As I scan the globe for communities that believe and practice Hebret—the concept of helping each other out—there is none that come to my mind more than the Jewish community.  Whether in the United States, in Israel, or anywhere throughout the world, the Jewish community understands the essence of collaboration instead of competition.  Perhaps it is because they faced such an existential threat in the past or continue to feel pressures from the outside world that they are so wedded to the idea of communal success.

Like every community, there are some bad apples that don’t believe in this concept within the Jewish community.  I do not endorse the extremists in any community that harbors success through the plight of another—such is the case of the continued expansion of settlements on Palestinian land.  However, outside of the hardcore elements within the community, the Jewish community is overwhelmingly kind in nature.  During the Civil Rights campaign, it was Jewish brothers and sisters who marched hand in hand with the African-American community to ensure equality and the dignity of a vote.  It was Israel that flew thousands upon thousands of Jewish-Ethiopians back to Israel.

There are many throughout the world that expresses hatred at the Jewish community.  If I have found out one thing in my life is that success is often the object of derision.  I liken it to a chorus of farmers who yell out words of loathing at the one farmer who wakes up early each morning to tend to his land.  Sure that farmer has the most abundant field, but that is because he is working tirelessly to plant the corn, to feed his livestock, and to feed his family.  The rest of the farmers sit on their lazy asses and have nothing to show for it so they express anger at the one farmer who can sustain himself through his work.  That is the way I see most people who express anger at the Jewish community, it is a projection of their own inadequacy as opposed to a justified expression of resentment—it is nothing more than naked jealousy.

I was talking to Ellias Fullmore a while back ago; I was exasperated at the lack of support that exists within the Ethiopian community and the African Diaspora in general.  Instead of helping each other out and collaborating to ensure communal success—like the Jewish community—we often see each other as threats and as competition.  It is an unwritten rule that one dollar is circulated 7 times over in the Jewish community before they go outside of their community.  So if a Jewish person opens up a business, her most ardent supporters are first and foremost her community.   They don’t go to the Jewish entrepreneur asking for a discount or a “hookup”, instead they help each other out fully to ensure that the new business does not suffer.  If we practiced the same concept of Hebret in our community, the sky would be the limit for our potential.

To the contrary, I have spoken to many Ethiopian entrepreneurs ranging from restaurant owners, taxi cab drivers, or technology companies and when I first expressed my desire to start a marketing company that focuses on the Ethiopian community, almost all of them advised me that I will never make it by focusing on the Ethiopian community, that if I wanted to succeed I should focus on the “ferenjis”.  Can you imagine a Jewish person being advised not to reach out to his community and instead focus on the non-Jewish community if he wants to succeed?  What I have found out since the time I started Brown Condor Production is the reason for the exasperation felt by many Ethiopian business owners.  Grant it, the reason for the outstanding growth rate of browncondor.com is precisely because of the Ethiopian community, but the overwhelming support has come from the younger generation.  However, when you look at the overall number of Ethiopians living in America alone—which some estimate at close to half a million—the dearth of support I have received from the Ethiopian community is astounding to me.  Especially from the successful Ethiopians who have the most support to lend but are missing in action when it comes to supporting those behind them while being content to live in Ivory Towers in affluent neighborhoods.

Back to the discussion I had with Ellias Fullmore.  As I was recounting my frustrations and pondering what would happen if the over one billion folks from the African Diaspora ever came together and believed in the concept of Hebret.  At that exact point, Ellias cut me off and said “cuz forget the one billion, the majority will always be sleeping, all we need is 3.5 million”.  At first I laughed, I wondered how Ellias came up with the number 3.5 million.  I wanted to dismiss it as just a random number he came up with, but I know Ellias too well, he never comes up with anything random—he always has a profound reason for the ideas he throws out.  So after a brief pause, I asked him, “where the hell did you come up with the number 3.5 million”.  He also paused for effect and then said something that struck me like a hurricane.

“3.5 million represents the collective number of Jewish folks that live in America, they are so united in their purpose and so intent on helping each other out that they are one of the most powerful if not the most powerful communities in America despite the fact that they account only for about 1% of the population”

The exact number of Jewish-Americans is not known.  After the fact, I have done my research and found some publications that put the number at closer to 6 million and others that put the number at 3 million.  Whatever the number is, the fact is there are anywhere from 2 to 3 times more African-Americans than there Jewish-Americans.  The Ethiopian community in the Commonwealth of Virginia is larger than the Jewish community.  Imagine if we followed the example of the Jewish community, if we supported one another, if we believed fully in the concept of Hebret and put communal success above individual indulgence.  If we did, there would be no limit to our economic, social, and political strength, strength we can leverage to ensure the success of our children and enrich Ethiopia in the process.

That is the aim of project 3.5 million, to bring together 3.5 million folks from our community, to integrate the aims of like minded Ethiopians with like minded African-Americans and the larger African Diaspora to make a profound impact in and for our community.  Imagine if we had 3.5 million who believed in the concept of Hebret.  Will you be a part of this coalition?

To join Project 3.5 Mil, please fill out the form below.

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Saturday, May 22, 2010

This Sunday, May 23^rd marks the onset of an election in Ethiopia.  There is a part of me that is hopeful that violence will not flair up again, engulfing Ethiopia’s citizens with yet another round of violence and chaos.  Part of me hopes that the election is free and fair, where citizens are able to express their desires and vote their conscience, but recent history has taught me to be less hopeful—taught me to be a cynic.  I have come to the sad realization that Ethiopia is not ready for democracy, democracy through guns is not democracy at all, it is a rouse perpetuated by those in power to cloak autocracy with a venire of  a ballots and election sloganeering.

Now before you think I am off on a tirade aimed solely at the current government, let me stop you there.  My position on the current Ethiopian government is not easy to figure out.  In Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia has a president that is more intent on balkanizing Ethiopia than leading her people.  I am confronted by a lot of Ethiopians who tell me that Meles is better than what we had before.   However, I do not judge leaders based on who came before them but based on their own achievements.   Grant it, I am not an expert on Ethiopian politics by any means, in fact, after 27 years away from Ethiopia, I am more of a novice than an expert.  Maybe this is a good thing, thus far experts have not done that much to improve the condition of Ethiopia.

What I witness as a novice is a continuing widening of the gap between the haves and the have nots.  I witness the fragmentation of Ethiopia conducted by government officials who are intent on carving out people’s ethnic affiliation more than they are on building a national identity based on a common purpose and a common desire for peace and prosperity.  I see leaders who don’t reach out to neighboring countries to build an economic coalition that could the horn of Africa.  Instead, I see weapons being the number one import in Ethiopia, weapons that are often turned on those who oppose the government.

But my despondency does not rest solely with the current government.   I am also exasperated by those who call themselves the opposition.  I often wonder if their real aim is to install democracy or if it is to gain power.  I often listen to what the opposition is against, but I rarely hear what they are for.  I don’t hear a solution that is based on the idea of inclusion, and most of them throw out the word woyane as if it is an automatic reflexive syndrome.  If anyone disagrees with them, they are a woyane, if anyone thinks differently then them, they are a woyane.  Their anger blinds them to a way forward, they are stuck in inertia, unwilling to compromise, unable to reach out to their adversary to see if a solution could be formulated where all parties are satiated.

Five years ago, Kojo Nnamdi had a show about the Ethiopian election and the bloody consequences of bullet riddled bodies of protesters who dared to speak up.  One caller called in to express to Kojo his disappointment that there were no Ethiopians on the panel.  Kojo’s response was cutting in his brutal honesty.  He stated that they could not find rational Ethiopians to speak on the panel, that everyone that they reached out to was either extremely anti-government or pro-government.  What Kojo was expressing is that a dialogue is not possible with people that are driven by emotion instead of logic.

Thus I am resigned to the fact that Ethiopia is not ready for democracy.  I will once again believe in democracy in Ethiopia when I witness an Amhara willing to vote for a Tigray, or a Tigray willing to vote for an Oromo, or an Oromo willing to vote for a Gambella.  As long as we put our trust in only those that share our ethnic affiliation and distrust someone that speaks a different language, then we will continue to have point blank democracy, where those in power will stay in power through the point of a gun while conducting a farce democracy and those out of power will seethe to gain power.

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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by Meskerem Zikru

Home may seem like a simple and straightforward word, but actually it can be quite a complicated concept. Those of us who have had to leave the land of their birth either willingly or forcibly to find safety or economic upward mobility can attest that “home” is a word that is difficult to define. Often much more than a place of residence and entangled in recollections of youthful exploits, intimate relationships, and heartfelt memories, this word invokes powerful emotions. We distant wanderers try to recreate this sense of “home” by gravitating towards each other and building new communities in far-away lands. We search for the lilts and tones of our mother tongues in the voices of strangers and the tastes and smells that titillated our palates and stimulated our senses in the land we left behind. Like dessert nomads in search of water, we travel to oases like Washington DC and LA’s Little Ethiopia where our countrymen have congregated for a momentary taste of home.

Twelve years, an ocean, and five residences removed from my childhood home of Addis Ababa, home for me is embodied in fleeting moments of familiar tizita songs, the smell of roasting coffee beans as they rattle back and forth in an aluminum pan over an open flame, the feeling of injera against my fingers as I wrap it around artfully seasoned cubes of tibs or wott and the taste of slow cooked and perfectly spiced kibe and berbere as it melts in my mouth. These moments temporarily remove the ever-present feeling of “outsider” in this unfamiliar land and instantly bring me back to the days of my childhood and a sense of comfort and contentment.

I will admit that as a self-proclaimed “foodie,” I am particularly drawn to culinary portals that connect me to the land of my youth. However, I believe there is a much more universal link between food and home. After all, how else do we explain the concept of “comfort food?” The DMV area alone boasted a whopping sixty-seven Ethiopian restaurants at last count. Thus, it stands to reason that, like me, many of my fellow Ethiopians and Eritreans are searching for a little taste of home around a shared communal plate of injera as they punctuate tales of a bygone era with offered gurshas and sympathetic nods.

Considering the large Ethiopian/Eritrean population in the DC area, it is not surprising that the quality of Ethiopian cuisine is quite superior. Many of the long-standing establishments have built loyal clientele and reputations for excellence in preparing particular dishes. As a former resident in the area, I often depend on my own experiences or the suggestions of my local friends whenever I am in town and craving a particular delicacy to decide where to dine. On a recent visit to the area however, I stumbled upon an unfamiliar restaurant as I was riding through a popular hub of Ethiopian establishments in Virginia.

Bearing the name of a popular old hang out in my hometown of Addis, a restaurant called Kebericho drew my attention with its pictures of kurt and kitfo in the window. While I was not particularly in the mood for either of these dishes at the time, I walked in to inquire about the other items on their menu. As the pleasant waitress rattled off the relatively few items available, one particular dish sparked my interest and I sat down to order. Unlike kitfo, tibs, or even kurt,  quanta firfir is not found in many restaurants and I discovered many years ago that the few places that do serve it rarely do it justice. In fact, I had stopped ordering quanta firfir a couple of years back after being disappointed so often. Yet something inspired me to abandon my boycott and sample this childhood favorite of mine that day.  As I carefully removed the round sheet of injera covering the steaming plate of firfir, a mouthwatering aroma of spices greeted my nose. Then, as I took my first bite of the crisp quanta and the wonderful combination of kibe, berebere and bits of injera a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. It tasted just like mama used to make and for a few minutes in Falls Church, Virginia on an otherwise uneventful Thursday afternoon…I was home again.

This blog submission was written by Meskerem Zekru  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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Sunday, May 16th, 2010

There are two types of people in this world, those who play it safe and those who gamble.  There are two types of gamblers in this world, those who gamble recklessly and those who gamble discerningly.  To those who play it safe, those who gamble are reckless regardless and no amount of convincing can change their minds.  However, to those who gamble discerningly, those who gamble recklessly are fools that are doomed to failure.

For too long in my life I have taken my turn playing it safe and being a reckless gambler.  I was afraid of taking chances on those things which I thought I might fail at while gambling recklessly while calling it spontaneous living to make myself feel better.  I wanted to go to law school, but I played it safe and worked at a telecommunications company instead.  I wanted to get an MBA, but told myself that I was not ready yet.  I wanted to start countless companies yet I got caught up in the details of its perfection to such an extent that I never launched one of my business ideas.

On the opposite side of playing it safe, I have lived life fully.  In my 20s, I partied so much that dance floors in most clubs in DC should be named after me.  I went out outrageous road trips and had outrageous times with some outrageous friends.  I am glad that facebook did not exist in the 1990s, I could only imagine the amount of trouble I would have gotten myself into back then.  I refused to let my economic constraints get in the way of me having a good time, thus even with a dollar in my pocket, I found ways to have a great time and met some of the most amazing friends that I will never forget.

It was not until 2008 that I realized that I was a dichotomy; I was a person who played it safe while gambling recklessly.  Conceptually, I had the talent to do a lot of things in life, however, my fear of failure kept me from taking a chance on those things which are my passions.  Passions such as being a community organizer, being an entrepreneur, being a marketer of ideas and people, and exposing the Ethiopian culture to a wider audience.  I’ve always had the hope of doing these things, but I never had the audacity to try.

Until 2008, that year marked a corner in my life.  I saw a black man from Chicago disregarding the advice of “friends” who tried to tell him that he was not ready.  I witnessed millions of people deciding to gamble on a man with a funny name knowing that the possibility of a heartbreaking loss was more likely than not.  What Obama and his legions of hopemongers embarked upon was a historic journey where they decided to gamble discerningly.  I joined that legion and learned a lesson of a lifetime, a lesson that taught me to believe audaciously in myself and to go after all of my dreams and let the chips fall where they may.

I have become the community organizer that I always wanted to be, I have become the entrepreneur I dreamed of being, I have become a marketer of ideas and of great people, and most importantly, I have been able to expose the beautiful Ethiopian culture to a wider audience.  I have learned to gamble—to take a chance—on myself and my dreams knowing that I might fail.  I have learned to disregard the advice of friends who tell me to slow down, that I am a gambler, that I need to think things through perfectly before I chase my dreams.  I have learned to apply audacity to my hopes, and for that, I am living my life fully and loving every minute of it.

As you read this, you are probably wondering on the countless ideas that you have.  Ideas of starting a business, going to school, making a difference in people’s lives yet have held back from embarking on those ideas because you feared failure or because of friendly advice from friends.  I beseech you today to gamble, to take a chance, and do what it is that you always wanted to do.  Life is too short to wait for the perfect moment to live out your dreams, the perfect moment is now.

You can spend the rest of your life on the edge of a mountain deciding if you should take a leap.  Take a gamble and leap, you will most likely soar, even if you crash, you will get back up and learned the most important lesson.  You will have learned that life will pass you by if you play it safe at all times.  Take a gamble discerningly on the one person that matters the most—take a chance on yourself, and let the chips fall where they may.  Trust me, things will turn up aces when you do.

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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May 10th, 2010

by Teddy Fikre

Throughout Africa, the one thing that is abundant above all is political factions with acronyms and “liberation fronts” that espouse to “liberate” people.  Acronyms and liberation fronts are as African these days as the Nile River itself.  I could list hundreds of political factions and liberation fronts that fight for one cause or another, seeking to oust an entrenched power only to impose the same tyranny that they fought against to begin with.

Travel to Africa, whether you find yourself in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Eritrea, Kenya, Liberia or any other country you can throw a dart at on a map of Africa, and you will find wars and conflicts being fought on behalf of a people or a cause.  The list is too long for me to name the various political factions and liberation fronts that seek equality, human rights, and democracy by waging a fierce battle for political supremacy.  There are countless cases of political factions breaking off from an existing political faction, a liberation front break away from a liberation front, to wage their own quest for conquest.

In the past, I thought this was a noble deed, people who fight for what they believe and sacrifice their lives for principles that they cherish.  In due time, I am seeing this for the folly that it is.  For the most part, I come to the sad realization that these four letter political faction acronyms and liberation fronts are exactly what is wrong with Africa.  Instead of seeking cooperation, most seek domination disguised in the name of a people they are supposed to be fighting for.  I have also come to the realization that the people who suffer the most are not the leaders of these political factions and liberation fronts; rather, those that suffer are those that follow the leaders’ dictates, the young soldiers who die in the battle fields across Africa for a senseless cause and the parents of these soldiers who mourn the death of their children.

What we are witnessing is the balkanization of Africa, in Ethiopia alone, there are countless liberation fronts whose main goal is to seek their own country, whose leaders want to be a head of state of a future nation.  This is folly at its utmost, while the rest of the world is uniting and finding ways to cooperate, most countries in Africa continue to find ways to break apart based on narrow interests and myopic visions.  We are witnessing a counterproductive, ego driven agenda where the goal too often is to get the last word instead of finding ways to speak together.  The further we fragment as a society, the more we regress ; while liberation fronts in Africa continue import AK47s to fight for their “principles”, people in the countryside continue to starve, images of the huddle masses begging for rice from hovering helicopters dominating our television screens daily.

I am by no means an expert in African politics; in fact, I have chosen for the most part to stay away from African politics days.  I recently saw a movie called the Lord of War.  The protagonist in that movie, Nicolas Cage, is a weapons dealer who would sell weapons to a “Liberation Front” until they gained power, only to turn around and sell weapons to the group that just got ousted.   This movie is profound beyond most movies I have seen, for it captures the true essence of these liberation fronts in Africa.  Western companies continue to benefit from the perpetual wars that are fought by narcissistic leaders in Africa.

It is my hope that I will see the end of liberation fronts and the continual offspring of political factions based on acronyms and see a movement that seeks cooperation instead of conflict.  I pray for the day where Oromos, Amarahs, Tigrays, Gambellas will find ways to work tougher instead of working against one another.  I hold out for a day where everyone’s voice is heard instead of one group speaking the loudest while they seek hegemony.  Until then, I am going to start my own political faction called People Against Acronyms and Liberation Fronts—P.A.A.L.F.  How ironic that I too turned to an acronym based political faction, alas I am more African than I thought.  Reminds me of another famous acronym—T.I.A., This is Africa.

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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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There are some politicians that will say anything to get elected by staying clear of the truths that need to be told.  Then there are public servants like Jim Moran who speak the truth that needs to heard irrespective of the consequences.   The interview with Congressman Jim Moran on BC Radio is the embodiment of this notion.  Congressman Jim Moran did not bite his tongue when it comes to issues that impact all communities, issues such as immigration, health care, and democratic reform in Ethiopia.

The common thread throughout the interview was Congressman’s ability to state the facts instead of hedging his bets.  Listen to the entire recorded interview by clicking on the link below or by clicking on the picture of the radio.

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Congressman Moran is up for election in 2010, this is exactly the reason why we need less politicians and more public servants.  You can find out ways you can get involved in the 2010 election and ways you can help re-elect Congressman Moran by going to www.moran.house.gov or by clicking on Congressman Moran’s picture below.

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This is your chance to participate in the interview with Congressman Moran, which is being conducted by Teddy Fikre on Wednesday, May 5th at 5:00 PM EST.  By clicking on the link survey picture below, you will be taken to an EA4C survey.  Fill out the survey, full anonymity is guaranteed, and you will have a way of participating in the interview with Congressman Moran.

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You can listen to BC Radio by going to www.browncondor.com or by clicking on the logo below:

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Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia’s 8th Congressional District Representative,  will be interviewed on Wednesday, May 5th at 5:00 PM EST by Teddy Fikre, host of BC Radio and an organizer with Ethiopian-Americans for Change.  Tune into BC Radio to listen to Congressman Moran’s connection to the Ethiopian community, his dedication to service and his plans for re-election in 2010.  Congressman Moran is on the Ethiopian caucus and is a very influential member of Congress.

You can tune into BC Radio by going to www.browncondor.com and clicking on the youtube looking screen on the top right or the bottom of the website.

If you have questions that you want Teddy to ask Congressman Jim Moran, please submit your suggested questions to info@ea4c.org ]]> http://www.ea4c.org/2010/05/participate-in-the-interview-with-congressman-moran/feed/ 0 http://www.ea4c.org/2010/05/interview-with-congressman-moran/ http://www.ea4c.org/2010/05/interview-with-congressman-moran/#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 23:40:58 +0000 admin http://www.ea4c.org/?p=941 Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia’s 8th Congressional District Representative,  will be interviewed on Wednesday, May 5th at 5:00 PM EST by Teddy Fikre, host of BC Radio and an organizer with Ethiopian-Americans for Change.  Tune into BC Radio to listen to Congressman Moran’s connection to the Ethiopian community, his dedication to service and his plans for re-election in 2010.  Congressman Moran is on the Ethiopian caucus and is a very influential member of Congress.

You can tune into BC Radio by going to www.browncondor.com and clicking on the youtube looking screen on the top right or the bottom of the website.

If you have questions that you want Teddy to ask Congressman Jim Moran, please submit your suggested questions to info@ea4c.org

Some of you might think this issue is far from here and it does not apply. Think again! Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

You might think this issue only affects our Latino brothers and sisters. Think again! Our story is singular — an immigrant story — and our destiny is shared!

Friends, this is your time to make your mark like the courageous generation before us. Do not shrink before the eyes of history. Be courageous. Come out!

March!
Yell!
Let them hear you!
Let them know you do not want this!

This is the same week Dorothy Height is laid to rest. It is up to this us to pick up the baton and charge ahead!

I AM SURE you know someone who is an undocumented immigrant. March on their behalf! Raise your voice on their behalf!

If you are undocumented, come out and March! Let’s lock our arms and sing we shall overcome.

———-

There will be tens of thousands of people of all race marching in over 70 cities across the country on Saturday, May 1st, 2010. I AM CALLING ON ALL OF YOU to come out and support the cause in Washington, DC or in your respective cities.

I do not have more detail right now, but we’ll post any information right here on http://www.ea4c.org

If you are interested to help with organizing, or have tips, please email/txt/call/IM/facebook/tweet me back.

Share this with a friend. Forward it. Pass the word. It is your responsibility.

Ever wanted to go to an event where the aim of the event was not political, it did not have an agenda, and the only aim was to show our strength of numbers by simply showing up.  On Saturday, May 1^st, 2010, you will have a chance to do exactly that.

The DC Metro area is home to the largest community of Ethiopians in the world outside of Ethiopia.  The potential for our community to make a huge impact on the social, political, and the cultural process in the United States is tremendous.  So on May 1^st, 2010—this coming Saturday, we are calling all Ethiopians in the DC area to come out to the National Mall and get a chance to meet other Ethiopians in the DC area.

This event is not an organized event, we will not have speakers, we will not have music, and we will not have an agenda.  The only aim is for Ethiopian families to come out and gather, to have a picnic with their families and to have a good time with other Ethiopians.  Along the way, we can make a statement by showing how big our number is.  We have been working promoting this event using social networks and word of mouth to gather momentum for this event.  So please spread the word and encourage Ethiopians in the DC area to come out and take part in this event.   We look forward to seeing you this Saturday between the 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

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