The hope of audacity of the Diaspora’s chosen “We.”
By: Dilwenberu Nega
27th February 2009
We have seen it before and we are seeing it again now. The fraternity of the vocal and ersatz democrats of the Ethiopian Diaspora comes in many shapes and sizes. As we have been made to observe over the past few years, there is no end to the political charade of the vitriolic Diaspora. What is new, this time round, however, is the emergence of the regrouping of the very forces who in the past had beguiled the vast Diaspora majority into attempting to mug the democratic process in Ethiopia. Hence, the publication of the ‘White Paper’ entitled “Seeking paths to Ethiopian Diaspora Dialogue and Consultation,” (www.ethiomedia.com) published by a motley crew of political dinosaurs and ersatz democrats in the Diaspora.
The publication of this ‘White Paper’ comes at a time when encouraging news from Ethiopia has spurred a growing number of Ethiopians to return to Ethiopia. Indeed, the news is so good that, in the ‘White Paper’s own admission “We have much to be optimistic about the motherland in 2009 and beyond.” One couldn’t agree more. Ethiopia has, indeed, undergone a breathtaking sea change under EPDRF. If that is the reality on the ground, why, then, resort to “wiring the Diaspora.” The answer lies in the ‘White Paper’s’ intent on seizing “the fierce urgency of now.” To the Ethiopian in the Homeland, who has grown tired of listening to the vocal Diaspora’s incessant rumor, speculation and down-right lies, however, “the fierce urgency of now” is to come out from the morass of poverty. On the contrary, to the confused and confounded section of the Ethiopian Diaspora, “the fierce urgency of now” seems to be to turn their opposition from toxic to radioactive.
This section of the Diaspora has deliberately turned a blind eye to the wind of change that has brought about real change to the lives of many, especially to farmers who for centuries had remained “hewers of wood and drawers of water” like in biblical times. It is also this section of the Ethiopian Diaspora that continues to belittle the commendable democratization and development efforts of the people and Government, even those very efforts which had kept on attracting commendations from renowned international institutions.
The ramblings of the divinely chosen “We” also comes at a time when an ever increasing number of hitherto gullible members of the vocal Diaspora are seen shrugging off their misconceptions of an Ethiopia on fire. In addition, year on year increase has been registered in the number of investors to Ethiopia from the Diaspora. These very encouraging signs have started causing Ethiopia’s doom-mongers, the likes of the divinely chosen “We”, not only indigestion but bouts of hallucinations as well. That is why they want to wire-up the Diaspora so that it can serve them as a conduit for their hidden agenda.
However what the divinely chosen “We” seemed to have misunderstood is the glaring fact that the Ethiopian Diaspora has changed from within, as a result of its in-fighting following General Election 2005. Consequently, one hopes one has acquired the necessary lessons: that the road map to the helm of governance in Ethiopia is via a peaceful ballot and only via a peaceful ballot, as well as the acceptance that for democracy to flourish in Ethiopia there must be no hesitation or deviation from the rule of law. The majority of the Diaspora, on the other hand, will not allow itself to be jet hosed with the rumors and lies of the divinely chosen “We”. The vast majority of the Diaspora has, instead opted to see for themselves and had travelled – against the vocal Diaspora’s travel embargo to Ethiopia – only to be dumfounded by the sheer breadth of the sea change in Ethiopia.
While the vocal Diaspora was busily engaged in its war of attrition amongst itself, Ethiopia kept on ploughing ahead with development efforts that would enable her meet the Millennium Development Goal’s objective of halving poverty by 2015, with improving infrastructure, with making primary education and health care available to all, with electrifying every nook and cranny of Ethiopia, with broadening the horizons of democracy and good governance, with enhancing respect for human rights and with being tough on corruption and tough on the penchant for corruption.
Fortunately, however, one can detect a silver-lining in the otherwise nonsensical ‘White Paper’ of the divinely chosen “We.” In admitting that the vocal Diaspora’s hitherto smear and sneer had made it “the laughing stock” of Ethiopians, it has vowed to turn its back on the politics of vitriol. On that note, and that note alone, there is a convergence of line of thinking with all those who believe in the prevalence of decent norms of behaviors in Ethiopian politics both within the Homeland and amongst the Ethiopian Abroad.