NEW YEAR WISHES AND MESSAGES: HOW ABOUT INTERNALIZATION AND COMMITMENT?

September 25, 2014

by T, Goshu

1. AS AN INTRODUCTION

The very purpose of this piece of writing of mine is just to express my impression about certain New Year wishes and messages focusing on what is to be done if want to make our “Enqutatash” really Enqutatash. In other words, my intention is neither to go through multiple of wishes and messages I have come across starting from the very eve of Enqutatsh (2007) nor to describe and discuss holidays in length. I am not in a position to do so both in terms of the interest and the knowledge required to do so.

To my understanding, what really matters most is the question I attached (internalization and commitment?) to the wishes and messages of the Ethiopian New Year (Enqutatash). Needless to say, it is this aspect of the matter that seriously challenges us with the question of how our wishes and messages are real reflections of our genuine hearts and minds. This is because it is very difficult, if not impossible to make sense out of our wishes and messages that are merely characterized by the trend of seeing and accepting things as a matter of traditions and customary practices. Yes, there is a need for us to admit that this kind of “things as usual” state of mind requires a new and critical way of thinking if we have to meaningfully deal with the general crisis (political, socio-economic, moral/ethical, religious) that keeps getting worse, and worse and worse.

Although I am well aware that it may sound very uncomfortable to some of my fellow- men and women, I have to say that it is with a very deep mixed feeling I have to start this piece of writing of mine. What do I mean and why? Let me try to put it as follows: a) On the one hand, I truly believe it is quite a normal and good thing to say Happy New year to each other and, to wish each other a Year of freedom, justice, peace, sincere affection/love and shared prosperity . And this makes me feel great and remain inspired. b) On other hand, however, I feel a very deep sense of incompleteness (emptiness) when I think of the very challenging question of how all these wonderful wishes and desirable messages could become realities. The very question of who should change these great wishes and aspirations into the material forces of our society with a real sense of coming together and acting accordingly is a serious challenge we do face. Our terrible failure to properly deal with the very paradoxical situation we have gone through for the last quarter of a century (23 Enqutatashes) and extending wishes and messages as usual at this 24th Enqutatash, to my understanding is extremely difficult to comprehend.

Yes, it is when it comes to the question of how we do it, and who should do what that our colorful words of New Year wishes and messages could seriously be tested. We greatly aspire for the New Year that should be characterized not simply by changing our calendars that basically are governed by their own natural laws. Senselessly enough, we in most cases turn against the common means that are instrumental in getting our wonderful wishes and aspirations realized. Is this not one of the major reasons that have contributed to the continuation of simply saying goodbye to the Past Year and receiving the New One as a “great blessing” whereas the reality we live in remains not only the same but much more painful? Is it not now the critical moment for us to seriously and honestly be concerned about our way of thinking and doing things that have made us victims of a very ugly political vicious cycle? It goes without saying that if we say what we mean on this New Year occasion, there is a desperate need to make our wishes and messages meaningfully coherent with the real sense of internalization (genuine and deep mutual understanding) and unshakable commitment in order to achieve what we deserve as citizens and as a people.

The issue of internalizing what our wishes and messages do really mean, and subsequently committing ourselves to making them (our dreams) realities is absolutely essential. I want to believe that unless we stupidly want to deceive ourselves, what we terribly have lacked for the last several years and we unfortunately continued to lack is the civility of listening to each other’s views and ideas, genuinely internalizing our common values and visions, and most importantly committing ourselves to getting our common goals accomplished with our concerted efforts. We most of us talk about what we want, why we want it, and even how we get it done in a very lengthy manner.

We loudly speak out that what we deserve is freedom and justice. We reason out (the question of why) that freedom and justice are essential not because they are parts and parcels of our in-alienable rights but they are also intrinsically linked with the prevalence of peace and suitable growth and development. And it is not uncommon to hear most of us calling for a unified and concerted way of doing things (the question of how) is the only way out. What we terribly lack is when it comes to the question of interpreting words into deeds. Needless to say, it is this very question of “HOW” that has continued challenging us at this critical moment in time; and may continue to be so if we do not behave and act differently this year, not the year after.

Well, it is neither uncommon nor surprising that even the worst tyrannical ruling elites and their cronies like “ours” forward their “great wishes” and “visionary messages” on the occasion of every New Year or any other holiday. We have witnessed this kind of extremely cynical behavior and practice for the last quarter of a century, and more disturbingly since the political tragedy committed by the ruling party during and right after the 2005 election. Innocent people had been gunned down, thousands had been arbitrarily harassed and arrested in mass, intimidated and tortured. State terror and unbelievable level of fear had become the orders of the time. Sadly enough, the mastermind ( the late Ato Meles Zenawi) of all the politically motivated horrors had appeared on his dirty propaganda machine (media) and extended his Happy New Year message with a sense of “pride” about what he had done in June and he was ready to do so if necessary. He did it in October of the same year and “congratulated” the people that that was “the year of great victory, fraternity, peace and prosperity.” Now, after two years of his death, his good for nothing disciple, Ato Hailemariam Dessalegn unequivocally declared that his mission for not only this New Year but also for many years to come would be nothing else but carrying out “the great legacy of the late great leader.” I strongly want argue that it would be miserably devastating if we as a people, as genuinely concerned citizens, as opposition parties and movements, and all other truly concerned groupings couldn’t learn from what terribly went wrong and if we do not stand in unison or some other form of unity of purpose during this New year of ours and do something feasible and actionable.

Let me once again be clear about one thing before I proceed to the next couple of points of view I want to make. And that is, what I want to be critical in this impression and opinion of mine does not have any intention of discrediting the efforts being made either at individual or organizational level. I sincerely believe this type of approach and conclusion is not only irrational and unproductive but also terribly stupid. What I am trying to reflect in this piece is that compared with the scope and seriousness of the political challenge we have gone through more than two decades, our performances both as an individual citizens, as opposition political actors, and as a people in general have been terribly disappointing.

Having said this, I want to proceed to the following more specific points of my impression.

2. THE MESSAGES OF WHICH I AM RATIOANLLY AND POSITIVLY IMPRESSED

I have attentively tried to listen to the wishes and messages from individuals, leaders of political movements and groupings, and religious leaders during this season of the New Year. As most of them were/are as normative as usual, I want to express my view points about those messages of which I felt much more substantive, realistic, and critically straight-forward.

A) Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy has expressed its best wishes and communicated its message on the very eve of Enqutatash (9/10/14) through its chairman, Dr. Berhanu Nega. I had to go back and listen to it a couple of times so that I could be able to form a real sense of understanding that should go beyond an emotional impression. I sincerely want to say that I found his message very straight-forward, powerfully realistic, convincingly critical, and rationally forward-looking. He didn’t spend more time when he took us to the next striking point of the message after his introductory statement, “Good evening! I feel honored and pleased when I say Happy New Year this evening in which all Ethiopians are celebrating with their families and relatives.” He realistically gripped our minds/consciences when he said, “Though we wish happy and peaceful New Year in every cycle of New Year, years have been counted since peace has been non-existent in our country.” This, I sincerely believe speaks very vividly and loudly about how many years we “celebrate” without peace which is one of the most precious elements of our lives as peace does not mean the mere absence war or any other physical disturbances. Not only this but this very pinpointing statement of Dr. Berhanu also challenges us to courageously face the question of how to break this vicious cycle and bring about peace in a real sense of the term.

He very briefly but strongly pointed out issues to be dealt with around the questions of what, why, how, when and where? It was interestingly the right approach to communicate the message of the Movement to those target sections of the society: the youth, the military/security, women, and even those members or associates of TPLF/EPRDF. This is a very crucial part of the message in such a way that the fight for genuine freedom and justice is essentially to free not only those who are the direct victims of the dirty political game but also those who associate themselves with the deadly political agenda of the inner circle of the ruling party. It is the right and wise approach to ask them to dissociate themselves and play their parts in the process of bringing about democratic change and rebuilding the country.

I think the question of whether the Movant (Ginbot 7) has its own road map and tangible alternative to get things done is legitimate and genuine. Though I do not have any particular information other than what is clear to the public, I am of the impression that those publicly known facts such as the case of an incredible sacrifice being paid by a truly patriotic person, Ato Andargachew Tsigie, the secretary general of the Movement are irrefutable cases in point. The chairman strongly argued that if we are not ready to make a difference this year with all the necessary sacrifices through our concerted efforts with a real sense of unity of purpose, the alternative would be either to live under the politics of servitude or flee the country and join (“if we are lucky” the world of refugees. He strongly stated that he rejects those very undesirable choices; and declared that his Movement (Ginbot 7) has the third choice that is irreplaceable by any other choice that is not in line with defeating the tyrannical ruling elites and living in a democratic country with peace, justice, mutual respect, equality and shared prosperity. What is very wise and rational for him was when he reiterated that those who want to join the Movement right on the ground or any other way they are interested would be a great thing to do; and for those who want to make the struggle move forward in any way they choose are also encouraged to do so.

The question he very strongly posed towards his concluding remark and the way he concluded his message takes us back to the very question of why so many years (Enqutatashes) not only without peace but with horror after horror. He challenged us, “For how long we should continue burying our children while they (the ruthless ruling elites) continue to kill? Who are we? And whose children are we? Whose country is Ethiopia?” He answered these and all other related serious questions as follows, “We have said all what we had to say. The rest is to do all what we are supposed to do.” I sincerely believe that the message was/is clear, loud and critically to the point. Will we internalize it and get committed to its realization? I hope so!

3. Abebe Belew of Addis Dimts Radio:

I listened to the program aired on Addis Dimts on September 13, 2014 with interest and sincere impression. I found his effort to dedicate most of the program to air the messages of political movements and groupings; and his own message not only as a person of media but also as a genuinely concerned individual.

A) It was the right thing for him to re-air the recorded New Year whish and message of Ginbot 7 as it deserves a necessary repetition because of its rational, critical and timely importance.

B) I want to appreciate Addis Dimts for giving an opportunity to the Ethiopian People’s Congress for United Struggle (Shengo) to air its wishes and message through its current chairman, Dr. Taye Zegeye. Well, I do not want to say that reminding the objectives, principles, regular meetings, statements and communiques that have been done since its establishment is wrong as such. But, honestly speaking, I have to say that reiterating them without concretizing what has really been achieved, and what kind of feasible projects are designed, if not in pipe line for this year and the years to come does not sound impressive. That is the way I see the messages from the Shengo.

I think the problem of this kind emanates from our wrongly simplified thinking and belief that bringing various entities and individuals and forming kind of larger grouping is a wonderful political achievement. The chairman reminded us that the Shengo consists of six political parties, seven civic groupings, and individuals. From what we repeatedly hear the leadership, it desirably sounds clear that the six political parties basically have the same political principles and objectives. It is also not difficult to understand from their explanations and statements that those member entities have strong common conviction in most of the tactics (technics and maneuvers). And the very phrase “for United Struggle” which sounds the core part of the name itself loudly speaks for itself. If that is the case, I strongly believe that the question of why they did not and could not go beyond “coalition (Shengo)” which, I argue looks amorphous in terms of organizational texture is a very legitimately question.

I strongly argue that the same question should be directed to the seven civic groupings. Do not these groupings basically stand for a very similar and legitimate cause? I think they do. If that is the case, why do not they first make kind of more meaningful alliance, if not a unified body among themselves before they join the political parties and claim that they are “doing great?”

I am not saying that some kind of common discussion and coordinative/cooperative forum is not important or necessary. Absolutely not! What I am trying to say is that simply bringing various entities that have their own specific objectives and strategies which require their own respective way of doing things and naming them as Coalition or Shengo is not a viable and effective way of doing politics. I strongly want to argue that if we are serious enough about helping the struggle and shortening the dirty politics in our country, let us unify those entities that can be and should be unified (assembled) based on their respective objectives and missions ; and make them perform what they are supposed to perform. Needless to say, the political thinking of “something is better than nothing” is not meaningfully helpful to the struggle we claim to be decisively intensified this New Year of ours. I wish I could be deadly wrong if Shengo would be able to practically prove its effectiveness by doing things the way it claims. I hope we will do things in such a way that we could celebrate the next Enqutatash with wishes and messages about how to strengthen the democratic change we achieved, not about how to get out of the very dehumanizing political experience we have come across.

C. The message of Addis Dimts Radio: I was sincerely impressed by the genuinely constructive and rationally critical messages of Abebe Belew of Addis Dimtes. The question he posed, “Are we really organized in the real sense of the term?” is a very legitimate question that requires a genuine and courageous answer that has to be worked out thoroughly, critically and honestly.

I wholly and strongly agree with his argument that the Ethiopian people cannot afford to continue making their human, material and financial resources apportioning to multiple of organizations that claim standing for the same cause but are not willing to work together. Needless to say, this kind of very absurd, if not distorted political trend should critically be reviewed and rationally be corrected if we want to make freedom and justice realities.

I hear some fellow Ethiopians, including political party leaders arguing that they should not be pressurized or asked to be mingle into one. I have never heard neither Abebe nor any other genuinely reasonable person forwarding this kind of very naïve point of argument unless we want to play the game of distortion and look for any clumsy excuse. To my understanding, what has been said and being said by those genuinely concerned individuals (Ethiopians) was/ is that not making a strongly unified by bringing small circles that do have the same objective and do claim moving to the same destiny does not make sense at all. It has to also be underscored that forming a coalition or congress which does not enable its member’s make things effectively better does not make sense in the real sense of the term. That is the argument which deserves honest and open-minded political personality.

Let me add one more point which I believe is important. Again, we hear a repeated argument about the right to get organized. I think this is an ABC of democratic politics; and no body with his or her reasonable and right mind denies this. However, breeding groups after groups with similar, if not the same purpose. I listened to Abebe responding to his listeners comments in this regard and I sincerely appreciate the way he tried to respond. But, I do not agree when he tried to give an impression the saying, “something is better than nothing.” It by implication means let those groupings exist regardless of their terrible weakness, if not failure. I strongly argue that this type of existence can be destructive because it keeps people not to rally with those parties or groups which are relatively viable and vibrant. And this kind political sentiment and trend is very harmful to our country which cannot and should not afford at all.

As an Ethiopian who grew up in a society with great value of receiving and celebrating holidays such as our New Year (Enqutatash), I truly believe that this and all other religious, socio-cultural and historical observances and celebrations have their own deep-rooted meanings. And I sincerely believe that getting our wishes and messages communicated on these kinds of occasions or events is necessarily the right thing to do. When I say necessarily right, I am thinking of the genuinely inspiring wishes and seriously plausible messages, not the other way round.
Let me reflect my impression about the wishes and messages from our religious personalities. This is because a) our religious teachings, contributions in uplifting our spiritual and moral grounds in all most all holidays we celebrate are significantly valuable b) the role of religions in advancing the cause of freedom and justice is enormous. Unfortunately enough, the trends we are witnessing in this aspect of our lives are not encouraging, if not discouraging.

This impression of mine is not just about the messages from leaders but also the teaching and preaching by various teachers/preachers in various places of worship. I also want to make clear that I have no any intention of what all are saying and preaching is equally disconnected from the reality we are facing at this very critical moment in time. What am trying to express is that whatever the justification we may have, it is not untrue to argue that our willingness, courage, and ability to make our religious teachings and missions are still vulnerable to a significant degree of weaknesses, if not failures.

Needless to say, it is with good reason that we receive and celebrate or observe both our secular and spiritual holidays. Our religious holidays (Christmas, Epiphany/Timqet, Good Friday/ crucifixion and Easter, Eid Al-Fiter, Eid Al- Adha ), I want to believe have very deep meanings not only in terms of their faith values but also in terms of their powerful relevance to our earthly lives. It goes without saying that those religious values and customary practices are strongly based on the belief in the existence of life after/beyond death. I do believe that although human being is not created as doubtless/question- less social animal, our religious teachings and well-wishes on each event we celebrate such as our New Year give us some sort of spiritual and socio-cultural uplifting. It is from this genuine belief that it would be safe to say that what we do to each other and how we do it to each other during our stay on this planet as especially – gifted social animals determine our secular legacies in history or our destinies/lives after death. I do not think all our religious memorial services during our death and after has something to do with more than comforting each other.

It is not simply because we confess and profess what and how we believe in what the Great Books of our religions (the Bible and the Quran) say that makes us feel great. Neither our mere beliefs in the great sacrifices paid by those great religious prophets and disciples makes us religiously sinless or secularly creatures of fairness. I sincerely want to believe that it is rather the very essence of how we translate those great values (religious and secular) into practice and the way we live by example that essentially matter. It is then and only then that we could be fortunate enough to see our great well-wishes we offer on seasonal events and holidays such as ENQUTATASH becoming realities. I strongly want to argue that unless we want to be dishonest with ourselves which is of course very undesirable both in terms of our religious and secular lives, we are not truly progressing but unfortunately regressing in this very valuable aspect of accomplishing our mission in life. I am aware that this argument of mine sounds harsh and hard to admit. I wish I could be terribly wrong. But, the realities we have witnessed for the last two decades tells us otherwise; and I want to add that the willingness to admit our failure, to learn our bitter lessons and moving forward with great courage is what we are facing at this critical movement in time. Are we keeping just telling the same stories of holidays and offering the same “blessings” without showing how and why should get things done right? Or are we both telling and showing how we can help the terribly troubled country and her unprecedentedly dehumanized to prevail? I do not think our answer would be positive for the later question unless we foolishly deceive ourselves. And that is my observation and impression as far as most of the teachings and messages about the Enqutatash are concerned.

Despite the fact that there should be a room for any element of genuinely convincing reform, I strongly believe that what went wrong with our serious weaknesses to live what we preach has nothing to do with religions as such. It rather has a very serious problem to do with those who manipulate and exploit the faith they claim they lead. Needless to say, this emanates from being victims of voracious earthly self- interests. This might sound hard to admit. But to my observation and impression that is the way it is. Do not get me wrong that what I am trying to say is to mean putting all in one basket. Absolutely not! I am well aware that there are religious leaders and people who do not only offer their blessings and well-wishes but most interestingly try their best to lead and live by example. But they are very, very and very few. It is terribly disturbing to continue witnessing the out crying by few for respect for human dignity but the very silence of the majority both in our religious and secular aspects of lives. And I hate to say but I want to say that this trend of silence in most religious personalities either because of ulterior motives or the use of religious neutrality as a clumsy excuse is a very worrisome trend. Safe to say, this kind trend has to change if we honestly are concerned about the direction our country we call great and God –loving should change. That is why I sincerely argue that the way we think and behave have to change for the better. And I hope it will.

I believe spiritual values (the creeds we believe in, teachings/preaching, pray, fasting, morality,) have a lot to do with helping us out. But, again it has to be underscored that things would not and could not happen either miraculously or by themselves. Things never happen that way! There has never been and there cannot be miraculous democratic political process and change! It would and could happen only and only when we as a people and followers of our respective religions courageously express our concerns and challenge those who want to continue business as usual that things we aspire could happen. Simply put, be it religious or secular, nothing can happen without our action and interaction.

As a people as well as individual citizens, there is a need to constructively and respectfully make crystal clear that we cannot afford to be receivers of ‘empty well-wishes” simply because we keep changing calendars. I am sorry to say but I have to say that if we want to stick to making declaration as if “we are OK and Blessed” kind of self- deceiving trend, it would be very hard for the people to extend their attentive listening let alone internalizing it and doing something for the better.