The $21,000 Revolution

I was at the recently held meeting of the so called G7 of Dr. Berhanu Nega's opposition Party in Seattle WA. What I observed was beyond shocking. For the first time in any opposition party meeting, the topic was not about how to topple the "Meles Regime" and bring “Freedom and democracy" to the Ethiopian people. It was not about how fast the days of the "Weyane Regime" is closing in nor was it about how the different " rebels" operating in the country allegedly are hitting and standing up to the "gangs of Addis." It was about none of the above.

 Most of the meeting time was on the question of why the opposition members of the Diaspora Ethiopians number are becoming low and low by the day. The Seattle meeting was expected to draw a large number of Ethiopians and they were prepared for it renting out a big room at the Marriott Hotel that can accommodate over 200 people. There were only 31 people showed up. Yes 31 was the number that was reported from the stands but they missed two people who were nodding on and off, so to be exact it was 33 people at the meeting.

 A lot of time passed blaming this and that including Aigaforum's unrelenting “PR" in undermining the opposition and turning people away from them. They blamed each other for not doing anything other than talk. I thought I was in " lekso bet hazen lai" as I browsed some of the people there burying their heads down with their arms folded, some just lost in thoughts I surely thought it was the funeral of the opposition of DR Berehanu Nega's G7.

 As for the well publicized fundraising, the report was not that much was raised! Remember the famous $500 per head campaign? Who would forget that? Well it turned out until that day; all in all, $21,000 was raised since its inception. Less than 100 people contributed to it worldwide.

 I said to myself, what would they do with this small amount of money? I thought maybe they buy a few AK47 and send them back home for the "inevitable struggle for freedom". May be they will divide that between themselves and enjoy life with it or may be DR Berehanu Nega will pay off some of his house Mortgage in this financially trouble time and save his house from foreclosure.

At the end I said to myself, well I was wrong all along to blame the Diaspora Ethiopians thinking they are brainwashed and just follow the opposition no matter what. I came out; a new born believer of my fellow Ethiopians that most of them are not foolish after all and can observe, examine and determine what is good for them.

 For the Opposition, No matter where and whom they turn too, the news about Ethiopia has been bad to them. ONLY POSITIVE. They hate that. These days CNN, BBC, Reuters and AP or even Aljazeera have been reporting progress after progress news of Ethiopia. People read that and they change their mind set and become believers of the truth. No more blind faith. I believe, the opposition in the Diaspora is one punch away from the final blow and I think they are half way down falling.

An Observer
 (03/04/09)