General manager Michael Griffiths said it belonged to the community, so they made the rules.
“In essence, the tenants can set their own rent which is why it’s so unique,” he said.
“Rents are actually on a sliding scale, so we charge people what they can afford rather than what we can make.”
A part of Melbourne’s history
Ross House was built in 1899 and began its life as a textile warehouse.
It was erected by merchant Sir Frederick Sargood, who commissioned and first lived in the famous Rippon Lea mansion in Elsternwick.
The building, then known as Royston House, was bought by the State Electricity Commission in 1929 and then sold to the RE Ross Trust in 1985.
Ross House Association chair Christine McAuslan, from the Collective of Self Help Groups, said the building’s not-for-profit status evolved during a period when community services were fighting for their survival.
“The Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS) had a lot to do with setting this up, and a lot of activists were involved back in the ’80s,” she said.
“There will always be people working towards social equality and overcoming disadvantage.”
She said Ross House was not luxurious, but what it lacked in style it made up for in goodwill.
“The work that people do here is fantastic because it takes a lot of commitment and dedication.
“It’s not glamourous, we don’t have luxurious facilities, but people love being here.”
The 55 tenants are made up of disability, environment, health, social justice, multicultural and other groups.
There’s a similar number of members who use the facilities on occasion; many of them are on the waiting list for a permanent tenancy.
Were it not for Ross House, many of these groups would likely be run out of people’s living rooms or struggle to pay market rent.
But this location, close to public transport and in the heart of the vibrant CBD, allows these small groups to be part of something bigger, all the while secure in the knowledge that the lights won’t go out.
“We work on community development projects in India and Cambodia with a strong focus on women’s empowerment and gender equality projects.
“[One example is] we work with widows and vulnerable women in Tamil Nadu, which is a very conservative area of India.
“Due to widespread alcoholism, lots of men are dying young and there’s so many widows being left behind.
“Not only do they find themselves widowed, and then obviously also in poverty because they lose their livelihood, but also they’re socially isolated and shunned.
“We do a lot of work with women to bring them together into self-help groups at the village level. Then our partners provide them with skills training and legal literacy so they can actually apply for their widow’s pension and the benefits they’re entitled to.”
“Shine for Kids is the only national organisation that supports children who have parents that are incarcerated.
“We provide supported transport for children to actually visit their parents in prison, we run school holiday camps … we work in schools, we also run art therapy classes.
“There’s so many stories I could tell you about how these children have been involved in the crimes their parents have committed.
“They’ve seen firsthand the effects of ice and how it destroys a family. They’ve seen lots of violence.
“They’re fairly resilient kids but they really do need someone that they can trust and support and that’s what we try and provide for them.
“It’s very, very important that we encourage and support these children so that they do not become the next generation of prisoners.”
“Reinforce is a self-advocacy group which is for people with an intellectual disability.
“They have actually been running since the 1980s when the institutions were open. They were telling the government to do the right thing for people with a disability and trying to close those institutions down — in those days when they never listened.
“The one thing that I would like to get across to people … is that us [people with a] disability, we are not a number, we are a person and we have got a strong, powerful self-advocacy and we can stand up for ourselves.
“We’ve got that voice to be heard and we do not demand and have people talking for us like those olden days … we do not want to be neglected, we want to be listened to.”
“Community Music Victoria exists to get music making happening in our communities as a way to bring people together, strengthen the fabric of society and give people an opportunity to explore a side of themselves that we believe everybody should have access to.
“When people make music together magic happens, relationships form, there’s cohesion.
“It’s incredibly important to us to be part of the Ross House community.
“Everybody here is working towards positive societal change through advocacy, through self-help and it’s a great pooling of resources.
“It’s really heart-warming to walk through those doors in such a busy, vibrant part of Melbourne and to enter the environment that Ross House supports and enables.”
“There is Oromo people in Ethiopia who are subjugated for a long time because of their identity. The people came here [to Australia] mainly because of political reasons.
“When people moved from their own land, basically there are a lot of issues: dislocation, identity, family breakdown and trauma from the journeys they came here.
“This group was organised actually to support each other.
“When they come to our office we provide free services in all ranges of community activities.
“Sometimes we organise cultural activities which empower them. It looks like a small [thing] but it is an important ingredient to empower people.
“Ross House is actually good for us … we are a non-profit organisation based on some small grants from the embassy and members’ donations. We don’t have enough money to hire a big city office.”
“We work with people who have myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome.
“About 25 per cent of people with the condition are so severely unwell that they’re housebound or bedbound.
“The stigma for this disease has been very profoundly problematic for this community.
“Historically people have not been believed, they have had problems getting the sympathy they should have, not just from family but from medical professionals.
“There’s not enough treatments, and then they haven’t really had enough hope that things are actually being researched and that people care enough about this to find therapies or a cure.”
Beryl Noonan, Melbourne Osteoporosis Support Group
“Our purpose is to support members who have osteoporosis.
“Osteoporosis causes the bone to become thin, just like a honeycomb.
“Younger people can develop this condition — it is not a symptom only of an older person.
“I’ve got osteoporosis and I’ve had it for over 20 years. They [the group] do a good job because they give you extra information and give you tips and we have speakers.
Hello everyone, my name is Bonsen and I want to welcome you to 2019’s Oromo Festival. Before we begin, I want to acknowledge the traditional and true custodians of this land and pay my respects to their elders past and present, and remind all of us here that sovereignty was never ceded. I also want to pay my respects to our dead, and remember their legacies, sacrifices and lives.
Bonsen D Wakjira gave speech at Oromia @ Federation Square on 7th of January 2019
This speech is many things, it is a call for solidarity and unity. We are different in so many ways, and to me, being Oromo is about acknowledging our differences and understanding that we are strong because of our differences, because our respective experiences and beliefs provide perspectives to our journey towards freedom that we wouldn’t get anywhere else. Difference has been used against so many people, but our differences should not be the death of us. Our differences give us strength and wisdom, and we should, and must address these differences with kindness and respect because that is the only way our goal of freedom can be actualised. To quote the great Audre Lorde, “We share a common interest, survival, and it cannot be pursued in isolation from others simply because their differences make us uncomfortable”, and this is the energy I’m claiming for us 2019 and beyond.
This speech is about community. We are a very communal people, as far as I know, we’ve organised our societies by centring community and have done an amazing job of doing so in a country that favours and encourages individualism. For diasporic youth who face so much pressure to assimilate and adapt, we have done an amazing job of being unapologetically Oromo and unwavering in our Oromo identity, and seek solace in our people and our community, and that’s one of the most beautiful things about us as a people.
2018 was a big year for us. We took a step closer to actualising our dream of freedom, so many people went back home and got to experience their country to the fullest extent and we saw that perseverance comes through. But that doesn’t mean our fight is over, if anything, it means we have to keep fighting, keep organising with Oromo folks, reach out to those who can and want to help, Oromo or not, and correct those misinformed about our purpose, we all have a role to play, whether it be a role in raising awareness, or educating, or learning and claiming your cultural roots. These are all important roles in achieving self-determination and fighting forces that kill our people and steal our land. Freedom cannot be given to us, nor can governments and political leaders give us the right to self-determination. We must take these ourselves, and we can only do so when we recognise our strengths, both as individuals and as a community, and fight relentlessly and unwaveringly for our country.
Thank you for listening, and I hope y’all have a good time.
(Advocacy for Oromia, 10 January 2019) Advocacy for Oromia, a non-profit advocacy organisation working to ensure that the Oromo people’s rights and wishes are respected, is highly concerned at the intimidation, the violence and the wave of arrests that have taken place during the week end in Oromia.
Advocacy for Oromia understands the security concerns of the regional and the Federal Government and the steps taken to protect the people who live in the country. The Ethiopian military established a buffer zone in Moyale town and deployed a large number of military forces in western Oromia. However, we have been informed that several innocents individuals are arrested and held at various camps and stations in a very harsh and poor condition.
The brave Chaltu Takele and other people have reportedly been detained in the town of Shambu, Oromia, on January 8, 2018. Chaltu was imprisoned by the TPLF regime multiple times, for several years over all, for having legitimately resisted the tyrannical rules of TPLF.
Furthermore, the door to door operation has involved breaking the houses of more than 500 Oromo women, elders and youth from Naqamte, Gimbi, Najjo, Dambi Dollo, Begi, and Mandi, beating them up cold-heartedly, and treating them in heartless manner and robbing their properties. However, none of the government bodies have initiated any inquiry into the matter which continues to violate human rights.
Advocacy for Oromia believes that such widespread human rights violations perpetuated against the people are one of the major contributing factors that have been destabilizing the peace of the region. Advocacy for Oromia, therefore, requests the urgent intervention to ensure that the law enforcement agencies and military forces to uphold the rights of all those arrested and to treat them in a humane and non-discriminatory manner.
Advocacy for Oromia also requests the Ethiopian government to immediately stop this recurring abuse of Oromos and release those detained, return their robbed properties and provide them the protection they deserve. The officers involved must also be subjected to internal investigations for the breach of national and international law and orders.
Advocacy for Oromia further requests the government to unconditional release and ensure that their cases proceed in a manner consistent with Ethiopia’s obligations under international law, in particular internationally recognized standards of due process, fair trial, and free expression; and to ensure their well-being while in custody, including access to legal counsel and family.
(A4O, 2 January 2019) Advocacy for Oromian mootummaan Itoophiyaa akka ABO waliin marii nagaa fi araaraa gaggeessu gaafate.
Jaarmichi ibsa har’a baaseen akka ibsetti, haalli amma Oromiyaa keessatti mul’atu abdii nagaa fi bilisummaa kan dukkaneessaa jiruu dha.
Rakkoo waldhabdee kana mariidhaan akka furamu kan gaafate Advocacy for Oromian, marii kana “qopheessuufi keessatti hirmaatee milkeessuuf yeroo kamiyyuu caalaa fedhii fi qophaa’ina guddaa qabna,”jedheera.
Itti dabaluunis, qabxiilee furmaataa kana maaliif akka akeekees hubachiiseera. “mariin nagaa fi araaraa kamiyyuu qaawwaalee jiran mara duuchee uummata Oromoofi Itoophiyaa hunda gara jaalalaa, tokkummaafi misoomaatti akka ceesisu amanna.
Oromia at Fed Square aims to bring Oromo people together, irrespective of age, gender and belief, to help promote self-empowerment and raise awareness in the wider community about the lifestyle, culture and ethics of members of the Australian Oromo community.
This year’s Oromo festival at Fed Square experiences Oromo culture through a huge program of music, arts and entertainment. Enjoy live music featuring local Oromo musicians and a variety of dance performances. Admire costumes in the colourful fashion show and see a traditional Oromo coffee ceremony.
Join us the celebrations with the Oromo community at our annual festival at Fed Square 2019.
(A4O, 26 Decemeber 2018) A sweeping corruption probe is taking place in Oromia Regional State where investigators have apprehended 77 suspects, including Bahiru Tekle, mayor of Gelan town.
The wave of arrests began a week ago and continued today. Most of the suspects have appeared before court; investigators from the Oromia Region’s Anti-Corruption Commission have received the right of custody, according to Abebe Kebede, the Commissioner.
The suspects are from the Oromia Credit & Saving Association, Oromia Procurement & Property Disposal Agency, the region’s roads authority, Gelan’s and Shashemene’s city administrations and Jimma zone. Along with Bahiru, Mengistu Regassa, head of Bole Lemi Industrial Park; Teshome Legesse, head of Oromia Credit & Saving Association; Feyisa Regassa, former mayor of Shashemene town; and Abdo Geleto, former head of the region’s roads authority, are among the detainees.
The region’s police force conducted the arrests following investigations that was undertaken by the Oromia Anti-Corruption Commission’s nine branches across the regional state over the past year, according to Abebe. The investigation was spread across 10 different files involving the procurement of 71 million Br in items, the Commissioner said.
“The arrests will continue based on the investigation we are undertaking,” Abebe told Fortune.
The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa on Tuesday rejected allegations by a founding member of the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that the United States was involved in the appointment of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who took the helm of the ruling party on March 2018.
At a conference organized by Mekele University over the weekend, the retired Tigrayan official, Sebhat Nega said he had “no doubt” that the US government had played an active role in pushing the appointment of Abiy Ahmed. He offered no evidence to support the allegations.
The finger-pointing comes as many TPLF officials who felt side-lined escalate rhetorical attack against the chairman of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed.
U.S. Embassy spokesman in Addis Ababa, Nicholas Barnett said “I want to be perfectly clear that any claims of U.S. involvement in the selection process of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia are completely baseless,” speaking to VOA Horn of Africa Service. He said the U.S believes both in theory and practice in respecting Ethiopia’s sovereignty and the right of individuals to vote for their own leaders. “We see Prime Minister Abiy’s election as chairman of EPRDF as reflection of people’s interest for reform, representative political system and participative democracy. We certainly support the Prime Minister’s reform agenda. But we had no role to play in his election,” he said.
Sebaht Nega was commenting to a presentation by Berekt Simoen, another retired figure of the EPRDF who claimed that one of the reasons for the escalating violence in the country is the increasing foreign intervention. Berekt named the Eritrean president Isaias Afewerki as an example whom he said was meddling in the country’s internal affairs, mentioning his “Game over for TPLF officials” remark.
In a reaction to Bereket, Sebhat Nega took the charge even further, implicating Donald Yamamoto, a senior African diplomat in the Trump administration and currently serving as U.S. ambassador to Somalia in directly involving in Abiy’s election as chairman of the ruling party on March 2018. “Many of us have opposed that intervention, saying the US would not choose a chairman for us, including you, Bereket,” he said. “Who was that American ambassador who has a Japanese face? He came in person and we knew that he was officially engaged in the election process,” Sebhat said.
Main Image: U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Michael Raynor. Courtesy of the US Embassy website
By Camlin Nicholls, The University of Tennessee at Knoxville, December 16, 2018
Camlin Nicholls, The University of Tennessee
Learning in depth about the African American struggle from the very beginning to the present as well as discovering the Oromo struggle have been one of the most fulfilling and enlightening times of my life. I want to personally thank my professor, Asafa Jalata, for dedicating his life to raising awareness about both of these struggles and thus opening my eyes and my heart to them. In both my Sociology 472 class and my Africana Studies 421 class I have learned so much about the truth of the racialized capitalist society and other oppressive powers. My commentary is a reaction to Jalata’s book entitled Fighting against the Injustice of the State and Globalization: Comparing the African American and Oromo Movements. For what it is worth, I promise to not fall complacent and to fight in any way I can against the daily injustices that happen in my own country and around the world.
This paper will attempt to compare and contrast the more than century long struggles of African Americans and Oromo. In a few ways these struggles are similar; mostly in their structure and fundamental implementations by the oppressing parties. However, this paper will discuss more about their differences because I feel it is important to see them as such. Grouping mass injustices like these two struggles together seems to take away from their seriousness. It is paramount to explore them individually so that proper awareness and action can be taken to remedy their specific needs. Please note that in no way do my opinions reflect that one struggle is worse than the other. Both are tragic, serious robberies of culture, autonomy and human life. However, I have chosen three main differences to explore. The first is what I will refer to as my convergence theory. Oromo have undergone a faster paced, more intense violation than have African Americans for a few different reason that will be explained later. Secondly, the fact that Oromo were enslaved, murdered, and oppressed on their own land contributes to a different experience than that of African Americans who were brought to a completely new part of the world. The last difference deals with how American society has developed and how the culture here has created affluency and complacency, as opposed to Oromo or African culture in general that has not created such things to any comparable degree.
The Struggles’ Similarities
African Americans and Oromo both experience oppression because of two similar phenomena. The first is capitalism, or the exploitation of their people for cheap labor, land, resources, etc. African Americans were first brought to America to be used as commodities for mass production. As slaves they worked in cotton fields, produce farms and railroads performing back breaking work for free. Oromo were robbed of their land and resources as well as made into slaves, and semi-slaves. In both cases, the demand for cheap labor and raw materials was met with exploitation and slavery. The second phenomenon that creates the ultimate oppression for both these groups is racism. Racism is used in both these cases to justify the blatant destruction of these people and their way of life. Both African Americans and Oromo are seen as unintelligent, barbaric, violent, and ultimately inferior. They both have experienced an ongoing discourse from their oppressors that constantly puts them down and berates them for completely falsified accusations. Both African Americans and Oromo have proven their fire and resiliency in the way that they keep fighting against these violations and towards justice and sovereignty for their own people.
Convergence Theory
The first contrasting aspect of the African American and Oromo struggles that I will unpack is what I have deemed the convergence theory. I will start off by asking a hypothetical question. Would you rather be stepped on my an elephant wearing tennis shoes, or one wearing high heels? The obvious answer is neither, right? No one would want to be stepped on by anything as giant and heavy as an elephant. However, one wearing high heels may do more damage, and cause more pain because all the weight is bearing down on one small point. Being stepped on by an elephant wearing tennis shoes would still cause a great amount of pain, but the damage would be spread across a larger surface area. In the case of the two cultural struggles in question, the Oromo struggle is the elephant wearing high heels. The Oromo people have endured oppression from several different levels, from the very top, there are the western powers like the United States, Great Britain and the former Soviet Union, next there are the Ethiopian Colonizers which can be broken up into different groups that have taken control over the government like the Amharas and Trigrayans or Habasha, and then there are the Oromo collaborators that further the oppression of their fellow Oromo. All of these entities act like a funnel from the largest and most powerful at the top, filtering down to the smallest most intimate groups that creates a convergence of intense oppression felt by the Oromo People. On the other hand, I feel that the oppression felt by African Americans, however, just as morally wrong and devastating, perhaps has been less intense only because the oppression has been produced an maintained by one party (the Capitalist White Society). Please note that this is only an amateur speculation of what I have learned in the past four months. But it seems that because the levels of power are more complicated in Oromia, and that there is more collaboration between differing oppressor groups, that the hardships felt by the Oromo people are more intense on a day to day basis. Furthermore, the colonization of Oromia by the Ethiopian elites, along with the support of the Western Powers has only been going on for just over a century. Compared to the oppression and exploitation of African Americans, the Oromo Struggle is newer, and therefore more intense.
Location and Culture Development
The second point of contrast that I feel is significant enough to discuss is pertaining to the two struggles’ location, and the effect it had on the groups development of culture identity. The African American struggle is somewhat unique in that the original Africans taken from their home land were not all from one culture. They were from different countries and regions within Africa. They did not share a religion or even a common language and because of this they formed their own identity by coming together against their oppressors in America. This is when they became African Americans. This comradery and fellowship was the vessel that carried them through the slavery and injustices they endured. They created unique songs and music to show their unity and to make each passing day more bearable. This account of resilience and humanity by these African Americans was the very beginning of the African American Movement. Despite the magnificent display of strength and resistance, the fact that these Africans had their original material and most of their spiritual culture stripped away put them at a disadvantage in the long run. Starting during slavery, continuing through The Jim Crow Laws, and still today, blackness is seen as less desirable. African Americans have always been expected to adopt whiteness as much as possible. This manifested itself most distinctly in the adoption of Christianity by African Americans. Essentially, the oppressed adopted the religion and in turn, the culture of their oppressors. I feel that this laid the foundation for difficulty in promoting Black Pride during later years. The level of self-hatred and victimization created by White Society in Black Americans is so intense that it is still lingering today. This is not to say that Black Americans should have completely rejected the culture they had been presented with, after all they are Americans just as much as anyone else. However, the fact that they were completely stripped of any evidence of where they came from took a detrimental toll on the development of self-determination of the entirety of Black America.
In the case of Oromo, their oppressors took over their land. They forced them into slavery and the nafxayna-gabbar system (semi-slavery) in their own home. This particular situation is different from the one of African Americans in that the Oromo were able to keep the majority of their material culture, religion, language and traditions within their communities. This is not to say that The Ethiopian Government did not make it difficult for the Oromo to express themselves in terms of their culture but it was easier for them to keep it alive because they were not exported from their land. I feel that because the Oromo were able to hold on to more of their foundations, their liberation movement had a stronger places to start from. For instance, one of the Accomplishments of the Oromo Liberation Front was developing the Oromo language from an oral one to a written one using qubee, an Oromized Latin alphabet. This was surely a catalyst for further organization and information transfer among the Oromo Liberation Front’s members, as well as the Oromo people in general.
The Effect of Affluence
The final difference between the African American and Oromo Struggles is the way each society’s culture has manifested itself in severely contrasting ways. The United States of America is one of the most powerful and wealthy nations in the world. Oromia, on the other hand has experienced underdevelopment because of being part of Africa, and its further exploitation by the Ethiopian Government. These discrepancies in society have massive implications on how the two groups see the world, and themselves. The American Culture is far different than Oromo and African Culture. In the United States, materialism is rampant due to capitalism overabundance of wealth. Far more people in the United States live more than comfortable than do in the majority of other nations around the world. Americans are also too concerned with their own trivial problems. They have lost focus (or have never acquired it) on the more serious problems of the world like the exploitations of developing countries by their own. Americans in general simply do not care. It is threaded through American Culture to only worry about ourselves and to attack those who are accused of infringing upon our way of life. This is true for all Americans, whether it be severe or mild. I feel that because of this affluency and excess comfort, that African Americans have perhaps lost some of their fire to fight. I do not mean this individually, but on a massive scale. The materialistic, throw-away society that is America seems to have caused Black Americans to become comfortable with the ongoing injustices they still endure. Please keep in mind that this is only an amateur speculation, I cannot imagine what it feels like to be Black in a racist world and acknowledge that I cannot fully understand.
For the Oromo, it seems different. I have less knowledge about African and Oromo day to day life and am sure that people are happy and comfortable. However, I do feel that the words are probably defined differently because of the cultural differences. I have never been to Oromia but I can say with confidence that the materialist, self-centered tendencies that Americans display are far less in most parts of Africa. Growing up in a developing country has certain implications that are perhaps the opposite of growing up in a Global Power. The day to day lives are simply different and I feel that it is this difference that has given the Oromo Struggle an advantage. These contrasting ways of life have changed the psychology of the masses of Americans and Oromo, alike. The fact that Oromo have not had everything handed to them has let them keep that fire and that drive to fight the violations imposed upon them. For Americans, the level of comfortableness has created complacency and a loss of that vital fire.
Conclusion
Both the African American and Oromo Movements are fantastic displays of human resilience, fellowship and strength. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to endure such hardships, knowing that the hardships were felt by people like them for centuries, and will most likely continue for a long time to come. That being said, I feel that these two groups can and should learn from each other. The African American Movement from the Niagara Movement and on has been very structured and organized. The Black Elites such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King Jr., Ella Baker, Rosa Parks, Ida B Wells and so many others utilized their capacity and intellect to fight the oppressive White system through legal action and organized non-violent protests. Entities such as the Black Panther Party appealed to the Black masses through ideas of Black Beauty and Power and supported their communities with survival programs with no help from White society. The African American Movement also utilized the Church as they financial back bone and places of organization. It seems that the Oromo Movement could take note of this organization and utilization of intellect and resources to further their fight.
In contrast, I feel that the people of Oromia embrace a stronger fire and will to fight for their struggle than African Americans have today. I urge anyone and everyone, especially African Americans to educate themselves about injustices around the world. The Black Struggle in the United States could learn a lot from opening their eyes to struggles similar to theirs in Africa. It is paramount to not lose sight of the final goal and to not fall to complacency because of the luxuries acquired because of where one resides. Nevertheless, Africans and the People of Oromia have both enjoyed success in their liberation from their oppressors, which is a direct result from the hard work and sacrifice by countless magnificent human beings.
This is a mistake that has no historical parallel. When I heard it first, I thought it is a dumb speech; anyone can make a mistake. However, this is not a dumb idea. It is a well thought out statement. Haile Seallssie did not say any thing like it. Mengistu did not dare this kind of stuff. Even Meles did not utter any thing that comes close to this idea. In my view, today’s statement from Abiy and Lamma “…that if we went to Wollega, we wouldn’t come alive” (i.e., they would kill us) amounts to a purposeful effort to divide Oromos and incite violence among them. There are many plausible reasons:
First, both Abiy and Lamma know that they are losing (badly). True leadership requires understanding the feeling of the people and a foresight. They have none. The average Oromo who rallied behind them has come to gradually realize that they did not mean any thing they were saying since they came to power. Realizing this, Abiy and Lemma have to come up with excuses. Remember, it was not too far ago that Abiy said, “members of the national defense army came to the palace not to talk to me, but to hurt me.”
Second, since both Abiy and Lamma came to power, they acted extremely well doing what no other leader in Africa has done. They told the world that the TPLF government to which they were an integral part “terrorized the people.” Many were shocked hearing them admit wrong doing. They declared they are determined to change that.They promised to listen and act in the best interest of the public.That meant bringing justice; however, they quickly realized that doing so would take them down the rabbit hole.
Third, they felt that keeping the country that is falling apart and an economy that is on the brink of collapse (e.g., Hilaemariam resigned the national bank had only 2 months of imports worth of foreign currency) required making peace. That meant talking to opposition parties and paving the path to free and democratic elections; among others, and enabling the OLF leadership to return home, and of course reckoning with the Oromo Liberation Army (WBO). It did not take them long to realize that it was an untenable path for them. Thus, they had to back track on their agreement with the OLF; for example, attempting to forcefully disarm WBO. They failed miserably on that and it back fired on them with the Oromo people, not the OLF, resoundingly saying “NO” to their plans.
Fourth, given the strong headwind that is blowing against them, they realized that soon there will be no party called OPDO. They started freaking out. They called for advice from disgruntled former members of the OLF. They came up with a smart solution: divide the Oromo people along regional lines; hence, what they declared today. As an Oromo, this approach frightens me a lot. It pits one group of Oromo against another group. Most of all, it reminds me of how ethnic cleansing in Ruwanda started: when in the early 1990s, President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, began using anti-Tutsi rhetoric to consolidate his power among the Hutus.
I am afraid that, God forbid, if either of these people die, even of natural causes, they have planted a seed that bears a fruit which keeps poisoning the unity of Oromos in a way that no other previous leader of the country has done. I am afraid!
(Reuters) – Dozens of Ethiopian security officials appeared in court on Monday after the attorney general accused security chiefs of ordering a grenade attack on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
FILE PHOTO: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed speaks during a media conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, October 29, 2018. Michel Euler/Pool via
REUTERS/FILE PHOTO
The arrests appeared to mark a crucial moment for Abiy, who has embarked on a whirlwind series of economic, political and diplomatic reforms since he came to power in April.
Attorney General Berhanu Tsegaye said evidence showed “the senior leadership of the national security agency” told members of Abiy’s Oromo ethnic group to attack him at a rally in June.
The assertion is jolting in an ethnically diverse country that has seen recent ethnic clashes and because Abiy is the ruling coalition’s first Oromo leader.
Berhanu said at a news conference that arrest warrants have been issued for 36 security agents accused of abusing prisoners and for more than 30 officials from a military-run firm, where he said inquiries had uncovered mismanagement.
Reuters could not immediately contact the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), or the industrial conglomerate named by the attorney general – Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC).
Several hours later, 36 officials from branches of the security forces including NISS and the federal and Addis Ababa police forces and 26 officials from METEC appeared in the Federal High Court in the capital.
The court session ran until 9 p.m., a rarity in Ethiopia, and a judge denied the suspects bail and gave police 14 days further to investigate. None were charged.
Among those in court was METEC deputy director general Tena Kurunde and the wife of former deputy head of NISS Yared Zerihun, witnesses said. Yared was moved from that role to head the federal police in April but resigned three months later.
Ethiopia’s security services have for decades wielded power as has METEC, a key player in an economy dominated by the state and the military.
Abiy’s reforms have challenged the security services and upended policies and hierarchies that have been in place since his ruling EPRDF coalition came to power in 1991.
He has pledged to open state-held sectors to investors and acknowledged police brutality he likened to state terrorism. He has also made peace with neighboring Eritrea and announced pardons for previously outlawed Oromo rebels and other groups.
ABUSES UNCOVERED
A grenade attack killed two people at a rally in Addis Ababa in June, soon after Abiy left the stage. Authorities arrested five people in September, saying they were members of the formerly exiled Oromo Liberation Front that Abiy had pardoned.
“The evidence we gathered shows that the senior leadership of the national security agency instructed Oromos to carry out the attack because it would mean that the prime minister – an Oromo – was killed by Oromos,” the attorney general told a press conference. “It would (also) give the impression that he is not endorsed by the Oromo population.”
Berhanu said several suspects had fled Ethiopia or were in hiding and investigations over the past five months had uncovered serious abuses by security services.
“There are people that have been blinded after being held in darkness for long periods of time. Others have been left infertile because of blows to genitals. There are some that had limbs broken. Women have been subjected to gang rape, and men to sodomization,” Berhanu told reporters.
He said investigations had also uncovered issues with procurement procedures at METEC.
“For six years METEC made international procurements totaling $2 billion without any bidding processes,” Berhanu said, without naming the international firms involved.
He said the investigation had examined METEC’s contract for the Grand Renaissance Dam, the centerpiece of Ethiopia’s bid to become Africa’s biggest power exporter.
In August, the government canceled the contract, citing delays in completing the project.
Until recently, Ethiopia’s government was dominated by members of the Tigrayan minority. Ethiopia has seen economic growth near 10 percent over the past decade but rights groups say the government has cracked down on dissent.
Abiy became the EPRDF’s first Oromo leader after anti-government protests helped force his predecessor to step down.
(Reporting by Addis Ababa bureau; Writing by Maggie Fick and George Obulutsa; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
Advocacy for Oromia was established in 2010 with the purpose of enabling and empowering Oromo people by providing accurate and timely information that will help to make better choices to create the kind of future in which they wish to live.
It also provides information focus on the major issues facing us in the 21st century and it is going to try and bring a balanced approach with factual information that is positive and solution based.
The website has been in operation for the last nine years with the mission of promoting and advancing causes of Oromo people through advocacy, community education, information service, capacity building, awareness raising and promotion.
The website is also the official site of Advocacy for Oromia Association in Victoria Australia Inc., a non-profit organisation, registered under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 in Victoria as April 2014.
Our team already had considerable community development experience and expertise. Our various projects helped to develop our confidence and the capacity of our agency. Our team used every gained knowledge, skills and experiences as an opportunity to design and develop new approaches, to documenting progress, supporting positive employment outcomes, liaising with community stakeholders, and conduct evaluation.
Advocacy for Oromia is devoted to establishing Advocacy for Oromia organisation to close the gaps where we can stand for people who are disadvantaged and speaking out on their behalf in a way that represents the best interests of them. We are committed to supporting positive settlement and employment outcomes for Victoria’s Oromo community.
Advocacy for Oromia Office
Addresses:
39 Clow St,
Dandenong VIC 3175
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247-251 Flinders Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000
Activities Address
Springvale Neighbourhood House Inc
Address: 46-50 Queens Ave, Springvale VIC 3171
Postal Address:
P. O. Box 150
Noble Park, Vic 3174
With your support, we can continue to help community build a better future.
Advocacy for Oromia Mental Health Program
The aim of the program is to improving the mental health and well-being of Oromo community in Victoria. It aims to assist those experiencing, mental ill-health, their families and carers of all ages within this community to address the social determinants of mental health for Oromo community. It helps:
Identify and build protective factors,
Reduce stigma and discrimination
Build capacity for self-determination
Better understand mental wellbeing, mental ill-health and the impacts of trauma
The goal of the project is to increase mental health literacy of Oromo community that aims:
To assist people with mental health issues
To increase the capacity of mental health worker
To better understand mental wellbeing
To provide mental health education and information
To address the social and cultural causes of mental health issues
Advocacy for Oromia will organise information session, women performance, radio programs, culturally adopted conversations on Oromo Coffee Drinking ceremony, providing training for mental health guides and forum and producing educational materials on the selected groups and geographical area.
Human Rights Education Program
The Human Rights Education Program is a community based human rights program designed to develop an understanding of everyone’s common responsibility to make human rights a reality in each community.
Human rights can only be achieved through an informed and continued demand by people for their protection. Human rights education promotes values, beliefs and attitudes that encourage all individuals to uphold their own rights and those of others.
The aim of the program is to build an understanding and appreciation for human rights through learning about rights and learning through rights. We aimed at building a universal culture of human rights. Thus, we aimed:
To build an understanding and appreciation for human rights through learning about rights and learning through rights.
To build capacities and sharing good practice in the area of human rights education and training
To develop human rights education and training materials and resources
The goal of the project is to increase human rights literacy of Oromo community that aims:
To better understand human rights
To increase the capacity of human rights worker
To analyse situations in human rights terms
To provide human rights education and information
To develop solidarity
To strategize and implement appropriate responses to injustice.
The ultimate goal of education for human rights is empowerment, giving people the knowledge and skills to take control of their own lives and the decisions that affect them.
Human rights education constitutes an essential contribution to the long-term prevention of human rights abuses and represents an important investment in the endeavour to achieve a just society in which all human rights of all persons are valued and respected.
Advocacy for Oromia will organise information session, performance, radio programs, culturally adopted conversations on Oromo Coffee Drinking ceremony, providing training for Human Rights guides and forum and producing educational materials on the selected groups and geographical area.
Community Safety Program
The program aims to strengthen existing collaborations and identify opportunities for the development of partnerships aimed at community safety and crime prevention activities. This approach seeks to improve the individual and collective quality of life by addressing concerns regarding the wider physical and social environment. Importantly, community safety means addressing fear of crime and perceptions of safety as without this any actions to address the occurrence of crime and anti-social behaviour are of less value.
Advocacy for Oromia 