The celebration of 18th Ethiopian Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Day was carried out in Jigjiga town Somali Regional State last Saturday in the presence of President Sahle-Work Zewde, Vice President of the Prosperity Party, Adam Farah, Speaker of the House of Federation, Agegnehu Teshager, chief administrators of regional governments and senior federal and regional officials as well as city mayors.
The festival was celebrated with the motto ‘diversity and equality for national unity’. The main objective of the festival is to strengthen national and multinational unity despite diversity. This event has been taking place every year for the last 18 years and is linked to the promulgation of the federal constitution which took place in December 1994.
On the occasion, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent a congratulatory message to all Ethiopians highlighting the importance of the celebration and the objectives of the event. He said it was his firm belief that the celebration would help build a shared narrative of national unity. He went on to define what being Ethiopian means and that it is a national identity that is centered on national unity. He said being Ethiopian embraces the diversity of nations, nationalities, and peoples on the one hand and recognizes the strong synergy that binds Ethiopians and continues to do. Being Ethiopian he said has been a bond for generations.
The celebrations were streamlined and viewed all over the world through various channels. At the celebration itself, several officials gave speeches marking the importance of the day. In this regard, President Sahle-Work Zewde delivered an important message highlighting the significance of the day. She stresses the importance of tolerance as a vital element that will allow Ethiopians to build their unity on a strong foundation.
The president said tolerance and prioritizing ideas rather than conflict will allow us to build our unity on a strong foundation. The remark was made at the celebration of the 18th Ethiopian Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Day in Jigjiga town, Somali Regional State.
President Sahle-Work added that the festival is celebrated not only to show that diversity, multinational unity, and equality are inseparable but also to strengthen them. She said the event is an opportunity to remind us that our diversity should not be an impediment to our unity and equality.
Developed countries had also faced identity-related problems, but they were able to overcome the challenges through inclusiveness, she noted adding that however there is no other option than to live together as equals. She further explained that the greatness of Ethiopia cannot be separated from the greatness of its peoples, emanating from their history, culture, adventure, and the like.
It is our responsibility to maintain the greatness of this nation, she said, adding that Ethiopia will live in peace and develop only when we solve our common problems through dialogue.
Disagreements and differences of opinion are not enmity, the president said. The president pointed out that diversity is not only about culture and language but also about thought; hence, trying to resolve differences with guns and force in our country must end. We must solve problems through discussion and dialogue, she emphasized.
In a way, she was also referring to the National Dialogue Commission which has been working relentlessly in the past couple of years selecting agendas for discussions and participants in the discussions from every corner of the country including those who are outside Ethiopia. In fact, the leader of the National Dialogue Commission Professor Mesfin Araya has been talking about the importance of the participation of every interest group including those in the diaspora, and that his body was ready to invite all those who want to take part in the deliberations. Such discussions as the president mentioned are important to create a common outlook on what our country can look like in the future distancing itself from frivolous divisions and resorting to force to assert one’s ideas.
It should be ideas that should win over ideas and not personalities or groups over personalities and groups. The objective of this exercise should be to adopt a common ground on which to base the country without any disputes that could lead us to conflicts and constitute an obstacle to our progress and development. At the same time, it risks exposing us to the attacks of those who do not want our country to grow and exert the influence it deserves both at the African level as well as in the larger context of the world.
It should be recalled that in this regard Ethiopia’s recent joining the BRICS economic group can be considered as a huge success for both the diplomacy of Ethiopia as well its significance in Africa. The fact that Ethiopians commit themselves to unite wholeheartedly under the 1994 Federal Constitution is the gateway to this bright future where all nations, nationalities, and peoples can count on their equality and dignity under a just system and a just law.
On the same occasion of the celebrations Speaker of the House of Federation, Agegnehu Teshager underlined the notion of unity under the constitution. He said celebrating the holiday in unison has helped us to strengthen our national unity.
He also said that the efforts exerted to bring Ethiopians to unity instead of differences, love instead of hate, and trusts instead of doubt have yielded results.
The speaker noted that diversity is not a debt to Ethiopia, but a reward for our people. It is clear that there are several more elements that unite us Ethiopians than divide us. The Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Day can only be another testimony to this fact. When we see people of various cultural origins decorated with their respective traditional costumes and displaying their chants with dances testifies to the fact that being aware of the others’ cultural traits helps build up the bond and diminishes misunderstandings between communities.
The first cause of any misunderstanding between communities is a lack of awareness about the identity and cultural traits of others. If there is communication and knowledge about the others who live nearby in the same country the sense of unity and bond gets enhanced and there are little chances of misunderstandings and hence disputes.
Ethiopians have been living together for centuries without any significant internal conflicts. Communities of various ethnic identities be it cultural, religious, or linguistic have not been prevented from living together. Ethiopians know that when they are divided they are exposed to external attacks and this is what they try to avoid. The 1994 federal constitution in this sense is a legal guarantee for peaceful cohabitation and equality before the law and the firm application of the rule of law equally across the board.
What the constitution establishes is that there can’t be discrimination between nations and nationalities and all of them are treated equally under the law. Here it is good to note the speech delivered by the Chief Administrator of Somali Regional State, Mustafe Mohamed who recalled that some regions, including the Somali region, had been considered as partners to the existing party in the past and their request to organize as a regional party was denied. It was not hence treated equally and justly.
He pointed out that following the reform the country launched five years ago, a national party was formed, granting everyone an opportunity to participate equally, and the right to organize as a regional entity was also acknowledged and respected. The theoretical application of the provisions of the constitution was not implemented until a few years ago according to Mustafe.
He said, “We Ethiopians are people who live together in unison. We must strengthen our brotherhood to exploit the wealth that nature has given us properly”.
The Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Day is a major occasion to strengthen our bond as a nation and help us create a common narrative that helps us advance in our trajectory of development and progress. Ethiopia should not be bothered anymore with the diversity of its peoples in whatever way it could be but converge to building a nation that is strong and forward-looking rather than be prisoners of the past that continue to relate certain negative narratives to put at risk its unity.
The challenges of development that we face in today’s world can only be resolved with a united front and that was what all the major leaders of the country were stressing when they talked about the importance of the Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Day, a testimony to that idea. The significance of the day cannot be overstated in our context and in the current political landscape.
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 12 DECEMBER 2023
