Category: Articles
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Theorizing Hamid Idris Awate In A Postmodern World
The recent trend, in the opposition block, on the contestation of Awate’s Eritrean symbolism is epic. The imagery of an afro-nilotic hero on a horse back, with a bandolier diagonally crossing his protruded chest, with a dangling sword in a holder, proudly slinging a simonova rifle , as if, projecting an appeal to our inner…
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The Eritrean Revolution: The Way Forward (P2)
This is a continuation of Part I. The Eritrean regime is crumbling fast after sowing so much mistrust among us. Instead of respecting our diversity and building on its positive aspects,it has worked hard to deepen and escalate the ethnic, regional and religious difference. The urgent question we need to address is: how we are going…
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Have You Seen This On The Mainstream Media?
Here is a clip that shows the mighty Israeli army terrorizing civilians who have become aliens in their own land. Here is technology at work, tax dollars at work bombing Gaza indiscriminately. This is the story of an elephant complaining of a cub. Indeed CRY FREEDOM! And here is the similarity when Ethiopian forces sung “Embi…
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The Eritrean revolution: A circular Or A Linear Journey?
I was in 1952, on the same year that Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia; I am as old as federal arrangement that Haile Sellassie unilaterally dismantled 12 years later. During my sixty years of life I have experienced many things and Eritrea has also grown up with me and affected me all my life. Born…
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A First: Qatari Prime Minister Visits Ethiopia
– The Qatari Prime Minister: “Ethiopia is important to us and we seek to enhance cooperation with it.” – Qatar Affirms its support for the Syrian people – The Ethiopian Prime Minister hails Qatar’s efforts to promote peace in the region Addis Ababa (AlSharq) Nov. 5, 2012, Report by Mohammed Taha Tewekel On Sunday evening,…
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Eritrean Churches: Mute And Without opinion
“The church must be the guide and the critic of the State and never its tool.” writes Dr Martin Luther King Jr, outraged by the silence of many churches regarding racial injustice of his time. The church, or any religious institution for that matter, should not hope to earn favors or avert scorn from government…
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Zenawi: Memorable Personal Landmarks
Melles Zenawi the Ethiopian Prime Minister was snatched by death on August 20, 2012 at the age of 57; he is survived by three children. The Ethiopian government has announced that a state funeral ceremony will be held on the 2nd of September. Over the years I have met Melles repeatedly, the last of which was…
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R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
A popular beer advertisement in my Country goes like this: “My name is Joe and I am Canadian!” Molson, the company that produces the beer “Molson Canadian” has cleverly crafted a commercial that can appeal to many Canadians. This is the sort of nationalism I can drink for, hypothetically speaking of course. I might even…
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Dear Prime Minister Meles
I wish I could discuss the contents of this letter with you in person; unfortunately, that is now impossible because of your untimely death. Dear Prime Minister, in 1991 soon after your triumphant arrival inAddis Ababa, I watched you debate the question ofEritrea’s independence with Professors Endrias Eshete and Mesfin Woldemariam and another academic. I…
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Meskrem.net’s Mantra: Sympathy For The Devil
“Two monks were on a pilgrimage. One day, they came to a deep river. At the edge of the river, a young woman sat weeping, because she was afraid to cross the river without help. She begged the two monks to help her. The younger monk turned his back. The members of their order were…
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Meles Zenawe : A Matter Of Perspective
Meles Zenawe is dead. Long live Meles Zenaw! Looking back at his life one can with no exaggeration say that Meles was no ordinary human being. Meles was an institution. With the exception of the great Mandela, Meles had no intellectual equal inAfrica’s leadership pool. He was not only a visionary in what he wanted…
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Meles Zenawi: A Life Spent Fighting Poverty
“Our first enemy is poverty and backwardness.”Meles Zenawi Meles joined the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) as a young student to struggle for the right and equality of his people. He was one of the prominent leaders who contributed to the downfall of the Ethiopian military regime, the DERG. After the fall of the DERG…
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Beyond Politics: The Psychological Impact Of Our Suffering
Eritreans are so much consumed by and addicted to politics that sometimes we forget we are human beings who breathe, live, love, hate, get sick, feel sad, happy and die. Politics reflects on our every day lives. My first article beyond politics was ‘To be human’. I had planned to write more of that but…
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Tewekel On The River Nile: Review The Conventions
Appearing on Al Jazeera’s “Behind The News”, Mohammed Taha Tewekel, an Eritrean regional political analyst, called for reviewing of the 1929 agreements between the United Kingdom and its colonies regarding the River Nile. Furthermore, argued Tewekel, the agreement signed between the Lower Nile countries of Egypt and Sudan in 1959 is not binding on the…
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Hidomona’s Reply To Meskerem’s Willful Ignorance
[awate.com notes: On August 17, the Winnipig Free Press reported on the efforts of Hidmona Eritrea-Canadians Human Rights Group of Manitoba to call on the Canadian government to comply with its own laws and not allow individuals like Zemehret Yohannes, who is in charge of Eritrean ruling party’s “Research and Documentation” department, and Walta, a…
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Ramadan Stream Of Consciousness: Touring The Eritrean Political Mind
[This article the second part of a four-part series written by Omar Jabir under the title “Ramadan Stream Of Consciousness.” It first appeared at farajat.net and other Arabic websites on July 27, 2012. Awate.com has translated it into English for the benefit of its readers. Any discrepancy that might appear in translation is not the…
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Unfiltered Notes: Where Are We And Where Are We Headed?
21 years after Eritrea’s geographic sovereignty, the things that really matter — like individual freedoms, economic vibrancy, quality education and Eritrea’s long term viability as a respected member in the community of nations still lag far behind. Measured against the high hopes Eritreans had in 1991, the disappointments are far too many; accomplishments scanty little.…
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The Risks And Challenges Facing The Youth Movements
No doubt many of us are glad when the youth make fast strides towards establishing a united and independent movement that will enable them to fully utilise the great potential they possess and effectively channel it to accelerate the national struggle for democratic change. Naturally, relationships between the older and younger generations are not expected…
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“Baito Baitona”: The Debrezeit Dialogue Forum
It was my first participation in a big Eritrean gathering of various youth organizations and diverse individuals: refugees, students, journalists, writers, artists and opposition leaders; and I met my Facebook and media acquaintances from all over the world and reminisced our school experiences and all the ups and downs of life in Eritrea. It was…
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Reflection On The Bishoftu “Youth Dialogue Forum”
The preparations The first time I heard about the idea of planning to hold a youth conference in Ethiopia and other sectorial conferences was during the seminar of Eritrean intellectuals, professionals and other interested individuals held in Ethiopia in September 2011. It means the idea precedes the Eritrean National Conference for Democratic Change (ENCDC) conference…