The Tigray Development Association (TDA) meeting in Seattle was concluded fruitfully

(Seattle, 4/2/2006)

TDA meeting in Seattle was concluded fruitfully, gluing all the Tigreans together more than ever to work relentlessly for the development of Tigray.

The meeting was attended by about 200 Tigreans from Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver.

 In the meeting Ambassador Tewolde Gebru, the current chair person and a founding member of TDA made a speech regarding the past accomplishments of TDA and also gave explanations on how it could do better to cop up with the current socio economic and political dynamics of our country.

 Ambassador Teowlde told the audience, that Tad’s accomplishments in the education and health sector of Tigray is significant and that he is proud of the people of Seattle, Portland and Vancouver areas for taking part in the process of relieving the miseries our people face in their daily life.

 He also noted that in order to maximize the confidence of the TDA members, to make easy the follow up of the end use of the contributed money and to better manage projects cost effectively, TDA has enhanced a new management strategy that is allowing TDA branches in the Diaspora to choose a specific project they want to undertake and work jointly with the main office in Tigray transparently and accountably.

 Before his speech, Ambassador Tewolde showed a Video clip of an elementary school built in Mentebteb, (SHIRE) by Tigreans residing in Germany as an inspiring example for all Tigreans in the Diaspora to follow in building development projects in Tigray.

 The Tigreans in the meeting have expressed themselves by presenting poems, speeches and by contributing money that they are committed more than ever to do their level best to boost helping their people back home in the fight of poverty, illiteracy, maladies and other adversaries that attempt to distract peace or hinder the work of development programs.

The Tigreans attending the meeting have contributed and pledged a total amount of $27,700.00 (twenty seven thousand seven hundred dollars) that will be financed to the project that will be chosen to be undertaken in the next meeting.

 The next meeting is agreed to be made on the 14thday of May and many more members of the Tigray community that did

 not attend this meeting are expected to show up and participate in this important event.

Apart from the TDA issues, Ambassador Tewolde briefed the audience regarding the Ethio- Eritrean border conflict and the current political situation in Ethiopia.

In his brief Ambassador Tewolde said that Ethiopia is committed to find a lasting peace with Eritrea which he said can only be attained through dialogue. He said Ethiopia maintains that the five point proposal it forwarded for a dialogue can only bring a lasting peace between the two people.

  Questions were raised from the audience and they were answered by Ambassador Tewolde.

The audience was satisfied with Ambassador Tewolde’s overall presentation and ended the meeting with a vision of helping TDA continuously to bring a significant development change in Tigray in the near future.

Conclusion:

The Tigray Community members in Seattle, Portland, Vancouver and surrounding areas have always been standing by their beloved people of Tigray in all kinds of fights that threaten their being. They have also now confirmed that they are united more than ever to rejuvenate their TDA branch and double their energy to engage in not only tackling the enemies of the people of Tigray, poverty, illiteracy, maladies and peace adversaries, but also to get rid of them once and for all.

VIVA!! The Tigreans in Seattle and surrounding areas you did it again UNITED AS USUAL.

Thank You!

Executive committee of TDA Seattle branch.