By Elias Kifle
On Sunday, January 15, I took part in a town hall meeting that was called by Ethiopian Review in Dallas, Texas. The face-to-face discussion with all the patriotic Ethiopians who came to the meeting has boosted my morale and strengthened my resolve to fight enemies of freedom more than ever. After the meeting ended, I asked myself why Ethiopian Review, during its 20 years of existence, did not organize such a town hall meeting on a regular basis.
Only two things dampened my excitement and enthusiasm in Dallas. 1) My friend Negussie Garede, organizer of the Dallas meeting, had to be hospitalized a few days earlier — he is now recovering well; and 2) My friend and Ethiopian Review board member Meseret Agonafer came down with flu and could not be there.
The purpose of the Dallas meeting was intended to introduce Ethiopian Review’s 2012 program. The program includes: 1) expanding our information network inside Ethiopia; 2) cooperate with other members of the Ethiopian free press in the fight to liberate Ethiopia from the Woyanne fascist junta; and 3) The role of the media in bringing a positive change.
The meeting was hosted by Ato Assefa Gultu and chaired by Ato Zewge Kagnew, host of the Dallas Ethiopian Community Radio.
After welcoming the participants and making brief remarks, Ato Assefa invited Ato Zewge to moderate the meeting. Ato Zewge also made brief remarks and introduced the keynote speaker, Ato Betru Gebregziabher, a prominent businessman and member of the Dallas Ethiopian community.
Ato Betru talked about the importance of an independent press in the struggle for freedom in Ethiopia, and Ethiopian Review’s contribution to the struggle.
I spoke next. I talked about what Ethiopian Review has accomplished since it was launched in 1991, the challenges we faced, and what we plan to do in 2012. I made my speech short to allow more time for discussion.
As expected, some of the audience grilled me about my position on Eritrea. One person said that he is a long time supporter and reader of Ethiopian Review, but is dismayed by the selection of President Isaias Afwerki in 2009 as person of the year.
My response was that, the choice was made to encourage Eritrea to open its door wider for Ethiopian opposition groups and continue to provide shelter for opposition party members and activists who are escaping from the Woyanne junta. I realize that it is a tough sell, and subsequent events in Eritrea, such as the disappearances of highly respected Ethiopian patriots such as Col. Tadesse Muluneh, and the travel restriction imposed on others, is not helping my argument.
I was also asked about the recent decision by the Kemal Gelchu faction of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) to come out for Ethiopian unity. I answered that it is a positive development for Ethiopia and the entire region, but we should not dwell on the matter, as it could distract our attention from the fight to liberate Ethiopia from the Woyanne junta.
Regarding our 2012 plans, I explained that Ethiopian Review plans to redouble its capacity to collect and disseminate information inside the country by organizing information units in 10 – 15 major cities in Ethiopia. We plan to fund the information units through the sponsorship program that we have recently launched (click here to read about it). The information units will collect news about local civil resistance actions that are currently left unreported.
Several other points have been discussed during the Dallas town hall meeting. Some were constructive criticisms.
A similar town hall meeting is scheduled in Washington DC for Saturday, February 4, 2012, at 5:00 PM. See below for more info:
