The Concoction

Stop, smell the coffee and count the beans. You may crack the binary code in the process!

2009-06-10T20:02:00.002-04:00

Hopefully, this video will inspire all those who rush to "modernize", "develop", "solve" or "help". Old and different doesn't mean insignificant. It may be the foundation upon which the present is built. Feeling very philosophical.

Water day - "we're all in the same boat!" Are we now?

2009-03-22T14:31:00.003-04:00

Today is Water Day. I haven't blogged on the subject since 2006 and today I had a comment from Waterman under my 06 post "Happy Water Day 2009!!!" I get the message, Waterman, and I'm feeling the pressure to post something now.

In '06, the theme was Water and Cutlture. Since then we had Water Scarcity (2007) and Sanitary (2008) as the main focus. This year's theme for Water Day is "waters that cross borders and link us together". The fancy slogan on the official website, Whether we live upstream or downstream, we are all in the same boat."

Are we really?

My stance (since my last water day blog in '06) still remains and my questions are still not answered. Here is what I said back then and you be the judge if anything (except the themes) has changed.

March 22nd is World Water Day. This year’s theme for the 13th international Water Day observance is Water and Culture. UNESCO sounds upbeat about this because

The theme 'Water and Culture' of WWD 2006 draws attention to the fact that there are as many ways of viewing, using, and celebrating water as there are cultural traditions across the world. Sacred, water is at the heart of many religions and is used in different rites and ceremonies. Fascinating and ephemeral, water has been represented in art for centuries - in music, painting, writing, cinema - and it is an essential factor in many scientific endeavours as well.

This is all too well to make water sacred for a day and all that, but it is unfortunate that the most important world wide water culture is totally overlooked - the culture of fetching water. This is an unfortunate waste of opportunities to acknowledge the laborious and time consuming task that millions of women and girls are burdened with. From South Africa to Indonesia, it is a woman’s or a girl’s job to fetch water. Fetching water is one of the main reasons why girls cannot attend schools regularly. It is one of the reasons why a woman’s daily working hour somewhere in Africa is as long as 17 hours because she has to walk up to three hours a day to fetch water. http:James Workman tells us that

…fetching water is not something men do unless they are alone.” At which point the man has daily incentives to pay a lobola to purchase his daughter as his lover, wife, mother of his children and, of course, as his cook and water fetcher which is included in that bride price of up to ten cows (which chug 50 liters a day and compete with the women for water access).

Regrettably, such World Days come and go without really addressing some fundamental issues of the forgotten children of society. Global conferences also come and go with some position paper which really does not mean much. Big shots fly around the globe to participate in such events while the problems in the field remain unchallenged.

In 2002, for example, there was a conference on water and sustainable development in Africa – regional stakeholder’s conference on priority setting. Although there were ‘gender ambassadors’ representing two African countries in this conference in Accra, Ghana, the meeting did not consider water and gender issues important enough for sustainable development to give it a time slot in the main program. So what is a sustainable water program without gender issues?

Gender and Water Alliance was talking about “…a unified African voice and position on water based on a consensus of water ‘stakeholders’” in that meeting. I will bet anything that the millions of women who are too busy fetching water to organize and have their ‘consensus’ on water be heard are not included in the ‘stakeholders’ list. Then, who are the stakeholders? According to Gender and Water Alliance, they are “…under the guidance of the African Development Bank, representatives from more than 20 regional and international organizations dealing with water in Africa…. What a waste!
The Water Day was an initiative that grew out of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. It would be great if a new initiative grows out of the 2006 Water Day – World Toilet Day. If observing water day is not going to help women and girls in poor nations, at least start a new initiative that would. World Toilet Day.

The other reason for poor school attendance by girls is lack of toilets in schools. Especially for girls in their puberty, it is particularly challenging to go to a toilet-less school while they are menstruating. It is definitely not sexy for donor organizations to brag about building toilets instead of installing water pumps for example, but according to BBC’s calculation, “investments in sanitation can bring a 14-fold return.” This is not only for girls, but in general because “443 million schooldays are lost each year from diarrhoeal disease.”

It is sad that every time there is a global event such as the World Water Day, it is mostly men in suits who run the show and make the decisions. It would be wonderful to invite a woman from each poor continent to tell her real story, and ask the participants of the meeting ‘What the hell do you know about water problems and efficient use?”

Thanks for the subtle nudge, Waterman!!!

Ethiopian filmmaker kicks off Black History month in Canada

2009-02-03T08:28:00.006-05:00

Toronto is starting the Black History month of February with Haile Gerima's Teza - "a winner of the Best Screenplay and Special Jury Prize at the 65th Venice Film Festival last year...." Teza tells a story of an Ethiopian intellectual returning to his country after having lived in Germany, what awaits him back at home and the dilemma of staying or leaving.

Throughout his career, Haile Gerima has masterfully used the medium of film to tell stories of the African experience from a genuine perspective. His 1993 film Sankofa, which takes a powerful look at slavery from an African/African-American perspective, drew large audiences across the African Diaspora. (Photo credit: AfroToronto.com)

Read his interview here.

Who: Open to the Public and Admission is 15$ at the door. The event is open to the media.

What: TEZA screening

Where: Bloor Cinema 506 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON M5S 1Y3, Canada
(416) 516-2331

When: Sun Feb 1st - 3:00 pm

Fri Feb 6th - 7:00 pm

Sat Feb 7th - 6:30pm & 9:30pm

Sun Feb 8th - 4:00pm

(Possibility that the screening will be extended until March 2009)

Palin's foreign affairs experience expanding by the day

2008-11-02T08:50:00.004-05:00

A Canadian comedian, pausing as the French president - Nicolas Sarkozy had an interesting chat with Sarah Palin. They talked about hunting ("killing two birds in one stone"), living next to foreigners, beauty and jealousy... You don't have to take my words - listen for yourself. You can read about it, too.

Discussing politics 101: Stick to issues & exercise freedom of speech

2008-11-01T07:04:00.005-04:00

With age comes a lot of baggage. The more baggage we lag along, the more likely we are to obscure issues. The video clip below is a brilliant reminder, to me, of how much of the political bickering sticks out in my head rather than the issues.

It's also a reminder that it's OK to have opposing political views and still be civil to each other. It surely is OK to talk about those opposing views. I'm in a way answering to people who told me "we don't talk politics in this country." A Democrat woman told me her Republican brother warned her not express her views at his dinner party "because all of his friends are Republicans."

CNN had a report on two college roommates - a McCain supporter African American and Obama supporter European American - and the title of the report was "Sleeping with the Enemy". Why? Why are they considered enemies?

So, here are two kids telling us "we can think and talk different, and still we can get along" - indirectly, that is.

US election: awash with information, still don't get the basics?

2008-10-24T19:15:00.008-04:00

Here is just a fascinating BBC report on race and the US election. I'm beyond the race issue in this election. Knowing what I know now, how still segregated US towns and schools are, I'm not that much surprised that race is still an issue in the election however sad and embarrassing it is. The only thing that puzzles me is how the "black" race is dominant when a person is bi-racial. Like in the case of Obama, why do we call him just black whereas he's really 50% white and 50% black? What happens to the white part in the race definition/calculation when it's mixed with black? Whatever the reason, I'm sure it's so petty it's not even worth pondering over.

My pressing issue in this case, and what I find absolutely incomprehensible is, how people manage to misinform themselves with all the bombardment of information about the election and the people who are running to be elected. Would you have thought that there would be people in the US, today, at this very moment, with all the information resources and technology, who can't pronounce "Obama" and say that he's not American? Alas, there are - in a town ironically called Uniontown, PA.

At a local restaurant a friendly waitress started chatting to us. The conversation turned to politics.She shrugged, she was not even sure when the election was to be held, she could not pronounce Mr Obama's name. "I like McCain because I can say his name, so I'll probably vote for McCain."

Fair enough. May be the Uniontown waitress expressed a really complex issue (of race, segregation, ignorance, intolerance, fear of the unknown i.e. "that one") in a simplistic and dumb way. I will surely be suspicious of a John Smith running for president in Ethiopia. But there is no way that I will leave the issue at that and say...

"He's from Africa or something. I don't even know where he's from. I know he grew up here, but he's not from here. I think American presidents should be from America."

BBC's Dumeetha Luthra commented on this with a simple "She was not well informed, but her views were clear." With all due respect, I disagree. With information left, right and center on the election and the nominees, all Dumeetha can say is "she was not well informed..."? Here is what I think. Ms. Waitress from Uniontown has the responsibility to educate herself with the tools available for her. I'll bet money that there are at least four TV sets in the restaurant where she works. Let's assume that she's very busy and she can't pay attention to TV while at work or all sets are on the sports channel. A simple google search with the words "where is Obama from" will do the trick. She doesn't even have to finish typing the whole thing before google makes an intelligent guess and give her options. Wikipedia has organized Obama's biography in a dumb/lazy-friendly way available in 89 languages (yes, I sat and counted them to make a point - it's Friday evening anyway).

What is sad and scary is that such irresponsible people, who are too careless and/or lazy to make an informed decision as a civilized member of this society, can have the power to decide on my future - shudder!!! The only thing Ms. Waitress is not "well informed" about is about her responsibilities as a citizen, which reminds me...

Before a person becomes a citizen of a new country, she has to take an exam on how well she knows the history, values and rules of that country. But citizenship acquired by birth is left unchecked. I think this should change. There has to be a basic test to make sure that people know something about the nominees - you flunk, you don't vote. One doesn't move up to the next grade if she flunks the final exams. This is simply because she lacks the basics which are the foundation to the next level, and ultimately, a position in society. So, why should people be given the power to hold one of the sacred positions in society, the right to vote, without sufficient knowledge of the basics? How about that for a Friday evening deep-thinking?

Beautiful - inside and out

2008-10-01T20:20:00.005-04:00

Here is a Time article on Ethiopian Supermodel Liya Kebede. She's really a superwoman - a mother of two, supermodel, WHO's goodwill ambassador, and now the founder of Lemlem (a high-end children clothing line hand-made in Ethiopia.)

Liya employs Ethiopian weavers who had been struggling due to slow demand for their products. Check out the clothes here and tell me if they are adorable or adorable. The knowledge that they also help villages of weavers back in Ethiopia - priceless!

Order some cute baby clothes from the comfort of your home/office. You'll be helping poor weavers all the way in Ethiopia.

Is this a joke?

2008-09-25T19:04:00.002-04:00

Is this what we are reduced to or is this a joke? Honestly, I don't know if this is meant to be serious.

What's the economic justification for capitalism to "bail out" companies but not people?

2008-09-24T08:44:00.003-04:00

Call it "bailout" or temporary socialism, excuse me I mean nationalization, all that boohaha about the government staying clear out of the works of the market is after all only boohaha when push comes to shove. I can't stop wondering how the US government is OK with scrambling to bail out AIG, and not the over 48 million of its uninsured citizens! Forget humanity, basic human rights and all that soft stuff. With an estimated 18,000 uninsured people dying in the US, shouldn't this be considered an economic crisis?

Wikipedia defines a bailout as...

Bailout in economics and finance is a term used to describe a situation where a bankrupt or nearly bankrupt entity, such as a corporation or a bank, is given a fresh injection of liquidity, in order to meet its short term obligations. Often bailouts are by governments, or by consortia of investors who demand control over the entity as the price for injecting funds.

Understandably, the Bush people are concerned about the ripple effect that AIG's failure will have on national and global economies. It may not be the same magnitude, but surely 49 million people have poor health and 18,000 of them dying every year must have a huge impact on US economy. A study shows that...

... the lost economic value to the U.S. each year is between $65 billion and $130 billion, not because of the cost of health services, but because of the poorer health outcome of those who are uninsured. Also, the impact on business can be directly correlated to an increase in price of products and threatens the competitiveness in the global marketplace.

My fear is that if policy makers do something about this crisis, it may blow up in their (well, our really) faces just like the financial institutions crisis in the US. How different is this really from Africa losing her work force from preventable diseases?

By the way, how ironic that an insurance company, which is supposed to protect companies from crisis, is the source of the crisis. Where were the regulators when AIG greedily cast its net into areas it has no business with? Well that was capitalism at its ugliest. Hopefully, all who bent out of shape to convince us that leaving the market alone (as if "the market" is this highly intelligent being that knows how to regulate itself to keep the best interest of us) have learnt a thing or two from this crisis. Now all of a sudden they are talking about regulating the market?

Still, I wonder why should my tax money go to bailout AIG? Do I even have a say in this - because I'd rather my tax money go towards the uninsured than AIG - or at the end of the day Bush has the power to veto it and never mind what I want. Some democracy! How about asking Castro of Cuba to give the Bush administration a crush course on central planning 101? Ouch!

Related links
The economics of the health insurance crisis
AIG bailout
Health care crisis in the US

Glad to have a plan B

2008-08-31T20:05:00.002-04:00

I'm already dreading political speeches if Obama/Biden don't make it to the White House. I'm glad to have found a plan B...

Shall we move on already?

2008-08-26T05:55:00.003-04:00

Back in June, I started writing a post about being happy to be in the US in these exciting election times. Alas, I never got round to finishing the post. But now watching the commentaries on CNN following the first day of the Democratic National Convention, I can't keep quiet anymore. It was a disappointing flop rather than the hight of the excitement - personally. It felt as if the people who spoke thus far and the commentators invited by CNN - particularly on Larry King Live - are from different planets.

I can't get over the fact that we still need confirmation that Obama "is like us." Most of the comments were unfortunately revolving around that comment - "he is like us." Even Michelle Obama had to repeatedly try to paint "an American picture" that he is like everybody else and is the quintessential American dream "despite his funny name..." We had several opportunities of finding out what Obama is like. His books and what he's been saying throughout the Presidential Campaign gave us enough material to figure out what he is. So what's the fuss now?

I was wondering why Michelle should spend anytime on all that insignificant stuff, but it was clear from the commentaries that even the "top political analysts" are still stuck in the fact that he has an uncommon name, he's educated, he is eloquent and his pigment categorizes him in the minority group. I wonder if Bill & Hilary Clinton were ever accused of being elitists.

When Michelle talks about a "new tide of hope" and mentioned Obama's commitment to the poor, working families, equal pay for women, improved health care for servicemen and women (INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH CARE-she's already my heroin)..., Ben Stein whines about Michelle not mentioning the soldiers who are defending the country. Mr. Stein, stop obsessing about how to blast somebody and listen. Listen! And there is time for blasting, there is time for being funny and there is surely time to shut up. His and the other commentators' repeated message was that Michelle didn't say anything significant and that she just reiterated that she's a good wife, mother, sister and daughter.... Still the one uniform comment I heard was that people want to know if Obama "is like us". So, Michelle gave it to him - he may have a strange name but he's compassionate, dedicated, a loving father and husband.

When the Obamas talk serious, they are accused of being elitists. When they show how "normal" they are, then they get blasted as not saying anything ordinary. I know this is politics and the game has to be played in a nasty way. Still, I don't think it is the time to divert from the most important topics and waste my time with "is he like us?" "What is he like if you invite him for a BBQ?" To be honest, I don't care because I surely want a leader who is unlike me (because I know what a lousy world leader I'll make) and when am I ever going to have BBQ with Obama? Really?

And there is another issue that's really annoying me. Why do people want to know if Obama is likeable? Who cares? I don't want to like or dislike a leader. I want somebody who's going to make my, my kids, my community's, and the world's (may be this is pushing it) lives better. At least try. My feelings are so besides the issue.

One last blasting - Michelle talked about the feminist movement, the 88th anniversary of women's right to vote and glass-ceiling-busters like Hilary Clinton. All Leslie Sanchez, "political analyst", can think of is "why was Michelle wearing a cocktail dress?" Come on already! Let's move on already and focus at what's at stake:-

what the world should be and not be compliant to what it is now.
the rising poverty in the US and globally
the housing crisis
the crisis of public schools...

Why should the Obamas "dumb" themselves down or be forced to make themselves look ordinary despite their combined extra-ordinary achievements? This is an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference and an extraordinary leader is so much needed.

Tradition, beauty & fun - all in one doll

2008-08-26T04:40:00.005-04:00

EthiDolls is not a new company, but I just found out about it. I wish I did last year when the school of my daughters asked me if I could bring a non-Barbie black doll or a children's book on African heroins and princesses. I couldn't find a single book in my local book stores - a huge gap for black kids in the US. Now there is a company dedicated to fill this gap.

EthiDolls is a New York-based small company owned by two Ethiopian women - Salome Yilma (CEO) and Yeworkwuha Ephrem (VP). The company has come out with two dolls representing women leaders from Ethiopia and Ghana.

What the company stands for is quite impressive. Here are the things that the creators of Makeda - Queen of Sheba are promising:

	The First Educational, Fun & Collectible Black Dolls & Accessories
	Culturally Authentic Royal African Doll
	Storybook illustrated by an Ethiopian artist and Audio CD Narrative with Traditional Ethiopian Music
	Fair Trade: Fabric for Makeda’s Dress Hand Woven in Ethiopia.
	Classic Neck Tattoo and Gold Jewelry are an Adornment of Ethiopian Women Still Today.
	Experience Queen Makeda & King Solomon’s Extraordinary 3000 Year-Old Story

African immigrants supporting Obama

2008-07-07T22:29:00.004-04:00

Some adorable Ethio-American kids had been busy over the weekend in DC urging their parents to go out and vote for Obama. Washington Post has the whole story. Hopefully, Obama's foreign policy will help Africans, particularly it's farmers.

People of the Year

2008-06-30T20:12:00.006-04:00

I am not waiting until the end of the year for Time Magazine to come up with the most influential people of 2008. I've chosen mine already. In the "most politically responsible" category, my winners are Morgan Tsvangirai, Hillary Clinton and Raila Odinga.

Morgan Tsvangirai

It is really responsible of Morgan Tsvangirai to drop out of the presidential election. He could have easily took refuge somewhere and allow the terror to continue. He, instead, chose to quit to restore some soft of order in Zimbabwe. It was very considerate, politically and socially responsible to refuse to "no longer participate in this violent, illegitimate sham of an election process." Kudos, Mr. Tsvangirai!

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton had her annoying moments during the presidential campaign. She was at times crossing a line with her, what we call in Ethiopia, "village bickering" against Obama. At other times, she even sounded like Bush when she explains about not talking to leaders of certain countries. She is too intelligent to say "you're either with us or against us", but she came pretty close. Still, she was gracious in the way she endorsed Obama. It takes a mature and committed politician to turn around on all she said and endorse her once opponent.

Raila Odinga

Personally, the way African leaders - African leaders, not Africans - handled Mugabe's outright terrorism against Morgan Tsvangirai and the people of Zimbabwe is something to be ashamed of. Amongst such spineless comments as "We believe the people of Zimbabwe have been denied their democratic rights," like the Sierra Leonean President - ya think? - and the utter silence of other leaders, it was Raila Odinga, the Kenyan Prime Minister, who said enough with the rubbish and urged the AU to suspend Mugabe. How brave and honest! The rest just allowed Mugabe to walk right into the AU summit, pause for pictures in the first raw, sat in the presentations about development and peace as if nothing happened.

Ethiopia preparing to feed the west

2008-05-27T07:19:00.004-04:00

This Reuter article talks about teff, the indigenous staple grain of Ethiopia, undergoing scrutny before it is made available world-wide. The UN is hashing out the details in Bonn (as I type)to figure out how to protect biodiversity. It's all exciting stuff for Ethiopia, but my worry is that does the UN have the power to really protect Ethiopian farmers' when some Western company cleverly modifies the genes of teff and come up with an alternative grain and ditch Ethiopian farmers. Perhaps they don't even have to waste time and money fiddling with genes - all they have to do is just change the name. Several examples are out there, I'm sure, like Chinese tea now famously known as Earl Gray English Tea:

Did you know? Earl Grey is named after Charles, the 2nd Earl Grey, who was given a special blend of tea by a Chinese Mandarin. As this began to run out, the Earl asked Richard Twining to match it for him. From then on the blend became known as "Earl Grey’s" tea.

What does all this entail for food prices in Ethiopia? Is Ethiopia ready to protect teff globally and distribute the benefits equitablly? Are the farmers going to see the benefit of all this big talk? If you know the answers, let me know.

Young children are phsically smaller than adults - a study reveals

2008-04-06T08:51:00.006-04:00

Well, that is my cynical come-back at a recent UN report, which the BBC reported under an uninspiring title "Women face bias worldwide - UN". No kidding? Of course women still face bias worldwide. Do we need a new report to still lament that "70% of the world's poor are women and they own just 1% of the world's titled land". I thought we established that half a century ago. Shouldn't we by now start looking at changing policies to improve the situation of women?

Image credit: US Women connect

While I'm still on a roll being cynical, let me ask what the UN has done for women lately through its agencies - UNIFEM and UN Division for he Advancement of Women? I am aware of all the awareness endeavours that the UN is making, but I still believe that we have to move towards
making some fundamental policies globally. Other human rights abuses cause an international out cry, get air time on television etc, but we are still talking about discrimination of women as if we just found out about it.

Fair trade getting fairer

2008-03-11T21:34:00.007-04:00

I think the press release below is exciting. It is exciting because this will take fair trade to a new level - about time, too; it will give African fashion designers access to global market; Western designers won't get away with fashion plagiarism. But most importantly, I hope it will open up the global market for other commodities produced in developing countries.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has won the best exhibit award at one of the apparel industry's largest trade shows. Fifteen companies receiving aid from USAID's three trade hubs in Africa showcased garments with unique fabrics, patterns and colors at the Feb. 12-15 event in Las Vegas known as MAGIC Marketplace.

Each trade hub - located in Southern Africa (Botswana), Western Africa (Ghana, Senegal), and East and Central Africa (Kenya) - helps entrepreneurs in the region develop professional businesses capable of competing in the global arena.

The hubs also promote economic development within Africa by training African business owners to operate companies prudently and profitably. Business management and marketing skills are also strengthened in the process. African manufacturers seeking American markets are supported by the trade hubs to exhibit their goods at international trade shows. The U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act waives the duty for imports from Africa, further enabling African businesses to participate in formal economic trade.

The 15 companies, representing nine African countries, set up their displays inside the "Source Africa Pavilion," which was sponsored by USAID. Hundreds from the fashion industry attended MAGIC Marketplace each year hoping to attract the attention of buyers from the retail industry. Fulfilling USAID's humanitarian mandate, the African-designed goods are not only attracting buyers, but are also building economic momentum and putting Africa on the map as a viable supplier of apparel for American and international outlets.For more information about USAID and its other programs in Africa, visit www.usaid.gov.
.

Drugged up water

2008-03-10T20:24:00.010-04:00

If you are one of those people who think that Americans over-medicate, the following is going to be disturbing news. Drinking water in several states is contaminated by drugs. Personally, I'm less worried about my drinking water being contaminated by drugs including antibiotics, sex hormones and anti-convulsants and mood enhancers and quite grossed out by how....

People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue.

Scientists are - surprise, surprise - divided in their opinions whether the contaminated water is harmful to humans or not. But surely they are seeing effects on fish - like the males laying eggs. I'm wondering how all this is going to play out in epigenome since the environmental problems that our grandparents faced can affect our genes. Will doctors in the future be able to determine that somebody had grown up in S. California where the major pollutant in the drinking water is sex hormones?

"In an age when man has forgotten his origins and is blind to his most essential needs for survival, water along with other resources has become the victim of his indifference" Rachel Carson.

Ethiopia in US' Black History

2008-02-28T02:33:00.002-05:00

On Monday night, a bus full of New York Abyssinian Baptist Church members drove to Washington, D.C. to join the Ethiopian community to honor the church and its pastor, the Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts III. The event, which was hosted at the Ethiopian embassy, was also intended to celebrate Black History Month and to strengthen the historical and spiritual connections between the Ethiopian and African-American communities.

"During slavery, African Americans always looked at Ethiopia as a place that represented freedom, black culture, history and religion," said Princeton University professor Ephraim Isaac, who spoke at the event. "It inspired the fight against discrimination and religion. When slaves were told they were inferior, they were animals or subhuman, they would think of Ethiopia." Isaacs, who is also the founder of the African-American studies department at Harvard, quoted Langston Hughes' poem, "The Call of Ethiopia." The poem addressed the freedom of not only Ethiopia, but also the entire African continent. Sociology professor Alem Habtu of CUNY Queens College described how, as an international student from Ethiopia, he learned from African Americans during the civil rights movement. Habtu, along with some peers, took over the Ethiopian embassy in protest of issues concerning their country after hearing Stokely Carmichael and members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) speak.

The guests included members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the ambassador of Ethiopia, Samuel Assefa. Robert Wallace, CEO of Birthgroup Technologies, said he plans to build orphanages for children whose parents died of AIDS/HIV. Gary Flowers, executive director and CEO of the Black Leadership Forum, addressed the need to get back to the root of black culture. "I am, because we are; and because we are, I am," Flowers said. "There is no individual advancement without group advancement."

The Embassy said the program is the first of many that will recognize the connection between the two cultures. The evening ended with the honoring of Butts, as he was presented with a piece of artwork by a famous Ethiopian painter. His long-term goal is to use the church's developmental corporation to build housing and educational facilities in Ethiopia. "We can not be chauvinistic about our connection to Ethiopia and cannot deny what needs to happen," said Butts.

Source: HilltopOnline, Howard University, Washington

The dirt on recession

2008-01-27T20:49:00.000-05:00

This is how financial news should be presented for the majority of us. Then it's crystal clear.

Part 2 is equally enlightening. Enjoy!

If only a hand shake could save the world!

2008-01-24T15:07:00.000-05:00

A gaping gap

2008-01-24T11:28:00.000-05:00

I'm struggling with the question of are the various media outlets reconcilable? Getting information online, on telie and from magazines feels like living in different worlds. I've given up hope on African news in the US - period! CNN's own admission in a PBS documentary that the depth and selection of topics of their news are totally different for European and American audiences - in depth analysis for Europeans and more like entertainment for Americans.

You read about 45,000 people dying each month in DRC online while the death of some young actor found dead in his NY apartment dominates the evening news on major news channels - even BBC world had to say something about it. Although I liked Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain and it's sad he died so young..., still I can't help wondering when 45,000 people dying each month would get the same attention?

Photo nicked from BBC online

A major mortality study released Tuesday by the International Rescue Committee revealed shocking information about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Congo. The study, which is being reported by major media outlets around the world, found that conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have claimed the lives of 5.4 million people since 1998 and continue to leave as many as 45,000 dead each month - making it the world's deadliest crisis since World War II. (Source: IRC)

Is this really a matter of pure business sense - catering for the audience - or is it to do with the stark difference in the value of human life? The ratio 1:45,000 is not enough apparently.

Admiring the Ethiopian language

2007-10-19T07:01:00.000-04:00

I was telling an American colleague about "semina werk" literally "wax and gold" - the Ethiopian sophisticated idiom. Sem (wax) is the overt meaning and werk is the hidden meaning. I was telling her how people use semina werk to communicate their severe political views and criticism of social changes.

In the olden days, people used more complicated phrases which were really brain twisters. Mengistu's regime managed to replace that beautifully sophisticated way of speaking with overt insult against whatever was deemed imperialist. His regime was paranoid about religion, plucking eye brows and anything in between. Songs - oh those painful "revolutionary" songs - reflected this paranoia.

Now, poems like the one below reflect the high cost of living in Addis. I got this from a mass e-mail that's been floating around. I think it's brilliantly written. For non-Amharic readers, it's about the through-the-roof price of chili pepper, one of the main spices in Ethiopian cooking. The writer is having a quarrel with pepper and cursing it for being so expensive. My favourite part is where the writer breaks it down to chili pepper that it's not really it by itself: it's valuable only in combination with other spices (because Ethiopian chili is prepared elaborately by mixing the powder with other spices). The writer finishes off with praise for salt with something like As long as I have salt then I'll be alright. Brilliant.

Where is the fashion police?

2007-10-14T07:41:00.000-04:00

A London celebrity designer, Matthew Williamson, gets his inspiration from several traditionally ethnic designs. Fair enough. No harm in nicking a bead hear and a print there. But is it ethical/legal/fair to copy a country's traditional dress and claim as if its your creation? Or is this going to be the next patent right fight Ethiopia is going to go through after Starbucks coffee?

These unmistakably Ethiopian dresses are part of Matthew's Spring 2008 collection. Judging by the pictures, the entire collection is "ethnic" inspired. However these are the two only Ethiopian dresses which appear in their original design.

Being inspired is one thing, but shamelessly copying something is outright theft. Sorry. On a more serious note, if this trend continues, would it have an impact on the livelihood of hundreds of Ethiopians whose livelihood depends on making the Abesha kemis?

Handicraft is therefore considered to be one of the most important and widely spread occupations of most Ethiopians next to Agriculture. As part of the handicrafts heritage, Ethiopia has diverse traditional handloom products. This sub sector provides large-scale employment and is an important source of livelihood for a large number of people in urban and rural areas. Based on the data collected in Year 2002 by the Central Statistical Authority (CSA) on cottages and handicrafts, it was revealed that there were a total of 211,842 handloom/weaving textiles enterprises in the country in various forms of ownership though benefits accrued from this sub sector was much below than expected.

It will be nice if Matthew uses his fashion-weight to introduce the work of Ethiopian weavers and use their original product thereby boosting their meager income. Now that will be fair trade! (Thanks Selam)

Related links
Clothing in Africa
Ethiopian handloom products
History of Ethiopian clothing by Richard Pankhurst

Just when you think it's over...

2007-10-11T23:01:00.000-04:00

Here we go again!!!