Comments on: Time to close ranks against dictatorship!

By: Theodore III

Theodore III — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:03:51 +0000

Very succinct & timely article by Prof. Alemayehu. The only thing I would like to add is to emphasize the need for all democratic forces that believe in the UNITY OF ALL ETHIOPIANS to come together and show the tribalists that their time is up!

My message to the those who want to see a UNITED ETHIOPIA is to stop the nonsense and come together and fight this backward entity called TPLF-Weyane with full force. This is not the the time to fight or squabble on petty personal issues. Once again, lets unite and get rid of Weyane’s bantustan state once and for all!!!

By: koko

koko — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:44:02 +0000

Very precious and noble idea, yes we can if we are willing to do; however, we have to start somewhere.
Lets be practical and form organizing committee in each states, especially where large number of Ethiopians are resided and go door to do and knock every Ethiopians door and invite them to be a part of the redemption movement. lets discuss our problem freely and compromise and narrow our difference in order to create harmony and brotherhood among us, then we can stand firm to attack the common enemy.
Professor Alemayehu lets take the initiative and start somewhere. I am sure large number of Ethiopians in Diaspora would be a part of it, as long as there is openness and transparency.

By: Namara

Namara — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:22:22 +0000

Prof. Alemayehu:

I sincerely appreciate your relentless effort to move forward the struggle of the Ethiopian people. The fragmentation you cited are also being fomented by the likes of “Abraha Belay” who intentionally mix criminals in the dialogue of the Ethiopian struggle. I am refering to the conspiracy to rehabilitate war criminals like “Seye Abraha, Gebru Asrat and Nagasso Gidada” to further create disillusion among Ethiopians. Those I mentioned above can only become part of a solution after facing prosecution by the Ethiopian people for the crime they commited while they were party to Meles and the Tigrean crime family.

Unfortunately they are also using the likes of you (Prof. Alemayehu) who innocently provide an intellectual cover by appearing in the mix. I suggest that you revisit the fate of criminals in our midst ie. Seye, Gebru, Nagasso who are instrumental in creating wedges between legitimate political opposition forces such as G7, OLF, EPPF, UDJ etc against the Woyane tyranny.

Seye, Gebru and their diaspora collaborators are making an effort to reinvent post Melese Woyane to further extend the Woyane tyranny!!!

By: ababa

ababa — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:28:35 +0000

After the disappointment of 2004 presidential election in this country, I never thought a real democracy would work anywhere in the world. But, today, I witnessed a real Democracy at work. I watched it with tears coming down my cheeks. As I was watching the ceremony, I was thinking about all those innocent young and brave Ethiopians who have died fighting to bring democracy in Ethiopia under the current tyrant Meles and the former tyrant Mengestu. I was thinking about all those Ethiopians in 2005, who stood in line for hours to vote for the opposition leaders and some of them who were gunned down needlessly because of greed and tribalism. I hope Ethiopia finds her own Obama that will unite all ethnic groups together and get rid of these killer woyanes and bring our country to the 21st century.

By: Mikir

Mikir — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:55:04 +0000

I highly appreciate the effort Prof. Al is making for democracy and human rights in Ethiopia. I believe that Prof. Al and other few independent activists have the potential to make huge difference in directing the struggle of the Diaspora to the most effective way. So, I highly appreciate Prof Al’s call for a united front. Here, I try to forward my views regarding democracy and the issue of united front, which still is a puzzle we are not good at.

I think that democracy is not an end by itself. Instead, democracy is a means to reach on agreement. It is a system to manage differences. It is a mechanism for peaceful coexistence of opposing views. It is not unity first then democracy. The right thing is using democracy for unity.

It is OK to think whatever each and every one of us is thinking. What we are in need of is not a superior idea, but practical technical skill capable of applying democratic principles to bring the different groups that have different views and objectives together.

The reason, we could not make a progress so far, despite our good intentions, is that every effort we have been making begins by setting a certain kind of precondition (explicit or implicit) to be accepted by all. However, being pro democracy, primarily, requires recognizing the rights of others to have their own views. Then, a well organized and managed discussion and dialogue follows to develop frame work and principles that can be acceptable to all. This will lead to confidence building and effective cooperation.

For instance, it is OK for ONLF and OLF to think that there is no better solution for their problem than separating their regions from Ethiopia. It is also OK to think that staying together with the rest of Ethiopia is good for all Ethiopians. But the question is can we use the principles of democracy to create a common political space where the two extremes enjoy it equally to freely promote their views, without being forced to change their positions?

If we are not able to exercise democracy and succeed to build unity among the existing groups, we can not succeed by organizing a new movement with a different view and objective. In addition, if we are not practicing democracy to build unity today there is no guarantee for us to be more democratic than ‘Woyane’, when we get the power.

So, my personal suggestion for Prof. Almariam and others who are in the forefront in the struggle against ‘Woyane’ and are not part of a political party, would be:

1. Maintain your independence.
2. Make sure your views are unbiased and not in conflict with any political party.
3. Be open-minded and do not set preconditions for others.
4. Go to every political group (don’t wait until they com to you), and tell them that you are interested to help them create a better condition for them to promote their views.
5. Tell them that it is Ok for them to think the way they think.
6. Do not tell them what their problems are, instead tell them that you are there to listen about and understand their problems.
7. Do not forward your proposals first, but ask them what they think are possible solutions.
8. Then ask them what they think about working with others. At this point most, if not all, may say: we are ready to work together if there is democracy.
9. Then, you can start your mediation role, applying democratic principles, considering the problems described and solutions being pursued by each group.

If you do this I hope we can see effective coalition very soon.

By: Shawl

Shawl — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:08:24 +0000

This is timely article. It is a call for all Ethiopians and the rest of the Horn to say ‘enough is enough’ to Woyane slave mentality. We need to realize that we are running out of time. We want peace and sustainable development but not war for sure!
Thank you.

By: Matteos

Matteos — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:41:23 +0000

What a thoughtful and hopeful article. I especially like the idea of forming a convention to express the principles by which we can fight tyranny as a unified force for our bothers and sisters in Ethiopia. There is nothing more necessary for the hope of freedom amongst Meles’s subjects, than to feel the support of people everywhere who do not suffer the yoke of tyranny on their necks.

Where do we sign up for the convention?!

By: matti

matti — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:41:36 +0000

Yes indeed! let the evil doers of our people be punished by the courts of law with-in our people, let the evil doers of the region be halted ones and for all, let the brotherly people of the horn live in peace and harmony, let the outside intervention be stopped because we are educated and wise enough to deal our own affairs, let the warmth of love take over the avenge-revenge, over hate vs, suppression, let the weyane slave mentality and mafia business be history, let us talk to each other in a very humanly and respective manner, let the weyane mafia and slave mentality of dividing our people in ethnic, demographic, and nation-nationalities be stopped- these type of practice only benefitted Legesse Z, Azeb Mesfin, Seyoum Mesfin, Mebrahtu G/hiwot, and their traitor masters/advisors, and finally let the whole of the horn of African people unite so we can benefit, exchange,trade, share, love,one another because we almost share the values and sufferage! LET PEACE REIGN IN OUR BELOVED PEOPLE SO THEY CAN JUST BREATH P.E.A.CE.!

By: GUGU

GUGU — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:09 +0000

THIS WRITER IS ALWAYS MY HERO