Let us Be Tolerant – Response to ECAO’s Response

By: Getachew Mequanent

                                                                      


Ben, you may feel uneasy about getting a response and counter-response among netters on a single subject. But the fact of the matter is that the response to my article by an individual or a group claiming to represent the Ethiopian Community Association in Ottawa (ECAO), appears to have been written badly and in a manner that misinterprets my messages. We do recognize that we write in public domain and so we are subject to scrutiny by different groups. Equally, certain facts and perceptions should be clarified to make a better contribution to public knowledge. It is in this spirit that I write this piece.

But, let me start by sharing a positive experience. Last week, I met three EPRDF parliamentarians in Europe during an international seminar. We sat down around dinner table and talked about many things. I ran into them at the airport the following morning where the younger MP talked about folklore jokes and kept us laughing. All of them gave me a hug before I departed. Living in the Diaspora, wouldn’t you appreciate and value an experience like this?

Our problem is that we live with people who have their own frustrations and complex personalities, so that they quickly get into fact twisting business and then go on personal attack. By now my views are well known. I have written many times expressing a concern about the divisions within our communities (you know that, when I say "our communities", I mean all Diaspora communities). In my most recent piece, I expressed my frustration with the general situation prevailing in the Diaspora, in that, time after time, our communities are drawn apart, not closer. Am I wrong? And why is the Ottawa group criticized me for raising this issue?

On September 15, 2007, my family and I attended an event organized by EACO to commemorate the millennium celebration. It appears that my critic(s) have not realized that I was there. On the same day, there was a separate event in Ottawa organized by another community group. I had heard about it. And it was also on the news, such as the Ethiopian News Agency (Sep. 27, 2007) stating that "a union of nine Ethiopian communities in Canada" had organized celebrations in Toronto and Ottawa. We can debate what is and what is not a community association, such as the legally registered EACO vs the other group in Ottawa (don’t know if it is registered or not), but we have a serious problem and we need to recognize it. No? The fact of the matter is that the political environment within our communities has forced many people to go into isolation and then set about to create their own organizations. As can be seen from the angry response from the Ottawa group, even people like us are not tolerated. 

Right now I am involved in broader arenas that address issues beyond our local communities, such as issues in Ethiopia or the African continent in general. Otherwise, I had previously worked with competent and professional people to support the Ethiopian community in Ottawa. But I was never a community board member. I was only involved in projects. This is an embarrassing error and the Ottawa group of elites should have checked the accuracy of their information before accusing Ben of failing to validating facts – it is not even his job 

As I was about to draft this short peace, I read my piece again and actually it contains interesting stuff (save my usual rhetoric) on civil education, inflation, politics, EPRP prisoners, military operation in Ugaden, etc. I urge you to read it again and then compare it with the response by the Ottawa group. Other than advising Birhanu Nega’s group not to mistreat Hailu Shawel (we could "smell" the current public mood), I did not even pay attention to the political anarchy in the Diaspora. I wish I could figure out the motive of the Ottawa group. Even then, Aiga Forum - we are talking about the passionate promoter of "democracy" and whose Internet logo proudly displays "unity and diversity" - got pissed off by what I had said about Elias Kifle (and perhaps about EPRP) and declined to post my piece. Could someone in Ottawa be feeling the same? By the way, I have nothing in common with Elias; in fact, I call him a mad man. Yet I also feel good about giving him a credit for his work in the past. Folks, we have a long way to go to learn how to tolerate each other. That is why we appreciate Ben (host of Ethiopian First) for representing the interests and values of our generation. Than you.

 

Getachew Mequanent

Ottawa, Canada

October 12, 2007

 

 

 


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