Beit Shean, Israel – She spent the first few days weaving in and out of the crowd, ducking here, hiding there. By the time her parents, back home in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, realized their 12-year-old-daughter had joined the caravan of Jews leaving for Israel, she was far away in the Sudanese desert.
Hava Almu spent 12 days and nights crossing Sudan on foot, in extreme conditions, and a year in a squalid refugee camp outside Khartoum, before she was airlifted to a new life in Israel.
Throughout the 1980s and 90s close to 100,000 Ethiopian Jews were brought here as part of major operations – code-named “Moses” and “Solomon” – in line with Israel’s law of return which guarantees citizenship for all Jews. Their immigration is often depicted as a fulfillment of the biblical prophecy of gathering all Jews to Zion, and their arrival was accompanied by excitement and celebration. But their journey has not been simple.
Over 4,000 of them died en route. And many of these immigrants, who came from remote, poor villages, have since struggled to adapt to the industrialized, multiethnic society that adopted them.
Even today, 23 years later, in her Beit Shean home, where she and her policeman husband are raising a brood of Hebrew-blabbering children, the anxieties of that journey out of Africa, the years of longing for her family, and the difficulties of taking first steps in Israel haunt Ms. Almu.
They haunt her, but she’d never spoken of them – until the day six years ago that Talia Argaman came along and opened a free women’s drama class at the local community center. “In our community you keep things in the belly,” Almu had explained patiently to Ms. Argaman, a newly minted community social worker from a nearby kibbutz in the Jordan Valley.
But that was then.
Now, the little drama club has turned into a unique amateur Ethiopian women’s theater troupe – the “Roots Theater” — that performs a play about that journey to Israel and the absorption process at small venues around the country. It gives audiences a rare peek into the often closed world of the Ethiopian community here and has also given the women of the troupe an improved sense of self.
“I want people to come out of the play knowing that we made real efforts to come here,” says Almu today, fixing her rhinestone-decorated baseball cap and kicking off her strappy gold sandals. “Most Israelis don’t understand this. It’s not like we came here because we had nothing in Ethiopia and it’s not like we were just airlifted out and that’s that.”
“We are often portrayed as people who were so poor and gentle that we would have gone anywhere. But it’s not true. We did this because we yearned for this country our whole lives and because we belong here in the land of our forefathers.”
• • •
This summer, the Israeli government announced it was ending large-scale immigration from Ethiopia and that all further requests would be considered case by case. This policy leaves an estimated 8,500 so-called Falash Mura – Ethiopians who claim Jewish roots, the majority of whom have family in Israel – still clamoring for their collective right to immigrate.
The decision and the subsequent media coverage of the Falash Mura’s demands to be brought to Israel have reignited a sober public discussion here of this immigrant group and their complex integration.
Almost 65 percent of the community are on some kind of welfare assistance, according to a June report of the State Comptroller’s Office, And, while Ethiopians make up only 1.5 percent of the population, 11 percent of those in battered women’s shelters are Ethiopian. Last year, five of the 16 women murdered in domestic disputes were Ethiopian immigrants. Drug and alcohol problems among these immigrants are growing, too.
“Israeli society hears these stories but still doesn’t fully understand what is behind it,” says Lea Kacen, a professor of social work at Ben Gurion University in the Negev who has done extensive work on the Ethiopian community. “These immigrants went through a real trauma on their way here. They were robbed and raped and killed in the Sudan – and this trauma has affected not only the first generation but the children too.”
And moreover, she continues, few immigrant groups to Israel have had to make such a wrenching adjustment or had to deal with the collapse of so many of their traditional family and community structures. “They went from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. This is a story we know, but don’t give enough weight to.”
• • •
Argaman, who grew up going to the theater and did some acting herself, always believed in the power of performance to convey a story. So, it was only natural that, when it was suggested she run a class for new Ethiopian immigrants in a development town near her kibbutz, she immediately put up a sign-up sheet for a drama club.
It was not all smooth sailing. Twenty women signed up – but then none, actually, showed up. “No matter what time I called class for, no one would arrive until an hour or two later,” recalls Argaman. “I realized that I could not come in and impose my way of doing things. I had to let things flow according to their pace.”
Doing things their way included accepting that time – and, significantly, being on time – had a different urgency than it does in Israeli society. Meanwhile ,over half the group soon dropped out after their husbands protested. Argaman’s friends all wondered why she kept at it.
But, while most other initiatives started by veteran Israelis at the community center did fold after a month or two, Argaman, a tough-talking, red-haired, divorced mother of two, is not the giving-up sort.
“We come in with good energy but then it gets sapped. The cultural codes are so different and things fall apart,” she admits. “But I believed something special would come out of it if I kept going. And I was right.”
Argaman sat with each of the women, heard her story, took notes and, sitting home at night in her house at the kibbutz, wove their personal stories into one longer ensemble piece about that historic journey to Israel.
In the piece, one woman tells of her baby brother dying in her arms in the desert. An aunt stuffed a blanket in her mouth, she recalls, so she would not cry out and risk being found by Sudanese soldiers. Another woman relays how the community would all cook on the sabbath, despite the Jewish law prohibiting it, just so the other refugees in the camps would not suspect they were different.
There are tales of bandits and rapists and elderly left behind. But here are also stories of success and accomplishments, big and small. A young girl, toward the end of the play, stands up an speaks about making her first Israeli friend in school.
The women all learned their lines slowly – through repetition, as most of the performers are illiterate – and the play evolved. The result, Argaman judged, was worthy of an audience.
“I told them we would put on a real show, with lighting and sound system and everything – but they did not believe me. They just thought, ‘Here is another white person with promises.’ They were not very trusting, and it was hard.”
Almu, who has taken on a lead role in the production, and today dreams of also having her own TV talk show someday, blushes. “True,” she admits. “But then things changed. We began to feel like we were capable of doing something – of standing and talking in front of a crowd. Talia recognized we had strengths we did not know of.”
“These are not actresses; they all came out of the kitchen and none have any formal education,” says Argaman. “But we convey an important message with the play, which is, ‘Look, we have something to say, too. We have voices and stories too … and we are part of this country too.’ ”
Gelila Bekele is a model, humanitarian, and social activist. Most people recognize this Ethiopian beauty from seeing her in popular advertisements for Pantene and Colgate, but many people have no idea that there is much more behind this stunning woman that makes her even more intriguing. Gelila was born in an impoverished country that is ruled by a brutal dictatorship where millions of people don’t have access to the most basic human needs like food and water.
With the success and celebrity afforded to her through her work as a recognizable model, Gelila devotes much of her time to aiding people around the world through her charity involvement with groups that help those living in third world nations attain fundamental natural resources like water. One organization that she is passionate about is simply called: Charity: Water.
Charity: Water is a non-profit organization founded by Scott Harris in New York City in 2006 that brings clean and safe drinking water to impoverished communities in Africa, India, and South America. When asked what inspired her to get involved with the organization she declared, “I have encountered many things and through time I have learned human beings are not programmed to endure a predestined life.”
Through benefits, fund-raisers and events, Charity: Water has attracted the attention of countless people, and celebrities and has raised over $3 million dollars in 18 months and has funded over 600 water projects.
Some of the other charities Gelila is involved with include Kageno, Keep a Child Alive and Darfur Action Network.
His job has taken him all over the world. And Captain Paul Norley’s next destination is to Africa to share his love of music.
The director of music at the Band of the King’s Division has been chosen to lead a team of British Army musicians to help Ethiopia’s Woyanne military band prepare for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a military drum performance. [There is no Ethiopian army in Ethiopia currently. It is a gang of murderers protecting the private interests of the ruling Tigrean People Liberation Front (Woyanne)].
Capt Norley, 42, who lives in Freckleton, near Preston, has 26 years experience as an Army musician, serving, playing and conducting at venues across the world.
He has been director of music of the Band of the King’s Division, the Army’s only full-time band in the North West, based in Weeton, near Preston, since April.
He said: “We do not really know what we are going to find out there.
“We will be taking over 50 pieces of music with us which we will be able to adapt for them.”
“The means are at hand. It is now a question of will and of action — for there is no enterprise more noble, or reward more precious than saving the life of a child.”
— UNICEF, The State of the World’s Children 2008
Twenty-five years ago, UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children report launched the first “child survival revolution.” Cataloguing a series of life-saving interventions, the report was a clear call to action on behalf of children dying from preventable and treatable diseases. UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children 2008 report returns to the topic of child survival. The report documents the tremendous progress in children’s health in recent decades, highlights the strategies and partnerships that have proven most effective, and outlines the challenges that remain. Like its predecessor a quarter century ago, The State of the World’s Children 2008 makes clear that the most significant barriers do not require medical innovation, but political will and commitment.
On March 13, a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee will hold a hearing on child survival issues, including those addressed in UNICEF’s report. For more information, please see the “Call to Action” section of this document.
Poor Countries Not on Track to Meet Child Health Goals
UNICEF reports that, for the first time, the number of children worldwide dying before reaching their fifth birthday dipped below 10 million, to 9.7 million. Between 1960, when approximately 20 million children did not live past the age of five, and 2006, child mortality rates fell by 60 percent. Despite this progress, more than 26,000 children under age five still die every day from largely treatable and preventable causes.
Much of the developing world is not on track to meet international goals for child survival. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 — which the United States and every other nation pledged to achieve — calls for a two-thirds reduction in child mortality rates (from the 1990 level) by 2015. According to UNICEF’s report, of the 60 poor countries that account for 93 percent of global child deaths, only seven are on track to meet MDG 4. The failure to achieve adequate progress is most acute in South Asia and Africa. Of the 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, only three are on track to meet MDG 4. Almost half have made no progress in child death rates since 1990.
Many children in developing countries die for want of basic medical attention for ailments rarely fatal in the developed world. One in five child deaths — 2 million annually — are due to pneumonia (see below), and diarrheal diseases account for nearly another 2 million. Forty percent of child deaths occur among newborns, most from severe infections, birth asphyxia (difficulty breathing), or complications due to preterm birth. Measles, malaria, and HIV/AIDS together account for 15 percent of child deaths.
The interventions necessary to prevent these deaths are well established. Essential newborn care, such as immunizing mothers against tetanus, clean delivery conditions, drying and wrapping a baby immediately after birth, promoting breastfeeding, immunization, and treating infections with antibiotics could save 1 million babies a year. A 2-cent capsule containing a vitamin A supplement given two to three times a year helps prevent blindness and death. An additional 500,000 children could be saved if all had access to this nutritional supplement. Providing insecticide-treated bed nets to families in malaria-ridden areas could prevent another million deaths a year.
Investing in child survival is critical to building a sustainable future. Not only will providing proper health care result in children around the world growing into productive, healthy members of society, but it will also result in improvements in maternal health and population dynamics. Families will have less children as the odds for survival increase, and can better care and provide for the children they do have.
Pneumonia: The Forgotten Killer
Pneumonia, perhaps more than any other disease, clearly illustrates both the tragedy and opportunity of child mortality. Pneumonia, UNICEF reports, kills more children than any other disease — more than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined. Children in developing countries often contract pneumonia as a direct result of their impoverished environment. Lack of proper nutrition, including micronutrients like vitamin A, and the nutrition-sapping effects of multiple bouts of diarrhea makes children more susceptible to diseases that are far less prevalent in the developed world. Also, UNICEF reports, living in crowded homes or being exposed to smoke from indoor cooking fires can also increase a child’s odds of developing pneumonia.
When properly diagnosed, pneumonia can be treated inexpensively with antibiotics. UNICEF promotes a community-based approach to managing pneumonia, empowering families and caregivers to administer treatment according to advice from local health workers. An analysis of this strategy at sites in Tanzania and six other countries found a resulting 37 per cent decrease in child deaths due to pneumonia.
Success at the Community Level
In 1999, UNICEF reports, 47 percent of India’s children under three were underweight. The causes, the report states, were largely due to “the inadequate knowledge of caregivers concerning correct infant and young child feeding, frequent infections worsened by bad hygiene, high population pressure, the low status of women and girls, and suboptimal delivery of social services.” The Indian government instituted a strategy of providing basic healthcare to children through a network of community workers, but the quality of care provided by the workers was inconsistent.
UNICEF partnered with the Indian government to better train the workers in six states and 1,000 villages. After three years, more than 6 million patients were reached, and surveys were conducted to assess the impact of the program. More children were being breastfed, and vitamin A supplementation and immunization rates were higher. Undernutrition levels fell as well. All of this was achieved at a relatively low cost to the government — approximately US$150–$200 per village per year.
Although the program is still underway and more can be accomplished, these findings and developments show what an inexpensive, comprehensive, collaborative approach to child survival can achieve.
UNICEF Leading the Way in Africa
Further progress in child survival will require new and innovative approaches and a clear plan to deliver proven child survival interventions to the most vulnerable children. UNICEF recently launched an initiative concentrating on more than 16 million people in parts of 11 countries in West and Central Africa that have high under-five child death rates. The Accelerated Child Survival and Development (ACSD) program integrates low-cost, highly-effective interventions that dramatically improve child survival over a short period of time. ACSD provides an incredibly important global model not only in the impact it has shown is possible, but because it focuses on closely tracking results, and identifying and addressing bottlenecks in service delivery.
Working in partnership with the African Union, UNICEF has developed a strategic framework from rapidly scaling up primary health service coverage to reduce child mortality. Providing even a minimum package of high-impact, low-cost interventions could reduce under-five mortality by 30 percent. Implementation of a full package of services could reduce child mortality rates by more than 60 percent, and put countries on track toward meeting MDG 4.
U.S. Lacks Plan to Reach Child Survival Goal
Despite a pledge to work toward the Millennium Development Goals, the United States has no strategy to help achieve the global target of a two-thirds reduction in child mortality. While Congress has spared child survival funding from proposed cuts in recent years, funding remains well below estimates of the U.S. share of the global resource estimates.
Without a coherent strategy to reduce child deaths, the modest resources that are directed toward child survival are subject to budgeting decisions at odds with public health goals. In his budget justification for the 2008 fiscal year, President Bush proposed spending US$6.5 million on maternal and child health programs in Jordan, where some 4,000 children under age five die annually. In Ethiopia, however, which suffers nearly 100 times as many child deaths in a year, the president proposed a maternal and child health budget of just US$6 million. This would amount to $1,625 per child death in Jordan, and just over $15 in Ethiopia.
If the United States is to contribute meaningfully to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals stressed in UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children report, Congress must demand a comprehensive child survival strategy to guide budgeting decisions rationally according to disease burden.
A Call to Action
On March 13, the Africa and Global Health Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on child survival. The hearing is expected to draw attention to a number of child survival issues, including the Child Survival Act. Members of Congress must address these critical issues in order to put the world on track to achieving MDG 4. The U.S. must develop a strategy to ensure child health funding is directed to the most effective interventions in the areas with the greatest need. The bipartisan U.S. Commitment to Global Child Survival Act, currently introduced in the House and Senate, would require a comprehensive strategy to reduce child mortality that prioritizes countries with the highest number and most severe rates of death. Congress should act on this legislation, ensure that the strategy is adequately funded.
The U.S. should also give direct support to UNICEF’s innovative child survival programs, including the Accelerated Child Survival and Development program. UNICEF estimates that a minimum health package scaled up in Africa would cost about $1,000 per life saved. A modest U.S. investment of $100 million could potentially save 100,000 young lives next year, and prevent thousands more cases of permanent mental and physical disability due to severe illness.
Allana Resources Inc. of Toronto, Canada, has acquired three mineral concessions in Ethiopia’s northeastern Danakil depression totalling approximately 150 square kilometres. The project area is approximately 100 kilometres from the Red Sea coast and 600 km via good roads from the deepwater port of Djibouti. The potash mineralization in the Danakil depression is well known with mining having been carried out intermittently from the early 1900s. Mining companies currently working in the basin include BHP Billiton and Sainik Coal Mining, a leading Indian-based coal mining company, the latter of which is planning to initiate mining at the Musley deposit.
Allana and the property vendors have completed National Instrument 43-101-compliant technical reports for the three concessions. These studies were carried out by Ercosplan Ingenieurgesellschaft and North Rim Exploration Ltd., internationally recognized experts in potash exploration. The qualified persons for the reports are Dr. Henry Rauche and Dr. Sebastiaan van der Klauw of Ercosplan, and Stephen P. Halabura, PGeo, of North Rim Exploration. Modern exploration on the property has been limited; however extensive historical exploration by the Ralph M. Parsons Company provides a valuable database to target further drilling and exploration studies. Parsons has completed over 300 exploration drill holes on the project. Drill log data, with analyses, were acquired from the Geological Survey of Ethiopia and have been compiled into a project database. Excellent support and advice were provided by staff from the Geological Survey of Ethiopia through the entire compilation and review process.
Highlights from the technical report outline several significant features of these properties, the following:
* An inferred mineral resource of 105.2 million tons of potash mineralization (sylvite and kainite) with a composite grade of 20.8 per cent KCl;
* Near-surface potash mineralization (within 50 metres of surface for the Musley deposit);
* Potential for solution or open-pit mining;
* Unique environment provides potential to use low-cost geothermal and solar power. Saline brines in a nearby thermal spring returned a superheated temperature of 125 C. Days are often hot and clear to aid use of solar evaporation of brines or to use solar power;
* Downhole radiometric logs from two holes, the closest of which is located approximately five kilometres west of the nearest hole on the Musley deposit, reportedly indicate 45 metres of K mineralization in holes 5 and 7 at a depth 680 metres and another potential zone at 930 metres. These two holes demonstrate significant potential to expand the inferred potash resource on Allana concessions;
* Previous work indicates potential for a deeper horizon of potash mineralization which has only been intersected by the occasional hole;
* MOP (muriate of potash) and SOP production is feasible.
Allana’s concessions cover part of the previously defined Musley potash deposit located on the edge of a 1,000-square-kilometre, salt-filled topographic low that lies along northern Ethiopia’s portion of the East African rift. Previous drilling by Parsons from 1958 to 1967 resulted in the discovery and partial delineation of the Musley deposit which was reported to contain a resource of 171.27 million tons grading 32.48 per cent KCl (Ercosplan). This resource estimate is historical in nature and does not comply with National Instrument 43-101. This estimate should not be relied upon. The smaller Crescent deposit was the initial site of exploration activity by Parsons in the 1950s; however its small size, approximately 10 million tons of secondary carnallite, prompted Parsons to focus on the Musley deposit. The majority of the historical resource at the Musley deposit is located on ground held by Sainik with portions of the resource extending onto the Allana concessions.
Previous work has identified one potash-bearing horizon, designated the Houston formation, which is characterized by three members (sylvinite, intermediate and kainitite members), that extends onto the Allana concessions. The intermediate member lies between the sylvinite and kainitite members, is commonly thick, and contains carnallite mineralization. In the Houston formation, potash mineralization varies from seven to 48 metres in width and has been traced for approximately 10 km along strike and Allana expects that it extends to the southern part of the property. The evaporate basin extends onto the Allana concessions and comprises an area of approximately 150 square kilometres. This portion of the basin has the potential to host all three potash-bearing horizons. This potential is supported by the indicated K mineralization in the two deep holes located approximately five kilometres from the Musley deposit.
Preliminary modelling of 16 historical drill holes on the Allana concessions and 22 nearby drill holes (Ercosplan technical report, July 13, 2008) indicates an inferred mineral resource of 31.3 million tons grading 25.4 per cent KCl from the sylvinite member and 73.9 million tons grading 61.7 per cent kainite from the kainitite member (18.8-per-cent KCl equivalent). In the resource area, the average width of the sylvinite member is 2.78 metres and the kainitite member is typically thicker averaging 5.79 metres. The resource is open in several directions and down dip with much of the Allana ground having seen little to no exploration.
The pertinent parametres used by Ercosplan in its resource calculation are as follows:
* Cut-off grade of 15 per cent KCl and a minimum width of two metres in the sylvinite member;
* Cut-off grade of 30 per cent kainite and a minimum width of three metres in the kainitite member;
* An area of influence surrounding each drill hole of a maximum of 750 metres;
* A specific gravity of 2.2 grams per cubic centimetre;
* Dr. Rauche and Dr. van der Klauw of Ercosplan, and Mr. Halabura, PGeo, of North Rim Exploration, all of whom are independent of Allana, prepared the resource estimate;
* The resource estimate was prepared in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining definition standards on mineral resources and mineral reserves adopted by the CIM council.
Allana intends to immediately commence further exploration work on the property. Allana’s evaluation of the property will comprise mapping, initial drill holes to verify the grade of the members of the potash-bearing horizon, downhole seismic to document the geophysical characteristics of the potash-bearing mineralization, and 2-D seismic lines to trace the target horizon, if present, to the south and eastern portions of the concessions. Should this first phase program demonstrate success then additional wide-spaced drilling will be carried out to document the grades and widths of the prospective potash-bearing horizon(s).
Allana has agreed to acquire the properties from three private companies in consideration for a total of $2.5-million in cash payments over three years and the issuance of four million shares. The property will also be subject to a 3-per-cent net smelter return, of which 50 per cent can be purchased for $5-million. The completion of the acquisition is subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.
Potash prices have been very strong in the last few years rising from approximately $100 to over $1,000 per ton of KCl this year. There has been strong and steady KCl production growth since the end of World War II. Two economic crises, 1973 and 1981, followed by 1980s recession have restrained production. The global economic growth of the 1990s, a rapidly growing population and significant increases in agricultural requirements, particularly in emerging developing nations, are forcing industrial production to meet the rising potash demand. As a result, prices are forecast to remain very strong.
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Peter J. MacLean, PhD, PGeo, Allana’s vice-president of exploration
Washington, DC – This is perhaps one of the most important periods in our political history.
We have come a long way despite enormous challenges and difficulties. The Democratic Party elected Barak Obama as its presidential candidate. This is historic and significant in many ways. This sweeping momentum generated by Obama’s candidacy will bring much needed change, strengthen our country, and bring Americans together.
For many of us, we have been waiting for this for decades. At the core of this movement is the fact that people from all backgrounds came together not simply driven by race or political motive, but to bring change, and in doing so made many Americans who felt marginalized proud to be Americans.
Martin Luther King said once “In a real sense America is essentially a dream, a dream as yet unfulfilled. It is a dream where men of all races, of all nationalities, and of all creeds can live together as brothers.” And as Dr. King said “he has seen the Promised Land.” Indeed, my friend Barak has brought us all together and Martin Luther King’s dream of the Promised Land will come true.
There is an Ethiopian proverb that goes like this: “When the spiders unite they can tie down a lion.” And when people come together united behind a cause, victory is assured.
Obama is a man of principle, focused, and with a vision for a better America. When he first ran for the Senate, I went to Chicago to help. Your support for Obama is not just for one man, but for change. Your active and early participation in the political process also gives your community recognition and access to engage elected officials about issues you care about. In addition to the multiple domestic and international issues that presidential candidates often focus during their campaign, the Obama campaign has made Africa a major priority. The campaign has more than a dozen dedicated staff working in the Africa Team. We have two of them in this panel. Obama’s foreign policy chief, my good friend Susan Rice, is also a very dedicated Africa ally.
[ER disagrees here. Susan is no different from Jendayi Frazier — both are in the pockets of Africa’s vampires like Meles. On top of that, Susan is an arrogant woman who look down on African human rights activists.]
The challenges and opportunities facing Africa are many. The people of Africa have faced many difficulties over the years from natural disasters to brutal dictatorships; yet they managed to overcome these challenges. The struggle for democracy and respect for human rights continues, nonetheless, since many Africans continue to suffer under brutal dictatorships.
I am sure you all remember the more than 200 civilians gunned down by Ethiopian security forces for demanding democracy in 2005. In the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, the brutality of the Meles regime has forced thousands of innocent civilians to flee their country. I met last months and in January dozens of women who were raped and beaten by Ethiopian security forces now languishing in a refugee camp in Kenya.
Political and human rights conditions in Ethiopia have been of particular concern to me in recent years. The Ethiopian government spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on lobbyists to kill the Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act last year. I wish the Ethiopian government used these funds to build hospitals and schools. I said then that the U.S. Congress is not for sale. The primary objective was not to punish Ethiopia but to help the people of Ethiopia live in peace and democracy.
I was cautiously optimistic in 2005 that political and human rights conditions will improve after the elections. Indeed, the elections were much better organized and highly competitive compared to previous elections. I must confess, I was wrong. In fact, conditions got worse than before. I am absolutely sure that under an Obama Administration good governance, respect for human rights, peace and stability will become an important foundation of the Administration’s foreign policy. We are not going to turn a blind eye to abuses just because some governments pretend to be allies in the war on terror. Killing unarmed civilians and using food as a weapon is terrorism.
I am sure if the Ethiopian government and opposition groups were to come together to build a better, peaceful Ethiopia; they can achieve that goal. It is important to put country and people first before politics.
In Darfur, the brutal Bashir government continues its genocidal campaign against innocent civilians.
As you are well aware, more than 450,000 people have been killed since 2003, 2 million displaced, and more than 200,000 in refugee camps in Chad. As if the suffering of these victims is not enough, the Bashir security forces now routinely go into displaced camps to kill.
The challenges facing Africa are not limited to conflicts. If you look at the education sector, while Africa is home to 13.4-percent of the world’s population, only 1.1-percent of the world’s scientific researchers reside on the continent. There is one engineer or scientist per 10,000 people in Africa. In industrialized countries there are 20 to 50 per 10,000 people. We want to change this reality. I recently prepared a comprehensive legislation on higher education in Africa.
High child mortality rate is another major challenge facing the developing world. Every day 27,000 children under the age of 5 die, mostly from preventable diseases. We know how to prevent most of these deaths, but we have not spent the resources necessary to do so. We have the funds to spend billions of dollars a month in Iraq, yet we don’t seem to have the funds to build schools and hospitals in places like Somalia.
I strongly encourage you to vote for Obama. If you are not registered to vote, please do so and encourage friends and family members to do the same. I also urge you to donate to the campaign. Thank you and look forward to hear your questions and comments.
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Donald M. Payne (Democrat-New Jersey) chairs the U.S. House Sub-Committee on Africa and Global Health. He made these remarks to a gathering of Ethiopians in Washington, DC on September 14.
Gelila Bekele is a model, humanitarian, and social activist. Most people recognize this Ethiopian beauty from seeing her in popular advertisements for Pantene and Colgate, but many people have no idea that there is much more behind this stunning woman that makes her even more intriguing. Gelila was born in an impoverished country that is ruled by a brutal dictatorship where millions of people don’t have access to the most basic human needs like food and water.
Charity: Water is a non-profit organization founded by Scott Harris in New York City in 2006 that brings clean and safe drinking water to impoverished communities in Africa, India, and South America. When asked what inspired her to get involved with the organization she declared, “I have encountered many things and through time I have learned human beings are not programmed to endure a predestined life.”
His job has taken him all over the world. And Captain Paul Norley’s next destination is to Africa to share his love of music.