Do You Think Like This

Do you remember the last time you said to yourself or someone else, "She gets me." Or "He gets me."? Or you heard someone explain something and you found yourself so captivated, because you thought you were the only one who thought things in that way? So, I received the following text from a friend and I started to write my reply, but it kept getting longer, so I copied it and moved to the Notes app on my phone to finish my thought. It took a life of its own, 1,128 words later; here is my response to you my dear friend.

“There are ppl I don't think about them.

I don't know why.

There are those I think sometimes about, I think I know why.

Those I think about them frequently

Are interesting. I know why I thing about them” 

This text sprung me to when I used to wonder what is it that I really like and enjoy in life? What is the long term career path that would make me happy? Of course sometimes I still do ask myself these questions, but now, not as frequently. These days, I am too busy ‘adulting’ I can't afford that kind of quality life :) do you follow me? I am sure you can relate. With so much information overload and trying to resist instant gratification from breaking news every minute, time to think alone is almost out of our reach.  

One day, while reading a quote by Leo Tolstoy I believe it was the following quote,

"For man to be able to live he must either not see the infinite, or have such an explanation of the meaning of life as will connect the finite with the infinite.” 

As I read these words, I felt I was experiencing a momentary epiphany. It felt, the clarity of what I enjoy in life the most was coming to focus so vividly and that is, to live a happy life, meant to achieve a life style that induces positive stimuli continuously, from doing the things you spend most of your time doing. I have heard someone explain it this way, “A man, who enjoys baking bread, should not open a bakery”. That is to say, if you enjoy baking bread, you should just work as a baker for someone else, as opposed to owning a bakery. Because, if you own a bakery, you will spend most of your time dealing with things like inventory, sales, staff management, cleaning and balancing the accounting that you will not have enough time to actually bake bread.

I find elevating positive stimuli from the exchange of ideas, from hearing people speak about something so well, so insightful, beyond anything I could imagined was possible to articulate a message. But when they do, it makes perfect sense and I am left feeling, this person gets me at least on this specific topic, like you are both floating on the same wave length. It is not tangible, it is not something you can prove or show as evidence. It is a sense of connection, a feeling deep in the mind. Tangible things though can be touched and felt, don't seem to produce as strong stimuli. I imagine this is obviously different for different people. But, the finite nature of tangible things is what makes it so. A man worth $1 billion for example, has more of the exact same things in comparison to a man worth $10. What I realized stimulates me was the idea of unreachable ends, thoughts and feelings. A deeply philosophical point of discussion for instance, especially when two honest and independent minds have completely different views of the same issue, but have the at most respect and value for the dissenting view of their opponent.

The meaning and weight of the quote by Tolstoy’s above for instance, would be valued and understood very differently from person to person. One might find it to be very simple and straight forward statement; while to another, it might be the most profound wisdom he or she might have ever heard.  

Consider you and your friend read the quote together, and then you ask your friend what he/she thought of the quote? Now picture if you will, the clarity of your friend's thought inside his/her own mind, the emotions the quote might have sparked, the meaning it bears and the images it might have brought him/her?

But, most importantly, think of the patterns and flow of the thought inside your friend's mind...? Does it disperse and roam everywhere like a cloud in the open sky?

Or does it rise and fall, like a cascading mountain range?

Or is it a forward motion along a winding path?

Or does it spiral counterclockwise, deeper and deeper into the center? There, pause for a second…the word is counterclockwise, why is it easier for you to imagine clockwise spiral as opposed to counterclockwise spiral?? J Do you ever think about not only what the person you are talking to is thinking, but also the movement or the process of thought formation inside their mind?

Your friend might respond with a one short sentence response, but, deep inside, your mind knows, there is just so much more than what your friend uttered. Now, you can’t even focus on this previous sentence, because your mind is stuck at the previous paragraphs, wondering, if you had to transform it into an image, what does the process of thought processing actually look like?? You have read thus far, but your focus is actually way behind still on the above paragraph isn’t it? 

We don't know how and to what extent another person understands something that we do understand, hear or interpret. But often, we are overly confident in assuming so effortlessly about how others understand us. The meaning and depth constructed into one sentence is impossible to be received with an equal meaning and depth by another individual. Yet, we all walk around believing we fully understand others and that we are fully understood.

What I am intrigued by is,

1.       How did we come to build that kind of full-fledged confidence on believing/assuming we understand others and vice versa, as though we can see through someone else’s head and read their thoughts and feelings?

2.       Is our overconfidence actually a sign of us resorting to our self-serving biases – believing we understand and are understood, because we often don’t give ourselves enough time for solitude and self-reflection to realize we might be way off?

3.       Or is this the byproduct of millions of years of human evolution and body language reading at the subconscious level?

4.       Or is it rather just the grace of God…he can do all things and no explanation is needed?  

~

Cheers,

Daniel

P.S Though we haven’t spoke for few months at the very least, I loved how the text didn’t start with hi, hello, how are you…its because we both get it:: 

To be a Refugee is to Live a Suspended Life Indefinitely

I have worked with refugees for four years. It might not be long, but I learned a lot about resiliency, optimism, hope and what really matters in life. One of the refugees that I had the privilege of working with had lived in a refugee camp for over 22 years. He would wake up everyday hoping for good news, praying this would be the day he would hear of being resettled somewhere in the world. Hours turn into days and days into years, just waiting and waiting ..and waiting  and waiting some more to start his life. For the millions of refugees across the globe, their goals, plans, dreams; everything is put on hold. Boredom takes over, the days are long and the nights even worse.

This client of mine was blessed with two babies while living his temporary life at the refugee camp. As if life wasn't hard enough already, his wife died. Now, he had two children that he must take care of, love, make them laugh and be strong for. After going through years of extreme vetting, he was finally coming to America to start his life anew.

I am sure you can imagine his joy, because for the first time in over 20 years, he was sure he was going somewhere to establish some stability and daily routine. Enjoy the luxury of having a permanent mailing address, where he could receive letters, a key to a room, his own space to be alone, to reflect, mourn his loses and yes be grateful for his blessings.

Imagine for a moment trading places with this refugee and his children, finally arriving at an American airport and being told you are not welcomed here? The same country that vetted you for years and granted you the opportunity to come and be part of its family? It is a rape in broad daylight of whatever dignity one might have had left as a human being.

The US has been the favorite destination for millions around the world. Sure many come for the economic opportunities, but above all else, people wish to immigrate to the US to live in peace and breathe freedom. It is the mindset that, in America, we are free to think, speak and be as we please that makes this country so desirable.

It is the belief that, once you become a citizen of the US, we are all equals. Because, the color of our skin, the god we pray to or the origins of our roots were never the measures of our American pride. It's the idea that, we all play a role in perfecting this unfinished project that we call America by always mending and amending its flaws.

It is our faith in our rule of law to be just, and the freedom to aspire to be whatever we wish that makes us Americans. People don't come here to steal anyone's job. In fact, often times, it's actually the brightest, most educated, imaginative and most resilient who manage to find ways to arrive in America "land of the free".

It is unAmerican to grant the the most vulnerable an opportunity to be part of our family to only deny them upon arrival. That is not my America and it should not be yours. Resist the hate. It had served no one.

#PoliticsMatters

#RefugeesWelcome


~ Daniel

Most Memorable #Obama Moments

These are some of the Most Memorable #ObamaMoments for Me.

1. In 2008 as a college student, I knocked on one college mate’s dorm room and asked if he had registered to vote and if he has not if he would like to register? He said He has already registered. Then I asked if he had made up his mind about his choice for president? Besides asking people to register, we (with the College Democrats) were also trying to do some survey…

                  He said, “Yes. I am going to vote for the tall one.”

I said, Obama?

He said, "No. The White guy.” 

By that time, there already have been few presidential debates I believe, and it was obvious that then Sen. Obama was way taller than his opponent Sen. McCain. Why this college mate perceived the “White guy” to be the taller candidate never left my curious mind. 

2. Attending Obama’s 2008 inauguration in DC and separating from my roommate; despite our well thought-out strategy to stick together…and then sustaining some minor pain in my leg that lasted at least three months from the freezing cold temperature of that day.

3. Obama’s Presidential speeches...

 

#CampaignSpeech. It would been acceptable to hear a mediocre speech after losing the New Hampshire Primary in 2008, but Obama’s Concession Speech was one of the best one. It was so good that I thought, wow this guy plans to go all the way.

#GunViolence. Tearful and visibly angry Obama speaking after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting Newtown, Connecticut

#OnRace. Obama singing "Amazing Grace" during his eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney were some of his most moving moments for me. 

#Family. Obama speaking about his wife Michele and his children at his Farewell Speech and when Sasha reminded her dad to wave at his supporters who were seated behind him during his 2012 Victory speech in Chicago. 

4. This quote from the New Yorker Magazine, stating how “[Obama] sought to persuade by explaining and reasoning, not by simplifying or dramatizing—a form of respect that the citizenry didn’t always deserve."

5. My biggest disappointment with Obama will always be for choosing not to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders for his the presidency.  He would have won and built on Obama’s legacy. In Sanders, with all his greatness and an admirable man of character, a man so cool, composed and measured, I saw the Promised Land in Bernie more than I ever saw in candidate Obama. Honest politician a genuine candidate who stood on the right side of history for justice and equal rights for all. As lofty as some of his goals might have been, I believe in them. Resetting our course in the right direction was important enough in itself regardless of how much was achievable. 

Now it’s Trump, and our work to right his wrongs by speaking and writing his wrongs has to be unrelenting. 

If you understand Tigrigna, here is my view on Obama Presidency, its a short few minutes interview with Betre SilTan of VOA Tigrigna. 

http://tigrigna.voanews.com/a/3683765.html

#PoliticsMatters

#DanielEthiopia

Ethiopia’s Problem #1: Inflexible Leadership

Source: bottom of the image

Ethiopia is such a beautiful country. It's a rare contrast of people and nature. I don't say this just as a

proud Ethiopian, I would say this just as a logical loving global citizen.  That beauty has always been there, though from time to time disintegrating from within. We are one proud people, partly due to our ignorance; partly due to the remarkable legacy our forefathers left us. Unfortunately for over half a century, we have been in a very dark era. Now what is certain is that, we are at a crossroad once again. On one side there seems to be a tangible and economically strong foundation to jump over our deeply rooted economic problems. On the other, we seem to be disintegrating at an alarming rate.

Last year during my 18-month stay in Ethiopia, I had the chance to travel to as many parts of the country as I could. I was able to cover 6 out of the 9 regional states. What I learned the most is that, no blanket statements define the problems. The possible solutions for one area are not the solutions for the other. From South Omo Valley to Konso, from Raya to Illibabur, from Harar to Dire to Afar.  There are a lot of problems, all with their own root causes. As a country, Ethiopia has a very long journey to travel and I hope we will get there together. 

When you are on the ground in Ethiopia absorbing everything through your senses, you realize (at least this was my personal experience) people's priorities and concerns vary tremendously from place to place. It might be freedom and democracy in bigger cities, in others, it's about the basic human needs, water and food.  

The path to solving Ethiopia’s problems isn’t as simple as those of us in the Diaspora make it sound to be. Ask the Ethiopians who live and breath in its abyss. Ask a lot of the Ethiopian Diasporas who either travel to the motherland frequently or have completely relocated there. Many of them will tell you, the process of democratizing and developing will take time. We need steady and stable forward motion. The need for a policy that is inclusive of all Ethiopians home and abroad to get involved is a must. The fastest and safest route will be when enough Ethiopians have a stake in the stability and continuity of their country. Then, for their own self-interest they will fend of external forces that do not have their best interest at heart.

So What Are The Solutions and How Do We Get There?

The short answer is slowly but surely, one step at a time. The challenge is bringing millions to work together and develop a working relationship and eventually build a trust bond among very different groups including those in the Diaspora? Let us put everything on the table for discussion. The winner-take all mentality and sacrificing our own fellow citizens to negotiate from a position of strength is unacceptable.  

What Should Our Step #1 Be?

For starters, you look up to your leaders to set an agenda, to bring you together and lead their followers. Unfortunately right now, we don't have that. Almost every year we hear about Gimgema and how this one is different than the previous one. Yet, when it really comes down to it, it is a mere recycled previous memo of issues and priorities discussed, with almost no one to be held accountable for their shortcomings.

So, relieve many of the old guards from their duties and replace them with younger and dynamic technocrats. The old guards have been in power for so long there shouldn’t be much of new idea left that they haven’t shared by now. Stop reshuffling them from one ministerial or advisory post to the other. If that is meant to provide them with a source of income to support them and their families, just give them a great retirement benefits and bid them farewell with respect.   

The country needs leaders who are not only able to react quickly to current events, but are able to read the mood of the people they lead. The current leaders’ old school mindset of resistance to change is incompetent and stubbornly inflexible to address the problems people are continuing to raise. I will give one specific example. When so many university students were killed by security forces at the outset of the #OromoProtest against the Addis Ababa City expansion plan, almost a year a go, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn did not even speak about it for days. Such tragic events require just and assertive address from the proper authority timely. Unfortunately to our surprise, the course of action the Prime Minister followed seemed as though ignoring the problem would make it go away.    

What is your step #1 action point to address Ethiopia’s ongoing problems?

Soon I will share what I believe step #2 should be. Until then, I will leave you with the following two quotes from President Theodore Roosevelt and author Dean Koontz respectively.   

“No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care” 

“Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion, and empathy.” 

Having a stake in Ethiopia’s well being is taking ownership of its problems.

#DanielEthiopia

Do All Lives Matter?

Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer

Before attempting to answer the question, lets just agree that, as a society, there is absolutely something wrong with us. In 2016, for the first time, we have built a spacecraft that reached Jupiter’s orbit. That is 1.7 billion miles away. Our moon is only about 239K miles away from Earth if that gives you any helpful visual. The unbound human ingenuity is unfathomable to most of us. Yet, in a shamefully disheartening way, we continue to kills our fellow humans callously; as though, it carries no value. All the while we cheerfully invest our time, our labor of love and ultimately our life for decades on end to search the vast unknown universe in hopes of finding anything of a value.

One morning last week, my coworker, looked at me and said, “Daniel, are you alright?” I replied, yeah why wouldn’t I? He responded, “You look sad…” Right away I turned around to say something, but I couldn’t formulate sentences to explain my thoughts and feelings. What I wanted to say was something along the lines of, yes I am sad, I am angry, I am disturbed, I am discouraged and so many other different feelings in between. Is it is not obvious, that we as a country are reaching a tipping point? Haven’t we reached a collective breaking point?

I feel insecure, like I am walking on a field of landmine forced to be cognizant of what lays on my periphery. I feel fearful like I am walking on a shaky ground that’s shifting beneath my feet, way faster than I am able to cope with. Don’t you feel that? Don’t you feel the same?

Before I uttered these words, I realized of course he doesn’t. He is not Black, he does not know what it is like to be a young black man. I contemplated for a bit, but realizing the time and the environment does not suit the kind of conversation I would like to have with him, I took the easy way out. I responded to him saying, hhmm nah I am doing just fine and walked away. For me, this was a sudden realization that the unsettling feeling inside has managed to manifest itself involuntarily into my body language and my daily interaction as a consequence.     

We all have different perspective on life, take the following for instance…

You are looking down at the street from a third floor window and see a police officer approach a young man. The officer says something to the young man and an altercation ensues...you can see everything, but you can't hear the exchange. Unfortunately things escalate and the young man is shot and falls to the ground. 

Now, without having any more information about this incident, it is not hard to imagine the conclusion the individual watching this from the third floor would reach. That conclusion is greatly influenced by the individual’s previous experience and existing internal biases. A Black person and a White person are most likely to differ in their interpretation of the reason for the escalation in this situation. Blames will be attributed ranging from disobedience to use of excessive force.  

No matter who you are, we all have built-in implicit biases to a varying degree. That degree depends on a lot of factors including our experience, upbringing and exposure to diversity (in a deep and indispensable connection to people who are different from us). For example, in the incident described above, you visualized the altercation between the young man and the police officer right? Was the officer wearing uniform? What did he look like? How about the young man? Where did you get these images? What is the information that led you to create these images? 

We have a huge trust gap in this country between races, especially between Blacks and White police officers that stems from decades of perpetual systemic injustice. As such it will take decades to understand, admit and solve the stigma and animosity. 

Reducing racism and other complex issues require long-term policy and intentional efforts on all sides to address the roots of the problem. White peoples' internal bias and perceptions of Black people and vice versa, need to be dissected and explained in a psychological and sociological way. 

So, do all lives matter? Well, we know for sure, White lives matter. As Jesse Williams put it, "We have been looking at the data and we know, somehow police manage to deescalate, disarm and not kill White people everyday!" Now can we say black people are treated the same way by the police? Or is it time to admit, "Some are more equal than others"? (Quote from Animal Farm, by George Orwell).

For those people who say all lives matter, I invite you to watch the video 23 Ways You Could be Killed While Being Black and then try to learn more in detail how each of them lost their lives. Then ask yourself, does this happen to White people at the same rate by police officers? You should find the answer to be unequivocally no. Hence why people have found the need to state and remind people, dark skin people’s lives matter too.    

http://www.motherjones.com/media/2016/07/these-celebrities-powerfully-described-23-ways-you-could-be-killed-while-black

Hopeful,

Daniel

Love

A woman carrying a heavy load in Konso, Ethiopia

LOVE at its core is strength, courage and sacrifice. 

 > Strength is not only the presence of unwavering loyalty, unflinching grip and steady pace at the crossroads, or impermeable and stubbornly sturdy physique, but of unconditional love against all odds.  

 > Courage is to be vulnerable at the hills of mountainous pride and at the trough waves of norms. 

 > Sacrifice is to be of service to others before self, the yearning to give, to please and nurture; the ultimate definition of a woman. 

Women, you are love.

I sat in front of a great woman last year, with a table full of food between us in a fairly remote place. Right next to us, a man in his 50s sitting in the next table with another man. Boastfully he started expressing his interest and waving hundred dollar bills at a young lady. He was trying to convince her to go with him for the night. The young gal seemed as though trapped between two hard rocks. For her, the distance between yes and no, seemed light years away.

In that moment, helpless shiver took over me, as the great woman in front of me, started to choke in her own words. Indignant at what was happening. Her solidarity in sisterhood, her love burning inside, her sympathy rolled up in tears, her courage to stay still and allow the young woman to decide for herself, while her empathy raced down her tender cheeks…its magnetic force so strong, impossible to resist it pulled me in.

Women, you are love everyday.

We celebrate you on this International Women Day and everyday.

Daniel: March 8th, 2016 

Travel Resolution

My old passport expires exactly today, luckily its replacement has arrived just in time to begins its life

cycle. There is a quote from Horace Greeley on the new passport that reads, "Go west, young man, and grow up with the country." But I am thinking, I will go East and rise with the Sun!

With the old one, I have been briefly detained in some rural Ethiopia between Shire and Gonder because local authorities could not either verify its legitimacy, or because they couldn't read English, but were to prideful to admit it smile emoticon

I have been striped down to my underpants in Dubai, at which point I offered to take that out too if it helps lol. I unintentionally offended two civilian closed officials, because I refused to be taken away and questioned from the middle of the airport unless they showed me their credentials smile emoticon

I had it taken away for a bit in Mexico...some good times, but not enough.

Now, my goal is to put the new one to a good use by visiting more places. In my wildest dreams I would ran out of space for visa stamps before it expires in another 10 years. Although that will be unlikely as the pages has increased from 24 to 51.

Let's see how I do. I am sure by then, Facebook will have evolved to track my 10 year travel resolution. Counting on the endless possibilities of human imagination.

Cheers,

Daniel 

Will Russia’s Unilateral Decision on Syria Pull in the US?

Source, Aljazeera

With over 4 million people having fled their country, and close to 8 million people internally

displaced, the Syrian Crisis is one of the worst crises in recent memory. We have not seen a coherent American leadership on the crisis. The blame for that has been directed at Obama and his administration for lack of leadership and forceful intervention. In hindsight, it might seem clear the US should have gotten involved during the earlier stage of the conflict. But Obama truly believes in diplomacy and got elected emphasizing on the importance of soft power.

There are three main reasons why the US didn’t intervene forcefully from the onset.  

1. Majority of Americans had lost appetite of leading global wars

2. US has limited national interests in Syria (mainly containing Iran’s influence in the region)

3. Fear of a power vacuum in Syria.

Ousting Assad is also risking of turning the country into ISIS and Al-Qaida’s playground. As one writer noted, “…toppling Assad will mean a victory for jihadists. So better to let both sides bleed for as long as possible, turning Syria into Iran's Vietnam.”

Some may say, what about the humanitarian aspect of the Syrian people? Sure, that is a worthy cause of intervention, but that would be acting on morality. And, let Us not kid ourselves; morality does not govern Washington politicians. If moral values were of consideration, Guantanamo would have been their first stop. Where at least “53 men have been recommended for release by high-level governmental review processes” at the prison. Yet, they are still held in imprisonment of which some of them have been there for over a decade.

Meanwhile, Russia’s bold and shrewd strategist President Putin is coming out as the man with the plan to save the Assad regime against America and its allies wishes. Now, Russia’s latest unilateral decision to bomb the various anti government forces in Syria will likely force the US to reevaluate its resistance to get involve in the conflict in an impactful way.  

Cheers,

Daniel

Ethiopian Airline Capitalizes on the Growing China – Africa Relations

A pic that I took in 2014 on arrival from DC

Note: A translated version of this article into Mandarin was published on the July issue of The Eminence magazine. You can find the link is at the bottom.

Ethiopia’s private investment ranks as one of the lowest in the world, while its public investment is one of the highest. Despite continuous criticism by international institutions for lack of private investment, the Ethiopian government takes pride in its course and economic achievements. Though the complaints are not without their merits, the government has the numbers to prove why its strategy is working.

Ethiopia has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world for over a decade now. The state owned Ethiopian Airline (ET) often referred as Ethiopian in short, leads the way of proving state owned companies and enterprises could be profitable. In recent years, Ethiopian generated more profit than the rest of African airlines combined.

Winning award after award at the international level, Ethiopian does not look it will slow down anytime soon. Considering its ambitious “Vision 2025” growth plan, ET looks well placed to outperform and lead the continent’s airline industry for years to come.

Under its 15 year Vision 2025 plan, Ethiopian aims to become a world class African airline with more than 140 fleet. The additional 60 aircraft fleet will help ET transport over 22 million passengers world wide and meet its 15-year targeted goal. According to ET staff, the airline hopes to reach 146 destinations by 2025 and earn up to $10 billion in revenue and $1 billion dollars in profit.

Reaching those ambitious goals will not come easy to ET, but a closer look into ET’s past five years record proves, it can accomplish its 15-year ambitious growth plan. The next few years will see Ethiopian add dozens of ultra-modern fleet to its collection; including A350-300 Airbus and Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes. The airline has already started taking huge infrastructure expansions projects to accommodate its ever-growing services and meet ever-increasing demand.

Among ET’s mega projects are a USD 7 million worth Light Aircraft Maintenance Hangar project to be financed by the airline itself; a USD 92 million worth Wide Body Maintenance Hangar to be financed by EX-Im bank of China and a cargo terminal with an annual capacity of 1.2 million tons, which will be one of the largest cargo terminals in the world. The construction of the cargo terminal is expected to be completed in the next four years and is estimated to cost USD 150 million. 

China’s increasing presence and influence in Africa has transpired to more than trade and investment. The growing interconnectedness between China and African countries has been a topic of passionate debates for many years. China’s intentions and its long-term plans are both derided and embraced at the same time.

Ethiopia is one among many that has embraced a lot of the Chinese developmental state policies and models. There is no surprise then, to see one of Ethiopia’s most successful state owned company leading the way in tending and catering to its Chinese customers. It was six years ago that ET hired its first Chinese cabin crew. Now, in addition to continuing to recruit Chinese flight attendants, ET has added in-flight announcement services and various writings in Mandarin (Chinese) to exceed its growing Chinese customer satisfaction. The infusion of Chinese culture in Ethiopian is beyond the airline and its airport terminals. Here in Addis, new Chinese authentic restaurants and gift shops can be seen sprouting in various corners of the city.

In hindsight, the USD 200 million worth African Union (AU) building that was built and give to Africa countries as a gift was just a drop in the ocean compared to the amount of money and resources China and the Chinese are committing themselves for the continent. Looking at the recently inaugurated building of the Chinese Mission to the AU building in the center of Addis, there is no doubt that the Chinese are here to stay.

Forwards thinking companies and organizations are positioning themselves to tap into the Chinese market; and ET seems to be doing exactly that. Ethiopian discloses that, although currently approximately 70% of ET passengers are transiting within the Africa continent, at the rate at which the trade relations is increasing between China and African countries, it is strategically aligning itself to win and retain Chinese customers.    

http://www.theeminencemagazine.com/index.php/component/k2/item/662-2015-07-30-07-43-08

You might also find this interesting http://afkinsider.com/102462/ethiopian-airlines-make-more-profit-than-all-other-african-carriers-combined/#sthash.3CdrD4m5.dpuf

Cheers,

Daniel 

Three Years After Meles

Meles was a transformational leader for Ethiopia. But his influence reached far beyond Ethiopia’s

boarders. He was a leader who deeply cared about the poor and less fortunate. Always showing signs of brilliance at whatever corner and whatever topic he turns out to be. He was an outlier amongst his peers with superior knowledge and deep understanding of local and international sociopolitical issues. Ethiopians will forever be grateful for all the sacrifices he made and for inspiring them to put their country back onto its glorious past.

His shortcomings, perhaps two things: first, having died in office, not being able to really call it quit and prove his opponents and naysayers he was not clinging to power, but rather trying to push this agenda and that agenda forward for the betterment of his people. I suspect in the grand scheme of things, he probably believed he had plenty of time. Unfortunately the unexpected death came too soon.

Second, failing to include strong willed people who don’t necessarily fully agree with his politics or policies; people who have their own vision on how Ethiopia should develop. The lack of ‘team of rivals’ in key posts and in his circle if you will. I assume he took a calculated risk of surrounding himself with a lot of Yes Men in favor of developmental expediency. Because, it was clear to him what was needed to be done and he needed people to do what he asks of them; minimizing and shortening the long zigzag path that a true democratic process often requires to reach a decision point.

This in hindsight however, in the absence of a visionary leader, has left us with a lot of Yes Men, who lack vision and a sense of clear direction; aside from their constant empty rhetoric of staying the course and implementing Meles’ policies to reach his goal of Ethiopia achieving middle income country. But, they have excelled at one thing for sure, labeling anyone who questions their ineptitude and lack of commitment as detractors of the grand vision. Thus far no one has been able to reframe that defensive argument and tell the Yes Men, no that isn’t so in a manner that resonates with the masses.

Three years without Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia is certainly still making a lot of positive progress, but not as much as it should. I say this because with some changes and genuine commitment, we could achieve so much more than what we are currently achieving both on the economic and democratic fronts. Ethiopia’s biggest problem is the lack of leadership and good governance.

One of the best things Meles did was telling us time and again that our country is poor and accepting that very fact and taking that understanding to heart was the foundation of it all. There is nothing more moving and captivating than watching Meles discuss about poverty such as in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T17u05ENHnw 

Let me finish by quoting one of the things he said, while speaking to thousands of people gathered at the Millenium Hall.  

“የሚሰሩ እጆች ይዘን

የሚያስብ ጭንቅላት ይዘን

የወጣቱ መንፈስ ይዘን

ስንዴ የምንለምንበት ግዜ መቆም ኣለበት!”

ጠቅላይ ሚንስተር መለስ ዜናዊ።

May his soul rest in peace.  

Cheers,

Daniel 

Debre Libanos, a Mosaic of Religion and History

Known as the cradle of humanity, Ethiopia is one of the oldest independent countries in the world. Its rich cultural and historical significance is often applauded as an example on the world stage. It is a country where different faith groups have lived in peace and tolerance for centuries. The Debre Libanos Monastery is one example that entwines the mosaic of culture, religion and the country’s magnificent geographic features. Read this full article that the talented Ikram Said and I co-wrote for The Eminence magazine. You can also read on the issue.com here. 

Cheers with love,

Daniel