OPEN LETTER TO HARARI REGIONAL STATE LEADERSHIP
“Leadership should be born out of the understanding
of the needs of those who would be affected by it.” – Marian Anderson
Dear Harari Regional State officials,
Sometimes it takes a good fall to really know where we stand. Thin but strong political wind has blown through Harar. It is a wakeup call. Recent events surrounding election of Hararis are major debates in Ethiopia. As we all know, political events are unfolding, and national election is looming in Ethiopia. A number of political disruptions are manifesting and touching the very political existence of Harar. However, we salute the Legal experts and the Team for putting up against social injustices, and defending the rights of Harar. As a team, you have won the legal battles for political end. We, the Harari youth, would like this team spirit to continue and extend to overcome social and economic problems in Harar and the surrounding areas.
My name is Amana, and I have recently written an open letter to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia (Also copied to you, local and international institutions), which was also published on IHMS, reminding the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, his responsibilities and duties to protect indigenous ethnic minorities and defend the rights of Harar from political criminals and unethical federal officials. Obviously, the unprofessional chairwoman of the National Election Board of Ethiopia repeatedly tried to illegally and unconstitutionally sabotage Hararis’ election processes. With hegemonic mind-set, she is prone to social injustices. She has shown her deep rooted hate for Hararis, indigenous minorities and Ethiopian Muslims at large.
However, my letter today is to you, Harari Regional State Leadership, as well as, to all concerned friends of Harar.
Dear Government Officials – Credible Leadership is all about relationships with the people. Harari state leaders at all levels have a huge collective overdue responsibilities. From political, economic, social and educational changes to empowering diverse peoples in the Harari Regional State. You must create platforms to encourage Harari youth around the globe to have their voices being heard nationally and internationally. You have the responsibilities to engage the youth to take charge of their own affairs; improve their access to resources, transform and develop their consciousness through Harari values. Unleash their potentials as the youth is the power for change and progress!
We, the youth, believe that empowering us with the aim of improving individual quality of life with a wider aspiration of improving Harar’s affairs in a long run. Youth empowerment is achieved through development of individual capacity and creating greater community charge and change. Basically structuring youth activities. You need to work on your responsibilities and engage the Harari youth in Ethiopia in all activities – economic, social and politics. Without involving the youth, your political activities and duties bound to reflect corruptions, nepotisms, and weak leadership qualities, which will ultimately lead to the failure of Harar. As a guru has once said, “I am more afraid of an army of 100 sheep lead by a lion than an army of 100 lions lead by a sheep.” Be a lion to lead Harari lions!
What do the youth expect from you? We understand there are numerous good development, and equally underdevelopment in Harar. While solidifying already achieved successes, it is high time to tackle the mother of all problems, poverty. We, as Harari youth, expect visionary, connecting and practical leadership. As political officials, you should stand 100% behind Harari youth and the youth in Harar to have empowerment movements including youth capacity development and entrepreneurial support to become viable and institutionalized in a long run. I will later explain more how to achieve using African Union strategies! However, the youth in Harar has taken various initiatives of holding meetings by crossing over all ideological differences, dis-unifying individuals and forces. Be on the youth side always. Facilitate and support their initiatives and activities so that they can connect among themselves and reconnect to the community worldwide. These will empower them to have meaningful life and contributions to the community. The continuity of Harari values and preservations mainly rely on the youth! We expect from the leadership the following – cultural nutrition, linguistic nutrition, religious nutrition, educational nutrition and various development nutrition. We, the youth, need total empowerment!
Dear leadership, how do you provide such nutritious development? Paying homage to my great grandparents and the Harari heroes of ‘Wereg Zeman’, they made Harar the Center of Knowledge, Medicine, Trade and Enterprising. These facts are re-emerging at continental level. We do not have to re-invent the wheel, but we can adapt them to the local conditions and feed into Harar and Ethiopia solutions. After several days of deliberations in Addis Ababa, the Pan-African Forum composed of over 400 young people across Africa had come up with four key areas; that is, Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Engagement (4E’s), to combat the roots of the problems facing the youth.
In fact, using these development pathways, the capacities of the Harari youth should be built through local social institutions such as Afocha and Mugad, as well as, through running secular and religious educational institutions tandemly. Financial capacities can also be built through village or borough level social financing groups, of course, backed by sustainable financial institutions such as African Development Bank, Islamic Banks, Interest free lenders, individual Harari Financiers and Philanthropists. In order to have meaningful and significant changes to happen in Harar, you need to focus mainly on —–
- Education – Education is the key to development, innovations, creativity and self-employment. Providing scholarships to the young people at all education levels, as well as alternative ways such as Online learning, establishing teachers and technical training colleges (delivering both religious and secular education) are the key to effective capacity building in Harar. Remember our ancestors made Harar the Center of Knowledge that spread throughout Ethiopia and East Africa. It is high time to get together to create the 21st century Wereg Zeman! Calling upon Harari intelligentsia to voluntarily contribute to equip the youth through various initiatives including conducting short-courses and business development education in Harar. Without education we will be incarcerated in deep darkness and there will be no 21st century Wereg Zeman!
- Employment – Create employment opportunities by providing professional internships and apprenticeships that will enable young to develop the skills required at work places. Engaging the young in such activities will open a world of employment and creativity opportunities. Developing and engaging the young in digital skill programs will help them to acquire new skills and connecting to the world. It will also create knowledge-based businesses that open doors locally, regionally and globally. Most Hararis used to be employers and created various jobs for locals and the surrounding areas. It is possible to revive Harar’s glory through unity, hard work and connecting people-to-people. Harar need not to be stuck in the past, but dynamically forge forward!
- Entrepreneurship – Hararis are not new to free enterprising. According to Burton (British Author on Harar), he described “Hararis are born business people.” It is time to engage ourselves in mobilizing capital to allow youth to venture and start-up businesses. Be it small or medium businesses! Harari financiers and Philanthropists should stretch their hands to provide interest-free loans to Harari youth in scaling up joint business opportunities, ventures, virtual and physical mentorships, as well as, incubation services with successful Harari companies in Ethiopia and beyond. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “The believer is like a bee that eats what is wholesome and produces what is wholesome, and when it lands on a small branch, it does not break it.” Let the financiers and Philanthropists produce wholesome in Harar!
- Engagement – Engaging, Connecting and Sustaining are the responsibilities of Harari leaders at all levels including the President and his Cabinets, Sectoral Administrators, Afocha and various community leaders. Collectively, Harari leadership should coach, nurture and consistently support young leaders across Harar and the surrounding areas. Engaging in eradicating corruptions, promoting good governance, upholding justice, nurturing equity and empowering the young and women are the core development pathways. These types of activities will benefit Hararis and partners in order to have long-term people-to-people relationships, as well as sustainable development. Do not despair but show your ‘Iron Will’ for good things come through toil!
With Amana,I request Harari leadership to bring all Harari and non-Harari communities in Ethiopia and abroad together! Quality leadership in Harar is a must! Dynamic leadership is all about reinventing, reinvesting, reinvigorating and bringing together Hararis worldwide through various activities; regardless of their political outlooks, ambitions and affiliations since Harar is at stake now! Ignoring the call of Hararis from all corners of Ethiopia and the world will be regrettable luxury!
Before my last words for today, what will be our major responsibility as Hararis? As Hararis, we have to be more organized and connected to one another at any moment to counter political existential threats. We must collectively tackle any social and economic disturbances. We need to remind ourselves to show our best human qualities among ourselves and to others. Remember, the Somalis, the Afars, the Oromos, the Seltes, the Argobas, and many more communities who are our bone marrows. Muslim Ethiopians are also our backbone who always struggle with us and defend the fountain of Islamic knowledge and the City of Peace. Our devotion to all communities and Harar’s causes must be our undeterred task and legacy. The characteristics and principles of our forefathers and mothers that determined Harari values and made Harar great then. If it is not now, and if it is not the Hararis; who will make Harar glorious again?
Finally, my comments on election. Election, election and election in Ethiopia. It does not matter which Harari party you vote for. The main target is to have Hararis occupy the seats they deserve. Their privilege and natural right! Voting is not only political oxygen for the survival of Harar, but also vaccination against political criminals and haters of Hararis. Hararis and partners should continue working together and honor themselves by exercising their natural rights fully. Regardless of our differences, it is high time to galvanize our unity. And, one of the most courageous act is to come out in large numbers wherever we are, and vote! Voting is political supply for continuation of Harar. Though, we are in celebratory mode of winning the legal battles, yet Hararis along with partners must win the political battle through voting, InshaAllah.
Signed
Amana Ahmed Al-Abadir
Copies to:
The President of Harari National Regional State,
The President of Oromia National Regional State,
The President of Somali National Regional State,
The President of Afar National Regional State,
Harari Communities in Canada, the US, Australia, Germany, and many more
For more IHMS videos and publications in Harari, Amharic and English, visit our website: www.ihmshararimedia.com
Thank you again for listening and watching IHMS programs. Aselam Aleykum