New Year of Indifference

By Wondwossen Mezlekia | September 18, 2006

While growing up in Ethiopia, my friends and I used to enjoy the news about Ethiopians living abroad; we watched video clips of them dancing at holiday parties, we heard them sing all sorts of songs about love for the land they call home – Ethiopia, and we used to sing their songs and memorize the lyrics out of ignorance about their reality and nostalgic feelings. My friends and I thought we shared their feelings as we shed our tears listening to Aster Awoke’s song, “Inem Ager Alegn Yemitay Beruku.” We felt that song accurately spoke to our situations during Meserete Timhirt Zemetcha (the mandatory national service designed to ‘do away with illiteracy’) that we took part in after graduating from high school. We were stationed at Babile, a remote arid rural village about 100 miles to the east of our hometown, Dire Dawa. We likened the weeks we spent at Babile to the situations of those in exile.

I now burst into laughter whenever I remember those days. Today, several years later and thousands of miles away from home, I still listen to Aster Awoke’s “Inem Ager, Ager, Ager Alegn” but this time with a deeper understanding of its meaning. Today, I am a foreigner, an alien pretending to be living peacefully. The New Year has this habit of bringing undesired moments and memories to life every 13 months and this one was no different. I have had to explain to my colleagues, who are not big fans of geography and history, that I will not be seven years younger when I go back home; no, my age remains the same because, if and when I go, I will still be traveling within this same solar system. The brief smile on the faces of the Americans is comforting and a sign of understanding of my frustration despite the futile sarcasm.

The answers to some of the questions my colleagues ask are as easy as “trust me we will not have a Y2K fear on the eve of year 2000 in our calendar.” Americans are usually satisfied with such an answer because in part they do not have a need to know any more than that about the country I preach about.

Ethiopians living in the US discuss their country’s problems more than any other national in the world. These days, most are too focused on the political crisis and some even have their own solutions including possible action plans that they want everyone else to follow. While only a few dedicated individuals genuinely devote their precious time to the betterment of the lives of millions, others are perpetually discussing and deciding, and a few scoff at any efforts others make.

I hear people talk about their preparations for the Ethiopian millennium celebrations a year ahead. What I have not heard is a unified plan of action for justice, eradicating poverty, and the development of that country. I seldom hear people talk about the number of Americans we have reached out to in order to create awareness about Ethiopia and the situation therein. I do not have a clue whether we Ethiopians use the various opportunities we have to make Ethiopia known throughout the world.

Call it a blessing in disguise, Ethiopian-Americans have untapped resources and opportunities in their host countries, their second home. I am not sure if there are Ethiopians who draw their satisfaction from the haphazard public demonstrations they participate in during peaks of the political crisis, or get a sense of accomplishment out of letting the world know of the sufferings of the Ethiopian people amid plenty of resources.

I find it disturbing that the toughest subjects; such as supporting HR5680 (the Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights Advancement Act of 2006) engage Americans more than it does some Ethiopians in the US. Americans nod their heads in agreement when I ask them to contact their Senators in order to help Ethiopia come out of the misery she is in currently, whereas some Ethiopians discuss the problems, but not what they could do to help solve it.

Year 2000 is only 12 months away and even if the Ethiopian millennium will not bring the Y2K fear, it will not relieve us of the guilt of inaction.

Though there are a gazillion ways we could help the people in Ethiopia, most of them are not as easy as supporting HR5680. Ethiopians here can help those living in Ethiopia by educating themselves and others about the real problems, connecting with NGOs that are engaged in development work, involving citizens of their host countries in collective action efforts, etc. Such minimal gestures will go a long way in making a difference in the lives of millions back home beyond what we do to support our own individual families. We should educate ourselves in regards to the tremendous amount of resources we have available, resources that others could have used had they gotten the chance.

What it takes to educate ourselves is to open our eyes and “think outside the…” Identifying areas where we can make a difference with minimum effort and while maintaining our regular life styles takes little research. It could be as simple as reading Ethiopia related websites with a sense of ownership.

A simple case in point is to first take a close look at HR5680, a bill that addresses some of the problems we all discuss, and see if it really enables Ethiopia and Ethiopians:

• build strong democratic institutions, processes and practices,
• enjoy human rights and civil liberties,
• become a just society by requiring release of political prisoners who are jailed unlawfully,
• professionalize and modernize its judicial system and promote the rule of law, and
• strengthen ties to the United States and forge an effective anti-terrorism partnership in Africa.

I am convinced that this bill will not only help advance the cause of freedom and democracy in Ethiopia, but also maintain the United States' interest in the Horn of Africa. If you believe it will, it is not yet late to contact your representatives in the US House, just visit http://www.house.gov/writerep/ and then follow up your email with a phone call a few days later.

This is only a small action, but it is also a big step forward in engaging ourselves in the development of the country from the convenience of our desktops.

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Wondwossen Mezlekia is a Seattle-based writer. He can be reached for comments at wondwossen.mezlekia@symetra.com