ETA Draws international support as Conference Winds Up

ETA Draws international support as Conference Winds Up

By Wondimu Mekonnen
August 1, 2003

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ADDIS ABABA (AUG 1) – Any government that misuses the power of education to suit its political ends is doomed to drag down the society into a formidable crisis from which social recovery is impossible until education is set free to accomplish its objectives, a prominent Ethiopian scholar told a conference in the Ethiopian capital on Thursday.

Addressing the closing session of the conference organized by the Ethiopian Teachers Association (ETA), Prof. Mesfin Wolde-Mariam said education was a key weapon to solving major problems of the nation, but the abuse by political powers turns it into a recipe for social disasters. He called on the entire nation to strive to free education from the grips of political powers.

Mesfin commended the Ethiopian Teachers Association for its steadfastness and formidable fight it put up against those who tried to control it for their own vested political ambitions.

Prof. Mesfin expressed how proud he and his colleagues felt of ETA in
its
bravery, and achieving international recognition and organising this
most
prestigious and educational conference. Prof. Mesfin’s speech was well
received and the teachers and international delegates paid him deserved
respect, applaud and admiration.

The international delegates could not come to terms with the fact that
the
very regime that signed with all its finger tips UNESCO challenge of
“Education For All by 2015” at Dakar Conference was not represented on
the
opening day of this vital Conference held in its own capital city.
Everywhere they went, it was the governments highest authority that
opened
Conferences on “Education For All”. The Ethiopian regimes absence from
the
meeting after promising to attend was something that they could not
swallow
easily.

They wanted to find out the mystery. As a result, nine
representatives of the international delegates headed yesterday
afternoon to
the Ministry of Education in the hope to meet face to face with the
“Minister”. Aware of the impending humiliation to happen, Weizero
Gennet
Zewdie, did not take any risk. She disappeared from her office before
their
arrival. Her Vice Minister, Ato Dereje Terefe was condemned to face the
humiliation. As per the report from one of the delegates, the Vice
Minister
was practically panicking, shacking, confused and unable to reply
anything
coherently. He was repeating over and over again something that did not
make
sense, like a broken tape recorder. He kept on saying that the teachers
were
divided and created two ETAs. The Government did not want two ETAs to
function side by side. The Government did not wish to be sandwiched
between
the two ETAs. The Government did not create a teachers association of
its
own liking etc.”

The delegate who talked to us wondered if the
Vice
Minister was in his normal state of mind. When asked why the regime did
not
send representatives on such international conference, agreed mutually
between UNESCO and the government at Dakar, the Vice Minister could
only say
that the Government did not wish to be identified with one or the other
ETA
by attending conferences organised separately by one or the other. You
mind,
regime was partner in the mission to attain “Education for All by 2015”
when
agreed and signed in Dakar. The delegates were so disappointed with
Vice
Minster but left him quietly in his office, not to be blamed in case he
would die of a heart attack.

The delegates are going to meet their respective Embassies in Addis
Ababa
this afternoon and tomorrow morning to explain the achievements of the
conference and their disappointment with the regime that claims to rule
Ethiopia. They will of course produce a full report upon return to
Brussels
and respective countries. Brussels is Education International
Headquarters
and therefore the responsiblity to produce report on the Conferene
expected
from there. The same report will be passed over to ILO for its plan of
action. Another special paragraph again? May be not.

The Second day Conference was graced by the speech of Ms Lucia Fry –
VSO
(Voluntary Service Organisation) representative. Ms Fry travelled from
the
UK representing her organisation and carrying messages from The
Department
For International Development. In her speech, she acknowledged that she
heard a lot about ETA but she saw far more than she expected. She
appreciated how well organised and professional the associaton was
deserved
all the respect and trust of the international community. She had been
overwhelmed by what she saw, how these brave trade unionists worked and
survived the horrendous treatment they received in thands of their
persecutors. She promised all assistance to advance education would be
channelled to meet its objectives only through responsible
organisations
that have earned special reputation, such as ETA and other
proffesional,
trade and human right organisations. The Department of Overseas
Development
is also considering working closely with those stakeholders in
Education,
ETA being the winner of the international trust. That speech by Ms Fry
spread hope and and more resolution for committment in the hearts of
the
teacher delegates who listened with 100 percent attention only to rock
the
hall with applauds upon the conclusion of her speech.

The rest of the afternoon was spent listening to firsthand accounts of
ordeals of the teacher delegates who came from various districts of the
country. Some reported their personal tragedies in the hands of
government
representatives. Some reported what had been happening to their
colleagues.
The regime in power had been persecuting teachers simply for being
associated with their trade union. Teachers had been victimised
everywhere
in the country. Many teachers have lost their jobs. Teachers suspected
of
carrying HIV aids virus had been singled out, condemned and fired from
their
jobs and left to die uncared for. Most teachers had been assigned to
teach
in remote malaria-infected regions. Their chance of surviving was
minimal.
Once seriously infected by malaria and other tropical diseases, they
would
not get proper medication or treatment. The regime picked on vulnerable
teachers and made them redundant. When such accounts were described by
first
hand sufferers, Dr Mary Futrell, EI president, could not hold her tears
back
but let it flow, that turned every one in Ghion Saba Hall join her –
regardless of gender differences in strength.

Teachers were fired from their teaching posts by the regimes
representatives
simply for being seen with members of ETA. While there is so much
shortage
of experienced teachers at every corner of the country, some teachers
are
removed from their teaching post under the pretext of early retirement.
Others are simply sent empty handed home, to go and fetch food from
wherever
they could get. Teachers could end up in the streets begging for
alimony.
The most appalling action taken against teachers by the regime in power
is
associated with its abused ethnic polity. Although there is a shortage
of
trained and experienced teachers in the country, teachers have been
made
redundant because they happened to belong to the wrong ethnic group in
the
region. This is pure apartheid in its ugliest form. The language
barrier the
regime has been building among the country citizens had turned Ethiopia
into
Bantustan Apartheid homeland that no one is allowed to take up jobs,
education or medical treatment outside his/her ethnic enclave. When it
comes
to teachers it is a disaster. The policy is turning Ethiopia into a
country
of ignorants. Unless this policy is reversed, forget “Education for All
by
2015”.

However, the teachers vowed in front of the international delegates to
reverse the disaster and passed resolution at the end of the closing
ceremony. In their resolution, teachers reiterated their commitment to
carry
the torch of “Education For All by 2015” as planned by UNESCO at Dakar
Conference. They promised to struggle towards its achievements
regardless of
the cost and sacrifices it may demand from each one of them. Teachers
also
confirmed that without the prevalence of democracy and rule of law,
carrying
out this noble task would be unthinkable. Therefore, the struggle for
democracy, rule of law would remain their guiding principle to die for.
Teachers unanimously expressed their commitment to their profession
under
the guidance of ETA and its leaders and concluded the Conference
colourfully.

Fostering Friendship

At a dinner party, ETA recognised two most special friends who stood by the
organisation in its darkest and hardest times, when its President, Dr
Taye
was in jail, its Deputy General Secretary, Assefa Maru murdered in cold
blood, Ato Kebede Desta perished in jail beaten up to death and Ato
Shimelis
Zewdie, its Acting General Secretary practically killed by the regime
refusing medication while in unlawful detention. The two special people
chosen to be honoured were Ms Sheena Hanley, former Deputy General
Secretary
of Education International (Canadian) and Mr Tom. Bediako, EI Africa
Region
Chief Co-ordinator (Ghana). These two colleagues have been
international
advocates of ETA wherever they went and their role in the campaign to
free
Dr Taye was second to none.

The two colleagues are retiring from their
assignment at the EI but would remain ETA’s friends forever. As a token
of
their contribution to the solidarity with sisterly professional
association,
particularly their unreserved help for ETA, by the resolution of the
Executive Committee Members of ETA, the two distinguished trade
unionists
had been made honorary members of ETA for life and presented with a
special
Certificates confirming the award. This announcement moved the guests
from
their seats to their feet and the dinners rocked the dinning hall with
appreciation, applauds and cheers as Dr Taye called the names of the
delegates and invited Dr Mary Futrell, EI president, to present the
awards.

Mr Tom. Bediako, EI Africa Region, the Ghanaian received his
certificate in
person from the hands of EI President fighting his tears back. Dr Linda
Asper, the current EI Deputy General Secretary was called up to receive
the
certificate on behalf Ms Sheena Hanley, former Deputy General Secretary
of
Education International. Sheena deserved that honour.

With this pleasant ceremony, the historical Conference concluded
concluded,
leaving its marks upon the hearts and minds of the delegates. What is
now
left is to put in practice what is planned, decided and vowed to carry
out.
We wish ETA all the best to fulfil its commitment to education,
teachers
welfare and the struggle for rule of law and democracy in Ethiopia, its
three guiding principles.

The Conference received numerous congratulatory messages, and was covered by German Radio Deutsche Welle, Ethiopian Electronic Mailing Lists, and Ethiomedia.com