Yesterday on October 1 4, 201 9, National Flag Day was observed nationwide for the 12th time themed: “Our flag is the result of the sum of our diversity and the pillar of our unity.”
This Flag Day is an extraordinary one as it is being celebrated after two days of the award of 2019 Peace Nobel Prize to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.Yes, the occasion will make the fellow citizens to renew the promises to safeguard the ongoing political reforms while safeguarding the country’s sovereignty all the time.
Also when the nation celebrates Flag Day, it is worth bearing in mind that Ethiopia’s tricolor flag is loved and respected by many Africans as they often associate the flag with Africa’s independence.Despite the current national emblem has been made to represent both the diversity and unity of the country in line with the current Constitution of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, these days some people are insisting on flag emblem based on national consensus as the present one doesn’t represent their interest at all.
Therefore, some segment of the society has different views and wants to see the change of this emblem sooner than later.Therefore, the pertinent body needs to come up with some kinds of solution with a view to bringing national consensus in this regard.
On the other hand, the marking of such day will enhance the public awareness and understanding towards the national flag. Without exaggeration, all segments of the society keenly await the day every year . They also mark the day staging various interesting artistic shows.
However, rules of flag hoisting have not been respected properly so far. Hence, the pertinent body needs to do a lot in this regard. Beyond marking the day, every fellow citizen and friends of Ethiopia must know dos and don’ts while displaying national flag at various public gatherings and events.
As saying goes charity begins at home, every parent has a big responsibility in teaching children the value and the history of the national flag.More importantly, everybody has to abide by the rules of flag hoisting and lowering. Those who knowingly or unknowingly breach the rules have to be punished by law.
As the tricolor is the source of our national pride, it has to be kept and used in a respectful and decent manner.Apart from showing patriotic spirit to the flag, the current generations have unwavering commitment to make poverty history via working hard.
Obviously, it takes many years to build democratic and prosperous nation. But, such occasion will definitely give impetus to the nation building efforts.Yes, the national flag means a lot to citizens, that is why they often express happiness and sadness via the flag. For instance, when the nation mourns, the flag flies at half-mast. By the same token, people proudly wave the national flag during victory day or public holidays.
In a nutshell, the government and the public at large are expected to play vital role in passing down the national flag legacy to posterity in an accountable manner.The day also reminds us that there is a lot of work ahead of us in-terms of upholding the ongoing reform’s core values and principles.
The Ethiopian Herald October 15/2019
