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Fetsum: EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO CRANK THE SILENT MAJORITY INTO THE RESISTANCE

fetsumraham@yahoo.com “ሎም ዘበን ክረምቲ ካብ ወጻኢ ናብ ኤርትራ ናይ ዝኣተዉ ኤርትራውያን ቁጽሪካብ 1991 ጀሚሩ በብዓመቱ ምስ ዝነበረ ብዝሒ በጻሕቲ ብምውድዳር፣ ካብማንም ግዜ ኣዝዩ ዝተሓተ ከምዝነበረ ንጸብጻባት መዓርፎ ነፈርቲ ኣስመራብምውካስ ምንጭታት ካብ ኣስመራ ሓቢሮም።“ What do you expect when the government keeps on suffocating the Diaspora through its indefinite 2% illegal taxation and  monopolizing business completely? What do you think will happen when you fail to provide food, electricity

“ሎም ዘበን ክረምቲ ካብ ወጻኢ ናብ ኤርትራ ናይ ዝኣተዉ ኤርትራውያን ቁጽሪካብ 1991 ጀሚሩ በብዓመቱ ምስ ዝነበረ ብዝሒ በጻሕቲ ብምውድዳር፣ ካብማንም ግዜ ኣዝዩ ዝተሓተ ከምዝነበረ ንጸብጻባት መዓርፎ ነፈርቲ ኣስመራብምውካስ ምንጭታት ካብ ኣስመራ ሓቢሮም።“ What do you expect when the government keeps on suffocating the Diaspora through its indefinite 2% illegal taxation and  monopolizing business completely? What do you think will happen when you fail to provide food, electricity and water to the people? You cannot run a nation through past heroism, Guaila and pretention; everything falls apart at one point in the journey. Even the most conformist portion of our people can no longer stand the situation in Eritrea: the cumulative arrogance, centralized power, overly militaristic, misplaced trust and obedience and the total brain drain of our society under this regime are now backfiring at them to the point of no return. No Eritrean kid can today enjoy the paralyzed and extra restrictive country that cannot provide basic life necessities to the people: the Diaspora kids need libraries for reading, researching and preparing for their next academic challenges in the process of visiting Eritrea unlike the poor local kids in SAWA slavery. The world has changed except in Eritrea: The Diaspora kids go home expecting the minimum to only comeback as soon as possible disgusted by the amount of shortages they confront there as we keep hearing it nowadays.
Tewelde Stephanos: “Normally, the sort of indiscriminate oppression the regime levels against its own people should have resulted in a united opposition to uproot it. But we are more divided than ever. Even the “youth” movements are infected with the divisive virus of the older generation dimming the light at the end of tunnel a bit more. The hope was that as the old folks die off, their divisive legacy would die with them. As it seems, the regime is more likely to fall under its own dead weight than through active demand for freedom. One seriously hopes not, but with severely weakened sense of a unifying national umbrella, Somalia’s recent history is not a far-fetched scenario for Eritrea’s near future. Could those in the opposition and civic groups,especially the “youth” groups, gather the courage to reach out to their peers to reconcile differences and re-direct the fight against the regime instead of against each other? Could each of us make our own individual pledges to withdraw our membership from the club of ‘silent majority’ and support those we believe are making a positive difference?”
Comment: I agree.
The opportunity: The second all inclusive Eritrean national congress will be held in Ethiopia in the early months of next year.
REMINDER: “THIS IS IT OR PROBABLY NEVER”: The First National Conference of Eritreans (more than 600 Eritreans from everywhere) was held in Ethiopia two years ago though we did not see progress or any tangible productivity from it as you know, one of reasons in my opinion being the absence of check and balance capacity from the youth organizations. In any case the second is on the way to take place in few months. This is the right time to press for unity through exclusively focused demonstrations around the world. We have few months to do this and the youth organizations have no excuse missing this opportunity because we are reminding them ahead of time as usual. Eritreans will pay the price heavily in missing this opportunity: unless they start shouting for unity beginning from NOW so that a good result comes out of the Conference and the BAITO. This is the time for any organization to practically prove its dedication for UNITED RESISTANCE FOR DEMOCRACY in Eritrea. Right now is the moment to crank the silent engine of our society into the resistance. The youth organizations will be responsible for doing nothing to influence the outcome of the Conference and to attract the silent majority through demonstrations for UNITY using this opportunity.
On permanent UNITY                                   
Zaul“ Mr Fetsum, If I have understood you correctly, you are not looking to solve the root cause of our lack of unity. You are saying that there is no other alternative if we are to achieve what we all want, i.e, a constitutional democracy.”
No human attitude or force can totally resolve the root causes of our lack of unity on many subject matters and trying to do so is waste of life. Permanent mental unity is a known cause of oppression because it is unnatural so to say and does not accommodate independent thinkers to participate. God made us different on purpose to enjoy our diversity and no one can change this natural arrangement and trying to do so will only cause DICTATORSHIP. There is nothing called permanent or absolute unity in human experience except in marriage even that is impermanent sometimes and specially at the end life. Political diversity is necessary for people to develop and a given society should take advantage of all diversified brains within its boundaries. It is in recognition of this that political scientists and leaders created a fair medium called DEMOCRACY. The main object of democracy is to help people tolerate different backgrounds and opinions: therefore we cannot enjoy peaceful coexistence in a completely UNITED or AUTHORITARIAN SYSTEM like Afwerki’s.
The concept of united resistance was dispatched in our society through the moto “HADE LIBI, HADE HIZBI” which was created in the era our struggle for independence and it helped us all focus on independence as a common ground for unity. After independence, this unity was unnecessary (it solved the problem) and impossible to continue (different scenario now as people in any free country) and we were supposed to branch out to our individual destinies like people in all other stabilized countries, but only DEMOCRACY could do it. The role of HADE LIBI, HADE HIZBI is over, serving its purpose very well, therefore is impractical in today’s Eritrea but the regime continued to take advantage of it for so long because the theory reflects that we were a completely united people and we think exactly the same way without any difference (5 million of us), thus we must accept the leader as the supreme element of our society and above the law for life. This doesn‘t allow freedom of individuality because the only mind that matters is that of the leader’s. The president owns the so called HADE LIBI and HADE HIZBI stuff and the rest of us must quietly follow his absolute dictatorship (without a neutral justice system and rule of law) forever. Freedom of expression, justice, election, etc cannot take place in a single party system (call it UNITED political structure or else). A decent society accepts different political outlooks so long as they exclude ethnic, religious, racial and gender partiality from their national programs. We cannot check and balance the dictatorship in our country because it does not allow other political parties in the society. We are all trying to reverse this situation with democracy but we cannot get there without TEMPORARY UNITY that can achieve us a TEMPORARY GOVERNMENT with 2-4 year mandate until a government is elected. TEMPORARY UNITY is necessary for HEALTHY DIFFERENCE in society because it is the only practical formula to democracy: it was accepted and worked in societies like ours and we must accept it without hesitation unless we invent a new method of getting there like Yemane Monkey did to the universal concept of Constitution (refer to my last article).
YOUTH RESENTMENT ON MY AGGRESSIVE STYLE OF WRITING
Some brothers have expressed their negative feeling about what I have been writing and this is more than welcome because our problem was inability to discuss common issues with leaders or members of the youth organizations in the open. I apologize to anyone that I might accidentally have hurt through my articles but I hope this development seemingly with youth leaders or organizational members will continue here so that most of the audience can participate to improve our situation. Check this out:
Hawileito:  “Mr. Futsum here you come again to insult the youth organizations where they are doing their job to save the people. I think you misinformed by some ppl who are against unity. If you are talking about unity you should respect the other group. To my understanding you are thinking that you are the only person thinking about unity and future of Eritrea plus those ppl who comment on your articles. If you know the question who is refusing unity before insulting ppl probably ur children who passed through all these hard life like Sahara, Libya and the Eritrean border you could have a fairer analysis or concern. If you listen what was in paltalk some weeks ago you would know who refused to have all encompassed Eritrean Bologna summit. If you have concern about EYSNS, you can write directly what you expect from it. As you would probably already know it is worldwide and it is nearer to the Eritrean ppl those who are oppressed by the regime.”
Comment: Dear Hawlewalo; with all respect, I have never undermined demonstrations or any other activities on other issues and I have expressed my satisfaction many times in my work. In fact I have participated in most of those conducted in DC because I believe in them, needless to tell you that you are doing a lot for the resistance. I recognize all the efforts by the opposition camp and openly have appreciated them several times in my articles. We need to agree, nevertheless, on the fact that the silent majority is waiting for a promising action from the youth groups to join the resistance and I do not see any other means of cranking this potentially potent crowd aside UNITY. Lack of unity is the main cause of pessimism in the Eritrean communities globally and we want you to focus on this to collect us into the resistance. To this effect, I am only criticizing demonstrations/activities for neglecting UNITY in their programs. Is not this true? Can you please explain to us why all demonstrations missed UNITY while addressing all other issues we have with the regime?
There were three demonstrations in Canada this month doing all kinds of good stuff except shouting loud for unity. I discussed the first two in my last articles and the third one happened in Winnipeg which ended successfully, yet without doing anything about UNITY. I followed the video and Amanuel was asking good questions to the event organizers who said they did a great job exposing the regime on suppressing the constitution and monopolizing the justice system. The three demonstrations were similar in content and all three of them forgot to include UNITY in their agendas. Well, dealing with the consequence of the dictatorship without entertaining the solution does not shake the problem: this has failed to attract the silent crowd.
In the interview, an organizer called Afwerki told Amanuel Iyasu appealed to all forces to do something more in the areas of UNITY and Amanuel told him that he is doing it himself through the media. What is surprising to me was that Afwerki could have reduced the notion of UNITY with his comrades in the demonstration he most probably organized with without appealing for it to anyone. Brother Amanuel cannot make them shout for unity like they did for the other issues in question from England; they could have done it in the demonstration themselves: This is like trying to break a door lock when you have the key in the pocket!!!All they had to do was include the issue in their programs, expose the placards that demand all forces to unite and even send messages to the forces as well. Unfortunately, lack of focus and strategy came in the way like in all other demonstrations in my judgment.
Including UNITY in demonstrations is the least that the resistance can do but not even one, yet. It would have opened a new method of struggle and the pattern would have been followed by all organized or non organized Eritrean activities internationally. The pattern of going home after the event to only wait for another demonstration in the future has to change into working for unity then after. While I felt the ASSENNA report on Winnipeg was very good, I think brother Amanuel forgot to ask Afwerki these important questions: How can this demonstration help unite Eritreans for more effective resistance and what did you do to address the burning question (UNITY) in your activity? Do you have a preplanned agenda that will be in effect after this demonstration or this is it for now?
Hawlewalo; What are Eritreans looking for aside UNIFIED RESISTANCE against the dictatorship? Why are they missing voicing for it? Is there alternate strategy for success and what is it? We are just left floating in the middle with no communication to teach us on what is going on. We reject this inefficient way of resistance and we demand better communication between us to narrow the difference: we cannot hold our strategies to our selves while claiming of being a political group swimming in the political pool of the Eritrean society.
What media outlets do you have for us to discuss our opinions with you? Brother, Platalk is not enough media for this project and the challenge on the ground; not too many people including me have the time for it. I think you should create another more effective interactive media of communication. You also need written communication on your activities and challenges and share them with the people electronically at ASSENNA etc. People may discuss issues at Teshamo but we need your official stands on all our issues. People must get the chance to ask your leaders questions of their concern and you have the responsibility to respond promptly because you claim representing them in organized fashion. We need to know your efforts to date in so far as UNITY is concerned and the challenges you faced or currently facing on, so that we can help. You need to inform us periodically instead of discussing and taking decisions in our name in closed doors. You cannot just throw a piece of press and expect us to know you and understand your position without any other details except your decision!! We are tired of being TAKEN FOR GRANTED!
You need to contact people who are trying to serve the cause of UNITY to strengthen the resistance instead of totally ignoring them as if they do not exist. We are tired of being ignored and excluded on common issues that concern us. We are tired of being represented by groups that care less to contact us or to communicate with us. You are the leaders and therefore lead us by listening to our concerns. Most importantly, you need to tell us clearly what your position on UNITY is and the strategy to effectuate it. Otherwise, you should tell us the alternative so that we can hear you with maximum attention.
After modest exchange of opinions between us, my brotherhawileito said (on unity) “To give you a clue what we are doing here in UK is that all the youth organization are united under eysns. There are 8 cities that eysns branches who come under one leadership. This is one practical process of unity and anyone who wanted to ask can ask our experience but the only moto is “unity is strength”. We will persue to other European youth organizations and to the world as well. The communication is already started.”
Thank you for this information! I hope he will read this article and contact me at Fetsumraham@yahoo.com for further discussion. Although I want to know more as an individual about how the groups are being united in England, I can tell you that it sounds excellent and this may change the form of the resistance once and for all.
I, however, felt a little uncomfortable on your “anyone who wanted to ask can ask our experience” because you will produce more if you knock the doors yourselves. You invented this formula and you should push hard for its acceptance. Please spread this development through the media appealing for all Diaspora organization to follow the step after clearly defining your objectives and strategy of achieving them. Do it again and again until they grasp it because the end result will stay the same unless you push this creative idea to work with others as a priority of your group.
God bless you for the creative idea and keep in touch.

aseye.asena@gmail.com

Review overview
14 COMMENTS
  • Hagerawi August 29, 2013

    Mr Fetsum,
    Can we for just one moment stop dreaming for unity? Eritreans are famous for arguing, they have developped the argumentative mentality way back from the Emperor era. Now what we need now is to try to find a new formula of unity. Unity the Eritrean way. Let everybody find his party and let me be anti HEGDEF. Let us stop the dream of one party through unity. Let us all stop yelling at each other and be unified not to insult or bark on each other. That is the only solution for Eritreans. If we can reach that then we might have something to do against the dictator.
    Your ideas and dream is genuine and honest. But all these years of war for independence, have created a monstor on our society. The whole or rather the majority of the Eritreans society is almost uneducated and refugee. A refugee man is a false egaliteriian person. So let us find something different definition for UNITY.
    Keep it up brother, you write and reason out clearly.. but AB ZEYSMEAKA DEBRIS AYTEMAHLEL KEYKONEKA is my advice

    • Blata August 29, 2013

      Dear Reader
      You are right towards the current situation of unity in Eritrea but we hope to continue the business of comment by Mr Fitsume because we had and we have still arrogant member of the society they support blindly without any consciousnesses you now better than me there a lot of people we are dancing and singing for their failure.
      So Please Mr Fitsume continue your effort with your talent and intellectual approach.

      God bless the people.

    • fetsum abrahamt August 29, 2013

      Hagerawit;
      U can not find another way of unity made in Eritrea. I am not asking for one party unity at all and please read the articles carefully if u may. We are part of this modern age and we need to be modern to fit in. We are not the only divided society on earth and people have been united temporarily to solve problems. Our unity during the struggle was temporary
      and we can temporarily unite to solve this problem.

  • sawa August 29, 2013

    Dear Mr Fitsum
    How do you do? Thanks for your effort to cope up with the current situation of the Eritrean leadership in particular and the Eritrean people in general. When I raise this issue you have made a lot of valuable articles towards unity and other confrontation to make people awakening and to do their business for their life at all. We hope to be continuing with full strength.
    Mr Fitsum I am an Eritrean may be my ancestors from Tigray , this is natural because I know and grew in Asmara.
    My confusion here is I know the tragedy of colonies specially ARABS of Egypt and Libya Syria Iraq Iran and Turkish starting from their ancient time they don’t want to get strong horn Africa because they assume that Ethiopia is typical Orthodox. And the same is true with the European colonies for their own interest they created to separate Eritrea form Ethiopia. By any means independence means nothing if we get relief for freedom and justice. And in general if we are enjoying our development with such citizenship it is advisable to get flag and independence. And I believe when we are taking our independence it doesn’t mean we are enemies of Ethiopian by any means. So from this point of view as you although there is full political stability in Ethiopia since we had a lot of opportunities to engage in all the political and economical dominance in the region I assume we could live in better-off life style and we could have a great opportunities to develop both the nation. So from this point of view what is your suggestion? Had it been with Ethiopia we can benefit with out any difficult because we have a lot of potential to be investor and other socioeconomic benefit to Eritrean.
    By the way I so optimist to get the same people without any discrimination and even I don’t have any doubt on the independence if we are enjoy the fruit together without any obstacle.
    Thanks in advance
    God bless Ethio-Eritrea

    • fetsum abrahamt August 29, 2013

      Dear sawa;
      There is no need to be Ethiopian anymore because we have a country called Eritrea that needs attention from its people. Our failure today does not mean Ethiopian is a solution. I do believe Ethiopians are trying to change their situations and we have to change ours. Unity is impossible to me in the neet future with Ethiop[ia or else. QWe are from the same origin but we need to run our nations separatelly with resoect and cooperation. @0 years of firs attempt as a free society could not have gone smoothly and you see it already. We are just a government away from normal life like any other nation in the world. I wish my Ethiopian cousins good luck but there is no possibility for the two countries to unite now and if they ever will, it will have to be with all the east African communities not only with Ethiopia. TNX

      to,di equally

      • erikid August 29, 2013

        I am so glad to hear you say –a free, and independent Eritrea. Thanks Mr. Fitsum. That is what our martyrs died for.

        • fetsum abrahamt August 29, 2013

          Dear Erikid;
          The whole struggle is about your future and all our efforts are directed towards your freedom in your country where no one dictates your life. Ur kids must get higher education and freedom of participation in their country instead of living refugee life like my generation did because of lack of independence during the struggle and lack of freedom and justice after independence. Your generation will be wasted like ours without DEMOCRACY and you will benefit more by joining the resistance against the worst dictatorship in the world. This is not about me, an aging man destined to live a refugee life unfortunately. It is about you my dear erikid and do not be fooled around by the government that is enslaving and kicking out your generation instead of educating you and allow you to enjoy your country with freedom like any other people in most of the countries (even in our region). Be careful about your freedom and your future: don’t give it away to the Eritrean leaders, give it to your people!!
          I love you

    • sawa August 30, 2013

      Mr Fistum Abraham
      Thanks for your genuine response on this article and to my request. I appreciate your point to make me loyal and rational in the matter. And please continue with such attitude to make things very clear to all people on the horn of Africa. But, sorry to say that, personally I believe and have a dream the unity will happen by the genuine concern of God and genuine member of the society in both countries.

      Sawa
      God Bless Ethio-Eritrea

      • ahmed saleh September 1, 2013

        Brothers Fetzum and Sawa
        I agree with you guys 100% . We are GOD CHILDERN people fro same region regardless the demographic lines . WE
        lived in peace and harmony as societies and It is up to us to identify and repel evils among us . Life is short ,
        and lets to take advantage to enjoy it’s beauty .
        Sawa , if you were raised In Eritrea I personally feel your dismayed frustration .

  • Suleiman Salim August 29, 2013

    “A decent society accepts different political outlooks so long as they exclude ethnic, religious, racial and gender partiality from their national programs. ”

    Fitsum Abraham,

    You should join the Popular Front. The ruling party in Eritrea respects different political outlooks so long as they exclude ethnic,religious,regional and gender partiality from their national programs.

    The so-called oppostion parties are not allowed to operate in Eritrea because they do not subscribe to the definition of POLITICAL OUTLOOKS that you and the Popular Front consider as an absolute necessity for a healthy society.

    • Zaul August 30, 2013

      THE PFDJ stands for “Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice”; I guess we have to hate the two last words in their name too.

      • Suleiman Salim August 31, 2013

        Zaul,

        ‘ THE PFDJ stands for “Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice”; I guess we have to hate the two last words in their name too. ‘

        Why? In Eritrea we have a POPULAR DEMOCRACY which involves the whole society and works for the establishment of social JUSTICE.

        There is no need for Eritrea to repeat the mistakes of Algeria and Egypt. Our own way is the best way.

        • Kalighe September 1, 2013

          “Why? In Eritrea we have a POPULAR DEMOCRACY which involves the whole society and works for the establishment of social JUSTICE.
          There is no need for Eritrea to repeat the mistakes of Algeria and Egypt. Our own way is the best way.”

          Suleiman Salim

          About which Eritrea you are talking ?. The one most of us know, is run by Mr. Afewerki.
          It has no prisons but killing fields, dungeons and terrible gulags. It’s ruled by a maniac who hates beautiful young ladies, educated and energetic young men, rich and successful business people, wise elderly parents and charismatic politicians. Eritrea we know is a beautiful country abducted by a mafia group. Sooner or later they too will go, leaving behind a legacy of hatred and destruction. History will remember them as the worst rulers Eritrea has ever known in its entire history.

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