THE ROLE OF THE ETHIOPIAN DISAPORA
Never in the history of Ethiopia has such a vibrant and engaged Diaspora appeared across the world as we have now. The most dynamic Diaspora is in the USA and the North American hemisphere with others in Europe, Africa, Australia and Scandinavia following suit. I had the opportunity during the millennium to travel to Finland, Sweden, Norway, Washington DC, and Seattle, Washington State and finish the millennium celebration round one with a round table in Denmark. What I saw of our Ethiopian communities filled me with so much hope and possibility. The more this Diaspora is organised, I have no doubt that, just like the Chinese and Indian Diaspora before it, and the Ethiopian Diaspora can play a hugely productive and constructive role. Since it has demonstrated valuable contribution for democratic change, it is critically important that its unity, knowledge, resources skills and creativities are stimulated along constructive and non-divisive channels by creating a global Ethiopian knowledge observatory that NES is hoping to establish for the long term development and transformation of Ethiopia…
The Diaspora was engaged prior to the 2005 election to help democratisation. It got even re-engaged when the election was derailed by accusations of rigging and election theft. It got even more vigorous when the massacres, the imprisonments and the incarceration of elected MPs, journalists, civil society actors and others took place. After the elected MPs were freed, the movement seems to go on with a revitalised energy. This Diaspora movement for human rights and democracy became so articulate and convincing that Congress unanimously passed HR 2003- the Human rights democracy and accountability bill. We have new people who have become leaders and opinion makers by no other distinction other than the excellence of the hard work they continue to do with devotion, humanity, fortitude and commitment. Such exceptionally articulate champions of human rights like Prof. Alemayehu Mariam for HR 2003, the inestimable and brilliant Pan-Africanist brother Obang, and the good sister that urged all to go to the Hill and lobby and undertake advocacy work with their Congress reps., Meron Ahadu and numerous human rights activists and new forces have come without any baggage from the past! They speak and reason by fusing their existence in America with their burning desire to see democratic change in their home country. It was simply incredible for me having to experiencing these new people with their new ideas speaking for Ethiopia for embedding full human rights, freedoms, rule of law and democratic governance.
We have not seen any Diaspora that got this far from the developing world as we have now with the Ethiopian Diaspora in the USA and Canada. Whether one agrees with the cause the Diaspora stand for or not, no one can dispute the spectacular mobilisation by opening an external flank to deal with all the dilemmas and difficulties to navigate through the messy and infinitely complex conflicts of a Horn of Africa region that has been a loser in the cold war and is now cursed to repeat the same mistake during the current globalisation and global war on terror in order to promote a society of human rights, democratic freedoms, rule of laws and democratic governance by changing violent political transformations into transitions for bringing about and habituating democratic politics.
At the moment, this same Diaspora is bracing to get the bill passed in the Senate whilst the EPDRF side is sparing no time in contesting this Diaspora surge to put pressure on the regime to enter genuinely and not with any deceptive practice or intent a democratic course.
The reception the Diaspora has given to the CUDP MPs is nothing but phenomenal. It keeps going on and on and the momentum of self- mobilisation and consciousness seems to deepen rather than slowing down from one State of the USA to another, from one City to another… continued on next page