“Our objective is complete freedom, justice and equality by any means necessary.”

“The day that the black man takes an uncompromising step and realizes that he’s within his rights, when his own freedom is being jeopardized, to use any means necessary to bring about his freedom or put a halt to that injustice, I don’t think he’ll be by himself.”

On Education, Students, the Youth: “Without education, you’re not going anywhere in this world.”

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”

“Look at yourselves. Some of you teenagers, students. How do you think I feel and I belong to a generation ahead of you – how do you think I feel to have to tell you, ‘We, my generation, sat around like a knot on a wall while the whole world was fighting for its human rights – and you’ve got to be born into a society where you still have that same fight.’ What did we do, who preceded you ? I’ll tell you what we did. Nothing. And don’t you make the same mistake we made….”

Okay. I get you. But I still think insulting people is not the right way to do it. It’s bad karma. It creates more division and more categories for Ethiopians. We have been categorized to death. Can’t you come up with a language that unite us than divide us? Because I am sorry but some of the things you say is really ignorant. What do you mean Woyane is not Ethiopian? Are you kidding me? They look like Ethiopian to most of us. I am in the same page with you that the current EPRDF government is bankrupt in every way, form and shape. It is a one party deal. It would sound ignorant for me to ignore the fact that it is now effectively a one-party system, except this one is disguised as a market based economy. It is a public secret in the country that the political door was lock-down last May 2010, the beginning of this government’s serious troubles. The last election was a major mistake and everyone knows that, everything else now is in emergency mode to sugar coast that problem. But the trouble is the Jinny is now out of the bottle. But it is totally ludicrous to suggest that they are not Ethiopian? Was Mengistu Ethiopian? Are you Ethiopian? We need to get off this horse. The people’s million dollar question has not been addressed: What is the opposition’s vision for post Meles/EPRDF Ethiopia? Why is it so hard to get an answer? To say Woyane is not Ethiopian is not enough. That’s tribalism and racists. You would probably say the same thing about Oromos, the majority of the Ethiopian people. Are Oromos Ethiopian? Is Birtukan Medeksa Ethiopian? We want answer to the million dollar question: What is your specific plan for the future of Ethiopia, the economy, land law, education, foreign policy, etc.,?? Why should we trust you? How do we know you are not going to turn out to be worse than Meles and Mengistu? why?

You have a good point. But you miss the exact meaning of the word. “Hodeader” means bootlicker. It does not mean the regular hard working Ethiopians who have to do what they need to do to survive. I agree 100% that’s the silent majority. But footlickers are those (mostly from the Diaspora) who don’t need the money, but they lick shoes so that they can get access and feel important. They only care about their “Hode”, thus “Hodeader.” They are basically opportunists.

Cares for Ethiopia, not the pro/con fights.

Good luck. Yeah insulting the majority is going to do the job. What a way to win votes. Way to go! See if you can do it on your own.

YOu asked what then after King Meles is gone. Simple!!! we re-right the constitution this time by the people to the people. When the nation owns his own police and military buisness (abolishing effort owned by Meles and his cronies) by having these fundamental changes and promoting peace amongst Ethiopians then we shall go voting on our own destiny. For these journey we must abolish this tyrant like Tunisians-Egyptians-Lybians. The revolution is underway better Meles learn from this or he will end up like Bagbo.

Degitu

For the sake of honesty, you can’t show us any “lawyers, pilots, doctors, accountants, hotels managers, corporate CEO’s, writers, artists, or students” at these rallies. They are too busy for this garbage. If you see these pointless protests, it’s always the same old suspects. I am sorry but you are wrong on the facts.

With much respect,
Temari

Good job Tadias

Did you see the video clip about the Indian land lease in Gambella where 120 kilometers square of land leasing for 150 pounds a week by the Indian investment company? When interviewed by the British (or American ) journalist how low the lease amount was, for such great expance of land for such minimal cost, even the Indian man was laughing and nor believing that such a deal came to their hand. As if struck the jackpot or won the lottery. The Indian investor was so surprised on this nonsense and imprudent land deal that he was saying. ” I don’t know but they just gave it to us at this price laughingly as if saying are these Ethiopian government stupid?

At the conclusion of the interview the reporter or journalist concluded by saying.”This is total madness and I don’t understand how they give away such vast land as big as a province next to nothing.” please go to u -tube and type Gambella land leases by foreign companies and you will see the videos.

Good luck Ethiopia.

Ciao

Surprised to hear the so called “Professor Abate” use the term ‘honorary white’ to describe the opposition. What does that have to do with the price of beans? I wonder what his students are learning from him?

Manu

You cannot be a fair news reporter by playing with words to distort events that the world witnessed and even the dictorial regime admitted as a severe case of excesses of force used against the people. Obviously, you have not heard about the massacre in Gambela and else where in Ethiopia if you gave blind eyes to the brutal killings of 200 innocent civilians on the streets of Addis Ababa. The human rights abuses carried out by the regime is not al ALLEGATION, but well documented and well known by international coummunities including Amnesty International.

You need to leave the middle ground so as to be friendly to both sides and follow where your eyes and ears and heart lead you to and report the events exactly as you know them and as the world knew them so that you can be considered a reporter with consciences and and integrity.

Peace to you and much success.

What a breath of fresh air!! Thanks for the professionalism. I would like to congratulate Tesafye for a fair and balanced reporting. All power to you!

God bless Ethiopia and god bless U.S.A.

Do the demonstrators have a right to voice their concern… Heck YES!

Do pro government forces have a right to attend the meeting without redicule..heck YES!

By fighting why they atend the meeting or who attend it, we wasted a valuable time and venue to ask the pressing issue… DO WE NEED THE DAM? ARE WE READY TO GO TO WAR WITH EGYPT? IS MY INVESTMENT INSURED? IF SO, BY WHO? DO THE THE PROJETED INCOME FROM THE DAM, OUTWEIGH THE RISK WE ARE ABOUT TO TAKE? WHAT ARE THE MEASURES TAKEN BY THE GOV’T TO DEMOCRATIZE THE COUNTRY?…..AND SO ON!

Let us agree to disagree and let the truth prevail. We can do that without name calling or hating eachother.

Begudu

If they don’t like the meeting, why come to the meeting in the first place? Why disturb others do what they like to do?

This indicates the fact these opposition group of diaspora does not understand the right of others to attend any meeting they want to.

I am so appalled that they did such a childish attempt to stop the meeting from happening.

I don’t think there is any hope for such people in the diaspora to support their country in any meaningful way in the future.

If nothing, please send your family support money back home through legal channels.

The Ashamed One.

Your reporting attempt for objectivity was nice. However your decision to speak to a person who does not seem to know much about Ethiopia was weak. The statement by Darryl Vhugen was pointless. Don’t you know that there is no “property right” when it comes to land in Ethiopia? Next time, if you have to get Non-Ethiopians, please research the issue first and have people with local expertise who know the local context to interview instead of some -general land tenure specialist who knows nothing about land tenure in Ethiopia.

I attended the New York meeting too. It was much more productive than the other cities because there was some discipline and order. I am no government supporter or oppsoition supporter. I just wish the best for my country. I thought the discussion was interesting. I did see you ask your question, that was a good question you asked. I did not get all the answers I wanted but I thought it was a good start. Too bad they did not allow you to bring your gear so you could share with us the sounds and pictures from inside the conference. Why did they say no? I don’t understand.