As an Ethiopian, regardless if you are a recent immigrant, green card holder or a citizen, it is imperative that you are counted. By law, your immigration status is kept in strict confidence by the United States Census and cannot be shared with any governmental agencies. The count is only used to gather information on how many people live in the United States irrespective of them being citizens or residents.  The objective of the official census is directly related to the number of congressional seats allotted to each state, and the number of federal money allocated to each region. The data gathered will determine how $400 billion per year in federal funding is appropriated between local and state government. In addition, this data will also impact the decisions that small and large businesses make regarding your community. The census is extremely important and the opportunity to participate only comes every 10 years.

Key dates

March 2010 – Census forms were mailed or delivered to households.
April 1, 2010 – National Census Day (a point of reference day for mailing completed forms back ).
April – July 2010 – Census takers visit households that did not return a form by mail.
December 2010 – By law, the Census Bureau delivers population information to the President for apportionment.
March 2011 – By law, the Census Bureau completes delivery of redistricting data to states.

The 10 questions on the 2010 Census consist of the following:

• Name
• Sex
• Age
• Date of birth
• Hispanic origin
• Race*
• Household relationship
• If you own or rent

* Below is an example of how we should fill out question #9 on the Census form. 

Please note: The census DOES NOT ask about the legal status of respondents or their Social Security numbers.

The 2010 Census will help communities receive more than $400 billion in federal funds each year for things like:

• Hospitals
• Job training centers
• Schools
• Senior Centers
• Bridges, tunnels, and other-public works projects
• Emergency services  

Didn’t receive a form?

If you have not received your form by April 12, contact one of the 2010 Census Toll-free help lines.

For more information about Census 2010, how it works, why it’s important - how it affects the nation, how it benefits our community, protection of our personal information and to see the 10 questions on the census form, please go to http://2010.census.gov/2010census/index.php.

Completing the 2010 U.S Census
It’s easy.
It’s safe.
It’s confidential.
It’s required.

It is vital that our numbers in the United States are quantified.  Why?  With a hard count, we will be able to get funding and attention to some of the most pressing matters in our community.  Politicians and policies are influenced by numbers, the more we can quantify and verify our numbers in the United States, the more we can seek relief and lobby congress for those things which matter the most to our community.  We are an emerging voice in the United States, our voice can be that much more powerful if we have a true idea of how many Ethiopian-Americans and Ethiopians reside in America.  We need you to help our voice get counted, we need you to help many in our community emerge from the shadows by filling out and mailing back the Census 2010 form. The opportunity to get ourselves and our community officially accounted for and acknowledged is in our hands. Our community is depending on us to be counted. Can our community count on you?

Ethiopian-Americans for Change will host a Census program in the coming weeks where you will have the option of asking questions and getting answers to concerns that you have.  In the meantime, it is vital that you act, please make sure to mail the Census form in as soon as possible in the postage-paid envelope provided.

Click to view video

Click to join fanpage

 Please pass this on to EVERY Ethiopian you know, it is VITAL that our voices are counted in 2010

Liya Endale is a guest blogger for EA4C.com

By Liya Endale

Monday, November 16, 2009

I must have been 21 when I first sensed the peculiarity of the context in which we normally find the word ‘ferenj’. Growing-up in the States, I heard this term used when talking about the strange encounters associated with adapting to a new environment. Due to the redundant insistence of its use, I grew to accept its oxymoronic connotation; the same way we do not question jumbo shrimp, civil war, and bad luck. We re-apply a meaning to these words which have nothing to do with their literal translation. You know what I’m talking about. “Ye ferenj tata aytawekim”, “ye ferenj libs, migib, segur ina qwanqwa”.

We’ve heard it all. Am I right? Next thing you know, you live in New York, Atlanta, DC or LA and turn to your homie to tell him about “the new ferenj dude who moved into the neighborhood”. Beyond its hilarity, I’ve always pondered whether any of us are cognizant of our reference to Americans as foreigners and, by default, reference to ourselves as natives… in America. Then I ask myself; what does this trippy phenomenon really mean?

In this age of technological revolution, our experiences and realities are plucked from a physical plain and manifest through different types of energy; television waves, radio waves, light waves, sound waves, x-rays, skype, Wii, text messages, facebook. Can someone please tell me what the heck the internet is, anyway? Is it like the wind, faith and the Holy Spirit; you see the effects but you can’t touch it? Just 30 years ago, the world would have labeled you insane or possessed if you said a person can be in two places at once. Today, I know a man who has two jobs and is enrolled in a school, simultaneously, across three different continents. I even remember when I played computer games that each had a separate floppy disk and code that I had to learn, teachers actually used chalk boards, and payphones were found on every corner. Instead of texts, we taped notes under desks for our friends who had that class during the next period. In order to participate in something, you had to physically be there.

Today, people have entire careers and obtain complete degrees without ever leaving their house. The latest medical technology allows a computer program to diagnose your ailment just by analyzing your cough… through the phone. You don’t even have to be ‘there’ to make or have a baby anymore. I can’t help but wonder, if we are not ‘there’ anymore, where the heck are we? We no longer inhabit places, but permeate spaces we can not perceive with our senses. There is a space to send mail, transfer money, and even go on a date while you’re in your living room wearing your pajamas and a gabi.

Can it be that our nationality has also transcended a physical location and exists now as a social construct? Perhaps the mass exodus from Ethiopia in the 80’s and 90’s has created a shift in our perception of ‘home’. This perception, which lays dormant in our collective subconscious, grows stronger with each passing decade, with each passing Ethiopian in the States, and with each passing twitter feed. Fed by a prodigious pride pumping through our veins, we tote this perception of home with us to our jobs, churches, and various social interactions all over the globe. We are like the river water that fills the veins of our country’s land; like the water that etched the Great Rift Valley.

From the start of humanity we have carved our presence into earth, history, and now wind- that untouchable manifestation of our presence which knows no limits. Imbirtachin yetekeberebet bota no longer carries the physical border of where we are considered natives.  We do not budge or compromise our identity even as refugees, aliens, or first generation Americans. The crux in this phenomenon lies in the subtle way this stoic mentality creeps from our subconscious minds to our actual lives; as if we accept the role of Dinknesh/Lucy and Ardi, some of the oldest human remains which were found in Ethiopia, in the most literal sense possible. If they were Ethiopian and populated the world, I guess there is no place where we will be ‘ferenj’.

This blog submission was written by Liya Endale.  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.

Every fall, we set aside a special day to pay tribute to our veterans. But this year, Veteran’s Day took on even greater poignancy and meaning because of the tragic events at Fort Hood.

On Tuesday, I traveled there to join with the Fort Hood community, the Army, and the friends and families of the victims to honor thirteen of our fellow Americans who died – and the dozens more who were wounded – not on some distant shore, but on a military base at home.

Every man and woman who signs up for military service does so with full knowledge of the dangers that could come – that is part of what makes the service of our troops and veterans so extraordinary. But it’s unthinkable that so many would die in a hail of gunfire on a US Army base in the heart of Texas, and that a fellow service-member could have pulled trigger.

There is an ongoing investigation into this terrible tragedy. That investigation will look at the motives of the alleged gunman, including his views and contacts.  As I said in Fort Hood, I am confident that justice will be done, and I will insist that the full story be told. That is paramount, and I won’t compromise that investigation today by discussing the details of this case. But given the potential warning signs that may have been known prior these shootings, we must uncover what steps – if any – could have been taken to avert this tragedy.

On the Thursday evening that this tragedy took place, I met in the Oval Office with Secretary of Defense Gates, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – Admiral Mullen, and FBI Director Mueller to review the immediate steps that were necessary to support the families and secure Fort Hood. The next morning, I met with the leadership of our military and the intelligence community, and ordered them to undertake a full review of the sequence of events that led up to the shootings.

The purpose of this review is clear: We must compile every piece of information that was known about the gunman, and we must learn what was done with that information. Once we have those facts, we must act upon them. If there was a failure to take appropriate action before the shootings, there must be accountability. Beyond that – and most importantly – we must quickly and thoroughly evaluate and address any flaws in the system, so that we can prevent a similar breach from happening again. Our government must be able to act swiftly and surely when it has threatening information. And our troops must have the security that they deserve.

I know there will also be inquiries by Congress, and there should.  But all of us should resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater that sometimes dominates the discussion here in Washington. The stakes are far too high.

Of all the responsibilities of the presidency, the one that I weigh most heavily is my duty as Commander-in-Chief to our splendid service-men and women. Their character and bravery were on full display in that processing center at Fort Hood, when so many scrambled under fire to help their wounded comrades. And their great dignity and decency has been on display in the days since, as the Fort Hood community has rallied together.

We owe our troops prayerful, considered decisions about when and where we commit them to battle to protect our security and freedom, and we must fully support them when they are deployed. We also owe them the absolute assurance that they’ll be safe here at home as they prepare for whatever mission may come. As Commander-in-Chief, I won’t settle for anything less.

This nation will never forget the service of those we lost at Fort Hood, just as we will always honor the service of all who wear the uniform of the United States of America. Their legacy will be an America that is safer and stronger – an America that reflects the extraordinary character of the men and women who serve it.

Thank you.

Washington, DC – Today, the White House announced the launch of an initiative that is designed to transform the federal government into the model employer of America’s veterans.  This evening, President Obama will be joined by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry to sign an Executive Order on the Employment of Veterans in the federal government, which establishes the Veterans Employment Initiative for the Executive Branch. The Initiative underscores to federal agencies the importance of recruiting and training veterans, aims to increase the employment of veterans within the Executive Branch, and helps recently hired veterans adjust to service in a civilian capacity.

“Honoring our sacred trust with America’s veterans means doing all we can to help them find work when they come home so they never feel as if the American Dream they fought to defend is out of reach for them and their families,” said President Obama. “But this initiative is about more than repaying our debt for their courageous service and selfless sacrifice.  It’s also about continuing to fill the ranks of federal employees with men and women who possess the skills, dedication, and sense of duty that Americans deserve from their public servants.  And few embody those qualities like our nation’s veterans.”

The Executive Order creates an interagency Council on Veterans Employment that will advise the President and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management on the veterans’ employment initiative.  The Council will be chaired by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. OPM Director John Berry will serve as the Vice Chair and Chief Operating Officer of the Council.

“Veterans have shown unmatched dedication to public service,” said Secretary Shinseki.  “They offer leadership and technical skills that are in high demand, whether in the public or private workforce. Not only does this initiative present an opportunity for Veterans to serve their Nation once again, the Nation will benefit from the education and training Veterans received in the Armed Forces.  I am looking forward to working with Secretary Solis and Director Berry to achieve the objectives of this initiative across the federal government.”

“Veterans are an important part of our nation’s past, present and future.  They deserve our full support as they reintegrate into the civilian workforce,” said Secretary Solis, “In signing this Executive Order, President Obama underscores his Administration’s commitment to our military men and women, and keeps us squarely on the path to achieving the goal of good jobs for everyone.”

“President Obama strongly believes in honoring the service of our veterans and he sees this initiative as an opportunity to put some real muscle behind that promise,” said Director Berry.  “The strong sense of patriotism and public service held by members of our armed forces doesn’t leave them when they exit from active duty.  It benefits our government to seize this opportunity to utilize their skills and dedication to service.  The Veterans Employment Initiative will help our federal agencies identify qualified veterans, clarify the hiring process for veterans seeking employment with the federal government, and help our veterans adjust to civilian life once they are hired.”

The Order also establishes a Veterans Employment Program office within most federal agencies.  These offices will be responsible for helping veterans identify employment opportunities within those federal agencies, providing feedback to veterans about their employment application status, and helping veterans recently employed by these agencies adjust to civilian life and a workplace culture often different than military service.

In addition, the Office of Personnel Management will issue a government-wide strategic plan that will focus on creating leadership commitment and an infrastructure in each agency to promote continued skills development and employment success for veterans.  The strategic plan will also include marketing strategies aimed at agency hiring managers as well as veterans and transitioning service members.

“This Executive Order reflects the shared commitment across the Obama administration to hiring American veterans,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Veterans play a vital role in the Department of Homeland Security’s mission to protect the nation, which is why we have pledged to grow our veteran workforce to more than 50,000 Department-wide by 2012.”

At the end of Fiscal Year 2008, there were approximately 480,000 veterans working within the federal government.

ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM LEGISLATION

Rose Garden

1:05 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I just want to say a few words about two milestones that have passed in the last few hours that represent encouraging progress for our country.

The first was the historic vote the House took last night on health insurance reform.  For years we’ve been told that this couldn’t be done.  After all, neither chamber of Congress has been able to pass a comprehensive health insurance reform bill for generations.  But last night the House proved differently.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act is a piece of legislation that will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable options for those who don’t; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and our government, while strengthening the financial health of Medicare.  It is legislation that is fully paid for and it will reduce our long-term federal deficit.

Given the heated and often misleading rhetoric surrounding this legislation I know that this was a courageous vote for many members of Congress, and I’m grateful to them and for the rest of their colleagues for taking us this far.  But more importantly, so are the millions of Americans whose lives will change when we achieve insurance reform — families with preexisting conditions who will finally have insurance coverage; parents who will be protected from annual and lifetime limits that can force them to pay exorbitant out-of-pocket costs for a child’s illness; small businesses that will finally be able to cover their employees; and working folks who will finally be able to afford health insurance for the very first time.

Americans like Katie Gibson, a cancer survivor from Bozeman, Montana, who shared her story with me this summer.  Because of a medical condition Katie’s insurance policy was suddenly revoked when she needed it most, even though she was paying her premiums. I called Katie this morning and I told her that when the bill that passed last night becomes law we’ll be able to protect Americans just like her from the kinds of insurance company abuses she had to endure.  And I told her that it was because of her willingness to share her story and the extraordinary activism that she and people like her all across the country displayed — not just this year, but over the last several years — that we are finally this close to getting reform done.

Their lives are what’s at stake in this debate, and moments like this are why they sent us here — to finally meet the challenges that Washington has put off for decades; to make their lives better and this nation stronger; to move America forward.  That’s what the House did last night when it brought us closer than we have ever been to comprehensive health insurance reform in America.

Now it falls on the United States Senate to take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line on behalf of the American people.  And I’m absolutely confident that they will.  I’m equally convinced that on the day that we gather here at the White House and I sign comprehensive health insurance reform legislation into law, they’ll be able to join their House colleagues and say that this was their finest moment in public service — the moment we delivered change we promised to the American people and did something to leave this country stronger than we found it.

The second development I want to mention is a significant breakthrough in Iraq, where Iraq’s parliament has approved a new election law that paves the way for national elections early next year.  This is an important milestone as the Iraqi people continue to take responsibility for their future.

I want to congratulate Iraq’s leaders for reaching this agreement.  Their flexibility and commitment to their country sends an important signal to the world about Iraq’s democracy and national unity.  And I look forward to prompt approval of this law by Iraq’s Presidency Council.

Iraq has known many challenges, and in the past several weeks we’ve seen that there are still those who would kill innocent men, women and children to deny the Iraqi people the future they deserve.  Today’s step forward is another reminder that these enemies of the Iraqi people will fail.

The United States will continue to stand with Iraq as a strong partner and as a friend.  Tough challenges remain and I’m sure that there will be difficult days to come.  But this agreement advances the political progress that can bring lasting peace and unity to Iraq, and allow for the orderly and responsible transition of American combat troops out of Iraq by next September.

So I want to congratulate our troops and civilians who are serving so capably in Iraq, and I want to congratulate the Iraqi people who have taken an important step forward in pursuit of a better future.

There’s much more work to be done, but with today’s news we’re continuing to move in the right direction as we continue to look forward to Iraqi elections early next year.

Thank you very much.

END

]]> http://www.ea4c.org/2009/11/statement-by-the-president/feed/ 0 http://www.ea4c.org/2009/11/a-stunning-turnaround/ http://www.ea4c.org/2009/11/a-stunning-turnaround/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:36:27 +0000 admin http://www.ea4c.org/?p=345 A Stunning Turnaround

How Ethiopian-Americans for Change efforts led to a surge in support for Deeds

by EA4C Staff Writer

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Creigh Deeds and the Democratic ticket suffered a sweeping defeat, turning what Obama turned into a “Blue State” back into the red column of the Republican Party.  The loss suffered by the Democrats was stunning in scope and magnitude.  Not only did the Democratic Party lose its hold of the Governor’s mansion, they also lost the Lt. Governor’s election and the Attorney General’s election. Furthermore, the Democrats also lost control of the State House.  And in a completly jaw-dropping fashion, Deeds not only lost statewide, he lost in Democratic strongholds such as Fairfax and in Northern Virginia as a whole.

The one “Blue” spot in a sea of Northern Virginia red occurred in the City of Alexandria and Arlington.  Amazingly, these were the only areas that Deeds won.  These two cities are part of the 8th Congressional District, a district which is home to a massive Ethiopian-American community.  By showing up in droves to the polls, Ethiopian-Americans were able to join a coalition of voters that kept at least one part of Northern Virginia blue.  The turnout of Ethiopians in support of Creigh Deeds did not happen in a vacuum.  Creigh Deeds reached out to the Ethiopian community on October 17th.  Based on that outreach, Ethiopian-Americans for Change formally endorsed Creigh Deeds and the Democratic slate.  In order to gauge the level of support that Creigh Deeds enjoyed, Ethiopian-Americans for Change conducted a scientific poll two days after Deed’s initial outreach.

The support Deeds enjoyed at that time from the Ethiopian-American community was anemic at best.  The first poll revealed that Deed’s support level stood at an astonishing 28%.  Moreover, only 45% of Ethiopians intended on voting on November 3rd.  Based on these findings, Ethiopian-Americans for Change conducted an intensive voter outreach effort from October 19 through election night.  In order to gauge the effectiveness of our effort,Ethiopian-Americans for Change conducted a second round of surveys to over 14,000 registered Ethiopians who live in the eight congressional district in the days leading up to the big election on November 3rd in Virginia.  This was a follow up poll to get a feel of how the race is going and how much of an impact the Ethiopian-American community can have on the outcome of the state-wide race.  The turnaround between the first poll (Oct 19th -21st) and the latest poll (Oct 31st-Nov 1st) was stunning.

• A 20 point increase in the number of Ethiopians who stated that they are currently registered (from 68.1% to 88%). This was not due to newly registered voters, rather, it was due in the increase of awareness on behalf of folks who voted last year yet thought they were not registered for this election
• A 26 point increase in the number of Ethiopians who stated that they were aware of the Nov. 3rd election (from 45% to 71%)
• A 22 point increase in the number of Ethiopians who stated that they plan on voting on November 3rd (from 36.3% to 58%)
• A stunning 28 point increase in the number of Ethiopians who stated that they plan on voting for Deeds (from 28.8% to 56%)

We did not have a data set from the previous poll for Jody Wagner, but on the latest poll, Jody Wagner was garnering 53% of the Ethiopian vote while Bolling was mired at 3.0%.

The massive shift can be explained in part by the sustained efforts Ethiopian-Americans for Change has made upon endorsing Creigh Deeds and the Democratic slate.

Consider:

1. Made over 2,500 phone calls using the database of 14,000 + registered Ethiopian voters we have from the 8th Congressional District

2. Held the “Meet the Candidates” forum where we introduced Deeds, Wagner et al to the Ethiopian community

3. Passed out over 2,000 flyers and posters to Ethiopian businesses and individuals

4. Sent out 4 emails to our Ethiopian-Americans for Change email database

5. Sent out countless press releases to generate interest from Ethiopian media

6. Leveraged our website (EA4C.org), facebook and twitter accounts to build up excitement within and outside of the Ethiopian community

7. Customized a youtube commercial on behalf of Deeds to the Ethiopian community

Based on these results, we are confident that our effort in the 8th Congressional District increased turnout significantly and netted Deeds anywhere from 3,500 to 5,000 votes.  When the multiplier effect that our efforts had  in other districts that have a heavy Ethiopian presence (10th, 11th, and the 7th), the Ethiopian-American community would have cast a decisive vote if the election this year was as close as the election in 2005.

For full detail of the poll and any follow up questions, contact media@ea4c.org.  Raw numbers from the poll will be made available for all media outlet that have a valid credential.

For press availability, email media@ea4c.org with a subject header that states “Interview Request”.

Vote on November 3rd in Virginia

Written by EA4C Staff

Dated:  Monday, November 2, 2009

Do you remember the euphoria of November 4^th 2008?  Do you remember the magic you felt when folks of all races, genders, ethnic groups, and religions joined hand for one common goal—change.  There stood Ethiopians for Obama joined hands with Eritreans for Obama.  There stood Arab-Americans for Obama united with Jewish Americans for Obama.  There stood an avowed atheist embracing a devoted Christian. For one brief moment, for one fleeting campaign, it seemed as though we were indeed at the footsteps of mountain top that Martin Luther King espoused in his dream.  For one shinning moment, we became one out of many—E Pluribus Unum.   

But that one shinning moment was but a milestone on a long journey towards the continued perfection of our nation.  Like Martin Luther King said, we are not there yet.  The problems of an opportunity gap, the menace of inequality based race, gender, or religion, or the threat of economic hardship did not disappear in one election.  Electing Obama on November 4^th was merely a down payment; an investment in hope that we would only reap with  continued engagement in our country’s civic process.  One vote was not enough to undo eight years of Bush policies.  One vote is not enough to realize the returns on our investment in hope.

No other state in the United States symbolized this transformational moment more than the Commonwealth of Virginia.  What was once a deep red enclave of the Republican party voted overwhelmingly for Obama.  What was once the capital of the Confederacy gave a resounding victory to the possibility of change.  Yet, here we stand today on the eve of an important election faced with the possibility of Virginia becoming once more a Republican enclave.  November 3^rd is an important test of our commitment to change.  This election is an important test of our commitment to that fleeting moment of hope that last year’s election represented.

Barack Obama always said that last year’s election was not about him, it was about us.  That is why thousands of young and young at heart from across America knocked on doors, made phone calls, contributed to Obama’s campaign, and registered to vote in droves.  In Virginia alone, over 500,000 people registered for and voted Obama—an overwhelming number of which voted for the first time.  It is time for those 500,000, and those of us who vote all the time, to decide.  It is time to stop remembering and start acting. In a close race between Democratic Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell, if only one third of the first time voters from last year vote on November 3^rd, Virginia will remain a blue state.  In your hands, in your action, you hold the possibility of a continued clarion call of change or if Virginia reverts back to George Bush policies.

Ethiopian-Americans for Change endorses Creigh Deeds for Governor, Jody Wagner for Lieutenant Governor, Steve Shannon for Attorney General, and the rest of the Democratic slate. This decision was not arrived at reflexively.  An invitation was sent out to both the Republican party and the Democratic Party to come and speak to our community.  The Republican party had prior commitments, the Democratic Party came out in full force accompanied by Tim Kaine, Creigh Deeds, Jody Wagner, and Charniele Herring.  Based on the Democratic Party’s embrace of our invitation, those in attendance during the “Meet the Candidates” forum voted 100% to endorse the Democratic slate.   

So if you are getting this email and live in Virginia, we implore you to go vote on November 3^rd. If you are getting this email and you live outside of Virginia, please pick up your phone and call a family member or a friend who lives in Virginia and encourage them to vote for Deeds, Wagner, Shannon, and the rest of the Democratic candidates.  If you voted last year during the historic election in Virginia, you are already registered and can vote on November 3^rd.  Please forward this email to everyone you know who lives in Virginia and cc info@ea4c.org on the email.  As you vote on November 3^rd, please email ivoted@ea4c.org and tell us that you voted.

It is easy to revel in the euphoria of last year’s election, however, without our continued involvement in the political process, that euphoria will wilt in the face of a determined opposition that seek to return us to the status quo.  It is up to you to choose action over memory.  So whether you are Ethiopian, Eritrean, Jewish, Arab, Latino, Asian, African, black, white, Christian, Muslim, just think back to last year when we shed our differences and came together as one in our belief in hope and the possibility of change.  It is time for us to stop remembering and start doing. On November 3^rd, it is time for you to vote for Deeds, Wagner, Shannon.  We urge you to choose the fierce urgency of action over the fleeting whims of memory. Please vote.

Our Honorable Friend in Canada

Written by Teddy Fikre

Friday, October 30, 2009

Samuel Getachew

Samuel Getachew is an amazing guy.   His spirit, enthusiasm, and dedication to the Ethiopian community is unquestioned.  Beyond that, Samuel is also a rising star who is well on his way to making history in Canada.  Before he reached the age of 30, Samuel had the “audacity” to run for the House of Commons in Canada.  Undettered by a setback, Samuel then went on to start Friends of Ethiopia and works on amazing projects such as sending decommissioned Canadian  ambulances to Ethiopia.

Mike Endale and I met “Sammy” last year when we traveled to Columbus Ohio to volunteer for the Obama campaign.  Sammy was a  ball of enthusiasm, he knocked on doors endlessly, talked to any and every stranger about Obama, and even tried to convince a couple of Ron Paul supporters to vote for Obama instead.  For someone I met for the first time, I could tell that Sammy was a man of ambition and a man of action.

Sammy and Hope

So it is no coincidence that Sammy was determined to “win” all of the art work from ETHIOFEST.  Anytime someone would bid on an artwork, he would outbid them within an hour.

“As the auction closed earlier today and we have been awarded all the arts and the gabi except one, I want you know to know all of these arts will be treasured here in Canada” stated Samuel Getachew.  “We will hang all of them at City Hall in Toronto during Black History Month giving all the credits that is due to the Ethiopian artists.  We will also find a better way to use them in the future to further promote our culture and mutual interest”

Thank you Sammy, you prove once again that you are a man of action.  You truly are a Friend of Ethiopian-Americans for Change, more importantly, you are a Friend of Ethiopia.

Art by Solomon Asfaw

Art by Solomon Asfaw

Art by Solomon Asfaw

Art by Dilip Sheth

Art by Munit Mesfin

Gabi by madeinethiopia.com

]]> http://www.ea4c.org/2009/10/samuel-getachew/feed/ 0 http://www.ea4c.org/2009/10/know-your-right-forum/ http://www.ea4c.org/2009/10/know-your-right-forum/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:47:35 +0000 admin http://www.ea4c.org/?p=293 Know Your Right Forum

Without a vote, you are voiceless

written by EA4C Staff

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Know your rights as a citizen

Ethiopian-Americans for Change is hosting Know Your Rights forum on Thursday, October 29th at Enat Restaurant in Alexandria VA.  This event is free to the public.  There will be a panel of election rights and registration experts who will answer your questions and give a complete overview of your rights as a citizen of the United States of American.  If you have questions about the registration process, don’t know if you are still registred, or just have questions in general about the election process, this is an opportunity to come out and get your questions answered.

Event Details:

Location:  Enat Ethiopian Restaurant

Address:  4708 N. Chambliss St.  Alexandria VA

Time:  7:30 PM – 9:00 PM EST

This event is free and open to the public.  EA4C is requesting media assets to be deployed in order to cover this event fully.  Please email media@ea4c.org at least 4 hours before the event in order to receive media credentials.

With the Virginia Gubernatorial election only a week away, voter awareness is a key concern

Written by EA4C Staff

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Last year’s historic election was a watershed moment for Ethiopian-Americans.  Prior to last year’s election, taking part in the political process was a key component that was missing from an otherwise massive Ethiopian populace.  Ethiopians constitute the second largest immigrants from the Africa.  Estimates range from 200,000 Ethiopians who reside in America on the low end to over 500,000 on the high end.

Nowhere is this more evident that the Commonwealth of Virginia.  As with the population count overall, there is no reliable data that can quantify the exact number of Ethiopians who live in Virginia.  However, a number that has been cited by  respected authorities is that there are at least 80,000 Ethiopians who live in Virginia.  A database of registered voters that was gathered by Ethiopians for Obama last year for the 8th Congressional District shows that there is indeed a large bloc of Ethiopian voters in Alexandria alone.

In order to determine the accuracy of the data set, Ethiopian-Americans for Change conducted a poll from October 19th through the 21st.  There were over 600 calls that were made, and once a sufficient number of answers were collected vis-a-vis the overall population of registered voters,  a statistical analysis was conducted.  The results were quite profound.

Male or Female?

What is your age range?

Are you Ethiopian?

How long have you been in the United States?

Are you currently registered to vote?

Do you consider yourself a Democrat, Republican, or an Independent?

Did you vote in the 2008 Presidential Election

Did you vote for Obama last year?

Did you know the Virginia Gubernatorial race is taking place on November 3rd?

Do you plan on voting this year?

Do you plan on voting for Deeds, McDonnell, or neither?

Based on the results of the poll, it is evident that there are quite a lot of Ethiopians who are not aware that the Virginia Gubernatorial election is taking place in just one week.  This is not too surprising since Virginia and New Jersey are the only states that have off-year elections.  Another interesting fact, and one that is striking, is that over 30% of the respondents who voted in last year’s election believe that they are currently not registered.  Of course, the fact is quite to the contrary; whoever voted in last year’s election in Virginia is already registered to vote.

Another outcome that stood out is that 56% of those surveyed consider themselves Democrats, while only 4.4% considered themselves Republicans.  However, in a development that has a potential huge impact on the November 3rd election, the level of support that Creigh Deeds is currently garnering is only 29% ( a tremendous drop-off from the support that Obama received last year) while McDonnell is receiving support from 7.7% of those who responded.  Thus, with the election only a week away, there is a large swath of Ethiopian-Americans who are persuadable yet not sure who is running.  If the election is anywhere close to the 2005 outcome between Deeds and McDonnell, Ethiopian-Americans can indeed cast a decisive vote on November 3rd.

This EA4C poll was conducted by telephone October 19-21, 2009, among a random local sample of 160 from an overall population size of 14,259 Registered Ethiopian voters in the 8th Congressional District in Virginia, including land-line respondents only. The results from the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 7.7 percentage points. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by EA4C.org | GRAPHIC: EA4C.org