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ECB’s response to Mr. Mulugeta’s article “Kassa Kebede, OLF and guess who Else: The Dream Team of a Forlorn Hope” ETHIOPIAN COMMUNITY IN BRITAIN (ECB) The Ethiopian community in Britain noted the above article posted on the website www.eithiopiafirst.com. We could not trace any grain of truth in the allegations put forward by Mulugeta Aserate Kassa to indicate that the Ethiopian Community in Britain is to be implicated ‘of gross dereliction of duty’. In the Memorandum of Association of ECB, it is clearly highlighted: ‘that the Community can invite scholars and other informed persons to talk on topics covering the history culture of Ethiopia and its People modern scientific progress and current affairs of special interest to members of the Community. ‘ The programme that was organised in partnership with the Centre for Civic Action (CCA) on August 2001 was an “International conference on Ethiopia (scope for partnership, justice, peace and development’). Adequate care and attention was taken by ECB to make sure that the objective of the Conference is in conformity with the powers exercisable by the Ethiopian Community in Britain in furtherance of its said objectives. There is gross distortion of facts in the Article written by Mr. Mulugeta Aserate Kassa and posted on ethiopiafirst. com website. The Article presupposes that the Ethiopian Community in Britain had invited Mr. Kassa Kebede as a guest speaker of the Conference. The Ethiopian Community did not send any invitation to Mr. Kassa Kebede to attend the Conference. The Conference was, however, open to all interested Ethiopians including the representatives of the Ethiopian Government to attend the programme. Like any other Ethiopian, Mr. Kassa had the right to come to the Conference to attend and follow up the programme, ask questions and air his views. The themes of the Conference and the lead speakers were as follows:
BY PROFESSOR MESSAY KEBEDE
By Dr. GEBEYEHU EJIGU
BY Dr. HAILU ARAYA HE Lij Michael Imeru, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, also made keynotes speech on the day. If Mr Kassa was invited as a guest speaker for the occasion let the writer of the article prove to the contrary! It would be further appropriate to give clarification on the extent of involvement of ECB in the organisation of the Programme. As far as the conference organisation and terms and reference drawn to demarcate the clear duties/responsibilities of each partner (Ethiopian Community in Britain and the Centre for Civic Action (CCA) was concerned, ECB’s direct involvement was confined and focussed to the day one session which was organised on August 2/2001 at the Irish Centre. ECB took up the duties of inviting the lead speakers for the day, arrangement of venue and meeting certain expenses related to this programme. Once the lead speakers went through their presentation, discussion sessions were carried out and closing remark was made by the guest of honour, ECB’s role had been completed and the rest of the programmes for days two and three were taken up fully by the Centre for Civic Action (CCA). The Article that accused ECB of ‘gross dereliction of duty’ is totally unfounded. If there was the good will, the writer of the article could have asked appropriate clarifications from the Conference organisers to clear any doubt related as regards to the role of Mr. Kassa in the International Conference organised last year. The hard fact still remains to be that Mr. Kassa had under no circumstances been given any special invitation to attend the Conference as a ‘guest speaker’. We wonder what lies behind Mr. Mulugeta’s article in accusing ECB of ‘gross dereliction of duty’. The Ethiopian Community in Britain, therefore, regrets for the inconvenience and confusion created on our members and all those concerned in the growth and development of the organisation as a result of the article posted on the ethiopiafirst.com by Mr. Mulugeta Aserarte. For detailed information on the Conference such as the objective and themes of the conference, list of invited guest speakers etc, please access the CCA website which is: http://www.geocities.com/ethcivic/index.htm Back to main page! |