Time to reconcile our differences

The outcome of America election was desperately expected by Diaspora Ethiopians, both supporting the ruling party and the opposition parties. It had been a hot issue which was able to keep the minds of all people around the world, off course.  I saw people in Europe calling vote against the Bush’s republican party counting the instability he has brought in the gulf region after the envision of Iraq and the subsequent  rise of fuel price.  The hope to end terrorism under Bush administration has lost ground recently. I am not writing, however,  to summarize the event or to give any account about the election, as I am not a politician and don’t I have ample information about what had been going on.

What I am motivated to write about is the involvement of Ethiopian Diaspora in the election of America. Well you may say what is wrong to participate actively, being a citizen of America in one way and having global stretch on the other hand, to decide the fate of  the country through an election. However, I feel that some Ethiopians were hoping to profit from the election for the wrong reason. I want to recall readers that some member of Republicans were pledging to pass a law that makes the government accountable for “human right violation” and use  of aid given by America. According from what I heard from the Diaspora opposition camp, the ruling parity was also alleged of using undercover to sterile this effort.

However, what we read, even from the big news papers, is a big lesson for the Diaspora Ethiopians. It has taught us that it is foolish to seek the intervention of a third alien party to bring long lasting peace to our country,  if that has been the drive behind. From experience, it is clear that big countries put their interests first when they intervene in the politics of another country. They mind more about what they make out of it for them than to the nation. For instance, we haven’t seen immediate and effective actions in the case of Rwanda and lately in Darfur, Sudan because powerful countries have comparatively little interest on them.

Ethiopia had been one of the forgotten nation had not been for the campaign against terrorism. America has put her eyes at Ethiopia which sided with her for fight against terrorism and terrorists. Ethiopia mainly supports this campaign because she has been affected by a number of attacks. Moreover, the instability in neighbor Somalia is favorable for the revival of terrorism. The terrorists have pledge to exploit this advantage to launch series of terrorism attack on their targets; USA and its supporters. This big concern of Ethiopia is the turmoil in the horn of Africa after the extremists consolidates their military power in the region.

Therefore, the idea of passing the legislation against the government was a futile attempt from the very beginning. Cutting aid adversely affect the innocent Ethiopians who need it first.  Forcing the  government  for better governance through a third party by asking to cut aid  may be acceptable weren’t it being through the expense of  million of people who desperately need the aid itself. However, more than that imagine asking your neighbor not to have any thing with, say, your brother because he refused to accommodate you for whatever the reason! This is a question of morality. I challenge those who advocated the legislation from moral perspective as well.

However, all the effort to pass the legislation was in vain as most, if not all, predicted. America prioritized its benefits and refused to offend its partner. We witnessed a lot of our Diaspora pointing their fingers on some member of the house for the failure. They should have known that they were also gambling on the effort of USA to put terrorism behind in time. Without Ethiopia, politics in the horn of Africa may go beyond control. Only Ethiopia and Kenya currently have a stable politics in the region, though Kenya isn’t militarily as powerful as its giant neighbor.

I think the Diaspora has used all the possible roads to retaliate at the ruling parity and any of them have not help.  The Diasporas must be  getting sick with all fruitless efforts they launched and may be time for them, though late, to exhaust the peaceful method. It may be time to rebuild harmony between them and the government. This may be the only way to change the mentality of the ruling parity and to pave the road for democracy, if their efforts have been for the sake of democracy. It is time to challenge oneself in introspect.  Developing tolerance, reconciling differences, acknowledging differences, and showing love for each other are the only remedies to amend the broken hearts. What else haven’t we tried to annihilate each other?

The ruling party must develop the patience to synergize different views and ideas. There must be trust between the different political parties, between the parties and the people, and among the people.  We should be able to say that the scar of the past must not leap frog to the present to spoil our life, development and democracy. It is a golden opportunity to fight hand in hand our arch foes, poverty and illiteracy, putting aside all our bad memories.

Lets use dedicate ourselves to help our country as much as we harm her. It may not be long before we feed ourselves, and proudly talk about our independence if we work together. It is impossible to clap using a single hand. The government need the Diaspora and vice versa.

Win-win should be the game of our politicians of the time!

Binzer (France)

Nov 11, 2006

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