Above:(L-R) Natalia Rodriguez (Spain) takes silver, Kalkidan
Gezahegne (ETH) the gold, and Gelete Burka takes the bronze
in the Women’s 1500m Final. (Getty Images)
Ethiopia did take another women’s 1500m title, but the gold didn’t go to defending champion Gelete Burka.
Running with the grit and determination of a seasoned veteran, 18-year-old Kalkidan Gezahegne effortlessly kicked past Burka and Spaniard Natalia Rodriguez to become the youngest woman to ever win a World indoor title.
“I was hesitating to attack after falling down in the heats,” said Gezahegne, whose tumble to the track and brave run to victory was perhaps the major highlight on the opening day of competition. “At the end my finish was enough.”
Her spectacular comeback in the heats already displayed to the world the determination of Gezahegne, who at 18 years and 310 days old, outdid a very familiar name as the youngest ever World indoor champion: Gabriela Szabo of Romania who won her first 3000m title in 1995 when she was 19 years and just under four months old. That was a stat, though, that Gezahegne didn’t think about much at all.
“Thank you for telling me,” she said. “That is an excellent feeling.” An excellent feeling to match a finely executed race. Read More.
Al Amoudi Drops to 64th Place in Forbes List of Richest People
Above: In Forbes annual list of the world’s richest people, Al
Amoudi this year ranks 64th – down from his 43 place listing
last year – but his net worth increased by one billion dollars
in 12 months.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Friday, March 12, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Ethiopian-born tycoon Mohammed Al Amoudi ranks 64th in Forbes magazine’s new annual list of the World’s wealthiest people.
He is tied with five other billionaires with an estimated net worth of 10 billion dollars, up from his $9 billion and 43rd place in the 2009 ranking.
Al Amoudi, who amassed his wealth in construction and real estate in Saudi Arabia before investing on energy, now counts half of his money from his oil investments in Sweden with ownership of Svenska Petroleum and Swedish refinery Preem, according to Forbes.
“Started investing in Sweden in 1974; stakes there now comprise half his fortune: Preem operates two refineries; Svenska Petroleum produces crude oil in the North Sea and west Africa,” the magazine reports. “Construction company Midroc operates in Europe, Africa and Middle East. In recent years completed estimated $30 billion contract with Saudi Arabia to build vast underground oil storage caverns.”
The publication also notes that the self-made businessman has a small fortune invested in his birth country: “Born in Ethiopia to Saudi father and Ethiopian mother, Al-Amoudi claims to be investing more than $3 billion into Ethiopian agriculture and industry with the aim of modernizing farming and eventually exporting much of the output to Saudi Arabia. Also owns mine in Ethiopia that puts out 5 tons of gold a year.”
—-
Above:An opposition candidate for Ethiopia’s Parliament was
stabbed to death (last) Tuesday in what opposition leaders said
was part of a widening campaign of repression ahead of May
elections. (NYT)
Voice of America
By Howard Lesser
The stabbing death of an opposition candidate in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region is raising new calls for an inquiry and an easing of 2009 repressive legislation that critics say is restraining political activity in the weeks leading up to this year’s 23 May general elections. Opposition figures contend that last week’s slaying of candidate Aregawi Gebreyohannes by five men at his home in Shire has aroused fears of a recurrence of 2005 post-election violence. As many as 200 protesters were killed five years ago by security forces, and thousands of others were arrested for challenging the results of a disputed nationwide vote. Senior East Africa Researcher Leslie Lefkow of human rights watch says that Aregawi Gebreyohannes’ slaying last Monday night was most likely politically motivated. Read more.
Above: The non-profit “A Glimmer of Hope” prefers to cluster
its projects and to identify priority needs by encouraging the
input and concerns of the local community in Ethiopia.
Tadias Magazine
Interview by Tseday Alehegn
Published: Monday, March 8, 2010
New York (Tadias) – When we spoke to Eric Schmidhauser last November about his work with the non-profit organization A Glimmer of Hope, he was on his way to Ethiopia for a foundation event in the Gondar region. Since the Fall of 2000 Schmidhauser has been working on a ‘adopt a village’ program, identifying education, health, water and community needs and a plan to construct a minimum of 15 wells for a population of 5,000. A Glimmer of Hope prefers to cluster their projects and to identify priority needs by encouraging the input and concerns of the local community. Schmidhauser’s trips to Ethiopia also help keep donors up-to-date on the progress of the projects they help fund.
We asked Schmidhauser a few more questions about A Glimmer of Hope and his commitment to the people of Ethiopia.
Tadias: Tell us a bit about yourself..where you grew up, who/what were influential in your life.
Schmidhauser: My father worked for Citibank in the international sector. As a child I lived in Liberia, Sudan, South Africa, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Bahrain. I was able to experience living in a lot of countries and visiting several more. This was formative in shaping my world outlook for sure. The inspiration for my current work are the founders of A Glimmer of Hope, Donna and Philip Berber.
Tadias: You currently work as Director of Social Investment at A Glimmer of Hope. Can you tell us how you got involved with their work and projects in Ethiopia?
Schmidhauser: I’ve lived in Austen for 16 years. Donna & Philip Berber had sold their Texas-based company in 2000 and set aside Schwab stock as an endowment for A Glimmer of Hope. What impressed me even more is that they didn’t just write checks to the organization. Donna comes to the office four times a week, when she and Philip are not traveling. Both of them go to Ethiopia annually and really put their heart and soul into the work necessary to eradicate extreme poverty. This is why I joined the effort two and a half years ago. I had co-founded a junior tennis academy, Austen Tennis Academy, and I completely switched fields to serve as a Director for A Glimmer of Hope. I moved from helping a small group of talented, ambitious, priviledged children to helping hundreds of thousands of children – on a bigger level. The core value of my tennis academy was teach kids how to give back and do something bigger than themselves. The Austin Tennis Academy kids have raised $10,000 or more, over a two year period, while getting sponsored for competitive matches. This gets them sensitized to what living is like in other parts of the world, to tackle issues of dilapidated schools and lack of clean water. The head coach and five of its most active students are helping to raise $150,000, and helping to build 8 wells and two school buildings. Imagine how these 14 and 15 year olds will be when they get older with this type of formative experience, as part of their core experience. It’s exciting to see who they’ll become. It teaches the importance of giving back, the importance of being larger than themselves, citizens of significance in their adult lives. This extends to my own children. At the end of the day, my life is so much richer. It’s equally important what I’m able to teach my children by example – through living what I want them to learn. Your life’s work is committed to that. When kids are excited to give up their birthday present and instead raise money to build give something to other kids, it doesn’t get better than that! To me you can’t put a price on that…the greatest joy that I get from my work is when I take donors of our projects to Ethiopia and they are able to personally see the transformation. It’s incredibly fulfilling work!
Tadias: Why did the founders choose Ethiopia as the key place for their projects?
Schmidhauser: Donna is from London and Philip is from Dublin. Donna was very moved by the Live Aid images from televised famine in the 1980s, and it never left her heart and her mind. She vowed that if they came to wealth that she would want to help the people of Ethiopia. Geldoff inspired and taught the power of one person to make a difference. He was the catalyst. And today Donna is my daughter’s role model.
Tadias: What were your first impressions of Ethiopia? How often do you get to go back?
Schmidhauser: My first trip to Ethiopia was in 2007, two months into the job. I was in the Tigray region. I was really surprised by how beautiful it was, and how gracious, hospitable, and warm the people were. The quiet dignity was evident wherever I traveled in Ethiopia. When you visit a community that has no access to clean water until a well was constructed, where women had to travel far, adding a well in close proximity to their homes brings great joy. The joy they have for something so simple, that we take for granted, and the quiet dignity with which they accept their lot in life when they don’t have a health clinic or water and have to walk for hours to get to the nearest source, it’s really overwhelming. We take so much for granted in the U.S., and it surprised me how there isn’t resentment there. They are quiet about their hardship. And if you can help bring about change the gratitude is profound.
I visit Ethiopia twice a year, and a lot of it depends on our donors’ schedules. I want to make sure that I’m bringing donors with me that have invested significantly with us. So on each trip I try to take some of our larger donors. This is one of our key strategies, and we can show them how their social work has made a difference and keep their hearts engaged. I travel when at least one or two donors are available to travel.
Tadias: On your organization’s website you cite your work as “an operation to turn a profit – a Social Profit” and define social profit as “The amount of social and humanitarian benefit gained as a result of investing in the well-being of others.” What are some of the most successful projects you have launched to turn a social profit?
Schmidhauser: I think our microfinance work would be one where you can see social profit – a transformation of a life through a grant. We’ve partnered with microfinance institutions in Ethiopia. They invest the grants that we give them. The profits are redistributed to the next group of borrowers. A small amount of loans, such as those given to farmers to cover irrigation kits can help a farm go from 1 harvest a year to multiple harvests a year and provide surplus crops that they can sell in the market.
Here’s another example of a profound experience: In July 2009 I was with one of our British donors in the Simien mountains. This donor had funded school and water projects in the region and we had gone for the opening of one of the schools. In the process we spent a lot of time hiking, and in the process of hiking we came across a community with no access to clean water. It was VERY VERY cold. Mid 40s low 50s. It had been hailing earlier in the day. And I remember one little girl with her mother, scooping water from a nearby pit, cup by cup and pouring it into the jerican (plastic container). The little girl was inadequately dressed for the weather conditions. Her hands were shaking as she held a water bottle cut in half, taking one scoop of water at a time. Freezing and hands shaking. Only a little girl could get in the pit – not an adult. It took half an hour to fill the can. I was thinking of the injustice: Because my daughter was born in Austen she could open the tap in a condo to get clean water, and if she was born in the Simien mountains she was in hardship. It was hard to watch as a father. Absolutely miserable.
Slideshow: Photos from Ethiopia
–
Another memorable experience that I had was on my second trip – attended the inauguration of a water point in the Oromia region. While we were unveiling the well, in the middle of the ceremony, a women with a large clay jug stepped forward and released the clay jug onto the point (all over the base of the point) saying “NEVER again will I have to shoulder this burden. Now clean water is closer to my hut.” When someone translated for me what the lady had said, I got so powered up and pumped my fist. And I loved it. I’ll never forget it for as long as I live. The energy was electric.
Tadias: Your programs emphasize Integrated Development. Can you elaborate?
Schmidhauser: The best way that I can explain it is by this example: if we’re building a school but there is no clean water, it’s not going to have maximum impact. What’s the point? Kids will still be busy fetching water and also getting sick from lack of clean water. So integrated development is when you’re providing a community access to water, healthcare, and school and providing those services to the community. The other example is sanitation. When we receive proposals for school projects we make sure they include latrine facilities.
Rather than spreading ourselves thin, we’d rather get it right one community at a time, and provide all the basic social services. The goal of our founders is to eradicate extreme poverty in rural Ethiopia in their lifetime. They have ambitious goals. So far A Glimmer of Hope has helped to build 350 schools since 2001 and 3,000 water projects. Through our collaboration with the non-profit Charity: Water we have built 250 wells alone. One of our commitments to our donors is to provide ‘completion photos.’
Clustering our projects also makes it more efficient to monitor. Most of our work is in hard-to-reach rural areas, and if we spread ourselves thin, it also becomes more difficult to monitor the progress.
Tadias: What are a few ways that our readers could get more involved?
Schmidhauser: Through our interactive website individuals can create their own campaigns. Yemra Melaku, who works for Marriott in New York, is one shining example of a volunteer. We helped her organize her campaign on our website, and created a page for her, and she raised enough money to fund one water project in Southern Ethiopia. She is now on her second project. She provided us the text for her page, and once it was completed she organized a music concert at Columbia University, a poker party, and her own grassroots movement.
We also have teenagers, students aged 13 to 15 who are raising money for A Glimmer of Hope. Everything helps. So many people are turned away thinking “What I do is a drop in the ocean.” Empowering people means donors who have given up their birthdays or christmas. My own son gave up his 7th birthday and raised $20,000 last year.
I encourage readers to know that just because you don’t have a lot of resources, it doesn’t mean you can’t get involved. You can join a campaign, run a marathon, give up your christmas presents, some charity:water volunteers gave up their wedding presents and raised close to $20,000 and have gone to Ethiopia to see the projects that they funded.
I also encourage people to get on Charity:Water website to learn how individual donors can make a difference. A Glimmer of Hope is their exclusive partner in Ethiopia. Our 100% promise is one of the reasons Charity:Water is partnering with us.
Tadias: What is the 100% promise?
Schmidhauser: Our endowment covers 100% of our operating and office expenses in Austen and Ethiopia. So 100% of the donations we receive goes to programs. Charity:Water does the same thing. 100% of donations go to projects.
Tadias: Thank you Eric for this enlightening conversation! We encourage our readers to learn more about A Glimmer of Hope and to take the plunge – give access to clean water to a community in Ethiopia.
— About the Author: Tseday Alehegn is the Editor-in-Chief of Tadias Magazine.
Video: A Glimmer of Hope in Ethiopia – Turk Pipkin
Ethiopian Air Chief Says Reports on January Crash ‘Misleading’
Above: The head of Ethiopian Airlines is accusing Lebanese
authorities of spreading misinformation about the cause of
last month’s plane crash that killed 90 people
ET-409 Update: Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Voice of America
Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Girma Wake says much of the information coming from Lebanon about the crash of flight ET409 has been purposely meant to mislead. The plane crashed into the sea moments after takeoff from Beirut in stormy weather in the early morning hours of January 25. Read more.
Ethiopia Warns Lebanon Over Plane Crash Investigation Ethiopian Airlines CEO Girma Wake
February 24, 2010 (Addis Ababa) – Ethiopia warns the Lebanese government for trying to solicit political gains out of the crash investigation process of the Ethiopian airliner that occurred around Beirut, Lebanon. The nation also called upon the President and Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to intervene in the row.
Briefing local journalists on the agenda, Transport and Communications Minister, Driba Kuma, said on Wednesday the Lebanese government continued providing incorrect and misleading information to media despite the cause of the accident remains undetermined.
“Ethiopia has repeatedly reminded the government of that country to refrain from releasing unfounded information to the media before the conclusion of the on-going investigation process,” he said, “But the government has continued leaking wrong and confusing information to media about the crash of ET-409”.
Ethiopia, once again, requests the Lebanese government in strongest terms to stop feeding the media wrong and misleading information about the crash of the ill-fated airliner, the minister warned.
According to the minister, the aforementioned senior officials of the international civil aviation organization have already responded positively to Ethiopia’s call.
A statement of the ministry indicated that the investigation launched to determine the causeof the crash still continues. The team set up to investigate the crash has finalized preparations to release a preliminary report on the accident in line with the rules and regulation of the ICAO.
The sole objective of the Ethiopian experts in the crash investigation team is to preserve the internationally-acclaimed aviation security record of the national carrier, the Ethiopian. However,the ministry said, the Lebanese government has been hiding relevant data, removing important information, and denying key information about the crisis for cheaper political gains.
It is to be recalled that Ethiopian airliner, ET-409, disappeared into the Mediterranean Sea with 82 passengers and eight crew members on board. The passengers include 24 Ethiopians, 51 Lebanese, and two British nationals as well as one passenger from Turkey, France, Russia, Canada, Syria, and Iraq.
—–
Source: Permanent Mission of Ethiopia to the United Nations
Related Videos Video: 90 perish in Ethiopian jetliner crash (ntvkenya)
Video: Ethiopian Airlines Crashes into the Mediterranean (CBS)
Video: Ethiopian Plane Crashes Off Lebanon (AP)
Raw Video: Lebanon Plane Crashes After Takeoff (AP)
Ethiopian Airliner Crashes Near Beirut
Video: History of Ethiopian Airlines crashes
Raw Video From The Ethiopian Airlines Crash Site Off Beirut:
–
More ET-409 News Updated: Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Video: 90 perish in Ethiopian jetliner crash (ntvkenya)
Video: Ethiopian Airlines Crashes into the Mediterranean (CBS)
Video: Ethiopian Plane Crashes Off Lebanon (AP)
Raw Video: Lebanon Plane Crashes After Takeoff (AP)
Ethiopian Airliner Crashes Near Beirut
Video: History of Ethiopian Airlines crashes
Raw Video From The Ethiopian Airlines Crash Site Off Beirut:
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Reports on Monday, January 25, 2010: (Minutes after the crash) Lebanon says Ethiopian plane crash site located
Rescue workers have located the crash site of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that went down just off the Lebanese coast on Monday, Lebanon’s Transport Minister Ghazi al-Aridi said. “(The crash) site has been identified three-and-a-half km (two miles) west of the (coastal) village of Na’ameh,” Aridi told reporters at Beirut international airport. He said search and rescue operations were under way but refused to give any further details. He also said it was too early to say what caused the crash but confirmed the plane took off from Beirut international airport in stormy weather. Aridi said an investigation into the cause was under way. (Reuters)
Ethiopian Airliner Crashes Near Beirut CNN
An Ethiopian airliner with 83 people on board crashed into the sea after takeoff from Lebanon early Monday, Lebanese army officials said. The Boeing aircraft was en route from Beirut to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, when it disappeared from radar 30 minutes after takeoff from Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut about 4 a.m. local time, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. On board were 54 Lebanese nationals and 29 people of other nationalities, the army officials said. No additional information was immediately available.
Robel Teklemariam places 93rd in cross country ski event
Above: Robel who goes by the nickname Beredoe Shartate
(Amharic for “Ice Slider”) finished the 15 kilometer course in
45 minutes, placing 93rd out of 95 at the Vancouver games
Richmond Times Dispatch
By MICHAEL PHILLIPS
Published: February 16, 2010
Ethiopia’s lone Olympian, cross country skier Robel Teklemariam, finished 93rd out of 95 skiers yesterday, completing the 15 kilometer course in 45 minutes, 18 seconds. He improved on his time from the Turin Olympics by two minutes against a tougher field. Teklemariam’s family was on hand for the competition. His mother, Yeshareg Demisse, runs The Nile restaurant, which serves Ethiopian food near the VCU campus. This was the second Olympic Games for Teklemariam, who finished 83rd out of 99 competitors in 2006 with a time of 47:53. Switzerland’s Dario Cologna finished in 33:36 to take home the gold medal. Italian Pietro Piller Cottrer won the silver, finishing 24.6 seconds behind Cologna, and Czech skier Lukas Bauer won the bronze to go with the silver medal he won in the 15-kilometer classical style race in Turin. Topping the list of United States finishers was James Southam in 48th place at 35:58. Teklemariam struggled to qualify for the Vancouver Games, criss-crossing Europe on trains while building up enough points through qualifying races to punch his ticket. He said he had less training time than he did before the Turin Games four years ago. Read more.
Watch Video: Meet Cross Country Skier Robel Teklemariam
New York Times Video:
Robel Teklemariam, the first Ethiopian Winter Olympian, discusses his path
to becoming a ski racer and his mission to represent Ethiopia in the 2006
Olympic Games. Click here to watch the video.
Above: 40 people took part in the translation of the software
and plans are being made for translation into some of Ethiopia’s
several languages.
AFP
Saturday, February 6, 2010
ADDIS ABABA — US software giant Microsoft has launched Windows Vista in Amharic, the first operating system in the national language of Ethiopia, the official news agency said Saturday. “Launching the Amharic version software is a major step forward for Amharic to be a language of technology,” Director of the Ethiopian ICT Development Agency, Debretsion Gebremichael was quoted as saying by the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA). Read more.
Robel Teklemariam: Heading to the 2010 Winter Olympics
Above: Ethiopia’s only winter Olympian Robel Teklemariam is
giving it second try, scheduled to compete in the Vancouver
Olympics later this month, hoping to improve his 84th-spot
finish 4 years ago in Italy. (Photo: Getty Images)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Tuesday, February 2, 2010.
New York (Tadias) – Robel Teklemariam, Ethiopia’s only winter Olympian who represented his country at the 2006 Torino games, will participate in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, which will open on February 12th.
The cross-country skier, who graced the print cover of Tadias Magazine in 2006, said then that his motivation to represent Ethiopia comes from the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. The event was filled with unforgettable highlights. Cassius M. Clay (Muhammed Ali) emerged to win the light-heavyweight gold medal in boxing. Wilma Rudolph, the 20th of 22 children in her family, became the first American woman to win three gold medals in athletics in one Olympiad. Clement Quartey of Ghana became the first black African to win an Olympic medal after competing in the light-welterweight boxing category. But it was Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia who stole the show. Five days after Quartey’s triumph, Bikila ran the marathon barefoot and won the gold medal to become the first black African Olympic champion. Running past the plundered Axum obelisk that stood in a Roman square one kilometer from the finish line, Abebe Bikila cruised to victory in world record time, hailing Ethiopia and Africa into the spotlight. Since that time, many legendary runners have emerged from Ethiopia to succeed Bikila as Olympic champions, but Robel is the first winter Olympian aiming to follow suit.
Tadias cover (12th Issue)
It was precisely this legacy that inspired Robel Teklemariam in his teenage years to become an Olympic athlete. Born in Addis Ababa in 1974, Robel moved with his mother to New York in 1983. In the summer of 1986 he enrolled at a boarding school in Lake Placid, NY, host city to the 1980 Olympic Winter Games. Surrounded by Olympic emblems commemorating the 37 nations and 1,072 athletes that participated in the XIII Winter Games, it was easy for Robel to immerse himself into skiing at the age of 12. As a newly arrived immigrant, the tough beginning of life at a New York City school was made easier when Robel discovered sports as his hobby and soon thereafter as his prime passion.
“Really, my goal for Vancouver is to improve my time behind the winner and have a better race than in Turin,” Robel said in a recent interview with CBC (Canada). “As far as results, I really want Ethiopia to be a mainstay in winter sports. I don’t want be the first and last Ethiopian at the Winter Olympics. I don’t want it to end with me.”
And he hopes that someone will soon follow in his footsteps.
“There are over one million Ethiopians living overseas, all over Scandinavia, all over Canada and the United States, I am pretty sure there will be some young kid who will want to race eventually, and that really is my goal at the end of the day.”
Watch Video: Meet Cross Country Skier Robel Teklemariam
New York Times Video:
Robel Teklemariam, the first Ethiopian Winter Olympian, discusses his path
to becoming a ski racer and his mission to represent Ethiopia in the 2006
Olympic Games. Click here to watch the video.
FOXNews: Food 101 – Dishes of Ethiopian Cuisine From New York’s Queen of Sheba
Above: FOX’s Food 101 features New York’s Queen of Sheba
Ethiopian restaurant located in midtown, Manhattan.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Saturday, January 30, 2010
New York (Tadias) – FoxNews.com’s Diane Macedo explores how to prepare authentic Ethiopian cuisine at New York’s Queen of Sheba restaurant.
The eatery was also one of thirty-three favorite restaurants of Voice food critic Robert Sietsema, author of Secret New York. Sietsema has reviewed more than 2,000 restaurants in the last 14 years.
Among those dishing out delicious and eclectic cuisine at last year’s second Choice Eats tasting event organized by The Village Voice, was the staff of Queen of Sheba, serving injera rolls with fillings of either spicy lentil or beef sauces. Eager tasters waited patiently in rows to pick up the wraps. In it’s description of the Queen of Sheba restaurant, the event publication wrote: “New York finally has its own Queen of Sheba, providing intriguing and sometimes fiery spice combinations.”
Diane Macedo explores the unique flavors of Ethiopian cuisine
Related Video from Tadias: QS at Choice Eats 2009
You Can Help Put Ethiopia and Dub Into World Music
Above: Dan Harper’s new album “PUNT Made in Ethiopia”, has
been nominated for the 2010 Songlines Music Awards’ best Cross-Cultural Collaboration prize.
Tadias Magazine
Arts News
Published: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Dan Harper, the British artists who co-wrote and sound engineered Dub Colossus’ album A Town Called Addis with Nick Page, and most recently his own album PUNT Made in Ethiopia (Harper Diabate Records) featuring an incredibly diverse list of musicians, ranging from talent he spotted at a traditional Azmari joint to sessions with singer Tsedenia and the legendary Mahmoud Ahmed, has been nominated for the 2010 Songlines Music Awards’ Best Cross-Cultural Collaboration, which recognizes outstanding talent in world music.
According to the organizers’ website, there are four categories for the 2010 awards: Best Artist, Best Group, Cross-Cultural Collaboration, and Newcomer.
Harper stresses that the collaboration is not trying to imitate how Ethiopians play music. Rather it’s an entirely improvisational recording. Invisible System has played at the Addis Music Festival as well as several live concerts in the U.K. Proceeds from the album are helping to establish a charity focusing on providing resources to artists and musicians in the developing world, an issue which Harper believes is often neglected by international NGOs.
You can help Harper win and propel Ethiopia and dub into world music. There are only 2 days left to submit your 2009 favorites, so hurry and and go to: http://songlines.co.uk/music-awards/ and cast your vote for: Invisible System, Punt (Made in Ethiopia).
Above:The ill-fated Ethiopian Boeing 737-800 may have been
previously owned by Ireland based Ryanair, a low cost airline
serving mostly European destinations, according to its CEO.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Thursday, January 28, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Three days after the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409, there is no news of survivors but there is plenty of information about the doomed aircraft.
According to Michael O’Leary, the Chief Executive of Ryanair – a discount airline based in Dublin, Ireland – the Boeing 737-800 may have been an eight-year-old plane previously owned by his company and later transferred to Ethiopian Airlines through a third party lessor in September 2009.
“I think they had it in maintenance, they did some work on it, between April and May. I think they leased it to Ethiopian in September, and something happened to it,” O’Leary told Reuters without identifying the third party. “We are not sure yet, but it may have been that aircraft that was involved in the accident…”
Ethiopian Airlines says the plane was leased from the American commercial and consumer finance company CIT Group, according to Reuters.
“The Irish Aviation Authority confirmed that the aircraft was a former Ryanair plane that had logged 17,750 flight hours in its seven years of service,” The Daily Mail reported. “And planespotters came forward to say they had photographed the jet at British airports between 2002 and last year.”
The news follows the plane’s crash into the Mediterranean sea minutes after taking off from Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport in the early hours of Monday, January 25, 2010. The incident happened only days after Ethiopian Airlines and Boeing announced a deal worth $767 million for 10 Next-Generation 737-800s. The company also has a pending purchase order with Airbus for 12 A350 commercial jetliners in a deal valued at about $2.8 billion at list price.
But Chief of Ryanair says buyer’s remorse would not apply to his plane: “What happened we don’t know. It’s a bit like you selling your car and 11 months later the new person driving it has a crash. It had nothing to do with us,” the Irish airline’s CEO told Reuters after a news conference in Rome.
Meanwhile, The Associated Press is quoting an army officer who says emergency workers have detected signals from the black boxes about 1,300 meters (yards) and about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the seaside airport and they will attempt to retrieve it in the coming days. The black box recording devices are key to solving the mystery behind Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409.
–
Cover photo courtesy of Boeing.
ET-409 Update: Thursday, February 18, 2010
(Watch Videos Below The Headlines)
Above: Ethiopian women mourn the death of a relative killed
in the Ethiopian Airlines crash. The plane reportedly veered
off course before crashing in flames. (Photo: Getty Images)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Monday, January 25, 2010
New York (Tadias) – The Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star has published the names of passengers aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409, which crashed into the Mediterranean sea minutes after taking off from Beirut in stormy weather on Monday.
The 90 passengers and crew that perished hail from nine countries: Ethiopia, Lebanon, Britain, Canada, Russia, France, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
According to the newspaper, the list was released by the The National News Agency of Lebanon.
Here are the names of passengers aboard flight 409:
1) Addis Abera Demise (Ethiopia)
2) Bahrnesh Megersa (Ethiopia)
3) Kidist Wolde Mariam (Ethiopia)
4) Elisabeth Tilhum Habtermariam (Ethiopia)
5) Rahel Tadese (Ethiopia)
6) Etenesh Admasie (Ethiopia)
7) Woinshet Meugistu Melaku (Ethiopia)
8 Azeb Betre Kebede (Ethiopia)
9) Tigist Shikur Hajana (Ethiopia)
10) Hani Gebre Gembezo (Ethiopia)
11) Alunesh Tkele (Ethiopia)
12) Shitu Nuri (Ethiopia)
13) Selam Zigdaya (Ethiopia)
14) Yikma Mohamed (Ethiopia)
15) Seble Agezc (Ethiopia)
16) Aynalem Tessema (Ethiopia)
17) Eyerus Alem Desta (Ethiopia)
18) Mekiya Sirur (Ethiopia)
19) Lakesh Zeleke (Ethiopia)
20) Tigist Anura (Ethiopia)
21) Askalesh Soboka (Ethiopia)
22) Meselu Beshah (Ethiopia)
23) Kevin Graingur (UK)
24) Marla Sanchez Pietton (France)
25) Akram Jassem Mohammad (Iraq)
26) Mohammad Abdel-Rahman Saii (Syria)
Names of Lebanese nationals:
1) Hanna Nakhoul Kreidy, born on 26/6/1987
2) Haidar Hassan Marji, born on 7/11/1976
3) Ali Youssef Jaber, born on 2/4/1967
4) Ali Ahmad Jaber, born on 5/8/1969
5) Abbas Mohammad Jaber, born on 13/7/1977
6) Mohammad Mustapha Badawi, born on 5/9/1970
7) Khalil Ibrahim Salah, born on 5/9/1961
8 Hassan Adnan Kreik, born on 25/1/1984
9) Saeed Abdel-Hassan Zahr, born on 5/10/1984
10) Hussein Ali Farhat, born on 25/1/1966
11) Mohammad Hassan Kreik, born on 14/10/2006
12) Ali Souheil Yaghi, born on 28/6/1973
13) Rawan Hassan Wazni, born on 27/6/1990
14) Bassem Qassem Khazaal, born on 10/3/1974
15) Haifa Ahmad Wazni, born on 25/10/1967
16) Ali Ahmad Tajeddine, born on 3/4/1979
17) Tanal Abdallah Fardoun, born on 1/2/1952
18) Mustapha Haitham Arnaout, born on 16/9/1986
19) Fouad Mahmoud Lakiss, born on 25/8/1946
20) Mohammad Kamal Akkoush, born on 23/12/1983
21) Toni Elias Zakhem, born on 18/6/1976
22) Hamzah Ali Jaafar, born on 31/5/1985
23) Hassan Mohammad Issaoui, born on 22/11/1951
24) Hassan Kamal Ibrahim, born on 13/12/1973
25) Ghassan Ibrahim Katerji, born on 15/12/1964
26) Haifa Ibrahim Farran, born on 25/9/1965
27) Hussein Youssef Hajj Ali, born on 26/7/1968
28) Fares Rashid Zebian, born on 28/9/1955
29) Farid Saad Moussa, born on 3/6/1966
30) Mohammad Ali Khatibi, born on 27/12/1989
31) Yasser Youssef Mahdi, born on 25/8/1985
32) Anis Mustapha Safa, born in 1941
33) Hussein Moussa Barakat, born on 16/12/1983
34) Antoine Toufic Hayek, born on 30/5/1965
35) Elias Antonios Rafih, born on 29/5/1959
36) Tarek George Barakat, born on 21/10/1971
37) Khalil Naji Khazen, born on 20/6/1967
38) Rana Youssef Harakeh, born on 1/2/1980
39) Mohammad Abdel-Hussein Hajj, born on 24/1/1957
40) Julia Mohammad Hajj, born on 2/8/2007
41) Hussein Kamal Hayek, born on 15/11/1977
42) Assaad Massoud Feghali, born on 22/4/1965
43) Ziad Naeem Ksaifi, born on 5/10/1974
44) Reda Ali Mastoukirdi, born on 31/3/1968
45) Albert Jerji Assal, born on 4/11/1959
46) Imad Ahmad Hather, born on 13/5/1980
47) Fouad Mohammad Jaber, born on 6/5/1957
48) Khalil Mohammad Madani, born on 1/12/1968
49) Hasan Mohammad Abdel- Hassan Tajeddine, born on 15/8/1960
50) Yasser Abedel-Hussein Ismail, born on 1/4/1973
51) Jamal Ali Khatoun, born on 5/11/1973
52) Afif Krisht (Lebanese British), born on 29/4/1954
53) Abbas Hawili (Lebanese Canadian), born on 2/11/1945
54) Anna Mohammad Abbs (Lebanese Russian), born on 23/1/1973
ET-409 Update: Thursday, February 18, 2010
(Watch Videos Below The Headlines)
Video: 90 perish in Ethiopian jetliner crash (ntvkenya)
Video: Ethiopian Airlines Crashes into the Mediterranean (CBS)
Video: Ethiopian Plane Crashes Off Lebanon (AP)
Raw Video: Lebanon Plane Crashes After Takeoff (AP)
Ethiopian Airliner Crashes Near Beirut
Video: History of Ethiopian Airlines crashes
Raw Video From The Ethiopian Airlines Crash Site Off Beirut:
–
Reports on Monday, January 25, 2010: (Minutes after the crash) Lebanon says Ethiopian plane crash site located
Rescue workers have located the crash site of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that went down just off the Lebanese coast on Monday, Lebanon’s Transport Minister Ghazi al-Aridi said. “(The crash) site has been identified three-and-a-half km (two miles) west of the (coastal) village of Na’ameh,” Aridi told reporters at Beirut international airport. He said search and rescue operations were under way but refused to give any further details. He also said it was too early to say what caused the crash but confirmed the plane took off from Beirut international airport in stormy weather. Aridi said an investigation into the cause was under way. (Reuters)
Ethiopian Airliner Crashes Near Beirut CNN
An Ethiopian airliner with 83 people on board crashed into the sea after takeoff from Lebanon early Monday, Lebanese army officials said. The Boeing aircraft was en route from Beirut to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, when it disappeared from radar 30 minutes after takeoff from Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut about 4 a.m. local time, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. On board were 54 Lebanese nationals and 29 people of other nationalities, the army officials said. No additional information was immediately available.
Ethiopian Airlines Confirms Order For 10 Boeing Planes
Above:Boeing has secured an order from Ethiopian Airlines
for 10 of its 737-800 planes valued at about $767 million.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Sunday, January 24, 2010
New York (Tadias) – The flag carrier of Ethiopia is continuing to invest in its fleet portfolio confirming an order from Boeing worth $767 million for 10 Next-Generation 737-800s.
“The Boeing Next-Generation 737 has proven to be a reliable and profitable component of our fleet,” Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Ato Girma Wake said in a Boeing press release. “Boeing has been an important and valued partner to Ethiopian for many, many years. This order reinforces the deep ties between our two companies.”
Ethiopian is the first African carrier to own and operate the long-range, wide-body and world’s largest twinjet known as “Triple Seven”. The company also was the first African airline to order the 787 Dreamliner, according to Boeing.
“Since its founding in December 1945, Ethiopian Airlines has been a dedicated Boeing operator — from [the carrier's] first flights using DC-3 propeller-driven airplanes between Addis Ababa and Cairo, to recent orders for the long haul 787s and 777-200LRs, and continuing now with 737-800s, ” Marlin Dailey, Vice President of Sales for Boeing’s Commercial Airplanes said. “Ethiopian Airlines has been among the most profitable airlines in the region and one of our most valued partners.”
This is the latest in a series of recent big purchases by Ethiopian Airlines. It is to be recalled that Airbus won a similar order from the airline in November 2009 for 12 of its forthcoming A350 commercial jetliners in a deal valued at about $2.8 billion at list price.
Video: Ethiopian Airlines’ new Dreamliner presentation
Celebrities unite, put on telethon to help people of Haiti
Above:Musicians with mournful tunes set the tone for the
all-star, international telethon to help Haiti, but it ended on a
hopeful note, with a buoyant call for Haiti’s revival by native
son, Wyclef Jean. Read more.
Above: Daniel Yohannes, new chief of the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, is the highest ranking Ethiopian American in the
Obama administration. (Photo: Daniel Yohannes is sworn in
as chief executive officer of MCC on December 1, 2009.)
Voice of America
By Yeheyes Wuhib
20 January 2010
An Ethiopian immigrant is making history as the highest Ethiopian-American official in the Obama administration. Daniel Yohannes was born in the Ethiopian capital. He completed his elementary school at Addis Ababa’s Nativity Boy’s School and later transferred to St. Joseph’s, a prestigious Catholic high school in Addis Ababa. “In those days people of my generation were idealistic, full of energy, with a lot of love for each other, as well as love and respect for our parents, elders, and teachers,” Yohannes says. “Growing up in Ethiopia, we had a wonderful awareness of our country as well as the world. We were more advanced in some ways than most teenagers today,” he says. Read more.
Haile Gebrselassie to race in New York Half-Marathon
Above: Haile Gebrselassie, the marathon world record holder
and a two-time Olympic 10,000-meter champion, will race in
the New York Half-Marathon in March, race organizers said
Wednesday.
Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie, the marathon world record-holder and a two-time Olympic 10,000-meter champion, will race in the New York Half-Marathon in March, race organizers announced Wednesday.
The 36-year-old long distance legend last competed in a US event in 2007, when he won the New York Half-Marathon in a race-record 59 minutes, 24 seconds. Gebrselassie will seek a 20,000-dollar top prize in the 100,000-dollar event.
“I’m very excited about going back to New York,” Gebrselassie said. “I got such a warm welcome when I ran the Half-Marathon in 2007. I’m sure it will be a wonderful event again and I’m looking forward to it.”
Gebrselassie, who set the world marathon record of 2:03:59 at the 2008 Berlin Marathon, will try to win his third consecutive Dubai Marathon title on Friday.
He has also won four times at Berlin as well as in Amsterdam in 2005 and Fukuoka, Japan, in 2006.
Over the 13.1-mile half-marathon distance, Gebrselassie has won nine of 10 career starts.
Video: Haile & Tyson Gay in Adidas AD
Seattle: Man on Trial in Killing of Ethiopian Immigrant
Above:Rey Davis-Bell is charged with the murder of Degene
Barecha, an immigrant from Ethiopia, at Philadelphia Cheese
Steak. Davis-Bell’s trial started on Tuesday. (Seattle Times)
The Seattle Times
By Jennifer Sullivan
Neither prosecutors nor witnesses could say why Rey Davis-Bell’s alleged violent tirade two years ago wound up inside Degene “Safie” Dashasa’s cheese-steak restaurant, resulting in Dashasa’s death by gunshot at point-blank range.
Dashasa emigrated from Ethiopia about a decade ago, enrolled in online business courses and spent hours perfecting his cheese steak, his family told The Seattle Times after his slaying. Dashasa took over the restaurant after his best friend and business partner was fatally shot in his car in 2003. After Troy Hackett’s death, Dashasa changed the name of Philly’s Best Steaks and Hoagies. Hackett’s slaying has not been solved. Several months before his death, Dashasa traveled to Ethiopia and married a woman he had met through relatives. He recently had bought a house and was preparing it for his new bride, his family said.
Ethiopia launches new Omo River hydroelectric plant
Above:Ethiopia has inaugurated a new hydroelectric plant
effectively solving its chronic shortage of electricity, but
critics fear it will affect the environment and traditional
lifestyle of the Southern Omo Tribes of Ethiopia (Photo: Chesterhiggins.com)
BBC
Thursday, 14 January 2010
A new hydroelectric plant has been inaugurated in Ethiopia – part of a controversial project on the Omo River. Ethiopia hopes the cascade of dams will turn it from a country suffering crippling power cuts to a major electricity exporter. But critics fear there will be consequences for the environment and for people living along the river. he latest phase, Gilgel Gibe II, has the capacity to generate more than 400 megawatts of electricity. The plant gets its water through an underground channel from the first Gilgel Gibe hydroelectric project, which is fed by the Omo River. Read More.
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