The freedom we now celebrate in Ethiopia is fragile. In fact, the hardest challenges may lie ahead. Many countries, have overcome repressive governments only to fall into chaos and authoritarian governance once again.
Why? They failed to build the right structures giving order and support to freedom for all its people, like an inclusive Constitution that is based on citizenship and strong institutions to support good governance.
Secondly, unless a society and its leaders embrace principles, values
and virtues that acknowledge and strengthen the value, freedom and rights of all its citizens; its sustainability will be jeopardized.
Today, we should take care to bring the right changes in the right ways so we do not sabotage or let others hijack the progress we and others have made so far. In fact, each time we Ethiopians rose up to resist past models of repressive governance, whether the monarchy, feudalism, communism, Marxist-Leninism or mixes of all of the above we have now and that is ethnic federalism (tribalism) added in, it has not led to improvements.
We are now at risk of doing the same. How can we increase our insight into our cultural strengths and weaknesses so we can avoid the pitfalls and instead bring something much better and lasting?
After travelling throughout Ethiopia for more than 2 years and and meeting and talking to Ethiopian people and government officials, I came to realize we Ethiopian needed a genuine national dialogue of reconciliation and conflict transformation because the change is still very fragile.
I also realized that there is a need to engage the young people in critical thinking and to teach them about civic responsibility, leadership qualities, national unity, reconciliation and the principles foundational to maintaining a free society.
We need to identify universities, high schools, faith groups, elders, women, entrepreneurs, law enforcement, justice institutions and many other stakeholders to reinforce the kind of change that will lead to more sustainable, principle-based freedom.
Talking the talk must be followed by actions or it will be superficial and meaningless. We all have a responsibility. This is our time. We are in a battle of visions not only of ideas because ideas can be disguised and diminished into a battle for dominance because competing ethnic groups hold to the same self focused goals.
Why participate in a struggle unless it is based on advancing inclusive higher principles that will be just, right and good? Our Ethiopian youth cannot settle for anything less than virtue based principles and values that will make freedom sustainable.
When freedom, truth and justice live in the hearts of the people, we will know that Ethiopia will be on its way to sustainable freedom, a gift to those who come after us. This is a call.
Let us be people who take this movement of genuine unity, justice, freedom and take steps to nurture and protect it so we see it grow and produce a harvest of human flourishing in this ancient country of Ethiopia.
Let us be slow to criticize on the minor points, but strong in holding all accountable to those core values of “putting humanity before ethnicity” or any other differences and to work for the freedom of all our people for “no one will be free until all are free.” Let these and other values create the foundation of the change we seek.
May God/Allah give us hearts to do what is right, just and good, caring about the wellbeing of all our people regardless of their ethnicity and bringing new life and blessings to our land.
Long Live Ethiopia!
