BY DANIEL ALEMAYEHU
Throughout history, citizens of a given nation have been defending their country no matter what happened. People even go to the extent of sacrificing their lives to defend their nation from any kind of onsets. That is what Ethiopians have been doing up to this very moment. No matter the situation is the people of Ethiopia from every walks of lives have been showing their love and readiness to stand in solidarity with their motherland.
It is not long ago to remember that Ethiopia encountered pressures from in and out because the country was determined to stand as a sovereign state just like before. The conflict in the northern part of the country has caused a number of destructions to the overall progress of the country.
Fortunately, the nation has citizens who are willing to stand in favor of the interest of their country with whole-souled devotion in any given situation. It is true that Ethiopians who live in the country and abroad have shown their eagerness to support the nation by any means. Ethiopian Diasporas and friends of the nation have been walking the bumpy road with the country when the nation experienced plenty of challenges.
Similarly, the Ethiopian Diaspora communities around the world have carried out their economic, political, and social responsibilities. Regarding politics, the diaspora communities have been busy exposing the fake news together with the ill-intended and skewed pictures of Ethiopia formed by some international media. These Diaspora communities have organized numerous rallies in different parts of the world to show the reality on the ground and support the government and people of Ethiopia.
Diasporas’ unfettered support continued even when the nation was in an active war which was prolonged for two years. After the peace accord was signed between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Diaspora communities have not quitted stretching their hands to their in-need brothers and sisters. The Ethiopian Diaspora and friends of Ethiopia are still standing along with the government and people of Ethiopia to support the overall activities of rehabilitating the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and other organizations that are working in the country.
Having stayed with The Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), Ethiopian Diaspora Service Director-General, Mohammed Edris (PhD) mentioned that members of Ethiopian Diaspora Communities throughout the world should take advantage to support the peace agreement. It is true that Diasporas entertain different political backgrounds, views, and ideologies regarding the war and even about the nation. As to the Ethiopian Diaspora Service, Mohammed noted that his institution is working in search of having a common ground for all Diasporas in the country so as to work together for a common goal.
The Director-General also disclosed that the institution holds a weekly meeting with key Diaspora communities. The purpose of this meeting is to give response to queries raised by those Diaspora members and to exchange information. This communication is a two-way channel that paves a way to circumstances that create a better understanding of the notion they are standing in behalf of.
The Director-General has mentioned the support and contributions made by Ethiopian Diasporas and friends of Ethiopia. He said that, responding to the call from the Ministry of Finance, Ethiopian Diaspora communities have contributed over 5 million USD following the peace agreement. From the collected 5 million USD, 2.3 million USD has been already transferred to the government’s coffer. The remaining amount is still in the hands of embassies.
Here, one thing should be clear as to Mohammed, that they have not incorporated the promised contributions. The above figure is the money at hand. The support did not stop here; rather, the Diaspora Community has sent items including medical equipments worth 12 million USD. Since the onset of the war, the Diaspora community has not stopped contributing to carry out its responsibilities. That is why the community has funded more than 1.6 billion Birr for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and rehabilitation activities. The Diaspora has also been making a contribution through civic society organizations using various platforms, the Director-General said.
He further said, “It is important to remember that the Diaspora is a part of the country and has its responsibilities as a citizen.” The Diaspora community has a unique burden that people living in the country cannot achieve. The community has the responsibility to work as influencers in diplomacy and other activities connected with media and information. It is undeniable that the Diaspora communities all over the world are doing their best in standing together and supporting the nation.
In order to answer the question of the government’s role in supporting the Diaspora communities, the Director-General disclosed that the government has to work on two main points. The first is that government is responsible to take distinct measures to answer the queries of the Diaspora by reshaping legal frameworks and institutions coupled with fighting corruption. The second is working on diplomacy issues. The incumbent is responsible for organizing and mobilizing a wide range of Diasporas to get involved in the sphere of diplomacy. Actions must be taken regarding building Diasporas’ capacity.
Likewise, Mohammed added that the Diaspora community is taking part in several activities to realize and support the peace accord. In this regard, actions have been taken on creating awareness about the needs and the benefits of the peace deal through multiple communication channels.
Besides, it is putting tremendous effort into advocating the implementation of the peace deal by putting pressure on those who were active in ending the war through various means. “They are putting enormous pressure on the international community through various ways to realize the implementation of the peace accord,” the Director-General said.
Mohammed further mentioned that following the peace deal, over 21 Diaspora groups from different parts of the world have stated to advocate for the International community to support the peace accord. Prior to that, 17 advocacy groups have also released statements that were delivered to 1,200 international institutions, officials, and prominent people. The Ethiopian Diasporas have held about 300 discussions aimed at prioritizing national interest issues.
He further emphasized that the participation of the Diaspora community should lay on a sustainable foundation where they help the nation in achieving their development goals that are envisioned to get people out of poverty. As a result, the Director-General urged the Diaspora community to continue engaging in trade, investment, knowledge, and technology transfer spheres of the nation.
To conclude what has been said so far, the Ethiopian Diaspora communities and friends of Ethiopia have shown their love for their country. The community has proven itself in supporting the entire activities of the nation. The Diasporas are involved in the political, economic, and social issues of the country, and they have brought concrete results. As always Ethiopia will be proud of its children.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 13 DECEMBER 2022
