Our country is unique and gifted with an ancient history dating back over 3000 years. We are the second largest country in Africa in terms of population, now around 80 million. We host the headquarters of the African Union. We have a reputation for being able to live in peace and harmony with Christians, Muslims, Jews and Animists. Yet, unfortunately, when many people of the world think of Ethiopia, they are still reminded of images of famine, beggars and starving children. Someone on American radio has even referred to one of the poorest states in America, Louisiana—after Hurricane Katrina, as being “the Ethiopia of the United States.” What an embarrassing comparison.
Our standing on most every survey of how we are doing as a society, rates us near to the bottom in the world, thanks to the EPRDF who cannot even admit our dire situation. Instead, they perpetually exaggerate progress by boasting that things are improving in the country when we know how bad things really are. Where there is development, huge debts are being incurred, robbing the future away from our Ethiopian youth of tomorrow who will be expected to pay it off. As we face the advent of the Third Ethiopian Millennium, it is high time to soberly consider where we are today and what we must do to give our descendents increased freedom, justice, equality, opportunity and prosperity in the future.
Yet, it is hard not to be excited about the recent release of the Kinijit Opposition Party leaders, journalists, human rights activists and now 18, 000 more Ethiopians (still not all) from all over the country who have been detained for months or years even though Meles had previously denied there were any political prisoners in the country. One might wonder where these 18, 000 or more prisoners came from!
As some of them are now visiting Ethiopians in the Diaspora, we can be extremely grateful to them for so quickly organizing a political movement before the May 2005 National Election that brought together so many different groups under one umbrella of the CUDP. It was in many ways, a miracle that no one, even them, expected! Even though most of us knew that Meles was a repressive dictator, we were surprised when he risked his reputation as “a new breed of African leader,” to become “one of the most vicious dictators” according to both Congressman Chris Smith and Congressman Donald Payne, made public in recent statements, by openly hijacking the election, killing 197 Ethiopian protestors and forcing the Opposition leaders and countless others to be detained in the prisons of our country.
We should all be very thankful for the sacrifices they made for us during their imprisonment. They, as Ethiopians of courage, stood up for the principles of freedom, justice and democracy. They endured rat-infested prison cells, unhealthy conditions, separation from their families and one of our Ethiopian heroines of justice even gave birth to a child while under confinement. Some endured torture and health problems as a result. Some died. After the celebrations die down now, we must be prepared for some certain obstacles and disappointments that are inevitable in a struggle of such magnitude.
The expectations we have placed on these leaders will not be realistic for sure for a number of reasons. We must consider these so that we are better prepared for what we must do to bring to life a new Ethiopia where our people do not just struggle to exist, but where, with God’s help, Ethiopians can flourish and live! These next days, weeks and months will be difficult if we do not face up to a few important things.
First of all, we must be ready to experience the ups and downs of joy and disappointment, of excitement and despair, of confusion and new understanding, of fear and courage, of progress and setbacks, of anger and acceptance and of apathy and passion. We must be prepared to see people as not just heroes or enemies, but as real people with a mixture of attributes and flaws. Be prepared for emotional reactions to all the events that will inevitably occur if we want to be transformed into a more humane, just and free society. There will be tension between those who want such change and those who want to maintain the status quo. We must remember that we cannot throw everything out just because it is not new, nor preserve everything just because it is so deeply ingrained in us and in our culture.
This will be tricky and we will make some mistakes, but let us be filled with God’s grace and guidance as we attempt to determine one from the other. Let us place our faith not in people, but in an Almighty God or we will be disappointed and will surely fail. Instead, we should remember that we are all flawed which means that there is no leader who can always please us. No one will be able to do a perfect job. Some may end up going in a completely opposite direction than what we want or others may even sabotage this struggle. But others, may more closely reflect the higher principles of this struggle. We are talking about a new and better Ethiopia. But remember, a perfect Ethiopia is not possible in this world. It could only come from perfect people, and that we are not. That is why we all must simply do our best, be held accountable for our actions and beyond that, ask God for His divine help…