Re: Chartering an improving Ethio-US Relations, a visit by a sitting US President to Ethiopia is a possibiliity!
As part of an effort to make our upcoming meetings more user-friendly and relevant in the context of Ethio-US relations and the role of this August Body to make a substantial input in this evolving and continuously improving relationship, it is critical we base all our efforts on research, and evidence based facts to charter a better future.
We need to review the attached history that was published in Ethiopia following the recent diplomatic and strategic visit of a third of Ethiopian Cabinet with their counterparts led by the Foreign Ministers Mesfin and Clinton respectively for Ethiopia and USA.
This result did not come in a day. It took some 106 years of deliberate and intelligent communications that was started during the reign of Emperor Menelik II and President Theodore Roosevelt. As we charter the future, we need to honor those before us who created this august and unique relationships over the time.
We need to engage all our Diaspora to be educated with facts and not fantasy and build on this historic relationship and not squander it.
As Ethiopia is deliberating on building wealth and prosperity, let us say goodbye to poverty with education and competitive enterprises and not depend on hand outs and perpetual poverty reduction mantra. We cannot reduce poverty, but build wealth and prosperity with education, technology and the spirit of competitiveness based on free market and good governance.
Surely, we have to contribute in the wealth creation effort by bridging the gap between our two sister countries. The recent visit by Prof Andreas and Tase is an excellent example on which to build.
The road map is being chartered and we need people to walk on it so that it becomes a super high way. Ethiopia has also to open up the Internet, and Information High way to make the connection with development like the Chinese have done.
As I listen to President Obama visiting China and making all these great remarks, I wonder, when will he visit Addis, the home of his ancestors and African Union. We just need to work at it, it is not acdeptable to have retired US Presidents coming to addis with their coffers and platitudes like Carter and Clinton did, we need to engage them when they are in power with win-win partnership ventures that would transform our respective nations.
That task is in the hand of the future Ambassador to the USA and this August body, if we work hard on it.
I look forward for your alternative perspectives
Thank you
Dr B
Here is a an important historical fact
More will come
Dr B
Ethio-USA cemented relations will persist!
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Editorial
11 November 2009 (No.22)
A. Recent Ethio-US Relations (Mesfin-Clinton Bilateral Meetings)
Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin, in his recent visit to the United States of America, said that his visit would be extremely fruitful in touching base on issues that are of crucial importance both to the United States and Africa and in Ethiopia. His counterpart Secretary Clinton on her part said Ethiopia is a country with which America has very long ties, and has, in recent years, developed a very close working relationship on a number of important issues.
B. 1903 Formal Bilateral Relations during Emperor Menelik II and President Theodore Roosevelt
Available documents witnessed the bilateral relationship between Ethiopia and the United States of America was started in the 1903. Emperor Menelik II held nine days meetings with Robert P. Skinner, an emissary of President Theodore Roosevelt for the first time to begin their relations.
C. Treaties of Arbitration and Conciliation on 26 Jan 1929 (Health, Education and Agriculture)
On January 26, 1929, they signed treaties of arbitration and conciliation. The two countries had strengthened their relations. Economic and mutual defense assistances were signed in 1953. Then USA provided Ethiopia with $282 and $366 million military and economic assistances for health, agriculture and education.
D. Cooling down and down graded relations with the advent of the Military Communist Junta
However, their relation cooled down during the Derg regime as USA snubbed the request for increased military assistance. However, the relation has revived since the downfall of that dictatorial regime and improved dramatically.
E. Upgrading relations to Ambassador level in 1992 and improving economic ties.
In 1992, diplomatic relations were upgraded to the ambassadorial level. USA assisted Ethiopia $2.3 billion between 1991 and 2003 and it provided a record of $553.1 million assistance in 2003.
F. Ethiopia as a Classical Strategic Partner and Anchor of stability and Peace in the Continent
Ethiopia is a strategic partner not only for the USA but also for other developed countries. It has been exerting tremendous efforts to peace and stability in the continent. It has also remained a reliable partner of peace loving countries and has been contributing remarkable role in fighting terrorism. Its military measure upon the al Qaeda affiliated extremist group is Somalia was very crucial and unforgettable deed that almost disqualified the revival of terrorists in the Horn of Africa.
G. Upgrading 7,500 Years of Governance to Democracy and Good Governance
The country has been also keen to upgrade its democracy and good governance along with its efforts of fighting poverty. Ethiopia and the United States of America have so many commonalities. It will be helpful if they strengthening their relations for mutual benefit. The recent visit of the Ethiopian Foreign Minister indicates that the cemented relations of the two countries will persist.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 November 2009 )
Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH
Global Strategic Enterprises, Inc. 4 Peace & Prosperity
Win-win synergestic Partnership 4P&P-focusing on
5Es: Education+Energy+Ecology+Economy+Enterprises
www.Globalbelai4u.blogspot.com; Globalbelai@yahoo.com
V: 571.225.5736; C: 703.933.8737; F: 703.531.0545
Our Passion is to reach our Individual and Collective Potential
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From: Belai FM Habte-Jesus
To: EPRDF Support Group EPRDF Support Group
Cc: Tilahun Beyene
Sent: Mon, November 16, 2009 3:37:09 PM
Subject: Re: Eprdf general members meeting
Dear Gofta N Biratu:
Thank you for your invitation and your efforts to make us a win-win partners with EPRDF and the Ethiopian New Vision for 21st Century.
I believe it is critical to update the membership about the challenges and opportunities we face at the time when Ambassador Samuel is leaving us.
A. Reviewing the past
A.1 Post Adwa Celebrations (2006)
We had just celebrated the Adwa Centenarry and Ethio-US Relations Centenary, where we had a lot of opportunity to build on the past and charter a new future.
Unfortunately, that did not happen, and our image in general and the Diaspora in particular was in held hostage by few Anti-Ethiopia forces masquerading as Opposition groups, but working for Anti-Ethiopian interests in the Horn.
A.2 Post Centenary US-Ethiopia Relations (2004)
Dr Asefa and his team joined the Ethiopian Embassy at a critical US-Ethiopia relations where we just celebrated the 100th Ethio-US relations and the Diaspora tried to celebrate it without the involvement of the Embassy staff.
I feel ashamed of this fact, as I was in the initial planning stage, and left them when they collected Anti-Ethiopian elements and infront of my eyes those of us, who started the whole show became marginalized.
We then tried to have an alternative one, but it was too little to late. So, the lesson is always take control of your events even as you want many others to join you.
Then came the rather unfortunate scenario that followed the 2005 Elections, where the Anti-Ethiopia forces managed to convince the US Congress and hold rather unfriendly hearings against Ethiopia led by the Kinijit Fiasco.
A.3 Post 2005 Elections
I remember, the Interim Ambassador Fiseha Asgedom testimony at the Africa SubCommittee where Donald Payne, who knew Emperor Haile Selassie and Prime Minister Endalkatchew as early when Blacks were still considered slaves here in the United States and could not vote. Ethiopia according to his own personal naration was a beacon of light and hope for many in the Civil Rights Movement, and yet he had the audacity to favor the ONLF terrorists and Somalia War Lords and Eritrean Terrorist against Ethiopia.
A.3 Post Ethiopian (African) Millennium
Then comes the Alliance and the Millennium Celebrations at the Mall in Washington DC which was a great success. Here again, a young man with few dedicated people tried to take over the planned Millennium Celebrations. This was meant to be a partnership but our group had to give in to a lot of unnecessary restrictions in the way we wanted to celebrate it.
B. Post the Formation of EPRDF Support Group
The EPRDF Support Group came into existent in these critical times, and was able to encourage and be a good example for the mushrooming of Pro EPRDF Forum and Paltalk Networks including the likes of Aiga Network
B.1 The Alliance and its impact to change the tide of history
I believe, the Alliance was the cradle of the movement of Pro-Ethiopians where more than 20 or so organizations put their hats together and formed a unique constituency that will stand for the positive US-Ethiopia relations.
B .2 The Post 2005 Elections Campaign to lobby US Congress and Senate
I would like to remind everybody how difficult it was to fight the HR2003 and all preceeding bills that were Anti-Ethiopia. I could not help but remember people like Prof Mesfin, Dr Berhanu, Birtukan testified against their own country and government with ONLF and Shabia operates. That was the real bottom line (worst point) of the whole exercise.
B.3 The passing of HR 2003 by some fluke Procedure in the Congress
The speeches made at the US congress at this critical moment is worth keeping for history and posterity and lessons learnt.
We were galvanized to ensure that this idiotic Bill HR 2003 would not pass the US Senate. That is where our African American and Jewish American friends completely let us down and Republicans shined in the Person of Senator Einhoff, etc.
I will not forget that Smith and Payne fiasco at the Press Club and the Support Group did a tremendous work and Smith never took up the public space against Ethiopia after that episode where Patriots and friends of Ethiopia faced him head on. He was embarrassed and this was followed by Payne going to Moqadisho against the interest of Ethiopia and the terrorists missed his plane by few feet when they shot at him at the Airport. He has never recovered from that personal embarrassment.
C. Post Senator Einhoff blockage of HR2003
This was the zenith period of Pro-Ethiopia forces. We were proactive, in letter writing, visiting congress and demonstrating aggressively for Pro-Ethiopia activities. The works of Mulie and Biratu and that of Amb Samuel could not be underestimated here.
C.1 The synergy of Pro-Ethiopia forces.
All in all, we are in a better place because of the work of Great Giants amongst us. We need to honor them. I would like to share with you how honored I feel for being a partner with Negusie Wolde Mariam for the excellent work we did at Hager Fiker defending the honor and image of Ethiopia.
I will never exchange this with any thing, even though Negus had to pay the maximum sacrifice of being shot at, at his home and then being taken to court under false pretexts. The work of Abassadors of Fiseha and Colleagues will never be forgotten for eternity.
Our six hours radio was shrank to one hour and we even did a stint in English, Voice of the Patriots and at last changed our studio from 1390 AM to 1160 AM when we had to protect our personal security as the opposition were coming on just before us and after us and we had to stand their abusive temperament and at times insults.
C.2 The mushrooming of Paltalks and our campaign to get funding from Private-Public Sources.
It was the most challenging time, as resources were available but could not be channeled to our campaign and we had to endure so much frustration ~!
C.3 The Diaspora Engagement Group
This is another excellent group that continues to work hard and the recent AAU President Meeting at the Embassy is worth following up!
The future
We need to galvanize our talents and resources and put our money and time on building the Positive Image of Ethiopia as this is the most critical element for investment, development and demoratic diplomacy in the end.
I trust, this is a worth while reading.
More will come as time permits as I have wonderful recollections of the time!
Dr B
Please write your personal recollections to enrich our memory and history!
Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH
Global Strategic Enterprises, Inc. 4 Peace & Prosperity
Win-win synergestic Partnership 4P&P-focusing on
5Es: Education+Energy+Ecology+Economy+Enterprises
www.Globalbelai4u.blogspot.com; Globalbelai@yahoo.com
V: 571.225.5736; C: 703.933.8737; F: 703.531.0545
Our Passion is to reach our Individual and Collective Potential
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: EPRDF Support Group EPRDF Support Group
To: Abdulhadi K. Ferhat
Cc: Tilahun Beyene
Sent: Sun, November 15, 2009 8:54:47 PM
Subject: Eprdf general members meeting
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