BY DARGIE KAHSAY
The ideology of Medemer coupled with Green Legacy initiative are the widely known activities in Ethiopia since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) came to power in 2018. It promotes synergy in all potentials, capacities, ideas, human and material resources for peace, development and democratization. Similarly, with the Green Legacy Initiative, which promotes mounting of forest coverage and conserving nature to combat climate change and global warming, mobilizes tens of millions and planted tens of billions of trees for four consecutive years.
Medemer, as an ideology and philosophy aims synergizing all resources for political, social and economic transformation. Apart from synergizing all resources to ensure prosperity at home, the ideology gives due attention to regional and continental cooperation and integration for mutual development as it thinks national and regional developments are interrelated. Based on this thinking, foreign policy approach provides due attention to building strong relations with its neighbors and the continent as a whole with a view to synergize all the resources for mutual development, peace and prosperity.
On the other hand, the Green Legacy initiative launched in 2019 helped Ethiopia to plant over 25 billion seedlings according to information from the Ministry of Agriculture. The four year massive plantation programme, the Green Legacy initiative, was successful planting over 25 billion seedlings which is beyond the target that is 20 billion trees within a four years period.
In short, Ethiopia is successful in applying both the Medemer and Green Legacy initiative at home hitting the intended goal at home. Now, Ethiopia starts exporting these initiatives to its African brothers so as to stand together for a common development agenda through integrating the regional and continental resources. As Ethiopia’s ]foreign policy is shaped with the principle of mutual development through cooperation, which is the pillar of Medemer, it started to strengthen fraternity with its African counterparts sending representatives to strengthen people-to-people relations parallel to planting trees in seven African countries. The youth who represented Ethiopia in this campaign will plant trees in their countries of destinations to promote both fraternity and Green Legacy.
The Ethiopian Youth with the motto of ‘Planting African Fraternity,’ have been arriving in different African countries. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, the Ethiopian youth will deploy to Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, Rwanda and Kenya in addition to South Sudan. As per the schedule, the youth would plant trees in all parts of their country of destinations. Corresponding to this, the youth will hold discussions with representatives of peoples of their country of destinations.
On the 11th of October, a farewell programme was organized for the youth at Entoto Park. Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen calls the youth to plant everlasting African fraternity during this historic tour. The Deputy PM and FM Demeke stated that Ethiopia has played a crucial role in combating colonialism to liberate African nations from colonial powers promoting Pan-Africanism. Ethiopia’s efforts in combating colonialism and promoting Pan-Africanism help the continent to stand in unison establishing an umbrella organization—AU.
On top of that in recent years, Ethiopia has sent its peacekeeping forces in different parts of Africa to maintain peace and stability. With great military discipline, the Ethiopian peacekeeping forces had been and are playing a decisive role in restoring peace and stability in the countries they deployed. Strengthening this role in Africa, Ethiopia has gained a special place in the eyes of the international community.
According to Deputy PM Demeke, internally, Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiative has achieved a lot as it helped the country to plant over 25 billion seedlings. This four year plantation period helps the country not only to increase its forest coverage, but also contributes to planting billions of fruit trees which are imperative to ensure food security and nutrition. Apart from combating climate change and deforestation through increasing the forest coverage, the Green Legacy initiative in Ethiopia is contributing to ensure economic development and food security. Hence, since climate change is a global and continental crisis, for Demeke the effort of combating climate change needs cross border cooperation and responses.
Understanding the necessity of working together to combat climate change, Ethiopia since the early period of the initiative gives attention to regionalizing the Green Legacy initiative though the outbreak of COVID-19 and other factors limit it. Now, Ethiopia launched the journey of Green Diplomacy by sending its youth representatives to replicate best practices of different African countries.
According to Demeke, without limiting themselves in planting trees, the youth should strengthen fraternity with the people of Africa so as to heighten the strong bonds of Ethiopia with the people and countries of Africa. For Demeke, Ethiopia is doing exemplary work for the rest of the world in planting seedlings for green development is key in combating climate change. As climate change is a global phenomenon, African countries should work in a coordinated manner to stamp out climate change impacts. Ethiopia shows its commitment working with its neighbors and the African continent as a whole are expected to second the green legacy move.
“Your journey is beyond planting trees as you are planting an everlasting fraternity. You are Ambassadors of Ethiopia to strengthen brotherhood and friendship with our African brothers and sisters. The seedlings you are ready to plant in these countries is nothing but planting fraternity and friendship that helps to make diplomatic relations everlasting,” Demeke noted.
Though the Ethiopian youth journey symbolizes Green Diplomacy, it aimed at strengthening people-to-people relations, fraternity, and cooperation, integration and promoting Pan-Africanism. The goal of Green Diplomacy is integrating, connecting Africa for mutual development. It is all about strengthening African fraternity and revolving Pan-Africanism for the development and prosperity of Africa and its people.
Medemer ideology believes “We can achieve what we dream by synergizing our resources, knowledge and ideas,” and the goal of Green Diplomacy initiated by the Ethiopians is to realize this approach for the development of Africa by strengthening the relations among African nations to realize integration and cooperation. This new initiative is a historic event to strengthen African fraternity aside from promoting green legacy across Africa.
Nowadays, climate change is not a single issue, it is rather a political, economic and diplomatic issue as it becomes a threat for the survival of all living things on this planet. Understanding this, Ethiopia invests its maximum efforts in combating climate change and taking necessary actions. According to Demeke, “Taking timely actions to combat climate change at home is one thing;” adding “Expanding and advancing this initiative to Africa is an additional blessing.”
For Demeke, the mission of this project is internalizing green legacy, fraternity, diplomacy and cooperation concepts for the common good of all African countries. It is all about strengthening public diplomacy, green initiative, planting permanent fraternity and heightening diplomatic relations.
The Ethiopian Herald October 16/2022
