This is a country walking on a whole a lot of new level of sociopolitical stage. So many things are so different from earlier times in the past couple of years. Despite the short coffee ceremonies in Jebena Houses and the new short tempered habits that some people are developing, the old tradition of discussing things in groups freely has returned. People are entertaining from the greatest constructive ideas to the coldest narrow nonsense.
My friend Duni is always upset about the new short tempered habits, which are reflected in some people’s conversations of different social media outlets and informal discussions. We were walking and talking about this new short tempered habits recently. Duni would tell me that he believed short tempered habits, which he have observed, are mostly products of the brain and the mouth.
A great Ethiopian proverb goes “A slip of a tongue can never be treated by massage”. Duni thinks some people, from ordinary to famous-ones, seem to forget such things. Then he told me People need to be cautious when they try to criticize the public. “Insulting the public on stages in the name of art or for the sake of humor is a great mistake. I have seen some poets and narrators saying some disrespectful things about society just to make their audience laugh.
I have seen some event coordinators doing the same. Oh I even remember one of the event coordinators saying, “give it up for my people who laugh without a reason.’ that is too shame”. Duni also says, Some people claim the existence of societies that do not know their rights and responsibilities.
“But they have forgotten where they came from when they said this. Society raised this people, teaching their rights and responsibilities through cultural ethics from childhood. If Serving this society (Ethiopians) is a great honor and worth to die for, why would some do not talk and act like it? And why would even others undermine their own society for not understanding their demented philosophy, which they consider as a modern thought of freedom? ” I may not have the right answers for my friend’s questions but I could only say “It’s okay, because its just the beginning, not the end of everything. And there is positive change between contradictions.
That is why people sometimes pray not to lose enemies. Most of all its the combination of differences that creates beauty,” Duni looked at me so confused and said, “That’s a philosophy of a donkey!” “That’s a short tempered comment! Donkeys have no philosophy. Do they?.” “Yes they do!” He was smiling.
I know that type of smile. I know how sensitive he is when issues come to society. But I didn’t think he would mock me in the middle of such a serious conversation. Then I asked him what the donkeys’ philosophy could be. He said “If I die, no grass shall grow!” I stared at him hopelessly. Because this Ethiopian proverb was made to address those greedy people who care only about themselves and nobody else, like the corrupt ones who has been sweeping the Nation’s resource and money for the past decades.
Then Duni said something I wouldn’t understand quite clearly. “If someone says lunch is on me, it means dinner is on you or you owe me dinner. It’s just a trade, not philanthropy. So, you can’t combine both and call it beauty”. I have to ask “What are you talking about?” “What I’m trying to say is that we cannot compromise the mistakes we made by degrading or blaming society”.
When Duni went on explaining what he understood about disrespecting or degrading society, he included scholars who complain about living in between an illiterate society. He said “You cannot complain about a society for being illiterate and tell others that democracy or rule of law is a luxury to it. Or let us say you are an expert on some agriculture and coordinating a certain project.
Then the project failed and the only reason you could come up with is that the farmers are defiant to technology because they are illiterate or they have awareness gap. “It is true that most rural communities have many illiterate members. But many societies have been traditionally practicing democracy and rule of law for many years. The best example for this is the Gada Democratic Socioeconomic System of the Oromo people. How could democracy or rule of law be a luxury for these people then? “Of course there is always awareness gap in every community everywhere and there could be challenges in terms of introducing new ideas and technology for the first time.
If you do not convince them hard enough or if you fail to avoid their suspicion about the new idea or technology as an expert, failure of that project is yours and not the society’s. “We have a moral obligation to respect society . On the other hand members of the senior and junior generations need to develop the culture of appreciating the good qualities of one another for the sake of society.
From what I have observed, some senior citizens intend to generalize the youths of the present time as being less enthusiastic and more submissive to foreign cultures. “Some youths for their part say that the older ones are rigid and challenges to modern ideologies. In this case, both have to consider the value of balance in every socioeconomic and political reality.
The more we value moral obligation and balance, the more we understand the greatness of our society and the weakness in it for a better purpose to fulfill. According to Duni if Ethiopia has to succeed on its new multifaceted reform, everyone has to respect every society throughout the Nation and focus on the greater visions, which are meant for the greater well-being of the generations to come.
Herald December 29/2018
BY HENOK TIBEBU
