ON My LAST ARTICLE ON UNITY
ON My LAST ARTICLE ON UNITY ogbai : “Unity is the best medicine to heal our wounds no doubt about that. But Mr. fetsum with respect for your hard work. WE, as your readers we would like
ON My LAST ARTICLE ON UNITY
ogbai : “Unity is the best medicine to heal our wounds no doubt about that. But Mr. fetsum with respect for your hard work. WE, as your readers we would like to hear from you and likes, to tell us who is against unity in the opposition. And who is behind it we should know. I am wondering last time you said . If that is the case and true it is our weakness for not working hard to find out and expose them for those against UNITY with a clear prove. Otherwise blaming each other without knowing who is against and whats behind it, that is lack of information insde and outside of each organization,movements,even individuals. For us the ordinary people it will be hard to know and understand where the truth is. As the saying goes . Please feed us the truth, and we will do the rest.”
Comment: Brother Uqbai, I want you to first understand that I did not say the names I mentioned (needless to say I include brother Saleh Yenus in the list) were against unity but that I strongly suspect something is going on otherwise because they have been quiet on UNITY for a long time and specially at the moment where more people are openly addressing the issue in the WEBCITES and few activities have been going on with the opposition camp everywhere.
EXAMPLES
The youth groups are still divided and some interfering in the business of others like what happened between the US and the Bologna groups recently. They need role-models to correct them and to unite them. Our most famous activists that served as role models of change for a long time are absent here.
The complete absence of UNITY in our demonstrations should have been openly and strongly addressed by the distinguished activists in order to direct the overall energy towards the question of unifying all of us in the opposition camp for a transitional government in post-Afwerki Eritrea. I do not see any initiative from them to this effect; and I suspect the unhealthy QUITISAM to be intentional considering the obvious advantage of UNITY to the resistance for freedom and democracy in our country.
The controversial firing of Chairman Yusuf Berhanu from BAITO while preparation is underway for the all inclusive Eritrean Conference in Ethiopia may negatively polarize the outcome of the conference: this development needs attention by any PRO-UNITY Eritrean but they are absent here too.
Our opposition forces as we know are still divided and the EDA alone could not guarantee the unity of the scattered groups out of its command. The fact that it needs any help it can get from any Eritrean activists in this regard has become obvious: Yet, no initiative for a strong voice has been offered from the activists to encourage or pressurize the splinters for unity.
In the mean time, we Eritreans cannot afford to accommodate QUIETISM from our activists at this critical time where UNITY has seemingly become the best answer to our problems. What I am saying is that any activist can have an alternate solution to our common problem and I respect that full heartedly but one should bring it out for discussion and public awareness instead of keeping it private for another surprise in post Afwerki Eritrea. There should no more be private agendas on our common cause. If a person of their importance in this camp does not consider UNITY as a solution, one should then confidently provide an alternate solution: you cannot quietly watch without saying something in this situation specially if you are a prominent activist. You either advocate unity or something else on the open and I want to see this happen with our respected activists who did a lot to the resistance for freedom from dictatorship.
Ghenet: “It [my last article] calls on all the groups and individuals who we believe that they fight for the good and right of Eritreans. We all need to step up and swallow our pride and try to focus on our common issues than our differences. Our country as Amanuel Iyasu Said is too small to entertain our division. As people, we need to call on all leaders, intellectuals, elites, youth to lead us to democracy and peace.
Politics is not about bickering, and looking for differences. It is all about skills of looking for a common ground and making the most out of it. It is all about commitment and integrity. It is about looking to the future and having a vision. It is about trying to find ways to make people’s lives better. Do our politicians have these? Or are they trying to score points? Are they fighting over positions? Is their cause democracy? I doubt it, because democracy does not include bickering and fighting. It only has a place for discussion and respect.
All groups and individuals who do not have democracy and Eritrean people on their agenda and programs, they should stand out of the way and let us pass and not be spoilers.Saving our people should be our main goal.
To the youth, I say this is more your fight because you have all your lives ahead of you and do not get fooled by burn-out so called politicians. Have a vision and include everyone who has the same vision in the struggle. All we need is democracy. If we have that, we will have peace as well. PFDJ is counting on our division to stay in power. Let us teach the untouchable PfDJ once and for all!!!”
Politics is not about bickering, and looking for differences. It is all about skills of looking for a common ground and making the most out of it. It is all about commitment and integrity. It is about looking to the future and having a vision. It is about trying to find ways to make people’s lives better. Do our politicians have these? Or are they trying to score points? Are they fighting over positions? Is their cause democracy? I doubt it, because democracy does not include bickering and fighting. It only has a place for discussion and respect.
All groups and individuals who do not have democracy and Eritrean people on their agenda and programs, they should stand out of the way and let us pass and not be spoilers.Saving our people should be our main goal.
To the youth, I say this is more your fight because you have all your lives ahead of you and do not get fooled by burn-out so called politicians. Have a vision and include everyone who has the same vision in the struggle. All we need is democracy. If we have that, we will have peace as well. PFDJ is counting on our division to stay in power. Let us teach the untouchable PfDJ once and for all!!!”
Comment: The Eritrean struggle consumed a big chunk of my generation’s lives and the Eritrean government swallowed the rest of it as you can witness in front of your eyes. Life slipped away for my generation because we trusted too much to ask about issues and feared openly standing for the welfare of our society. I have been in political asylum since 1976 hoping to return home after independence and here I am living my life in asylum 22 years after independence because of the terrible dictatorship that has been standing in the way of our freedom and justice. We did not check and balance the EPLF and we are suffering the consequence today.
It seems like we have been condemned to age and die in refugee life after we sacrificed too much for independence. Two Eritrean leaders Tela Uqbit and Afwerki to ever run our country with substantial authority messed up our society; the first under strong external pressure and the second by personal choice. One thing we can learn from our experience is that we have been toyed by our so called liberators and the youth groups should never allow being toyed by their leaders. Don’t let this slip away if you want to save your country and enjoy it with freedom and equality: Do not repeat history and learn from our experience about the dangers of following leaders blindly.
The struggle for purity on the question of UNITY is mandatory for Eritrea’s quest for democracy and freedom. This is time to march forward and not to stand still or to regress. This is the right time to question the integrity of the youth leaders and to challenge them on the question of UNITY. “TRUST ME” does not work anymore because it did not work in the past. We tried that with the EPLF and specially with Mr. Afwerki and you know what happened. “SHOW ME” on the other hand is a legitimate question for one to ask a leader or an activist in order to follow. SIKIFTA on the other hand is a destructive self deception that will burn you alive by your own making. Do not think SIKIFTA is okay: it is not because it is a disease that makes one a liar.
Love your leaders but do not trust them completely. Please respect your leaders by confronting them on the issue of UNITY. The Eritrean people do not deserve another betrayal from selfish politicians: they deserve democracy and freedom. Stop being taken for granted and respect yourselves by expressing your feelings about anything concerning the ERITREAN UNITY. Political unity is not about favoritism or cult development but it is about compromise and free exchange of ideas through equal participation.
As you know our distinguished youth leaders HAVE BEEN silent about UNITY and the only way I can show them respect is by asking WHY and the only way they can show their respect to the people is by confidently ANSWERING it without contemplation. Being a follower of a given political affiliation does not mean becoming a slave and conforming to the leaders unconditionally. You are not animals to be herded at will by power hungry individuals; please be confident and consistent on your democratic outlook and take your freedom of speech to find answers from your leaders BEFORE YOU CONDEMN YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR GENERATIONTO ANOTHER DICTATORSHIP AND CIVIL WAR!
I respect Tesfay Seyoum, Elsa Chirum, Yoseph Gebrehiwet, Saleh Yenus, etc. enough to confront them on the question of UNITY. These have been the most outspoken and courageous activists of yesterday when we were all shutting up: they managed to get us here through collective effort. They cannot disappear from the scene at this critical time when the youth organizations are wobbling to stand on their visionless agendas WITHOUT A REASON. They cannot remotely watch the staggering level of division without involvement. The youth needs them more than ever in the past because UNITY has become the only obvious tool of defeating thedictatorship and building democracy in Eritrea. I will continue respecting my brothers and sisters in this category; by yet asking the following question
WHERE DO YOU STAND IN THE QUESTION OF UNITY AND WHAT IS YOUR POLITICAL STRATEGY OTHERWISE? WHAT IS PLAN ‘B’ IN YOUR LIST IF UNITY IS OUT OF IT SO THAT WE CAN ENTERTAIN IT TOGETHER WITH MUTUAL RESPECT?
On “National Unity Experiences- its challenges and opportunities: by Fesseha Nair”
Nair: “The political Opposition did not raise its political agenda to accommodate the Project of National Unity, A project that could bear financial, psychic and materialistic towards for the entire Eritrean components against the sacrifices they had made, in fact the political programs of the National Opposition forces never exceeded the hollow emotional rehearsal of the “National Unity”, an emotional rehearsals that could not be sufficient enough to encourage the people pay new and fresh sacrifices. Therefore, we find that a large segments of our people have started looking for other temporarily alternatives..”
Comment: Emotional rehearsal for temporary psychological satisfaction at the expense of genuine bliss from benevolent participation for peace and democracy in Eritrea is a sad situation to be in. The opposition could not “raise its political agenda to accommodate the Project of National Unity” because it is not firmly united. A weak and divided force can only produce weakness and division. It can only be a role model of grudge and unhealthy competition. Personifying national agenda and anger have become the modes of communication between the opposition forces. “the political programs of the National Opposition forces never exceeded the hollow emotional rehearsal of the “National Unity”” because the leaders are selfish and they lack maturity, the only condition a person needs to dignify emotion instead of reason. Problem of controlling emotional discharge is a derivative of lack of wisdom; the reason society excuses children for such a reaction.
Apparently, said temporary alternatives take different phases and more:
1) Dependence on external forces to solve the problem in whatever form it may come. Because of frustration (the result of lack of substance from the youth organizations and opposition forces) some Eritreans tend to support external input to resolve the issue on the ground. This is pessimism and as dangerous as it may seem to be they want to get it over with despite the consequence.
2) Sticking with the regime: Among other consequences related to the weakness of the resistance, this is a derivative of fear of another dictatorship in Eritrea because of mistrust. Who wants to struggle for another dictatorship after this experience?
3) Quietism: Some of us have chosen to stay quiet and watch the development in distance because of the hopeless environment created by the divisive opposition forces.
4) Neutrality: Some of us consider the two opposing sects similar to one another and therefore choose to stay neutral in this critical situation.
5) Some of us want to ignore all opposition forces and start from the scratch.
6) Some of us just hang on detached from nationalism with no forecast of whatever…..
To be continued
Kalighe August 15, 2013
“1. Ethiopia. [i)Border Ruling , ii) interference in the opposition].”
Zaul,
I don’t think the Ethiopians will ever agree to demarcate our common borders, at least not in our life time. We have to start living with such a reality. We will see if they will agree to do so, as part of a deal to economically integrate the two countries. When I talk to ordinary Ethiopians, I see the mistrust and war culture that even the new generations have started to inherit. Many suffer from megalomania; “we are a big country, we can swallow you if we want” is the attitude you sense when you talk to them. This is partly because Ethiopia is not much different from other African countries where six decades of post-colonial history is still characterized by internal wars and instability. Despite relative peace and stable central government, ethnic tensions and armed conflicts in parts of Ethiopia is a sad reality. It will take long time, and may be a few generations for them to accept the fact that Eritrea is their neighbor, that is wishes them well, that extends its hands for peace, that it’s willing to build a better future for posterity past the history of conflict and war.
Said August 15, 2013
Mr. kalighe why can’t you be the leader, come on man take me home, 80 years old is 80 years old I’m not going to chase him through the hospitals, so if you reallyEritrean teak us home. we need somebody who cleans stairs, and play football in early morning, those people you talking about they can be a good teachers, but not leaders you see what dr. yosuf, she took us back hundred years. we need somebody who’s active like you could would should. not working.
Said August 15, 2013
Mr. kalighe sorry I miss read it, I hope you’re not angry.
marsa August 15, 2013
To many mahber andnet are being accommodated in this forum. you guys if you are a real Eritreans you are lost
You need help.
marsa August 15, 2013
All nation s in Africa are created by colonials that is why we have e poeple with the same ethnic background
In different countries so that does no mean anything .
jaber August 16, 2013
Great job Dr. Futsum!
Areza August 16, 2013
To Dear Reader concerned Eritrean
We have to take care on the imported identity and culture
We have to believe we are genuine or original African
We have to believe we are not originated from sea or rock
We have to believe the genetically make up of human being whether from kolla or Kebessa we are not fabricated in Merengi as a bottle or soap or omo of SAPE. We are not expected to exaggerate ourselves which was spent on for the 6 type of colony no one get with such history in the world except Eritrea. We have to believe still we are not getting our identity until we unit all of us with our identity crises.
We have to know the victim of Colonialism in the World as an Eritrean
Our appeal to history begins with a powerful simplification. It concerns the social psychology of European colonialism, built largely around stereotypes that have shaped perceptions and conflict for five centuries. One such perception was the idea among Europeans that non-European native people or colonial subjects were “backward,” trapped in their tradition. The experience of colonial rule encouraged this image, as European and non-European cultures compared one another within a relationship in which Europe had a powerful social-psychological advantage rooted in its missionary and military-industrial apparatus. This comparison was interpreted, or misinterpreted, as European cultural superiority. It was easy to take the next step and view the difference as “progress,” something the colonizers could impart to their subjects.
Colonialism is the subjugation by physical and psychological force of one culture by another—a colonizing power—through military conquest of territory and caricaturing the relation between the two cultures. It predates the era of European expansion (fifteenth to twentieth centuries) and extends to Japanese colonialism in the twentieth century and, most recently, Chinese colonization of Tibet. Colonialism has two forms: colonies of settlement, which often eliminate indigenous people (such as the Spanish destruction of the Aztec and Inca civilizations in the Americas), and colonies of rule, where colonial administrators reorganize existing cultures by imposing new inequalities to facilitate their exploitation.
Nowadays being an Eritrean becomes shameful due to the colonies Era, they shaped us towards their own bad sentiment and that is way we couldn’t took reliable Evidence on our identity. We are discriminating each other without any objective.
Wedi Keren
God Bless Eritrea
Genet August 16, 2013
Areza, Wedi Keren?
You said, “Nowdays being an Eritrean becomes shameful due to the colnies Era,..” Do you feel shameful to be an Eritrean? If you do speak for yourself. The real Eritreans don’t feel shame what so ever for being Eritreans. You wrote so much about the impact of Europen conlonization of many countries in the world. Then, you come up with your insult to Eritrean. Your thoghts don’t help Eritrean at this time. Nowdays Ethiopian are using your thouthts to put us down. They are telling us we don’t have an identity. We don’t have the chance to be Eritrean people without Ethiopian. We think we are better than any body else. This is in the many Ethiopian minds and some week Eritrean are starting to belive it and it is the most shmeful act to do as an Eritrean. Yes, reginality and vilager mentality is bad to our unity, and it is going to dely to overcome our current problmes. However, No Eritrean should feel ashamed to be an Eritrean. For any body out there, Ethiopians and some Eritreans who lack back bone, get alife. Eritrea is now a country of its own for better or worst. WE WERE ERITREAN YESTERDAY, WE ARE ERITREAN TODAY, WE WILL BE ERITREAN TOMMORROW. We have to acknowledge our short coming and we need to develople a mindset that we Eritrean are all equal. To me, the current crime by PFDJ leaders is the best example for us to be united. To clarify what I mean, We have PFDJ crimnals from all over Eritrea; All type of religion beliefs backgrounds, mem and women victimizing their own people. This should be a lesson for us that we are all the same. I do belive the problmes with UNITY is multifactorial disorders. Unless we all are willing to dissected one by one, it is going to take down many Eritrean generations. Please all Eritreans please, please don’t listen to Ethiopinas when they say we should be ashamed of our Eritrean identity. We have done nothing to be ashamed of our identity. PERIOD!
Genet
Kalighe August 16, 2013
Dear Genet
When you see some one who insults Eritreans, usually it’s the case of those who have started to suffer from identity crisis like YG.
Kabbire August 16, 2013
Who is on a self hating mission and burning his own languages? Who is disgusted to hear the Tigre, Afar and Nara languages ? Who are the people who would not remind Eritreans and their Arab masters of their “Arabness” as if the Mereb river is too wide to cross but the Red Sea is a small creek to walk?
Get an IKIA mirror and tell me who you are.
Kalighe August 17, 2013
When someone tries to be more Eritrean than the rest of ordinary citizens, it’s an indication that the guy is a rootless seeking attention (just like YG). Having said that, I have no problem with anyone who want to be Eritrean and love it. They can be of Ethiopian, Sudanese or even Chinese origin, as long as they accept to be Eritreans by own free choice and go through a naturalization process. Obviously, those who think Eritreans have no history, identity and Ghedli was about banditry, cannot be tolerated. The issue of being Ethiopian or not, for most of us is distant history, and those of you who feel the need to reconnect with your ancestral land or reclaim a lost identity, are left with individual options, because the people of Eritrea has said it’s final word on this issue, and the case is closed.
Kalighe August 17, 2013
“I have no problem accepting that other people have different beliefs or views, as long as I get to express mine. That’s a basic tenet of democracy everyone has to agree on. Individual liberty is sacred, no one person or institution has the right to speak on my behalf or force me to believe in what they believe.”
Zaul,
One of the most important developments in Eritrean politics in recent years, is the emergence of civil society in Diaspora. This was one of the missing elements is laying ground for democracy.
It’s a positive development that needs to be encouraged. Civil societies create an environment where people learn to express their views without been ostracized for having a different one.
The conformist culture that had glued together our traditional societies, although implicitly accepts diversity in it’s rudimentary form, it’s not elastic enough to accommodate diversity as expressed in our modern societies. There could be millions of different opinions, but may be the underlying principles on which they are based are few. Drilling down to see the actual principles on which all those opinions are based is an important task to consider in narrowing the differences. In the end we may be surprised to find out that we are using the same principles.
Tactical differences should be welcome, different options should be tried and tested, without causing any problem. There is more risk to a society when people act like a herd than to stick to individual opinions.