November 18, 2014
Ato Ermias Leggesse, former Ethiopian Deputy Minister of Communications addressing the conference
November 18, 2014. Washington, DC–. At the recent Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia (SMNE) Forum in Washington D.C. on November 15, it was quite evident that Ethiopia does not lack for gifted people who possess the essential capabilities, virtue, and experience needed to build a New Ethiopia.
It was inspiring to hear from a wide array of speakers who portrayed the qualities of courage, strength, faith, wisdom, integrity, and an attitude of respect towards others, even when some differences of opinion emerged. This was a civil dialogue, meant to be a model for how Ethiopians with grievances against each other or simply of diverse backgrounds might come together to forge a better future. People came together as people first. Then, they came together around shared values—a desire to see a society where truth, freedom, justice, civility, opportunity, and harmony could prevail for all its people.
Discussions both within the forum and outside the formal discussions were lively as people, most of whom had never met, shared opinions, ideas, and stories. New connections were made. The forum, Breaking the Cycle of Dysfunction in Ethiopians Institutions, (http://solidaritymovement.org/141021-Breaking-the-Cycle-of-Dysfunction-in-Ethiopian-Institutions.php), was unique in that it focused on providing a structured venue where Ethiopians could talk to each other rather than about each other. It was broken into two sessions.
Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia (SMNE)
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