The Denver District Attorney’s Office has said an officer who shot a man who charged him with what appeared to be a knife but was a cross was justified in firing his gun.
Prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges against officer Gregory Ceccacci, who shot Samson Ferde at 4 a.m. during a Dec. 29, 2008, domestic violence call.
Police responding to the call on the 5100 block of North Fontana Court were told he was threatening to kill his sister and her family.
Ceccacci and another officer were confronted by Ferde, who was covered with blood after stabbing himself with a knife.
Ferde had lost his job as a cab driver five months earlier and had rarely gone out of his brother’s home since then, according to a police report.
He had gone to a religious meeting at the Pepsi Center, where a preacher picked him out of the crowd and said God had a plan for him. Relatives told detectives his mental health had declined since then. He said he could see things others couldn’t.
He called his sister and told her he was coming to save them on the night of the confrontation with police. He had cut himself and had blood all over himself.
When they saw him, officers ordered Ferde to kneel. He did so, but then got up, turned around and ran at officers with an object in his hand, according to the police statement.
“He had a look in his eye that scared the hell out of me,” Ceccacci was quoted as saying in the police report.
Ferde was within 11 feet of Ceccacci when he began firing at Ferde. He fired three shots.
“The attack occurred in an instant, forcing officer Ceccacci to make a split-second decision to defend himself,” said a letter from District Attorney Mitch Morrissey’s office to Police Chief Gerry Whitman.
Less lethal weapons were not available under the circumstances, the letter says.
The object in Ferde’s hand turned out to be a 3-by-5-inch cross.
In Ferde’s truck, investigators found the 12-inch blood- stained knife he presumably had cut himself with earlier.
Top Ethiopian female athlete Berhane Adere will grace today’s Safaricom Sportspersons of The Year Award (SOYA) Gala Night at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre.
The Ethiopian wondergirl will be the star guest at the function, replacing Mozambique middle distance runner, Maria Mutola, who can not make it due to personal commitments.
The former world and Olympic 800m champion, who was expected to arrive yesterday called the Soya chairman, Paul Tergat to apologise for the last minute pullout.
Adere joins a list of star guests who have graced this premier sports event. Others are her compatriot Haile Gebrselassie, Ramaala Henrick of South Africa and Nigeria’s Daniel Amokachi.
Top stars
“I would have really liked to be with you during this occasion to fete your top stars, but something has cropped up at the last minute,” she said in a note to Tergat.
“I received a call from Mutola that she cannot make it to the function due to unavoidable circumstances. I believe she has good reasons for her move and we respect it. Everything else is up and running and we are looking forward to the function,” said Tergat.
Adere’s career spans more than a decade. She was the African champion in the 1993 10,000m, and competed in the IAAF World Championships in 1995.
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and the 2000 Athens Olympics she was 18th and 12th in the 10,000m respectively.
In 1998 she was the African Champion and third at the IAAF World Cup.
Among the top favourites for the awards are Olympic champions Samwel Wanjiru (marathon), Wilfred Bungei (800m), Pamela Jelimo (800m), Nancy Jebet (1,500m), silver medallist Janeth Jepkosgei, Harambee Stars and Rugby 7s team.
Branding Kenya
Meanwhile, Brand Kenya Board joined the Soya sponsors’ stable yesterday with a Sh500,000 donation.
CEO Mary Kimonye said her body, which is tasked with selling Kenya’s image abroad, will partner with sportspeople by branding them as a way of boosting Kenya’s image.
Above:Winner of the title of Miss Ethiopia 2009 Chuna Okaka
(C) poses with the first runner-up Meron Getachew (L) and the
second runner-up Samrawit (R) during the Miss Ethiopia 2009
Beauty Pageant in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, Jan. 18, 2009.
(Xinhua Photo)
A 22-year-old university student from Gambella won the title of Miss Ethiopia beauty competition held here on Saturday.
The winner, Chuna Okok, a sophomore at the faculty of business and economics, Addis Ababa University, outranks all of her 20 competitors.
She won Miss Ethiopia 2009 contest and received an award of diamond ring worth 60,000 Birr, according to competition organizer Ethiopian Village Adventure Playground.
The 1963 Miss Ethiopia winner Ejigayehu Beyene has put the crown for this year’s Miss Ethiopia winner, Chuna Okok.
Winner of the title of Miss Ethiopia 2009 Chuna
Okaka (R) wears the cordon during the Miss Ethiopia
2009 Beauty Pageant in Addis Ababa, capital of
Ethiopia, Jan. 18, 2009.(Xinhua Photo)
After being named Miss Ethiopia of 2009, Chuna said that she was excited to win the title as it would leave a message that Ethiopia is a home for beautiful people in its all regions.
Girls attend the finals of the Miss Ethiopia 2009 Beauty Pageant in Addis
Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, Jan. 18, 2009. Chuna Okaka won the title of Miss
Ethiopia 2009. (Xinhua Photo)
Chuna is to take part in Miss World Cultural Heritage of 2009 due to be held in Namibia this year, according to the organizer.
She would have great contribution in promoting her homeland Ethiopia, the organizer said.
Washington – Embassy of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia in the United States in conjunction with the Foreign Diplomats Inaugural Ball committee hosted a pre-inauguration ball celebrating the inauguration of President Barack Obama last Sunday.
The pre-inaugural ball was held at the historic James Monroe Mansion. In his welcoming remarks at the ball, Ethiopian Ambassador to the U.S, Dr. Samuel Assefa said ” Those of us hosting this event are Africans and we are celebrating the rise of a son of Africa to the most powerful position on the planet, President of the United States of America.” The election of Barack Obama is momentous on so many levels. For the United States of America it is perhaps most profoundly a definitive statement about a young nation’s remarkable capacity for self-reform, for renewal of fundamental values, for immovable optimism and boundless energy in the pursuit of a more perfect union, he said. “The election of Senator Barack Obama was truly a remarkable event in the history of the United States and demonstrates once again the greatness of this nation,” Ambassador Dr. Samuel was quoted as having said during the preparation of the ball. “Of course, this election has a special meaning for the people of Africa. One of our own sons was elected President of the United States. This will even further strengthen the ties between the people of Africa and the people of the United States.”
Members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and all ambassadors and staff of all embassies in the United States had been invited to attend.
Above:Barack Obama greets an unidentified relative as he
arrives at Capitol Hill for his swearing in as the 44th President
at the 56th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington,
D.C., Tuesday, Jan. 20. (Shawn Thew / EPA)
WASHINGTON – The president’s elderly stepgrandmother brought him an oxtail fly whisk, a mark of power at home in Kenya. Cousins journeyed from the South Carolina town where the first lady’s great-great-grandfather was born into slavery, while the rabbi in the family came from the synagogue where he had been commemorating Martin Luther King’s Birthday. The president and first lady’s siblings were there, too, of course: his Indonesian-American half-sister, who brought her Chinese-Canadian husband, and her brother, a black man with a white wife.
When President Barack Obama was sworn in on Tuesday, he was surrounded by an extended clan that would have shocked past generations of Americans and instantly redrew the image of a first family for future ones.
As they convened to take their family’s final step in its journey from Africa and into the White House, the group seemed as if it had stepped out of the pages of Mr. Obama’s memoir — no longer the disparate kin of a young man wondering how he fit in, but the embodiment of a new president’s promise of change. Read more.
———————– Obama Takes Oath, and Nation in Crisis Embraces the Moment Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States during
a ceremony at the Capitol by Chief Justice John Roberts. (Doug Mills/NYT)
“We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense.”
WASHINGTON — Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday and promised to “begin again the work of remaking America” on a day of celebration that climaxed a once-inconceivable journey for the man and his country.
Mr. Obama, the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas, inherited a White House built partly by slaves and a nation in crisis at home and abroad. The moment captured the imagination of much of the world as more than a million flag-waving people bore witness while Mr. Obama recited the oath with his hand on the same Bible that Abraham Lincoln used at his inauguration 148 years ago.
Beyond the politics of the occasion, the sight of a black man climbing the highest peak electrified people across racial, generational and partisan lines. Mr. Obama largely left it to others to mark the history explicitly, making only passing reference to his own barrier-breaking role in his 18-minute Inaugural Address, noting how improbable it might seem that “a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.” Read more.
Above: Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the
United States during a ceremony at the Capitol by Chief Justice
John Roberts. (Doug Mills/NYT
CBNNews.com
January 20, 2009
Cheers of support for the new U.S. President Barack Obama echoed around the globe.
CBN’s Chuck Holton was in Ethiopia during the moments of Obama’s inauguration ceremonies. He commented on the response there.
“Everywhere you go you see people with Obama t-shirts. Everyone you pass asks you first if you’re an American. If you say yes, they say Obama!” he said.
This reaction comes unexpectedly as Ethiopia is a conservative country.
Ethiopians openly declare their support for Obama based on his race, but possibly only in that area.
“The few times I’ve had the chance to talk about Obama’s stand on various social issues, especially abortion, the two men that I’ve talked to have immediately changed their mind and said well if he’s pro-abortion then I don’t like him anymore,” Holton said.
“We have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world,
duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly.”
Barack Obama, center, with Joe Biden and Bill Clinton at his inauguration as the
44th president on Tuesday. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions – who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them – that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account – to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control – and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort – even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends – hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism – these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence – the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed – why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
A senior Ethiopian official says his government has a responsibility to maintain law and order and would not be swayed by outside criticism. The official, Bereket Simon, an advisor to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, was responding to a letter from four influential U.S. senators to the Ethiopian prime minister.
In their letter, the four senators, including Russell Feingold, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa, warned that U.S.-Ethiopian relations could become more difficult because of the Ethiopian government’s actions against its opposition.
The senators said they were concerned about the re-arrest of opposition leader Birtukan Midekssa and the passage of a law restricting civil society groups.
Bereket Simon, advisor to the Ethiopian prime minister told VOA the U.S. senators’ criticism and accusations are unwarranted.
“If anyone is breaking the law, it’s their problem and not our problem. Ethiopian government believes government has a mandate and an obligation to ensure the rule of law in Ethiopia. So it’s an unwarranted accusation and criticism,” he said. Read More.
By Karen Allen
Kogelo, Kenya
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
People here in western Kenya are celebrating the birth of a new era.
Kogelo, the hometown of the father of US President-elect Barack Obama, is normally a sleepy village of 5,000, but has become a riot of colour and sound.
The festivities have already begun, as they count down the hours before “their son” becomes the 44th president of the most powerful country in the world.
There are women in brightly coloured “kangas”, the Kenyan sarongs which are so popular here. Some have the image of Mr Obama on the cloth, worn mischievously around their waists so that when they dance, he appears to be dancing too.
It is like one enormous wake, but for the fact that no one has died.
Many men are also sporting traditional dress. One wears an elaborate feathered head dress and dances with a traditional spear or ratung. It is not dissimilar to the ceremonial one Sarah Onyango Obama – the president-elect’s grandmother – was hoping to take with her as a gift to him.
In her 80s, she and many of the Obama family are in Washington to witness Kenya’s most famous son being sworn in.
Tourist draw
Since his victory back in November, electricity has been supplied to parts of the village, there is also more water to quench the thirsty soil where millet and sugar cane grow.
As one man said to me, Barack Obama has shamed the Kenyan government into giving us something, now that the world’s eyes are upon us. It is often the way progress happens.
Incongruous in all the partying we found the first Obama tourists – Canadians drawn to Kogelo at the news of the celebrations.
“These are such spirited people, who have been so inspired by the Obama win,” remarked Stephanie Livingstone, who postponed her trip to Uganda to savour some Kogelo fun.
She and her gang of travellers are welcomed warmly as children giggle at their strange presence here.
The pupils of Senator Obama primary and high school have been given a few days off to join in this little piece of history – their school yard has become the focus of celebrations.
“I feel like I’m living a dream,” smiled Mary Atieno Otieno, a retired schoolteacher who used to work here.
“I hope the children watch the inaugural speech to realise that if they work hard, they can achieve so much.”
‘True democracy’
The Luo community – from where Mr Obama’s family comes – are known for their strong traditions, sense of identity and pride in their Nilotic roots. But many here are hoping that Barack Obama will be able to blend the old with the new.
fair few now accept that his presidency will not see a rush of investors scrambling to put new money in western Kenya. But they are hoping for a wholesale change in the way African politics is done.
“In my view the Obama presidency is going to change the political system in Africa,” beams Vitalis Akech Ogombe, one of the organisers of the Kogelo festivities.
“He has taught us that we should practise true democracy. I hope he will tell dictators to practise democracy”.
All eyes will be on Mr Obama as he deals with issues like Zimbabwe and Darfur in Sudan, and whether the domestic political agenda, with the crisis in the economy, will dominate.
When Mr Obama addressed students at Nairobi university a little over two years ago, his stern words against corruption and tribalism resonated among many here.
Cynical about their own leaders, Kenyans’ hopes are being transferred to a man who, though an American citizen, is an inspiring figure with “Kenyan values”.
Many hope his administration will be a turning point for this vast continent so often saddled with bad leaders.
Managing expectations will be one of his biggest tasks.
Above:The inaugural ceremony at the the Capitol in Washington
on Tuesday. (Pool photo by Scott Andrews)
President Obama
First black leader stands on precipice of history at crucial time for nation
NYT
By CARL HULSE
Published: January 20, 2009
Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th president of the United States Tuesday, and called on Americans to join him in confronting what he described as an economic crisis caused by greed but also “our collective failure to make hard choices.” Read more at NYT.
In an inaugural tradition, the Bushes welcomed the Obamas to the White House
for tea. Michelle Obama’s outfit was designed by Isabel Toledo.
(Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)
American milestone: Obama inauguration is a moment of celebration, reflection Above:We are one’: The crowd swelled to an estimated 400,000 at the Lincoln
Memorial in Washington Sunday. People bundled up to hear top performers
and speakers at a pre-inaugural concert. (Sarah Beth Glicksteen/The Christian
Science Monitor)
Washington
At noon today, history will be made on the steps of the US Capitol. Barack Hussein Obama will take the oath of office, placing his left hand on the Bible that Abraham Lincoln used when he took the same oath in 1861.
Back then, the nation was descending into civil war over slavery. Today, the new president faces economic challenges unmatched in generations, two wars abroad, and the continuing threat of terrorism at home. The difficult business of governing at a time of crisis will begin nearly from the moment President-elect Obama utters the words “so help me God.” His inauguration speech, delivered right after the oath, will reportedly focus on two themes: responsibility and restoring public confidence.
Got groove: Guests at the Obama Victory Gala danced the “Electric Slide” at the
community activity center in Springhill, La., last week. Organizer Linda Clayton lost
money on the event, but she has no regrets. “My pocket is broke, but my spirit is
full,” she says. (Mario Villafuerte/Special to the Christian Science Monitor)
But the special significance of Obama’s inauguration, as America’s first black president, will also be a moment for reflection and celebration. On a long weekend already commemorating the 80th birthday of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Americans of all colors have converged on the nation’s capital in unprecedented numbers to bear witness to this latest step in the struggle toward racial equality. Read more.
Inaugural Bash: Words and Photos to Get You in Festive mood
Photos by Scout Tufankjian
New Yorker Scout Tufankjian, 29, knows something about foresight.
Last month, photos she started taking two years ago featuring a political long shot named Barack Obama hit bookstores in a sweeping, intimate portrait (“Yes We Can,” PowerHouse, $29.95) of the President-elect’s historic campaign. (Read more about the photographer at NY Daily News)
Above:Ethiopian immigrant Sonya Damtew features injera
and sweet potato pie at her Killingsworth cafe. Damtew says
the African American and African communities are one and
that she considers her own child — who was born here —
to be African American. (Benjamin Brink/The Oregonian)
In a stylish beauty salon on Killingsworth Street, Snoop Dogg thumps over the buzz of hair dryers and Barack Obama fliers are tacked to the mirrors. Salon owner Jestina Fasasi peeks through a plume of smoke rising from the hot curlers and gossips in a thick Sierra Leone accent with her African American client.
To the shop’s left, an Ethiopian cafe bustles with a lunchtime rush, and the Nigerian-owned African International Food Market displays a sign saying the owner will return in an hour. Tucked in the heart of Portland’s traditionally black neighborhoods, a little Africa is emerging.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from Sacramento to Killingsworth streets and west on Killingsworth to Michigan Avenue, about a dozen African-owned businesses share the streets with longtime soul food joints and black barbershops and the new feminist bookstores and posh cafes ushered in by gentrification.
The African grocers, restaurants and beauty shops create a sharp visual of how Portland’s black population is changing. As more African Americans move to the suburbs, an infusion of African immigrants is the only thing holding Portland’s small black population of 35,000 steady.
Nearly all of Sierra Leone immigrant Jestina Fasasi’s clients at Salon Radiance
are African American. Fasasi’s salon is one of a handful of African-owned businesses
on Killingsworth Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Michigan Avenue.
(Benjamin Brink/The Oregonian)
Recent census estimates show Portland’s population of U.S.-born African Americans has declined slightly since 2000. But its African-born population increased nearly 90 percent from 2000 to 2007 and now makes up about 12 percent of the black population.
Just as President-elect Barack Obama’s heritage has spurred a conversation about African American identity — his father was a Kenyan immigrant who met his mother while attending school in Hawaii — the influx of African immigrants here is spurring a changing definition of Portland’s black community.
“We’ve been watching this evolve over a period of time,” says Avel Gordly, Oregon’s first black female state senator and a black studies professor at Portland State University. “It provides a rich and wonderful opportunity for African Americans to connect with their culture, to move past stereotypes that say Africans and African Americans don’t have anything in common.”
African immigrants first trickled into Oregon in the 1970s, mainly as students from West African countries. In the 1980s, resettlement agencies began to relocate refugees from war-torn nations such as Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the Portland area, and those numbers accelerated in the 1990s and this decade, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with refugees coming from Somalia, Liberia, Chad and Togo.
Portland is 12th in the nation for refugee resettlement, according to a 2007 report by the Brookings Institution, bringing in 34,000 refugees from across the globe between 1984 and 2003. But it’s also one of the whitest cities in the country.
Ethiopian immigrant Sonya Damtew was 16 when she came to live with a white host family in Salem to attend school. The family didn’t know any black people, Damtew says. When she watched “Roots” she cried for a week and felt even more alienated. This was the history of her host family’s country, she says, and they didn’t know it.
“Before coming here, I understood class and gender,” says Damtew, 47. “Race I had to learn. I had to learn it the hard way.”
Damtew went on to work for an organization that assisted resettlement agencies with African refugees. These days, she runs a chic restaurant called E’Njoni Cafe on Killingsworth.
As a sweet aroma of cloves and ginger swirls along walls painted the color of red lentils and ocher, she explains how the resettlement agencies she worked with tried to ease the refugees’ transition by plopping them into African American neighborhoods.
But the African and African American communities didn’t always mesh well at first.
In trying to teach American history to the new immigrants, for example, the agencies showed documentaries with the footage of race riots and civil rights protesters being hosed down by police, she says. The images led some African immigrants to view African Americans as violent and morally broken, she says.
“For years, there was no connection,” Damtew says.
Resistance came from the African American side as well.
Fasasi, the salon owner, recalls taking courses at Portland Community College and asking an African American woman why she was always so unfriendly.
“She told me, ‘Africans sold us into slavery. You can come here today and then back home and have your culture, but all I have is this,'” Fasasi says. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Such friction between native-born and immigrant groups is common, says Portland State University black studies chair Dalton Miller-Jones. “We have very different histories. But in time, Africans begin to assimilate into African Americans.”
Through the years, Damtew says, she’s seen both communities open up to each other.
Older immigrants who fought to hold onto their cultural identities became more American through their children, who readily identified with African Americans. They attended African American churches and listened to African American music. African Americans who at first looked on their new neighbors with suspicion found friends who could connect them to a culture lost through slavery.
The groups realized their common threads. They ate some of the same foods: yams, black-eyed peas, collard greens. Their homes were often multigenerational. Their music carried a similar beat. Even their mannerisms at times echoed each other.
“It’s things like the universal head nod,” says McGodson Ben-Jumbo, a 23-year-old son of Nigerian immigrants and a Portland State student. “The cultures overlap.”
But more than anything, says Miller-Jones, the common American racial experience united them.
Fasasi puts her next African American client under the dryer, then says she considers the African community distinct from African Americans.
Yet she also notes that people often don’t see the difference. She points to the 1988 hate-crime murder of an Ethiopian immigrant in Portland and says no matter whether a person is African or African American, they are both black and will get treated the same.
After two decades in this country, she says, she has a good relationship with her African American clients — who account for most of her business. “They like me, and to me, I have taken on some American ways.” She grins. She enjoys black music and has adopted some slang.
Omar Hashi opened Hashi Halal Market on Killingsworth about six months ago.
The meat market is also a gathering spot for members of the Somali community.
(Benjamin Brink/The Oregonian)
Immigrants who’ve landed in Portland more recently have found a community that already has a place for them.
Yonnas Yilma arrived from Ethiopia nearly seven years ago. Portland’s black community felt like home, he says.
“When I first came here, (African Americans) clasped my hand and said, ‘Hey, brother,'” Yilma recalls from a table in Sengatera, the small Ethiopian eatery he opened seven months ago on MLK. “That touched my heart.”
He still prefers Ethiopian music — though he enjoys American gospel and old-school hip-hop –and he can’t adjust to eating anything other than food from his homeland. But it doesn’t matter.
“I don’t believe we’re separate.” He slaps his hand together. “We’re together. In my heart, black is black.”
For longtime Northeast Portland resident Kecia Parker, the Somali meat shop, Ethiopian restaurants and African markets are a welcome addition, in part because she’s glad to see more black businesses in a neighborhood that’s becoming less so and because they add new flavor to the black experience.
“They are part of the community but distinct,” Parker says. “Everyone doesn’t have to assimilate.”
The African American community has never been monolithic, Miller-Jones says. Groups from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America have seasoned the culture.
Portland’s small African American community, he says, will feel the impact of the African influx more intensely. Last year, Portland saw a 26-year-old Liberian immigrant and Jefferson High grad become the nation’s youngest NAACP branch president.
Damtew sees America’s president-elect as the bridge between Africans and African Americans — and as a symbol to emulate.
Along with the Ethiopian kaffa (coffee) brewing in the traditional jebena, she stocks her dessert case with an African American favorite: sweet potato pie.
“African American is birth and tradition, but it’s also who people say you are,” she says. “It’s not enough to be African, because that’s just who you are by yourself. If you are African American, then you are part of a community.”
Above:Haile Gebrselassie from Ethiopia celebrates as he wins
the Dubai Marathon in Dubai, United Arab Emirates Friday,
Jan. 16, 2009. Gebrselassie finished in 2 hours, 5 minutes,
29 seconds. (AP)
From Times Online
Rick Broadbent
January 19, 2009
In his darkest moments last year, when it was difficult to breathe, Haile Gebrselassie’s family urged him to stop running. His response was a panoramic smile and pithy mantra. “If I stop I think maybe I’ll die,” he said. “Without running there is no life.” Now, having beaten famine, asthma and the best athletes in the world, he is planning to beat the taunt of time by winning gold at the London Olympics.
He will be 39 by 2012, but the Ethiopian is better than ever, becoming, by one second, the first man to run the marathon in under 2 hours and four minutes in Berlin last September. He predicts that his mark will be cut to a staggering 1hr 58min within 20 years. “There are no limits,” he said. “Believe me.” Many do, which is why they are predicting that there will be a sporting afterlife as his country’s President. Read more.
LAS CRUCES — New Mexico State University has chosen a new dean for the College of Health and Social Services, a spokes-man confirmed Wednesday.
Tilahun Adera, 60, a senior associate dean for public health and a professor of epidemiology and community health at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, will start July 1. His annual salary is $165,000.
Robert Rhodes will serve as interim dean until that time.
Four finalists were chosen for the position — Adera, two other outside candidates, and Luis Vazquez, associate dean of NMSU’s Graduate School. A dean was to have been picked by the end of fall semester, according to a news release from University Communications at the time.
Vazquez was chosen last spring to fill in for associate dean Larry Olsen, who was fired after e-mailing pornography to a professor, and department head James Robinson, who stepped down during the investigation and is now a professor of health science.
Adera earned a pharmacy degree from Addis Ababa University in his native Ethiopia, two master’s degrees — in environmental health from Oregon State University, and in public health at the University of Washington — and a doctorate in public health from Oregon State.
In a statement, Adera said he was honored to become dean.
“I am tremendously impressed by the breadth and depth of accomplishments at the university,” Adera said. “Working with partners to improve the health and well-being of all New Mexicans will be a major priority. In addition, we will continue to be committed to education, research and service excellence.”
Adera said he hopes to increase external funding, create more advanced degree programs and improve the quality of both students and faculty.
In addition to his current position at Virginia Commonwealth University, Adera was a professor of epidemiology at Oregon State University as well as at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, in Bethesda, Md.
Bob Moulton, interim executive vice president and provost praised Adera’s credentials, experience and work in public health.
“I am confident he will lead the College of Health and Social Services effectively and know he has the support of NMSU and our partners,” Moulton said in a prepared statement. “His knowledge and expertise across a range of disciplines will be extremely valuable as the college continues to grow and expand its educational, research and service programs.”
By DALE ROBERTSON Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Jan. 18, 2009
The loneliness of long-distance running got to Deriba Merga (pictured above) Sunday morning in his determined bid to make a bigger name for both himself and the Houston Chevron Marathon.
Running solo for the final nine miles, the bantamweight Merga had nobody to pace him or, perhaps worse, serve as a windbreak. His sizzling tempo inexorably slowed the closer he to downtown he came and he wound up having to “settle” for a winning time of 2:07:52.
Thousands of runners make their way down
White Oak Dr. in the Heights during the races.
(Johnny Hanson Chronicle)
That’s the fastest anybody has ever finished a marathon in Texas and it obliterated Richard Kaitany’s 20-year Houston course record, beating it by more than two minutes. Merga, a 28-year-old Olympian from Ethiopia also left the runner-up, Benson Cheruiyot of Kenya, nearly four minutes to the rear as he averaged 4:53 per mile to secure a $45,000 payday.
Nonetheless, Merga was melancholy afterwards.
“I am pleased to have the record,” he said. “But I wanted more.” Read more at Houston Chronicle.
Above:Runners, including Patricia Heithaus, left, struggle to
cross the finish line during the Naples Daily News Half
Marathon on Jan. 18, 2009. (Greg Kahn)
Naples Daily
By ADAM FISHER
NAPLES — Spectators and runners at Sunday’s Naples Daily News Half Marathon might have witnessed a power shift in the women’s race.
In an event controlled by Russian runners for more than a decade, a group of Ethiopian women dominated the field of the 21st race. Led by Belainesh Gebre’s victory, the Africans swept the top three spots and finished well ahead of anyone else.
Gebre won easily, finishing in one hour, 12 minutes and 14 seconds. She crossed the finish line more than a minute ahead of second-place Buzunesh Deba (13:24:87). Hirut Mandefro was third in 13:35:80.
“I’m happy for my first time,” said Gebre, 21, of her inaugural Half Marathon. “It’s a good course. It’s fast and flat.”
Before this year’s Half Marathon, Russians had won 10 of the past 13 races. With a fourth-place finish from Kenya’s Divina Jepkogei, Africa took the top four spots. Read More.
When Bezunesh Bekele won the 2009 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on January 9, 2009, chances are the average Ethiopian athletics fans will have never heard of her or the previous achievements she has under her belt. But, the diminutive runner is now a quarter of a million dollars richer subsequent to the huge prize money purse of the race. Elshadai Negash reports on Ethiopia’s virtually unknown runners who are reaping benefits for choosing careers on the road.
Bezunesh Bekele is quickly confused with the famous Ethiopian folk singer of the 1970s and 1980s; seldom does the image of a 1.46-metre diminutive runner come to mind. After all, she has only raced once in Ethiopian colours over distances 10Km and up – at the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships where she finished an obscure, but encouraging fourth in a new Ethiopian half marathon record.
The 26-year old from Addis Abeba finished second in the corresponding race last year in a personal best time of 2:23.07. This year she won the contest in 2:24.01 pocketing 250,000 dollars in prize money. Read more.
Above:Barack Obama and DC Mayor Adrian Fenty (right)
pick up their lunches at Ben’s Chili Bowl on January 10.
(Getty Images)
The Wall Street Journal
A Neighborhood to Explore
By JUNE KRONHOLZ
JANUARY 16, 2009
Before there was Harlem, there was U Street — the nerve center of Washington’s black community, alive with music, theater and African-American-owned businesses, churches and social institutions. Until Harlem surpassed it in the 1920s, U Street was the largest African-American community in the U.S. Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and especially Duke Ellington made regular stops.
Years of neglect and the 1968 riots undercut that rich history until U Street began its recovery a decade ago. Now, U Street’s Art Deco hotels have been converted into high-priced condos. A Metro stop delivers visitors to shopping and an emerging gallery scene. Busboys and Poets (A), a literary café named for Langston Hughes, who began his poetry career while busing tables nearby, is a favorite among visiting celebrities and locals alike.
Ben’s Chili Bowl (B), which continued to dish up its famed half-smoke sausages throughout the worst of the urban decline, now competes with Ethiopian diners like Dukem and upscale restaurants like Station 9, Crème and Tabaq Bistro. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.
It must be one of the most chilling announcements to hear on an aircraft when the captain comes onto the public address system to announce an emergency landing.
On the night between 10 and 11 January, one of the engines of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 757 failed as it was heading to Rome. Sam Francis was heading to the UK on that flight and recounts his experience inside this issue of The Malta Independent.
Sam describes his worry, attempts at rational thoughts during the whole escapade and the ensuing anti-climax that followed the safe touch down in Malta. He says that in the half hour or so of drama that ensued, it was nothing like one would imagine.
“No screams, no panic, just people who were groggy trying to come to terms with the fact that we were heading for an emergency landing that could have ended without incident, or with the plane slamming into the ground and killing us all,” says Mr Francis.
The Malta International Airport was the closest place where the aircraft could set down and due contact was made, resulting in permission to do so with the aircraft touched down at about 4.30pm
Getting through an emergency landing
During the early hours of last Sunday, the Malta International Airport received a distress call from an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 757 enroute to Rome. One of the engines on the aircraft had failed and the pilot requested to make an emergency landing in Malta. Permission was granted and with good fortune, the episode ended without incident. Michael Carabott asked SAM FRANCIS, who was on the flight, to recount his experience
The prelude
I would not like to call myself pessimistic but whenever I fly, I always assume that each journey could be my last so, provided I am in a position to see the aircraft I am boarding, I tend to give the aircraft a respectful look and hope that it will do its job and get me from point A to B without incident. So I did as I went up the staircase of a Boeing 757 at Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as we boarded Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 710, bound for London Heathrow via Rome Fumicino.
At the check-in desk, I had tried to get a window seat, but neither window nor aisle was available as it was a full flight and as I had changed my departure from Friday night to Saturday night, I was not being afforded any priority as I was not exactly checking in very early. So I settled into Row 31, well to the rear of the plane. We took off at precisely 1am Ethiopian time. The take-off was uneventful and we disappeared into the night, Addis Ababa now turning into distant shimmering lights and disappearing from view after about 20 minutes.
Although not particularly hungry, I was very tired and planned to sleep immediately after the pre-packed and overheated meal, which seemed to take ages to come. As soon as I had eaten, I settled down for the long haul across the Sahara via Northern Ethiopia, Sudan, the Southwestern tip of Egypt and finally, overflying Benghazi in Libya before tackling the Mediterranean Sea to the 45-minute stopover in Rome at Fiumicino Airport. I must have been long asleep before we even reached Sudan and kept dosing on and off as I kept searching for comfort in economy class. What an irony, I thought.
Fast forward a few hours, five to be precise, and as I had not bothered changing my time back to Greenwich Meantime yet, it was 6am in Ethiopia, when something woke me up. It was either the cabin lights being switched on or the sound that accompanies the “Fasten Your Seat Belt” sign being switched on. It might even have been the captain’s voice coming over the public address system or a combination of all the above.
The announcement
As is customary on Ethiopian Airline flights the address is always first in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia, then English. Although groggy from sleep, I quite clearly picked up the words that my average grasp of Amharic told me that there was some problem with the aircraft but, this was followed immediately by “mnm cheger yellem”, Amharic to say “there is not a problem.” The English version confirmed my initial understanding. To the best of my recollection this is what the captain said: “Ladies and gentleman we have had to shut down one of the engines as a precaution. This is normal procedure. We will now fly to Malta on one engine. This is not a problem. We will start our descent soon. Flight time will be 35 minutes.”
Well, there was no cause for alarm, was there really, if twin-engined aircraft like757s And 767s are equipped to fly on one engine and the captain had given us reassurance about the non-existence of a problem.
On reflection, it was like going to the doctor and being told “this won’t hurt,” before being given an injection. Smashing onto the ground at more than 200 kilometres per hour on landing sure would hurt; it might even kill most of the passengers and crew.
Something more serious than the captain had hinted at was obviously happening when I noticed one of the flight attendants frantically knocking on the two lavatory doors that were only three to four rows ahead of row 31, to get the occupants out. I thought to myself, “Since when have passengers being forced out of the toilets in this fashion? Perhaps the poor occupants have just gone in and are in the middle of something that might take them some time. Will they come out instantly or will they just assume that someone is being rude to them and continue taking their time?”
Nearly everyone else, I could see, was either waking up or struggling to stay awake. There was a visible effort on part of the cabin crew to ensure that every passenger was belted up.
So in our collective semi-comatose state we flew onward rather uneventfully, except for a bit of turbulence here and there. Having been asleep it was hard to say whether the aircraft sounded much quieter for the absence of one engine sound or not but no one appeared to panic. We were like lambs to the slaughter, I felt. Eventually, the inevitable arrived. We were now going to land in Malta as announced about half an hour earlier. It was 4.30 local time.
The landing
“Cabin crew take your seats for landing!” required no Amharic translation. We were now possibly within 50 feet of the ground. We were not asked to adopt or maintain any brace position for landing, which I thought strange, as this was no ordinary landing. So I had what I considered, one last look as the ground approached. Outwardly I was calm, but inwardly my mind was working 30 to the dozen – overtime, that is. My limited knowledge of aircraft informed me that in order to balance the thrust of the working engine, the pilots had to use the rudder by pitching it so that it would apply a force equal to that being applied by the working engine in order to enable the aircraft to fly in a straight line.
How about landing, ailerons, elevators, brakes… How would the whole thing work? Never mind, too late to figure that one out… Five, four, three, two, one I was counting down to touchdown trying to anticipate the landing gear or undercarriage coming into contact with the ground… Wheels! I thought, this was not a moment for complicated technical terms. Then we hit the runway fairly softly and if not for a slight swerve and what appeared to be a swerve to one side, followed by immediate correction, it could well have been a textbook landing.
This was followed by the unmistakable roar of the thrust reversers as they and the brakes struggled to bring the jumbo under control and slowly but surely the speed came down until we were going at about what appeared to be no more than 30 miles per hour.
Anti-climax
Now, for the uninitiated, it is customary for travellers to Addis Ababa, especially Ethiopians, to applaud any landing, especially if it is good one. But, good, bad or average, the cheering is more out of the joy of reaching one’s motherland safely. The eerie silence that greeted this particular landing was contrary to what would have been expected on this occasion. It should have been shattered by shouting, screams, leaps of joy and tears of relief. But neither in myself or in all the other passengers was this apparent. There was no palpable sense of relief. And then, as if to emphasise the gravity of the situation, the fire engines with their flashing blue lights came into view, all facing the runway we were using. And there were amber lights as well from the service vehicles.
As soon as the aircraft stopped on the hard stand, the emergency vehicles arrived. From within the aircraft, I observed concerned looks and frantic waving on the ground. The military and the police were there too.
Then without further ado, came the announcement that, due to a technical failure, all passengers were to alight with all their hand luggage. Further announcements would be made, we were promised, but that was to be the last announcement from Ethiopian Airlines. This was not your typical evacuation of panic and pandemonium, but an orderly quiet and measured exit. Then, we were bussed and shepherded to the departure lounge at Malta International Airport.
This orderly fashion of things belied the fact that we had just had an emergency landing and should have been, prior to making the successful landing, being saying our prayers and having any potential last thoughts.
Air Malta
It was to be another four hours before those of us that were London-bound were to be seated in the next available Air Malta flight to Heathrow. Problem is Ethiopian Airlines passed on the passenger manifest to Air Malta, but all it had was names and no onward destinations making it very difficult for Air Malta, who went beyond the extra mile, to accommodate a problem that was not really of their origin within their scheduled flights.
Attempting to cater for the rest of the now “ex-Ethiopian Airlines” passengers as we were now referred to was a nightmare. There were families with young children and people with medical conditions and business class travellers, and those who needed to connect from London Heathrow to the rest of the world, America, Europe who some by this time, had already missed their connections and had to be seen to before other passengers. It was apparent they had to throw the rule book out a few times.
We were allowed to go the wrong way up the immigration channels and it was so exasperating with an Air Malta Flight to London literally on hold for us, that at one point the lady who was helping us decided that she had to attend to another task elsewhere. When she left the check-in desk at Gate 14, we joked that she had gone to have a quiet nervous breakdown and take Valium tablets “by the handful” and we all burst out laughing.
It was quiet relief for tortured souls.
————————- Ethiopian Airlines Explains Recent Emergency Landing in Malta
Source: Press Release from Ethiopian Airlines
Status of ET-710 ADD-ROM/11 January 2009
January 13, 2009
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Ethiopian Airlines flight ET -710 departed from Addis Ababa on January 11, 2009 at 0049 local time.
The B757-200 was scheduled to fly to Rome Fiumicino International Airport.
When low oil pressure light of the right engine was displayed in the cockpit panel, the flying crew immediately decided to take an emergency measure and safely landed the aircraft at a near by Malta International Airport, which is a planned enroute alternate airport. All the passengers were safely disembarked per the normal procedure.
Ethiopian Airlines’ technical experts were soon dispatched from Rome, the nearest location to Malta. They performed the necessary technical maintenance on the engine and the aircraft flew back to Addis Ababa and continued its scheduled services.
————————-
Related: Ethiopian Airlines Jet makes emergency landing in Malta Times of Malta
Sunday, 11th January 2009
An Ethiopian Boeing 757 airliner made an emergency landing at Malta International Airport this morning after one of its two engines failed, sources said.
The Boeing 757 was on a flight from Addis Ababa to Rome Fiumicino when it declared an emergency and diverted to Malta.
The Health Department was immediately informed and an emergency plan was put in place. Two ambulances were sent on site and all the doctors and nurses at the Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital as well as those at the four main health centres and at St Vincent De Paul, were prepared to handle any possible injuries.
US air accident investigators have given details of the drama aboard an airliner just before it successfully ditched in a New York river.
“We’re going to be in the Hudson,” were the last words the captain said to air-traffic control soon after reporting engine damage from a bird strike.
Flight attendants said they had heard a loud thud and then complete silence after the engines failed.
The operation to raise the semi-submerged plane is continuing.
Investigators are trying to retrieve the Airbus’s flight recorders.
All 155 passengers and crew on US Airways Flight 1549 escaped relatively unharmed from the dramatic crash-landing on Thursday afternoon.
The captain, Chesley B “Sully” Sullenberger, stayed aboard the sinking plane to ensure everyone left safely and has been hailed as a hero. Read more at BBC.
When Chevron Houston Marathon officials invited Deriba Merga to this year’s race, they told him they’d very much like him to break the 20-year-old course record.
Merga, however, has something else in mind, something just a tad grander. If everything goes according to plan Sunday, he’ll leave town with the North American record. Asked by a reporter at Friday’s news conference what time he hopes to run, he replied, “Two-oh-five.”
To which the reporter, thinking he might not have understood the Ethiopian’s limited English correctly, replied, “Two-oh-five? Here? Sunday?”
“Yes, yes,” he said.
Merga, who clocked a personal best 2:06:38 in 2008 and finished fourth in the marathon at the 2008 Olympics, is without question the fastest runner ever to compete in the 37-year-old Houston race. But to hear that he’s gunning for 2:05 is extraordinary news, considering nobody has ever completed the 26.2-mile course in faster than the 2:10:04 Kenya’s Robert Kaitany posted in 1989. Read more at Houston Chronicle.
Above:An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 is seen just before
it crashes into the sea off the Comoro Islands in 1996.
Ethiopian Airlines jet ditching in 1996 yielded survival lessons for NYC crash CNN
Lessons learned from previous successful airliner ditchings helped pilot C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger save 155 lives when he put his US Airways A320 jetliner down in the Hudson River, a fellow pilot told CNN.
Twenty-three people died when an Overseas National Airways DC-9 ditched off the Caribbean island of St. Croix in 1970, and 123 were killed in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 off the Comoro Islands near Africa in 1996.
But Emilio Corsetti, an Airbus 320 pilot and aviation author, said those ditchings were actually successful “because people were able to get out” — 40 in the 1970 crash and 52 in the 1996 incident. Read more at CNN.
NORRISTOWN, Pa.—A man accused of fatally shooting his aunt in the Philadelphia area has an unusual defense, insisting to a jury that the woman is still alive.
The suspect, 35-year-old Ethiopian immigrant Yeshtila Ameshe, lives in Adelphi, Md. He’s charged with first- and third-degree murder and other counts in the death of his 60-year-old aunt, Haregewene Bitew.
Authorities say she died June 27, 2000, after being shot in the head, neck and chest when the two were visiting relatives in Towamencin Township, 20 miles north of Philadelphia.
But Ameshe testified Thursday he didn’t know what he was doing in Montgomery County Court. He said through an interpreter that the purported victim is “definitely alive. She’s not dead.”
Defense attorney Scott Krieger is arguing insanity, while prosecutors imply Ameshe is faking insanity. Psychiatric testimony is expected as the trial continues.
———————- Ethiopian suspect in aunt murder case felt ‘betrayed’ The Times Herald
By Carl Hessler Jr.
An Ethiopian immigrant felt “betrayed” by older relatives who tried to put an end to his romantic pursuit of a young woman several months before he fatally shot his aunt inside a Towamencin apartment, according to testimony.
“He felt like the family was against him. He felt betrayed by the family,” Tsedaye Bezabeh, a second cousin to accused killer Yeshtila Awoke Ameshe, testified Wednesday in Montgomery County Court.
Ameshe, 35, of Adelphi, Md., is charged with first- and third-degree murder, aggravated assault and possession of an instrument of crime in connection with the 8 p.m. June 27, 2000, fatal shooting of his aunt, Haregewene Bitew, a 60-year-old licensed nurse from Silver Spring, Md., who, along with Ameshe, was visiting the Dock Village apartment in Towamencin.
Bitew died after sustaining four gunshot wounds to her head, neck and chest inside the Community Drive apartment.
Through Bezabeh’s testimony, Deputy District Attorney Christopher Maloney implied Ameshe felt so betrayed by his family that he intentionally killed Bitew, one of several elder relatives in the Ethiopian community who tried to convince Ameshe to give up his pursuit of a young Maryland woman.
Bezabeh, who is Bitew’s daughter, testified relatives met with Ameshe four months before the murder to discuss problems he was having with the Maryland woman who did not want a relationship with Ameshe.
“It was an important issue we were discussing with Yeshtila,” said Bezabeh, recalling the family meeting.
Bezabeh testified Ameshe, who emigrated from Ethiopia to the U.S. in 1997, believed that
under traditional Ethiopian customs, his family should intervene on his behalf to keep the woman in his life.
In more rural areas of Ethiopia, a man’s wishes are respected and followed under traditional Ethiopian customs and women are expected to follow a man’s wishes, Bezabeh told the jury that is weighing Ameshe’s fate.
“I told him, ‘In this country it’s not the way it is done,'” Bezabeh testified, explaining she told Ameshe that in America he had to respect the wishes of the young woman who did not want a relationship with him. “The man’s wishes are respected in our society. That’s why he felt we were betraying him.”
About a month before the fatal shooting, Ameshe called Bezabeh and asked her to help him make “peace” with the family and continued to express his desire that the relationship with the young woman move forward, testimony revealed.
Bezabeh recalled she told Ameshe there was peace with the family.
“He said, ‘You betrayed me. You have not helped me get the girl back,'” Bezabeh recalled.
Maloney alleged Ameshe, with “malicious and evil intentions,” brought his anger to the Towamencin apartment and opened fire on his aunt with a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun during a family gathering.
Maloney alleged Ameshe acted with a specific intent to kill, a legal requirement for a first-degree murder conviction, which is punishable of life imprisonment.
However, defense lawyer Scott H. Krieger is waging an insanity defense on behalf of Ameshe. With an insanity defense Ameshe claimed he could not have formed the intent to kill his aunt.
During his cross-examination of Bezabeh, Krieger implied that in Ameshe’s mind his relationship with the young woman was not over.
Under state law, a person is legally insane at the time of a crime if he was suffering a defect of reason or from disease of the mind that prevented him from knowing what is right or wrong or understanding the consequences of his actions.
A person found not guilty by reason of insanity would be committed to a mental institution where he would receive treatment.
Once he is deemed “cured” he would be released from the institution with no requirement to serve any prison time.
Ameshe is also charged with a lesser third-degree murder charge, a killing committed with malice, which is punishable of a maximum of 20 to 40 years in prison.
Fairfield native Katrina Franzen is about to broaden her world and that of others as she embarks this week on a two-month trip to Ethiopia to teach HIV-positive orphans about art.
A student at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, Franzen recently decided to take a break from her studies to help in AIDS-stricken Ethiopia in Eastern Africa.
“I’ll be working with Artists for Charity,” she explained via e-mail last week. “I heard about it from my friend, Abezash Tamerat in Georgia. She’s a painter and asked if I would want to be an artist in residence at [AFC]. She opened this house [three and a half years ago] to take care of kids in Ethiopia where she’s originally from. Ethiopia has lost an entire generation to AIDS so now there are all of these kids who need extra care. I’ll be going for two months with Abezash.” Read more.
Above:Haile Gebrselassie from Ethiopia celebrates as he wins
the Dubai Marathon in Dubai, United Arab Emirates Friday,
Jan. 16, 2009. Gebrselassie finished in 2 hours, 5 minutes,
29 seconds. (AP)
The Assocaited Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Haile Gebrselassie easily won the Dubai Marathon on Friday, but said steady rain throughout the race hampered his bid to claim the $1 million bonus on offer for breaking his own world record.
Gebrselassie finished in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 29 seconds – just 90 seconds off his record – to narrowly beat compatriots Deressa Edae Chimsa (2:07.54) and Wendimu Tsige (2:08.41).
The Ethiopians also dominated the women’s event, with Bezunesh Bekele Sertsu winning in 2:24:02 after pulling away from countrywoman Atsede Habtamu Besuye (2:25.17) in the final stretch. Kenya’s Helena Loshanyang Kirop was third (2:25.35).
“Everybody was expecting me to break the world record here, but I am very pleased with the time I ran today,” said the 35-year-old Gebrselassie. “This is my best time in wet weather. It could have been much worse, but I’m really happy with the time.”
Gebrselassie was on pace to challenge his world mark of 2:03:59 set last year in Berlin. But he struggled against the rain in the second half of the race, which began at dawn along Dubai’s Gulf coastline.
“I saw the clouds ahead and it looked like it was going to be difficult,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not just about defeating time, sometimes you defeat yourself. When I saw the rain coming, I defeated myself. But it (a new record) will happen. I will come back next year.”
Sertsu, who finished second last year in Dubai, said the rain forced her to set a slower pace, but she had plenty left in the final stages to build her lead.
“Today was definitely one of the best races I’ve run,” said the 25-year-old.
Gebrselassie said his next goal is to attempt to reclaim the half-marathon record in The Hague, Netherlands, in March. Then there’s the 2012 Olympics, when he’ll be about eight months short of his 40th birthday.
“There’s a lot to look forward to in the future. We have the Olympic games in three years’ time and before that the 2010 Dubai Marathon. If you think about stopping somewhere it’s no good. You’ve got to think about doing more,” he added.
“If you set a date to retire; if you say you’re going to retire in two years’ time, you actually end up retiring at that very moment. So, I haven’t put any time (on retirement).”
Dubai is the world’s richest marathon. The $1 million world record bonus was in addition to the $250,000 winner’s check.
Above:Tewolde Habtemicael speaks to a group of
government students at Carson High School in
Nevada on Wednesday. Habtemicael told students
that the election of Barack Obama proved to the native
of Ethiopia that anything is possible in America.
(Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal)
In a small cement high school in Ethiopia, Tewolde Habtemicael heard for the first time the concept of democracy.
“What is this?” he wondered as American Peace Corps volunteers taught him and his classmates about a government run by the people.
“We had no concept of democracy before that because we had one king and he did whatever he wanted,” Habtemicael, 60, told Blair Roman’s sophomore government class at Carson High School on Wednesday.
The visiting Americans also helped prepare them for entrance exams for the country’s only university, which accepted just 560 students each year. Habtemicael passed. In college, he ran for vice president of the student union.
“Because I attentively listened to what my American teachers taught me, I was elected,” he said.
Invigorated by the idea of democracy, Habtemicael led demonstrations calling on the government to hold elections. Instead, he and three classmates were arrested and sentenced to five years in prison.
A student boycott led to their release a year later. On probation, Habtemicael was forbidden from participating in political activities, a condition he couldn’t uphold.
Three years later, protesting a military takeover, he was arrested again.
“This time, they do not take you to court, they kill you,” he said. “We were on the verge of being executed. They killed our king. We were next.” Read more at the Nevada Appeal.
Above:In this photo taken by a passenger on a ferry, airline
passengers egress a US Airways Airbus 320 jetliner that safely
ditched in the frigid waters of the Hudson River in New York,
Thursday Jan. 15, 2009 after a flock of birds knocked out both
its engines. All 155 people on board survived.
(AP Photo/Janis Krums)
NEW YORK – A cool-headed pilot maneuvered his crippled jetliner over New York City and ditched it in the frigid Hudson River on Thursday, and all 155 on board were pulled to safety as the plane slowly sank. It was, the governor said, “a miracle on the Hudson.” One victim suffered two broken legs, a paramedic said, but there were no other reports of serious injuries.
The US Airways Airbus A320 bound for Charlotte, N.C., struck a flock of birds just after takeoff minutes earlier at LaGuardia Airport, apparently disabling the engines.
The pilot, identified as Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III of Danville, Calif., “was phenomenal,” passenger Joe Hart said. “He landed it — I tell you what — the impact wasn’t a whole lot more than a rear-end (collision). It threw you into the seat ahead of you. Read more.
ADDIS ABABA – An apparently accidental hand-grenade explosion wounded 33 people, nine seriously, on Thursday at the central bus station in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, police said.
“This does not appear to be a terrorist attack. It seems a passenger was carrying the grenade in their luggage and it detonated accidentally,” federal police commander Demash Hailu told Reuters.
In the past, Ethiopia has accused arch-foe Eritrea of backing rebels who have bombed civilian targets in Addis Ababa.
Blasts at two petrol stations killed two people a day after local, regional and federal elections in April 2008, then a bomb tore through a minibus taxi a month later, killing six.
MOGADISHU – Somali Islamists fired mortars at the presidential palace and ambushed departing Ethiopian soldiers on Wednesday, starting battles that killed at least 21 people and wounded a further 48, witnesses said.
The violence underlined fears of an upsurge in bloodshed after Ethiopia’s military exit began in earnest this week. Witnesses said security forces including African Union (AU) peacekeepers guarding the hill-top palace compound in the coastal capital responded to the Islamist attack with volleys of artillery shells, shaking the city for several hours.
Suspected militants from the al Shabaab group also ambushed a convoy of departing Ethiopian soldiers on a street not far from the palace. The Ethiopians fought back with a tank. Read More.
——————-
Related: Ethiopia hands over security of Somalia Above:Gabre Yohannes Abate, the Ethiopian troop
commander in Somalia watches during a farewell ceremony
which took place in the presidential palace Tuesday Jan. 13,
2009 .The commander of Ethiopian troops has formally handed
over security of Somalia to joint force of Somali government
security and militiamen from a faction of the country’s Islamists.
(AP Photo/Mohamed Sheikh Nor)
NAIROBI, Kenya — Ethiopian forces propping up Somalia’s transitional government have begun their withdrawal from the country, pulling out of two key bases in Mogadishu, eyewitnesses and officials said Tuesday.
The Ethiopians withdrew late Monday from two former factories in the northeast part of the capital, the eyewitnesses and officials said.
Hundreds of jubilant residents poured into the abandoned bases Tuesday.
“We are so glad that they have left after two years of their presence in our neighborhood,” cried Asha Omar, a resident of the neighborhood where one of the factories is located.
Forces from the Islamic Courts Union, the largest Islamic group and one of those fighting against the presence of the Ethiopian forces, were immediately seen taking over the two bases vacated by the Ethiopians.
Ethiopia invaded Somalia in December 2006 to depose the Islamic government and install a U.N.-backed transitional government. The Islamists, whom the United States accuses of having ties to the al Qaeda terrorist network, responded with a guerrilla campaign that has crippled efforts to support a U.N.-backed transitional government. Read more at CNN.
Above:Ethiopian soldiers on a truck following a farewell
ceremony which took place in the presidential palace,
Mogadishu, Somalia, Tuesday. (Farah Abdi Warsameh / AP)
After Ethiopia Exit, What Next for Somalia? TIME
By Alex Perry
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009
The withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia is a gamble not unlike America’s planned drawdown from Iraq.
The Ethiopians, with U.S. assistance, invaded to topple an Islamist movement that controlled Mogadishu, and had been sheltering a handful of al-Qaeda operatives. Osama bin Laden’s movement killed more than 200 people when they attacked two U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, and several small groups of U.S. special operations soldiers accompanied the Ethiopians in the hope that the invasion would flush local operatives out into the open. The Ethiopians drove out the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), but quickly became the target of the Islamist Shabaab insurgency that has raged ever since. Having gone in to provide a solution, the Ethiopian presence quickly became a new problem — and a coalition of clan warlords the Ethiopians were meant to install as a government is in disarray. By ending their occupation, the Ethiopians are hoping to deprive the insurgency of one of the grievances around which it rallies support, but it’s uncertain who will wield power in their wake. (See pictures of Ethiopia’s harvest of hunger.) Read More at TIME.com
Above: President-elect Barack Obama, then Senator, meets
his grandmother Sarah Hussein Obama at his father’s house in
Nyongoma Kogelo village, western Kenya, Saturday, Aug. 26,
2006. (AP Photo)
By Tadias Staff
Published: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
New York (Tadias) – Barack Obama’s Kenyan grandmother will soon arrive in America for her grandson’s inauguration next week, according to press reports.
The AFP says Sara Obama will bring with her some gifts for the new president, including a three-legged stool and a traditional Luo oxtail fly whisk.
She had also hoped to bring a traditional spear and shield from her Luo tribe:
“But I have been told that due to security reasons I will not be allowed to board a plane with it,” she was quoted as saying in the Standard newspaper.
“The day I was waiting for has finally come… I cannot hide my joy,” she said. “I am going to be Kenya’s ambassador during the occasion and I will live up to the expectations.”
According to AP, Sarah will attend an unofficial inauguration ball with representatives from the Kenyan government.
Sara Obama is the stepmother of President-elect Obama’s Kenyan father.
Barack Obama with his grandmother, Sarah Hussein Obama, in Africa.
(Courtesy of the Obama Family)
Obama’s African Family: (bottom row, from left) half-sister
Auma, her mother Kezia Obama, Obama’s step-grandmother Sarah
Hussein Onyango Obama and unknown; (top row, from left) unknown,
Barack Obama, half-brother Abongo (Roy) Obama, and three unknowns.
(Courtesy)
Barack Obama Sr. poses with his son in the Honolulu airport during
his only visit to see his son while he was growing up in Hawaii.
Young Barack was in the 5th grade when the photo was taken.
(Courtesy of the Obama Family)
Obama Sr. traveled to the United States on a scholarship to
pursue his education at the University of Hawaii, where he met the
President-elect’s mother. Obama’s father eventually went to Harvard,
where he received his Ph.D. and later returned to Kenya, where he
worked as a government economist until he died in a car crash in 1982.
Above:Gabre Yohannes Abate, the Ethiopian troop
commander in Somalia watches during a farewell ceremony
which took place in the presidential palace Tuesday Jan. 13,
2009 .The commander of Ethiopian troops has formally handed
over security of Somalia to joint force of Somali government
security and militiamen from a faction of the country’s Islamists.
(AP Photo/Mohamed Sheikh Nor)
NAIROBI, Kenya — Ethiopian forces propping up Somalia’s transitional government have begun their withdrawal from the country, pulling out of two key bases in Mogadishu, eyewitnesses and officials said Tuesday.
The Ethiopians withdrew late Monday from two former factories in the northeast part of the capital, the eyewitnesses and officials said.
Hundreds of jubilant residents poured into the abandoned bases Tuesday.
“We are so glad that they have left after two years of their presence in our neighborhood,” cried Asha Omar, a resident of the neighborhood where one of the factories is located.
Forces from the Islamic Courts Union, the largest Islamic group and one of those fighting against the presence of the Ethiopian forces, were immediately seen taking over the two bases vacated by the Ethiopians.
Ethiopia invaded Somalia in December 2006 to depose the Islamic government and install a U.N.-backed transitional government. The Islamists, whom the United States accuses of having ties to the al Qaeda terrorist network, responded with a guerrilla campaign that has crippled efforts to support a U.N.-backed transitional government. Read more at CNN.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Ethiopian Airlines flight ET -710 departed from Addis Ababa on January 11, 2009 at 0049 local time.
The B757-200 was scheduled to fly to Rome Fiumicino International Airport.
When low oil pressure light of the right engine was displayed in the cockpit panel, the flying crew immediately decided to take an emergency measure and safely landed the aircraft at a near by Malta International Airport, which is a planned enroute alternate airport. All the passengers were safely disembarked per the normal procedure.
Ethiopian Airlines’ technical experts were soon dispatched from Rome, the nearest location to Malta. They performed the necessary technical maintenance on the engine and the aircraft flew back to Addis Ababa and continued its scheduled services.
————————-
Related: Ethiopian Airlines Jet makes emergency landing in Malta Times of Malta
Sunday, 11th January 2009
An Ethiopian Boeing 757 airliner made an emergency landing at Malta International Airport this morning after one of its two engines failed, sources said.
The Boeing 757 was on a flight from Addis Ababa to Rome Fiumicino when it declared an emergency and diverted to Malta.
The Health Department was immediately informed and an emergency plan was put in place. Two ambulances were sent on site and all the doctors and nurses at the Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital as well as those at the four main health centres and at St Vincent De Paul, were prepared to handle any possible injuries.
Above:The MV Sirius Star is observed at anchor by the
U.S. Navy on January 9, 2009 following an apparent payment
via a parachuted container to pirates holding the Sirius Star
near Somalia. (UPI Photo/David B. Hudson/US Navy).
UPI
Jan. 13
MOMBASA, Kenya — One of the Somali pirates who hijacked a Saudi oil supertanker says fears of being robbed by other pirates led to the drowning deaths of five of his crew.
Pirate Libaan Jaama, one of the hijackers who had held the Sirius Star and its cargo of 2 million barrels of crude oil hostage since Nov. 15, told CNN Tuesday that after a $3.5 million ransom was paid and the pirates were aboard an escape boat in the Gulf of Aden, they encountered rival pirates who began shooting into the air. Read More.
———————-
Related: Somali pirate’s body washes ashore with $153,000 The Associated Press
By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN –
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The body of a Somali pirate who drowned just after receiving a huge ransom washed onshore with $153,000 in cash, a resident said Sunday, as the spokesman for another group of pirates promised to soon free a Ukrainian arms ship.
Five pirates drowned Friday when their small boat capsized after they received a reported $3 million ransom for releasing a Saudi oil tanker. Local resident Omar Abdi Hassan said one of the bodies had been found on a beach near the coastal town of Haradhere and relatives were searching for the other four.
“One of them was discovered and they are still looking for the other ones. He had $153,000 in a plastic bag in his pocket,” he said Sunday.
The U.S. navy released photos of a parachute dropping a package onto the deck of the Sirius Star, and said the package was likely to be the ransom delivery.
But five of the dozens of pirates who had hijacked the tanker drowned when their small boat capsized as they returned to shore in rough weather. Three other pirates survived but also lost their share of the ransom. Read More.
Above:The idea for the Great Ethiopian Run came from the
organizers of the Great North Run in England and is led by
Haile Gebrselassie (pictured center)
Great Ethiopian Run launches 2nd edition of “Education for Girls”
Addis Ababa – Great Ethiopian Run, an Ethiopian NGO known for its annual international mass-participation road race in Addis Ababa, launched the 2nd edition of its “Education for Girls” series of community runs, a series of three events in Gambella, Assosa and Jijiga which promote messages about the education for girls in Ethiopia. The first run in the series took place in Gambella on Saturday 10th January 2009.
At the launch Haile Gebreselassie stressed the importance of giving more opportunities to girls by saying: “if a family has ten 10 children with 8 boys and 2 girls, it is better to help the two girls because the boys will always find a way of helping themselves”. Meseret Defar, also speaking at the launch, said that for girls in Ethiopia learning can help develop confidence and the feeling of being independent.
Haile and Meseret both appear in films which are being shown in schools at each of the race venues as well as at pre-race entertainment programs.
Great Ethiopian Run’s campaign to promote girls education comes at a time when the government of Ethiopia is trying to achieve 100% secondary school enrollment by 2012. Secondary school enrollment currently stands at just below 40%, but within this figure there is a big disparity between the number of girls enrolled compared to boys particularly in the regions of Ethiopia where the runs are being staged.
NYC – A stunning 2nd album – “Higher Ground” has all the ingredients and all the musicality to be considered a contender for Best New Album.
Ethiopian born and D.C based artist Wayna is off to a great start. Her first single off the album ‘My Love’ has received over 2500 downloads on #1 Soul Music website Soultracks.
‘My Love’ has debuted at #18 on the hot singles sales chart on Billboard and also #2 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop chart. This is a huge accomplishment for an independent Soul Artist and now she’s nominated for a Grammy.
Wayna
This single means a lot to Wayna, who says:
“Two years ago, I came across a startling article in Essence Magazine about a suburb of my hometown Washington, DC. Prince George’s county, it said, is the wealthiest black county in the country, but yet it has a higher rate of domestic violence than any other jurisdiction in Maryland. How tragic, I thought. Beyond their beautiful homes and high-powered jobs, these women were victims, hiding behind a mountain of lies that have to be re-told day after day. I wrote this song in honor of them and, in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One time might be all it takes.”
Wayna has just wrapped up an FYE Retail tour performing and signing CD’s. She also just traveled to South Africa and performed at a huge Ethiopian Music Festival.
Related: Wayna Gets A Grammy Nod DCist.com
December 23, 2008
First off, DCist was happy when Grammy nominations were announced earlier this month and D.C.-area artists and producers were involved in six projects that will be up for recognition at the Recording Academy’s February 8, 2009 ceremony. But when we heard that one of our May Three Stars artists, Wayna, was among those acknowledged in the “Best Urban/Alternative Performance” category for her performance on “Loving You (Music),” which also features D.C. native Kokayi, we were ecstatic.
Just think of it as the “DCist Bump.”
Since the last time we spoke to her, Wayna has been touring constantly to promote her album, Higher Ground, which includes the nominated song. The nominee took a few moments to answer some questions about her new found recognition and talk about what the future might hold for her. Read more.
Behind the cash register at Don’s Food store, a heavy-set 60-year-old convicted felon named James minded the shop on a recent afternoon, his mere presence capturing what slain shopkeeper Alemu “Alex” Abebe represented to this long-neglected neighborhood in Old East Dallas.
James served time for cheating and stealing. He sipped Thunderbird wine and smoked dope while living on the streets.
Yet Abebe and his brother, Daniel Takele, thought enough of the man to give him food, money, work and trust when no one else would.
“You see, I love these guys, I really do,” said James, who asked that his last name be withheld. “To have gotten the chance I got with all the marks against me ….”
It’s been more than four years since Abebe was fatally shot during a robbery at the store, and the case remains unsolved. With some help from James and others, Takele continues to run the store and, along with Abebe’s widow and two teenage sons, still yearns for justice. The family’s $10,000 reward for information in the case still stands.
“One of the things that made me stay here is I might … be able to help in the closure of the case,” said Takele, who emigrated from Ethiopia with his brother. “Because we’ve been in the neighborhood and we know different people, I was hoping some day, someone would say something if they know something or heard anything.”
So far, that critical tip has not come for Dallas police homicide Detective Mark Ahearn.
Shots heard on phone
Ahearn believes the events that led to Abebe’s killing happened quickly and involved three men.
About 11:15 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, 2004, two of the men walked into the store at 825 S. Carroll Ave., while one remained outside as a lookout. When the only customer in the store at the time left, the robbery began.
A store employee mopping in the back kitchen felt a gun in his back and heard someone say, “Don’t move” repeatedly, before being forced to the floor.
Confronted by the other robber, Abebe probably tried to defend himself, Ahearn said. Investigators found a gun holster on Abebe. The weapon was missing.
“Once [Abebe] made a decision that he’s going to defend himself, that’s when the suspect” panicked, he said. “There’s a lot of gunfire.”
Abebe was on the phone with his wife, who heard the gunshots. She has said she heard no argument beforehand.
The two robbers from inside the store were seen running away afterward by witnesses who could provide only vague descriptions: The shooter was a black man in his 20s, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, medium weight, medium complexion, with short hair and a small black gun. The one in the back of the store was described as a tall black man in his 20s, stocky and dark-skinned with a medium Afro hairstyle.
Community members turned out to express their affection for the friendly store owner they knew as Alex in the days and weeks after his death, adorning the store with cards, flowers and handwritten messages.
For Ahearn, who still hopes to find someone with key information about the killing, this case has taken a personal toll.
“Every person that’s murdered in Dallas is a victim,” said the 24-year veteran detective. “But this guy was truly an innocent victim doing his job at his business that he’s owned for 18 years.”
“This is a good man who has a family, who’s got two children who are growing up without a dad. It’s incredibly frustrating.”
Brothers fled Ethiopia
Abebe and his brother overcame long odds before becoming American business owners in 1987.
They were born in Ethiopia and joined the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Party, a group critical of the government. The men fled and ultimately ended up in the U.S. in the early 1980s after successfully seeking political asylum.
The brothers generally worked opposite shifts so that they could each maximize their time with their families during their off-hours. Still, they remained close.
“It’s very difficult,” Takele said. “You really don’t know how close you are until people are no longer there.”
As Takele took time to gather himself before returning to the store after his brother’s death, James helped get things in order.
He cleaned Abebe’s blood from the floor and did various chores in the store. He also eventually installed a thick Plexiglas fortress that now surrounds the cashier area, which faces a monitor displaying security camera images.
He helped then and he continues to help now, he says, because of what Abebe and Takele have done for him.
“No matter how much determination you have, you need a helping hand,” he said. “That’s what this store represents, a helping hand.”
A $10,000 reward has been offered by Alemu Abebe’s family for information in this case. Call Detective Mark Ahearn at 214-671-3682 or e-mail homicide@dpd. dallascityhall.com.
NEW ORLEANS — Two New Orleans-area men were sentenced this week to federal prison time on child pornography convictions in separate cases brought under a nationwide effort to combat child sexual exploitation, prosecutors said Thursday.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon sentenced Agegnehu Tsega, 32, of Slidell, to 39 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release, prosecutors said.
Tsega pleaded guilty Oct. 1 to possession of materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
Tsega had approximately 9,000 images and video depicting the sexual victimization of children, prosecutors said.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced Terence Rhodes, 66, of Metairie, to 78 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release, prosecutors said.
Africk ordered that Rhodes is not to have unsupervised contact with anyone under age 18, cannot use a computer or the Internet and must give a DNA sample, prosecutors said.
Rhodes pleaded guilty Oct. 2 to possession of materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
Rhodes was in possession of approximately 5,900 images depicting the sexual victimization of children at his home in Metairie, prosecutors said.
Tsega, who is from Ethiopia, will be deported from the United States once he is released from prison.
Project Safe Childhood combines the efforts of U.S. attorneys’ offices and other federal, state and local resources to catch people who exploit children via the Internet, prosecutors said in a statement Thursday.
———————————————————————————- Factual Basis from the United States District Court Eastern District of Louisiana (PDF)
———————————————————————————-
Man gets 3 years in child porn case The Times-Picayune
Thursday, January 08, 2009
By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch
A 32-year-old Slidell man was sentenced Wednesday in federal court to more than three years in prison for possessing 9,000 images and 50 videos depicting the sexual victimization of children, some younger than 12.
Agegnehu Tsega, who is from Ethiopia, received 39 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon also ruled that the prison term be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. But according to the U.S. attorney’s office, U.S. immigration officials instead are planning to deport Tsega back to Ethiopia after he is released from prison.
Tsega pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on Oct. 1. The charge carries up to 10 years in prison, a possible lifetime term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and registration as a sex offender.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents received information that Tsega had purchased access to sexually explicit Web sites on at least three occasions, according to a statement he signed as part of a plea agreement.
On March 25, the agents went to Tsega’s Wellington Lane residence in Slidell and Tsega gave written consent to a search of his home, authorities said. Agents seized computers, DVDs and CDs, authorities said.
Computer records revealed Tsega had used various search terms — such as “kinderkutje,” “hard Lolitas,” “youngvideomodels” and tinymodel” — to find online sites where he could download the sexually explicit images.
Tsega told authorities that he had been downloading similar images since 2003. He said he was addicted to the images and would view them weekly, according to his statement.
The U.S. attorney’s office said the case was brought forward as part of Project Safe Childhood, a national program launched in May 2006 and run by the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
The program uses federal, state and local resources to find, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and help victims.
Many would have surrendered to the hassles of coordinating a project 11 time zones from home, or been choked by the red tape of dealing with a foreign government.
Still others would have succumbed to the difficulty of raising money for something most donors will never see.
But Selamawit Kifle, a South Seattle woman who grew up in Ethiopia, does not give up.
And because she does not, a clinic is rising from the red clay soil of her native land. Later this year, some of the poorest residents in one of the world’s poorest countries may be receiving treatment for malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, complications of HIV/AIDS and other ailments.
“When I started, I had no idea what it would take,” said Kifle. “I just knew I had to help.”
DAVID HORNETT / DAVID HORNETT
Already, 63 Ethiopian orphans are receiving the basic necessities of life, along with school supplies and a chance at a better future, thanks to donors — nearly all in the Seattle area — who give $30 a month to sponsor a child through the Blue Nile Children’s Organization, which Kifle created in 2001.
“She is a very quiet, unassuming woman, but she is just a lion in terms of what she can accomplish. It’s amazing,” said Deacon Mary Shehane of St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, which made Blue Nile one of its “Church in the World Ministries.” Next month, St. Mark’s will host a dinner and auction for the group; a similar event last year raised $20,000 toward the clinic construction.
The desperately poor Ethiopia which Kifle, 48, sees on her twice-yearly trips these days is not the country she remembers from childhood, when her upper-middle-class family had homes and property under Emperor Haile Selassie.
But a Marxist military regime that toppled Selassie in 1974 confiscated privately held property, including her family’s. In subsequent years, thousands of people were killed or simply disappeared, including a teenage brother and sister of Kifle’s. “The government took them away and we never saw them again.”
Kifle left Ethiopia in 1982 at age 22, following an older sister first to Germany and then to the United States.
Thirteen years later, Kifle, who then operated an import-export company, made her first trip back to Ethiopia, and was heartbroken by the plight of the country’s children.
“When you walk down the street, they follow you, begging for bread. If you go out early in the morning to church, you see them sleeping outside, piling up with each other to be warm,” she said. “I know I can’t help all of them, but if I can help even 100 kids, I’ll know I’ve done something.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than 1 million children in Ethiopia alone have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic sweeping through sub-Saharan Africa, and that total is expected to rise.
Above:A parachute dropped an apparent payment via a
parachuted container to pirates holding MV Sirius Star
at anchor (U.S. Navy photo, Friday, Jan. 9, 2009).
Somali pirates released the oil-laden Saudi
supertanker after receiving a $3 million ransom,
a negotiator for the bandits said Friday.
The ship owner did not confirm it. The brand
new tanker, with a 25-member crew, was seized
in the Indian Ocean Nov. 15 in a dramatic escalation
of high seas crime.(AP Photo/U.S. Navy,Air Crewman
2nd Class David B. Hudson)
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The body of a Somali pirate who drowned just after receiving a huge ransom washed onshore with $153,000 in cash, a resident said Sunday, as the spokesman for another group of pirates promised to soon free a Ukrainian arms ship.
Five pirates drowned Friday when their small boat capsized after they received a reported $3 million ransom for releasing a Saudi oil tanker. Local resident Omar Abdi Hassan said one of the bodies had been found on a beach near the coastal town of Haradhere and relatives were searching for the other four.
“One of them was discovered and they are still looking for the other ones. He had $153,000 in a plastic bag in his pocket,” he said Sunday.
The U.S. navy released photos of a parachute dropping a package onto the deck of the Sirius Star, and said the package was likely to be the ransom delivery.
But five of the dozens of pirates who had hijacked the tanker drowned when their small boat capsized as they returned to shore in rough weather. Three other pirates survived but also lost their share of the ransom. Read More.
An Ethiopian Boeing 757 airliner made an emergency landing at Malta International Airport this morning after one of its two engines failed, sources said.
The Boeing 757 was on a flight from Addis Ababa to Rome Fiumicino when it declared an emergency and diverted to Malta.
The Health Department was immediately informed and an emergency plan was put in place. Two ambulances were sent on site and all the doctors and nurses at the Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital as well as those at the four main health centres and at St Vincent De Paul, were prepared to handle any possible injuries.
Above:The UNA Student Alliance at Cupertino High School
in California, formed by students Derek Zhou and Alex Pommier,
held a fund raising event at their school on Saturday, December
20, 2008, raising funds to send school supplies to the the small
village of Gira Dima in Ethiopia.
By Mary Granholm
Published: Sunday, January 11, 2009
Mountain View, CA (Tadias) – When Derek Zhou won the United Nations Association (UNA) Essay Contest in our chapter two years ago he said he wanted to do something that would make a difference in the world. He is certainly doing just that. He and Alex Pommier, students at Cupertino High School, formed a UNA Student Alliance, recruited a Faculty Advisor, Bob Pelz, and 58 student members, and researched needs and organizations through which they might work.
They chose The World Family, a local organization supplying clinics and hospitals in Ethiopia, and now building a community center nearly completed, in the small village of Gira Dima in Ethiopia, that has no electricity or potable water. This center will have a clinic, classrooms, gathering place, and gardens, among other things, and solar panels will be installed to provide electricity. The students feel that education is the greatest key to making a difference in the lives of people and decided to focus in that area. They are collecting school supplies and hope to get a container off by spring.
Sorting School Supplies to Ship to Ethiopia (All Photo credit: Cupertino High
School United Nations Association’s photo stream at flickr)
These remarkable, dedicated, and visionary students held an event on Saturday, December 20, at their school, at which they held an auction and raffle of donated items. Art work, jewelry, restaurant meals, a helicopter ride, a lecture series, and even a 2-week stay for 8 people at a Hawaiian time-share were some of the rewards. They have now raised $6,500 toward their goal of $8,000, which is the cost of shipping a container. Incidentally, if you need an auctioneer, Derek would make a great choice.
Some of the students and their adviser hope to spend a month in Gira Dima in the summer.
BOSTON, Massachusetts (AFP) — Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba, who claimed double Olympic gold at 5,000 and 10,000 meters at Beijing, will run at the Boston Indoor Games on February 7, organizers announced. Read more.
Maryland – The Ethiopian community of the Washington, DC area came out to watch the screening of Judgment Day (Yefird Ken) on Saturday, December 20th at the Unification Church located in the Adams Morgan section of Washington, DC. Famed Ethiopian singer Tilahun Gessesse appeared at the screening. He is legendary in his home country and in the Ethiopian Diaspora.
Filmed, edited and directed by Temesgen Afework, Judgment Day is an apocalyptic drama filled with suspense, intrigue, and tragedy. Rosa, Played by Tigist Nigatu, has settled comfortably with her husband and son in the Washington, DC suburbs. She and Biruk, Played by Temesgen Afework, run a successful agency downtown. The course of her wonderful life will come down when she unexpectedly bumps into her former boyfriend.
“Judgment Day is an impressive work of cinematic art
infusing biblical references and depicting the Ethiopians
in the Washington, DC area as socially and economically
productive” MCS
Solomon, played by Tekle Desta, is like an apostle going on a mission. And his mission is to destroy Rosa and her family. It is comparable to the resurrection of the dead. The dead are the secrets that she buried and will soon be revealed if he gets his way.
The five years that Solomon spent in prison and the loss of his mother have made him bitter and vengeful. He left his country to find his old girlfriend and take back what is his- their son raised by her and Biruk.
Knowing that she will lose her family if the secret is revealed, she goes so far as to seduce him. Unfazed by her actions, he lets her know that he isn’t going anywhere and will do everything to destroy her. She loses her peace of mind going through a series of emotional breakdowns and nightmares that jeopardize her marriage, family and job. The consequences are tragic for Rosa, Biruk and Solomon.
After the show’s screening, the actors received accolades from the audience and the community. After receiving their plaque of recognition, they bowed to Tilahun as if he were royalty.
Judgment Day is an impressive work of cinematic art infusing biblical references and depicting the Ethiopians in the Washington, DC area as socially and economically productive. Mr. Afework is a skilled actor and director. The actors portrayals are realistic and show they are not afraid to perform in their own skin. Mr. Afework currently attends Strayer University and resides in Silver Spring, MD.
Unfortunately, Judgment Day is not available for distribution at this time. It is being toured throughout the U.S. and Ethiopia. To find out more about the movie screening in other states and about Temesgen Afework, visit his website at www.hollylandpictures.com.
Above:Baby Rute, the one-year old girl from Ethiopia, who
came to the U.S. during the summer with severe congenital
heart condition is flying home to her parents after recovering
from heart surgery.
JACKSONVILLE, FL — Baby Rute babbles, crawls and coos like any other baby girl who is months away from her second birthday.
“She just charms you and makes you love her in two seconds.”
For the past five months she’s been a bundle of baby-ness in the home of Dr. Jose Ettedgui and his wife, Hilda, founders of Patrons of the Heart, a foundation that helps underprivileged children with heart problems in developing countries.
Saturday afternoon, Baby Rute is flying home to her biological parents who couldn’t make the trip to the United States. She returns home with a stronger heart, the result of two surgeries in Jacksonville. Hilda and Jose Ettedgui are going with her.
“She’s become part of our family and we really would like to meet her parents and to be able to stay in touch so that’s why we would like to take her,” said Hilda Ettedgui as Baby Rute climbed and crawled around her on the couch of their Southside home.
Because of the bond the three have forged here, Mrs. Ettedgui admits the handoff is going to be extremely difficult.
“It’s very hard for all of us,” said Hilda Ettedgui, who’s from Venezuela. “She’s my baby right now.”
Her first word at the Ettedgui home: “Dada.” The man Baby Rute affectionately calls “Dada” is a pediatric cardiologist and she’s his joy, too.
“She hears the keys at the door and just sprints to the door,” added Hilda Ettedgui.
The couple plans to stay in Baby Rute’s village for a few days to get to know her family and help other children in need.
————————
Ethiopian ‘Baby Rute’ To Undergo Life Saving Heart Treatment At Wolfson
JACKSONVILLE, FL – Doctors at Wolfson Children’s Hospital are working to save the life of an infant girl from Ethiopia.
Baby ‘Rute’ arrived in Jacksonville Thursday night after a 17-hour flight from Africa into New York, followed by the flight to the First Coast.
She was accompanied by Hilda Ettedgui, the wife of Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon Jose Ettedgui, and co-founder of the children’s foundation, “Patrons of the Hearts.”
Baby Rute has a heart condition that would likely take her life in the coming months or years. Despite her 15-month age, the child weighs just 15-pounds. Read More.
London — The Ethiopian Government is best known for the tight control it has exerted over the political process of the country.
Therefore it comes of something of a surprise to learn that it has made the development of media a priority and with a certain amount of external prompting has liberalized the radio sector. Two new private radio stations have been launched (more will follow) and community radio stations have also started broadcasting. Well-informed sources say that there will be a new private free-to-air television channel within two years. Against this backdrop, the country is also sustaining a significant local film culture in Amharic.
Based on figures from the last census, there are probably between 1-2 million television sets and around 8 million radio sets in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Radio and TV Agency has overall responsibility for the state run channels but radio and TV have their own organisation and management. ETV is completely supported by Government money and advertising. There is no licence fee. Two channels: ETV1 which carries ads and ETV 2 which does not. ETV1 covers about 47% of the population whereas ETV2 covers only the capital Addis Ababa. The programming schedule is built around new bulletins throughout the day. Each channel shows around 16 hours programming a day.
The majority of programming is in Ethiopia’s most widely spoken language Amharic and the majority of programmes are made by ETV which has its own studios. A standard quality 20 minute programme would cost between 50-70,000 birr an hour. There is a small independent production sector but it has little chance of growing in current circumstances.
Advertising is very cheap at around 1,000 birr a minute. The main advertisers are cleaning products and government organisations like the Anti-Corruption Agency. As the country still has a monopoly phone company (ETC), there is not the volume of mobile phone advertising found in other African countries. That said, ETV has been able to buy some of the premium sports rights by attracting sponsors.
The transition to DTT is at an early stage as there is no plan from the Government specifying when and how it will happen. The Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority has done a study which has been submitted to the Government, which needs to create a Task Force to tackle the when, how and what technology issues. Given the overall approach of the Government in other fields, it is likely to opt for a planned approach. However, the issue of subsidy will require considerable resourcing.
ETV has made some progress in digitalising its production processes and parts of its archive. For although the Government has declared that the development of the media is a priority, there is a shortage of professional people and resources. Furthermore, ETV as state media is very clearly tasked by the Government to help promote its policies and the implementation of its strategies and that does not always make for interesting viewing.
There are two Pay TV companies – GTV and Multichoice – who between them probably have between 6-7,000 subscribers, 75-80% of whom are in the capital Addis Ababa.
Community radio development is being funded by a combination of the World Bank (US$18 m), the Ethiopian Government (US$5 million) and GTZ (US$3 million). The regulator, Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority, has two ways of defining community radio: either by geographic region (with a range of up to 25 kms) and/or addressing a particular community (young people, women or the disabled). 5 community radio licences have been issued by the regulator EBA.
One of the country’s universities runs a radio station in partnership with an international NGO with a 3 KW transmitter with an 80 mile radius. Makele University in Tigray is developing locally produced antennas and transmitters.
One of the conditions of World Bank funding was that the Government start offering private commercial licences. There are currently two private FM radio stations (Sheger FM on 107.3 and Zami on 90.7) and a third radio station focusing on English and French programming (Afro FM) will be launched next year. In addition, there are two Government radio stations and Radio Fana (see below). However, there is a considerable thirst to launch stations as there were over 45 applicants for the current round of licences. Critics of the liberalisation say that too few stations have been licensed and that they are all in the capital, Addis Ababa.
One of the most dynamic of the new private sector radio players is in fact an already existing station, Radio Fana. It came out of the military struggle against the Dergue and had its origins as a clandestine radio station in the bush. As a result, it has remained broadcasting after the current Government came to power. It broadcasts in Amharic, Afar, Oromo and Somali and is expanding its number of stations, launching new transmitters in Jimma in the south and Gonder in the north. It transits on FM in the urban area and on short wave in the rural areas. In the next two years it will have 10 stations with increased local programming. All together the company employs 254 people and before too long it will move from its current “hut-like” premises to a new multi-storey office block it is building next door to its current offices.
It is supported by three different kinds of advertising: conventional advertising, mainly on the FM stations (30% of revenue), programme sponsorships (15%) and programme partnerships where an organisation will fund a programme. The latter category includes Government Ministries and international donors like UNICEF and Save the Children. Programmes include community discussions on health and sanitation issues and talk shows in the urban areas.
Advertising rates vary between 10,000 birr for three spots in an hour for programme sponsorship to six thirty second spots for 690 birr for a more conventional national ad on a premium programme. There are reductions for the three non-Amharic languages. Advertising for non-commercial organisations goes as low as 35-40 birr a minute.
The losers in the struggle for radio advertising have been the Government radio stations. Whereas they used to have a 40%+ market share with Radio Fana taking the lion’s share, they are now down to 18-20%. Radio Fana has more or less kept its market share with Sheger taking 25%. Radio Fana takes a very bullish view of competition, believing that it helps them sharpen up the delivery of everything they do and grows the market.
Radio Fana would clearly be one of the contenders for a free-to-air TV licence as and when the Government puts one on the table. Well-informed sources told us that it’s “in the pipeline”. New elections are only 18 months away and the decision could be taken after the elections.
Ethiopia has a large and thriving film culture which is unusual given the history of cinema in the country. Emperor Menelik II was in conversation with Stevenin when the latter mentioned cinema and how he had abandoned importing a projector because of opposition from the country’s priests. The original cinema was opened by a Frenchman and was quickly dubbed Satan Bet’ (The devil’s house) by the public. The cinema went bankrupt and its projector passed to the Emperor who used it to watch films with a spiritual theme with his officials and priests in the Grand Palace. It was not until “talkies” came into being that cinema really took off in Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa has ten cinemas where many African capitals only support one or two venues. Of these, four are privately owned and the rest are Government-run venues. The smartest of these cinemas is in the Edina Mall and was built by a local millionaire a year ago. Outside of Addis Ababa, films get shown in big general-purpose halls. There is a strong audience for locally made films and almost all screenings are crowded, often requiring a police presence for crowd control. Interestingly, people pay a premium to see local films: 15 birr (US$1.53) for a locally made film as against 5 birr (US30 cents) for seeing two Hollywood movies.
The Ethiopian International Film Festival takes place in the country’s capital Addis Ababa at the end of November each year. In 2008 it showed 24 Ethiopian films and 28 African and international films: the Ethiopian films shown are all competition entries. Its director Yergity Teshome is promising that this year’s festival will be even bigger than last year’s and he wants to do a pre-festival training workshop for 10 people, 3 of whose short films (of between 5-7 minutes) will be shown at the Festival.
Last year 33 feature films were made in Ethiopia by independent filmmakers, all shot on Betacam HD and in country’s most widely spoken language Amharic. Because they are in Amharic, they tend only to be shown in Ethiopia or to the diaspora in Europe and North America. Ethiopians have their own popular music which is widely used in the films made but no-one really knows this music outside the country.
According to Teshome:”Our neighbours like Kenyans and Ugandans don’t know Ethiopian music and Ethiopians are not globalised in a cultural sense.” Recent entries to the film festival have been shown at the Amakula Film Festival in Kampala and at ZIFF in Zanzibar and on the international festival circuit but this has bought critical acclaim but not audiences.
Prize-winning entries to last year’s Ethiopian International Film Festival give some idea of the types of stories involved. Operation Agazi is an action movie that looks at a jailbreak mounted during the Dergue regime to release political prisoners. Best Man is a comedy about two couples: one male partner wants to marry, the other does not. The rise of the current film sector dates back to the end of the Dergue regime and probably one of the first films to be made was Aster. After the collapse of the regime, the film sector simply blossomed.
The budget needed to make films is raised from box office revenues or initial capital is loaned by the families of film-makers. Most of the film makers are very young and the industry is not, according to Teshome, either “institutionalised or industrialised.” But as he acknowledges for the sector to become more sustainable, a system needs to be built and one with its own institutions. The country has its own film stars but each needs to make several films at once to survive and they supplement their income with TV and radio ads.
In revenue terms, filmmakers rent cinemas (that range from 700-1,500 seats) for around 3,500 birr and sell tickets for 15 birr per person. On this basis, the filmmaker can get around 50,000 birr (US$5,100) or more revenue from a film. Some films are high budget and one has run to 3.5 million birr. The maker of this particular film was the person who launched one of Ethiopia’s first ad agencies and is a prolific film-maker. In terms of post-production, there are no facilities houses and each individual film-maker makes their own edit. However, the volume of films being made has seen camera hire go from 100 birr a day to 700 birr a day.
After the film has been shown at the cinema, it will then be distributed on VCD by local distributors but this raises very little money as copies are almost immediately pirated. However, what income does get made is split 50/50 between the distributor and the film-maker. Again renting local films commands a premium: it costs only 2 birr to rent a Hollywood movie for three days but 5 birr to rent a local movie for one day.
Films are not screened on television. The only explanation is that ETV is state-owned. For as Teshome sees it:”That’s our big problem. They don’t want to give air-time to a private person. ETV has its own dramas but they’re not very good.”
Some of the difficulties with the uncertain relationship between independent producers and ETV is illustrated by the recent changes in access to the channel.
Wizzkids Workshop is a small company supported by donor commissions. It produced four 7 minute animation features on childrens’ health, the environment and recycling water. ETV agreed to show them for 300 birr (US$30.64) a minute.
But buying airtime is now no longer possible because of two factors. Firstly, inspired by the Government’s anti-corruption approach ETV is now commissioning programmes one year ahead and not allowing programme makers to share advertising income. Secondly, there is a new bill covering CSOs which says that only local organisations can address issues of rights. To be an Ethiopian NGO defined as local you must get 90% of your funding from Ethiopian sources. Programme makers have to bid to make programmes and this means this type of programming may no longer be aired.
UNESCO has organised a film and development workshop as part of the Ethiopian International Film Festival looking at how development issues can be incorporated into films. Paul Hector of UNESCO says:”We’d like to do the equivalent of product placement where an issue becomes part of the plot.” He is also trying to organise an event this year involving the Ethiopian diaspora that would involve them in making productions.
There’s a film school at Addis Ababa University but according to one source it’s of a fairly low standard because many of those teaching the subject do not have a wide experience of film-making. In addition, there are three private film-making schools, one of which is a complex run by the company that owns Radio Fana.
Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) — Ethiopia’s leading opposition politician is in her 10th day of a hunger strike after she was jailed for life on Dec. 29 following a dispute with the government, according to her mother.
Birtukan Mideksa, 34, has been taking only juice and water and is being held in solitary confinement in a windowless 3-meter by 4-meter (10-foot by 13-foot) cell in Ethiopia’s Kaliti prison, said her mother, Almaz Gebregziabhere, who visited her in prison yesterday.
“I didn’t recognize her because of how she’s changed,” said Gebregziabhere, 72, in an interview today at her home in Addis Ababa. “I begged her for the sake of her daughter to eat, but she didn’t.”
Prison officials have banned all visitors except Gebregziabhere and Mideksa’s 3-year-old daughter, Halle, from visiting her, Gebregziabhere said. Gebregziabhere, speaking in Amharic through a translator, said the family had been unable to hire a lawyer for Mideksa because those contacted on her behalf have turned her down as a client, fearing government reprisals.
Mideksa, a leader of the now-dissolved Coalition for Unity and Democracy party, was first jailed after Ethiopia’s 2005 elections, in which the CUD claimed victory. She and dozens of other opposition leaders were sentenced to life in prison, though they were released in 2007 after a pardon agreement with the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
She was re-arrested Dec. 29 after she rejected government demands that she make a public statement saying she had formally requested the original pardon.
‘Humane Condition’
Bereket Simon, an adviser to Zenawi, said he wasn’t aware of Mideksa’s fast.
“We have a prison system whereby we hold prisoners in a humane condition,” Simon said. “This is a case where she has said that she didn’t ask for pardon and the decision of the judiciary is being applied. At this point, I don’t think it requires intervention by lawyers.” Read more.
————– US concern over Birtukan Midekssa’s arrest
AFP
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — The US embassy in Addis Ababa on Wednesday voiced concern over the fate of an opposition leader who was jailed after her pardon from a life sentence was revoked.
Birtukan Midekssa, head of the Unity for Democracy Justice party, irked the regime when she reportedly claimed during a recent visit to Europe that she had never voiced remorse or acknowledged any mistake to obtain her pardon in 2007.
“The United States is concerned about the government of Ethiopia’s arrest of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party leader Birtukan Midekssa,” the embassy’s information officer Darragh Paradiso told AFP.
“We are particularly concerned by reports that Birtukan’s pardon has been revoked and she has begun a life sentence in prison.”
The 35-year-old woman, who was detained with dozens of opposition figures and supporters in the aftermath of disputed 2005 elections, was last week given a three-day ultimatum by the authorities to confirm or deny the reports. Read More.
————— Bloomberg.com Ethiopian Police Re-Arrest Opposition Leader Mideksa
By Jason McLure
(Corrects attribution in sixth paragraph.)
Dec. 29 — Ethiopian federal police re-arrested opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa a year after she was released on a pardon following her arrest during the country’s disputed 2005 elections.
Mideksa, a leader of the now-dissolved Coalition for Unity and Democracy, was taken into custody today, said Temesgen Zewde, a lawmaker, who is a member of Mideksa’s new party, Unity for Democracy and Justice.
“She has been arrested,” Zewde said in an interview in the capital, Addis Ababa. “No charges have been made public yet. We don’t know exactly where she is being held.”
Mideksa was arrested after refusing to acknowledge that she had requested a pardon that led to her release from jail in July 2007, said Bereket Simon, a spokesman for Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. She and dozens of other opposition leaders were initially jailed following the 2005 elections and sentenced to life in prison following a May 2007 trial on treason charges. Read More.
Above:Police tape still covers the door of the apartment
where 39-year old Samuel Abate Balcha was found dead on
New Years Day.
Friend Asks For Tips In Jan. 1 Killing
JustNews.com
MIAMI — Miami police are asking for the public’s help in solving a killing that happened on the first day of 2009.
Samuel Abate Balcha, 39, was born in Ethiopia, raised in Cuba and moved to Miami about four years ago.
Although Balcha was educated to be a civil engineer, he made ends meet by driving a delivery truck.
On Jan. 1, a neighbor discovered Balcha’s body inside his efficiency apartment in the 4500 block of Northwest Sixth Street.
Although detectives will not say how Balcha died, they said he was obviously killed.
“It’s pretty weird. We don’t really have a motive. It looks like it could have been a robbery,” said Miami Detective Fernando Bosch.
Bosch said the efficiency was ransacked. He said the victim was not known to carry large sums of cash and he did not have any jewelry to speak of.
On Wednesday morning, Balcha’s friend, Lazaro Diaz, asked for anyone with information to step forward. Read more.
—————- Police Think This May Have Been A Robbery But Are Still
Not Sure. Miami-Dade Crimestoppers (305) 471-TIPS Lazaro Diaz
MIAMI (CBS4) ― By all accounts 39-year old Samuel Abate Balcha had no enemies. He was well loved by his friends & neighbors and was a hard worker. But on January 1st, 2009 his body was found inside his efficiency apartment. His killer has yet to be found.
Now close friend Lazaro Diaz is making a plea to the community for help in bringing Balcha’s killer to justice.
“He didn’t deserve this, for someone to take his life,” said Balcha.
Miami police detective Fernando Bosch told CBS4’s Liv Davalos they are baffled by Balcha’s murder and don’t really have a motive.
“It’s a mystery why anyone would take his life, he was pretty much loved by everybody,” said Bosch.
Detectives say Balcha was killed possibly on December 30th, his body found days later by a concerned neighbor, his apartment ransacked. Police say Balcha, who was born in Ethiopia and had lived in Miami for four years, was a civil engineer but was working as a truck driver for a delivery company while going to school at Miami-Dade College to learn English.
“Everybody we spoke to said he was a gentleman, a friend, a brother, there are a lot of people that are concerned,” said Bosch.
Anyone who can help police find Balcha’s killer is asked to call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.
BOSTON, Massachusetts (AFP) — Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba, who claimed double Olympic gold at 5,000 and 10,000 meters at Beijing, will run at the Boston Indoor Games on February 7, organizers announced Thursday. Read more.
Above:Yosef Tadale (left) and Yohannes Surafel (right) were
arrested and charged with kidnapping, assault, and conspiracy
to commit armed robbery after police say they held a family
hostage.
DC Examiner
By Scott McCabe
Examiner Staff Writer
1/7/09
U.S. marshals continue to hunt for a college student accused of abducting a Prince George’s County family in a failed bank robbery scheme last month.
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in capturing Beruk Ayalneh, 24. Ayalneh was one of three men who allegedly broke into the home of an assistant bank manager last month and held the woman, her husband and two boys at gunpoint overnight. The other two suspects, Yosef Tadele, 23, of Silver Spring and Yohannes T. Surafel, 24, of the District remain behind bars on kidnapping, armed robbery and assault charges. Beruk Ayalneh
Police say the trio’s plan was to keep the children, ages 8 and 11, as hostages and force the woman to take money from the SunTrust branch where she worked in Silver Spring. The father convinced the robbers to allow them to bring the children with them to the bank.
But on the way, the father, James Spruill, foiled the plot after he saw a Maryland state trooper. Spruill began driving erratically until the trooper flashed on his cruiser’s emergency lights. Only one of the kidnappers, Surafel, was in the vehicle, but his gun was trained on the 11-year-old boy.
When the trooper asked Spruill for his license, the father jumped at the gunman and pinned him down.
U.S. marshals hope Ayalneh, who is a student at Howard University and has no criminal history, will surrender. Surafel has already tried to kill himself in a holding cell in the College Park barracks, police said.
“[Ayalneh] is not a sophisticated criminal mastermind who’s well-schooled in running and hiding,” said Matthew Burke, supervisory inspector with the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. “We hope his inexperience will help us.”
Ayalneh, who is a U.S. citizen of Ethiopian descent, is from the Northern Virginia area and has ties to D.C. and the Maryland suburbs. He is 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds.
Anyone with information on Ayalneh’s whereabouts can call the U.S. Marshals Service at 301-489-1717 or 800-336-0102. Law enforcement authorities are offering a reward for information leading to Lee’s arrest.
The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, run by the U.S. Marshals Service, is composed of 28 federal, state and local agencies from Baltimore to Norfolk. The unit has captured 19,000 wanted fugitives since its creation in 2004.
CNN VIDEO
A bank robbery scheme was cut short by a quick-thinking family man. WJLA reports.
Police Think This May Have Been A Robbery But Are Still
Not Sure. Miami-Dade Crimestoppers (305) 471-TIPS Lazaro Diaz
MIAMI (CBS4) ― By all accounts 39-year old Samuel Abate Balcha had no enemies. He was well loved by his friends & neighbors and was a hard worker. But on January 1st, 2009 his body was found inside his efficiency apartment. His killer has yet to be found.
Now close friend Lazaro Diaz is making a plea to the community for help in bringing Balcha’s killer to justice.
“He didn’t deserve this, for someone to take his life,” said Balcha.
Miami police detective Fernando Bosch told CBS4’s Liv Davalos they are baffled by Balcha’s murder and don’t really have a motive.
“It’s a mystery why anyone would take his life, he was pretty much loved by everybody,” said Bosch.
Detectives say Balcha was killed possibly on December 30th, his body found days later by a concerned neighbor, his apartment ransacked. Police say Balcha, who was born in Ethiopia and had lived in Miami for four years, was a civil engineer but was working as a truck driver for a delivery company while going to school at Miami-Dade College to learn English.
“Everybody we spoke to said he was a gentleman, a friend, a brother, there are a lot of people that are concerned,” said Bosch.
Anyone who can help police find Balcha’s killer is asked to call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.
Rahel Taye has a smile as big as her appetite. But a year ago her life now would be hard to imagine.
The 26-year-old from Ethiopia had been battling mysterious, crippling pains in her abdomen for months.
“Really, really bad, bad pain,” said Taye.
She was in and out of hospitals. No one had an answer for her but her health kept deteriorating.
She finally ended up at the emergency room of a prominent Chicago hospital where she says doctors delivered the devastating news: that she probably had ovarian cancer.
“The doctor told me she had two months to live,” said Solomon Melesse, Taye’s husband.
She was advised to have surgery which meant she might never have children. Rahel and her husband were stunned and in disbelief.
“I know they are wrong. I feel it,” said Taye.
Rahel trusted her instincts and was recommended to Ermias Tilahun, a specialist in internal medicine at Swedish Covenant Hospital. It was April of 2007. By then, Rahel was in very bad shape.
“She was less than 80 pounds when I saw her,” said Dr. Tilahun.
Like Rahel, Dr. Tilahun wasn’t convinced it was cancer. He had a hunch as a result of working with other immigrants and being Ethiopian himself.
At the time, Rahel was only 26, a very young age for ovarian cancer.
He ran several tests and then he discovered some white looking nodules all over the inside of her abdomen. That led him to suspect something no one else had; tuberculosis.
“After listening to their story, she migrated from Ethopia,” said Dr. Tilahun. “The probability for TB goes up.”
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium. It primarily attacks the lungs but doctors say the disease can affect other organs and tissues. That’s apparently what happened to Rahel. She was diagnosed with peritoneal TB, an unusual infection that some doctors may not know can mimic ovarian cancer.
Rahel was started on anti-TB medications. Within two weeks, they say she was eating and smiling. Since then the couple hasn’t looked back.
“Now we can have a family and live to have a family and kids,” said Rahel.
Dr. Tilahun says Rahel’s case is a perfect example of why U.S. doctors need to start looking beyond America’s borders in diagnosing illnesses.
As more people travel, different forms of disease are making their way to this country. TB is just one of them. In this case, a late diagnosis almost cost Rahel her life.
“If we didn’t consider TB for her she would not be around,” said Dr. Tilahun.
Rahel is now going to school and planning to have a family.
And even though it’s been more than year and half, the gravity of her ordeal is still overwhelming.
Dr. Tilahun says Rahel’s form of TB was not highly contagious. He is not sure how she got it but suspects she may have picked up the bacterium after drinking raw milk.
He also says that if he had used the gold standard test for TB which takes about four weeks, Rahel probably would have been dead. Dr. Tilahun says instead he used a test not well know here in the U.S. which got him results within a couple days.
For more information:
Dr. Ermias Tilahun
Swedish Covenant Hospital, Internal Medicine
2740 W. Foster Ave., Chicago, IL
773-907-3550
Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) — Ethiopia’s parliament ratified a law that critics say will prevent groups from promoting human rights and democracy in the Horn of Africa country, strengthening the government’s hand to crack down on dissent.
The so-called “Proclamation for the Registration and Regulation of Charities and Societies” was passed today by a vote of 327 to 79 in Ethiopia’s parliament. The 547-member legislative body is dominated by members of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front, which has 481 seats.
Zenawi’s party, which has ruled Ethiopia since 1991, backed the law even after Western donors, domestic civil society organizations and members of Ethiopian opposition parties objected. They argue the legislation aims to quash dissent.
“This law goes far beyond any normal effort to regulate civil society,” said Leslie Lefkow, a researcher in the Africa division of New York-based Human Rights Watch. “It’s really an instrument of repression.”
Under the new plan, any charity that promotes ethnic gender and religious equality; human rights; democracy; or conflict resolution and receives more than 10 percent of its funding from overseas, will be banned. Organizations that advocate rights for children and the disabled or promote “the efficiency of the justice and law enforcement services” will also be outlawed unless they source more than 90 percent of their revenue inside Ethiopia.
Blanket Ban
Since nearly all non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, that work in these areas rely on foreign funding, the law is tantamount to a blanket ban, political activists said.
“Ninety-five percent of these organizations will not survive under this legislation,” said Lidetu Ayalew, an opposition member of parliament, during a debate on the law on Dec. 24.
Ethiopia’s government says the new law is needed to regulate the country’s more than 3,800 NGOs. It also argues that it’s the role of the state, rather than foreign-backed organizations, to protect human and democratic rights.
“We need social development,” said Berhanu Adelu, chief of Zenawi’s Cabinet, in a forum on the new law on Dec. 24. “We invite NGOs to do this work, but it is not their role to protect the rights of citizens. That is the role of government. It’s an internal issue.”
The government also disputes claims that the law is intended to silence critics or that groups will close as a result.
‘Clearly Specified Duty’
“No NGOs will be closed as a result of this,” Justice Minister Berhanu Hailu said in an interview on the sidelines of the forum on Dec. 24. “They just have to raise funds locally. This is not a closing of political space. We are not undermining civil society in Ethiopia, but their duty area is clearly specified.”
The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa said the law “appears to restrict civil society activities and international partners’ ability to support Ethiopia’s own development efforts.”
“We are concerned that this law may restrict U.S. government assistance to Ethiopia, particularly on promoting democracy and good governance, civic and human rights, conflict resolution and advocacy for society’s most vulnerable groups,” the embassy said in an statement read to Bloomberg.
Amnesty International, the London-based human rights organization, said that while the government had provided assurances that the law was intended to regularize non- governmental activity, it appeared to have emerged out of state fears about political control.
‘Increased Repression’
Those fears “manifested as increased repression of civil society activity after the contested 2005 elections and continue to severely limit space for civil society as Ethiopia heads toward elections in 2010,” Amnesty said in an e-mail today.
Government opponents accused the state of rigging the May 2005 elections, sparking protests in Addis Ababa and other cities. A judicial inquiry after the election concluded that government security forces had killed 193 opposition supporters in the unrest.
In October and November of 2008, the government arrested 15 members of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, an opposition party, on suspicion of belonging to a separatist group. Last month, Birtukan Mideksa, the country’s leading opposition politician, was arrested and jailed for life after a dispute with the government over a pardon agreement that had freed her in 2007.
Rights Monitor
Among the NGOs likely to be banned is the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, or EHRCO, a non-profit organization that has issued more than 140 reports detailing summary executions, disappearances and unlawful detentions of Ethiopians over the past 17 years.
More than a dozen of the group’s staff and members were arrested in the wake of Ethiopia’s disputed 2005 elections, during which EHRCO ran voter education programs, Yoseph Mulugeta, the group’s secretary-general, said in an interview
About 99 percent of the 1,500-member group’s 4 million birr ($400,000) annual budget comes from foreign sources, including the U.S. based National Endowment for Democracy, Canada’s overseas aid agency, and the embassies of European governments.
As a result of the law, many of the group’s 60 investigators and administrators across the country have been notified they’re likely to lose their jobs.
“Who watches when the government violates human rights?” Mulugeta said. “In many countries the government is the biggest violator of human rights. There needs to be independent watchers.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Jason McLure in Addis Ababa via Johannesburg at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net.
—————————– Ethiopian Parliament Approves Law Criminalizing Many NGO Activities VOA
By Peter Heinlein
Addis Ababa
06 January 2009
Ethiopia’s parliament has overwhelmingly approved a law that will sharply restrict the activities of most civil society groups. The law has been the target of scathing criticism from opposition parties, rights groups and many foreign governments, including the United States.
The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Party used its massive parliamentary majority to push through a law that gives the government broad powers over foreign funded non-governmental organizations.
The so-called Charities and Societies Proclamation prohibits any group receiving at least 10 percent of its funds from abroad from promoting democratic or human rights, the rights of children, or equality of gender or religion. Violators could face stiff fines and sentences of up to 15 years in prison.
Defending the bill in parliament, EPRDF whip Hailemariam Desalegn argued that any group advocating democracy and human rights should be run by Ethiopians, who should have control over the expenditure of funds.
Minister for cabinet affairs Berhanu Adelo, a top adviser to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, said Ethiopia needs NGOs to help with social development. But he said it is not the job of NGOs to protect the rights of citizens. That, he said, is the government’s job.
Critics say the law effectively gives Ethiopia’s increasingly authoritarian government a large say in the affairs of as many as 3,000 charities and civil society groups with a combined budget of $1.5 billion a year, much of which goes to promote open society and multi-party democracy initiatives.
Opposition leaders were blistering in their criticism of the bill. Temesgen Zewde of the Unity for Democracy and Justice Party, whose party leader was imprisoned for life last week after a spat with the ruling party, called the bill part of a government effort to create a one-party state.
“This is really a domination agenda, a single party agenda, all the other stuff is simply window dressing. The agenda is to stifle these voluntary public movements that are known to assist the democratic process, the situation of human rights, and all other advocacies are vital and necessary,” he said. “They just don’t want to see this. The EPRDF cannot survive in that kind of environment.”
Another opposition leader, Dr. Beyene Petros, says the new law will effectively silence those capable of participating in the democratization of Ethiopia.
“It is totally consciously designed to undermine and restrict the role of civil society, because the ruling party is determined to advance the cause of revolutionary democracy and part of the Communist order that is going to be implemented in this country for the coming 30-40 years without anybody looking or criticizing or having any idea about what is going on. So the idea is to undermine the role of civil society,” he said.
The United States and other western governments have voiced deep concern about the effects of the new law. The Bush administration sent its top human rights and democracy official, assistant secretary of state David Kramer to Addis Ababa twice over the past six months to discuss the bill with top government officials.
A U.S. embassy spokesperson Tuesday said the Charities and Societies Proclamation appears to restrict civil society activities and the ability of international partners to support Ethiopia’s own development efforts.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are reportedly set to adopt another Ethiopian child.
The couple – who already have three biological children Shiloh, two, six-month-old twins Knox and Vivienne, and three adopted children, Cambodian Maddox, seven, Pax, five, from Vietnam and four-year-old Ethiopian girl Zahara – are planning to jet to Africa before the end of January to complete paperwork on the new addition to their family.
A source revealed: “Brad and Angelina have seen pictures of a two-year-old girl they’d love to adopt. If everything goes to plan, Angelina will file papers in person in the capital city of Addis Ababa in the New Year and they will pick up their new daughter two days later.”
Actress Angelina Jolie is interviewed as she arrives as a guest at the
world premiere of director Clint Eastwood’s new film “Gran Torino” at the
Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, California December 9, 2008.
Officials in Ethiopia have confirmed they are expecting the family this month as Brad, 45, and 33-year-old Angelina are planning to visit the AIDS/HIV clinic they founded after adopting Zahara.
A clinic source told Britain’s Grazia magazine: “I can’t say anything about when they are coming, but yes, when they come to Ethiopia we will expect a visit from them.”
Brad and Angelina are said to be keen on extending their brood while their other children are still young.
An insider explained: “Angelina gets a kick from saving kids and giving them this amazing life they would have never had otherwise.
“Yes they might be adding to their family fast but they want all their kids to be roughly the same age so they do the nanny stage and get it over and done with.
“Another kid in the house will make no difference to the noise and chaos they already have.”
The 44th President: A transition to Power Above:Obama with Rahm Emanuel (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
NYT
Published: January 6, 2009
The following is a rush transcript of President-Elect Barack Obama’s media availability as provided by the Obama team.
Obama: When the American people spoke last November, they were demanding change, change in policies that helped deliver the worst economic crisis that we’ve seen since the Great Depression, but they’re also looking for a change in the way that Washington does business. They were demanding that we restore a sense of responsibility and prudence to how we’d run our government.
One of the measures of irresponsibility that we’ve seen is the enormous federal debt that has accumulated, a number that has doubled in recent years. As we just discussed, my budget team filled me in on – Peter Orszag now forecasts that, at the current course and speed, a trillion-dollar deficit will be here before we even start the next budget, that we’ve already looked – we’re already looking at a trillion-dollar budget deficit or close to a trillion-dollar budget deficit, and that potentially we’ve got trillion-dollar deficits for years to come, even with the economic recovery that we are working on at this point.
So the reason I raise this is that we’re going to have to stop talking about budget reform. We’re going to have to totally embrace it. It’s an absolute necessity.
And it has to begin with the economic recovery and reinvestment plan that Congress will soon be considering, that we’re going to be investing an extraordinary amount of money to jump-start our economy, save or create 3 million new jobs, mostly in the private sector, and lay a solid foundation for future growth.
But we’re not going to be able to expect the American people to support this critical effort unless we take extraordinary steps to ensure that the investments are made wisely and managed well. And that’s why my recovery and reinvestment plan will have – will set a new higher standard of accountability, transparency, and oversight.
We are going to ban all earmarks, the process by which individual members insert pet projects without review. We will create an economic recovery oversight board made up of key administration officials and independent advisers to identify problems early and make sure we’re doing all that we can to solve it. We will put information about where money is being spent online so that the American people know exactly where their precious tax dollars are going and whether we are hitting our marks.
But we’re not going to be able to stop there. We’re going to have to bring significant reform not just to our recovery and reinvestment plan, but to the overall budget process, to address both the deficit of dollars and the deficit of trust. We’ll have to make tough choices, and we’re going to have to break old habits. We’re going to have to eliminate outmoded programs and make the ones that we do need work better.
That’s the challenge that I’ve handed to Peter, and Rob Nabors, and the rest of my budget team. That’s the challenge that the American people have handed me. They know that we’re at a perilous crossroad and that tinkering in the margins will not do.
I’m going to have more to say about this subject tomorrow, but today I wanted to lay out an early marker with those that I’ve entrusted to help bring the changes that the American people voted for. We are going to bring a long-overdue sense of responsibility and accountability to Washington. We are going to stop talking about government reform, and we’re actually going to start executing.
That’s the charge that I’ve given the members of the administration. That’s the charge that was given to me by the American people. And we are ready for the challenge.
So with that, I’m going to take some questions. And let’s start with you.
Question: Thank you, Mr. President-elect. Do you think that you’ll be submitting a budget larger than the $3.1 trillion that President Bush submitted for fiscal ’09? And, also, what are you doing to address concerns from other Democrats about deficit spending and increasing the deficit with the stimulus package? Read more at NYT.
———– Who is Donating to Obama’s Inaugural Festivities? See the List Obama raises $27 million for inaugural
The Associated Press
By SHARON THEIMER –
WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite the economic hard times, money keeps pouring in for President-elect Barack Obama’s inaugural festivities.
The inaugural committee has raised at least $27 million, donor information on its Web site Tuesday showed. Most of that has come in over the past three weeks.
If fundraising continues at that pace, Obama’s inaugural committee will have no problem reaching or exceeding the roughly $40 million raised for each of President George W. Bush’s two inaugural celebrations.
More than 2,000 donors are helping to finance Obama’s Jan. 20 swearing-in festivities. At least 378 gave the maximum $50,000.
Top donors include financier and major Democratic donor George Soros, actors Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson, Hollywood producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, directors Ron Howard, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg and actor, singer and director Barbra Streisand.
The inaugural committee is releasing the names of those who give $200 or more. It is refusing money from labor unions, corporations, political action committees, foreigners and Washington lobbyists. Read More.
Tadias TV Above photo by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias Magazine
Updated: Saturday, January 3, 2009
New York (Tadias) – Here is an updated video of Yohannes Gebregeorgis, one of the Top Ten CNN Heroes of 2008, at Cafe Addis in Harlem, NYC. The event took place on Saturday, December 13, 2008.
Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) — Ethiopia declared its two-year occupation of Somalia a success as its forces began the last stage of withdrawal, leaving behind one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and a government close to collapse.
“Mission accomplished,” the Foreign Ministry said in an e-mailed statement today in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. “Our defense forces have carried out a successful mission to eliminate the clear and present danger that our country had faced two years ago.”
U.S.-backed Ethiopian soldiers invaded Somalia in December 2006, ousting the Islamic Courts Union, an Islamist alliance that had briefly controlled much of the country. Its attempt to reinstall the United Nations-backed transitional government in the capital, Mogadishu, was met with an Iraq-style insurgency by Islamist and clan-based militias.
More than 800,000 have been forced from their homes by the fighting, while an estimated 3.2 million people, more than 40 percent of the country’s population, are in need of humanitarian aid. The seas off Somalia have become the world’s most dangerous for commercial shippers as the anarchy has led to rapid growth of piracy and kidnappings.
As a result of the insurgency, the transitional government controls only parts of Mogadishu and the southern town of Baidoa, while Islamists from the al-Shabaab militia, a faction of the Islamic Courts Union, control much of southern Somalia. On Dec. 29, the president of the transitional government, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, resigned following a power struggle with Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein. Read More.
———————————- Ethiopia Leaves Somalia With Many Questions Unanswered
VOA
By Joe DeCapua
Washington D.C
05 January 2009 Ethiopian soldiers in
Mogadishu, (file photo)
As Ethiopian troops withdraw from Somalia, the Ethiopian government has released a statement saying its mission in Somalia has been accomplished. It says Ethiopian forces, during their two year occupation, have eliminated a clear and present danger. However, Ethiopia leaves behind a country in turmoil and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.George Washington University Professor David Shinn, a former US ambassador to Ethiopia, spoke to VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua about whether Ethiopia can declare “mission accomplished.”
Four Ethiopian Soldiers Killed in Somalia By VOA News
04 January 2009
Witnesses in Somalia say at least four Ethiopian soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb near Mogadishu.
The blast took place Saturday on a road west of the capital where troops were searching for explosive devices.
Several other soldiers were injured in the blast.
Ethiopia said Saturday that the withdrawal of its troops from Somalia will be completed “within days.”
A foreign ministry statement said military commanders are handing over their responsibilities to African Union peacekeepers and Somali transitional government troops.
A ministry spokesman, Wahde Belay told VOA that sufficient precautions have been made to prevent a power vacuum in Somalia after Ethiopian troops are gone.
About 3,200 soldiers from Burundi and Uganda make up the AU mission in the country. Burundi’s Defense Minister, General Germain Niyoyankana. said Sunday the two countries would consider withdrawing their forces unless more troops and supplies are sent to the country.
Islamist insurgents have taken control over many towns in recent weeks and moved to impose strict forms of sharia (Islamic) law.
Ethiopia sent troops to Somalia in late 2006 to help the government oust Islamists who had taken over Mogadishu and much of the country. The offensive was successful but sparked a bloody insurgency that has killed thousands of Somalis and displaced more than a million others.
Some information for this report was provided by AF and Reuters.
—————
Ethiopia to Complete Somalia Withdrawal ‘Within Days’ Ethiopian troops in Mogadishu.
(file photo)
A spokesman says Ethiopian troops will complete their withdrawal from Somalia “within days,” and that sufficient precautions have been made to prevent a feared power vacuum when they are gone. Troop convoys have been seen pulling back to positions across the border in Ethiopia’s Somali region.
Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying military commanders have completed handing over their responsibilities in Somalia to African Union peacekeepers and soldiers of the country’s transitional government. Ministry spokesman Wahde Belay told VOA in a telephone interview all precautions have been taken to provide security for the AMISOM and TFG forces.
“We believe there will not be a vacuum. That is why we consulted with those forces, the AMISOM and TFG forces,” he said. “We made sure that we have not left a vacuum there. They are ready to take their responsibility in assuring calm in Somalia. This is all I can say for now.”
Wahde declined to elaborate on what measures have been taken, but the press statement noted that both Uganda and Burundi, the two troop contributors to AMISOM, had confirmed their willingness to boost the size of their forces. AMISOM currently has a strength of about 3,400 troops but they are ill-equipped and under-funded and have been unable to restore much stability in Somalia.
The TFG is also believed to have several thousand soldiers.
African Union officials are known to be actively trying to solicit more troops contributions.
Spokesman Wahde confirms that the Ethiopian withdrawal is well under way, and should be completed soon.
“We have specifically said it will take a few days in order to complete the withdrawal. I don’t want to comment on what will happen next,” he said.
Ethiopia had earlier said it would provide security for the AMISOM forces if they decided to join the pullout, but African Union officials have indicated they will continue their peacekeeping mission. African Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping last month told reporters, “a withdrawal from Somalia is something we cannot accept, not only the AU but also the rest of the world.”
Several western diplomats, who declined to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly, have expressed fear of a bloodbath unless the peacekeeping forces are substantially reinforced to replace the several thousand departing Ethiopian soldiers.
Reports from Somalia over the past few days have spoken of clashes between rival Islamist factions vying for control as Ethiopian convoys head back across the border. Both western and African analysts have voiced concern that extremist forces might overrun the AMISOM and TFG troops and capture the capital, Mogadishu.
Ethiopia sent troops to Somalia in December, 2006 to drive out an Islamic Courts Union that had imposed Sharia law over parts of the country. The Ethiopians installed a U.N.-backed but feeble transitional government, but were not able to provide stability in the lawless country that has been without an effective administration since 1991.
——————– Somali police stations taken over Ethiopian forces are leaving after two
years in Somalia
Islamist militiamen have taken over a number of abandoned police stations in the Somali capital as Ethiopian troops continue to withdraw from the city.
The militiamen said they were moving in to prevent an explosion of violence.
They are thought to support a faction that has signed a peace deal with Somalia’s transitional government.
A more militant group, al-Shabab, is continuing the insurgency. Ethiopia has said it aims to ensure there is no security vacuum after it withdraws.
Separately, at least six people are reported to have died in fighting between rival Islamic factions further north.
Members of al-Shabab clashed with local supporters of a rival group – Ahlu Sunna Wal-jamaah – in Guriel, about 400km (250 miles) north of Mogadishu.
Ethiopian military forces began pulling out of Somalia on Friday after two years helping the transitional government fight insurgents.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s spokesman said the withdrawal would take several days.
About 3,400 Ugandan and Burundian peacekeepers from the African Union in Somalia are taking up positions vacated by the Ethiopians.
There are fears the withdrawal of the 3,000-strong Ethiopian force could lead to a power vacuum and that violence will continue despite a peace deal between Somalia’s transitional government and one of the main opposition factions.
However others say the pullout, together with the resignation of President Abdullahi Yusuf, could make it easier for a new government to be formed.
——————-
By MOHAMED IBRAHIM and JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
Published: January 2, 2009
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Ethiopian Army trucks, packed with soldiers, tents, mattresses and other gear, began to pull out of Mogadishu, Somalia’s battle-zone of a capital, on Friday in the first signs of the expected Ethiopian withdrawal.
Many Somalis in their path immediately fled, predicting that the departing Ethiopian troops would be attacked by mines and insurgents. Almost as soon as they began to move, the Ethiopians hit a roadside bomb. At lease nine civilians were killed, and an unknown number of Ethiopian soldiers.
Thousands of Ethiopian troops stormed into Mogadishu two years ago in an attempt to shore up Somalia’s weak transitional government and to wipe out an Islamist administration that the Ethiopians considered a terrorist threat.
But the Ethiopian occupation mostly failed. The Somali government is as divided and weak as ever. Islamist insurgents, many of them quite radical and violent, have seized control of much of Somalia. Thousands of civilians have been killed in relentless combat between Islamist militants and the Ethiopians, with European Union officials accusing the Ethiopians of war crimes. And millions of Somalis are now on the brink of famine, the victims of war, displacement, drought and disease.
The Ethiopians were never popular in Somalia. But as people in Mogadishu watched the first convoy of 18 heavily loaded trucks chug down the bullet-pocked streets and head toward the Ethiopian border on Friday, many said they feared what would happen next.
“If the Ethiopians leave, there is a possibility of war among the Islamist fighters,” said Jamal Ali, a student at Mogadishu University.
It is not clear whether the Ethiopian troops are leaving Somalia entirely or simply redeploying from Mogadishu to other areas of the country. Western diplomats estimate there are still several thousand Ethiopian troops inside Somalia, and many Somalia analysts have predicted that the Ethiopians will linger for some time inside the country or along the border as a buffer against Islamist militants.
“We have already started to implement our withdrawal plan, “ said Bereket Simon, a high-ranking Ethiopian official, according to Agence France-Presse. “It is a process and it will take some time.”
Around 3,000 African Union peacekeepers are still in Somalia, trying to protect the few fortified enclaves that Somalia’s transitional government controls. On Thursday, a little-known Islamist group called the Ras Kamboni Rebels attacked peacekeepers in two locations, though it was not clear how many people, if any, were killed.
Mohamed Ibrahim reported from Mogadishu, Somalia, and Jeffrey Gettleman from Nairobi, Kenya.
The slow evolution of clean-energy solutions is about to kick into high gear, if Sossina M. Haile has anything to say about it. As a fuel cell researcher at the California Institute of Technology and a founding member of the company Superprotonic Inc., she hopes to make this “technology of the future” practical for today’s applications.
Current fuel cell technology is hamstrung by impracticality. The most efficient and powerful fuel cells need large amounts of heat and space, whereas those suitable for smaller scale operation require lots of precious, expensive platinum. “If we converted every car in the U.S. to fuel cells, we’d need more platinum than there is in the proven reserves,” Haile says.
Haile’s research, which initially began several years ago with fuel cell researchers at JPL, has led to breakthroughs in more “consumer-ready” fuel cell technology. She’s developed fuel cell systems that strike a balance between power and manageability –- perfect, she says, for standalone residential generators. Her team has worked hard to reduce the amount of platinum needed for each system.
Haile’s team has also taken on one of the biggest roadblocks to widespread fuel cell use — their reliance on hydrogen as a primary fuel. Hydrogen requires lots of energy to extract and it’s difficult to store and distribute.
Size comparison of a dime and a single fuel cell – the device pictured at
the top of the page is a stack of these individual cells.
In fact, Haile thinks that the verdict is still out on whether hydrogen “makes sense” as the fuel of the future. “When most people hear ‘fuel cells,’ they think hydrogen,” says Haile. “That’s a common misperception — fuel cells aren’t necessarily restricted to hydrogen.”
Haile’s team has focused on developing fuel cells that can run on more traditional fuels, like ethanol or biomass, while also solving many of the problems of conventional hydrogen fuel cells.
Zongping Shao, who is now a professor at
Nanjing College of Chemistry in China,
listens to an MP3 player being powered
by two fuel cells.
Fuel cells that use carbon-based fuels still produce carbon emissions, but at a much lower rate than their internal-combustion counterparts. Because fuel cells extract energy from electrochemical reactions instead of burning their fuel, they are much more efficient and environmentally friendly. “It’s a unique middle ground,” explains Haile — one she believes will speed the integration of these new technologies into the current energy infrastructure.
For Haile, the incentive to design practical, unconventional fuel cells is simple: “Science should be in the service of society.” She thinks that fuel cells that can use renewable energy resources like biomass will help end what she calls she calls “drawing from the bank” — using fossil fuels as a source of energy.
“There’s scientific proof that CO2 concentrations have been rising for decades to levels not felt on the Earth in millenia,” Haile says. “We need to have a diverse approach to solving the problem before it’s too late.”
The 44th President: A transition to Power Above:President-elect Barack Obama, right, listens as Commerce
Secretary-designate New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson speaks
during a news conference in Chicago on Dec. 3, 2008.
(Charles Dharapak/Associated Press)
Richardson Withdraws Name as Commerce Secretary-Designee
The Washington Post
By Michael D. Shear
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn his name from consideration as commerce secretary for President-elect Barack Obama, citing an ongoing investigation about business dealings in his state.
Richardson, 61, who competed unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination, was secretary of energy and U.N. ambassador during Bill Clinton’s presidency, and also the first high-profile Latino named to Obama’s Cabinet.
But a grand jury in New Mexico is currently looking into charges of “pay-to-play” in the awarding of a state contract to a company that contributed to Richardson.
The importance of the inquiry was apparently dismissed when Richardson was first nominated. But it may have taken on more weight in light of the “pay-to-play” allegations involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
“It is with deep regret that I accept Governor Bill Richardson’s decision to withdraw his name for nomination as the next Secretary of Commerce,” the president-elect said in a statement released early this afternoon. “Governor Richardson is an outstanding public servant and would have brought to the job of Commerce Secretary and our economic team great insights accumulated through an extraordinary career in federal and state office.
“It is a measure of his willingness to put the nation first that he has removed himself as a candidate for the Cabinet in order to avoid any delay in filling this important economic post at this critical time.”
Obama added that he would “move quickly to fill the void left by Governor Richardson’s decision.”
Richardson said in a statement that: “Let me say unequivocally that I and my Administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact. But I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process. Given the gravity of the economic situation the nation is facing, I could not in good conscience ask the President-elect and his Administration to delay for one day the important work that needs to be done.” Read More.
Obama family moves to Washington The Obama family spent the holiday
period in Hawaii
US President-elect Barack Obama and his family have arrived in Washington in preparation to take up residence at the White House later this month.
Mr Obama’s wife and their two daughters are staying at the Hay-Adams Hotel, which overlooks the White House. He is expected to join them later.
Malia, 10, and seven-year-old Sasha are due to start classes at the exclusive Sidwell Friends School on Monday.
The Obamas will move to the official presidential guest home on 15 January.
Blair House, which is located opposite the White House and has previously housed presidents-elect before their inauguration, is booked solidly until then, Bush administration officials said.
The Obamas arrived back at their home in Chicago early on Friday, following a 12-day family holiday in Hawaii, and began the move to Washington less than 48 hours later.
The Hay-Adams Hotel, built in 1928, stands across Lafayette Square from the White House, where the Obama family will take up residence following the inauguration ceremony on 20 January.
The Hay-Adams Hotel
Security has been tightened around the hotel, with parking restricted in nearby streets until 15 January, according to city officials.
The Obamas are expected to stay in one of the historic hotel’s luxury suites, which cost several thousand dollars a night, as their daughters start school.
Other children of prominent politicians to have attended the private Sidwell Friends School include Chelsea Clinton and the daughters of President Richard Nixon.
In the coming days, Mr Obama is expected to spend time with Congressional leaders, as they work on a multi-million dollar stimulus plan intended to aid the country’s embattled economy.
The president-elect has also been invited to lunch at the White House on Wednesday, along with former Presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and George Bush Senior.
Blagojevich row
Meanwhile, a row continues over the appointment of Roland Burris to fill Mr Obama’s now-vacant Illinois Senate seat.
Mr Burris was picked by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who is the subject of a criminal inquiry and has been charged with attempting to “sell” Mr Obama’s seat to the highest bidder.
The governor – who denies any wrongdoing – has defied pressure from party leaders to step down and last week chose Mr Burris, the state’s former attorney general, to fill the position.
Senate Democrats have said that while there are no questions about Mr Burris’s personal integrity, they will reject anyone appointed by Mr Blagojevich.
The president-elect has said he agrees the Senate “cannot accept” a new senator chosen by Mr Blagojevich, adding that Mr Blagojevich himself should resign.
New Senate members will be sworn in on Tuesday, as the new session of Congress opens.
Mr Burris said on Saturday he still planned to go to Washington on Monday to take up the Senate seat, the Associated Press news agency reported.
The narcotic leaf is a time-honored tradition in Africa but illegal in
the U.S., where demand is growing.
By Cynthia Dizikes
January 3, 2009
Reporting from Washington — In the heart of the Ethiopian community here, a group of friends gathered after work in an office to chew on dried khat leaves before going home to their wives and children. Sweet tea and sodas stood on a circular wooden table between green mounds of the plant, a mild narcotic grown in the Horn of Africa.
As the sky grew darker the conversation became increasingly heated, flipping from religion to jobs to local politics. Suddenly, one of the men paused and turned in his chair. “See, it is the green leaf,” he said, explaining the unusually animated discussion as he pinched a few more leaves together and tossed them into his mouth.
For centuries the “flower of paradise” has been used legally in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula as a stimulant and social tonic.
But in the United States khat is illegal, and an increased demand for the plant in cities such as Washington and San Diego is leading to stepped up law enforcement efforts and escalating clashes between narcotics officers and immigrants who defend their use of khat as a time-honored tradition.
In the last few years, San Diego, which has a large Somali population, has seen an almost eight-fold increase in khat seizures. Nationally, the amount of khat seized annually at the country’s ports of entry has grown from 14 metric tons to 55 in about the last decade.
Most recently, California joined 27 other states and the federal government in banning the most potent substance in khat, and the District of Columbia is proposing to do the same.
“It is a very touchy subject. Some people see it like a drug; some people see it like coffee,” said Abdulaziz Kamus, president of the African Resource Center in Washington, D.C. “You have to understand our background and understand the significance of it in our community.”
Increased immigration from countries such as Ethiopia, Yemen and Somalia has fueled the demand in this country and led to a cultural conflict.
“We grew up this way, you can’t just cut it off,” said a 35-year-old Ethiopian medical technician between mouthfuls of khat as he sat with his friends in the office.
In the Horn of Africa and parts of the Middle East, khat is a regular part of life, often consumed at social gatherings or in the morning before work and by students studying for exams. Users chew the plant like tobacco or brew it as a tea. It produces feelings of euphoria and alertness that can verge on mania and hyperactivity depending on the variety and freshness of the plant.
But some experts are not convinced that its health and social effects are so benign. A World Health Organization report found that consumption can lead to increased blood pressure, insomnia, anorexia, constipation and general malaise. The report also said that khat can be addictive and lead to psychological and social problems.
“It is not coffee. It is definitely not like coffee,” said Garrison Courtney, spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration. “It is the same drug used by young kids who go out and shoot people in Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. It is something that gives you a heightened sense of invincibility, and when you look at those effects, you could take out the word ‘khat’ and put in ‘heroin’ or ‘cocaine’.”
Khat comes from the leaves and stems of a shrub and must be shipped in overnight containers to preserve its potency. It contains the alkaloid cathinone, similar in chemical structure to amphetamine but about half as potent, according to Nasir Warfa, a researcher in cross cultural studies at Queen Mary University of London.
The United Kingdom determined last year that evidence does not warrant restriction of khat. In the United States, the substance has been illegal under federal law since 1993.
But the world supply of khat is exploding. Countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya now rely on it as a major cash crop to bolster their economies. Khat is Ethiopia’s second largest export behind coffee.
Khat usage has grown so much in San Diego that Assemblyman Joel Anderson (R-San Diego) wrote a 2008 bill that added cathinone and its derivative cathine to California’s list of Schedule II drugs along with raw opium, morphine and coca leaves.
As of Thursday, Anderson’s bill made possession of khat a misdemeanor in California, punishable by up to one year in county jail and a $1,000 fine. Possession of the leaf with intent to sell is a felony that carries a three-year maximum sentence in state prison.
In some cases, khat seizures have resulted in warnings and probation. In other instances, like New York City’s “Operation Somali Express” bust in 2006, which led to the seizure of 25 tons of khat worth an estimated $10 million, the perpetrators were sent to jail for up to 10 years.
“In my mind, [such arrests are] wrong,” said an Ethiopian-born cabdriver who was arrested in November in a Washington, D.C., khat bust and spoke on condition of anonymity. “They act like they know more about khat than I know.”
Khat leaves are sold attached to thick stalks or dried like tea leaves. A bundle of 40 leafed twigs costs about $28 to $50.
The plant’s cost has been linked to family problems, including domestic abuse, said Starlin Mohamud, a Somali immigrant who is completing a dissertation on khat at San Diego State University.
In fact, within the East African community in the U.S., there are many who welcome the khat restrictions.
“I have seen what it does,” Mohamud said. “Families who are trying to make ends meet on a daily basis cannot afford it. It just creates so many problems between a husband and wife to the point where a broken family is going to be the result.”
Not all lawmakers, however, support the increased efforts to prosecute khat sellers and users. California state Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Chino) called khat use “a minor problem that may be nonexistent and little understood” and voted against Anderson’s bill.
“The Legislature cannot continue to add on penalties and punishments filling up critically overcrowded prison system without weighing the consequences on how this will affect California,” she said.
Even though khat smuggling continues to grow in the United States, the level is nowhere near that of drugs like marijuana, cocaine, heroine and methamphetamine. Still, law enforcement officials worry that in a refined, stronger and more portable form, khat could spread outside the immigrant communities.
In Israel, a pill known as hagigat (essentially Hebrew for “party khat”), has emerged on the club scene.
“I don’t think we are going to see American teenagers chewing the plant,” said Phil Garn, a U.S. postal inspector in San Diego. “But based on what I saw with meth and how it spread across the country, I can absolutely see how khat in a refined form could be a major problem.”
Above:“Voters are not looking for categories. They’re looking
for results,” said Adrian M. Fenty, the mayor of Washington, a
predominantly black city. Mr. Fenty, like President-elect Barack
Obama, won an election as a more liberal bi-racial candidate who
relied on a populist message. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
NYT
By IAN URBINA
Published: January 2, 2009
WASHINGTON — Presidents come and go from this city. Hosting inaugurations is nothing new. But for residents here, over 92 percent of whom voted for President-elect Barack Obama, his inauguration this month is special.
The day ushers in hopes and expectations for a president who speaks to local residents and brings with it the excitement of a predominantly black city welcoming the nation’s first black president.
With the inauguration scheduled for the day after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, the timing also strikes a chord for a city that was racked by riots after Dr. King’s assassination.
“For D.C., this inauguration is less like hosting a visiting official and more like throwing a homecoming party for a family member,” said Ronald Walters, professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland.
He added that normally, the inauguration is an exclusive black-tie affair. “This time,” he said, “it feels like the city has taken ownership of what is becoming a people’s party.”
At Ben’s Chili Bowl, one of the city’s oldest and most famous restaurants, the inauguration offers a certain historical reconciliation.
“It took about 40 years,” said Kamal Ali, the owner and son of the restaurant’s founder, Ben Ali. “But in terms of race relations, the celebration that day will bring this neighborhood, this city, full circle.”
In April 1968, four days of race riots after the King assassination left 12 people dead here. Huge swaths of what was then called Black Broadway for its concentration of black-owned clubs and theaters were destroyed. Ben’s Chili Bowl was one of the only restaurants along U Street that was not burned or ransacked. Read More.
Special to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
By Repps Hudson
01/02/2009
Driving a cab is almost a stereotypical way for immigrants and refugees wanting to get started in their new country to earn a living and put down roots.
One who has done so successfully is Ezezew Biru, who left Ethiopia as a teenager and now runs a small taxicab company that is struggling against the system to get larger.
Despite his frustrations, Biru is a happy man with a growing family — he just adopted three relatives from Ethiopia.
Ezezew Biru
Position: Co-owner and operations manager, Metropolitan Taxicab Corp.
Age: 45
Career: After leaving his native Ethiopia at 19 in 1982, he worked as a laborer in Khartoum, Sudan, until immigrating to the United States in 1987; hotel worker in Washington, 1987-1988; factory worker and cab driver in St. Louis, 1988-1995; founded Riverfront Cab Co., 1997; joined with fellow Ethiopians to create Midwest Cab Co., 2001; which became Metropolitan Taxicab Corp., 2004
Education: Studied computer science at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
Personal: Lives with his wife, Meselu Shumye, and three boys and three girls in St. Peters
Above:Image from “Invisible Children”, a documentary
inspired by photojournalist Dan Eldon, who died in 1993
covering the violence in Somalia.
(courtesy of Invisible Children, Inc.)
Source: Ethiopia – Daily Monitor
By Fikremariam Tesfaye
2 January 2009
Addis Abeba — The National Photo Journalists Association (NPJA) said on Wednesday it was looking for ways to boost photo journalism as a profession in the country.
Photographers do exist in state as well as independent media, but the lack the know how and the skills to be photo journalists, required Binyam Mengesha, founder and director of NPJA said.
The photo journalists have the ability to document society and to preserve its history through images,” he said at a half day panel discussion organized at the Bole Dashen building hall..
“Professionals should also abide by the code of ethics.” Beniam explained that photo journalism was not just about taking photos, but it is beyond that.
“Being accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects; resisting manipulated by staged photo opportunities; avoiding stereotyping and individuals and group and treating all subjects with respect and dignity are among the most ethical code of conducts exercises by professionals,” he said.
On the other hand, most of the times don’t seen in most of photo journalists, he added.
According to Binyam, the association encourages and supports members to work together to make sure that the profession is developed in reference to its level of development worldwide for which he said “relentless” efforts would be required.
Relentless efforts will be exerted to make sure that the people in the profession get opportunities to exchange experiences among themselves in the country and with professionals and their associations abroad as well as benefit from short-term trainings.
NPJA has also plan to organize exhibitions annually and the best photo journalist could show their works and are duly credited. The professionals as well as reminded that they bear double responsibility as a citizen in promoting positive image of Ethiopia worldwide and support them to realize.
The NPJA was established by few professionals ten months ago who thinks that the professionals have to work under the umbrella of an association to develop the profession of photo journalism; to create strong links between the professionals and to facilitate experience sharing forums among the professionals and arrange trainings for them within and outside the country.
Beniam said the establishment of the association would play a pivotal role in propagating the standard of the profession.
He says however that for the moment, it is possible to say no ” there is no professional in photo journalism.”
Above:A photo of Yosef Tadele, taken from his Facebook page.
By Ruben Castaneda
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 31, 2008; Page B02
A judge ordered yesterday that two men accused of abducting a Prince George’s County family in a failed bank robbery scheme be held without bond, and Maryland State Police investigators searched for a third suspect.
Yosef Tadele, 23, of Silver Spring and Yohannes T. Surafel, 24, of the District are charged with multiple counts of kidnapping, attempted robbery and first- and second-degree assault. In charging documents, authorities identified the third suspect as Beruk Ayalneh.
Police allege that Tadele dropped off Surafel and Ayalneh Friday night in Clinton, where they forced their way into the home of an assistant bank manager and held her, her husband and two boys — ages 8 and 11 — overnight at gunpoint. Read More.
————— CNN VIDEO
A bank robbery scheme was cut short by a quick-thinking family man. WJLA reports.
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — The US embassy in Addis Ababa on Wednesday voiced concern over the fate of an opposition leader who was jailed after her pardon from a life sentence was revoked.
Birtukan Midekssa, head of the Unity for Democracy Justice party, irked the regime when she reportedly claimed during a recent visit to Europe that she had never voiced remorse or acknowledged any mistake to obtain her pardon in 2007.
“The United States is concerned about the government of Ethiopia’s arrest of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party leader Birtukan Midekssa,” the embassy’s information officer Darragh Paradiso told AFP.
“We are particularly concerned by reports that Birtukan’s pardon has been revoked and she has begun a life sentence in prison.”
The 35-year-old woman, who was detained with dozens of opposition figures and supporters in the aftermath of disputed 2005 elections, was last week given a three-day ultimatum by the authorities to confirm or deny the reports. Read More.
————— Bloomberg.com Ethiopian Police Re-Arrest Opposition Leader Mideksa
By Jason McLure
(Corrects attribution in sixth paragraph.)
Dec. 29 — Ethiopian federal police re-arrested opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa a year after she was released on a pardon following her arrest during the country’s disputed 2005 elections.
Mideksa, a leader of the now-dissolved Coalition for Unity and Democracy, was taken into custody today, said Temesgen Zewde, a lawmaker, who is a member of Mideksa’s new party, Unity for Democracy and Justice.
“She has been arrested,” Zewde said in an interview in the capital, Addis Ababa. “No charges have been made public yet. We don’t know exactly where she is being held.”
Mideksa was arrested after refusing to acknowledge that she had requested a pardon that led to her release from jail in July 2007, said Bereket Simon, a spokesman for Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. She and dozens of other opposition leaders were initially jailed following the 2005 elections and sentenced to life in prison following a May 2007 trial on treason charges. Read More.
NEW YORK (AP) — Despite months of economic gloom, revelers throughout the country welcomed the new year with merrymaking and even optimism, though some festivities fell to hard times and others were subdued.
“The worst part of last year was probably trying to get through financially,” said Liza Mazzotte, a composer who had come from California to join the hundreds of thousands of celebrants in frigid Times Square to see the Waterford crystal ball drop. “I’m not worried about what I lost. I’m going to be looking to the future.”
As the clock struck midnight Wednesday, a ton of confetti fluttered down on the revelers bundled up in fur hats, coats and sleeping bags. Fireworks burst atop the tower where the ball was lowered. Noisemakers screeched, partygoers kissed and cheers echoed through the corridors of midtown Manhattan.
Former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton, expected to be secretary of state in President-elect Barack Obama’s administration, joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg to lower the ball atop 1 Times Square for the 60-second countdown to midnight.
The National Weather Service said the midnight temperature at Central Park, just blocks from Times Square, was 18 degrees and the 16 mph wind blowing through the urban canyons made the wind chill just 3 degrees.
The temperature had fallen a couple of degrees when city sanitation crews started sweeping up the confetti and other party trash Thursday morning. Last year, crews removed more than 40 tons of garbage. Read more.
The Daily Mail Online
By Sportsmail Reporter
23rd December 2008
Double Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba will bid to regain her 3,000 metres indoor title at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham on February 21.
Dibaba, 23, won the 5,000m and 10,000m in Beijing and now intends to embark on a
serious indoor career.
In a magnificent career, Dibaba won the 5,000 metres title at the 2003 World Championship in Paris, and claimed the 5,000m and 10,000m double at the World Championship two years later in Helsinki.
She then successfuly defended her world 10,000 title in Osaka last year.
Meanwhile UK Athletics have appointed Australian Kevin Tyler as strategic head of coaching and development. Read More.
New York (Tadias) – U.S. Doctors for Africa (USDFA) and “African Synergy”, an organization founded by African First Ladies, are convening their first joint health summit entitled “Leadership for Health” at the RAND Corporation in Los Angeles. The two-day summit in April 2009 will focus on HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and girls’ education, as Africa’s First Ladies seek to forge new partnerships with U.S.-based agencies and foundations to tackle the continent’s health crisis.
Over 20 African First Ladies are expected to assemble for their first-ever U.S.-based health summit on April 20-21, 2009, and will be hosted by USDFA, a California based non-profit organization, founded by social entrepreneur Ted Alemayuhu (pictured above).
“These First Ladies recognize their powerful position as role models, spokeswomen and advocates for their people,” says Ted Alemayhu, Founder and Chairman of USDFA. “Through collaborations with our organization and the summit’s other partners, we believe they can continue to inspire and work towards even greater change in their countries.”
The expected dignitaries hail from member countries of “African Synergy”, a health initiative alliance made up of 22 African First Ladies, established in 2002. Participating nations include: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Egypt, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Maurice, Namibia, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda, Central African Republic, Senegal, Sudan, Chad, and Togo.
The April 2009 summit will engage the First Ladies in professional skills-building workshops, identify top priorities for the coming year, highlight key partners on the ground, and name actionable steps towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals related to maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS and education.
“This is probably one of the most empowering initiatives we have ever been involved in,” says Mr. Alemayhu. “What is exciting about this particular partnership is that the entire movement is initiated and mobilized by the First Ladies themselves. USDFA and African Synergy share the common belief that healthcare is a basic human right, and recognize that a healthy population is essential for growth, development, and prosperity in every society and this is a great testimony, commitment, and dedication that needs to be encouraged and supported by all stake-holders around the world.”
The closed door VIP summit is being organized by USDFA in collaboration with the RAND corporation, UCLA, ONE, the Vital Voices Global Partnership and White Ribbon Alliance, as well as General Electric and Procter & Gamble, which are listed as sponsors.
Invited guests include First Lady-Elect Michelle Obama, First Lady Laura Bush, former U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton, Sarah Brown (First Lady of UK), and Maria Shriver (First Lady of California) and several first ladies of Hollywood. The Gala event will be co-chaired by actress Jessica Alba.
Cover photo by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias Magazine.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are set to spend Christmas in Ethiopia, according to a news report.
The Hollywood super-couple will fly out to the country’s capital, Addis Ababa – which is the birthplace of their adoptive daughter Zahara, reports Britain’s Sunday Mirror.
As well as Zahara, Pitt and Jolie have five other children – Maddox, Pax and Shiloh as well as twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline.
Meanwhile, Brad and Angelina have been forced to deny recent reports they have hammered out a $200 million prenuptial agreement.
It was claimed Pitt wanted something in place that spells out everything – the couple’s finances, their property and who will raise their children in case something happens.
But Tomb Raider star Jolie’s rep said, “There is no truth to any of these claims.”
Above: Dozens of community members rally outside Likud’s
Tel Aviv headquarters on Sunday in protest of party’s decision to
disqualify Ethiopian candidate chosen for one of immigrant slots
on its Knesset list. (Photo: Avi Cohen/Ynetnews)
The Jerusalem Post
By GIL HOFFMAN
Dec 23, 2008
The Likud’s internal court decided Monday to restore Ethiopian-born Aleli Admasu to the 28th slot on the party’s Knesset slate that is reserved for an immigrant, a week after the party’s election committee replaced him with Russian-born Vladimir Shklar.
The committee had decided that Admasu wasn’t eligible for the immigrant slot because he had made aliya in 1983, two years before the year established by the committee as the earliest date of immigration for a candidate to still be considered a new immigrant.
But the court ruled that Admasu had received the necessary permission before the December 8 primary to run for an immigrant slot and that he had not tried to evade the party’s rules by seeking the slot.
Admasu said he was pleased by the decision and that “justice had been done” for the Ethiopian community in Israel.
Shklar vowed to appeal to the Tel Aviv District Court, where “real judges” would rule on the matter.
Kadima MK Shlomo Mula, who was elected to the 19th position on his party’s list on Wednesday without needing a reserved slot, said the court’s decision did not change the statement he made last week about the Likud being “an Ashkenazi, elitist party.”
Mula said he was happy for Admasu and that he wanted to see as many Ethiopian immigrants as possible in the Knesset. But he said he doubted that very many of them would vote for Likud after Admasu’s ordeal. Read more at The Jerusalem Post.
———- Israel: Ethiopians protest nixing of candidate from Likud roster
Ynetnews
By Amnon Meranda
Dozens of community members rally outside Likud’s Tel Aviv headquarters in protest of party’s decision to disqualify Ethiopian candidate chosen for one of immigrant slots on its Knesset list
Several dozen Ethiopian protesters rallies outside the Likud party’s Tel Aviv headquarters on Sunday, in protest of the party Election Committee’s decision to disqualify the Ethiopian candidate’s win of one of the slots reserved for immigrants on its Knesset roster.
The party has secured the 21st and 28th slots on it roster for representatives of the Russian and Ethiopian immigrant communities.
The petition against Alali Adamso’s election, filed by two candidates who lost to him in the party primaries held earlier in December, said that since the Likud Codex states that only those who came to Israel after 1985 can bid for the slots, and Adamso came to Israel in 1983, he was ineligible to bid in the first place.
The committee granted the petition saying that “this is a difficult case, since even though Mr. Adamso received a large number of votes, which may be lost if he is disqualified, accepting his bid would be a deviation from the party code.” Read More.
The United States says the power-sharing deal in Zimbabwe will not work with Robert Mugabe as president.
The US would not reverse sanctions policy while Mr Mugabe remained in power as he had “lost touch with reality”, said its top envoy to Africa.
As well as suffering economic collapse, Zimbabwe is suffering from a cholera epidemic charities say is critical.
Talks on a power-sharing deal with the opposition following disputed elections in March have been stalled.
Progress has also stalled over should control key ministries.
The opposition MDC accuse Mr Mugabe of breaking the deal to form a coalition government and abducting its members.
The US had supported the deal that was signed in September and promised to lift sanctions if it was implemented.
Zimbabwe is mine, I am a Zimbabwean. Zimbabwe for Zimbabweans
Robert Mugabe
But US Assistant Secretary of State for Foreign Jendayi Fraser it could no longer fulfil either of those pledges, saying that Mr Mugabe had “reneged on the principle of power sharing”.
“We have lost confidence in the power-sharing deal being a success with Mugabe in power. He has lost touch with reality,” she said during a visit to South Africa.
“We were prepared to use the American influence to negotiate with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to clear the $1.2bn Zimbabwe debt, but now we are no longer prepared to do that.”
‘Mine’
Mr Mugabe has said he is not to blame for Zimbabwe’s situation and has rejected calls from African and Western leaders to stand down.
On Friday, he told delegates of his ruling Zanu-PF at their annual conference that he would “never, never, never surrender”.
“Zimbabwe is mine, I am a Zimbabwean. Zimbabwe for Zimbabweans,” he said.
Mr Mugabe has said that the cholera crisis is over and was being used by the West as an excuse to invade Zimbabwe.
However, aid agencies have warned that the disease, which has already claimed 1,123 lives, could infect more than 60,000 unless its spread it halted.
Ms Fraser called on African leaders to unite against Mr Mugabe, saying that if they were to “go to Mugabe and tell him to go, I do think he would go”.
Above:Ethiopians brought two gold medals each in the
5,000m and 10,000m games in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The Angola Press Agency
Saturday, December 20, 2008 9:05
Luanda – Ethiopia is the seventh country to confirm its participation at the 53rd edition of the São Silvestre race, which shall be held on December 31, in Luanda, ANGOP learnt on Friday from a source of the Angolan Athletics Federation (FAA).
The director of the race, Domingos Castro, who did not reveal the names of the Ethiopians, guaranteed that the delegation will arrive with two athletes (males/ladies). To the official, the presence of runners from this country with a great tradition in long-distance races will give more value to the São Silvestre.
Other countries that have already confirmed their participation are Zambia, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Portugal.
With five runners, Kenya shall be the biggest foreign delegation, which will include the titleholders, Elijah Nuyabuti and Grace Momany, who shall be strengthened by the 2005 champion, Margareth Okoio.
These athletes will compete alongside Zimbabwe, with three runners, namely George Majaji Samukeliso Moyo and Sharon Paysnewa, Zambia (Tony Wamulwa and Lizzie Chansa), Cape Verde (Adilson Spencer, Eva Sanches), Mozambique (Joaquim Mateus and Albertina Paulo) and Portugal (Paulo Guerra).
Angola shall be represented by Avelino Dumbo and Ernestina Paulino.
Above:Ethiopian-American musician Teodross “Teo” Avery is
creating his own niche in the American hip-hop jazz scene.
Tadias Magazine
By Adey Tsega
Published: Friday, December 19, 2008
New York (Tadias) – What does Teodross “Teo” Avery have in common with jazz giants Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, and Arturo Sandoval? They all have graced the stage of The Blue Note, one of New York’s legendary jazz clubs in the heart of Greenwich Village.
Avery, a talented Ethiopian-American musician is carving his own niche in hip-hop jazz, and all eyes were on him as he played his tenor saxophone with confidence and ease, seamlessly transitioning between his original work and pieces from Earth Wind & Fire, John Coltrane and Mos Def.
Avery has recorded and collaborated with other powerhouse musicians including: Aretha Franklin, Lauryn Hill, Shakira, Wu Tang Clan, and Amy Winehouse. Films such as Love Jones, Brown Sugar and Beauty Shop also carry songs he has either written or produced.
His own lyrics entitled New Day New Groove and My Generation capture the proactive, idealistic and determined energy of his generation.
Avery’s strong interest in music developed at an early age. He was born and raised in the Bay Area, California, from an Ethiopian mother and African American father. His parents encouraged his interest in music by exposing him to a wide variety of music. His mother fondly recalls the comments of a Bay Area piano store owner as perhaps the earliest testament of Avery’s destiny as a musician. Intervening on behalf of the then 4 year old, crying hysterically at his mother’s stern words not to touch any of the pianos at the store, the owner gave little Teo permission to play on any of the pianos for as long as he liked, telling his mother to encourage her son’s interest in music and that he may become a great musician some day.
Avery credits his father as the earliest and most significant supporter of his artistic aspirations. His father bought him his first guitar at the age of 5 and enrolled him in classical guitar lessons. After years of guitar lessons, Avery developed a strong interest in jazz and later settled on the saxophone as his instrument of choice. His father recalls that in his early teens, Avery often took his horn to Bay Area jazz concerts and joined the likes of Nat Adderley, Jimmy Smith and Art Blakey on stage.
Avery went on to win a full scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music at the age of 17 and later earned his Masters degree in Music from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education. His talent and versatility is demonstrated by the diversity of artists he has worked with including: Matchbox Twenty, Leela James, Talib Kweli, Ethiopian artists Abegaz Shiota and Henok Temesgen, Dee Dee Bridgewater and the late great Betty Carter, among many others.
I had a chance to chat with Teo about his music and his upcoming show in Washington D.C. at the Blues Alley.
Teodross “Teo” Avery
How would you describe your musical style?
My style of hip-hop jazz is instrumental… hip-hop beats with jazzy horns on top. I also mix jazz with house music, funk and Brazilian music. Sometimes I feature rappers, but most times I feature the instruments.
Tell us about your latest album. Why is it titled “Bridging the Gap”?
Bridging The Gap is a concept that I came up with after witnessing the huge gap between jazz and hip-hop. There’s a group of people that like jazz but often are ignored. They are the same jazz listeners that listen to Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, Common, and Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Bridging The Gap represents that link.
You give a tribute to John Coltrane at your shows. How has he influenced your music?
Well, John Coltrane single-handedly influenced me to become a jazz musician. His music is full of love and emotion, and it’s always challenging. When I listen to John Coltrane, I hear a love for God and Coltrane’s desire to become a better person. I’ve always been a person that likes challenges and I’ve always wanted to go beneath the surface.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your life as an artist?
The most rewarding time is when I see people connect to a song that I wrote. See, people don’t know the struggle that artists have to overcome before they’re inspired to write songs. They hear the final product. Any artist that has struggled in life to be here today and to tell their story through their instrument is lying if they say that they don’t appreciate fans that love their art. The fans make it all worth it!
I have already worked with Ethiopian artists. I played with Abegaz Shiota and Henok Temesgen. They’re good friends of mine. We attended The Berklee College of Music together. Mulatu Astatke has expressed some interest in working together. I also played a concert in Oakland with Mahmoud Ahmed. Wow! He gave a great show.
————- Teo will perform at the Blues Alley in Washington, D.C., on February 3rd, 2009.
Download the “Bridging the Gap” mix tape at www.teodrossavery.com. For more information on Teodross Avery’s upcoming show in D.C., please visit www.bluesalley.com.
About the Author: Adey Tsega is an Epidemiologist based in New York City.
Above:President George W. Bush reacts after a man threw
two shoes at him during a news conference with Iraqi Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Sunday. (Evan Vucci / AP)
BBC
Thursday, 18 December 2008
The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US President George W Bush has apologised to Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki, the prime minister’s office says.
Local TV reporter Muntader al-Zaidi wrote a letter to Mr Maliki asking for forgiveness over his “ugly act”, prime minister’s spokesman Yasin Majeed said.
Mr Zaidi has been in custody since he threw shoes and shouted insults at Mr Bush during Sunday’s news conference.
Muntader al-Zaidi has been charged
with “aggression against a president”
His actions have made him a hero in some quarters of the Arab world.
Iraqi officials have described the incident as shameful.
Mr Zaidi has been charged with “aggression against a president”, which carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
‘A lie’
Yasin Majeed said Mr Maliki had received a contrite letter from the journalist.
“Zaidi said in his letter that his big ugly act cannot be excused,” Mr Majeed said.
He said Mr Zaidi added: “But I remember in the summer of 2005, I interviewed your excellency and you told me, ‘Come in, this is your house’. And so I appeal to your fatherly feelings to forgive me.”
However, according to Reuters news agency, one of Mr Zaidi’s brothers expressed scepticism over the merits of the letter.
“This information is absolutely not true. This is a lie. Muntader is my brother and I know him very well. He does not apologise,” Udai al-Zaidi said.
He added: “But if it happened, I tell you it happened under pressure.”
‘Signs of blows’
Judge Dhiya al-Kenani said the shoes at the centre of the incident had been destroyed by US and Iraqi security agents when they were checked for explosives.
“I would have preferred to have had the shoes as evidence for the case but since Muntader al-Zaidi has confessed to his action and that the television pictures confirm it, the investigation can continue,” he told the AFP news agency. Read more at BBC.
Video: Bush Dodges Shoes Thrown by Iraqi Journalist
New York (Tadias) – Desta, the Amharic word for happiness, is the name of a popular candy brand in Ethiopia. It’s also the acronym of choice for Photographer Aida Muluneh’s ambitious new project to reform the African continent’s long history with negative imagery.
Through photography, Muluneh has found a medium of transformation. Incorporating natural light from a crisp, dawn Ethiopian morning, or that of a sentimental sunny afternoon, Muluneh projects inspiration captured in moments of daily life – portraits of cab riders, priests, and street children in bustling Ethiopian cities and towns.
Her new organization, appropriately named DESTA for Africa, is a local NGO based in Addis Ababa. Muluneh (pictured above) hopes to encourage a new generation of African Photographers who are able to compete in the global media industry while reshaping the image of Africa reflecting their personal experiences.
“I have spent most of my artistic career promoting alternative images of Africa. DESTA For Africa was born out of my belief that we have to be accountable for how the world perceives us. Even though Africa is ever growing and rapidly changing, the images that we see in the mass media are not reflective of that, ” Muluneh says in a recent interview with Tadias Magazine.
“I feel that African artists have a responsibility to manage how the continent’s image is portrayed, and we can do that by actually providing the necessary education and resources to those who are interested in documenting their own realities.”
School is over for the day. These boys enjoy their time-off playing in their
neighborhood streets in Addis. (Photo by Aida Muluneh. Image featured on BBC)
BBC: A dignified Ethiopia – Aida Muluneh living in New York sent these images
depicting life in Ethiopia. She hopes these photos will show her country in a
different perspective.
Timkat (Epiphany) is the most colourful event in Ethiopia when churches parade
their Tabots (Replica of the. Ark of the Covenant) to a nearby body of water. Here
priests and deacons begin the religious procession from their individual churches and
walk, carrying flags, to Meskel Square where they all assemble.
(Photo by Aida Muluneh. This image was also featured on BBC).
The organization’s first batch of trainees is from Addis Ababa University, which lacks a permanent department of photography. ” We offer our workshop to undergraduates and graduates of the Addis Ababa School of Fine Arts and Design, with the aim to provide them with viable and self-sustainable opportunities in the photography industry,” Muluneh explains.
Yet the giving is reciprocal. Muluneh is learning from her students as they receive training. “My students are an example of what can happen when countries invest in cultural production, and support efforts to reshape Africa’s image. And they also give me strength and inspiration to continue on this mission,” she says.
Muluneh’s biggest stumbling block is lack of basic teaching resources. “You won’t believe how much of a difference it makes to have one photography book or art book,” she says. “I have been teaching with three cameras shared among 13 students, yet the students have been with me since February 2008 with the same enthusiasm and passion as on their first day.”
And what can the Diaspora do to help?
“We are continuously looking for photography books, cameras, film…the list goes on, but the first thing I would like to stress to the Ethiopian American community is the importance of cultural preservation, and managing cultural production, she says. “Culture determines not only how we experience daily life, but how we transmit vital information about our history, health, and general economic and political development.”
For those who are interested, Muluneh will be hosting a fundraiser and introduction of DFA at Almaz Restaurant tonight in Washington D.C. (The event took place on Thursday, December 18th, 2008). “We will be showcasing the works of the students and also selling prints to help continue our work in Ethiopia, and beyond,” she says. “For those who are not able to attend, it is possible to make donations through our website at www.destaforafrica.org.”
Here are few recent images from Muluneh’s students in Ethiopia.
Anyone interested in a partnership, or has information about corporate
sponsorships, should get in touch with DESTA Production
Manager, Selam Mulugeta (smulugeta@destaforafrica.org).
By Tadias Staff Above photo by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias Magazine
Published: Tuesday, December 9, 2008
New York (Tadias) – We recently spoke with Yohannes Gebregeorgis, one of the Top Ten CNN Heroes of 2008. He was recognized for his remarkable efforts to bring free public libraries and literacy programs to thousands of children in Ethiopia, including the country’s first Donkey Mobile Library. Mr. Gebregeorgis, 59, was born in Ethiopia and came to the United States as a political refugee in 1981. He eventually put himself through college, earning a graduate degree in library science and worked as a librarian in San Francisco for nearly two decades before embarking on his current project.
Here is our interview with Yohannes Gebregeorgis:
Yohannes Gebregeorgis
Tadias: Yohannes, congratulations for being selected as one of CNN’s Top 10 Heroes of 2008!
Yohannes Gebregeorgis: Thank you. I appreciate Tadias Magazine for consistently covering Ethiopia Reads and making it possible for a lot of Ethiopians and other people to know our work. It’s very helpful when media like Tadias give coverage to such works. Thank you again.
Tadias: CNN’s Anderson Cooper said: “Our Top 10 CNN Heroes are proof that you don’t need superpowers — or millions of dollar, — to change the world and even save lives.” Please tell us about your organization, Ethiopia Reads, and your efforts that led to this recognition.
YG: It’s very true that one doesn’t have to be a superpower or a millionaire to change the world. Even though Ethiopia is not a super power, we know that there are millionaires in Ethiopia. However, they are not using their wealth to make an effective change or to save lives. I think the recognition that Ethiopia Reads has received is primarily for the recognition of the importance of literacy to the development of a country’s future; for it’s power to change individuals and society. What we’ve accomplished in the last six years is a drop in the ocean compared to the need. It’s a good beginning that needs to be kept alive and going until we cover all regions of Ethiopia. We’ve established two free public libraries for children and youth; one in Addis and one in Awassa. We’ve established one donkey mobile library and adding three more by January 2009. We’ve established 16 school libraries and adding another 18 in the next 6 months to one year. We’ve published 8 children’s books and distributed over 30,000 books freely to children with another 75,000 to be distributed freely in the next six months to a year.
Children reading in Awassa, Ethiopia.
We have over 100,000 children that make a visit to all our libraries; We’ve instituted an annual Ethiopian Children’s Book Week, a children’s book award – the Golden Kuraz Award, we’ve provided basic library and literacy training to about 120 teachers and assistant librarians, we’ve taken thousands of children on a march to parliament, and in our annual Book-A-Thon, we’ve made it into the local news media many times advocating reading and literacy. We’ve been widely featured in international media. We’ve created a solid foundation from where we can launch massive campaigns to cover all of Ethiopia given that we have the resources.
Tadias: Among your projects that has received the most press attention is Ethiopia’s first Donkey Mobile Library. What inspired you to come up with this creative concept?
YG: The Donkey Mobile Library was conceived because of the need to reach out to children in rural communities.. The idea of portable and mobile libraries existed in other countries. For example, there is a boat library in Colombia, south America, a camel library in Northern Kenya, a bicycle library and other forms of book delivery methods. The donkey mobile library is similar to a book mobile, a bus that carries books to different communities in developed countries. I’ve seen a donkey pulled satellite station in Zimbabwe several years ago and that has given me the idea of the donkey mobile library. I designed the whole donkey mobile cart with the shelves and storage areas. A very experienced Ethiopian metal engineer built the units from sketches and guidance I gave him. An artist made the necessary logos and designs on the cart and it turned out to be the best.
Donkey pulls mobile library.
Yohannes with the donkey mobile library.
Tadias: Can you share with us an anecdote describing some of the experiences children had when they first visited one of your libraries? How did it change his or her life?
YG: When we first opened our first library in Addis Ababa and the Donkey Mobile Library in Awassa, we noticed several children who were holding books upside down. This children had never held a book before. One of these children, who was nine years old at the time is now a Star Reader, one of many children who are chosen annually for their reading skills and for reading out loud to other children. We select 12 Star Readers from thousands of children who come to our library annually. Robel has visited the library everyday since he first came six years ago. He’s participated in every program that we offer at the library such as English lessons, theater, art and crafts and the sanitation program. Robel is also doing very well in his school as his grades have improved significantly.There are others like Robel who are part of the library family as we’ve known them for as long as the library’s existence.
Tadias: Eighteen years ago, you gave Mammo Qilo (the popular Ethiopian children’s story) its American debut. You are the author of “Silly Mammo”, which was the first bilingual Amharic-English children’s book. Why Mammo Qilo?
YG: I’m so glad that Kilu Mammo has become famous in America! When I first thought about producing a book for Ethiopian children, Kilu Mammo was the only story that came to mind which appealed to me. Many Ethiopians remember the story from their childhood as I did. It’s a very simple but nice story. Children like silly stories to begin with and Mamo Kilu amuses not only children but also adults.
Tadias: We understand that you hold a graduate degree in library science and you served as Children’s Librarian at the San Francisco Children’s Library. How big, would you say, is the pool of trained librarians in Ethiopia that can assist with new library projects?
YG: There aren’t many Ethiopians who have a library training. There is no institution that has a training program as the Addis Ababa University folded its library science program some five or so years ago.I don’t think Ethiopian education authorities think of libraries as something very essential. Besides, there are no library policies in the educational policy of the country that I know of, therefore it makes it hard to have training programs where no one would hire the people that are trained. We have difficulty finding trained librarians. We’ve been hiring librarians ever since we started our program in Ethiopia. We’provide basic library training program for the school libraries that we establish.
Tadias: What are your long term plans to expand your program across the country? And what kind of help do you need?
YG: Our plan is to expand our projects and programs to all regions of Ethiopia by expanding to at least one region every two years. We now have projects in place that can easily be duplicated. In order to accomplish this ambitious goals we need, first and foremost financial support, then other material support such as books, computers, etc., and then any other kind of support such as volunteers.
Tadias: How can your U.S.-based fans help to further your organizational goals?
YG: There are so many ways that our fans in the US can help. For example, we’re about to embark on a membership drive that is geared towards Ethiopians. We’ve seen how enthusiastic Ethiopians have become when they discovered the work we do in Ethiopia. We see a very positive attitude and desire to help by a large number of Ethiopians. We’d like Ethiopians to support our work by becoming members and donating ten, twenty or whatever amount of money they could. Every book week has a theme around which we can raealy afford on a monthly instalment. We’d like to get a few thousand Ethiopians signing up for this monthly donation. Those who can afford can sponsor a library in memory of someone they love, sponsor a Donkey Mobile Library, sponsor publishing of a book, etc. There are so many ways our fans could be involved. People can find more information on our web site ethiopiareads.org.
Tadias: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Since 2003, Ethiopia Reads has organized an annual Ethiopian Children’s Book Week, an annual celebration of books, reading and libraries. During our first book week, we took more than a thousand children on a march to the Ethiopian Parliament with a petition asking the government to provide libraries and boks for children. We’ve special programs everyday of the week such as Read-A-thon, Book-A-Thon, Bread and Books Day, International Children’s Book Day, Book Launch, Golden Kuraz Award, the Star Reader Award, Art Day and many other activities take place during the one week. Every book week has a special theme as a focus. Readers are Leaders, Libraries for Rural Development, Bread and Books for Children, Those who read Bloom, Ethiopia Stretches her Hands, are the book week themes of the last six years. Special posters that reflect these themes are made and distributed. The next book week is the Sixth Ethiopian Children’s Book Week to be held April 1-7, as it always is, with a theme “Ethiopia Reads” (Ethiopia Tanebalech). What we want to share with Tadias readers is to celebrate book week with us by reading to children, by making books available to your family, support Ethiopia Reads and other organizations that work in Ethiopia.
Tadias: Thank you so much for your time, Yohannes, and good luck with your work.
YG: Thank you Tadias for your interest in the work of Ethiopia Reads and for supporting us by writing about our work.
— Yohannes will speak in Harlem (New York)
Saturday, December 13 at 2:00 PM at Cafe Addis (435 West 125 Street, NY, 10027). Phone: 212-663-0553 (Mekonen or Negus).
Yohannes in Maplewood, New Jersey
Yohannes will appear at the Maplewood Public Library in Maplewood, NJ on Thursday, December 11 at 7 pm
Yohannes in Silver Spring, Maryland
Wednesday December 17 – 7:00pm Abol Restaurant, 8628 Colesville Road (across the street from the AFI Silver Theater) Silver Spring, MD 20910 (RSVP: Matt Andrea 202-232-9085, Maureen Evans 301-386-5610).
Above:Hareg Messert of Chez Hareg bakery in Washington’s
Shaw neighborhood (By Dominic Bracco II For The Washington
Post)
Washington Post
By Joe Yonan
Wednesday, December 10, 2008; Page F10
A funny thing happens when people try two versions of the same cookie made by baker Hareg Messert: They often like the vegan one better. “They’ll start off saying, ‘Oh, not me. I’m not vegan.’ But then they taste it,” she says.
She thinks it’s the butter, or lack of it, that does the trick. Without dairy products, her cookies taste clearly of chocolate, ginger or pecans because, as she puts it, “the flavors have not been taken over by the butter.”
Whatever the reason, Messert, 39, may have found her niche. A year and a half after opening Chez Hareg bakery in Washington’s Shaw neighborhood, this former Ritz-Carlton pastry chef is widening her reach. She’s supplying several cafes, and she’s starting to sell her all-natural cookies (in both vegan and traditional versions) in a few area stores.
She credits her growth to the exposure from her debut this fall at the 14th and U and Bloomingdale farmers markets. At her booths, Messert gave out samples of her classic French cookies, biscotti, panettone and pound cake, a smart move for someone confident that nibbles would translate into sales. Between that and media attention, her customer base started to grow beyond the Ethiopian community near the bakery.
The Shaw neighbors have helped her build a following, especially among vegans or sometime-vegans. She and other members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church avoid animal products on their many fasting holidays.
Ethiopia, which was never colonized, has no tradition of desserts beyond fruit and honey. But Messert also spent time as a girl in West Africa, where she was introduced to French-style pastries by cooks who worked for her family. She started baking, but it wasn’t until after she came to the United States at age 17 that she considered making a career of it. Messert, who graduated in 2000 with a culinary degree from Stratford University in Falls Church, worked at the Best Buns Bread Co. and Carlyle Grand Cafe in Shirlington and at the Ritz hotels in Pentagon City and the West End before striking out on her own. Read More.
By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and DAVID M. HALBFINGER
Published: December 5, 2008
Caroline Kennedy, a daughter of America’s most storied political family who for many years fiercely guarded her privacy, is considering whether to pursue the Senate seat expected to be vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton early next year, a family member said Friday.
“I believe that she is considering it,” said her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has spoken to Ms. Kennedy about the matter during the past week. “A lot of people the last couple of weeks have urged her to do it.”
Ms. Kennedy called Gov. David A. Paterson on Wednesday to discuss the position, Mr. Paterson confirmed Friday. The governor will choose a replacement for Mrs. Clinton upon her expected confirmation as secretary of state next month.
“The conversation was informational,” Mr. Paterson said. “She did not express an interest in the Senate, but we talked about the Senate, so I got that she was just trying to get some information to determine whether or not she would like to have an interest in it. And that was it.”
He added, “I haven’t offered the job to anyone.” Read More.
MICHAEL JONES
For the State Journal
FRI., DEC 5, 2008
Mulusew Yayehyirad is figuring out new ways to give brighter futures to those halfway around the world.
The Ethiopian native and registered nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital looked at the damage of her home country due to poverty and disease and felt she needed to do something about it. So she started Clinic At A Time, a non-profit charity whose mission is to combat her homeland’s ills with better supplies, facilities and education.
On Saturday, Dec. 13, CAAT will host a benefit concert, starring the acclaimed reggae-funk-rock group Natty Nation, at the East Madison Community Center with the goal of sending Yayehyirad and a group of volunteers to her hometown of Bichina to help the local clinic next year. Already, the group has raised enough to help construct a new waiting facility in the clinic, a common problem in impoverished areas where diseases can be transmitted between people as they are waiting extremely long hours for care from health care workers who are ill-equipped and sometimes undereducated.
“The volunteers can help out by giving immunizations and sharing their educational and professional experiences with the health care workers,” said Yayehyirad.
According to the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Ethiopia’s health care system is considered one of the most underdeveloped in Africa, leading to a current life-expectancy rate of 54 years with the prospect of it free-falling to 46 years due to high rates of HIV/AIDS. The institute estimates up to 80 percent of the country’s health problems stem from preventable, communicable and nutritional diseases. Yayehyirad believes these problems can be combated with a combination of education, better facilities and better access to supplies.
“In all of these clinics there is no running water, gloves are high commodities, syringes are hard to get. There is no equipment to do minor stitches or if there is, they are not sanitized properly which puts the public in much higher risk for disease transmission,” said Yayehyirad. “We need to build more rooms in these clinics so that the woman who is having a baby is not in the same room with a tuberculosis patient, which is a reality.
“It is important educating the health care workers and the public about HIV/AIDS and other diseases coupled by providing the material which could be educational and equipments for the clinics. You can’t teach them the importance of sanitization or proper use of equipments if they don’t have one to use,” she said.
Yayehyirad has been able to bring this all together in addition to raising four children with her husband and holding down a nursing job with the help of her family, friends, CAAT’s board and her faith.
“I manage my busy schedule with the help of my husband, my mother and my kids, most of all with the grace of God. Everyone in my house understands and values one another. When you have that kind of support … you can accomplish a lot,” she said. “My board members are also helpful and supportive of what we do as an organization, which takes some of the responsibilities off of my shoulder.”
In addition to Natty Nation’s musical stylings, there will be a video presentation with further information about CAAT’s mission and accomplishments. Also, people will have a chance to try some Ethiopian dishes such as ingera, a flat bread made from three different flours with beef stew or a vegetarian option. Whether you come down for the music, the food or the mission, every penny will go toward the people that need it the most — something very important to Yayehyirad.
“I think it is important for my contributors and donors to know that their contribution is directly going to the people who need the help,” she said.
If you go
What: Benefit Concert for Clinic At A Time
When: Saturday, Dec. 13, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: East Madison Community Center, 8 Straubel Court, Madison 53704
Above:CPJ International press freedom awardee Andrew
Mwenda of Uganda while in police custody. (CPJ/2008)
Online journalists now jailed more than those in any other
medium
December 4, 2008
New York (CPJ) — A total of 23 journalists remained jailed in connection with their work in Sub-Saharan Africa, two-thirds held without charge, according to an annual report released today by the Committee to Protect Journalists. Thirteen journalists were held in Eritrea, which was the fourth jailer of journalists worldwide behind China, Cuba and Burma. The survey found more Internet journalists jailed worldwide today than journalists working in any other medium.
CPJ’s survey found 125 journalists in all behind bars on December 1, a decrease of two from the 2007 tally. (Read detailed accounts of each imprisoned journalist.) China continued to be world’s worst jailer of journalists, a dishonor it has held for 10 consecutive years. Cuba, Burma, Eritrea, and Uzbekistan round out the top five jailers from among the 29 nations that imprison journalists. Each of the top five nations has persistently placed among the world’s worst in detaining journalists.
Eritrea’s secret prisons held but four of at least 17 journalists worldwide held in secret locations. Eritrean authorities have refused to disclose the whereabouts, legal status, or health of any of the journalists they have been detaining for several years. Unconfirmed reports have suggested the deaths of at least three of these journalists while in custody, but the government has refused to even say whether the detainees are alive or dead.
What’s become of the people in this photo? Taken in 2000, near the end of a two-year border war with
neighboring Ethiopia and during the hey day of a burgeoning
private press movement in Africa’s youngest nation, the photo
shows the staff of Setit newspaper.
Two other Eritrean journalists were being held in secret in neighboring Ethiopia, while the government of The Gambia has declined to provide information on the July 2006 arrest of journalist “Chief” Ebrima Manneh. Many international observers, from the U.S. Senate to the West African human rights court, have called on authorities to free Manneh, who was jailed for trying to publish a report critical of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh.
About 13 percent of jailed journalists worldwide, including those imprisoned in Eritrea, Ethiopia and The Gambia, face no formal charge at all. Countries as diverse as Israel, Iran, the United States, and Uzbekistan also used this tactic of open-ended detention without due process. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 16 out of 23 journalists were behind bars without charge.
Antistate allegations such as subversion, divulging state secrets, and acting against national interests are the most common charge used to imprison journalists worldwide, CPJ found. About 59 percent of journalists in the census are jailed under these charges, many of them by the Chinese and Cuban governments, but also by countries like Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ivory Coast.
The survey found that 45 percent of all media workers jailed worldwide are bloggers, Web-based reporters, or online editors. Online journalists represent the largest professional category for the first time in CPJ’s prison census. At least 56 online journalists are jailed worldwide, according to CPJ’s census, a tally that surpasses the number of print journalists for the first time.
This trend applied in Sub-Saharan Africa where at least one online journalist remained imprisoned as of December 1, 2008.
“Online journalism has started to change the media landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa and eased access to communication,” said CPJ’s Program Coordinator Tom Rhodes. “But some governments have reacted adversely to this trend and a growing pattern of harassment of online journalists has developed.”
The number of imprisoned online journalists has steadily increased since CPJ recorded the first jailed Internet writer in its 1997 census. Print reporters, editors, and photographers make up the next largest professional category, with 53 cases in 2008. Television and radio journalists and documentary filmmakers constitute the rest.
“Online journalism has changed the media landscape and the way we communicate with each other,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “But the power and influence of this new generation of online journalists has captured the attention of repressive governments around the world, and they have accelerated their counterattack.”
In October, CPJ joined with Internet companies, investors, and human rights groups to combat government repression of online expression. After two years of negotiations, this diverse group announced the creation of the Global Network Initiative, which establishes guidelines enabling Internet and telecommunications companies to protect free expression and privacy online. Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft have joined the initiative.
Illustrating the evolving media landscape, the increase in online-related jailings has been accompanied by a rise in imprisonments of freelance journalists. Forty-five of the journalists on CPJ’s census are freelancers; most of them work online. These freelancers are not employees of media companies and often do not have the legal resources or political connections that might help them gain their freedom. The number of imprisoned freelancers has risen more than 40 percent in the last two years, according to CPJ research.
“The image of the solitary blogger working at home in pajamas may be appealing, but when the knock comes on the door they are alone and vulnerable,” said CPJ’s Simon. “All of us must stand up for their rights—from Internet companies to journalists and press freedom groups. The future of journalism is online and we are now in a battle with the enemies of press freedom who are using imprisonment to define the limits of public discourse.”
Nowhere is the ascendance of Internet journalism more evident than in China, where 24 of 28 jailed journalists worked online. China’s prison list includes Hu Jia, a prominent human rights activist and blogger, who is serving a prison term of three and a half years for online commentaries and media interviews in which he criticized the Communist Party. He was convicted of “incitement to subvert state power,” a charge commonly used by authorities in China to jail critical writers. At least 22 journalists are jailed in China on this and other vague antistate charges.
Cuba, the world’s second worst jailer, released two imprisoned journalists during the year after negotiations with Spain. Madrid, which resumed some cooperative programs with Cuba in February, has sought the release of imprisoned writers and dissidents in talks with Havana. But Cuba continued to hold 21 writers and editors in prison as of December 1, all but one of them swept up in Fidel Castro’s massive 2003 crackdown on the independent press. In November, CPJ honored Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez, who at 65 is the oldest of those jailed in Cuba, with an International Press Freedom Award.
Burma, the third worst jailer, is holding 14 journalists. Five were arrested while trying to spread news and images from areas devastated by Cyclone Nargis. The blogger and comedian Maung Thura, who uses the professional name Zarganar, was sentenced to a total of 59 years in prison during closed proceedings in November. Authorities accused Maung Thura of illegally disseminating video footage of relief efforts in hard-hit areas, communicating with exiled dissidents, and causing public alarm in comments to foreign media.
Uzbekistan, with six journalists detained, is the fifth worst jailer. Those in custody include Dzhamshid Karimov, nephew of the country’s president. A reporter for independent news Web sites, Karimov has been forcibly held in a psychiatric hospital since 2006.
Here are other trends and details that emerged in CPJ’s analysis:
1. In about 11 percent of cases, governments have used a variety of charges unrelated to journalism to retaliate against critical writers, editors, and photojournalists. Such charges range from regulatory violations to drug possession. In the cases included in this census, CPJ has determined that the charges were most likely lodged in reprisal for the journalist’s work.
2. Violations of censorship rules, the next most common charge, are applied in about 10 percent of cases. Criminal defamation charges are filed in about 7 percent of cases, while charges of ethnic or religious insult are lodged in another 4 percent. Two journalists are jailed for filing what authorities consider to be “false” news, including Senegalese journalist El Malick Seck. (More than one type of charge may apply in individual cases.)
3. Print and Internet journalists make up the bulk of the census. Television journalists compose the next largest professional category, accounting for 6 percent of cases. Radio journalists account for 4 percent, and documentary filmmakers 3 percent.
4. The 2008 tally reflects the second consecutive decline in the total number of jailed journalists. That said, the 2008 figure is roughly consistent with census results in each year since 2000. CPJ research shows that imprisonments rose significantly in 2001, after governments imposed sweeping national security laws in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. Imprisonments stood at 81 in 2000 but have since averaged 128 in CPJ’s annual surveys.
5. The United States, which is holding photographer Ibrahim Jassam without charge in Iraq, has made CPJ’s list of countries jailing journalists for the fifth consecutive year. During this period, U.S. military authorities have jailed dozens of journalists in Iraq—some for days, others for months at a time—without charge or due process. No charges have ever been substantiated in these cases.
CPJ does not apply a rigid definition of online journalism, but it carefully evaluates the work of bloggers and online writers to determine whether the content is journalistic in nature. In general, CPJ looks to see whether the content is reportorial or fact-based commentary. In a repressive society where the traditional media is restricted, CPJ takes an inclusive view of work produced online.
The organization believes that journalists should not be imprisoned for doing their jobs. CPJ has sent letters expressing its serious concerns to each country that has imprisoned a journalist.
CPJ’s list is a snapshot of those incarcerated at midnight on December 1, 2008. It does not include the many journalists imprisoned and released throughout the year; accounts of those cases can be found at www.cpj.org. Journalists remain on CPJ’s list until the organization determines with reasonable certainty that they have been released or have died in custody.
Journalists who either disappear or are abducted by nonstate entities, including criminal gangs, rebels, or militant groups, are not included on the imprisoned list. Their cases are classified as “missing” or “abducted.”
——-
Source:CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Above:March 1953: A Kenyan suspect, detained by the
police, is led away with his hands bound with rope during
the Mau Mau revolt in Kenya.
(Photo by Express/Express/Getty Images)
Barack Obama’s grandfather was imprisoned and tortured by the British during the violent struggle for Kenyan independence, the Kenyan family of the US President-elect has claimed.
Mr Obama’s paternal grandfather Hussein Onyango Obama was part of the Kenyan independence movement when he was arrested in 1949 and jailed for two years.
His family allege he was tortured by his British guards to extract information about the insurgency.
“The African warders were instructed by the white soldiers to whip him every morning and evening till he confessed,” said Sarah Onyango, Hussein Onyango’s third wife, told the Times.
Mrs Onyango, who Mr Obama calls Granny Sarah, described how “white soldiers” carried out “disciplinary action”.
Above:Sarah Hussein Onyango Obama (the President-elect’s
Kenyan grandmother) described how ‘white soldiers’ carried out ‘disciplinary
action’ (Photo: REUTERS)
“He said they would sometimes squeeze his testicles with parallel metallic rods. They also pierced his nails and buttocks with a sharp pin, with his hands and legs tied together with his head facing down,” she told the paper.
The alleged violence was said to have left Mr Onyango permanently scarred, and deeply anti-British.
“That was the time we realised that the British were actually not friends but, instead, enemies,” Mrs Onyango, 87, said. “My husband had worked so diligently for them, only to be arrested and detained.”
Mr Obama refers briefly to his grandfather’s imprisonment in his best-selling memoir, Dreams from My Father, but states that his grandfather was “found innocent”.
On Jan. 3, 2009 , the legendary Mahamud Ahmed will be in San Diego at a benefit concert organized by St. Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Ticket are sold in San Diego at local Ethiopian restaurants, shops and cafes.
(For those of you who are out of state or may not make it for this event but want to help St. Gabriel Independent Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, you can send your donation to the church and Mahamud Ahmed will announce your name during the concert. Church address is: 4808 Trojan Avenue, San diego, CA 92115).
Inside Oakland’s Albo African Gift shop, at the corner of Alcatraz and Telegraph, a deep herbal aroma wafts from a row of colorful bottles labeled ‘frankincense.’ Ethiopian Singer Hamelmal Abate’s mournful vibrato pours out of the stereo, crooning over an incongruously lively beat, while the store’s owner, Genet Asrat, sits behind the counter, her black sweater brightened by a bold patterned scarf with a yellow border. The phone rings nearly continuously, and Asrat switches back and forth between English and Amharic as she fields calls, raising her precisely-arched eyebrows and flashing a big, quick smile as she taps away at her keyboard.
The store is filled with baskets, scarves, jewelry and clothing in brilliant shades of orange, red, pink and purple. The walls are lined with African-themed carvings and paintings. Customers come in to browse racks of T-shirts and books with African themes. And while T-shirts are the store’s big sellers, the repeat customers, like the young man who stands shyly by the door until Asrat beckons him forward, are immigrants who come to the store to wire money back to their families in Ethiopia, a service Asrat offers at less than half the price Western Union charges.
Businesses like Asrat’s may provide a touch of the exotic to the neighborhood, but for Ethiopian immigrants, they create a familiar space, and serve as a valuable link to their native country. Some of the phone calls, Asrat explains, are from customers looking for help booking flights home. Asrat doesn’t just a keep a shop or send remittances. “I’m also a travel agent,” she says. Many immigrants, she says, “don’t have the know-how” to look for discounted tickets online and are uncomfortable working with an English-speaking agent. “It’s easier for them, and it’s convenient for them to call and buy them from me.”
Meanwhile, Asrat’s old friend Fetlework Tefferi — whose businesses, Café Colucci and Brundo grocery store, are located to either side of Asrat’s shop – works to source spices from businesses in Africa that use organic ingredients and employ women. “I want to help women preserve their culinary heritage,” says Tefferi, an energetic woman who runs between Colucci and Brundo donning and removing a pair of rubber gloves while supervising the cafe’s redecoration, signing forms, and tasting new batches of spices.
Businesses like these make North Oakland a hub for the Bay Area Ethiopian community, even though neither census data nor anecdotal evidence indicates there is a particularly high concentration of Ethiopian immigrants living in the neighborhood. “They live everywhere,” says Tefferi. “They just have their businesses on Telegraph.”
Inside Oakland’s Albo African Gift shop
According to the 2000 census, there are 1,444 foreign-born Ethiopians in Alameda County, and 228 living in north Oakland, although Rebecca Lakew, program director at the Ethiopian Community Center in Oakland, says that number is much too low. Some of the discrepancy may come from how people answer census takers or fill out government forms, Lakew says. “A lot of Ethiopian people, the people who are here as immigrants or refugees, they don’t say they are from there,” she says. “They mark ‘other’ or just ‘black.’”
Along with Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta and Houston, the Bay Area has one of the largest Ethiopian populations in the United States. Lakew estimates the number of Ethiopians in the Bay Area to be at least 20,000, and says the largest community event, the annual Ethiopian New Year festival, can draw as many as 40,000 people from Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose. “Every year it grows,” she says.
Large waves of Ethiopians began migrating to the United States in the 1980s and 1990s, as the political and economic situation in Ethiopia deteriorated. Marxist dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974, and was immediately faced with a series of counter-coups, uprisings and border skirmishes. In 1977 – 1978, Mengistu attempted to crush opposition with a massacre known as the “Red Terror,” during which human rights groups estimate as many as 500,000 people were killed, tortured or disappeared by government-sponsored militias.
Mengistu continued to spend heavily on the military, especially to counter rebellions in the country’s north. When a devastating series of droughts and famine hit the country in the 1980s, the government was ill-prepared for the crisis, and nearly 1 million Ethiopians starved to death in 1984 and 1985.
Mengistu was forced to flee the country in 1991, and the first multi-party elections were held in 1993, but problems in Ethiopia continue to push people to emigrate. “There is a lot of corruption, there are no jobs, the standard of education is low,” says Lakew. Many look for opportunities abroad, she says, for the same reasons as emigrants from anywhere in the world. “They have to eat,” she says. “They have to work, they have to support their families.”
The congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program — which provides 55,000 Visas each year to people from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States — has opened up greater possibilities for Ethiopians wishing to immigrate. Nationally, Ethiopians have consistently been among the top groups receiving these visas, topping the list with 3,427 visas in 2005.
Lakew refers to the Diversity Visa program as “fortunate, but unfortunate.” Applicants are required to have either a high school diploma or at least two years experience in a skilled occupation, but many face still face high barriers when they arrive. “It’s the language, the lack of experience, even the cultural difference. They have a culture shock,” says Lakew. “The moment you arrive in the states, you expect everyone to be there for you. And they’re not.”
Newcomers are forced to rely on friends and relatives, and on community agencies like the Ethiopian Community Center, which provides job, housing and heath-care referrals, and works with Laney and Peralta college to get immigrants into English classes and career training.
This disorientation helps to explain why Ethiopian immigrants, no matter where in the Bay Area they live, congregate along Telegraph Avenue. “It’s creating a community in a way,” says Tefferi. “I think immigrants do that as a matter of course. We want to be all in the same neighborhood, so in case something happens, we can all be together, help each other.”
When Sheba Ethiopian restaurant opened on Telegraph in the 1980s, Tefferi says, local Ethiopians started going there to eat, and liked the area. The university, in particular, was a “natural draw,” Tefferi says. “Ethiopians congregate around schools. It’s like prestige, education.”
The diversity of the neighborhood was attractive as well, says Asrat. “It was very open, very international, it was very easy to mix.” So Asrat opened her shop in June 1991, and Tefferi followed, opening Café Colucci about two months later. “It just happened,” both Asrat and Tefferi say. “We congregate,” says Tefferi. “And the competition is not even spoken of as such.”
Tefferi, who lives in San Francisco, says she loves coming to work on Telegraph. “It’s like traveling to Ethiopia–I come here and it’s like I’m home,” she says. “I feel very complete when I’m here. I’m surrounded with the music, the spices, the food. I have the best of both worlds, and I’m always thankful for that.”
—-
In line with the regulation of the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel, any commercial flight is required to notify the Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) ten minutes before entering into the country’s air space.
Accordingly while the flight crew was trying to communicate with the Israeli Air Traffic Controllers there was misunderstanding in communication. As a result, the ATC has held the flight for 18 minutes until they confirmed that the aircraft was in fact Ethiopian Airlines flight ET-404/24 November 2008.
There after, the flight was cleared to land at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv as per its schedule. The passengers were also handled smoothly as usual.
Ethiopian has been operating to Tel Aviv since 1998. Currently it operates four weekly flights to Tel Aviv.
About Ethiopian Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest and fastest growing airlines in Africa made its maiden flight to Cairo in 1946. The airline currently serves 53 destinations around the globe, 33 of which are in Africa.
In 2008 Ethiopian was the recipient of the Corporate Achievement Award from Aviation & Allied Business, the Brussels Airport Marketing Award on its long haul service, and Best Airline in Africa from the Africa Travel Award-Nigeria. In 2006 and 2007 Ethiopian also won awards as the African Airline of the Year 2006, Africa Business of the Year 2007 and Ghana Business and Financial Award 2007 from the African Aviation, the African Times/USA and the Government of Ghana respectively for its outstanding performance in the commercial air transport industry.
Ethiopian will be the first carrier to operate the 787 Dreamliner in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Read the press release at Ethiopianairlines.com.
IAF jets scrambled to intercept unidentified plane
“Ethiopian aircraft pilot fails to identify himself on way
to Israel, apparently due to technical error in radio. Israel
Air Force jets identify plane, leading it to safe landing at
Ben Gurion Airport.”
Ynetnews.com
Eli Senyor
Published:
11.25.08, 08:00 / Israel News
Two Air Force jets were scrambled to intercept an Ethiopian plane approaching Israel’s airspace without identifying itself Tuesday morning.
The civilian aircraft, carrying some 200 passengers on its way to Israel, failed to follow safety regulations and did not identify itself, apparently due to a technical error in the plane’s radio device. Read More.
IAF jets scrambled to intercept unidentified plane
“Ethiopian aircraft pilot fails to identify himself on way
to Israel, apparently due to technical error in radio. Israel
Air Force jets identify plane, leading it to safe landing at
Ben Gurion Airport.”
Ynetnews.com
Eli Senyor
Published:
11.25.08, 08:00 / Israel News
Two Air Force jets were scrambled to intercept an Ethiopian plane approaching Israel’s airspace without identifying itself Tuesday morning.
The civilian aircraft, carrying some 200 passengers on its way to Israel, failed to follow safety regulations and did not identify itself, apparently due to a technical error in the plane’s radio device. Read More.
First Black Social Secretary Discusses Her New Job and
the Obamas
Cynthia Gordy
POSTED: NOVEMBER 25, 2008
Born and raised in New Orleans, Desiree Rogers knows a thing or two about throwing a party. The high-powered Chicago woman and longtime friend of the Obamas was named this week as the first African-American White House social secretary. She formerly served as president of social networking for Allstate Financial, and as president of Peoples and North Shore Gas. She will be responsible for staging every event or ceremony that occurs at the White House. Rogers, 49, talked to ESSENCE.com about how the Obamas plan to make their mark on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
ESSENCE.COM: What’s the first event you will be responsible for?
DESIREE ROGERS: Some of the inaugural events. We’re just getting started working on them, so I can’t really discuss it, but that’s the first series of events I’ll be working on. The first event we will have in the White House is the governor’s ball in February.
ESSENCE.COM: How long have you known the Obamas?
ROGERS: Probably about 20 years-Michelle, I’ve known for about 20 years. I met her through her brother, Craig Robinson. My ex-husband played basketball with him in college.
ESSENCE.COM: As a longtime friend of the Obamas who knows their personal tastes, what kind of affairs do you think they’ll want to have at the White House?
ROGERS: I think it will be important in this economic climate to be responsible, so we will certainly be thinking about that in any events that we have. At the same time, we want to be celebratory. This is history in the making. Americans have come together, as in no other time that I can recall, so there’s something to celebrate. There’s some value in bringing people together, and forming relationships with people-as President-elect Barack Obama has said, we have more in common than not. We will be creating opportunities where people can come together and celebrate the arts, cultural events, intellectual events, everyday events, like picnics with children. Michelle wants to be very involved with the work and family balance, as well as celebrating our military families.
Above:Seyoum Shikuto shares a pastry with Yonas Eyassu,
left, at Dama Pastry & Cafe in Arlington, a hub for Ethiopians,
the day after the election. (Photos By Jahi Chikwendiu)
By Pamela Constable
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 13, 2008; Page VA19
Ethiopian immigrants, who make up the largest contingent of African emigres in the Washington area, often gather after work at cafes such as Dukem’s in the District or Dama’s in Arlington to watch televised soccer, listen to lilting songs in their native Amharic language and rehash arguments about the ongoing political turmoil in their native Horn of Africa.
But ever since the night of Nov. 4, when Barack Obama clinched the presidency, the laid-back establishments have been buzzing with excitement, pride and purpose. Cabbies finishing their shifts greet each other with hugs and high-fives. Barflies are glued to televised replays of Obama’s victory speech. In the buzz of Amharic chatter, every other words seems to be “Obama.”
“He’s a descendant of Africa, like we are, so this means a great deal to all of us. But it’s not only because he’s black. It’s because of his message and his example,” said Donato Spinaci, an Ethiopian restaurant owner in the District who hosted several fundraisers for Obama’s campaign. “This election will open the door for all Americans, from every country, to become whatever they want.”
At Hailu Dama’s cafe and bakery on Columbia Pike, a social hub for Arlington County’s Ethiopian American community, last week’s election-night partying lasted until dawn, and the ebullient mood has continued.
“This has electrified our community like nothing I have ever seen,” said Dama, who came to the United States from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 30 years ago and is one of Arlington’s best-known immigrant entrepreneurs. “For the past eight years, America’s beacon of hope has grown dimmer and dimmer, but suddenly it seems brighter. We can’t stop celebrating.”
As sons and daughters of Africa, Ethiopian immigrants said, they had a special reason to savor the victory of Obama, whose father was Kenyan. More than 20,000 Ethiopian emigres live in the Washington area, along with thousands of their U.S.-born children. Many are longtime refugees who have become U.S. citizens. Immigrants from neighboring Eritrea and Somalia are also numerous and increasingly engaged in local politics.
In the summer, Spinaci and other African-born restaurant owners hosted fundraising events for Obama, contributing thousands to his campaign. A local group was formed, Ethiopians for Obama, which led campaign caravans to neighboring states and posted a promotional video on YouTube in Amharic.
“Many of us came to this country seeking freedom from dictatorship. We love democracy, but we never dreamed we would see an African American win the presidency,” said Binyam Yinesu, 49, a regular at Dama’s cafe who co-manages a gourmet shop in Alexandria. “Now, maybe America will have a foreign policy that does not help dictatorships in countries like mine.”
Ethiopia has been embroiled in decades of violent conflict, often involving Somalia and Eritrea, that has resulted in several million deaths and prompted hundreds of thousands to leave their country. In the past, U.S. administrations related to the region largely through the prism of anti-communism, propping up ruthless allied regimes, critics say.
Recently, Islamic radicalism has added a new element to the volatile mix. A brutal Islamic militia, forced from power in Addis Ababa, is terrorizing civilians. Dama, a Christian who fled Ethiopia’s wars in 1974, said many of his relatives and friends back home filled churches the night before the election, praying for Obama’s victory.
In addition to hopes that Obama would bring relief to their troubled homeland, cafe patrons said, his campaign theme of inclusiveness had touched them as immigrants and members of a racial minority who have staked their futures here.
“We don’t expect change to come overnight, but we will all get more respect now as African Americans. Obama will not only be an American president, he will be a world president,” said Getachelu Zewdie, the manager at Dukem’s restaurant on U Street NW, which was filled with Ethiopian songs, chants and dancing on election night.
“We’re ecstatic,” said Acham Mulugeta, 35, an education consultant. “His message has wiped out the idea that you can’t succeed if you’re black. This is not about color or policy or where you were born. It is about reaching across lines and working hard and getting things done. It is about unity. Yes we can, and yes I can,” she said.
As Mulugeta spoke, a knot of men around the coffee bar stared intently at TV replays of Obama’s victory speech and listened with rapt appreciation as Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga..) emotionally recounted his experiences in the civil rights movement, when police clubbed and dragged off unarmed demonstrators in the South.
“When I went to vote on Tuesday, it felt like when people in South Africa were voting for the first time for Nelson Mandela,” said Yonas Eyassu, 34, a U.N. employee from Eritrea who was sitting at the bar. “This is history. It is a great message of change, not just because I come from Africa, but for everyone.”
NAIROBI, Kenya: The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia has warned American citizens against taking part in the Great Ethiopian Run because of the threat of terrorism.
Friday’s message says embassy staff and their families should not to take part in the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) race set for Nov. 23. The message followed an unspecified terror warning from the Ethiopian government about the race featuring tens of thousands of runners from Ethiopia and around the world. The race is led by distance great Haile Gebrselassie.
The message did not say if the event was named as a specific target but reminded U.S. citizens of deadly bombings this year in the capital, Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia is fighting insurgent groups and supporting the U.N.-backed government in Somalia.
Though she was an African, she was a citizen of the world.
In Africa, particularly, the sorrow was too much to bear. Makeba was not fondly known as Mama Afrika for nothing. She had come to be an embodiment of the African cultural heritage. Her music transcended the artificial borders that divide the African continent.
From the backstreets of West Africa and East Africa to the hallowed halls of the African Union in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, Mama Afrika’s music has always been at home.
She was true to her African roots in that she successfully managed to share her African music with the world. She was indeed, one of the pioneers of what has come to be known as world music, but with a distinctively African feel.
Makeba’s career path should serve as a guidance and an inspiration to the current crop of African musicians and future generations. The lesson she has left behind is that African music can borrow from other genres, without losing its identity.
Another important aspect is the message in her song. In the true spirit of African heritage, Mama Afrika’s music entertained and caught the attention of listeners without the use of vulgar language. Nowadays production of good music has been supplemented with vulgarism. Obscene language is erroneously described as ‘artistic’. What a shame.
The last lesson Makeba has bestowed on the future African musical generations is that an artist can have a purpose in life. Makeba was part of the liberation struggle that was being waged in her homeland against the diabolical apartheid regime. Instead of using the gun, she used the best and effective weapon at her disposal – her voice and music.
May her soul rest in peace.
Today’s Thought:“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” – Norman Cousins
Above:PELVIC COMPARISONA rebuilt female
H. erectus pelvis is larger than that of Lucy (A. afarensis) and
that of a modern-day human female.Courtesy of Scott Simpson,
Case Western Reserve University.
By Bruce Bower
Web edition :
Thursday, November 13th, 2008
Fossil find suggests Homo erectus females delivered big-brained babies
She was short, squat and definitely not built for speed. On the plus side, this adult female Homo erectus, who lived in Africa roughly one million years ago, had hips wide enough to bear babies with brains nearly as big as those of newborn human infants.
That’s the evolutionary picture presented by researchers who have unearthed a rare find: a nearly complete female H. erectus pelvis. Pieces of the fossil were found at an Ethiopian site called Gona in 2001 and 2003.
H. erectus females evolved a pelvis of a size unprecedented among human ancestors because the females had to squeeze increasingly big-headed babies through their birth canals, concludes a team led by anthropologists Scott Simpson of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and Sileshi Semaw of Indiana University in Bloomington.
In the Nov. 14 Science, the researchers say that the new pelvis challenges an earlier proposal that both sexes of H. erectus evolved to grow relatively tall and slender in order to shed body heat efficiently in their tropical homelands. That idea was largely based on measurements of a 6-foot-2-inch H. erectus skeleton found in 1984 that has been attributed to a slim, 10- to 12-year-old boy who lived in eastern Africa 1.5 million years ago.
“It’s now apparent that body size range in H. erectus has been underestimated,” Simpson says. The Gona female lived between 1.4 million and 900,000 years ago and stood no taller than 4 feet, 9 inches. Fossil evidence of other small-bodied H. erectus individuals in Africa and Central Asia has accumulated over the past several years.
Simpson also views the broad, flaring Gona pelvis as a challenge to an earlier proposal that H. erectus individuals possessed narrow hips suitable for endurance running, a capacity that would have aided them in hunting.
The ancient Gona female, known to be an adult based on the development of the pelvis, had wider hips than virtually all women today. Given the size and shape of the new pelvis, H. erectus infants must have been more than 30 percent larger at birth than has usually been assumed, in the scientists’ view. During childhood, H. erectus brains grew at a faster pace than the brains of chimpanzees but at a slower rate than the brains of modern humans, the team estimates. And though the hips in H. erectus were bigger than the hips of H. sapiens, the size of the birth canal may have been similar for the two species.
Anatomical similarities link the Gona find to remains of other fossil female pelvises — including one from Lucy, a 3.2-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis individual found in eastern Africa, and another from a 2.5-million-year-old Australopithecus africanus individual unearthed in southern Africa.
“I do not see any major problems with either the reconstruction or the interpretation of this new specimen,” comments anthropologist Owen Lovejoy of Kent State University in Ohio.
“This pelvis is a nice addition to the fossil record, but it raises more questions than it answers,” remarks Harvard University anthropologist Daniel Lieberman, a proponent of endurance running as characteristic of H. erectus.
In his view, the new specimen might come from a comparably ancient species in the human evolutionary family, Australopithecus boisei. A big, and therefore probably male A. boisei, could have had hips as wide as those of the Gona individual, Lieberman suggests.
A. boisei fossils have not been recovered at or near Gona, Simpson responds. A stone tool recovered along with the new pelvis corresponds to those known to have been used by H. erectus, he adds.
Other researchers say the volumes of fossil brain cases provide reliable estimates that H. erectus females delivered babies with brains about 15 percent smaller than the maximum figure cited in the new study. But Simpson says that his team’s estimated range of possible brain sizes for H. erectus babies overlaps with others’ estimates.
Finally, Lieberman remains skeptical of Simpson and Semaw’s conclusion that H. erectus was characterized by extremely short and wide females and unusually tall and narrow males, as indicated by the boy’s skeleton. “I need to be convinced,” he says.
Intriguingly, Simpson notes, modern human females have evolved relatively short statures and broad hips in cold environments, not in hot ones similar to Gona. Although H. erectus inhabited a variety of environments, females of that species retained a broad pelvis wherever they lived, he hypothesizes.
Other H. erectus fossils display traits that would have enabled endurance running, such as attachment spots for large upper-leg muscles and enlarged inner-ear structures for improved balance, Lieberman says. Long-distance running enabled H. erectus to hunt effectively without spearheads and to obtain enough meat to support the evolution of increasingly large brains, he proposes.
Simpson disagrees. The endurance-running hypothesis crucially depends on the H. erectus boy’s reconstructed skeleton, he notes. But, he predicts, a revised reconstruction would show that this youth had a broader, more flared pelvis than has been claimed.
Above:Children have questions for Yohannes
Gebregeorgis, who spoke Wednesday at
Arrowwood Elementary School in Highlands
Ranch. Gebregeorgis is creating libraries in
Ethiopia – 17 so far – including one pulled
by a donkey to remote villages.
(George Kochaniec Jr / The Rocky)
By James B. Meadow
Published November 13, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Two hundred and twenty-five small bodies parade into a small gym to learn a big lesson from the Slayer of the Dragon of Illiteracy.
They listen raptly – a strangely attentive a group of 5-, 6- and 7-year-olds – to the words of the soft-spoken black man who grew up across the ocean, a million miles away from the comforts they take for granted. A man who had risked much to flee his turbulent land and then, 21 years later, sacrificed even more to return, to bring a precious gift for the “beautiful children” who lived in the Land of 1,000 Despairs.
The man is Yohannes Gebregeorgis. He is 60 years old. He is Ethiopian. He is on a crusade to spread literacy across a nation where 67 percent of the people can’t read. He is doing it with books, thousands and thousands of books. He is doing it by creating libraries, 17 to date – one pulled by a donkey to remote villages – each one bringing magic to young minds. He is doing it through Ethiopia Reads, the Denver-based nonprofit he founded 10 years ago.
Yohannes Gebregeorgis speaks to children Wednesday
at Arrowwood Elementary School in Highlands Ranch.
(Photo by George Kochaniec Jr / The Rocky)
He is also “a wonderful man. I love him. Ohmigosh, what he has done is amazing – bringing books to all those children. Going back to his native land. Nobody does that. Nobody goes back to that kind of poverty. But he did!”
The person speaking is Mary Beth Henze. She is a teacher at Arrowwood Elementary School in Highlands Ranch, a modern facility unlike anything in Ethiopia.
A penny, a nickel at a time
Henze is the one who galvanized the students into raising $2,300 for Ethiopia Reads, a penny, a nickel, a quarter at a time. She is the one “completely excited” that Gebregeorgis has come to her school on a bright Wednesday to speak.
But she isn’t alone.
“I believe in him! To bring books to so many children is phenomenal,” says Janet Lee, a librarian at Regis University.
Lee believed in Gebregeorgis so much she nominated him to be a CNN Hero, the cable news network’s competition to honor those who make outstanding contributions to the world. Out of 4,000 nominees, Gebregeorgis made the final 10, after online voting. Later this month, he will find out if he is the top vote-getter, the one who wins $100,000, the one who is 2008’s ultimate hero.
But he says, “The real heroes are the children who collect pennies, the people who help us bring books to Ethiopia.” His words are strung closely together, his voice strong but gentle, a waterfall washing over smooth stones. “Yes, it was my idea, my dream,” he says, “but the people who help us, they are the dream realizers.”
But it started with the dreamer.
Novel changed his life
He was born in the small town of Negelle Borena, the son of an illiterate cattle merchant who insisted his only child be educated. Gebregeorgis traveled 375 miles to the nearest high school. But it wasn’t textbooks that detonated his imagination.
When he was 19, a friend loaned him a copy of a romance novel called Love Kitten. It was the first book he ever read for “pleasure,” and it changed his life forever.
Now he began to read voraciously, any literature he could find, and “books became my friends.” Books “gave me strength, a purpose for living.” Gradually, he came to realize “literacy has the power to make people better.”
But before he could make others better, he had to save his own life. In 1981, a coup toppled the government. Gebregeorgis’ political stance didn’t fit in, and he fled Ethiopia. He made it to Sudan then to the U.S. Along the way to becoming a citizen in 1989, he earned a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees in library science.
Land of 1,000 Despairs
In 1995, he got a job at the San Francisco Library’s main branch, in the children’s library. He loved the job but was saddened to realize that while the library had children’s books in 75 languages, none were in Amharic, the official tongue of Ethiopia.
That changed in 2001 with Silly Mammo, Gebregeorgis’ retelling of an Ethiopian folk tale, the first Amharic-English book in the U.S. But by then, he was looking beyond San Francisco.
The rise of a less hostile government had allowed him to revisit Ethiopia. He saw a land “devastated” by years of war and decades of poverty. He saw “beautiful children” in tattered clothing, hungry, without hope, without toys. Without books.
He came back to the U.S. and founded Ethiopia Reads. Slowly, on a shoestring, he began collecting books and donations, finding backers. He found enough in Denver to base his headquarters here. But all along, he was preparing for his big move.
In 2002, with his two young sons and 15,000 books, he left behind the comforts of his adopted land moved back to his homeland. “People said, ‘Are you crazy?’ But this was my missionary calling.”
People were right to ask. Ethiopia was a world of wrenching poverty and famine. AIDS was rampant; the average life span was 41 years. Gebregeorgis called it “The Land of 1,000 Despairs.”
He rented a house in Addis Ababa, lived upstairs and turned the downstairs into the Shola Children’s Library, naming it for the fig tree, a traditional gathering place for Ethiopians. The first year alone, he brought books into the lives of 12,000 children.
Book Man of Africa
Over the years that number would grow to 100,000. He would create libraries in schools that never had them. He would take a donkey cart laden with books into the hinterlands, inspiring and dazzling children with the power of literacy. He became known by different names – Donkey Librarian, Book Man of Africa and Slayer of the Dragon of Illiteracy.
He smiles when he says that – and he doesn’t smile often. How can he? There is so much to do, the “need is huge, so vast,” his work is “only a drop in the ocean.”
In the next six months, he plans to stock a dozen more school libraries, create three more “donkey libraries.” He hopes to do this because “Only through literacy can we overcome poverty.” Because “We have seen so many kids transformed.”
Because “When people are literate they can understand humanity.”
meadowj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2606
If you go
* What: Yohannes Gebregeorgis speaks about Ethiopia Reads.
* When: 4:30 p.m. today
* Where: Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Blvd.
Above:Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, current
head of the Abyssinia Baptist Church in Harlem, led a delegation of
150 to Ethiopia in 2007 as part of the church’s bicentennial
celebration and in honor of the Ethiopian Millennium.
(At Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on Sunday,
November 4, 2007. Tadias File).
PRNewswire
WASHINGTON, Nov 12, 2008 — The Abyssinian Baptist Church yesterday celebrated its 200th anniversary and its deep ties of friendship with Ethiopia. At a white-tie dinner gala at the uptown Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the United States Samuel Assefa was recognized as a special guest by Abyssinian Baptist Church Leader Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III.
“I was thrilled to join the Abyssinian Baptist Church to celebrate its 200th anniversary,” said Ethiopian Ambassador to the United States Samuel Assefa. “For two centuries the Abyssinian Baptist Church has played an integral role in helping strengthen Ethiopia’s relations with the United States and with the African-American community.”
The 200th Anniversary of the Abyssinian Baptist Church coincides with the celebration of the Ethiopian Millennium. The gala affair drew an impressive roster of political and civic leaders and celebrities. Former President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined Rev. Butts at the podium as speakers. President-Elect Barack Obama sent his greetings, which were delivered on his behalf by Sen. Clinton.
President Clinton spoke passionately about America’s strong relationship with Ethiopia, calling for the two countries to continue working closely together. He talked about Ethiopia’s rich history and described the glories of ancient and modern Ethiopia, pointing to the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela as a fitting example of Ethiopia’s timeless treasures and living monuments.
Honorary and event chairs and members of the benefit committee included actor/comedian Chris Rock, his philanthropist wife Malaak Compton-Rock, American Express CEO Ken Chenault and his philanthropist wife Kathryn Chenault, actors Latanya R. and Samuel L. Jackson and Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley. Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated actress Cicely Tyson and accomplished stage, television and film actor Avery Brooks served as the gala’s emcees.
The bicentennial celebration — Abyssinian 200: True to Our God, True to Our Native Land — marked the Abyssinian Baptist Church’s distinction as one of the oldest and most prominent African-American institutions in America. The 18-month bicentennial commemoration included a pilgrimage to Ethiopia to meet with senior Ethiopian officials.
Above:The day Barack Obama was elected President,
a roar of joyful celebration broke out in the New York
neighborhood of Harlem, which is historically known as
the center for African American culture.
(Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias Magazine)
CNN
By Paul Steinhauser
CNN Deputy Political Director
WASHINGTON (CNN) — For most African-Americans, the election of Barack Obama as president was a dream come true that they didn’t think they would see in their lifetime, a national poll released Tuesday suggests.
Eighty percent of African-Americans questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey said that Obama’s election was a dream come true, and 71 percent said they never thought a black candidate for president would get elected in their lifetime.
A woman is overcome on November 4 after
hearing that Barack Obama had been
elected president.
The poll reflects anecdotal evidence that surfaced across the country last week as soon as Obama’s projected win was announced.
“It’s history,” said iReporter Tave Johnson, who spent Election Night at the Grant Park Obama rally in Chicago, Illinois. “I’m half-black and half-white. I talked to my grandparents today, and they told me this is historic. To be honest … I never would have guessed it would happen.”
Among white Americans, only 28 percent said Obama’s victory in the race for the White House was a dream come true, with the vast majority, 70 percent, saying it was not.
The poll also suggests a racial divide among people who thought a black candidate would be elected president in their lifetimes. Fifty-nine percent of white respondents said they thought a black president would be elected in their lifetime, but only 29 percent of black respondents agreed. Read more at CNN.
Above:In this June 6, 2008, file photo
Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., left, talks with then-Democratic
presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill. in Chicago.
Barack Obama’s fellow Chicagoan Rahm Emanuel, the
hard-charging No. 3 Democrat in the House, has accepted
the job White House chief of staff, Democratic officials said
Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Thousands of positions must be filled; volunteer or work your connections
By Eve Tahmincioglu
msnbc.com contributor
updated 1:09 p.m. ET, Mon., Nov. 10, 2008
If Barack Obama inspired you so much that after voting for him you now want to work for him, there are thousands of jobs to be had in the new administration.
There are coveted presidential appointments and a huge array of staff positions. But you have to start the ball rolling right now, especially if you weren’t an integral part of the presidential campaign.
You can head over to the newly minted Web site for the Obama transition team and fill out an application for a job right on the site. But like traditional job sites, this strategy probably won’t get you very far. Getting a job with the new administration is pretty much like getting any job: It’s all about connections. Read more at MSNBC.
ANGELINA JOLIE and BRAD PITT are planning to take their young family on a trip to Ethiopia – to show them how to help people in the Third World.
Jolie and Pitt adopted their three-year-old daughter Zahara from the country in 2005. They have two other adopted children – Maddox, seven, from Cambodia and Pax, four, from Vietnam – as well as three biological children – Shiloh, two, and baby twins Knox and Vivienne.
The couple has already taken the kids to visit Maddox’s home country of Cambodia and now they plan to take the whole family to see the work being done in Ethiopia by their charity, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which is funding an AIDS centre there.
Jolie says, “They’ll (the children) be in Ethiopia in a few weeks and they won’t have everything they have here, so we show them different worlds.”
The actress hopes the experience will teach the youngsters to follow in their parents’ philanthropical footsteps.
She adds, “They help buy candy and shoes and water, then take it to the local people, hang out and talk to the kids. They see that the world isn’t balanced. Instead of preaching to them, we’re showing them and hope that sinks in – and they’ll find in themselves a desire to help strike a balance.”
Above: Election night in Harlem.
(Photo by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias Magazine)
Updated: Tuesday, November 11, 2008
New York (Tadias) – How do you feel? That was the question we posed to some of our readers and contributors right after the historic election of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. Here are their reflections:
Taqiyya Haden (New York)
“OBAMA!” That’s my new greeting! Unfortunately I’m not sure of the meaning. It is rumored to mean ‘crooked, not a straight line’ and if so it is still appropriate considering the turns we took to get our first Black President. Or we could just start greeting each other with “44!” Whatever sounds and feels right in the moment.
I almost broke down crying seeing the Beautiful Black First Family walk out. This is the first presidential election in my short 30 something years of life that I was passionate about, stood in the cold for and debated about almost daily. I had all confidence that he would win. I genuinely believe the American people that still suffer the pathology of racism know that he is the only one available and able to solve our foreign affairs issues.
The rest of the world is watching and that is so important. No matter how great this country is and (I have a hard time saying that at all as an African American) it has been founded and became prosperous on the oppression of people that look like President Obama. The United States has been looked upon, justifiably as having a hypocritical system of government by the rest of the world. Democracy has not proven to apply to all citizens. The images alone of this election will decrease those feelings.
My hope is that we all stay energized , excited and maintain a belief in our political power that we have so often ignored or felt so defeated unwilling to try. My fear is some that voted will rely too heavily on Barack Obama and basically go back to being lazy and ignorant now that he has won.
If we are willing to see this as a win for all of us we may be more willing to hold ourselves accountable for change. It did not end last night, this is only the beginning. To my specific community of Africans and African Americans in Harlem we must stay involved and I ask that we think globally but act locally.
And finally…isn’t this the most brilliant and attractive family to move into that house?!
Kedist Geremaw (Obama campaign organizing fellow, Washington DC)
It felt like giving birth to a child ( I am saying this from a birthing experience) in this case the pregnancy lasted close to two years. It is a relief…history was made and a person with a name like Barack was elected the president of USA. My faith in human kind is restored. As Barack Obama said “Your name shouldn’t be a hindrance to your success”
Kedist Geremaw
Obama campaign organizing fellow
Washington DC
Professor Ayele Bekerie ( Cornell University)
On November 4, 2008, I was the first person to enter the polling place in my district at 6 am. I voted for Barack Obama. When I voted, I had a feeling that the vote is going to be a winner. Lo and behold, Obama won big. History is made and and I was in it.
I felt that I played a role to bring the good news that the whole world desired. I felt like that I played a role to bring joy, even if for few moments, to the millions of fans of Obama in Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, Tanzania, for that matter the continent of Africa. The world is one with the United States of America.
The election of an African American to the highest office in the country, to be the Commander In Chief, is indeed a testimony to the greatness of the American people. Dreams come true in America. Parents of many hues and backgrounds can confidently tell their children now to dream big and realize their dreams.
Obama turned the page of history. Obama wrote a new chapter in American racial history. Relations among racialized groups will not be the same again. Common purpose defeats divisiveness. Conversation outstrips talking points. Intelligence triumphs over ignorance.
Best wishes,
Ayele
Professor Donald N. Levine (Chicago)
For me this election fulfills an eight-year dream. In 2000 then U of Chicago colleague, neighbor, and state representative Barack Obama came to our home for a coffee, to introduce him to friends and mobilize support for his first national campaign when he ran to be congressman from our district. Although he lost that campaign, a loss that depressed him about his prospects for a political career, those of us who heard him then could not believe that he would not bounce back and get stronger than ever.
It’s true, when Barack announced his candidacy for president, I had mixed feelings, believing that it was premature for him to run for the position at that juncture, even though he was qualified. It was when a friend pointed out that his presidency would amount to a transformative experience, for the US and the world, that I caught the significance of the timing and went to work on his behalf, with Ethiopian groups in Ohio and Pennsylvania in the primaries, and with phone calls to voters in Ohio and Indiana in the general election.
And now it has happened. It has been a totally healing, clarifying, and energizing experience. Blessings to us all!
Above:U.S. first lady Laura Bush (L) and Michelle Obama,
wife of President-elect Barack Obama, sit in the private
residence of the White House after the president-elect
and Mrs. Obama arrived for a visit in Washington,
November 10, 2008.
White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian/Handout
(UNITED STATES).
NYT
By BRIAN KNOWLTON
Published: November 10, 2008
WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, received a warm welcome at the White House shortly before 2 p.m. Eastern time by the current occupant, President George W. Bush, a man with whom he expressed a sea of differences during the just-ended election campaign. When the president and Mrs. Bush greeted the Obamas at the driveway on the South Lawn, the women hugged and their husbands shook hands, with Mr. Obama using the two-handed greeting common among senators, with his left hand on Mr. Bush’s right arm during the handshake. The two men were dressed almost identically in dark blue suits, white shirts and blue ties. Ms. Bush wore a brown suit, and Ms. Obama a burnt-orange dress.
A few minutes after the couples entered the White House together, Mr. Bush and Mr. Obama reemerged and strolled along the colonnade past the Rose Garden to the outer entrance to the Oval Office. Mr. Obama walked just at Mr. Bush’s shoulder and appeared to be speaking animatedly, gesturing with both hands. Each of the men waved several times to reporters and others off camera.
While Ms. Bush showed Ms. Obama the White House, their husbands met for just over an hour in the Oval Office, discussing the transfer of power from Mr. Bush’s conservative Republican administration to a presumably much more liberal Democratic leadership. Read More.
By Tadias Staff Photos by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias Magazine
Updated: Tuesday, November 11, 2008
New York (Tadias) The day Barack Obama was elected President, a roar of joyful celebration broke out in the New York neighborhood of Harlem, which is historically known as the center for African American culture. The following are memorable photos from this historic day captured by Tadias Magazine’s contributing photographer Jeffrey Phipps.
Jubilant youth in Obama painted car on Harlem’s 125th street hold up photos of the
new President-Elect
A djembe drummer celebrates the evening clad in jacket adorned with the colors of
Ethiopian flag
A face-painted, flag waving African American flashes a victory sign
Traffic was brought to a standstill as youth dance waving the American flag
Americans, black and white, celebrated Barack Obama’s election on 125th Street
Mother and daughter filled with hope
Crowds danced in the streets
Kids for Obama
Vendors selling Obama T-shirts on 125th Street
The crowd burst into screams and cheers as election results are broadcast
To be the voice of a nation speaking to the wider world is a tough mission for any performer. To be the voice of an entire continent is exponentially more difficult. Both were mantles that the South African singer Miriam Makeba took on willingly and forcefully. Despite her lifelong claim that she was not a political singer, she became “Mama Africa” with an activist’s tenacity and a musician’s ear. She died Sunday, at 76, after a concert in Italy.
Treating her listeners as one global community, Ms. Makeba sang in any language she chose, from her own Xhosa to the East African lingua franca Swahili to Portuguese to Yiddish. She also took sides: against South African apartheid and for a worldwide movement against racism, to the point of derailing her career when she married the black power advocate Stokely Carmichael in the late 1960s. (They were divorced in the mid-1970s.) Even during three decades of life as an exile and expatriate — the South African government revoked her passport in 1960 — she made it clear that South Africa was her home and her bedrock as an artist. Read More.
Ethiopian expats find chance for better life in Katsushika Ward
Nov. 11, 2008
A traditional shitamachi area of Tokyo associated with the popular “Tora-san” series of films has seen a recent influx of newcomers looking for a new life away from political turmoil back home.
While many Japanese are unfamiliar with life in Ethiopia, a growing community of people from the landlocked Horn of Africa nation are setting up homes in Katsushika Ward.
Tadesse Gebre, 38, and his wife live in a six-tatami-mat room on the third floor of a small, shabby building among a row of izakaya pubs near Keisei Tateishi Station.
After returning from their respective jobs one night recently, the couple settled down to eat a traditional Ethiopian dinner of doro wat, a fiery stew of chicken on the bone with tomatoes and onions cooked on a portable stove, finishing the meal by mopping up the dark red soup with slices of bread.
While the common tongue in Ethiopia is Amharic, the couple have become fluent in Japanese.
“My wife gets home from work late, so I’m usually the one who does the cooking” Gebre said.
“We have to do our best for our family back home,” his wife added.
Gebre came to Japan 16 years ago as a athlete, twice winning the Hokkaido Marathon for a corporate team. Since retiring from running, he has been driving a truck and collecting plastic bottles to make money.
His 27-year-old wife came here after the two married eight years ago. She works at a factory making bento boxed meals.
The couple pays 45,000 yen a month for the room and has to share a bath with other residents in the building. They said their dream is to save money to buy a house in the suburbs and bring over their two young sons who live with relatives in Ethiopia.
According to the Tokyo metropolitan government, 122 Ethiopians were registered as alien residents in the capital as of January–34 more than two years earlier.
The Japan Association for Refugees, a nonprofit organization that supports applications for refugee status, said a further 30 or 40 Ethiopians have contacted the association this year.
Many people were killed or escaped from Ethiopia when antigovernment protesters clashed with security forces over a delay in releasing general election results in 2005, plunging the country into chaos.
The Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo-based association believes the number of people entering Japan has increased because the United States placed stricter controls on visas following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the country.
As of the end of September, 39 Ethiopians were registered as living in Katsushika Ward–about 30 percent of all Ethiopians in the capital.
It was “tough being a man” for Tora-san, the warm-hearted protagonist in the long-running series of films synonymous with the area, but Gebre maintains that the fledgling Ethiopian community can help immigrants who make the long journey from East Africa.
“If people from the same country are close to each other, people are more comfortable about moving here,” Gebre said.
An Ethiopian man in his 30s who lives in the ward and is currently applying for refugee status remarked ruefully that in his homeland, he was a civil servant, and as such enjoyed wide respect. He spends his days looking for work at a Hello Work job center and washes dishes in a restaurant while waiting to receive permission to live here.
“I want to go back home when the political situation calms down,” he said.
The number of foreigners as a whole is growing in Tokyo. According to the metropolitan government, 405,060 registered foreigners lived in the capital as of Oct. 1–up more than 100,000 from eight years ago.
In Edogawa Ward alone, the Indian community has reached about 2,000. Only about 30 lived there around the turn of the century.
Mihoko Kashima, 30, a refugee association worker said: “We need people to act as intermediaries [with the refugees] and the area and perform tasks such as introducing people to consultation centers when problems arise.”
In September, Gebre hosted an event for Meskal, an ancient Christian holiday celebrated in Ethiopia, for the first time at a local labor welfare center. About 50 of his compatriots met up at the event, which Gebre advertised online.
While the event did not include the lighting of a bonfire or firing of guns as is the custom in Ethiopia, those attending did enjoy traditional food and music. The first election of officials for an Ethiopian association also was held at the event.
“People have to help each other while living lifestyles they’re unfamiliar with,” Gebre said.
Those of us who come into contact with people in such a situation should never forget that kindness never goes unrewarded.
