Various activities intended to promote positive energy among the citizenry have been planned to be carried out ahead of the onset of the Ethiopian New Year with a catch-all phrase: ‘Cleansing the Mind’.
Cleaning neighborhoods and the massive greening efforts of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed and the administration he leads have rallied Ethiopians from various walks of life, and the diplomatic community alike. This time, the focus is on ‘cleansing the mind’ from bad mentality and making Ethiopians at home and abroad roll up their sleeves to attain the common goal of peace and prosperity.
Dr. Yeraswork Admassie, is a sociologist. He says such schemes need to promote the golden rules, of “treating other people as oneself would prefer to be treated”. Also, the public, in general, ought to denounce corruption and the abuse of public power for self-gains.
Every individual has as well a responsibility of discharging civic duty including being industrious and ethical. For such schemes to be lasting, the government has to install a functional system. It is the system that changes human behavior, according to him.
Listening to one another and cultivating the culture of participating all stakeholders in decision making as well as ensuring equitable wealth distribution have also a big role in the creation of positive energy among the people, he argues. Prof. Bekele Gutema is the director of graduate programs of Addis Ababa University. He says the task that could come top in the list when one plans mind cleansing is to have a clear fathom of existing problems.
As to him, making a series of dialogues on topical national issues have vital importance. Differences in socio-linguistic, cultural, religious and the likes have to also be respected, he said. Over and above, the age-long culture of the people itself needs to be harnessed as it could offer a genuine solution to the problems facing society.
To him, the current wind of opportunity should properly be utilized for the good of the country, he said. The leadership has a greater responsibility in ushering the people on the right path as well, he added. Peaceful and legal mweans of solving differences need to get a chance and one must not seek a solution from the barrel of a gun in this age of globalization, he noted.
The Ethiopian Herald, August 16/2019
BY MISGANAW ASNAKE
