Sunday, 28 November 2010: 18:00-22:00; Washington, DC Unification Church, 1610 Colombia Road, NW Washington, DC, USA
Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH
Global Strategic Enterprises 4 Peace & Prosperity 4 All!
Dear Wondwossen Fikre and Colleagues:
Thank you very much for your invitation.
Bridging the Gap, The Common heritage of Ethiopian and Eritreans (Bahre Negash)_
The historical, cultural and geographic link of the people of the Horn and their shared destiny.
Please find below my initial thoughts and resume for your information.
Re: Reviewing the shared Past, understanding the present disengagement and chartering the bright future
Introduction
Thank you for making Ethiopia-Eritrea (Bridging the Gap) the subject of your monthly international night at this special 2010 Thanksgiving Sunday evening program in Washington, DC.
1. When humans connect with the Divine Universe, there is life and healing; when we disconnect and disengage from the bigger universe that is unfolding we die at individual and collective existence.
2. According to Ethiopian tradition and culture that hosts its own written language, numbers and calendar, we are the beginning of the 8th Millennium (7503: 5500 Christ + 2003); so as the scriptures testify we are in the unique time of appreciating the effects of a middle aged planet and solar system, with all the ecological challenges and human reactions. Some of the ecological crisis such as Earthquakes, Volcanoes, powerful winds and tornadoes, elninos, hurricanes, floods and fire; supported by man’s ability to destroy self and the ecology is making the world rather a vulnerable place to live.
3. I became a Universal Ambassador for Peace, some six years ago in this very chapel, where my friend Jim Flynn was the guest speaker. I travelled to Seol, Korea twice with Ambassador for Peace and Universal Peace federation and have met the Founder Rev Moon, the founder of this church and share his concern for Universal Peace; especially today when the US and South Korea are making their military exercise under tense North – South Korea situations.
4. My own people Ethiopian Imperial Body Guard Kagnew Battalion took part in the 1953 Korea War under the US Command and had shown supreme sacrifice and bravery with out loosing their position or any of their team for which they were given special bravery Award from President Eisenonhower. At my Korea visits, many remembered this special bond with the Ethiopian people.
5. As a public health scientist, I would like to use qualitative and quantitative presentation. There are 7 Billion people on earth alive today. There were 9 Billion people before us who have come and gone and are now in Spirit world waiting for the last days of the Messiah (The Lion of Judah) Rev: 5:5 to connect with all of us.
6. Ethiopia is the only nation that has given a space in its Good Governance where the crown and throne of the Messiah is referred to as the Lion of Judah and sustained it for almost 3,000 years and Emperor Haile Sellassie was the 2125th descendant of King Solomon and Queen of Sheba.
7. Today, the Divine and Human Connection that has been there between our planet and the Universal System is being challenged as the Children of the faith of Abraham, Jews, Christian and Muslims make up 3 Billion of 7 Billion global citizens and generate the most conflict and terror around the world.
8. All 16 Billion people, 9 Billion in Spirit and 7 Billion alive are children of God with direct spiritual and divine access to the Universal God the father. We are all part of that great universal family. However, the Jews have put up their prophets between man and God, the Christians have adopted Christ in their family, whereas the Muslims have declared Mohammad is the last prophet. Yet, the rest 4 Billion people, the Hindus, Buddhists, and people of other faith are considered outside this unique family of God. So long as we have this concept of us and them there will not be peace.
9. Today, in America, 2% of the citizens own 90% of the Wealth of the nation and are demanding not to pay taxes. The TEA Party movement is asking …Government is the problem, and let us take back our country mantra is too often considered a sign of them and us even within this Great United States of America. Imagine, what the native Americans will say when they hear this music in this unique time when we honor their generosity of feeding the first immigrants in 1620.
10. It is time to feed each other and make our homes a welcome place for all people. I will say the planet is home to all 16 Billion people in Divinity and Humanity.
11. Thank you again for reminding us that we all share the same human and divine universal heritage and making your thanksgiving Weekend International Night to honor and re-engage Ethiopians and Eritreans in this blessed church, where most of my people in Diaspora hold their meetings and celebrations.
12.
I would like to introduce my colleague and friend Nishan Amenu, who is here with me toady. Nishan is he former Imperial Ethiopian Naval College Instructor in the commando unit and knows Eritrea as he has lived and worked there during the time of the Emperor when Eritrea and Ethiopia were part of the same nation. Thank you Nishan for gracing this occasion with your presence and sharing your positive memories of Ethiopia and Eritrea with us.
I would like to introduce my colleague and friend Nishan Amenu, who is here with me toady. Nishan is he former Imperial Ethiopian Naval College Instructor in the commando unit and knows Eritrea as he has lived and worked there during the time of the Emperor when Eritrea and Ethiopia were part of the same nation. Thank you Nishan for gracing this occasion with your presence and sharing your positive memories of Ethiopia and Eritrea with us.
A. Reviewing the shared past.
1. Ethiopia the cradle of Civilization. Anthropology, archeology and historical literatures like the Bible and the Kibre Negest, and Greek authors like Homer, Herodotus, and modern Discovery Channel Series have testified that humans started some 4 million years of ago in the Rift Valley System of Ethiopia after some 4 Billion years of evolution the planet and Solar System.
The St Joseph Edition of the New American Bible states that at 715 Before Christ, the Ethiopian Shabaka founded the Nubian XXV Dynasty that united the Lower and Upper Egyptian Empire. This is the Catholic Reference Bible.
2. The Ethiopian Kibre Negest states that Ethiopians have formed a constitutional government for the past 7,500 years (Uniting the Azania, Cushitic, Nubian and Axumite Empires that stretch from the Mediterranean Ocean, along the River Nile and Red Sea, all the way to Madagascar and as west as to Mali and the current Atlantic Ocean, which used to be referred to as the Ethiopian Ocean as late as 200 years ago.
3. Professor Donald Levin of Greater Ethiopia writes in detail the historical perception of Ethiopia from time immemorial by different civilizations up to the current time.
4. In short all historical evidence shows, that Ethiopia is the Cradle of Civilization, the garden of Eden, the place of Lucy (Dinkisnesh), Selam and most recently of the oldest human remains in the world.
5. The Horn is home to Indigenous populations, Jews, Christians and Muslims as well as modern day Atheist who negate every thing that is traditional, cultural and Ethiopian
6.The Advent of Eritrea is a new phenomenon that came into existence after the European the 1885 Berlin Conference of salvaging European bankruptcy by creating a new colony among Africans.
7.All the African costal nations were the target of the Seafarer Europeans, who came to do business and peaceful settlement that was followed by missionaries and military garrisons.
8.The Red Sea Cost of Ethiopia was the site of Turkish, Egyptian, British and Italian visitors for business and trade settlement. It soon converted itself into a military engagement and settlement of foreigners in the Ethiopian Sea Coast.
9.Accordingly, the name Eritrea, which took the name of an old sunken Island in the Mediterranean, was given to the new colony by the Italians. Ethiopians traditionally refer to this site as Bahre Negash, Kingdom by the Sea.
10. After 60 years of colonization by the Italians and the British, the new Eritrean state emerged some 20 years ago, when the rebel EPLF and EPRDF jointly fought the Military Junta that created a series of Red and White Terror in Ethiopia.
B. Understanding the Present Disengagement.
1. Regardless of 7,500 years of coexistence that is built on cultural, historical and geographic identity, today, Ethiopia and Eritrea are the source of conflict and distrust the subject of our discussion.
2. At the advent of the new millennium, the Global Economy and Ecology as well as security is in crisis.
3. We have a series of challenges to our common shared sustainable security, good governance and progressive prosperity.
4. Within this bigger picture, the Horn of Africa is the center of global insecurity, poor governance and progressive poverty that undermines the global and regional security and well-being.
5. The current set of Jihadists, terrorists, and source of instability in one of the roughest neighborhoods is not sustainable.
6. We need to build trust, understanding and common shared value that propels a common shared vision and future.
7. We need to trust but verify our own insecurities with positive facts and planned actions that promote our common shared value.
8. The need for bridging the gap, by sharing and building on what unites us and what gives us a better future.
9. I still hold Imperial Passport that has Eritrea as part of Ethiopia and allows me to travel everywhere except South Africa.
10. So, for me Eritreans are my people as much as the different 120 or so Ethnic groups in the country and at present espouse Greater Ethiopia Without Borders.
11. However, since the Imperial days of Federated and United Ethiopia, we have sacrificed over 70,000 people that include my younger baby brother!
12. So, the current situation is not acceptable to me, or to any one, who understands our common shared past, present, and the future.
13. We have to let go of the negative past and look at a better positive future that is sustainable for all of us.
14. The global integration with advanced technology and digital communication demands that we respond to the Global Ecological, Economic and Security Crisis towards win-win solution for all!
15. I have one interesting book authored by Amare Tekle, The former Ethiopian Diplomat turned, Commissioner for Eritrean Referendum for Independence, whose elder brother I knew while he was working at Geneva at the WHO.
16. The book is entitled Eritrea and Ethiopia from conflict to cooperation and was published in 1994.
17. People of good will like Andreas Eshete, Tekie Fesshatzion, Araia Tseggai, Kidane Mengisteab, Mohammad Hassan, Abdullahi Ahmed An-Nai, Husein M Adam and Edmond J Keller, Abraham Kidane and Amare Tekle have shared their perspective.
18. The book addresses perspective from the Horn of Africa and includes the challenges of Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Yemen, Saudi, Egypt, Ethiopia and Eritrea. So this is not a new idea, but the question is how?
C. Chartering a common shared future
As a public health physician and strategic management scientists, I will suggest scientific tools at our disposal. These include Seven Steps
i. Research Pyramid (Ask what, Why, How, Who, When, Where) questions;
ii. CORT Analysis, (Challenges, Opportunities, Risks and Threat)
iii. What if Scenario Modeling:
iv. Option Appraisal (Options and Alternatives with Do Nothing, Do Something and Do Every thing possibilities
v. Decision Science: Look for Best Option, Win-win and Compromise Options
vi. Create a SMART Strategic Plan that is Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic and Time Sensitive
vii. Develop a Work Plan and Action Plan with key stakeholders that are the future generation.
The expected result should have 3As and 3Es and FoC:
1. Accessible, Affordable, Accountable; as well as Effective, Efficient and Equitable and performed in an environment of Freedom of Choice.
2. First our common shared heritage of 7500 years as compared to our disengagement of the past 20 years or so indicates that this generation has a special responsibility to fix the current crisis they created.
3. Our ancestors before our future generation, and us demand a better future that the current disengagement and unsustainable hostility.
4. Priority setting: This is like An Ancient Couple trying to make up again after few weeks separation.
5. Focus on what unites us that what separates us.
6. Try and remember the good times and avoid the bad ones. Focus on the future generation!
7. We have much in common and very little that disengages us. Let us build on what unites us first.
8. Nurture our common heritage
9. Our culture, language, food, dress, festivities, calendar and common shared heritage demand us to engage.
10. Avoid issues that separate us or disengage us for the moment.
11. Build trust based on facts and common shared value. Avoid the negatives and focus on the positives.
12. Give the next generation the opportunity to build a consensus and create a common set of cultural common identify and activities that endear us to each other.
13. Like a young couple, we have to date again, that means we have to try to please and respect each other!
14. Let us engage each other at individual and collective platforms and begin to celebrate our common shared heritage and charter a better future.
15. This meeting is a good beginning and let us does more of this at more frequent interval and gives thanks for the opportunity created by the Unification Church and all those who worked hard to make today possible.
I look forward to your alternative perspective and creative ideas of making the dates and engagement happen
With regard and seeking your perspectives and perceptions, I remain;
Yours sincerely
Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH
V: 703.933.8737; C: 571.225.5736; efx:202.318.8277
On Wed, Nov 24, 2010 at 6:32 PM, wendweson Fikire wrote:
Greeting Dear Dr. Belai,
Attached please find invitational letter and flyer for the event of Ethiopian-Eritrean Cultural night, which will be held this coming Sunday November 28, 2010 at the unification Church of 1610 Columbia Rd. This event is fully sponsored by the Family Federation of Unification Church under
Bridging the gap program.
“There will, be a lot of excitement, we will have cultural show (Ethiopian and Eritrean music) cultural homemade dishes, and free parking. During the event we will be focusing more to the communality and the ties both brotherly
People have had for centuries. Dr. Belay I would like to invite you as one of the guest speakers, to give a speech about, what these two people have in common. As I followed your discussion on Hager Fiker radio and others media outlets, you are one of the few Ethiopians who preach unity and oneness loudly, and I have a strong feeling that that you are the right person to give words for this occasion.
If you need more information please don’t hesitate to contact me via- e- mail or to my cellular number (410-292-2110) Thank you very much and may God Bless you.
N.B here is the address to my web site, lease look into it, and send me your feedback. Http://www.ethiopianthisweek.com
Thank very much.
Wendweson Fikire
Ethiopian This Week Editor
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