TSEHAI 2007

TSEHAI CONFERENCES

2007

conference | awards | workshops | films | books

T S E H A I I S W H E R E C O N V E R S A T I O N S B E G I N !

ethiopia: in the eve of the new millinnem

JULY 2 - 6, 20072

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Praise for the 2006 Inaugural Tsehai Conference

“The Tsehai Ethiopian Studies Conference in Los Angeles last year reached a high

academic level - and was as exciting as it was inovative”

- Prof. Richard Pankhurst, Institute of Ethiopian Studies

“Last year’s Tsehai Conference in Los Angeles was informative, thought provoking,

well organized, and comprehensive. The speakers were well chosen representing

diverse fields of expertise. No doubt it took hard work to pull it off but it was worth it.”

- Prof. Adugnaw Worku, Pacific Union College

“The Los Angeles Tsehai conference was a landmark event--a chance for scholars

and the public to gather to discuss matters of mutual interest. The level of dialogue

and debate was outstanding.”- Wendy Belcher, University of California, Los Angeles

“The quality and professionalism of the participants and acumen character of the

organizer was impressing. It was without any doubt the only meaningful conference

for Ethiopians in the diaspora.”

- Esseye Gebremedihin, Ethiopian Art Foundation

“The 2006 Tsehai Conference gave us all an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas

unfettered by any manner of political baggage. As I go to Trondheim to present a

paper to the ICES to be held at the Norwegian university of Science and Technology,

I wish you success for this year’s session.”

- Dr. Paulos Milkias, Concordia University

“It was an admirable beginning. Moreover, it was enlightening, and I was glad to par-

ticipate in the arts and literature section because it gave me an opportunity to hear,

as if from the horses mouth, the state of these fields among Ethiopians residing in

the US. I was also glad to share my views about Ethiopian literature and some of the

principles of composition we need to re-examine.”

- Dr. Fekade Azeze, Addis Ababa University.

“You did a marvelous job last year! One could see that it was meticulously prepared

and executed.”- Dr. Fikre Tolossa, Poet and Playwright

“The Tsehai Conference is not just a place to come and engage in stimulating

debate and raise pertinent issues about conditions that effect us all, but also a

place to network and build strong and lasting business and personal relationships.

From this conference will emerge a new generation of leaders. The tireless efforts

of the organizer in putting this conference together has already proven that one

wise investment will reap multiple returns. For the social, political, and economic

advancement of Ethiopian peoples world wide, the Tsehai Conference is a must

attend!!!”- Nnegest Senay Likke, Film Maker

Hilton Anatole | Dallas, TX 3

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7a word from Elias Wondimuconvener

July 2, 2007

Welcome to the Second Annual Tsehai International Ethiopian Studies Conference!

Its purpose is to provide an international forum on Ethiopia’s social, economic, political and cultural issues, and to contribute to the emergence of the creative vision that Ethiopia needs for developing a democratic, prosperous, and dynamic society in the new millennium.

This year’s conference aims at being an intensive, life-changing experience for young people, enabling them to have access to positive, dynamic leaders in many fields and forge long-term relationships that will inspire productive changes in their lives. We hope this will be a great opportunity to create a cooperative framework for building an understanding of what went wrong in the past and what should be done now and in the future.

This conference is jointly organized by the Ethiopian Heritage Foundation, the Ethiopian Institute for Nonviolence Education and Peace Studies, and Tsehai Publishers, which publishes the International Journal of Ethiopian Studies.

Tsehai Conferences bring together fascinating thinkers from different regions of the world to exchange ideas that will foster changes in attitudes and social practices, and, ultimately, a renewal of our commitment to the creation of a humane, democratic, and prosperous society. It is in this spirit that we inaugurate the Tshai Award to recognize Ethiopians who have made lasting contributions in the Arts, community or grass-roots organization, music, and literature.

As we welcome the new millennium with renewed hope and determination, we hope to work harder so that the next generation will have a vision for a better tomorrow.

I wish you an informative, inspiring, and, above all, an enjoyable conference and a happy millennium. Participate actively and celebrate responsibly!

Akbariwo,

Elias Wondimu

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June 22, 2007

As the Founder and Chair of the Congressional Ethiopian American Caucus, I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to Tsehai Publishers for hosting a conference on Ethiopia: In the Eve of the Millennium. On its 2nd Annual conference, Tsehai Publishers promises to bring together an array of people to exchange information about the cultural diversity, history, and politics of Ethiopia today.

The Ethiopian American Congressional Caucus is the legislative voice of Ethiopian Americans, and I am pleased that I will be represented at the conference to learn more about the priorities of the community, and to also share information about the activities of the Caucus. This kind of exchange is an important way of supporting the community’s efforts to take part in the legislative process by monitoring legislation or contributing guidance to policies that affect their community or their country of origin. The overarching goal of the Caucus has always been to encourage the Ethiopian American community to engage their Representatives in Congress, and to make Ethiopian American issues known and relevant to Congressional leadership.

In the eve of the Millennium, Congress increasingly recognizes that the Ethiopian Diaspora is a tremendous resource. The Ethiopia Caucus has been at the forefront of pushing legislation that creates opportunities for the Diaspora to participate in the development of their country of origin. Key areas of importance are in human rights, HIV/AIDS, Child and Maternal Health, Basic Education, and Economic Development. This summer, I plan to introduce a Congressional Resolution to recognize the Millennium, in honor of the Ethiopian American contribution to this country and beyond.

Wherever Ethiopians reside in the United States, they have the right to be represented in the Ethiopian Caucus. I encourage you to be pro-active and to help me represent you and your community. To learn more on Ethiopia or the Caucus, you can visit my web site at http://www.honda.house.gov/ethiopiacaucus.shtml.

Sincerely,Michael M. Honda

a word from Michael M. Honda Congressman


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GIVE THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE

JULY 2 - 6, 20076

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7 CONFERENCE PANELS

July 2, 2007 | L’ENTRECOTE CONFERENCE ROOM

THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY IN ETHIOPIA AND HORN RELATIONS

Dr. Alemayehu Gebremariam, California State Univ., San Bernardino Ato Kifle Mulat, Ethiopian Free Press Association Dr. Shumet Sishagne, Christopher Newport UniversityAto Kidane Alemayehu, Horn of Africa Peace and Development Center Yasin Mohammed Yasin, Universtät HamburgDr. Worku Negash, Mission College (Moderator)

CULTURE, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY: AS PILLARS OF SOCIETY IN TRANSITIONAL ETHIOPIA

Tirufat Gebreyes, Former Children TV Producer and Actress Betru Gebregziabher, Ethiopian Leadership Council Sahlemariam Beyene, Former Children TV Producer and Educator Tarik Teferi, Ethiopan Womens Organization, Dallas Dr. Tsehai Berhane-Selassie, Mary Immaculate College (Moderator)

ETHIOPIAN MILLENNIUM IN HISTORIC AND CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE: HOPES, PITFALLS, AND CHALLENGES

The Ethiopian Youth at the Crossroads: A psycho–historical analysisDr. Tibebe Eshete, Missouri State University and Dr. Taddesse Woldegiorgis, University of Chicago

A New Beginning, New Direction for a New Generation Marching into a New Millennium Dr. Hossana Solomon, University of the Virgin Islands

Vignettes on Culture and Development in EthiopiaSalaam Yitbarek, EINEPS Research Fellow

The Foundation of Reality and Identity: A quest for Ethiopia’s IndependenceDr. Abiy Tsegaye, United States International University

Ethiopian Healthcare Standards,Quality, Access and Delivery: Challenges and Hopes Dr. Ingida Asfaw, Ethiopian North American Health Professionals Association

Why Ethiopia – The Blameless and FaultlessDr. Taddele Gebre-Hiwot, Houston University (Moderator)


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7CONFERENCE ROUNDTABLES

July 3, 2007 | L’ENTRECOTE CONFERENCE ROOM

ETHIOPIAN YOUTH IN MILLENNIAL, TECHNOLOGICAL AND GENERATIONAL TRANSFORMATIONS: HOPES, INSPIRATIONS AND CHALLENGES

Dinaw Mengestu, Author and Educator Nahom Beyene, NASA & ESAi Ellias Fullmore, Burnet FaceMenasse Zewdu, Ge’ez Frontier FoundationYohannes Assefa, The Ethiopian AmericanSelam Mulugeta, Congressional Ethiopian American CaucusElias Wondimu (Moderator)

ETHIOPIAN ART AT THE DOWN OF THE MILLENNIUM: THE ROLE OF CULTURE AND CREATIVITY IN SOCIO CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION

Tewodrose Kasahun (Teddy Afro), Singer and Songwriter Solomon Abate, Ethiopian Music Foundation Addis Adugna, Ethiopian Heritage Foundation Esseye Gebremedhin, Ethiopian Art FoundationAlemtsehai Wodajo, Taitu Entertainment (Moderator)

BALANCING TRADITION AND MODERNITY: TRIUMPHS AND MISSTEPS IN THE QUEST FOR CHANGE AND CONTINUITY

Ethos, Ideas and Symbols in the Struggle for Independence: The Historic Impact of Ethiopia’s Image and Inspiration Dr. William Scott, Lehigh University

Breaking the Path Dependent Development in EthiopiaDr. Tsegaye Tegenu, Uppsala University Stockholm

Prestige is the Argument: Development and Traditions of Power in EthiopiaDr. Tsehai Berhane-Selassie, Mary Immaculate College

Ethiopia as the Symbol of Stability and Continuity for the African World: Successes and ShortcomingsDr. Sulayman S. Nyang, Howard University

Political Continuity and Change in Comparative Perspective: Challenges and Responses in Negotiating Transformation Dr. Alem Hailu, Howard University (Moderator)

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7 TSEHAI LIVING HISTORY MAKERS AWARDTSEHAI LIFE TIME ACHIVEMENT AWARDProf. MESFIN WOLDEMARIAM Ethiopia is a fortunate nation. In dark historical times, her sons and daughters stand up to be counted. During the last five decades, Professor Mesfin has brought a bright ray of hope for millions of ordinary Ethiopians by standing up in defence of their rights.

Professor Mesfin was born in 1930, in Addis Ababa and completed his studies at the University of Punjab, India; and Clark University, United States. He is a

superbly influential educator, poet and author of numerous scholarly works. Three of his popular books are: Rural Vulnerability to Famine; Suffering under God’s Environment and The Horn of Africa: Conflict and Poverty.

He established himself as the most principled and tenacious dissident under three successive regimes. The 1973 famine became the source of his earliest and major acts of public dissent eventually leading to the overthrow of the Monarchy in 1974.

In 1990, one year before the Dergue was ousted, Professor Mesfin issued a passionate appeal for peace and a negotiated transition to democracy at an International Conference. Unfortunately, neither the regime nor the rebels heeded and the war continued until Menghistu’s departure to Zimbabwe.

Professor Mesfin founded Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) in 1991. Under his leadership, EHRCO was transformed into a strong and globally respected human rights organization. As a principled scholar, he publicly criticised the arbitrary deportation and denial of citizenship rights to Ethiopians of Eritrean descent during the 1998-2000 war.

Professor Mesfin was named “A Scholar at Risk” in 2002 by the Scholars at Risk Network and awarded a visiting fellowship at Harvard University. In 2002, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from his alma mater, Clark University. In 2006, he was awarded the New York Academy of Science’s Human Rights Award and was one of the top ten nominees for European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought.

Most recently, Professor Mesfin’s convictions regarding the root causes of violence, human rights violations and poverty led him to move into politics. He has no ambition for political office but is highly motivated by his desire to promote peace and democracy. In 2004, he co-founded the Rainbow Movement for Democracy and Social Justice, a party that was instrumental in bringing together several political parties to form the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) in the period leading up to the 2005 elections.

In what shall be remembered as a cruel historical irony, the 76 year old pacifist has been detained since early November 2005 and was convicted of ‘attempting to overthrow the constitutional order’. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience who has never advocated or used violence.

It is with a distinct sense of pride that we award the distinguished Tsehai Lifetime Achievement Award to Professor Mesfin.


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TSEHAI MUSIC AWARDTEWODROS KASSAHUN (a.k.a. Teddy Afro) is Ethiopia’s supper star in music and performance. He is called a modern day Bob Marley because of his razor sharp social conscientiousness as well as his songs of peace, co-existence, love and nonviolence. His compositions are powerful and so is his voice making him TSEHAI Music Award receipient. In 2006, the legendary Tilahun Gessesse formally passed the torch to Teddy Afro admonishing the young supper star to continue the fine tradition of musical excellence and love of country and people.

TSEHAI GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY AWARDDr. ALEMAYEHU G. MARIAM Some are exceedingly talented - or simply gifted. Others are disciplined and tenacious to the bitter end. Still others are fruitful and leave a mark behind. Prof. Alemayehu is all these and more. Of his many accomplishments, what separates him as TSEHAI Grassroots Advocacy Award recipient is his work on HR 5680. Professor Alemayehu’s devotion to a cause, skill in motivating the Diaspora and knowledge of the workings of the legislature are exemplary.

TSEHAI LITERARY AWARDDINAW MENGESTU is a writer of brilliant vision and unparalleled social awareness. His fiction and non-fiction tackle issues of identity, war, tyranny and the possibility for redemption and living a truly complicated but moral life. He is at the beginning of a career that will in a short time make him one of the most important literary voices in contemporary African and world literature. His ability to re-imagine what it could mean to be Ethiopian, African, and human in a global context in the 21st century is remarkable. He is creative, articulate, tenacious and talented. The TSEHAI award is an honor he deserves and goes to the heart of TSEHAI – supporting and promoting innovating thinkers and thinking.

TSEHAI ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDALEMTSEHAI WODAJO is a remarkable artist with boundless energy and steely courage. Her passionate love for the arts has been inspirational to many through the years and she has been a wonderful mentor to young artists who share her passion. She is articulate, creative, persistent, talented, and truly a master of her craft. She is an author, a poet, a dramatist, and a leader in her own right. She is well deserving of the TSEHAI Award for significant Artistic Achievement.

TSEHAI | COURAGEOUS | CONTAGIOUSTSEHAIALEMTSEHAI WODAJOenergy and steely courage. Her passionate love for the arts has been inspirational to many through the years and she has been a wonderful mentor to young artists who share her passion. She is articulate, creative, persistent, talented, and truly a master of her craft. She is an author, a poet, a dramatist, and a leader in her own right. She is well deserving of the TSEHAI Award for significant Artistic Achievement.

TSEHAIDINAW MENGESTUunparalleled social awareness. His fiction and non-fiction tackle issues of identity, war, tyranny and the possibility for redemption and living a truly complicated but moral life. He is at the beginning of a career that will in a short time make him one of the most important literary voices in contemporary African and world literature. imagine what it could mean to be Ethiopian, African, and human in a global context in the 21st century is remarkable. He is creative, articulate, tenacious and talented.award is an honor he deserves and goes to the heart of TSEHAI – supporting and promoting innovating thinkers and thinking.

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A HEALTHY FAMILY Wed., July 4 | Afternoon Workshop

Instructor: Dr. Tseday Aberra, Clinical Psychologist

Course Description: This seminar is designed to inform and educate the public about the importance of a healthy family, which has as its foundation a happy and fulfilling mar-riage. The seminar will address at length the meaning and essence of marriage. Spousal qualities and characteristics, accomplishments and perspectives that contribute towards the development of a flourishing and happy marriage will be discussed. Lastly, this seminar will address some of the mental health problems that are likely to come from families which fail to establish love, care, discipline, and guidance.

Objectives: Upon completing this seminar, the public should have a better understanding of the significance of the familial and marital system for a healthy living, and what is required to attain happiness and health.

The worshop is designed to encourage all take a closer look at their own families-of-origin, marriages, relationships with the purpose of changing their unproductive and unhealthy thoughts and behaviors that have hindered them from a fulfilling life.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR ETHIO-ERITREAN RELATION? Wed., July 4 | Morning Workshop

Instructor: Dr. Shumet Sishagne, Associate Professor of History at the Christopher Newport University

Course Description: Few dispute the fact that the past shapes the present. What is not easily grasped is the other truism: that our understanding of past events is shaped by present perception. No where is this reading of the past through the prism of the present obvious as in the contemporary narratives of the history of Eritrea and its relation with Ethiopia. Researchers who are fortunate enough to gain access to a wide-range of primary sources relating to Ethio-Eritrean relations in the 1940s and 1950s could not fail to notice the significant discrepancy that exists between the documentary evidences and contemporary collective memory.

Objectives: This course highlights key historical developments in the evolution of Ethio-Eritrean relations in the last half century and enables participants to understand the scope and intensity of the historical deconstruction that has occurred over the last few decades to lay the basis for an informed discussion on what the future holds for Ethio-Eritrean Relation.

TSEHAI SUMMER INSTITUTE WORKSHOPS


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THE CHALLENGE OF THE 20TH CENTURY ETHIOPIAN ARTISTS Thu., July 5 | Afternoon Workshop

Instructor: Ato Esseye G. Medhin, Founder of Ethiopian Art Foundation and Debre Hayq Art Gallery at www.ethiopianart.org.

Course Description: The course will look at the emergence of modern Ethiopian art and the artists responsible for introducing and practicing the new art form. The course examines the question of mod-ernism in the light of the application and intent of the international nature of the 20th century modernism and the challenge and debate of the artists as well as the public.

Content: 1. Introduction: emergence of modern

Ethiopian art2. What are the main characteristics of

20th century Ethiopian Art?3. What is modernism in the 20th

century Ethiopian Art?4. Who are the modern artists and the

modernists?

Objectives: Upon completing this course, partici-pants should have a basic knowledge of 20th century Ethiopian art and the challenge of the artists.

TSEHAI SUMMER INSTITUTE WORKSHOPS

LEGISLATIVE GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING

Thu., July 5 | Morning Worshop

Instructor: Prof. Alemayehu G.Mariam, Professor of Political Science at the Cali-fornia State University, San Bernardino & Attorney-at-Law

Course Description: This short training program is intended to provide guidance and help develop basic communication skills with state/federal legislative representatives in the context of a grassroots campaign.

Content:Among the topics to be covered include meeting with your legislators, communi-cating and building long-term relation-ships with them and their staff, effective letter writing and other mass mobiliza-tion advocacy strategies, grassroots advo-cacy techniques on Capitol Hill or other state legislative venues, and application of effective advocacy tools to persuade legislators to support speicifc outcomes.

Objectives: Upon completing this course, partici-pants should have a better understand-ing of legislative grassroots advocacy. Participants should be familiar with basic advocacy tools and acquire develop sufficient skills to undertake legislative communication with confidence.

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Join our family ofintellectuals!

Subscribe IJES

“If not us, who? If not now, when? If not here, where?”


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7Join

our family ofintellectuals!

Subscribe IJES

“If not us, who? If not now, when? If not here, where?”

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የወንዝ ማዕበል DELUGEThu., July 5 | Chamber Lecture Hall

This film is a personal visual meditation on history, conflict and the roads to reconciliation. It is a tale of love and betrayal, of idealism and the lure of power. It is a memorial to a brother who disappeared and a best friend, executed. It is a story of the Ethiopian students, their “Revolution” and its aftermath - a brutal military dictatorship.

In making Ye Wonz Maibel: Deluge, I wanted to contemplate on the role of the individual in perpetuating national tragedies, be it famine, war or political terror, by re-visiting family tragedies in my home, Ethiopia. Focusing my lens on and searching through my own history, I sought personal experiences that illuminated universal truths. What motivates us to love or to destroy? What turns good to evil, nobility to cowardice, and vision to nightmare? Where do the ranges in-between reside? I have no answers but I offer this work as a tool for looking back to get a sense of how we can look forward to a future in which responsibility and choice inform our conduct.

Writer/Producer/Director - Salem MekuriaCamera - Mark Gunning, Salem MekuriaEditors - Eric Neudel, Dan NutuDuration: 61 minutes

BLACK GOLDThu., July 5 | Chamber Lecture Hall

Black Gold asks us “to wake up and smell the coffee,” to face the unjust con-ditions under which our favorite drink is produced and to decide what we can do about it. The film traces the tangled trail from the two billion cups of coffee consumed each day back to the coffee farmers who produce the beans. In par-ticular, It follows Tadesse Meskela as he tries to get a living wage for the 70,000 Ethiopian coffee farmers he represents. In the process Black Gold provides the most in-depth study of any commodity on film today and offers a compelling in-troduction to the “fair trade” movement galvanizing consumers around the globe.

After seeing Black Gold coffee will never taste the same again. A sip of cappuc-cino will remind viewers of the farmers who grew the beans and of their own power to pressure corporations where it hurts most – the bottom line. The film reminds us that ordinary citizens can in-fluence trade, environmental and human rights policy, voting with their dollars for a more equitable relationship between the global North and South.

Directed and Produced by Marc Francis and Nick Francis Duration: 77 minutes

TSEHAI FILM FESTIVAL


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JOURNEY TO LASTAFri., July 6 | Chamber Lecture Hall

The journey begins when Tsegaye, a driven and passionate musician leaves his two children and family and embarks on a search of his childhood friend, Kirubel. Kirubel embraces his friend’s presence and brings along a shy, yet talented drummer named Teferi. These three embark on a jour-ney of a musical mission that could bring modern Ethiopian music to the World.

Falls, triumphs, and rude awakenings ultimately test their faith, friendship, and honor as they begin the journey of a lifetime. Filled with rhythm and colorful characters, Journey to Lasta brings an inspiring story of the “un-derdog” and vividly paints an honest and vibrant portrayal of the immi-grant experience.

The film also features the amazing sounds of Lasta Sound, Quinto Sol, Chakra, Upground and the legendary Ras Michael.

This is a cinematic experience that you will never forget!

Director & Writer: Wondwossen D. Dikran Executive Producer: Nebiyou Essayas Cinematography: Yasu Tanida Editor: Gabrielle Thorbourn Duration: 124 minutes

A WALK TO BEAUTIFULThu., July 5 | Chamber Lecture Hall

A Walk to Beautiful tells the stories of five Ethiopian women who suffer from devastating childbirth injuries and make the journey to reclaim their lost dignity. Rejected by their husbands and ostracized by their communities, these women are left to spend the rest of their lives in loneliness and shame. The trials they endure—and their attempts to re-build their lives—tell a universal story of hope, courage, and transformation.

Ayehu, Almaz, Zewdie, Yenenesh and Wubete suffered through prolonged, unrelieved obstructed labor in a coun-try with few hospitals. Although they survived the often-fatal childbirth experience, Ayehu tells us, that “even death would be better than this.” The obstructed labor has left each of them in-continent.We discover Ayehu, 25, living in a makeshift shack behind her mother’s house where she’s hidden for four years, shunned by siblings and neighbors alike because of her smell. She hesitantly begins her journey on foot, and once she gets to the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, she realizes for the first time that she isn’t the only person in the world suf-fering from this problem.

Directors: Mary Olive Smith & Amy BucherExecutive Producer: Steven EngelDuration: 85 minutes


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ADWA: AN AFRICAN VICTORYFri., July 6 | Chamber Lecture Hall

On March 2, 1896, the Italians em-barked on the final European conquest of an African nation, Ethiopia. With brilliant military intelligence and gallant generals at the helm, united and willed, the Ethiopian people rose their way to triumph over the Italians at the Battle of Adwa. The event ignited a lasting flame of hope, of freedom and independence in the hearts of African throughout the world.

Adwa: An African Victory takes you through a transforming rite of passage linking contemporary Africans in Africa and the Diaspora with the early found-ers of the Pan-African movement.

Haile Gerima, the director and producer of this important historic landmark, joins the voices of Ethiopian histori-ans, elders, priests, poets and singers, capturing on film the powerful educa-tion and experience that shaped his consciousness. In a collage of Ethiopian landscapes, paintings, photographs and faces, the film illuminates one of the hidden sources of African empower-ment.

Directed and Produced by Haile Gerima Production Manager: Solomon Bekele Director of Cinematography: Agustin Cubano Traditional music: Mulatu Astatke Duration: 97 minutes

SEEDS OF HOPEFri., July 6 | Chamber Lecture Hall

Seeds Of Hope: Meeting the Challenges of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia presents images that are rarely seen and voices that are almost never heard. In each of these documentaries, we meet people who are being directly affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Ethiopia. We see how education, support, community efforts, and advocacy are transforming lives.

Breaking The Silence: Lifting the Stigma of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. (English: 26 min., 2006.)

From Risk To Action: Women & HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. (English: 40 min.)

Hiv/aids Awareness In Ethiopia: Approaches to Prevention. (English: 27 min.)

Whose Children Are They Now? AIDS Orphans in Ethiopia. (English: 21 min.)

Stepping Forward: Men teaching and learning about HIV/AIDS. (English: 24 min.)

Director: Dorothy Fadiman Produced by Concentric Media Translation Team included Teshome Asrat, Abebaye Assefa, Meheret Fikre-Sellassie, Saba Hailu, and Thomas Paul.



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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ETHIOPIAN STUDIESVol. III, No. 1 | Win./Spr. 2007ISSN: 1543-4133

IJES is an interdisciplinary, refereed journal dedicated to scholarly research relevant to or informed by the Ethiopian experience.

CONTENT:1. Political Violence, Terrorism

and U.S. Foreign Policy in the Horn of Africa: Causes, Effects, Prospects. By Alem Hailu

2. የኢትዮጵያ ጊዜ ግንዛቤና ዘመናዊነት:: መሳይ ከበደ

3. Ethiopia, Japan, and Ja-maica: A Century of Glob-ally Linked Modernizations. By Donald N. Levine

4. Implications of the 2005 Elections for Ethiopian Citizenship and State Le-gitimacy. By Lahra Smith

5. The Ethiopian Voter: An Assessment of Economic and Ethnic Influences with Survey Data. By Leonardo R. Arriola

6. What Good is Technical Assistance? A problem illustrated with an example from Ethiopia. By Reidulf Molvaer, and more...

Senior Editors: Drs. Maimire Mennasemay, Al G/Mariam, Worku Negash & Alula Pan-khurst | Editorial Director: Elias Wondimu

UNIONISTS AND SEPARATISTS

by Shumet SishagneISBN: 1-59907-023-5

“The devastating Ethio-Eritrean war of 1998-2000, whose repercussions are still far from over, have put these two conflict-ridden Horn of Africa countries on the international spotlight. Yet, few people are either aware of or bother to investigate the historical roots of this recent conflict - roots that go back to the expulsion of the Italian colonial rulers from Eritrea in 1941. The publication of Shumet Sishagne’s book is therefore a salutary step in providing this much-needed historical perspective. Shumet has given us a masterly analysis of the tension between Unionism and Separatism, the troubled history of the Federation, the beginning of armed insurgency, the bloody feuds between the two fronts, ELF and EPLF and the final ascendancy of the latter leading ultimately to the attainment of de facto Eritrean independence in 1991.”

Prof. Bahru Zewde, author of A History of Modern Ethiopia

THE EVOLUTION OF ETHIOPIAN ABSOLUTISM

by Tsegaye TegenuISBN: 1-59907-020-0“This book makes an important contribution to an understanding of the development of Ethiopian statehood in the two centuries preceding the rise of Haile Selassie. As the subtitle indicates…, the author is concerned with the means by which Ethiopian rulers extracted from the economy the resources required to maintain a substantial military apparatus. …The book does clearly convey the existence of a systematised process of revenue collection that dispels any impression that the Ethiopian state merely depended on the extraction of resources from looting peripheral territories…The author has achieved a vastly more impressive level of original research (which can develop) into a path-breaking reappraisal of the fiscal bases of the Ethiopian state….”

Prof. Christopher Clapham, Lancaster University

LATEST TSEHAI BOOKS

INTERNATIONAL UNIONISTS AND

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THE DYING LION

by Patrick GilkesISBN: 1-59907-016-8

“This book is one of the seminal works produced at that unique moment in history when the ancient regime in Ethiopia was dying and the new revolutionary order was being born. As such it sits astride two eras, dissecting clinically the order that was in its twilight hours and anticipating the new one that was in its birth throes.”

Prof. Bahru Zewde, author of A History of Modern Ethiopia

* * *“The original edition of The Dying Lion, published in 1975, quickly became a classic. The dramatic story of the decline and eventual collapse of Haile Selassie’s monarchy remains a seminal event in Ethiopia’s modern history. Tsehai Publishers is to be congratulated for reprinting this important study for a new generation of readers.”

Dr. Thomas Ofcansky, Co-Author of Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia

PRIESTS & POLITICIANS: Protestant and Catholic Missions in Orthodox Ethiopia (1830-1868)

by Donald CrummeyISBN: 1-59907-021-9

“Donald Crummey’s Priests and Politicians is a valuable study of the interaction between religion and politics in Ethiopia’s renewed contacts with Europe during the nineteenth century. …Ethiopian history is rich in raw material, but it has been very poor in good and standard interpretative works. The value of this book is that it is one of the first to fill in this gap. While Crummey’s special concern has been with Ethiopia, he also brings to light the distinctive methods used by [protestant and catholic] mission groups in the unique political and religious milieu of Ethiopia. This makes the book a significant addition to the comparative study of Christian missions in Africa in general.”

Prof. Tadesse Tamrat, author of Church and State in Ethiopia, 1270-1527

WAX AND GOLD

by Donald N. LevineISBN 1-59907-003-0

“[Levine’s] pioneering work, Wax and Gold, has become an Ethiopian classic. The very concept of Wax and Gold has taken a life of its own: it figures at once in our understanding of Ethiopia’s pre-modern culture and in our coming to grips with Ethiopia’s reception of modernity.”Prof. Andreas Eshete, President, Addis Ababa University

* * *“Ethiopia’s abiding problem is the symbol of her autochthonous civilization with the demands of an uncompromising modern world. To the extent that she possesses a venerable culture of her own, problems of adjustment will here be graver than elsewhere in Africa. Nobody has yet described this dilemma, its origin, its magnitude and possible ways of resolving it with greater ability and understanding than Dr. Levine.”Prof. Edward Ullendorff, Times Literary Supplement

GIVE THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE


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We invite you to our family ofscholars & intellectuals

in the journey to discover

new frontiers in Ethiopian studies.

www.tsehaipubl ishers.com/ i jes | eMai l : i jes@tsehaipubl ishers.com | Phone: 323-732-6685

Thanks to all of you who subscribed for the first time, renewed your subscription, ordered a gift subscription, or recommended us to your friends, public library, and university library. Without

your subscriptions, we would not have been able to come out with another issue of the finest in Ethiopian academic discourse. We look forward to your continued support!

“IJES will, for the first time, provide Ethiopian scholars with an Ethiopian venue for refl ecting seriously on Ethiopian issues from a scholarly perspective. As a number of philosophers have pointed out, one of the deepest obstacles to African (including Ethiopia) progress towards democracy and economic prosperity was the peculiar situation of Africans being reduced to an object of knowledge by contemporary social science and, consequently, the absence of Africans, including Ethiopians, as self-examining, self evaluating, self-defi ning, and self propelling subjects of history. As a result, we have been totally dependent on external (European and American) defi nitions, interpretations, explanations, evaluations of who we are and what our problems and their solutions are. IJES is an important step in breaking away from this objectification of Ethiopia. It will provide a scholarly medium for Ethiopians to reclaim their subjectivity.” Dr. Maimire Mennasemay, Dawson College

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7 ETHIOPIAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION (EHF)www.ehfoundation.org

We are many individuals who--in extraordinary times--come together in strength. We join with one another in moments of great happiness and periods of great challenge. No Ethiopian, anywhere in the world, faces the future alone. We reach out our hands to each other and our neighbors, whether they live across the street, across the river, or across the world.

We want to deliver a secure and joyous Ethiopian future to our children and grand children. It is not

our duty to finish the work, but neither are we free to abstain from it.

We build and plant today so that the next generation will enjoy the fruits of our labor. Together we are strong and we will shape our future.

The mission of the Ethiopian Heritage Foundation is to preserve, protect and promote the culture and history of Ethiopia, and to build a new social, economic and political Ethiopian community in North America, so that to empower Ethiopians to contribute to the socio-economic development of their country and their fellow country man in Diaspora.

ETHIOPIAN INSTITUTE FOR NONVIOLENCE EDUCATION AND PEACE STUDIES (EINEPS)www.eineps.org

EINEPS work to build a world of mutual understanding among the Ethiopian people, in which nonviolent processes are used to reconcile conflicts and build community. We seek to study and apply approaches which will foster more harmonious relationships at every level in our society.

The mission of EINEPS is:• To heal, empower and revitalize lives and communities through the practice

of nonviolence as a way of life. • To create a sustainable society that honors the dignity and worth of every

human being through education, inspiration, and cooperative action. • To establish that each person can change the future of our country in the

direction of peace through their daily nonviolent choice and action.

We envision a nation of justice, peace, and freedom which is free from war, tyranny, poverty and environmental degradation. It is a revolutionary vision of a beloved community where differences are respected, conflicts are addressed nonviolently, oppressive structures are dismantled, and where people live in harmony with each other and the earth, nurtured by our common experiences that foster compassion, solidarity, and reconciliation.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi We can help!


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Tsehai Conference is proud to acknowledge the support and partnership of the sponsors of our second annual conference. These visionary supporters are

committed to building a better society that we all are proud to live in. Thank you for helping us do our job better.

Presented byEthiopian Heritage Foundation | Tsehai Publishers & Distributors | International Journal of

Ethiopian Studies | Ethiopian Institute for Nonviolence Education and Peace Studies

Conference SponsorsEthiopian Sport Federation in North America | Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Students Association, International

Institutional SponsorsPEN USA | Marymount Institute, Loyola Marymount University

Howard University | Antioch University

Conference AffiliatesAfrican Global Market Enterprise | Ethiopian Free Press Journalsits Association

African Diaspora Foundation | Ge’ez Frontier Foundation

Participating OrganizationsSankofa Films | Reel Image Pictures | Engel Entertainment | Concentric Media

Mekuria Productions | California Newsreel | Ethiopian Art Foundation | Tayitu Entertainment

Promotional SupportersEthiopianReview.com | EthioForum.org | EthioMedia.com | AddisVoice.com

EthiopiaFirst.com | CyberEthiopia.com | AfricanMarket.com | AfricanTribune.comAbugidaInfo.com | ZeEthiopia | Ethiopia Radio, Dallas

TheEthiopianAmerican.com | German Radio | Voice of America

Tsehai Family CircleConvener: Elias Wondimu | Development: Yared Mengistu, Rebecca O’Connor & Leleda Woldu Advisory Committee: Alem Hailu, Ayele Bekerie, Addis Adugna, Maimire Mennasemay, Alemayehu G.Mariam, Betru Gebregziabher, Pietro Toggia, Adugnaw Worku, and Worku NegashMarketing: Seblewongel, Yoseph and Sara Gezahegne, Wondimu Bezuneh, Elsa Wondimu, Naomi Tesemma, Tsedey Taye, and Natnael Mengesha.Special Thanks: Menelik Tefera, Dawit Agonafer, Elias Dimberu, Kebede Tekleyes, Ephrem Girma, Robel Kassa, Samuel Taye, Wendy Belcher, Wondwossen Kebede, Gerawork Nekatibeb, Chris Abani, Menasse Zewdu, Tamrie Agdew, Alula Kebede, Abebe Zegeye, Theresia de Vroom, Neal King, Jill Humprey, Mekbib Gebretsadik, Meseret Desta, Shonda Buchanan, Zewge Kagnew, Elias Kifle, Challa Fana, Haile Tefera, Yohannes Tesfaye, Teshager Yima, and Ronda Mitchell.

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We p u b l i s h t h e b o o k s yo u l ove a n d n e e d t o re a d !For online ordering, please visit our website at www.tsehaipublishers.com or email us at [email protected]. For mail order please send us a check to Tsehai Publishers, P. O .Box: 1881, Hollywood, CA 90078.

TSEHAI 2007

Documents

Transcript of TSEHAI 2007