When ever the EPRDF government does something outrageous like the guilty verdict on opposition leaders, civil rights activists, and journalists, they have two main assumption they base their actions on:
1.EPRDF knows that the opposition in the diaspora voices their opposition by candle light vigil, demonstrations, writing letters, and things of that sort. And these things go on for no more than a couple of weeks or months to the most. After that, it will cool down.
2.EPRDF also knows that the western governments always back who ever seems strong and in power, now matter how brutal it is.
The above assumptions seemed to work real well until now. But we got to be ahead of the game now. We need to stop playing their game. Our leaders in the diaspora, not only kinjit international but also other party and civil society leaders, should come together and come up with a well thought out plan that put EPRDF’s calculations null and void. The struggle plan should consider the political environment inside the country. It is important to campaign wherever we are, but it is not enough. The real struggle is inside the country. So we got to direct our focus on that. If the westerners don’t seem to support us now, don’t worry. As we start to show results and the power balance start to shift, they will come along.
The most important thing is to come up with a well thought out plan that could last a while and result something significant. We also should be realistic about the reality inside the country. A lot of things have changed since the election and it wont be easy to get people on board unless we convince them our plan is a plan that brings change.
Let us all work on that. Let us put emotions aside and get to work together.
1.EPRDF knows that the opposition in the diaspora voices their opposition by candle light vigil, demonstrations, writing letters, and things of that sort. And these things go on for no more than a couple of weeks or months to the most. After that, it will cool down.
2.EPRDF also knows that the western governments always back who ever seems strong and in power, now matter how brutal it is.
The above assumptions seemed to work real well until now. But we got to be ahead of the game now. We need to stop playing their game. Our leaders in the diaspora, not only kinjit international but also other party and civil society leaders, should come together and come up with a well thought out plan that put EPRDF’s calculations null and void. The struggle plan should consider the political environment inside the country. It is important to campaign wherever we are, but it is not enough. The real struggle is inside the country. So we got to direct our focus on that. If the westerners don’t seem to support us now, don’t worry. As we start to show results and the power balance start to shift, they will come along.
The most important thing is to come up with a well thought out plan that could last a while and result something significant. We also should be realistic about the reality inside the country. A lot of things have changed since the election and it wont be easy to get people on board unless we convince them our plan is a plan that brings change.
Let us all work on that. Let us put emotions aside and get to work together.
4 comments:
I am tottaly in agrement with you. We need a change of direction in our strugle. Demonstration on the street of DC and candle light vigil at the WhiteHouse is not enough. The peaceful strugel also need to start on the street of Addis. While the peaceful demonstration on the street of DC continues, we need to moblize people in Ethiopia to start a peaceful strugle in many way.
I appreciate the idea of change of direction. But do you think EPRDF knows what a peaceful struggle is? I personally don't think so. The June and October demonstrations were both very peaceful but we have seen how the EPRDF people interpret it. I was there and have seen every thing. Things are not easy in Ethiopia after the EPRDF people saw the Miazia 30 demonstration. Because, it showed how the people of Ethiopia is supporting CUDP. So, we need to think more before deciding to moblize people in Ethiopia.
i think we should change our stratagy this time.if we can coordinate our struggle, we can give eprdf hell. i agree demonstration on streets are more dangerous. what i think is, if we are willing to work together, eppf can start doing stuff in the amhara region; olf in oromia;onlf in harar region; sidama libration in the south;, gambella (obang's organization) in gambella area;tegbar league,teachers association,journalists association, and kinijit in towns and cities of the country. if we coordinate and start our struggle at the same time, trust me we can do something. otherwise, if we still continue our struggle as we used to do it before (in a disorganized way), EPRDf will come after each and everyone of us.
organized and coordinated struggle is the way.
let us coordinate and give them hell fellas
i second alibaba's commnet.
hope our leaders in the diaspora will consider it.
Post a Comment