Wednesday, January 23, 2008
THE TOPIC IS ETHIOPIAWINET
Girma Kassa
Muziky68@yahoo.com (Chicago)
January 23 2008
Allow me to share with you a story from Seattle. It is about two Ethiopians who do not know each other before but were connected by a coincidence, at a great event in Seattle, a march of born again Christian evangelicals, called "March for Jesus". The marchers were walking on sidewalks of one of a major street in Seattle.
All of a sudden traffic was blocked. The light was green, but a cab driver was not moving forward. He was standing outside of his cab and staring at another person, an Ethiopian who was "marching for Jesus". Drivers behind him made the place very noisy with the horns of their cars. But the Ethiopian cab driver did not budge at all. After few minutes, he got back in his taxi and continued his usual routine.
The cab driver did not walk out from his cab just to stare at one "marcher for Jesus". He walked out from his cab because he saw a big "green-yellow-red" flag of Ethiopia carried, with pride and honor, by the Ethiopian marcher. The cab drive could not just stay in his car and pass by, without saluting Ethiopia which was symbolized by its flag.
“I do not care if the others make noise outside; I do not care if I get a ticket; I do not care if I had to reach at my destination very shortly….Ethiopia is coming first; everything else has to wait” the cab driver said with his actions.
At that moment, the flag of Ethiopia or Ethiopawinet connected these two brothers of ours. Ethiopawinet connects. Ethiopiawinet is something that is the only one that can bond us together. Ethiopiawinet is something that is precious and that we cannot hide from. Ethiopiawinet is not a jacket that we can pull off at anytime. It is not something that we lose when we become citizens of another country. It is deeply mixed with our flesh, with our blood vessels, with our bones and also with our soul and with our spirit.
We may think that we have changed. We may refuse to be recognized as Ethiopians. Since we are living in the Diaspora we may assume we had nothing to do with Ethiopia.
However, we cannot change our Ethiopiawinet. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” says the Bible in Jeremy 13:23. Ethiopiawinet is "us"; it is our identity. To lose our "Ethiopiawinet" is equivalent to losing "ourselves". If there is no Ethiopia, There is no “us”. PERIOD.
For so long, "Ethiopiawinet" has been considered as unimportant and secondary; for so long the strong bond that connects all Ethiopians, which is Ethiopiawinet, has been challenged by the politics of division and ethnicity.
Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam shared to us an extraordinary act of Ethiopiawinet in his letter from Kaliti prison. [1]During the early years of the TPLF rule, only the flag of the TPLF was seen on the streets and in public places of Tigray. However, in defiance to the un-Ethiopian policies of the TPLF, small green-yellow-red flags of Ethiopia were posted either on the doors and the walls of each household. These were clear and unambiguous signals to the TPLF leaders. “Don’t waste your time. We will not forget our flag. You may take it out from the streets, but you cannot take it away from our heart” the people of Tigray defiantly declared to TPLF leaders. This is Ethiopiawinet.
As has been reported on major Ethiopian media outlets, Ato Siye Abraha has been touring major U.S. cities to address Ethiopians of his vision and the need for national reconciliation. Some may have doubts because of Ato Siye’s prior association with TPLF. (which is justified) However, I for one, am very happy to see a man who has been one of the architect of ethnic division, emerging with stature and confidence as a messenger of Ethiopiawinet and advising every "Ethiopian to be weary of ethnic divisions as the prevailing regime is ruling by dividing Ethiopians across ethnic lines, so that it can prevent a united Ethiopian resistance, by replacing ethnicity with Ethiopianess.".[2]
Fellow Ethiopians,
This is what we call the Spirit of Kinijit. (i.e. I am not talking about the party but the movement). Kinijit the party may have a new name and a new election symbols. However the movement of Kinijit is very much alive and the same. The movement of Kinijit does not need approval or consent from any authority. This movement has surely penetrated everywhere. Genuine calls for democracy, accountability, rule of law, and Ethiopiawinet are coming now from all corners. The politics of fear, intimidation and behind the scene conspiracy are being shown the "bye-bye" signals.
“Kinijit is dead” [3]declared Ato Zeru Hagos on his article posted on Aigaforum. Another fellow Chicagoan Ato Mezgebe Christos wrote that “Kinijit is broken beyond repair”. However, what we see these days, is not a “broken beyond repair”[4] Kinijit. What we see is a Kinijit that is winning the battle of ideas and issues. Ethiopiawinet, which is one of the core principles of Kinijit, is winning. TPLF and its old and rejected policies of ethnic divisions and hate are losing.
As we have witnessed with the Democratic EPRP and now with people who used to be TPLF officials, Ethiopians are converging from different directions and from across the section of our population to the same noble cause:- the establishment of a prosperous, democratic and united Ethiopia where all its citizens, regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, gender and are equal. It is a clear indication that the journey of democracy and peace has started for real. There will be no turning back.
With dictators drinking their whiskies in Minilik palace, the prospect of success may seem remote. Some may be discouraged. However, as Havelock Ellis wrote:” the Promised Land always lies on the other side of a Wilderness”. If we march forward with faith, confidence and solidarity; if we avoid looking back and focus on the future; if we carry on our back those who are weak and cannot walk; if we stop fighting among ourselves and pointing fingers at one another; if we make Ethiopia first more than our self interest and our political party affiliation; if we forgive and love one another.. . we can easily and quickly cross the wilderness.
“We may go to the moon, but that’s not very far. The greatest challenge we have to cover still lies within us” said the great French leader, General Charles De Gaulle. If we bring out our potential and start believing in ourselves; if we open our eyes for the truth, recognize our God given right and decide to claim all that is ours, it means we have traveled far away from the moon. It means we have already crossed 90% of the wilderness.
My fellow Ethiopians, we are there. As Dr Tewodros Kiros coined it on an article posted on Ethiomedia, “the new topic is Ethiopiawinet”. We are in good shape. Let us come together and give no room for hopelessness. With more determination and the help of the Good Lord we will prevail.
May the Lord Bless Ethiopia!
[1] http://www.mesfinwoldemariam.org/docs/zemenegrmbit.pdf
[2] http://www.ethiomedia.com/access/seeye_new_thinking.html
[3] http://www.aigaforum.com/Closing_a_Chapter.htm
[4] http://www.aigaforum.com/The_guru_of_Kinijit.htm
Muziky68@yahoo.com (Chicago)
January 23 2008
Allow me to share with you a story from Seattle. It is about two Ethiopians who do not know each other before but were connected by a coincidence, at a great event in Seattle, a march of born again Christian evangelicals, called "March for Jesus". The marchers were walking on sidewalks of one of a major street in Seattle.
All of a sudden traffic was blocked. The light was green, but a cab driver was not moving forward. He was standing outside of his cab and staring at another person, an Ethiopian who was "marching for Jesus". Drivers behind him made the place very noisy with the horns of their cars. But the Ethiopian cab driver did not budge at all. After few minutes, he got back in his taxi and continued his usual routine.
The cab driver did not walk out from his cab just to stare at one "marcher for Jesus". He walked out from his cab because he saw a big "green-yellow-red" flag of Ethiopia carried, with pride and honor, by the Ethiopian marcher. The cab drive could not just stay in his car and pass by, without saluting Ethiopia which was symbolized by its flag.
“I do not care if the others make noise outside; I do not care if I get a ticket; I do not care if I had to reach at my destination very shortly….Ethiopia is coming first; everything else has to wait” the cab driver said with his actions.
At that moment, the flag of Ethiopia or Ethiopawinet connected these two brothers of ours. Ethiopawinet connects. Ethiopiawinet is something that is the only one that can bond us together. Ethiopiawinet is something that is precious and that we cannot hide from. Ethiopiawinet is not a jacket that we can pull off at anytime. It is not something that we lose when we become citizens of another country. It is deeply mixed with our flesh, with our blood vessels, with our bones and also with our soul and with our spirit.
We may think that we have changed. We may refuse to be recognized as Ethiopians. Since we are living in the Diaspora we may assume we had nothing to do with Ethiopia.
However, we cannot change our Ethiopiawinet. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” says the Bible in Jeremy 13:23. Ethiopiawinet is "us"; it is our identity. To lose our "Ethiopiawinet" is equivalent to losing "ourselves". If there is no Ethiopia, There is no “us”. PERIOD.
For so long, "Ethiopiawinet" has been considered as unimportant and secondary; for so long the strong bond that connects all Ethiopians, which is Ethiopiawinet, has been challenged by the politics of division and ethnicity.
Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam shared to us an extraordinary act of Ethiopiawinet in his letter from Kaliti prison. [1]During the early years of the TPLF rule, only the flag of the TPLF was seen on the streets and in public places of Tigray. However, in defiance to the un-Ethiopian policies of the TPLF, small green-yellow-red flags of Ethiopia were posted either on the doors and the walls of each household. These were clear and unambiguous signals to the TPLF leaders. “Don’t waste your time. We will not forget our flag. You may take it out from the streets, but you cannot take it away from our heart” the people of Tigray defiantly declared to TPLF leaders. This is Ethiopiawinet.
As has been reported on major Ethiopian media outlets, Ato Siye Abraha has been touring major U.S. cities to address Ethiopians of his vision and the need for national reconciliation. Some may have doubts because of Ato Siye’s prior association with TPLF. (which is justified) However, I for one, am very happy to see a man who has been one of the architect of ethnic division, emerging with stature and confidence as a messenger of Ethiopiawinet and advising every "Ethiopian to be weary of ethnic divisions as the prevailing regime is ruling by dividing Ethiopians across ethnic lines, so that it can prevent a united Ethiopian resistance, by replacing ethnicity with Ethiopianess.".[2]
Fellow Ethiopians,
This is what we call the Spirit of Kinijit. (i.e. I am not talking about the party but the movement). Kinijit the party may have a new name and a new election symbols. However the movement of Kinijit is very much alive and the same. The movement of Kinijit does not need approval or consent from any authority. This movement has surely penetrated everywhere. Genuine calls for democracy, accountability, rule of law, and Ethiopiawinet are coming now from all corners. The politics of fear, intimidation and behind the scene conspiracy are being shown the "bye-bye" signals.
“Kinijit is dead” [3]declared Ato Zeru Hagos on his article posted on Aigaforum. Another fellow Chicagoan Ato Mezgebe Christos wrote that “Kinijit is broken beyond repair”. However, what we see these days, is not a “broken beyond repair”[4] Kinijit. What we see is a Kinijit that is winning the battle of ideas and issues. Ethiopiawinet, which is one of the core principles of Kinijit, is winning. TPLF and its old and rejected policies of ethnic divisions and hate are losing.
As we have witnessed with the Democratic EPRP and now with people who used to be TPLF officials, Ethiopians are converging from different directions and from across the section of our population to the same noble cause:- the establishment of a prosperous, democratic and united Ethiopia where all its citizens, regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, gender and are equal. It is a clear indication that the journey of democracy and peace has started for real. There will be no turning back.
With dictators drinking their whiskies in Minilik palace, the prospect of success may seem remote. Some may be discouraged. However, as Havelock Ellis wrote:” the Promised Land always lies on the other side of a Wilderness”. If we march forward with faith, confidence and solidarity; if we avoid looking back and focus on the future; if we carry on our back those who are weak and cannot walk; if we stop fighting among ourselves and pointing fingers at one another; if we make Ethiopia first more than our self interest and our political party affiliation; if we forgive and love one another.. . we can easily and quickly cross the wilderness.
“We may go to the moon, but that’s not very far. The greatest challenge we have to cover still lies within us” said the great French leader, General Charles De Gaulle. If we bring out our potential and start believing in ourselves; if we open our eyes for the truth, recognize our God given right and decide to claim all that is ours, it means we have traveled far away from the moon. It means we have already crossed 90% of the wilderness.
My fellow Ethiopians, we are there. As Dr Tewodros Kiros coined it on an article posted on Ethiomedia, “the new topic is Ethiopiawinet”. We are in good shape. Let us come together and give no room for hopelessness. With more determination and the help of the Good Lord we will prevail.
May the Lord Bless Ethiopia!
[1] http://www.mesfinwoldemariam.org/docs/zemenegrmbit.pdf
[2] http://www.ethiomedia.com/access/seeye_new_thinking.html
[3] http://www.aigaforum.com/Closing_a_Chapter.htm
[4] http://www.aigaforum.com/The_guru_of_Kinijit.htm
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
TOOLS OF DICTATORS
“Repression is not the way to virtue. When people restrain themselves out of fear,
their lives are by necessity diminished.”
Mihaly Csiszentmihalyi
FEAR AND HOPELESSNESS FROM THE PART OF THE PEOPLE ARE GIFTS TO DICTATORS.
It has been 32 months since the people of Ethiopia has spoken for democratic changes, economic reforms and Ethiopiawinet. Unfortunately the voice of the people was not heard. Its vote was rigged and a democratic system was not established in Ethiopia as we hoped for. It seems dictators in Arat Kilo may be drinking whiskies in the Minilik palace because of their cosmetic and tentative success in suppressing the voice of the people.“What next?“ some Ethiopians may ask. The answer is easy and simple. There is no turning back and the struggle for our right, dignity and our country’s national unity must continue. Despair and hopelessness are out of question.
In order to bring democratic change in a country that is under a direct or systematic dictatorship (a dictatorship that looks democratic on the outside but is anything but democratic on the inside) , one need to know the strengths and weaknesses of the dictators or the tools they use to stay in power. Dictators major tools used to suppress the people are: weakening the population, dividing the democratic forces and destroying independent civic societies.
Emotionally, psychologically and economically weakening the populations they rule is the first major tool dictators use to preserve their power. They create the sense of hopelessness and fear within the mind of the people and create a false image of invincibility. They inculcate the complete submission to their authority. Therefore, people will be too frightened to share their hatred of the dictatorship and their hunger for freedom. They become often terrified to think seriously of resisting the regime. Instead, as Gene Sharp said, they face "suffering without purpose and a future without hope".
One way to weaken the public is to create fear with the barrel of the gun. In June and November 2005, security forces directly commanded by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi displayed acts of terror and cruelty in day lights, on hundred of thousands on civilians in Addis Ababa, Dessie, Ambo, Ginchi … A 16 year beautiful girl, Shiberre Dessalegn, was gunned down on the street of Addis Ababa. Concentration camps in Ziway, Shewarobit, Dedessa …were filled with tens of thousands young brothers and sisters of ours. The CUD opposition leaders, reporters, human right groups were one by one arrested and locked in Kaliti prison. (Some of the prisoners were in their 70th and some like anti-poverty advocates Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie are still languishing in their prison cells)
Why such cruelty? Why such barbaric actions by Ethiopians on fellow Ethiopians?
The answer is easy. They wanted to give a lesson that opposing the TPLF is equivalent to playing with fire. They wanted to instill fear within the mind of the people and force the people to bow down and accept the status quo. They wanted to send a clear signal that they and only they have power over everyone.
The second way to mentally enslave the public is to use economic powers. Tens of millions of our fellow Ethiopians in Ethiopia are living in harsh poverty. In exception to those who have relatives in the Diaspora or those who have some kind of connections with the regime most are living way down below the poverty line. When the very few are crusing the road of Addis Ababa with BMWs and living in gated houses comparable to houses in Beverly Hills, many eat only one meal a day. This is a systematic policy of the regime to economically strangle Ethiopians at large by their neck, so that they only focus on getting bread but not their God given human and democratic right.
Any major corporation in Ethiopia is either government controlled or controlled by investors who are allied or are part of the ruling party. "We are the one who give you job. Don't you want to feed your children? Don't mess with us" they frighten Ethiopians.
On top of using, in parallel, the military and economic baton on the people of Ethiopia, the regime is also blocking any flow of information from independent media that may help the people knows the truth. Major pro-democracy websites are blocked. Independent reporters were denied license to function. The VOA and DW are being jammed.
Since information is power, such systematic blackout of the media is a third way of weakening the population.
A second tool systematically used by dictators is to divide the democratic forces. Making sure the solidarity of democratic forces did not happen is one of the top priorities of dictators.
The TPLF is currently trying to confuse the people by giving the name of Kinijit to Ato Ayele Chamisso and the election sign to Ato Lidetu Ayalew. Such move is mainly to portray a superficial division of Kinijit and block Kinijit executive from legally reaching out the people. (A similar tactic was also used two years ago on the ONC of Dr Merrara Gudina.)
As democratic forces are united, 100 % of the efforts will be focused on ending the dictatorship. The establishment of democracy and the deliverance of people from bondage is a noble cause that must be waged without division and with strong solidarity of all democracy and peace activists.
The third tool of dictators is to deny the people platforms over which they can communicate one another and empower themselves. Consorted and systematic attacks are done on social, political, economic and even religious institutions of the society that are outside of the government control. The independent civic institutions are deliberately weakened, subordinated or even replaced by groups that are affiliated with the dictatorial government.
All in all, in order to combat dictatorship all strategies must first focus on empowering the people. The empowerment of we, the people, start with one key item: believing in ourselves and having hope.
These days it seems the cloud of despair and defeatism has entered our territory. We have started believing nothing can be done. We have closed the book, accepted the status quo and decided to live under tyranny. THAT MUST STOP.
It is time to speak out and assert our freedom in our country. We are all created in the image and likeness of God. God has given us a country called Ethiopia. He has given us the right to live in peace and dignity in Ethiopia. The TPLF must not be allowed to continue taking away from us our right and our dignity that God gave us, and is only ours.
Let our silence end. We may not have publicly supported the TPLF. We may not have directly contributed to the gross human right abuses in Ethiopia. However, our silence is the reason the TPLF is messing our country. Our silence is providing bullets for the TPLF security forces.
In every struggle there are ups and downs. Some may say, "It is impossible to force change in the Meles administration". Our effort may be seen as meaningless. The situation in Ethiopia may be “calm" with Prime Minister Meles at the helm of power. HOWEVER, WE SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP. Despair and losing hope from the part of the people is the major enemy in the struggle for democracy and the greatest gift dictators can have. It may take years. We might not see a free Ethiopia in our time. But our children will one day rejoice in a free, prosperous and democratic Ethiopia.
It is in this context that I call for a renewal of our mind and our spirit. Instead of being filled with fear and despair it is time to learn to believe in ourselves. “What is man without freedom” said Judge Birtukan Mideksa in her letter she released from Kaliti prison. A life lived in fear and despair is no better than death. A life lived without a purpose is a tragedy. A man who only thinks of himself and forgets where he came from, is a man who is spiritually weak and sick.
As Csiszentmihalyi said: “Repression is not the way to virtue. When people restrain themselves out of fear, their lives are by necessity diminished”. We can choose to live in repression and fear, and diminish ourselves; or we can be free from fear and assert our freedom. The Choice is all ours.
May The Lord Help us make the right Choice!
Girma Kassa
Muziky68@yahoo.com
Chicago
In order to bring democratic change in a country that is under a direct or systematic dictatorship (a dictatorship that looks democratic on the outside but is anything but democratic on the inside) , one need to know the strengths and weaknesses of the dictators or the tools they use to stay in power. Dictators major tools used to suppress the people are: weakening the population, dividing the democratic forces and destroying independent civic societies.
Emotionally, psychologically and economically weakening the populations they rule is the first major tool dictators use to preserve their power. They create the sense of hopelessness and fear within the mind of the people and create a false image of invincibility. They inculcate the complete submission to their authority. Therefore, people will be too frightened to share their hatred of the dictatorship and their hunger for freedom. They become often terrified to think seriously of resisting the regime. Instead, as Gene Sharp said, they face "suffering without purpose and a future without hope".
One way to weaken the public is to create fear with the barrel of the gun. In June and November 2005, security forces directly commanded by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi displayed acts of terror and cruelty in day lights, on hundred of thousands on civilians in Addis Ababa, Dessie, Ambo, Ginchi … A 16 year beautiful girl, Shiberre Dessalegn, was gunned down on the street of Addis Ababa. Concentration camps in Ziway, Shewarobit, Dedessa …were filled with tens of thousands young brothers and sisters of ours. The CUD opposition leaders, reporters, human right groups were one by one arrested and locked in Kaliti prison. (Some of the prisoners were in their 70th and some like anti-poverty advocates Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie are still languishing in their prison cells)
Why such cruelty? Why such barbaric actions by Ethiopians on fellow Ethiopians?
The answer is easy. They wanted to give a lesson that opposing the TPLF is equivalent to playing with fire. They wanted to instill fear within the mind of the people and force the people to bow down and accept the status quo. They wanted to send a clear signal that they and only they have power over everyone.
The second way to mentally enslave the public is to use economic powers. Tens of millions of our fellow Ethiopians in Ethiopia are living in harsh poverty. In exception to those who have relatives in the Diaspora or those who have some kind of connections with the regime most are living way down below the poverty line. When the very few are crusing the road of Addis Ababa with BMWs and living in gated houses comparable to houses in Beverly Hills, many eat only one meal a day. This is a systematic policy of the regime to economically strangle Ethiopians at large by their neck, so that they only focus on getting bread but not their God given human and democratic right.
Any major corporation in Ethiopia is either government controlled or controlled by investors who are allied or are part of the ruling party. "We are the one who give you job. Don't you want to feed your children? Don't mess with us" they frighten Ethiopians.
On top of using, in parallel, the military and economic baton on the people of Ethiopia, the regime is also blocking any flow of information from independent media that may help the people knows the truth. Major pro-democracy websites are blocked. Independent reporters were denied license to function. The VOA and DW are being jammed.
Since information is power, such systematic blackout of the media is a third way of weakening the population.
A second tool systematically used by dictators is to divide the democratic forces. Making sure the solidarity of democratic forces did not happen is one of the top priorities of dictators.
The TPLF is currently trying to confuse the people by giving the name of Kinijit to Ato Ayele Chamisso and the election sign to Ato Lidetu Ayalew. Such move is mainly to portray a superficial division of Kinijit and block Kinijit executive from legally reaching out the people. (A similar tactic was also used two years ago on the ONC of Dr Merrara Gudina.)
As democratic forces are united, 100 % of the efforts will be focused on ending the dictatorship. The establishment of democracy and the deliverance of people from bondage is a noble cause that must be waged without division and with strong solidarity of all democracy and peace activists.
The third tool of dictators is to deny the people platforms over which they can communicate one another and empower themselves. Consorted and systematic attacks are done on social, political, economic and even religious institutions of the society that are outside of the government control. The independent civic institutions are deliberately weakened, subordinated or even replaced by groups that are affiliated with the dictatorial government.
All in all, in order to combat dictatorship all strategies must first focus on empowering the people. The empowerment of we, the people, start with one key item: believing in ourselves and having hope.
These days it seems the cloud of despair and defeatism has entered our territory. We have started believing nothing can be done. We have closed the book, accepted the status quo and decided to live under tyranny. THAT MUST STOP.
It is time to speak out and assert our freedom in our country. We are all created in the image and likeness of God. God has given us a country called Ethiopia. He has given us the right to live in peace and dignity in Ethiopia. The TPLF must not be allowed to continue taking away from us our right and our dignity that God gave us, and is only ours.
Let our silence end. We may not have publicly supported the TPLF. We may not have directly contributed to the gross human right abuses in Ethiopia. However, our silence is the reason the TPLF is messing our country. Our silence is providing bullets for the TPLF security forces.
In every struggle there are ups and downs. Some may say, "It is impossible to force change in the Meles administration". Our effort may be seen as meaningless. The situation in Ethiopia may be “calm" with Prime Minister Meles at the helm of power. HOWEVER, WE SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP. Despair and losing hope from the part of the people is the major enemy in the struggle for democracy and the greatest gift dictators can have. It may take years. We might not see a free Ethiopia in our time. But our children will one day rejoice in a free, prosperous and democratic Ethiopia.
It is in this context that I call for a renewal of our mind and our spirit. Instead of being filled with fear and despair it is time to learn to believe in ourselves. “What is man without freedom” said Judge Birtukan Mideksa in her letter she released from Kaliti prison. A life lived in fear and despair is no better than death. A life lived without a purpose is a tragedy. A man who only thinks of himself and forgets where he came from, is a man who is spiritually weak and sick.
As Csiszentmihalyi said: “Repression is not the way to virtue. When people restrain themselves out of fear, their lives are by necessity diminished”. We can choose to live in repression and fear, and diminish ourselves; or we can be free from fear and assert our freedom. The Choice is all ours.
May The Lord Help us make the right Choice!
Girma Kassa
Muziky68@yahoo.com
Chicago
Monday, January 07, 2008
KINIJIT STANDS FOR THE RULE OF LAW
One of Kinijit's principles is the rule of law. Kinijit believes that all Ethiopians must be equal under the law. There cannot be justice where the law is not supreme.
How could a party claim to stand for the rule of law if it does not implement it within its structure? An organization that does not function according to the law (i.e. its by-laws and guidelines) cannot have the moral authority to lead the struggle to establish the rule of law nationwide.
Therefore functioning according to its major principles and by-laws is not a choice but a necessity for Kinijit.
These days’ confusions were seen in some corners. These confusions are due because of lack of information. Many do not have or have only limited information on what KINIJIT is. For many Kinijit is an organization that is "standing opposite" of the TPLF. Because they disapprove the TPLF, they support Kinijit.
However, Kinijit is not an organization that is against TPLF. It is an organization that is for Ethiopia. Its policies are not geared to securing the elimination of the TPLF, but to establishing a democratic, prosperous and United Ethiopia where the TPLF itself is part of.
Those who support Kinijit because they "hate" TPLF may be disappointed easily and give up soon. If they find an organization that has the best hope of toppling the TPLF (which there isn’t so far), regardless of the outcome later, they would flow away to the new group. That is wrong.
People must support any organization if they believe in its values and programs. If they do that, then their struggle can be considered personal, as if they struggle for themselves and their own values. If the organization is weakened, instead of disserting it they would try to lift it up.
Therefore, it is tantamount for Ethiopians to understand and have clear idea to what Kinijit is. Kinijit is an organization that stands for the rule of law. Please refer below for its Manifesto.
You may also refer to the by-law of Kinijit and interpret actions of each officer accordingly. Let us be free from rumors and innuendos and focus on evidences.
KINIJIT IS THE WAY!
How could a party claim to stand for the rule of law if it does not implement it within its structure? An organization that does not function according to the law (i.e. its by-laws and guidelines) cannot have the moral authority to lead the struggle to establish the rule of law nationwide.
Therefore functioning according to its major principles and by-laws is not a choice but a necessity for Kinijit.
These days’ confusions were seen in some corners. These confusions are due because of lack of information. Many do not have or have only limited information on what KINIJIT is. For many Kinijit is an organization that is "standing opposite" of the TPLF. Because they disapprove the TPLF, they support Kinijit.
However, Kinijit is not an organization that is against TPLF. It is an organization that is for Ethiopia. Its policies are not geared to securing the elimination of the TPLF, but to establishing a democratic, prosperous and United Ethiopia where the TPLF itself is part of.
Those who support Kinijit because they "hate" TPLF may be disappointed easily and give up soon. If they find an organization that has the best hope of toppling the TPLF (which there isn’t so far), regardless of the outcome later, they would flow away to the new group. That is wrong.
People must support any organization if they believe in its values and programs. If they do that, then their struggle can be considered personal, as if they struggle for themselves and their own values. If the organization is weakened, instead of disserting it they would try to lift it up.
Therefore, it is tantamount for Ethiopians to understand and have clear idea to what Kinijit is. Kinijit is an organization that stands for the rule of law. Please refer below for its Manifesto.
You may also refer to the by-law of Kinijit and interpret actions of each officer accordingly. Let us be free from rumors and innuendos and focus on evidences.
KINIJIT IS THE WAY!
