MUST WATCH America's "Sawa" program in the 1930s

[Ghion]

After watching this program, I realized what the Eritreans are doing with Sawa. Here you will see an identical to sawa program. The only difference is the period in which both countries are taking the measure of introducing the program.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/ccc/

I do not understand why Weyane operators here tell their bosses to tackle hunger through Civilian Conservation Corps (SAWA).

[Jason]

Thank you Ghion. I enjoyed it.

[eritreawi]

Ghion,

After the so called free market system plunged the US and its western trading partners into a deep depression the Roosevelt administration implemented many regulations but that didn't help the economy rebound because American economy was mainly based on speculatory trading system without enough infrastructure. That's when Roosevelt instituted the CCC to lay more infrastructure to the rural parts of America and make it fully industrialized, no one cried about the CCC at that time.

I admire your courage and openminded attitude, I wish more and more Ethiopians like you see the light and help your country to reach loftier goals in the future.

[Ghion]

Jason

You are welcome!

Eritreawi:

I wish the Weyane operatives understand what you and I understand. Ethiopia's future is bad, its really bad unless something is changed, and that something is the willingness to understand the fact. The fact is, Ethiopia could not feed herslef in the 1970s with a quarter of the number of citizens we have today, and we have now grown three times more and we are still guided by the same ignorance and worse corruption. If Weyane starts looking at the fertile arable land Ethiopia has and promote that potential to the max by focusing inward instead of outward with flies on our bnabies faces, without an exaggeration, we can elliminate the food shortage and all other infrastractures required to run a country. Weyane is only focusing on city raods, even then it has to wait for donations to come. Imagine how Ethiopia would be in ten years time, instead of being the hitman of the region by the US, invading peaceful nations and arousing ill wisll and negative emotions while our people are dependent of foreign assistance. I think the Eritreans are on the right path, and in few years time they should be in better condition than the rest of us around them.

[eritreawi]

Ghion,

I totally agree with your assessment of the situation in Ethiopia, it is not lack of human or material resources that are plauging the peace loving Ethiopian people in the last 40 years, it is lack of foresight by consecutive narrow minded regimes who always depended on foreign aid and protection to stay in power. With proper organization Ethiopian can be turned into heaven on earth with mainly local know how and leadership within a decade or two because it is blessed with hard working and humble population and abundant natural resources.

Believe you me, I heard a few Eritreans complaining about the Eritrean government neglecting Asmara and concentrating on rural development in the 90s and early 2000s, I don't hear those complaints as much today because everyone realized the wisdom behind the Warsay-Yikealo development plan which mainly concentrated on educational, health, agricultural, water and soil conservation and other social services to the rural areas where the majority of the population lives.

When I was home this summer I drove all over Eritrea, what impressed me was seeing small towns and villages with clinics, schools, day care centers, clean water pumps in the middle of the village and how clean and healthy the rural people looked, I also saw electricity in places I never imagined there would be one and cell phones in remote areas of the country. Even then cities like Keren, Massawa, Dekemhare, Mendefera, Agordat, Tessenei, Adi Keih and others are more beautiful and a little bigger than when I known them as a youngster. Development can be done primarily on local leadership and know how and Eritrea is a good example to our Ethiopian brothers and sisters and the rest of Africa if they care to observe.

[Bemnet]

We Americans take a lot of things for granted and sometimes it's truly sad. We often tend to forget the enormous sacrifices made by the previous generation for most of the things we enjoy today. I'm delighted to know Eritrea is following the same path to greatness, and may other African countries emulate Eritrea's success to create a well developed African continent. The Civilian Conservation Corps in indeed a wonderful program, and I really enjoyed watching the wonderful documentary video.

Thank you for sharing.

[Ghion]

In 1950s an American working for the Emperer was heard saying the fertile land around Addis can make the country the greenest place of the world. Today, under Weyane the country has lost most of the topsoil and the vast jungle linking the souther region to the central, thanks to the scorching program Weyane was embarking on to eliminate the OLF fighters. Unless Weyane the beggar is eliminated from that region, Ethiopia will always be dependant of foriegn hand out and the rest of Ethiopia will always suffer as a result. What a tragedy we have in Ethiopia, I think eventually the Eritreans will be called upon one more time to help out a brather with their way of doing things. I hope that is sooner than later, because we are going to be lose a lots of people unnecessarily.

[Bemnet]

I recall President Isaiah's interview with Elias Kifle ( I believe it was part 4) and when they raised him a question about the Military Service in Eritrea, the President said "it is not a military service but a national service." I honestly don't know if a difference exists between the two, however what was more striking about his answer is that during their planning period to introduce the national service in Eritrea they invited all top TPLF cadres to take part on the discussion in hope they too could implement similar programs in Ethiopia. He finished his answer with -- "sadly, the TPLF cadres were less interested in the program."

Come to think of it, if America could deploy 3 million men to create the wonder we enjoy today, just imagine how a human and resources rich Ethiopia could be able to produce tens of millions of men for such a noble cause that not only would help end the abject poverty in the country but to make it a very well developed nation in a short amount of time. Just imagine !
As they say, leadership matters.

[Ghion]

Bemnet:

You are right, leadership matters. Weyane was an accident wating to happen, it did not come on its own, and that is precisely why it does not follow basic advise to raise the living stands of the people in Ethiopia. It did not think it deserved to be the leader, and by the time it realized it was the sole power of Ethiopia, it was already grappled by corruption. I mean, have you ever seen a hasband and wife fully controling the political and money source of the country of 70+ million, and the country is as poor as Ethiopia???