Millennium Hydroelectric Dam Project: A Historic Cause Worth Rallying Behind.

April 7, 2011

By A Group of Ethiopian Diaspora Living in Ethiopia ethiopian.diaspora@gmail.com

The Group that is writing this piece was formed two years ago by some members of the Ethiopian diaspora who used to live in North America, and have once again made Ethiopia their home. Members come from all walks of life including business, various professions, faith-based as well as the not-for-profit sector. The Group’s objective is to consult with one another; exchange ideas and work collaboratively so as to individually and collectively contribute to the socioeconomic development of the country and people.

There is a consensus that the Group should remain informal and non-political, thus members rarely get involved as a group in public forums or in the media. But there inevitably comes a time when one finds it difficult to remain silent or indifferent.

Thus, more than ever before, we feel a sense of duty and responsibility to speak up in support of the Millennium Hydroelectric Dam, which indeed is a historic and visionary project that is worth winning the support of all Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia. In our view, there are five main historical, psychological, political and socioeconomic reasons to rally behind this worthy cause.

First, all Ethiopians – young and old; from rural or urban area; within or outside the country – can relate to the sense of despair they felt since time memorial with regard to Abay, i.e. the Nile. From the age old adage “Yabay lej weha temaw” (A child of Nile suffering from thirst for water) to the Dergue era “Abay Abay yager adbar, yager sisai …” song of lamentation, Ethiopians were resigned to a sense of defeatism that there was some kind of “curse” that gets in the way of their inherent right to benefit from the most valuable God-given natural resource that originates in and passes through their land.

Fortunately, that “curse” is now being lifted like a dark cloud. And the launching of this project is a remarkable moment with a significant positive impact on the Ethiopian individual and collective psyche.

Second, triggered by economic incapacity and the lack of political will, Abay ultimately became a symbol of injustice. Adding insult to injury, the fact that the country lacked the ability to make the best use of Abay ended up being interpreted by others with vested interests as though Ethiopia has relinquished its inherent right to a fair and equitable share of the water. Thankfully, the current Ethiopian Government’s game-changing approach to Abay has led to the long overdue sense of justice felt not just by Ethiopians, but also justice loving people all over the world. After all, as Martin Luther King articulately stated in his letter from Birmingham Jail, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.

Third, it’s often said that the typical rallying force for Ethiopians is a war against any aggression threatening their national integrity or, in a time of peace, a victory on the athletic front. So, this grand development plan – with high potential to greatly benefit not only their own but also their neighbouring countries in the region – is a groundbreaking rallying factor for Ethiopians.

Fourth, the role electricity plays in a country’s economy is indeed well known. To that end, the hydroelectric dam is going to immensely contribute to our country’s resoluteness to end poverty through economic development – i.e. infrastructure building; agricultural improvement, industrialization and technological advancement, etc.

Last but certainly not least, the project will provide temporary and permanent job opportunities for experts, skilled and semi-skilled workers, labourers, service providers and suppliers of all kinds of materials.

Thus, for the five reasons mentioned above and perhaps more the Group may likely have overlooked, we strongly believe that Ethiopians of all backgrounds – regardless of their ethnicity, religion, social status or political leanings – should rally behind this great cause.

A word of caution to Ethiopians in general and our brothers and sisters in the diaspora in particular: While the overwhelming majority of Ethiopians, as expected, welcomed the hydroelectric dam news with excitement, and continue expressing their eagerness to give the project their 100% backing, there are some detractors – albeit very insignificant in number – who, out of deliberate distortion of truth or sheer ignorance, have begun to speak and write ill about this commendable project.

What’s worse, the most dishonest allegation these naysayers have begun to make is that the Millennium Hydroelectric Dam Project is a kneejerk reaction to shift attention from the political unrest that is taking place in North Africa and the Middle East. And frankly this is an insult to Ethiopians’ intelligence for at least three main reasons:

First, the history in the making we are privileged to witness is evidently not a pork barrel community water well drilling that can be planned and announced in just a matter of weeks. Rather, it’s an enormous undertaking for a landmark development project. And one doesn’t have to be a high-ranking public official or a civil engineer to imagine the amount of time it took to discuss, plan and hammer things out prior to the announcement.

Second, one doesn’t have to be a political analyst either to have seen this coming, especially after the Cooperative Framework Agreement was signed by Nile basin countries way back in May 2010. Soon after, it’s to be recalled how the talk on Nile heated up on the international media, and PM Meles Zenawi stood his ground, and went to great lengths to defend his country’s rights.

Third, who says Ethiopia is cursed to be an importer of copycat revolution? And who benefits from a political unrest, really? Hasn’t the country suffered enough due to years of political conflicts? Cynics can label us as “economic determinists” if they so wish, but we strongly believe that we represent the vast majority of Ethiopians when we boldly state that this is the era of economic revolution for Ethiopia.

So, it goes without saying that Ethiopians have to be vigilant of the propaganda fabricated by these adversaries who are choosing to be on the wrong side of history.

To conclude, when we congratulate the government and the people of Ethiopia for this historic and visionary project, it’s with recognition that it’s a huge responsibility that requires the involvement and support of all Ethiopians living within or outside their homeland, not to mention friends of Ethiopia in the African continent as well as all over the world. And together we can indeed realize this long overdue individual and collective dream of ours by rallying behind this once in a life time cause deserving of our support every step of the way.