Tadias Magazine

By Maaza Mengiste

This Ethiopian Prince Was Kidnapped by Britain – Now it Must Release Him

You see him first as he was soon after his father’s death: a seven-year-old boy staring, stunned, into the camera. He sits on a cloth-covered bench, next to a shield and a strip of animal hide. Around his shoulders, a long shamma drapes and gathers at his folded ankles. You note his bare feet, the way one toe, curled upward and tense, hints at the emotions he is keeping guarded. He wears the silver-baubled necklace that will travel with him from Ethiopia to England, the one also seen in pictures where he is made to sit for Julia Margaret Cameron and other photographers. His mother, if still alive, will soon die unexpectedly, leaving him in the hands of the same British men who came to confront his father. But for now, he has not lost everything.

This photograph of Prince Alemayehu was taken during the 1868 Napier expedition, a British military incursion into Maqdala, Ethiopia, to rescue three dozen European prisoners. His father, Emperor Tewodros, took captives when his letters to Queen Victoria were ignored. Led by Sir Robert Napier, the punitive mission was extravagant: 13,000 soldiers, 8,000 auxiliary workers, and thousands of followers in search of adventure or a story. Several, like Richard Holmes of the British Museum, also came in search of loot.

In the end, Emperor Tewodros released the prisoners unharmed, then committed suicide rather than surrender. What happened next would be described as a “deluge of fire” and one of the greatest looting orgies ever undertaken in the name of the British empire. Alemayehu, by now an orphan, was put on board the Feroze, the same ship as Holmes, who was taking back to Britain the largest haul of stolen artefacts in Ethiopia’s history. The objects went into British museums and libraries. Alemayehu became a ward of Queen Victoria and, despite his continual pleas to be returned to his homeland, he died aged 18 in England. He was buried at Windsor Castle, where he remains. A plaque, “When I was a stranger, ye took me in,” marks his vault.

Today, we can recognise Napier and his forces for the marauders that they were. We can acknowledge the imperialist arrogance that would kidnap a young boy and trumpet the achievement through newspapers and photographs. The generosity of hindsight might even explain why Alemayehu’s pleas to return home were refused. But there is no longer any excuse for that same refusal and arrogance. There is no viable reason to continue to hold his remains hostage. He has become, like the sacred and valuable objects still in British museums and libraries, a possession.

Elias Sime Eye of the Needle, Eye of the Heart at the Santa Monica Museum of Art (SMMoA) from James Cohan Gallery on Vimeo.

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2015 Ethiopian Diaspora Conference on Health Care & Medical Education in DC

September 6, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Sunday, September 6th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — During a 2012 gathering of experts convened by Harvard School of Public Health’s (HSPH) Department of Global Health & Population and Yale Global Health Leadership Institute (GHLI), Ethiopia’s Health Minister, Dr. Keseteberhan Admassu, had described the challenges of brain drain that his nation faces and how that impacts access to health care stating: “There are currently more Ethiopian doctors working in Chicago than in Ethiopia.”

In recent years, however, the growing collaboration in knowledge sharing initiatives between Ethiopian-born health professionals residing in North America and their colleagues working in Ethiopia has increasingly changed the medical services and health care delivery landscape.

Some of the best ideas come from the Ethiopian Diaspora Conference on Health Care and Medical Education that’s held annually in the Washington, D.C. area, which this year is scheduled to take place in Arlington, Virginia on Saturday September 26th.

Key topics that will be highlighted at the upcoming conference include “disaster management and response with a special focus on the Ebola epidemic, injury and trauma in the Ethiopian setting, new licensure exam and requirements for medical school graduates and physicians in Ethiopia, Diaspora partnership projects as well as abstract and poster presentations on health-related topics relevant to Ethiopia,” People to People Inc. (P2P), the U.S.-based Ethiopian American non-profit organization that puts together the yearly professional gathering, said in a statement. Additional subjects that will be discussed include “overcoming cultural barriers to better advocate for autistic kids in the Ethiopian community in the D.C. metropolitan area” as well as “setting up Cardiology training programs in Ethiopia.”

P2P announced that the association has partnered with the Network of Ethiopian Diaspora Healthcare Professionals (NEDHP), to host the “7th Global Ethiopian Diaspora Conference on Health Care & Medical Education.”

“We are hoping that this conference will follow and build on the success of the previous ones,” the press release stated. “We would like to invite all Ethiopian health care professionals and educators in the Diaspora as well as others who work in related fields to attend the conference.” P2P added: “In order to widen the scope and reach of this conference, we have invited several partner organizations working with Ethiopian healthcare professionals in the Diaspora as well as Alumni Associations of the older medical schools in Ethiopia to participate and invite their membership to attend our conference.”

The conference will also feature presentations entitled “Bahir Dar University Medical School and its International Collaborations” by Getachew Muluken, MD; “Collaborative Agreement for Research and Training: An institutional collaboration between Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Belgium and University of Gondar” by Dr. Ermias Diro; and “My Experience at an Ethiopian Emergency Department” by Dr. Tsion Firew.

A Lifetime Achievement Award will be bestowed upon Professor Demisse Habte, President of Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, Pediatrician and former Dean of AAU Faculty of Medicine,” the press release said. The “Young Rising Star Award” will be given to Pediatrician and Associate Professor Dr. Sisay Yifru, Dean of the College of Health Sciences at University of Gondar (Ethiopia’s first public health institution) and a “Community Service Award” will be presented to Woizero Marta Wolde-Tsadik and Ato Demeke Tekle-Wold of Project Mercy.

P2P said this year it will also give out two special awards to Professor Dennis Carlson, Former Dean of Gondar Public Health College (1964-67) and to Tadias Magazine.

We are honored and grateful to receive the award!

Below are photos from past conferences as well as registration information for the upcoming conference.

(Photograph from past conference courtesy of People to People, Inc.)

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If You Go:
Date: Saturday September 26th, 2015
Time: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sheraton Pentagon City
900 S. Orme Street, Arlington, VA 22204
Telephone: (703) 521-1900
On Site Registration Fee:
Physicians and all other Professionals: $75.00
Residents, Fellows and Students: $25.00
(Fee will cover cost of food and refreshments)
More info and update at www.p2pbridge.org

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Marcus & Maya Samuelsson Join Chef Bourdain’s Ethiopia Feature on CNN

September 3, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Thursday, September 3rd, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — For the upcoming sixth season of Parts Unknown episode on CNN this Fall, Ethiopian-born chef, restaurateur and author Chef Marcus Samuelsson and his model wife Maya Gate Haile join TV host Anthony Bourdain in his travels and exploration of Ethiopia’s rich culture and cuisine.

“It’s always good to have a friend with a close association and personal history in a country, so we’re going to take a very personal look at that place,” Bourdain says.

On his CNN show “the world-renowned chef, bestselling author and multiple-Emmy winning television personality travels across the globe to uncover little-known destinations and diverse cultures.”

The episode featuring Ethiopia is scheduled to air on Sunday, October 25th, 2015. For updates, please visit Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown on CNN.

Below are a few images courtesy of Maya Haile:

CNN’s Anthony Bourdain in Addis Ababa with Marcus Samuelsson and Maya Haile. (Courtesy photo)

(Courtesy photo)

Skateboarding in Addis. (Courtesy of Maya Haile)

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The First Trailer for Ethiopian Film ‘Lamb’

September 2, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Indiewire

By Tambay A. Obenson

It made its World Premiere at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, marking the very first time in Cannes Film Festival history that an Ethiopian film has screened as an “Official Selection.” Yared Zeleke’s “Lamb” hails from Slum Kid Films, an Ethiopia-based film production company co-founded by Ama Ampadu, which aims to discover and nurture emerging talent in Ethiopia, as well as to support the development of Ethiopian filmmaking.

“Lamb” tells the tale of nine-year-old Ephraim and his constant companion, a sheep named Chuni. Ephraim’s affection for Chuni deepens after he loses his mother to famine. Consequently, his beloved father sends him and Chuni far away from their drought-stricken homeland, to live with distant relatives in a greener part of the country. Ephraim soon becomes a homesick outcast who is always getting into trouble. When his uncle orders him to slaughter Chuni for the upcoming holiday feast, Ephraim devises a scheme to save the sheep and return to his father’s home.

Director Yared Zeleke holds an MFA in Writing and Directing from NYU. He has written, produced, directed and edited several short documentary and fiction films, and worked under director Joshua Litle on his award-winning documentary “The Furious Force of Rhymes,” which was also profiled on this blog, last year.

“Lamb” was selected to screen in the Un Certain Regard sidebar of the 2015 Cannes festival – a program created to recognize young, promising talent and to encourage innovative and daring storytelling on film.

A first trailer for the film has surfaced and is embedded below; however, it’s for the film’s French release, meaning it’s subtitled in French, not English.

New Book on Triumph & Tragedy of Ethiopia’s Last Emperor Haile Selassie

August 31, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Monday, August 31st, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — The world does not seem to want to forget Haile Selassie, Ethiopia’s last Emperor who has been gone for more than forty years, continuing the debate regarding his complicated legacy as both a reformer and an autocrat. And in November 2015 a new book from Haile Selassie’s grandnephew, Asfa-Wossen Asserate, is slated to be released by Haus Publishing and distributed in the U.S. by the University of Chicago Press.

Asserate’s book entitled King of Kings: Triumph and Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia provides an authoritative, insider’s perspective and a refreshingly balanced look at this fascinating international figure who was the global face of Ethiopia for most of the 20th century.

To be sure Haile Selassie governed a much different Ethiopia than today with a population three times less and a country dominated by a handful of politically connected feudal landlords that were either related to or favored by the royal palace. From his vantage point as a close family member the author — who is the grandson of Ras Kassa Haile Darge and the son of Ras Asserate Kassa– shares his personal memories of the Emperor as well as a rarely told and candid behind-the-scenes account of palace politics, family feuds and coup d’etats that eventually led to the coronation of Haile Selassie in 1930, and forty four years later, his swift downfall and unceremonious removal from power.

No challenging event in Ethiopian history, however, could better encapsulate the triumph and tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie than his historic appearance before the General Assembly of the League of Nations in 1936 — only six years after he took power. Asserate, who currently lives in Frankfurt, Germany, notes: “The forces of Mussolini’s Fascist Italy had invaded Ethiopia and the exiled monarch made a moving appeal to the world’s conscience. The words he spoke that day have gone down in history: ‘Catastrophe is inevitable if the great states stand by and watch the rape of a small country.'” Five years later in 1941, after Mussolini’s Blackshirts were driven out of Ethiopia by British and Ethiopian forces “he returned in triumph to reclaim the Ethiopian throne.”

Asserate’s book is also timely not only because there is a renewed interest in Haile Selassie by a new generation of artists, researchers and historians, but also because this year marks the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, which was created in 1945 with the active participation from the Ethiopian leader.

Asserate’s description of the Emperor’s attempt at modernization, especially the fast-paced changes that were taking place in the capital Addis Ababa in the 1950’s, reminds one of today’s much publicized development projects in the city than activities taking place six decades ago: “Gradually, an urban infrastructure arose –with metalled roads, wide boulevards, shops, factories and warehouses, hotels and guest houses, restaurants, bars and nightclubs, plus a handful of cinemas. In addition, this period saw construction of new administrative blocks, schools and hospitals, as well as embassy buildings. The city’s growth attracted entrepreneurs and businessmen, advisors, educators and adventurers from all four corners of the world.”

Asserate adds: “And yet in many respects the center of Addis Ababa continued to resemble the residential seat of some 19th-centurey German provincial ruler rather than an international capital in the mid-20th century. The heart of the city was occupied by the imperial palaces: the Genete -Leul Palace, the emperor’s own residence at the time, and the Menelik Palace complex, also known as “the big Gebbi‘, with its numerous buildings, including the palace ministry. This was also the site of the Aderash, the cavernous hall that hosted regular state banquets, and which could accommodate up to three thousand people.”

King of Kings: Triumph and Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is full of captivating details that only an insider could share; it is written with great poise and warmth for the enigmatic leader while at the same time cognizant of the swelling unhappiness and criticism the Emperor faced from his own people impatient with the pace of change.

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Featured, Sports

Mare Dibaba Wins Ethiopia’s 1st Women’s Marathon at 2015 World Championships

August 29, 2015 Tadias Magazine

The Associated Press

By Pat Graham

Mare Dibaba won the first women’s marathon title for Ethiopia at the IAAF world track and field championships Sunday, holding off Helah Kiprop of Kenya in a sprint to the finish.

Dibaba finished in two hours 27 minutes 35 seconds in Beijing, but needed to pick up the pace after entering the stadium to beat Kiprop, who finished one second behind. Eunice Kirwa of Bahrain earned the bronze.

Two-time champion Edna Kiplagat was in contention until the end but faded to fifth place.

With the stadium in sight, Dibaba kept checking her watch, waiting to make her move. Just after entering the tunnel, she took control and raised her arms after crossing the line.

She certainly has a fitting name for a champion. However, she’s not related to Ethiopian long-distance greats Tirunesh and Genzebe Dibaba.

Photos: Mare Dibaba Wins Women’s Marathon – IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015

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Related:
Genzebe Storms to 1500m World Title (Video)

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Elias Sime to Exhibit Latest Work at James Cohan Gallery in New York

August 28, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Friday, August, 28th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Ethiopian artist and sculptor Elias Sime’s New York exhibition opens on September 10th at James Cohan Gallery in Manhattan.

“Sime’s most recent works from the series Tightrope are made from the discarded innards of computers and machines,” the gallery announced in a press release noting that Sime collects most of his materials from the “Addis Ababa open-air market, Merkato, specifically the Menalesh Tera section.”

“For Sime, the objects he uses are not trash” the press release adds. “Once struck by an object, Sime will tirelessly collect his chosen material in pursuit of an idea: “The size of my art is determined by the idea behind the composition. If the idea overwhelms me, the size of the work keeps growing until I have said enough.”

Elias Sime graduated from Addis Ababa School of Fine Arts in 1990 and has since been dubbed “a driving force in the East African art scene.” The Zoma Contemporary Art Center (ZCAC) in Ethiopia’s capital, a gallery space offering an international residence program, was designed and built by Sime in 2002. Together with the founding director of ZCAC, Meskerem Assegued, Sime has traveled extensively throughout Ethiopia to study diverse indigenous ritual practices.

The Zoma Contemporary Art Center in Addis Ababa. (Photo: ZCAC)

Sime’s work has been exhibited at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 2008, and he has participated in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibit entitled “The Essential Art of African Textiles: Design Without End”; a piece titled Selechas is now part of the permanent collection at the museum. Sime has also exhibited his art at Santa Monica Museum of Art and Dakota Museum of Art in the United States, the Dak’Art Biennale in Senegal, and at the New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna.

In his upcoming exhibition at James Cohan Gallery, “Sime’s work is a history of use and disposal, desire and disregard. While some emphasize the power and spiritual intensity felt when viewing Sime’s works, others note the figurative and abstract traditions of Ethiopia’s modern history, evident in the objects Sime creates. From social realism — a remnant of Soviet involvement in Ethiopia following the 1974 revolution — to mid-century abstract avant-garde movements imported from the west in the 1950s and 1960s, Sime’s art recycles forms as much as objects.”

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If You Go:
Elias Sime
September 10 – October 17, 2015
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 10, 6 – 8 PM
JAMES COHAN GALLERY
533 WEST 26TH STREET NEW YORK NY 10001
TEL 212.714.9500 FAX 212.714.9510
HOURS TUESDAY – SATURDAY, 10 – 6PM
www.jamescohan.com

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Lalibela Needs Moisture Damage Repair

August 27, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Aljazeera

27 Aug 2015

Archaeologists face a race against time to save 800-year-old structures crumbling away from moisture damage.

Conservationists are facing a race against time to prevent one of Ethiopia’s most sacred religious site from crumbling away.

The ancient churches of Lalibela in northern Ethiopia have been a place of pilgrimage for local Christians since they were constructed 800 years ago.

However, moisture is eating away at the structures and the sacred site is literally crumbling away.

The geological properties of the sites mean traditional tools and materials used to restore sites cannot be used. Instead, conservation experts are using improvised techniques to hold the structure together until they can strengthen it.

Read the full article at Aljazeera.com »

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Featured, Sports

Genzebe Storms to 1500m World Title

August 25, 2015 Tadias Magazine

AFP

Ethiopian favourite Genzebe Dibaba stormed to the women’s world 1500m title as she stamped her authority with a sumptuous display of controlled running in Beijing on Tuesday.

The world record-holder strolled through a pedestrian first lap before taking the front, tracked by Kenyan Faith Kipyegon and Dawit Seyaum, also of Ethiopia.

But a second kick 200m from the line saw Dibaba stretch away to win in 4min 08.09sec, Kipyegon taking silver in 4:09.96 and fast-finishing Ethiopian-born Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan third in 4:09.34.

Dibaba last month ran 3:50.07 to shatter the world 1500m record set in 1993 by China’s Yunxia Qu, who competed under the guidance of controversial coach Ma Junren.

She also holds the world records for the indoor 1500, 3000 and 5000m events, continuing a family tradition that includes elder sister Tirunesh holding the world record in the outdoor 5000m.

Watch: Genzebe Dibaba become 1500m World Champ (Universal Sports)

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Despite Border Crackdown in Ethiopia, Migrants Still Risk Lives to Leave

August 25, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tuesday 25 August 2015

Metema, Ethiopia — The mood in the border town of Metema these days is quiet and watchful.

Dozens of houses on the hot, dusty main road that stretches from Ethiopia into Sudan look as if they have been closed in haste. Guards grimly patrol the border, stopping anyone who looks as if they are trying to cross illegally. The nightclubs and bars are emptier than usual, although they still attract Sudanese who cannot drink alcohol in their own country under sharia law.

Metema, with a population of some 100,000 people, is one of a handful of towns across the region that serve as feeders for a booming trade in migrants from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan, with many hoping to make their way to Europe. Life has become a cat-and-mouse game: the authorities are cracking down, yet the migrants just keep coming, often risking death.

Since 30 Ethiopian Christians who passed through Metema were killed by the Islamic State (Isis) group in Libya a few months ago, the Ethiopian government has become much more vigilant. It claims to have detained 200 smugglers across the country, and police say about 28 of them are from Metema.

In Metema, the effect of the crackdown is clear. But while the flow of migrants has dropped from about 250 a day, it’s still strong at 100 to 150, according to Teshome Agmas, the mayor. “It’s just a pity that people choose to endanger their lives in an effort to move out of their country and work in inhumane conditions abroad,” he said.

Getachew Merah, a 30-year-old migrant from Ethiopia, stands by a tree near Metema, June 2015. Photograph: Mulugeta Ayene/AP

Getachew Merah, a rail-thin 30-year-old aspiring migrant from Ethiopia, has made three unsuccessful attempts to cross into Sudan, and is now trying again. He said his father is dead and his mother lives in extreme poverty in a rural village in the Amhara region.

Merah has tried just about every job in Ethiopia. He’s worked as a butcher, a guard, an assistant in a heavy-duty truck, a labourer carrying oil back and forth from between Sudan and Ethiopia and more. But he simply can’t get enough money to change his life or his family’s. He hopes to earn money in Libya to send back to his family, and eventually return to start his own business.

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Addis Ababa: Esubalew Meaza’s New Photo Book Explores Ethiopia’s Capital

August 24, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Monday, August 24th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Esubalew Meaza, the author of Inspiring Journey (2012) and his latest photo book Addis Ababa: The New Flower of Africa (2015), is scheduled to make a presentation at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. on September 24th discussing his travels through Ethiopia.

After many years residing abroad, amateur photographer Esubalew returned to Ethiopia, and his rediscovery of Addis Ababa — the place where he was born and raised — led him to his most recent project, which he calls “a labor of love.”

“When I went abroad, my experience and knowledge of my homeland could only be described as embryonic,” writes Esubalew, who currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia and works for the U.S. Department of Defense in Information Technology, a field that he has been practicing since 1996.

Esubalew’s latest book Addis Ababa is a beautifully organized collection of both original and archival photographs combined with historical and statistical data gathered from various sources including the Ethiopian Mapping Agency, the city government of Addis Ababa, and the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.

“It was a hobby with determination” Esubalew said regarding his photo book in an interview with Tadias. “People often joke that there is nothing to see in Addis except at night.” Esu added: “My book proves that’s not the case.”

Indeed his book highlights Addis Ababa’s hidden treasures including the city’s monuments, museums, parks and religious sites. Esubalew also includes maps and population data for each of Addis Ababa’s ten sub-cities whose combined population number exceeds three million: Addis Ketema (271,644), Akaki Kaliti (195,273), Arada (225,999), Bole (328,900), Gulele (284,865), Kirkos (235,441), Kolfe Keranyo (546,219), Lideta (214,769), Nefas Silk Lafto (335,740), Yeka (314,000).

Image from page 10 the book “Addis Ababa: the new flower of Africa” (Photograph: Courtesy of the author)

In his review of Addis Ababa Zewde Retta, former Ethiopian Ambassador to Italy and Tunisia (from 1972 to 1975) who is also an author, historian and journalist, says Esubalew’s book is a “lively, insightful and comprehensive representation of the city of Addis Ababa and Ethiopia’s diverse tourist attractions. The author showcases the culture, history, landscape and people of Ethiopia through infectious enthusiasm, clarity, and style.”

Hapte-Selassie Tafesse, the ‘Father of Ethiopian Tourism,’ adds that the book is a “faithful rendering of our country’s cultural and physical features.” While Abebe Worku, who served as Ethiopia’s Tourism Commissioner from 1979 to 1982 states that the book’s “descriptions are all personal and all first-hand. The result is a very impressive piece of work.”

Some of the photographed locations include the National Palace, St. Mary of Entoto church, Saint Raguel and Selassie churches, Legehar train terminal, the post office, the National Museum of Ethiopia, the Netsa Art Village in Ferensay Park near the French Embassy, a statue of marathon legend Abebe Bikila at Saint Joseph’s cemetery and the iconic Taitu Hotel, which earlier this year was badly damaged by fire. Esubalew said he was in Ethiopia during the tragic incident last January and had a chance to document the aftermath, but he said it was too late to include it in the book. “It was a sad day in Addis,” he said. “People felt as if their own house had burned down.”

Photograph of Taitu hotel from the book “Addis Ababa” by Esubalew Meaza. (Courtesy of the author)

“I traveled throughout Ethiopia, and I noticed that, in addition to their diverse culture and rich history, the people of Ethiopia unite through their own long-held, common values,” Esubalew wrote in his introduction of Addis Ababa. “My study of Ethiopia…informed me about events I had once dismissed as irrelevant, by exposing me to new ways of looking at the human spirit.”

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If You Go:
The Library of Congress
Presentation by Esubalew Meaza
Thursday, September 24, 2015
12 noon – 1:00 p.m.
African and Middle Eastern Division
Thomas Jefferson Building, LJ 220
101 Independence Avenue, SE
Washington D.C. 20540
Free and open to the public
FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT FENTA TIRUNEH
202-707-4163 OR EMAIL: ftir@loc.gov
Request ADA accommodation 5 days in advance @202-707-6362
Voice TTY OR EAMIL ada@loc.gov
Following the power-point presentation: A book signing session and a modest reception will be severed in the AMED conference room.

A separate, but official book launch event hosted by Meshcart will take place on September 18, 2015 at 901 S Highland St Arlington, VA 22204. More info at https://www.facebook.com/events/1606252199634485/

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Miss Ethiopia Atti Worku Receives Diaspora 2015 Youth Excellence Award

August 23, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Sunday, August 23rd, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Former Miss Ethiopia Atti Worku, Founder of Seeds of Africa Foundation, has been honored with the 2015 African Youth Excellence Award. The prize, which is given annually by the U.S.-based research and youth advocacy organization AYE, celebrates “the achievements of a dynamic young African leader in the Diaspora.”

Atti, who graduated from Columbia University in 2014 focusing her studies on sustainable development, education and social movements, has raised over 1.3 million dollars so far to build a state-of-the-art education facility in her hometown of Nazret/Adama in Ethiopia.

In her keynote address during the AYE award ceremony held in Worcester, Massachusetts on August 8th Atti (Miss Ethiopia 2005) shared with the audience that her dream of building a school started years ago in her mom’s backyard. “My dream was so big that it scared me but if I did not dream big, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Atti said in her speech. “You are your own biggest asset, and people will help and support you when you show them what you are willing to do yourself.”

Atti was born and raised in Adama as the youngest sibling in her family and attended St. Joseph’s school in Adama from kindergarten to twelfth grade. After graduating from high school she moved to Addis Ababa where she attended HiLCoE school of computer science and technology. After college she started a modeling career, traveling internationally, and ultimately moving to the U.S. “Take the first step” she says. “Do not fear failure because it is inevitable. Be open-minded because the world has more in store for you than what you can imagine. Finally, be kind to others — pay it forward — I know I wouldn’t be here today if several people did not take a chance on me.”

Below are more photos from the 2015 African Youth Excellence Award:

Atti Worku speaking at the African Youth Excellence Award in Worcester, Massachusetts on Saturday August 8th, 2015. (Photo: Courtesy of Seeds of Africa Foundation)

Atti Worku (Center) at the African Youth Excellence Award in Worcester, Massachusetts on Saturday August 8th, 2015. (Photo: Courtesy of Seeds of Africa Foundation)

At the 2015 African Youth Excellence Award. (Photo: Courtesy of Seeds of Africa Foundation)

Join Seeds of Africa Foundation in their #BackToSchool Campaign to cover students’ books, uniforms, food and medical expenses for the first month of the 2015/16 academic year.

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Featured

Africology Clothing Inspired by Vintage Ethiopia & Pop Reggae Iconography

August 22, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Saturday, August 22nd, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Vintage Ethiopia and 70’s pop reggae are the themes of the latest t-shirt collection released this Summer by Africology, an NYC-based multi-media brand that “seeks to fuse the gap between continents and cultures through entertainment, large-scale event organization, social awareness and philanthropy.”

Africology Co-founder Sirak Getachew says that each year they look for inspiration from various African iconic images that “reflect both traditional and modern culture.” In one of their latest designs the old Ethiopian aviation academy logo is reimagined to represent “sound waves that connect cultures through music,” while another design, “Addis Ababa Rockers 2009”, plays off the 1978 Jamaican film Rockers. There is an “Ambessa bus-stop” image utilizing the instantly recognizable Lion of Judah seal in the works as well.

Africology prints all its designs on t-shirts made by U.S. clothing manufacturer American Apparel. Sirak says: “We searched all over Africa, but we could not find anyone that could match the quality.”

The photoshoot for Africology’s Summer Clothing line took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Women’s Sound Waves of Africa Tee. (Photo Courtesy Africology)

(Photo Courtesy Africology)

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You can learn more and purchase Africology clothing at africologyclothing.com.

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Featured, Interviews

Kidist Assafa: Former Radiology Student Finds Her Passion in Baking & Pastry

August 20, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
by Tadias Staff

Published: Thursday, August, 20th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Kidist Assafa’s first stop in the United States in the mid-1990s was a small town in Montana near the U.S.-Canadian border called East Glacier Park (population 363). It was quite a geographical and cultural change for someone who came from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Population over 3.5 million) where Kidist grew up before emigrating to the United States.

“I can truly say it was in the middle of nowhere,” Kidist laughs, recalling the time she spent in East Glacier Park pursuing a degree in Radiology before abruptly deciding to relocate to the Washington, D.C. area the following year.

Today Kidist is the proud owner and chef of Flavor Cake & Pastry, a quaint bakery and coffee shop located in Falls Church, Virginia.

“I stayed in Montana for a year attending college and went to the East Coast for vacation to visit family and friends and I never went back,” Kidist said in a recent interview with Tadias.

Upon arriving in Washington, D.C. Kidist got a job at a French pastry shop, Palais Du Chocolat, while still continuing her education in radiology at a local university. It was at the pastry shop, however, where Kidist fell in love with her current profession as a baker. “That’s where I found my passion,” she enthused. “They made really great pastry. The owner was a well-known chef at the time and once in a while I used to assist him when he gave classes and I used to be fascinated by the process of making these beautiful pastries and seeing the finished product.”

Eventually Kidist changed her major and formally studied Baking and Pastry at Baltimore International College graduating in 1999. She worked as Pastry Sous Chef at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Tyson’s Corner for four years prior to opening her own business in 2006 (Bethesda Pastry Shop in Maryland), which became Flavor Cake & Pastry after the owner moved the venture to Falls Church, Virginia in late 2007.

Below are images of Flavor Cake & Pastry and some of chef Kidist’s scrumptious desserts:

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You can learn more about the bakery at www.flavorpastry.com.

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Featured

Awol Erizku’s NYC Exhibit New Flower

August 18, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Tuesday, August 18th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — The photography work of conceptual artist, Awol Erizku, entitled New Flower — the English translation of Addis Ababa — will be on exhibit at the FLAG Art Foundation in New York City from September 17 – December 12, 2015. Funded through the Alice Kimball Fellowship Award Erizku captures scenes from his birth country, Ethiopia, in his work subtitled ‘Images of the Reclining Venus,’ which according to FLAG Art’s press release depict “humanized portraits of women operating in narrow circumstances, stripped of everything except their self-preservation.”

The Bronx-raised artist describes New Flower as a means to create “a dialogue between something that is overlooked within a given society and popular culture; it also strives to bring social awareness to issues that may otherwise be over-looked..not only raise social awareness about a poignant issue, but would also be an opportunity for me to investigate and contribute to the culture from which I come.”

Erizku obtained his BFA in 2010 from The Cooper Union in NYC and his MFA in Photography from Yale University in 2014. His previous NYC exhibit at the Hasted Kraeutler Gallery featured famous portraits in the art world with an urban twist, including the use of an African American model in a piece entitled ‘Girl with a Bamboo Earring,’ replacing Johanes Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring.’ As in his 2012 exhibit the question of black representation, both models and artists, in Western painting is revisited as he focuses on ‘Images of the Reclining Venus.’

More recently Erizku exhibited his short film entitled ‘Serendipity’ at The Museum of Modern Art’s PopRally program and subsequently released a mixtape about the event.

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If You Go:
The FLAG Art Foundation Presents
Awol Erizku: New Flower | Images of the Reclining Venus
from September 17 – December 12, 2015
545 West 25th Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Tel (212) 206-0220
www.flagartfoundation.org

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Featured

Mystery of Missing Ethiopian-Israeli

August 17, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Read the Q & A with Meklit at Rooms Magazine »

ASHKELON, Israel — In the grainy security camera footage, Avera Mengistu walks along the beach on the Israeli side of the border, marked by a wall and netting. Then, suddenly, he appears on the other side, in Gaza.

“You don’t see how he got there,” said his mother, Agernsh, describing the video from the security services that she and other relatives saw, as tears rolled down her face. Filmed from a particular angle and possibly edited, the family said, the video left them with as many questions as answers.

Almost a year after the disappearance of Mr. Mengistu, a 29-year-old Israeli Jew of Ethiopian descent, his family remains mostly in the dark about his whereabouts or condition. The Israeli authorities say they believe he is alive and being held hostage by Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls the Palestinian enclave.

Shifting gears, the family was planning its first public protest to be held Monday outside an Israeli prison where relatives of Palestinian prisoners were expected to visit. The demonstration would be one of a series of protest actions focusing on the humanitarian aspect of the case, according to representatives of the family.

Until now the family had called on the public to act with restraint and to give the Israeli authorities more time to work behind the scenes, fearing that a noisy public campaign may only raise the value of Mr. Mengistu in Hamas’s eyes, and increase the price for his return. Israel said last month that Mr. Mengistu had crossed the border into Gaza independently, lifting an official gag order on the case and touching off a flurry of media attention.

But a haze of official secrecy continues to hover over the episode. The Mengistu family says it has received no new information on the case for the past month. Hamas has spread ambiguous hints and contradictory messages about Mr. Mengistu, demanding a price for any firm information and intentionally adding to the uncertainty.

San Jose’s Flag Raising Ceremony in Celebration of Ethiopian New Year

August 14, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Friday, August 14th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — The city of San Jose, California will host the 11th annual Ethiopian heritage flag raising ceremony next month kicking off a week-long festival in celebration of Ethiopian New Year.

The Ethiopian American Council (EAC) announced that the ceremony, which is scheduled to take place at the new City Hall on Wednesday, September 9th, will be attended by city officials including the Mayor, Vice-Mayor and City Council members.

“The Ethiopian-American community of San Jose, under the auspices of the Ethiopian American Council will use this event to acknowledge and praise those that have made significant contributions to the Ethiopian community of San Jose,” EAC said.

The organization is “encouraging all Ethiopians, Ethiopian Americans, and their friends and families to join” in the celebration. In a press release EAC added: “San Jose is the only city in the nation to have established this traditional, annual acknowledgment of the heritage and history of Ethiopian Americans. The EAC especially wants to thank the citizens of San Jose for their recognition of the diversity that has made this country so great and offering the Ethiopian American community a time and a place to come together and take pride in their heritage.”

The San Jose Masonic Center is among those that will be acknowledged. “For the last 25 years, the center has provided the use of its facilities for many events, both large and small, that have been extremely important to the Ethiopian American community,” EAC stated. “Debre Yibaba Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is yet another organization. The church has proved to be a guiding beacon and a source of traditional strength for the San Jose Ethiopian American community.”

The Young Ethiopian Professionals in Action (YEPA) group will also receive recognition in partnership with Ethiopian Community Services and Abyssinia Cultural Dancers. In addition, EAC will share its appreciation of retired teacher Mekebeb Siamergne. “For the last 30 years, this retired teacher has dedicated his time and energy to the Ethiopian community in San Jose. He teaches youngsters Amharic, and he offers tutoring in Math, English, and other core disciplines. He offers these services at no cost – as service to his community.”

—

If You Go:
Wednesday, September 9th, 2015 at 5:00 p.m
New City Hall (200 East Santa Clara Street)
San Jose, California

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Featured

An Interview With Singer Meklit Hadero

August 10, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Rooms Magazine

By Bunmi Akpata-Ohohe

Here comes a delightful music superstar with substance – simply known as Meklit

I’ll admit, I didn’t get Meklit Hadero, the Ethiopian-born, San Francisco-based singer and songwriter when she burst onto the music scene some six years ago. But then one of her songs from her most innovative album to date, “We Are Alive” (Six Degrees Records), implanted in my brain. (The title track, ‘We Are Alive,’ with Meklit’s silky voice floating effortlessly above the guitar-driven song) quaked my foundation and my girl crush was born. As a-matter-of-fact I love the raw ambition of the “We Are Alive” album – the preposterousness, the simplicity and also the fundamental intelligence. But, witnessing her live-in-concert was mind-blowing. Meklit Hadero is the business. She performed songs from her second solo full length album to a packed audience and critics alike at Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, London. This singer, musician, and cultural activist simply known as Meklit took us on a musical odyssey of Ethiopian traditional tunes and more besides: American-Jazz, Hip Hop, street-level Jazz, Rock, East African Folk and Ethiopian classics – the lyricist practice of her auditory mother country.

Born in Ethiopia, from Ethiopian parents, she feels deeply African and deeply American and her records are deeply inspired by Mulatu Astatke, the Godfather of Ethio-Jazz. Her work builds upon the concepts pioneered by Astatke as part of the late 60s and early 70s Golden Age of Ethiopian music. Taking these principal elements of her heritage as introductory building blocks, she explores the cultural dreams happening as part of the arrival of the Ethiopian Migration en masse to North America. In spite of this, it must be celebrated that this artist’s voice makes for compelling listening. Her performance on stage makes for compelling seeing. Her voice is earthy and soulful, supple and freed, and exudes all four. If champagne were a person it would be Meklit Hadero. She is stunning. In an alternate life, one where talent was spread out differently, this is the kind of music I would like to make. It’s subtle, contemporary and one of its kind, while being massively emotional. Oh well, fair enough! What is more? There’s more to this woman. We also find this touring performer, and a political science Yale University graduate, is a committed activist extraordinaire.

In 2011 she launched the UN Women’s campaign for gender equality in Africa, and co-founded the “Nile Project” with dear friend Mina Girgis, an Egyptian ethnomusicologist, with background in hospitality experience, curating and producing innovative musical collaborations across diverse styles. The Nile Project brings together artists from the eleven Nile countries that borders the River Nile, namely, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt, to make music that combines the region’s diverse instruments, languages and traditions. Meklit Hadero may not yet be your household one and you may not have heard Meklit Hadero’s music before, but once you do, I promise it’ll be tough to get it out of your head.

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Featured, News

NAACP Announces Launch of Inquiry Into Death of Attorney Abe Dabela

August 5, 2015 Tadias Magazine

News Times Connecticut

By Katrina Koerting

REDDING — Launching its investigation into the death of a Redding man [Ethiopian American Attorney Abe Dabela] last year, the Connecticut NAACP announced Wednesday it had a lot of questions concerning the incident and the investigation, including whether the Redding Police Department rushed to judgment.

Gugsa Abraham “Abe” Dabela, 35, was found in his overturned car on April 5, 2014, around 1:40 a.m. with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. The medical examiner’s office ruled it a suicide, but members of the NAACP and Dabela’s family consider it suspicious and said they doubt he killed himself.

Presidents of the state NAACP and the Norwalk branch held a press conference Wednesday evening on the town green, with Dabela’s two sisters and parents, to announce their own formal investigation into Dabela’s death. The family has hired forensic professionals and attorneys to look into Dabela’s death. The case is still under investigation by the state’s attorney’s office in Danbury.

“For 16 months, we have been trapped in this nightmare, bereft of answers and besieged by questions,” said one of Dabela’s sisters who didn’t want to be named. “We know Abe, and as Abe would, we believe the truth will be revealed through facts, forensic evidence and rigorous analysis.”

She said he moved to Redding in 2011 to open his own law practice and was excited about life, his family, friends and clients. He grew up in Bethesda, Md.

As residents and media look on, representatives from various NAACP branches in Southwest Connecticut and members of the Dabela family, in back, hold a press conference held on the Redding Green next to the police department in Redding, Conn., on Wednesday Aug. 5, 2015. (Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Media)

The NAACP held the conference to announce thier plans to investigate the April 2014 death of Redding resident Gugsa Abraham “Abe” Dabela, which was ruled a suicide by the police. (Photo: Christian Abraham)

“He enjoyed life to the fullest, whether embarking on a journey to every state by motorcycle, which he enthusiastically shared with friends and family on social media, or starting a spirited debate on hot topics such as the importance of the Second Amendment to maintain peace and order,” she said.

Before he died, he had distributed business cards for his new firm and had been happily mingling with friends, she said.

After the conference, Redding First Selectwoman Julia Pemberton said it was clear that Dabela’s family was still grieving.

“We are hopeful any further investigation along with the state attorney’s investigation can finally put this very tragic incident to bed so the family can find peace,” she said.

Pemberton said she and Police Chief Doug Fuchs were happy to cooperate with the investigation and welcomed the NAACP to town.

“We absolutely believe the family deserves answers to what happened to their son and their brother,” she said.

The NAACP and the Dabela family has asked the public to offer any information they have that could assist in the investigation by e-mailing info@justice4abe.com or to call the Connecticut NAACP at 860-523-9962.

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Featured

The Unstoppable Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd): Rebel with Harmony

August 3, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Monday, August 3rd, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Recently the New York Times highlighted The Weeknd — an Ethiopian-Canadian music star (née Abel Tesfaye) — in a profile entitled “Can the Weeknd Turn Himself Into the Biggest Pop Star in the World?” and described his newest album, Beauty Behind the Madness, as “full of swaggeringly confident music indebted to the arena-size ambition of the 1980s, from Guns N’ Roses to Phil Collins to Michael Jackson.” Indeed The Weeknd is inspired by Michael Jackson and has his own phenomenal rendition of “Dirty Diana” but the New York Times article also notes that he “attributes some of his signature vocal gestures to the Ethiopian influences of his childhood” such as Ethiopian pop legend Aster Aweke. The Weeknd’s new album is scheduled to be released on August 28th.

Often labeled as an R&B singer his style nonetheless remains uncategorizable — a mix of ecstatic techno, high pitch mellow croons and lyrics with no holds barred. Posting on YouTube and Facebook The Weeknd first entered the music scene by dropping three self-produced albums online in a single year. “I like making music. I’ll always be making music. I’ll always reinvent myself and do things and say things other artists wouldn’t do or say” he asserts, calling his writing as “more or less an evolution” and admitting that it’s loosely inspired by personal life experiences.

News outlets including the Guardian and Mic have jumped on the wagon dubbing The Weeknd as the “next face of R&B” and citing how he has “accomplished something no other R&B artist has ever done — claiming the three top spots on Billboard’s Hot R&B songs chart.” But Abel isn’t as enamored with the press as they are with him. “I try to shy away from press because it’s never about the art for them, and I totally respect that,” he says in an MTV documentary that he wrote and directed following the release of his first studio album Kiss Land. “But the only thing I rely on is good music..Once I feel like the world knows me for anything else but my music then I feel like I have failed. The world didn’t have a face to put to the music until recently, and that’s how I want to be remembered.”

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Featured

Photos: Denver Taste of Ethiopia Festival

August 1, 2015 Tadias Magazine

CBS DENVER

There was a celebration in Denver of a culture more than 8,000 miles away on Sunday — it was the annual Taste of Ethiopia event.

Denver is popular destination for Ethiopian immigrants because of the climate similarities.

“The altitude of our capital is 9,000 feet and it’s very dry weather, so I’d say that the weather is attractive, and we also have a lot of mountains in Ethiopia, so that’s attractive,” said Dr. Amen Sergew, a pulmonologist from Ethiopia. “But I’d say the people of Colorado are very friendly and that’s always enticing.”

Click here for PHOTO GALLERY: Taste Of Ethiopia »

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Related:
Taste of Ethiopia in Denver Features Food, Music and Culture

The Denver Post

By Colleen O’Connor

At 8 a.m. Saturday morning, a volunteer team of Ethiopian cooks will gather in a commercial kitchen to make eight dishes traditional to their East African culture, enough to feed about 2,500 people.

Surrounded by mounds of ingredients — including 300 pounds of onions, 300 pounds of beef and 400 chicken drumsticks — they’ll cook throughout the day and into the evening.

“We want everything to be fresh,” said Sophia Belew, who heads the cooking team for the Taste of Ethiopia, which takes place Sunday. “It tastes as close as possible to what we eat at home.”

Crowds at the Taste of Ethiopia rapidly multiplied each year since it started in 2013, and this year a new global audience gets a chance to try such classic dishes as doro wot, a chicken stew, and tibs key wot, a beef stew with red chili pepper.

For the first time, the Taste of Ethiopia will host the most American of ceremonies, in which immigrants from 18 countries — ranging from Nepal and Bulgaria to Guatemala and China — will take the oath of allegiance and become U.S. citizens.

“It makes me feel so warm-hearted that people are taking an interest in our culture,” said Menna Tarekegne, 13. “More people are accepting it and wanting to learn more about our food, our culture and how we live life.”

On a recent afternoon, a group from the Ethiopian community gathered for a traditional three-cup coffee ceremony, which will also be part of the upcoming festival.

Sosena Dagne roasted coffee beans in a pan over a hot flame, then ground the beans and made a strong, rich coffee. Coffea arabica — the coffee species savored by most of the world’s population — originated in Ethiopia, and the coffee ceremony is centuries old.

“In Ethiopia, you never make coffee just by yourself,” said Dagne. “Our parents, our neighbors would gather together and talk about their lives, the kids and their everyday problems. Drinking coffee has a lot of meaning, and the most valued thing is discussion.”

These pieces of Ethiopian culture are eagerly shared by people like Dagne, who came up with the idea for a festival celebrating her native country, which is located in the Horn of Africa.

Watch: CBS News Interview With Reeyot Alemu, Zelalem Kibret and Edom Kassaye

July 30, 2015 Tadias Magazine

CBS News

The three Ethiopian journalists were released from prison three weeks ago, ahead of President Obama’s visit to the African nation. They are just some of the victims who dared to criticize their government and went to prison for it, reports CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett.

“I was in prison for four years and 17 days,” Reeyot Alemu said.

“For one year, two months and 14 days,” Zelalem Kibret said.

“One year, two months and 15 days,” Edom Kassaye said.

WATCH: Freed Ethiopian journalist risks it all to speak out (CBS News)

View More: World News|Live News|More News Videos

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Featured

With Landmark AU Address Obama Concludes Historic Ethiopia Visit

July 28, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Tuesday, July 28th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — When President Obama flew to Kenya, his father’s birth country, late last week President Uhuru Kenyatta warmly welcomed him stating memorably that he had “arrived riding on the wings of history.” Obama is the first sitting U.S. President to visit both Kenya and Ethiopia, and Tuesday Obama became the first American President to address the African Union at its headquarters in Addis Ababa.

According to the White House, prior to his historic appearance at the African Union Obama also met privately with Ethiopian civil society leaders and human rights activists. In his subsequent speech at the AU Obama spoke about the dangers and risks posed to African countries by leaders who feel entitled to a permanent hold on power: “When a leader tries to change the rules in the middle of the game just to stay in office, it risks instability and strife — as we’ve seen in Burundi,” Obama said. “And this is often just a first step down a perilous path. And sometimes you’ll hear leaders say, well, I’m the only person who can hold this nation together. If that’s true, then that leader has failed to truly build their nation.”

Obama told the AU audience: “I stand before you as a proud American. I also stand before you as the son of an African. Africa and its people helped to shape America and allowed it to become the great nation that it is. And Africa and its people have helped shape who I am and how I see the world.” Obama added: “In the villages in Kenya where my father was born, I learned of my ancestors, and the life of my grandfather, the dreams of my father, the bonds of family that connect us all as Africans and Americans.”

Regarding Ethiopia’s lack of free press and opposition political space Obama said: “I believe Ethiopia will not fully unleash the potential of its people if journalists are restricted or legitimate opposition groups can’t participate in the campaign process.”

WATCH: Obama — Africa’s Progress Depends on Development, Democracy

Click here for the full transcript of Obama’s speech at www.whitehouse.gov.

Open Letter to The Washington Post Regarding Ethiopia
Harassing VOA Reporter is Not Your First Amendment Right
D.C.-area Ethiopians say Obama trip will send wrong signal to repressive regime in homeland
Obama Visit to Ethiopia Brings Fresh Eyes to the Country, Say Seattle Ethiopians
Mr. Obama’s visit to Ethiopia sends the wrong message on democracy (Washington Post‎)
In Ethiopia, Why Obama Should Give Due Credit to Haile Selassie’s OAU Role
Breaking News: President Obama to Travel to Ethiopia in Late July
Meet the 2015 Mandela Washington Fellows from Ethiopia
Brookings Institution Recommends Obama Visit Kenya, Ethiopia & Nigeria

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Featured, News

In Ethiopia, Obama Praises Contributions of Ethiopian Americans

July 27, 2015 Tadias Magazine

View the story “Obama in Ethiopia: ‘US Strengthened by Contributions of Ethiopian Americans'” on Storify

Obama’s Historic Visit to Ethiopia: A Larger Perspective
President Obama Visits Kenya and Ethiopia
Open Letter to The Washington Post Regarding Ethiopia
Harassing VOA Reporter is Not Your First Amendment Right
Obama Visit to Ethiopia Brings Fresh Eyes to the Country, Say Seattle Ethiopians
Ethiopia releases journalists and bloggers ahead of Obama visit
In Ethiopia, Why Obama Should Give Due Credit to Haile Selassie’s OAU Role
Breaking News: President Obama to Travel to Ethiopia in Late July
Meet the 2015 Mandela Washington Fellows from Ethiopia
Brookings Institution Recommends Obama Visit Kenya, Ethiopia & Nigeria

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Featured

Ethiopian Heritage & Culture Camp 2015

July 26, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Sunday, July 26th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Mekdes Bekele launched the Ethiopian Heritage and Culture Camp in July 2009 to connect like-minded parents raising Ethiopian American children. A mother herself Mekdes says “Whether adoptive or biological, we have the common goal of raising first generation Ethiopian Americans.” The summer camp celebrates its seventh anniversary this year and it “is designed for the entire family,” Mekdes adds. “There are age-appropriate activities that will appeal to both parents and their youngsters.”

Adoptive mother Julie Caran agrees. She says that each summer she and her husband come with their son to the Massaneta Springs camp and conference center in Harrisonburg, Virginia because they want their Ethiopian-born child to remain connected to his heritage and culture. “Ethiopian American volunteers come to camp because they wish they had something like this when they were our children’s age,” she wrote. “We all want these children to know who they are, and what it means to be Ethiopian.” Caran adds: “Yes, we get to attend excellent workshops to learn about everything from history to hair and art to Amharic, but something more important occurs at camp: We gain perspective. We interact inter-generationally and converse with children, teens, young adults, middle-aged adults, and grandparents.”

This year the camp program includes special guest Menlik Zergabachew. “Menlik, an Ethiopian-American singer and leader of the Reggae band The Relics, will join us at camp to perform with his band,” Mekdes said in a statement. “Menlik competed and had a successful run on NBC’s THE VOICE this last season.” In addition, the camp director points out that a “cooking lesson is being provided by Simret Hunt — noteworthy because Simret was a young 14-year-old when she attended our first heritage camp back in 2009. She is now a rising sophomore in college and we are fortunate to have her join us as a volunteer handling the cooking lessons.”

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You can learn more about the Ethiopian Heritage and Culture camp at www.heritageandculturecamp.org.

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Featured, History

President Obama Becomes First Sitting U.S. President to Visit Ethiopia

July 26, 2015 Tadias Magazine

The Associated Press

Barack Obama, the US president, has landed in Ethiopia, beginning a two-day stay and becoming the first American leader to visit Africa’s second most populous nation.

The president’s jet touched down at Addis Ababa’s international airport on Sunday after a short flight north from the Kenyan capital Nairobi, and he was greeted on the tarmac by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

The visit will include talks with the Ethiopian government, a key strategic ally but criticised for its record on democracy and human rights.

Obama will also become the first US president to address the African Union, the 54-member continental bloc, at its headquarters.

He will also hold talks with regional leaders on the civil war in South Sudan.

AU Commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma hailed what she said will be an “historic visit” and a “concrete step to broaden and deepen the relationship between the AU and the US”.

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Related:
Photos: President Obama Becomes First Sitting U.S. President to Visit Ethiopia

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Featured

Obama Brings $1B Gift to Kenya Summit

July 25, 2015 Tadias Magazine

VOA News

By Gabe Joselow

Last updated on: July 25, 2015

NAIROBI — President Barack Obama co-hosted the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Kenya Saturday, where he is making his first visit as U.S. president.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta introduced the U.S. president, whom he described as a great friend to the African continent.

Obama greeted the summit saying “Niaje Wasee,” Kenyan urban slang for “how are you.”

“It is wonderful to be back in Kenya. I am proud to be the first U.S. president to visit Kenya,” Obama said in his opening remarks. “This is a personal thing for me, my family came from these parts and I have relatives and family here.”

He then quickly got down to business, announcing to the gathering of entrepreneurs and investors that the U.S. had secured more than $1 billion in investment for new businesses around the world, following up on a promise made at last year’s summit in Morocco.

Obama noted that Africa is one of the fastest-growing continents in the world where people are being lifted out of poverty and the middle class is expanding.

“This continent needs to be a future hub of global growth, not just African growth,” he said.

WATCH: President Obama’s remarks at GES Summit

In his remarks, Kenyatta spoke of Kenya’s security struggles and its swiftly growing economy. He told his audience to tell friends back at home and around the world that “Africa is open and ready for business.”

“You all know that for a decade now the economies of Africa have been the fastest growing in the world. Behind these statistics is a story of a new generation of Africans committed to the African renaissance,” he said.

After a discussion onstage with several young entrepreneurs, Obama closed the session exhorting audience members to pursue their business ventures. “Go out there and start something,” he said. “We’re excited about it. We expect great things out of you.”

A delegation of U.S. lawmakers, White House officials and American business leaders is accompanying the president to the summit, a move the U.S. embassy in Nairobi says underscores the importance the United States places on supporting Africa’s entrepreneurs.

The streets of Nairobi have been painted and polished as the city has spared no expense to welcome Obama for what Kenyans have called his “homecoming.”

But security is high for the U.S. president’s visit, with at least 10,000 police officers deployed in Nairobi. The U.S. embassy has warned that the summit Obama is hosting could be “a target for terrorists.”

Obama then visited the U.S. embassy, where a large crowd had gathered outside to see him. Later Saturday, he met with Kenyatta for talks expected to center on building trade ties, countering violent extremism in Kenya and across the region, boosting government transparency and curbing the poaching of Kenya’s wildlife.

ON THE SCENE: VOA’s Gabe Joselow reports from Nairobi

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Featured

Kenya Rolls Out Red Carpet for Obama “Homecoming”

July 21, 2015 Tadias Magazine

VOA News

By Gabe Joselow

Last updated on: July 24, 2015

NAIROBI — U.S. President Barack Obama has arrived in Kenya, amid extremely tight security, for the start of a landmark two-day visit.

Obama touched down in Nairobi Friday evening and was greeted on the tarmac by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The U.S. president shook hands with Kenyan dignitaries and signed what appeared to be a guest book before climbing into a limousine.

The streets of Nairobi have been painted and polished as the city has spared no expense to welcome Obama for what Kenyans have called his “homecoming.”

The big headline for the visit is a Global Entrepreneurship Summit — the first time it is being held in Africa. President Obama — as co-host — will address the gathering on Saturday.

Kenya also has special significance for the U.S. president. His father was born and is buried in rural western Kenya and served in the government of Kenya’s first president.

Obama last visited in 2006 as a U.S. senator, but, this is his first trip as president — and that, says Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto, means a lot to his country.

“President Obama is not just any other American president,” Ruto told VOA. “He has African roots, and more specifically Kenyan roots, and so it is significant in a very different way.”

WATCH:: Kenya Rolls Out Red Carpet for President Obama

Video: Voice of America White House correspondent Aru Pande report from Nairobi

Security concerns

While much of the visit will focus on boosting trade, the other big issue on the agenda will be security when Obama meets President Uhuru Kenyatta Saturday.

Kenyan Foreign Secretary Amina Mohamed told VOA it is a common top concern.

“Our collaboration, especially on security, is historic. It’s always been there, but of course we’ve enhanced it a lot in the last few years because of the threat — the global threat actually — that we all face,” Mohamed said.

Kenya has been targeted repeatedly by the Somali militant group al-Shabab. The deadliest attack took place at Garissa University College in April, when 148 people, most of them students, were slaughtered on campus.

Ethiopia stop

After two days in Kenya, Obama will become the first U.S. president to visit Ethiopia.

Ahead of his arrival in Africa, human rights groups urged the president to use his trip to call for fundamental human rights reforms in both countries.

In a letter to Obama, a group of 14 nongovernmental organizations and individual experts said the governments of Kenya and Ethiopia “face real security threats, but we are concerned by the way in which each government has responded, often with abusive security measures and increased efforts to stifle civil society and independent media.”

Trade with Africa

Late Wednesday, President Obama spoke about trade with Africa at a White House reception marking the signing of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. He said despite Africa’s challenges, the continent is a dynamic place with some of the fastest-growing markets in the world. He said it has the potential to be the next center of global economic opportunity.

He said the trade law will continue to encourage good governance, labor rights and human rights in Africa.

Obama last month signed a 10-year extension of the country’s main trade authority with Africa — a 15-year effort that boosted U.S.-Africa trade to $73 billion last year, with U.S. exports accounting for slightly more than half of that total.

More than 40 sub-Saharan countries are eligible for trade benefits under the law, through which most imports from Africa enter the United States duty free. Two of the main beneficiaries are oil exporters Angola and Nigeria.

Even as U.S. trade with Africa has grown rapidly, it trails resource hungry China, now with $200 billion in annual African trade, and the 28-nation European Union with $140 billion.

Obama has made a concerted effort to increase U.S. ties with Africa. Last August, he staged the inaugural U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington.

The U.S. says the Africa trade measure supports an estimated 350,000 jobs. As the trade extension advanced in Congress, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and National Security Advisor Susan Rice said it has “provided vital economic opportunities,” helping African companies become more competitive and opening the path for more investments in them.
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Related:
Photos: President Obama Arrives in Kenya
Obama’s Historic Visit to Ethiopia: A Larger Perspective
Obama’s Visit to Africa Draws Fire From Human Rights Groups
President Obama Visits Kenya and Ethiopia
Obama’s Ethiopia visit legitimizes authoritarian government, critical expatriates say
A Conversation on President Obama’s Trip to Kenya and Ethiopia

Read more at Global Voices Online »
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Support Haile Gerima Make His Next Film

July 21, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Tuesday, July 21st, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — The crowdfunding campaign for the feature film, Yetut Lij, by award-winning Ethiopian filmmaker Haile Gerima ends this week. Although this is Gerima’s first online campaign, the independent filmmaker insists: “Crowd-funding is not new to me. None of my past films would have been possible without the community.”

Supporters of Gerima’s current campaign include Ava DuVernay, Danny Glover, Meaza Mengiste, Gabriel Theodros, Common, Kamasi Washington, Bradford Young, Greg Carr, Meklit Hadero, and Dream Hampton.

Gerima, who is a UCLA film school alumni and distinguished professor of film at Howard University, has made several influential films including Sankofa, Teza, Harvest: 3000 Years, Adwa: An African Victory, and the upcoming Children of Adwa.

Video: YETUT LIJ: A film by Haile Gerima [Indiegogo Campaign]

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You can support Haile by donating any amount you like at Indiegogo.com.

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Ethiopian Artist Abel Tilahun Speaks to Independent Curators Hub in NYC

July 20, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Sunday, July 19th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Ethiopian Animator and Artist Abel Tilahun will give a talk at the Independent Curators International hub in New York City on Tuesday, July 21st, 2015. Abel teaches at American University in Washington D.C. and his recent exhibition entitled “Curvature of Events” was featured at Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden New Master’s Gallery in Germany. In 2013 Abel submitted a commercial for Dorritos ‘Crash the Superbowl’ contest.

“By bringing classical training in drawing and sculpture into the digital realm, Abel Tilahun’s work explores the space between traditional and emerging art forms in different cultures and contexts,” states the ICI Curatorial Hub announcement of the upcoming talk. “Tilahun will discuss the transnational nature of his work with ICI’s Renaud Proch and present his practice through recent and upcoming exhibitions and projects.”

Abel is a graduate of the School of Fine Art & Design at Addis Ababa University and obtained a Masters in Fine Arts from Adams State College in Colorado in 2010.

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If You Go:
DATE & TIME: Tuesday, July 21st, 2015
6:30pm to 8pm
Location: ICI Curatorial Hub
401 Broadway, Suite 1620, NYC

This event is free and open to the public. To attend please RSVP to rsvp@curatorsintl.org with ABEL in the subject line.

More info and update at Independent Curators International

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Genzebe Smashes 1500m World Record

July 18, 2015 Tadias Magazine

The Wall Street Journal

By Sara Germano

Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia broke the world record in the women’s 1500 meters on Friday, running 3:50.07 in Monaco that saw perhaps the single best day of metric mile races among both men and women in recent history.

Friday’s world record came at the Meeting Herculis in Monaco, the tenth leg of track-and field’s elite Diamond League meet series. Among the 28 men and women who raced respective 1500-meter races, 20 ran personal bests, including at least four regional records.

Dibaba, age 24, shattered the previous world record of 3:50.46 set by China’s Yunxia Qu in 1993, a time so fast that many in track and field believed it to be untouchable. No woman had broken 3 minutes and 55 seconds in 18 years, until Dibaba herself ran 3:54.11 just a week ago in Barcelona.

Dibaba is the younger sister of Tirunesh Dibaba, the world-record holder in the 5,000 meters, and a three-time Olympic gold medalist. The elder Dibaba is skipping the 2015 track and field season after the birth of her first child earlier this year.

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Interview: Journalist Tesfalem Waldyes

July 15, 2015 Tadias Magazine

BBC News

By Andrew Harding

It’s never an easy decision: Should I interview someone who wants to talk in public, but who knows that a word out of line could mean arrest and imprisonment?

I’ve wrestled with the issue before in Myanmar, also known as Burma, Zimbabwe, Iraq and elsewhere.
Ethiopian journalist Tesfalem Waldyes sat in a hotel in Addis Ababa last weekend, and decided it was necessary to speak out.

“I’m afraid. I’m still scared that I might go back to prison… Maybe today, maybe this afternoon.
“[Journalism here] is a very dangerous job, because there’s this red line that was marked by the government, and we don’t know when we crossed that red line,” he said.

‘Totally absurd’

Last week Mr Tesfalem was unexpectedly released from a remand prison outside the capital, along with four colleagues.

He and eight other bloggers and journalists had been imprisoned for well over a year, facing trial under Ethiopian anti-terrorism legislation – accused of working with forces seeking to overthrow the state.

“It’s totally absurd…. Our work has appeared in newspapers, magazines.

“We are only doing our jobs,” he said, declining to speculate on whether the timing of his release was linked to a big UN development summit being hosted in Ethiopia this week, or President Barack Obama’s visit later in the month.

Mr Tesfalem said he did not want to talk about prison conditions, for fear of provoking Ethiopia’s government, but he was motivated to speak out on behalf of the four journalists still in detention.

Read more at BBC News »
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How Ethiopia Lost Access to Hacking Tools Used Against Journalists

July 13, 2015 Tadias Magazine

The Washington Post

By Andrea Peterson

Now we know what it takes to get your hacking tools taken away if you’re a repressive government.

It’s not enough to get caught spying on U.S.-based journalists — or even to have the story plastered on the front page of a major U.S. newspaper. But if you get caught doing it again because of your own sloppiness, that may just be enough to shame your vendor into cutting you off.

That’s what the public is now learning from a massive trove of e-mails and documents released online this week from Italian company Hacking Team, which was itself hacked.

Hacking Team is part of a burgeoning commercial surveillance industry that critics allege sells hacking tools once reserved for the most advanced intelligence agencies to any country that can pay. The company has long had a policy of not identifying its customers and has responded to previous reports of abuse by saying it has an internal process for responding to allegations of human rights abuses.

The e-mail cache, now archived by WikiLeaks, appears to show that the company relied on a biannual report from an international law firm to determine which countries it can legally sell its products and faced pressure from the United Nations and the Italian government over business relationships with repressive regimes. Last fall, the company briefly faced a ban on the export of its products by the Italian government, according to the e-mails. Around the same time, the company’s chief operating officer wrote in an e-mail that it had suspended Sudan as a client and that it was a “sensitive” time for the company.

But e-mails sent in the aftermath of a March report about Hacking Team tools being used by the Ethiopian government to target journalists based in the United States appear to show that the sloppiness of their Ethiopian customers, which exposed the use of the company’s technology, was a bigger concern for the company than potential human rights violations. And later, the company tried to secure a new contract with the country.

Researchers with Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs discovered traces of Hacking Team’s tools on the computers of U.S.-based Ethiopian journalists, as reported in a front-page story by The Post in February of 2014. The Ethiopian government has a notoriously poor track record on freedom of the press, and Ethiopians living abroad play a significant role in providing independent news coverage of the country’s domestic situation.

Reeyot Alemu Free at Last

July 9, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Published: Thursday, July 9th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Reeyot Alemu, winner of the 2013 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize and the 2012 Courage in Journalism Award, has been released from prison after serving 4 years of a 5-year prison term under Ethiopia’s controversial terrorism law.

Reeyot is the sixth journalist to be released from jail this week. Yesterday the authorities freed five of the Zone 9 bloggers includeing Tesfalem Waldyes, Asmamaw Hailegeorgis, Zelalem Kiberet, Edom Kassaye and Mahlet Fantahun.

“We are elated that Reeyot Alemu has been released, but she should never have been jailed in the first place. She served more than four years while in poor health and under often restrictive conditions,” said Sue Valentine, the Africa program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists. “We call on Ethiopian authorities to free all journalists imprisoned in relation to their work.”

The development follows last month’s election results in Ethiopia announced by the National Electoral Board where 100% of the seats were won by the ruling party.

President Obama’s upcoming trip to Ethiopia has subsequently been heavily criticized by human rights and press organizations citing that it is ill-timed and appears to reward undemocratic practices. The trip would be the first instance that a sitting American president will visit the nation despite a 100-year history of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said that “Reeyot told CPJ today that she was happy to be free and that her health was okay, but that she was still taking painkillers. The journalist suffered from breast tumors while in prison.”

Reeyot Alemu after being released from prison. (Photo via Twitter)

(Photo via Twitter)

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Charges Dropped Against 5 Members of Zone9: Focus on Abel Wabela Still Jailed

July 8, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Published: Wednesday, July 8th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Three members of Ethiopia’s Zone 9 bloggers and journalists, whose arrest last year generated a global outcry, have been released from prison after spending over a year behind bars.

The journalists and bloggers were arrested in April 2014 as part of a sweep against their online group, which reported and debated on issues including human rights in Ethiopia. Their release comes a few weeks in advance of President Obama’s scheduled visit to the country.

Those freed today include “Tesfalem Waldyes, Asmamaw Hailegeorgis and Zelalem Kiberet,” according BBC News. Other news outlets report that charges have also been dropped against Edom Kassaye and Mahlet Fantahun.

“We welcome the release of three of the nine journalists and bloggers– Tesfalem Waldeyes, Asmamaw Hailegiorgis, and Zelalem Kibret,” said Vukasin Petrovic, Director of Africa programs at Freedom House. “They were imprisoned for exercising their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression. Freedom House urges the Ethiopian government to drop all charges and release the remaining six journalists and bloggers.”

The Zone 9 members that still remain incarcerated are Abel Wabella, Natnael Feleke, Befekadu Hailu and Atinaf Berhane. Another associate of the group, Soliana Shimelis, was charged in absentia.

“The release of these five journalists is a welcome turn of events in Ethiopia, where the number of journalists in prison has steadily increased in recent years,” the East Africa Representative for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, Tom Rhodes, said. “We call on authorities to release the remaining Zone 9 bloggers and all the journalists in jail for their work, and to drop all charges against them.”

CPJ added: “With at least 12 journalists remaining in prison, Ethiopia is the second-worst jailer of journalists in Africa, after Eritrea, according to CPJ research. Most of the journalists face terrorism charges. The country is ranked fourth on CPJ’s list of the 10 Most Censored Countries.”

In a separate, but related report in their ongoing online series called They Have Names the Global Voices website recently featured Abel Wabela who says his mission in life is “to fight bystander apathy.”

Focus on Zone 9’s Abel Wabela

Abel Wabela. (Photo courtesy of family)

Global Voices Online

This marks the sixth post in our series – “They Have Names” – that seeks to highlight the individual bloggers who are currently in jail. We wish to humanize them, to tell their particular and peculiar stories. This week, Swedish blogger and artist Melody Sundberg writes about Abel Wabela, a member of Zone9 and the manager of Global Voices’ Amharic site.

I have never been to Ethiopia, but I have followed the never-ending trials of the bloggers closely through social media and conversations. A name often mentioned is that of Abel Wabela, a 28-year-old blogger, author and translator for Global Voices. During the first three months of the bloggers’ detention in Maekelawi*, Abel refused to sign a prepared confession paper in which he, together with the other bloggers, were incriminated. For this, Abel underwent extreme torture. According to the Ethiopian Human Rights Project (EHRP), he was beaten by a person using a stick, and his feet were whipped by someone using a computer plug cable. He was forced to lay on the floor while interrogators stomped on his back, neck and face. Since then, he has had to use a hearing aid as a result of worsened hearing impairment.

According to Endalk Chala, co-founder of the blogging group, Abel had suffered poor treatment even before his arrest. One day, three weeks before the arrest, Abel was beaten as he was walking home from work. Several people appeared and beat him so severely that he lost his consciousness, and they took his cell phone and laptop. He feared beating was a threat, intended to make him stop blogging. But Abel continued his work.

Abel Wabela. (Drawing by Melody Sundberg)

I wanted to know more about Abel, so I asked some of those close to him to describe their friend. Endalk Chala describes Abel as the most kindhearted and wonderful soul. Abel is a man of knowledge and a great conversationalist, and he believes in open and honest discussions. Jomanex Kasaye describes Abel as being straight forward and knowing what he stands for. At the same time, he is very humble. Abel is always hungry for more knowledge. He likes to spend his time in discussions with historians, university lecturers and authors. His faith is important to him. He loves attending in church. He often visited prisoners, having the country and its people in his heart. He always thinks of others rather than himself.

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EDF’s 2015 Ethiopian Diaspora Fellows

July 6, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Monday, July 6th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — A few weeks ago we published an article highlighting the Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship (EDF), a program founded by first generation Ethiopian American Rediate Tekeste that “trains young Ethiopian professionals in leadership development, service, and creative storytelling skills before sending them to Ethiopia to serve at partner organizations for a 6-month fellowship.”

Today, the organization announced the 2015 Ethiopian Diaspora Fellows — the top five promising candidates. Below are the names and bios of this year’s EDF Fellows:

Ebanezare Tadele

Ebanezare Tadele. (Photo courtesy: EDF)

Ebanezare Tadele was born and raised in the inner city of San Diego, California. His urban surrounding and Ethiopian culture helped forge a passion for international development and social justice. Ebanezare was Vice President of the Black Student Union, helping lead the school’s African American student body striving for racial equality. Ebanezare was also part of PLNU’s nationally ranked Speech & Debate Team as a junior level national debater. After graduating from Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Communication Ebanezare applied his education to his passion and worked in the community. In addition, Ebanezare has served both as a volunteer and intern at his local Ethiopian church and Ethiopian Community Center. Through EDF Ebanezare is excited to learn ways he can utilize his education and experiences for the development and growth of Ethiopia.

Eden Mesfin

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Eden Mesfin. (Photo courtesy: EDF)

Since receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Law from the State University of New York at Binghamton, Eden Mesfin has tailored her work experience to focus on issues surrounding international development, education, and policy. Upon graduation Eden worked in Washington D.C. with a foreign policy consulting firm as a Special Assistant to the former U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay. Eden has also gained exposure to health care policy and cancer research as a Program Associate at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, assisting with the development of an online tool to help research sites in academic, hospital, and community settings. Currently, at Georgetown University, she has further expanded her management and quantitative skills as the Administrative Officer of the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship. She is responsible for analyzing and processing financial reports and administering faculty payroll. For the past four years, Eden’s passion for education and literacy motivated her to become a volunteer and outreach ambassador for the Reading Partners organization in Washington D.C. She is looking forward to serving as an Ethiopian Diaspora Fellow, allowing her to fulfill her dream of finding tangible methods to improve literacy, youth development, and women’s rights in Ethiopia.

Liat Desta

Liat Desta. (Photo courtesy: EDF)

Liat Desta graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities with a focus on Health Sciences. She worked at Kaiser Permanente as an Occupational Medicine & Pediatrics intern learning the administrative management skills necessary to maintain a hospital’s day-to-day schedule. Her work with Genesis, a community organization, led her to advocate for justice and equality among new immigrants. She also organized and selected the Leadership Committee that organized L.A Works Day — Los Angeles’ largest volunteer-based community improvement event. As a member of Marians, a university service organization that focuses on improving the lives of women and children in Los Angeles, Liat was able to actively improve the community through her work as a tutor at the Boys and Girls Club at Mar Vista Gardens. Liat is thrilled to be the first EDF cohort, and looks forward to enriching her understanding of public health conditions in Ethiopia.

Tewodros Asfaw

Tewodros Asfaw. (Photo courtesy: EDF)

Tewodros Asfaw was born in Ethiopia and moved to the United States as a teenager. He earned his BS in Finance at St. Cloud State University with a minor in Economics. During this time, he served as President of the University’s Ethiopian Student Association where he focused on promoting awareness of Ethiopian culture on campus. After earning his MS in Social Responsibility with an emphasis in Trade and Development Studies, he worked as a College Coach for the non-profit organization, College Possible. As a coach Tewodros mentored and supported low-income students to succeed in college. As a first-generation immigrant Tewodros has always known the importance of education. His passion for education and service has grown deeper through his experiences as a member of the Ethiopian Diaspora, and he is eager to be a part of the first generation of EDF Fellows. Through EDF Tewodros hopes to support Ethiopia’s economic growth by expanding access to education.

Naome Seifu

Naome Seifu. (Photo courtesy: EDF)

Naome Seifu is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia. She majored in Digital Broadcast Journalism with an emphasis in Global Affairs. Naome has interned with Voice of America in Washington D.C. where she worked at the African Division, specifically with the Horn of Africa. She is also a part of T. Howard Foundation and writes for Dinq magazine’s monthly issue in Atlanta, GA. Naome has also worked with WABE and Q100 radio stations in Atlanta where she learned the ins and outs of the broadcasting field. She is enthusiastic about working with EDF to build her dreams. It just takes one step at a time to bring change into this world, and she plans on making her first step through EDF!

Tadias congratulates the 2015 class of Ethiopian Diaspora Fellows and looks forward to hearing about their achievements.
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You can learn more about Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship at www.ethiopiandiasporafellowship.org.

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Bekoji, Ethiopia: How Grassroots Athletics Has Developed In The Town of Runners

July 1, 2015 Tadias Magazine

IAAF

01 JUL 2015

The Ethiopian town of Bekoji has produced countless champions but grassroots athletics has been sorely underdeveloped until Running Across Borders initiated a project in 2008 to support local coaches and runners.

In association with the IAAF’s social development programme Athletics for a Better World, Running Across Borders and Edinburgh University’s Global Development Academy welcomed nearly 100 people to a screening of the documentary Town of Runners last month.

The main protagonist of the documentary was Ethiopian coach Sentayehu Eshetu, who was present at the screening as part of his week-long trip to the UK to raise awareness for grassroots athletics in his training base of Bekoji, a provincial town situated about 300km to the south of Addis Ababa.

In a country long associated with poverty, famine and war, long-distance runners such as Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba and Derartu Tulu have been a perpetual source of national pride. All three were born and raised in Bekoji and started to run under the guidance of Eshetu. Some 16 Olympic medals over two decades have been accumulated from athletes originating from this town, but support for grassroots athletics is limited.

“In terms of natural running terrain, Bekoji has it all: hills, forests, trails, altitude,” said project founder Malcolm Anderson. “But the facilities and interest in the support of athletics was non-existent apart from the figurehead of the town, Sentayehu Eshetu, who has been based there for the past 39 years initially as a PE teacher in the local schools.”

Since 2008, UK-based organisation Running Across Borders has been supporting grassroots athletics in Bekoji. This support has increased as a legacy of the award-winning documentary Town of Runners and since the start of the year, Athletics for a Better World has provided additional assistance to local coaches and up-and-coming runners who dream of becoming the next Bekele or Dibaba.

Addis: A Local View by Metasebia Yoseph

June 30, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Tuesday, June 30th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — In the following multimedia presentation published by The Guardian, Metasebia Yoseph, Founder of Design Week Addis Ababa and author of A Culture of Coffee, highlight the sights and sounds of modern Addis Ababa with “the rhythmic pounding of construction, coupled with car horns, ambulances, dogs barking, random yelling in the street and the occasional rooster.” She also features video clips and photos of favorite nightly TV shows, local rock bands, street art and traditional singers.

“There are two divergent looks going on in the city: the trendy, slightly conservative style of young professionals, and the edgier youth subculture style. What ties both styles together is that they always feature a touch of cultural flair,” Metasebia writes.

And what’s the talk of the town? “Although most would assume the major talking point would be the recent elections, the real topic on everyone’s lips, regardless of their political affiliation, is car accidents,” Metasebia adds. “There are so many wrecked cars and destroyed roads that there are Facebook pages and forums dedicated to documenting the absurd pervasiveness of accidents in Addis Ababa.”

Driving in Addis is a topic of hot debate. (Photograph: Various/Facebook)

In the following video Metasebia gives a shout-out to comedian “Filfilu – his shtick is playing the idiot savant and his comedy covers everything from changing traditions to sex. No matter how crude a joke, he’s always able to charm you with his signature toothless smile.”

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Biiftu Duresso: Top High School Student Honors Parents’ Journey From Ethiopia

June 28, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Sunday, June 28th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — In the following ABC News video Biiftu Duresso, a star high school student and this year’s valedictorian at Wilson Magnet High School in Rochester, New York, gives a moving tribute to her parents who immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia during the tumultuous 1980’s. Her father Jamal Abdullahi raised Biiftu and three other siblings working as an assistant custodian at his daughter’s high school, where he had been employed since 1986 while earning a college degree himself.

“My parents Jamal and Zubaida made their way to Rochester, New York from Ethiopia in the 80’s and 90’s,” Biiftu said in her speech. “They had the audacity to imagine something better for me and my siblings.”

Biiftu is headed to Columbia University’s Barnard College in the Fall. And she has a great role model in her father Jamal, who earned a bachelor’s degree in 2008, three decades after leaving Ethiopia where he was a teenage soldier.

“Since Biiftu and her siblings were born [Jamal] has made his own hard-earned education secondary to theirs,” notes The Democrat and Chronicle, a daily newspaper serving the greater Rochester area. “He wanted to be a teacher; instead, he relishes the chance to encourage Wilson students as a mentor and supporter. Jamal likes his work, humble as it is. He still remembers the date he began: June 10, 1986.”

“I tell them, look: I came this hard way through and came out here,” he told the newspaper. “It’s very hard. But it didn’t stop me. But if you have foundation, your results must be better than me. Must be better.”

Watch: Wilson Magnet High School Valedictorian Thanks Her Father (ABC News)

ABC US News | World News

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Seattle Ethios on Obama’s Ethiopia Visit

June 26, 2015 Tadias Magazine

The Seattle Globalist

By Goorish Wibneh

President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Ethiopia in July—the first visit for a sitting U.S. President— is an exciting moment for Ethiopian Americans in Seattle, and gives hope the attention will help erase the negative and outdated stereotypes of the African nation.

“It highlights how Ethiopia has taken the leading role to become a safe place to invest,” said Ezra Teshome, a successful Ethopian American businessman in Seattle.

While the U.S. was one of the most generous countries to Ethiopia in its dismal past, Ethiopians now in the U.S. hope Obama’s historic visit will start a new era of partnership in investment and trading between the two nations.

“It’s exciting to see a sitting president set foot in Ethiopia,” said Teshome, who came to the United States in 1971. “To me, seeing the first African American president visiting Ethiopia is very exciting.”

The White House announced last Friday that POTUS will be visiting Ethiopia in late July. The president plans to visit Ethiopia and the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, according to the announcement. The trip to Ethiopia will follow the president’s visit to Kenya.

Abay Hopes to Bring ESFNA Meet to NYC

June 24, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Wednesday, June 24th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — One of the main goals for New York’s Ethiopian soccer team, Abay, is to bring the annual Ethiopian North America soccer tournament to New York for the first time since the league was founded more than 30 years ago.

“Our immediate priority is actually to win the tournament,” Assistant Coach Teddy Gezaw tells Tadias Magazine. “But in the long-term we’re talking about bidding to bring the tournament to New York and New Jersey where most of our team members are from.”

Teddy points out that Abay players will be heading to Washington, D.C. on Saturday for the 2015 ESFNA sports and cultural festival taking place from June 28th to July 4th at the University of Maryland’s Byrd Stadium in College Park.

The Ethiopian soccer tournament rotates each year from state to state in North America and so far, according to ESFNA, it has been held in 15 major U.S. cities with a sizable Ethiopian population. “The top host areas are California (7), DC Metro (6), Texas (5) and Georgia (4).” On its website the organization states: “In order to be selected to host the tournament, teams must submit their bid to the Executive Committee ahead of time. A host team must fulfill the requirements that are stated in our Tournament Guidelines and the team must show that it has the support of the Ethiopian community in their city.”

To date the top teams that are cup winners include: “D.C. Ethio-Stars (7), LA Ethio Stars (5), Ethio-Atlanta (4) and Ethio-Maryland (3).”

For its opening game the New York team faces San Jose on Monday, June 29th at 4:00 p.m.

Photo of the NY Abay team in 1990. (Courtesy photograph)

New York City’s Ethiopian soccer team, Abay, pictured 6 years ago. (Courtesy photo)

The current Abay Team celebrating in the stands at the 30th ESFNA anniversary tournament on July 6th, 2013 at Comcast Center in College Park, Maryland. (Photo: Courtesy NYC Abay)

The entertainment portion of this year’s festival takes place at Echostage in D.C, and ESFNA announced the week-long program that includes a celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the National Theatre of Ethiopia, Community Day, Ethiopian Day, as well as live concerts featuring Teddy Afro, Gossaye, Jacky Gosse, Aster Aweke and Bezuayehu Demissie. In addition, the final day championship event includes ESFNA’s closing night gala. “ESFNA will start its event in remembrance and by paying respects to 29 Ethiopians killed in Libya; followed by a triumphant week showcasing Soccer – Culture – Entertainment,” ESFNA said.

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You can learn more at www.esfna.net.

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Photos: Ethiopian Airlines Inaugurates Flight Connecting Addis, LA, Dublin

June 23, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — This past weekend in Los Angeles, California Ethiopian Airlines inaugurated its newest route connecting America’s second largest city and Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa with a stopover in Dublin, Ireland.

Ethiopian Airlines, which already serves the East Coast with multiple flights per week to Washington, D.C., said that the new tri-continental flight is the first direct flight by an African airline linking Africa with the West Coast of the United States. Ethiopia‍‍’‍s flag carrier said it plans to fly to Los Angeles three times a week.

At a ceremony celebrating the launch of the new flight Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, noted that the thrice-a-week flights using Boeing 787 aircrafts created opportunities for Ethiopian and foreign investors from Ireland and the US to come and do business in the country. He added: “Ethiopia is the seat of the African Union (AU); the airline is striving to connect the continent with different parts of the world.”

Gold Star Aviation posted the following photograph on Twitter sharing: “Celebrating our first Tri-continent service aboard #B787 above 30,000 feet. #Dublin #LosAngeles #EthiopianAirlines.”

Below is another photo that came from Amb Taye Atske Amde: “A warm welcome [in Dublin] for the Ethiopian Airlines maiden flight to Los Angeles. An all green Ethiopian & Irish musical ensemble.”

(Photo: Twitter @TayeAtske)

And in the following picture the air cargo industry services provider, HAE, and Ethiopian Airlines celebrate the new LAX-ADD flights. The festivities included a two-hour dinner cruise in Marina Del Rey, California. According to HAE “The event culminated with the selection of a grand prize winner of a round trip ticket for two from LAX to any African destination served by Ethiopian airlines.”

(Photo courtesy: HAE Group)

(Photo: Ethiopian Airlines)

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You can learn more about Ethiopian Airline at www.ethiopianairlines.com.

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Government in Ethiopia Is on Track to Win With 100% of Vote

June 22, 2015 Tadias Magazine

By JACEY FORTIN

Ethiopia’s governing party and its allies are poised to control every seat in the nation’s Parliament, according to official results announced Monday by the country’s electoral board.

In the last election, held five years ago, only one opposition member and one independent candidate won seats in Parliament.

This year’s results are even more one-sided: The governing party and its allies have won 100 percent of the races announced so far, giving them control of 546 seats.

The results from one remaining constituency, where polling was delayed by violent skirmishes, have yet to be disclosed…The chairman of the electoral board, Merga Bekana, said this year’s elections were conducted in a “free, fair, peaceful, credible and democratic manner.”

But opposition party members disagreed, pointing to an uneven playing field and continuing efforts to intimidate those who challenge the governing Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, which is itself a coalition of four regional parties.

“It’s a tough time for Ethiopia,” said Yilkal Getnet, chairman of the opposition party, Semayawi. “A 100 percent win should never be accepted as reality.”

In Ethiopia, Why Obama Should Give Due Credit to Haile Selassie’s OAU Role

June 20, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Saturday, June 20th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — President Barack Obama is preparing to make a landmark trip to Ethiopia and the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa in late July as the first sitting U.S. president to visit the nation. Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Ethiopia formally began with the signing of the first U.S.-Ethiopia bilateral trade agreement in 1903 during the term of President Theodore Roosevelt and the era of Emperor Menelik II in Ethiopia.

In addition to President Obama’s planned meetings with Ethiopian authorities regarding business investments, international security and democratic governance, we also hope that the President recognizes the significant role that Ethiopia’s former Emperor Haile Selassie played in the creation of the African Union’s predecessor – the Organization of African Unity — as he takes the stage to address African leaders in its new hall.

As Professor Ted Vestal, author of the book The Lion of Judah in the New World, points out “Haile Selassie was an iconic figure of the 20th Century, Cold-war ally of the United States, staunch anti-colonialist, and a noted Pan-Africanist and founding father of the Organization of African Unity.” According to Vestal the Emperor visited the U.S. as a Foreign Head of State, a record 6 times only matched by the Queen of England later in the 21st century.

Likewise, President John F. Kennedy’s remarks made at Washington D.C.’s Union Station on October 1st, 1963, while extending a rare State reception to the globally revered Ethiopian leader, are unforgettable. In welcoming Haile Selassie to the U.S. President Kennedy stated: “I know I speak on behalf of all my fellow Americans in welcoming his Imperial Majesty back to the United States. Since His Majesty visited the United States nearly a decade ago we have seen one of the most extraordinary revolutions in history. And that has been the appearance on the world scene of 29 independent countries in the short space of less than ten years, including over 150 million people. The conference recently held in His Majesty’s capital served, I think, to bring together in a great cooperative movement the people of most of these countries. And the success of that conference was due to in no small part to the leadership of our distinguished guest. His efforts to move his country forward to provide a better life for its people and his efforts throughout the world, which dates back over 30 or 40 years. For all of this your Majesty we take the greatest pride in welcoming you here. You do us honor and I can assure you that there is no guest that we will receive in this country that will give a greater sense of pride and satisfaction to the American people than your presence here today. Your Majesty, you are most welcome.”

We welcome President Obama going to Ethiopia and the African Union’s headquarters and are thrilled that he decided to make this historic trip as the first sitting President to do so in American history.

Click here to listen to the complete audio of President John F. Kennedy’s welcoming remarks to Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, at Union Station in Washington, D.C., on October 1st, 1963.

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Featured

President Obama to Travel to Ethiopia in Late July

June 19, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Friday, June 19th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — President Barack Obama will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit Ethiopia and the AU head office in Addis Ababa when he travels to Ethiopia next month.

“In late July, President Barack Obama will travel to Ethiopia for bilateral meetings with the government of Ethiopia and the leadership of the African Union,” the White House announced on Friday. “This visit, which follows the President’s trip to Kenya, will build on the success of the August 2014 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit by strengthening ties with African partners and highlighting America’s longstanding commitment to investing in Africa.”

The White House said that “This will be the first visit of a sitting U.S. president to Ethiopia and African Union from its headquarters, understanding our efforts to work with the countries and citizens of sub-Saharn Africa to accelerate economic growth, strengthen democratic institutions, and improve security.”

An article published this past Winter by the Brookings Institution suggested that President Obama make the historic travel to Ethiopia noting: “A visit to the AU headquarters by the U.S. president would be a significant endorsement of the role of the continental organization [that was established in the Ethiopian Capital in 1963 as the Organization of African Unity (OAU], and would, indeed, be the best forum in which to hold the next U.S.-African Leaders Summit — building upon the success of the first summit held in Washington in 2014. President Obama and the African leaders could use the summit to discuss strategies to advance the pace of regional integration especially as pertains to involvement of the U.S. private sector, such as in the building of regional infrastructure.”

Below is a Twitter post from The White House National Security:

Breaking: @POTUS will travel to #Ethiopia in late July for meetings w/ the Gov. of Ethiopia and w/ the leadership of the AU.

— WH National Security (@NSCPress) June 19, 2015

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Ethiopia: Semayawi Party Says ‘Everybody Knows Who Killed Samie’

June 17, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Published: Wednesday, June 17th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — The head of Youth Affairs for Ethiopia’s Semayawi (Blue) Party says security forces are responsible for the recent assassination of the party’s parliamentary candidate in the Gojam region.

29-year-old Samuel Awoke, who is said to have challenged last month’s controversial election results in his region, was clubbed and stabbed to death in Debre Markos two days ago, according to media reports.

“Samuel was killed in the Gojam region in the Northwest of the country after being allegedly beaten by security forces,” said Yonatan Tesfaye of the Blue Party in a telephone interview with Radio France Internationale.

Tesfaye said Samuel has been receiving death threats and had written a post on Facebook recently predicting that there will be an attempt on his life. “[They] were calling him and threatening him,” Tesfaye said, “The security forces had beaten him a month ago and they left him thinking that he was dead, unfortunately he was not, and they did the same thing again the day before yesterday.”

Radio France Internationale (RFI) said it tried to reach various government spokesmen, but they were unable to do so. “There are reports that Ethiopian Communication Minister Redwan Hussien said they were trying to figure out who the killers are and the motivation behind it,” the broadcaster reported. “Hussien went on to say that a suspect has been arrested. He also suggested that the attack was sparked by a legal dispute.”

Tesfaye disagreed saying: “Samie was not the first person to pay this sacrifice, we all know that this would happen to any of us so we are not afraid. we will just continue to struggle. They are trying to cover it up everybody knows who killed our friend. They do this all the time. They kill and they appear to search for the killer, but its fake. We know they killed him.”

Tesfaye pointed out that Samuel was a prominent member of their Party. “He did a lot of work in his region Gojam,” he added. They wanted to get rid of him. I think there was an order from high position.”

Listen: Murdered Ethiopian opposition politician received death threats & predicted attempt on his life

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New Yorker: Ethiopian American Singer Rachel Brown’s Uncanny Voice

June 17, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Wednesday, June 17th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — The New Yorker Magazine has a great highlight of Ethiopian American singer and song-writer Rachel Brown who is releasing a new EP this week called The Band. This is Rachel’s second album following her 2012 debut EP Building Castles.

The multicultural artist and Harvard graduate is the daughter of Ethiopian-born wedding-fashion designer Amsale Aberra. “Brown, a singer-songwriter from New York who is just five years out of college, got serious about music midway through getting her degree,” The New Yorker notes. “Her mother is from Ethiopia and she’s spent time in Bermuda, and when she sings she releases uncanny timbres. Her voice is not as unusual as the ragged croak of Macy Gray but often possesses the walnut burr of Erykah Badu and the lightness of Norah Jones. Brown favors a languid delivery, often turning a syllable or a phrase inside out as she releases it.”

Rachel’s “new record was recorded mostly in one day and in one studio, to capture the collective energy of the group. The rapport between Brown and her band works behind the scenes of the EP to give it clarity and cohesion” states John Donohue, night-life editor of the Goings On About Town section of New Yorker Magazine.

Crop Insurance Helping Ethiopia’s Farmers

June 16, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Agenda

By Elias Gebreselassie

Gebre Sire, a farmer from the village of Abine Germama in Ethiopia’s Oromia regional state, has been paying into weather-index based crop insurance for over two years. While he’s happy that he has recently received his first payout after drought ruined his corn crop about a year ago, he feels there are ways to better maximize the scheme’s benefits.

“I’ve already been paid 250 birr ($12.50) on the 100 birr ($5) premium I pay every season,” he said. But the value of the birr has been steadily dropping since the scheme began three years ago, and Sire says his payout doesn’t quite cover all of his costs.

“The premium we pay is too small,” he said. “I would like it to increase along with the payout.”

For Ethiopian farmers dealing with the worsening impacts of climate change, small-scale crop insurance can be a lifesaver. But the insurance needs to expand – and undergo some tweaks – to effectively help them effectively recover from extreme weather, farmers and experts say.

Sire’s complaint is a familiar one to Daniel Negassa, head of the micro-insurance department at Oromia Insurance Share Company (OIC), the only crop insurer in the state. However, he says, change is not yet on the cards.

“Micro-insurance by its nature is for the benefit of the low-income population,” he said. “We’ve seen in our impact assessment that some farmers have difficulty even paying the current premium.”

In the next three or four years, OIC does plan to scale up insurance premiums and compensation in more affluent areas, Negassa said.

The more pressing issue, experts say, is getting the benefits of crop insurance to more farmers.

According to Melkachew Temesgen, a crop insurance officer at OIC, farming is a hugely untapped market for insurance companies. However, poor literacy levels among farmers, the complexity of weather-index-related insurance schemes and the need to convince intermediaries such as farmers cooperatives has discouraged other insurance companies from offering crop coverage.

Kosie Hashiguchi, an expert from the development organization Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has been assisting the OIC with its insurance scheme for over two years. “When the idea was first proposed to insurance companies, many of them were unsure,” he said. “Some even asked that JICA pay for the initial insurance premium payouts.”

Hoping to encourage the use of crop insurance throughout the country, JICA has been funding awareness creation programs and spreading the word to farmers through radio ads and leaflets. The agency is also working alongside the federal government and several regional governments to develop trainers who explain to insurance companies how crop insurance works.

While OIC insurance officer Temsgen agrees that the uptake of crop insurance is slower than he hoped, he is reassured by its success so far. Three farmers’ cooperatives and 1,870 households in the Oromia region paid for crop insurance in 2013; by the end of 2014, that had risen to five cooperatives and 5,720 household.

The hope, he said, is to emulate that success across Oromia and wider areas of Ethiopia.

Data Issues

Experts say one obstacle to the expansion of crop insurance schemes is the complexity and unreliability of the data. Using historical weather data, insurance companies evaluate an area’s vulnerability to extreme weather and base compensation on those findings.

But according to Hashiguchi from JICA, because the satellites that track rainfall levels are not always reliable, there can be gaps in the data. “Weather-index crop insurance schemes need constant research and experimentation,” before they can be considered reliable, he said.

He added that for countries such as Ethiopia, which has a majority rural population, strong reinsurance companies are needed to spread the risk before crop insurance can be sustainably expanded across the country.

Feyiso Biyo, head of Abine Germama village, would like to see the issues with crop insurance resolved so that the remaining third of the 919 households in his locality feel confident to join the scheme. The other households are already covered, he said.

Freeing farmers from the worry of crop failure could have far-reaching positive impacts, he said.

“We used to suffer from persistent drought, but this insurance scheme has assured people and motivated them to deal with climate change,” he said. “They can now focus on other activities such as planting trees in deforested areas.”

Neighboring villages have taken notice and want to participate in the scheme, he said.

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Author: Elias Gebreselassie is a freelance correspondent for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, writing on energy and climate change.

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Featured

Interview with Haile Gerima on New Film

June 16, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Tuesday, June 16th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — The following is a ReelBlack TV interview with the acclaimed Ethiopian filmmaker and Howard University Professor Haile Gerima about his current Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for his new film Yetut Lij.

Gerima who launched the online campaign earlier this month “aims to raise $500,000 in matching production funds, the minimum needed to match existing co-production funds and film on location in Ethiopia,” according to Indiewire.

“Gerima’s prospective feature will be his 12th film and 8th dramatic narrative. The film’s title is an Amharic term that usually refers to any child taken in and raised by someone, other than their biological parent. Set primarily in Gerima’s childhood town of Gondar, the story takes place in the 1960’s, some 20 years after the Italo-Ethiopian War. Aynalem, a 13 year old peasant girl, is adopted by a wealthy judge’s family and taken away from her own. Promised an educated upbringing and a better life, she is instead, brutalized and forced to work as a domestic servant.”

Indiewire notes: “A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, Gerima has spent over 40 years making independent films of “ substance and bold expression” (THE WASHINGTON POST). Having worked alongside other independent filmmakers, like Charles Burnett, Billy Woodberry and Larry Clark, Gerima has mastered the production of high value, low budget films, outside of commercial and mainstream institutions…With this June’s campaign on Indiegogo, Gerima expects to reach a new, and younger audience hungry for films like his, while activating the loyal base of supporters that made his previous works possible.”

Watch his sit-down with ReelBlack TV:

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Featured, Interviews

Berhane Daba Awarded 2015 Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award

June 14, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine

BY KASSAHUN ADDIS

Published: Sunday, June 14th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Last week in Berkeley, California, Berhane Daba made history as the first woman and the first disabled person to win the prestigious Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award by the American Peace Corps alumni organization, National Peace Corps Association.

The story of Berhane is one that would make a great inspiring novel. She was born to a poor rural farming family in Holeta town, some 50 miles from Addis Ababa. In 1968, polio stricken by age two, she was left along a dusty roadside by her father in the hopes that a very important person visiting the town would feel pity and help.

“I was put by my father on the road that King Haile Selassie was passing by as he was visiting our town. My father was hoping the king could take me to Addis Ababa where they already established an orphanage for the sick and abandoned. The stars were aligned that day. The king saw a baby with two disabled legs and with no adults around, inquired about me and told his men to take me in and put me in Addis Ababa for treatment,” Berhane remembers.

Once in Addis, she was placed at St. Paulos Hospital for treatment. A few weeks into her stay at the hospital, a young American nurse, Mary Myers-Bruckenstein, came and started providing therapy for the chronically damaged nerves and tissues caused by crawling. In the words of Berhane, who spoke to Tadias Magazine following the award ceremony, “meeting Mary was one of the defining moments” that profoundly changed her life. Mary had arrived as a member of the newly launched U.S. Peace Corps program. At the age of 22 she had joined the mission after graduating with a nursing degree.

“When I met Berhane and saw her condition, I felt that I could help reduce her pain. I saw her strong spirit and started working with her. But the facilities at Paulos hospital were barely enough,” Mary recounts looking back at her first days of encounter with Berhane.

Mary decided to move the little polio stricken baby to Princess Tsehai (renamed Tor Hailoch) hospital where she worked with Berhane to help her regain more strength. Eventually Berhane was able to walk upright using crutches and her spirit was uplifted. Mary took Berhane into her home until it was time for her to leave Ethiopia, and the relationship between them continued to endure as Mary made a common friend promise to continue to take care of Berhane in her absence.

“After she left Ethiopia, I was admitted to Kechene orphanage where I started school, and our common friend, Tekle, would follow up on me and pass on messages of goodwill and postcards from Mary to me. He would read me a letter from her and help me write one to her too,” says Berhane.

As the Emperor was deposed and socialism was declared the state ideology most Western programs in Ethiopia were shut down and the Peace Corps program became a casualty in 1977. It would take another 18 years for the Peace Corps to return to Ethiopia following the overthrow of the same regime that caused its interruption.

Despite the political and social turmoil over years the relationship between Berhane and Mary endured largely due to Tekle. Berhane talks of Tekle as a man “who took his promise seriously over the years and who still remains a good friend.”

At Kechene orphanage, Berhane completed high school and started working at the National Museum as a librarian. Working hard, and along the way proving stereotypes about disability wrong, she rose up through the ranks. In 2008 she earned her Bachelor of Science in Information and Communication Technology from Admas University. Strengthening her educational and career profile was just one of many battles that Berhane says she “enjoyed.” At the same time she was building a small network of disabled women in a bid to explore what they could do to help other disabled individuals in a society that “considers disability as a curse or sin.”

“Being disabled is one thing, being disabled in an environment that doesn’t have enough safety nets is another. Then being a disabled woman is just too much” says Berhane. She reasons that for a long time the culture in Ethiopia had a utilitarian view of women in general, and that is that they are good “either to help in household chores like fetching water and cleaning and cooking or bringing a rich husband. When one is a disabled woman one is thought to be useless, no good to fulfill any of these expectations. You can’t help in the small chores and you cannot bring that rich husband.”

Berhane and the small network of disabled friends commenced to use their own resources to help each other as well as other disabled women. “We soon realized that we should get ourselves organized and help each other and others who lacked the access and opportunities we had,” Berhane adds, recounting the beginning of the establishment of the Ethiopian Women with Disabilities National Association (EWDNA) — an organization that works to empower women with disabilities and provides them with the skills and confidence they need to become economically self sufficient. The association was founded by Berhane and her seven friends, and today it boasts more than 3,000 members. It started with a women’s resource center and now provides technical, financial and vocational training along with counseling and guidance services to members and non-members. Berhane tells of “the huge challenge of placing trainees in the mainstream job market” — hence EWDNA’s subsequent focus on assisting individuals to start their own small businesses as well.

Berhane is optimistic about the future. She has seen some changes in attitudes towards disabilities in the course of her life. She exclaims, “In the past people used to feel pity for us and openly express it as if we are some helpless creatures. You do not see that often these days. People are witnessing that disability is not a curse and that with the right support system, which for that matter everyone needs, disability can be overcome.” She also sees the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by Ethiopia as a step in the right direction.

Berhane met Mary once again at the Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award ceremony. “We both were happy that I won this award,” shares Berhane. “And afterwards we talked and stared into each other’s eyes and saw the best of human spirit in each other.”

—
About the Author:
Kassahun Addis is a New York-based contributing writer for Tadias Magazine.

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Art, Featured

Contemporary Design Africa Book Features Jomo Tariku’s Ethiopia Furniture

June 11, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Thursday, June 11th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — The newly released book, Contemporary Design Africa, includes a highlight of exquisite Ethiopia-inspired furniture designs and Berchuma collection by U.S.-based Ethiopian designer Jomo Tariku. The book, the first of its kind, features fifty artists from Africa and the Diaspora “all of whom are creating sophisticated and innovative products for interiors,” says the publisher Thames & Hudson.

Jomo’s products celebrate the traditional aesthetic of Ethiopian household items with modern design and artistic sensibilities. He told Tadias his designs are available for licensing and could be manufactured for any potential large orders and “the furniture pieces will look great inside one of the many lodges and hotels found all over Africa as well as any residences that want to have unique spaces.” Jomo currently works on graphic design at The World Bank Group in Washington, D.C.

The author of Contemporary Design Africa, Tapiwa Matsinde, is a British-born designer, creative business consultant, blogger and writer of Zimbabwean heritage. She has worked as a graphic designer and a brand guardian in corporate communications for leading international organizations.

“Dynamic, diverse, innovative: this is contemporary Africa, a continent where countless intricately layered stories abound,” Thames & Hudson said in a statement. “In the twenty-first century its designers are eschewing romanticised, clichéd interpretations of the continent’s creative heritage in favour of compelling visual narratives.” The publisher added: “Now in Contemporary Design Africa, author Tapiwa Matsinde captures the vitality and soulfulness shaping design from Africa in this first ever survey of the scene.”

Other designers featured in the book include the award-winning South African organization ZENZULU™, focusing on techniques used by Zulu master weavers; Cheick Diallo, who like many of the featured designers has a focus on sustainability; and Nigerian textile designer Banke Kuku, who “fuses African and Western styles in colourful, visually dynamic ways.”

The publisher notes that “Moreover, Contemporary Design Africa presents talent from lesser-known countries including Mauritania, Guinea and the DRC alongside countries – Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa – already making a definite mark on the global design industry.” In addition to Jomo, the Ethiopian textile company Saba Har (www.sabahar.com) is also showcased in the book under the fabrics section.

Thames & Hudson emphasizes: “Whilst contemporary art and fashion from Africa have gained widespread attention in recent years with several books published on these subjects, Contemporary Design Africa fills a large gap in the market. Revealing the rich possibilities being explored by a new generation of Africa’s creators, this is a comprehensive introduction and a source of inspiration for culturally curious designers, makers and interior enthusiasts everywhere.”

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You can learn more about Jomo Design at Jomofurniture.com. And purchase the book at Amazon.com.

Below are photos featured in ‘Contemporary Design Africa’ Courtesy of the publisher:

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Featured

Deseta Design Offers Ethiopian American Father’s Day Card Collection

June 9, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Tuesday, June 9th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — The latest release from Deseta Design holiday collection by Ethiopian American artist Mariam-Sena (Maro) Haile of Brooklyn, features a playful Father’s Day card featuring her instantly recognizable Ethiopia-centric and fun artwork.

In the United States Father’s Day is usually celebrated on the third Sunday of June and it’s a special time to show your love and to honor the contributions of your parent. This year it falls on Sunday, June 21st.

“Does this imagery bring back good childhood memories?” Maro asked, announcing her 2015 Father’s Day card. “And can you hear your dad now, inhaling each sip of his post-dinner tea with an intense focus on keeping out the steam, and completing each sip with a pronounced ahhhh-SAY!?”

Maro translates the motto for her label Deseta as “live happy.” She says: “I am creating new and unique designs that touch on our rich Ethiopian design heritage but also with a universal appeal.”

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You can learn more and purchase Deseta products at www.deseta.net and Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/deseta. You may also follow on instagram at Instagram.com/desetadesign or Facebook at www.facebook.com/desetaArtAndDesign

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Featured

Super Natural: Liya Kebede is One of the World’s Most Successful Models

June 6, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Sunday Times Style

By Katie Glass

Club 55 — where Elton John lunches when he’s in St Tropez — is the kind of ultrachic beachside restaurant where people in diamond-encrusted Rolexes indulge in three-hour lunches of lobster, while out-ordering each other with magnums of champagne. But when I arrive there to meet the supermodel Liya Kebede, she is not flashing cash among the ostentatious throng. Instead, she’s sitting alone on the beach.

Kebede is here to launch The Outnet’s edit of high-summer clothes: a collection of beachy cover-ups, swimwear and flirty dresses. Today she’s wearing loose cotton trousers and an orange shirt that could pass for pyjamas. “I like being comfortable. I like being effortless,” she says. She has no make-up on, her hair is messily up and she’s drinking a full-sugar Coke, so it’s hard to believe this was the woman photographed in a Dior Haute Couture jumpsuit and curls on the cover of May’s Paris Vogue.

Read the full article at Sunday Times »
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Featured

Peace Corps Volunteers Honor Berhane Daba of Ethiopia with Global Citizen Award

June 4, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Thursday, June 4th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Berhane Daba, President and Founder of Ethiopian Women with Disabilities National Association, has been named winner of the 2015 Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award, a prestigious annual prize given by the National Peace Corps Association. Daba will be honored in Berkeley, California this weekend and then will meet with national disability rights activists and Congress members next week on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

“The Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award honors an outstanding global leader who grew up in a country where Peace Corps Volunteers served, whose life was influenced by the Peace Corps, and whose career contributed significantly to their nation and the world in ways that reflect shared values in human dignity and economic, social, and political development,” the National Peace Corps Association said in a press release. “It is the highest honor bestowed upon a global leader by the National Peace Corps Association.”

Daba’s organization, the Ethiopian Women with Disabilities National Association (EWDNA), works to empower women with disabilities with the skills and confidence they need to become economically independent. According to the press release “Daba advocates for equal access for women and people of disability so that they can reach their full potential — and she understands these obstacles because she has conquered them herself. Diagnosed with polio at the age of four, Daba faced not only an inability to walk, but also widespread estrangement from her community. She was placed in a wing of the Princess Tsehai Hospital with orphaned and disabled children by the age of five.”

The Peace Corps Connection

It was during this period that Daba would meet Peace Corps Volunteer and nurse Mary Myers-Bruckenstein. Seeing Daba as a unique and valuable person with potential, Myers-Bruckenstein decided to take her into her home. Daba then entered an environment where she had an opportunity to heal and to attend school.

Daba viewed gaining an education as her greatest opportunity to live an independent lifestyle. She refused to accept limits placed on her by society, and it is through this process of bettering herself and overcoming prejudice that she found her calling—to assist others and to champion equal access and opportunity for people with disability.

Since founding the Ethiopian Women with Disabilities National Association in 1995, Daba has worked to expand the organization’s member base from its original eight members to over 2,100 today. Beyond providing technical and vocational training, EWDNA offers counseling and guidance services to further empower members to confidently enter the workforce.

EWDNA uses a sustainable business model to fund its programming, operating a bakery where members can work, and thus promoting the organization’s goal of socio-economic empowerment for disabled women.

Daba has become an international leader on behalf of her cause, and has travelled to Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, and South Africa for meetings and conferences. This summer she plans to attend leadership training in Italy sponsored by the International Labour Organization.

“My future plan is to continue struggling for [the] disability moment and support the forgotten disabled people,” states Daba on moving forward. “And if God helps me, I will do something for my birthplace.”

The selection committee noted that “Berhane Daba’s story is emblematic of the direct and life-changing impact that Peace Corps Volunteers can have in communities where they serve, and how that impact can ripple outward. Berhane is a catalyst for changing attitudes about how people with disabilities are viewed, not only in her native Ethiopia, but around the world.”

The NPCA will present Berhane Daba with the 2015 Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award on Saturday, June 6 at Peace Corps Connect – Berkeley. Daba will be in Washington, DC the following week meeting with disability rights activists and members of Congress.

About the Wofford Award:

The Wofford Award is named in honor of Harris Wofford, former U.S. Senator and special assistant to U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who was instrumental in the formation of the Peace Corps. Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar, successful businessman and philanthropist, endowed the Award. He is also the Award’s first recipient, presented to him in September 2011 at the NPCA “Promise of the Peace Corps Gala” celebrating Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary.

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You can learn more about The Harris Wofford Award at Peacecorpsconnect.org.

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Featured

Dukale’s Dream: Friendship, Fair Trade Coffee & Climate Change

June 4, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Thursday, June 4th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — When Actor Hugh Jackman was invited by the UN to speak during Climate Week NYC in 2009 he told the audience of world leaders that the hero of his story is a young farmer named Dukale from the southern district of Ethiopia — the birthplace of coffee. Dukale not only inspired Jackman to be passionate about fair trade coffee but his livelihood taught Jackman how to produce great tasting coffee in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

Invited as World Vision Ambassador Jackman had traveled with director Josh Rothstein to Ethiopia six years ago. The film entitled Dukale’s Dream — which is scheduled to premiere today (June 4th) at SVA Theatre in NYC — documents the friendship that subsequently launched Laughing Man Coffee & marketplace promoting fair trade coffee and tea from around the world including directly from Yirgacheffe Union, the Co-op that Dukale belongs to.

“Dukale has a zero carbon footprint. And it’s humbling,” says Jackman in the documentary feature. Observing the ethically responsible manner in which coffee is grown at Dukale’s farm, with limited resources, Jackman adds: “We need to take a leaf out of their book to be honest. And I’m sure a lot of people in the West can learn a lot. It’s not just about profits; It’s about how can we develop and yet still sustain the planet.”

The message of Dukale’s Dream is timely as Shift Magazine recently published a highlight of the top 10 countries affected by climate change with Ethiopia on the list. The majority of the country’s population works as small-scale and subsistence farmers and they are the ones who would be the most vulnerable and affected by harsh changes in climate. Dukale’s Dream depicts how small but significant changes in lifestyle, such as using a methane gas converter instead of firewood, can reduce deforestation as well as one’s carbon footprint and provide a better environment for current and future generations. Jackman also shares the importance of empowering women in the decision-making process both at home and on the farm in creating sustainable community development programs, and highlights how Dukale and his wife Adanech work as partners.

Following his speech at Climate Week NYC Jackman was propelled to promote his vision that development should not be synonymous with aid or giving a handout. Rather the focus should be in giving individuals a hand-up, opening doors, and providing opportunities for fair trade products to enter the world market. Jackman returned to NYC and launched Laughing Man Coffee & Tea where the best selling fair trade coffee is named Dukale’s Dream. A 100% of the profits of Laughing Man Foundation go to support educational programs and community development programs.

Dukalesdreamcoffee
(Photo Courtesy: Mary’s Cup of Tea online)

Asked what he has taken away from making Dukale’s Dream, director Josh Rothstein shares his hope that “the story can spark an interest in development and direct trade.” He adds: “Maybe the largest takeaway is that viewers and customers are sort of the same thing. By that I mean that every person who sees the film will leave the theatre and think about their next purchase. I am interested in giving viewers the idea that their everyday purchases can have a large impact on the lives of people and the climate. To that end, there is a connectivity, a nurturing, the sense of empathy and compassion for individuals who live very far apart. I’m hoping our viewers will also be moved. I think that is a key ingredient for our survival.”

The theatrical release of Dukale’s Dream is scheduled for June 6th in New York, New Jersey, DC, Miami, Atlanta and Los Angeles. It will be released on video on demand on July 14th.

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You can watch the trailer of Dukale’s Dream below:

and purchase Dukale’s fair-trade coffee at Laughing Man

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Haile Gerima Kicks Off Crowdfunding Campaign for New Film ‘Yetut Lij’

June 2, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — The verbatim, Amharic-to-English, translation of Yetut Lij is “Child of the Breast,” but the actual meaning of the Ethiopian saying refers to a young person who is provided for by an adoptive family. The expression is also the title of an upcoming film by the acclaimed independent filmmaker Haile Gerima, who launched an online crowdfunding campaign this week to help finance a production that “intimates the harsh and complex realities” encased in the phrase: Yetut Lij.

According to the Indiegogo campaign “the story takes place in 1960’s Ethiopia, 20 years after the Italian occupation. Aynalem, a 13-year-old peasant girl, gets adopted by a wealthy judge’s family and taken away from her own, with the promise of an educated upbringing and a better life. Contrary to this promise, she is instead forced to work as a domestic servant. Yet, despite the close watch and cruelty of her employers, she meets and falls in love with an ordinary police man, named Tilahun. Though, he manages to help her escape her circumstances, Tilahun finds Aynalem years later, in the clutches of another formidable captor.”

The film is a “fictional drama with very real implications about human rights, specifically the right to love in the face of local and global forces” says Gerima. “Though, the film is set in Ethiopia, Aynalem [the movie’s main character] for me, represents a vulnerable population of women and girls, who are trafficked exploited and enslaved all over the world.”

“As I dedicate myself to this story, I want you to claim it as your own,” Gerima says. “If you believe in it, stand for it. Support the campaign, and spread the word. Let’s make a film, together.”

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You can learn more and support the project at Indiegogo.com.

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Ethiopian Israeli to Lead Immigration Panel

June 2, 2015 Tadias Magazine

The Jerusalem Post

By LAHAV HARKOV

Naguise makes history as first MK from Ethiopia to lead Knesset immigration panel

In its 35 years of existence, the Knesset Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Committee never had a chairman who emigrated from Ethiopia – until Monday night, when MK Abraham Naguise (Likud) was elected to the position.

Four ministers from the Likud – Immigration and Absorption Minister Ze’ev Elkin, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Science and Technology Minister Danny Danon and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin – attended Naguise’s inaugural meeting, which is not a usual occurrence.

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said the ministers’ attendance shows how important the committee is to many people.

Transportation Minister Israel Katz, with whom Naguise’s is thought to be aligned in the Likud’s internal politics, did not attend.

Naguise went straight to the celebratory meeting from Ben-Gurion Airport, after returning from the Salute to Israel Parade in New York and meeting with Jewish-American community leaders.

“It is an important mission of the country and the new government to strengthen our connection with Jewish communities abroad,” he said.

Naguise said he will focus on encouraging aliya, solving immigrants’ problems and integrating immigrants into society.

Review of ‘Long Ago and Far Away’: A Novel Set In Ethiopia by John Coyne

June 1, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Monday, June 1st, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Author John Coyne was one of the first batch of Peace Corp Volunteers sent to Ethiopia in 1962 where he taught at the Commercial School in Addis Ababa. Since then Coyne, who currently lives in New York, has re-connected with several of his students who have come to America. His most recent (13th) novel entitled Long Ago and Far Away uses Ethiopia as the cultural environment for a love story between two young Americans – a spy serving as a diplomat and a journalist commissioned to produce a tour guide of Ethiopia in 1973. The plot spans a period of 40 years, and goes back and forth in time and place between Ethiopia, the United States, and Spain. Interspersed with mention of historical books written about Ethiopia Coyne also includes a lesser talked about scenario where individuals related to the royal family had been restricted in their movements due to their suspected participation and support of an earlier attempted coup against Haile Selassie.

As the narrator, Parker Bishop, starts the novel with a criminal trial involving a Peace Corp Volunteer’s death he provides a glimpse of the months preceding the uprising of the army that overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie. Coyne depicts the tension in the air surrounding the secrecy of a looming drought in the north of the country and brewing political instability, as well as the explorations of a foreign (ferenji) narrator who is not a complete outsider as he is familiar enough to communicate in the Amharic language. Yet these images that have become so stereotypical of the nation are swiftly challenged with Coyne’s perceptive descriptions of the conditions that ordinary people lived under in rural parts of Ethiopia, the beauty of small moments such as driving on highland roads enveloped by the bloom of Meskel flowers after the annual Summer rainy season, or sharing a cubaya (cup) of tea brewed in a tukul house in Fiche. It’s easy to feel Coyne’s magnetic pull to the land and its people and anyone who has ever spent time in Ethiopia may be instantly catapulted into a sense of nostalgia for the contradictions and uniqueness of the experience.

“It’s not all about Ethiopia, but Ethiopia is the spark of the book,” Coyne tells Tadias. “As a friend of mine said, Ethiopia is the character in the novel. You can’t read the book without learning about Ethiopia.” Coyne has also included a glossary and pronunciation section with phonetic spelling at the end of the book.

Long Ago and Far Away is a novel written with great love of Ethiopia and its essence stays with you long after you have finished reading the last words the lovers say to each other.

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You can learn more and purchase the book at johncoynebooks.com or at amazon.com.

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Ethiopia’s Economy Neither a Sprint Nor A Marathon — The Economist

May 29, 2015 Tadias Magazine

The Economist

May 30th 2015 | ADDIS ABABA | From the print edition

NOWHERE in Africa is modern China more of a lodestar than in Ethiopia, which on May 24th held an uneventful election with a predetermined outcome: another term in office for the long-standing ruling party. The continent’s second most populous country and fastest-growing big economy has close intellectual links with China’s Communists and often sends officials to their party school in Beijing. There Ethiopians imbibe the gospel of industrialisation overseen by a strong state that exerts tight control over an ethnically diverse population with a history of strife.

But all is not well in the relationship. When a new Chinese ambassador arrived in Addis Ababa in February, he presented an unexpectedly awkward message to his hosts. La Yifan told the ruling elite—behind firmly closed doors—that it must discard the isolationism of the past and open up an economy in which the flow of money and information is still restricted. Banking and telecoms are almost antediluvian (see chart). Investors are frustrated. Trade lags expectations. After years of praising the government, the Chinese are now singing from the same hymn sheet as Ethiopia’s Western critics.

The problem is a lack of courage. Many in the Ethiopian government, ruling party and security apparatus acknowledge that only further reforms can sustain the goals of economic growth and political stability. But they are slow to enact them.

The government’s main priority is industrialisation. But endless red tape and restrictions on finance deter investors. Officials point to Huajian, a Chinese shoemaker that has gone from employing 600 locals to 3,500 in a few years. But Ethiopia needs a hundred Huajians. Without faster growth of industry, the country will struggle to absorb labour it hopes to free up from modernising subsistence farms that provide a living to 80% of its people.

Ethiopia Opposition Says Elections ‘Undemocratic Disgrace’

May 29, 2015 Tadias Magazine

AFP

Addis Ababa – Ethiopia’s main opposition party on Friday condemned weekend elections, which saw the ruling party cruise back into office, as a “disgrace” and proof the country was a one-party state.

According to preliminary results from last Sunday’s elections, the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn secured all 442 parliamentary seats so far declared out of the 547 seats up for grabs.

The EPRDF, in power in Africa’s second-most populous nation for over two decades, were widely expected to secure a near clean sweep of parliament, and the outgoing chamber had just one opposition MP — but even this was taken by the ruling party.

“The Blue Party does not accept the process as free and fair and does not accept the outcome of unhealthy and undemocratic elections,” the main opposition party said.

“This 100 percent win by the regime is a message of disgrace” and shows that a “multi-party system is over in Ethiopia”.

Ahead of Sunday’s polls the opposition alleged the government had used authoritarian tactics to guarantee victory — such as intimidation, refusing to register candidates or arresting supporters.

The Blue Party’s spokesman, Yonatan Tesfaye, alleged that 200 party candidates were denied the right to stand for parliament and 52 party members were arrested in the run-up to the polls.

“We don’t think there is an independent justice system to deal with our complaints. We’ll continue our peaceful struggle,” he told reporters.

After the elections, the United States, which enjoys close security cooperation with Ethiopia, also said it remained “deeply concerned by continued restrictions on civil society, media, opposition parties, and independent voices and views.”

The European Union also said true democracy had yet to take root in Ethiopia, and voiced concern over “arrests of journalists and opposition politicians, closure of a number of media outlets and obstacles faced by the opposition in conducting its campaign.”

The African Union observer mission, however, described the polling as “credible” and “generally consistent with the AU guidelines on the conduct of elections in Africa.”

On Wednesday government spokesman Shimeles Kemal said the win came as the result of Ethiopia’s economic advances.

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Highlighting Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship

May 28, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine

By Addis Daniel

Published by Tadias Magazine May 28th, 2015

The Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship (EDF) trains young Ethiopian professionals in leadership development, service, and creative storytelling skills before sending them to Ethiopia to serve at partner organizations for a 6-month fellowship. “We provide an option for Ethiopian Diaspora to connect with Ethiopia in a meaningful way,” says Founder, Rediate Tekeste.

Outside of trips to Ethiopian restaurants, church events, the yearly soccer tournament and of course the retelling of their parent’s tizita — first and second generation Ethiopian Americans find themselves immersed in Western mainstream society, slowly severing the cultural bond between generations. Despite this disconnect, the youth residing in the Diaspora are often times intrigued and attracted by their culture and ancestry. They find themselves connected as much as possible to Ethiopian events, social media groups, and friends — yet find it difficult to deepen that connection in a realistic and meaningful manner. Additionally, Ethiopian adopted young people yearn for a connection to Ethiopia but may not have the network or community to reconnect.

In August, two women, Rediate Tekeste and Meseret Hailu, attempted to assess, from a millennial lens, the push-pull relationship within their generation by sending out a survey via social media and a Diaspora listserv. Expecting less than 200 results, they were shocked to find almost 400 people all over the country had answered their 23 questions with thoughtful answers. The desire for Ethiopian Diaspora youth to be heard was evident. The organization was built using the survey results as a framework to understand the population.

The fellowship offers a bridge — an avenue for exceptional applicants as well as opportunities to participate in trainings, work in a variety of organizations in Ethiopia, and network with local professionals. While in Ethiopia, fellows participate in peer-to-peer mentorship and use storytelling to increase their own cultural identity and become a catalyst for growth and change in Ethiopia. The work of partner organizations collaborating with EDF ranges from technology, education, and health to gender empowerment and an intersection of multiple areas. The vision is to be a model by which young Ethiopians can engage with Ethiopia. Every partner organization is run by Ethiopians and serving Ethiopians. Fellows are required to document their journey through a variety of mediums to strengthen their storytelling abilities and encouraged to reflect on their identity growth.

The team is comprised of Ethiopian Diaspora, Ethiopian immigrants, and a group of advisors with professional skills ranging from psychologists to marketing and health professionals. The varied backgrounds and cultural perspectives of the team allows EDF to gain an in-depth understanding of how this program can serve not only as a medium for connecting a cultural identity but also as a means for Ethiopian-Americans/Ethiopian Canadians to give contribute to their homeland through skills and knowledge transfer.

“There are well-skilled and educated people in Ethiopia doing amazing work, and we aim to utilize those people to help Diaspora youth connect and evaluate their own identity,” said Rediate.

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If you would like more information or would like to support, apply or partner with Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship – please visit www.ethiopiandiasporafellowship.org . Application deadline is June 5th, 2015.

Author Bio: Addis Daniel is a first generation Ethiopian American who spent the last year and a half living and working in Addis Ababa. She is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and is currently living in Los Angeles, CA working as a freelance creative designer and writer. She is passionate about social issues particularly those affecting women and children in developing countries. She hopes to use her talents to empower the people of Ethiopia and allow them advance themselves through community building and education.

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Study: Ethiopian Fossils Indicate New Forerunner of Humans

May 28, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Associated Press

In a paper released Wednesday, May 27, 2015, by the journal Nature, Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selasie and colleagues announce the new find

NEW YORK — A fossil find adds another twig to the human evolutionary tree, giving further evidence that the well-known “Lucy” species had company in what is now Ethiopia, a new study says.

A lower jaw, plus jaw fragments and teeth, dated at 3.3 million to 3.5 million years old, were found in the Afar region of northern Ethiopia four years ago.

That shows a second human ancestor lived in about the same area and time frame as Lucy’s species, researchers said. But not everyone agrees.

In a paper released Wednesday by the journal Nature, the researchers announce the new find and assign it to a species they dubbed Australopithecus deyiremeda (aw-strah-low-PIH’-thuh-kus day-eh-REH’-meh-dah). In the Afar language the second name means “close relative,” referring to its apparent relationship to later members of the evolutionary tree.

But nobody knows just how it’s related to our own branch of the family tree, said Yohannes Haile-Selassie of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, who led the discovery team.

Our branch, which includes Homo sapiens and our closest extinct relatives, arose from the evolutionary grouping that now includes the new creature as well as Lucy’s species. The new arrival, and the possibility of still more to come, complicates the question of which species led to our branch, he said.

Previously, fossilized foot bones found in 2009 near the new discovery site had indicated the presence of a second species. But those bones were not assigned to any species, and it’s not clear whether they belong to the newly identified species either, Haile-Selassie said. If they don’t, that would indicate yet another species from the same time and region as Lucy’s species, Australopithecus afarensis.

An undated photo provided by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History shows Mahammed Baroa, a local Afar working for the Woranso-Mille project, who found the fossils. (AP photo)

Bernard Wood of George Washington University, who didn’t participate in the new work, said the discovery provides “compelling evidence” that a second creature lived in the vicinity of Lucy’s species at the same time. The next question, he said, is how they shared the landscape.

“These fossils certainly create an agenda for a lot of interesting research that’s going to be done in the next decade,” Wood said.

As evidence that the new fossils represent a previously unknown species, the researchers cite specific anatomical differences with known fossils. But Tim White, a University of California, Berkeley, expert in human evolution, was unimpressed.

He said he thinks the fossils actually come from Lucy’s species.

“Anatomical variation within a biological species is normal,” he said in an email. “That’s why so many announcements of this sort are quickly overturned.”

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In Ethiopia, ‘Are You a Journalist?’ Is a Loaded Question

May 28, 2015 Tadias Magazine

VOA News

By Anita Powell

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — Are you a journalist?” the young man asks me as we board the elevator.

In Ethiopia, this is a loaded question. It earned me an extra 45-minute wait at airport immigration as officials thumbed through my passport, pawed through my luggage and asked me what my intentions were.

Several international human rights groups have documented the systematic repression of Ethiopian journalists who were openly critical of the ruling party. About a dozen journalists and bloggers are in Ethiopian prison, accused of terrorism. Many more have fled into exile and are covering this year’s election from afar.

“Yes,” I sigh.

“I’m not happy with this election,” he blurts out. “There is no democracy in Ethiopia.”

Bold, I think admiringly. This is new – when I was assigned to Ethiopia eight years ago, in the aftermath of the government’s violent reaction to an opposition gains in the 2005 election, those sentiments were rarely spoken aloud – and certainly not to random journalists.

Is he trying to bait me? I wonder.

“Oh?” I say, cautiously. “Yes, I’ve heard people say that.”

I get off at my floor, rattled.

People take part in a Blue Party election rally in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, May 21, 2015. (Photo Reuters)

On the campaign trail, the nation’s newest opposition party winds its way through Addis Ababa. Crowds emerge to watch the procession.

“Please, I am journalist from America,” I say in Amharic at every stop, waving at my camera theatrically. “Do you have opinion on the election please? Will you give interview?”

No one volunteers. One man covers his face when he sees me filming the street. The guy next to him takes his phone out and points it in my direction. I remove my sunglasses and stare at him.

Opposition members say they’re confident of getting support at the polling booth. Blue Party spokesman Yonatan Tesfaye even predicts the various opposition parties will grab as many as 100 parliamentary seats, out of more than 500. This would indeed be a triumph: in 2010, the opposition won just a single seat.

One opposition candidate, Yidinakachaw Addis, tells me he was arrested while trying to take food to his imprisoned friends, also opposition supporters.

“I know it’s very difficult to participate in politics, especially in our country,” he says. “I know, even I will be in prison one day. So I am happy, even if I will join my friends in prison, I will be happy for that. I think I did something best for my country.”

Later, the internet has failed in my hotel room, sending me frantically down to the lobby to try to transmit a TV story on the opposition campaign.

Another young man on the elevator. I gesture to my laptop, explain in Amharic, “There is no internet in my house.” (I don’t know the word for hotel room.)

“It’s the government,” he responds, to my surprise. “There’s an election coming and they want to stop the internet.”

Overcome, I show him a snippet of my story. “If you don’t follow them and if you don’t join them and if you don’t do what they need, you can’t do what you need,” says Abdurahim Jemal Araya, a self-described political refugee living in South Africa. “And you need to follow them, each and every thing they are telling you, because there is no democracy at all in our country.”

The young man nods.

“That is my feeling too,” he says grimly.

A woman casts her vote at a polling station, as Ethiopia’s national election kicks off in capital Addis Ababa, May 24, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

Election day starts before dawn. People line up at a typical Addis Ababa polling station. It is calm, orderly, polite. I go from station to station, and at all but one of them my election badge allows me easy access.

“What are you doing here?” asks a burly dude in a leather jacket at that one station.

I’m tempted to tell him I’m on vacation, and just thought it might be fun to, you know, drop by a polling station at 6 a.m. with a video camera. But more burly dudes come over. They tell me to wait, order me to point my camera at the ground.

Finally an election official comes out and scrutinizes my badge.

After a long wait, he tells me, “It’s okay, you are allowed.”

“I know,” I say tartly.

I have little trouble finding ruling party voters. They are, after all, the majority. But I approach voter after voter in an attempt to get a variety of views. Several actually run away from me.

The next day, I meet someone who knows one of the nine jailed bloggers and journalists. He asks not to be identified for fear of reprisal. He says he fears that talking to me so soon after the election could make things worse for the group.

I grill the poor man. “Is it possible,” I ask, “that any one of the nine could have links to actual groups trying to overthrow the Ethiopian government?” That’s the ostensible reason for their imprisonment. Could his friend, who he swears is innocent, have been accidentally pulled in over her head?

He shakes his head and notes that the prosecution hasn’t presented any evidence of terrorism.

“I think it’s a fear of the future rather than a crime of their past that they were arrested for,” he says, explaining that the longtime ruling EPRDF party fears reprisals if they ever lose power.

There’s no obvious sign of this repression he’s talking about. As we sit and talk in a cafe, we both look nervously at a succession of lone men who fill up the tables near us, studying their phones.

I later drop in to see a local business owner, who tells me that three of his workers called in to say they were too afraid to come to work. They refused, he says, to say more.

We talk about rampant rumors that the ruling party has won 100 percent of the vote this time, and I stress that only official results count.

He raises an eyebrow at me, as if to say, “Really?”

A boy sits outside a polling station, as Ethiopia’s national election kicks off in capital Addis Ababa, May 24, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

As journalists, we are limited to the attributed, the concrete, the verifiable, and the achievable. And so, my stories from this election show orderly polling stations, happy voters, and government supporters.

They also include mild endorsement from the only foreign observer mission, the African Union, which said the election was peaceful and credible, although they not use the words “free and fair.”

But my stories on this election are largely missing a silent, and silenced, group. I have no idea how big this group really is, as many won’t speak to me once the video camera or voice recorder come out.

Those who told me they didn’t bother to vote insisted that information was off the record. The blogger-journalist group tried to vote, the friend says, as they have not been convicted of anything and therefore are still eligible. But prison authorities told them there was no nearby polling station.

Opposition campaigner Ephraim Sahle Selassie says he believes that free expression is unstoppable, with the growth of technology and social media.

But for now, in Ethiopia, free expression is just a dream for the future.

WATCH: Anita Powell’s video report on Ethiopian election

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African Observers Say Ethiopia Poll Credible, Opposition Cries Foul (Reuters)

May 26, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Reuters

By Aaron Maasho

ADDIS ABABA – African Union observers said on Tuesday that Ethiopia’s parliamentary election held on Sunday was credible except for a few irregularities, but the opposition dismissed the vote as marred by violations including ballot box theft.

Provisional results in Africa’ second most populous nation are due later this week and few expect anything but a landslide for the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition, in power since ousting dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991.

Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who took over after EPRDF’s long-serving leader Meles Zenawi died in 2012, has pushed on with EPRDF’s highly-centralised statist economic model credited with turning around the fortunes of a country once ravaged by war and famine.

But the opposition — which has one seat in the outgoing 547-member parliament — accuses the government of crushing dissent, limiting free speech, and muzzling the press. The EPRDF denies this, saying the political space is open for all.

“The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) concludes that the parliamentary elections were calm, peaceful, and credible as it provided an opportunity for the Ethiopian people to express their choices at the polls,” former Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba, the head of the AU mission, said.

Pohamba said 59 members from 23 African countries visited 356 polling stations. Ethiopia did not invite Western observers to this election. About 37 million out of Ethiopia’s 96 million people registered to vote.

The observers said no major incidents occurred and that they could vouch for the secrecy of the vote in 95 percent of the polling stations it observed.

Ethiopia Counting Votes After Election

May 26, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Euronews

Ethiopia has started counting the votes after Sunday’s elections.

Provisional results should emerge within a few days and the final result is expected to be announced in June.

The country’s ruling party, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) is widely expected to win a landslide victory.

No Suspense in Ethiopia Election Results

May 25, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Published: Monday, May 25th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — There is little surprise regarding the results of Sunday’s Ethiopia poll. The ruling EPRDF party, which has governed the country for nearly 25 years, is expected to claim an easy victory in another controversial election.

“There were no reports of election-related violence and African Union observers said the voting was ‘orderly,’ VOA reported.

“The voting lines formed well before sunrise in Addis Ababa on Sunday. People thronged to polling stations set up in tents, public halls and schools across this rapidly growing city of more than 3 million residents.”

The Wall Street Journal added: “The controversy over the poll underscores the struggle Western nations have with Ethiopia—praised for its economic progress and security but criticized roundly for seizing lands from farmers, jailing journalists and silencing opposition parties.”

Technically there are 58 parties participating in the national contest, but only two are considered remotely competitive: MEDREK and Blue Party. Deutsche Welle notes: “Most parties are unknown to the electorate or believed to be allied with EPRDF. Opposition leaders allege that the large number of parties served to dilute the vote and create a false perception of a competitive environment.”

Below are photos from Sunday’s election:

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NY Times: Ethiopia’s Ruling Party Is Expected to Keep Grip on Power

May 24, 2015 Tadias Magazine

By JACEY FORTIN

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Like the other people in his village, Berhanu Wodajo, a 40-year-old farmer, is planning to vote for “the bee.”

In the buildup to national elections on Sunday, the insect has become ubiquitous. Its image adorns banners over busy roads, placards at parades and fliers taped to corrugated steel walls. It is the symbol of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, which has held power in this country for 24 years.

“The bee is the government,” said Mr. Berhanu in Dakabora, a tiny village in central Ethiopia. “We don’t know anything about the other options.”

A total of 58 parties have fielded candidates for the federal Parliament and regional assemblies this year, and more than 36 million citizens are registered to vote in Sunday’s election, the first national poll since the 2012 death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who ruled the country for 17 years. His party, the E.P.R.D.F., now led by Hailemariam Desalegn, is expected to hold on to power.

Politicians from the ruling party have campaigned on a record of economic growth. The economy, according to government statistics, grew 10 percent annually over the past decade. The government has also touted construction of large-scale projects like the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which could more than triple electricity generation, and assistance to farmers that helped poverty rates fall from 44 to 30 percent between 2000 and 2011, according to the World Bank.

A spokesman for the E.P.R.D.F., Desta Tesfaw, said opposition parties had little to offer by comparison. “They are not strong enough,” he said. “They have no clear policy. They have no clear program.”

Opposition politicians, meanwhile, have tried to appeal to Ethiopians disillusioned with the ruling party’s tight control over the political sphere, and have campaigned particularly in urban areas.

But most voters believe the opposition stands little chance of success given the dominance of the E.P.R.D.F., especially in rural areas where about 80 percent of the population lives.

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Ethiopia Election Met With Silence From Ordinary Voters

May 23, 2015 Tadias Magazine

VOA News

By Anita Powell

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA/JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — Ethiopia will hold a major election Sunday, but critics of the longtime ruling party say systematic repression has made this vote a nonevent. Outside of the country, Ethiopians who say they are political refugees have even harsher words for the government.

On the streets of Ethiopia’s capital, it’s hard to ignore that an election is coming. But banners and blaring songs aside, this is an oddly quiet election in a nation of some 90 million people.

The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front is virtually guaranteed victory. In the last election in 2010, opposition parties won only a single seat in parliament.

Inside Ethiopia, very few ordinary voters are willing to speak about politics, which seems to support rights groups’ claims that Ethiopia, in the words of Human Rights Watch, “has created a bleak landscape for free expression.”

A spokesman for the EPRDF denies this.

“Most of the time, oppositions raised claims, complaints, and then after we established the complaint committee when it come to the result most of them will be false allegations. But some, very few, may be happened in reality,” said Desta Tesfaw, head of public and foreign relations for EPRDF.

However, the Blue Party, Ethiopia’s newest opposition party, said it has faced harassment, arrests and an unfair playing field.

“Oppositions are not getting a fair proportion of time and location, financing, things like that. Not only that, there are tremendous repression, we have about 50 people arrested only in Addis, about 50,” said Yonatan Tesfaye, Blue Party spokesman.

In South Africa, Ethiopian immigrants said they are able to voice the thoughts they could not share at home. Many said they fled persecution from the ruling EPRDF.

“If you don’t follow them and if you don’t join them and if you don’t do what they need, you can’t do what you need. And you need to follow them, each and every thing they are telling you, because there is no democra(cy) at all in our country,” Ethiopian immigrant Abdurahim Jemal Araya said.

In Addis Ababa, VOA News repeatedly asked gathered crowds if anyone would share their thoughts on the election, either in English or in Amharic. No one volunteered.

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Featured

Ethiopia’s Election: ‘Africa’s Largest Exercise of Political Theatre’

May 23, 2015 Tadias Magazine

The Guardian

By Daniel Calingaert and Kellen McClure

Ethiopia’s election is a wake-up call on human rights and sound governance

On Sunday, millions of Ethiopians will line up at polling stations to participate in Africa’s largest exercise of political theatre. A decade-long campaign by Ethiopia’s government to silence dissent forcibly has left the country without a viable political opposition, without independent media, and without public challenges to the ruling party’s ideology.

For most Ethiopians, these elections are a non-event.

Ethiopia’s elections are just an exercise in controlled political participation

The one potential dividend of these sham polls, however, is the international attention they will garner for the government’s growing political repression. The blatant disregard for internationally recognised standards for free and fair elections just might convince Ethiopia’s largest donors that it is time to rethink their relationship with an increasingly authoritarian government.

As long as democratic governance and respect for human rights are pushed aside by donors in favour of economic development and security cooperation, Ethiopia’s long-term stability is at serious risk.

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Featured

Opponents Question Ethiopia’s Democracy

May 22, 2015 Tadias Magazine

VOA News

By Marthe van der Wolf

ADDIS ABABA — The ruling party in Ethiopia often describes the country as a “developmental democracy” and its policy as “revolutionary democracy.” But opponents question what these policies mean, and say the country is not enjoying much democracy or development at all.

The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front has governed Ethiopia for the past 24 years. For most of that time, the party has promoted the ideologies known as “revolutionary democracy” and “developmental democracy.”

Under these policies, the country has experienced double-digit economic growth after the grueling famine of the mid-1980s.

“You can opt for democracy to be built evolutionary, gradually. You could also opt for a democracy, which must be revolutionary, radically, all the system, all the thinking must be changed, root and branch completely and fast. So this is revolutionary,” explained Redwan Hussein, a government spokesman who also used to head the ruling party’s secretariat.

According to the government, “developmental democracy” means there will be no development without democracy, or democracy without development.

Hallelujah Lulie of the Institute of Security Studies says there is a built-in tension between the two ideologies.

“But the government in development state or democratic developmental state, the role in the economy and the public life, it will decrease through time. But in revolutionary democracy it will increase through time. So that is the difference between the two, in my interpretation,” said Lulie.

Ethiopia’s economy is managed through five-year plans aimed at making Ethiopia a middle-income country by the mid-2020s.

In Addis Ababa, the development is very noticeable, with many new roads, high buildings, an elevated railway and many condominiums to provide housing for the masses.

But two of the bigger opposition parties, Medrek and Blue Party, are critical of the ideological terms and their meaning.

They contest the idea that Sunday’s election will be democratic, saying they face intimidation and harassment by the police and ruling party supporters.

And despite the impressive growth numbers, thousands of Ethiopians leave the country every month hoping to find better lives in the Middle East or Europe.

Medrek chairman Beyene Petros says the development is not affecting the larger population, as 85 percent of Ethiopians live in rural areas:

“I am the first generation moving into an urban setting. So the people that I knew 50 years ago are just living the same kind of life. Scratching the land, using the same plow. The difference is the piece of land which they used to hold, which was much larger, has no shrunk to literally about one-tenth because of the population pressure,” said Petros.

The EPRDF is expected to win Sunday’s elections and the party has already said that five more years of EPRDF will mean a continuation of current policies.

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Featured, Reviews

Lamb Review: Sheer Brilliance Knits Together First Ethiopian Film at Cannes

May 21, 2015 Tadias Magazine

By Jordan Hoffman

The first image in Lamb is a closeup of a small boy’s hand laying gently on the thick, auburn wool of of a sheep. It may be a one-sided relationship – it’s hard to get inside the head of livestock – but Ephraim (Rediat Amare) clearly loves this animal. He lives in a small village in Ethiopia with his father, an area troubled by drought. His mother has recently passed away and his father has decided that he will take the boy to live with cousins in a farmland area with rolling green hills while he goes to Addis Ababa looking for work.

The new family consists of a loving but all-business great aunt who keeps a whip by her side for occasional discipline, a stern uncle, an aunt concerned with her sick daughter, and another daughter who is past marrying age but seems more interested in reading newspapers than getting hitched and having children.

What’s most exciting about Lamb, the first Ethiopian film to play at Cannes (it appears in the Un Certain Regard section), is that it is an ethnographic film made entirely from the inside out. First-time feature director Yared Zeleke attended New York University’s film school, but grew up in Ethiopia’s urban slums during some of its most troubled years. While we’re following Ephraim into a new environment, there’s little explaining done for our benefit. We’re dropped in and left to figure it out for ourselves.

The family are subsistence farmers, and just barely getting by. They have no electricity or gadgets or western clothing. What they have instead are plenty of customs, like putting on an exaggerated show of mourning when Ephraim first arrives, and preparing for a forthcoming Christian feast. It is decided that Ephraim’s sheep will be slaughtered for this holiday, setting up something of a ticking clock. Heading down to the small marketplace, where car radios blaze with music familiar to fans of the Éthiopiques compilation , Ephraim scopes out a bus ticket. He isn’t sure if he wants to go to the city to find his father or to return to his old village. He knows he can’t stay here, though, with the local bully kids, an unsympathetic uncle and a sword looming over his beloved pet’s head.

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Featured

Watch: Yared Zeleke’s Drama ‘Lamb’

May 21, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Indiewire

By Tambay A. Obenson | Shadow and Act

Making its World Premiere at the ongoing 2015 Cannes Film Festival is Yared Zeleke’s coming-of-age drama, “Lamb,” which marks the very first time in Cannes Film Festival history that an Ethiopian film has screened as an “Official Selection.” The country doesn’t have as rich a cinema history as one might immediately assume, with really 3 key filmmakers dominating the landscape – Haile Gerima likely being the most internationally-known, as well as Yemane Demissie and Teshome Kebede Theodros, all combining for about 10 feature films made between the mid-1970s through just before the turn of the century.

Although, as covered on this blog in recent years, there continue to be young up-and-coming Ethiopian filmmakers, embracing the opportunities to create that come courtesy of the democratization of the production process, provided by evolving technologies – Yidnekachew Shumete (“Nishan”) and Zeresenay Mehari (“Difret”) are just 2 of the most recent, whose films have traveled, and that we continue to follow. And then there are co-productions like “Crumbs,” the Spanish-Ethiopian post-apocalyptic feature film that will be making ts North American premiere at the LAFF in June. There is also “Beti and Amare,” the part sci-fi/fantasy, and part historical romantic drama set in World War 2-torn Ethiopia, directed by German filmmaker Andy Siege, which continues to tour the international film festival circuit.

And there are several others…

Yared Zeleke and his 2015 Cannes selection, “Lamb,” can now be added to that growing list.

The film hails from Slum Kid Films, an Ethiopia-based film production company co-founded by Ama Ampadu, which aims to discover and nurture emerging talent in Ethiopia, as well as to support the development of Ethiopian filmmaking.

“Lamb” tells the tale of nine-year-old Ephraim and his constant companion, a sheep named Chuni. Ephraim’s affection for Chuni deepen after he loses his mother to famine. Consequently, his beloved father sends him and Chuni far away from their drought-stricken homeland, to live with distant relatives in a greener part of the country. Ephraim soon becomes a homesick outcast who is always getting into trouble. When his uncle orders him to slaughter Chuni for the upcoming holiday feast, Ephraim devises a devious scheme to save the sheep and return to his father’s home.

Below are still pictures from the movie:

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Featured

No Western Observers for Ethiopian Elections

May 20, 2015 Tadias Magazine

VOA News

By Marthe van der Wolf

May 20, 2015

ADDIS ABABA — The only international observers during Ethiopia’s elections Sunday will be from the African Union, with opposition parties already feeling the AU observers are not demanding enough in their criticism of Ethiopia’s election process, which is dominated by the ruling party.

Nine long-term AU observers (LTOs) arrived in April, and another 50 short-term observers arrived last week.

Former Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba, head of the mission, commended Ethiopia for being stable and peaceful even while located in a volatile region.

“The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia is appointed by the prime minister and approved by the parliament of Ethiopia. The AU LTOs noted that some interlocutors have expressed the concern in the manner of the appointment of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia and urged that more political stakeholders be consulted in order for the process to be more transparent and inclusive,” Pohamba said.

Anti-terrorism law

The long-term observers also raised concerns about Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism law and how it could be used to undermine freedom of expression and the media’s right to protection of their sources and rights.

The long-term observers of the African Union have so far visited 20 districts in eight regions and will leave after the first week of June.

But opposition parties are not impressed with the African Union observers.

Blue Party spokesman Yonathan Tesfaye said, “We don’t think the AU is an international observer, it’s a legitimacy of dictatorship. It’s just a cover. You have the U.S. who refused one way or another, you have the EU who somehow admitted that the previous observations [hadn’t] done anything.”

Ethiopia’s last elections in 2010 were observed by a European Union mission. The The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) party won those elections in a landslide, taking all but one seat in parliament.

According to a recent European Union statement, the EU decided to sit out this year’s elections because its previous recommendations to Ethiopia were not accepted.

Government spokesman Redwan Hussein said there was a difference of opinion between the Ethiopian government and the final recommendations of the EU mission.

‘Nothing to do with elections’

“Whatever prescription they made, it had nothing to do with the election. It has to do with the entire democratic system, and legal system and policy issues. So we didn’t subscribe to that subscription because it has nothing to do with elections,” Hussein said.

Nearly 37 million Ethiopians are registered for the Sunday elections. More than 5,800 candidates from 58 political parties are running for parliament and regional offices.

Fewew than 1,300 of the candidates are female — a situation the African Union attributes to a lack of resources and lack of encouragement in Ethiopia’s culture.
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Related:
As Ethiopia Votes, What’s ‘Free and Fair’ Got to Do With It? — The Washington Post
Washington Enables Authoritarianism in Ethiopia (Aljazeera America)
Ethiopian PM Faces His First Election Ever (VOA News)
Wendy Sherman Says Editorial on US-Ethiopia ‘Mischaracterized My Remarks’ (The Washington Post)
The United States’ Irresponsible Praise of Ethiopia’s Regime — The Washington Post
U.S. Wrong to Endorse Ethiopia’s Elections (Freedom House)

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Featured

Chester Higgins’ Homage to Ethiopia

May 19, 2015 Tadias Magazine

By Fayemi Shakur

Chester Higgins Jr. has traveled to Africa every year since 1971 as a way to meditate, disconnect and examine his life. Through the experience of photographing new people and places, his art both shapes and reflects his narrative. And nowhere is that truer for him than in Ethiopia, a place that has long enchanted him.

“It’s a great relief to step out of my comfort zone and live in a place for six weeks without having to worry about how people react to me,” said Mr. Higgins, whose work from Ethiopia is on display beginning this month at the Skoto Gallery in New York. “I think the problem we have as artists in America is pretty soon you can get locked into a paradigm that inhibits your creative expansion. One gains a cognitive freedom when you embrace the understanding that the world is much larger than your immediate reality. When I travel to Ethiopia or Africa I’m not in search of something exotic, I’m in search of reflections of myself. In Ethiopia, I’m no longer in a society where I am a minority. I am the majority.”

Mr. Higgins, a former staff photographer for The New York Times, has published several collections, including “Feeling the Spirit: Searching the World for the People of Africa.”

“You would never travel to Africa if you listened to the news,” Mr. Higgins said. “I wanted people who couldn’t travel to get a feel from the book of what people are like elsewhere to expand horizons and perspectives.”

He first went to Ethiopia in 1973, prompted by news that African heads of state were gathering for an Organization of African Unity meeting in Addis Ababa. On that trip, he met and photographed the emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, and other heads of state. Taken by the calm sense of self he found among the Ethiopian people, he returned the following year to see other parts of the country.

“Red Leaves” Starring Debebe Eshetu

May 18, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Monday, May 18th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — The renown Ethiopian actor Debebe Eshetu plays the lead role in the new award-winning Ethiopian-Israeli movie Red Leaves (debut film by director Bazi Gete) that explores complicated issues related to immigration, family, culture, and the process of adopting to a new country.

The film, which screens at the opening of the 12th annual Sheba Film Festival at the JCC in New York on Tuesday, May 19th, tells the story of a recently widowed “Seventy-four-year-old Meseganio Tadela [who] immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia with his family 28 years ago,” according to the synopsis.

“He chooses to zealously retain his culture, and in effect talks very little and hardly speaks Hebrew. After losing his wife, Meseganio sets out on a journey that leads him through his children’s homes. As the harsh reality begins to hit him that he belongs to a rapidly disappearing class that believes in preserving Ethiopian culture, he struggles to survive according to his own rules.”

Debebe — whose international credits include a role in the 1973 US film Shaft in Africa — is the only professional actor featured in the 80 minute movie in Hebrew & Amharic with English subtitles made in 2014.

“Other than lead actor Debebe Eshetu, Gete cast non-actors in his debut feature, which he shot in a documentary style mainly in Tel Aviv,” adds Screen Daily. “Each actor knew where he was going and we simply rolled and kept on filming through the scene. “I think it was a wise choice. This almost documentary cinematic style serves the film’s voice and preserves its authenticity,” Gete says.”

Other films scheduled to screen at the 2015 Sheba Film Festival include Asni: The Life of Asnaketch Worku, Courage, Passion & Glamor in Ethiopia by director Rachel Samuel of Ethiopia and The Village of Peace by Israeli filmmakers Ben Schuder & Niko Philipides.

—
If You Go:
12th annual Sheba Film Festival
Venue: JCC Manhattan
334 Amsterdam Ave
New York. NY 10023

Venue: TSION CAFE
763 St.Nicholas Ave
(Btwen 148 St& 149 streets)
New York, NY 10031

More info & tickets at www.binacf.org.

Related:
Preview: 2015 Sheba Film Festival

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Events, Featured

Aster Aweke Live in NYC June 5th

May 17, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Sunday, May 17th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Aster Aweke returns to SOB’s in New York City on Friday, June 5th.

The opening act for Aster’s concert is Dance Theater of Nepal Master Musicians who will be fundraising for the victims of the earthquake in their country. “We are combining the two cultures to show that Ethiopians are extending their hands to Nepal,” the announcement said.

The event is sponsored by several Ethiopian restaurants in New York including Bunna, Ghenet and Bati in Brooklyn, as well as Awash, Meskerem, Injera and Queen of Sheba in Manhattan.

Aster, who has been dubbed the queen of Ethiopian pop music, has been entertaining her fans around the world for more than 30 years. Her label Kabu Records notes: “Her songs have become anthems to her fans in Ethiopia, as well as to Ethiopians living abroad, and she continues to win the hearts and minds of world music lovers.”

—
If You Go:
Aster Aweke Live at SOB’s
Friday, June 5th, 2015
Door opens at 11pm
Admission $30 in advance
For info and Table reservation call:
917.943.7817 or 917.821.9213
www.sobs.com

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Featured

Netanyahu, President Rivlin Show Strong Support to Ethiopian Jews in Israel

May 17, 2015 Tadias Magazine

The Jerusalem Post

By HERB KEINON, GREER FAY CASHMAN

Calling the Ethiopian immigrants “flesh of our flesh, equal among equals,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that there is no place for racism and discrimination in Israeli society.

“We will fight with all our strength against those unacceptable phenomena,” he said of racism and discrimination at an annual ceremony at Mt. Herzl commemorating Ethiopian Jews who died while trying to make their way to Israel. “We will uproot this from our lives. We will turn it into something inferior, despicable.”

Netanyahu’s comments came just two weeks after protests by Ethiopian-Israelis against discrimination rocked the country.

Courtesy: Prime Minister’s Office – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin attend ceremony commemorating Ethiopian Jews who perished while making aliyah.

Adega 911: New Website Launched to Assist Ethiopian Migrants in Danger

May 15, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Friday, May 15th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — For the past two weeks a group of tech-savvy Ethiopian American social activists in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area have been working on building an online hub where people can post and track missing loved ones in Libya, Yemen and South Africa, as well as other countries where Ethiopian migrant workers face constant dangers. The result is a new website called Adega911.com, which the creators say is “dedicated to helping our compatriots, who find themselves under trying circumstances, in troubled areas of the world and in need of intervention to save their lives.”

Adega 911 allows users to report information both publicly and anonymously regarding missing persons that will in turn will be publicized via social media platforms. “We will post and share your plea on Facebook and Twitter,” the webmaster said. “The site plans to be a place for getting pertinent list of resources, teach about the dangers of crossing through unstable countries and harsh environments, and an open space for dialoguing with community organizations on how to deal with migrant concerns. We believe we have a lot to learn but wanted to share what we have done.”

In addition, the website aims to “provide a forum for the families of migrant workers, loved ones and others to confidentially post any information about them in order to help locate and remove them from harm’s way. It also serves as a forum for the public to anonymously post any helpful information that may lead to the rescue of any missing persons; provide a centralized place where individuals, aid organizations, government entities and others can confidently and securely offer any assistance at their disposal to help in this effort; coordinate any offered help to bring about the desired outcome of bringing misplaced workers and others home or relocating them to safety; build a database of information about conditions or other factors that may be relevant; as well as raise public awareness of the plight of migrant workers and others trapped in these circumstances by providing accurate and reliable information about their conditions.”

The site is still a work in progress and the creators say they welcome constructive criticism.

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Learn more at www.adega911.com.

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Featured

Photos: Col. John Robinson Bust Unveiled in Ethiopia

May 13, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Wednesday, May 13th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Last week, on Ethiopian Patriots Day, the unveiling of a bust in commemoration of Col. John Robinson was held at Gulele Cemetery in Addis Ababa in the presence of Ethiopian officials and foreign embassy dignitaries.

Robinson, a.k.a. The Brown Condor, was an African American pilot who fought alongside Ethiopians during the war against Fascist Italy and is also credited for training commercial pilots and laying the groundwork for what would eventually become Ethiopian Airlines.

The ceremony was organized by the Ethiopian Patriots Association in collaboration with the International Council for the Commemoration of Col John Robinson.

Below are photos from the event:

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Featured

Kemekem: US Ethiopian Artist Meklit Hadero’s Ode to the ‘Afro’

May 13, 2015 Tadias Magazine

BBC News

A song praising the perfect ‘Afro’ hairdo features in the new album by Ethiopian-American artist Meklit Hadero.

She draws on influences from America, where she grew up, and Ethiopia, where she was born, and told the BBC what inspires her music.

Ethiopian-Israelis Demand Ministerial Committees to Help Community

May 11, 2015 Tadias Magazine

The Times of Israel

BY STUART WINER

Protest leaders say charges against those arrested at demonstration should be dropped, ask for improvements in housing, education

The leaders of a protest movement alleging systemic discrimination against the Ethiopian-Israeli community demanded on Sunday that the government improve education and housing, and set up ministerial committees to address Ethiopian needs. They also demanded that charges against community members arrested at a recent riot in Tel Aviv be dropped.

At a press conference in Tel Aviv, a panel of activist leaders expressed their frustration with what they said was the government’s shortcomings in addressing the quality of life of the Ethiopian-Israeli community.

“The decision makers neglected the Ethiopian community and ignored the harsh realities, in which an entire generation feels that it is not part of society and has no place in it,” said Inbar Bugale, one of the leaders of the movement, reading from a prepared statement.

Members of the Ethiopian-Israeli community say they are protesting years of institutional racism and discrimination, as well as ongoing police brutality. The release of a video showing police beating an Ethiopian-born soldier, apparently unprovoked, sparked the protests last month.

The activists stated Sunday that not only was the national government to blame for the situation, but also the local authorities. They called for greater monitoring to ensure that the Ethiopian community is not marginalized.

“There should be no discrimination toward the community. They should treat us like every other citizen,” Bugale said.

Bugale rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call last week for the establishment of a ministerial committee to assess the situation of the Ethiopian community and claimed that three years ago, Netanyahu had publicly declared that “there is no place in Israel for racism.

“We will not give up just because of Netanyahu’s announcement to set up a ministerial committee; we have already heard that from the prime minister,” she related. “Then, just as today, he promised to root out racism; then, too, he promised to fight it.”

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Art, Featured

Julie Mehretu: Multiple Identities

May 10, 2015 Tadias Magazine

NBC News

BY JULIE CERULLO

As a child, Julie Mehretu liked to make stuff.

“I was always…very interested in making, drawing and painting,” she said, “constantly.” But even as a young adult, she recalls, “I didn’t necessarily maybe know that I could have a life as an artist.”

In 2013 her painting “Retopistics: A Renegade Excavation” commanded $4.6 million at a Christie’s auction, ranking her among the top ten most expensive living female artists, according to art and literature website, Culture Type.

The daughter of an American Montessori School teacher and an Ethiopian college professor, Mehretu embodies multiple identities. She’s Ethiopian-American. She’s half black. She’s married to a woman. She’s a mother. And she’s a renowned artist. For Mehretu, making art, “is about trying to make sense of who you are,” she said.

Mehretu spent her early childhood in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Her parents planned to raise her there. But by 1977, she said, “Ethiopia really became a casualty of the Cold War.” So they left.

(Photo by Teju Cole)

They resettled in East Lansing, Michigan, where both her parents resumed teaching. Mehretu recalls that she was excited about coming to America, but she missed Addis Ababa, the place she knew as home. “I had this wonderful childhood there,” she said.

Mehretu is still close to her roots there. She proudly shared that some of her work hangs at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa.

Mehretu works primarily in abstraction. Her pieces are large scale as in 23 by 80 feet – about the size of a tennis court. They resemble networks of fast moving, interconnected and balanced galaxies. She lives and works in New York, along with her wife and two school age sons. She says, though, that New York is somewhat myopic.

Even at the forefront of contemporary art, Mehretu articulates a sense of challenge about being a black woman of African descent in the American art world. “I think it’s difficult for black artists still,” she says, “to work in languages where you’re not really talking about blackness.”

For Mehretu, the process of making art is one of self-discovery but she doesn’t force that discovery back into her work. Rather, what she makes is much more reflective of the world around her than of herself. “In Europe,” she says, “or in other places on the continent it’s more about what the work is and what the work is doing than who the artist is. That’s always, I think, where the conversation should be.”

Teddy Mitiku’s Saxophone Being Auctioned on Ebay

May 10, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Sunday, May 10th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — A saxophone that used be owned by legendary Ethiopian musician Teddy Mitiku is being auctioned on Ebay by his family. The instrument (Selmer Series III Alto Sax) is in “solid shape and was well cared for,” said the saxophone dealer coordinating the sale on behalf of Teddy’s widow.

Teddy who had lived in the United States since 1983 passed away in 2013 at the age of 58 after a long illness. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Meaza Bezu, a daughter, Makeda, and his brother, the renowned singer-musician Teshome Mitiku.

“Teddy was a member of the legendary Soul Ekos Band—the first independent musical ensemble to be recorded in Ethiopia,” the announcement added. “He was also the cornerstone of many other famous bands formed in Ethiopia in the 1960s and ’70s. His instrumental renditions have been continuously popular. Teddy had a unique style beloved by Ethiopians. During his long career, Teddy performed with numerous top Ethiopian musicians, including the legendary singer Tilahun Gessesse, and the “father of Ethio-jazz” Mulatu Astatke. He was also a member of the Ibex Band, as one half of the group’s two-saxophone horn section on the classic Mahmoud Ahmed record Ere Mela Mela.”

The saxophone being sold, according to the dealer, was recently “disassembled, cleaned and adjusted in preparation for sale. The pads are old and while the horn is playing it is not up to its potential. You might be able to start swapping pads out one by one but really it needs a standard overhaul and it will be ready for years of serious use. You should plan at the least on having several pads changed and ideally have them all done. The tone is rich and full and will work well in a wide variety of playing situations. Classical players can use them but so can jazz and R+B players. Case is a black, hardshell contoured Pro Tec in good clean used condition.”

Below are photos of Teddy Mitiku’s Saxophone. You can learn more about the auction at ebay.com.

Teddy Mitiku’s Saxophone. (Photo: Ebay)

(Photo: Ebay)

Video: Ethiopian Instrumental Music Teddy Mitiku (Amalele)

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Featured

Fix Challenges Facing Ethiopian Israelis

May 7, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Breaking Israel News

By Michael Freund

This past Sunday night, the heart of Tel Aviv was transformed into a war zone. It was hard to watch the painful scenes from Rabin Square, where police deployed water cannons and stun grenades as a peaceful rally by Ethiopian Israelis devolved into chaos.

Nonetheless, the violence that erupted should hardly come as a surprise.

Given the failures that have characterized efforts to integrate Ethiopian Jews into the Jewish state, the turmoil that ensued was as predictable as it was lamentable.

Indeed, it was just two years ago this week that state comptroller Joseph Shapira issued his first annual report, which included a whopping 74 pages on how successive Israeli governments have botched their handling of this important issue, their efforts hampered by waste, inefficiency and lack of proper oversight.

Shapira noted, for example, that programs to assist Ethiopian high-school students with their matriculation exams were run by both the Education and Absorption Ministries without any coordination between the two. As a result, there were cases in which the two programs were run in the same school at the same time, resulting in double the overhead costs, without either government office being aware of the redundancy.

In another instance, the government launched a special initiative to help families that had immigrated from Ethiopia to obtain mortgages with favorable terms. But Shapira found that over the course of four years, a grand total of two Ethiopian families had benefited from the program.

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Featured

Message From Ethiopian Israeli Attorneys

May 6, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
News Update

Press Release

As a supporter of Tebeka, you know that Tebeka’s staff, board members, and volunteers have been working to address and eliminate discrimination against the Ethiopian Israeli community for over 14 years. While the protests of the last two weeks were triggered by the unprovoked and unwarranted beating of an Ethiopian Israeli soldier by Israeli police officers, the magnitude of these protests is fueled by frustration over the many years of police violence and broader discrimination against the Ethiopian community. In this Jerusalem Post article, Tebeka’s Executive Director, Fentahun Assefa-Dawit, and other Ethiopian Israeli leaders discuss long-standing issues of discrimination, police violence, and mistrust.

It is unfortunate that a number of protesters and police officers were injured during otherwise peaceful and legitimate protests. We wish the injured a fast and full recovery. Tebeka supports peaceful demonstrations for equal rights and is providing legal assistance and representation to community members arrested during the protests.

Earlier this week Fentahun was invited to urgent meetings with the Israel Chief of Police, Yochanan Danino, to discuss police violence and discrimination against Ethiopian Israelis. Chief Danino acknowledged the problem and has committed to setting up a special task force that will include high-ranking officers and representatives from the Ethiopian community. The task force will examine community concerns and demands including:

Re-opening the case files of Ethiopian teens and young adults arrested for police assault to determine if these cases involved police discrimination and violence. The Ethiopian-Israeli soldier who was beaten by police was subsequently charged with police assault, suggesting a more widespread use of this charge following police violence against Ethiopian Israelis.

Incorporating education on diversity and discrimination into police force training and on-going professional development.

Equipping police officers with body cameras.

Introducing a culture of community engagement in the police force in order to create mutual trust and understanding between the police, Israeli public, and particularly the Ethiopian community.

On Monday, Fentahun was invited to a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss discrimination facing the Ethiopian community and policy changes needed to eliminate racism and discrimination and promote a more just Israeli society for Ethiopian Israelis and all minority groups. Thanks in part to Tebeka’s recommendations, Prime Minister Netanyahu has made three commitments:

PM Netanyahu demanded from the Chief of Police an immediate improvement in police interaction with the Ethiopian community, prioritization of the task force described above, and an intermediate report on the progress of the task force within 30 days.

Promised to establish an inter-ministerial commission headed by the Prime Minister to address the socio-economic disparities experienced by the Ethiopian Israeli community. He also agreed to allocate the necessary budget to address the issues identified by the commission.

Personally take up the issue of racism against all groups in Israel during his term in office.

Damas Pakada, the Ethiopian Israeli soldier beaten by Israeli police, which was caught on video and mobilized the community, sparking protests and demonstrations in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. (FEJ)

Tebeka’s staff is currently working around the clock to respond to the urgent needs of protestors and victims of police violence, as well as policy meetings with Israeli officials. While media attention may soon shift to other topics, Tebeka commits to continue to address police violence and discrimination against the Ethiopian community until we bring an end to discrimination and inequality. Over the next year, Tebeka will be investigating prior cases in which Ethiopian Israelis were charged with police assault, as well as representing new and previously unknown victims of police violence. Tebeka will participate in policy meetings, task forces and commissions to address police violence and broader discrimination. Tebeka will also follow up regularly with the Chief of Police and Prime Minister to ensure implementation of the promises made this week.

Tebeka’s long-term commitment to this work is only possibly thanks to the generous support of our donors. Please show your continued financial support (click here) for Tebeka’s work to ensure equality and justice for all Ethiopian Israelis. If you would like to make a very large gift, please contact Fentahun Assefa-Dawit at Fentahun@tebeka.org.il or +972-54-4713292 to discuss a strategic funding partnership.

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You can learn more about Tebeka at www.tebeka.org.il.

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Soldier Becomes Unlikely Face of Ethiopian-Israeli Discontent (Video)

May 5, 2015 Tadias Magazine

By ISABEL KERSHNER and JODI RUDOREN

JERUSALEM — A slender and boyish-looking Israeli soldier, wearing a skullcap and an army shirt with sleeves too long for him, has become the unlikely and unwitting face of an outburst of anger and violent protests that have shaken Israel.

But Demas Fikadey, a 21-year-old soldier of Ethiopian descent, said he did not see himself as a symbol or a hero.

He was heading home alone, in uniform, on April 26 when he was beaten by two Israeli police officers in the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon, where he lives. The seemingly unprovoked assault, caught on video, was broadcast on national television and went viral on social networks, unleashing the pent-up rage of a young generation of Ethiopian-Israelis who have taken to the streets in recent days.

“It just happened to me,” Mr. Fikadey said in an interview Monday, more than a week after his assault and a day after thousands of demonstrators converged on Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square to protest police harassment and the discrimination many Israelis of Ethiopian descent say they experience regularly.

Ethiopian-Israelis confronted Israeli security forces in Tel Aviv on Sunday. Israeli leaders appealed for calm after a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Sunday night in which 56 police officers were injured and 43 protesters were arrested. Credit Jack Guez/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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Ethiopian-Israeli Protest Turns Violent

May 4, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Read the full article and watch video at The Guardian »

By ISABEL KERSHNERMAY

TEL AVIV — A protest on Sunday by thousands of Ethiopian-Israelis and sympathizers against police harassment and brutality turned by nightfall into a chaotic and unusually violent confrontation with the police in the center of Tel Aviv.

The demonstration began peacefully in the afternoon with protesters blocking main thoroughfares of Tel Aviv, paralyzing the heart of the city for hours as officers looked on and stopped the traffic. Later, demonstrators hurled stones, overturned a police vehicle and clashed with the police in Rabin Square. Officers responded with stun grenades and water cannons.

About 46 people were slightly injured, half of them police officers, and at least 26 protesters had been arrested by midnight, according to the police.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for calm, saying, “All claims will be looked into but there is no place for violence and such disturbances.”

The police said that agitators had stirred up the atmosphere. Many here compared the cry of the young, angry generation of Ethiopian-Israelis who came out on Sunday to the tensions in American cities like Baltimore or Ferguson, Mo., that have been roiled by friction between blacks and the police.

Ethiopian Cafés Popping Up Across US

May 3, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Sunday, May 3rd, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Last year we featured an interview with Elias Gurmu and his wife, Sarina Prabasi, owners of Café Buunni, a specialty coffee shop in New York City that offers certified organic and micro-roasted coffee sourced from Ethiopia. Café Buunni opened in 2012 soon after the owners had relocated to New York from Addis Ababa. Elias and Sarina met in Ethiopia several years ago while Sarina was working for a non-profit organization and Elias was employed as a distribution agent for DKT International.

The Guardian followed up with the couple this week in a piece entitled, Ethiopian Coffee Shops Sprout up Across the US…Thanks to Starbucks, highlighting Café Buunni as one of several Ethiopian-owned cafes that have opened in major American cities despite the obvious competition from mega corporations like Starbucks.

Café Buunni is “the only Ethiopian-owned (technically co-owned, as Prabasi is originally from Nepal) and run coffee shop in New York City. But it’s one of a dozen coffee houses that have been popping up across the country, including in Chicago; Washington, DC; Minnesota’s Twin Cities; and San Francisco,” writes Nina Roberts in the Guardian.

“The trend is a sign of the growing number of Ethiopian immigrants in the US. It’s also a testament to the country’s gourmet coffee revolution. And that, Prabasi says, is thanks – at least partly – to Starbucks.”

The Guardian adds: “Unlike the nearby Washington Heights Starbucks, Café Buunni has a distinct neighborhood feel. The full-bodied aromas of Yirgacheffe, Harrar, Limu and other prized Ethiopian coffees have long replaced the smells of leather and shoe polish. The towering Gurmu is often stationed behind the gleaming espresso machine, young baristas working around him. From its first week in operation, the cafe has become a neighborhood sensation. It is nearly always full, with a line out the door on weekday mornings and weekends, and goes through 200lbs of coffee a week. It has also exceeded all of its owners’ financial expectations, breaking even in a mere six months and turning a profit soon afterward, Prabasi says.”

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African American Pilot Col. John Robinson (Brown Condor) to be Honored in Ethiopia

May 1, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Taias Staff

Published: Friday, May 1st, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Ethiopia will host the first annual national commemoration of American pilot Col. John C. Robinson, who was nicknamed “The Brown Condor” for his heroic commanding of the Ethiopian Air Force during the war against Fascist Italy. Robinson will be honored on May 5, 2015 on Ethiopian Patriots’ Day at Victory Square in Addis Ababa.

“Col. John C. Robinson was an inspiring African American aviation pioneer and a brave Ethiopian war hero,” said the International Council for the Commemoration of Col. John C. Robinson in a press release. “He was instrumental in the formation of what was to become the Tuskegee Airmen of WWII fame, led Ethiopian Air Forces against Italian aggression, and trained numerous military and civilian pilots for Ethiopia. Among his many accomplishments, he established the first African American owned airline and pilot school in Chicago, USA, and founded the American Institute School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. After sacrificing his life for Ethiopia, Col. Robinson is finally receiving his due recognition.” Robinson died in a plane crash in Ethiopia in 1954. He is buried at Gullele cemetery in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian historian Ayele Bekerie writes: “When the Italo-Ethiopian War erupted, [Robinson] left his family and went to Ethiopia to fight alongside the Ethiopians. According to William R. Scott, who conducted thorough research in documenting the life and accomplishments of John Robinson, wrote about Robinson’s ability to overcome racial barriers to go to an aviation school in the United States. In Ethiopia, Robinson served as a courier between Haile Selassie and his army commanders in the war zone.”

Expected guests at the event include Mulatu Teshome, President of Ethiopia, and former President of Ethiopia Girma W/Giorgis, as well as Abune Mathias who will provide the benediction.

The Press release added: International guest and official representatives of the embassies as well as thousands of Ethiopians will witness the unveiling of a bust, in the likeness of this great American hero, who dedicated his life to defending Ethiopia during the Ethio-Italian War of 1935, and preparing it to achieve the commercial status it receives today in the airline industry. Other activities will take place, including the unveiling of a mural, by Ethiopian artist Ato Fasil Dawit, depicting the life of Col. Robinson that is planned to be displayed at the Bole International Airport. Throughout the week of May 3rd, several lunches and dinners are planned with members of the Council, US and other embassy personnel and guests. Future plans include official recognition from the US government for his lifetime achievements to American aviation.

Below is a text of the remarks made by U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Patricia M. Haslach at the Dedication of a Reading Garden in Honor of John Robinson on February 19, 2015 at the U.S. Embassy, Addis Ababa.

As Prepared for Delivery on February 19, 2015 at the U.S. Embassy, Addis Ababa

Your Excellency Girma Wolde Giorgis,

Former President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,

Mr. Henok Tefera, Vice President for Strategic Communications of Ethiopian Airlines

Invited guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is with great pleasure that the Embassy of the United States of America recognizes the contributions of U.S. citizen John Charles Robinson who came to the aid of Ethiopia during its time of need in the struggle against fascist occupation in the 1930’s, and who again returned to a peaceful and independent Ethiopia following World War II to help establish a professional Ethiopian Air Force and Ethiopian Airlines.

John Charles Robinson was born in 1903 in Florida and grew up in a very segregated South. In 1910, when John was 7, he saw his first aircraft, a float plane that taxied to the beach. John Robinson knew that he wanted one day to fly an airplane, and he set out to overcome the obstacle of segregation. He did this by learning to excel at school and later at work, to never let disappointments overcome his determination and to wear his successes with modesty.

He enrolled in the Tuskegee Institute and learned to become an automobile mechanic. He decided there would be better job opportunities in the North, so he moved to Detroit where he earned a reputation as an exceptionally good mechanic. Moving to Chicago, he wanted to enroll in the Curtiss-Wright Aviation School, but black students were not welcome. Although he had a full-time job in an auto garage, he signed on as a nighttime janitor in a Curtiss-Wright classroom, absorbing the instructor’s ground-school lectures. The instructor realized how determined John was and persuaded the school to let him enroll.

After graduation, John went on to form a small flying school, encouraging young black men to enroll. This fact came to the attention of Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, who was working to modernize his country. He invited Robinson to come to Ethiopia to head his Air Force. Robinson came to Ethiopia and built a cadre of black pilots and ground crews and was named the Commander of the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force.

John Robinson joined Ethiopia in its fight against fascist Italy, but, ultimately, the Italians conquered Ethiopia, if only temporarily. Haile Selassie escaped to England and John Robinson to America. Back home, his aviation school thrived. Tuskegee, to which he had proposed an aircraft school in the 1930s, finally had one and turned out hundreds of who became the Tuskegee Airmen, who gained fame in World War II. After the war, Haile Selassie invited Robinson back to Ethiopia, first to rebuild his Air Force, then to create Ethiopian Airlines. As with everything else, this remarkable man performed these jobs with determination and thoroughness.

In the history of U.S.-Ethiopian relations, beginning with the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1903, there have been many individuals from both our countries who have brought our nations together in common endeavors for our mutual benefit. John Robinson’s story stands out as a remarkable example of the individual bonds between the peoples of our two countries.

Today, we honor the spirit of this bond between the Ethiopian and American peoples by dedicating a Reading Garden in memory of Col. John Robinson who gave his life for Ethiopia 60 years ago. The establishment of this reading garden at the U.S. Embassy is part of our month long celebration of Black History month, and will commemorate the extraordinary contributions of Col. Robinson, who lost his life in the service to the Ethiopia on March 26, 1954.

We are indebted to and appreciate the contributions of John C. Robinson, and commit to honoring his name and memory so that future generations may aspire to follow in his footsteps in strengthening the partnership between our two nations.

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Israel’s Ethiopians Protest in Jerusalem

April 30, 2015 Tadias Magazine

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

APRIL 30, 2015

JERUSALEM — Hundreds of protesters, mainly members of Israel’s Ethiopian immigrant community, have rallied in Jerusalem, pelting the police with stones and bottles and denouncing what they said was discrimination against them because of their race.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said two officers were hurt in Thursday evening’s protest. The protesters blocked roads and marched toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat arrived at the scene to appeal to the protesters to restore calm.

Tempers flared this week when a video emerged of an Ethiopian Israeli in army uniform being beaten by police in an alleged racist attack. Netanyahu condemned that attack.

Thousands of Ethiopian Jews live in Israel, many of them secretly airlifted in 1984 and 1990, but their absorption into Israeli society has been rocky.

Watch: Israelis of Ethiopian origin protest police violence in Jerusalem (Reuters)

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Lamb: Yared Zeleke’s Film at Cannes 2015

April 29, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Wednesday, April 29th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Another movie from Ethiopia is creating a social media buzz in the international movie circuit. The latest comes from Yared Zeleke and is called Lamb, which tells the growing-up story of a 9 year-old boy named Ephraim and his friend Chuni in Ethiopia’s spectacular countryside during hard times. The feature drama, produced by Addis Ababa-based Slum Kid Films, has been selected to screen at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in France. It is the first time in the festival’s history that an Ethiopian film has been chosen for screening.

In an interview with the Manhattan Digest, Yared who holds an M.F.A. in Writing and Directing from New York University, said: “I grew up in the slums of Addis Ababa during one of the darkest periods of Ethiopia’s 3,000-year history. Emperor Haile Selassie had just been deposed in a military coup and the country was consequently thrown into cycles of war and famine. The ongoing conflict and chaos in my country caused me to also lose my family and home while a young boy. Despite the disturbances, I had a happy childhood.”

Yared now lives back in Addis Ababa and has “worked for various NGOs in Ethiopia, the U.S., Namibia, and Norway before pursuing filmmaking. Yared has written, produced, directed, and edited several short documentary (“Allula”) and fiction films (“Lottery Boy”). He also worked for director Joshua Litle on his award winning documentary, “The Furious Force of Rhymes.” In his native Ethiopia, Yared edited documentaries for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).”

He told the Manhattan Digest that “My first feature, Lamb, is analogous to my life’s journey in that it is deeply personal and inescapably political. It is a semi-autobiographical drama about the heart, heartache, and humor of everyday life in my homeland.”

In the film “Ephraim’s affection for Chuni deepened after he lost his mother to famine the year before. Consequently, his beloved father sends him and Chuni far away from their drought-stricken homeland to live with his distant relatives in a greener part of the country. Ephraim soon finds himself to be a homesick outcast who is always getting into trouble. When his uncle orders him to slaughter the sheep for the upcoming holiday feast, Ephraim devises a devious scheme to save Chuni and return to his homeland.”

Screenshot from Yared Zeleke’s new film “Lamb.”

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Photos: New York Ethiopians Hold Vigil in Times Square for Victims of ISIL Violence

April 29, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Wednesday, April 29th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Hundreds from the Ethiopian community in the New York City area gathered at Times Square on Tuesday evening for a candlelight vigil to honor the victims of the recent ISIL violence in Libya.

The NYC event included both Christian and Muslim religious leaders who condemned the murders and called for Ethiopians to stand united. Speakers included Abune Basilios, Kes Mezgebu Menkir of the Beata le Mariam Church, Imam Yisaq Ibrahim of the Ethiopian Muslim Community of New York and Abreham Desta of the Evangelical Church of NY.

Additional speakers were Professor Getachew Haile, community activist Makda Amare, and Tsegereda Mulugeta.

In her speech Makda, Chairperson of Humanitarian Organization for Ethiopians in Need of NY & NJ, shared with the crowd current statistics highlighting the continuing plight of female migrant workers in the Middle East as well as the victims of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, and countless Ethiopian citizens who are currently stranded in Yemen in the midst of civil war. Makda said her organization is working with International Organization for Migration (IOM) to help those in Yemen, but urged others to participate and also called on the Ethiopian government to do more.

The evening also featured songs and the lighting of candles.

Below are photos:

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Zéma: Photo Exhibition in New York City

April 27, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Monday, April 27th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — Former New York Times photographer Chester Higgins’ upcoming exhibition at Skoto Gallery in Manhattan is timely and aptly tilted ZÉMA: A Love Song “celebrating Ethiopia’s unique landscape and people and presenting the artist’s impressionistic imagery honoring ancestral spirits along the Blue Nile.”

Higgins has been photographing Ethiopia since he first traveled there in 1973. Some of his stunning images of the country include iconic Christian and Muslim religious sites such as the Sof Omar Cave in Bale and the St. George church in Lalibela, as well as the Omo people in Southern Ethiopia.

“When I ﬁrst encountered the Omo, I had to think about how much of what was before me was a shadow of the past, smoke of the present or a light from the future,” he writes about his travels in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley. “In their homeland the relationship among the people, the land and the sky guides life in very pragmatic ways, revealing something about their spiritual sense of the cosmos. Against a dramatic starry backdrop, the Omo look for the sun’s appearance in different places on the horizon to tell the seasons. When twilight reveals the four stars of the Southern Cross, the two Pointers rising in a straight line at sunset and falling to the horizon at sunrise, they know the Omo River will soon ﬂood. It is time to migrate to higher ground. When the ﬂood recedes, they return to plant their crops.”

Regarding his approach to photography, Higgins adds: “Wrestling with issues of memory, place and identity, I see my life as a narrative and my photography as its expression. My art gives visual voice to my personal and collective memories. It is inside ordinary moments where I find windows into larger meaning. Light, perspective, and points in time are the pivotal elements I use to reveal an interior presence within my subjects as I search for what I identify as the Signature of the Spirit.”

Photos by Chester Higgins, Jr.

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If You Go:
May 21-June 20, 2015
SkotoGallery
529 West 20thstreet, 5th Floor
New York, New York 10011
tel 212.352.8058
info@skotogallery.com
skotogallery.com

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In Pictures: DC Vigil for ISIL Victims in Libya

April 25, 2015 Tadias Magazine

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Updated: Thursday, April 30th, 2015

New York (TADIAS) — A candlelight vigil is being held in various Ethiopian Diaspora communities in memory of the 30 people that were recently killed by ISIL militants in Libya. The terrorist network released a video last week showing the gruesome, on-camera execution of Ethiopian migrant workers, most of whom were Christians.

In New York a gathering in honor of the victims was held on Tuesday, April 28th at Times Square. In addition, a special prayer service was held on Sunday afternoon at Medhanealem church in the Bronx.

Below are photos from a similar gathering held in Washington, D.C. earlier last week on Thursday, April 23rd, which attracted hundreds of people, both Christians and Muslims, who met at the Washington Monument and walked together to the White House.

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Letter From an Ethiopian Prison

April 24, 2015 Tadias Magazine