My Scholarly Views on the Current Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed’s Initiatives and Efforts to Build a Culture of Trust in Ethiopia

 

My Scholarly Views on Current Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed’s Initiatives and Efforts to Build a Culture of Trust in Ethiopia

13 June 2018

“If you want peace, work for justice” Henry Louis Mencken

I believe Dr Abiy Ahmed current Ethiopia’s prime minister has understood the importance of effective political communication with all Ethiopians to reassure them and set out his vision for the country in order to build trust.  As one of the great Africa leaders of the 20^th century once said,

“The most terrible walls are the walls that grow up in the mind.”  Nelson Mandela.

Politics is fundamentally a communicative activity.  People experience their world through communication to maintain connections to each other through communication, and to preserve mutual interests.  Political communication is, therefore, the means by which people express both their unity and their differences.    Also, political communication does shape political dialogue which gives insight into the values, beliefs, attitudes, and aspirations of our society.  A healthy democracy is also based on a set of shared interests.  No democratic government maintain the trust and respect of its citizens if they believe that government is insensitive to their needs or interests.

Does trust matter at this early stage of his taking of the office to lead the country?  The short answer is categorical yes.  Why?

In our country Ethiopia, there have been walls of mistrust, suspicion and division built in the past twenty-seven years among Ethiopians by the TPLF mafia and fascist regime to cripple the healthy relationships built over the centuries among Ethiopians and break the bonds built between Ethiopians over many decades.   The new prime minister has clearly understood the importance of building the self-confidence of the Ethiopians as it is the first requisite to great undertakings.

Dr Abiy Ahmed also needs to note that justice is the bond that holds a society together.  Ethiopians have been denied justice, peace and dignity for many decades.  No past Ethiopian leaders have delivered what the people demanded to lead a decent life as a human being.  Dignity is what distinguishes human race from animals.  Ethiopians have been treated by their own past leaders very badly with humiliation and indignity, brutality and ruthlessness and endured imaginable atrocities and ethnic cleansing over the past five decades.  Dr Abiy Ahmed is trying to correct the past traumatic experience of the country under the past ruthless regimes and to heal the past wounds which are appreciated by all Ethiopians both within the country and outside the country.

Now, let me clarify the importance of building a culture of trust and what I mean by that.  Trust is not something that just happens.  It requires a conscious commitment and constant attention.  Trust is important because in itself it is one of the ingredients of a meaningful relationship between different communities.  Humans are fundamentally social creatures and trust is a prerequisite for social cohesion.  Trust builds trust, as people respond to positively to the government who engages and engaging with the people.  In this way, the benefits of trust escalate, leading to a more robust and valuable relationship between the government and the people.

The building blocks of trust are:

1. Transparency and Credibility – The best way of building trust is we should be transparent and truthful about our past experience even when it is difficult.  Transparency means saying what we think and doing what we say.  It is the basis for credibility and acceptance – it is essential for trusted leadership.
2. Authentic Communication – People need to feel that they are being told the truth, even if they do not like what they hear; it is crucial to have transparency at all levels and up and down the country.  Telling the truth, admitting mistakes and giving honest feedback are all important. Authentic and honest Political communication does shape political dialogue which gives insight into the values, beliefs, attitudes, and aspirations of our civil society.  As I have already indicated above, politics is fundamentally a communicative activity.  Hence, authentic communication by the government is vital to maintain connections between the people and the government and to preserve mutual interests.  Political communication is, therefore, the means by which people express both their unity and their differences.
3. Competence – If the institution of governance is to be effective and functional, it needs people who are skilled, honest and competent at what they do.  This gives people faith in their government institutions and respect for the leaders and administrators of the different government institutions.
4. Positive Intent – it is obvious that human beings are intuitively inauthentic and dishonest.  We all know when someone’s intention is questionable.  For trust to exist, it is important that we believe that the intent is positive, even if a person does something that undermines trust in some ways.

The shared norms of trust, collaboration, mutual goals and expectations – is a crucial determinant of both effective government institutions and to citizens’ satisfaction with them.  It is clear that levels of trust in different societies have a measurable effect on both political and economic performance. The loss of trust is due to political spin.

Trust is a fragile and precious thing that is gained through actions, not words.  It is natural that to trust someone we need to see actions to support the words.  In this respect, so far, the current Ethiopian prime minister has backed it up the promise he gave in his inaugural speech to the nation when he assumed his position as a prime minister.

I believe Dr Abiy Ahmed has understood that trust is a fragile commodity: slow to develop, quick and easy to destroy.  In adversity, people look for trust and when they find it, they value and treasure it.  Building trust can provide an effective source of strength.  Because it brings out the best in people.

Without trusted leadership, people may be uncertain about where they are heading, whether in fact, it is the right direction, how they are getting there and what it means for them.  Trust gives people the confidence to voice and ultimately resolve their concerns; it allows them to focus and collaborate effectively.  Implicit in trust are the qualities of openness and understanding: to trust someone you need to perceive their values and motives, and these need to be constant.

When you trust people, you can inspire them to be all they can be.  Trust spreads, flowering between the leader, the team and anyone involved in achieving a common goal.  The result is invariably sustained commitment and a virtuous cycle, with trust leading to greater effort, which in turn results in greater trust and higher chances of success.

I ardently believe that if Dr Abiy Ahmed continues to pursue the current course of action and increase the speed of transforming the country’s decadent political system, he will be very fruitful in due course.  Mending the holes in the policy of the past regime is not going to work.  The TPLF’s twenty-seven years of brutality cannot be mended.  It needs a radical urgent political surgery to heal the cancers’ spread by the previous TPLF leaders.  Their disease is incurable and need cutting it out of the Ethiopian politics.  He needs to improve the Constitution.  If necessary, we need a new constitution to stabilize the country’s political system.  The new constitution needs the consent of the public at large.  The present constitution is written by the TPLF to suits their wicked political games rather than to address Ethiopia’s political needs.  It was not approved by the people Ethiopia.  The TPLF itself did not respect the provisions in the constitution.  Ethiopia needs a genuine constitution consulted and approved by the people of Ethiopia.  The new prime minister has done a good job so far.  But, he needs to increase the speed of progress as the people are losing patience.

 

Dibaba Tesfaye

Contact: 00447988500536

Email: alunko2006@yahoo.co.uk

Facebook: Dibaba Amele

 

 

We Ethiopians Should Not be Deceived by the Current Cunning, Mafia and Deceptive TPLF Political Intrigues

15 Jan, 2018
The current ruthless and fascist TPLF regime has spent seventeen days strategizing and plotting in closed door discussions to continue to stay in power. At the end of the 17 days meeting, this terrorist regime did not come up with a new solution to solve the demands of the Ethiopian People. Ethiopians did not ask for cosmetic political make up to continue to loot the nation’s wealth and terrorize, kill, torture and unlawful detention and disappearance for the last twenty-six years.
Ethiopian people have unanimously decided to end the TPLF’s political drama and comedy of the las twenty-six years. Hundred million people in the country wanted to see the back of this evil regime. This current ruthless and tyrannical TPLF regime has been using everything and anything possible methods to divide and rule these honourable nations.
However, the regime does not seem to understand what it is facing currently. The entire Oromo people now agreed unanimously to not to be ruled by this current bandit and mafia TPLF regime. They have been telling the regime for the last two to three years by venting their anger through continues protest across the entire Oromia. The Oromos had enough of the last twenty-six years of humiliation, looting of their natural resources including the continually intensified land grabs, the destructions of ancient forests, the looting of precious minerals such as gold, and the unimaginable suffering of the regime’s brutalities and inhuman and degrading treatments, well panned ethnic cleansing and genocide in every parts of the Oromia region.
Furthermore, the rest of the country are in the same mood if not at the same level of anger and protests that the Oromo people have shown for the last three years and it still continues to disobey the regime. The Amahara people have also continue to rebel and resist the TPLF’s brutality matted out to them for the last twenty-six years. But, the Amahara people have not shown the same level of commitments and endurance as the Oromos haven been consistent in their demands for human dignity, freedom, liberty, and justice over the last consecutive three years. There might be an explanation why the Amaharas or the rest of the country did not rise up like the Oromos stay put to see their liberation from the current regime’s brutality and terrorism acts.
I think it is time for the entire nation in Ethiopia to dare to stand-up to fight for their freedom, liberty and justice and assert their rights after they illuminate this fascist and mafia regime.
The entire TPLF officials in power at the moment have no moral authority to rule this great nation. As we find out in the recent exposed one of the TPLF official’s internet browsing history reveals the official have been chasing prostitutes across the world instead of the national interest every time he travels abroad by the Ethiopian people’s tax money.
The story is not a surprise for us who forensically investigate and pursue what they are up to and how they behave with power and the money they have been robbing the nation. The TPLF official’s corruption is not limited with the material theft. It includes immoral sexual perversions, stealing each other’s wives, attending stripe dance club to feed their depraved psychological and mental defects. They have perpetuated a culture of promiscuity and cultural destruction to the country.
The TPLF officials have neither God nor any articles of faith to restrain their perverted behaviour. Faith or some sorts of belief does help people to behave in a decent way. When people are void of any sense of beliefs or articles of faith, they behave worse than the beast in the jungle. Because, a belief in God is like a bridle that restrains us from behaving like a wild animal/beasts. The TPLF used to kill priests’, Imams and still continue Killing, torturing, detaining arbitrarily for the last twenty-six plus when it was in the jungle in the name of liberation struggle. The TPLF officials do not have the capacity to understand what human dignity, and freedom means. Because, The Bado 6, detention and torture centre underground somewhere in Tigray region shows they have been practicing their devilish conduct.

Now, the TPLF is trying to deceive Ethiopians by coming up with the most ridiculous and idiotic ideas. The idea that it is going to release some political prisoners whom it has been denying for the last twenty-six years and at the same time continue to kill and arbitrary mass arrest of the Oromo young students. It wanted to weaken the struggle of the Oromo people and other nations across the country by detaining and torturing and killing from time to time when it smells blood like a hungry wild beast.
The TPLF can no longer deceive the Oromos and all other nations in Ethiopia. Nothing will stop the Oromo people’s determination to free themselves from this hideous and sick mafia organisation called the TPLF. The Oromos have unanimously agreed with one voice they do not want this ruthless mafia and terrorist organisation called the TPLF. The Oromo people demand their God given rights to their life, liberty, property and human dignity. The days of deception by framing or blackmailing people as the OLF, is expired. The people are saying you are fired!
Freedom and justice for all Ethiopian. Ethiopia shall be free from the ruthless mafia and terrorist tyrannical regime!
Dibaba Tesfay
Email: alunko2006@yahoo.co.uk
Contact no: 00447988500536

Security and Insecurity: The Changing Dimension of Security and The Current Ethiopia’s Situation. A Critical Approach

19 Dec 2023

Dibaba T.K. Amele

Currently, most Ethiopian elites are focused on the military violent conflict between the Ethiopian government and the different armed groups in different parts of the country.   What they forget to critically consider for public discussions is the rampant corruption that threatens the state from collapsing.  My fellow so-called educated elites seem to me they be ignoble, ignominious and benighted from my viewpoint.  Because, they were incapable of linking the economic issues with the political, the political with the culture of the country, and the culture with the diverse identities of the Ethiopian people. 

Furthermore, Ethiopia at the moment is on the verge of economic collapse and deep political crisis due to a lack of peace, shortages of foreign currency and shortages of local production due to the farmer’s inability to cultivate their land as a result of violent conflicts in many parts of the country for the good part of the last five years.  At the moment, the most productive parts of the Ethiopian regions have been locked in violent conflict between the government and the different armed groups in large parts of the country. We need to critically examine and discuss a complex interplay of interconnected issues that impact various aspects of Ethiopian society. Let’s break it down.

Security and Insecurity:

• Traditional Security includes protection from external threats like military aggression, terrorism, and geopolitical tensions.
• Changing Dimension of Security: Security now encompasses a broader spectrum, including economic stability, environmental concerns, cyber threats, and social stability.

Corruption and Security:

• Corruption’s Impact: It undermines trust in government institutions, weakens the rule of law, diverts resources from essential services, and fosters inequality.
• Security Implications: Corrupt officials can compromise national security by misusing funds, engaging in illicit activities, or creating instability due to a lack of governance.

Unemployment and Corruption:

• Corruption’s Role: Corruption can exacerbate unemployment by distorting economic policies, favouring cronyism over meritocracy, and hindering fair market competition.
• Reduced Opportunities: When resources are siphoned off due to corruption, investments in job creation, education, and infrastructure suffer, leading to higher unemployment rates.

Resource Scarcity:

• Resource Competition: Scarce resources, like water or arable land, can cause conflicts and exacerbate tensions between regions or countries.
• Corruption’s Role: Corruption in the management of resources intensifies scarcity issues, leading to unequal distribution and exacerbating social disparities.

Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach:

• Transparency and Accountability: Strengthening institutions and enforcing transparency in governance can mitigate corruption.
• Investment in Education and Employment: Investing in education and creating job opportunities can counter unemployment and reduce the vulnerability to corruption.
• Sustainable Resource Management: Policies focused on sustainable resource management can alleviate scarcity concerns and reduce the potential for conflicts.

By recognizing the interconnectedness of these issues and implementing comprehensive strategies, societies can work towards a more secure, equitable, and sustainable future.

The Dynamic Dimensions of Security and Insecurity

Security, once a term confined to military defence and protection from external threats, has now evolved into a multifaceted concept, transcending traditional boundaries. In our contemporary global landscape, security encompasses a spectrum far broader than ever, intricately woven with economic, social, environmental, and political dimensions. Concurrently, the dynamics of insecurity have expanded, intertwining with issues such as corruption, unemployment, and resource scarcity, thus redefining the paradigm of security.

The traditional notion of security predominantly revolved around safeguarding borders, defending against military aggression, and countering geopolitical tensions. While these concerns persist, the changing global landscape has propelled security to encompass new dimensions. Economic stability, once perceived as an independent entity, is now recognized as an integral component of security. Economic disparities, financial instability, and trade disruptions have emerged as security threats, capable of triggering social unrest and global instability.

Moreover, environmental challenges, including climate change and resource depletion, have accentuated the interconnectedness between security and ecological well-being. The scarcity of vital resources, be it water, arable land, or energy sources, has sparked conflicts and geopolitical tensions, elevating environmental concerns to a crucial facet of security discussions.

Corruption, once viewed solely through an ethical or legal lens, has now been unveiled as a significant security threat. The nefarious impact of corrupt practices reaches far beyond financial mismanagement and unethical conduct. Corrupt government officials and systems erode trust in institutions, weaken the rule of law, and divert critical resources away from essential services. They create vulnerabilities that can be exploited by external actors and fuel internal unrest, rendering corruption a formidable security challenge.

Unemployment, intertwined with corruption and economic instability, has become a breeding ground for societal insecurity. When corruption distorts economic policies, favours nepotism over merit, and obstructs fair market competition, unemployment rates soar. Unemployed populations, deprived of opportunities, become susceptible to radicalization, social upheaval, and criminal activities, amplifying societal vulnerabilities.

Addressing these multifaceted security challenges necessitates a holistic approach. Strengthening governance, enhancing transparency, and fostering accountability are imperative in combating corruption and reinforcing societal resilience. Investment in education, skill development, and job creation programs is pivotal to mitigate unemployment and fortify societal structures against instability.

Furthermore, sustainable resource management and international cooperation are indispensable in averting conflicts arising from resource scarcity. Collaborative efforts aimed at environmental conservation, equitable resource distribution, and innovative technologies can alleviate the strains posed by dwindling resources.

It’s fair to argue that the dimensions of security and insecurity have transcended conventional boundaries, intertwining with economic, environmental, and societal elements. To navigate this complex landscape and forge a secure future, a comprehensive approach that acknowledges the interconnectedness of these issues is indispensable. Only through concerted efforts, inclusive policies, and global cooperation can we confront and mitigate the evolving challenges to our collective security.

Corruption as a Threat to Ethiopia’s National Security Amidst the Current Crisis

Ethiopia, a nation rich in history and cultural diversity, faces a multifaceted crisis compounded by internal strife, regional tensions, and systemic challenges. At the heart of this turmoil lies a deeply entrenched issue: corruption within government ranks. This corruption isn’t merely a moral failing or a financial mismanagement problem; it has metamorphosed into a pervasive threat, undermining the very fabric of Ethiopia’s national security.

The current national crisis in Ethiopia is a confluence of various factors – ethnic tensions, political fragmentation, and human rights abuses. However, the compounding factor exacerbating these issues is the corruption rampant within governmental institutions. Corrupt practices have insidiously corroded the foundations of governance, weakening the state’s ability to address pressing challenges and fostering a climate of mistrust among its citizens.

Corruption in high-ranking government offices has far-reaching implications. It diverts public funds intended for essential services, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure, into private pockets. This misallocation severely hampers the government’s capacity to provide basic necessities to its populace, leading to widespread discontent and exacerbating existing social tensions.

Furthermore, corrupt officials often manipulate policies and resources to favour specific ethnic or regional interests, aggravating long-standing ethnic divisions. This manipulation of power not only perpetuates discord but also fuels violence and exacerbates the already volatile situation in various regions of the country.

The erosion of trust in governmental institutions due to corruption undermines the rule of law and exacerbates the challenges of nation-building and unity. Citizens’ disillusionment with the system breeds disenfranchisement, making them susceptible to extremist ideologies and radicalization, further fracturing the societal fabric.

To address this multifaceted crisis and restore stability, Ethiopia must undertake comprehensive reforms. Rooting out corruption within government ranks is a critical step towards mitigating the security threats facing the nation. Strengthening institutions through transparent governance, robust accountability mechanisms and impartial justice systems is paramount.

Equally important is the need for inclusive dialogue and reconciliation processes that address underlying grievances and foster a sense of unity among diverse ethnic groups. Embracing diversity as a source of strength and promoting equitable representation in governance structures can help mitigate ethnic tensions and build a more cohesive society.

Moreover, international support and collaboration can play a pivotal role in Ethiopia’s path to stability. Assistance in capacity-building, fostering democratic institutions, and promoting economic development can complement internal efforts in combating corruption and fostering national security.

One should also point out that while Ethiopia grapples with a complex crisis, the menace of corruption within government corridors stands out as a critical threat to national security. Addressing corruption is not only a moral imperative but a strategic necessity in restoring trust, unity, and stability in the nation. A concerted effort, both internally and through international partnerships, is imperative to combat corruption and pave the way for a more secure and prosperous Ethiopia.

Can the current Ethiopian government control, manage or reverse the current rampant corruption that threatens the state with economic collapse and political crisis?

The challenge of tackling rampant corruption in any government is multifaceted and often deeply entrenched within the system. For the current Ethiopian government to effectively control, manage, or reverse the pervasive corruption threatening the state’s stability, several critical steps need to be taken.

Political Will and Leadership:

• Commitment to Reform: The government must demonstrate a genuine commitment to anti-corruption efforts, backed by strong leadership and political will. This entails implementing reforms that prioritize transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.
• Independent Oversight Institutions: Strengthening and empowering independent oversight institutions, such as anti-corruption commissions and judicial bodies, is crucial. These institutions need autonomy, resources, and legal authority to investigate, prosecute, and hold accountable those involved in corrupt practices, regardless of their political positions.

Legal and Institutional Reforms:

• Legal Framework: Enacting and enforcing comprehensive anti-corruption laws that are robust and have appropriate punitive measures is essential. These laws should cover various aspects of corruption, including bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of power.
• Institutional Strengthening: Reforming governmental institutions by improving transparency in procurement processes, financial management systems, and public service delivery can help curb opportunities for corrupt practices.

Transparency and Accountability:

• Public Access to Information: Promoting transparency by ensuring public access to government information, budgets, and decision-making processes can empower citizens to hold officials accountable.
• Whistle-blowers Protection: Establishing mechanisms to protect whistle-blowers and individuals reporting corruption is crucial in encouraging disclosures and uncovering corrupt activities.

International Support and Collaboration:

• International Partnerships: Engaging with international organizations and partners who specialize in anti-corruption efforts can provide valuable support, technical expertise, and resources.

Socioeconomic Reforms:

• Economic Reforms: Addressing socioeconomic inequalities, fostering economic development, and creating opportunities for all segments of society can reduce the incentives for corruption.
• Ethnic and Political Unity: Efforts to reconcile ethnic and political divides, promoting inclusivity and equitable representation, are pivotal in mitigating tensions that corruption often exacerbates.

Implementing these measures requires time, consistent effort, and a collective commitment from all branches of government, civil society, and the public. It’s crucial to note that eradicating corruption is an ongoing process that demands continuous vigilance and adaptation to new challenges.

Ultimately, success in curbing corruption and preventing economic collapse and political crisis in Ethiopia hinges on the government’s ability to implement robust reforms, build accountable institutions, and regain the trust of its citizens through tangible and sustained actions.

The Current Dynamic Dimension of Security in Ethiopia

The dynamic dimensions of security in Ethiopia are multifaceted, influenced by a range of interconnected factors that impact the nation’s stability, both internally and externally. Understanding these dimensions requires an examination of various aspects.

Internal Dynamics

Political Instability:

• Ethnic and Political Fragmentation: Persistent ethnic tensions and political fragmentation within the country have led to internal strife and challenges to national cohesion.
• Governance Issues: Weak governance structures, including concerns regarding the rule of law, transparency, and accountability, contribute to instability.

Humanitarian Concerns:

• Human Rights Abuses: Reports of human rights violations, displacement of populations, and conflicts within regions add to the internal security challenges.
• Humanitarian Crises: Ongoing humanitarian crises, including food insecurity and access to basic services, exacerbate vulnerabilities within the population.

Economic Challenges:

• Economic Instability: Economic hardships, unemployment, and disparities in wealth distribution pose significant challenges to social stability and contribute to grievances.

Regional and External Factors

Regional Conflicts:

• Tensions with Neighbouring Countries: Border disputes and regional tensions with neighbouring countries add a layer of complexity to Ethiopia’s security landscape.
• Proxy Influences: External actors’ involvement in regional conflicts and their impact on internal stability also shape security dynamics.

Geopolitical Significance:

• Strategic Importance: Ethiopia’s geopolitical significance in the Horn of Africa region makes it subject to international interests and influence, affecting its security.

Emerging Security Threats

Cybersecurity:

• Cyber Threats: The rise of cyber threats, including cyberattacks and misinformation campaigns, presents new challenges to national security.

Environmental Pressures:

• Environmental Vulnerabilities: Issues related to climate change, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation add pressure to the country’s security apparatus.

Efforts Towards Resolution

Peace and Reconciliation Efforts:

• Reconciliation Initiatives: Efforts to foster dialogue, reconciliation, and inclusivity among diverse ethnic groups are underway to address internal divisions.

Governance Reforms:

• Anti-Corruption Measures: Reforms targeting corruption and improving governance structures aim to enhance stability and trust in institutions.

International Engagement:

• Diplomatic Engagement: Ethiopia’s engagement with international partners and organizations to seek support for stability and development initiatives.

Finally, one should argue that navigating these complex security dimensions requires a comprehensive approach that addresses internal challenges, promotes regional stability, and engages in concerted efforts to manage emerging threats. Emphasizing inclusive governance, socio-economic development, conflict resolution, and international cooperation are crucial components in ensuring Ethiopia’s long-term security and stability.

Dibaba T.K. Amele   

19 Dec 2023

The Need to Build a Culture of Trust, Solidarity and Unity Among/Between Ethiopian Political Elites 29 January 2019

The Need to Build a Culture of Trust, Solidarity and Unity Among/Between Ethiopian Political Elites

 29 January 2019

“The most terrible walls is that walls that grow up in the mind” Nelson Mandela

“The most important question human beings can ask themselves is whether the world is a friendly place or an unfriendly place, for their answer to that question determines whether they live their life building bridges or building walls” Albert Einstein

“The actors have a choice” Tesfaye Kena’a

 The Ethiopian political elites need to understand that Ethiopia is a country of consequence.  Why?  Because Ethiopia is located in a strategic position in the Horn of Africa.  Hence, Ethiopia’s political strength or weakness affects its six neighbours directly or indirectly because of its history, diverse nationality, and political hegemony in the past.  There are many ethnic communities with shared cultures, languages, and values across the six Ethiopia’s neighbouring countries – in The Sudan, Southern Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti.

Peace or conflict among these seven neighbouring countries equally affects them whether the conflict takes place within or outside their country.  How and why?  The reason is quite unambiguous.  If Ethiopia maintains peace and attains prosperity, all neighbouring countries benefit from trade relations and security cooperation.  And the people of neighbouring countries will inevitably put pressures on their country’s government to build good relationships with Ethiopia to benefit from Ethiopia’s stable economic prosperity.  Hence, the governments will have to satisfy the demands of their people or face non-cooperation and uprising and challenge the government legitimacy to change their government through peaceful protest or violence.

A good example of this is the current ongoing uprising in Sudan.  The current Sudanese regime lead by president Albashir is possibly linked with the current ongoing rapid transformation persuade by the current Ethiopian regime led by the prime minister Dr Abiy Ahmed.  The people of Sudan is right now demanding real change, not cosmetic make up by the old and decadent regime lead by the current president for over the last thirty years which has kept its power through destructive war, and brutal violence that destroyed five million Sudanese lives during the war between the South Sudanese liberation army and Sudan ended in Southern Sudan broke away and established its own state.  Ethiopia has played a significant role in sustaining the South-North Sudan war for forty years and even after Southern Sudan got its independence.  Ethiopia is still playing an important role in mediating peace process between the current government of South Sudan and the rebel group led by the enigmatic Ric Machar.  The recent peace deal brokered by the current prime minister of Ethiopia Dr Abiy Ahmed seems going well to set South Sudan in the direction of peace and stability in due course.

Furthermore, the current ongoing build-up of good relationships between Ethiopia and Eritrea, between Somalia and Eritrea, between Ethiopia and Somalia, between Ethiopia and the Sudan, Ethiopia and the Southern Sudan, between Eritrea and Djibouti, between Ethiopia and Djibouti, between Ethiopia and Kenya are quite promising for the peace and stability of the horn of Africa.  This build-up of a healthy and good relationship between the seven countries of the Horn of Africa if the moment is kept, will even lead to deep integration both politically and economically that will benefit positively all the seven countries.

As someone who has been following and researching the prolonged civil wars and interstate proxy conflicts in the region for the last twenty years, I am very encouraged by the current rapid progress taking place in the region, especially the last six or seven months since the current prime minister of Ethiopia Dr Abiy Ahmed come to office ten months ago.  He seems to accelerate the diplomatic good relation in the Horn of Africa.  He started making instant café type of fast peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea with incredible speed.  For that, both Ethiopians and Eritreans have been very grateful and the international communities are acknowledging Dr Abiy Ahmed’s spectacular diplomatic achievements that were hopeless and deadlock between the two countries for the last twenty years.  Everybody was surprised at how he has taken bold and drastic action in a short time after he took the office of prime minister in April 2018.  He managed to break the twenty years old ‘no peace no war’ deadlock between and Ethiopia and Eritrea.  This breaking of twenty years old deadlock between the two countries had also a very positive impact on the rest of the neighbouring countries in the horn of Africa, especially on the bad relationship between Eritrea and Djibouti; Somalia and Eritrea; the Southern Sudan government and the Rebel group fighting an ugly civil war that displaced and millions of Southern Sudanese and tens of thousands have been killed for the last two and half years.  The mutual suspicion and mistrust between Somalia and Eritrea have also been changing in the direction of peace and cooperation between the two countries of the horn of Africa.

That is among the many reasons why I ardently believe, Ethiopia is a country of consequence.  When Ethiopia act starts healing herself, her good health has some important positive ramifications on her six neighbouring countries in the region.  When Ethiopia become sick politically due to internal regimes lack of will to lead a healthy political life, it considerably affects her neighbours with bad and harmful consequences.  Ethiopia’s political health is connected and intertwined to her six neighbours in the Horn of Africa.  Ethiopia, therefore, can have a significant political impact on all of Her neighbours in both a positive or negative manner.  So, my message to all Ethiopian political elite is they need to understand their countries important position in the Horn of Africa in particular and Africa in general.  Their understanding will have a significant impact on how they peruse their political power ambition.  If they behave healthily and pursue the course of a healthy democratic political system and stabilize Ethiopia.  They will have an important impact on Ethiopia’s six neighbours in the region.  The result is a positive consequence on the health of the horn of Africa in particular and Africa in general.  So, they need to build a strong and stable Ethiopia based on mutual trust and solidarity which benefits not only our country, but it will also have a positive impact on our six neighbours that God has put us next to each other which we cannot do anything but try to live together based on healthy political and economic relations.  We have no choice, live in peace, cooperation, harmony or perish in unending war, violence, suffering in misery and poverty.  The choice is I believe is the former peace, cooperation and harmony.

My next analysis is how we can build and sustain trust in order to foster and nurture solidarity and unity among Ethiopia’s political elites.  I will explain some of the most important building blocks of trust I consider to be vital.

My scholarly prescription to cure the past political diseases of animosity, mistrust and suspicion that pervaded among/between all of the political elites in Ethiopia.

First, do trust really matters at all in politics among/between the political elites of a country and the society at large?  my simple answer is categorical yes.  Why?  The first reason why trust matters are because it provides credibility and more effective leadership.  Simply put, it brings out the best in people, it does this in several ways.  When we trust people, we can inspire them to be all they can be.  When people trust each other, they are much more likely to get immersed in their jobs, passionately working to achieve their common goals and prove their abilities.  Trust bread, flowing between the leaders, the team and anyone else involved in a challenge.  The result is invariably sustained commitment and a virtuous cycle, with trust leading to greater effort, which in turn results in greater trust and higher chances of success.

The second reason why trust matters are because it has both political and economic costs and benefits.  How?  The political benefits of trust in politics is that, where there is trust, there is social cooperation, peace, harmony and stability in a country.  Where there are mistrust and suspicion, there will be a persistent negative conflict that will lead to violence, anarchy, loss of precious life, instability and misery in a country.  The economic benefits of a trust are it reduces economic costs of production.  Where there are peace and stability, there is prosperity because the resource available in a country will be invested in productive economic activities rather than investing the precious and scarce resource on war and destructive activities of intercommunity violence and anarchy in a country.  The cost of military and security cost is the biggest burden on the unstable and chaotic state.  Therefore, in a peaceful, and stable society, the economy prospers and the life of the people of a country will flourishes.  Instead of creative destruction, creativity will bring innovation and better economic development and prosperity for a country.

However, trust is not something that just happens.  It requires a conscious commitment and consistent attention.  It requires a constant meeting of mind and heart.  It also requires continues dialogue, reconciliation, compromise, and resolving conflict and disagreements amicably between differing political outlooks/beliefs and economic interests and between different interest groups.  Building trust requires an ongoing and continues hard work.  Otherwise, it can be easily lost.  It is easy to destroy trust than building it.  For that reason, I recommend the following five important principles of building blocks and pillars of trust among/between the political elites in Ethiopia to exercise constantly and with eternal vigilance.

I do strongly believe if the following five building blocks of trust is constantly exercised by Ethiopia’s political elites, the country’s political future will be bright and the project of building strong, stable, harmonious and united nation-state will be successful and will come to fruition soon with a spectacular result not only for Ethiopia alone but indeed for the Horn of Africa’s regional peace and stability and strong political and viable economic cooperation and relationships between the seven neighbouring countries.

My five important building blocks and pillars of trusts are:

1. Authentic Communication: – politics is fundamentally a communicative activity. Because people and their governments organize and maintain connections to each other through communication, the process of democratic rule centres on the ability to create and preserve a system of mutual trust and respect through communication.  Candidates for public office communicate their values, goals, and objectives through their actions, public speeches, press statements, public meetings, and advertisements.  These communications begin during the campaigns for elected office and continue even after the victorious candidates have been sworn into office.  Because political officeholders need the continued support of the public at large, they must continually communicate with their constituents to explain their actions, clarify their goals, claim for their achievements, account for their failings, and gain support for new policy initiatives.

It is a universal truth that people experience their world through communication.  I, therefore, believe that authentic political communication does shape political dialogue which gives insight into the values, beliefs, attitudes, and aspirations of our society.  I also believe that a healthy democracy is, also based on a set of shared interests.  That is why I strongly believe that authentic communication is important among Ethiopia’s political elites and between the political elites and the people of Ethiopia to maintain connections to each other through genuine communication, to build trust and preserve mutual interests in the country as the whole.  For me, political communication is, therefore, the means by which people express both their unity and their differences.  People need to feel that they are being told the truth, even if they do not like what they hear; it is also crucial to have transparency at all levels up and down the country.

2. Transparency and Credibility: – One of the best ways of building trust is the political elites of a country should be transparent and honest and truthful even when it is difficult. Transparency means saying what we think and doing what we say.  It is the basis for credibility and acceptance – it is essential for all political elites and for trusted leadership of a given country.

In the past, especially for the last fifty years, without exceptions, all Ethiopia’s political elites have been unable to establish credibility and trust among Ethiopians due to lack of transparency, dishonesty, demagoguery and brutality against them by all past Ethiopian regimes.  So, my suggestions to current Ethiopia’s political elites is they need to exercise transparency and accountability if they want to gain acceptance and credibility among all Ethiopians across the country.

3. Competence and Due Diligence: – If Ethiopia’s political system and institutions are to be effective and functional, it needs political elites who are skilled, diligent, honest and competent at what they do for the country as the whole. This gives the people of Ethiopia faith in their country’s political system and respect for their political elite’s abilities.  Ethiopia’s political elites must learn to be responsive to the needs of all Ethiopians if they want to win their allegiance and support.  Political anger and alienation can pose a major threat to the unity and continuity of Ethiopia as a state in its present form.  Ethiopia’s political elites need to understand this danger looming over Ethiopia if they love and care about their country.
4. Self-Trust: – my recommendation to all Ethiopia’s political elites is they need to be confident of their capabilities and judgements at all time and in any given situations.    Self-trust is central to the ability to create trust between the people and the political elites of a country because if political elites do not trust themselves it is unlikely that the society will trust them.  Mistrust is often a projection of missing self-trust and self-doubt.  It is trite that trust builds trust, as people respond to people who are confident, engaging and enthusiastic.  In this way, the benefits of trust escalate, leading to more robust and valuable relationships.
5. Positive Intent: – It is obvious that human beings intuitively inauthentic and dishonest. We know when some’s intention is both questionable and credible.  For trust to exist it is important that we believe that the intent of a person is positive.  That does not mean people will agree with it all the time.  People can distinguish a genuine positive political intention and political spin to manipulation to gain public support for the political elite’s policy that has significant effects on the well-being of the society.  In that case, the political elites will lose their credibility and acceptance among the public they serve.  My advice to all of Ethiopia’s political elites is to communicate their genuine and honest political vision for the country with the people of Ethiopia as the whole.  Otherwise, there will be no acceptance and credibility in the eyes of Ethiopians.

Finally, what I want to convey to my fellow Ethiopians of the political elites of our country is that they need to understand and take it seriously that building trust is vitally important for the healthy, stable and peaceful coexistence of the many and diverse nations and people of Ethiopia.  Because in itself it is one of the ingredients of a meaningful and cooperative relationship between our diverse people across our country Ethiopia.  The political elites of our country also need to understand that the shared norms, collaboration, mutual goals and interests and expectations – is a crucial determinant of both of the effectiveness of states institutions (i.e., political, economic, security, judiciary, military), and to citizen’s satisfaction with them. It is clear that levels of trust in different societies have a measurable effect on both economic and political performance.  In most countries, the loss of trust is due to political spin and dishonesty of the political elites of the country.  Trust is a fragile and precious thing that is gained through actions, not empty words and fancy rhetoric’s.  To trust people, we need to see actions to support the words.

It should be stressed that trust is a fragile commodity: slow to develop, quick and easy to destroy.  Trust is a common currency universally understood and valued.  In adversity, people look for trust and when they find it, they value and treasure it.  Building trust can provide an effective source of strength for all political elites in any country.

Trust is universally welcome, recognized and frequently taken for granted, yet its absence can cause total disaster.  Usually, people respond better to those they trust than those they do not.  This matter if we are trying to achieve anything: to motivate someone, share our ideas, generate new opportunities, and prevent or solve problems.

Trust is not an absolute. It is contextual and dynamic.  The constituent of trust is the person giving it, the recipient (this can be a person, a group of people or an institution) and the specific context in which trust is conferred.  People have an enormous need to trust and be trusted.  Many political leaders fail to understand that – as the result, their parties/organisations will never reach their full potential.

One also need to stress that, it can take a great deal of time and efforts to create trust, but only it takes a short time and one wrong action to lose it.  Creating trust is an art.  Sometimes we work at it, mostly we do not pay attention to it – unless things go wrong, in which case problems and pain invariably result.  That is why my advice to all Ethiopia’s political elites to work at it constantly and with due diligence to build and sustain trust an essential duty to sustain their acceptance and credibility in the eyes of their people they intend to serve.  Otherwise, if the people of Ethiopia lost trust in their political elites, they will remain out of tach and become irrelevant and highly unlikely to occupy public office.

The political elites need to understand very well that trust underpins our success in many ways.  Indeed, it is precisely because it is so ubiquitous that we take it for granted.  Breaking this habit requires an understanding of why, where and when trust has the greatest impact.  The benefits of the trust are perhaps better understood if one considers what happens in its absence.  When trust is absent, rumours circulate, people become uncertain, people are concerned, confused and ultimately demotivated: a fertile ground for failure, recrimination and a cycle of despair.

The job of any leader is to clarify the uncertainty.  Without trusted leadership, people may be uncertain about where they are heading, whether in fact, it is the right direction, how they are getting there and what it means for them.  Trust is antidote: it gives people the confidence to voice their concerns and ultimately resolves their concerns; it allows them to focus and collaborate effectively to achieve their common goals. Trust attracts and retains the best people in a social organisation.  Implicit in trust are the qualities of openness and understanding: to trust someone we need to perceive their values and motives, and these need to be constant.  Consistency is the key to building and sustain trust in a set of social organisation.

In my next article, I will focus on the role of good leadership for good governance.

Dibaba Tesfaye

Contact 00447988500536

Email: alunko2006@yahoo.co.uk

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Twitter: @amelemargo

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My Fellow Ethiopians, Are You a Hero or A Villain?? 1 January 2019

My Fellow Ethiopians, Are You a Hero or A Villain??

1 January 2019

 ‘We all have the potential to become a hero.  If and only if we have the courage and the will to become one.’  Dibaba Tesfaye Esq

‘As much as We can become a hero, We can become a villain.’ Dibaba Tesfaye Esq

Are we what we think or what we do?  What makes us a hero?

My succinct answer is, we are both what we think and what we do. The two are inseparable and resembles the two sides of the same coin.  My hero is the one who understands what makes us a human and also understands the principles of humanity and lives by that principle.  For that reason, for me, my hero is someone who understands and practices transcending universal human values.  A hero for me is anyone who stand-ups for justice, freedom, individual liberty, equality, respect for human life and dignity.  For me, a hero is someone who cares about humanity and shared universal common good for all human beings.

For me, a hero has no gender, race, religion, nationality, colour, or ethnicity or any other types of creeds.  For me, a hero is someone who does not discriminate his fellow human beings on the grounds of these identities and who rises above all of these things in the consideration of his daily conducts and actions.

For me, a hero is who save one life from a holocaust, ethnic cleansing, or genocide.   For me, a hero is someone who cares about his fellow human beings and does the little things he/she can to make a difference in other people’s live.  For me, a hero is someone who treats his fellow human beings with love, dignity, respect and compassion.

For me, a hero is someone who gives and shares whatever he/she has with those in great needs and somebody who sacrifices and takes risks for others (strangers).  For me, a hero is somebody who welcomes strangers and extends kindness for his/her fellow human beings.

For me, a hero is somebody who shelters who is in need of protection from harms.  For me, a hero is the one who saves lives and somebody who loves to be at the service of others more than once own interests or looking for any personal gains.  Furthermore, my hero is someone who does the small things to benefits others.

My hero is someone who does not discriminate his/her fellow human beings on the grounds of their race, colour, religions, ethnicity, nationalities, languages, or cultures.  Because our common humanity transcends all of these things I have mentioned above.  So, a hero is who has an open mind and who does not treat his fellow human beings conditionally.

For me, treating each other on certain qualifications or conditionally is the thing that degrades us from our humanity and put us on a level of the instinctively driven wild bests who does not possess the ability of human reasoning or rational thinking.  So, what makes us human is the way we treat one another and how we feel towards each other.  Kindness, love, compassion, care, due consideration, just treatment and showing respect for our fellow human beings is what sets us apart from the wild beasts in the jungle.

Our ethical values and humanity is the key identity that separates us from any other creatures on the planet earth.  Even the instinctively driven animals can recognise each other and cares for their immediate families.  But, we human beings have the ability and potential to recognise the entire human beings through different facilities.  For example, through reading stories told by travellers, watching television, listening to radios, reading newspapers, oral stories, etc.  We have the ability to empathise and sympathise our fellow human beings.  We can understand each other’s needs regardless of our origins or creeds.  The only thing we need it the will and capacity to extend those excellent human values to our fellow human beings.  Therefore, the key question one could ask is, that, why can’t we realise these important human excellent human values and qualities?

A compelling and logical explanation can be given for this very important question.  One of the most important answers could be that we must have the will and good heart and committed to realising these very important human values and qualities we have at our disposal.  Without the will and good heart to realise those human values and qualities, it is profoundly difficult to achieve to realize our most precious and valuable human values and qualities.  If we are only driven by our greed, selfish interests, self-centred life, it this will hinder us from fulfilling our human moral duties and the potential to become an everyday hero.

Finally, a hero for me is not a field marshal or a general who has mobilized a million souls to destroy many more innocent and defenceless souls.  Or a brutal and beast like a leader who orders to commit genocide, ethnic cleansing, or holocaust to destroy thousands or millions of lives. For me, a hero is not who committed heinous crimes against others because of their particular religious affiliation, or racial and ethnic affiliation.  For me, a true hero is someone who values every human being regardless of their origins, affiliations, or creeds, or backgrounds.  We all need love, caring hearts, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, tolerance, kind treatment and respect for our individuality.

As Aristotle once put it beautifully, ‘He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god’ Aristotle.

Thus, it is a universal truth and that as a matter of necessity, we are also interdependent and we need each other in order to survive and to lead a viable and good life.  As the English saying goes, ‘there is no one man’s island’ on the face of the planet earth.  We all need at least something from someone else whether it is to satisfy our spiritual needs or physical needs in illness or happiness, old age, hunger, thrust or affections.

Our needs are obviously many and our wants are even greater than what one might imagine.  Or expectations are enormous in everyday life.  What we need in life is not very great in quantity.  But what we want in life without necessity is countless in quantities or qualities.  For example, I might want a five bedroom house.  But I do not need them as a single person or even with a wife and two children.  The appropriate need for my utility may be three bedrooms flat or a terraced house.  The cost of want and needs are also different and quite apart.

If our want costs us our health, our life, our liberties or our freedom, or well-being or our humanity, it constitutes unethical and even immoral.  In order to satisfy our prodigious and bottomless wants, if we get into trouble or crime, it is against universal human value.  If we follow our inconsiderate, irrational and dark side of our life, we will inevitably be condemned.  Furthermore, it could make us even an outcast and a hate figure among our fellow human beings or our close communities we live in.  That is what has happened to our country Ethiopia.  The robbery and the looting of our countries wealth and the heinous crimes and atrocities committed the mafia fascist TPLF regime resulted in the vilifications of and branding of those who ordered those evil acts.

My question to my fellow Ethiopians is, would you aspire to become a hero or a villain?  The answer is yours and for yourself.

I, therefore, invite you to know thyself!  And ?………

I sincerely believe that an honest, loving, caring, tolerant, compassionate, kind, considerate man is the noblest work of God.  I therefore as your fellow Ethiopian appeal to you: remember your humanity, and forget the rest.  There lies before us as one family to choose, love, compassion, brotherhood, prosperity, unity, peaceful co-existence or hate, war, indignations, unending civil war/conflict, displacement, misery, national nightmare, poverty and unnecessary death.  Choose a good, peaceful, prosperous, and stable life.

What we Ethiopians need to understand is, that it is natural to develop prejudices against people different from ourselves.  It is noble to rise above them.  Our own soul is nourished when we are kind; it will destroy us when we are cruel to each other.  So, we need to learn to live in peace, tolerance, harmony with our self, we will learn to live in peace, love, tolerance and harmony with others.

We need to plant the tree of love, compassion, peace, kindness, and tolerance.  Otherwise, we will end up in a desert where there is no shade to protect us from the heat of anger, hate, violence, enmity, war, and self-destruction.

 

Dibaba Tesfaye

Contact: 00447988500536

Email: alunko2006@yahoo.co.uk

Facebook: dibaba amele

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Philosophical and Scholarly Analysis of the Need to Build A New Political Culture to Move Ethiopia in the New Direction of True Democratic Political System 5 December 2018

My Philosophical and Scholarly Analysis of the Need to Build A New Political Culture to Move Ethiopia in the New Direction of True Democratic Political System

5 December 2018

By Dibaba Tesfaye

‘‘The good I stand on is my truth and honesty.’’

WILL IAM SHAKESPEARE, HENRY VII I

To begin my philosophical analysis of the substantive issues, I need to first define the key concept of “political culture” for our analytical purposes.  Political culture is referring to the norms, beliefs and values within a political system.  It is usually assumed that a particular political culture is built up as the result of a long historical development and that its distinctiveness, or otherwise, of the political system with which it is associated.

Ethiopia’s past political culture history tells us that we have not been able to establish a democratic political culture.  Why? Because, our past political culture was based on political shenanigan (i.e., unscrupulous and dishonest conduct; a deceitful trick; devious trick; and mischievous activities).   These are the true characteristics of Ethiopia’s political culture history.  If any Ethiopian can challenge my characterization of the past political history of Ethiopia.  I am very happy to argue and defend my ardent philosophical political views of Ethiopia in the past.  My hope is this dishonest and mischievous political culture of the past and the political shenanigan will change with the present ongoing fragile political changes persuade by the current prime minister of Ethiopia Dr Abiy Ahmed.  But, my concern is there aren’t many new faces among the geriatric politicians who have been rotting an old and impotent political ideology of the last century.   Some of them have been in politics for the last fifty years with their failed obsolete frame of mind.  They are incapable of change, innovative and up-to-date political thinking.

My concerns are not without justification.  Because most of these geriatric politicians have committed politically motivated human rights atrocities during the early time of the Derg (military junta) in the early 1970s.   The change from monarchical imperial rule to the ruthless and totalitarian military dictator regime was bloody and had indelible destruction to Ethiopia.  Most of the residual Creeppo of the 1970s red terror and white terror generation have still hoping to rule the country with their past bloody hand.  These politicians have nothing to offer this new and sophisticated generation.  On the contrary, if an honest the rule of law established in Ethiopia, most of these geriatric bloody hand politicians will spend their remaining time on earth in prison for the heinous crimes against the country.

My hope is the new generation will take their position to determine their country’s future without any fear or hesitation.  These old and decadent criminals will not be able to bring a truly honest and genuine political change that will establish a proper democratic political system in Ethiopia.  The reason is that we cannot have democracy without democrats.  Democracy needs a democratic-minded and good people.  Because good people are the measures of all things.  Furthermore, to expect good from evil men is like expecting milk from a chicken.  It is the man who does good or bad to his fellow human beings.  It was the Old Kilptocrats that committed genocide and crimes against Ethiopians.  That is self-evident historical truth of our country Ethiopia.  Truth, honesty, sincerity, a sense of national duty is a rarity in Ethiopian politics of the past.  However, the current young generation political vision seems different from what Ethiopians had experienced throughout their traumatic political history in the past.  For that reason, I have some light of encourageable optimism.

Thus, there is an English saying that ‘old habits die hard’.  These old murderers will not give us confidence given their past unscrupulous and mischievous conducts.  They should be quarantined to prevent the contagious disease from transmitting and infecting the new generation.  Otherwise, there will be, a likelihood of reverting back to the past unscrupulous and a deceitful political trick that will end up in another cycle of bloodshed.

 

Dibaba Tesfaye

Mob: 07988500536

Email: alunko2006@yahoo.co.uk

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My Scholarly Suggestion on A Solution for the Deep-Rooted Political and Economic Corruption in Ethiopia. 4 November 2018

 

 

 

My Scholarly Suggestion on A Solution for the Deep-Rooted Political and Economic Corruption in Ethiopia

4 November 2018

For me, a nation’s political, economic and social institutions do resemble with a house made out of mud, wood, and grasses.  Because a house serves us to accommodate as a family unit, it serves to protect us from cold, it serves us to maintain our privacy from intrusion and generally to enjoy and lead a worthy family life.

In the same manner, a nation’s institutions serve the nation to protect us from dangers, intrusions in our personal life, security risks and orderly existence and protect our life, liberty, and property.  Without effective and functional institutions, we cannot lead a peaceful, pleasant, and meaningful life.  So, to establish effective and functional institutions for our peaceful and orderly co-existence, we need to redesign our political, economic, and social institutions values and ethos.

We need to remind ourselves that values and ethos originate from the human community both at an individual and collective level.  Individually, we do affect the work habits [Ethos] and the values of our societies.  Individual creativities and innovative capacities if wisely harnessed and guided will have an enormous impact on our nation’s socio-political and economic institutions.  Furthermore, institutions are organized and led by individuals at a different level.  They can affect the work culture or values of their organizations/institutions.   Individuals also undertake decisions that considerably affects the institutions or organization they operate in.  It is, therefore, trite that the individual shapes and guides the institution they serve in to succeed or fail.  Their success or failure is contingent upon their personal values or work ethics. in so far as individuals are concerned, they take responsibility entrusted to them by the public authorities for both individual or collective failure when they fail, credits when they succeed.

I personally believe that individual consciousness can become collective consciousness if a conducive environment is created for the flourishment of good work habits and organizational ethos.  If individual creativity and innovative capacity are encouraged, institutions or organizations will flourish and become effective to serve the desired public purposes.  So, it is safe to conclude that both individual creativity and collective efforts and work ethics are very important in transforming dysfunctional and impotent public institutions.

Now, to come to my main concern about the deep-rooted and disabling or should I say crippling institutional failures of our country Ethiopia.  It is fair to point out that our country needs fundamental changes in how we intend to provide efficient and effective public services.  I believe any institution is as good as the people who operate in it.

As I have already pointed out above, our national public institutions do resemble a house that accommodates a family.  To provide contrasting views, a nation resembles a family.  As family needs a warm, safe and healthy accommodation to serve the desired purposes.  If the house becomes rotten, dilapidated and the roof is leaking, it does not serve the intended purposes providing warmth and safe accommodation to the family.  So, to fix the problem, the family has to repair the leaking roof and the rotten walls or to rebuild entirely the house to enjoy the good family life.  That, of course, depends on the family’s financial ability and economic circumstances.  In contrast, what is different about a nation’s public institution is a nation has more economic power and financial resources to mobilize at its disposal.  Needless to say that, the family too can borough or find resources through relatives or colleagues to remedy its problems.  But, it is trite that any given nation is much more powerful and resourceful than tiny and limited family resources.

What I am trying to show is that they resemble in the services they provide.  The family house provides warmth, protection, safety, and security for a given family the same as a nation’s public institutions to a nation.  Now, as the rotting and leaking family requires a remedy to the family accommodation problem.  A notion also needs to find a viable solution for its national public institutions.  The question is how?

The answer is not easy but, I will try to explain a possible solution to fix current Ethiopia’s political, economic and social problems of the country’s deep-rooted corrupt public institutions.  In the first place, we need to acknowledge that the country’s political, economic and social institutions have been run by the educated male elites of the nation.  So, one could say, what is the problem with Ethiopian men?  What is wrong with Ethiopian men is they are the one who have more chances to go to school and high probability to join the higher education opportunities.  Not only that, but they are also the one who have been deciding the country’s fate (i.e., the military institutions, economic institutions, the land holdings, all the nation’s public institutions).  What are the implications of this is that the nation’s affairs in public education (schooling), health, finance (banking), law and order [disorder], security and the main economic resources such as land has been under the control of the male population of the country?

Furthermore, it has been the men who have been waging the war and perpetrating civil and intercommunity conflicts since the country was constituted by the empire builders of the past kings.  To say the least, the empire builders of the past men have not been able to transform the country into a republican democratic nation-state.  They have been busy in-fighting for personal power at the cost of the nation’s well-being.  So, have the sole responsibility for the country’s vicious cycles of abject poverty, continuous civil wars, starvation, hunger and famine that has been the whole marks of our country Ethiopia.  I truly believe that Ethiopian men have to take the sole responsibility for the country’s past failure and debilitating socio-political and economic problems of our country Ethiopia.

Having said that, what are the solutions?

First, women have to be empowered through access to education at a different level

Second, women have to be encouraged and given the opportunity in public service.  Especially, in leading the different public institutions such as Education, the judiciary, financial institutions, banking sectors, military and security institutions from the top to the kebele level.  Why? Because, most of the public services such justice is dispensed at the local level, education is provided at the local level, health is provided at the local level, the people who are suffering from poverty due to access to finance and need to have an access to the financial institutions are at the bottom or local level.  So, it is sensible to bring the essential and necessary public services to the local level.

I sincerely believe that, making good laws, making a lot of empty noses in the capital city and the big cities by the bunch of men who are plotting against each other how to come to power and if not to create bargaining power is not going to make a true difference to the mass population trapped in abject poverty, illiteracy, hunger, starvation, diseases and destitution.  If we are serious about fundamental changes in our country Ethiopia, we need to bring change from top to bottom and from bottom to top.  Both ways.  Building the community at a local level to provide the economic means to empowering women can directly affect the family.  In addition, if family life’s and well-being change, the nation’s well-being will change.  That is what we need to aim for and it has to be our metrics of measuring our national success and failure.

Our people need bread, house, shelter, education, health services, job opportunities in order to lead a good life.  Ethiopian men’s empty rhetoric’s and vacuous noises from the capital city will not bring the desired prosperity and well-being that our people deserve to lead a life worthy of living.

 

Finally, I should conclude by saying that if we need to build a united, cohesive, strong and vibrant and peaceful country, we need to rethink how we can empower and encourage more women to serve in the public sectors at both high level and at the all level to the kebele level.  That means we will reduce the likelihood of public corruption that has been crippling and disabling our country in the past and still today.

I, therefore, appeal to the current Ethiopian government to intensify the changes taking place in our country and work with vigor to set the course of changes to extend it to the local level.  It is good we are seeing laudable changes at the top.  But, it is not enough, to appoint fifty percent of the women ministers at the top.  Our institution has to be shaken very vigorously to the Kebele level in all the public service institutions, such as justice, health, banking, agriculture, education, security, and military leadership.  I commend what has been done by the current prime minister of Ethiopia Dr Abiy Ahmed.  He is doing great, but not enough as the country’s problem is so deep and complex that need drastic and fundamental changes.  He has the support of the nation behind him so, he can capitalize to affect change and accelerate the reforms he intends to bring the country out of humiliation and indignation of the past many decades. I have full confidence that he will step up his efforts to improve the country’s well-being, peace, unity, prosperity.

 

Dibaba Tesfaye

Email: alunko2006@yahoo.co.uk

Mob: 00447988500536

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My Fraternal Appeal to All Ethiopians Without Delays and Urgently, all Divisions, Disunites, Inter-community War, Animosities, In-fights, and Mutual Destruct ions Must End In Our Country Ethiopia! 14 October, 2018

My Fraternal Appeal to All Ethiopians

Without Delays and Urgently, all Divisions, Dis-unities, Inter-community War, Animosities, In-fights, and Mutual Destruct ions Must End In Our Country Ethiopia!

 “The worst calamity that can befall a nation is disunity” Ahmad Karsavi

14 October 2018

We Ethiopians have wasted our energy, resources, and time on destroying each other for a long time.  Now we need to invest our resources, energy, and time to develop our country for a better future.  We need to start thinking how to defeat our social ills ignorance, illiteracy, hunger, starvation, and abject poverty.  Our people have been trapped in cyclical and vicious cycle poverty for the last half a century because we were busy infighting, killing each other, persecuting each other, and for that purposes, we have been investing our resources for a destructive purpose rather than to improve our people’s lives.

Now we need to change our attitude of mistrust, animosity and mutual suspicion and start building a culture of tolerance, mutual cooperation, and trust to bring rapid change for the betterment of our people’s lives.  We can do it if we develop a culture of tolerance and mutual trust among ourselves as one family.  We have not benefited from animosity, division, and mistrust.  Without those necessary things, we cannot bring the desired changes in our country for a better future.

Our bright future is within our grasp if we cooperate and work together, mobilize our resources intellectually, materially, and morally both (our social capital) and cultural capital.  We have the ability and the necessary resources and the ability to bring rapid and considerable change for our country if we think as one country with diverse cultural and social capitals.  Our social capital and cultural capital will cement a healthy relationship between our diverse nations in our country if we utilize them effectively and wisely.  Our diversity is our strength if we know how to use them to our advantage to build a healthy relationship between our people.   We have been wasting both our cultural capital and material resources.  Our difference has been used to create animosity and mutual suspicion instead of building a cohesive nation to lead a healthy coexistence.  This has been done by irresponsible and power hungry and greedy elements of our society and political leaders of the past.

Power politics has been used to divide and polarize our beautiful and radiant Ethiopian people.  Disunity, fighting each other and oppressing each other only brought to our country indignation, impoverishment, and immense sufferings to our precious people.  This culture of ethnic tyranny and mutual distractions has ended.  We need to help each other to build a culture of harmony, unity and peaceful coexistence to develop our country.  We cannot continue killing each other, we cannot continue starving and robbing each other.  Of course, these things have been perpetrated by small groups of greedy and selfish people within our country for a very long period of time in the past.

The past is gone. We need to chart a new type of existence for a healthy, prosperous and harmonious national life.  We need to learn to tolerate, respect and value each other as brothers and sisters.  We have one common country.  God has tied us together to share the same land to lead a good life.  No one has a special right to deny anyone this God-given right to lead a good life within our common country Ethiopia.  We have a shared history good or bad.  We have developed common psychological make-ups and common cultures with its beauty of diversity.  Our diversity is a beauty, not a bad thing to divide us.  Our diversity gives us a choice of dress fashion, varieties of dietary needs, entertainments, music, dramas, theatres, natural amenities, natural beauties of landscapes and wildlife.

We Ethiopians do not seem to realize how lackey we are in terms of the wealth of natural beauties, the landscape, lakes, rivers, mountains, peculiar wild animals, etc.  In addition, our diverse culture is an invaluable wealth if we know how to use them to our advantage.  For instance, we have a unique way of solving a conflict, conducting economic transactions, marriages, reconciling people when conflict arises between them, charitable traditions of sharing the wealth with one another when some people become unfortunate or loss due to natural disaster or conflicts between communities.  Resettling if natural calamity befalls in bad times.  Togetherness, cooperative work culture, etc.

I, therefore, call upon all Ethiopians to restore our precious customs, and traditions to bring more cohesion and to establish a healthy life between our diverse communities across our country Ethiopia.  We need to mobilize our intellect, our time, energy, material wealth, experiences in whichever ways we can.  We need to pull our resources to build a beautiful, peaceful, prosperous, united and strong Ethiopia.  We all have some sorts of capacity to contribute towards this endeavour of building a beautiful and radiant Ethiopia.  Disunity, division, mistrust has never bear a sweet fruit for our country in the past.  We need to saw a seed of harmony, unity, peace, tolerance and mutual trust and mutual respect and values each other as precious to one another in the spirits of brotherhood and sisterhood.  Let us do it.  If we have the will, we can achieve anything we desire.  If we plant, a good seed, we will ripe the fruits of our labour.  Love, tolerance, peace, unity, integration, harmony, prosperity for our beautiful and radiant Ethiopian.

Dibaba Tesfaye

Contact: 00447988500536

Email: alunko2006@yahoo.co.uk

Facebook: dibaba amele

My Urgent Messages to Dr Abiy Ahmed the Current Prime Minister of Ethiopia

 

 

My Urgent Messages to Dr Abiy Ahmed the Current Prime Minister of Ethiopia

09 October 2018

“The state exists for making possible the noblest life for man.  Because the state comes into existence for ‘the sake of life’ but ‘exists for the sake of the good life’. Aristotle

My urgent messages to Dr Abiy the Prime minister is, he needs to act very fast and decisively to deliver what he has been promising to the country for over the last six months.  It is good to promises, it is very good to deliver the promises made.  A promise made must be kept.  I commend him for his achievement in this short time since he has taken the office of the prime minister.  It was right and timely to reassure the nation that endured traumatic experiences for the last good fifty years.  It is also right to consolidate his power base which is still unfinished business with its many challenges.

Now the nation is expecting delivery on the promises made to them by the prime minister over the last six months.  The promises made to the nation was; peace, unity, stability, security, and prosperity.  Among those promises made by the prime minister was security is the urgent matter that needs to be addressed without delay.  People can wait for prosperity.  But, they cannot wait if their life is at risk.

The job of any state is to provide security and safety to the citizen’s physical well beings and protection of their property.  So, my message to Dr Abiy the prime minister of Ethiopia is that he needs to assert his authority to protect the nation’s peace and security without delay.  The more he delays, the more his authority is undermined.  People can wait for a better and quality bread and butter.  But, they cannot wait for security and safety while their life is at risk and endangered by the lawlessness ensuing by the various elements of anti-peace and stability across the country.  I, therefore, call upon the prime minister to act decisively and swiftly without delay or hesitation.  Otherwise, the country will fold into anarchy and civil war.

What the prime minister needs to understand is that people do not want a pie in the sky.  They want substance.  They want meat, something tangible.  People want jobs, people want a better life, people want opportunities to realize their potentials.  People also want peace and security.  Without peace and security, no one feels safe and people will fell demoralised to strife to better their lives.  They become hopeless and demotivated to create wealth or aspire to better their lives.  People also lose confidence in their government’s ability to deliver law and order.  When that happens.  Two things ensue.  The first thing people start contemplating is to flee from the danger to save their lives and seek safety within the country which they believe relatively secure and safe.  Or, flee from their country to the neighbouring countries or even far away countries.

Dibaba Tesfaye

Mob: 00447988500536

Email: alunko2006@yahoo.co.uk.

Facebook: Dibaba Amele

My Messages to the Educated Oromos

 

 

My Messages to the Educated Oromos

3 October 2018

The two marks of a truly educated man, whose understanding has been enlightened, are the capacity to think clearly and intellectual curiosity.

Education has been called the technique of transmitting civilization.  In order that it may transmit civilization, it has to perform two major functions: it must enlighten the understanding, and it must enrich the character.

We the educated cream of our Oromo nation must lit the golden candle of knowledge and keep its sacred flame bright from generation to generation.

Let us pledge in unison to commit our cultural and intellectual capital to the enlightenment of our people and be a beautiful and radiant light for our beloved Oromo nation.

Let us help our young generation to feel the inner joy of the mind question for knowledge and the quest for intellectual refinements and academic excellence.

What we the Oromo people need today more than ever is a moral leadership founded on courage, intellectual integrity and a sense of values.  There is no replacement for a sense of values.

As the great physicist Albert Einstein observed, “It is essential that the student acquire an understanding of and a lively feeling for values.  He must acquire a vivid sense of the beautiful and of the morally good.  Otherwise he – with his specialized knowledge – more closely resembles a well-trained dog than a harmoniously developed person.”

The Greeks believed that the greatest work of art they had to create was a man.  They regarded education as a means of moulding human character in accordance with noble ideals. Furthermore, the Greeks believed that one of the aims of education is to cultivate excellence in individuals.

Finally, our endeavours should be to aim for our people to lead the good life.  To enable our people to lead the good life.  We need to cultivate the value of excellence.  The value of excellence comes from two intertwined values.  The first is the excellence of character.  The second is the excellence of intellect.  These two important values can be acquired through a cultivation of habits and training.  The excellence of character is developed through consistent habits and practices.  The excellence intellect is developed through training the mind. We need to cultivate in our young generation the following cardinal virtues; courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom. We need to encourage our young Oromos to value and foster our elders’ wisdom’s to utilize to enrich their lives.  We also need to cultivate them in modern education to compete with excellence, and sophistication and thrive in today’s complex and rapidly changing world.

 

Dibaba Tesfaye

Mob: 00447988500536

Email: alunko2006@yahoo.co.uk

Facebook: Dibaba Amele

My Scholarly Messages to All Oromo Political Parties ‘Nobody bits or kicks a dead body of a Dog’ (Prof Dibaba Tesfaye) 28 September, 2018

 

My Scholarly Messages to All Oromo Political Parties

‘Nobody bits or kicks a dead body of a Dog’  (Prof Dibaba Tesfaye)

28 September 2018

My scholarly message to all Oromo political parties is this.  This is the most important turning point in the Ethiopian political history.  This decisive moment of political evolution in our history will make it or break it for the Oromo people and the country at large.  The Oromo political parties will either capture this golden politically opportune moment or miss it.  In my view, you cannot afford to miss this golden political opportunity to correct centuries-old Ethiopia’s rotten and decadent political culture.  The Oromos need to realize that it is their generational duty to correct the past ills and unjust political system that has been dysfunctional and crippled the Empire state of Ethiopia for many centuries.

 

The Oromos have big responsibility at this very decisive moment to shape and stir the political direction of Ethiopia in the right democratic path.  What the all Oromo political parties need to understand is that the past Oromo’s weakness and parties’ division has contributed to the sustaining of the dictatorial and the police state in Ethiopia for a long time.  The Oromos have now a golden opportunity to take Ethiopia in the right direction for good.  I believe no Oromo political parties have the desire to dominate or oppress the other nations and nationalities in Ethiopia.  I also believe the Oromos have been struggling to win freedom, justice, and dignity for the Oromos.  That has been misunderstood and misinterpreted by our northern political elites for a long time.

 

My advice to the all Oromo political parties has to break this baseless and unjustified myth of the Oromo as an enemy to the unity and territorial integrity of Ethiopia practically.  They need to show to the Ethiopian people that the Oromos as a force for good to reckon with for the united, strong and just Ethiopia.  They need to show political vigour and wisdom on how to build a politically, economically and socially strong and healthy and solid plural nation.  They need to set a standard benchmark for the rest of the African nations and the continent at large.

 

The Oromos have advantages over other nations and nationalities in Ethiopia for the following compelling reasons.

 

1. The Oromos have the advantage over other nations and nationalities in Ethiopia in terms of the size of the population as the largest in the country.
2. The Oromos have advantages over other nations and nationalities in terms of wealth and the land mass with its rich resources relatively.
3. The Oromos also have important determining advantages over other nations and nationalities in terms of the well-established and tested and tried democratic political culture, the Gada system.

 

These advantages have located the Oromos in the best positions to lead Ethiopia in the right direction to a democratic and just and fair future.  Hence, the likely hood of the Oromos heading to the path of dictatorship and police state is highly unlikely for the very convincing and compelling three reasons I have outlined above.  So, my fear of the Oromo political parties stirring the country towards undemocratic and dictatorial political direction is nil and zero.  I believe, the Oromos political parties will unite behind one common political objectives.  That is a free, fair, democratic and just country.

 

But, my ardent warning to all Oromo political parties is this.  They need to understand how politics works.  Politics is not about generosity or kindness.  Politics is about interest.  Interest individually, or collectively.  Groups or individuals have an interest.  Individuals or groups do not form political parties to advance charitable causes.  They organize themselves to advance a collective interest.  To achieve their objectives, they context for power.  Power is a means to advance groups or collective interests.  So, the Oromo political parties need to be aware of how the political dynamics and human psychologies work in political struggle.  I, therefore, advise they need to know how to choose their political allies and partners.  Political naivety and ambiguity will be costly and likely to cause unnecessary tension and conflicts.

 

My messages to all Oromo political parties are also, they need to understand politics is fundamentally a communicative activity.  They need to articulate and communicate their clear objectives to their constituencies, allies, and adversaries.  They also need to know there are no enemies in political struggle.  There are adversaries and contestants for power.  One time adversaries and another time alliance.   One time competitors and another time partners.  So, they should avoid the backward mentality of permanent enmity and foes.  In politics, this type of mentality and outlook is very wrong and unproductive.

 

In politics, one needs to understand that even your adversaries have legitimate interests as they share the same country with one another and the desire to share the benefits the country can offer is normal and should not be construed as my enemies’ gain is at my costs or my loses.  In everyone country’s politics, there are many types of legitimate interests.  Every steak holders deserve to share the benefits that a country can offer.  Otherwise, a country instead of a commonwealth become a private company.  Understanding this complex political issues and balancing and accommodating the complex and multifaceted interests is very important for anyone who contests for power.  Power is the ability to make a difficult decision and reconciling individual greed and common good for the nation at large.  Not knowing the plural interests and the political dynamics of reconciling and accommodating the multiple interests in the country is a cardinal sin.

 

So, my final message to all Oromo political parties is this.  Dare to win freedom, justice, and dignity for your people.  Do not forget that everyone in the country deserves the same as what you wish for your people.  Be considerate to others.  Be conscious there are fears and myths perpetrated against you about your intentions.  Show those who have been perpetuating the myth and unjustifiable fears are wrong by prevailing through your excellence.  Be fair to everyone including your adversaries and who considers you as their enemies.

 

Dibaba Tesfaye

 

Email: alunko2006@yahoo.co.uk.

Mob: 00447988500536.

Facebook: Dibaba Amele

My Scholarly Views on the Current on-going Lawlessness and Anarchy in Ethiopia

My Scholarly Views on the Current on-going Lawlessness and Anarchy in Ethiopia
August 19, 2018

“For man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all; since armed injustice is the more dangerous, and he is equipped at birth with the arms of intelligence and with moral qualities which he may use for the worst ends. Wherefore, if he have not virtue, he is the most unholy and the most savage of animals, and the most full of lust and gluttony. But justice is the bond of men in states, and the administration of justice, which is the determination of what is just, is the principle of order in political society.” Aristotle

In my general view, first of all, the main purposes of living in a state is to live under the rule of law and order.  If the state becomes unable to provide safety and security for its citizen, it becomes illegitimate in the eyes of the nation. So, the first job of any state is to provide safety and security to its citizens.

What has been happening in Ethiopia at the moment is there are some sections of the society who perpetrate insecurity, robbery, looting, killing and dispensing mob justice in the open public space. If any state tolerates such heinous crimes and lawlessness’s, without any doubt the state will inevitably collapse or disintegrate into anarchy and nightmare.

Right now, some people are taking the law into their hands due to their misunderstanding and the misgivings by the honest and humble new Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed who has been spearheading his vision of peace, reconciliation, forgiveness and love to heal the many decades of disunity, mistrust and polarizations perpetrated by the previous leadership in the country.

Certainly, Dr. Abiy Ahmed has never advocated lawlessness and mob justice, disorder and freedom to commit heinous crimes. His motto was the Ethiopians should unite behind the vision of unity, one country, tolerance and forgiveness, and peaceful co-existence among all Ethiopians. But, the anarchic and disappointed former organized mafias and the amiable and ignorant young people who can be deceived by the promises and financial gains by the disappointed and anti-change resistance of the obsolete old mafia group for the last twenty-seven years. This hideous and vicious former regime’s operators have been causing havoc and headache to the new change maker’s leadership who are in power at the moment. This people/group has amassed an enormous wealth for the last twenty-seven years by robbing and abusing Ethiopian people.

Now, before it’s too late, the new Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed has to take fast and drastic measures to restore law and order in the country. The urgent solution is, to be assertive and not shying away from taking tough and decisive actions and assert his authority. He needs to show he means business in a serious manner to prove his leadership skills that he can take tough actions when it is necessary. At this very tough time, weakness or hesitation is not an option. Asserting his authority is the litmus test to his leadership skills. He cannot afford to fail his promise a better Ethiopia to the nation and to prove to the nation that he can take decisive and timely and difficult decisions when it is needed for the well-being and the interests of the country.

Dibaba Tesfaye
Contact: 00447988500536
Facebook: Dibaba Amele
Website: https://theflameoflight.wordpress.com