An overview of the 50th anniversary African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as seen on May 25, 2013. (Photo courtesy AU Commission)
Associated Press
By KIRUBEL TADESSE
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - The African Union on Saturday marked 50 years since the founding of a continentwide organization that helped liberate Africa from colonial masters and which now is trying to stay relevant on a continent regularly troubled by conflict.
Opening a summit of the African Union in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said the organization’s original pan-Africanist aspirations remain relevant for a continent where many states are still struggling to overcome rampant poverty and violence.
“This historic day marks not only a great leap forward in the Pan-Africanist quest for freedom, independence and unity but also the beginning of our collective endeavor for the realizations of Africa’s socio-economic emancipation,” he said. “The major responsibility of the current and future generations of Africans is.to create a continent free from poverty and conflict and an Africa whose citizens would enjoy middle- income status.”
The African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo courtesy AU Commission)
Tadias Magazine
By Nuhamin Daniel and Benno Muechler
Updated: Saturday, May 25th, 2013
Addis Ababa (TADIAS) – It must have been some time around 1970. Solomon Kurabachew doesn’t remember exactly when he met his future wife, but at the time he was employed as an accountant at the OAU, where Lakatch, now his wife of 40 years, also worked as a secretary. In a recent interview at their home here in Addis Ababa, the couple shared with us their memories of how they met each other because of their work at the Organization of African Unity, which is the predecessor to the African Union (AU). On Saturday, May 25th the AU celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Each day after work, Solomon said, he drove home with two colleagues past the Emperor’s palace. And on the way once he spotted Lakatch and two of her friends waiting for a taxi. “So, one day when the three of us saw them again, we thought: ‘Oh, these girls are always standing here,’” Solomon recalled. “Why not give them a lift?” At first, Mr. Solomon said, the connection started out as “Selam and ciao.”
“Then lastly, me and one of my friends decided to talk to them so my friend and I stepped out of the car –one of the guys stayed in the car –and we said hello to the women and offered to give them a lift,” he remembered. “They said ‘No.’” But that was before Lakatch relented in giving him her phone number.
When Solomon began working at OAU in 1968, Mobutu Sese Seko was the chairman and the OAU’s nickname was the ‘Dictators’ Club.’ The heavily criticized institution is still a work in progress, but over the past five decades it has also been source of job security for many professionals like Solomon and Lakatch. And in recent years the newly inaugurated state-of-the-art conference center and office complex — a $200 million gift from the government of China — has added to the local economic boom.
For Fantahun Haile Michael, AU’s current project coordinator, the entity is not perfect, but “It’s the the only continental forum we do have.”
In an interview at his office inside the new building, Mr. Fantahun, who previously served as Ethiopia’s ambassador to North Korea and Zimbabwe, said the AU has no power to make binding decisions for all of Africa’s 54 states, but it does its best given all the constraints.
“Ultimately we’re trying to change the continent in order to better, for good, the lives of African citizens,” he said. As to his own employment at the AU: “It’s not about thinking about our own life, our well-being because we’re paid well,” he said. “That’s not something that should give us ultimate happiness. Ultimate happiness is how much we’re trying to change Africa.”
There sat another gentleman under a tree in the morning sun, dressed in a worn-out gray sweater, outside the AU compound, away from the basketball court, where from Mr. Fantahun’s office window view a few women played dribble. Teshome Kinfe Woldegiorgis, 24, is waiting for customers. Teshome washes cars and makes about 100 Birr a day, that’s before he quit his job at the AU that paid less.
“When I started at the AU, I was really excited,” said Teshome who made 400 Birr a month. “But that changed when I saw how conditions were.
Teshome grew up in the neighborhood around AU. After finishing grade 10 at school, he tried to make ends meet as a shoe shiner. One of his customers worked at the AU and got him a job as a waiter. Teshome served top officials like UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. After two years, he left his job.
“I remember that my feet were bleeding one day because I had to walk so much. And all that for only 400 Birr a month. I applied for other jobs that were better paid, but I never got a reply. You spend the whole day with top officials like the AU chairperson, Jean Ping. But you can’t even afford a new pair of pants with the money you earn every month.“
Kebede Assefa is one of those city residents who had to move to make way for the construction of the new AU building. He works as a barber some hundred meters down the street in a district of huts made of mud and iron sheet. A smelly river with yellow foam on the surface meanders under a bridge. The area will be demolished soon. Fortunately, this time, the city gave those losing their properties at least new housing. It was different when his old dwelling was demolished some years ago, he said. He is still waiting for compensation. Nevertheless, Mr. Kebede, who has only one leg since his car accident and now cuts hair while leaning on a crutch, thinks positively of the AU. “What can you say if the area here is to be developed?” he asked. “This district is really ugly. We need to grow. Why should it remain like this?”
At Solomon and Lakatch’s living room, “It was love at first sight,” Lakatch said, after Solomon noted that she had given him her phone number on his second try. Like the AU, the family of Solomon and Lakatch has grown since the early 1970s. The pictures of their four married children and five grandchildren hang on the walls of their living room. Also, just like the AU, the couple moved to a new home. While this one is much smaller and was not built by the Chinese, the old house next door accommodates a Taiwanese and a German who would probably have never come to Addis if the AU had not made the city become a regional center for aid agencies and the international media.
Mr. Solomon left the OAU in 1986 and worked at the delegation of the European Union in Addis until his retirement age. Maybe the AU will become an EU one day, he said. “Yes, working at the EU was more comfortable, but having double the number of EU member states makes life also more difficult for the AU.”
Ms Gebre was awarded the King Baudouin Prize in Belgium for confronting “culturally entrenched taboo subjects”, the selection committee said.
She helped reduce cases of FGM from 100% of newborn girls to less than 3% in parts of Ethiopia, it said. FGM is practised mainly in communities in Africa and the Middle East. Also known as female circumcision, it is seen as a traditional rite of passage and is used culturally to ensure virginity and to make a woman marriageable. It typically involves removing the clitoris, and can lead to bleeding, infections and childbirth problems.
Ms Bogaletch told BBC Focus on Africa that her message to community elders who promoted FGM was: “Daddy, you lived your time. This is our period, our children’s period. We don’t want to kill our children. I hope you are wise enough to accept that.”
The Belgium-based King Baudouin Foundation awarded Ms Gebre the 450,000 euros ($580,000; £385,000) prize for her “innovative” campaign to eradicate FGM.
The Kembatti Mentti Gezzimma (KMG) group, which she founded, focused on arranging “community conversations” in areas of Ethiopia where illiteracy levels were high and FGM “endemic”, the Foundation said in a statement.
Profile: Dr. Bogaletch Gebre — Fulbright Scholar & Community Activist Uplifting Women (Tadias)
Dr. Bogaletch Gebre (From Tadias Magazine Print Issue 2003)
Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn
The following profile of Dr. Bogaletch Gebre was first published in the August/September 2003 print issue of Tadias Magazine.
Los Angeles (TADIAS) — “What is good for women is good for the community,” Dr. Bogaletch Gebre declares as she promotes her non-profit organization, KMG (The Kembatti Mentti Gezzima ‚ Tope). Literally translated it means “Women of Kembatta pooling their efforts to work together.” Located on a lush 7.4 acre land donated by the township of Durame in southern Ethiopia, close to where she grew up as a child, the Kembatta women’s self-help center stands complete with an Administrative Center, Cafeteria, Skills Training Center, Women’s Dialogue House, Library Resource Center, Heritage Center, and a Round House. Her dream realized, Dr. Bogaletch Gebre could now focus on hot issues affecting women’s health, livelihood, education and environment. “What I discovered in our work,” she says, “is not changing the whole society at once, but to change one person at a time. And it works.” This oasis is a far cry from the township she knew as a girl in the village of Zato.
Daughter of a farmer, Bogaletch was taught how to read and write by a relative; she would study by the campfire at night after completing her daily house chores and responsibilities. In a village where the education of girls was rarely encouraged, Bogaletch’s father was reluctant to allow his daughter to continue with her primary school education. Occasionally, she was given permission and she would willingly make the six-mile run to and from school. “I would never dream of complaining,” she says, “I felt fortunate; one of the chosen few.” “Demands at home kept me away from school for weeks, sometimes months,” she continues, “but still I skipped grades, completing four levels in three years.” She became the first girl in her village to be educated beyond the fourth grade. By the time she was nine she was reading and translating court documents for her father, a task he had previously paid others to do for him. She helped people in her community write their court applications free of charge. “As a sign of respect in Kambatta tradition, a father is called after his first-born son, and a mother after her first-born daughter,” she explains, “Imagine his surprise when my fatherís peers started calling him ëFather of Bogaletch.”
Her father now won over by her diligence and perseverance Bogaletch was allowed to attend the one and only women’s boarding school in Addis Ababa on a government scholarship. She then went on to attend Hebrew University in Jerusalem on a full scholarship. Saving her stipend money with great effort she demonstrated her appreciation to her father by building him a new house with a corrugated tin roof ‚ the only one of its kind in Zato. “People came from miles to see what a woman could do. Now I wanted to do more,” she confessed. Once people in her village saw what women could achieve with education they were willing to let their daughters become educated too and a ripple-effect ensued.
Bogaletch continued her education securing a Fulbright scholarship to the University of Massachusetts and later completing a PhD program in Epidemiology at UCLA. Returning to Ethiopia after 13 years she realized the disparities in education opportunities in her hometown and began to conceive of a way to give back to her community. In 1997 she established KMG and ran five marathon races in Los Angeles, California to raise the funds necessary to build the center. The slogan on her t-shirt summed up her conviction: “If my people can walk for miles barefoot, hungry, and sick, I can run 26 miles to help them.”
Ensuring that Ethiopian girls and women have the same opportunities for education as she did has been Dr. Gebre’s foremost desire. Since its inception, KMG has to date trained 120 women as community-based reproductive health educators and an additional 500 peer-group educators from 52 schools. The center has organized annual anti-AIDS rallies and sensitization workshops for over 6,000 local participants and provided paralegal civic education training for women’s groups, police, teachers, government officials and community elders.
After receiving funding from more than twenty-four international donors including OXFAM, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the European Commission, KMG established the first public library in the region. A ‘Dialogue House’ was designed for women to gather together to openly discuss their ideas and concerns. Efforts to relieve women from walking many miles in search of water were also made as KMG created women’s work cooperatives and constructed reservoirs for potable water. Legal clinics have been set up to teach women their legal rights to health and education.
KMG has primarily tackled the issue of female genital excision (FGE) and educates women to refuse to undergo this dangerous and harmful tradition. The approach of including elders and local leaders in the re-education process has been successful, and slowly attitudes and social behaviors are changing with emphasis on protection of women’s health and reproductive rights. In January 2003, a young couple in Bogaletchís hometown made international headlines as BBC carried their inspiring wedding ceremony. The bride wore a placard reading “I am so happy to be an uncircumcised woman.” The groom’s placard read: “Iím extremely glad to be marrying an uncircumcised girl.” In a society where 85% of the population is estimated to undergo FGE it is indeed brave to stand up against such a practice, and it is becoming increasingly more important to do so as the HIV/AIDS infection rate of young girls aged 15-19 is now seven times that of boys the same age. Traditional practices such as FGE and abductions leading to rape have left many girls and women prone to this deadly epidemic.
Additional future KMG projects include strengthening women’s leadership and decision-making capacity in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, establishment of a mother child health center, creation of a voluntary counseling and testing center, and developing a business center for women to gain skills training for more income-generation. Dr. Gebre’s emphasis on giving back to her community is noteworthy. “It is roughly 7,000 miles from Los Angeles to Ethiopia, but the distance is compressed by a growing awareness that we are all one on this small, blue planet,” she states. Living up to her name, which means “she who is like a flash of light”, Bogaletch is providing a light for other concerned citizens to follow. “Poor women don’t like breaks,” she reminds us, “they like opportunities. Once you give them that they run with it. They asked us for a library, water, bridge, school, women’s center, and women’s health clinic. When we provide that, they create their own solutions.” Awe-inspiring, talented, and dedicated, Dr. Bogaletch Gebre is transforming society and telling each of us “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
— To learn more about KMG and Dr. Bogaletch Gebre you may visit her website at www.kmg-ethiopia.org.
President Barack Obama congratulated valedictorian Betsegaw Tadele, GPA 3.99, for academic excellence at Morehouse College graduation ceremony in Atlanta on Sunday, May 19, 2013. (Morehouse)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – How would you like to be a valedictorian at a graduation ceremony where the keynote speaker is the President of the United States? That’s exactly the opportunity that Betsegaw Tadele, a native of Ethiopia and a computer science major at Morehouse College, received when President Barack Obama delivered the commencement address at the historically black institution of higher education this past Sunday.
“We will remember this day,” Betsegaw told his classmates in his own well-received speech. “We will be among the few graduates 50 years from now who will remember who was their commencement graduation speaker.”
Invoking President Obama’s book The Audacity of Hope Betsegaw added: “There is no impossible. There is no unbelievable. There is no unachievable, if you have the audacity to hope.”
When it was Obama’s turn to take the stage after being introduced by Morehouse College president John Wilson he joked with Betsegaw. “I have to say that it’s a little hard to follow, not Dr. Wilson, but a skinny guy with a funny name — Betsegaw Tadele,” Obama said. “He is going to be doing something.”
On a more serious note to the graduates Obama said: “Whatever success I have achieved, whatever positions of leadership I’ve held, have depended less on Ivy League degrees or SAT scores or GPAs, and have instead been due to that sense of connection and empathy, the special obligation I felt, as a black man like you, to help those who need it most; people who didn’t have the opportunities that I had — because there, but for the grace of God, go I. I might have been in their shoes. I might have been in prison. I might have been unemployed. I might not have been able to support a family. And that motivates me.”
The President was also given an honorary doctorate from Morehouse. One of the school’s notable alumni include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “I am humbled to stand here with all of you as an honorary Morehouse Man. I finally made it,” Obama said to laughter. “And as I do, I’m mindful of an old saying: ‘You can always tell a Morehouse Man — but you can’t tell him much.’” He added: “And that makes my task a little more difficult, I suppose. But I think it also reflects the sense of pride that’s always been part of this school’s tradition.”
“It is not just the African-American community that needs you,” Obama, who became the first sitting president to speak at the Atlanta-based college, told the students who gathered among 10,000 family members and other spectators in a rain soaked afternoon. “The country needs you. The world needs you,” he said.
Watch: Morehouse College Class of 2013 Valedictorian Speech By Betsegaw Tadele
Watch: President Obama gives the commencement at Morehouse College
Ethiopian-born artist Yadesa Bojia is the designer of the current flag of the African Union that was adopted in 2010. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Monday, May 20th, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – On the evening of September 28th, 2009, Yadesa Bojia, an Ethiopian American artist based in Seattle, Washington, was babysitting his children at home while watching CNN when he recognized an image on the TV screen of one of his artworks. “That’s my design!” he exclaimed. He was looking at the new African Union flag created using a sketch that he had submitted for competition two years earlier. “By then I had almost forgotten about it because at that point I had not yet heard back from AU,” Yadesa (a.k.a. Yaddi) recalled in a recent interview with Tadias.
Yaddi spotted the flag on Lary King Live whose guest was Muammar Gaddafi, the Chairman of the African Union as well as the head of the African Union Commission (AUC) at the time. The Commission was tasked to come up with an updated insignia for the continental body, and the interview conducted at the Libyan Mission in New York showed Gaddafi flanked by the new banner. “I could not believe my eyes,” Yaddi said.
Immediately, Yaddi contacted the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa to enquire about the new flag. “What flag?” the perplexed women on the other end of the receiver replied. “Sir, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“To top it off the next morning there was Gaddafi again on CNN wearing my design all over his clothing,” Yaddi remembered laughing. “I was losing my mind.”
Yaddi would eventually learn that his work was selected earlier that year by the Commission out of approximately 127 entries submitted in the span of two years from artists residing in several African countries and including two contestants from the Diaspora.
Three months after he first saw the flag on CNN, Yaddi finally received a formal letter from the African Union announcing the adoption of his design as the continent’s new emblem. The letter included an invitation along with a paid travel package for him and his family to attend the flag’s inauguration ceremony during the 14th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State held in Addis Ababa on January 31st, 2010.
The design depicts a green Africa, the color portray the hopes and aspirations of the continent, resting on rays of a white sun that symbolizes the people’s desire for friendship and co-existence with all countries around the planet. The map is circled by a ring of golden stars each representing member states, wealth and a bright future.
“I was told by an official from the Ethiopian ministry of Foreign Affairs that when Meles found out the winner was an Ethiopian, he told them to go find the guy,” he said. “Once I got to Addis, on the second day of events, I was approached by the protocol chief who informed me that the Prime Minister wanted to see me. So my wife and I had the chance to meet with the PM privately who told me that he was proud of my work.” He added: “In addition, I also met with President Zuma of South Africa and other leaders who were very complimentary of the flag. Not to mention the five hours I spent with President Girma Wolde-Giorgis at the national palace.”
(Courtesy photos)
Although he received wide publicity in Ethiopia, Yaddi pointed out that his favorite moments were in the subsequent days spent in Addis, where people who recognized him would come up to him to give him a hug and a kiss. “A street vendor gave me a coin from the Menelik era that he was selling,” said Yaddi fighting back tears. “He sternly protested my offer to pay. The man told me that he just wanted to show his appreciation to me and he did not want any money for it.”
Yaddi says he continues to be proud of his contribution to AU and Ethiopia’s role over the past 50 years under starkly different successive regimes in keeping the organization alive. He is reminded of a forceful defense of this legacy by the late PM Meles Zenawi during his tenure as Prime Minister when there was a concerted effort to move the head office outside of Ethiopia.
“It was people like Nyerere, Nkrumah, who decided that Addis Ababa should be the headquarters of the OAU; Addis Ababa ruled at that stage by Emperor Haile Selassie,” Meles had argued. “Who trained Mandela? Who supported Mugabe in his fight against Rhodesia?” Meles asked. “There is one fact that nobody can deny — that irrespective of who is ruling Ethiopia, Ethiopia has always been committed to African independence and liberation.”
Indeed, it was 50 years ago this month that under the leadership of Emperor Haile Selassie 32 heads of state signed the founding charter to AU’s predecessor the Organization of African Unity (OAU). And to mark the occasion, Yaddi said, he has collaborated with his friend reggae musician Iré Taylor (Reginald Taylor) for a poetic and musical tribute.
“I wanted to commemorate the Golden Jubilee by remembering those who worked hard to establish the OAU, leaders like Haile Selassie, and applaud the Union’s historic and unwavering stand against apartheid in South Africa, as well as the present economic promise of African Nations and the selection of the first woman chair,” he said.
— You can watch the video on You Tube here. The music is also available on iTunes, spotify, Amazon, and Zune.
— Watch: African Union New Flag Design Winner Yadessa Zewege on ETV
Watch: ETV Interview Part 2
Watch: Tanzania’s President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Poses for a photo with Yadesa Bojia
Watch: African Union African Union Yaddi & Iré (Official Music video)
David Mesfin, top right, working on the set of the Hyundai TV ad featuring Bob Marley's melody "Three Little Birds." (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Thursday, May 16th, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – David Mesfin may no longer have the dreadlocks that he used to sport when he was in college, but he still has a cat named Kaya, and Bob Marley is his favorite musician. “I grew up listening to Bob,” he shared in a recent interview with Tadias Magazine. David is also the Associate Creative Director behind a new Hyundai TV ad featuring the remix of the reggae legend’s popular song Three Little Birds produced by Stephen Marley and Jason Bentley.
“It was an honor to work on the spot with Bob’s music,” David said.
Hyundai’s television commercials (see videos below), which will begin airing in various U.S. markets this month, highlight “Assurance Connected Care” to the car manufacturer’s customers. The TV ads are designed to enhance confidence and the feeling of security among the brand’s drivers with proactive protection and services provided by the company’s Blue Link telematics platform.
“My copywriter partner Nick Flora and I wrote and produced four spots featuring the Marley track,” David said. “The idea we came up with uses ordinary street signs that communicate assurance and safety to new Hyundai owners, letting them know that everything is going to be all right, hence the music track from Bob Marley.”
“It’s amazing how much work goes in to a 30 or 60 seconds spot,” David said, speaking about his role in the project, which started months ago with concept development, presentation to client, producing and editing the final product along with the director, producers, music editors, editorial house and CG companies. “Overall what you are left with is the knowledge you have accumulated through the process, not to mention, the wonderful people along the way,” he added.
David also engineered the high-profile “Hyundai Epic Playdate” Super Bowl advertisement that aired nationally in February 2013. “That was a herculean task given the difficulty and amount of work that needed to be produced in a short amount of time,” he said. “But overall my team and I are truly happy with the end result.”
David Mesfin (Courtesy photo)
“How does it feel to see your work being shown during Super Bowl?” we asked. After all, it is the most watched television event of the year in the United States.
“By far it’s the most humbling experience,” he answered. “I watched it at home with my 8 year old son and wife.” David added: “The one minute Epic Playdate Spot played right before the kick off. The commercial featured the band, The Flaming Lips. They performed their original song written for the commercial called, ‘Sun Blows Up Today’ while a family had the most epic day ever.”
David’s career in advertising began in 1986 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he was born and raised. “I know it sounds like a long time ago but I was only 12 years old at the time,” he said. “I used to spend a lot of time at a firm called Neon Addis — a design and advertising office. There I was exposed to many forms of visual communications, print ads, billboards, neon signs and more.”
Later, after he moved to the U.S. and commenced college in the 90s, David said he knew exactly what he wanted to do in life. He graduated with a BFA degree in Visual Communication from California State University, Long Beach. “I have been enjoying this wonderful field for quite some time now,” he said. “Thus far I have worked with multiple agencies and clients such as Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, Isuzu, Farmers Insurance, Neutrogena, Network Associates, La-Z-Boy, Mandalay Bay, Walt Disney, Sony, Coldwell Banker, LA Phil, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Adidas, Oakley and MOCA.”
What guides David’s art in terms of creativity? “Have a compelling message and idea that can solve the problem in a unique and interesting way,” he said.
As to those who want to follow in his footsteps? “Be patient and have an open mind,” David advised. “It’s a very competitive and subjective field, so proceed with caution. If you really want it, give it all, and give it your best.”
Below are videos of the new Assurance Connected Care ad from Hyundai. The remix Bob Marley track is available to download for free on Youtube.com/hyundai.
Watch: Assurance Connected Care TV Spot — 30 Seconds (Hyundai USA)
Watch: Hyundai Assurance | Connected Care | “Stand Off” (Hyundai USA)
Watch: Next Oil Change — 15 seconds AD (Hyundai USA)
Watch: Making of “Three Little Birds” Remix Hyundai AD (Hyundai USA)
Client: Hyundai Motor America
Agency: INNOCEAN USA
Product: Assurance Connected Care TV Spot
Executive Creative Director: Greg Braun
Creative Director: Max Godsil
Creative Director: Robert Pins
Associate Creative Director, Art: David Mesfin
Senior Copywriter: Nick Flora
VP, Director of Integrated Production: Jamil Bardowell
Producer: Curt O’Brien
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: Philippe Andre
DP: Alex LaMarque
Editorial Company: Arcade Editorial
Editor: Paul Martinez
Editor: Christjan Jordan
Executive Producer: Nicole Visram
Music company: Stimmung
Animation/Graphics Co.: yU+CO
Telecine Place: CO3
With Whom: Stefan Sonnenfeld
Online Place: Airship Post
With Whom: Matt Lydecker
Watch: 2013 Super Bowl Hyundai Santa Fe Big Game Ad “Epic Playdate” (Hyundai USA)
Starting in the fall Birtukan Midekssa will pursue a one-year mid-career master’s degree in public administration at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. (Photo by Kris Snibbe/Harvard)
Four years ago this spring, Birtukan Midekssa was in solitary confinement in an Ethiopian prison. Her cell was 13 feet wide and 20 feet long and had no window. She was allowed only two visitors: her elderly mother and her 3-year-old daughter.
Midekssa left Ethiopia in 2011, after two imprisonments that consumed 41 months of her life. She stayed first in Washington, D.C., and then at Stanford University. Today — grateful, happy, and energized — she has an office (with a window) at the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, where she is a fellow this year. (A lawyer by training, Midekssa is also a Visiting Fellow with Harvard Law School’s Human Rights Program; starting in the fall she’ll pursue a one-year mid-career master’s degree in public administration through the Mason Program at Harvard Kennedy School.)
Most apt of all her local connections, perhaps, is her role as a Harvard Scholar at Risk. The program — based in New York, with dozens of affiliates at universities across the world.
Global Financial Integrity says Ethiopia lost US$16.5 Billion to illicit financial outflows in the last decade.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Tuesday, May 14th, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – Last week police in Ethiopia conducted a high-profile corruption sweep in Addis Ababa, the biggest of its type in the Capital in more than ten years, arresting several people, including a Minister and his deputy in charge of the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority.
But how big is corruption in Ethiopia on the global scale? We placed a phone call to the Washington, D.C office of Global Financial Integrity (GFI), which tracks illicit financial flows out of developing countries worldwide.
According to Clark Gascoigne, a spokesperson for GFI, the organization’s latest available research data show that the amount of money that Ethiopia lost to smuggling of cash out of the country, both by the government and the private sector between 2001 and 2010, totals 16.5 billion U.S. dollars.
Mr. Gascoigne pointed out GFI’s statistics are based on official data provided by the Ethiopian government, World Bank, and IMF.
“Our numbers indicate all funds that illicitly left the country in a ten year period including by individuals and private companies illegally funneling their money out of Ethiopia,” he said.
Ethiopia also ranks 113 out of 176 countries in the Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International, the global civil society coalition that encourages accountability initiatives by regular citizens.
Meanwhile, the Federal Anti-Corruption Commission in Ethiopia said that Melaku Fanta, a Minister and the Director General of the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority, and his deputy, Gebrewahed Woldegiorgis, are two of the highest ranking officials apprehended so far on bribery, kickback, tax evasion, illegal trading and fraud accusations.
Gossa Tsegaye is an Assistant Professor of Television and Radio at Ithaca College in New York where he teaches Documentary Studies and Film Production. (Photo by Marisa Mankofsky)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – Last month the Center for Faculty Excellence at Ithaca College in upstate New York announced the recipients of the 2013 Faculty Excellence Awards, including Professor Gossa Tsegaye who has taught at the Department of Television and Radio for more than two decades. The accolade recognizes faculty members for outstanding work in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service.
“I am very honored to receive the award because in my field of work it’s equivalent to the Oscars in academia,” Professor Gossa said in a recent interview with Tadias Magazine. “It’s always wonderful to be recognized by your colleagues.”
The gifted teacher, whose former students include David Muir, an Emmy award-winning anchor and correspondent for ABC News in New York, teaches media production at Ithaca College and has produced over 80 documentaries including a highlight of the 1969 Black students’ uprising at Cornell University, the homeless community in Ithaca, salt mine workers at Cayuga Lake, the Amish Community of Western New York, and Gossa’s favorite: Smile in the Wind, which explores the story of migrant labor in the United States.
Professor Gossa, who was born and raised in Addis Ababa and came to the United States as a high school student in 1970, said he developed his passion for broadcasting while growing up in Ethiopia where he had his own radio show in secondary school.
“I went to Teferi Mekonnen and I was actively involved in the media program,” he said.
While he was in high school Professor Gossa said he became a guest host on Ethiopian TV for a variety music show called Hibret Terit. “The regular host had traveled to Germany for a six-month training program and they were looking for someone to fill the position,” he said. “My teacher encouraged me to apply.” He added: “It was a great experience. Plus, I was getting paid 12 birr and 50 cents per episode. At the time, my friend, that was a lot of money for a 16-year-old.”
In America Gossa went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Television and Radio Production from Ithaca College and a masters in Communication from Cornell University. As an undergraduate he had brief gig with BBC’s Good Morning Africa while spending a semester abroad in London.
Today, Professor Gossa, who lives in Ithaca with his wife and 13-year-old daughter Nile, said his primary focus is teaching students how to write, direct, and produce in-depth documentaries for a television audience.
“The advent of social media has completely changed the landscape and the way we produce, deliver, receive and process information,” Professor Gossa said. “Increasingly media professionals are relying on text-messaging, Twitter and Facebook for breaking news coverage and often getting it wrong.”
“I am a traditionalist when it comes to teaching,” he added. “Because ultimately, how to write well and tell a story accurately matters. And the responsibility in construction of those images are important.”
We congratulate Professor Gossa Tsegaye on his accomplishments.
— To learn more about the Television-Radio program at Ithaca College, please visit: www.ithaca.edu.
In these photos taken in the 1960s, Dr. Clyde Kindell, President of Alemaya College, hosts Emperor Haile Selassie and Jomo Kenyatta at the agricultural school in Harar. (Courtesy photographs)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Thursday, May 9th, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – In the summer of 1966 when Dr. Clyde R. Kindell, the last American President of Alemaya College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts in Ethiopia, was preparing to return home to the United States, he received a letter from the Governor of Harar whom he had befriended during his eight-year stay in the country, which he kept as a memento.
The document, shared with Tadias, was written on June 11th, 1966 and signed by Fitwarai Tewahade Woldeyes. “Dear respected friend, I am very sorry to hear from your letter of 30th Ginbot 1958 EC [Ethiopian Calendar] that you are completing your term as the president of the Agriculture College of Alemaya and going back to your country,” it said. “I consider your departure as losing one of those highly esteemed Ethiopians not as a foreigner going back to his country.”
The governor goes on to inform Dr. Kindell that had he been younger he too would have chosen to enroll at Alemaya College. Nonetheless, “I am very grateful to learn from your diligence, honesty, and tact of making others work through cooperation,” he wrote. “Please, therefore, accept my heartfelt thanks and I wish you a bright future in all your endeavors.”
Upon his return to the United States, Dr. Kindell became president of Murray State College in Oklahoma, where he worked for 27 years until he retired in 1994.
In a recent phone conversation with Tadias Magazine from his current home in Denison, Texas, Dr. Kindell, now 86-years-old, shared his recollections of Ethiopia.
“To this day I am still in touch with the children of Fitwarai Tewahade, including Mel,” he said, referring to filmmaker and businessman Mel Tewahade, producer of the documentary Point Four, which explores the history of America’s “Point Four” foreign policy and its impact in Africa and Asia.
“I have fond memories of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people,” said Dr. Kindell, who traveled to Ethiopia under Oklahoma State University’s Point Four agricultural program in the late 1950s. “My daughter was born in Jimma.”
Mel Tewahade told Tadias the letter was penned by his late father as a farewell and thank you to Dr. Kindell. “Since my father was the Mayor of the city of Harer and governor of surrounding region, he had frequent interaction with the American staff at Alemaya and that’s how the two developed their friendship,” he said.
Mel said that part of his father’s job was “to ensure that Americans were safe and any misunderstanding between them and the residents living around Alemaya was quickly and peacefully resolved, as well as security matters, such as attempting to reduce the use of Khat (Chat) in and around the school and developing a market for Alemaya grown potato.”
Dr. Kindell, who was 31-years-old when he first arrived in Ethiopia, served for two years as the Director of Instruction and Research at the Jimma Agriculture Technical School before taking the helm at Alemaya in Harar. He noted that he reported directly to Emperor Haile Selassie, who was the Chancellor of the nation’s university system.
“The Emperor was like a father figure to me,” Dr. Kindell said. “He would scold me from time to time, mostly for not learning Amharic fast enough.”
Dr. Kindell shared his “vivid memory” of an encounter he had with Emperor Haile Selassie in November 1963 as the Emperor prepared to leave for Washington, D.C. to attend President Kennedy’s funeral. “The Emperor had great respect and admiration for John F. Kennedy because they had met and Kennedy had sought his advice,” he said. “He was very saddened by his death.”
Speaking of Kennedy, Mel added that he has released another movie called Peace Corps in Ethiopia highlighting one of Kennedy’s legacies. “It was screened at Kotebe Teacher Training College in September 2012,” he said. “It was shown at the 50th year reunion of returned Peace Corps volunteers who served in Ethiopia and Eritrea.”
“The film is the history of Peace Corps involvement in Ethiopia from 1962 to 1976″ Mel said. “We interviewed several volunteers and asked them to share their experience. Senator Harris Wafford of Pennsylvania and former director of Peace Corps in Ethiopia, outlines the contribution that Emperor Haile Sellasie made to the success of the program, and the support that Peace Corps got from President Kennedy and the director of Peace Corps Sargent Shriver.”
As to his own reminiscence of growning up near the school, Mel pointed out that the view from his father’s car window still remain fresh in his mind. “My most favorite of this time was the drive I used to make with my dad to Alemaya,” he said. “The lake was beautiful and there were plenty of fruit stands around the town of Alemaya. It was breathtaking.”
And back on the phone Dr. Kindell recalled, “So one day my wife and I had the Emperor over for dinner and all his family and other dignitaries were present,” he said. “I finally manged the courage to say, ‘Your Majesty, Ene bizu amarigna memar alchalkum.’”
Dr Kindell continued: “He sort of chuckled, and never bothered me about my language skills again.”
Below is a digital copy of the letter courtesy of Mel Tewahade:
Photos: Dr kindell hosting Emperor Haile Selassie and Jomo Kenyatta at Alemaya College
Endashaw Woldie, diaspora volunteer from Edmonton, Canada with CUSO International and program manager for ABIDE - Alliance for Brain Gain and Innovative Development, rides to his office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo by Ethan Baron)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Tuesday, May 7th, 2013
Washington, D.C. (TADIAS) – Cuso International, a Canada-based development organization that is one of North America’s largest non-profit groups promoting long-term development through volunteers, is seeking skilled Diaspora professionals to place in Ethiopia. Cuso announced that it will be hosting an information session at its Washington, D.C. office on Thursday, May 9th.
“We are currently implementing a project called Diaspora for Development (DfD); which is a livelihoods-development initiative co-sponsored by USAID and Accenture,” said Kayla Sainato, Program Support Officer at Friends of Cuso International in DC. “Under this project we are looking to place up to 12 Ethiopian diaspora professionals based in the U.S. in a variety of capacity-building roles in Ethiopia for 3 months.”
According the organization the goal of the project is to help equip beneficiaries in Ethiopia with skills that will enhance their access to employment and other opportunities. “We are looking for professionals with skills in enterprise development, small business management, microfinance, youth and women’s economic empowerment, market development etc., to lead these volunteer placements,” Sainato said.
In order to recruit volunteers, Friends of Cuso International will be hosting an Information Session in their Washington, DC office on Thursday, May 9th.
— If You Go:
When: Thursday, May 9th 2013 at 7pm
Where: 1101, 15th Street NW 3rd Floor,
Washington D.C
To Register, call 202-833-1169
More info at www.cusointernational.org
—
Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.
The International Leadership Academy of Ethiopia: Q & A with Haddis Tadesse
The International Leadership Academy of Ethiopia is located on the campus of Hope University in Addis Ababa. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Sunday, May 5, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – The International Leadership Academy of Ethiopia (ILAE), which opens in September 2013 on the campus of Hope University in Addis Ababa, began as a vision of Ethiopian American social entrepreneurs living in the Seattle, Washington area, including Haddis Desta Tadesse, the Country Representative for the Gates Foundation in Ethiopia. “We had found success in the U.S. and like many Ethiopians, we still have strong ties with and care deeply about the future of Ethiopia,” Haddis said in a recent interview with Tadias Magazine. “We admire how developed countries harness their land, labor, capital and infrastructure.”
Haddis added: “We also admire Ethiopia’s quest for prosperity and recognize the role that strong, capable leaders play in making that happen. We therefore thought that one contribution we could make to Ethiopia would be to establish a school for the academically talented girls and boys from around the country, and offer them an education that would prepare them in leadership skills equal to the best schools in the world.”
To this end, Haddis said, the group has launched a preparatory program for 20 students who are attending weekend and summer classes to prepare them for high school.
Below is our Q & A with Haddis Tadesse:
Haddis D. Tadesse (Photo courtesy Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
TADIAS: We understand that the school is one of the first of its kind to be set up in Ethiopia. Please tell us about the challenges and opportunities facing the new leadership academy.
Haddis Tadesse: We may be unique in today’s Ethiopian environment but the concept is not new to Ethiopia. General Wingate Secondary School played a similar role and produced many leaders in various disciplines. We also understand there is one other school in Ethiopia currently that targets gifted students. From what we know, we believe that our approach is unique in Ethiopia. While using the Ethiopian curriculum as a base and preparing students for the national exams, our curriculum is developed by experts taking best practices from around the world, introducing academic rigor, critical thinking at many junctures, responsibility for the environment through service programs both on and off campus, a strong sense of community within the student body based on collaboration and developing leadership skills. So far, the students seem ready and receptive to this program, as are their parents. As students will come from various school systems across the country and different proficiency levels, development and skills, they will require individual attention. That requires hiring capable teachers who know how to educate and nurture very smart kids and that requires capital to execute effectively. So, the financial burden will be our challenge.
TADIAS: How does admission to the school work?
Haddis: Similar to most selective, high quality independent schools around the world, admission is based on various criteria, including the student’s academic record, recommendations and interviews which examines the overall capacity and potential of the student. We have experts who are helping us with this effort including people who helped establish the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.
TADIAS: Is it tuition based? If so, are there scholarship opportunities available for those who cannot afford it?
Haddis: The majority of our students would come from poor environments and they will not pay any tuition. However, we will have some paying students from families who can afford to pay and seek high quality education as well as from other country nationals who reside in Ethiopia.
TADIAS: Does the school have a relationship with other institutions of higher learning that would allow the students to continue their education after they graduate from ILAE?
Haddis: We have a relationship in Ethiopia with Hope University College, as we share their campus, facilities and to some extent will be exchanging teachers, but also have a primary relationship with the Northwest School in Seattle, an established, prestigious independent school. We will be having student exchanges through technology, and through them, will also have partnerships in Spain, France, China, Taiwan and El Salvador. In addition, we have a relationship with the University of Washington and Cascadia Community College. But our goal is not to send our scholars abroad. Our hope is that they will enter college in Ethiopia and other great universities in Africa and return to Ethiopia in positions of leadership and write a new chapter in the long history of the country.
TADIAS: What’s your vision for the academy five years from now?
Haddis: Five years from now we will have graduated our first class. We will most likely be on our own campus with dormitories, and have a student population from around the country. Every year after that, we hope to graduate students who will become CEOs of major business, political and social leaders, noble prize winner scientists, and many others.
TADIAS: Is there anything else that you would like to share with our audience?
Haddis: We are profoundly moved by the potential of these talented students and happy that we can affect the lives of at least a few people in Ethiopia. We deeply appreciate the generous support we have received to date. I also want to thank Tadias for your interest and support. I am a big fan.
— You can learn more about The International Leadership Academy of Ethiopia at www.ilacademy.org.
The James Beard Foundation has selected chef and author Marcus Samuelsson as winner of its 2013 book award for his highly regarded memoir - 'Yes, Chef.' (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
News Update
Published: Saturday, May 4th, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – Marcus Samuelsson has won the 2013 James Beard Foundation Book Award in the Writing and Literature category for his bestselling memoir Yes, Chef, which documents his remarkable life journey from Ethiopia to Sweden and the United States.
The James Beard foundation announced the winners for the Book, Broadcast and Journalism categories on Friday, May 3rd. The other nominees in Writing and Literature included Tracie McMillan, author of The American Way of Eating, and Thomas McNamee, who wrote the acclaimed biography The Man Who Changed the Way We Eat. The latter explores the work of the food critic and journalist Craig Claiborne and his prolific contribution to culinary writing in America.
New York (TADIAS) – Ethiopian classical pianist and composer Girma Yifrashewa is scheduled to perform at Issue Project Room in Brooklyn on June 8th.
“A highly accomplished performer of the romantic repertoire, Yifrashewa has chosen to remain in Ethiopia— where classical music is far from a dominant practice— forging a classical tradition for his own country,” organizers said in a press release. “Using traditional tunes as a foundation, Yifrashewa’s compositions combine the ecstasy of Ethiopian harmony with the grandeur of virtuoso piano technique into an effortlessly enjoyable, heady mixture. In this solo piano concert, Yifrashewa performs works by Chopin, Schumann, Debussy, and Mozart, as well as a set of his own Ethiopian informed compositions.”
Girma, who was born in Addis Ababa in 1967, is a graduate of the Yared School of Music and the Sofia State Conservatory of Music in Bulgaria.
“It was in Bulgaria that he made an impact as a solo pianist, performing the works of Schumann, Schubert, Chopin and Debussy, throughout the country until his return to East Africa in 1995,” the event announcement said. “He has a preference and well-determined approach to the music of Bach as well as Mozart and Beethoven.”
“Yifrashewa returned to Ethiopia in 1995, teaching piano at the Yared School of Music until 2001. He received scholarships for short-term specialization courses from the British and German Governments, at the Royal Academy of Music in London (1997) and at the Hochschule fur Music Und Theater in Leipzig (1999). Currently Yifrashewa works to promote Ethiopian and Classical Music throughout the continent and beyond.”
—- If You Go:
Sat, June 8, 2013 – 8:00pm
TICKETS | $15 / $12 members + students
ISSUE PROJECT ROOM
22 Boerum Place
Downtown Brooklyn
Phone: 718-330-0313 www.issueprojectroom.org
—
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National Mental Health Awareness Month – Community Forum In DC
Photos from past community forum events in Washington, D.C. (Image credit: Filmstock Inc)
Tadias Magazine
By Tsedey Aragie
Published: Thursday, May 2nd, 2013
Washington, DC (TADIAS) – This is Mental Health Awareness Month and I will be moderating another public session on the topic on Monday, May 6th at the Shaw Library in D.C. The conference is the latest in a series of events on the subject designed to spur outreach and awareness efforts in our community. We especially encourage people with skills in health care to participate in the forum. During our last meeting it was highlighted that there is an under-utilized wealth of Ethiopian & Eritrean medical professionals among the East African populations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Often behavioral health experts are at the forefront of this fight and your input is essential in our ongoing conversation.
“It is up to all of us to know the signs of mental health issues and lend a hand to those who are struggling,” President Obama said in the proclamation making May Mental Health Awareness Month. “Shame and stigma too often leave people feeling like there is no place to turn. We need to make sure they know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness — it is a sign of strength.”
The organization My Love in Action, which is currently conducting a needs assessment survey in our community, is hosting the upcoming town hall. As you know, particularly among Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrants, the stigma associated with mental illness has led to many unnecessary tragedies and it is important for us to uproot this problem as a shared responsibility. We encourage everyone to take part in the dialogue. We have some great programs, workshops and speakers lined up. And as always, your feedback is going to be very valuable.
Meskerem Assefa, seated center in Yellow dress, is an Ethiopian domestic workers rights advocate based in Beirut, Lebanon. (Photo: At a panel discussion in New York, March 2013 / Courtesy of ESAC)
Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam
Updated: Wednesday, May 1st, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – One year after the video-taped beating and eventual suicide of Alem Dechasa in Lebanon that shocked and galvanized the Ethiopian community worldwide, domestic workers rights advocate Meskerem Assefa of Beirut recently traveled to New York to highlight the continuing problem in the region. She was invited by the Ethiopian Social Assistance Committee as one of the featured guest speakers at the organization’s annual Women’s History Month panel on March 23rd in Manhattan focusing on Ethiopian women in the Middle East.
“Every time I get the opportunity to speak to the media in Lebanon, I say stop abusing our girls,” Meskerem said in a follow-up interview. Meskerem, who moved to Beruit 11 years ago with her husband, is a Lebanese national by marriage.
“I have a bit more rights than most Ethiopian women in the country so I speak on their behalf whether they like it or not because silence and fear are the worst enemy,” she added. “And as an individual that’s the least that I can do.”
Meskerem said there are an estimated 80,000 Ethiopians living in Lebanon alone, half of them illegals operating under the radar of both the Ethiopian and Lebanese governments. She pointed out that this group is the one that is most exposed to abuse. Furthermore, there is a growing crisis of immigrant children that are born out of wedlock by domestic workers.
“These kids are not citizens of the country, they have no rights, no education, or access to medical insurance,” she said. “For me this is most heartbreaking.”
“Over time we are getting help from the Lebanese people and various local NGOs that working to change the law and improve the situation on the ground,” Meskerem said. “We can only get a solution by continuing to organize and speak out.”
“I wish that I could also do more to help the children,” she said. “I have tried to organize games, dance, and other activities for some of them; I know that’s not enough but there is no budget.”
Meskerem emphasized the necessity for more Ethiopians to step up and get involved. “I am asking that all those who can assist should contribute to solve this issue together,” she said. “Even those in Ethiopia with the intellect and resources must do their part. What’s the point of being Ethiopian if you do not feel this piercing your heart.”
“Stop sending these girls without basic training and their full knowledge of what they are getting into,” she asserted.
Meskerem noted that she had opened an information center in Addis Ababa a few years ago. “I paid rent for two years out of my own pocket and I had to close it because there was no help and interest,” she said.
DKT Ethiopia, which opened in 1990, is the largest distributor of contraceptives, condoms and other health products throughout Ethiopia. (Images courtesy DKT/E)
In just six years, DKT Ethiopia has transformed its system for tracking contraceptive sales from pins and pencils to computers and satellites and, in the process, helped create a family planning and HIV prevention success story in the Horn of Africa.
DKT Ethiopia is an affiliate of DKT International, a non-profit organization that seeks to provide couples with affordable and safe options for family planning and HIV prevention in 19 low- and middle-income countries. In Ethiopia, DKT uses social marketing to distribute three brands of condoms (and eight variants), three oral contraceptive pills, two IUDS, two injectables, one brand of emergency contraception and several other health products.
It was in 2007 that DKT Ethiopia started using GIS (Geographic Information System), a tool to display and analyze sales, finance and inventory information geographically and, particularly, to plot every one of its 30,000+ direct and indirect sales outlets. This has made an enormous difference in DKT’s ability to know how its contraceptive sales are going in every corner of Ethiopia.
Tirunesh Dibaba, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu and Liya Kebede are 3 of the 15 women that made Le Figaro's 2013 list. (Images - Creative Commons)
Tadias Magazine
News Update
April 25th, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – Le Figaro has named three Ethiopians to its list of Africa’s 15 most powerful women, including the long distance track athlete and three-time Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba, and Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, the founder and CEO of the international Ethiopian shoe brand SoleRebels.
The French newspaper also selected Ethiopian-born model Liya Kebede who lives in the United States among Africa’s power women. Other leaders include Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the current President of Liberia, as well as the South African actress and fashion model Charlize Theron, and Kenyan activist, lawyer, and blogger Ory Okolloh who works as Google’s Policy Manager for Africa.
CNN crew Juliette Kayyem, Chris Cuomo and Anderson Cooper sifting through their mobiles for updates on Boston bombing investigation. (Photo: Tampa Bay Times)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: April 27, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – Prior to the massive manhunt across Boston last week that eventually zeroed in on the two Chechen-born brothers suspected in the Marathon bombings, there were some cringing moments for the Ethiopian community during the media’s now infamous frenzy when tweets begun to appear with the name “Mulugeta” apparently picked up from local police radio communications.
According to The Atlantic Magazine at 2:14am Eastern on Friday, April 19th, “an official on the police scanner said, ‘Last name: Mulugeta, M-U-L-U-G-E-T-A, M as in Mike, Mulugeta.’ And thus was born the newest suspect in the case: Mike Mulugeta. It doesn’t appear that Mulugeta, whoever he or she is, has a first name of Mike. And yet that name, ‘Mike Mulugeta,’ was about to become notorious.”
What came next was a rapidly unfolding of false news. “This is the Internet’s test of ‘be right, not first’ with the reporting of this story,” Greg Hughes, who had been closely following developments online, tweeted. “So far, people are doing a great job.” Then, as The Atlantic noted, at 2:43am he declared, “BPD [Boston Police Department] has identified the names: Suspect 1: Mike Mulugeta.”
Tadias became aware of the trending conversation on Twitter when another post from the user Whodini Bolero turned up later that morning:
Mulugeta an Ethiopian name.There was a Team Obama staffer Selam Mulugeta in 2008. #tcotgoo.gl/R1fKc
“The information was spreading like crazy,” the report added, quoting Kevin Michael (@KallMeG), a cameraman for the Hartford, Connecticut CBS News affiliate, who tweeted, only seven minutes after Hughes’ announcement, that “BPD scanner has identified the names: Suspect 1 — Mike Mulugeta.” The unconfirmed identification was subsequently retweeted by several media professionals, including Andrew Kaczynski at BuzzFeed, reaching “far and wide.”
The Atlantic also highlights that last week’s “Misinformation Disaster” was not limited to Twitter and Facebook. Cable Television and wire services, such as CNN, Fox News and the Associated Press all wrongly reported two-days early that an arrest had been made, earning a rebuke from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Senegalese hip-hop at past Media That Matters Film Festival awards ceremony (Photo credit: Shira Golding/Flickr)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Friday, April 12th, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – Do you have a short movie that can spark debate and activism in 12 minutes or less? The call for entries for the 13th Annual Media That Matters Film Festival is now open.
The festival, which takes place in New York City in the fall, is the leading platform for short films exploring some of the most burning questions of our time. Organizers say the jury-selected collection highlights the work of a diverse group of up-and-coming independent filmmakers.
The films are equally diverse in style and content, including documentaries, music videos, animations, experimental work and everything in between.
This year’s festival includes an Educators Forum that showcases academic curricula for each film, as well as moderated Q&A sessions with curriculum developers, filmmakers, and community activists.
We encourage you to submit your work.
—- Please visit the Media That Matters website for submission details and the application form. You can follow updates on their Facebook page and on Twitter.
Still image from 'Town of Runners' one of the movies featured at 10th Annual Sheba Film Festival.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Tuesday, April 9th, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – The Sheba Film Festival will mark its 10th anniversary this year with its annual line-up of films honoring the diversity of Ethiopia’s global cultural and religious heritage. The event, which takes place at various venues in New York from May 21st to June 6th, will include several prizes for the audience in commemoration of the 10th year celebration, such as a round-trip ticket to Addis Ababa sponsored by Ethiopian Airlines.
Among the films highlighted this year include Town of Runners an acclaimed feature documentary about young runners from Bekoji —an Ethiopian highland town known for being home to some of the world’s greatest distance athletes, as well as The Well: Water Voices from Ethiopia introducing us to a unique water management system that allows the Borana people in the southern part of the country to distribute water as the property and right of everyone.
— If You Go:
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 – 19:30
TAKE US HOME JCC Manhattan
334 Amsterdam Ave
New York. NY 10023
Admission: $12
Followed by Q&A
Wednesday, May 22nd 2013. 7:00PM
LEAH Center for Jewish History
15 W 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
Admission: $10
Followed by a panel discussion
Thursday, May 23, 2013
TOWN OF RUNNERS The Schomburg Center
515 Malcolm X Blvd
New York, NY
Admission: $12
Thursday, June 6, 2013 – 19:30
THE WELL: WATER VOICES FROM ETHIOPIA Faison Firehouse Theatre
6 Hancock Place
New York, NY
Admission: $12
Three Goats Org launch party at Ginny's Supper Club -- Sunday, April 7th, 2013. (Photo: Tadias Magazine)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Monday, April 8th, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – Below are photos from the launch of Three Goats org at Ginny’s Supper club on Sunday.
The New York based non-profit was established by model and philanthropist Maya Gate Haile inspired by her visit to Togowichale, Ethiopia two years ago. She had traveled to the small border town located between Ethiopia and Somalia to deliver much needed resources collected from a fundraiser she had hosted with her husband, Marcus Samuelsson, at their home in Harlem in November 2011. In return for her efforts the people of the town gave her three goats as a token of their appreciation.
“I was very touched and although I could not bring the gift to New York, I promised to bring the story with me,” Maya said at Sunday’s gathering in Harlem. “That’s how the organization was named.”
Three Goats aims to promote and support social entrepreneurial projects in various regions of Ethiopia. Programs include providing access to clean water via wells and innovative water purification systems as well as focusing on increasing retention rates and access to education for young girls.
Here are images from the launch event at Ginny’s Supper Club in New York on Sunday, April 7th, 2013.
Alemtsehay Wedajo acting in Macbeth staged by Tayitu Cultural Center in DC. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Saturday, April 6, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – Washington, D.C.-based Ethiopian actress, playwright and poet Alemtsehay Wedajo has composed over 400 Amharic lyrics for many legendary singers from Ethiopia, including Mahmoud Ahmed, Aster Aweke, Muluken Melese and the late Tilahun Gessese. But she is best known for her signature works in theatrical productions, such as Yalteyaze (Available). Last year scenes from this play were selected for performance at the University of Southern California’s celebrating “Voices from the Black Diaspora” — a USC Arts and Humanities initiative exploring “Visions and Voices” the multiple ways that identity is transformed and articulated in a global world.
“Early in my younger years, 13 to be exact, my teachers recognized my interest and talent in the arts particularly in poetry, playwriting and acting,” Alemtsehay told Tadias Magazine.
Later when she immigrated to the United States after working for several years as an actress and as the first female director at Ethiopia’s National Theatre in Addis Ababa — where at same time she launched the ‘children theater section’ at the Ministry of Culture serving as its head for nearly a decade — she said her parents were still not pleased. “With all these accomplishments in my profession as a performer, my family, particularly my father, were never satisfied since I did not complete a university education,” Alemtsehay said.
“So, after I came to America, working two jobs and raising two children, I started attending college and completed my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.”
Alemtsehay is also the founder of Tayitu Cultural Center, formerly known as Tayitu Entertainment, a U.S.-based non-profit organization which held its first book release event and reading session in Washington D.C. in August 2000. Since then, the program has become one of the primary platforms for Ethiopian drama presentations in the United States. For the past 13 years Tayitu Cultural Center has put together more than 30 stage shows and traditional musical concerts. Alemtsehay emphasized that the center conjointly trains young Ethiopian-Americans in Amharic-poetry writing and acting. Tayitu has nurtured a number of aspiring artists and comedians in addition to hosting a popular monthly poetry night called YeWeru Gitm Mishit, showcasing emerging and veteran talents not only in literature, but also in painting, filmmaking and music, as well as highlighting various communities.
Photo from African Poetry night organized by Tayitu Cultural Center. (Courtesy photograph)
Alemtsehay Wedajo (Courtesy photo)
“Regardless of the trauma of adjusting to a new life in America and supporting my family, my love for my profession never faded away,” she said. “Being a woman is not easy.”
The association was named after Empress Tayitu Bitul who is famous for her historic role at the battle of Adwa during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1896. “My two big dreams are to build a statue of Tayitu in Addis Ababa and to establish a permanent Ethiopian Cultural Center in Washington D.C.,” Alemtsehay said. “My other female role model is the beloved great actress and singer the late Asnakech Worku.”
As for the current generation of young people who want to follow in her own footsteps, “Have faith, dream high, be strong and do not quit,” she advises.
— You can learn more about the artist and Tayitu Cultural Center at www.tayituentertainment.com.
The inaugural launch of Three Goat organization was held on Sunday, April 7th, 2013 at Ginny's Supper Club in New York. (photo courtesy Three Goat.org)
Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn
Updated: Monday, April 8th, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – When model and philanthropist Maya Gate Haile visited Ethiopia in November 2011 she headed to Togowichale, a small border town sitting between Ethiopia and Somalia – a place needing dire assistance where she delivered resources collected from a fundraiser she had hosted with her husband, Marcus Samuelsson, at their home in Harlem. In return for her work the people of the town gave her three goats as a token of their appreciation. Maya was sincerely touched by their gesture of thanks and vowed to continue dedicating herself to improving the health and well-being of children, women and families in the country.
“We flew from New York to Addis and from there we took a plane to Harrar then went to Jijiga and drove for five hours to Togowichale,” Maya says. “The residents in Togowichale have no clean water, there is no medical clinic, there is hardly any school for young people.” She added: “The place needs many things but what we can do is start somewhere by giving hope.”
Three Goats Organization, a New York based non-profit, has now been established to promote and support social entrepreneurial projects in various regions of Ethiopia. Programs include providing access to clean water via wells and innovative water purification systems as well as focusing on increasing retention rates and access to education for young girls.
By incorporating and designing nutrition workshops and developing recipes from local produce for balanced nutrient intake Three Goats organization aims to reduce the time spent by young girls on cooking chores, which usually keeps them away from attending school as regularly as their male peers. Children are also often pulled out of school to help their families earn income and the Three Goats’ City Food program will focus on increasing school attendance by providing food from local producers to assist struggling families to purchase food and offset inflation and high cost of living. Workshops are also being developed for farmers to assist them on how to diversify their crops. In addition, the Change Through Dialogue program offers funding for seminars, conferences, and academic workshops that focus on developing sustainable and entrepreneurial models to reduce chronic poverty as well as to provide mentoring opportunities for youth.
The inaugural launch of Three Goat organization was held on Sunday, April 7th, 2013 at Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Under a canopy of trees in a park not far from Addis Ababa’s National Museum, home of many of Ethiopia’s historic national treasures, a contemporary art revolution is quietly afoot. It is here at Netsa Art Village that the experimental work made from shoelaces by Merhet Debebe can be found, or the vibrantly-coloured work of Tamrat Gazahegn, who uses tree trunks as canvases. Nearby are the giant sculptures of jazz musicians, trains and horse-drawn carts made from metal scraps and trash by Tesfahun Kibru. The collective, the only one of its kind in Ethiopia, is made up of 15 artists who are spearheading Ethiopia’s contemporary art movement, shifting away from endless copies of Ethiopia’s ancient Coptic Christian paintings. Still in its infancy, the movement marks a daring shift away from the commercial art that dominates many of Ethiopia’s mainstream galleries, and seeks to put the country on the map in the international art world as a source for cutting edge work.
BAHIR DAR, Ethiopia — Ailing ruling party veteran officials in Ethiopia are leaving their posts to a group of younger leaders in the East African nation which enjoys close ties with Washington but is increasingly looking to China as a model.
Newcomers dominated the ruling party’s election of the powerful 36-member executive and 180-member central committees. The election comes at the end of a four-day congress of the ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front, or EPRDF, held at a regional town Bahir Dar.
But the leadership change doesn’t necessarily mean more political space for the country’s heavily prosecuted opposition which has only a single member in the 547 parliament seats.
The Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund, Warscapes Magazine, and Apexart present: "Ethiopia: A Reenactment Through Fiction and Image" on Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 in New York.
Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn
Published: Wednesday, March 20, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – A discussion on human rights issues in Ethiopia will be co-hosted by Apexart, a contemporary visual arts organization located in Lower Manhattan, the Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund and Warscapes Magazine on Wednesday, March 27th. The featured speakers include Photographer Eric Gottesman, independent filmmaker Yemane Demissie, and novelist Maaza Mengiste.
Eric Gottesman is a photographic artist, a teacher and an organizer. His work usually employs local strategies of display and addresses themes of participation, politics, identity, translation, transnationality, pedagogy, portraiture, and authorship. Many of his projects examine the long-term psychological impact of mass trauma. He has received an Aaron Siskind Fellowship, an Artadia award, a Massachusetts Cultural Council award and a Fulbright Fellowship in Art. In 2011, Gottesman and Toleen Touq organized the apexart Franchise exhibition We Have Woven the Motherlands with Nets of Iron in Amman, Jordan. In Baalu Girma, he addresses the repercussions of Ethiopia’s Derg regime through the life and fiction of Baalu Girma, an Ethiopian writer who was assassinated in 1983 after completing his novel, Oromai. Gottesman’s work explores the Ethiopian author’s life through re-enactment and documentary imagery that imagines the characters in Girma’s novel. He is currently an artist in residence at Amherst College.
Maaza Mengiste
At Göteborg Book Fair
Maaza Mengiste was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and lived in Nigeria and Kenya before settling in the United States. Her debut novel, the critically acclaimed Beneath the Lion’s Gaze, has been translated into several languages and appeared on several “Best of 2010″ lists. The book was also selected by The Guardian as one of the 10 best contemporary African books. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, BBC Radio 4, Granta, and Lettre International, among other places. She is a Fulbright Scholar who has also received fellowships from the Emily Harvey Foundation, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Prague Summer Program, and Yaddo. Her new novel, set during the early days of WWII, tells the story of Fascist Italy’s invasion and occupation of Ethiopia and the army of Ethiopian men and women who confront them.
Yemane I. Demissie Photo credit: NYU
Yemane Demissie is an award winning independent filmmaker who has received numerous awards for his work including the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, the Walter Mosley award for Best Documentary and the American Film Institute’s Filmmaker’s Grant. His films include two narrative features, Tumult and Dead Weight, and a documentary, Twilight Revelations: Episodes in the Life and Times of Emperor Haile Selassie. Currently, Yemane is producing The Quantum Leapers: Ethiopia 1930-1975, a six-part documentary series focusing on Ethiopian social, artistic, intellectual, political, and cultural history during the Emperor Haile Selassie era. He is also developing …and then the rains return, a narrative feature film set during the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic, a worldwide catastrophe in which over fifty million people lost their lives. Yemane teaches directing, writing, production, and film history and criticism in the Undergraduate Department of Film & Television at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
— If You Go:
Wednesday, March 27: 7-9pm
At Apexart
291 Church Street, NYC, 10013
Phone: 212 431 5270 www.apexart.org Subway Directions: A, C, E, N, R, W, Q, J, M, Z, 6 to Canal or 1 to Franklin.
Event is free and open to the public.
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Cultivating Social Impact Through Media: YEP Presents Journalist Bofta Yimam
Young Ethiopian Professionals, YEP, presents Ethiopian American journalist Bofta Yimam on Friday, March 22 at 6 pm at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC. (Photo credit: Fox13 News)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Publish: Monday, March 18, 2013
Washington DC (TADIAS) – Award-winning Journalist Bofta Yimam is the featured guest speaker at a networking event in Washington D.C. on March 22nd hosted by the local organization Young Ethiopian Professionals (YEP).
Bofta, who is a native of Washington, D.C. and a graduate of University of Maryland, College Park, is currently a reporter for Fox 13 News in Memphis, Tennessee. She was a recipient of a Regional Emmy Award given by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Nashville/Mid-South Chapter) in January 2013 for her excellence in “Continuing Coverage” of the story of rape victim Kimberlee Morton whose activism changed the law in Tennessee. Kimberlee’s Law was signed by Governor Bill Haslam last year. Bofta interviewed Kimberlee for the segment.
The event’s announcement said the theme for the upcoming gathering is “Change Agent: Cultivating Social Impact Through Media. Here’s your chance to ask questions and engage directly with Bofta Yimam and take this opportunity to expand your knowledge and network amongst a vibrant group of diverse professionals.”
— If You Go:
Friday, March 22 at 6 pm
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Choate Room).
1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20036.
(Few minutes walk from DuPont Circle Metro).
More info at www.yepnetworks.org
This is a free event, but with limited seats, registration is required for admission. Click here to secure your place.
—- Watch: Bofta Yimam’s Emmy Award Acceptance Speech Saturday, January 26 2013, Nashville
Watch: TADIAS interview with Bofta Yimam of Fox 13 News (WHBX)
New York (TADIAS) – IBM Research Scientist, Solomon Assefa, has been honored as one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders of 2013. The Young Global Leaders “will join and co-create a community of insight and action that is committed to improving the state of the world,” stated the official press release. 199 young global leaders were selected from 70 countries worldwide including 19 honorees from Sub-Saharan Africa and 12 from the Middle East and North Africa. Other notable honorees in 2013 include Chelsea Clinton, Clinton Foundation Board member and special corespondent for NBC News; Nate Silver, statistician and writer of New York TImes Five Thirty Eight section; and William James Adams (aka will.i.am), singer and founder of i.am.angel Foundation. There are currently 756 members of the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the annual summit will be held in Yangon, Mynamar from June 2-5th, 2013.
Solomon Assefa was selected as one of the world’s 35 top young innovators by Technology Review in 2011.
Transforming a Community, One Fair-Trade Shoe at a Time
When Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu sat down to make her first pair of shoes, in 2004, the Ethiopian native knew she wanted to update traditional tire-sole sandals. What she didn’t know, really, was how to make shoes. “It’s one thing to have an idea,” says Alemu, the cofounder of SoleRebels. “It’s quite another to implement it.” Clumsily built and uncomfortable to wear, that first pair weighed nearly five pounds. “They looked more like mini beds than shoes!”
Happily for the thousands of people who shop for SoleRebels shoes online and in markets and boutiques across Asia, Europe, and Africa, Alemu’s designs have since become sleek and stylish, from rubber-soled sandals to understated flats to plush daytime slippers called TooToos.
ADDIS ABABA — A group of 150 Ethiopian doctors living abroad are constructing a hospital in their home country that will offer state-of-the-art medical treatment. This new hospital is designed to reduce the number of Ethiopians seeking medical facilities abroad.
The Ethio-American Doctors Group, an association of more than150 Ethiopian doctors in the diaspora, is realizing its dream: establishing an up-to-date hospital in their homeland that includes a medical school and a medical research center.
Dr. Yonas Legessa Cherinet of the Doctors Group said the new hospital will feature 27 medical specialties that currently are not offered in Ethiopia.
“There are a varieties of fields where service is very limited here. I could mention vascular surgery, urology, pulmonology, neuro-surgery and reproductive endocrinology, which is not available. So many doctors are coming in with so many specialities, there will be a core group of these specialists who will be coming here to lead some departments, to work here,” said Yonas.
The Doctors Group hopes that fewer Ethiopians will go abroad for medical help if they can be treated inside the country.
Currently, many Ethiopians that can afford better treatment go to Asia, the Middle East and South Africa. The Bangkok Hospital in Thailand treated more than 6,000 Ethiopians in 2011 alone. A lot of money is involved, as the average treatment costs about $20,000.
Dr. Zelelam Abebe, who works in a private clinic in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, said there is a large need for first-class medical services in the country.
“I had to refer several people to hospitals abroad for different cardiac surgeries, brain surgery and advanced cancer cases,” he said.
Dr. Yonas said that providing for Ethiopians who might otherwise go abroad means the hospital will have to be run differently – and better – compared to most other facilities in the country.
“The reasons they mention [for going abroad] vary from the quality of care to the way they are treated in respect. So we want to bring a new culture here of medical care, which will be patient-centered,” said Yonas.
But with an average yearly income of $1,200, most Ethiopians will not be able to afford the treatments offered at the new facility. Yonas said money will be raised for those in financial need.
”We also have what we call the EDG fund, which will be taking 10 percent of our profit for people who cannot afford quality service,” he said.
Tariku Assefa is a general practicing doctor who works at the Black Lion Hospital, the largest hospital in Ethiopia, which also includes a medical school. He welcomes the idea of the new hospital, but hopes the new research facility will focus on diseases prevalent in Ethiopia.
“We use most of the research that were done in the western countries. We take example from America or other western countries because those research is done there. In most of the disease entity we don’t have our own figures, we use the figures of other people, which is somehow biased because the one which is in the West may not work for us,” said Tariku.
The hospital is scheduled to open its doors by 2016 and employ 300 to 400 people, of whom 50 will be physicians. Some doctors from the diaspora will return to Ethiopia, while others will commit several weeks per year to an exchange of knowledge with the hospital.
— Related: Ethiopia’s Economy Benefits from Returning Diaspora (Public Radio International)
Painting by Tewodros Hagos from his 2013 U.S. exhibition at the Little Ethiopia Cultural and Resource Center in Los Angeles, California. (Image: Faces from the streets of Ethiopia, acrylic on canvas )
Tadias Magazine
Art News
Updated: Thursday, February 21st, 2013
Los Angeles (TADIAS) – Last year, Negist Legesse, also known as Nikki, director of the Little Ethiopia Cultural and Resource Center in Los Angeles asked her friend, commercial director and fine artist Lori Precious, to co-create an art competition for Ethiopian artists in Ethiopia. The first place winner would receive a trip to L.A., an exhibition of their artwork and a cash award.
“I was immediately intrigued since I had traveled to Ethiopia a couple of times and had taken note of some interesting contemporary art, including a visit to artist Elias Sime’s studio in Addis Ababa, (who had a 2009 solo show at Santa Monica Museum of Art and is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art),” Lori said in a statement announcing the first winner of the prize. “I said yes and ‘Ethiopia Creates’ was born.”
Lori said then launched a website and made radio announcements in Ethiopia. “Nearly a year went by and many submissions were received,” she added. “I then selected a group of judges who I knew to have impeccable taste and a sharp eye for new talent.” The judges included Alitash Kebede, owner of Alitash Kebede Gallery in LA, Bennett and Julie Roberts, co-owners of Roberts Tilton Gallery in Culver City, and painter Laura Owens.
The inaugural award went to Tewodros Hagos, whose haunting portraits of faces from Ethiopia wowed the group. “The judges viewed all the work collected via photographs,” Lori said. “The verdict was unanimous. Tewodros Hagos won first place in a landslide.”
As the first winner of the prize, Tewodros, who is a graduate of Addis Ababa University’s art school, participated in a week plus residency in Los Angeles earlier this month, and the first American exhibition of his work was held at the Little Ethiopia Cultural and Resource Center (LECRC) from February 10th to 16th, 2013.
Tewodros also spent time with inner city kids where he gave after school art lessons. According to organizers, a portion of the sales of Tewodros’ art from the Little-Ethiopia exhibition goes to Artists for Charity (AFC) in Addis Ababa. AFC was founded by Ethiopian American artist Abezash Tamerat and supports 18 HIV positive orphans who live and study together.
Organizers said they hope to expand the residency program in California next year to include more workshops and displays of the artist’s work in local galleries.
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The road to the Mursi heartland is long and best tackled one obstacle at a time. Just to call it a road is a stretch, really. Steve Turner, our guide from Kenya-based Origins Safaris, estimates it has been five or six years since the last vehicle drove this way. Far beyond any game preserve or luxury camp comforts, we are on our way to visit the “vanishing” tribes of Ethiopia’s Omo River Valley, one of Africa’s–and the world’s–last great undiscovered places.
The itinerary evolves as we go along. Our tag-team pair of Land Cruisers galumphs down the scrubby track at a hiker’s pace, and every hundred yards or so the vehicles stop short, the doors swing open, and out come the drivers and guides to stare blankly at whatever gully, tree or torrent is blocking our way. It’s hot–84 degrees and rising at 10 a.m.–and the tsetse flies are on to us.
The global education and technology health (GETHealth) summit was held at the United Nations in New York from February 6- 7th, 2013. (Photo: Tadias Magazine)
Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn
Published: Monday, February 11, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – The first Global Education and Technology Health Summit was held at the United Nations in New York last week, which brought together academics, social entrepreneurs, distance learning experts, physicians, business leaders and ministers of health for a talk on the impact of mobile technologies to improve global health.
The summit was organized by Johns Hopkins Center for Clinical Global Health Education and Global Partnerships Forum and co-hosted by the International Telecommunication Union as well as the governments of Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Norway.
Dr. Enawgaw Mehari, Neurologist and Founder of People to People (P2P) global network was a panelist discussing information and communications technologies, and the patient versus provider relationship. Citing his organization’s work, Mehari described the People to People as being founded on the principle of triangular partnership consisting of “the mother country (Africa), the Diaspora, and Western institutions.” The main effort is to “implement programs that contribute to closing the gap through education, training, and research,” Mehari told Tadias in a later interview. An example of such a program was an emergency medicine initiative coordinated by People to People, Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa, and Wisconsin University as well as a neurology program at Black Lion Hospital in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic.
Another panelist, Ms. Amy Lockwood, Deputy Director of the Center for Innovation in Global Health at Stanford University, supported Mehari and the role that individuals from the Diaspora can play by noting that pilots implemented by NGOs or student interns are short-term and don’t help to form the deeper, and more meaningful connections needed to scale and grow programs. “When you are a member of the Diaspora you have an umbilical cord” she said and urged practitioners to move towards implemented innovative projects with the support and collaboration of diaspora resources.
Dr. Seble Frehywot, Principal Investigator of the MEPI Coordinating Center at George Washington University also presented on the topic of creating centers of excellence for ICT in health education and research training that would likewise serve as hubs of innovation.
Ethiopian Diaspora physicians participating in the summit included Dr. Senait Fisseha from the University of Michigan who is both a doctor and lawyer by training and is involved in global health activities in collaboration with medical schools in Ethiopia. She felt the summit was “an interesting meeting looking at the impact of technology to improve health care services as well as global medical education,” but also pointed out that she “would like to see more healthcare providers and stakeholders at this meeting as well as diaspora from all African and Asian countries who really have a vested interest in addition to NGOs and funders.” She travels once a month to Ethiopia to oversee projects that are currently being developed on the ground.
On the topic of leveraging mobile technology to strengthen health systems, Dr. Ferew Lemma Feyissa, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia, told Tadias that the summit has enabled them to network and meet with various technology company representatives including from Dell and Verizon who have shown interest in working with them as private sector partners. An area of health that Ethiopian Ministry of Health is primarily focused on is improving maternal and child health outcomes, and expanding emergency obstetric care at the district level. Dr. Feyissa notes that Ministry is also using mobile technology tools to “help us enhance the skills of health extension workers in the primary health care unit.” In the future, Ethiopia also hopes to use mobile health to address chronic care and to support the vastly expanded medical education system in Ethiopia.
During the ministerial addresses, Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Kesetebirhan Admazu Birhane, described the three-tier health system, which is comprised of health centers and community health extension workers. “We consider our community health extension program as a pillar of our health system,” he said. “And through this program we have trained and deployed 38,000 health extension workers, with two workers per village.” Most of these professionals are women who have been “tasked to do health promotion, disease prevention, and provide basic curative services,” he added. The four areas of support for them include data exchange, improving supply chain so that workers are receiving supplies on a continuous basis, and using mobile technology to improve both communication between the community health extension workers and labs and hospitals. One outcome of this program is that “we have seen an increase in antenatal visits as well as an increase in institutional delivery rates,” Dr. Birhane said, citing the use of mobile technology to reduce maternal mortality in Ethiopia. “So the challenge is to have the same quality of success at scale.”
Similarly, the Director of e-health at the Rwandan Ministry of Health said his nation has three community health workers per 75,000 villagers, which exceeds the goal of the million community health worker campaign for Sub-Saharan Africa announced by President Paul Kagame, Novartis CEO Joseph Jiminez, and Columbia Professor Jeffrey Sachs this past January at the World Economic Forum.
In addressing some of the current challenges faced, Dr. Birhane noted the recent expansion of Ethiopia’s medical schools from just three to 25 new medical schools. Dr. Birhane spoke of the difficulty in retention of physicians who leave and practice in other countries, and mentioned the initiative to increase medical school enrollment capacity from “150 five years ago to 3,000 this year.” The challenge is that “we don’t have enough faculty,” he said, “and that’s where technology will definitely help.”
Dr. Wuleta Lemma, Director for the Center for Global Health Equity at Tulane University and Country Director for Tulane’s program in Ethiopia has been working for several years in Addis Ababa spearheading the development of a pre-service Master’s training program in health monitoring and evaluation, as well implementing an e-health and mobile health strategy called HealthNet in collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health.
Speaking of such efforts, Dr. Birhane said “we have tried to create a linkage between universities in Europe and the U.S. with our newer medical schools. And we have also created a network with the Ethiopian Diaspora.” He added, “I would like to call upon our partners here to work with us to really improve the quality of medical education in Ethiopia using information and communications technologies.”
State Minister for Primary Health Care in Uganda, Ms. Sarah Opendi cited similar hardship in the retention of trained doctors in her country, noting physician preferences to work for higher pay in the private sector or abroad. Yet, by using mobile technologies, Uganda has improved service delivery and monitoring of medicines, and has better quality of data from monthly reports, as well as improved anonymous consultation services for HIV/AIDS patients through the national, toll-free hotline. Uganda has also “connected regional referral hospitals with the national hospital so that doctors can easily consult with their colleagues.”
The Minister of State for Health in Nigeria, Dr. Alit Pate, shared with participants that his country has 65,000 registered health extension workers, but more initiative is needed, especially when it comes to evaluating the impact of using mobile technology to improve health outcomes. He mentioned an online portal for training midwives that initially received a lot of hits but then experienced a decline in submissions, and emphasized that incentives need to be put in place to encourage community health extension workers to continue submitting valuable data used for tracking progress.
Incentives such as providing promotion opportunities for community health workers to supervisory levels, and providing access to medical education via distance learning modules to increase medical student enrollment and retention are just a few ways that Dr. Feyissa at the Ethiopian Ministry of Health hopes to build and maintain a trained health workforce. Uganda’s integrated use of an innovative health system tracking service known as IHRIS is yet another avenue for better monitoring and evaluation of health outcomes.
The Summit also covered subjects such as health and media literacy, and leveraging social media to address issues including increasing organ donation. Sarah Wynn-Williams, Manager of Global Public Policy at Facebook informed the audience that the launch of Facebook organ donation profiles increased organ donation by 800% in California in the first week alone.
Lee Wells, Head of Health Programs (Africa) at Vodaphone Foundation looked forward to translating the success of mobile money such as the M-Pesa system in Kenya to the mobile health sector. He stated that “last year, 25% of Kenya’s GDP was transferred via M-Pesa mobile system.” He emphasized “It’s low-cost, let’s use what’s already available.”
New York (TADIAS) – Teddy Afro and Abogida Band will perform live at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in Manhattan later this month in continuation of their current world tour, which included a concert in support of the Walyas at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. Organizers said Teddy will be the first Ethiopian to perform at the acclaimed NYC venue that is renowned for showcasing world-class musical talent.
Brooklyn-based musician Tomás Doncker will open the evening highlighting his traveling musical production that pays tribute to Ethiopia’s role during World War II and featuring collaborative work with guitar legend Selam Woldemariam.
The event’s announcement noted that Teddy, who has dominated the Ethiopian music scene for nearly a decade, has garnered a global base of loyal and adoring fans as well as political foes who are opposed to his iconoclastic views expressed in his socially conscious lyrics that cover topics including politics, history, peace, love, justice, and equality.
The iconic Ethiopian artist was born in the Kuas Meda area of Addis Ababa, on July 14, 1976. “His late father, Kassahun Germamo, was a renowned Ethiopian songwriter, while his mother, Tilaye Arage, was a professional dancer,” the press release said. “Despite his parents being involved in the entertainment industry, they discouraged Teddy from becoming a musician.”
The announcement added: “Since signing with an Ethiopian record label in 2001, the pop star has officially released 6 albums: Abugida (2001), Tarik Tesera (2004), Yasteseryal (2005), Yasteseryal Edition 2 (2005), Best Collection-Nahom Volume 14 (2006), Tikur Sew (2012). His latest album, Tikur Sew (black person), smashed Ethiopian record sales and is on pace to become the number one selling Ethiopian album of all time.”
— If You Go:
Teddy Afro with Abogida Band
February 22, 2013
B.B. King Blues Club
37 West 42 St (212) 997-4144
New York, NY 10036
Showtime @ 11:59PM
Doors Open @ 11:00PM
Tickets $40.00 in advance, $50.00 day of show
Reserved VIP Booth on floor available for 4 & 6 people
$50 adv/$60 Day of Show per ticket – Must buy entire booth
A booth for 4 = $200/$240
A booth for 6 = $300/$360 Click here to learn more.
Video: Teddy Afro – Lambadina
Watch: Teddy Afro New 2012 – Tikur Sew official music video
(Image credit: The Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard University)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Boston (TADIAS) – Freelance editor and author Francis Falceto, who is credited for helping to propel Ethiopian music on the world stage through the éthiopiques CD series in the last fifteen years, will give a presentation at Harvard University later this week entitled: éthiopiques vs. ethioSonic: Sense and Nonsense in Musical Globalization.
Francis is the keynote speaker at a day-long conference called Africa Remix: Producing and Presenting African Musics Abroad scheduled for Friday, February 8th at Barker Center. The event also includes a discussion on remixing Ethiopian music featuring former Harvard student Danny Mekonnen, founder of Debo band, and an evening performance by his Boston-based group.
London Olympic Marathon champion Tiki Gelana was named World Athlete of the Year for 2012 at a ceremony in Marugame, Japan on Sunday, February 3rd, 2013. (Photo: Tiki Gelana sits on the ground after winning the women's marathon final at the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 5, 2012 - Reuters)
Tadias Magazine
News Update
Monday, February 4, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – Tiki Gelana, 25, winner of the women’s marathon at the London Olympic Games last summer, has been named World Athlete of the Year for 2012 by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). She was given the award at a ceremony in Japan on Sunday becoming the first Ethiopian woman to receive the coveted long-distance running prize that comes with a Golden Shoe sponsored by the athletic footwear company ASICS.
Previous Ethiopian winners of the prestigious award include her male compatriots Gezahenge Abera in 2000 and Haile Gebrselassie in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
“President Emeritus of AIMS Hiroaki Chosa and AIMS Board Member and Vice President of the Japanese Athletics Federation Dr Keisuke Sawaki presented Gelana with the acclaimed Golden Shoe Trophy during an awards ceremony after she had won the Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon earlier in the day,” reported the International Association of Athletics Federations.
“She started 2012 with a runaway win and personal best of 1:08:48 in the Marugame Half Marathon but that was just a warm-up for a decisive five-minute victory in the Rotterdam Marathon, where she became the fifth woman to break 2:19 for the distance when she ran a national record of 2:18:58.”
Los Angeles (TADIAS) – Long before Ethiopian fashion became vogue in the U.S., California resident Henock Abey, also known as Henock Arada, 26, has been producing innovative apparel designs that incorporate elements of Ethiopian culture with western style. He started his Arada Fashion collection in 2001 to meet the growing demand, especially among young people in the Ethiopian community and beyond, of merging traditional patterns and symbols into elegantly casual, trendy street styles.
Born and raised in the Arat Kilo neighborhood of Addis Ababa, Henock says he “learned how to hustle” at a young age. That explains why it did not take him very long to dive into his art and business after immigrating with his family to Los Angeles as a teenager in 1999. Henock attended Westchester High School, where he says his interest in design, fashion and video communication was sparked.
“I wanted to combine our culture with a modern look to give people something they have never seen before,” Henock says, speaking of his work that includes a popular mini-dress.
He started-out with branded t-shirts depicting the Arada logo and humorous captions such as “I am Arada” and iconic Ethiopian crosses, mostly marketed to a niche customer base at various festivals, online, as well as in stores targeting the African Diaspora community. More recently he has expanded his portfolio to include skirts and bags.
As to his parents’ reaction to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions at such an early age? Henock laughs before he answers: “My parents are used to me coming up with new ideas, so they weren’t that surprised.”
What started out as a hobby selling graphic t-shirts soon began to grow into a full-time work. By 2002 Henock had staged his first fashion show in Los Angeles to a widely positive reception in the community.
And soon afterwards he took his Made in Arada collection on the road showing in Washington D.C., Chicago, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Dallas. His designs proved to be a hit garnering a following, which includes over five thousand on Facebook. He says his next fashion show will be at the 2013 Ethiopian soccer tournament in Washington D.C. in July.
Henock’s future plans include opening his own store in the U.S. and Addis Ababa as well as giving back to charity and church. “Set yourself apart and don’t listen to the negativity,” he said.
New York (TADIAS) – 18-year-old high school senior Mikias Tefera Tibebu was looking forward to college in California next Fall and dreaming of one day becoming a medical doctor when his young life was cut short this past December in an accident that police in Schaumburg, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, say was a hit-and-run yet to be solved.
Family members say Mikias had gone out with three friends for a movie and dinner that day but did not return home. His father Dr. Tefera Tibebu Beyene said he had spoken to Mikias only an hour before the incident and he was expecting his son’s arrival at any moment when instead he received a visit from police bearing bad news in the early morning hours of Saturday, December 8th, 2012.
Mikias’ body was discovered lying in a roadway less than two miles from his house at around 12:38 a.m., only minutes after he separated from his friends.
“We lost our son and our hero,” his father said. “We are still in shock and devastated by this tragedy. We wish this not to happen to anyone.”
According to the Chicago Tribune, authorities have checked nearby surveillance cameras but said there is no footage of the incident at that intersection. “If we had a piece of a headlight or a bumper, then we can say, ‘This was a blue car,’ or, ‘This came from a Ford,’” Schaumburg police Sgt. John Nebl told the paper. “There’s two different questions here. Who ran him over, and where are they? And why was he lying in the roadway?”
The investigation is still underway, but his father said the family has also retained a private investigator to help them find “the truth,” and hopefully closure. And they are offering more than $10,000 reward for information that might help solve the case.
Mikias, who grew up in the Chicago suburb, was born in Ethiopia in 1994 and came to the United States in 1996 when he was two years old. His friends and teachers remember him as a nice and bright student with a promising academic future and a rising athlete at Schaumburg High School where he was a member of the Track & Field team in addition to being an outstanding student who received Presidential Academic Excellence awards from President George Bush in 2007 and President Barack Obama in 2009. Mikias was recognized as an Illinois State scholar in 2012.
He was “a dedicated student with exceptional academic honors,” Schaumburg High School Principal Tim Little told the media. “A beloved friend and athlete, Mikias was also a committed member of the cross-country and track teams. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Mikias’ family and friends during this difficult time,” the Principal said.
Dr. Tefera said his son was also preparing for an interview at Pomona College in California where he was a finalist to receive a full scholarship for fall 2013. “Mikias was a great asset to his family and to his country,” Dr. Tefera said. “All people who knew Mikias have expressed how great a leader and role model he was.”
In an essay not long before his death Mikias wrote: “Both my parents are natives of Ethiopia and arrived in the U.S. in 1996. Coming from this culture I have gained perspectives that others are not as privileged to have. I have witnessed the sacrifice and hard work my parents have gone through in order to provide me and my siblings with a brighter future. But most important, I have come to realize the value of opening yourself to a diverse group of people as it allows you to be more aware of the world around us.”
Perhaps no one said it better than his former running teammate Brian Flight, who described the loss on his Facebook page: “Our buddy Mik is gone. And I sure wasn’t ready for him to leave. I know none of us were. He was a great man and sure as hell deserved better than this. Mik will be in our hearts and minds forever, but that doesn’t make it any easier to bear. We love you buddy and we’ll never stop.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with Mikias’ family and we urge our readers to extend your support to them.
—- You can learn more about the case and provide assistance to the family at www.mikiastibebu.com.
Video: NBC Chicago on Mikias Tefera Tibebu – Local News Coverage
Columbia University will host the 10th Annual African Economic Forum on March 1- 2, 2013 at Columbia's Graduate School of Business. (Image Credit: AEF)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Wednesday, January 30th, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – For the past ten years the Annual African Economic Forum (AEF) at Columbia University has brought together some of the continent’s best minds, including policy makers, entrepreneurs, scholars and students to engage each other in dialogue on various topics focused on economic development and business opportunities in Africa.
The 2013 conference entitled Africa Ignited: Exploring Ideas, Shaping Outcomes will take place at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business on March 1-2.
The organizers’ press release states that “The Forum has grown from its modest beginnings to become the largest Africa-focused event at Columbia, bringing over 400 participants to campus last year.”
The event comprises of various panel discussions that engage participants in a wide range of topics including entrepreneurship, real estate, manufacturing, urban development and infrastructure, consumer markets, and more. It also includes a pre-conference party in February, an evening gala, networking sessions, and a career fair in March, which will bring together some of today’s influential business people and organizations working in Africa.
“As AEF marks a decade of successful partnerships that have brought exceptional minds together, our focus will be the realization of our discussions, the leap from ideas to outcomes,” the announcement said. “Across panels, we will highlight inspiring projects on the continent in the past decade, address challenges faced in their implementation, and solutions to address them. From the Economist to CNN, the media and the world have realized that Africa is on the move.” The upcoming forum is about embracing this momentum and sharing opportunities.
The event is jointly presented by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business, School of International and Public Affairs, Law School, and Mailman School of Public Health.
— If You Go:
Registration begins on February 1st
space is limited.
Website: www.columbiaaef.com
Email: Columbia.AEF@gmail.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/CUAEF
Twitter: Twitter.com/ColumbiaAEF
—
Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.
Ethiopia Leaves 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Walya Fans Apologize
South Africa (Tadias) – Ethiopia lost 2-0 against Nigeria on Tuesday in its final game in Group C at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in Rustenburg, South Africa, ending the team’s historic return to the continental tournament after 31 years of absence.
The Walya Antelopes could not overcome the Super Eagles to book their place in the last eight for the quarterfinals. The defending champions, Zambia, were also eliminated in the first round after a goalless draw with Burkina Faso yesterday at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
The Burkinabe’s lead Group C in advancing to the next stage followed by Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian fans who made their own headlines last week for unruly behavior apologized by waving a banner during the game against Nigeria.
“We apologise for our behaviour, but we love the game” was written in huge letters on the banner against the background of the green, yellow and red colours of the Ethiopian flag. According to Reuters: “It was unfurled at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace during the team’s final Group C match.”
— Related: Nigeria tops Ethiopia, advances in African Cup (AP) Ethiopia fans apologise for bad behaviour (Reuters)
Coach Sewnet Says Ethiopia Likely to Miss Top Players in Key Match
Ethiopia’s head coach Sewnet Bishaw gestures during a news conference at the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. (Photo: AP)
By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
RUSTENBURG, South Africa (AP) — Ethiopia’s chances at the African Cup of Nations have taken a hit with the team’s two top players expected to miss the decisive Group C match against Nigeria on Tuesday.
Ethiopia coach Sewnet Bishaw said Monday that midfielders Asrat Megersa and Adane Girma may not recover from the injuries they sustained in the first half of the team’s match against Burkina Faso.
Ethiopia is last in the group but will still have a chance of advancing if it beats Nigeria in Rustenburg.
Ethiopia is last in the group but will still have a chance of advancing if it beats Nigeria in Rustenburg.
In its first tournament appearance in more than 30 years, Ethiopia earned a surprising 1-1 draw with defending champion Zambia in the opener, then fell 4-0 to Burkina Faso after Asrat’s and Adane’s injuries.
“Two very important players were out and I’m afraid that they are not coming back,” Bishaw said. “Adane and Asrat are not in a good position right now. It will be up to the doctor’s decision before the match.”
Read more.
— Africa Cup: Coach Sewnet Says Ethiopia Looking Ahead to Next Game With Nigeria
Coach Sewnet Bishaw says his team will aim for goals in its next Africa Cup clash with Nigeria. (MTN)
Tadias Magazine
News Brief
Updated: Sunday, January 27, 2013
South Africa – After a 4-0 defeat by Burkina Faso on Friday following 1-1 opener against defending Champion Zambia earlier in the week, Ethiopia will face Nigeria on Tuesday for its third and final game in the first round in Group C at the current Africa Cup of Nations underway in South Africa.
The Walya Antelopes still has a chance to advance to the quarterfinals but they must win the next match. The remote possibility also depends on the outcome of the Burkina Faso and Zambia contest scheduled for the same day.
Coach Sewnet Bishaw says he was surprised by the trouncing on Friday but promised to go on the offensive on Tuesday against Nigeria.
“We didn’t expect this result from the very beginning. We hoped that we would play again like the first game and take a point against Burkina Faso,” Coach Sewnet told reporters.
“We’re not going to the field to defend, because defending will only give you one point. Now we must try to play against Nigeria to score goals to have three points.”
He added: “Maybe if we have three points, totally we will have four points, and we may qualify to the next stage. “Not only will we just score one or two goals, we need to score lots of goals also, otherwise, it is a matter of dignity and to maintain the level of football of our boys.”
— Burkina Faso Beats Ethiopia 4-0 in African Cup
Addis Hintsa Tekle of Ethiopia and Djakaridja Kone of Burkina Faso compete for the ball during the 2013 African Cup of Nations match between their teams at Mbombela Stadium on Friday, January 25, 2013 in Nelspruit, South Africa. Burkina Faso won the game 4-0. (Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)
Tadias Magazine
News Brief
Updated: Friday, January 25, 2013
South Africa – Ethiopia lost 4-0 against Burkina Faso on Friday in its second game in Group C at 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
The dominant performance by Burkina Faso included two goals by Alain Traore who led the 10-man Stallions into victory over the Walya Antelopes. The third score came from Yusuf Kone on the 80 minute mark and the final by Jonathan Pitroipa at the end of the game.
This time, it is was the Burkinabe goalkeeper Abdoulaye Soulama who was red-carded. He was dismissed around 60 minutes into the match for handball outside his penalty area.
Ethiopia used substitute goalkeeper, Zerihun Tadele, in place of Jemal Tassew, who was suspended for two games following his red card last Monday during the Walyas opener against Zambia.
Matthew Kenyon of BBC Sport in Nelspruit says “Ethiopia haven’t been at the Nations Cup for 31 years and this is a lesson in what happens in tournament football. It’s not fair — it’s presumably not fun — but it’s why we love the game so much. Burkina Faso have been superb tonight and thoroughly deserve an awesome victory. Man of the match must be Alain Traore – but Pitroipa and the skipper Kabore run him close. Burkina Faso top the group.”
It is also the first time the Burkinabe have ever won a game outside of Burkina Faso.
The website Super Sport noted: “Burkina’s last victory in the continental showcase came way back in 1998, but Traore ended that sorry state of affairs in style to push the west African nation to the top of Group C and within touching distance of the last eight.”
Adane Girma of Ethiopia battles with Chris Katongo of Zambia during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations match at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa on Monday, January 21st. (Reuters)
Tadias Magazine
News Brief
Updated: Friday, January 25, 2013
South Africa (TADIAS) – Fresh off their spectacular return to Africa Cup earlier this week, after more than three decades of absence and an impressive 1-1 opening against defending champion Zambia, the Walyas who electrified Ethiopian fans around the world are preparing for their next game today against Burkina Faso at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa.
For audiences in the United States the game will be televised on ESPN3 beginning at 1 p.m Eastern and can be watched on the Internet and mobile devices.
In South Africa coach Sewnet Bishaw told the Associated Press that his team’s strategy is in place for today’s match. “We will try to play as many passes as possible because the Burkinabes are huge and physically very strong,” coach Sewnet said. “We will have a better team for the second game and use players with speed and good passing abilities.”
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football has slapped Ethiopia’s football federation with a $10,000 fine for unruly behavior by fans last Monday, which included throwing plastic bottles, cups vuvuzelas, and other objects onto the field. The organization said it will suspend half of the penalty if the Ethiopians behave for the rest of the tournament.
It all began as a protest when goal keeper Jemal Tassew was given a red card for an aggressive tackle involving Zambia’s Chisamba Lungu. Jemal was taken off the field on a stretcher. His sending off started the wild outcry causing a security alert and delaying the game by several minutes. Jemal will not play against Burkina Faso on Friday as he is also suspended for two games.
According to AP: “Ethiopia drew by far the largest support base for Monday’s Group C double-header, with thousands of Johannesburg-based immigrants bussing in for the occasion. Sewnet predicted that the number of fans would double for the team’s next game.”
Addis Hintsa Tekle of Ethiopia and Djakaridja Kone of Burkina Faso compete for the ball during the 2013 African Cup of Nations match between their teams at Mbombela Stadium on Friday, January 25, 2013 in Nelspruit, South Africa. Burkina Faso won the game 4-0. (Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)
Tadias Magazine
News Brief
Updated: Friday, January 25, 2013
South Africa – Ethiopia lost 4-0 against Burkina Faso on Friday in its second game in Group C at 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
The dominant performance by Burkina Faso included two goals by Alain Traore who led the 10-man Stallions into victory over the Walya Antelopes. The third score came from Yusuf Kone on the 80 minute mark and the final by Jonathan Pitroipa at the end of the game.
This time, it is was the Burkinabe goalkeeper Abdoulaye Soulama who was red-carded. He was dismissed around 60 minutes into the match for handball outside his penalty area.
Ethiopia used substitute goalkeeper, Zerihun Tadele, in place of Jemal Tassew, who was suspended for two games following his red card last Monday during the Walyas opener against Zambia.
Matthew Kenyon of BBC Sport in Nelspruit says “Ethiopia haven’t been at the Nations Cup for 31 years and this is a lesson in what happens in tournament football. It’s not fair — it’s presumably not fun — but it’s why we love the game so much. Burkina Faso have been superb tonight and thoroughly deserve an awesome victory. Man of the match must be Alain Traore – but Pitroipa and the skipper Kabore run him close. Burkina Faso top the group.”
It is also the first time the Burkinabe have ever won a game outside of Burkina Faso.
The website Super Sport noted: “Burkina’s last victory in the continental showcase came way back in 1998, but Traore ended that sorry state of affairs in style to push the west African nation to the top of Group C and within touching distance of the last eight.”
Adane Girma of Ethiopia battles with Chris Katongo of Zambia during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations match at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa on Monday, January 21st. (Reuters)
Tadias Magazine
News Brief
Updated: Friday, January 25, 2013
South Africa (TADIAS) – Fresh off their spectacular return to Africa Cup earlier this week, after more than three decades of absence and an impressive 1-1 opening against defending champion Zambia, the Walyas who electrified Ethiopian fans around the world are preparing for their next game today against Burkina Faso at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa.
For audiences in the United States the game will be televised on ESPN3 beginning at 1 p.m Eastern and can be watched on the Internet and mobile devices.
In South Africa coach Sewnet Bishaw told the Associated Press that his team’s strategy is in place for today’s match. “We will try to play as many passes as possible because the Burkinabes are huge and physically very strong,” coach Sewnet said. “We will have a better team for the second game and use players with speed and good passing abilities.”
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football has slapped Ethiopia’s football federation with a $10,000 fine for unruly behavior by fans last Monday, which included throwing plastic bottles, cups vuvuzelas, and other objects onto the field. The organization said it will suspend half of the penalty if the Ethiopians behave for the rest of the tournament.
It all began as a protest when goal keeper Jemal Tassew was given a red card for an aggressive tackle involving Zambia’s Chisamba Lungu. Jemal was taken off the field on a stretcher. His sending off started the wild outcry causing a security alert and delaying the game by several minutes. Jemal will not play against Burkina Faso on Friday as he is also suspended for two games.
According to AP: “Ethiopia drew by far the largest support base for Monday’s Group C double-header, with thousands of Johannesburg-based immigrants bussing in for the occasion. Sewnet predicted that the number of fans would double for the team’s next game.”
Haile Gerima's "Bush Mama" is about a Watts single mom's political awakening. It screens next month at The Museum of the Moving Image in New York. Haile will be present at the event. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Wednesday, January 23, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – Ethiopian-born filmmaker Haile Gerima is among a group of African and African American independent producers and directors who were students at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, in the sixties and seventies as part of an “Ethno-Communications” initiative designed to empower minorities. Their work is being highlighted in an upcoming film series at The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens from February 2–24.
“Now referred to as L.A. Rebellion, these mostly unheralded artists, including Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, Larry Clark, Billy Woodberry, and many others, created a unique cinematic landscape, as—over the course of two decades—students arrived, mentored one another, and passed the torch to the next group,” the museum said in its announcement. “They came from Watts. They came from New York City. They came from throughout America or crossed an ocean from Africa. Together, they made movies and produced a rich, innovative, sustained, and intellectually rigorous body of work. The filmmakers of L.A. Rebellion achieved this while realizing a new possibility for “Black” cinema, one that explored and related to the real lives of Black communities in the U.S. and worldwide.”
– If You Go:
February 2–24
36-01 35 Avenue
Astoria, NY 11106
718 777 6888 www.movingimage.us
Organized by the UCLA Film & Television Archive
—
Below are images from some of the films featured at the ‘L.A. Rebellion’ series
Adane Girma, right, celebrates with teammate Saladin Said, left, after scoring the goal that tied the game against Zambia. The goal was Ethiopia's first at the Nations Cup in more than three decades. (Photo: AP)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Tuesday, January 22, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – The Walya Antelopes, the Ethiopian national soccer team, made a historic return to the Africa Cup of Nations Monday, successfully drawing 1-1 against the defending champion Zambia at Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela, South Africa. The game was Ethiopia’s first in the tournament after 31 years of absence.
Striker Collins Mbesuma scored the first goal for Zambia near half-time, and Adane Girma help equalize for Ethiopia in the second half.
Ethiopia finished with only 10 players after goal keeper Jemal Tassew was given a red card for an aggressive tackle involving Zambia’s Chisamba Lungu. Jemal was taken off field on a stretcher.
His sending-off had visibly angered Walya fans, some of whom unfortunately threw bottles and other objects on to the pitch causing a security alert and delaying the game by several minutes. According to Reuters it also created a disagreement between the Ethiopian and Zambian coaches.
“The goalkeeper is there to defend,” coach Sewnet Bishaw told reporters. “I do not think it was a sending-off, which is why the fans were so angry.”
“They were not angry with the Ethiopian team, but with the referee.” his Zambian counterpart Herve Renard responded. “I have looked at the replay and of course it was a sending- off. He had to go. The rules are quite clear, you cannot fly into an opponent like that.”
The Zambian coach added: “I congratulate the Ethiopian team they played very well and it was not a surprise to me.”
Ethiopia still faces Burkina Faso and Nigeria in the first round. The Walya’s next match is against Burkina Faso on Friday, January 25th.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Video: Goal by Adane Girma – Zambia vs. Ethiopia (Euro Sport)
Teddy Afro with Abogida Band in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday, January 19, 2013. (Essatu Images)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Monday, January 21, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – Teddy Afro performed in Johannesburg, South Africa this weekend at ‘Africa Cup Kick-Off Party’ supporting the Walyas.” The event took place at Sandton Convention Center on Saturday, January 19th.
Below are photos from the concert courtesy of the promoters.
The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in South Africa on Saturday. It is one of the world's most exciting tournaments including players who ply their trade in some of Europe's top leagues. Among them is Fuad Ibrahim, a young American striker who once played for the U.S Under-17 and Under-20 teams. (Getty Images)
(CNN) — Life had not quite worked out the way Fuad Ibrahim had planned.
A few years ago the whole world was laid out at the 21-year-old American striker’s feet. Ibee, as he is known by his coaches and teammates, was considered one of the most naturally talented players ever to emerge in U.S. soccer.
He was quickly brought into the national team set up, playing in every game at the Under-17 World Cup finals. At the age of 16 he was the second youngest player ever to be drafted into the MLS. Perhaps prophetically, the youngest was Freddy Adu, a name that has become a euphemism for talent unfulfilled.
And then out of the blue an email arrived from the country of his birth — Ethiopia.
“It said that Ethiopia would like to invite me to play for the national team,” Ibee told CNN, speaking from his hotel room in the capital Addis Ababa.
New York (TADIAS) – Teddy Afro will perform live in Johannesburg, South Africa this weekend at “Go Walya Africa Cup Kick-Off Party.”
The event, which is organized by the group Sefer Addis, is scheduled to take place at Sandton Convention Center (near Mandela Square) on Saturday, January 19th.
Organizers said Teddy will be accompanied by Abogida Band.
— If You Go: Tikur Sew in South Africa
January 19th, 2013 Sandton Convention Center
Johannesburg, South Africa
Call: +27835534388 or +27712104358
– In Pictures: Photographs From Teddy Afro’s Concert in DC (November 23rd, 2012)
New York (TADIAS) – Ethiopian Airlines has temporarily grounded its 787 Dreamliners for inspection following a safety warning issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA said on Wednesday that the 787 should not operate until the risk of battery fires is addressed.
The crisis began when one of the planes owned by the Japanese airline, All Nippon Airways, was forced to make an emergency landing in Japan when a cockpit warning indicated a battery problem and a burning smell. Ethiopian follows Chile’s LAN, Air India and the European Aviation Safety Agency who have all sent out grounding orders.
“Ethiopian Dreamliners have not encountered the type of problems such as those experienced by the other operators,” the airlines said in a press release. “However, as an extra precautionary safety measure and in line with its commitment of putting safety above all else, Ethiopian has decided to pull out its four Dreamliners from operation and perform the special inspection requirements mandated by the US FAA.”
Ethiopian airlines, which has been operating the Dreamliner since mid-August last year, said it is working closely with Boeing to comply with the US FAA approved special inspection. “The airline aims to return the Dreamliners to service as soon as possible, after full compliance with the new procedure,” the press release said.
Passengers walk away from ANA's Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane after it made an emergency landing at Takamatsu airport, western Japan, Jan. 16, 2013. (Reuters)
Until smoldering batteries forced safety regulators to ground Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner jets last week, the aircraft manufacturer was flying high, with soaring profits and a recently regained No. 1 ranking in jet deliveries over Airbus.
But the grounding, prompted by a battery fire on one jet and the emergency landing of another, has knocked Boeing off stride. Now, investors as well as government officials are paying close attention to see how big the issue becomes for the company, which is one of the nation’s biggest exporters.
ANA’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane after it made an emergency landing at Takamatsu airport, western Japan, Jan. 16, 2013. (AP)
January 17th, 2013
Aviation authorities around the world are grounding the Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jet following a safety warning issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
Airlines in Chile, India and Europe are the latest to stop flying the jet, which already has been grounded in the U.S. and Japan. As of early Thursday, 39 of the 50 Dreamliners in operation around the world had been suspended.
The FAA, which sets the standard for global aviation regulators, on Wednesday warned that the next generation plane should not fly until the risk of battery fires is addressed.
The move came one day after one of the twin-engine, wide-bodied planes was forced to make an emergency landing in Japan when a cockpit warning indicated a battery malfunction and passengers smelled something burning.
Japan’s two biggest airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, grounded all their Dreamliners – 24 aircraft – after the incident. The crisis over the trouble-plagued plane widened following the FAA warning.
Late Wednesday, Chile’s LAN announced it would ground its three 787s, while India’s aviation agency ordered Air India to do the same with its fleet of six Dreamliners. The European Aviation Safety Agency also said it would follow the U.S. grounding order.
Even before Wednesday’s developments, recent problems with the 787 had prompted U.S. regulators to launch a safety review of the aircraft. A battery problem was believed to be the cause of a small fire that broke out aboard an empty 787 as it was being serviced on the ground in Boston. Other incidents have involved leaking fuel, a cracked windshield and brake problems.
Boeing chief executive Jim McNerney said in a statement late Wednesday that the U.S.-based company stands behind the plane’s “overall integrity,” and “deeply regrets” the impact the situation is having on passengers.
The company’s stock price fell 2 percent in trading after U.S. markets formally closed Wednesday.
'Migrations' follows Helen, played by Tigist Selam, an Ethiopian/German woman, who is part of an international ring of art thieves. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
Art Talk
Published: Wednesday, January 16, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – An upcoming movie called Migrations by author and filmmaker Nelson George is one of ten films nominated by Tribeca Film Institute’s Heineken Affinity Award, a new platform for celebrating and creating awareness and dialogue around the work of emerging and established African American filmmakers.
Migrations is an adventure thriller featuring an international ring of art thieves led by an Ethiopian-German woman named Helen (played by Tigist Selam), whose objective is to recover ancient African artifacts from European galleries and collectors.
Tigist Selam heads a varied cast of actors that includes Saul Williams, Chyna Layne, Chris Rock, Osas Ighodaro, Roger Guenvuer Smith, Samson Styles, Rachel Nicks, Carl Hancock Rux, Tilly Scott Pederson and Melvin Van Peebles.
According to the the film’s synopsis, “Helen is in Berlin, raising cash for a new deal and picking up a valuable stolen Ethiopian medallion, when a co-worker is arrested in Belgium and she is told to shut down operations. This incites a mad dash that takes us to Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles and, finally, to Ethiopia as Helen is chased by Interpol. Helen knows where the last two medallions are located and that info puts her life in danger.”
The independent film was shot by Nelson George in several locations in the U.S., Europe and Africa using a Canon 60D camera in a documentary style and was self-financed.
All of the Affinity winners will receive an initial grant, but according to the Tribeca Film Institute, public vote will determine the selection of one of the filmmakers for an additional $20,000 cash award, as well as year-round project support and professional development from the institute.
The award will be announced during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.
South African President Jacob Zuma showed off his dribbling skills in front of television cameras and photographers on January 15th during a visit to the country's national team in advance of the opening of the 2013 Africa Cup competition this weekend. (Getty Images)
Tadias Magazine
News Update
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Johannesburg – The 29th Africa Cup of Nations soccer games will commence on Saturday, January 19th at the National Stadium in Johannesburg with South Africa’s team, Bafana Bafana, playing against Cape Verde.
The host team received a visit from President Jacob Zuma today. “Zuma took time off his busy schedule to give a word of encouragement to the national team as they go into battle with some of the best on the continent,” the South African Football Association (SAFA) said in a statement.
The South African President dribbled a ball and held a private meeting with the players while also facing the media to address critics who say his country is not well-prepared for the continental gathering.
“Critics will always be there, some of them are paid to be critics and they are doing their job,” Zuma said. “I think we have done our best. Bear in mind that this tournament was supposed to be in Libya, so this tournament was not given the normal time for preparations and people who are making criticism forget that.”
Zuma added: “We had to start very late as a result of that. I am happy and I think we are ready and I think the country is ready. Fortunately, we have the facilities. We might not have done everything precisely because of how we got to host this edition but we are more than ready.”
Bafana coach Gordon Igesund said his team is grateful for the visit. “It is a privilege when the number one citizen of the country comes to meet the players and give support,” the coach said. “It is always important for the players and the whole team that he made time in his busy schedule to be with us today. We really feel honored.”
Zuma displayed his soccer skills before he was given two Bafana Bafana jerseys by team captain Bongani Khumalo.
In Pictures: President Jacob Zuma Visits Bafana Bafana (Photos from the team’s Facebook)
New York (TADIAS) – As South Africa prepares to host the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations later this week the prospects of the Ethiopian national team, which is participating in the tournament for the first time in 31 years, is also receiving attention in mainstream media, albeit a bit dismissive and putting the Ethiopian coach on the defensive.
Regardless of the outcome at the upcoming competition, Ethiopian fans around the world (some already on their way to South Africa) are excited to see their country return to the Africa Cup after more than three decades of absence.
And, despite the noise, coach Sewnet Bishaw recently told Reuters his team is prepared to give it its best shot. “Our confidence is sky high,” he said. “We are looking at going as far as we can with the first aim being the quarter-finals.”
Coach Sewnet’s remarks came in response to Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger’s statements that made headlines recently when he suggested that none of Walya’s players are part of the international big league. “It is maybe the only international competition today where you do not know all the players,” Wenger said at a press conference last week. “This time in South Africa you will have Ethiopia; if I ask you to name five Ethiopian players, I am sure you will have a problem,” Wenger added.
“He (Wenger) is absolutely right,” Coach Sewnet’s said in his reply. “But that will help our team, that we are unknown in this tournament.” Coach Sewnet’s answer was reflective of his disciplined team. “I am sure that will not be the case at the end of the tournament for everyone, including Arsene,” he added.
The team faces the defending champions Zambia on January 21st for its opening match. We wish coach Sewnet Bishaw and the Walya Antelopes all the best and are proud of their accomplishments!
— Video: Ethiopia Returns to Africa Cup 31 Years Later – The Guardian
Maaza Mengiste (Photo courtesy of the 10 x 10 project)
Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn
Updated: Thursday, January 10, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – Last week we highlighted an upcoming documentary entitled Girl Rising, which is scheduled for release in Spring 2013. The feature-length film displays the power of access to education in the life of a girl residing in a developing nation. Each girl’s story is told by a talented writer from her native country. The script writer for the segment on Ethiopia is Maaza Mengiste, author of the critically acclaimed novel Beneath the Lion’s Gaze. In preparation for the documentary, Maaza spent time with a young girl from a village outside of Bahir Dar.
Below is our interview with Maaza Mengiste.
TADIAS: Please tell us about how you got involved with the film?
Maaza Mengiste: I was living in Rome when Richard Robbins, the director of the film, contacted me about the project. I learned more about it then spoke further with two of the producers, Martha Adams and Alex Dionne. I was skeptical at first about whether this could really happen, but soon, I was on a plane to Addis, then a smaller plane to Bahir Dar, then on a very shaky Land Rover through mountain roads to Yilmana Densa to visit Azmera and her family.
The main focus of the 10×10 campaign is to show audiences how educating one girl can impact her entire family and her community and make positive changes. Each of the 10 segments in the 10×10 film highlights a country and the biggest obstacles preventing girls from getting their education. It’s different in each country and in Ethiopia, the biggest issue is forced early marriage. This film is different from so many of those charity programs or other documentaries we see. It’s not about the tragic lives of people in poor countries. This film is about how these young girls took their own first steps in making their lives better. They aren’t asking for charity. They only want the right to fulfill their potential and go to school. The idea of working on a project that told stories of how young girls were changing their own lives, rather than waiting for adults, fascinated me.
TADIAS: Can you also tell us a bit about your script and character?
Maaza: This is a documentary film, but Richard gave me full freedom to create what I wanted based on the time I spent with Azmera and her family. I talked to her and found her to be painfully shy, like a typical abesha girl. But something else was there also, a quiet strength and a stubbornness I saw when she played with her cousins. I also witnessed the intense love her family has for her. She is adored. I was interested to put this picture next to the image of a young girl forced to marry a stranger when she wasn’t even a teenager. But I had a chance to talk to her mother and other family members and the story that emerged helped me to write my script and find a focus of how to write about their lives.
TADIAS: The 10×10 site also features a book club focused on your novel Beneath the Lion’s Gaze as well as articles and policy briefs on Ethiopia. Can you tell us more?
Maaza: Each of the writers on the project (there are 10) has a specially designed book club tool kit available on the 10×10 website. That tool kit gives you step-by-step instructions on how to host your own book club, how to invite people, how to facilitate discussions, what questions you can ask, and even has an in-depth interview with the writer. It’s a wonderful way to get involved with the 10×10 project beyond the film.
TADIAS: What do you see as the primary challenge for girls seeking access to education in rural Ethiopia?
Maaza: It was heartbreaking to see how hard young girls were trying to go to school and get their education. They are intelligent, they are eager, they are determined, but they don’t have the simple resources to attend school. They are needed to work at home and take care of family or bring in extra income. I think the primary challenge involves finding ways for families to be able to send their daughters to school and still survive financially. It wouldn’t take much, and there are good organizations helping, but more needs to be done and I hope this film raises that awareness. I hope the film shows the world that these young Ethiopian girls have had the courage to fight for their future, and now they want the ability to continue living their dream of going to school. I am so very proud of each of them, and of Azmera and her family.
Lalibela is one of the stops in Ethiopia during an upcoming tour led by Patricia Schultz, author of "1,000 Places to See Before You Die." (Photo: Flickr)
Patricia Schultz redefined the concept of bucket lists when her book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die hit stores in 2003 and was updated in 2011. It was and continues to be a hit, with a dizzying checklist of the popular and the exotic travel spots.
Now Schultz, who produced a Travel Channel show based on the book, leads a trip to Ethiopia in the spring that visits many UNESCO World Heritage Sites as well as the capital, Addis Ababa.
Saladin Said, pictured above scoring against Nigeria, who plays in the Egyptian Premier League, is one of three foreign-based players that are part of Ethiopia's 23-man squad for this month's African Nations Cup in South Africa. (Flickr)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Friday, January 4, 2013
New York (TADIAS) – The Walya Antelopes, Ethiopia’s national soccer team, have enlisted a trio of foreign-based Ethiopian players as part of the line-up for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations 2013, which is set to commence on January 19th in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Coach Sewnet Bishaw has chosen 28-year-old Swedish-born midfielder Yussuf Saleh and 21-year-old Ethiopian-American footballer Fuad Ibrahim, in addition to the team’s star striker Saladin Said who plays abroad for Wadi Degla in Egypt. Yussuf comes from the Swedish football club Syrianska, while Fuad is currently playing for the Minnesota Stars in the North American Soccer League.
The head coach Seyoum Kebede toldStar Africa that he “has high hopes his youthful team have a bright future.”
Ethiopia is scheduled in group “C” and faces Zambia, Nigeria and Burkina Faso. The Walya’s opening match is against the defending champions Zambia on January 21st.
(CNN) — It could be the spartan living environment, or perhaps growing up in the thin air nearly 3,000 meters above sea level — or maybe it’s the influence of a legendary local coach.
Whatever its secret, a remote mountain town in Ethiopia has produced a string of world-beating distance runners.
Three-time Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba is the current cream of a crop that has helped put Bekoji on the map. Like many from her area, she was clearly born to run.
“Running is for me my job, but also my source of entertainment,” the 27-year-old told CNN’s Human to Hero series.
Ethiopia is returning to the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in thirty years. (Getty Images)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Johannesburg (TADIAS) – Preparations are underway for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, and Ethiopia’s national team (The Walya Antelopes), that qualified for the tournament for the first time since 1982, is also gearing up for the continent’s most prestigious soccer competition, which kicks off on January 19th in Johannesburg.
By all accounts the past year has been very productive for Ethiopia. The website SouthAfrica.info noted, their games included a tie against the host country, which led to the firing of South Africa’s coach Pitso Mosimane “after a string of unconvincing results.”
The Walya Antelopes, popularly nicknamed “The Black Lions,” also advanced past Benin and Sudan on “the away goals rule” after a draw with Benin followed by victory over Sudan, against whom they lost 5-3 in Khartoum and then beat 2-0 in Addis.
The team’s star players are striker Saladin Said, who plays abroad for Wadi Degla in Egypt, and Adane Girma of Ethiopia’s Saint George Club, who was voted the best player in the Ethiopian Premier League in 2011.
Speaking about Saladin his former coach Belgian Walter Meeuws is quoted as saying: “Said is a very skilful player, technically strong, good speed and a good positioning as striker. He reads very well the game and the last year he became stronger in both power and physical strength.”
Images from some of the biggest stories of 2012. (See credits and full slideshow below)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Saturday, December 29, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – From the death of former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to the apparent suicide of Alem Dechasa, and from the surprise results at the London Olympic games to the decisive re-election of President Barack Obama, 2012 has been a year of many lessons and historic transformations.
The televised abuse of Alem Dechasa, the Ethiopian woman that was violently mistreated outside the Ethiopian embassy in Lebanon last March, and her suspicious suicide a few days later, was one of the most watched and heartbreaking stories we covered this year: (In Memory of Alem Dechassa: Reporting & Mapping Domestic Migrant Worker Abuse)
The mysterious absence, illness and death of PM Meles Zenawi was by far the biggest political news of the year in our community. On July 15th the 57-year-old prime minister failed to show up for an African Union meeting that he had religiously attended without absence since the early 90′s. What followed next was several weeks of bizarre secrecy by the Ethiopian government and repeated pronouncements of vague assurances by officials about the status of the PM’s health. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was eventually declared dead on August 20th and was given a state funeral on September 2nd, 2012 at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa. The confusing summer frenzy also exposed the weakness of the flummoxed political opposition in the Diaspora as disorganized and fractured, neither inspiring confidence nor prepared for public leadership and responsibility.
What was inspiring in 2012, however, was the spectacular performance of our women athletes at the London Olympics. Ethiopia earned seven medals this year, three of them gold, courtesy of Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar and Tiki Gelana — making the country the leader in Africa on the athletics medal count and globally trailing only the United States, Russia, Jamaica and England.
Here are images from some of the biggest stories of 2012.
The late artist Afewerk Tekle speaking at Stanford University on March 7, 2004. (Photo: Tadias Magazine File)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Wednesday, December 26, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – In 2012 we lost Ethiopia’s most famous painter, Maitre Artiste Afewerk Tekle, who died last Spring at the age of 80 and was laid to rest at the cemetery of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa on April 14th. Speaking about his life-long dedication to the fine arts, Afewerk Tekle once said: “At the end of the day, my message is quite simple. I am not a pessimist, I want people to look at my art and find hope. I want people to feel good about Ethiopia, about Africa, to feel the delicate rays of the sun. And most of all, I want them to think: Yitchalal! [It's possible!]” Our coverage of Afewerk’s passing was one of the most shared articles from Tadias magazine this year: (In Memory of Maitre Artiste Afewerk Tekle: His Life Odyssey).
Below are other arts and culture stories that captured our attention in 2012.
Marcus Samuelsson’s Memoir ‘Yes, Chef’
Marcus Samuelsson released his best-selling memoir Yes, Chef back in June. From contracting tuberculosis at age 2, losing his birth mother to the same disease, and being adopted by a middle-class family in Sweden, Marcus would eventually break into one of the most exclusive clubs in the world, rising to become a top chef with a resume including cooking at the White House as a guest chef for President Obama’s first State Dinner three years ago. Since then, Marcus has morphed into a brand of his own, both as an author and as owner of Red Rooster in Harlem. Earlier this year, Tseday Alehegn interviewed Marcus about his book.
Watch: Tadias interview with Marcus Samuelsson
Dinaw Mengestu Named MacArthur ‘genius’ Fellow
Ethiopian American novelist and writer Dinaw Mengestu was named a MacArthur genius Fellow in September. The Associated Press reported Dinaw’s selection along with the full list of 22 other winners. Dinaw is the author of The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears and How to Read the Air. In addition to the two novels, he has written for several publications, including Rolling Stone, Jane Magazine, Harper’s, and The Wall Street Journal. According to MacArthur Foundation, the “genius grant” is a recognition of the winners “originality, insight, and potential” and each person will receive $500,000 over the next five years. Below is a video of Dinaw discussing the award.
Ethiopia at Miss Universe 2012
Helen Getachew (Photo credit: Miss Universe)
After years of absence from the Miss Universe pageant, Ethiopia graced the global stage this year represented by 22-year-old Helen Getachew. The competition was held in Las Vegas on December 19, 2012. Women from over 80 countries participated in the 61st annual contest. The new Miss Universe is Miss USA Olivia Culpo, a 20-year-old beauty queen from Rhode Island and the first American to claim the coveted title since 1997. Olivia was crowned Miss Universe 2012 by Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes of Angola. Over the next year Olivia will hit the road on behalf of her cause: HIV/AIDS prevention as mentioned on her official pageant profile.
A Prodigy Reviving Ethiopian Jazz & A Rock Band from Ethiopia Called Jano
Samuel Yirga (Photo courtesy of Worldisc)
Two distinctly different Ethiopian musical acts emerged in 2012 that are sure to dominate the entertainment scene in the coming year. Samuel Yirga (pictured above) is a U.S.-based pianist from Ethiopia whose debut album Guzo has won critical acclaim. Here is how NPR described the artist and his work in its recent review of his new CD: “A 20-something prodigy, Yirga is too young to have experienced the Ethio-jazz movement of the early 1970s, but he has absorbed its music deeply — and plenty more as well. With his debut release, Guzo (Journey) Yirga both revives and updates Ethiopian jazz.” Likewise, the new Ethiopian rock band Jano is also influenced by legendary musicians of the same era, but as their producer Bill Laswell put it: They don’t join the ranks of Ethiopian music, they break the rules.” Below is the latest music video teaser by Jano.
Teddy Afro Abroad
Teddy Afro pictured during a surprise party thrown for him at Meaza Restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia following his performance at Echostage in Washington D.C on Friday, November 23rd, 2012. (Photo: By Matt Andrea for Tadias Magazine)
Two Ethiopian American Bands Make a Splash: Debo & CopperWire
Debo Band is an 11-member Boston-based group led by Ethiopian-American saxophonist Danny Mekonnen and fronted by vocalist Bruck Tesfaye. (Courtesy Photo)
In its thumbs-up review of Debo band’s self-titled first album released this year, NPR noted: “The particular beauty of Debo Band is that you don’t have to be an ethnomusicologist to love it: It’s all about the groove. Debo Band transforms the Ethiopian sound through the filter of its members’ collective subconscious as imaginative and plugged-in 21st-century musicians…The swooning, hot romance of Yefikir Wegene bursts up from the same ground as the funky horns of Ney Ney Weleba. From that hazy shimmer of musical heat from faraway Addis, a thoroughly American sound emerges.” Similarly, another Ethiopian American musical ensemble that made a splash this year is the sci-fi trio ‘CopperWire’ that produced the futuristic album Earthbound. The hip-hop space opera takes place in the year 2089 featuring three renegades from another world who hijack a spacecraft and ride it to Earth, and eventually land in Ethiopia. Watch below CopperWire’s music video ET Phone Home.
Fendika Dancers’s First Solo American Tour
Melaku Belay and Zenash Tsegaye of Fendika Dancers (Courtesy photo )
After thrilling New York audiences at Lincoln Center in summer 2011, members of the Addis Ababa-based musical troupe, Fendika, returned to the East Coast for their first solo tour in 2012 with stops that included New York, Washington, D.C, Boston, Hartford, Connecticut and Smithfield, Rhode Island.
Mahmoud Ahmed, Gosaye Tesfaye and Selam Woldemariam at the Historic Howard Theatre
Mahmoud Ahmed performs at Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, May 26th, 2012. (Photo by Matt Andrea)
Mahmoud Ahmed and Gosaye Tesfaye performed at the historic Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. during a Memorial Day weekend concert on Saturday, May 26th, 2012. It was the first time that Ethiopian music was featured at the iconic venue, which re-opened in April following a $29 million renovation. The event was organized by Massinko Entertainment, and also included an appearance by guitarist Selam Woldemariam whose collaborative concerts with Brooklyn-based musician Tomas Donker at Summer Stage in New York was part of the biggest entertainment stories that we covered this year.
Journalist Bofta Yimam Nominated for Regional Emmy Awards
Bofta Yimam is an Ethiopian American reporter currently working for Fox 13 News in Memphis, Tennessee. (Courtesy photo)
Last but not least, Ethiopian American Journalist Bofta Yimam who is a reporter for Fox 13 News in Memphis, Tennessee, was nominated this year for Regional Emmy Awards by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Nashville/Mid-South Chapter) for her journalism work. The winners will be announced on Saturday, January 26th, 2013 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville where the ceremony will be telecast live beginning at 8:00 PM. Below is a video of Tsedey Aragie’s interview with Bofta Yimam.
The internship provides college students from the United States an opportunity to work with organizations that are headquartered in Ethiopia.
“USCSE also engages U.S. college students in a service project designed to involve local high school and college students in civic engagement and empowering themselves,” the organization said in a press release. “USCSE’s ability to provide unmatched internships in Ethiopia for college students from the United States has made it an exciting opportunity that has garnered a lot of interest in Ethiopia and the United States.”
“We are very excited to operate USCSE for the third consecutive year,” Samuel Gebru, the program’s founder said in a statement. “EGI functions based on the generosity of donors. These crucial contributions provide a minimal budget that we must maximize. We have increased the value of USCSE and look forward securing the necessary support to expand and develop.”
— To learn more and apply, please visit www.ethgi.org/uscse. Applications are open to full-time students at four-year colleges or universities in the United States and are due on January 31.
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Report From Second Community Forum on Mental Health – Video
The second community forum on mental health took place on Saturday, December 15th, 2012 at the Shaw Neighborhood Library in D.C. (Image credit: Filmstock Inc)
Tadias Magazine
By Tsedey Aragie
Updated: Friday, December 21, 2012
Washington, DC (TADIAS) – Last week I hosted the second public forum on mental health here in Washington, D.C. The interactive get-together attracted over 100 participants from across the country who joined the conversation via conference call as well as an online live stream channel in addition to those who attended in person at the Shaw Neighborhood Library.
I am happy to report that it was another fruitful and educational event. My only regret is that we ran out of time before we could cover all the speakers because we did not assign and monitor time segments properly, which we will fix next time.
One of the key point that was repeatedly emphasized at the meeting was the need to incorporate religious leaders in this dialogue as well as in the treatment and healing process for individuals. There are studies that show that the close knit and communal nature of our culture does play a protective role in preventing mental illness.
As tax payers we do have the right to vocalize the importance of including natural remedies to be recognized as part of the treatment plan by lobbying the appropriate government agencies that write the policies governing health service providers.
It was also noted that there is an abundance of health professionals among the Ethiopian & Eritrean populations in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, but that talent pool is under-utilized. Often medical professionals are at the forefront of this fight and if given the proper training could recognize any ongoing mental health issues as they are developing, most importantly as it relates to substance abuse and addiction.
We also learned that the World Health Organization has partnered with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health to implement a Mental Health program in Ethiopia that could also be used as a resource.
The impact of Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PTSD), which is commonly found among war veterans in this country, is another mental health problem that affects immigrants who have witnessed violence in close proximity, and how detrimental these effects are on a person’s psychological well-being, especially for those who have experienced violence in the Horn of Africa. Another issue raised was the impact of political oppression and how it affects an individual’s psychological makeup.
We also received an update from the working-team that was tasked to conduct research. The advocacy-group is led by the organization “My Love in Action” and they are to come up with a needs assessment survey, and create outreach programs geared towards collaborating with organizations that work with professionals in the behavioral science fields, including educational institutions, as well as student associations. They are making progress but they need your help so please get involved.
Sadly, our event took place the day following the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut where a 20-year-old gunman shot and killed 26 people – mostly children – at Sandy Hook Elementary School before committing suicide himself. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims’ families.
Below is a short video featuring clips from the “Second Community Forum on Mental Health” held on Saturday December 15th. I will keep you posted on future gatherings. In the meantime, you can follow updates on twitter @MyLoveInAction.
Watch: Clips from the “Second Community Forum on Mental Health” held on December 15th
22-year-old Helen Getachew represented Ethiopia at the 2012 Miss Universe pageant held in Las Vegas on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 . (Photo credit: Miss Universe)
Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam
Updated: Friday, December 21, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – The new Miss Universe is Miss USA Olivia Culpo, a 20-year-old beauty queen from Rhode Island and the first American to claim the coveted title since 1997. Olivia was crowned Miss Universe 2012 by Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes of Angola at the annual international event held on Wednesday night in Las Vegas and televised around the world. Over the next year Olivia will hit the road on behalf of her cause alliances, namely HIV/AIDS prevention as mentioned on her official pageant profile.
Women from over 80 countries participated in the 61st Miss Universe contest. After years of absence from the global competition, Ethiopia was also back on the stage this year represented by 22-year-old Helen Getachew.
Bofta Yimam is an Ethiopian American reporter currently working for Fox 13 News in Memphis, Tennessee. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Wednesday, December 19, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – Ethiopian American Journalist Bofta Yimam, who is a reporter for Fox 13 News (WHBQ) in Memphis, Tennessee, is nominated for three Regional Emmy Awards by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Nashville/Mid-South Chapter). The winners will be announced on Saturday, January 26, 2013 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville were the the ceremony will be telecast live beginning at 8:00 PM.
Bofta has been nominated in three categories, including for excellence in “Continuing Coverage” for her reporting highlighting Kimberlee Morton (as in Kimberlee’s Law) for Fox 13 News in Memphis. Kimberlee’s Law was signed by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam earlier this year to keep convicted rapists in prison for their full sentence, no exceptions. Kimberlee was brutally attacked in 1998 by a person whom she knew who raped, stabbed, and burned her with bleach. Bofta interviewed Kimberlee for the segment.
The young journalist, who is a native of Washington, D.C. and graduate of University of Maryland, College Park, is also nominated for two works in excellence for “Light Feature” reporting category. Her work spans topics mostly related to crime and politics. She covered the 2010 gubernatorial race in Atlanta and once exposed a police chief who bought off voters to win his election.
Bofta is a recipient of several media professional awards including the 2011 Regional Edward R. Murrow Best Breaking News Story Award, the 2009 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award as part of “Crime and the City” coverage, and the 2008 Community Broadcasters Association Best Breaking News Story Award.
— Related: Interview With Bofta Yimam of Fox 13 News (TADIAS) Fox13 News reporter Bofta Yimam (WHBQ)
Video: Bofta reports on how Kimberlee Morton’s tragedy led to a new state law (Fox13 News)
New York (TADIAS) – Now that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, the only candidate with the most intimate Africa knowledge and experience, is no longer being considered for the top job at the State Department, we can begin to focus our attention on how to actually improve the Diaspora’s role as participants of the conversations that help craft future policies affecting U.S.-Africa and U.S.-Ethiopia relations.
In 2013, Tadias magazine will be hosting a series of special discussions on the topic with OP-ED articles from our readers. We warmly welcome your submissions. We especially encourage contributions by journalists, academics, diplomats, foreign affairs experts and students. Articles need not solely be concerned with politics. We are sure that there is a wide range of untapped aspects of this issue that is waiting to be explored, including people-to-people, business-to-business, investment, education, health, science, technology, arts, culture, music, movies, books and history themes.
Still photograph from the movie 'Sister," which tells the story of health workers in Ethiopia, Cambodia and Haiti whose daily work is to help women give birth. (Photo: Family at a district hospital in Tigray, Ethiopia/Image credit: Swati Guild)
Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam
Updated: Sunday, December 16, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – Earlier this month I attended one of the screenings of the documentary film Sister as part of the recently concluded African Diaspora International Film Festival here in New York.
An intimate portrait of a universal topic, the documentary frames maternal and newborn death as a human rights issue while shedding light on the faces behind the statistics. The film takes place in Ethiopia, Cambodia and Haiti as it explores innovative ways to deliver healthcare to childbearing women in remote parts of the world. The main characters are a Haitian traditional birth attendant, an Ethiopian male health officer, and a rural midwife in Cambodia.
The filmmaker, who is a Canadian citizen and a resident of New York City for the past 20 years, said she chose to highlight Ethiopia because the country is trying “new strategies and local solutions” to tackle the issue. “I am especially fascinated by Ethiopian healthcare professionals who used to be field medics during the civil war in the North who have now been retrained with further skills for civilian work.”
“In 2008, I was documenting a heath record training for health workers from Africa and Asia,” Brenda said. “I spent 3 weeks with them and involved in several activities including filming lectures in the city. One of the attendees was a health-care officer from Ethiopia named Goitom Berhane. When I got home and started transcribing their stories I found myself just weeping. And I told myself I have to make a movie about this.” Berhane eventually ends up being prominently featured in the film.
“The subject has been floating around me my whole life,” she continued. “As a child, my grandmother Martha had 16 children and only 11 lived and one of them was my mom.” She added: “And I was born by an emergency cesarian. I was the last of eight children.”
Brenda said that she finds parallels to her own family story and what most young women face in developing countries today. “There is a great research paper called ‘Under the Shadow of Maternity’ about childbirth and women’s lives in North America at the turn of the last century and the issues were the same. My grandmother was giving birth to stillborn babies between 1919 and 1939. People did not have all the resources, all the information; they did not know, they did not ask the right questions. It was a mystery to them. They were poor, they did not have access to family planning.”
Ambassador Susan Rice. (Photo credit: United Nations Association)
Tadias Magazine
News in Brief
Updated: Monday, December 17, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – U.N. envoy Susan Rice withdrew from consideration for Secretary of State last week amid intense criticism from Senate Republicans over the Benghazi controversy.
In a letter published in The Washington Post on December 13 Ambassador Rice explained why she pulled out of the promotion process: (Why I made the right call).
Teddy Afro pictured during a surprise party thrown for him at Meaza Restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia following his performance at Echostage in Washington D.C on Friday, November 23rd, 2012. (Photo: By Matt Andrea for Tadias Magazine)
Tadias Magazine
Art Talk
Updated: Thursday, December 13, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – As Teddy Afro continues his current world tour, the Ethiopian pop star is also attracting international media attention. Teddy performed for a sold-out crowd at Echostage in Washington D.C last month, accompanied by Abogida Band, and as part of his ongoing concert series.
In the following video, the English program of China Central Television (CCTV), highlights Teddy’s growing popularity on the global stage.
Photo: Imprisoned Ethiopian journalist Reeyot Alemu, recipient of the 2012 Courage in Journalism Award. (Image credit: International Women’s Media Foundation)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists released its 2012 census of imprisoned journalists yesterday identifying 27 offending countries with 232 writers, editors, and photojournalists behind bars this year, an increase of 53 from 2011 and the highest since the organization began the survey in 1990. According to CPJ, the 2012 figure surpasses the previous record of 185 journalists imprisoned in 1996.
The report said the trend was driven primarily by terrorism and other anti-state charges levied against critical reporters and editors.
CPJ highlighted Turkey, Iran, and China as the three leading jailers of journalists, while Eritrea and Ethiopia are the only African countries that are listed among the top ten press offenders.
“Rounding out the top five jailers were Eritrea, with 28 journalists in prison, and Syria with 15; the worst abusers of the rule of law,” the organization said. “None of the journalists in jail in either country have been publicly charged with a crime or brought before a court or trial.”
More than half (118) of those held globally were online journalists and more than a third were freelancers.
CPJ singled out Burma for “some improvement” this year: “For the first time since 1996, Burma did not rank among the nations jailing journalists. As part of the country’s historic transition to civilian rule, authorities released at least 12 imprisoned journalists in a series of pardons in 2012.”
Of the 27 countries imprisoning journalists, the top 10 jailers were:
Seattle-based hip-hop musician Gabriel Teodros, right, with fellow Ethiopian-American artists Meklit Hadero, left, and Elias Fullmore, center, pictured in a promo image for their group CopperWire's space fiction album called "Earthbound," released in 2012. (Photo: CopperWire)
Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam
Updated: Monday, December 10th, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – Last month musician Gabriel Teodros was highlighted at ‘TEDx Talks’ in Seattle. The artist was part of the Ethiopian American sci-fi trio CopperWire that earlier this year produced the futuristic album Earthbound. The hip-hop space opera takes place in the year 2089 featuring three renegades from another world who hijack a spacecraft and ride it to Earth, and eventually land in Ethiopia.
In the spirit of creative “ideas worth spreading,” TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share their experiences. “To know that another world is possible, and to bring it to life through music; this has always been the mission of Gabriel Teodros,” the program announcement stated. “He made a mark with groups CopperWire, Abyssinian Creole and Air 2 A Bird, and reached an international audience with his critically-acclaimed solo debut Lovework.”
The following is a video from the event that took place at TEDxRainier in Seattle on November 10, 2012. Gabriel performed and told his personal story as an artist, culturally mixed heritage and his relationship with his parents — a mother who is an immigrant from Ethiopia and a father who is a Vietnam veteran from Duvall, Washington.
Watch: Hip Hop & Science Fiction — Gabriel Teodros at TEDxRainier
Helen Getachew of Ethiopia, 22, is a contestant at the 2012 Miss Universe pageant. (Photo credit: Miss Universe)
Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam
Updated: Saturday, December 8, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – 22-year-old Helen Getachew will represent Ethiopia at the 2012 Miss Universe competition, which is scheduled to take place on December 19th at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, where the welcome party for the candidates is already underway.
Helen arrived in the United States a week ago. And according to organizers she attended a reception thrown on her behalf in D.C. last weekend (her first overseas public event) and she is already off to Nevada where she is prepping for the big show.
Organizers said Helen was selected to participate in the international contest on October 12th following a runway exhibition held at Radisson Blu Hotel in Addis Ababa in front of a group of judges, representing both the local fashion industry and global modeling agencies. “The event was infused with a fashion show and live entertainment, with guests in attendance from the [diplomatic corps], media, and fashion industries,” the press release said, highlighting that Ethiopian Airlines is Helen’s official transport sponsor.
The statement added: “It’s very exciting to have Ethiopia back competing at this event since the country has not been represented for the past few years.”
Last year, more than one billion TV viewers from across 190 countries witnessed the crowning of Leila Lopes from Angola as Miss Universe 2011.
Photos: Helen Getachew Represents Ethiopia at 2012 Miss Universe Contest in Las Vegas, NV Helen Getachew in her own words: “I would enjoy working for a nonprofit organization, but my dream in life is to create one myself.” (Missuniverse.com)
Speakers at 'Community Forum on Mental Health' held in Washington, DC on August 25, 2012. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tsedey Aragie
Published: Thursday, December 6, 2012
Washington, DC (TADIAS) – The issue of mental health and how we deal with it in our community has once again come to the forefront following a string of tragic incidents over the past year, including suicides and murders, that have saddened and shocked many families.
This past August I hosted a community forum in Washington, DC to learn from these tragedies and explore solutions. The gathering resulted in establishing an advocacy-group that was tasked to conduct research, come-up with needs assessment survey, and create outreach programs geared towards collaborating with organizations that work with professionals in the behavioral science fields, including educational institutions, as well as student associations.
I will be moderating a follow-up conversation on the topic next weekend as we continue the discussion surrounding the hidden mental illness crisis affecting members of the Ethiopian and Eritrean communities here in the U.S. The meeting is scheduled for Saturday December 15th at Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Neighborhood Library in D.C. We have some great speakers, but your feedback is going to be very valuable.
For those of you who live outside Washington, you can still partake via a conference call (see info below) or follow the discussion live online.
New York (TADIAS) – Hundreds of amnesty seekers in the United Arab Emirates are rushing into the Philippine consulate and the Consulate-General of Ethiopia on the first day of a two-month amnesty program for illegal residents.
According to Khaleej Times, one of UAE’s English daily newspapers, more than 200 amnesty seekers have reached the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO), located at the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai.
No official figures have been released regarding the number of Ethiopians that have come forward.
A Filipino woman named Cherry R. told the publication that she resigned from her job upon the demands of her company when she ran into trouble with several banks for delinquent accounts. “I wanted to leave the UAE but I was informed by a friend, who went to check with the police and the immigration on my behalf, that two banks had imposed a travel ban. Even at the time my father died, I could not go home. This amnesty is a great opportunity for me to go home or to legitimize my status,” she said.
“At the Ethiopian Consulate-General, Fananesh A. said she has been illegally staying in the UAE for five years, and though she wanted to go home, she could not go back due to travel ban from banks. “With this amnesty, I am looking forward to seeing my family again.”
The report added that her friend Abenet S. was absconding from her employer, which stopped her from leaving the country. “My father died and that day I cried for days because I could not go home. I felt I was put in a cage. Now is my time to go.”
File photograph from Ethiopia Reads fundraiser in New York on Thursday, December 15th, 2011. (Photo by Hannah Newbery)
Tadias Magazine
By Tigist Selam | Events News
Published: Tuesday, December 4, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – December is here and that means the Holiday season is upon us! Last year, I hosted a fundraiser here in New York for the Colorado-based non-profit organization, Ethiopia Reads, which focuses on projects to build libraries and encourage the culture of reading among children in Ethiopia.
The 2012 event will take place on Saturday, December 8th in Seattle, Washington. The evening’s program at Kings Hall, located in the Mount Baker neighborhood of southeast Seattle, will include entertainment, food (Ethiopian buffet dinner), cash-bar, raffles and much more.
—- If You Go
December 8, 2012
6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Kings Hall, 2929 – 27th Ave S.
Mount Baker, Washington 98144 Click here to order tickets and tables.
—- Related:
Below are photos from 2011 NYC fundraiser for Ethiopia Reads
Ethiopia Reads fundraiser, New York, Thursday, December 15th, 2011. (Photo by Hannah Newbery)
Tigist Selam (right) hosted the NYC gathering on Thursday, December 15th, 2011. (Photo by Hannah Newbery)
Ethiopia Reads fundraiser, New York, Thursday, December 15th, 2011. (Photo by Matt Andrea)
Abate Sebsibe and Model Gelila Bekele at the Ethiopia Reads fundraiser, New York, Thursday, December 15th, 2011. (Photo by Matt Andrea)
Singer/Songwriter Rachel Brown performing at the NYC Fundraiser for Ethiopia Reads held at the Dwyer Cultural Center on Thursday, December 15th, 2011. (Photo: By Hannah Newbery)
Singer Rachel Brown (center) with her parents, Amsale Aberra and Neil Brown, at the NYC Fundraiser for Ethiopia Reads held at the Dwyer Cultural Center on Thursday, December 15th, 2011. (Photo by Matt Andrea)
Ethiopia Reads fundraiser, New York, Thursday, December 15th, 2011. (Photo by Matt Andrea)
Ethiopia Reads fundraiser, New York, Thursday, December 15th, 2011. (Photo by Matt Andrea)
A children’s book on sale at the Ethiopia Reads fundraiser in New York, Thursday, December 15th, 2011. (Photo by Hannah Newbery)
Thank you cards at Ethiopia Reads fundraiser in New York, Thursday, December 15th, 2011. (Photo by Hannah Newbery)
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Photo from the movie Doctor Bello. (Courtesy of the African Diaspora International Film Festival)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Sunday, December 2, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – The 2012 African Diaspora International Film Festival is currently underway at various venues in New York City. The festival presents an eclectic mix of urban, classic, independent and foreign films that depict the diversity of the African diaspora.
“By placing the spotlight on innovative films that would otherwise be ignored by traditional venues, the [ADFF] offers a unique platform for conveying African Diaspora artistic styles and craft in film,” organizers said in a press release. “The African Diaspora Film Festival is a bridge between diverse communities looking for works that cannot be found in other festivals and talented and visionary filmmakers that are part of Africa and the African Diaspora.”
Moreover, organizers said post-screenings conversations with directors, writers, actors and producers provides valuable insight into their filmmaking approach. “By marking the methods that underscore the art of cinema, the Festival demystifies the traditionally “elite and exclusive” aura of the filming process,” the press release said. “These forums give rise to spontaneous and meaningful interaction between the featured artists and the audience.”
The festival was founded in 1993 by the husband and wife team of Reinaldo Barroso-Spech & Diarah N’Daw-Spech. He is an educator in foreign languages and Black Literature and she a financial consultant and university budget manager. “Our vision is to see an informed and talented community coming together to exchange ideas and strategies for improving our respective worlds,” the couple said in the statement. “Welcome to our future.”
—- If You Go: The 2012 African Diaspora International Film Festival is taking place at various locations in Manhattan, NYC, including The Thalia Cinema at Symphony Space, The NYIT Auditorium on Broadway, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The Cowin Center and Chapel at Teachers College, Columbia University and the Black Spectrum Theatre in Queens. Click here for schedule and tickets.
— Related: Untold Stories from African and the Diaspora Fall Film
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The Washington Post on the Ethiopian American Group “Artists for Charity”
When Abezash Tamerat, 31, an Ethiopian American artist, established her nonprofit group, Artists for Charity, in 2002, it was to help save a rape crisis center on the verge of losing funding.
But a year later, the focus of her group changed.
While visiting Ethiopia to learn more about where she came from, Tamerat met her young cousin, who was homeless and HIV positive. She tried placing him in various facilities, but they all had either reached capacity or turned him away because of his condition. When she eventually found a home for him, she noticed a bigger problem: Numerous children were battling similar struggles, once taken in by relatives only to be abused or abandoned because of their disease.
Tamerat returned to the United States with a greater sense of awareness and commitment to help Ethiopia. She continued having art events and, in 2005, Artists for Charity opened the Children’s Home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The crowd at Teddy Afro's concert in Washington D.C on Friday, November 23rd, 2012. (Photo by Matt Andrea for Tadias Magazine)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Friday, November 30, 2012
Washington, DC (TADIAS) – Teddy Afro performed for a sold-out crowd at Echostage in Washington D.C last Friday, accompanied by Abogida Band, and as part of his current world tour.
“There were thousands of people there,” says photographer Matt Andrea, who covered the event for TADIAS. “The place was packed.”
Below are photos from the event.
Teddy Afro’s concert at Echostage in Washington D.C on Friday, November 23rd, 2012. (Photo by Matt Andrea for Tadias Magazine)
Teddy Afro performing at Echostage in Washington D.C on Friday, November 23rd, 2012. (Photo by Matt Andrea for Tadias Magazine)
Teddy Afro at Echostage in Washington D.C on Friday, November 23rd, 2012. (Photo by Matt Andrea for Tadias Magazine)
Fans at Teddy Afro’s concert in D.C on Friday, November 23rd, 2012. (Photo by Matt Andrea for Tadias Magazine)
Tomás Doncker, right, with Selam Woldemariam and Mahmoud Ahmed. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
Art Talk
Published: Wednesday, November 28, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – We have previously featured Tomás Doncker highlighting his traveling musical production that pays tribute to Ethiopia’s role during World War II and featuring collaborative work with guitar legend Selam Woldemariam and singer Mahmoud Ahmed.
In the following interview with CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux, Tomás discusses his project and the people that influenced his music from Brooklyn to Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa – Call it a small step for a brand, but a giant leap for Ethiopian business. Shoemaker soleRebels, whose funky footwear is entirely designed and made in Ethiopia, set up its second overseas outlet in the Taiwanese city of Kaoshiung last month. The brand already operates a store in Vienna.
Boosting its international profile is a distinct possibility for soleRebels, which sells the world’s only Fair Trade-certified footwear. The fashionably designed sandals, slip-ons, lace-ups and boots are handmade and feature organic cotton linings. They’re environmentally friendly too: many of the products have soles made from recycled car tires, as does a lot of the everyday footwear found in Ethiopia. “We are working for change,” says CEO Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu. She started soleRebels in her mid-20s with five staff and a small workshop in her grandmother’s village of Zenabwork, outside Addis Ababa. Inspiration came from her homeland: poverty and unemployment indicated the need for new enterprises, and plentiful Ethiopian artisanal skills were indicative of unused talent. What won Alemu professional recognition and a string of awards, however, was her determination that soleRebels would subvert the image of Ethiopia so firmly established by the famines of 1984-5, and the international response of Band Aid and Live Aid. The brand’s foundation, says Alemu, is “trade not aid.” She adds: “We can produce and sell, and do it all by ourselves. We are not begging all the time.”
I was in Ethiopia last November for a monthlong assignment for The Times on art in Africa. The final leg of our trip sent us to Ethiopia, where we took a quick detour to the Simien Mountains, full of deep gorges and intricate mazes of canyons. The mountains are home to the gelada, sometimes called bleeding heart baboons because of a red patch on the chest of the males. (They are actually not baboons, though they are closely related.) They live exclusively on the short, tough grasses that grow on the Simiens’ slopes.
I guess the gelada are so used to visitors that they hardly notice people anymore. They move in large bands from one patch of grass to another, and you can walk alongside the group and watch a complete range of social behavior unfold right in front of you. You can see the delicate dance between male and female that defines their social structure, and watch the alpha males defend their territory and their harem from aggressors.
On my last morning there, I found one band grazing in a small field of grass near a cliff edge. After watching for about an hour in the field, I wandered over to the edge of the cliff and sat down to take in the view. Within about 20 minutes, the entire band of geladas had shifted positions and encircled me. It was as if I was just a part of the landscape.
Menna Mulugeta, who was born and raised in Germany, is one of only 32 singers remaining at this year's 'The Voice of Germany' talent competition. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Friday, November 23, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – While we wrap up the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, 21-year-old Menna Mulugeta is rehearsing for a musical talent competition in Berlin, Germany as part of The Voice of Germany reality singing contest, which is part of an international series created by Dutch television producer John de Mol.
In a statement emailed to Tadias Magazine, Menna said she is one of 32 singers remaining in the widely publicized TV show with millions of viewers.
Menna, who was born and raised in Germany, said she spent time in Ethiopia rediscovering her roots and honing her musical skills following her graduation from high school in 2011. She recently recorded her first album of original songs.
Regarding The Voice of Germany contest, she pointed out that she is now at the stage where “the television audience influences the results of the competition by voting for their favorites.”
Photo from last year's Artists for Charity annual holiday benefit event in D.C. (Courtesy of AFC)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Washington,D.C. (TADIAS) – For the past six years Artists for Charity (AFC), a D.C.-based non profit organization founded by Ethiopian American artists, has been gathering a network of volunteers and supporters for an evening of fun at their annual art auction to benefit a home for HIV positive orphans in Addis Ababa.
In a press release AFC said it will host this year’s event on Saturday, December 1st. “The benefit will be held on World AIDS Day and will feature artwork from local and international artists,” the organization said. “Artwork made by children from the AFC Children’s Home in Ethiopia will also be featured in the benefit.”
The AFC Children’s Home houses young people infected with HIV, who have lost both their parents. The home provides food, shelter, medical care, school fees and supplies for the children. AFC also has additional projects including an Artist-in-Residency program, which allows qualified volunteers to spend up to a year in Ethiopia while sharing their creative talents with AFC children.
“AFC was one of the first few places to accept children living with HIV in Ethiopia, with the strong belief that through love, support and access to good healthcare and treatment, these children would not only survive, but they would thrive,” the organization said in the press release. AFC noted that one of its first students is now in college.
— IF You Go:
AFC’s 6th Annual Holiday Benefit & Art Auction
Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 7:00 PM DC Architecture Center
421 7th St. NW Washington, DC 20004
To learn more about AFC visit www.artistsforcharity.org.
— Watch: Artists for Charity (AFC) Children’s Home – Their Story
Either by choice or circumstance, people find themselves relocating from one country to another. So often, we hear jaw-dropping statistics of millions of Africans living and working in North America...[but] how is the situation with Africans crossing borders within the same region or continent, to set up or take-up new business opportunities? (Ventures Africa)
BUT, how attractive is this country to young professionals from other African countries? I’m excited to chat with [Gamu Tagwireyi, Zimbabwean and Chernor Bah, Sierra Leonean] who relocated from two distinct countries to work in Addis Ababa.
Teddy Afro is slated to perform live at Echo Stage in Washington, D.C. today, November 23rd. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Friday, November 23, 2012
Washington, DC (TADIAS) – The day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States is the busiest shopping day of the year, but if you live near D.C. you are also lucky enough to enjoy a Teddy Afro concert today. Teddy is scheduled to perform live at Echostage tonight, as part of his current world tour entitled Wede Fiker with Abogida Band and in celebration of his famous song Tikur Sew.
Organizers say you can pick up advance tickets in Washington D.C. at Habesha Market and Carry-out as well as at Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant. For Virginia residents tickets are available at Skyline — Tenadam, Bati, Kera and Awash markets. And in Maryland, visit Arat Kilo Market.
— If You Go
Teddy Afro LIVE
November 23rd, 2012 At Echo Stage
Doors Open at 9:00
2135 Queens Chapel Road NE
Washington, DC 20018
For groups and VIP reservations: call 201.220.3442
Organised by: KMF, Massinko, and Addis VIBE
— Related: The Person Behind Teddy Afro’s Music Video ‘Tikur Sew’
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Zena Asfaw, the author of an upcoming book called "Asylum," speaks at a Los Angeles Press conference on Thursday, November 8th, 2012 calling on President Obama and the new Congress to pass immigration reform. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Saturday, November 17, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – Two days after President Obama was re-elected for a second-term, owing in large part to the support of young voters, minorities and immigrant communities, a rally and a press conference was held in Los Angeles, urging the President and the new Congress to pass immigration reform in 2013. Among the speakers who were invited by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) to address the gathering held on Thursday, November 8th was a political refugee from Ethiopia named Zena Tafesse Asfaw.
Zena knows a thing or two about forced migration. Zena’s own personal story is part of an upcoming book called Asylum, which details her painful and at times shockingly daring journey as a fugitive from her country, illegally criss-crossing three continents and several countries with forged documents — including Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and Mexico — before arriving to her final destination in the United States, where she sought and received asylum.
Parts of her tragic odyssey became public four years ago when she testified before the House Subcommittee on Immigration while looking into problems associated with medical care at various immigration-detention facilities in the United States. At the hearing that took place on June 4th, 2008, Zena recounted a near death experience during a five-month imprisonment in San Pedro, California while awaiting a decision on her petition for political asylum. She told Congress that she was forced by a nurse and guard to take the wrong medication that almost cost her life.
In a recent interview with Tadias Magazine, Zena said her stay in San Pedro was the most difficult aspect of her situation. “Prior to that I was on the road for more than a year, with very little money, without a home and in strange lands where I did not speak the language,” she said. “By the time I got to America, I was exhausted, too stressed, unable to sleep and was experiencing female health problems.” Zena added: “So I approached the medical unit for help. I was prescribed medication that was supposed to help me relax, two pills each night administered by the attending nurse. The medication was working fine for weeks until one day there was a different nurse on duty. This nurse gave me seven pills to take at the same time. The pills were different in color and bigger than my regular pills. I asked her if she was sure that those were my pills because I was supposed to take only two at night. She became angry and shouted loudly to swallow them. Then she instructed the security guard to check my mouth to make sure I did not hide the pills in my mouth. The guard used a flashlight to examine my mouth. That night I became very sick, I was shaking, sweating, and vomiting blood. I could not keep anything in my stomach. It would take me more than a month to recover. To make a long story short, I am certain that I was forced to take medications that was not mine.”
But Zena’s ordeal under the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the United States, is only the end-tail of a long and sad journey that began in Ethiopia in 2005. She was then a young woman in her 20′s training to become an airline ticketing and reservation agent, while working at USAID and living in the home of the country’s USAID director at the time.
When violence broke out in Addis Ababa following a controversial national elections, Zena says “I happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Zena added “I was doing errands along with the family driver. There was a lot of girgir (Chaos) in the city and many students were being arrested. I was crossing the streets towards the car, when a policeman shouted at me to get on my knees.” Zena continued: “After checking my mobile and finding a text message from a relative that he thought was a supporter of the opposition, I was arrested and taken to jail where I spent 12 days. Until then, I thought of myself as a very strong person. That day, however, I felt the world came crashing down on me.”
She said she was eventually released on a $10,000 bail signed by her uncle. “I was upset, I wanted to sue, I wanted justice, I wanted to do something,” she said. “My life in my own birth country could never be the same again.” She added: “In the end, I was advised by those who loved me that the best thing for me was to leave Ethiopia.”
And so begins her epic sojourn into exile with a car trip to the Kenyan border and then through a smuggler to South Africa where she obtains a fake passport for her travel across the ocean to São Paulo, Brazil, where she ends up in a hostel mostly crowded with African immigrants from Eritrea, Somalia and West African countries. Zena said she befriended two Eritreans there who had the same mission as she did: to get to the United States.
In an excerpt from her upcoming book, shared with Tadias Magazine, Zena notes that along the way she received financial and other assistance from her former employers in Ethiopia whom she kept in touch via occasional phone calls from the road.
In a chapter entitled On the road to Bolivia from Sao Paulo, while traveling with her new friends from Eritrea, Zena describes a dramatic scene in the mountains of Bolivia where their bus came under fire by rebels. “On the second day of our bus journey, all hell broke loose — the Bolivian guerrillas against the government forces emerged…men came out of the forest, from behind rocks, from nowhere with rifles and machine guns blazing,” She wrote. “We all ducked down in our seats and I crumpled up as tight and as close to the floor as possible. Bullets were whizzing overhead and men were shouting something in Spanish. I didn’t speak the language so I didn’t know what they were saying but it was angry and intense. In that blur of violence, I glanced to my left to see how the boys were. My one friend was flopping around in the aisle like a large fish out of water. At first, I thought he’d been hit by a bullet, but there was no blood. Then his friend said he was having a seizure.”
Zena said her Eritrean friends survived the incident as well, but she said they separated in Ecuador after the bus trip. “Both of them have finally made it to America.”
Zena, who currently works and lives in Los Angeles, gives a lot of credit to her attorney David Paz Soldan, with whom she connected by memorizing his number, which she discovered posted on a board inside a room where she was being questioned by immigration officers in L.A. after she turned herself in to airport security upon her arrival in the United States on November 15, 2006. “He manged to get asylum approved, he got me my work permit and my green card,” she said. “He is an incredible human being who never failed to give hope and always delivered on his promise.”
In his endorsement of Zena’s book, Mr. Soldan wrote: “Zena’s tale is the most tragic yet inspirational story that I have encountered in all my years as an immigration attorney. Her strength and perseverance in overcoming the insurmountable obstacles placed before her are an affirmation to the human spirit and her will to survive. I consider myself fortunate to have met Zena, and it is a pleasure to see her continue to grow and achieve her goals.”
— This article has been abridged from the original version.
Zena Asfaw can be reached at zenaasylum@yahoo.com.
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Metasebia Yoseph’s Transmedia Project: ‘A Culture Of Coffee’
Metasebia Yoseph, a student at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., is the writer and creative director of 'A Culture of Coffee' - a transmedia project highlighting the history and culture of coffee in Ethiopia. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Wednesday, November 14, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – Judging by her Amharic you wouldn’t guess that Metasebia Yoseph was born and raised in Washington, D.C. She is currently a graduate student at Georgetown University studying Communication, Culture and Technology and also the writer and creative director of a transmedia project called A Culture Of Coffee, which focuses on the development of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony and its significance within the culture.
“I try,” Metasebia said, humbly referring to her language skills and pointing out that she spent a year in Ethiopia working at the Institute of Ethiopian Studies’ Ethnographic Museum in Addis Ababa after graduating with a B.A. degree in Art History from the University of Maryland in 2008.
Metasebia said her stay in Ethiopia was what gave inspiration for the project. “I met people who produce artifacts, the Amharic Bible, and so many other things,” she said in a phone interview. “That experience very much impacted me in ways that encouraged me to build a bridge between my upbringing here and my Ethiopian heritage.” Metasebia added: “My parents are part of the first wave of Ethiopian immigrants to the United States. I am a first generation Ethiopian American. What better way to highlight that link than our rich and famous coffee culture?”
Metasebia is not waiting until graduation to get the ball rolling. “My partner and I have already registered an organization focusing on cultural development,” she said. “The corporation has been formed and we are in the process of getting our 501(c)3 status.”
According to Metasebia, the multimedia efforts will culminate in the production of an artful coffee table book in the near future, for which “I will be traveling to Ethiopia in December and finalizing research,” she said.
Metasebia recently launched a fundraising page for the coffee-table book project. She noted: “We are offering donors who give us $100 or more the opportunity to be mentioned in the upcoming Book: From Ethiopia With Love as a co-collaborator.”
— Click here to learn more and support the project.
Watch: A Culture of Coffee Launch Event at Kaffa Club
“Atletu (The Athlete)," produced and directed by Davey Frankel and Rasselas Lakew, is a tale of extraordinary determination and of a singular man, Abebe Bikila. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Aida Solomon
Updated: Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Los Angeles (TADIAS) – It is no secret that Ethiopia has produced some of the world’s greatest long distance runners. Rasselas Lakew’s independent film Atletu (The Athlete), pays tribute to the first runner that paved the way for generations of African athletes in the Olympic Games — the marathon hero Abebe Bikila.
Directed by Davey Frankel and Ethiopian-born Rasselas Lakew, Atletu, which was released in 2009, is currently featured as part of Film Festival Flix’s monthly theatrical series and an online platform that brings lesser-known movies to audiences around the country. Lakew, who co-wrote the script and also stars as the legendary runner, will attend the screenings along with the co-director.
In the film, Abebe Bikila is introduced to the audience well after his physical prime, while visiting family in Jato, Ethiopia in 1969. Driving a creaky Volkswagen on a dirt road, Bikila takes a literal and figurative drive down memory lane, passing through the breathtaking countryside of his childhood as actual footage of Bikila’s past races are juxtaposed together.
Bikila, who served as a member of the Imperial Bodyguard of Emperor Haile Selassie, became the first African to win a gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics, which he run barefoot, and setting into motion the legacy of long-distance running in Ethiopia. He won his second consecutive gold four years later in Tokyo in a new world record time, becoming the first athlete to win the Olympic marathon twice. The film’s archival footage highlights Bikila’s historic finish in Italy as he ran through the streets of Rome – passing by the stolen Ethiopian Obelisk monument while cruising to victory.
A symbolic slap in the face to Ethiopia’s former occupier, Italy, Bikila catapulted into international stardom. Several years after the Rome Olympics, however, Bikila realizes that other young stars from his country are conquering the sport. Atletu touches upon Bikila’s reckoning with being an aging legend in his country, as he focuses his attention on the upcoming 1972 Munich Games.
Unfortunately Bikila’s qualification for Munich is further deterred by a car accident that he suffers on his trip back to Addis Ababa from the countryside. Declared a quadriplegic, Bikila has to endure months of rehabilitation in the U.K., and his final race is never fulfilled.
Rasselas Lakew’s portrait of Bikila is stoic and understated, garnering him the “Best Actor” award from the 2011 Brooklyn Film Festival. Although Lakew studied Geology in college, he was drawn to filmmaking in the hopes of creating African narratives created by Africans. Lakew, who now lives and works in New York, took film-studies courses at Montana State University film school in the early 90′s. Lakew says Bikila’s remarkable story is a neglected one, a “man of the mountains” who “conquered Rome” with his bare feet.
With stunning cinematography, a memorable soundtrack, and archival footage that is sure to stir pride and please any heart, Atletu (The Athlete) is a modern ode to one of Ethiopia’s legendary heroes.
— Watch: Atletu (The Athlete) Movie Trailer
New York (TADIAS) – When the Ethiopian footwear company SoleRebels opened its first stand-alone retail store in Asia earlier month, becoming the first African brand of its kind to do so, the mayor of Kaoshiung, Taiwan’s second largest city, sent a bouquet of flowers welcoming the business to his town.
And according to SoleRebels’ CEO Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, customer reaction thus far has been just as enthusiastic.
“It’s been amazing,” she said. “People in Taiwan love the brand; they love the products, the look, the feel, and how we are presenting it to them. It’s fresh, exciting and very vital that they responded in kind.”
Bethlehem said the store opening anchors the company’s Asia retail rollout with a total of three Taiwan locations slated to open by end of 2012. “Our next Taiwan location will open in three weeks in Taichung,” she said. “This store will be about four times the size of the Kaoshiung store and will have some amazing surprises visually and from a merchandising perspective.”
Bethlehem added: “In about a month and a half we will open our first of two Singapore locations. And early next year, we will enter the booming Indonesian market. We also plan to open multiple U.S. locations in 2013 as well.”
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Founder & CEO of SoleRebels. (Courtesy photo)
The store features a variety of styles, including sandal, slip-ons and lace-ups with price points ranging from $50 USD to $95. The company’s eco-fashion shoes are produced using indigenous practices such as hand-spun organic cotton and artisan hand-loomed fabric. Recycled tires are also incorporated for soles. The end result is environmental-friendly and top quality, vegan footwear.
“Our business model centers on eco-sensibility and community empowerment,” Bethlehem said. “We are pleased to have such great customers around the world who love our brand and our products.”
Below is a slideshow of photos courtesy of SoleRebels from its store opening in Taiwan.
Although he’s only been playing for 10 years, Yirga is quite the sponge. His mix of folk vernacular and jazz improvisations in vintage Ethiopian tunes most recalls a similar folky fluency in South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, who likewise has no use for categories of high and popular art. Yirga ranges around even further on Guzo [his debut album] with his reworking of “I Am the Black Gold of the Sun,” originally recorded in 1971 by the group Rotary Connection. Yirga revitalizes the graceful beauty of the tune without going lush or sentimental. All that dates the track is the corny words, and those are handled with understatement by singers Nicolette and Mel Gara.
I didn’t expect Guzo to be one of the stronger arguments for the album format I’ve heard in quite a while, but it is. Yirga finds his way into Ethiopian standards, displays his flair for jazz over solo and ensemble pieces, and performs effortless homages to vintage soul, holding everything together with voracious talent that helps him savor each musical flavor. This is much more impressive when Yirga develops momentum and unity over the course of 11 tracks that show how much more he is than his parts.
Be sure to check out Yirga’s website for extra music and videos, particularly a vibrant live recording in London. Those who want to hear him as part of a band should explore his work with the group Dub Colossus. And anyone who wants to know more about Ethiopian music in general should grab the recent anthology The Rough Guide to the Music of Ethiopia, which includes classics from the Golden Age as well as Samuel Yirga and other adventurous moderns. While the Golden Age of Ethiopian music is in the past, a new one may be beginning.
New York (TADIAS) – If you followed our election coverage this week, you may have noticed the name Gediyon Kifle under the photo credit section of some of the photographs. The photojournalist will appear as a guest speaker this weekend at a lecture series sponsored by Leica Camera in Washington, D.C.
Gediyon will present how he incorporates his inert decisiveness to capture compelling images in a talk entitled Making a Moment Decisive.
According to the event’s announcement: “Gediyon will be discussing both the images captured as well as the moments that got away, which continue to fuel his creative energy.”
— If You Go:
Gediyon Kifle: Making a Moment Decisive
Sunday November 11, 2012
First Lecture: 12pm – 2pm
Second Lecture: 3pm – 5pm
Limited to 40 participants for each time slot.
Please e-mail RSVP@leica-store-dc.com preferred time. Leica Store Washington DC
977 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004 ,
Northwest
202-787-5900
What Does the Re-Election of Obama Mean for U.S.-Ethiopia Relations?
New York (TADIAS) – U.S.-Africa relations was not part of the conversation in the 2012 U.S. Presidential elections, but what does the re-election of President Barack Obama mean for American diplomacy with Ethiopia?
“The election campaign had almost nothing to do with African issues,” said David H. Shinn, former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia. “As a result, I don’t see the re-election of President Obama and the new Congress, which is little changed, having much impact on US-Africa or US-Ethiopia relations.”
According to Shinn once the United States deals with the looming fiscal crisis, we will see more attention focused on Africa by the Obama Administration, including “a major visit” to the continent. “Kenya will certainly be on the list,” Ambassador Shinn said. “The other countries will be selected based on their progress with democratization and economic development in that order.”
Ambassador Shinn, who is currently an Adjunct Professor of International Affairs at The George Washington University in Washington, DC and a frequent commentator on East African Affairs, added: “Assignments in the Senate and House on committees related to Africa will be important, but I don’t see much change there either.”
Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam, who teaches political science at California State University, San Bernardino, and a contributor to various Ethiopian websites, said although he is one of many Ethiopians who have been disappointed by the Obama administration’s ‘see-no-evil’ approach to Ethiopia, he nevertheless was pleased by the Ethiopian American voter participation in the 2012 elections as well as by the re-election of President Obama.
“I fully supported President Obama’s re-election despite lingering disappointments over his administration’s policy of willful blindness to flagrant human rights violations in Ethiopia,” Professor Alemayehu said. “But I believe in a second term he will vigorously pursue a foreign policy agenda that balances America’s global strategic interests with its commitment to promote the values of freedom, democracy and human rights in Africa and elsewhere.”
He added: “I was glad to see a healthy and civil debate among Ethiopian Americans on whether to support President Obama or Gov. Romney. In America, we have the constitutional right to vote, organize and express ourselves without fear or penalties. I agree wholeheartedly with the president’s election night speech regarding the value of a vigorous and civil debate in a democracy: “These arguments [over the direction of the country] we have are a mark of our liberty. We can never forget that as we speak people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter, the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.” I remember with great sadness that in November 2005, hundreds of Ethiopians lost their lives and thousands were imprisoned for peacefully challenging what they believed to be theft of an election and the silencing of the voices of dissent and democratic opposition in Ethiopia since that time. I am very pleased to see the high level of excitement, enthusiasm and participation of young Ethiopian Americans in this election. Nearly one-fifth of President Obama’s support came from young people. It is heartening to see that young Ethiopians are an important part of the youth vote.”
Ambassador Shinn said he is optimistic that a more robust form of democracy will eventually take root in Ethiopia as well, but that initiative must come from the Ethiopian side. “With a new government in Ethiopia and a government in Washington with a new lease on life that is committed to encouraging democratic principles, I am hopeful there will be progress in Ethiopia,” he said. “But this depends more on Ethiopia than it does the United States.”
Former Ethiopian opposition leader Judge Birtukan Midekssa, who is currently a visiting fellow at Harvard University Law School (President Obama’s alma mater), noted she’s appreciative of “the dynamic” nature of the democratic culture in the United States. “What is impressive is that the deep commitment of the American people to various institutions of their country, their willingness to play by the same rules when it comes to conducting elections, and the enormous value they give to the whole process. In my opinion, these are all part and parcel of what is at the epicenter of this remarkable achievement,” she said. “I think all the candidates, campaign volunteers of both sides and everyone involved deserve to be congratulated for making the election a success.”
Birtukan highlighted: “As it was the case in most of the previous elections, the US presidential race of this year also encourages and inspires multitudes around the world, including Ethiopia that is laboring to give birth to democracy in its own unique national color. It is my strong expectation that President Obama and his administration would renew their commitment to show more solidarity with the people in the African continent as outlined in his Accra speech at the beginning of his first-term.”
For Ayele Bekerie, an Associate Professor of History and Cultural Studies at Mekelle University in Ethiopia and a scholar of African and African American studies, the re-election of Obama is a vindication for Obama’s historic presidency. “Obama wins and that means Americans have accepted his leadership,” he said. “The voters have given Obama a second chance and he has to perform now. I believe his election is good news for U.S.-Ethiopia relations.”
We called the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C seeking input from Ambassador Girma Birru for this article. The Ambassador was unavailable to comment. We will update the story when we receive a response.
— Related: President Obama Wins Second Term
Video: Watch the world reacts to Obama’s victory (NBC News)
President Obama with first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha in Chicago on Wednesday, November 7th. (Getty Images)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Thursday, November 8, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States and the first African American to hold the office, has been re-elected for a second term.
Mr. Obama defeated his Republican challenger, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, after a long, hard-fought and one of the most expensive presidential campaigns in American history.
President Obama secured victory in the swing states of Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, Iowa and New Hampshire that put him over the top in the final electoral vote count.
Television networks declared the election in the president’s favor shortly after polls closed in all 50 states late Tuesday night on November 6th.
Governor Mitt Romney called to congratulate Mr. Obama on his re-election before addressing supporters gathered at his campaign headquarters in Boston. “I wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady and their daughters,” Governor Romney said in brief remarks. “This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.”
President Obama delivered his acceptance speech in his hometown of Chicago. “Tonight in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back,” the president told a waiting country in the wee hours of early Wednesday morning. “We know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.”
— Related: What Does the Re-Election of Obama Mean for U.S.-Ethiopia Relations?
Watch: Obama’s Triumphant Return to Washington (NBC News)
New York (TADIAS) – As Ethiopian Americans prepare to cast their ballots in the 2012 presidential election on Tuesday, regardless of the choice of candidate, we urge our readers who have not voted early to vote on November 6th and to exercise their citizenship right to participate in the democratic process.
Four years ago when we backed Barack Obama for President, we were motivated not only by the historic nature of the 2008 election, but also by the enthusiastic, grassroots activism that his candidacy had generated in our community. Although we cannot agree with every decision that the Obama administration has made in the last four years, both domestic and foreign, there can be no doubt that the Ethiopian Diaspora’s contribution to the American tapestry has received more national attention in the same period than at any previous time in history, both through appointments to key administration positions as well as honoring innovators and high achieving professionals.
President Obama could do better to articulate and encourage the culture of free press, government transparency and accountability in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa. However, it is ultimately our responsibility as citizens to make our voices heard. Regardless of who wins this election, we hope that political activists in our community tone down the non-constructive criticism that prevents all of us from responsibly engaging in the democratic system.
Broadly speaking President Obama’s accomplishments have been impressive, including the passage of the most sweeping health care reforms since 1965, preventing another “Great Depression” and saving the American automobile industry from demise. The economy that was on a doomsday downward spiral when he took office in 2009 has rebounded to a positive territory with the latest jobs report showing “persistent economic growth.”
Most importantly we believe President Obama has remained true to the spirit of his historic 2008 campaign to be a leader of the people, by the people for the people. It goes without saying that President Obama has earned our vote. We urge Ethiopian Americans to support his re-election!
—- Video: Watch President Obama makes his Case in Ohio
Former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was remembered at a memorial service held at the legendary Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on Saturday, October 27, 2012. In the following article posted on his blog, former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia David Shinn, who attended the ceremony, strongly condemned what a he called "disrespectful remarks usually by anonymous individuals" on certain Ethiopian websites, and a protest in bad taste by "a very small group," directed at the current United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Elizabeth Rice, for paying a personal tribute to the late Ethiopian PM. (Photo: Getty Images)
Together with three other former U.S. ambassadors to Ethiopia, I attended the memorial service for Meles Zenawi on 27 October 2012 at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in the Harlem section of New York. Among the persons who made remarks were Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, and Susan Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
I was saddened by some of the vituperative and just plain disrespectful remarks (usually by anonymous individuals) that subsequently appeared on Ethiopian websites in response to the remarks of Ambassador Rice. While I was not invited to make remarks, I have no doubt that whatever I might have said would also have been harshly criticized by these same individuals. Like Ambassador Rice, I have disagreed both as a representative of the U.S. government and as a private individual with some of the policies of Prime Minister Meles. But in spite of these disagreements, I always respected Meles as a person and the office that he held.
The event at the Abyssinian Baptist Church was a memorial to a deceased person; it was not a political rally. It was the wrong time and place to express such hostility. But lest the readers of the hostile blog postings think this was a major protest rally, let me make one point crystal clear. I walked from my hotel in Harlem to the Church on Saturday morning and passed across the street from all SIX protesters at fifteen minutes before nine, when the service began. At the conclusion of the service I returned to my hotel at about noon. The number of protestors had grown to between ten and twelve. Perhaps there were several more present when the service was underway and they decided to leave before noon. But this was a very small group of protestors.
As for the remarks made by Ambassador Rice, I urge that you read them yourself and make up your own mind. Click here to access them.
In the 12 hours after this posting as Hurricane Sandy hits the Mid-Atlantic and New England region, some 1,700 persons have read this item and 12 of you responded. Some of the replies agreed with me; others did not. Since none of the responses contained truly offensive language, I posted all 12 without editorial change. (I will not post responses that contain offensive language. I also congratulate those of you who have the courage to include your name.)
The memorials to Meles are over. New Ethiopian leaders are in place. I deeply hope the new team will open the political process in Ethiopia. At a minimum, it deserves in my humble opinion as an outside observer a chance to demonstrate how it can serve the people of Ethiopia.
Elias Wondimu, second from left, accepted the award on behalf of Reeyot Alemu at the International Women's Media Foundation's annual Courage in Journalism awards luncheon on October 24, 2012 in New York. (Photo: Award recipients, from left, Asmaa al-Ghoul, Zubeida Mustafa and Khadija Ismayilova/by Stan Honda/IWMF)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Monday, October 29, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – Several years ago in Addis Ababa, when a young, idealistic woman named Reeyot Alemu, who was working as a high school English teacher, began contributing part-time to local independent newspapers and writing mostly opinion articles that were critical of various government policies, she knew that she could potentially upset those in power. Reeyot, however, had no idea that her courage would one day earn her prestigious international recognition, albeit while in Kality prison.
Reeyot, now 31, is currently serving a five-year term on terror charges, and was among four women who where honored last week by the International Women’s Media Foundation for their courageous work in journalism. Reeyot, a former columnist for the the publications Awramba Times (now in exile and online) and the Amharic weekly Feteh (now blocked), was given the 2012 “Courage in Journalism” award at a ceremony held in Manhattan on Wednesday, October 24th.
“When I nominated Reeyot for the Award, I wanted to show the face of courage in her, so that girls in our country will not be discouraged from becoming a voice to the voiceless,” said Elias Wondimu, who accepted the award on her behalf and read a letter penned by her for the occasion.
“When I became politically aware, I understood that being a supporter or member of the ruling party is a prerequisite to living safely and to get a job,” Reeyot wrote in a letter sent from prison. “I knew I would pay the price for my courage and was willing to pay the price.”
Mohammed Ademo, a New York-based freelance journalist, who is the Co-founder and Editor-In-Chief of OPride.com, as well as a graduate student at Columbia University, attended the luncheon and covered the ceremony for the Columbia Journalism Review.
“I thought the event was great. The courageous journalists honored here today inspire all of us who are in the business of storytelling,” Ademo told Tadias Magazine. “These are but few of those brave souls who are committed to exposing corruption, informing the public, and holding autocratic regimes accountable, often at a great personal peril.” Ademo continued: “This award means so much to journalists like Reeyot Alemu, who are silenced for simply speaking truth to power.”
In his widely publicized interview with Voice of America last month, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn took a hardline stance on the subject, strongly defending the continued imprisonment of a number of journalists. “Our national security interest cannot be compromised by somebody having two hats,” PM Hailemariam said, echoing the official claims, which accuses the prisoners of being “double-agents” for terrorist organizations. “We have to tell them they can have only one hat which is legal and the legal way of doing things, be it in journalism or opposition discourse, but if they opt to have two mixed functions, we are clear to differentiate the two,” the PM told VOA’s Peter Heinlein.
“How on earth can we compare a person who criticizes a government’s policy through writing and accuse them of being terrorists?” Elias asked.
Ademo said: “Reeyot’s only crime is carrying out her journalistic responsibility, being a voice for the voiceless. I wish her good health, perseverance, and peace of mind.”
Elias added: “Due to lack of proper training, our journalists are not and can not be perfect, but the way to remedy this should not be criminalizing their perceived mistakes, but to correct and educate them.”
Reeyot’s former colleague, the award-winning exiled journalist Dawit B. Kebede – Managing Editor of Awramba Times, said, for him, the award is personal. “I am very happy for Reeyot and for many reasons,” Dawit said in a phone interview. “But the number one reason is because Reeyot deserves it. This award is an important recognition not only of Reeyot’s personal struggles, but it is also a way to inspire young people to understand the unfairness of silencing those with critical voices.” Dawit added: “It also encourages those that are incarcerated along with her, including my friend Wubishet Taye, Deputy Editor of Awramba Times, and Eskinder Nega.”
Dawit pointed out that Wubishet had applied for pardon at the same time as the recently released two Swedish journalists, Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye, but was not granted similar clemency. “In my opinion, it was the most discriminatory and shameful pardon process,” Dawit said. “As an Ethiopian it is embarrassing to bypass your own people because they happen not to be backed by powerful Western influence. So the foreigners receive forgiveness, but not the Ethiopians.”
Reeyot Alemu, recipient of the 2012 Courage in Journalism Award. (Photo: International Women’s Media Foundation)
Regarding Reeyot, Mohamed Keita, Africa Advocacy Coordinator for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said this Ethiopian is now part of an exclusive club of extraordinary women whose life stories are seen as role models for young people around the world. “With the IWMF award, the world’s leading women journalists are embracing Reeyot Alemu as one of their own,” Keita said. “The Courage in Journalism award validates Reeyot’s legitimate right to write critically about her government and its policies, as she did, and recognizes not only the injustice of her imprisonment but her improbability as a terrorist suspect.”
For former judge Birtukan Midekssa, who is currently the Eleanor Roosevelt Fellow at Harvard University Law School with a joint appointment at W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, Reeyot is both a friend and an inspiration.
“It took me only a short while to get fascinated by her defiant spirit and her determination to be true to herself — both as journalist and as a responsible citizen — after I came to know my good friend Reeyot,” Birtukan said. “It is obvious that she did not commit any offence that could lead to lock her up except saying no to the menace of EPRDF government to silence her journalistic voice while it intensifies its forceful coercion against Ethiopian citizens.” She added: “She fiercely opposed the unacceptable authoritarianism which pervades the political sphere; she criticized the officials for incarcerating political prisoners including myself; she shed light on unaccountable and irresponsible transactions of the government.”
Birtukan said it is particularly striking to her that Reeyot knew in advance what she was getting into. “But she chose to bear the consequence instead of refraining from freely expressing herself,” she said. “Though it is enormously painful for me to see her young life confined by illegitimate use of government power.”
Birtukan added: “Her persistence, strength, courage and the international recognition she earned as a result, lead me to have more faith in Ethiopian youth that they will take charge of the destiny of our nation to eventually lead it to free and prosperous life.”
Government officials maintain all the jailed journalists have broken the law and are guilty of the crimes under which they were convicted.
The International Women’s Media Foundation has honored imprisoned Ethiopian journalist Reeyot Alemu with its 2012 Courage in Journalism Award. Reeyot, who is currently serving a five year term on terror charges, is among four international female writers and reporters recognized at a ceremony held in New York on Wednesday, October 24th. (Photo: IWMF)
NEW YORK — A columnist imprisoned under Ethiopia’s controversial anti-terrorism laws, an Azerbaijani investigative radio reporter who had surveillance cameras planted in her apartment and a Palestinian blogger who has been beaten and tortured for reporting on abuses and protests in Gaza each received Courage in Journalism awards Wednesday from a women’s media group.
Alemu, 31, is serving a five-year-prison sentence in Ethiopia for the communication of a terrorist act. The IWMF said the only evidence presented against her at trial were articles she wrote criticizing the government and telephone conversations she had regarding peaceful protests. She was initially sentenced in January to 14 years in prison but the sentence was reduced later this year when most of the terrorism charges against her were dropped.
Elias Wondimu, an exiled Ethiopian journalist, accepted the award on Alemu’s behalf and read a handwritten letter she penned from prison.
“When I became politically aware, I understood that being a supporter or member of the ruling party is a prerequisite to living safely and to get a job,” Alemu wrote in the letter. “I knew I would pay the price for my courage and was willing to pay the price.”
Bronx resident Buzunesh Deba at the end of a morning training session at Fort Washington Park in Manhattan on Saturday, October 20th, 2012. (Photo by Jason Jett for Tadias Magazine)
New York (TADIAS) – Having come so close to winning last year’s New York City Marathon, finishing second by a mere four seconds, Buzunesh Deba will be chasing victory again in one of the world’s greatest marathons which eluded her and instead was grasped by Ethiopian compatriot Firehiwot Dado a year ago.
Firehiwot, who pulled away from Buzunesh over the last 200 yards of the 26.2 miles event, will not defend her crown this year after withdrawing from the race last week with what her manager said was a foot injury.
This time around Buzunesh faces 2012 London Olympics marathon winner Tiki Galena and 2011 World Marathon Champion Edna Kiplagat of Kenya, among a deep elite international field.
This will be Buzunesh’s fourth New York City Marathon; she finished seventh in 2009 and 10th in 2010. A resident of the Bronx, she will be a hometown favorite and she knows the course well.
She also knows most of her competition — both their faces and their paces. There is no awe or intimidation when she speaks of the other elite runners, only self-confidence and the conviction that if she runs as well as she is capable she will win.
“I believe I will win, it is my dream,” said Buzunesh. “God will decide.”
She trains diligently, some say maniacally, six days a week, but she says the seventh day she devotes to attending St. Mary of Zion Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church in Yonkers, New York. An Orthodox Christian, her bedroom is decked with illustrations of the Virgin Mary. And, born in the Asela region of Ethiopia, Buzunesh said: “When I am running, and I get tired, I call on God,” she said. “That is my power.”
Buzunesh has trod through some valleys since her podium finish a year ago in Central Park. She spent the winter training at altitude in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was accompanied by her husband Worku Beyi, who is also her coach and manager. Their relocation was made easier by sharing living quarters and training schedules with friends Genna Tufa, Serkalem Abrha and Atalelech Asfaw — all among a group of Ethiopian runners who left New York for the benefits of living and training at high altitude.
Returning to New York in April, Buzunesh was poised to stake her claim at a World Marathon Majors championship by following her second-place finish in New York with a win at the Boston Marathon. (Top-finishers in the New York City, Boston, Chicago, London and Berlin marathons compete for the $500,000 prize awarded every two years.)
Training had gone well winter into spring leading up to Boston. However, after completing her final pre-marathon track workout just days before the race Buzunesh miss-stepped, turning an ankle, as she walked off the synthetic surface and onto the stadium infield.
Neither prayer nor treatment could chase away the pain in time for Buzunesh to compete in the Boston Marathon. Ultimately, she was not able to return to running until mid-summer. Unable to train, Buzunesh became a spectator of the sport as she followed the race results of her friends and rivals during sleepless nights.
“When I am training, I go to bed early,” she said. “But when I could not run I would be up two and three o’clock in the morning on my computer.”
Buzunesh finally resumed training in August, and competed for the first time this year at the Rock n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon on Sept. 16. She finished eighth, in a time of 1:14:54.
The result was mind-boggling to running experts, fellow competitors and even enthusiasts: Buzunesh had run 1:09:18 over the half-marathon distance in winning the 2011 Rock n’ Roll San Diego Marathon in 2:23:31. Yet she ran five minutes slower over an equally fast Philadelphia course (Sharon Cherop of Kenya won the race in 1:07:19, followed by Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia in 1:07:44.).
Buzunesh was disappointed, of course. And Worku did a bit of head-scratching before reasoning it was simply a bad day.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “I saw her that day and she looked heavy.”
“She was not able to run fast that day, but she had had only six weeks of training at the time,” he added. “She will have had six more weeks before New York.”
There are critics that doubt Buzunesh will be competitive this year, let alone win. They point to Philadelphia, and note that she has barely raced this year.
“Look at her Philadelphia Rock n’ Roll results,” said Hicham EL Mohtadi, an agent-manager of runners based in New York City including Ethiopian Mekides Bekele. “She had lots of time off from competing on a high level due to injury. She still is not at full-force. I don’t see her being a factor in this year’s marathon.”
Mohtadi noted that despite these issues he is still rooting for Buzunesh. He added: “Though I’d love to see her win it because she’s a dear friend and a lovely young lady.”
Bill Staab, president of West Side Runners New York, which supports a large number of Ethiopian runners in the city, said Worku is the best barometer of Buzunesh’s chances.
“Due to her foot injury last April and the fact that her time at the Rock n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon was not up to her PR (personal record), it is hard to judge her chances.” he said. “But we all know Buzunesh trains with fervor.”
Buzunesh’s resilience has been further tested in recent weeks. Worku’s father died in early October, and there were several days of mourning. The funeral in Ethiopia took her husband and coach away from their marathon training for several more days.
And then there are the stomach cramps that Buzunesh said contributed to her being unable to hold the lead after pulling Firehiwot Dado along in overtaking Mary Keitany of Kenya at the 25-mile mark last year in New York. Firehiwot would pass Buzunesh in the final mile, and Keitany finished third. (Keitany, who won the 2012 London Marathon and was fourth in the London Olympics marathon, is not competing this year in New York.).
“She gets cramps after some workouts,” a concerned Worku said of his wife. “There is pain, and sometimes she throws up.”
Buzunesh hopes the problem does not recur during the marathon. She knows from training runs of 24 miles in Central Park and 26 miles on the New York Greenway along the Hudson River that she can cover the marathon distance without such pain.
And, she has her own belief-system for support. Buzunesh radiates a confidence steeped in humility. She does not boast, or deride other runners; she simply believes in herself. It is a belief rooted in her faith, which she takes as much care recharging every Sunday as she does her body following training sessions other days of the week.
Having a husband who is a good cook helps when it comes to revitalizing the body. A training-table dinner last week in the Buzunesh and Worku’s home, an apartment in Kingsbridge, consisted of a salad of green leaf, tomatoes, avocados, green peppers and oil-vinegar dressing, a vegetable medley of carrots, potatoes and broccoli, halved hard-boiled eggs and chunks of white-meat chicken.
While Buzunesh and Worku prefer traditional Ethiopian cuisine, or injera, they eschew it during training season in favor of lighter fare. Vitamin bottles and other supplements cover a tabletop in their home. Buzunesh noted she takes supplements when she remembers — indicating with her face and hands that often she does not. However, she is more reliant on the energy-electrolyte drinks that Worku prepares before and after workouts.
Buzunesh and Worku occasionally can be spotted running in Central Park or Riverside Park, but the bulk of work occurs at their favorite training site — Rockefeller State Park in Tarrytown, NY. Van Cortlandt Park, near their home, is their most-frequented site given its proximity.
They elected not to train at altitude for this marathon, having decided sufficient benefits can be gained simply through hard and smart training in New York. That belief has Buzunesh undaunted by Galena, Misikir Mekonnen and Kenyan runners coming directly from high altitude to compete in New York.
Hours after Buzunesh finished the 2011 New York City Marathon, reporters and photographers gathered around her and Worku following a news conference in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at Columbus Circle. Hugging his wife, a beaming Worku held up his other hand leaving scant daylight between the thumb and index finger.
“She came this close,” he said. “She made a little mistake. We will correct it for next year.”
On Nov. 4, 2012 the couple will learn whether or not they were successful in making the necessary correction.
—- Below are slideshow of photos taken during Buzunesh’s morning training session on Saturday, October 20th, 2012.
Photo courtesy of the London-based non-profit organization BCE (Battling Cancer in Ethiopia).
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Monday, October 22, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – While October is designated as international Breast Cancer Awareness Month, cancer screening in Ethiopia is almost nonexistent, says cancer survivor Mrs. Tsige Birru-Benti, who is one of the founders of BCE (Battling Cancer in Ethiopia), a U.K. based charity organization that promotes early cancer screening in Ethiopia as well as raises funds for the Black Lion Hospital Cancer Center in Addis Ababa.
“The short term objective is to equip the Oncology Unit of the Black Lion Hospital (BLH) by raising fund to buy CT Simulators that benefit cancer treatment planning,” Tsige said. “The long term objective is to work with other institutions in Ethiopia to create awareness among the urban and rural population regarding the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.”
According to Tsige the Oncology Unit at BLH currently has approximately 6,000 cancer patients, with only 3 specialist doctors. “Every year the unit takes at least 2,000 newly diagnosed patients but the waiting time to start treatment is usually more than 6 months,” she said. “In the meantime a large number of patients die without any help or any source of pain relief.”
As to her own battle with the disease, Tsige shared: “Being a cancer survivor, I can testify to the suffering that I went through and what it means to be relieved from pain and the importance of proper medical care. In January 2010, I was diagnosed with Lymphoma B-Cell grade 2 cancer. Being in London, where facilities are in place my treatment was on the fast track and commenced within a month. I went through 6 cycles of chemotherapy and 2 cycles of Rituximab. At the end of July 2010 I had finished all my medical treatment and thank God now I am enjoying good health once again.”
Tsige said her wish is for all cancer patients in Ethiopia to have the same access to professional medical care as she did during her illness in England. “There is a lack of awareness about cancer in Ethiopia compared to other chronic diseases that are widely publicized. Therefore, when people begin to develop symptoms, more often than not, they tend to resort to traditional medicine.”
Regarding BCE, she added: “We plan to knock on every door to spread cancer awareness in Ethiopia and raise funds to reach our goal. As the Amharic saying goes ‘hamsa lomi leand sew shekmu new lehamsa sew gen getu new‘ (50 lemons are a load for one individual but for 50 individuals each lemon is like an accessory). This is what is required of Ethiopians worldwide, to be united as hand-to-a-glove for this project.”
— We commend Tsige on her initiative for better cancer screening and services and encourage you to visit the BCE website to learn more.
Ethiopians Come Long Way, Then Go to Win Atlantic City Marathon
Berhanu Mekonen crosses the Boardwalk finish line to win the 54th Atlantic City Marathon in i2 hours, 22 minutes, 55.54 seconds Sunday. ‘This course is a bit hard and windy,’ Mekonen said of a layout that began and ended on the city’ s seaside wooden planks. (Press of Atlantic City)
ATLANTIC CITY – Four years ago, Berhanu Mekonen might not have chosen the Atlantic City Marathon for his first marathon since moving to the United States from Ethiopia.
But the once-struggling event is again among the nation’s premier races.
Mekonen won the 54th Atlantic City Marathon and fellow Ethiopian Gedese Edeto was the women’s champion Sunday. The event, which also included a half-marathon Sunday and a 10K (6.2 miles), 5K and kids 1-mile run Saturday, drew about 4,000 entrants.
The Ethiopian contingent, which included several runners besides Mekonen and Edeto, was evidence of the resurgence of the nation’s third-longest-running marathon, which was taken over in 2009 by the Milton and Betty Katz Jewish Community Center in Margate.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The inaugural Colors of the Nile International Film Festival (CNIFF) will run in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 7-11 November 2012, introducing the best of African cinema to African audiences. The festival will screen 58 titles, all of which will be African, East African or Ethiopian premieres. Films in competition were submitted from Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia.
“We’re very proud of our lineup,” says CNIFF president Abraham Haile Biru, a two-time Best Cinematographer winner at FESPACO for Darrat (Dry Season) and Abouna (Our Father). “The titles show that a new wave of modern African cinema is coming of age; they present a new vision of the continent and its creativity.”
An overview of the 50th anniversary African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as seen on May 25, 2013. (Photo courtesy AU Commission)
