The arrival of Ethiopians from the Diaspora coincides with two main events, namely the handshaking of Ethiopian federal forces and TPLF on the one hand and the celebrations of the two major Ethiopian annual holidays of Ethiopian Christmas or Epiphany and Timket or Holy Baptism. Close to one million Diaspora Ethiopians are expected to come back to their homeland mainly in connection with the reconstruction of the war-devastated towns in Amhara and Afar as well as to visit their families and enjoy the coming holidays. The three events seem to be well-synchronized.
Diaspora’s relentless fight for justice
The Ethiopian Diaspora coming back home at this opportune moment should enjoy a hero’s welcome for many reasons. First, the Diaspora Ethiopians have been fighting and continue to fight against the global misinformation campaigns launched by the TPLF neo-fascists and their international collaborators like the corporate media in America and the Washington hawks within the State Department that are living no stone unturned to turn the conflict into a powerful tool to promote their regional and global strategy of domination.
The Diaspora Ethiopians around the world fought tooth and nail not only against the international misinformation campaign carried out by corporate media and psychological pressure against Ethiopia. They also organized huge campaigns against the Washington leaders that went on for weeks and resulted in the exposure of their belligerent attitudes towards Ethiopia in blatant violation of international laws and diplomatic ethics. the Biden administration seemed to ignore these events, but deep down the Washington hawks must be feeling hurt and disoriented because they never expected such a degree of angry reaction from Ethiopians living in their midst. Under the Trump administration, Africans-Americans waged “BLACK LIVES MATTER” demos and Diaspora Ethiopians seemed to be inspired by them to launch their “ETHIOPIAN LIVES MATTER” or “AFRICAN LIVES MATTER” kinds of demonstrations and they were hugely popular and hugely successful.
Deafening international silence
The impassivity and silence with which the international community watched those tragic events unfolding in Ethiopia was heart-breaking indeed. These images were not broadcast by the corporate media for obvious reasons. The Western corporate media were assigned to the humiliating task of serving as public relations offices of the Washington hawks and their protégés.
In a manner that will certainly prove unnerving to the neo-fascists and their Washington masters, the Diaspora Ethiopians will be here to make contributions to the reconstruction of the devastated infrastructures and the broken lives of so many of their compatriots. They are not discouraged by the fact that the Biden administration withdrew assistance to Ethiopia, a traditional ally of the US for more than a century, imposed sanctions, expelled Ethiopia from the AGOA trade privileges that were given to African countries during the previous administrations and actively collaborated in the joint bid to turn Ethiopia into a new Libya or Syria, working in sync with their proxy warriors.
The Diaspora Ethiopians are real heroes because they were not intimidated by the might of the US administration that has taken steps against immigrants in the past. Most Diaspora Ethiopians are certainly disappointed by the Biden administration although they voted for the democratic party in their hope that it would be better than the humiliated Trump administration that insulted Africa as “shithole places” and suggested bombing the GERD to end the dispute. The Biden presidency is no better for Africa than the Trump predecessor that built walls in its southern borders with Mexico to prevent Latinos from reaching out to the “Land of Opportunities”. Ethiopians from the Diaspora are brave, honest and hardworking folks who made it in the US with their talent and hard work but never compromised their integrity and patriotism. Recent news of an Ethiopian surgeon in the US and his friends sending 6 million dollars worth of medical equipment and essential drugs is a case in point to demonstrate the patriotism of Ethiopians wherever they live and work. When they left Ethiopia, Ethiopia did not leave them.
Reconstruction and business opportunities
Diaspora Ethiopians are real heroes because the financial and material contributions they are making towards the reconstruction of the country did not come at a small cost as life is not always rosy for all of them. For these Diaspora Ethiopians commitment to the welfare of their motherland is sometimes stronger than any religious devotion. Life may be hard for many of them but it is not as hard as watching their compatriots suffer humiliation and poverty due to domestic enemies and their foreign backers. Some of them have already gone as far as fighting at various fronts. for many of them, no job, no money and no success is more important than defending the survival of their motherland.
Even the American economy is suffering as a result of the expenditures of the failed Afghan war where various administrations spent trillions of dollars and left empty-handed. Ethiopia is an economically small country with an immense potential for growth and a huge sense of self-reliance and endurance. The peace time endurance Ethiopian athletes displayed the Olympics is only a tiny part of the bravery and stamina ordinary Ethiopians usually display during times of trials. Look at all the women and children who spent more than six months in the wilderness suffering hunger, rain and sun and diseases.
This is Ethiopian resilience inaction after every standing structure, including houses, hospitals; shelters for displaced people were destroyed…etc. This is Ethiopian bravery at its best. And now look at those young women and children who suffered misfortune and are now eager to go back to their decimated villages, their burnt huts and farms and their livestock decimated. that is bravery at its best. “We want to go back as soon as possible and rebuild our lives and change our conditions to the better!” claimed a young Ethiopian girl from Gondar speaking on the radio. As a rule, Ethiopians are unbeatable, resilient, optimistic and forward-looking whatever tragedy they face and the losses they suffer. Like the girl in the episode above, they are often contemptuous of hardships and those who make those things happen to them.
The Diaspora Ethiopians are coming to make financial and other contributions and the positive impact of this kind of initiative will be huge. Imagine for instance a million Ethiopians in the Diaspora drinking a cup of coffee each day and paying one US dollar for each cup of coffee. Can you imagine how much money they would raise in a week, two weeks or more? that would simply be huge. Try to multiply three million cups of coffee by one dollar and you have three million dollars. change this into the local currency at the bank rate and you have one hundred and twenty million Birr! This is only a rough estimate of a single act of fundraising.
Ethiopians are also good at turning misfortunes into opportunities. Their country is agonizing at present but the Diaspora Ethiopians are using this to come home and visit their families who are carrying the double burden of the war and inflation. This is no doubt a welcome news for so many underprivileged families and their dependents. Even then, for most Ethiopians seeing their families is more important and more fulfilling than the festivities that usually accompany homecomings.
Learning from foreign experiences
The Ethiopian Diaspora community has a lot of lessons to draw from similar experiences around the world. The Chinese, Indians, Israelis and other people have managed to return to their native lands and rebuild their war-shattered economies. Diaspora Ethiopians have increasingly become very influential in the economic reconstruction of the country. They are involved in real estate development, manufacturing, in financial contributions to the GERD project and now in emergency relief and reconstruction operations. Ethiopia receives annually more remittances than it gets from its export sector. More than 3 billion US dollars are transferred annually to the country through remittances and similar transactions. Contributing to the economy is also one aspect of heroism.
No doubt the Diaspora Ethiopians are going to have a good time here although it may be far from being a holiday in a coastal town. These may be tough times but nothing will prevent the guests from enjoying the usual Ethiopian hospitalities or specialties. Most of them may be nostalgic of Ethiopian food and beverage cultures that are some of the best in the world according to the opinions of culinary specialists.
Twice occupied, twice liberated Lalibela
The historic tourist town of Lalibela was twice occupied by the TPLF and twice liberated by the federal and allied forces. International organizations like UNESCO did not lift their small finger to speak against the invasion and the potential destruction of the historical and cultural relics that are considered world heritages. No matter how international organizations reacted, Lalibela has braved the awful consequences of the invasion and emerged alive although the extent of the destruction to the stone churches is not yet clear.
Historic Gondar is preparing and waiting to welcome its Diaspora tourists to come and enjoy the timeless sights, visit the villages where – troops on the other side ran amok and caused so much tragedy. At night they can still visit the hotels and azmari bets where patriotic songs and dances boost the combative mood of their visitors. Tewodros Kassahun, a.k.a Teddy Afro is the rave in the bars, cafes and night hangouts in Gondar and other major towns in Amhara region.
Diaspora Ethiopians can come both as fighters for the cause of their motherland and as tourists and spend money that will go into reviving the local economies badly affected by the fighting and the lootings in the region. The same can be said about beautiful Bahir Dar and Semera, the capital of Afar Region. Diaspora Ethiopians who can withstand the hot weather in Afar can travel to scenic places where volcanic lava is boiling deep in the earth’s crust, a sight popularized by tourist posters. Afar too deserves its share of Diaspora Ethiopians who can make contributions to its economic revival.
BY MULUGETA GUDETA
The Ethiopian Herald November 27/2022
