New Millennium: New Chapter: New Spirit: New Ethiopia

Everything happens for a reason; we Ethiopians have been through the thins and thicks of time and space. When I arrived in South Africa for my first time, I went to a shop to buy bread. But I was refused to enter into the shop, when I asked why? I was told I am not allowed. That was the first time I was treated by my skin color.

I took a train to move around; I met a beautiful white South African in a blue high class train, I was the only black. I started chatting with her. She asked me from where I am, as usual I told her I am from Ethiopia. She said, “ em”. Then We arrived at a terminal. I said this looks nice, then she responded by saying better than Ethiopia. I ask her if she was in Ethiopia before. She said, “ no but I watch the TV people are dying there. “ I was shocked because this was new news to me. However, she was talking about the 1984 hunger in Ethiopia and she still thought Ethiopians were dying of hunger. I kept quiet. I said bye to her and went to a restaurant.

I went in and ordered food. I ate but the food did not really taste me good and decided to carry it with me to give it the people on the street instead of leaving it there. I knew South Africans do not give the leftover to the people in need directly. But they put in a black plastic bag and wrap it and put in a big rubbish bin. Then the beggars have to search throughout all the rubbish bin to find the scraps. In white South African culture, that is the way they treat other races. But the bar lady told me not to worry about carrying it with me to give to them. She told me there are many hungry Ethiopians roaming around. She said, “ Ethiopian will come here. I will give it to them.” Honestly there was no any single Ethiopian beggar in the whole city.

Then I went to an Indian restaurant. A gentle Indian man came to serve me. I ordered an Indian food, and while I was eating he asked me where I am from; I told him I am Ethiopian. The color of his face changed from bronze to ash. After a moment of silence, he came closer to me, and he advised me not to tell to South Africans that I am from Ethiopia. I did ask him why? He told me they do not like Ethiopian because they say Ethiopians are poor. And went on and told me they also do not like Indians. I smiled but he assured me that it is real, and true. He told me he had experienced himself and he did see it happening to Ethiopian when they come to his shop. I did not take it seriously.

I started then looking for an apartment from the news paper. I did make calls to arrange appointments to see the places. When I went according to the appointments, the white people would peep through their windows to check whether I am black or white. When they see me that I am black; they neither come out nor respond to the Siren when I press. When It happens that when I met them and when I told them that I am from Ethiopia. They would immediately reject me by stating that I am from poor country of poor people. I could not find rent because the name Ethiopia was attached to me. Then I have to accommodate myself in an expensive place thanks to my Israelite friend who put me up under his name lest they refuse to me.

Later I met an Ethiopian and told him what was happening to me. He advised me that when I go to meet them I must tell them that I am from Abyssinia instead of from Ethiopia. Then I did meet a white South African lady. She asked me from where I am and I told her I am from Abyssinia. She was thrilled and overjoyed. She started telling me about Abyssinia. How Haileslassiee escaped via Djibouit and the involvement of South African together with the British. Then I said to myself thanks Haileslassie. But the worst thing was that even this woman did not know the difference between Abyssinia and Ethiopia. She started telling me later that the poor Ethiopians were taking over South Africa because Mandela invited them to come. This is the tips of the iceberg I could write many books about my bad experience there.

The reason which has made me to note down my own experience, when I was in Ethiopia I never knew Ethiopia had such an image outside Ethiopia. If I would never go out of Ethiopia, I would not have known how Ethiopians are treated outside Ethiopia. I know now Ethiopians are ill-treated all over the world. The image of Ethiopia in the outside world is so bad and false. It is sometimes too hard to believe because the charitable organizations put up always hungry children and dying people on the TV to collect money in our name. Most people believe Ethiopia a desert with no water, with trees, with food, with no animal,... according to the media, the whole world is told that Ethiopians are poor people who live in a desert with nothing to live on.

In truth, there is no country in Africa who has an infinite fresh water like Ethiopia except DRC Congo. In truth there is no dry and desert place in Africa like South Africa except the Kalhari Desert and Sahara Desert. South Africans depend on harvested water than on natural water. In general Ethiopia ranks the second in having infinite fresh water from the whole world . Probably it is only the Euphrates and Tigris river in Iraq which springs from Turkey which parallels our infinite fresh water.

If it is about food; I have seen many countries now. I daresay there is no food in the rest of the world except in Ethiopia. What food do they have? Potatoes, maize that is all. The varieties of food in Ethiopia is infinite, without being bias I do not think there is a country like Ethiopia which has infinite type of food items such as sesame, sun flower, millet, black millet, white millet, brown millet, teff, brown teff, white teff, wheat, white wheat, brown wheat, black wheat, Demhay, lentil, chick pea, peas, Ethiopians beans many varieties, adagura, sebere, nuhug, sorgum, leka, hanfets,, barrley, ... and spices....

Now we have had enough, we know enough. In the new millennium we have to discover ourselves and free ourselves from poverty and dependency. Dependency is a cancer. We must know there are who benefit from our dependency. We need to be free ourselves economically and politically. We are capable to achieve anything we aspire.

To discover ourselves, we need to reform ourselves at the level of individuals. Before we liberate others, we need to liberate ourselves. If I am not free myself I cannot free others. If I say I will free others without freeing myself I will be lying which may lead myself and others to further misery, conflict, disgrace, suffering , beggary,....

How can I liberate myself? I must free myself from tribal, ethnic, religious, social, political, .... prejudices. I must believe that Oromo, Amhara, Tigre, ... are equal in the eyes of God. No one is above the other. Every single life of an Ethiopian citizen is so precious and cannot be sacrificed for whatsoever political and social status I vy for.

There must be an end to the suffering of Ethiopians. Let us say the suffering, disgrace, misery, dependency, conflict, ... come to an end.

In order to start a brand new chapter of new history, let us forgive each other and do reconcile in the spirit of love and peace for a prosperous future Ethiopia. We have a country with untaped resources. We have 44 rivers which wash Ethiopia with fresh water. If we love each other, and tighten our belts and girdles focus on work,we do not even need rain. God has blessed Ethiopian wish fresh water which is precious than any oil or precious metalic or non-metalic deposit. We are all mortal human who live in this planet temporary. We are like a shadow that passes away and like the flowers which wither away. Why we waste our lives bickering and name calling at each other? It is not worthwhile.

Regardless who has been wrong and right in the past, let us put aside the past, and begin a new Ethiopian Era. Let us forge forward and raise our country to the stars!

I request the Honorable Prime Minister, Ato Meles Zenawi to take the lead to this noble idea by releasing all political prisoners and they can participate in the celebration of our Millennium. Let us give a meaning to the Millennium. Our brother Solomon Teklign has become an exemplary. Let Solomon be a model of peace and love for all of us. Solomon is a hero or Gina for me. A person like Solomon is a light for our country. A person who reproach himself in front of the world is more than a hero. It is people who have the gut, high self-esteem, and courage who can do such virtuous deed.

I also recommend a new Millennium website to be constructed designed to accommodate all Ethiopians websites under one Millennium website.

My request also goes to Ethiomedia and other websites to change the way they run their websites. These websites does not really help us narrow the gaps between people. Hatred does not contribute anything positive to any society. It is waste of resources, energy, and time.

Let us sit under a warka ( Daero) tree and solve our problems ourselves than asking people who have no clue about our way of life to solve our problems. Our ancestors never went to Europe or America to solve their problems. They never fought the bloody war we are fighting. They never faced the harrowing experiences we have experienced. And it is due time to sit side by side and workout our differences by respecting each other.

To my Eritrean brothers, you are our people and I do not have to tell you about that you know yourself. You also need to change the way you see Ethiopia. Ethiopia is not your enemy. It is your motherland. It can offer you whatsoever she overs to Ethiopians. Because of the colonial legacy, Ethiopia has been bleeding thus far. Many Ethiopians and Eritreans has perished for no use. Berlin wall was destroyed 1991. Now Germany is one country. The whole Europe has become one nation with one currency. I do not see any benefit by building a Berlin wall between Ethiopian and Eritrean and I would rather call Eritrea the land of Abraham Deboch and Moges Asgedom than giving it an Italian name. It is time to get rid of Issayas without bloodshed and you celebrate with us the Millennium. Ethiopians will embrace you like the Prodigal son.

Everything happens for a reason. It is time to root out hatred, conflict, poverty, misery, malign,... it is time to plant love and peace for a prosperous future for all of us and for our descents.

Gezaee Hailemichael