To Wish for the Greater Good of our Country Keenly is a Spirit of Good will

From the Committee Facilitating the Upcoming Conference in Los Angeles

April 8, 2011

Participation in the economic development of our country is a duty unlike any other. And for many reasons, the extent to which each of us participates in the overall development of our country may vary. However, no matter what the reasons for the variations in participation are, there shouldn’t be a single reason that hinders us from doing the very least.

As responsible Ethiopians, the very least that we can do is to wish for the economic development of our country keenly. To wish for the greater good of our country keenly is a spirit of goodwill. A spirit of goodwill, as always, helps to mend political wrangling of the hairsplitting kind. And although it is hard to dissociate politics from all the things that we do, the development of our country and we as a people is something greater than the day-to-day hackneyed politics; it is simply a very special duty on its own realm, bestowed on all of us Ethiopians. It is therefore incomprehensible for any Ethiopian, not to wish and participate positively for an Ethiopian development endeavor—a plan to rid poverty and backwardness once and for all.

The development of our country begins by entertaining ideas—wishes and interests that we harbor individually and or collectively as citizens. Our wishes and interests may vary in terms of the avenues; ways and means that we choose to develop our country. And the variations in wishes and interests that we harbor makeup part of the necessary components of a development plan that requires, at least, a never-ending inclusive economic and political discourse. A single or an absolutist point of view has never served any feasible economic and political development. But variations in point of view is what gives birth to a consensus—the right mix of ideas, if you will, which may be used to plan and re-plan a policy of economic and political development.

Cooperatively facilitated by members of the Ethiopian Diaspora and the Ethiopian government, a conference on the five year development plan is to be held in thirteen cities in North America. The conference will present in detail the five year plan—to rid poverty and backwardness; to establish strong civil societies; curtail corruption; open employment opportunities; housing; education; health care; control rising food prices; enhance agricultural products; develop alternative energy sources including hydroelectric power; built schools; roads; highways; and rails for trains;…etc. This ambitious plan is part of an arduous work in progress, to create a secure,stable and middle-income earning Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. And the success of the five year plan is in part dependent on the participation of the Ethiopian Diaspora.

At the expense of being redundant, it is the duty of us Ethiopians abroad, to participate in the effort for the economic and political development of our country, by investing and or sharing our knowledge to help our own people and country while helping ourselves at the same time. The conference will present in detail great opportunities for investors and those who are willing to share their know how by teaching and or training students in Universities and Colleges across Ethiopia. It is worth repeating; although it is hard to dissociate politics from all the things that we do, the development of our country and we as a people is something greater than the day-to-day hackneyed politics; it is simply a very special duty on its own realm, bestowed on all of us Ethiopians. It is therefore incumbent up on us, to take part in the conference, in order to get all the information that we need and to have a say in the development of our country.