One ancient Greek proverb goes “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” What we do today should not be limited to our own immediate and selfish benefit. We should remember that we are living better today than our ancestors mainly because of the tireless efforts they exerted in the past.
Africans especially remember that one of the worst setbacks we faced in history was the merciless exploitation their ancestors faced since the times of the slave trade. The slave trade has caused hundreds of thousands of young and productive workforces on the continent. On top of that the continent was made easily prey to the other historical aggression, colonialism.
This has fettered fellow Africans of the generation from building their continent in terms of their age’s old political, social and religious traditions. The consequences were so severe that Africa was exposed to decades of civil war, unrest, corruption and other complications that kept on dragging it back instead of progressing forward.
Yet it is important to recall and attribute the sacrifices paid by African forefathers who fought tooth and nail against the slave trade, colonialism and other post-colonial pressures against the continent. For instance, several politicians, revolutionaries and elites have worked hard to awaken their people, organize them fight against the colonial rulers and liberate their people and nation. Most of them have lost their lives while others spent a larger portion of their life in prison because of their noble causes. However, their struggle bore fruit and were able to see a continent that was free from colonialism and other pressures.
Ethiopia is one of the ancient or oldest nation-states of the world. It is a long time history of civilization that is handed down from the generation. All these historical civilizations have been facing a lot of challenges and tended to fall and rise time and again. However, it is undeniable that the legacy left by the former generation has been an ingredient for the motivation and strength of the current generation.
Therefore, while doing the current jobs, especially the time-crossing mega projects, the present generation should also think about leaving a legacy that can serve even the future generation.
Currently, Ethiopia is faced with opportunities and challenges. On one side it is facing historical level of political challenges both at home and abroad. The government is working strenuously to address the domestic political problems through the ongoing process of national dialogue and transitional justice. Furthermore, various reforms are also taking place to put in place lasting solutions to the issues that have been problems of the country for decades.
Out of home, Ethiopia is also at the forefront of the regional political twists and turns. Among them is the long-time issue of defending its right to utilize its natural resources for its development as per applicable international laws. A case in point is the controversy that downstream riparians of the Nile are raising in connection with Ethiopia’s endeavour of harnessing the Nile (Abbay) River for hydroelectric power production.
Though Ethiopia repeatedly made its stance clear to all the lower riparians are still insisting on mentioning Ethiopia’s hydroelectric power dam as a source of problem to their security or water share.
Furthermore, Ethiopia is working strenuously to reclaim its historical right to access the sea. It is to be recalled that Ethiopia has been an influential actor along the Red Sea for centuries before the loss of its access to the sea in 1991.
Since then the issue of accessing the Red Sea used to be considered a taboo which left many Ethiopians hopeless on reclaiming their historical rights. But as one of the most populous countries in the continent with one of the rapidly growing economies raising the issue of securing its access to the sea deserves due weight and attention. It is not a matter of boasting the sea access but that of survival to the nation, security and stability of the region as well as safe future of the surrounding areas that is of vital economic and political significance to the entire world.
On the other hand, the country is also undergoing a historically significant level of economic and political maneuvering. One such mega-level activity is the implementation of the macroeconomic reform which brought about unprecedented types of policies that are rather believed to transform the ever ailing economy of the country.
It is well known that Ethiopia has been suffering decades-old poverty and backwardness that caused the loss of its national image as well as the precious life of its people. The economic development policies and models that the country has been implementing for a long time are among the factors that many experts in the field blame for the consequences.
For instance, the Derg Military regime introduced a socialist or command economy that kept the country impoverished. The subsequent government led by EPRDF also adhered to a free market economy where the government intervened in some key areas of the economy. Accordingly, the regime refused to fully liberalize the economic activities of the country which eventually left the country in a lot of crisis.
Therefore the country is found at a crossroads where it must take action and think out of the box to liberalize its economy, open up some sectors that are likely to boost foreign direct investment, promote export, create more jobs and enhance foreign currency earnings among others. In this regard, the government has decided to take bold actions towards reforming the economy, achieve the goals mentioned above and transform the economy.
Many criticize the adoption of macroeconomic reform as having potential risks. Yet it is a must to navigate away from business-as-usual methods, apply changes in a careful and calculated way and lift the country out of the decades-old vicious cycle once and for all.
Furthermore, the country is executing a large-scale seedling plantation program called Green Legacy Initiatives. The initiative aims not merely to plant trees and raise the forest coverage of the nation, but also to promote the transition to a green and clean economy which is the order of the day globally.
All these feats require all members of the present generation to pay due sacrifice so that the future generation can enjoy a better world.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY ZEKARIAS WOLDEMARIAM
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 2024
