WHAT DOES MUSICIAN AND ACTIVIST BONO SAY?

Written from his speech in 2005

Bono, the lead singer of U2, uses his celebrity to fight for social justice in Africa.

JOIN MY CALL TO ACTION TO AFRICA.

February 2005.

You must see this video after you finish reading this article.

TellMeWhy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzLZ32kZT5M

What really turns me on about technology is not just the ability to get more songs on MP-3 players; this revolution is much bigger than that. I hope, I believe. What turns me on about the digital age, what excites me personally is that you have closed the gap between dreaming and doing. See, it used to be that if you wanted to make a record of a song, you needed a studio and a producer. Now you need a laptop. If you wanted to make a film, you needed massive, massive equipment and a Holy Wood budget. Now, you need a camera that fits in your palm and a couple of bucks for a blank DVD.

Imagination has been de-coupled from the old constraints. That really, really excites me. I am excited when I glimpse that kind of thinking rip large. What I would like to see is idealism decoupled from old constraints, political, economic, psychological, whatever. The geopolitical world has a lot to learn from the digital world. From the ease with which you swept away obstacles that no one knew could even be budged.

First, I would like to explain why and how I got to this place. It is a journey that started 20 years ago. You may remember that song, "We are the world" or "Do they know it is Chrismas?", "Band-Aid", "Live aid". Another very tall, grizzled rock star, my friend Sir Bob Gedof, issued a challenge to feed the world. It was a great moment and it utterly changed my life.

That summer, my wife Ally and myself went to Ethiopia. We went on the quite to see for ourselves what was going on. We lived in Ethiopia for a month, working in an orphanage. The children had a name for me. They called me the "girl with a beard". Don't ask. Anyway, we found Africa to be a magical place. Big skies, big hearts, big shining continent, beautiful royal people. Anybody whoever gave anything to Africa, got a lot back. Ethiopia didn't just blow my mind, it opened my mind.

Anyway, on our last day at this orphanage, a man handed me his baby and said, "Would you take my son with you?" He knew in Ireland that his son would live and in Ethiopia his son would die. It was the middle of an awful famine. Well, I turned him down. It was a funny kind of sick feeling. But, I turned him down and it is a feeling I can never quite forget. And in that moment, I started this journey. In that moment, I became the worst thing of all. I became a "rock star with a cause", except this isn't a cause, is it?

6,500 Africans dying every single day from AIDS, a preventable, treatable disease, for lack of drugs we can get in any pharmacy. That is not a "Cause", is it? That is and "Emergency". 11 million AID orphans in Africa, 20 million by the end of the decade. That is not a "Cause", that is an "Emergency". Today, everyday, 9,000 Africans will catch HIV because of stigmatization and lack of education. That is not a "Cause", that is an "Emergency".

So, what we are talking about here is Human Rights. The right to live like a human. The right to live, Period! What we are facing in Africa is an unprecedented threat to Human Dignity and Equality.

The next thing I would like to be clear about is what this problem is and what this problem isn't. Because, this is not all about charity. This is about justice. Really. This is not about charity. This is about justice. That is right. That is too bad, because we are very good about charity. Americans, like the Irish are good at it. Even the poorest neighborhoods give more than they could afford. We like to give and we give a lot. Look at the response to the Tsunami. It is inspiring.

But, justice is a tougher standard than charity. You see, Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice. It makes a farce of our idea of equality, it mocks our pieties, ducks our concern. It questions our commitments. Because, there is no way we can look at what is happening in Africa and, if we are honest, conclude that it will ever be allowed to happen anywhere else. Not here, not in America, not in Europe.

In fact, a head of state you are all familiar with, admitted this to me. It is really true. There is no chance that this kind of hemorrhaging of human life would be accepted anywhere else, other than Africa. Africa is a continent in flames. And deep down, if we accept it that Africans are equal to us, we would all do more to stump the fire out. We are standing around with watering hose. And what we really need is the fire brigade.

You see, it is not as dramatic as the Tsunami. It is crazy really, if you stop and think about it. It has to be like an action movie these days, to exist in front of our brain. The slow extinguishing of countless lives is not as dramatic enough, it would appear. Catastrophes that we can avert are not as interesting as ones we could avert. Funny that. Anyway, I believe that that kind of thinking offends the intellectual rigor in this room.

6,500 people dying every day may be Africa's crisis. But the fact is in the last 19 years, we in Europe and you in America are not treating it like an emergency. I want to argue with you tonight, that that is our crisis. I want to argue that, though Africa is not the front line in the war against terror, it could be soon. Every week, religious extremists take another African village, they are attempting to bring order to chaos. Well, why aren't we? Poverty breeds despair, we know this. Despair breeds violence, we know this. In turbulent times, isn't it cheaper and smarter to make friends out of potential enemies than to defend yourself against them later. The war against terror is bound up in the war against poverty. And I didn't say that, Colin Powell said that. Now, when the military are telling us that this is a war that cannot be won by military might alone, may be we should listen. There is an opportunity here and it is real. It is not a spin, it is not wishful thinking. The problem facing the developing world afford us in the developed world, a chance to re-describe ourselves to the world. We will not only transform other lives, but we will also transform the way those other lives see us. And that might be smart in these nervous dangerous times.

Don't you think, on a purely commercial level, that anti-retroviral drugs are advertisements for Western ingenuity? Doesn't compassion look well on us? Let us cut the crap for a second. In certain corners of the world, brand Europe, brand USA is not at its shiniest. The neon sign is fizzling and crackling. Some one has put a brick through the window. The regional branch managers are getting nervous. Never before have we in the West been so scrutinized. Our values, if we have any, our credibility, these things are under attack around the world. Brand USA could use some polishing. I say that as a fan, you know, as a person who buys the products. But, think about it. More anti-retroviral could make sense. That is just the easy part or ought to be.

Equality for Africa. That is a big, expensive idea. You see, the scale of the suffering mums us into a kind of indifference. What on earth can we all do about this? Well, much more than we think. We can't fix every problem. But, the ones we can, I want to argue, we must. And because we can, we must. This is the straight truth, the righteous truth. It is not a theory. The fact is, ours is the first generation that can look disease and extreme poverty in the eye, look across the ocean to Africa and say this and mean it. We do not have to stand for this. A whole continent written off, we do not have to stand for this.

So, let me say this without a trace of irony, before I back it up to a bunch of Ex-Hippies. Forget the 60s. We can change the world. I can't, you can't, as individuals. But, we can change the world. I really believe that the people in this room, look at the Gates Foundation, they have done incredible stuff, unbelievable stuff. But, working together, we can actually change the world. We can turn the inevitable outcomes and transform the quality of life for millions of lives, who look and fell rather like us when you look up close.

I am sorry to laugh here, but you do look so different than you did in Haight- Ashbury in the 60s. But, I want to argue that this is the moment that you were designed for. It is the flowering of the seeds you planted in earlier headier days. Ideas that you gestated in your youth. This is what excites me. This room was born for this moment, is really what I wanted to say to you tonight. Most of you started off to change the world didn't you? Most of you did, the digital world. Well now, actually because of you, it is possible to change the physical world. It is a fact. Economist confirm it. They know more than I do.

So, why then are we not pumping our fists in to the air? Probably because, when we admit we can do some thing about, we've got to do something about it.

This equality business, actually, is a pain in the ass. But for the first time in history, we have the technology, we have the know-how, we have the cash. We have the life saving drugs. Do we have the will?

I hope this is obvious. But, I am not a Hippie. I am not really one for the warm fuzzy feeling. I do not have flares in my hair. Actually, I come from punk rock and the clash of big army boots not sandals. But, I know toughness when I see it. All the talk of peace and love on the West Coast, there was muscle to the movement that started out here. You see, idealism detached from action is just a dream. But, idealism allied with pragmatism, with rolling of your sleeves and making the world bend a bit, is very exciting. It is very real, it is very strong and it is very present in a crowd like you.

Last year at Dayton, this organization I helped set up, we launched a campaign to summon this spirit in the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty, and we are calling it the "One Campaign". It is based on our belief that the action of one person can change a lot. But, the actions of many coming together as one, can change the world.

Well, we feel that now is the time to prove we are right. There are moments in history when civilization redefines itself. We believe this is one. We believe that this could be the time when the world finally decides that the wanton loss of life in Africa is just no longer acceptable. This could be the time that we finally get serious about changing the future for most people who live on planet earth.

Momentum has been building. Lurching a little. But, it is building. This year is a test for us all, especially the leaders of the G-8 nations, who really are on the line here, with all the world and history watching. I have been of late, disappointed with the Bush administration. They started out with such promise on Africa. They made some really great promises and actually have fulfilled a lot of them. But, some of them they haven't. They don't fit their foot on the ground when they push is the truth. But, my disappointment has much more perspective when I talk to American people and I hear their worries about the deficit and the fiscal well-being of their country. I understand that. But, there is much more push from the ground than you would think, if we got organized.

What I try to communicate, and you can help me if you agree, is that aid for Africa is just great value for money, at a time when America really needs it. Putting it in the crassest possible terms, the investment rips huge returns, not only in lives saved, but also in good will, stability and security that we will gain. So this is what I hope that you do, if I could be so bold and not have it deducted from my number of wishes.

What I hope is that, beyond individual merciful acts, you will tell the politicians to do right by Africa, by America and by the world. Give them permission, if you like, to spend their political capital and your financial capital, your national purse, on saving the lives of millions of people. That is really what I like you to do. Because, we also need your intellectual capital, your ideas, your skills, your ingenuity and you at this conference are in a unique position. Some of the technology we have been talking about, you invented them or at least revolutionized the way that they are used. Together you have changed the Zing guys from analog to digital and pushed the boundaries, and we like you to give us that energy, give us that kind of dreaming, that kind of doing. As I said, two things are on the line here. There is a continent, Africa. But, there is also a sense of ourselves.

People are starting to figure this out. Movements are spreading up. Politicians, pop starts, priests, CEOs, NGOs, models unions, student unions. A lot of people are working together under this umbrella I told you about, the "One Campaign". I think they just have one idea in their mind which is, where you live in the world should not determine whether you live in the world. History, like God, is watching what we do. When the history books get written, I think our age will be remembered for three things. The digital revolution, yes. The war against terror, yes. And what we did or did not do to put out the fires in Africa. Some say we can't afford to. I say we can't afford not to. Thank you.

OK, my three wishes:

You see, if this is true and I believe it is, that the digital world that you all created has uncoupled the creative imagination from the physical constraints of matter, this should be a piece of piss. I should add that this started as a much longer list of wishes. Most of them impossible, some of them impractical and one or two of them certainly immoral. This business can get to be addictive, you know, when some body else has to pick up the tab. Anyway, here is number one.

I wish for you to help build a social movement of more than one million American activists for Africa. I believe it is possible. From Holy Wood to the heart lands of America, we know there is more than enough energy to power this movement. We want all of you here, Church America, Corporate America, Microsoft America, Apple America, Coke America, Pepsi America, Nerd America, Noisy America. We can't afford to be cool and sit this one out. I do believe that if we build a movement that is one million Americans strong, we are not going to be denied. We will have the ear of congress. We will be the first page on Condi Rice's briefing book and right into the Oval Office. If there are one million Americans who are ready to make phone calls, ready to be on e-mail, I am absolutely sure that we can actually change the course of history literally, for the continent of Africa.

My second wish:

I would like one media hit for every person on the planet who is living on less than a dollar a day. That is one billion media hits! Could be on Google, could be on AOL, could be NBC, could be ABC. We need some air time for our ideas. We need to get the statistics out to the American people. I really believe that old Truman line, "if you give the American people the facts, they will do the right thing". This has to be described as an adventure not a burden. Please visit www.ONE.ORG and help us.

My third wish:

I wish for TED to truly show the power of information. It's power to rewrite rules and transform lives by connecting every hospital, health clinic and every school in one African country and I would like it to be in Ethiopia. I believe we can connect every school in Ethiopia, every health clinic, every hospital. We can connect to the internet. That is my wish. I think it is possible. I think we have the money and brains to do that. And that would be a mind blowing wish to come true. I have been to Ethiopia, as I said earlier. It is actually where it all started for me.

The idea that the internet which changed all our lives, can transform a country and a continent that has partly made it to analog let alone digital blows my mind.

But it didn't start out that way. The first long distance line from Boston to New York was used in 1885, on the phone. It was just nine years later that Addis Ababa was connected by phone to Harare, which is 500km away. Since then, not that much has changed. The average waiting time to get a land line in Ethiopia is actually, about seven or eight years. Wireless technology wasn't dreamt up then.

Anyways, you know I am Irish and I know how important talking is. Communication is very important for Ethiopia. We will transform the country. Nurses getting better training, pharmacist able to order supplies, doctors sharing their expertise in all aspects of medicine. It is a very, very good idea to get them wired. That is my third and final wish for you at the TED Conference.

Thank you very much.

To help with this wish please contact – tedprize@ted.com

Subject: Join me in fighting poverty!

Hi,

I've just signed the ONE Declaration committing myself to help fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty.

I'm asking you to make that commitment, too, by adding your voice.

I think your name belongs on that declaration, too. You can put it there by visiting:

http://www.one.org/declare/

ONE is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans - one by one. So far, over two million have signed the declaration in support of a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world.

Together as ONE we can make a difference!

Thanks!

TELL ME WHY:

TellMeWhy.wmv (video/x-ms-wmv)

IN MY DREAM, CHILLS OF SIN

A SONG OF LOVE FOR EVERY BOY AND GIRL

THE SKY IS BLUE, THE FIELDS ARE GREEN

AND LAUGHTER IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE WORLD

THEN I WAKE IN DAWN I SEE

IS A WORLD FULL OF PEOPLE IN NEED

TELL ME WHY?

DOES IT HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS

TELL ME WHY?

IS THERE SOMETHING I HAVE MISSED?

TELL ME WHY?

I DON'T UNDERSTAND

WHEN SO MANY NEED SOMEBODY

WE DON'T GIVE A HELPING HAND

TELL ME WHY?

EVERY DAY I ASK MYSELF

WHAT WILL I HAVE TO DO TO BE A MAN?

DO I HAVE TO STAND AND FIGHT

TO PROVE TO EVERY BODY WHO I AM?

IS IT WORTH MY LIFE TO FALL

TO WASTE IN A WORLD FULL OF WAR?

TELL ME WHY?

DOES IT HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS

TELL ME WHY?

IS THERE SOMETHING I HAVE MISSED?

TELL ME WHY?

I DON'T UNDERSTAND

WHEN SO MANY NEEDS SOMEBODY

WE DON'T GIVE A HELPING HAND

TELL ME WHY? X 3

JUST TELL ME WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?

WHY, WHY, WE DON'T CELEBRATE?

SOME ONE TELL US WHAT THE CHALLENGES WOULD BE

* Bono's wishes

Bono

WISH ONE: I wish for you to help build a social movement of more than 1 MILLION American activists for Africa.

Goal:

* Empower Americans to fight stupid, crushing poverty in Africa and AIDS by making a big noise.

Actions Taken:

* Rights to the URL www.ONE.org secured and delivered by the Jane Addams Hull House.
* Sun builds cool SMS technology that allows instant sign-ups at U2 concerts; a team from Sun travels with the U2 tour to run it.
* Multi-company team of Sun, Macromedia, Microsoft and Tribe, redesigns the www.ONE.org website.
* Anonymous TEDster commits $10M over five years to Bono's team.

Result:
1.4M signups ahead of G8 summit where major debt cancellation/AID package agreed. www.ONE.org signups subsequently exceed 2M.

WISH TWO: I wish to tell people ONE BILLION times about ONE, with as much of this as possible before the G8 Africa Summit in July 2005.

Goal:

* ONE billion media impressions for the mass-market campaign to tell everyone in the US about www.ONE.org and the global fight against poverty.

Actions Taken:

* John Kamen, of @radicalmedia, creates ONE film which plays all over TV networks and the Internet
* Google contribute adwords
* Jay Amato and Viewpoint negotiate 1.5 BILLION online ads with help from 24/7 Real Media, About.com, Accuweather, ad pepper, AOL, Boston.com, Burst Media, CBS, UPN and CBSNews, Ebay, Gamespot, iVillage, MaxOnline, Monster.com, MSN, MSNBC, NowPublic, Right Media, UGO, ValueClick, VIEWPOINT Search, Whitepages.com

Results:
Exceeded 1 BILLION impressions target before the G8 summit. Total impressions granted eventually exceeded 2 billion.

WISH THREE: I wish for you to show the power of information -- its power to rewrite the rules and to transform lives -- by connecting every hospital, health clinic, and school in one African country, Ethiopia, to the Internet.

Goal:

* Track and improve public health with information technology; expand the resources available to local schools

Actions Taken:

* Sun, AMD, HP, Cisco, and TEDsters Taylor Milsal and Joseph Mouzon meet with DATA for a half-day brainstorm.
* NYC meeting with Jeffrey Sachs' Earth Institute team from Columbia.
* TED delegation are hosted in Addis Ababa by Tom Darden's Cherokee House.
* TED delegation visits schools, clinics, and meets with government: Ministry of Health, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Building Capacity, The World Bank, State Department, Ethiopian Telecommunications, local NGOs.
* Big problems are encountered: Pushback from teachers and doctors, government telecoms monopoly and erupting political violence.

Results:
After in-depth research, TED reports back to Bono ... this is NOT the best way for TED to help in Africa. Instead, TED decides to connect the community to remarkable people, projects, businesses in Africa and announces TED Global in Tanzania, June 2007.

My Comments on the Confusing article by Kuchiye "Why it is strenuous to be an EPRDF fan." (http://www.abugidainfo.com)

Washera_2000
January 7th, 2008 at 1:14 pm

Dear Kuchiye:

I have followed your writings from way back when you used to scribble in the comments section of the one blog we both loved, Weichegud. You have come a long way, baby! You are now writing articles. I encourage you to keep it up.

I commented extensively on your article on why you decided to become a Kinijit supporter. I don’t think you read it, or may be it does not make sense to you. I hate to burst your bubble, but there are some basic confusing remarks in your present treatise as well. Let me go on one by one.

1. I agree with you on the question of our access to the sea. In fact, I have been advocating that EPRDF needs to pay attention to the needs of the Afar people whose border extends all the way to Massawa. I believe in initiating negotiations with the Eritrean government even as we remain bogged dawn with the Badme issue.

2. I disagree with you about your “piece of land that is of little consequence” allegation. The Badme issue is by no means over yet.

3. It saddens me to see you talk about “divide-and-rule” and “mafia-type interest groups”, when you describe EPRDF’s ruling style.

4. You muddy the waters further by stating that “EPRDF dared to take a chance at democracy” only to spoil it by “killing of peaceful demonstrators, the mass arrests, the ban on independent media.” Did you expect a “mafia-style” government with “divide-and-rule” philosophy to “dare take a chance at democracy?” Or were you setting up the statements to help you with your atrocious conclusions? Did you forget the remarkable achievement made by the Shimagiles and the Ethiopian government to release the Kality prisoners, most of whom are freely going about establishing their parties in this Ethiopia, while others continue their tourism abroad? This in the same Ethiopia that you claim is ruled by those who have "...fear of creating political space to accommodate genuine opposition". Ask w/t Bertukan Mideksa if she shares your opinion.

5. You allege to know EPRDF’s political philosophy “that is founded on ethnicism, propaganda strategy that boarders fear mongering, economic policy that endows the ruling party and its clique but denies the citizen, fear of creating political space to accommodate genuine opposition, habit of holding others accountable for its own ills.”

6. You then borrow a line from (sic) Dr. Berhanu Nega, “For EPRDF, human and democratic rights are inconvenient truths that have to be recited on world political stages to satisfy the minimum requirement of donors.” to put your appalling finishing remark, "the absence of press freedom and the totally suffocating political climate Ethiopians are forced to live in.” Have you been to Ethiopia recently to witness the "suffocation" that you refer to both to the people and the press?

What is even more astounding is your unsubstantiated optimism expressed thus; “there is still time to right the wrong and to build a vitally necessary level of trust between all the parties who have vested interest in Ethiopia.”

You started off by telling us about attributes you consider important in any decent human being, “Keeping an open mind, avoiding being judgmental, believing in the power of discourse, self respect, respect for the values of others, sensitivity to real or imagined fears–” You don’t see how your statements in numbers 3 to 6 contradict the basic tenets of decency that you advocate in the second paragraph? Where is the respect and fair judgment you offer the EPRDF government? How can you expect any fragment of goodness on the part of EPRDF to listen to you when you label it as a “divide-and-rule” and “fear-mongering” regime that according to you is performing unconstitutional acts regularly and repeatedly? Where do you find the optimism to work with such a regime?

I may agree with you on re-visiting our land policy and even willing to look into the issue of ethnic federalism. I am an ardent supporter of free market economy and I am anti-secession. But your arguments fall short on many counts.

I respect and applaud you for your “self-assessment” exercise you have indulged into. I respectfully ask you to re-examine your flowed thought process.

Please do go back and re-examine your values with a clear-headed and sober mind and body. Give EPRDF due credit for the good it has done and figure out a way to work with it with respect and brotherhood. Then and only then, will your optimism take root and your contribution to a lasting democratic legacy to our Ethiopia be a realistic goal.

Thank you for your misguided, but thought provoking remarks.

WHY I DECIDED TO BE AN EPRDF SUPPORTER AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE ONE

By Washera-2000, plagiarized from Kuchiye December 29, 2007 (http://www.abugidainfo.com/)

January 1, 2008

I was fascinated by an article written by Kuchiye in the above web site. My experiences with Kuchiye are identical in many areas. So I have taken the liberty to freely plagiarize from that wonderful treatise. Kuchiye, bear with me.

Like any other decent citizen I have always taken interest in the affairs and wellbeing of my country. I am from the same generation that Kuchiye is. Unlike Kuchiye, I did not have the maturity level and the political wherewithal in high school to understand politics, let alone write an article on human rights and democracy. We had school magazines back then including Times and Newsweek. I remember one of my best friends who is still alive and near by reading these magazines cover to cover, including the ads. I enjoyed academic competition, tennis and reading the likes of Charlotte Bronte, Conan Doyle and Jules Verne. Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare would come later.

My memory of the 1953 coup was the demonstration we had in the town of Gore in support of His Imperial Majesty. I was at the front of the line carrying the Green, Yellow and Red. I did not even know who Germame Neway was until I came to high school.

Decades have elapsed since the 1953 coup d'etat and though I maintained some degree of interest in politics, it was somewhat in disconnected fashion. Politics seemed unrelated to my way of life and political activity was the exclusive domain of aristocrats, scoundrels and cold-blooded murderers. My only aspirations were to be in the best profession in the country and marry the daughter or grand daughter of the Emperor so that I can get two gashas of land for my poor family back in my village of Gara Kufa in Harar province. I have seen a royal family member receive a mountain for a birthday! That ambition will lead me to complete the first part of my dream and come to the United States to continue further in that profession. Outside a brief brush with royalty, any possibility of my second dream was suddenly cut short by the arrival of Mengistu and his murder squad, just as I was coming into the party scene. In 1991, when those scoundrels were kicked out of my country, I joined the Washington political scene and briefly dabbled in organizing and chairing a political party. That activity and a couple of bad coincidences would lead me to a brief stay in "Kality prison", when I went back to visit my country after 17 years of absence. I had to sign a paper saying I would never get involved in any political activity, before I could get my freedom and return to the United States. So, it was back to political obscurity and raising family.

Then 2005 happened. The period leading to the 2005 election was laden with hope and excitement. It was unlike any other in our lifetime, for it sucked the most skeptics out of self imposed exile and the most indifferent out of centuries old slumber. Many Ethiopians opposing EPRDF started to believe that democracy was possible and that governments can change through the power of the ballot. On the national level the government has been transforming its governance principles along more and more democratic lines. The relative peace in the country and the continued growth in the economy have lead to its increased popularity. When 2005 rolled in, EPRDF has had over a decade and a half of governance, improved infrastructure, growing military power in the region and confidence in its political ideology. So, EPRDF was motivated to opening up of the political process and more freedom for political parties in the opposition camp. It mattered very little whether the motivation grew out of conviction or national or international pressure. A significant chunk of the credit also goes to those Ethiopians who came out in millions to participate in the democratic process. The 2005 elections sparked national debates and managed to glue an entire population to the TV set, the radio and newspapers.

That was when I also started to believe democracy was indeed possible and Ethiopians, who I believe are the most politicized humans in Africa, were behind this movement for real. In essence, I took the lead from the average Ethiopian. After 15 years of absence from the Ethiopian political scene, I believed the statute of limitation on my participation clause had expired or I was ready for the consequences if any. I lined up behind the “Yichalal” national wagon authored by no other than Haile Gebre Selasssie. Who could blame me for that? I can assure you my support for Kinijit did not spring out of a lottery draw or from previous association with its component parts which I had none. Due diligence was involved in my choice of Kinijit.

However, my support of Kinijit was on an ideological level and not on a practical level of joining any opposition party. I followed the election process in Ethiopia via all available modern news media, in particular, through the various pal talk rooms. The pal talk medium gave me an instant, live access to discussion forums where interviews, debates and group and individual discussions can be had with a flip of the finger. I followed the processes day in and day out, at home and at work. I argued with individuals and debated groups. I was bounced and banned time and again for my political opinion, which basically boiled down to advocating peace and a strong belief in working with EPRDF. From the beginning I believed the constitution was acceptable with a few controversial articles and I did not hesitate to articulate my disagreements.

While we were in the middle of this debate and excitedly waiting for the Kinijit leaders to join parliament, the unthinkable happened. Hundreds of lives were lost; thousands were put to prison, including many of the Kinijit leaders. That was a low point in my short political career. At one moment, I wanted to resign from my job and join a non-profit organization to serve my country. When that appeared unrealistic, I joined the campaign of peaceful struggle to get the Kality prisoners released. The pal talk medium, especially the Ethiopians Forum for Political Civility, provided me the podium to argue this belief to its ultimate outcome. This medium also provided me an opportunity to interact with the many Ethiopian officials who came for extensive interviews on the issue of the prisoners in particular and the state of affairs in Ethiopia in general. The two-and-a-half years I spent in pal talk gave me an incredible education and information about my country and the leaders involved in governing it. I met many more Ethiopians with incredible talent, dedication and love for their country. I supported individuals, groups, support organizations and political parties that I believed were working toward improving good governance and democracy in Ethiopia. Most of all, I expressed my disagreement with the imprisonment of the CUD leaders and took this argument to the highest Ethiopian officials I could access. I visited Ethiopia on more than one occasion and articulated my position in no uncertain terms.

When the CUD prisoners and many thousands more finally came out of prison, my confidence in the good that EPRDF is capable of doing was boosted dramatically. Suddenly, my hopes that were dodged when the CUD leaders entered Kality, was replaced with the optimistic attitudes I had for the 2005 elections. What was even better was that EPRDF appeared to have understood its errors and was taking extraordinary corrective steps.

Then another previously simmering episode exploded when the CUD leaders left Kality and started their tour in Europe and North America. The conflict between the Ato Hailu Shawel's wing and that of w/t Bertukan Mideksa reached its nadir with the firing of prominent CUD leaders and w/t Bertukan herself. This split within CUD did not stop here. Back home in Ethiopia, the division among the CUD members that had joined parliament continued with the split of Ato Ayele Chamiso and Ato Temesgen Zewde. The former will claim the official "Kinijit" name and the later will have w/t Bertukan and her group joining him. In the meantime, a certain Dr. Berhanu Nega continued his anti-EPRDF rhetoric from his fellowship office in Washington, DC. Ato Hailu Shawel remained in hiding in Minnesota, conspiring to fire more CUD members and hire more friends of Dr. Taye W. Semayat. This is the tragic state of affairs within Kinijit that, only a couple of years ago, appeared ready to re-write the history of modern Ethiopian politics. The history is written alright, but with a sad commentary included.

Ever since the release of the CUD prisoners and after my continued communication with some EPRDF officials, my political thinking was getting further clarity and it became unambiguously obvious to me that the path to follow was in support of EPRDF and work within it to continue the democratic change it was allowing to flourish. The last few years had given me an opportunity to meet with these EPRDF officials and develop affection and respect for the enormous responsibility they hold on their shoulders. I believe I have reached that point in my life and in my conviction to impact the political process in Ethiopia. Let me then innumerate why I support EPRDF and believe in working within the system to bring change.

1) I truly understand and appreciate the sacrifices that were paid by the people that fought to overthrow the Derg regime. We all need to pay tribute to their sacrifice that has made this democratic discourse possible. It is time for us to do our share.

2) The last 17 years of EPRDF rule has brought, peace, ethnic empowerment and some degree of economic growth. Basic infrastructure has continued to improve and that gives me confidence that this growth will continue. I feel it is time to look into our economic policy, educational system and border and sea port issues. This can all be done by participating in the political process within EPRDF.

3) EPRDF is a decidedly multi-nation and nationalities party. Take a look at the diversity of the leadership and the statistical result of the 2005 election which transcended ethnic and regional boundaries. No amount of negative propaganda aimed at portraying it as an ethnic party will change the fact. However, more needs to be done to bring the various nationalities even closer together through policy changes in the area of common national languages and building better communication infrastructure.

4) EPRDF believes in a peaceful political struggle as the only salvation for a war and strife weary Ethiopia. Among other things, the path chosen considered the level of political consciousness in Ethiopia, the fragile nature of relationships and international political experiences. The belief in growing our democracy includes continued vigilance to protect our constitutional rights. The door for negotiations with any friend or foe should always remain open. A lot needs to be done in the area of human rights and individual freedom. Article 10 of our constitution guarantees Human and Democratic Rights.

1. Human rights and freedoms as inherent rights of man are inalienable and inviolable.

2. The human and democratic rights of peoples and citizens shall be protected.

We protect these rights by active participation in the existing political system alongside our EPRDF brothers and sisters.

6) EPRDF strongly believes that Ethiopia’s democratic aspirations will forge ahead if and only if stake-holders breakout of their intransigent positions and discuss their visions and fears after getting elected and joining parliament. Accept the constitution, organize or join a legal party in the country, run and get elected, join parliament and engage actively in the political process to affect change. The political suicide committed by Kinijit after the 2005 elections should never be repeated. Kinijit has damaged its credibility and needs a long time to recuperate.

7) EPRDF is committed to stamp out hunger and poverty in our country. We should all join in this fight even as we continue to struggle for land reform policy and introduction of advanced agricultural productivity measures.
Some day, we will move to a market driven economy and recognize individual ownership of land and capital as the engines that drive a vibrant economy and a great nation.

8) EPRDF is aware of Ethiopia’s current and evolving international responsibilities in a region that continues to originate numerous global challenges. The strong relationship established with the United States in fighting terrorism has given it a status of a strong and powerful ally with a super power. Its own superpower status in the horn of Africa in particular and in the continent in general has been reaffirmed. The crisis in Somalia or the brewing situation with Eritrea will soon find a decisive culmination. The Ethiopian people will no doubt be behind EPRDF, especially when it comes to the intransigent situation with Eritrea.

9) The regional division along the lines of nations and nationalities may be misconstrued as going contrary to economic, social and international logic. It is further alleged to restrict the unleashing of the full potential of human and national resources. On the contrary, EPRDF believes in Article 39 that among other things, states that every nation, nationality or people in Ethiopia shall have the unrestricted right to self determination up to secession. It further believes that such rights guarantee the freedom to stay or to secede. There is no statement in the constitution that prevents future bylaws or amendments to this article. All the pros and cons about this article can be debated within EPRDF.

10) I believe EPRDF is committed to the exercise of internal democracy as it, along with other parties, strives to cultivate democratic culture in Ethiopia. If there are deficiencies in this regard, then let us join it and make a difference.

11) I believe EPRDF is a dynamic and vibrant organization, always cognizant of the ever changing nature of society, the changing priorities of our nation and of the world. It is adept and is determined not to fall prey to paradigm paralysis.

EPRDF proved to me its desire to resolve conflicts peacefully and legally. At the same time, the resolution of the Kinijit debacle with the help of the Ethiopian elders was another dimension of its flexibility and desire to end conflicts amicably. That goodwill gesture on the part of EPRDF to resolve our political crises would later be abused by the likes of Berhanu Nega. For me, that was a huge step forward in the road to democracy and I was fully convinced that EPRDF is willing to listen and change for the good of the people.

The resent town hall meetings by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to address the peoples' concerns over major economic policies or temporary market fluctuations is a clear indication of his desire to pay even closer attention to our nations needs. On the international forum, PM Meles continues to show his talent and ability to articulate third world concerns to world powers. His recent appearance with the likes of PM Tony Blair at the Clinton Global Convention on the environment was a show-stealing performance that won him a standing ovation, in the process winning back his place among world leaders and bringing respect to our country. Such dependable leadership gives me absolute confidence in our ability to win the argument on any issue that we can put our hearts and minds to.

This, in short, is the EPRDF I chose to support and the basis of unwritten contract signed between the two of us. As a side note; I am not overly concerned about any internal crisis within EPRDF, for no organization worth its salt grows to be wiser and stronger without enduring growing pain.

Thank you Kuchiye. May the strong argument win.