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Ethiopianess

What is "Ethiopian"?

There are several problems and numerous confusions on the subject:

First is of a nationality, ethnicity and citizenship. Birth doesn't make anyone Ethiopian and you see many Ethiopian born children who will grow up as Americans, Canadians or Australians. Modern democratic countries do not require ancestry for its citizens and I hope democratic Ethiopia belong to this group. "Love for Ethiopia" is a very abused idea; there are many who claim to love Ethiopia, while living in the West or doing nothing for Ethiopia. There are many in Ethiopia who use this cheap claim to pursue their personal interests often aganist Ethiopia's well-being.

The biggest problem is in common (mis)interpretation of Ethiopian history and Ethiopian national experience. I don't understand why to this very day so many do not see that Ethiopian revolution didn't change the actual structure of the empire. The aristocracy was replaced with another party elite under one leader and even the orthodoxy was remained under a new state religion (Marxism-Leninism). The same tendency of extending central power was continued and brought to the extremes.

Obviously the same formulas which didn't work in Imperial Ethiopia didn't work in Socialist Ethiopia. All nationalities were supressed very much like under Tito in yugoslavia and there's no reason to see Mengistu's or Stalin's national policies as a right model (as we see it now in Russia or Serbia).

In terms of social development the country had no progress during the Dergues' "revolutionary" years, no social institutions were born (economically or culturally). Since 1991 Ethiopia continues this regression tendency back to the times when Ethiopia had no statehood (till mid 19 century).

The real problem is not Eritrean or Oromo crisis of identity, but Ethiopia's. ethiopian idea was about inclusion v. exclusion. "Ethiopia" as a social idea was born to embrase, not separate. It wwere Abyssinians, not Ethiopians who colonized Oromo as well as speaking Amharic doesn't make one Amhara (no more than speaking English makes me Englishman). Classical Ethiopia with its Christian Orthodoxy has nothing to do with the present notion of being an Ethiopian. Today it's a cultural institution and to be against or pro-church is rediculous as being pro or against the facts of Ethiopian history.

As I wrote before the todays Ethiopian society groups around ethnic lines instead of social programs. I do not hear about republicans, democracts, conservative, communists, socialists (and all the familiar parties based on social agenda). If one considers himself an Ethiopian the question should be what is good for all Ethiopians -- socialist, federalist, republican direction for the country? Why the issues on which other nations spent decades and centuries are not of the concern for Ethiopia?

To be Amhara or Oromo, Orthodox, Muslim or Evangelist is a private matter. To turn it into the main focal point of Ethiopia's future is a dead end.

In my view true Ethiopian would advocate private banking system, schools, postal services and media. Even the land reform is not in any party statements. There is very little of foreign investment in the country of 60 millions and very little hope for unless the taxation, custom, owneship laws will be changed. None of it is possible without public discussion of all Ethiopians, regardless of their ethnicity.

Since the present government is on the PR trip (to ensure that a single gesture will substitute the questions of accountability for the crisis), I want to know how many on this forum were invited back to Ethiopia, which needs your expertise and resources?

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