|
We Have All That It Takes By Dr. Erango Kelbisow “Yagerun Serdo, Bageru Berie” (An Ethiopian Proverb) It is obvious and, indeed, a very demanding task for all Ethiopians everywhere to become vigilant about our society that has been riddled with many insurmountable problems for decades. If concerted actions to uproot these problems were not being taken starting immediately, certainly, these problems would become even worse and totally unmanageable in a few more years from now. Thus, it would be expected of the children of Ethiopia everywhere to rise up to the occasion in one accord and not allow the blackmailing of the country and her people by these unabated problems. Lasting solutions ought to be there and sought vigorously to the problems which have become nearly endemic in our society and other factors that are at play against the vested interest and inalienable right of our people to live and enjoy life in this region of the world. Therefore, in the interest of the common good for all our people, regardless where each one of us may live, we need to acquire and develop a positive vision; imagine the immense and positive potential that is present in the country itself; maintain hope at all times in spite of the circumstances encountered; and be responsive to the needs and act together to make positive difference in the lives of many of our people. If we would be only determined and concerned enough to act together, of course, we already have all that it would take and even more to solve our people’s problems. Although our country has several positive qualities with what it has been associated, some negative qualities such as famine, abject poverty, and diseases have also become additional qualities that our country has acquired and been known for these days. The undeniable fact is that many of these problems were created by human behavior (what people do or fail to do) while others were by nature. As a result of these problems, however, many precious human lives and their material possessions have been unnecessarily lost. The sustained losses in terms of human and material values to the families and the country at large would be indeed incalculable. Still streaming news from the scene, based on revised reports and its associated appeal for assistance, continue to inform the world community that many of our people could be on the brink of death unless they would be rescued within a specified time period. Thus, it is clear from the information available that, the time is of an essence regardless the causes of the problem; lives in peril must be saved first. These devastating problems also need not only immediate solutions, but also lasting solutions that our people would not have to regularly ask the world community for help. As it is stated above, without any ambiguity, the causes of our problems have been both human behavior and nature itself. Thus, we need to realize that a true solution to our problems could be on the horizon and only in its people. If we have the determination and needed commitment to do what it takes, we already have both the human and material resources that would be required to solve our problems. However, we, the people with its leaders, should not underestimate the magnitude of the problems that our people are faced with and never think that it would go away with time and by itself. We should rather begin to address these dehumanizing problems seriously and systematically with nothing less than a full acknowledgement of the depressing conditions that our people have been in and they need to be out of it. Simultaneously, we should maintain a strong belief in that these problems would be solved only when tackled together and appropriately. Thus, we should cultivate a strong national determination to act together against these known calamities and other forces that are at work in direct opposition to our people’s interests. In order to succeed in our possible campaign together, we should immediately embark on making necessary corrections in the said sources of our problems. To help correct the image of our country and, hence, that of ourselves from becoming synonymous with routinely experienced devastations, we need to focus first on corrective measures that we should take in our behavior. For example, we need to get our thoughts and acts aligned together towards solving our peoples’ problems like any family or nation would have done when faced with a crisis. When crisis befalls, generally, many family members reconcile their differences with one another and reinforce their natural bonds. Thus, they would provide each other needed support in order to overcome the hardship that has been faced by the family. Likewise, we too as a nation should do whatever it takes, and do it sooner than later, to let our society regain its consciousness and the people their human dignity and pride. Yes, if we make a strong commitment and work together, our people can rebound from these temporary setbacks. In general, it would feel much better when the people themselves and their leaders together solve their country’s problems rather than expect an intervention from the cosmos or another man/people from another society. Solving our problems could or should not be delegated to anyone else. But, together we, the people, should take necessary responsibility in our own hands and solve our problems; and, thus, rebuild our collective destiny as a nation. Interestingly, man’s behavior and even the nature itself are subject these days to some degree of modifications in order to fit human desire. Although some members of the human species lag behind, it is amazing to notice how human ingenuity coupled with technological advances has given mankind the types of advantages never heard of in the species’ history to craft and/or tailor even the nature itself to precisely fit human needs and aspirations. Ironically, only a few members of the species reap and enjoy the benefits of these technological breakthroughs while others, especially those in the developing countries, were left out in the cold either to continue to struggle to survive or shamefully allowed to perish for good. But, it appears that there would be still a hope for those who are poor to get out of the condition that they have been in. I think the poor would be out of the condition that they are in only when two major actions would be taken simultaneously. The first action would be what the poor themselves would do to get out of the state that they have been in and the second action would be what those who are rich, when they are either morally or ethically obligated, would be willing to do to help the poor to stand on their own feet. Thus, it is crystal clear that many problems encountered by mankind these days could be easily and favorably manipulated by man himself. Therefore, the author of this article asserts here that many of the problems that are being faced by our people and society would and/or should also have their own solutions and soon. Of course, these solutions must come from the people themselves and possibly from their friends. It is desirable that the types of problems being experienced by our society would have long lasting solutions, because we would not want to keep ourselves wallowing in problems year after year. These long-lasting solutions, however, could and should only come from within the country and its people rather than occasional appeasements that come from others and outside, and which are only temporary. Practically speaking, it is rather our responsibility to solve our problems than expect the world community to do it for us. Thus, we can and we should, together, bring an end to the vicious cycle of all these problems vexing our people and society. To overcome the predicament that our people have been in and solving their problems once and for all would require the presence of a visionary, committed, and an all-inclusive national leadership that is responsive to its people; a favourable and appropriate political and social environment; and also the determination of the people itself to perceive the possibilities, believe in its capability, and acting together as a nation. If these were the courses of action to be taken, only with necessary modification, YES, to the surprise and joy of many or dismay of a few, true solutions to our problems could be indeed a few years away. By all means, we should be determined to get away from developing a dependency mentality. This may not mean that we are not thinking seriously about our conditions and doing anything towards attaining self-reliance or should not accept assistance from anyone when our people need it; but it would mean that we should be rather more determined to act together as a nation, start tapping even a portion of our own resources, and set a target date to get ourselves out of the conditions that we have been in, and work harder towards achieving that goal. So far, whatever actions that we have been taking would only appear like if we were placing just a drop of solution in a big barrel full of different problems. Once again, this article emphasizes that we could and should be proactively doing what is there to be done rather than responding to emergencies only when they pop up on us throughout the year, and every year thereafter. To minimize desperation in emergencies, we should start preparing ourselves early on for any unexpected problems that we might find ourselves in by looking first at all possible resources that we already have in our disposal and might be used when difficulties arise. I hope we would be willing to always learn to properly utilize the abundant resources that we already have among ourselves and in our backyards rather than look for solutions to our problems to come from somewhere else. To develop a mechanism of resilience, please let us, once again, start looking thoughtfully and thoroughly at the vast country of ours. Let us take a mental journey throughout Ethiopia and everywhere else where Ethiopians live and imagine all the resources that we already have among ourselves and in our possession. Please, again, let us notice all the human and natural resources that we already have among ourselves and in our backyards. Then, we should imagine what it would be like when even portions of all these enormous resources could be harnessed and utilized. Let us again think of the immense possibilities that abound and we could utilize to help solve all the problems that have been faced by our people. In fact, we should vehemently refuse to accept any possible excuse that could be offered and/or entertained stating that the problems faced by our people are far too big to solve than the resources and minds of all the children of Ethiopia combined. I do not believe it or accept it to be so. I hope you do not do accept it either. Simultaneously, to reassure ourselves if what is being said is indeed true, we need to reexamine ourselves and begin to see as we unravel the immense possibilities that we already have within our grip to solve our problems and lift up our people’s spirit and pride to its peak. Such a horrendous task can not be left to take shape on its own or by anybody’s intent alone. Thus, it would be expected of the Federal and Regional Governments and the National Parliament, if not already in place, to set up an autonomous, genuinely a nonpartisan, and apolitical agency (See initial proposal for such agency at: http://www.addistribune.com/Archives/2003/01/17-01-03/Genuine.htm) that would work with different political parties, cultural and religious groups that represent the mosaic of the Ethiopian people with an intense focus on planning, organizing, proposing, and implementing solutions to our common concerns and the country’s perplexing problems. The agency that would be solely responsible for this task of planning, organizing, and implementing – to see our social problems are solved and our people’s basic needs are met – would be expected to be indeed a catalyst in transforming our society from its present state to the society where its positive potentials would be realized. The said agency would be expected to look beyond the borders of the country where some of our additional and resourceful people, who are temporarily dispersed, also live for what our people collectively would need to develop and exploit the abundant natural resources that the country is blessed with. Given that the country would have you name the resource that our people would need. Together, with the visionary and an all-inclusive national leadership, we would have it in our possession. But, could it be said that, for one reason or another, known or unknown, we do not seem to realize what we already have, it’s value, or even know how to utilize what we already have. Again, let us seriously look at around and beyond and imagine the synergy that could be brought to one place by the said agency, and the determined people working together, and how it could and would transform the predicament of our people into a marvel of the world. Indeed, together we have all that it would take to rejuvenate and make our people enjoy life and liberty just like any other nations do. It is again the opinion of the writer of this article that there would be the dawn of a day coming soon when all children of mother Ethiopia with their true friends, from every corner of the earth, would come out of all the imaginary and/or real divides that have been erected in their ways by the powers to be, to keep them apart from each other and making them lose their resolve, to act together and solve the dehumanizing and rampant problems that have been crippling our society. I hope, together we would strongly feel and clearly understand that serving as a vehicle to help meet the basic needs and aspirations of our people would be far greater than our individual, ethnic, or party egos combined. The needs that our people have are not any different from those needs of other peoples’ that live anywhere else. Provided that even portions of our existing resources were harnessed properly and distributed equitably, our youth and the unemployed masses would have the opportunities to become productive citizens. They too with their other countrymen and women would someday contribute their fair share to the betterment of the society and would walk once again with their heads held up high as a proud people that they have always been. In order for the conditions of our people to improve for the better, it appears that our leaders, mainly those in the government and various sectors of the society, at all levels in the hierarchy of leadership, would have to regularly evaluate and revaluate their leadership styles, the quality of services that they provide to the people, and, thus, rearrange their priorities as well as involve the people in all processes that would affect their lives. Although it might appear to be out of the common practice of leadership, the visionary leaders would have to be willing to learn how to respect, inform, consult, and motivate their followers to participate in concerted action and the political processes that would affect the lives of the people and that of the society at large rather than impose the leaders’ own or that of the party’s will on the people. In conclusion, we should not be expecting others to do what we are not willing to do for our people and ourselves. Most of all, we must be willing to resolve our ideological and political differences peacefully. If we resort to solving our differences otherwise, it must be understood that the ultimate losers will be the very people whose burdens we intend, unless we just allude, to alleviate. If we continue to fail our people in its quest to freedom from disease, poverty, and the like by our very act of not seeking to solve our peoples’ problems together, we would make a grave mistake that would not be forgiven by history and generations to come. Since we already have the means more than we ever had, could it be said that we would have the will to work together and harder to thrive even in the obvious chaos that has been testing our commitment and stamina as a nation? What legacy does this generation intends to leave behind for future generation of Ethiopians? I hope this generation would care enough to leave something substantial and better than what it had received from its predecessors. Is it not always the case that children are expected to do better than what their parents have done? The opportunities that the children would have would be considered to be much better than that of their parents or predecessors had. Likewise, at least, could this generation be counted on to do just that – laying solid foundation for something better for future generations? Ed.’s Note: Dr Erango Kelbisow lives in Los Angeles and is an educator associated with the Los Angeles Unified School District. He holds three graduate degrees in Institutional Management, Public Administration, and Educational Administration from Pepperdine University. He also holds various professional licenses (credentials) from the State of California and belongs to numerous professional Associations. For any feedback, please send email to: ekelbisow@juno.com. |