A speech tailored to the size of Horn

22 Jun 2018

Editorial-View-Point 

BY WORKU BELACHEW 

Last Monday’s afternoon was so unique and yet historic for most Ethiopians, both home and abroad. But it may not put anyone on a hasty generalization if he/she concludes as the Day has also brought to light new generation of pan-African statesman in an Ethiopian soil, notable as the embalm of PanAfricanism.
No doubt, this piece is all about Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Amhed’s vibrant speech, if not lecture, televised to the people of Ethiopia.
What could strike the mind of viewers/listeners, and may lead them to include the premier in the list of pan-African statesmen is not only the writer’s perception of the Dr.Abiy’s argument while addressing questions from Members of the House of Peoples’ Representatives.
It is also his way of addressing the question regarding the issue of Bademe, to single out, a border town between Ethiopia and Eritrea. History has already recorded the place as, may be, the immediate cause of the senseless war between the two brotherly peoples which took the lives of tens of thousands of productive citizens of both sides.

The demarcation in East Africa is artificial that was imposed by the Whiteman which resulted in the split of people tied by blood, culture, religion and language into two or more, as he said it.
He mentioned the Kunama people that the colonial lines forced them to be in two different sovereign states, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Also, the Afari people to live in three countries— Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea while some section of the Oromo people to be Kenyan by citizenship.
To the contrary, Bismarck’s’ partition of Africa project forced people of different language, culture and religion to be assembled under the same flag, sadly in an exploitative way.
As most independent leaders of Africa already argued, the borders of Africa are nothing other than colonial inheritance, therefore.
The question presented to the premier was that EPRDF’s unconditional acceptance of the Algiers Agreement on the Ethio-Eritrean would go against the interest of people living in the area. There is no dispute with the assertion if it goes in a way one would gain while the other loose, I believe.
The premier’s response to the question, however, did not focus simply on delimitation and demarcation. He takes it to something bigger cause, and explained it being outside the box—Horn economic integration. Most expected him to say this and that approaching it in a narrower context. But his response was even tailored to the size of Horn of Africa.
Ethiopia is playing a lead-goose role to attain the sub-regional integration arrangement of the African Union. The 3.4 billion USD railways, connecting Ethiopia and Djibouti, is adequate example in this regard. But if more examples have to be cited, the roads to Djibouti, Kenya, and Sudan are mentionable, not to mention the energy interconnection with the said countries.
‘So, what has this to do with the Agreement?’ seems to be a question at this juncture. Any sane mind could get the fathom of the investment in the infrastructure. The projects serve no purpose other than supporting the Somali and Afari people living in Ethiopia and Djibouti to craft their future together or just it calms the water for them to swim together. To the south, Kenyan brothers and sisters can trade among others, and the like.
Ethiopians and Eritreans not only living in the border town but also people of both countries living in remote south Ethiopia and far north Eritrea can have opportunity to know one another.
Besides, the African Union vision 2063 is: “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in international arena.”
Its people are the architects of this vision. The attainment of the vision as well rests on the shoulders of Regional Economic Communities in which Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is one.
Therefore, putting the Ethio-Eritrean cause in a narrower context- demarcation and delimitation is unable to see the bigger picture.
People of Ethiopia and Eritrea, who are tied by blood, cannot be reduced to border issue, and the past bad event was just something that the present and future generation should take lesson from it. As the premier said it precisely it is unwise to pass down enmity to present and future generations.
The two peoples need one another but not for the sake of economic interest only—sea outlet and market for instance. This is secondary. But, the main objective is long-term peace and breaking the stalemate that has been wasting the human capital of both countries. It also shows both countries’ determination to abort the time bomb the colonial power buried.
Above all, it promises the reunification of families break apart due to the reign of “no peace, no war” over the last decade.
Indeed, the two countries have prospects of economic integration. The hundred and plus million people could offer market opportunity to Eritrea’s manufacturing firms. Similarly, Port Assab could offer Ethiopia with additional sea outlet.
That’s why the premier could be seen as new generation of pan-African statesmen. Pan-Africanism is still relevant in the sense that it could abolish the colonial boarders and serve the interest of the billion people of the region. And this was the line of argument of the premier.
Peace and harmony between the two countries is not the issue of Ethiopia and Eritrea. It goes far beyond this for it has impact on the wider Horn. Thus, such far-sighted decision which the Executive of EPRDF passed has greater significance.
The Eritrean government has reciprocated the peace call and has vowed to send a delegation soon to give a final blow to the issue—most hopefully a panAfrican solution.

 

Invaluable religious mosaic 
Worku Belachew 

                     

Ethiopia has been the hallmark of inter-religious harmony. It is an all-too common and age-old phenomenon to observe adherents of Christianity, Islam, Judaism and other local religions leading peaceful life together.

In recognition to this and to take inspiration from Ethiopia’s backlog of experiences, the annual World Interfaith Harmony Week was marked in Addis—for the first time outside of the UN Headquarters. The annual marking falls on the first week of every February. 

On the event last Friday, the Inter-religious Council of Ethiopia (Council) received award from United Religious Initiative-Africa for promoting tolerance peace and co-existence among the people.

Both the event and the award have conveyed clear and succinct messages to any observer as to the steadfast position of Ethiopians in nurturing religious peace and harmony. It speaks for itself the fact that cynical ambitions of individuals and groups cannot and will not take roots in this land.

Giving less regard to religious differences, Ethiopians have been interacting among themselves in various social platforms. As such, the people have not been precluded from socializing; be it intermarriage, neighborhood, friendship, and the like due to variations in their world views. 

Put this very fact another way, Idir is one of the typical and traditional community associations in most places in Ethiopia.  Members of this community association cooperate particularly in times of funeral. Members comfort family of a deceased, provide monetary support and extend helping hands before, on and after the funeral.  Membership to this association is absolutely free from discrimination on the basis of religious belief, among others. 

To the surprise of all, Christians and Muslim brothers and sisters even cooperate in building religious shrines of one another. It is a nightmare to observe such a strong bond in most other societies— isn’t it? 

Without a shadow of doubt, the people have been passing on these virtues over generations. And the current one has constitutionalized and institutionalized the virtues by declaring equality among all religions and establishing Inter-religious Council of Ethiopia respectively. As a result, cohesive factors—brotherhood, neighborhood, friendship, respect and humanity—have further become the defining attributes of the peoples irrespective of religious orientations.  

That is why the spillover effect of religious radicalization has repeatedly failed to take roots in Ethiopia though few individuals and groups never quit toiling to import the components and assemble them here to orchestrate their destructive goals.

The ideals being promoted in the World Interfaith Harmony Week, “Love of God” and “Love of one’s neighbor”, which have already become the cultures of the people, helped to abort radicalization before it completes it metamorphosis. 

However, the wave of religious radicalization is still razing peace in most countries of the Horn of Africa. Thus, the Council should take further inspiration from the award and recognition to accelerate its activities targeting the youth. 

It has to facilitate platforms whereby the bulging youth population, who hold various religious beliefs, can build inter-faith understanding. It has to also use the media, public forums, religious ceremonies, and the like, to teach the virtues and values of the past generations. 

In addition, as the youth is so active on social media, the Council and other stakeholders should make sure that this important section of the society does not involve in all-forms of hate speech and discriminatory activities. In fact, those who always see the glass half empty involves in disseminating sensational posts on social media. To this end, leaders of various religions must aware the youth on how to chase the pessimists out of the cyber village. 

By doing so, it is the youth who, first and foremost, taste the sweet fruits of peace. It is this part of the society who fulfills its aspiration in a developed Ethiopia. The youth has all the potent to either   build or demolish the country. Thus, tasks on the youth have to be doubled, tripped and quadrupled…

The world has once again proven that it can emulate lessons from Ethiopia on matters regarding inter-faith harmony.   Hence, this heritage has to further get nurtured to keep the country’s peace and fast-tracking all-round development.

 

Timket—Humanity’s resplendent asset!  

 BY WORKU BELACHEW

Timket—the commemoration of Jesus’ baptism at River Jordan—is yet another intangible heritage which Ethiopia has preserved for millennia. The unique and colorful festivity which combines both religious and secular traditions deserves to be included among the representative list of cultural heritage of humanity.

The marvelous ritual and street festival which lasts two days (the eve-Ketera, and the holiday-Timkat), has been handed down over generations gluing the community, nurturing collective memory, promoting human creativity and contributing to the sustainable development of the country at large.   

Irrespective of differences in age, sex, culture and language, people escort the Tabots (Replica of the Arc of the Covenant) with great pomp from the respective parishes to riversides or large meadows where the festival takes place. Also, people of different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds get together and follow the liturgical services while other cultural and secular proceedings take place on the sideline.

Timket celebration has two important aspects. The grand one is the mass liturgical services which members of clergymen undertake starting from the eve of the festival until the event is wrapped up on the day of Timket with the sprinkling of sacred water up on the believers and taking the Tabots back to their respective parishes. 

The second one is the secular section which interested groups in small circles dances and chants. It allows participants to have the opportunity to exchange their culture while availing extra opportunity to tourists to observe and participate in the traditional dances and chants of the various peoples of the country. 

The Day is so unique in that even non-Christian people involve in the festivity’s secular facet. To the surprise of all, people who belong to a different faith cooperate with their Christian neighbors to see the celebration wrapped up peacefully. Any spectator can truly sense the peaceful co-existence among the peoples on this day.  

Though the celebration is part and parcel of epiphany which other Christian communities mark year in and year out, Timket in Ethiopia has been beyond compare both by the size of the congregation that partake in the event and by the liturgical, cultural and socio-economic undertakings carried out on the eve and during the holiday.

Without a shadow of doubt, the whole essence of Timkat will help in diversifying the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s prestigious list.

Since Ethiopia’s ratification of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006, only three years behind the adoption of the Convention, the country has got three of its intangible heritages inscribed in the world’s prestigious list. Meskel (the founding of the true cross) Fichee-Chambalaalla (New Year’s celebration among the Sidama people) and Geda System (an indigenous democratic socio-political system of the Oromo) have got their right places in the UNESCO’s intangible heritage list.

The inscription of these heritages has created great enthusiasm among the people of Ethiopia motivating them to further preserve and promote the world’s asset. Likewise, if Timket joins the representative list, it further fosters the preservation efforts of the intangible heritage and increases the festival’s contribution to the overall development of the country as well.

Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ARCCH), among other pertinent bodies, has endeavored remarkably in throwing light to the heritages of the country by including them in the national inventory system. Timkat is one among these. In addition, the stated bodies are exerting maximum efforts to illuminate the elements of the historic Timkat in order to be included in the UNESCO’s representative list.

Since last Ethiopian year, the Authority has been exerting efforts to prepare the nomination file for Timkat. Reports show that the Authority has been collecting inputs to select 10 photographs to be included in the Nomination List and to produce a 10-minute documentary footage. Tasks have continued to collect samples from places such as Wollo, Lalibela and Addis Ababa. The Authority plans to send the file to UNESCO within two months after in-depth consultations with relevant stakeholders.

ARCCH and other pertinent bodies ought to work their fingers to the bone to finalize the nomination file, and get it included in the list of world’s intangible heritages. 

The Authority has registered various heritages on the national heritage inventory. No doubt, most of them do not only belong to Ethiopia, they are also humanity’s asset. Thus, pertinent bodies, the media, and other stakeholders should maximize efforts to include them in the world’s heritage list.