The world has been composed of more than two hundred countries with their own sovereignty, governing form, territorial demarcation and all other criteria to be an independent. Of the more than 200 nations the globe does have, Ethiopia is located in the East African vista neighboring with finger counted African states.
This piece does not intend to elucidate what the world countries look like, but what make Ethiopia unique from the rest of the world citing the peculiar aspects perhaps solely belong to it.
Ethiopians have long been known for time-tested hospitality, sympathetic gesture, cooperative strata and gluing synergy whenever their country becomes at perilous times no matter how varied their differences are. Yes, the country is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic country that has been living in harmony since time immemorial.
Housing over 110 million population right this time, the country has hosted a number of refuges emigrating from different countries of the world. All citizens are fond of sharing what they have with the needy whoever the latter are and wherever they have come. A generous country comprising mesmerizing and friendly people has been unique and a school from which many countries can learn many things from it.
Yimer Mohammed is merchant came from Wollo and running business around Mercato. This writer came across him and asked about what makes his country-Ethiopia-unique.
He said words become scare to list what makes Ethiopia special as it comprises a range of unique circumstances revolving around social economic, cultural or political even religious spheres.
He said, “Let me tell you the case of my birth place, North Wollo, with regard to the latter, for instance. I think no country in the universe has accommodated a tested coexistence in the case of religions, intertribal issues and inter alia. To the surprise of everyone, whenever the Muslim community surveys and plans to build a mosque, Christians are frontlines to make the plan real; likewise, when the Christian faithful has motivated to set up a worshiping center—church—the Muslim community are eager and much more willing to get the priestly timely accomplished. Tell me what makes this country much more sacred than this one!?”
As to Yimer, Ethiopia’s grand religious festivities, like the Eid Al Fitr, Epiphany, Easter and the like are prettily fabulous and enthralling to entirely win the confidence of visitors from almost all over the world.
Besides, he said, the deep gorges, chains of massifs, marvelous scenes of lakes and valleys, catchy landscape, the untold beauty of plateaus and low lands have provided the nation with a majestic look and the country in turn gives a sigh of relief whenever a foreigner has come to visits this earthy paradise.
Yimer said, “Hospitality for Ethiopians is an important element of their culture and the very identification for them. Their treatment of others is said to be one of hospitality and this is accepted as fact by all Ethiopians. Even so, however, I think it may be helpful to assess if this culture is truly being reflected in the modern culture in urban Ethiopia as there are some reflections of cultural invasion; this has to be abolished, of course, or systematically adopted without infringing the flavor and root of the societal norms and traditions.”
“The way we dress traditional cloths, the way we arrange marriages and festivities that follow, the means we traditionally resolve confrontations, the approach we host guests and you name it have not been found in any other country as far as my trip to overseas is concerned,” says Fantanesh Bereket, a diaspora coming from Canada.
According to Fantanesh, so far she has travelled to 27 countries of the world and observed a range of aspects comparing with what my beloved country does have. She said, “Don’t give me hard time to express what makes Ethiopia unique from other countries of the world because no country in the world, as far as my journey is concerned, can be comparable with Ethiopia regarding a number of aspects. Perhaps, this country has lagged behind in terms of technology, civilization, democracy and a few facets, but with what Ethiopia is exclusively endowed could hardly be put in words. It might take a book or a gargantuan pad to precisely inscribe.”
According to Fantanesh, a distinctive nation in the world which possesses own letters for written ideas, calendar to calculate time intervals since long back and houses people rich in entrenched hospitality, respective cultural value is-my country, your county, our ancestors, descendants country-Ethiopia! This is Ethiopia, indeed!”
Fantanesh said, “If you go to, as a journalist you may come across I suppose, Bale, Arba-Minch, Jimma, Harar, Dessie, Hawassa, Mekele, Jigjiga, Semera etc., you will absolutely encounter the same Ethiopian culture and entire approach with a slight difference following the impact of uniqueness of some norms and values as well as dialects. All the sub-countries, regional sates now, are the elements to give the summation-Ethiopia-a well-respected, rich in tangible and intangible assets/heritages, ethical and cooperative citizenry, who are proud of being Ethiopians wherever they go and whatever they do.”
As learnt from Fantahesh, all the national and natural assets of which every Ethiopian has to proud are confronting with the cheap and divisive political agendum sowed before thirty years and systematically nurtured to push Ethiopia to extinction.
“As to me, everything is in our hand. All the values which have been seriously sick and made lame can be well healed as the county has had a number of surgeons—Journalists, politicians, teachers, religious fathers, opinion leaders, who are expected to be front line warriors against these devilish acts, diabolic spirit runners spoiling the mental set up of the posterity, targeting at vanishing the golden values and assets more than anything else centering Ethiopianism.”
In a nut shell, Ethiopia is a great and unique nation in all aspects. Hence, it has to receive due attention and care from its sons and daughters as they have safeguarded from internal and external enemies so far and transcended to the ongoing posterity. A trans-disciplinary vibrant interaction of change and good faith variables can create and highly ingrained hegemonic status quo of hospitality, coexistence, cooperation friendly-approach, which has been nurtured by all Ethiopians since the inception of the nation.
BY MENGESHA AMARE
The Ethiopian Herald May 18/2021
