The Third Annual Tsehai Conference

Ethiopia's Youth, Ethiopia's Future

June 28, 2008  |  George Washington University  |  Washington, D.C.

Elias Wondimu, Convener   

Tenayistilign!

DISTINGUISHED PANELIST AND GUESTS, FELLOW ETHIOPIANS, ESTEEMED FRIENDS OF ETHIOPIA, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN –

On behalf of my colleagues who have worked tirelessly to bring us all together for the third time, I extend my warm and heartfelt gratitude to each of you who have made time out of your busy schedules to participate in this discourse. I have no doubt that you are likely to find it fruitful. I find it only appropriate to express to you how enthusiastic I am about this year’s program.

I would also like to acknowledge our sponsors: the George Washington University, Law School; Howard University’s African Studies Department; Loyola Marymount University’s Marymount Institute; the Ethiopian Airlines; PEN USA; George Mason University’s Center for Global Studies, and Antioch University in Los Angeles for their support.

Last year’s conference ushered in a huge milestone for the Ethiopian community: as most of you know, Ethiopia celebrated its second millennium. As we all celebrated this historic occasion, we also discussed, unfortunately, a variety of issues still confronting Ethiopia; famine, illiteracy, poverty and much more. All of these challenges are either economic or political in nature. It is critical to note that beyond these economic and political challenges, we do have a problem called discontinuity; especially among those of us in the Diaspora. The discontinuity I refer to is the disconnection from our historic, cultural identity. It has been argued that this particular challenge, namely the discontinuity of one generation from previous generations may be the final and most dangerous threat we face today. Unless the new generation is endowed with the cultural identity of being Ethiopian to begin with, it is less likely that it will concern itself with the economic and political challenges Ethiopia faces.

In the United States and many western countries throughout the world, the Diaspora Ethiopian seems to be losing his/her cultural identity.  The famous story teller--Ababa Tesfaye Sahlu, in his infinite wisdom, used to address the his captive audience--the children of yesteryears--the youth as “yezare firewoch yenege abebawoch” each time before telling a story. In an effort to open the lines of communication, this conference has chosen to focus on the youth, who are undoubtedly central to the vitality and survival of the Ethiopian people. We have to begin rebuilding and remaking that continuity from one generation to the next.

There are very compelling reasons for focusing on the youth. In our adopted country of the United States, for the first time in its history, there exists the potential for an African-American to be the next president. This presidential candidate shares something very fundamental with this conference. He has sought to inspire the youth. At this stage in the campaign, it has become clear that the decision to reach out to the youth and provide them with a vision that they care about, was a significant factor that led the Illinois senator, Barack Obama, to clinch the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. He’s managed to balance the wisdom brought by experience, while utilizing the youth’s idealism. The combination has a charm to it that is deeply compelling: change and hope.

Inspired by this historic candidacy, and concerned with the lack of continuity in our communities, this conference will exude the spirit and hope we place in our youth. As the conference founder and convener, I am honored by the opportunity to host such an accomplished, insightful, and committed conglomeration of minds that will undoubtedly embrace this vision and do right by our youth.

Tsehai Conference 2008 is about recognizing that the youth have arrived and that the group of people that are no longer youthful have to hand over the baton.  I’ll be honest however – I genuinely did not know how to refer to the group of people that are no longer youthful. There is no signifier that correctly identifies this generation, which makes having such a conversation relatively difficult.

How do you converse with someone you cannot identify? Admittedly, it is difficult. I will however offer a definition of youth. According to the African Youth Charter, youth refers “to every person between the ages of 15 and 35 years.” Thus, if you are over the age of 35, you are in that category that is no longer considered youth.

In assessing the accomplishments of this generation, I have to also be honest that I cannot say that it has been extremely visionary:

Problem-solving has been relatively myopic to date. We plan for 1-5 years, but simply do not think about the long-term sustainability of our solutions. Thus far, we’ve traded problems for solutions only to find that we are encountering more problems. The serial policy failure of the status quo, I believe, is rooted in today’s myopia, which seethes with competing interests, elitism and incoherency.

I cannot emphasize how much potential the youth has in challenging this cycle of serial policy failure.  History has consistently been littered with references to a youthful spirit that has brought about real change. For those in this nebulous category of not so youthful, use this conference as an opportunity to reconnect with your youthful spirit and all the idealism that comes with it by tapping into the essence of the youth. For the youth participating in this conference, learn from the wisdom that comes with age. It is a resource. It is exactly this delicate dance and collaboration between the youth and the previous generation that can lay the foundation for the continuity so desperately needed.  

Yes, people might undoubtedly attempt to hold onto their idealism or their wisdom. This being the case, however, what I believe must change is that this is no longer a conversation about the youth; rather it is a conversation with the youth. Our ability to collaborate, using the resources inherent to experience as well as the passion and idealism youthful spirits present, is absolutely essential to our survival as a people.

As most of you here, I take great pride in my Ethiopian heritage. However, I do sometimes wonder whether those who are growing up in this country appreciate our rich history. I will not speak for them, but I believe that, given access to the resources available at this conference, the opportunity for an Ethiopian cultural revival is not only possible, but it is in fact immanent.

We have a vibrant history; a history with tremendous value. This is a resource. Similarly, as the popular American saying goes, “Take a break and look at it with fresh eyes.” Well, the millennium celebration was our momentary pause. The youth bring a fresh perspective. This is a profound resource too. If we decide to fuse our wisdom with the fresh insights of the youth, we are likely to yield entirely new and profound knowledge, and solutions.

Tsehai, meaning “the sun,” truly encapsulates this spirit: enlightenment; when given the opportunity to illuminate what would otherwise remain unknown.

So what are our challenges and opportunities? I use to give the good news first, but I’ve always been told that it leaves my speeches with a bitter tone. As such, I’ll now outline the bad news first before getting to the good news:

    •    According to the UN Youth Report (2005), Ethiopia is among the 10 countries with the largest concentration of young people living on less than US $1 per day.
    •    Ethiopia also has one of the highest concentrations of undernourished youth in Sub Saharan Africa.
    •    Ethiopia’s youth access to education, employment, health and social services, participation in decision-making, and access to information and communication technology is among the lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa.
    •    Ethiopia has one of the highest urban unemployment rates worldwide, at about 50 percent of the youth labor force.
    •    Ethiopian youth have been the target of government repression, from the 1960s up to and including the present, for demanding that their rights to lead a life of dignity, free from social, political and economic exclusions and repression, be recognized.
    •    The present situation of youth does not presage a bright future for the current pre-youth generation, i.e., the 41.7 percent of Ethiopia’s population that is now under the age of 15.
    •    Other problems include: lack of political stability and system capable of incorporating divergent perspectives; Ethiopians continue to flee Ethiopia because they are denied the right to pursue their dreams; dependency on foreign aid to feed children has constantly been on the rise;
    •    and thus we celebrated our millennium with the grotesque reality of starvation and civil unrest.

Since I have left only few days before I am officially disqualified from the youth category, I can’t end my thoughts without getting to the good news.

The good news is the fact that as a collective, we can in fact transcend these barriers.

The strength of Ethiopia’s youth lies, as they have demonstrated since the 1960’s, in their capacity to imagine a different future, to mobilize utopian energies, and to reflect critically on how to bridge the gulf between the past, the present and the future. At this time in our history, the potential in our youth is even much greater because of the abundance of resources at their disposal here in the west. This is really the good news.

I’d like to end my remarks by again expressing my gratitude for your participation, and by emphasizing the wonderful opportunity we have to learn from one another and grow as a community.

I’ve spent the last few weeks glued to my desk in preparation for this conference. Seeing the diversity brought by each one of you leaves me with great sense of hope; the type that just might allow me to have a full night’s rest for the first time in weeks. At the same time, I remain committed to assisting you in whatever way I can. Please do not hesitate to let me know if I can be of any help.

Thank you for being here; welcome, and let the conversation begin!

Tenayistiligni!