Ethiopian PM's Visit to Minneapolis
(on 7/30/18)
~Report by Hénock Gugsa ~
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The new and refreshingly progressive Ethiopian leader, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, came to Minneapolis on Monday and was warmly welcomed by a sizable gathering of Ethiopian-Americans, and Ethiopian resident communities from the surrounding areas. The event at Target Center was carried live on YouTube and can be accessed for viewing by all who may be interested.
The phenomenon of "Abiy", if I may be permitted to so describe it, is a development that is positively contagious since it is taking Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa by storm.
Let me describe just what is going on with the new philosophy, new direction, and the totally un-imagined notion of nationhood in Ethiopia. Dr. Abiy has brought together and neatly combined all of his ideas under one umbrella which everybody is abbreviating as " መ ደ መ ር " (MEDEMER).
Literally, the word "medemer" means to add, as in the arithmetic sense, ... or to count, or to be counted. In actuality, "medemer" nowadays may be having a much bigger and more significant relevance in the political life of Ethiopians. Of late, I've been made to understand that the specific reference of "medemer" is to "Unity" (as in "United we stand, divided we fall"). But there is also a general allusion to "Inclusive Democracy", because in such a democracy, everybody counts and gets counted.
Moreover, Dr. Abiy is pointedly asking for Love, for Peace, for Forgiveness, for Brotherhood, for Sacrifice, and for a grander, and more dedicated philosophy of giving, not taking. Specifically, he praises idealists and thinkers, but he is more appreciative of those who actually do the work. He mentions John F Kennedy as a great visionary, but Dr. Abiy's hero is Lyndon Johnson who actually accomplished a lot.
Dr. Abiy Ahmed is most uniquely suited to lead Ethiopia for the following reasons:
1 - His family background (i.e. cultural) .... Born to a Moslem father and an Orthodox Christian mother and raised in Southwest Ethiopia , he, himself, is a Pentecostal Christian. Ethnically, he is an Oromo but not an "Oromayan". He identifies as an Ethiopian, and rigorously promotes that sense of belonging. Furthermore, he is married to a graceful lady from Northwest Ethiopia and they're proud parents to three beautiful young daughters.
2 - He speaks three ethnic languages: Amharic, Oromo, and Tigrigna ...all of them fluently!
He also speaks English very well even though it is a foreign language.
*** Talk about a product of a "melting pot" ... he is a living example of that for Ethiopia ! ***
3 - He served in the military reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel. And it is reported he had been engaged in battlefront lines especially during the Ethio-Eritrean conflict. There, he learned the senselessness of wars between brothers.
4 - He is highly educated and well-versed in political science and information technology matters, especially in the areas of Network Communications as tools for day-to-day dealings in national security, in business, in banking, in education, and in overall national development and growth.
5 - He is receptive and approachable. And so far, he has shown none of the trappings of power or ego. He is simple and humble but he is also daring and challenges his countrymen to step up and walk the talk!
6 - "Progression not Regression" seems to be his motto as well. And he has proclaimed he seeks friends and allies, not enemies.
7 - He is applying "gentle persuasion" and not forceful and militant dogmatism. He is hitting all the right chords so far. No wonder, Ethiopians are loving him up !!!
<< MEDEMER ... that is the zeitgeist now ! >>
