BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
The idea of the alluring beauty of the trophy at the end of the race is incomprehensible to many of us. Beauty is the quality of being pleasing to the senses or the mind. The senses hold the feelings while the mind has a regulatory power. It is the power that makes the activity meaningful to the participants and the observers as well. People compete among themselves to see which one of them is the faster or the fastest. When one competes and proves that he is the fastest, his mind and his senses unite create pleasure and one enjoys the beauty therein. This is what puzzles Asegid; race and beauty are not tangible, the former is tiresome for it requires exertion of energy while the latter is internally and pleasingly felt.
Asegid understood the compatibility of running and winning; he knows that there is no racing without winning or losing. His conviction is that there is an attractive trophy placed at the end of the race. While running, the eyes of the runners are fixed on the trophy unwaveringly. No force in the world can pluck the eyes off the trophy. Their eyes get glued there until the race is done and the trophy is honorably awarded and joyfully received.
In a race, winning is of vital importance. However, some join the race just for the sake of participating in it. Virtually, they do not seem to be zealous; the trophy may not be of much interest to them. In such case, almost all of them fall out of the race.
The trophy or medal, which is gold by nature, could be more worthy or valuable than even the diamonds. Many people think the diamonds are more worthy than gold, but in actual sense, since the value of gold is predictable and stable, it has more value than diamonds. Is gold heavier than diamonds? Yes, it is heavier than diamonds. For e.g., a 5 carat diamond weighs approximately 1 oz., whereas gold of that size would weigh a few ounces. Thus, gold trophy is much vied-for in any tournament. That is the very reason why gold winners are worshipped as heroes. They are always looked up to.
Similarly, in the case of Ethiopia, at this intensive time crisis, there is a decisive race going on to win a trophy of the unity and security of the country. In this race one group runs for a noble cause, the struggle to redeem the country from falling apart and suffer the humiliation of disheartening disintegration. The true contenders with such high motive are cheered by fans that are lined up along the route to the trophy. Buoyed by the relentless supportive hurray, they splinter forward with the energy that is generated from in such manner.
The same is true of the total support of the citizens for those who are fighting at the battle front. War without popular base forsakes the fighters and the pride and the sovereignty of the country. And defeat subjects the citizens to the eventual slavery.
When a country enters the conflict, there should be a great outburst of patriotism the dynamos of nationalism. In Ethiopia there is a great deal of interest being shown by the people in the impending war in Tigray and are pledging loyalty and support to the cause.
Visualizing the beauty of the trophy which is real sense victory, a lot of males and some females aged twenty-one to thirty-one voluntarily rushed in to register for the draft in response to the governments call. Men and women above the indicated age limit are pledging to do everything in their capacity until the end of the war and the trophy is won. Asegid’s analogous perspective of the alluring beauty of the trophy is being proven true and substantively. There could be some who refuse to sign up and could go into hiding, but they are a minority.
To date, thousands have registered and are being trained to join the force. Buying war bonds or savings and donating money is probably the most common way to support the war. Their money would be paid back in the lasting peace and security of their country after the war.
Ethiopians and organizations in every country around the world are working to contact every citizen at this trying time. Asegid suggests that the money raisers all over can call themselves the Hardened Liberty Seekers because they have to wade through mud, and face drenching rain and whatever it takes to save the country. Frequent meetings and rallies are being held everywhere.
Every speaker in the meeting reminds his audience how Ethiopia has managed to maintain her independence and sovereignty and how each citizen, despite the reluctance of the international community to condemn the terrorist in Tigray, should stand up to the situation and restore law and order and the ultimate sovereignty of Ethiopia.
Asegid believes that if all individuals, groups and organizations reach their quota what is demanded of them, they will receive honor flags. The final report will show that they will have raised tens of thousands of millions, if not billons, for the war effort. It is reported that the contribution drives have made people more “community-spirited.” It has also helped to improved and strengthened relations between nations and nationalities within the country.
According to Asegid, another way to support the war effort is to grow and conserve food. The National Food Administration of Ethiopia should plan that all citizens, including children and city dwellers, are supposed to raise food, not waste it or create artificial food shortage as some selfish business people are trying to make it appear like that.
Planting a garden and trees shows patriotism, and food left uneaten on a plate by the rich should bring scowls of disapproval. As a result of these efforts and wise guesses, Ethiopia will perhaps produce two times as much food now available. Even though the world turns its back on us, with our united efforts and the usual intervention of God, we will get over any insurmountable challenge. Under normal circumstance countries trade with each other when they do not have the resources or capacity to satisfy their own needs and wants.
Yet, when situation such as this occurs, Ethiopia by developing and exploiting her domestic resources, she can produce a surplus, and trade this for the resources the friendly countries need. Apparently, cooperation among countries could have been an effective tool to strengthen, share and accelerate development within countries and across regions. It involves creating, adapting, transferring and sharing knowledge and experiences to improve and ascertain peace and stability – while also making the most of existing natural resources and capacities. International cooperation based on United Nations’ directives include the respect of nation’s right to independently or without foreign interference, deal with its internal affairs.
As a matter of fact, cooperation is the major United Nations’ activities. The main objectives of the United Nations are the maintenance of international peace and security, the promotion of the well-being of the peoples of the world, and international cooperation to these ends. However, the beauty of the trophy of the race gets blurred at this juncture. Thus, an option has to be sought to compensate for denied United Nations activities.
The trophy – the peace and stability of the country -becomes the top priority and it should by all means be maintained without the approval of the unfair external interference. Ethiopia, having repeatedly pleaded with the international community to condemn the atrocious deeds of the TPLF’s force to Ethiopians living in Tigray,
Amhara and Afar, they, instead of putting the United Nations objectives, rules and laws into practice, they chose to look the other way.
On the contrary, by taking side, they blame the Ethiopian government for everything that has happened in the three regional states.
In spite of what the anti- Ethiopia groups are doing, the federal government together with the people is now engaged in the in the race to save the country and be awarded the gold medal trophy which is the sovereignty of Ethiopia.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD AUGUST 25/ 2021
