Reading the “Ethiopia: Indoctri-Nation By Alemayehu G. Mariam, September 6, 2010” inspired me to write my view – a call to all Ethiopian academicians in the Diaspora. My concern about the Ethiopian Ministry of Education issuing a ‘directive’ is well addressed by Professor Alemayehu, what is interesting is how the “Ministry of Education” has become ignorant and demonstrates its expectation for the Ethiopian people to go back to the dark ages so that the “illiterate” people will continue to be a house maids and a cotton pickers for the elites children who gets their education abroad and return home to the palace. It is actually an irony that king Haile Sellassie issued a decree for all boys and girls to go to school; however less than 100 years the new “Kings” will attempt to reverse that decree.
Here is my call and challenge to all academicians for each one of them to stand and counted by doing what they know best. That is, to write and educate their students and others about the Ethiopian education system in general and the current decree in particular. No matter where in the world they are teaching (outside Ethiopia), they need to dare because no one can put them to jail for writing about their academic field using Ethiopia as a case in point. I want to challenge them and offer the following actions to take:
solicit a letter writing campaign even draft a letter to be sent to all Ethiopian “Universities” presidents,
do the same to all foreign ambassadors in Ethiopia, Women’s Lawyer Associations, and African Union,
do the same to all African countries Ambassadors in their country of residences, World Bank, and President Obama, and
copy to Melse Zenawi, United Nations, and European Union.
I hope they will arise to the call and be counted. If not may God and history judge their silence.
