BY STAFF REPORTER
Of late, Ethiopians living in Lebanon have raised and donated close to 600 thousand Birr in support of compatriots displaced by the conflict that took place in Tigray State. This action is a follow up in the footsteps of those hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians in various corners of the world who were tiring day and night to support their nation and people at this time of many formidable challenges.
At a time when their nation is being challenged by countries like the US and EU through the manipulation of sanction as a weapon, the Ethiopians are coming up with good approach to defend their nation from the possible harms of any sort of pressure.
As many Ethiopians both at home and abroad agree the only way foreign powers manage to twist the arms of the government is by utilizing aid as a weapon. Especially during the times of crisis like the one Tigray and some parts of the country, there would be suitable situation to sway the position of the government.
Economic sanctions have become a popular tool in international politics, with the US being the largest actor in imposing sanctions. The aim of sanctions is to ensure government compliance with the imposer’s interests and are often viewed as more humane than military intervention. A sanction is a penalty levied on another country, or on individual citizens of another country. It is an instrument of foreign policy and economic pressure that can be described as a sort of carrot-and-stick approach to dealing with international trade and politics.
A country has a number of different types of sanctions at its disposal. While some are more widely used than others, the general goal of each is to force a change in behavior.
Cognizant of this fact Ethiopians both at home and abroad are striving to safeguard their nation from the external pressure in different ways. Their efforts revolve around fighting against the possible political pressure as well as withstanding the possible trade and economic impacts that could be employed to pressurize the government.
Prior to the financial contribution, the Ethiopians were working hard in defending their nation from the orchestrated campaign of fake information that intends to smear the image of the government and the country as well as imposing the unfair interests of foreign forces against the country.
As the other front to fend of both the external meddling and political pressure as well as the problems ensuing at home, Ethiopians are also striving to coordinate their efforts in to curbing the possible socio-economic challenges.
For instance, many of the diaspora community have been pooling money to assist the timely completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) which is one of the points of contention for which the country is facing challenges. If the dam is complete early or on time there will be great relief for the government and the people.
In addition, providing all the necessary support to the internally displaced people in the country is also of great importance to move the country a step forward in fending of any external threats that are posed in the forms of sanctions.
As a result, the financial contribution of the Ethiopians is of paramount importance in significantly addressing the prevailing problems in the country and raises the participation of the diaspora in the local political and development endeavors to an all-rounded level.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD JUNE 22/2021
