Sosina performing in New York City

Ethiopian circus star Sosina Wogayehu

Sosina was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1978. She started doing gymnastics at the age of 7, and was Ethiopian Gymnastics Champion at ages 9 and 11. She joined Circus Ethiopia in 1993, and toured the world for five years as an acrobat, contortionist and dancer, including performances at the Adelaide Festival, the Womad Festival in England, and a performance for the Queen of the Netherlands.

Sosina moved to Australia in 1998. In 1999 she completed a Diploma in Small Companies and Community Theatre at Swinburne University, including spending a month doing work experience with Australia’s flagship contemporary circus, Circus Oz, and participating in a Melbourne Women’s Circus community performance. She supported her studies and training with a job at Africako, where she was employed for her specialist Ethiopian hair braiding skills. Sometimes Sosina performed as a “hair busker”, braiding hair, adding colorful extensions and bright found objects and offering a free smile to the shoppers in Auckland St, St Kilda.

Sosina was fortunate to complete her diploma just as the Swinburne University National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) sought applications for their inaugural two-year diploma in circus arts. She was a successful applicant, and was one of its very first graduating students in 2001. While studying at NICA, she developed her world-class, solo, bouncing ball juggling act, and a ladder-balancing act. These acts, along with her stage presence, her contortion, her creativity, and her ability to work effectively in a collaborative creative environment led Circus Oz to offer her a position in their permanent performance ensemble in 2002.

Press Release: May 6, 2008

Plans are well underway for the four-day event, Worldwide March for Freedom, Justice and Human Rights in Ethiopia, starting on May 15, 2008 and ending on Sunday, March 18, but the invitation is still open for more people to join in as organizers and support people. Teleconference meetings are being held daily to assist participants in the process.

On May 4^th and 5^th, two teleconferences each day were held by the organizers of these events and we want to update the public about what is going on.

First of all, those involved in this international committee include representatives from twenty different organizations from all over the world. Although some represent political groups, all those participating have agreed to work together as a non-political group focused on bringing freedom, justice and human rights to Ethiopia. If you are someone or an organization who did not get an invitation from us, we are sorry because we may not have your contact information, but we would look forward to you contacting us because what we are planning is for all organizations, communities, religious groups and civic groups.

Once this Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia starts after this four-day event, we would not want you to feel that we intentionally excluded you. We do not want anyone left out that is interested in joining so please contact us now. It is absolutely not too late. You are welcome! This includes Woyane supporters and EPRDF members who want a better and more humane Ethiopia for the future.

Four events are scheduled and they include:

Day One: Thursday, May 15 – A DAY OF REMEMBERANCE: The Tent of Grieving and Celebration

Day Two: Friday, May 16 – A DAY OF UNITY: Worldwide March for Ethiopian Freedom, Justice and Human Rights

Day Three: Saturday, May 17 – DAY OF REACHING OUT: Building New Connections

Day Four: Sunday, May 18 – DAY OF PRAYER: Confession, Thanksgiving, Reconciliation and Petition

Because of time constraints, every committee member on the international worldwide committee is to act as the mobilizer of the group(s) in their area. This committee member then will act as the liaison between the local groups and the international worldwide committee. This central committee will have the responsibility to oversee the overall planning, assisting the implementation at the local level as much as is needed.

We continue to ask for more volunteers who would be willing to organize and participate in one or in all of the four events occurring over the duration of the four days—the day of remembrance, the day of the march, the day of unity and the day of prayer. If possible, we ask that you participate in all of the four daily events in your community.

It does not matter the number of people who participate, even if you could bring together five or ten. Others may be able to mobilize more, but together, Ethiopians worldwide may be able to call attention to the lack of freedom and justice in Ethiopia and so begin the hard work of coming up with solid solutions for the dilemma we are in.

If there is a community not connected yet, you can start immediately and then contact us. If there is a group in some state or region who has never been involved before, we ask you to get involved now and we will help you—step by step.

Some immediate tasks to be completed:

• We ask you to reach out to other civic or religious organizations—not necessarily Ethiopian—to be part of this. For example, in Switzerland, the Switzerland Trade Union has agreed to rally with Ethiopians for Human Rights. Ethiopians should reach out to non-Ethiopians like this as it will only increase the interest in what is going on and it will also encourage the press to want to cover the story.

• Each committee in each community will need to identify a person ready to answer questions from the press and make the initial contacts with the press so there is press coverage of the event. This person, or another appointed person should be ready to answer questions as to why this rally is necessary and important.

• Reach out to others in the Horn of Africa or in Africa and include them in these activities. Many of them have been suffering as well and we need to bridge the gaps between nations as well as within our nation.

• On day three, hold a town hall meeting or another kind of meeting at a community center, religious building or public building where Ethiopians can talk—not about politics, but about how to build new relationships with people from different groups coming together as one people.

• Collect funds in your community to be used for flyers, posters or travel expenses for those who may need to travel outside their areas.

• Make requests for permits to allow your group in front of your state capital. The goal is to have the rallies occur simultaneously all over the world. The posters and signs used in the rallies will be similar.

• The universal petition of what we are rallying for will be prepared and distributed to everyone. It will discuss the human rights abuses in Ethiopia.

• Mobilize people—call people in your community—go to the churches, mosques, synagogues, community centers, schools and any other place you might be able to engage people.

• In all activities, reflect and act on this principle: In order for Ethiopians to survive, we need to put humanity before ethnicity.

Worldwide Committee Meeting Schedule:

Because of the time constraints, every day until next week, there will be a meeting at 3:00 PM Eastern time for those in Europe, Africa, Australia or the Middle East. Another meeting at 8:00 PM Eastern time for those in North America. If anyone wants to participate, email us at [email protected]. Remember, there is still a need for more people. It is not too late to join and to contribute in making this successful. It depends on individuals doing their share.

Important points about the proposed May 15-18 March:

1. It is non-political.
2. The programs will involve as many Ethiopians and Ethiopian organizations as are willing to participate.
3. The reasons for the previous failure to have an impact on the dictatorship in Ethiopia has been the unwillingness or inability of the various organizations to come together to form a united front against the regime.
4. The main objective of the march is to commemorate the first truly democratic election in Ethiopia in May 2005, which was stolen from the people of Ethiopia. It will also commemorate the loss of thousands of lives among people from all the ethnic groups in Ethiopia!
5. Most importantly, the events will be a starting point of a movement to reclaim Ethiopia for Ethiopians, by uniting under one movement.
6. It is of critical importance that all participants tone down politics while efforts are being made to put out the fire of division that has engulfed Ethiopia, and instead to look around to find brothers and sisters from other organizations and ethnic groups in order to hold hands and forge a united front.

What is next?

The march is really the first step in a unified approach to address the problems within Ethiopia. An umbrella organization will be necessary to coordinate further actions. This is just the beginning signifying the launch of the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia.

1. Draft the petition to be used universally all over the world: A petition for the March, to be used by all participants, will be drafted. This will be done in the next few days and should be available to be studied and adopted by the March Organizers before distribution to participants.
2. Fund raising: Urgent actions on this front was suggested and plan for collections should be in place immediately to make money available for purchase of necessary items, payment for transportation etc. It was noted that there is very little time available for this, immediate institution of the process should start.
3. Follow-up Meeting: In view of the urgency of this process and the limited time available a follow-up meeting has been arranged for Tuesday, May 6, 2008. The meeting for the European members will be at 3.00 p.m. EST and for the North American members it will be at 8.00 p.m EST.

For further questions, please contact: [email protected]

Ethiopia under the Woyanne fascist dictatorship ranks as one of the worst countries for mothers.

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Mother’s Day Report Card: The Best and Worst Countries to Be a Mother

Sweden Tops List, Niger Ranks Last, United States Ranks 27th

Westport, Conn. (May 6, 2008) — Save the Children, a U.S.-based independent global humanitarian organization, today released its ninth annual Mothers’ Index that ranks the best — and worst — places to be a mother and a child. The Mother’s Index, highlighted in the organization’s State of the World’s Mothers 2008 report, compares the well-being of mothers and children in 146 countries, more than in any previous year.

Nordic countries sweep the top rankings of the best places to be a mother, while countries in sub-Saharan Africa dominate the bottom tier. Sweden tops the list, while Niger ranks last among countries surveyed. The United States places 27th this year, one slot down from last year’s ranking.

The top-10 countries, in general, have very high scores for mothers’ and children’s health, educational and economic status, while the 10 bottom-ranked countries are a reverse image, performing poorly on all indicators.

Conditions for mothers and their children in countries at the bottom of the Index are bleak. On average, 1 in 21 mothers will die in her lifetime from pregnancy-related causes. More than 1 child in 6 dies before her fifth birthday, and roughly 1 in 3 suffers from malnutrition, and only 3 girls for every 4 boys are enrolled in primary school.

“A mother’s well-being is connected to her children’s well-being,” said Charles MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children. “It is not surprising, then, that in the worst places to be a mom, both women and children die young.”

“There is a great divide between the status of mothers’ health and well-being in rich and poor countries,” added MacCormack, referring to the Mother’s Index rankings. “In rich nations, where women have access to basic health care, giving birth is usually a time of joy. But in poor countries, where there is little or no access to skilled health workers, it is typically tragic. Every woman in the 10 worst countries is likely to suffer the unbearable loss of a child in her lifetime.”

The gap in availability of maternal and child health services is especially striking when comparing Sweden, at the top of the list, and Niger, at the bottom. Skilled health personnel are present at virtually every birth in Sweden, while only 33 percent of births are attended in Niger. A typical Swedish woman has almost 17 years of formal education and will live to be 83. Meanwhile, 72 percent of Swedish women use some modern method of contraception, and only 1 in 185 will lose a child before his or her fifth birthday. In stark contrast, in Niger, a typical woman has less than three years of education and the life expectancy of a girl born today is only 45. Only 4 percent of Nigerian women use modern contraception, and 1 child in 4 never sees a fifth birthday. At this rate, every mother is likely to suffer the loss of a child during her lifetime.

“To close the gap and improve conditions for mothers and children, especially among the poorest, the global community needs to do a better job of providing mothers with access to education, income-earning opportunities, and basic health care – for mothers and their children,” said MacCormack.

Zeroing in on the children’s well-being portion of the Mothers’ Index, Italy finishes first and Niger finishes last out of 168 countries. While nearly every Italian child ─ girl and boy alike ─ enjoys good health and education, children in Niger face a 1 in 4 risk of dying before age 5. In Niger, 44 percent of children are malnourished, and less than half of children are enrolled in primary school.

Country Comparisons:

The Mothers’ Index presents individual country comparisons for poor countries that are especially startling when one considers the human suffering behind the statistics:

• 1 child in 4 does not reach his or her fifth birthday in Afghanistan, Angola, Niger and Sierra Leone. In Sweden, only 1 child in 333 dies before age 5.
• Fewer than 15 percent of births are attended by skilled health personnel in Afghanistan and Chad; 96 percent of births are attended by skilled health personnel in Sri Lanka.
• Over the course of her lifetime, 1 woman in 8 will die in pregnancy or childbirth in Afghanistan. Compare that to 1 in more than 47,000 in Ireland.
• A typical woman in Angola, Dijbouti and Niger has less than four years of schooling versus a typical woman in Australia or New Zealand who receives over 20 years of formal education.
• A girl born in Swaziland will not live to see her 30th birthday. Compare that to a girl born in Japan who will live to 86 years old.

Key Indicators:

The status of mothers was compared in 146 countries based on the following indicators of women’s and children’s well-being:

• Lifetime risk of maternal mortality
• Percentage of women using modern contraception
• Skilled attendant at delivery
• Female life expectancy
• Expected number of years of formal schooling for females
• Ratio of estimated female-to-male earned income
• Maternity leave benefits
• Participation of women in national government
• Under-5 mortality rate
• Percentage of children under age 5 moderately or severely underweight
• School enrollment ratios
• Ratio of girls to boys enrolled in primary school
• Percentage of population with access to safe water