በተለያዩ የኢትዮጵያ ክልሎች ተማሪዎች የመብት ጥያቄዎችን አንስተው ተቃውሞ አሰሙ

በ ሔኖክ ሰማእግዜር ፈንቴ, VOA

10 January 2012

የተማሪዎቹ ጥያቄዎች የተለያዩ መልክ ያላቸው ናቸው። ዛሬ ማምሻውን አዲስ አበባ ከተማ የትምህርት ነጻነታችንን የእስልምና ጉዳዮች ምክር ቤት ተጋፍቶናል ሲሉ በመቶዎች የተቆጠሩ የአወሊያ የመለስተኛ፣ ሁለተኛ ደረጃና ኮሌጅ ተማሪዎች ድምጻቸውን በማሰማት ላይ ናቸው።

ጥያቄዎቻችን ካልተመለሱ ወደቤታችን አንሄድም በሚል በትምህርት ቤቱ ቅጥር ግቢ ዛሬ ሊያድሩ የወሰኑት ተማሪዎች፤ ቁጥራቸው ከ600 በላይ እንደሆነ ይናገራሉ። ለአንድ ሳምንትም ትምህርት ተቋርጧል።

“ምንም አይነት ችግር ሳይፈጠር ኮሌጁን የእልምና ጉዳዮች ዘግቶብናል፣ የኮሌጁ መምህራንና ዲኖች ከስራ ተሰናብተዋል፣ እንዲሁም የአወሊያ መስጊድ ኢማም የሆኑት ሼክ ይማም ተባረዋል” ስትል አንዲት ስሟ እንዳይጠቀስ የፈለገች የአረቢኛ ቋንቋ የኮሊጅ ተማሪ ገልጻለች።

Obamania: the waving spirit of the Millennium

By T, Staffer of De Birhan Media

09-1-2012

When Obama was elected as the Presidë in 2009- I wrote a piece for a local press that was not published. It was titled Obamania. I remember spending the night with friends that eve flanked with cornflakes and Heineken. And now the primaries are yet again on in the US. A very ‘controversially interesting’ nominee has popped out for the 2012 election from the Republicans side ; Ron Paul. He follows Mitt Romney, who is leading the primaries in New Hampshire by 40%. Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is physician, author, Republican United States Congressman, and a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination and a critic of American foreign and monetary policies and described as conservative, Constitutionalist, and libertarian. He advocates withdrawal from the United Nations, and from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, for reasons of maintaining strong national sovereignty. He opposes federal regulation of the death penalty. Paul was critical of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, arguing that it sanctioned federal interference in the labor market and did not improve race relations. He once remarked: "The Civil Rights Act of 1964 not only violated the Constitution and reduced individual liberty; it also failed to achieve its stated goals of promoting racial harmony and a color-blind society".Paul opposes affirmative action.

Ron Paul 

Policymic.com describes him as,

Ron Paul believes in a form of isolationism, no matter what he calls it. While he believes in trade and diplomatic relations, he would recall nearly all active service members from around the world. This may get praise from aging hippies, pacifists, and modern hipsters, but it could have the unintended consequence of further straining ties with our allies. Paul sometimes seems to deny threats from terrorism and has stated in so many words that our problems would certainly not exist if we were a little nicer.

Especially his libertarian views are said to be drawing him more younger voters.

Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is a businessman and politician and was the 70th Massachusetts Governor from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.

Mitt Romney

Similarly, Policymic.com described him saying,

Mitt Romney is as hawkish as anyone else, but favors military action as a last resort. Standing firm with allies like Israel and Britain, he believes military action should always be on the table but favors sanctions and meeting with preconditions. He favors cutting taxes and regulations, making it easier for businesses to repatriate. He does not favor bailing out the southern European economies. Romney also wants to increase trade and sign new trade deals, while at the same time labeling China a currency manipulator.

Obama is the sole contender from the  Democratic side. So far, there has been no change or new stuff coming from his party or long held policies. In his ‘reign’ Obama has been relatively able to accomplish what he promised or his predecessors did not accomplish.

Here is the article I wrote on January 21^st, 2009 titled “Obamania: the waving spirit of the Millennium”.

----

Is it true “leaders are born?” The parents of Obama had not thought that this name (Barrack Obama) would swing the world and bring about a revelation. None of us would accidentally ever predict that those cells that have hailed from the son of an African immigrant and womb of an American, would make a history; turning the world and human beings beliefs and insights into a new-fangled course.

Barrack Obama, has been inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America, “the world’s supreme nation”, on January 20^th, 2009 after beating his Party contender Hilary Clinton and sweeping to victory over presidential John McCain. The spirit of Obamania, which has started to influence the minds of billons around the world, has been officially declared effective and escorted on that day. “I am so lucky because I was born in this century. Had I been born in the past century, I wouldn’t have witnessed this marvel. What wonder could there be in my life than this?” asks an anonymous African Immigrant living in this “Cosmopolitan wannabe” city.

Obama and his spirit have always been constant and distinct from the outset. He uttered a new same message to the new world (order) at large and United Sates of America in particular. He has started renewing not only United States of America but the world by his messages that lured the minds of many and readied us all for a continuous change and action. I took this excerpt form the speech that he made during his Presidential inauguration thinking that it would explain what Obamania means and where he is taking the world to. It goes like this,

the time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to chose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to peruse their full measure of happiness.

No need to explain the above quote, as it is direct and clear said both to the American people and the larger world and he seems to have listened to my King HIM Hailesellasie attentively. It is true that the changes that the Obamania spirit has brought into us will keep on fuelling, consequently, creating a renewed world of understanding, respect, equality, and freedom. Integration, that ousts segregation, hatred and racism leading to a world of equal prosperity.  Renewed world of peace and love. Renewed world free from terror threats. And so each and every one of us shall act to its fullest realization.

Above all, in here, I want to stress one fact. This precious person of our century; Barrack Obama was given to this world by an immigrant, thus substantiating the claims that immigration is beneficial. Opening doors to an orderly and managed immigration system is helpful in many aspects.

People of the world and this city in particular, I say to you too …it is time that we flow in tune with the tide of Obamania: a wave of change from backward racial, religious, opinion and all others sorts of prejudice and gear ourselves to work towards a world of unity, peace, love and harmony. Facilitate ways in which we all can harness the potentials of immigrants and all those who have what we don’t have.

Barack Obama

----

I had two big hopes then: Obama being a symbol of black ascendance/ international integration and equality and Obama bringing out a sharp spear against African dictators including on Meles Zenawi.  Today three years down the line, my expectations of Obamania have as my favourite African writer and philosopher, Chinua Achebe said “gone with the wind”.

Had I been eligible to vote who would have I? 
Who should Ethiopian-American voters  vote and endorse, should we carefully look at to shade the lights. 

Enlightened Aid: U.S. Development as Foreign Policy in Ethiopia; a new book

By T, Staffer of De Birhan Media
08-1-2011

Point Four Program was a technical assistance program for "developing countries"  by former US President  Harry S. Truman on January 20, 1949 and   was the fourth foreign policy objective mentioned in the speech. Amanda Kay McVety, Assistant Professor of History at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, is one of the few scholars who extensively research the impact and histories of Point Four in Ethiopia. In one of her two papers I read,“Pursuing Progress: Point Four in Ethiopia” she concludes "This vision (Point Four/resulting Ethiopian vision of the scope of human and political perfectibility) played a crucial role in the revolution of 1974 and it would play one again in the creation of a new government in 1991. Today, centuries of aristocracy have been replaced by a democracy in progress—not unlike the United States. Harry S Truman would be proud." I proudly disagree with the above conclusion. Now Amanda's new book that "challenges the idea that foreign aid promotes development" is going to join the market on March 21, 2012. Enlightened Aid: U.S. Development as Foreign Policy in Ethiopia , is the title of her new book. The book's description reads,

Enlightened Aid is a unique history of foreign aid. The book begins with the modern concept of progress in the Scottish Enlightenment, follows the development of this concept in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century economics and anthropology, describes its transformation from a concept into a tool of foreign policy, and ends with the current debate about foreign aid's utility.  

The book published by Oxford University Press, USA has 298 pages and is priced $74.00. Enlightened Aid also features  that "Ethiopia is a key player in the story from the very beginning; it is not simply a recipient of Western ideas and money-it challenges those ideas and it manipulates the distribution of that money." Amanda had published two other papers in same topic entitled “Pursuing Progress: Point Four in Ethiopia,” Diplomatic History, Vol. 32, No. 3, June 2008 and "The Skinner Mission: Images of Ethiopia in the Progressive Era," The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era 10:2, April 2011. 
Enlightened Aid's  book description asserts, 

Using Ethiopia as a case study, Enlightened Aid examines the struggle between foreign aid-for-diplomacy and foreign aid-for-development. Point Four's creators believed that aid could be both at the same time. The history of U.S. aid to Ethiopia suggests otherwise.

Chapters included in the book are  INTRODUCTION: The American Answer,CHAPTER ONE: Improving Nations, CHAPTER TWO: A Global Economy, CHAPTER THREE: Strategic Ethiopia, CHAPTER FOUR: Truman's Fourth Point, CHAPTER FIVE: The Ethiopian Experiment, CHAPTER SIX: The Development Decade  and CHAPTER SEVEN: Rethinking the American Answer.  
Once the book is available in the market  De Birhan will publish a  full book review.

Over 50% of high school students in Addis Abeba had oral and anal sex in the past 12 months; Study

By T, Staffer of De Birhan Media

04-1-2011

A study conducted by two public health scientists on a sample of 3840 high school students in Addis Abeba found out that  51.6% (98) had oral sex and 57.1% (87) had anal sex in the past 12 months of the 5.4% and 4.3% of students that reported ever having oral sex and anal sex respectively. 

The Study published today (4 January 2011) on BMC Public Health 2012 Journal and researched by PhD candidates Amsale Cherie and Yemane Berhane has the objective of describing  oral and anal sex practices and identifying associated factors among high school youth in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia.  The researchers  used a multi-stage sampling procedure  to select a representative sample of school youth and data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 3840 in school youth aged 15–24 were identified from 10 high schools. Of these 92.5% (3543) of students fully responded to the self administered questionnaire.

According to the research findings the overall proportion of  students that reported ever having oral sex was 5.4% (190),of which 13.2% (25)  initiated oral sex before the age of 10 and 44.2% (84) had the first oral sex without their consent.  The mean age at first oral sex among the study population was 14.6 years (SD = 2.1). Among  ever had oral sex; 51.6% (98) of the respondents had reported oral sex in the12 months preceding  the survey. Of these 61.2%(60) had more than one oral sex partners, 48.0% (47) received gift for the exchange of oral sex, only 12.2% (12) of them used condom every time they had oral sex,  and 80.6%(79) of students had intention to continue having oral sex in the future.  

Similarly, with regards to anal sex, 4.3% (154) of respondents reported  ever having anal sex. Of these 19.5% (30) had their first anal sex before the age of 10 and for the 44.2% (68) the first anal sex was not consensual. The mean age at first anal sex among the study population was 14.8 years (SD = 1.7). About 57.1% (87) of the students reported having anal sex in the last 12 months. Of these only 26.1% (23) used condom consistently during anal sex, and 51.1% (45) of the students reported having more than one anal sex partners, 52.3% (46) had received gift for the exchange of anal sex, and 82.9% (63) of respondents intend to continue  having anal intercourse in the future.  The predominant reasons reported by the respondents for practising anal sex for high school students in Addis Abeba were minimizing  the risk of pregnancy 92.1% (70), preserving virginity 85.5% (65), minimizing the risk of STIs  82.9% (63), and minimizing the risk of HIV transmission 77.6% (59). Multiple partnerships were reported by 61.2% of the respondents who had oral sex and 51.1% of students practicing anal sex. 

From the total respondents, 50.5% (1789) were females and 22.5% (796) were between the age group 15 and 16 years. The mean age of the study population was 17.6 years (SD = 1.5). Over all 55.4% (1964) of  the respondents lived with both parents. 

The study concluded that considerable proportion of adolescents had engaged in oral and anal sex practices. Multiple sexual partnerships were common while consistent condom use was low among high school students in Addis Abeba. 

"Unless measures are taken to change this misperception, oral and anal sex could become the source for the next wave of HIV and STIs epidemic. Therefore, the inclusion of relevant information on sexual  matters and prevention of STIs in the school curriculum is essential." the researchers recommend. 

To read the whole study please click Here.

OLF amends its political program; accepts the new federal democratic republic of Ethiopia

De Birhan Media
1-1-2012

  OLF's flag

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) after a two day long closed meeting and deliberation in Minnesota, USA has stated that it has amended its political program and does "accept the new federal democratic republic of Ethiopia".

It further added that "The New OLF political program will accept the new federal democratic republic of Ethiopia that will work for the betterment of all of its citizens, neighboring countries and international communities. Informing the new federal democratic republic of Ethiopia, the OLF will respect and honor all decisions the Ethiopian peoples will make using their right of self-determination." According to the new program, OLF will abide by the decision of the Ethiopian people which includes their right to 'self determination'. 

The previous program and mission of the Front read as so " The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) is a political organization established in 1973 by Oromo nationalists to lead the national liberation struggle of the Oromo people against the Abyssinian colonial rule. The emergence of the OLF was a culmination of a century old yearn of the Oromo people to have a strong and unified national organization to lead the struggle. The fundamental objective of the Oromo liberation movement is to exercise the Oromo peoples' inalienable right to national self-determination to terminate a century of oppression and exploitation, and to form, where possible, a political union with other nations on the basis of equality, respect for mutual interests and the principle of voluntary associations."

The new program recognises the current state of Ethiopia and commits to work with all democratic forces in Ethiopia to bring about change. 

"The OLF National Council also focused on the timely demand of working with other democratic forces in forming the new Ethiopia that will guarantee and protect the fundamental rights of all peoples in Ethiopia. The new social contract will & should be based on the free will and consent of all peoples in Ethiopia. The previous style that claims “I know for you” should be abolished and replaced with a new vision that is based on peoples' consent and free will. "

Sources also added that the shift in program and mission came after years long discussion and deliberations that were held among oppositions forces such as Ginbot 7.

The Front is currently holding a public meeting and gives a press conference at Kelly Inn Hotel in Minnesota, USA in few hours. Sources also indicated that, OLF has produced a new Constitution that would be made public after the meeting. 
Brigadier General Hailu Gonfa and General Kemal Gelchu addressed the attendants via telephone from Asmara, Eritrea. Both of them vowed to work for a united Ethiopia changing their age old secessionist plans. The generals also called the international community to stop supporting the regime in Ethiopia and the Ethiopan youth to join the movement for "an all inclusive, united and democratic Ethiopia" . 

The press release just released can be read : Here

Ethiopia's military, 44th in the world : GFP

*Ethiopia has  430,000 bbl/Day Proven Reserves of Oil


By T, De Birhan Media Staffer 
31-12-2011

A latest military power ranking information by GlobalFirepower.com (GFP) last updated on 7/5/2011 has put Ethiopia's military power  ranking 44th  out of 55 nations it listed. United States ranks number one in the list followed by Russia and China respectively. According to the ranking Ethiopia's military is powerful than many gulf countries, and European countries such as Belgium and Portugal. 

GFP puts Ethiopia's active military to 182,500 in the year 2011, the total land weapons to 3,098 and the total aircraft to 703. 

Strikingly, GFP puts the total number of Ethiopian population to  90,873,739. In a similar revelation, GFP reports that although Ethiopia has 00 bbl/Day oil production, it unveils that Ethiopia has  430,000 bbl/Day Proven Reserves. In terms of finance,, Ethiopia has a Defense Budget of $450,000,000, Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold of $1,880,000,000 and Purchasing Power of $86,120,000,000. 

The ranking doesn't include many countries including Ethiopia's neighbours such as Eritrea, Sudan and Kenya that Ethiopia had border issues with. According to inside sources, Eritrea, absent in GFP's ranking has  higher number of personnel, land army, air power and defense budget than Ethiopia. 


GFP states that Nuclear capability was not taken into account for the final ranking for this listing.Therefore GFP comparisons are for consideration in a conventional war based solely on each individual nation's capabilities on land, at sea and through the air while including logistical and financial aspects when waging total war.The final GFP rankings are based on a formula taking some 45 factors into account and compiling totals against each country, applying bonuses and penalties as needed to generate this list, according to GFP.

Ethiopia Military Strength

Ethiopia Military Strength Detail by the numbers.

44

Record Last Updated: 7/5/2011 | Authored by Staff Writer

 PERSONNEL

 Total Population: 90,873,739 [2011]
 Available Manpower: 38,794,315 [2011]
 Fit for Service: 24,757,344 [2011]
 Of Military Age: 1,949,125 [2011]
 Active Military: 182,500 [2011]
 Active Reserve: 0 [2011]


 LAND ARMY

 Total Land Weapons: 3,098
 Tanks: 1,679 [2011]
 APCs / IFVs: 589 [2011]
 Towed Artillery: 30 [2011]
 SPGs: 0 [2011]
 MLRSs: 0 [2011]
 Mortars: 400 [2011]
 AT Weapons: 400 [2011]
 AA Weapons: 200 [2011] 
 Logistical Vehicles: 1,200 

 AIR POWER

 Total Aircraft: 703 [2011]
 Helicopters: 62 [2011]
 Serviceable Airports: 61 [2011]


 RESOURCES

 Oil Production: 0 bbl/Day [2011]
 Oil Consumption: 38,000 bbl/Day [2011]
 Proven Reserves: 430,000 bbl/Day[2011] 

For details go to  Here

 LOGISTICAL

 Labor Force: 37,900,000 [2011]
 Roadway Coverage: 36,469 km
 Railway Coverage: 681 km

 FINANCIAL (USD)

 Defense Budget: $450,000,000[2011]
 Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $1,880,000,000 [2011]
 Purchasing Power:$86,120,000,000 [2011]

 GEOGRAPHIC

 Waterways: 104,300 km
 Coastline: 0 km
 Square Land Area: 1,104,300 km
 Shared Border: 5,328 km


 NAVAL POWER

 Total Navy Ships: 0
 Merchant Marine Strength: 9 [2011]
 Major Ports & Terminals: 0
 Aircraft Carriers: 0 [2011]
 Destroyers: 0 [2011]
 Submarines: 0 [2011]
 Frigates: 0 [2011]
 Patrol Craft: 0 [2011]
 Mine Warfare Craft: 0 [2011]
 Amphibious Assault Craft: 0 [2011]