Thanksgiving: Towards a Shining, Constructive Culture of Affirmation and Appreciation in Ethiopia
By
Introduction
From
an anthropological point of view, culture is the label anthropologists give to
complex matrix of the “structuring of customs and assumptions that underlie
them in terms of which people govern their lives.”[1]
The outer surface of humankind’s behavior is what we call custom or habits
while the underlining governing force of a given culture is at deeper level and
it nothing but the worldview of a given culture. Hence, like the waves of the
outer surface of a river, customs and habits could be altered and changed
because of the underlying worldviews.
What is crucial here is to probe the
deeper level Ethiopian cultural world views and assumptions when it comes to
the issue of affirmation and recognition or from the vulgate Latin perspective,
it is coming to the point where a given culture can exercise of appreciation
and thanksgiving level: gratias agentes
semper pro omnibus in nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi
Deo et Patri (Ephesians 5:20).
Gratias Semper Pro Omnibus: A Fresh Wind towards decaying Relationships
Ethiopia
has plenty of sons and daughters who deserve our highest appreciation and
thanksgiving. These Ethiopians suffered, sacrificed their lives, invested their
youth ages, money and knowledge driven by deep conviction of a free, democratic
and wealthy Ethiopia. Thousands of them are gone and we had no chance to say
thank you to them in person even though it is possible to remember them through
many ways. The category of Ethiopians who suffered and died for Ethiopia, are
the ones who said to us all, I will die so that you may live well and take
further the torch of Ethiopian freedom and development for the next Ethiopian
generation. The alert Ethiopians, here can see how much that means for them and
for the next generation. Given the untold suffering and death that they went
through for the good cause of liberating Ethiopia from egomaniac dictators like
Mengistu, they deserve our ovation of Thanksgiving!
The
second categories of Ethiopians that deserve our gratefulness: Our gratias
semper omnibus— are our mothers and
sisters who took and still are taking the heavy duty of raising all of us in
our man dominated culture. It is time to recognize and appreciate them highly.
Not only that, it is every Ethiopians duty to empower our Ethiopian mothers and
sisters through education, empowering economic support, and by furnishing them a
high caliber state of the art health education and services. Here, we are
talking about at least half of the Ethiopian population.
The
third categories of Ethiopians that deserve our highest appreciation and
gratefulness are those who strive to bring about positive, empowering
sustaining economic and political change in Ethiopia. These Ethiopians work day
in and day out to bring a new and fresh democratic atmosphere. These are the
pioneers, the ground breakers and the new heroes of Ethiopian development and
good governance. For them, it is like a divine calling: A developed and wealthy
Ethiopia is their dream, their passion and vision. These people are most of the
time misunderstood for their zeal for Ethiopia surpasses the imagination of an
average person. They operate at a higher level and what they plant for
Ethiopian well being and long term enterprise, no one is able to uproot it.
Some of these are: The leadership within the incumbent Ethiopian government, PM
Meles Zenawi, H.E. Seyom Mesfin, Sheik Dr. Al Amoudi Mohammed Hussein,[2]
Arkebe, Seiye Abraha, Gebru Asrat and their friends and compatriots. To all of
them, we can give ourselves the freedom to gratefully appreciate what they have
done for Ethiopia so far. The gratefulness of Ethiopians to the above people is
very important because what they do and have done so far is unheard of in
Ethiopian history as it bears a heavy impact on the future of Ethiopia.
However, the author is also cognizant of the many Ethiopians who are in
obscurity that equally deserve our gratitude. They live in Ethiopia, Europe,
Australia and many other places.
Pax
Ethiopia: Towards the Destruction of trivial Walls
The
destruction of the German wall was one of the seminal achievements of
post-communism era of Europe. However, the main walls that needed to be tackled
remained and through economic reformations and good governance, Germany is able
to advance forward as a leading economic power in Europe. The communist culture
that prevailed in East German was another factor that demanded attention to the
new coalition of German government. Even though our historical backgrounds are
entirely different, there are many lessens to learn from Europe. At least one.
Walls
that divide people must be destroyed before any all pervading empowerment could
be achieved. The greatest wall is inconsistency in the democratization of
Ethiopia from all fronts. This point has many underlying currents that fan into
flame. In consistent cultural outcomes, bad habits, immorality and egoism are
some of these walls that threaten the progress of Ethiopia towards high level
development and good governance. It is easier for common people to charge the
incumbent leadership for this. However, it must be noted and seen through the
lenses of Ethiopian proverb: Kebero
Siyayut Yamer, Siyezut Yadenager. Common people cannot always see the
compelling realities and the controlling factors that demand the attention of
highly specialized skills of good governance.
I
would like to propose the idea that inconsistency and unhealthy attitude from a
given party political institution or the population of a given country can
derail the course of good governance and peace if it is not given responsible
attention in due time. The unfortunate HR-2003 is another example. It calls for
the paralyzation of Ethiopian economic and political advancement through a
number of colonial like punitive actions. It fans fuel on the flame of existing
unfortunate hostilities within the Ethiopian party political spheres. An alert
Ethiopian should realize that HR-2003 is an undeserved and unfortunate
punishment against Ethiopian people. Ethiopians should not be punished for
bring peace into Somalia by kicking out AlQaida messengers and puppets out of
Somalia. It must be probed whether petrodollar has some impact on the passing
of HR-2003 through the congress. Cogently, we must pause here to say thank you
to the gallant Ethiopian army and Air Force that played a decisive role under
the leadership of PM-Meles Zenawi. If the author may utilize the language of Ethiopian
Eastern Tigray dialect, it is worth shouting: Yie’is Abo, AgeneElay! Or in my Yeju accent- Essay Essy Qoter!Aare Qoter!Yenaqut Yaregal Raqote! Or for more
spices in Oromiffa, WaqaYo SiAeBisu could
be added to it. Hence, in my view, great
ovation of thanksgiving and award is what Ethiopia deserves. If, peace sustains
with in Ethiopia and Somalia after the destruction of Alquida puppets in
Somalia, then the Noble price for peace should be given to the Ethiopian people
through PM-Meles Zenawi.
Moreover,
the case of HR-2003 reminds me of an unfortunate incident that happened in Sidist Kilo, Addis Ababa during the
reign of Menilik II. The first ever
car had arrived and with it the first car accident happened in Sidist Kilo. It was a man who got into the
way of the new car and was hit by the car. He survived the ordeal after some
treatment. The Court however decided to punish the bleeding and sick man who
was hit by the car. The court’s rationale was that the man had eyes to see but
not the car. Retroactively, it is now possible to deduce that the court was
misinformed about the ability of the car to stop and even to see the man
through the lenses of its driver. In similar way, it seems trustworthy to
deduce that American congress must have been misinformed by some unresponsible
persons, about the reality of Ethiopian situation. The congress’s decision
cannot be far from the case in Sidist Kilo and the then Ethiopian court some
hundred years ago.
Therefore,
it is both in the interest of America and Ethiopia to dismantle and uproot
HR-2003 from its foundations. On the other token, the equation HR-2003 can at
least from imagination point of view boomerang against American interests one
of which the obvious loss of Ethiopia; a stable and reliable partner and good
and proven alliance against the overarching global terrorism. From another
imaginative reversal of HR-2003 could be to think of applying it to all
countries who fought against global terrorism. This would then be nothing but
what the Sweds call; Tagen På Sängen!(Captive
on the Bed). Hence, with highest appreciation and thanksgiving the author
wishes Happy Thanksgiving to all who did do their best for the well being of
the Ethiopian People. We thank the European and American people and governments
for all support and aid including the debt relief of about $4billion the
Ethiopia enjoys.
Semere
Gebregziabher
semereway@yahoo.com