When you ask them, Ethiopians will almost certainly say that they are patriots. The idea of patriotism is deeply ingrained in Ethiopian society-it has nothing to do with political persuasion, age, gender, or religious conviction. Expressing patriotic sentiments is part of everyday life for most people, and plays an important role in popular culture.
Ethiopians have generally seen themselves as patriotic, and many would likely be offended if anyone dared to question their patriotic fervor.
But what is patriotism, really? What does it mean? ‘Patria’ is the Latin word for ‘homeland’; ‘patriotism’ is generally understood to mean ‘love for one’s homeland’.
But what does that actually entail?
In some countries, such as Germany or Austria, expressing ‘love for the country’ for example, by flying the national flag, or playing music that expresses such sentiments tends to be associated by the broader middle-class with a right-wing political persuasion, and with the less educated in the society. For obvious historic reasons, many people also tend to avoid words like ‘patriotic’ or ‘patriotism’, as they associate them with narrow-minded, right-wing, nationalist views.
In the United States, overt expressions of ‘patriotism’ also tend to be associated with rather right-wing views, and often a love of guns
the defenders of ‘the right to bear arms’. Nevertheless, a certain degree of patriotism love for the USA is expected though not, of course, demanded from everyone, regardless of their political persuasion. Not ‘supporting the troops’ or not rising for the national anthem, for instance, is considered by some to be unpatriotic or un-American.
In Ethiopia, expressing patriotic sentiments is a part of popular culture. It is unusual for anyone to question the ‘patriotism’ of another person, regardless of their political views, religious conviction or ethnic background.
Speaking of ‘patriotism’ in the context of the Ethiopian society is considered completely normal, and not associated with any particular views or attitude.
Referring to Ethiopia as ‘our country’ is not an indication of a narrow-minded, nationalist mindset, but simply normal everyday usage. Indeed, one would be hard-pressed to find a region of the world where the idea of ‘love for our country’ is more deeply ingrained in the society than it is in Ethiopia.
But what, really, does it all mean?
Ethiopians will usually say they love their country and are proud of its culture and traditions. However, it often abruptly ends there.
Surely, people who ‘love their country’ would want to support ‘it’. Is ‘love for the country’ not just another way of saying ‘loyalty to the society’?
It cannot be enough to see the idea of ‘patriotism’ as some abstract idea that can be expressed through flying the flag, wearing clothes embroidered with the national colors, or through arts and music? There must be more to it than that! After all, playing music or saying one is proud of ‘the country’ really does not make much difference in the society one claims to ‘love’.
Many Ethiopians love to talk and to ‘wear’patriotism, but, alas, their actions often speak a different language altogether. And surely, it is the actions that count, not the words however strong they may be.
This assessment may seem somewhat unfair, but, perhaps less so if we consider these examples.
Agriculture is vital for Ethiopia’s economic prosperity. Should, therefore, a patriot not be supporting the farmers, buying local produce, and having a real sense of pride in local, sustainable industries and small-scale businesses?
However, many, for instance, tend to choose synthetic fiber, often imported from abroad, over the local cotton products. Rice, for example, often imported as well, is highly valued by many.
Of course, this is not to say that we must never buy products made of synthetic fiber or imported foods. But surely, if we consider ourselves patriots, we should at least be aware of these issues: It must be preferable to us to buy, say, locally produced grains, soft drinks or alcoholic beverages, than those produced in some other country, or by big international corporations. Surely, it is patriotic to support the local industries, state-owned or private and purchasing products that only increase the multi-billion dollar profits of some multinationals is less patriotic.
The environment is another issue that, logically, must be considered in connection with ‘love for our country’. ‘The environment’, after all, is the country.
Is it, therefore, not rather hypocritical to say, ‘I love my country and my region’, without having any concern for the local environment?
Just from the point of view of reason and logic, patriots must necessarily be protectors of the environment. They love their country, which, logically, must entail that they must love their environment.
Of course, oftentimes, the need for infrastructure, for sustainable economic development, or other needs of the society, must be balanced with the need to protect the environment. However, real patriots must be concerned about protecting the land. That is just the logical conclusion of ‘loving your country’: If you love it, then you will do your part to protect it. You will be concerned about supporting and contributing to the society.
On closer inspection, claiming one is a ‘patriot’ must, thus, be considered rather hypocritical and shallow, when one is investing resources and knowledge in another society, instead of contributing them to one’s own society.
Logically, real patriots will buy local products whenever possible. They will be proud of the farmers, artisans and local producers and industries. They will be concerned about the environment, about foreign investors, and about sustainable development.
They will not try to imitate other cultures, but will genuinely hold the positive aspects of their own traditions in high regard. They will respect and appreciate those who are called to protect and serve their society whether security forces or politicians. They will always strive to make their society better and to give back to it; when they criticize, they will do it constructively.
Patriotism cannot just be a word. It cannot just be an idea, or some philosophical construct. It cannot simply mean playing music, wearing national colors, or flying the national flag. It must mean being loyal to the society you live in, and acting accordingly otherwise it becomes a meaningless word.
And that applies, whether we live in Ethiopia, or anywhere else in the world.
The Ethiopian Herald February 22/2019
BY KALYPSO SCHULMEISTER
