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The Role of Eritrean Scholars: the Duty to be Unbiased

By Araya Debessay I believe the Eritrean people expect Eritrean scholars to objectively and critically assess the ills of the nation and offer bold and constructive suggestions for the good of their country and the Eritrean

By Araya Debessay

I believe the Eritrean people expect Eritrean scholars to objectively and critically assess the ills of the nation and offer bold and constructive suggestions for the good of their country and the Eritrean people.  Eritrean scholars should assume this responsibility as their national duty and indeed as their obligation.

I also believe Eritrean scholars should not give a deaf ear and a blind eye to the suffering of their people. They should have the moral courage and intellectual integrity to speak on behalf of the voiceless and the oppressed.

It is with this spirit that I read a News Release posted in Dehai from the Organization of Eritrean Americans (OEA), dated January 16, 2010, titled, “Eritrea’s Economic Potential said to be Bright.”  This was a presentation Professor Kiflai made at an event sponsored by the OEA at the Eritrean Community and Civic Center in Washington, D.C. on Friday, January 15, 2010, on “”My trip to Eritrea: Observations and Impressions.”

I am aware of Professor Kiflai’s many years of dedicated service to his country and his people starting from his student days as a member of the Association of Eritrean Students in North America. He has served his fellow Eritreans in North America in leadership positions in several Eritrean Civic Associations, Task forces and Lobbying groups, prior and post the independence of Eritrea. I am aware of a courageous stand he took, behind the scene, together with some of his colleagues, during the war with Ethiopia, to urge the Eritrean Government leaders to take the right course of action while actively and publicly working in support of the Eritrean Government’s weakness in the media services.

Having said that, I would have liked him to apply the same courage in his recent appraisal of the path the Eritrean government has chosen.

I agreed with what was described as the conclusion of the presentation made by my good friend that “Eritrea’s development in agriculture, mining, tourism, port services (what were called the hardware of development), and education (human resource development) can position it in a bright economic future.” I do not dispute this. Eritreans all knew and know that Eritrea has tremendous potential to uplift the conditions of its people in every respect. What puzzled me was not what my friend reportedly has said during his presentation, but what he did not say.  In a time where the whole world is witnessing the dismal conditions of our people, Dr. Kiflai chose not to point out the failures of the government who has placed Eritrea and the Eritrean people in the quagmire they are finding themselves now.

As an esteemed professor in one of the premier institutions of higher learning in the country, I have no doubt that he has the analytical caliber to understand the failings of the Eritrean leaders, yet I wondered how a person of his academic stature could choose to focus on the potential of what Eritrea could be and not utter even a single critical observation of why this potential has not been realized.

Professor Kiflai talked about “how Eritrea can move towards food security using only the water that can be harvested at the two Fankos (Fanko-tsimue and Fanko-rawi) and Gerset. With certain clearly stated assumptions, he calculated that Eritrea can harvest enough food that can feed its population.”  The News Release did not state the assumptions made by Professor Kiflai. If he had mentioned that one of the fundamental assumptions for the full realization of Eritrea’s potential is good governance, the prevalence of the rule of law, the respect of human rights, freedom of speech, implementation of the constitution, a market-oriented macroeconomic policy, etc, then I would say kudos to my good friend and shame to the reporter who did him a disservice by not giving us a full account of what Professor Kiflai has stated.

We are told that Professor Kiflai made, a “two-hour presentation, [showing] slides of what he observed in water harvesting, by way of building major and minor dams, river diversion schemes and terracing. He spoke how the sprinkler irrigation system he witnessed at the Gerset irrigation project is the state of the art.” This probably is not new to most of the audience, and if I were in the audience, I would expect more from an esteemed Eritrean scholar than what I usually hear from the government media.  Professor Kiflai stated, “The goal of the irrigation projects underway in Eritrea is to produce three times a year.” Professor Kiflai was careful to choose his words; he spoke of the goal but not the reality.  A critical perspective should have added a little dose of reality by reminding his audience that there is a difference between goals and accomplishments.  We all remember how Eritrea has started soon after independence with the vision (goal) to be the next Singapore in Africa. And we know where our country is today.

Professor Kiflai, according to the News Release, “explained, using data from his observation and the publications of the mining companies, how the potential of Eritrea’s mining industry in gold, silver, copper, zinc and other metals from Bisha, Zara, and the Asmara belt is bright.”  I wish I could share the optimism of Professor Kiflai. But given the track record of the present government in power, who has recklessly expended well earned political capital, I would not bet a dime on this government not squandering the people’s resources unwisely.

Dr. Kiflai was stating the obvious when he “pointed that Eritrea’s tourism industry is well-suited to be competitive because what Eritrea can offer tourists is great; in Eritrea, Dr. Kiflai noted, tourists can enjoy personal safety, clean beaches, unpolluted air, a mosaic of a welcoming population, a spectacular variety of birds and marine life, including Eritrea’s coral reef that is
predicted to be the “global marine future” in light of the anticipated global warming.”
No one questions the potential of Eritrea’s tourism industry with all the natural resources that Professor Kiflai has pointed out. But in order to give a complete perspective, scholars have the duty to point out the government’s failure to develop its tourism industry which could have been an asset helping the economic development projects of the country. What happened to the many recommendations that Eritrean scholars from almost every corner of the world, including Professor Kiflai  presented at the National Business Conference and Exhibition which was held on December 9-17, 1995  in Asmara, organized by the then Minister of Trade and Industry, Ato Ogbe Abraha? To the best of my knowledge none of those recommendations were implemented. We all know that Eritrea has a long way to go before its badly damaged image is restored, so that it can fully capitalize on its tourism industry. To claim otherwise is simply to ignore reality.

Dr. Kiflai’s final discussion on Eritrea’s economic potential, according to the News Release was “on what he called is the software that will drive the above mentioned economic hardware of Eritrea: this is education or human resource development.” I fully agreed with him on the role of education and human resource development as a driving force in helping Eritrea to fully realize its development potential. But, potential is one thing and current reality quite another.

According to the 2007/2008 UNDP Human Development Report, the Human Development Index (HDI) for Eritrea is 0.454, which gives Eritrea a rank of 157th out of 177 countries.[1] Contrast this with what Professor Kiflai has stated, that “Eritrea’s good start with the expansion of higher education and its vision is positioned to provide the necessary human resources for Eritrea’s economic development. He particularly noted that the spread of educational institutions all over Eritrea.”  I have no doubt that other students and scholars who have a passing interest in the Eritrean current situation, let alone someone who has been recently in Eritrea to witness the state of education, will find this statement a bit surprising.

It has been nineteen years since independence and all that we see is not a good start but the dismantling of Eritrean educational system that started with the unfair and unjustified firing of 33 university professors in 1994. With Eritrean youth fleeing the country in the tens of thousands having lost hope in their future, with underpaid, overworked and ill motivated teachers, who are forced to moonlight working more than two jobs to survive, with under equipped under staffed schools, with a university that has been fragmented into semi military camps, I am puzzled to note Professor Kiflai’s optimism about the future of education in Eritrea.  Perhaps he can elaborate and give us a more insightful analysis of the current status of education in Eritrea and what needs to be done to correct the situation.

Despite its potential as pointed out by Professor Kiflai, Eritrea ranks last or near to last in the world and certainly below most countries in Africa, according to global freedom and development indicators. In terms of malnourishment and hunger, a German research institute has ranked Eritrea third from bottom in 2007 – 116th out of 118 countries assessed by the institute.[2] Professor Kiflai has told his audience, that the irrigation projects underway “is helping Eritreans from all ethnic groups and repatriated nationals to participate in food production with some help from the government.” I do not doubt his observation about the participation of the people in the irrigation projects, but I am not sure what the end result of this participation is going to be unless the government has a well integrated economic development policy that can provide positive results. There was an extensive discussion on the Government’s Macroeconomic policy at the National Business Conference of December 1995, but it seems that the government has abandoned its market oriented economic policy in favor of an economy that is dominated by the PFDJ.

It is reported that Eritrea is a country exhibiting lowest indicators of socioeconomic development, being ranked as one of 33 least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa[3] with  GDP per capita in 2007 of US$ 293. And according to a  2007 report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Eritrea’s inflation in the same year was the second highest in the world, the first being that of Zimbabwe.[4] All these are indicators of poor governance, the absolute lack of democracy and freedom and an economy under absolute control of the Eritrean government.

According to Human Rights Watch and other documents, there are between 20, 000[5] and 40, 000[6] victims of detention without trial and enforced disappearance respectively in Eritrea. And according to UNHCR, Eritrea has been ranked the fourth highest refugee-producing country in the world in 2006 and second highest in 2007-2008. In this regard, it was preceded only by failed or chaotic countries such as Somalia, Iraq and Zimbabwe. As a result, tens of thousands of Eritrean refugees are currently languishing in different refugee camps throughout Africa.

The Role of Eritrean Scholars

I do not mean to be overly critical of Professor Kiflai. As I mentioned in my introduction, my problem is not with what he has stated, but what he has not stated that I think is critical.   May be Professor Kiflai has a good reason why he chose not to publicly air his critical views on the government’s mishandling of its public trust, but I still believe that the Eritrean people have a right to expect and demand more from their learned sons and daughters.

I believe Eritrean scholars should continue to agitate for the implementation of the constitution, the release of political prisoners, journalists, religious groups that are languishing in prison camps without any due process of the law.

I believe it is the duty of Eritrean scholars to hold their government accountable for its dismal record and offer the way out.

 

I believe much is expected of Eritrean scholars.

 

My plea to Eritreans scholars is to remain engaged and to actively participate in civic organizations that believe in democratic rights, human dignity and intellectual integrity. It’s high time for our scholars, academicians and professionals serve as a catalyst in bringing about positive changes in Eritrea through peaceful means.

 


[1] UNDP Human Development Report (2007-2008, available at http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_complete.pdf (accessed 5 November 2008).

 

[2] Welt Hunger Ilfe The Challenge of Hunger (2007), available at www.welthungerhilfe.de/fileadmin/media/pdf/Pressemitteilungen/DWHH_GHI_english.pdf (accessed 4 January 2008).

 

[3] UN-OHRLLS “The Criteria for the Identification of the LDCs,” available at http://www.un.org/special-rep/ohrlls/ldc/ldc%20criteria.htm (accessed 25 March 2008).

 

[4] IMF World Economic and Financial Surveys (2007), available at http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/02/pdf/text.pdf (accessed 5 January 2008).

 

[5] Daniel R Mekonnen Transitional Justice: Framing a Model for Eritrea (VDM Publishing: Saarbrucken/Germany, June 2009) 120–121.

 

[6] Human Rights Watch Service for Life: State Repression and Indefinite Conscription in Eritrea (2009), available at http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/eritrea0409web_0.pdf (accessed 16 April 2009), citing Christian Solidarity Worldwide

 

aseye.asena@gmail.com

Review overview
12 COMMENTS
  • Samson March 12, 2014

    Well said professor Araya Debessay.

  • I am Sorry March 12, 2014

    Araya,

    I have known Kiflay since my days in Madison (in the 70s). He was (then) smart, honest and dedicated to the Eritrean cause.

    Then I read his “Eritrea’s Economic Potential said to be Bright” presentation. First, I was numb and did not want to believe it. I tried to fool myself by saying “this is different Kiflay”.

    Later on when I heard about Mihreteab Ghebrehiiwet’s activity (collaborating with the current mess in Eritrea) and coupled with Kiflay’s presentation, I lost hope, I gave up and wanted to deny my identity.

    If Kiflay and Mihretab can not stand for the truth, I do not blame the clueless young lost soul(s)

    I am sorry for my friends (and all Eritreans) who lost their lives, body parts and years in the jungle.

  • Zufana March 12, 2014

    The Bible and the good book says, “A tree is known by the fruit it bears”.
    Where are the fruits the so-called intellectuals of Eritrea? What a waste and a let down!

  • Mike March 13, 2014

    I cannot help it but to add my two cents worth to the three comments above. Given that all four of you, including the owner of the article, “The Role of Eritrean Scholars: the Duty to be Unbiased” (Zufan, I am sorry, samson, and Araya Debesai) have expressed your disgust and/or approval here. I am also address or add to it. Zufan, even, went a bit further invoking THE BOOK! So you either come up with your article or focus on the writings main points. Else, you and I would be like having to digest some leftover and dried food from someone else’s plate. That would hurt our denture, if we have any left, and not healthy when you think of it unless you like to deal with someone’s’ leftovers. So, come up with your goals and “let us do ideas” rather than jacking for a position. As to the writer of the article that made you all cough up some comments here – and I am referring to the following presentation/article from Kiflai ”My trip to Eritrea: Observations and Impressions.” Poor kiflai – either he is jacking for a position or is blind to the plight of what needs to be done now for Eritrea or simply doing his “marketing”….

    If peace was/is to come through the educated folks in Eritrea – then, my dear brothers and sisters, we are waiting for some sort of a miracle which now days is very rare with God simply busy with other things on His plate to deal with. Eritrea needs someone with a heart and mind and not someone with a “pen and living with past glory”.

    So forget this professor or that professor – when you take time of your day to think of what we could do – I say help the sisters that are spreading the message and assenna who is working effortlessly to bring peace, freedom and awareness to Eritreans. I don’t see us and those who are with pen and past glory speaking for the young who are being met with all sort of plight in their journey in search for peace and a livelihood.

    God bless Eritra and Peace and Freedom for all

  • Araya Debessay March 13, 2014

    Author’s Comment
    Dear Reader:
    I wrote the above article, “The Role of Eritrean Scholars: the Duty to be Unbiased,” in February of 2010, I had circulated it among friends for their comments, and decided not to post it. I was therefore surprised to see it posted at Asmarino.com. When I contacted Asmarino staff to inquire how they got the article and the photo, they gave me the name of the person who sent them the article, and that Google was their source for the photo. Asmarino staff expressed their regret and apology for not contacting me before posting it. I also got similar apology from the person who sent them the article. I accepted their apologies and did not see the need to have the article removed now that it is already out, even though the Asmarino staff had offered to do so.
    The primary reason why I did not want to post the article initially was because I did not want to create any unnecessary friction or tension among those of us who should be working together for the good of our country. I have high regard for Prof. Kiflai, and although I was not happy with the views he expressed, I understand that we both have the same dream for the future of our country, and did not think publicly airing my disappointment with him was constructive. That was the reason for not wanting to post the article. Now it is posted, I hope we will still continue to be friends and work together on how we can play a role in transforming our country to be the country that we all dream of as we have done in the past.
    I am a strong believer that our country needs all of its sons and daughters to work in unison now to bring about fundamental democratic changes in our country and in the future to improve the political, social, economic conditions of our people. I want to see Eritrea willing to forgive even those who are currently blindly supporting the Isaias government for the sake of building a better future for our people. I want Eritrea to follow the example of South Africa, a country that has focused on its future forgiving even those who had committed heinous crimes in the past.
    Araya Debessay
    araya124@gmail.com

  • Tadeows March 13, 2014

    Dr Araya,

    It take you 4 years to smell the coffee? Where were you?? Wia:-) It is funny , it takes so long to come up with this article.
    Besides, you are……………

  • Mike March 13, 2014

    What a life saver retraction however what to do “your pen & thoughts” have made it to this form. There is a biblical verse – although I am by no means any saint – and it is found right around 1 Timothy regarding some of us. Read this book it is brief and you will have a whole new perspective in life. That is to say this verse in the bible fits here and hope all is good with you now it is out.

    Again – the challenge is that some of us can see and say it clearly one way or the other, but other have the power to bring the whole mass to do.

    I am challenging you Mr Araya on your idea of “let us be like South Africa and forgiveness” – but no need to reply. When and how …..Your last statement is all over – forgive, then South Africa, then blind Isaias….. I think S.A. is where it is after facing reality as a fact and many came forward accepting their role…

    I think I have said enough for the week – this thing is not productive but enlightening at times to find how we all walk the walk….including myself.

    Peace and more Peace….

  • MightyEmbasoyra March 13, 2014

    I was trying to read the article and I decided to start with the comments, and the author stated that:
    1) This article is released by mistake (someone posted it)
    2) He doesn’t stand by it 100% because he is asking an apology for Kiflay

    So, this saved my time from reading it.

    • Dude March 14, 2014

      Dude (Embasoyra),

      It is very good article. Read it and then comment!! The author is not apologizing for the contents of his article. Actually he is standing by it.

      Tadeows,

      It did not take the author 4 years to smell the coffee (as you put it). He wrote it when he read the presentation but he did not want to post it “he did not want to create any unnecessary friction or tension among the people who wanted to work for the same goal”.

      You please jump on the computer just to write something for the same of writing. Please do not act like “IGNORANTS”.

      Please raed then comment

      • MightyEmbasoyra March 14, 2014

        Dude,
        I saw this comment from Prof. Araya Debessay, on the comment section:
        Author’s Comment
        Dear Reader:
        I wrote the above article, “The Role of Eritrean Scholars: the Duty to be Unbiased,” in February of 2010, I had circulated it among friends for their comments, and decided not to post it. I was therefore surprised to see it posted at Asmarino.com. When I contacted Asmarino staff to inquire how they got the article and the photo, they gave me the name of the person who sent them the article, and that Google was their source for the photo. Asmarino staff expressed their regret and apology for not contacting me before posting it. I also got similar apology from the person who sent them the article

  • Mike March 14, 2014

    I have chosen to be a cyber junkie today as everyone else :-)….. I have a feeling many of you commenting here either know each other and/or know these “Professors” who wrote and own the articles. The goal has become a face saving to the Two “Professors” (at least to one of them for sure) and they are in a “recovery mode” here regarding their article. The original presenter is probably sitting back and smiling now. This a perfect example of our Eritrean fabric/culture these days and I am afraid it might have been the same evolution as well back then when everyone was fighting for liberation. People are not, and often never, serious what they mean or what they write. And those who have become “cyber novelist” have nothing to show but keep sharpening their blame game towards the other(s). Both main actors “in this page of back and forth comment window” probably mean well but reflect poor decision making. MightyEmbasoyra is in to something when indicated “will not read and comment on it”.

  • Habte Mariam March 25, 2014

    I have known both professor Kiflai and professor Araya ever since I first met twenty years ago. They are Eritrean academics with deep scholarships and high calibers that any Eritrean cannot help being proud of. I have deep respect and regards towards them. As far as I know, they are also good friends – their friendship going back decades.
    It was against this backdrop that I read an article posted in Asmarino.com, dated 10 March 2014, titled “The Role of Eritrean Scholars: the Duty to be Unbiased” by Professor Araya Debessai. This article happens to be the same article that was shared with me by the same author four years ago, 01 May 2010. The article deals with Prof. Araya’s subjective and normative evaluation of what a News Release posted in Dehai.org wrote about Prof. Kiflai’s presentation on a topic titled “My Trip to Eritrea: Observations and Impressions”.
    I understand that Prof. Araya has every right to express his opinions. But, the integrity and merit of his article is questionable on several grounds:
    On the Merit or Use Value of the Article
    The merit/demerit of Prof. Araya’s article squarely falls on what he wrote in the fourth paragraph – “… I am aware of a courageous stand he took, behind the scene, together with some of his colleagues, during the war with Ethiopia, to urge the Eritrean Government leaders to take the right course of action while actively and publicly working in support of the Eritrean Government’s weakness in the media services.
    Having said that, I would have liked him to apply the same courage in his recent appraisal of the path the Eritrean government has chosen.”
    If expressing your stands and voicing your concerns “behind the scene” are courageous actions, what if Prof. kiflai has done exactly that (expressing his concerns about the absence of good governance, rule of law, respect for human rights, freedom of speech, etc.) behind the scene during his trip to Eritrea? Prof. Araya is telling his readers about what Prof. Kiflai did not say in public and not about what he did not say behind the scene. A relevant question here is does Prof. Araya have any knowledge about what Prof. kiflai does behind the scene? If so how? How did Prof. Araya become aware of the courageous stand that his good friend took behind the scene during the war with Ethiopia, to begin with? Was he one of those colleagues of Prof. Kiflai who took courageous stand with him? If so, why did he not mention his name as one of those who took courageous stands and expose himself as well? Here, Prof. Araya has violated trust and the integrity of a clandestine collective action. It is also a betrayal of the highest order to expose a friend without his consent. Otherwise, If Prof. Kiflai did express his stand behind the scene (at least, Prof. Araya did not tell us if that was not the case), there was no need to write that article as long as Prof. Araya believes that expressing one’s stand behind the scene is a courageous action. So, why did Prof. Araya rush to write the article without checking what was said or wan not said?
    On the True Intent or Motive of the Author
    In the second paragraph of his “Author’s Comment”, Prof. Araya also wrote “The primary reason why I did not want to post the article was because I did not want to create any unnecessary friction or tension among those of us who should be working together for the good of the our country”. If this assertion were true, Prof. Araya would have talked directly to Prof. Kiflai about the issue. Unless unbiased scholars talk to one another, criticize and correct one another’s mistakes or wrongs, how can they work together? To my knowledge, Prof. Araya did not share the article nor did he ask for elaborations about what Prof. Kiflai was reported to have said or should have said. Actually, when I received the article four years ago, I thought it was also shared with Prof. Kiflai then, if not well before it was shared with me. I did not know that was not the case until recently. So what was the intension of Prof. Araya – to correct or to demonize? Unbiased scholars have good intensions. Besides, if it was not appropriate to post (share with the public) the article four years ago, why now? And what is even bothersome is if someone else posted it without the knowledge of Prof. Araya, why did he still want it be posted?
    On Unbiased Scholars Character
    In paragraph six, lines 5-6 of his piece, Prof. Araya wrote “What puzzled me was not what my friend reportedly has said during his presentation, but what he did not say”. What I don’t understand, however, is how does criticizing someone for things he neither did nor said makes you an unbiased scholar as what Prof. Araya is trying to claim for himself. Besides, is it not the duty of unbiased scholars to have all the facts right before starting penning down their evaluations and critiques? To begin with, since Prof. Araya was not in the presentation, he did not hear or know what Prof. Kiflai said or did not say. There was also neither audio nor written version of the presentation shared with the public by Prof. kiflai. Prof. Araya used an indirect source (a kind of “said-said”) and included numerous quotes without making sure that they were actually said by Prof. Kiflai. Is this what unbiased scholars do? To my knowledge, I don’t thinks so. Instead, they check the accuracy of their sources. Prof. Araya could have checked very easily what his good friend, Prof. Kiflai, did or did not say during his presentation, had he chosen that path. He could have, for example, forwarded the News Release to his good friend and ask for its accuracy, or call his good friend and ask for clarifications. That is what unbiased scholars do. Here it should be emphasized that these two scholars are not just two Eritreans; they are good friends with deep connections.
    On “Voice” vs. “Exit” as Strategies
    The relative efficacies of expressing your concerns from inside (voice) or from outside or publically (exit) in bringing democratic transition are at best debatable. Thus, if one chooses to bring change from inside, he/she should not be demonized for not exiting (expressing his/her stand publically). Instead, the “voice” and the “exit” strategies should be combined or synchronized.
    On Personal Integrity
    Professor Kiflai Gebremedhin is a man known for his integrity, fairness, being unbiased, courage, and above all for always speaking his mind. As a person, he is humble with an intellectual stature. As an academician, he is a scientist in his own right (check his curriculum vita in the Cornell University website for his achievements) and hence his story is an Eritrean success story. He is and has been a great asset to Eritrea as a nation and I know he always represents the Eritrean national interest in all regional and international forums that he is a part of. In my interactions with him, what struck me most, however, is his “sense of fairness” in all of his personal disposition and the integrity or congruity that he has as a person – with Prof. Kiflai, “you get what you see”. I wish if this were the case with Prof. Araya.
    Habte Mariam

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