BY STAFF REPORTER
Sewasew Sleshi is founder of “Mother of Generation Peace and Reconciliation Initiative” Born and raised in Addis Ababa, she interrupted her education at Addis Ababa University and travelled to Norway where she lived for about 30 years. Before establishing the initiative, for many years she has been struggling to bring about reconciliation to bridge differences among ethnicity and religion. Now she is working to realize national justice reconciliation in the country. During her stay with Ethiopian Press Agency she has explained why she established the initiative and the need for reconciliation in the country. Excerpts:
What
inspired you to establish the initiative?
I was inspired to establish the initiative because I have a voice. My voice is not like a politician or an intellectual, but like a mother. My reason for this is the decimation of many generations during the political chaos of the last 40 to 50 years. A mother pays most of the price for this chaos. I cry on behalf of these mothers as they are the ones who undergo many of the sufferings, destitution… etc. All these mayhems are outcomes of the activities of politicians.
But politicians are seldom observed caring about the generation and mothers. Since the country’s problems cannot be addressed solely through politics I decided to try peace and reconciliation. I used to urge the government ever since Hailemariam Dessalegn became Prime Minister.
Opposition parties operating at home and abroad as well as the diaspora have their own role in the good and bad that unfolds at home. Most of the opposition used to operate from abroad. Since there were some parties with destructive purposes I started the initiative with the intent to bring them to roundtable and discuss with the government.
Three years ago when I heard Prime Minister Abiy about peace and reconciliation I was happy. When he said that there should be no aggression, Eritrea and Ethiopia should be reconciled I started proposing him for Nobel Prize. But upon the beginning I did not believe that it would be a reality.
I had no understanding of his politics when I started the movement. What I understood from his speech was that he intends to rebuild the demolished castle [of unity]. I have discussed with Minister of Peace, Muferiat Kamil and Peace and Reconciliation Commission, they have told me that my initiative is good.
How do you see the objective situation in the country?
The issues happening in our country today are not created at the moment. They are consequences of the past issues. Hatred of the past grew up to reach this level. I don’t think it is possible to root them out at once. A generation is still decimating.
Parents are losing children, women are losing their husbands, and elders are left without care givers. We may not understand the agony until it happens against us. Millions might have voiced against this. But there are also others who pretend to stand for the victims but gamble in their name.
Yet the millions of voices talk about the suffering where as I would like to focus on the solution. That is why I claim that there is a need for national justice reconciliation. Even though we have not lost a member of our family those who are dying and displaced are our compatriots. I request the government to declare a national day of mourning.
Secondly, I speak about the death of a generation that I have witnessed in my age during the last 40 to 50 years. People are being killed everywhere. But the way politicians speak about the death of people is only in terms of their political interest or ethnic lines than caring about the deceased.
It is to be recalled that the government had allowed disgruntled opposition political parties and politicians to return home. Accordingly many of them have returned. What do you think is the role of their return in the process of peace and reconciliation in the country?
Those who were operating abroad and have returned should also apologize. When they were working abroad they were propounding the idea of liberation and other political agenda. They have made many people to take to the streets, and they agitate youth to engage in armed struggle.
Many youth perished for their cause. It was not only the government but also the exiled opposition political parties that were causing the death of people. But all those who were involved in the opposition politics based abroad have returned home alive while those who were at home were damned to die. Therefore, they have to admit that they have a stake in the death of the masses and apologize.
What is the objective of your initiative? What activities have you carried out so far?
Since I was working in a religious institution I was not able to incorporate the remaining religious institutions. It looked like it sides with one religious organization. But I have no interest of executing a specific religion or ethnic line, government or political organization. I set out to cry like a mother.
A mother exists in every religion and ethnic group. So I converted the organization to work on peace and reconciliation about a year ago. It is an emerging organization. What I have done so far is the foundation for my current activities. The association is registered in Norway and has legal accreditation.
I have submitted proposals for Ministry of Peace as well as Peace and Reconciliation Commission. One of the proposals is on bringing about national justice reconciliation. They have accepted my proposal as a blessed idea.
In addition I believe that beyond expressing our pity for those who lost their families or loved ones, we have to mend their broken heart. I believe that we have to pay them blood indemnity. All of us Ethiopians should do this. It should not be left for the government alone.
We are both the slayers and the slain. Therefore I intend to establish a Generation Blood Indemnity Fund, to open account under the peace and reconciliation commission where Ethiopians at home contribute at least one birr per day. We will do the coordination work among the diaspora.
Peace and Reconciliation Commission has been established. Have you tried to work with the commission?
The commission was established three years ago and has progressed a lot. But I cannot say that it is satisfactory. This is because the staff of the commission are part timers. But there are some who have done their best.
Actually there are some politicians who were elected as members of the commission. But the politicians are to be reconciled. I insist that government officials and politicians should be included in the commission. I believe that the commission has some shortfalls in its establishment.
When I went to the commission and explained my proposal they told me that I brought the issue that they were missing. They welcomed me gladly. They need funding to do their job. I don’t criticize the commission as having done nothing. I understand that they lack many things. That is why I am trying to contribute my share.
What is the fundamental thing for peace and reconciliation? Don’t you think it is important to forget grudges of the past and think about the future in order to bring about peace and reconciliation?
If we talk about the grudges of the past we find many myths. There is a generation that has been fed on these myths. They worship the mythical narratives. For instance ,someone might have lost his father who fought for the cause of a certain political organization. As a result, the son may not be interested to hear about the truth on the other side. Therefore, the first thing to do for this generation is to show love.
I have seen youth who have joined Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Party (EPRP) which is more than 40 years old. When I asked them how much they have known the party their answer is that their father died for the cause of the EPRP. Hence the generation tends to hold grudges.
The same is true for supporters of Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). They are mentored by politics of blood feud and reprisal. This is useless both for the people and the country.
In order to relieve the consequences we have to start the reconciliation by declaring that their pain is our pain. This could heal the wound of those who have lost their family members and loved ones. It can sooth the situation.
What do you think should be done to extricate the country out of the current chaos?
We have to stop expecting the government to solve every problem. The pressure on the government cannot be solved overnight. So we have to agree that the problem of the country cannot be solved with the sole effort of the government. We have to accept that we are all responsible to solve problems. That is why we say that people and government should be reconciled. Solving the problems would be much easier after ensuring reconciliation.
We cannot deny that there is discontent between the government and the people. Whether during the last 27 years or the last 40 years, the people have been disappointed by the misdeeds of the government. But we cannot put all the blame against the government.
All our hands are stained with the blood of a generation. Either as killers or passive onlookers we had contributed for the killings in the past. That is why we say that the government and people have to apologize each other.
Thank you very much for your time.
Thank you.
The Ethiopian Herald April 27/2021
