shepherd,” won the role out of 500 hopefuls based on her audition tape. “Only afterwards did we learn that she is a top model,” says the movie’s German director, Peter Hermann. To test her mettle, he threw her in with professional actors from Munich’s Bavarian Staatstheater for a second audition. “We didn’t make it easy for her,” he says.
As for modeling, Kebede still enjoys it. “I take pleasure in the process,” she explains. But, she says, discrimination persists in the industry despite all the recent attention to race, including Italian Vogue’s famous “Black Issue,” in which she appeared. “I’ve had clients saying, ‘We can’t use her because she’s black,’ ” she says. “You say, ‘OK, fine,’ and you move on. I’ve been lucky about it, but even today it will happen and I won’t be shocked.”
“The fact that there has been all this talk about it has helped. And I really think that Michelle and Barack Obama have helped,” continues Kebede, who met the President at a campaign fund-raiser. “I’m a bit more optimistic this time around.” And should her daughter want to model, Kebede says she would be supportive. “I wouldn’t want her to start early. But if she is around 18 or 19, I wouldn’t mind. It’s a tough industry, but I’ve done it and it’s been quite OK with me.”
Tamrat Layne and family the notorious Alcatraz Prison in California – March 2009
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It is interesting to see that former {www:Woyanne} Prime Minister Tamrat Layne has now joined the ranks of some of the people he chased out of their country. Tamrat, who threw distinguished Ethiopian surgeon Prof. Asrat Woldeyes in jail and eventual death, is back as new person — as a Pentecostal minster — right here in the U.S. among us. It is ironic that the guy who denied freedom to millions of Ethiopians and took away the lives of so many of our compatriots is here amongst us visiting American cities and historical places such as the notorious Alcatraz Prison in northern California.
Many of our brothers and sisters under Tamrat’s orders were thrown out into the Alcatrazs of Ethiopia, or their bodies thrown to the sides of the road. Amhara peasants were massacred by angry mobs who were agitated by his ‘Tut Koreta’ (breast-cutting) Memorial Day celebrations in such places as Bedeno. The memorials were imaginary celebrations that were held to enrage the local Oromo Ethiopians and rise up against the Amara peasants who were identified as perpetrators of the imagined crime that alleged to have had occurred over 100 years ago. The agitation had worked and resulted in the slayings of hundreds of Amharas in Arsi and Harrar regions. It is these massacres that forced Prof. Asrat Woldeyes to establish an organization that would speak out against the killings and sufferings of Amhara Ethiopians.
Tamrat Layne and family at Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco – March 2009
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Now, as a “family-man,” Tamrat is walking happily on Fisherman Wharf in San Francisco, visiting the famous Golden Gate Bridge, as if he has not denied the happiness of many families and violently took away the lives of many innocent loved ones.
Although Tamrat himself may have been thrown in jail after disagreement with his puppet-master Meles Zenawi, he had equally participated with other Woyane officials in ordering killings and unleashing sufferings against countless innocent Ethiopians. He remains a criminal at large that many Ethiopians would like bring to justice — no matter how religious he looks and sounds now.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (World Bank) – The Ethiopian Government and the World Bank on March 14 officially launched the General Education Quality Improvement Program (GEQIP).
The project aims to support Ethiopia’s effort to improve the quality of general education through, among other things, improvements in teaching and learning conditions in primary and secondary institutions as well as management planning and budget capacity of the Ministry of Education and Regional Education Bureaus. Specific activities include a Teacher Development Program; curriculum, textbooks and assessment; education management information systems; and a school improvement program.
The program is supported by an International Development Association credit of US$50 million which is the first part of a two-phased Adaptable Program Loan, a loan that provides the borrower phased support for a long-term development program, and will leverage an estimated collective investment of US$417 million in additional resources from the Government and other development partners.
Around 16 million students in primary and secondary schools as well as 225,000 teachers are expected to benefit from the GEQIP.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi stated that in addition to leveraging additional support, the program will also contribute to effectively achieving the education quality improvement goal. He reaffirmed the governments’ commitment to not only expanding education across the country, but to improving the quality of education.
During the launch event, the World Bank’s Country Director for Ethiopia Kenichi Ohashi indicated that Ethiopia is on the right track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in the education sector and expressed appreciation for the efforts being made by the Ethiopian government to ensure quality education for all.
By Neamin Zelleke
I have been following like many the great interests generated by “የጋዜጠኛው ማስታወሻ” (The Journalists Memoir), a book written by Tesfaye Gebreab. While many have raised legitimate points regarding the Tesfaye Gebreab’s past and his role as a press/propaganda official within the TPLF dominated ethnocentric regime, others have hammered on his book Ye Burka Zimeta, an apparently “inflammatory” work written by Tesfaye Gebreab more than a decade ago. As argued by few with an intent to incite the Oromo ethnic group against the Amhara, as part of the grand conspiracy of the TPLF to perpetuate its rule by pitting one ethnic group against the other. I have not read “Ye Burka Zimeta”. Therefore, I will limit myself to commenting on the relevance and importance of “የጋዜጠኛው ማስታወሻ”, the very book he wrote recently and the cause for continued interest and heated debate in countless circles in Ethiopia and outside.
Pundits of propaganda and public relations often argue that the power of a literary piece is measured by the level of noise it creates in the enemy’s camp. If we gauge the value of Tesfaye’s book by such yardsticks, i.e., by the degree with which it has created much anger, significant discontent, and much wailing and yelling that we hear from the quarters of the ruling Tigrayan elite and its supporters worldwide, it could well be compared to a surprise military blitzkrieg by a guerrilla force right at the heart of TPLF’s power center and its leaders, somehow caught by surprise as they slumber due to their blotted hubris. The TPLF ruling gang and their cronies everywhere are indeed fuming left and right, both inside and outside of Ethiopia. Why in deed are they raving and ranting everywhere?
Although his language and style are very powerful and enticing, the power of Tesfaye Gebreab’s book stems from its vivid and picturesque storytelling with a Chekhovian streak, realistic assessment, and expositions of the nature and culture of the ruling TPLF and its leaders. It gives an insight in to what has come to dominate the nature and character of the Ethiopian state. It tells stories about the personalities, the culture and mentality of the leaders of the ruling TPLF/EPRDF and their cadres. These features of the book give us the clue as regard to the reasons for the TPLF gang and their supporters raving and ranting.
They are furious because he unveiled them. They are now naked more than ever. Much of their pretensions have been debunked, shown for what they are. Some make believe stories, others delusions and illusions. As the saying goes in Amharic “Ye mayinega meslwat bequat”. They are exposed for what they are — noting but a bunch of crooks that have no vision that goes beyond their nose. Their only agenda and vision if that is worthy of being called a “vision” is the hegemony of the TPLF/Tigrayan elite in perpetuity by all means at the expense of any and all things in and of Ethiopia. This too has come out loud and clear in the book.
Their dirty laundry is out there for Ethiopians to see. The degree of deceit and treachery that infests the ruling cadres of TPLF, all their banality, all their crooked and vindictive personalities are laid bare. Think of characters like Bereket Simon and others who emerge from the book. Top it all with a glimpse of the deeply hidden plethora secrets of crimes committed against the Ethiopian people. Recall OPDO’s General Abadula Gemeda’s conspiracy and the operation he lead, ending up to the tragic assassination of a respected Oromo elder named Ato Derara in Ambo. We now have the tip of the ice berg as to who committed what crimes during the last seventeen years of TPLF’s tenure.
A small thank you is due to Tesfaye Gebreab just for bringing to the fore such vital pieces of information and clues to their criminality and massive corruption. I would argue that Tesfaye has done us a favor compared to others who defected from the TPLF camp in the past. That the TPLF and its cronies are wasting oceans of inks and tons of paper in a futile attempt to kill the message by attempting to kill the messenger should not be surprising. An all out rampage to paint him with all sorts of narrow and broad brushes should not deter from his expose’. Hence, great care should be taken by all those within the opposition camp not to follow suit by endlessly harping on blunders of those who were once working for the enemy camp like Tesfaye.
We find in Tesfaye’s book what we otherwise knew at rumor and hearsay levels. There is also much that he has told us we did not know. Aside from the hilarious incidents and episodes scattered all over his book, the book has given us an additional knowledge as regard to the inner working of the regime, the mind set of leading cadres, how they think and what they think behind the appearance of their public persona.
The books also tells much about the relentless quest for power and hegemony, the TPLF/Tigrayan elite enjoy in all aspects of the Ethiopian state machinery and the public sphere at large–economy, politics, military, foreign affairs, security; and the list goes on and on. It was Voltaire, the French thinker and political satirist of the Enlightenment era, who once said that the Holy Roman Empire is neither Holy nor Roman nor Empire, quipping as regard to the impotence of the byzantine edifice that once stretched across the Mediterranean. By the same token, no political piece of work coming from a once time insider of the TPLF regime has affirmed without a shadow of doubt–with so many incidents and data found in the book– to the fact that the so-called EPRDF claiming to be the ruling “Front” is nothing but a zombie that is used by the TPLF at will and whim. In short, the so-called EPRDF is none other than a bunch of stooges and a Trojan horse under the mercy of their creator, The TPLF, the Tigrayan organization ruling over Ethiopia under the guise of being a member of a front of other “Ethiopain organizations” constituting the “EPRDF”. Here too their stale and utterly cruel joke has been busted once again and big time.
All the information, personal experiences, daily encounters , observations packed and recounted in Tesfay’s book, are first hand accounts coming from a person who was a one time insider and official of the TPLF/EPRDF regime. That is the difference and the reasons for its vital relevance. Even the higher ups like Gebru Asrat, Seye Abraha, and many higher or mid level officials who dismounted the TPLF horse–for one reason or another and at one time or another–have not given us the kind of insight, information, into the inner working and relationship that exist among the leading cadres and officials of the TPLF and so called EPRDF. They did not provide us with what exactly went on within the TPLF and its satellite organizations like the ANDM, OPDO at various sages during the course of the past decades. But Tesfaye Gebereab has filled in many blanks for us.
He has confirmed what many in the opposition have been saying all along buttressed by hitherto unavailable data and valuable information. It is for sure and by all means, not a complete picture and information. But it is a very good and promising start where others like him coming from the Intelligence, the foreign affairs, the military and others sectors of the TPLF regime can fill in the gaps.
Prudence dictates that one should encourage such individuals who choose to leave the ruling ethnic party and its coterie of appendages parties to write and expose what they know like Tesfaye Gebreab did in his work. We should accord them due welcome while urging them to also apologize if they indeed engaged in acts that were once harmful to the people of Ethiopia.
I find it utterly disagreeable; both from tactical and strategic considerations, the urge by some of our compatriots in engaging to demonize and pound on ad infintum against individuals like to Tesfaye who dared to write a piece of themselves, availing their historical memory and recounting their personal encounters. Perhaps, we may expect more that they did not tell us, but we should welcome their writing forays as a good start for more to come. In the past, there we have witnessed many who defected from, or had a fall out with the TPLF and the so-called EPRDF, but have not heard nor read what went on while they were part of the political system. Save for few exceptions that left at very early stages.
We should therefore give credit where it is due. For Tesfaye has opened at least one door among the gates of the flood. If managed wisely the discontented and disconcerted middle and lower echelons of the TPLF/EPRDF regime may defect in droves. Such happenings will further expose and bankrupt the decaying and ethnocentric Tigrayan gang ruling over Ethiopia.
On the flip side of the coin, the path of endless demonization for what one did once as part of an oppressive system does not give incentive for others to follow suit. Such acts do not encourage many discontented individuals in the enemy’s camp to leave the TPLF regime, and leave it for once and for all, followed by publicly exposing it for its many crimes of human rights abuse stemming from the ethno-terrorist features and political culture of the Tigrayan dominated ethnocentric gang. Such a trend is surely not a strategically wise move if viewed from our political objectives of exposing, weakening, and further exacerbating the contradictions and bankruptcy of an already decaying regime at the brink of collapse. It suffices to recall that the Derg regime was further weakened and the moral of the then Ethiopian army declined when heavy weight officials and functionaries such as Col Goshu Wolde, the then Foreign Minster Maj. Dawit Wolde Girogis, the then Commissioner of Relief and Rehabilitation, and scores of others to abandon and expose much of Col. Mengistu’s and his regime’s misguided policies, human rights abuse, and other excesses.
However legitimate the criticism leveled against Tesfaye for being a willing participant of TPLF’s ploy to pit one ethnic group against the other by writing the book under the title “Ye Burka Zimita”, I find his current book infused with a very good vision for Ethiopia and the Ethiopain people. Foremost, the recognition of lack of freedom and justice. Freedom for the writer, the journalist, the civil servant, businessman, peasant, etc to realize their potential. For self expression unhindered and unburdened by either the custom of the land or the powers that be ruling/miruling the land.
Indeed “የጋዜጠኛው ማስታወሻ” is pervaded by a deep recognition the lack of freedom and an arrested and stultified development the human mind and spirit, and in this case the Ethiopian personality. The glaring lack of it in Ethiopia during the successive regimes, including the TPLF, the very regime the author served close to a decade even from the authors early ordeals of life starting from his inability to find a work as a journalist, his passion, despite his demonstrated talent and abilities as a writer.
Contrary to what many impute to him, we also see the author’ s deep love for Ethiopia and an umbilical love and attachment to Bishoftu/Debrezeit, his place of birth and coming of age. His love of people and places extends to far away place like Gondar and other regions too. Writers and poets are artists after all, they have a unique angle with which they see and envision humanity, nature, and the world. Tesfaye has shared a piece of himself, including deeply personal matters with the world in his own attractive use of language and poetic style. One can argue that as far as what is expected of writers and poets; he has fulfilled his role of literary creativity in a work meant as a true story, a journal cum memoir. This argument does not mean that we have to agree with all his ideas and assertions, including characterization of individuals who have established a long and consistent track record in the struggle fro Human rights and democracy in Ethiopia, like for instance, Ato Abraha Belay of Ethiomedia. We take what we think are important when it comes to such assertions and “revelations” about personalities as well as events.
(The writer can be reached at [email protected])
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The British Embassy in Addis Ababa announced that Ethiopian students looking to study in the UK will be able to apply for their visa through Tier 4 of the new streamlined Points Based System beginning today.
According to a press release issued by the embassy, Ethiopian students will need to prove that they have been accepted onto a course run by an education institution which is a UK Border Agency (UKBA) licensed Tier 4 sponsor, proves that they have the means to support themselves, and supply their biometric details at their local visa application center.
If granted a visa, the new Tier 4 regulations allow international students to undertake part-time work of up to 20 hours per week during term time, full time work during the holidays and undertake any course related work placements, the release said. “The UK has a lot to offer international students. Now they see whether they are eligible for a visa before they even apply- making the system much clearer and easier to understand,” Susannah Susannah Richmond, Entry Clearance Manager of the British Embassy commented:, Entry Clearance Manager of the British Embassy commented.
The aim is to make the application process more transparent and straightforward, Richmond said.
For the first time, all independent fee-paying schools, colleges and universities that want to accept international students to study with them now need to a license to do so, the release indicated.
This will help the UK government crack down on bogus colleges, something which will be welcome news to many Ethiopian students, who can now be sure that the language school, college or university they intend to study at is an approved educational institution, it said.
According to the release, over a thousand UK institutions have signed up to sponsor international students.
Further information on visa products are posted on http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/,the release says.
