Dialogue is More Powerful than Guns

Saturday, March 6th, 2010
by Teddy Fikre
EA4C Guest Blogger

I have been involved in a lot of activities throughout my life.  I took part in the Ethiopians for Obama campaign, I was involved in “Democracy Marches” when I was a teenager, I have started a lot of initiatives and businesses throughout my life, all of which I have been proud of.  But perhaps the proudest moment to date, one that eclipses the election of Obama in 2008, took place last night.

I am a member of a facebook fan page called United Apart.  The aim of the page is to bring together like minded Ethiopians and Eritreans and give them a platform to exchange ideas, to have a dialogue, to discuss historical injustices and ways to work together going forward while we respect each other’s differences and sovereignty.  And for this, I have been attacked by some in my own community for being an Eritrean sympathizer, for supporting a political faction, or for trying to disseminate propaganda.  I never quite understand how talking to your supposed “enemy” is an act of betrayal against my beloved Ethiopia.  Unless  of course the people who do the attacking have a vested interest in a perpetual state of war or thrive by sowing division to attract the irrational yet vocal minority—the lynch mob—to their cause and to line their pockets .

Well yesterday, an Eritrean commented on the discussion board the following statement:

“This group is for sellouts if you’re Eritrean. I’m glad the likes of you are not permitted in my country. You would all be jailed for treason. To disgrace our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Eritreans to finally have their nation free from Ethiopian domination and hegemony. Thank God I do not know any of you in person. I would personally spit in all of your faces.”

My natural reaction was to throw back the very venom he spit by spitting venom right in his eyes—to fight fire with a blow torch.  After I released my initial venom, I asked him to join a conference call with some of the members from United Apart.  What transpired over the next hour and a half was profound in ways that I have yet to grasp.  The Eritrean who injected hateful words ended up joining the conference call, and I—and two other Ethiopians and one participant who was half Ethiopian and half Eritrean—started a dialogue.  By the end of the night, all participants walked away learning a valuable lesson.   No need for me to explain what happened, listen to yourself and decide if dialogue is indeed more powerful than guns.

click to listen to dialogue

This blog submission was written by Teddy Fikre.  The views of guest bloggers are not the views of Ethiopian-Americans for Change.  Guest bloggers represent the broad dissection of views and outlooks within our community.

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Ethiopian-Americans for Change has started a powerful dialogue group where we exchange ideas and discuss historical grievances.  The group contains a diverse group of Ethiopians and Eritreans.  This is how we overcome our differences, not through bullets but through a dialogue.

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