Travel Guide |
April 25, 2010

Professor Tecola regrets ‘offensive remark’

Letter to the Editor | April 25, 2010

Dear Editor,


In my recent article, The Rebirth of Ethiopia – Medrek the Winner (Part II), I regret to have inserted a remark that has offended many, including my own colleagues.

In the new spirit of brotherhood inspired by the presence of Medrek leaders amongst us all, I would like you to remove part of the following para in red.


“There are several lessons to be learned from the Medrek Conference of April 18, 2010. The most important lesson to me is the fact that there were individuals from all ethnic groups in large numbers. It occurred to me, for example, if it had not been for the presence of Gizachew, Negasso, Gebru, and Seeye the number of attendees with Amhara, Oromo, and Tigray ethnicity would have been very limited in its mix. Without the full participation of the three ethnic groups of Ethiopians, no democratic change is possible in Ethiopia. For that matter, one can safely extend the same reasoning to be inclusive of all other ethnic groups. Thus, the April 18 Medrek Conference is drastically different in its composition than the three-day Symposium of a few weeks back of April 7-9, 2010. At that Symposium the stage was managed by one ethnic group and the attendees were overwhelmingly from that same ethnic group. There was very limited effort to bring together all the members of the diverse population of Ethiopia . In fact, there was an active effort to exclude some scholars from participating in that forum. The number of Tigrayans or Oromos as participants or as members of the audience was very limited.”

I thank you very much for your cooperation.

Tecola W. Hagos
Washington DC

Editor’s Note

Dear Professor Tecola: It is indeed gratifying that you have asked us to remove a remark that had left a sour taste in our mouth. Well, to err is human, to forgive divine. We opt for the divine way. Thank you. – Abraha Belai, Editor

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