Ethiopia-US People to People Bond Blossoming.

By:Tsehaye Debalkew, Washington DC. March 8, 2012- A group of eighty five young students and ten adults traveling all the way from Atlanta, Georgia raised the curtain in strengthening the people to people relations between Ethiopia and the US by paying their maiden cordial tour of the Chancery of the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington DC. on March 7, 2012, last Wednesday.

The students and their instructors drawn from Howard school in Atlanta, Georgia, were given a warm welcome upon their arrival at the splendid building of the Ethiopian Embassy. The students who have been studying Ethiopia this year were briefed about the long cherished history of the country and were exposed to the rich and diverse cultural milieu and ancient beliefs and traditional values and mores.

The group had the rare opportunity to acquaint themselves with the current socio-economic and political transformation that Ethiopia is engulfed upon to extricate itself from the age-old grinding poverty and backwardness and were apprised that tangible results have been registered to-date that have changed the face of the country for the better for good. A documentary film depicting the stunning progress made in the last two decades was shown to the enthusiastic group who later showered the presenter with pertinent, critical and sharp queries.

The students and their instructors were at times surprised to learn that Ethiopia is the cradle of humanity, that it is the first in cattle population in Africa, that the Grand Renaissance Dam with the power generating capacity of 5250 MW is the first in the African continent ,that it is the third in Coffee production in the world, that it is the one and only country that has never been colonized and that it is the only nation that defeated a European power during the era of the scramble for Africa by the Axis powers , and above all the group was wowed to learn that Ethiopia was the pioneer in practicing the three major world religions, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam without resort to the sword or conflict amicably' In relation to the current polity, the group learnt that Ethiopia is a mosaic of nations and nationalities, with multiple languages with the people living in harmony, justice and equality governed by a Federal arrangement under democratically erected governance led by the supreme law of the country, the modern Ethiopian Constitution.

During the briefing session the group was enlightened of the current scenario in education where 98% of school children were attending classes @ the elementary level nation-wide. Pertaining to the terrestrial level of education the young visitors were apprised about the gigantic stride made in the number of public universities which jumped from a mere two to the present astronomical figure of thirty two without including ecclesiastical, private, community and chartered colleges and universities.