Unfiltered Notes: The Day After

By Tewelde Stephanos (testifanos@gmail.com)   Date: January 24, 2014

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” -- MLK

I remember the face of one compassionate Italian mayor - full of sadness for people she didn’t know - clearly showing her deeper humanity. This was last October when the world mourned the Lampadusa tragedy where over 360 Eritreans perished in the Mediterranean Sea. Predictably, Eritrea’s regime known for gross inhumanity against its own citizens, showed no such compassion. Knowing full well these were people who fled its forced labor programs, the regime first tried to disown them as “illegal African immigrants”. It later attempted to shift the blame to imaginary enemies and finally refused to allow burials to take place in Eritrea denying much needed closure to grieving families. 

One thing is certain. The longer this regime stays in power, the more destruction and destitution Eritreans can expect. The question is: do we have what it takes to free ourselves from this burden, sooner than later, and to face the challenges of the-day-after before things go the way of South Sudan and Somalia?

Although the sense of urgency is not quite there yet, there is definitely room for optimism we can do this. The growing calls for justice and freedom around the world, Dr. Tewelde’s (wedi vacaro) refreshingly clear and direct campaigns, the growing support for wedi Ali’s family, the massive demonstrations in Israel (albeit for a different but related reason), and continued defections away from the regime are good indicators things have crossed the point of no return. Bravely taking responsibility for one’s actions and publicly apologizing for past mistakes, as Dr. Tewelde did is also admirable and will, hopefully, become a new trend for others to emulate. As more people take such honorable steps, maybe good societal values that were so mercilessly trashed by the regime for decades, can be restored as well.

To add to the optimism, credible rumors are floating about that Haile Menkorios maybe in the opposition camp. If true, this is indeed good news because he has great connections that can be put to good use. Hopefully, he and his group will also take advantage of hind sight to think differently this time and start building a broader coalition that appeals to greater number of Eritreans than before. Perhaps then, people like Mr. Herman Cohen can also free themselves from the bondage of only seeing the rotten regime as their only potential partner and stop giving it legitimacy it does not deserve. Wouldn’t it also be nice if Haile’s group took public and concrete steps to approach Dr. Tewelde and others to show Eritreans can really work together after all?

 I have nothing but respect for what Dr. Tewelde is doing. But since no one is perfect, those close to him should advise him not to alienate anyone. This is the time we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s life in the U.S. So, if we must judge, it should be based on nothing but “the content of their character”. We need to accept that everyone, deqi “ArbEa” or otherwise, are equally Eritrean. Period! The sooner we internalize this, the better chances Eritrea will have to heal its deep self-inflicted wounds.

Only through full and unreserved inclusiveness, will we be able to channel everyone’s skills and experience to take on the hard work ahead. Meles had a simple and beautiful vision to see the day when every Ethiopian has three meals a day. He identified poverty as public enemy number one and millions of Ethiopians are committed to that worthy goal now.

By contrast, Eritrea has no such vision, showing the poverty is really in our heads. In spite of 1000 Km of coastline, there is hardly any fish in town and malnutrition is widespread. With two deteriorating ports and unaccounted for gold revenues, Eritrea is poorer than ever before -- where life is sustained through remittances and people are unable to support themselves on honest local earnings. Eritrea could have been a middle income country by now if it were not managed so badly.

To reverse this, the younger generation from which future leaders will necessarily have to emerge, must shift the conversation away from the fruitless polemics of the past and re-focus it towards a more productive and hopeful future. As the saying goes, since the future cannot be predicted, you might as well invent it. So, if we can accept the simple fact that a working economy is a good pre-condition for a better future, then our conversation will have to change to what needs to be done now to get there. Much less weight should be given to ‘who did what to who during the ghedli years’ (less than 5% maybe), and much more to what environment we must create to attract the right technologies and people (local and global) to partner with to build a lasting economy.

Since productivity and efficiency are key drivers for a growing economy, we will then be forced to think about how we can keep our society healthy and come up with an equitable and efficient public health policy (sick or malnourished people can’t be fully productive even if the will is there). Education is another key contributor to economic health. And commitment to good education will, in turn, force us to shift our thinking to how we can free education from the grips of propaganda and re-focus its purpose to seek knowledge and truth -- as it is meant to be. The necessary planning for all these need to take place now before the-day-after arrives. Otherwise, simply waiting for the-day-after, as we seem to have done so far, will only increase the chances the vacuum it will surely bring along with it will be mismanaged too – leaving avoidable suffering for future generations.

If we manage to change the conversation with a strong bias towards the future, however, better choices will emerge -- brightening the future bit by bit. Some choices will be of the standard variety and some from way out in the fringes but no less exciting. Here is a good example from India (http://www.ted.com/talks/bunker_roy.html). Did you miss the part about starting democracy early and the 12 year old Prime Minister? Go back! 

Unfiltered Notes: Spitting in the Wind

By Tewelde Stephanos  Email: testifanos@gmail.com

17 Nov 2013

I read an article in asmarino.com recently that illustrates how deeply PFDJ’s culture of negation has penetrated the Eritrean psyche. Zekere Lebona’s¹ article with Yosief Ghebrehiwot’s (YG) supporting comment lashes out at the twenty two Eritrean Intellectuals who wrote a petition addressed to Eritrea’s despot and his muted ministers (click here to read the petition)².  I do admire both writers for their eloquence and brilliant minds. Both are regular contributors I have learned a lot from over the years. Although I disagree with YG’s conclusions, his diagnosis is - more often than not - on the mark. My favorite is “Equality by Subtraction”³, a must-read for Eritreans.  

To be clear, I am not suggesting Zekere or YG curb their rights of self-expression. However, a pinch of humility and respect for others can advance the discourse a great deal. Just a little pause to check what we say or do is not condemning Eritrea to continued PFDJ oppression, unintentional though it might be, will do. This does not mean, however, bad ideas from allies should go unchallenged (and I find the stand the 22 took to be a good one). But often, we tend to spend more time going after each other instead of channeling our energies against the oppressive regime.

The said article’s anger is directed at the twenty two Eritreans, whose hearts happen to be in the right place.  But as Zekere puts it, the appeal “… made by the twenty-two intellectuals from the diaspora is the most scandalous” compared to other appeals before it. YG chimes in accusing the “22 muhuran” of “… enabling [the regime] to stretch its life beyond necessity”.

YG’s accusation of extending PFDJ’s life is not getting through my thick head. In this case, I would argue that the dismissive tone of rejecting those who dared to speak up, albeit tenuously, is more to the liking of the despot. I can almost see Isaias grinning ear to ear satisfied with how frequently and readily - we the people – go full force to break the stride of those who are taking their first steps against his rotten regime.

I do agree with their point that appealing to Isaias is a futile exercise. I even agree with Zekere’s point the appeal lacks a “sense of urgency, indignation and outrage”. But by focusing on its weakness, we are discounting its positives. This group of fine Eritreans has moved away from the club of silent majority (Isaias’ greatest asset) and they have chosen to be vocal. That is a huge deal. As such they deserve a welcoming spirit and a nudge to do more, not dismissal.

Recognizing this significant shift to break away from silence of the majority the despot has been enjoying, it would have been more productive for YG and Zekere to just chide the group for what obviously is a dead-on-arrival appeal, while making a good faith attempt to challenge them to do more. And they can do more given their immense intellectual capacity and the connections at their disposal to help make things better.

Inexplicably, Isaias has chosen death and destruction for Eritrea. To reverse this unfortunate choice, we need to encourage and welcome those who are stepping up, regardless of our personal biases how late or tentative we perceive their actions to be. There is no doubt in my mind this is NOT what Zekere and YG intended to do but through their dismissiveness, serving Isaias is exactly what they ended up doing. Hopefully it won’t be the case, but who wins if some of those 22 thoughtful Eritreans, go back to being silent or end up participating with reduced enthusiasm?

Lack of humility in our discourse and the quick negative reactions we exhibit towards each other are things the regime has been exploiting a million fold to its own advantage. This attitude of my way or no way is the main problem that has made the 30 plus opposition parties ineffective. Intentionally or not, they continue to serve Isaias’ interests. Is there no common goal these folks can work together on to bring about a better outcome?

These 30 plus groups have been in the opposition camp for decades now. Yet, I doubt if there is any action they have taken singly or collectively that matches Arbi Harnet’s approach to connect with change agents inside Eritrea. Apologizing ahead of time for my potential ignorance, Aribi Harnet is the only action-oriented group in the opposition camp that I am aware of. One can argue whether what Arbi Harnet is doing is sufficient or not. But that is the best we have so far and they deserve everyone’s full support to accomplish more.

We all know now that Eritrea’s struggle for independence was a single task undertaking. It was very narrowly framed as freedom from Ethiopia with no vision or strategy on what follows next. And that is why we are paying the heavy price today.  We can’t afford to repeat the same mistake again. Although Isaias’ demise will be a welcome event, the day after will be messy and we need to look beyond that day itself. Eritrea is a failed state where all state infrastructures are either completely out of commission or in need of serious repair. Adopting a culture of inclusion and a welcoming spirit for everyone’s efforts – big and small – will be critical in reversing the damage that has been done sooner than later.

Which is all the more reason to stop this bad habit of spitting in the wind.  The often repeated phrase one hears when someone or some group begins to make sense is ‘where have they been’ (abey nerom). We need to resist this temptation of belittling those we should be embracing. Any break away from the regime, as long as they are clean from proven criminal record, should be welcomed and embraced.

It is my hope Zekere Lebona and YG will take no offense from this posting and accept it for its intended spirit.

¹ http://www.asmarino.com/articles/1927-eritrea-a-petition-to-the-ghouls

² https://www.dropbox.com/s/f4upx2feg867mci/Appeal-06November2013-FINAL.pdf

³ http://www.asmarino.delina.org/blog/wufyat/hdmo/7/item/1332?view=article

Unfiltered Notes: Pessimism Is Not an Option

By T. Stephanos    Email: testifanos@gmail.com
August 24, 2013

Pessimism has been the prevailing state of mind in Eritrea for some time. And why not? There sure is plenty to be pessimistic about. Ruled by unenlightened group that has consistently adhered to a medieval code of conduct that exerts maximum pain on its subjects, Eritrea has been inhospitable to its own citizens.

Not surprisingly, some asmarino.com writers have even gone to the extent of declaring Eritrea’s independence a mistake and something that should be reversed. Although their frustration is understandable, I don’t believe anything good can come out of such desperation. It is better to salvage what we have (not an easy task) to recoup some of the dignity we have squandered so willfully before contemplating alternatives from a position of extreme weakness.

As bad as we have let things get, however, it is not hard to see Eritrea’s malaise is reversible. Even taking recent African examples, Rwanda is doing much better compared to its bloody past. Admittedly, given the history of one-man shows that stay too long leaving messy exits behind, it may not be out of the woods just yet but it sure is on a hopeful trend. Ethiopia is another good example. In spite of its complex problems, it is truly moving on, making more good decisions than bad ones. It even went through its first institutional peaceful transfer of power in history. So, the current dark clouds over Eritrea’s skies can be cleared if (and this is a BIG if) we start behaving differently.

But first let me pile on the bad news to acknowledge how seriously broken things are.

From all indications, Eritrea appears to be a country without people. Sure, it has about 5 million inhabitants. But disempowered and dispirited, the inhabitants have so far refused to behave as people. We have resorted to small but ineffective regional or religious factions allowing ourselves to become easy prey for all sorts of vultures. Save very few brave souls, we have the tendency to obey any orders from the tyrant of the day, no matter how ridiculous (‘give me 50,000 nakfa or I will jail your elderly father’). In addition to modern-day slavery at home, this culture of extreme obedience and self cacooning has manifested itself in other undesirable ways too – one of which is the astronomical prices human traffickers demand from Eritreans only.  

Normally, the sort of indiscriminate oppression the regime levels against its own people should have resulted in a united opposition to uproot it. But we are more divided than ever. Even the “youth” movements are infected with the divisive virus of the older generation dimming the light at the end of tunnel a bit more. The hope was that as the old folks die off, their divisive legacy would die with them. As it seems, the regime is more likely to fall under its own dead weight than through active demand for freedom. One seriously hopes not, but with severely weakened sense of a unifying national umbrella, Somalia’s recent history is not a far-fetched scenario for Eritrea’s near future.

Our dialog, if it can even be called that, lacks civil discourse mimicking the regime’s arrogant culture. Anytime someone or some group starts to make sense, the regime launches vicious attacks to discredit them using well-crafted misinformation it has perfected for over 40 years. To make matters worse, people either keep silent or repeat the regime’s falsehoods without a second thought. Having trashed the character of fellow citizens, Eritrea now appears to be devoid of decent folks to look up to as examples of good citizenship – where the tyrant is referred to as “the man”. Even our language has deteriorated to glorifying the despicable as manhood has nothing to do with killings, deceit and thievery.

And then we wonder “who” can replace the despot. But “who” is not even the right question. A more appropriate question to ask is “what” because what we have is a systemic failure. The focus ought to be on how to build self-correcting institutions that can cleanse themselves of tyrants through legal means.

The regime’s repeated servile visits to Egypt to sabotage efforts of multiple African countries to renegotiate outdated Nile water rights continues to isolate us from our neighbors. This ought to be a source of shame for all Eritreans because, at the end of the day, it is being done in our name.

But the regime’s obsession to sabotage Ethiopia at all costs has only managed to impoverish Eritrea. Either way – be it from the regime’s shameful submissiveness to Egypt or our silence - Eritrea is the loser. Although not expressed publicly, such creepy (loQmaS) behavior can only generate mocking laughter from Egypt -- proof of which is Egypt doing absolutely nothing to end the horrific crimes Eritreans are subjected to in Sinai.

Similarly, the regime financing regional armed groups who don’t even believe in Eritrea’s sovereignty can only be detrimental to Eritrea’s long term health. Taking Tigray’s “opposition” as an example, there is sufficient platform for them to resolve their issues within Ethiopia’s political space. As the regime continues to eliminate and disempower Eritreans, it is possible this Tigray group could end up being the primary security force to guard the rotting regime – creating complexities that will be difficult to untangle for future generations on both sides of the border.

But enough about the bad news. What now?

Building Trust

One core value that is missing from our interactions is trust. It is ironic that blind trust on the regime’s current actors is what got us where we are today. Instead of leveraging that trust to build a better future, however, the regime chose to install multi-layered spy networks to destroy trust itself. As a result, lifelong friends, neighbors and even family members don’t trust each other anymore.

Could those in the opposition and civic groups, especially the “youth” groups, gather the courage to reach out to their peers to reconcile differences and re-direct the fight against the regime instead of against each other? Could each of us make our own individual pledges to withdraw our membership from the club of ‘silent majority’ and support those we believe are making a positive difference? Mine goes to Arbi Harnet for their innovative approach to reach their peers in Eritrea because sustainable change can only come from inside Eritrea – with support from outside accelerating that change.

Communication with the right tone

There are well-intentioned individuals or groups (the G13, G15, civic groups, Internet groups etc) with strong desire to do something transformative. Unfortunately, they either exit the scene too soon or squabble among each other posing no threat to the regime. For a tiny country of 5 million (if that), we have too many splinter groups with no discernible collaborative spirit or, worse, with deep but unfounded antagonism towards each other. In a way, we have become the best allies the corrupt regime could hope for – perpetuating the agony in the process.

Those leading the way need to start communicating with a respectful tone to gain followers. Often, the message that comes across loud and clear has a tone of dictators in waiting who want to rule rather than leaders who are ready to serve.

Our dialog needs to be elevated to more dignified levels – respectful, coherent and persistent than what we have had so far. We need to have the right tone in our conversations everywhere (in formal meetings, in forums, in places of worship, in coffee shops etc) to replace the regime’s dismissive tone and feudal culture. The Orthodox Church’s split into pro and anti-regime cliques is sad to say the least.

Culture of inter-dependence

Our recent history, architected by few insiders of the regime, has been one of extreme arrogance. This has alienated us from each other and from the rest of the world. The arrogance of yesteryears where we derisively saw Ethiopia as nothing more than a market for Eritrea’s finished goods is a fading memory now. We have made a total mess of things and destroyed whatever potential there was to produce goods for export. Ethiopia is advancing ahead of Eritrea now and we are more likely to become consumers of Ethiopia’s goods instead. Eritrea doesn’t produce much that improves the lives of its people or that is of interest to others. If there is (gold you might say?), the feudal lord and his minions have made sure nothing trickles down to improve the economy. Forget meeting energy needs for industrialization purposes. Eritrea can’t even handle demand for basic household lighting.

Unless cheaper sources of energy are miraculously discovered, for example, energy self-sufficiency will remain an elusive goal and with it Eritrea’s elevation to the civilized world. A better formula could be mixing Ethiopia’s much cheaper hydro power and Eritrea’s port services as good counter weights in building an inter-dependent future with desirable side-benefits of reduced chances of conflicts. But the poisoned atmosphere needs to be detoxified for that and other formulas to be contemplated.

Although Assab and Massawa could still be viable for the long term, they are less competitive to Djibouti’s improving port services and other options Ethiopia is exploring. Meles’ words describing Assab as watering hole for camels still holds true today. Even if the regime gets a much deserved demise tomorrow, Eritrea’s ills will continue unless we start thinking and acting more constructively. We need to switch to an inter-dependent mind set to end the isolation.  Unfortunately, we will have to face this from a position of weakness for some time.

Education

Education is one of the very few high probability equalizers for personal and national growth. Nations with enlightened leaderships facilitate citizenship applications for highly educated foreigners. Our citizenship in western societies, gives us the opportunity to see this blessing first hand in our daily lives. Even Ethiopia is trying its hand by allowing Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia to attend its universities. What are the chances of those graduating from these universities returning to Eritrea’s life of slavery?

Unfortunately, the regime has marginalized education robbing the nation of two decades worth of quality education. Mentioning the closure of the only accredited university, the so-called chancellor never attending a university graduation ceremony, a semi-literate military man appointed to run the so called “colleges” (military boot camps in reality) is probably sufficient to show how deep we have sunk in this critical space.

Maybe we wouldn’t have made the ranks of other small countries like Finland and Singapore who come at the top of education achievement ratings year over year. But we could have made some progress towards that worthy goal if it weren’t for the wasted decades under a regime that despises education and the educated so much.

There is no denying things are bad. But it is possible to turn things around for the better by refocusing energies to re-build the frayed trust; through renewed commitment to respectful dialog that gets the tone right making everyone feel included; by moving away from the regime’s bombastic and isolationist culture towards an inter-dependent future within Eritrea and outside; and by re-starting the journey towards quality education. Rwanda and Ethiopia are improving the trajectory of their future. We can too. But for that to happen, we must first reject the regime’s toxic culture of exclusion and extreme arrogance wholesale.

Unfiltered Notes: Eritrea’s Second Chance

By T. Stephanos    Email: testifanos@gmail.com

First, a true story for some perspective. From their school days, my brother remembers Jemil as a gentle fellow who stayed out of trouble. Then Jemil’s never-to-be-messed-with line was crossed when a popular Ethiopian general slapped him in a public place in Addis sometime in the mid-1990s. Jemil went out, came back with a gun and killed the general on the spot. No heroism or justification is intended here, it is only a statement of fact to illustrate people have breaking points that drive them to take action - rational or irrational.

Contrasting this with the indignities Eritreans have been experiencing under the very first regime of their own, it appears there is no limit to the suffering Eritreans are willing to endure. It started with the persecution of Jehova’s witnesses and we did nothing. Meeting no resistance, the regime kept upping the ante making persecution of other religions, disappearances, killings, confiscations and now, human trafficking part of Eritrean daily life.

There is even a joke that goes along with this reality, where Isaias asks God to give him another country to rule over because Eritreans are too docile and boring. “No matter how badly I treat them”, he tells God, “they refuse to fight back”. God denies the request telling him since there is no limit to your cruelty and no limit to how much your people are willing to suffer, you are perfect for each other. But don’t lose hope just yet – remember Forto 2013 or the 450 who busted out of the hell you created for them in Wia¹?

A Squandered First Chance

 

1991 was supposed to be a great beginning when wide-eyed optimism and contagious positive energy were abundant. Then, in what can only be described as delight in cruelty, a feudal system took over and reversed everything back to the Dark Ages. The big bright dreams are gone, consumed by the darkness we all helped create – literally, considering the frequency of power outages.

There is a long history of tegadelti -- those we took to be among the most fearless and daring -- getting slapped by the bully-in-chief or smashed by whiskey bottles and simply taking in the indignity with bowed heads. In some cases, the stories go, while they were armed. It is an image that is hard to reconcile. How is it the very one we were led to believe was ready to die to bring freedom to others, fails so badly to fight for his own? Worse, those so abused turn around to unleash their own cruelty on others. And unbecoming of their ‘courageous’ past, they only retaliate down -- against people who did them no harm. According to Asmara’s hyper active rumor mill, even the acid-tongued Naizghi Kiflu took a bottle to the head but continued to do the dirty work for his abuser and went on to play a key role in the disappearance of his former comrades. But there is no honor or mercy in bully land and Naizghi probably got the worst of it - both when alive and dead. Which begs the question, whatever happened to Eritrean manhood?

Eritrean womanhood has not fared well either. The Eritrean mother used to be THE icon of fairness and compassion. Now the sharp tongue that used to lash out heavy doses of ‘mergem’ (curses) against bullies and those who broke social norms, is tamed to uttering cultish ululations.

There are exceptions of course, but too few to make THE needed difference because by the only measurement that matters, the bully is still in charge. And bit by bit, our first golden opportunity slipped away. While Ethiopia accepted reality and moved on - with a peaceful power transfer to boot - we remain stuck in the mud unwilling to move on. That is the unpleasant story of our first big chance. 22 years later, 1991’s optimism is a fading memory. But it can’t and shouldn’t end there. Now what?

 

The Second Big Reset

At long last, the voices demanding change are getting louder and stronger. Gone are the days when the regime’s propaganda was consumed so readily and thoughtlessly. It is good to see the regime’s inner circle crumbling. Who would have thought Ali Abdu, Eritrea’s liar-in-chief, would abandon the regime? In ‘screw the science’ bravado, he even told us his idol actually “breathed with his knees”. Then came Forto 2013. Now there are reports Negash Afwerki, Kisha’s deputy, may have also jumped ship. Who is next?

A second big reset (1991 being the first) is about to unfold and the day of reckoning will come, one hopes, sooner than later. However, the culture of banditry and lawlessness the regime has created won’t be easy to reverse quickly. So, what to do to make sure our second chance is not wasted like the first? No question there are better ideas but here are a couple that come to mind.

Start Breaking the Silos Now

 

Silos take away the advantage of leverage.  Eventually, you end up getting isolated and weak, like Eritrea’s situation today. Call it the arrogance of success (1991) but we got blinded by our bombastic “uniqueness” and went out of our way to alienate everyone. Isaias had his tirades against the UN, OAU and African dictators (for being too soft, it now appears). I remember Girma Asmerom arrogantly stating how the world will soon see that we are different from other Africans (and it still makes me cringe today). And boy did we show them? Unfortunately, we did so in ways we never imagined – by plunging Eritrea to the bottom of the heap.

And as we ran out of external enemies, we just as quickly invented internal ones. The silos multiplied. Religious and regional differences we thought we had overcome got reincarnated. Believing this group or that group is the new enemy, the number of opposition groups mushroomed – often incoherent and very antagonistic towards each other forgetting the pink elephant in the room, as they say.  Finding no opportunities within, a large segment of the population - the segment that is more likely to demand and bring about change left and continues to leave. The sense of Eritrean-ness 1991 made possible has been seriously eroded and will have to be stitched back thread by thread.

We got too busy arguing which group or sub-group has it the worst – always debating which group’s cup is half full or half empty. And since all this is done in the isolation of our self-imprisoning silos, no one has bothered to join hands to fill the cup.

To break these silos, it is going to need very deep soul searching by everyone – at personal and organizational levels- to re-evaluate ALL previously held assumptions and belief systems. Some to discard and the good ones to double up on.

Nurturing an Inclusive Culture

 

The regime understand power very well. And since power concedes nothing, the regime also stops at nothing to maintain it. To that end, the regime’s culture of exclusion first gave us the tegadalai vs gebar (intentionally meant to be demeaning) divide. It was routine practice for gebars to be excluded from relevant work-related meetings in their own departments. Not surprisingly, trust between the two plummeted as intended. The divisive negative tone slowly expanded to other areas where, very often, people are declared non-Eritrean for views they hold that happen to be different than ours.

Some so-called deqbats, for example, say Isaias hates Eritrea because he is not Eritrean, which besides being false, is simply unproductive. He never was anything else. Even using the lowest standards of honesty, we know Hagos kisha lived his whole adult life as an Eritrean. For me, denying him that would be inhuman. Is his role negative? Yes, but how is that different from the equally destructive roles played by the likes of Alamin, Wuchu, wedi Gerahtu, Ali Abdu, Dr. Woldeab Isaac  etc (we all know the list is too long).  That is why the identity question is always a non-starter. It tries to solve a problem that doesn’t exist and shifts focus away from the real ones that must be addressed.

We also know many Ethiopians fought and died for Eritrea. They did more for Eritrea than many so-called Eritreans -- especially the loud mouths who trumpet the identity card so callously. Here is Haile Kugne’s example² (goes well with long walks). Honoring them for their contributions, besides being the right thing to do, will also help deepen a much needed culture of inclusion.  Haile tells his interrogator the only way he will be silenced from voicing his opinion is when he is dead. Strong character and strong ideals like Haile’s is what was missing and what we are going to need to make Eritrea’s second coming as successful as it can possibly be.

Maybe then, Eritrean children, like other children around the globe, will have the opportunity to unleash the power of their imagination by doing (this³). That is what is at stake with the second big reset – a new Eritrea at peace with itself and its neighbors, where no devil has the power to limit the future of a child or other citizens ever again.

 

Email: testifanos@gmail.com

Links:

¹ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqDGIj36kf8

² http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLogaEaGTSo

³ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk60sYrU2RU