PRESS RELEASE                           Release date : Monday August 19/Nehasse 13   Ethiopia’s Green Revolution carries PM Meles’ legacy forward   The first anniversary of the passing of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, H.E. Meles Zenawi, will be marked, on 20th August, with the laying of a commemorative stone in the presence of over 800 local and international guests – including IGAD-country heads of state - at a site in the newly designated Meles Zenawi Memorial Park, which will be home to a state-of-the-art Library and Research Centre. World-renowned architect Fasil Giorghis and a team of other young Ethiopian architects are working with STUDIO OTHER SPACES – headed by Danish installation artist Olafur Eliasson with his colleague architect Sebastian Behmann - and highly respected structural engineer Dr Messele Haile, on a specially designed memorial site in Addis Ababa dedicated to the life and ideas of the late Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi. Their proposal envisions a comprehensive concept for the entire Memorial Park, including a path that leads through the restored indigenous forest, comprising trees and plants from all over Ethiopia; uniquely designed research and conference facilities, library, offices, and guesthouse; a tranquil site for the Prime Minister’s tomb; artworks integrated into the landscape; and sites that communicate the Prime Minister’s life to visitors as they walk along the path. The entirety presents the main incidents in the prime minister’s life, along with events in the world in which he lived. In recognition of his outstanding leadership, the Meles Zenawi Foundation will support scholarly studies into the late Prime Minister’s life and works, taking forward his lifelong commitment to peace, justice, climate-resilient economic development, good governance, and democracy for the Ethiopian and African peoples. Over past months, in memory of the late Prime Minister, people in kebeles (localities) across Ethiopia have planted up Meles Zenawi Public Memorial Parks – over 10,000 parks in total, covering about 300,000 hectares, planted with almost a billion trees and plants. The emphasis has been on local planting and the importance of climate-resilience in all future development projects. The capital, Addis Ababa, will have 13 public parks, including the extensive national Memorial Park mentioned above. Through dedication to his ideals and priorities, and in full appreciation of his legacy, the Meles Zenawi Foundation, with the support and participation of the people of Ethiopia, will keep PM Meles alive and among us. As Prime Minister Meles himself said:   “Our struggle is not a marathon but more akin to a relay race where those who ran earlier pass on the baton to those who come later.”   ENDS   Principal elements of the Foundation : ·         Library and Research Centre within the Meles Zenawi Memorial Park ·         Support for environmental protection through advocacy and education ·         Educational Programmes ·         MZF study grants ·         MZF awards for outstanding achievements   Background and biographical details Since the days of the armed struggle, Meles’ commitment was to seeing a new future for all Ethiopians. He set the path for sustainable development, which unlocks the potential of all citizens, enabling them to transform their lives and prepare a better and brighter future for the next generation. Prime Minister Meles strove hard for Africa’s recognition on the Commission for Africa, on the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Group on Climate Financing, on the BRICS-led Infrastructure Development Bank and at G7/8 and G20 summits, among other fora. Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan (http://www.ata.gov.et/priorities/national-growth-transformation-plan/), and its Climate-Resilient Green Economic Growth strategy (http://www.mofed.gov.et/English/Resources/Documents/GTP%20English2.pdf), will sustain the country’s fast growth trajectory. The construction of renewable energy infrastructure, such as the Grand Renaissance Dam and other hydro-dams and green energy projects, along with road and railway networks and the further expansion of health and education, will remain high on the agenda.