Imagine this. If you can. The revolution of 1974 created a vacuum by wiping out more than two generations of committed sons and daughters of Ethiopia. Committed to principles they believed will alleviate the economic and political problems of the society. Intelligent and determined individuals from the different sectors of the society, namely, the peasants, teachers and professors, students and labor unions, sacrificed themselves to that effect. For the last fourteen years this vacuum remained unfilled. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the STUDENTS, here after called YOUTHS, of Ethiopia all over the world in general and inside Ethiopia in particular to be the vehicles for this vacuum to be filled. It is time for the current generations of YOUTHS to revive the tradition of the Ethiopian YOUTHS of generations ago and be counted NOW when Ethiopia is desperately in need of you.

Please allow me to cite what the activist youths movement did in what used to be called East Europe and changed the political and economic situations, in favor of the society, in their respective countries: a) in Slovakia, in 1998, most of the non-governmental organizations opposing Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar were agitated and organized by young people; b) Young people in Serbia effectively mobilized the opposition by street theater and civil disobedience; c) the Kamana youth group in Georgia gave force to the movement that toppled the government in November 2003; d) the Ukrainian youth group Pora was effectively and strongly behind the mass protestation in Ukraine by holding street parade and blocking highways.

The Ethiopian YOUTHS have to be astutely aware of the reality that Ethiopia is potentially in grave danger. There is a well organized effort by Meles and his regime to destroy Ethiopia, unchallenged. Due to the vacuumed created, Meles was free: a) to give away Eritrea; b) to divide Ethiopia along Ethnic and language lines; c) to devolve the management to the Regions, divided along ethnic and language lines with a calculated intension so that the division would be effective; and above all, d) to construct a one-articled constitution, Article 39, to effectively implement his dream of breaking Ethiopia apart. Right now, the environment is there for the YOUTHS in Ethiopia to realize these facts and start to be involved immediately before it is to late. Ultimately, down the line it is going to be your problem.

The demonstration of May 9, 2005 clearly showed the determination of Ethiopian people to vote out Meles and his regime. The people of Ethiopia have clearly understood that the current regime exists solely to protect its political and economic interests at the expense of the well-being of the Ethiopian people and the economic development of the country. However, what the YOUTHS must realize is that Meles will use any method in its power to protect his economic and political interest. Remember that the regime in Ethiopia is a CORPORATION with extensively established business empire that has to be protected too. Here is where the involvement of the YOUTHS is critically needed in asserting that the right of those who voted will not be in vain.

Remember what the youths in Slovakia, Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine did to take the struggle to its ultimate goal. If the election of May 15, 2005 were rigged as it were done in the last two elections it is your responsibility to rise up and lead the people of three million who came out on May 9, 2005 to its ultimate aspirations and interests. Convert this three million into a power to get rid of this ruthless Meles and the structurally corrupted regime. Let us not forget that in April 21, 2001, Ethiopia missed an opportune chance to remove Meles and his regime, due to lack of leadership. The YOUTHS in Ethiopia, particularly those in Addis Ababa, has to see to it that it will not happen this time.

By Dr. Mankelklot Haile Selassie