The Da’Ero Board Members’ Press Release
Bay Area, California

Dec. 20th, 2013

The Da’Ero Bay Area Board Members wish all Eritreans of the Christian faith a Merry Christmas! It is our sincere hope that our message finds you all well and in good spirits.

On December 7th, 2013, the Bay Area Transitional Committee finalized two of it’s most essential items on it’s agenda:

1) The clarification and further elaboration of topics previously presented to the public on 11/24/2013.

2) The formal election of the new board members.

The meeting begun with a presentation consisting of the Transitional Committee’s assessment of what some of the short term political activities look like. By citing, as an example, some of the effective political activities various members of the Bay Area Eritrean activists were engaged in, the Transitional Committee was able to demonstrate some of it’s recommendations in their practical forms. It also referred to an exemplary activism undertaken by an Eritrean youth, Meron Semedar, both as a source of inspiration for creative engagement and to emphasize the fact that an integral part of our struggle is the encouragement of our youth. It further elaborated it’s stance on the establishment of a community center as a long term goal worthy of a serious exploration. Nevertheless, the most urgent issues at hand are going to be priorities that will require immediate attention and action.

After a brief Q&A, the Transitional Committee then moved on to explain to the public the proposed election process. The public was then given the opportunity to weigh in with their thoughts on the proposed election process. The decision to engage the public in formulating the election process is one that is made in accordance to the democratic and representational philosophy of the Da’Ero initiative. This philosophy was quickly called into action when the diverse set of perspectives conveyed by the public signaled the need to gauge the public’s preference on how to proceed. Three possible election processes were then proposed:

1) To assign one vote per represented political & civic organization and by allocating to the independents (from the public), twice the amount of votes given to the organizations (for eg. if there are 3 organizations, 6 votes would be reserved for independents).

2) To vote in individuals on county/city basis (one for Alameda, one for Contra Costa etc.).

3) By popular vote: the public in attendance would nominate and vote their candidates. The public was then given the opportunity, by show of hands, to choose the option they felt served the public’s interest best.

The public opted for option #3: to elect board members by popular vote.

The public was then instructed to nominate 18 individuals; 9 of which will go on to become board members. In the interest of representation, it was suggested that at least 30% of the nominees be women. Members of the public raised their hands one by one and nominated 18 individuals. The ballots were filled out by the attendees, then collected and read out loud as they were recorded on the board in front of all in attendance. Democracy and hope proudly attended the election along with about 90 Bay Area Eritreans who came, determined, to spark a movement that is thoughtfully inclusive, relentlessly representational and fiercely progressive.

Below are the names of the newly elected board members:

1) Tekh’a Zeggai

2) Asgedet Mehreteab

3) Freweini Gergish

4) Tigisti Kahsai

5) Yonas Weldeab

6) Tedros Tsehaye

7) Meron Semedar

8) Rufael Fessehazion

9) Asennai Musye

Moving Forward:

The Da’Ero Bay Area Board Members have been conducting teleconferences and has held it’s first official board meeting. The Board is set to craft the short terms goals, have been hard at work drafting bylaws that will be made effective, through the inputs and with the engagement of the public. The establishment of the Task Forces that will engage in a myriad of activities, the streamlining of the projects and the specific roles are also critical items on the agenda. The Board would like to assure the public that it gives equal and serious consideration both to the urgency of our obstacles, the momentum of our movement and the integrity of our philosophy and operations. By it’s very nature, the work we are engaged in requires efficiency, speed and thoughtfulness. The very heart of Da’Ero Bay Area beats for unity, for collective struggle, and for the kind of justice that originates from within and expands to all. This is not just our philosophical stance, it is part of the mission formulated from the perspectives of all who have participated in the candle vigils, public meetings and focus group session. Subsequently, we are always prepared to engage and listen in any constructive initiatives and events organized by pro-Democracy Eritrean activists. The Da’Ero Bay Area Board acknowledges the New Year’s Event headlining Wedi Tukabo and the stellar artists and musicians: Niyat, Abdu, Dawit, Kebede, Rezene & Gideon. We will be participating in the New Year’s celebration. We are also invited to participate in the two day workshops held to discuss various topics that are relevant to our struggle as Eritrean activists. We look forward to be part of a successful weekend of education & entertainment that promote our progress as a people.

The public can expect one additional press release before the end of this very promising year. Further announcements and updates will be made and we encourage the public to frequently visit our website: www.daerobayarea.org. We are committed to do our absolute best and we invite you, the public, to engage us by sending your thoughts via our new e-mail: board@daerobayarea.org.

Wishing you happy holidays and sending you our best wishes!

The Da’Ero Bay Area Board Members

To learn more about us, please visit: www.daerobayarea.org

Background Information About Our Initiative

During the October 5th candle vigil for the Lampedusa disaster, several attendees voiced the need for unity and the importance of working together among Eritreans in the Bay Area. In the spirit of unity, a meeting that was scheduled for one of the youth organizations was cancelled and the date, time and place was announced for a public meeting forum. The public meeting was set on October 26th, 2013. Over 60 people attended this meeting. What transpired during the meeting was an open and honest discussion about several pertinent issues. The public offered and discussed various ideas, and again conveyed it’s plea for all Eritreans to work together. The most prominent suggestion was to create an organization transitional committee to initiate the coming together and collaboration of all peace loving advocates of justice Eritreans in the Bay Area. At the end of the meeting, a 5 member Transitional Committee was formed. The Transitional Committee conducted a focus group session, public meetings to explore the challenges facing our pro-Democratic movements and to recommend solutions. To communicate the scope of it’s mandate, the Transitional Committee tentatively branded the initiative it undertook as “Da’Ero Bay Area”. The task of the Transitional Committee concluded with a successful election, via popular vote, of 9 board members on December 7th. Currently, the presiding board is intensely engaged in both the shaping of the movement and the action plan.