የምር “ወንድ” እንሁን!!!

ዛሬ ለመጀመሪያ ጊዜ በአማርኛ ልጽፍ ነው፡፡ በሦስት ምክንያቶች፡፡

·         አንደኛ፡- ይህንን ብሎግ ከጀመርኩበት ጊዜ አንስቶ  አብሮኝ ያለውን “አንድ ቀን በአገሬ ቋንቋ እጽፋለሁ፡፡” የሚለውን ሐሳቤን ለማሳካት፣

·         ሁለተኛ፡- የዛሬው ርዕሴ ትንሽ ከበድ ያለ እና ድርጊቱም በአገር ደረጃ አሳፋሪ እና አሰቃቂ በመሆኑ በዓለም አቀፍ ቋንቋ ጽፌ አገሬን “ሰድቦ ለሰዳቢ” ላለመስጠት፣

·         ሦስተኛውና ዋነኛው ምክንያቴ ደግሞ ፡- ስለዚህ ዘግናኝ እና አሳሳቢ ጉዳይ ለመጻፍ ከአፍ መፍቻ ቋንቋዬ የተሻለ ቋንቋ ስላላገኘሁ ነው፡፡

ባለፈው ሳምንት በእጅጉ የማደንቀው ጸሐፊ ዳንኤል ክብረት “እስከመቼ” በሚል ርዕስ በብሎጉ ላይ ባወጣው ጽሑፍ በአንድ መሥሪያ ቤት አብረው በሚሠሩ እና ሰርክ በሚያስቀና ፍቅራቸው በሚታወቁ ወንድም እና እህት መካከል በተፈጠረ ጊዜያዊ አለመግባባት ምክንያት የተከሰተውን ዱላ-አከል ጠብ አስመልክቶ የተሰማውን ስሜት አስፍሮ ነበር፡፡ በዚህ ጽሑፍ ላይ አንባቢያን የየራሳቸውን አስተያየት ሰጥተዋል፡፡ አብዛኞቹ ድርጊቱን ሲያወግዙ፣ ጥቂቶች “እና ምን ይጠበስ?” ዓይነት አስተያየት ነበር የሰጡት፡፡

ጉዳዩን እንዲሁ ላይ ላዩን ሲመለከቱት ቀላል ነገር ይመስላል፡፡ “ወንድም እና እህት በሥራ ላይ በተፈጠረ አለመግባባት ተጋጩ፣ ወንድም እህቱን በጥፊ ወለወለ፣ በቃ፡፡ እንኳን ሰው እና ሰው እግር እና እግርስ ይጋጭ የለ?” ብዙዎች ይህንን እንደሚሉ አይጠረጠርም፡፡ ነገር ግን፣ ይህንን  ነገር ሰፋ አድርገን ካስተዋልነው ግን እነዚህን መሰል “ቀላል” ነገሮች ተጠራቅመው ከባድ እና አሳሳቢ እንደሚሆኑ ማስተዋል ይቻላል፡፡

ለዚህ አስተያየቴ መነሻ የሆነኝ ክስተት የተፈጠረው ባለፈው ሳምንት ማብቂያ ላይ ነበር፡፡ ቅዳሜ ጥቅምት 10 ቀን 2005 ዓ.ም. አዲስ አበባ ከተማ ውስጥ በተለምዶ “መስቀል ፍላወር“ ተብሎ በሚጠራው አካባቢ ከጠዋቱ ሁለት ሰዓት ከሩብ ላይ አንድ ግለሰብ የቀድሞ ባለቤቱ የምታሽከረክረውን መኪና በመኪናው መንገድ ዘግቶ ካስቆማት በኋላ በያዘው ክላሽኒኮቭ ጠመንጃ ተኩስ ከፍቶ እርሷን በ18 ጥይቶች መትቶ ሲገድል፣ አብረዋት የነበሩትን ወላጅ እናቷን እና ሁለት በአካባቢው የነበሩ ግለሰቦችን አቆሰለ፡፡ በመጨረሻም ራሱን ለመግደል ሲሞክር ጥይት በመጨረሱ ሳይሳካለት ቀርቶ በቁጥጥር ሥር ዋለ፡፡     

ብዙ ዓይነት የግድያ ወንጀሎችን በዕድሜዬ ሰምቻለሁ፡፡ በተለይም በባል እና በሚስት መካከል ከሚፈጠሩ አለመግባባቶች ጋር ተያይዞ እስከሞት ድረስ የደረሱ ጥቃቶችን አውቃለሁ፡፡ ይህኛው ግን ሲበዛ አሰቃቂ እና አስፈሪ ሆኖብኛል፡፡ ከባለጉዳዮችም አልፎ ሌሎች ንፁሃንንም የጎዳ እና ከልክ ያለፈ አረመኔያዊ ጥቃት!

ባለችኝ ጥቂት የጦር መሣሪያ ዕውቀት መሠረት አንድ የክላሽኒኮቭ ጠመንጃ የጥይት ካርታ 30 ጥይቶችን ይይዛል፡፡ እንደሟች እናት ምስክርነት ሟች በ18 ጥይት ተመትታ ነው የተገደለችው (ፖሊስ ገና እያጣራ ቢሆንም)፡፡ እናት በሦስት ጥይቶች መመታታቸውን ተናግረዋል፡፡ ሁለት መንገደኞችም በተኩስ እሩምታው ቆስለዋል፡፡ ምናልባት እያንዳንዳቸው በሁለት ወይም በሦስት ጥይቶች ተመትተዋል ብለን እናስብ፡፡ ስንደምራቸው ወደ ቢበዛ ወደ 27 ያህል ጥይቶች በሰለባዎቹ ላይ አርፈዋል፡፡ ተጠርጣሪው ራሱን ለመግደል ሞክሮ ጥይት ስለጨረሰ ሳይሳካለት ቀርቷልና ቀሪዎቹ ሦስት ጥይቶችም ተተኩሰዋል ማለት ነው፡፡

ይህንን ዓይነት ጭካኔ የተሞላበት ግድያ (ርሸና ብለው ይሻላል) ቀደም ሲል የምናውቀው በምዕራቡ ዓለም ነበር፡፡ ከሥራው የተባረረ፣ ትዳሩ የፈረሰ፣ አዕምሮው የተቃወሰ እና የጦር መሣሪያ እጁ የገባ ሁሉ አገር ፈጅቶ እራሱን ሲያጠፋ ብዙ ጊዜ ሰምተናል፡፡ እኛ አገር ከጥቂት ዓመታት በፊት በግል ጠብ ምክንያት ይህን የመሰለ ጥቃት መፈጸሙን አስታውሳለሁ፡፡ ትዳር-ተኮር በሆነ ምክንያት ግን… ይህ የመጀመሪያዬ ነው፡፡

እንደሚዲያዎች ዘገባ ከሆነ ተጠርጣሪው የቀድሞ ባለቤቱ እና ልጆቹ “ጠልተውኛል” የሚል ስሜት አድሮበታል፡፡ ለዚህ ስሜቱ ወይም ስጋቱ መፍትሄው መግደል ነው ብሎ ማመኑ እርምጃውን ለመውሰድ እንደገፋፋው ማሰብ ይቻላል፡፡ ነገር ግን ይህ አስተሳሰብ በምድርም ሆነ በሰማይ የተሳሳተ፣ ወንጀልም ኃጢያትም መሆኑ አያከራክረንም፡፡ ግጭቶችንና አለመግባባቶችን ለመፍታት ሰላማዊ የሆኑ ብዙ መንገዶች ስላሉ፡፡

በፍቅርም ሆነ በትዳር ግንኙነቶች ውስጥ አለመግባባትና ግጭት ይከሰታል፡፡ እነዚህን ችግሮች ቢቻል በውይይት፣ ካልተቻለ በሽምግልና፣ ከዚያ ከከበደ ደግሞ በመለያየት መፍታት ይቻላል፡፡ እነዚህ በፍቅርና በትዳር መካከል የሚፈጠሩ ግጭቶች በአግባቡ መያዝ እስከተቻለ ድረስ ግንኙነቱን እንደሚያጠናክሩ አምናለሁ፡፡

ይህ ማለት ግን ሁልጊዜም ግጭት መኖር አለበት፣ ግጭቱ በየትኛውም መልክ የሚገለጽ ይሁን ማለት አይደለም፡፡ በግጭት ስም ዲያቢሎስ ወደቤታችን እንዲዘልቅ በፍጹም መፍቀድ አይገባንም፡፡ አበው “ሰይጣን ሰውን ሲያታልል “ስለፍቅር በስመአብ ይቅር” ይላል” ይላሉ፡፡ ዛሬ በአገራችን እያየን እና እየሰማን ያለነውና በፍቅርና በትዳር ውስጥም ሆነ ውጭ የምናየው ጭካኔ የዚህ አካሄድ ውጤት ነው፡፡ ግጭትን በሰከነ መንፈስ ለማብረድ አለመቻል፣ በስሜት መነዳት፣… ይህ ሁሉ የወንጀል ምንጭ ይሆናል፡፡

ትናንት እናያቸውና እንሰማቸው የነበሩ በፍቅርና በትዳር ውስጥ የሚፈጠሩ አለመግባባቶች የፈጠሯቸው ጥቃቶች “ቀላል ናቸው” ብለን ስናልፋቸው፣ እነሆ ዛሬ ወደከፋው ደረጃ ደርሰዋል፡፡ የትናንቱ ጥፊ ዛሬ ወደቦክስ፣ ወደዱላ፣ ወደፈላ ውሃ፣ ወደአሲድ፣ቀጥሎም ወደ ጥይትና ቦምብ ተቀይሯል፡፡ ነገ ደግሞ ወደየት እንደሚሄድ ፈጣሪ ይወቅ፡፡ አሁኑኑ የማያዳግም እርምጃ ካልተወሰደ በስተቀር፡፡

እንደወንድነቴ፣ እነዚህ ሁሉ የጭካኔ ተግባራት በሙሉ እየተፈጸሙ ያሉት በወንዶች በመሆኑ አዝናለሁ፣ አፍራለሁም፡፡ በእኔ አመለካከት ”ወንድ” ማለት ትዕግሥተኛ፣ አመዛዛኝ፣ እና ምክንያታዊ የሆነ፣ ተፈጥሯዊ የአካል ጥንካሬ የበላይነቱን በተገቢው መልኩ የሚጠቀም ሰው ነው፡፡ ወንድነት የሱሪ ጉዳይ አይደለም፡፡ የአዕምሮ ብስለት እንጂ፡፡ ከዚህ አኳያ የነገራችን መነሻ የሆነን ሰው የቀድሞ ሚስቱን ለመግደል ሲወስን ሌሎቹን የችግሩን መፍቻ መንገዶች በአዕምሮው ውስጥ ዘግቶ ነው ለማለት ያስችላል፡፡ ቀድሞ ፈራጅ ባልባል፣ ይህ ሰው የመግደል ሐሳቡን ያመነጨው ተኝቶ ሲነሳ አይመስለኝም፡፡ አስቦበት፣ መሣሪያ ገዝቶ ወይም ተውሶ፣ የሟችን መውጫ ሰዓት ጠብቆ የድርጊቱን ውጤት እያወቀ እንደሆነ ምንም ጥርጥር የለኝም፡፡ ይህንን በጭካኔ የተሞላ ወንጀል ዛሬ እንደቀላል አይተን ካለፍነው ነገ ሌሎችም የግጭት መፍቻ መንገድ አድርገው እንደማይወስዱት ምንም ዋስትና የለንም፡፡

እናም ሕጉ ይጥበቅ፣ ተተኪውን ትውልድ ከዚህ መሰል አረመኔነት ለማዳን ትምህርትና ምክር በስፋት ይሰጥ፣ ከሁሉም በላይ ደግሞ ወንዶች ትዕግሥትን እንላበስ፣ የምር “ወንድ” እንሁን!!!

A Glorious Moment

Yesterday was definitely one of the happiest days in Ethiopian history. The public in general and the football-loving community in particular, were in a festive mood throughout the evening, and even, today. After a 31 year absence, our country has returned to Africa’s biggest football event, the Cup of African Nations (CAN). This was made possible after the Walias, as the Ethiopian men’s national team is nicknamed; beat their Sudanese counterparts 2-0 at the return leg of their qualification match (5-5 on aggregate, but Ethiopia won by the “away goal” rule). This victory, as many people here agree (myself included), is a “once in a lifetime”event. It is, evidently, more than the game; it’s a sign of national unity, harmony, and the dawn of a new era.

I was about five years old at the time of Ethiopia's last CAN appearance, which was in 1982. I remember the feeling of the day, although it was not a time when we were lucky to watch the games live on TV as we do these days. But the promotion made for the national squad, which was reorganized after seven of its players gone missing at Côte d'Ivoire, was huge. The newly organized squad have managed to send Guinea out of the qualifying round, and thus qualified for the finals. As I remember, though, the squad was short of the much needed team spirit and national feeling; hence lost all of its group-stage games. And that was the last of Ethiopia’s participation at the football event of the continent that it co-initiated 56 years ago…, until yesterday.

A lot has happened over the last three decades; many federation leaders, various coaches, three generations of players, millions of fans… All of that has finally been paid off on Sunday. We’re now on our way to the 2013 African Cup of Nations to be held in South Africa in January. Such a joyous moment!

The last 10 minutes of the game, which were added by the referee after the Ethiopian goalkeeper, Jemal Tassew, was stretched off and taken to hospital by an ambulance after a nasty fall by the back of his head, were, perhaps, the longest times that I have spent worrying in my entire life. With ten men on our side, and the last minute struggle by the Sudanese against the midfielder Abiy Hntsa, who took up with the charge of keeping the goal since the team has already used all its three substitutes, I could say we were both lucky and strong all along.

At the sports bar where I watched the game, people were happy and crazy like hell. With each goal or every goal attempt, the crowd, both men and women, were screaming, jumping, and cheering from start to finish. When Adane Girma scored the opener, the place was banged with the scream and chanting of the crowd. A guy who sat next to me stumbled on my feet twice, as he jumps on the chair and came down hard with joy. He even took his shirt off when the second goal by Salahdin Seid was scored. Over the last 10 minutes of the game, I was on the edge of my seat. It was so painful to watch those moments. What if the Sudanese scored at the dying seconds? In fact, they have scored, only it was scored a couple of seconds after the ref blew the whistle marking the end of the game. Those were agonizing moments.

It’s all over now. The Waliashave secured their place in CAN2013. But we have much to celebrate; their female compatriots, The Lucy, will participate in the African Women’s Championship in Equatorial Guinea in a couple of weeks, the U-17 squad beat one of the continent’s super powers in football, Tunisia, 3-0 on home soil, and put one feet on the African U-17 Championship to be held in Morocco around April 2013. So I think 2012/13 is a year of football fiesta for the nation. And the moment that we’re right now, is a glorious moment!

As we celebrate these achievements, though, I believe we should also set our concerns towards the future. A well-planned and adequate preparation for the upcoming competitions must be held starting now. Our national squads need international match experiences. The national federation must take up this task quick and coordinate all prospective stakeholders into action. I also believe that it is high time we must think really hard on sports professionalism. The days of amateur sportsmanship are long gone in the modern sports world. As our Amharic saying goes, "There’s no one that has ploughed by the old day ox." The world’s changing fast, so shall we be.

 Adane Girma, Scorer of the First Ethiopian Goal

Congratulations to our men and women footballers! You’ve made a nation united and proud. Your efforts for your country’s success will not go unnoticed, and will be remembered throughout generations. Thanks to Sewnet Bishaw, Abraham Teklehaimanot, and Yared Tolera, head coaches of the senior men’s, women, and U-17 teams, respectively, and their staffs for their unreserved dedication for their respective teams and magnificent leaderships. And congratulations to the people of Ethiopia, who’ve stood by the teams and against all odds for all those years that the nation was merely a participant of the international football arena. Let’s enjoy the moment, look for a bright future, and start working for the better of our success.

God Bless Ethiopia!!!

Diminishing Identity

As a proud Ethiopian, I understand that the pride of being an Ethiopian isn't economic might or financial richness, or being big in size or population. I believe it's because of the nation's natural and cultural heritage, the people's kindness and hospitable nature, the harmony and mutual respect between different religions, and more.

If we pause for a moment and think about what Ethiopia has offered to the world, the word that we can come up with to say it all will be "enormous." Keeping this treasure, however, has become equally enormous these days.

It's been a saddening fact that those rich and magnificent cultural heritages are diminishing more and more by the day. Not only the culture, the local languages are being treated as "unnecessary" and "worthless" by some, and favoring English as the most valuable means of communication.

I miss 'Hoya Hoye'  and 'Abebayehosh', the traditional chants by children for Buhe and Enkutatash,  respectively. It's such a pity that we're losing this culture and start living in memories.

It might not become a surprise since we are ignorant of almost everything around us, but losing our identity and culture, that's quite sickening.

On New Year's Eve, I saw a couple of young girls chanting 'Abebayehosh' at the gate of a building. Only two girls! Usually, it takes at least four or five girls to form a group when the spring time girls' play time starts. Seeing those two poor girls broke my heart. Is this where we are going? Are we on the verge of a grave "identity crash?"

The Buhe tradition has already lost its charm for quite a while. The kids these days have traded the traditional reward for their 'Hoya Hoye'  chant, the mulmul, or freshly baked traditional piece of bread, for cash. This is awkwardly disappointing!

The westerners have maintained the customary Halloween tradition that has taken its root in 16th century Scotland. Children dressed in various Halloween costumes go door-to-door and receive candy fro their neighborhood on the night of October 31. I believe it's high time that we should start learning from them and preserving our own. There's no one to do this job for us.

I'm afraid, though, that we're running out of time to play our role in this area, since we're losing those responsible citizens who strived to maintain this harmoneous heritage. Parents, teachers, schools, cultural institutions are burdoned with this responsibility. And we, the people, are obliged to assist in whatever means that we have in our disposal. Getting back a lost heritage is a long shot, so let's start the race against time to nurture the effort to preserve true Ethiopian culture.

Trying Times

This week has been one of the most difficult and burdensome in the history of Ethiopia. The country has lost two of its influential and powerful leaders under unexpected and somewhat bizarre circumstances. His Holiness Abune Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church, and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died this week, leaving the nation in total shock, disbelief, and a load of unanswered questions. The nation is in a mood of absolute distress and shock over these incidents, especially with the latter. Even the weather seems to back up the feeling.
It was unbelievable for me to see the emotions reflected on Tuesday night when the body of the PM arrived in the capital Addis Ababa. Thousands of Addis Ababans turned out to the streets from the airport towards the National Palace where his body lies in state, braving the heavy rain and aching cold of the night to welcome their deceased leader. People were crying loudly, as if they have lost a member of their family. I even could not stop my tears from falling down as I followed the event live on TV at home. I'm sure that not all of those people who cried their hearts out for Meles have voted for his party, EPRDF in the 2010 elections. Nobody has forced them to do that. It's just a feeling that they felt at the time when they learned of his passing, not forgetting the impact that he made on the younger generation, and with concern over what is to come next.
People surely have their own perceptions about Meles. Some say he was a visionary and successful leader, others say he was a dictator, and a leader with an iron fist. In my opinion, every leader has his/her own strengths and weaknesses, and Meles is no exception. His administration has fruited a great deal of endeavors in the political, economic, and social sectors of the nation over the last two decades. On the other hand, it has failed to succeed in a number of areas of those sectors. At both ends, Meles was all aboard. He was the architect for the government policies and strategies, so it's no wonder if he was the one to be hailed for the successes, and blamed for the failures. Furthermore, I think politics makes one smart , and at times cruel, and I believe Meles has lived both worlds.
Then it all came down to the day he passed away. And ever since he was gone, people everywhere have been expressing their feelings. Most expressed their heartfelt grievances over his passing, praising him for what he has done for Ethiopia, and Africa at large. Even those who strongly opposed him on the political front at home have acknowledged his efforts in spite of their ideological differences. A very few, regrettably, expressed their joy over his death. It's no surprise Al-Shabab, the Somali-based Islamic faction, hailed his death, since he was the man who literally "ended" its "joy- ride" in Somalia. But to listen to some Ethiopians (if they're truly Ethiopians) say they are "extremely happy", that's so sickening! My advice to these people is this: Let's be human for a moment here. Meles may have hurt you one way or another. But this is no time to hail his death. Please look at the big picture. He wasn't just a random guy. He was a leader of this great nation. He had its fate on his hands for the last 21 years, for better or for worse. You should be worried about Ethiopia and its people; "What would happen to them after Meles' gone?" should be your concern. Let's think as citizens, not as sworn enemies. Dancing over a fellow citizen's death is not Ethiopian. And remember, you will die, eventually, too.

Photos from: The Reporter (www.ethiopianreporter.com)
The passing of the two high-profile leaders has greatly affected the nation. The loss is multi-faceted. But it is also an opportunity, an opportunity to pause for a while and think about the future. As my favorite blogger Daniel Kibret observed, it's time to ask "Why did we lose the Patriarch and the Prime Minister at this time?", "What message is God conveying to us?", and "What lesson are we going to get from all this?"
I believe it's about time that all of us [Ethiopians] need to open up our minds and think long and hard about what is to come to our nation. What happened to this country this week is a clear sign for all of us that we're facing some tough times, as well as answer some tough questions. So let's be clear about one thing: This is not a joke. It's a serious matter. This is a time to look for answers for the dreadful problems that we're having all around; be it in the church, the mosque, the palace, or the household.  Apart from personal or institutional grudges, let's think for the better future of this awesome nation of ours. Let's be true Ethiopians, for once in our lives. This is a trying time for all of us in Ethiopia, and trying times call for wise reactions. So let's be wise.
May God be the guardian for Ethiopia and its people!!!

The Spirit of the Olympics III

The flame has finally been puffed off at the Olympics Stadium in London on Sunday night. After 16 days of thrilling sporting actions,mixed emotions, and, above all, a spirit of solidarity and international friendship, the 10,000+ athletes form around 204 nations are packing their bags to return home. It's pretty amazing how much the games have captivated us over the last couple of weeks; no deep interest over the global political affairs making the news on the media, no crying over the economic hangover, or no ear-dropping over celebrity gossip, only the Olympics!
Another thing that amazed me from the Olympics was the variety of the sports that have been featured this year, 26 to be precise. It seems to me that everybody had a nice treat throughout the days of the Olympic games.
On the home front, I'm satisfied with the seven medals; three gold, a silver, and three bronze, that Ethiopian athletes have earned. given the problems that were surfaced prior to the team's departure to London, on team selection and training strategy. Of course, the medals have not met the expectations of the EOC, i.e; 12 medals (4 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze), they are quite enough for a nation whose sporting participation is restricted on athletics. However, it has become a wake-up call for the nation's sports' governing bodies, saying that the results were not up to the country's status at the Olympics. On the other hand, though, a big shout-out to the ladies, namely; Tirunesh, Tiki, Meseret, Sofia, and a special one for Worknesh, whose dedication to her country's victory was outshining. On the men's department, Dejen's and Tariku's silver and bronze, respectively, have been quite exemplary.
Thanks to the Games Makers

Thanks to the Games Makers
Photo from: www.london2012.com

Back to London, the organization to the game was excellent, despite some irregularities that have been exhibited at first. The Local Organizing Committee has done a tremendous job in making the games exciting. And the 70,000 "game maker" volunteers, including a number of Ethiopians, have been so dedicated for all the games. Everyone involved has helped make the game, and the spirit of the Olympics, a reality.
Thank you London for hosting such a decorated event as the Olympics. The games have truly "inspired a generation." Thank you the athlets, for  inspiring the world. Thank you, our Ethiopian olympians, for inspiring a nation. Thank you everyone for keeping the spirit alive!
Look forward to Rio 2016!



The Olympic spirit rises out of the Flame
Photo from: www.london2012.com

The Spirit of the Olympics II

A week after I wrote my last piece entitled "The Spirit of the Olympics," I came across a photo posted on Facebook. It shows a group of athletes riding together in a bus at the Olympics arena in London. They are no random athletes: They are ERITREANS AND ETHIOPIANS!

The familiar faces in this picture includes Tirunesh Dibaba from Ethiopia and Zeresenay Tadesse from Eritrea. It's so amazing, at the same time, so exciting to see athletes from two neighbouring nations who were in a bitter series of wars and bloodshed for close to 40 years enjoying their moment together. That's the Spirit!
As I have stated in my last post, the Olympics is all about peace, love, respect, and harmony. With a high-spirited hope to see these pillars of the game in action, I have been waiting to see how athletes from countries whose relations with other countries are at a limbo would react when they encounter those nations at the sporting events. I'm glad to see the athletes representing my country and our northern neighbors smiling to each other, and maybe, cracking jokes.
It doesn't matter what caused the rift between the leaderships of the two nations, or what goes on inside their political platforms in their respective capitals at this moment. This is sports, even better, the Olympics. These athletes have shown true sportsmanship, and made us think, once again, that we are of the same bloodline.
Congratulations on your unity. You have shown high respect for each other, and for the spirit of the game. Our leaders, and we the peoples, may not see eye to eye right now, but you have proved that we may, sometime in the near future. You are the heroes of the hour!
Good luck to you all!!

The Spirit of the Olympics

It's 2:39 am, Saturday morning. I stayed up late to watch the opening ceremony of the 30th Olympiad, a.k.a. London 2012. It was a highly spectacular event; the colorful shows were mesmerizing. I cannot tell whether or not this ceremony was better than the 2008 Beijing event, but one thing's for sure, I just like what I saw.
What impressed me more at this moment, though, was not the colorful ceremony. I was immersed into the spirit of the game. For the more-than-three hours that I spend in front of the TV, all I think was the Olympics, and the message it entails. It was all about peace, love, respect, and harmony. If you had the same feeling, there would not be a tiny space on your minds about anything else.
Once I was in that state of mind, I was too busy to think about the other stuff that's making headlines lately. The battle in Syria, the Eurozone crisis, the back-to-back natural disasters that create havoc in different parts of the world, the current situation in Ethiopia,..., all of those were forgotten. The spirit of the Olympics reigned all along. Seeing people inside the Olympic stadium smiling, cheering, and enjoying their moment at the greatest sporting event on the planet, that's the one thing which puts a smile on my face at the end of the day.
Adding to my excitement, I was delighted to see familiar faces on the podium. The Ethiopian delegation, small but determined to shine at the Olympics, was led by a young, energetic (and good-looking) athlete named Yanet Seyoum. Yanet became the first Ethiopian swimmer to take part in the Olympics, along with another male compatriate. Looking at them at that arena fills my heart with joy.
And looking at the iconic Haile Gebreselassie among the Olympic flag-bearers, including UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon, was the show-stopper for me. Wow! How incredeble to be inspired by those big-names, and feeling anointed by the Olympics spirit.
As the show drowns to its close, I was thinking, "It would be marvelous if this feeling could last long." Leaving that feeling is hard, but I believe keeping the sense of it is possible. I believe we can do that in the coming couple of weeks of the games, because that's the spirit.
So, in the spirit of peace, love, respect, and harmony, let's enjoy the Olympics. Let's bring happiness to our hearts by virtue of the games. Let's enjoy the summer with the beautiful game.
Good luck for our Ethiopian Olympians in London!!!

The Good Old Memories

As always, I was watching the news on TV during breakfast at home. The last news on the Aljazeera English bulletin was the passing of the renowned TV actor Andy Griffith, from "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Matlock". I wasn't shocked by the news, given the fact that the guy was 86, and knowing that his health condition has been fragile over the past few years. However, I started thinking about his works and the memories I have associated with it.
It was in the 90s, on my teenage days, that I used to watch "Matlock" on TV. Ah! Those were the days that I enjoyed Sundays very much. I remember the fun I had in those days; running to the living room exactly at 4 in the afternoon to watch the white-haired lawyer in his white-grey suit, investigating crimes and solving murder mysteries, defending the innocent in court, and after the end of the show, going out with family to grab a bite at one of the popular hang-outs in town.The show was an inspiration for many youngsters of the day, myself included. Most of us were hoping to become lawyers when we grow up.
"Matlock" wasn't the only show that brings back memories to my mind. Other shows like "Cutter to Houston", "Jessie", "Paris", "The Old Fox" (German series),..., were the hits of the day (for me, at least). These aren't the only memories that I have savored from the days, either. It's amazing how fast times are running off.
Times are fast-changing. The things that are occuring in our lives are becoming more and more momentary. But there is this one things that keeps them alive, a thing called Memory. I believe memories are the "creams" of our life. Seriously, though, what would life taste without memory, if God hadn't reserved a piece of plot on our minds to store it?

In Praise of Women

This week was all about “Fathers’ Day.” The media, the web, everybody’s talking about the day; how fathers are important in the lives of their children, the good deeds fathers do, …  All these are great, giving credit for the man of the house.

But today, all these have changed dramatically. And it was all because of 18 women, collectively named “Lucy.” The Ethiopian National Women Football Team beat its Tanzanian counterpart 3-1 on aggregate to qualify for the 8^th African Women Cup of Nations to be held in Equatorial Guinea in November. Everyone here is happy about it. Their victory has, once again, brought joy to the football fans who are still looking for such success in the men’s department for the last 30+ years. These women have proved to the nation that they can put a smile on everybody’s face, among other things.

I have come to know a lot of women who stood against the odds to succeed in life, and bring change to others. My mother and my sister are, for once, among those who faced a lot of challenges, and became outstanding leaders at home and/or at the workplace. Other women that I know from different walks of life have managed to overcome norms of the society and contributed a lot to their localities, and to the world.

In Ethiopia, views towards women are mostly discouraging. Our proverbs, sayings, and beliefs all have been degrading women for a long time. But now, things are changing. A number of women have reached to levels that were once considered the “Man’s sole territory.” It’s a fact that is hard to swallow for a number of men; some even claim the women got these chances thanks to their “womanhood.”

As a man, I can understand the men’s frustration. That’s how we are raised to think. Add sexist ego to it, and the mix is quite bitter. But we must admit; this wasn’t always the case. Some women may use their charm to achieve their goals, but I can say, with full confidence, most of the successful women have worked hard to make their dreams a reality. And for that, we must give respect for our women. Besides, women are humans too. Also, as Shaina Twain puts it, they are “not just a pretty face.”

I never wished to be a woman, and never will (no offense, ladies). But I wish I had a fraction of the self-confidence, determination, and compassion these successful women have exhibited in their journeys to success in mine. That’s what we all need to have in our hearts, if we truly want to be “perfect” in what we do in our lives. What our female footballers have given the Ethiopian people today and the years before is far greater than the game. They have achieved all this without adequate assistance from the concerned parties. They proved to us one outstanding fact. Women can change the world. Women are mothers, care-givers, hard workers, lovers, wives, and many more. They can create something out of nothing. So let’s praise them, give them their proper places in the society.

Whom are We Treasuring?

The year was 2003. A young sculptor came up with an idea of placing a statute for Emperor Theodros II, Ethiopia’s leader from 1855 to 1868, at a square named after him in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa. His proposal was accompanied by a full-scale design of the statute and the envisioned look of the square after completion. Mega Creative Arts Center, a company once involved in the production and presentation of art works, which used to own the nation’s first cinema around that square, supported the idea and began coordinating efforts to raise fund for the project.

The project got momentum after the city administration granted permission for the launch of the project. With preparations almost completed and the project was about to be commenced, though, an organization established to retrieve stolen treasures from Maqduella, the place where Theodros committed suicide after the British forces overpowered the Ethiopian troops, intervened, claiming it was the right authority to undertake the project. With this claim (and, maybe, with invisible, powerful hands on the background), the organization has managed to persuade the new provisional city government to suspend the previous permit and got a new one for itself. The organizers told the media that they would float an international tender for the design and erection of the statute. Until then, they erected the replica of the artillery named Sebastopol, which was locally built by Europeans held prisoner by the king at Gafat, a place sought to become an industrial center.

Fast forward to 2012. Sebastopol is still there. No statute for the emperor yet. Even the organization became defunct a while back.  Why? Nobody knows.

This poses a number of questions: Whom are we treasuring, the creation or the creator?  Was it this much difficult to erect a statute in Ethiopia where we have a load of artistic talents? Are we truly celebrating history? …

A visit to Central London, where the statue of General Robert Napier, dubbed “Lord of Maqduella” by his people makes one wonder, as Daniel Kibret puts it , “Who’s the real Lord of Maqduella?” The British   hailed him as one of their all-time greats, and we the Ethiopians, don’t even bother to put a symbol for our own in the nation’s capital. What a joke!!

Every time I pass around Theodros Square, and look at Sebastopol, I get this feeling that we are becoming ignorant about fact and history. Putting a statute for an arsenal which was shot only once and dismantled afterwards, over that of its mastermind, who was a true visionary,  is [for the lack of a better word] an insult of all insults.

I don’t think the problem is financial or technical. It’s just lack of good will. The people in charge of such works are either ignorant or unqualified to do their job. Historians don’t seem to bother about it. The media prefers to back down on the matter.

I am not going to prescribe a solution here, since the solution is right on the table. But I want to say this: Please let’s respect out history, let’s practice to honor our greats. Let’s not put the creation ahead of the creator.

Deadly Voyages

On my last piece, I promised my next post would be entertaining. Unfortunately, this will not be the case today. A burning issue is on the plate. So I chose to say a few words on that.
Yesterday, I heard this disturbing news of a terrible road accident in the late Tuesday afternoon near Gelan town in East Shoa zone. A minibus and a bus collided head-on at a narrow road. Eighteen people were killed,of which the entire passengers in the minibus. A friend of mine, who was at the scene, told me that three members of a family, one of which is the driver of the minibus, were among the dead.
Road accidents are no special cases in Ethiopia nowadays. What's new is their magnitude; the number of deaths, the various forms of injuries, and the bizarre debris of vehicles involved. The reoprts that are heard on the media every morning are disturbing. The multifaceted damages caused by these accidents are getting bigger and uglier by the day.
Last month and the first week of June were, according to my observation, the deadliest times of road accidents. Just three weeks ago, another horrendous accident at Meri, an area around my neighborhood, happened. An automobile was crushed by a truck after the two collided at a crossing where one side was fenced for the construction of a light train line. The passengers at the Toyota hatch-back; a mother, her baby, and the maid, all killed in the accident.
We can go on and list the number of this tragic accidents all day long. But the big issue is , What are we going to do about it?
What is happening to us? Is human life worth nothing? When will all end?... 
The questions are endless. Whatever the answers may be, they must come quick.
It's so disheartening to learn that Ethiopia ranks first in the world in the level of traffic accidents. This accidents are often accompanied by accelerated death rates. A study released in 2008 shows that more than 300 people die each year of car accidents  shockingly, in Addis Ababa alone. The number of deaths is in thousands annually. It's better to leave the amount of damages in property. Ironically, all these are happening in a country whose total population of vehicles doesn't even reach the one million mark.
Looking at the nature and causes of these accidents, around 81% are caused by negligence by the motorists, 9% by pedestrians, 5% by technical failures, 4% by the nature of our roads, and the remaining 1% is attributed to other factors. This tells us that we all have a stake in what's happening.
If this is the case, then we have to act soon, like now. One of the messages that I heard recently read marking the Road Safety Week says "How Many Accidents are Needed To Make You Understand The Tragedy?!" Yes? How many more? As my friend puts it, even HIV/AIDS didn't kill as much people as the roads did. Shouldn't this be a lesson to stop this madness at once?
There were a lot of things that I wanted to say over the matter, but I fell short of words to share my feelings right now. I'm upset, confused, and emotional about this issue. The only thing I can say now is: May God Protect Us All from this tragedy! I don't want the foreigners to scare of this blessed land over its  road fatalities. The ugly image imposed by our drought-stricken days is more than enough.

The Start

Here I am, expanding my network into the social media once more. Started out by creating my first e-mail account a decade ago, adding another two soon after, joined Facebook and Twitter last year, I have now added blogger.com to the list. Have you ever imagined all of these means of communication would become a reality ,say, 20 years ago? I know I haven't.

It's really amazing how fast things have changed in our world. I frequently pass through the main post office in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Whenever I see the logo of the national postal service, an envelope between a pair of sticks (the method used in the early days to deliver written messages), I always wonder of what Emperor Menilik II, whom I highly admire for his landmark efforts and remarkable successes in modernizing Ethiopia, would say, if he somehow manages to trick death and comes back to life, to see us sending and receiving mails right on the palms of our hands.I picture him holding his mouth in his left palm, and say "ወይ ግሩም !!" ('Wey Grum'), loosely meaning "Incredible!" in Amharic. Even ourselves are saying 'Wey Grum' right now, looking at the changes we are witnessing at the moment.

I believe that we don't have much problem these days expressing ourselves in anyway we can and like, if we discover and rediscover ourselves and our surroundings constantly. Whether in writing, painting, speaking, dancing, ..., there is a way for each and everyone of us to make ourselves heard. With our efforts to make ourselves heard, we develop our skills of communication with others. And there is a lot of fun doing that.

Why this blog?

To be honest, I didn't see myself as a blogger (not even a writer) for a long time. I know I have a fair skill of using the languages I speak for everyday communication and work, but not in a way that could reach others in a different way. 

Then comes the era of social networks. I see the impacts FB, Twitter, Linkedin, socialcam, etc, have created in worldwide interconnectivity. This transition has helped me to think "outside the box." I realized that the usual "hi's" and "hey's" that we exchange with the ones around us do not help us much in the real world to grow and become fruitful. So I jumped into the pool of big-time information sharing waters.

Adding to this, when I started studying computer science three years ago, I saw the numerous grapes of the IT garden that we somehow missed or bypassed for God knows why, I started to think, "Hey, there's something that I can further my networks in this, plus the other benefits." I'm not saying this is easy, especially for someone like me, who comes from a totally different discipline; but for those with the 'will and balls', there is always something to explore.

Back to the social networks; when I get more and more connected, I found out that I can say more that I have already said, explore more than what I have explored, and get myself to places that I have never set foot before. Comments from friends (on and off the web) have encouraged me to "scan my system" once again to find out more about what I can do in life. Being a Computer Science student, I glued myself onto the computer almost all the time; working on programs and applications, researching, or simply surfing the net. Despite the pressure on the eyes and the brain, man, what you can find in this business is enormous!

That's when I came across the terms "blog" and "blogger." At first, I thought a blog is only for those who can afford it; but then, I discovered, that everybody can have it, if there is "the will and the ball." As I discover deep, I learned that some people, whom I know and appreciate, have their own blogs, and use them to deliver powerful messages. So a question popped in my head, "If it's as simple as this, why can't I do it?" The answer, "No reason."

There you have it, now I created my own blog. It even doesn't take as long time as I have taken to talk ti through! Writing this piece, I thought "Wheew...! That wasn't so hard." And the best lesson that I have gained today, "There is nothing that one can't do, if hearts and minds are put to it."

I hope I haven't bored you with my first post. Remember, this is a beginner talking. I don't know when my next post comes, but when it does, I assure you that it will be more entertaining. Besides, I have said it earlier: "There is a lot of fun in doing that."