I came to the United States in 1983 at the age of 11 and have yet to return to Ethiopia. During the years I lived in Ethiopia—Addis Ababa specifically—the concept of ethnic division and the animosity and injustices each carried about the other was unbeknown to me. From my memory, I lived with neighbors of various ethnic backgrounds whom I loved and regarded as an extension of my family. We ate, drank, celebrated and grieved together. Ever since I was a little girl, I always loved our diverse culture and music—Amaragna, Tigrigna, Oromogna, Guragegna, Dorzigna, Adergna to name a few—but for some reason I always had an extra love for Tigrigna.

It was not until I came to the United States that I was confronted head on by this ethnic division and animosity and became aware, for the first time, of the Ethiopia and Eritrea war. I became aware of this conflict when, at the school I was attending at the time, I met some Eritreans who…

ast year, 09.25.09, we made history. Never before has a major league baseball team held an appreciation day with for the Ethiopian community. On September 29th, 2009, the Washington Nationals did exactly that. Ethiopian-Americans for Change, in partnership with the Washington Nationals organized the first ever Ethiopian-American Appreciation Day at the Nationals Baseball Park.

What took place was an amazing sight to behold. Singers and performers from across the spectrum came together and performed for free for this historical occasion. Mahmoud Ahmed, Yehune, Wayna, Tsegaye Sellasie, Zakki, Richmond Punch, Munit Mesfin and DJ Mamush put on a show of a lifetime. In addition, the amazing artist Solomon Asfaw painted live a

BANG!

In a flash, a bullet tears through the flesh of another Ethiopian.

BANG!

In an instant, the heart of an Eritrean is ripped asunder by the menace of an imported AK47.

There is a famous saying in Africa, a saying that sums up the insanity of hatred and vitriol that eats at the souls of Africa’s children. This is Africa—T.I.A. While the rest of the world continues to realize the concept of unity, Africa stands apart, holding on to the inane precepts of ethnic exceptionalism. From the Horn of Africa to the western edges of Liberia, from the majestic river Nile in Egypt to the diamond mines of South Africa, the concept of ethnic exceptionalism rips apart nations—brothers fighting with brothers.

This is the very essence of insanity—TIA. Africa is ..

Two rivers flow in different paths, often hundreds of miles apart. Yet, at the end of the journey, both rivers meet at the same lake.

Teddy Fikre, organizer with Ethiopian-Americans for Change, sat down for a 45 minute interview with Elias Kifle. It is hard to tell who was interviewing who; initially, it was Teddy that reached out to Elias to conduct an interview on Brown Condor Radio. As you will hear, the interview morphed into a dialogue; a healthy debate with respect to the various approaches that different people take when it comes to something that is close to the hearts of all—Ethiopia. Elias talks about his passion for

Mental health is a profession just burgeoning in our community and has not acquired the respect a medical profession has. I want to know why. How much is misunderstanding of the benefits of psychological services and how much is legitimate frustration at the types of problems – or lack there of- that send people in American society to a mental health professional?

My theory is simple, yet untested. “Feel good” chemicals are naturally released in our brains but only when something happens that gives us a sense of accomplishment. We work towards a goal, sacrifice and finally attain those things which matter most to us. Having to work hard for things we can attain helps shape our values. However, if we are in a situation where we can have most things we want, we do not work hard…

Based on the title, I know what you are thinking. Here he goes again on his “soap box” talking about Ethiopians who sip buna right? Well today, I am going to throw you a curve ball. In this article, I will do no such thing; I write today not out of frustration, I write today out of a place of hope.

So now you are asking yourself, “OK, so what’s up with the title of the article”. Well I speak of Buna today because I have done my fair share of criticizing some in our community of being “buna sippers”. And this statement has been taken out of context and perceived by some as defaming people who enjoy a cup of buna. So first and foremost, let me admit, I am…