Tadias Magazine
Events News
By: Martha Z. Tegegn
Thursday, September 3, 2009
WASHINGTON — Ethiopian-Americans for Change (EA4C) will hold their first community dialogue on Sept. 9th, 2009 in Washington D.C. at Hominy Restaurant and Lounge. The dialogue comes at a time when EA4C is eagerly preparing for its upcoming Ethiopian-American Appreciation Day on Sept. 25th.
“This is a chance for all Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians who are interested to know more about Ethiopian-Americans for a Change or the September 25th event to come out and ask any and all questions,” said Rahel Fikre, Communication Organizer for the group.
Formerly known as Ethiopians for Obama, EA4C successfully got thousands of Ethiopian-American voters to register and vote for President Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign.
“After the elections we had a choice to make, disband and go our normal routine, or to apply the knowledge we gained from the Obama campaign to reach out and organize our voices for the betterment of our community,” adds Fikre.
Rahel Fikre
The group is passionate about empowering the younger generation and is very cautious not to appear as a partisan organization. “We don’t want anyone to guess what we are about or what we stand for. Through the September 9th dialogue we want to stress our standpoints and are ready to answer any questions and concerns the public may have,” mentioned Teddy Fikre, founding member and Event Organizer.
EA4C has members and event organizers in major cities across the United States, and hopes to hold additional events, discussions, conference calls, and blog sessions with those outside of the Washington DC metro area. The group has also extended invitations to other community-based organizations and businesses to participate in the upcoming dialogue.
Apart from securing modest sponsorship, EA4C is a volunteer organization that is fully funded by its members. Future plans include formalizing the group as a non-profit organization before the end of 2009. EA4C invites all individuals who have the passion and interest to serve the Ethiopian-American community. Membership is free.
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Cover photo courtesy of EA4C.
If you go:
Sept. 9th, 2009 @ 7:30 P.M.
Hominy Restaurant and Lounge
Located at: 2001 11th Street NW Washington DC 20001
Phone: Ph: 202-299-0800