BY LEULSEGED WORKU
Wollo, located in the northern part of Ethiopia, is a place where people with diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds live in harmony.
As indicated by some sources, the religious demography of Wollo together with the art of tolerance among the society makes it one of the peaceful areas in Ethiopia where religious harmony is practiced at full scale. Several social interactions that exist among the Wollo people truly reflect an age-old culture of love and tolerance of the community.
The people of Wollo have something in common – a unique history of tolerance, love, peaceful coexistence and a strong sense of togetherness. They also know the art of living in harmony with others. No matter what religion an individual may practice or what his/her ethnic background is, the people have a unique way of living in tolerance by respecting the identity of others. This age old culture of tolerance and love is still fresh and a matter that can be taken as a model for other areas or countries.
Lately, a festival, aimed at promoting the cultural and religious values of the people of Wollo and inculcating the wisdoms within the new generation, was organized at Ethio- Cuba Friendship Monument. In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Dr. Mohamad Sani, an Epidemiologist at the University of London; and also coordinator of the event said that the culture of tolerance and love has a special place among the people of Wollo; and it is at the heart of every community.
“Irrespective of religious differences or other grounds, the people have special value regarding to respecting and loving others. This culture is still intact. Despite some challenges, the culture to live in harmony with others is still strong among the community.” Dr.Mohamad added.
According to him, the festival that was held in Addis Ababa under the theme of “Journey to Wollo” truly displayed this truth. At the festival, several research papers were presented; traditional music that reflects the culture and identity of the Wollo people was staged and various cultural events that represent the society were displayed.
Following the conflict in the Northern part of the country, there was some kind of infrastructure destruction in the area. This, in turn, has caused material and psychological crisis in the place. In this regard, the festival also targeted to urge volunteer Ethiopians and Ethiopia’s lovers to stretch their hands and contribute their share in every possible way; be it in the form of providing healthcare facilities or any other activities that could restore the lost institutions or boost the morale of the community.
The program was also organized targeting promoting the science, culture and untapped assets of the Wollo community. Historical documents are full of facts that Wollo is one of the areas in Ethiopia where several scholars have come into existence and contributed their share for their country.
Dr. Mohammad also said that, besides its various historical places and tourist attraction sites, Wollo is also known for various indigenous knowledge and traditional education centers where numerous scholars pursued their education and contributed their part to their country.
Besides its identity to live in harmony and love, Wollo is also known for its tourist attraction sites. The Rock- Hewn churches of Lalibela are good examples of this. The beautiful landscape in Lalibela and the experiences of walking in the mountains around offers fantastic scenery to visitors.
“The hospitable culture of the people in and around Lalibela has a mesmerizing effect to anyone who happens there accidentally,” he added. According to him, the various monasteries that are found in Wollo are places where a number of medieval Muslim and Christian scholars were learnt. For instance, Haik Estifanos Monastery is considered as the first University in Ethiopia. It was a center of traditional learning in the 13th century. This University had been serving as a center of learning for students that came from different parts of the country. Most of the graduates of this University are known for founding severa
The Ethiopian Herald January 12/2023
