torsdag 15. august 2013
ከቁጫ እስከ ኦሮሞ - ማንነትና የማንነት ፖሎቲካ እንደምታና መዘዞቹ
ዩሱፍ ያሲን
የአሜሪካ ድምፅና የዶቼቬሌ አማርኛ ራዲዮ ፕሮግራሞች ላይ የቁጫ ሕዝብ የራሱን ማንነት የመወሰን
ጉዳይ አስመልክቶ ለመንግሥት ጥያቄ ያቀረቡ ሰዎች መታሰራቸው ዜና በቅርቡ ተዘግቦ ሰምተናል። 40
የሚሆኑ የአካባቢ ሽማገሌዎች እነዚህ የተሳሩ ሰዎችን ለማስፈታት አዲስ አባባ ድረሰ መምጣታቸውንም
ተዘግቧል። የቮይስ ኦፍ አሜሪካ ባልደረባ ጋዘጤኛ ሰሎሞን ክፍሌ ባመዛኙ በማንነት ዙርያና ሳቢያ
የተነሳውን ውዝግብ ርእሰ ጉዳይ ላይ የሽማገሌዎች ወኪል ከተባሉት ጋርም ቃለ ምልልስ
አስደምጦናል።
ቁጫ በደበቡ ኦሞ በጋሞጎፋ ዞን በደቡብ በዲታና ዴራማሎ፣ ከደቡብ-ምዕራብ በዛላ፣በምዕራብ
ከደምባ-ፋ፣ በሰሜን-ምዕራብ በዳውሮ ዞንና ከሰሜን ከወላይታ ዞን የምትዋሰን አንዲት የደቡብ
ኢትዮጵያ ብሄር፣ ብሄረሰቦችና ሕዝቦች ክልል ወረዳ ናት። ዋና ከተማውም ሰላምበር ትባላለች፣ ይህንን
የዘገበው ዊኪፒዲያ ነው።
የሥላሴዎች እርግማን (ሁለት)፤ አደህይቶ ማድከም
መስፍን ወልደ ማርያም
ሐምሌ 2005
ከታትፎና ለያይቶ በማዳከም ቤቱን አፍርሶና መሬቱን ነጥቆ፣ ከሥራው አፈናቅሎና ሥራ አሳጥቶ ያለርኅራኄ ማደህየት በፕሮግራም የተያዘና በውጭ ኃይሎች የሚደገፍ ሥራ ነው፡፡
ለጥቂት ዓመታት በአሜሪካ ቆይቶ የመጣ አንድ ጓደኛዬ ራሱን በሁለት እጆቹ ይዞ ‹‹አዲስ አበባ በመሬት መናወጥ ፈራርሳ በመጠገን ላይ ያለች ከተማ ትመስል የለም እንዴ!›› አለኝ፤የመሬት አይደለም አንጂ የመናወጥ ነገር በእርግጥ አለ፤ የመሬት መናወጥ ባይደርስባትም የአእምሮ መናወጥ የመታት ከተማ ነች አልሁት፤ ቅንጅት ነፍሱን ይማረውና በፖሊቲካው መድረክ ብልጭ ብሎ ድርግም ካለበት ዓመት ጀምሮ በአዲስ አበባ ታይቶ የማይታወቅ የማፍረስና የመገንባት ሥራ በአንድ ላይ ጎን ለጎን ሲካሄድ እያየን ነው፤ ከጥንስሱ ጀምሮ የማሰብ ችግር ውላጅ መሆኑ በግልጽ ይታያል፤ ብዙ አገሮች አዳዲስ ከተማዎችን ሠርተዋል፤ ጥቂቶቹን ለመጥቀስ ሕንድ፣ ናይጂርያ፣ ብራዚል አሉበት፤ የወያኔ/ኢሕአዴግ ግን የተለየ ነው፤ አዲስ ከተማ እየሠራ ሳይሆን የጥንቱን እያፈረሰ ነው፤ ደርግ ሲጀምር ከጥንቱ ሥርዓት ጋር በመጣላት ነበር፤ ወያኔ ሲጀምር ግን ከማን ወይም ከምን ጋር ተጣልቶ አንደሆነ በግልጽ ባይታይም በጥላቻ መወራጨቱ ይታይ ነበር፤ ጎልቶ የወጣውም የችግረኛ ጉጉትና ምኞት፣ ሽሚያና ዝርፊያ የወያኔ ዓላማ ከራሱ የማያልፍ መሆኑን ያመለክት ነበር፤ በውጤቱም የሆነለት ያባትህ ቤት ሲዘረፍ እንደሚባለው ሆኖ ከውጭ ባንክ ተርፎ፣ ከአገር ውስጥ ባንክ ተርፎ፣ በጆንያና በጉድጓድ በሚልዮን የሚቆጠር ገንዘብ ያስቀመጠ ተደላድሎ እየሳቀ ይዝናናል፤ ያልሆነለትም በየሜዳው ያለቅሳል፤ ከተማው በሙሉ በማፍረስና በመገንባት ይታመሳል፤ ይተራመሳል፤ ዋናው ዓላማ ሕዝቡን ማዳከም ነው፤አዳክሞም ማደህየት ነው፡፡–
- ይህ ሁሉ መንገድ የደሀውን ቤት ሁሉ እየመነጠረ ሲረዝምና ሲሰፋ፣
- የደሀ ቤቶች ተመንጥረው መንገዱ ከረዘመና ከሰፋ በኋላ ባለሥልጣኖች በድንገት ስለባቡር የሚያስታውሳቸው አማካሪ ሲያገኙ፤
- የድሆች ቤቶች እየተመነጠሩ የሰፋውን መንገድ እያፈረሱ ሲያጠቡት!
- ቤቶች ሲፈርሱና መንገዶች ሲረዝሙ፣ መንገዶች ሲሰፉና ሲጠቡ፣
- መንገዱ ለባቡሮች ሲቆፈርና ሲተራመስ፣
- መንገዱ በደሀዎቹ ቤቶች ፍርስራሽ ተጨናንቆ በደሀ እንባ ሲጨቀይ፣
- ለደሀዎች መኖሪያ ኮንዶሚንየም እየተባለ በሚልዮን የሚቆጠር ገንዘብ ሲገባና ሲወጣ፣
- የመንገዱና የባቡሩ ወጪ ከኮንዶሚኒየሙ ሥራ ጋር ተዳብሎ በቢልዮን የሚቆጠር ብር እየተተራመሰ ከመንግሥት ኪስ ሲፈስ፣
- ‹‹የመንግሥት ሌቦች›› የሚፈስሰውን እየለቀሙና እየተወዳደሩ ‹‹በምድር ላይ ሳንበተን ስማችንን እናስጠራ›› ብለው ግንበ-ሰናኦርን ሲክቡ፣
- የሙስና ተከላካዮች ፈራ-ተባ እያሉ በእርሳስ ሲመዘግቡና ግንዱንና ስሩን ሳይነኩ በኢዮባዊ ትእግስትና በሰሎሞናዊ ፍርድ ቅጠሎቹን እየከረከሙ ሲያረግፉ፣
- ሙስና ስሩ እየጠነከረ ግንዱም እንደግንበ-ሰናኦር ወደሰማይ እያደገ ሲሄድና ቅጠሉም ወዲያው ሲለመልም፤
- ደሀነትም በጌትነት እየተጋጠ በሞትና በሕይወት መሀከል ሆኖ እያቃሰተ ሲያድግ፣
- ለደሀነት መቀነሻ የሚባለው ሁሉ ደሀነትን ለማባባስ ሲውል፣
የደላው ይደሰታል፤ የተጎዳው እንባውን በየመንገዱና በየቤተክርስቲያኑ፣ በየቤተ መስጊዱ ይረጫል፤ የሚታዘብ ያንጎራጉራል፤
በቁንጣን፣ በስካር ጥቂቶች ሲንሩ፣
ብዙዎቹ ደግሞ በረሀብ መንምነው በቁንጫ ሲያርሩ፣
የደሀ እንባ ሲጎርፍ መሬቱ ሲሸበር፣
ዝብርቅርቁ ወጣ፤ ሕይወት ትርጉም አጣ፤
…
መንገዱ ጠበበ፤ ትርምስምሱ በዛ፤
እሪታው፣ ኡኡታው ቀለጠ እንደዋዛ፤
መሬቱም፣ ዓየሩም በክፋት ጠነዛ፤
ጥላቻና ቂሙ በሰፊው ተነዛ፤
እምቢልታው ሲጣራ ነጋሪት ሲያገሳ፣
የአለው ሁሉ ሞቶ የሞተው ሲነሣ፣
ምጽዓት መድረሱ ነው፤ ሊስተካከል ነው ፍርድ፤
በግና ፍየሉ ሊለዩ በገሀድ!
አፍርሶ መገንባት ዘለቄታ ያለው እድገትና መሻሻል ያስከትላል ብለው የሚያምኑ ከኋላቸውም ከፊታቸውም የሚያዩት ሁሉ ያከሸፋቸውና የከሸፉ ናቸው፤ ወደኋላ እንዳያዩ ታሪክ የላቸውም፤ ወደፊት እንዳያዩ ራእይ የላቸውም፤ የሥላሴዎች እርግማን!
Here are the campaign issues in Norway
August 15, 2013
NEWS ANALYSIS: As Norway’s parliamentary election campaign clicks into high gear, much of the local media attention has been on how the parties stand in the polls and how they might cooperate to form a government. That’s overshadowed many of the actual issues at stake, so it’s time, perhaps, to offer a rundown of how a new non-socialist government would differ from the current left-center coalition.
No, it’s not a large Kraftverk concert, rather all the leaders of Norway’s seven largest political parties gathered for their first major debate of the election campaign on Monday night. Their constant maneuvering for government power has all but clouded the actual issues at hand, and voters can’t be sure which parties will eventually form a government. PHOTO: newsinenglish.no/NRK screen grab
Many questions remain, not least because the four non-socialist parties have refused to campaign on a common platform. No one can say what kind of government they may form if they jointly win, as expected, a majority of seats in Parliament. Instead of taking firm stands or revealing how they may cooperate, they’ve been keen to campaign separately and stress the differences among themselves, even though it’s unlikely any single party will win enough votes to rule alone.
Norway’s two biggest parties, the Conservatives and Labour, appear most likely to lead any coalition. Siv Jensen, leader of the country’s third-largest and most conservative Progress Party, made an interesting and provocative comment earlier this week when she claimed it was difficult to see major political differences between the two arch-rivals. She accused Conservatives leader Erna Solberg of “living in a social democratic bubble” and running a campaign that tried to further similarities among the parties instead of differences.
“The whole point of changing a government must be to change politics,” said Jensen, repeating much of the same at Monday night’s debate and stressing the need for voters to vote for the party that best reflects their own politics. Jensen’s comments can hardly grease the skids for a much-vaunted cooperation between her party and Solberg’s.
Voters are left with only a general idea of how things might work if either the left or the right emerges victorious. Here are some of the main issues in the country that’s already widely dubbed to be the best place on the planet to live:
Price levels
Jensen claims that without her party in a non-socialist government, there won’t be any real change in Norway’s notoriously high prices for food, drink and most other household items. The Progress Party wants to seriously cut subsidies to farmers, reduce Norway’s protectionist tariffs that keep out imports, and cut taxes on alcohol and other consumer goods. The Conservatives go along with some of that but Solberg has cautioned that any major cuts would come as too great a “shock” to producers.
In the current left-center government, Labour went along with the Center Party’s demands for more protectionism and more support for farmers, which led to the controversial new tariffs on imported cheese and meat and sent prices up again at the grocery store. A non-socialist government is expected to reverse them.
Oil revenue use
Jensen has long campaigned for more use of Norway’s oil revenues, instead of stashing the vast majority of them away in a fund for future generations. Solberg also wants to spend more, but not as much as Jensen, and the Conservatives and the two other non-socialist parties, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals, want to abide by the rule limiting spending to 4 percent of the size of the fund.
The Labour-led coalition won’t spend any more than the 4 percent limit, and has spent less.
‘Pappa permission’
This turned into a bigger campaign issue than expected as the parties argued over how families should be able to use the 59 weeks of fully paid parental leave they get upon the birth of a child.
On this issue, the non-socialists are arguing among themselves, with the Conservatives and Progress Party keen to remove a requirement that at least 14 weeks must be used by fathers. Their potential partners, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals, want to keep the “pappa quota,” as do all three left-center parties: Labour, the Center Party and the Socialist Left.
Worklife
Here the non-socialists want more flexibility over how working time should be determined, and they want to ease other restrictions on employers as well. The incumbent government parties want to maintain all current restrictions and actively fight against social dumping and exploitation of foreign labour.
Hospitals and health care
The Labour-led parties want to maintain a strong public health care system and full state control over hospitals. They don’t want to turn hospital care over to the private sector.
The non-socialist parties want to allow more private players into the health care system and they want the state to send more patients stuck on waiting lists over to private clinics. The Conservatives recently raised eyebrows by revealing that they may increase the relatively small portion of health care costs that are paid by patients (called egenandel), with Labour officials claiming that’s not much different than a tax increase. The Conservatives also have been accused of not clarifying how they would pay for health care improvements, since they also favour tax cuts.
Defense
Not a big issue in the current campaign, with the pullout from Afghanistan underway and Norwegian defense policy so closely connected to NATO’s. The military also has been undergoing major reorganization and modernization moves, and women can now be called in for service, so many issues that were hotter a few years ago have been resolved. Debate continues over the huge expense tied to orders for new fighter jets from the US.
Media support
The Labour-led government wants to maintain current levels of financial support for various media outlets, claiming it ensures a diversified, nationwide media. Without the financial support, several newspapers face closure.
The Conservatives want to cut media subsidies by NOK 100 million, the Progress Party wants to cut it by NOK 180 million and their partners want to either limit or continue it. A Conservative-led government would most likely cut media subsidies by some negotiated degree.
Taxes
The current left-center government wants to maintain current tax levels. The Conservatives want tax cuts of around NOK 25 billion, the Progress Party advocates cuts of NOK 100 billion and their partners much less or none at all. A non-socialist government would probably reduce overall tax levels, not least on the controversial fortune tax on individual net worth.
Oil drilling off Lofoten
Two of the three government parties formally oppose it, even though Oil Minister Ola Borten Moe from the small Center Party supports it. Labour wants to move forward with a feasibility study of it, because of the jobs it would create.
Both the Conservatives and the Progress Party also want to move forward with oil drilling off Lofoten, while their two partners are firmly opposed. On this issue, the dynamics in both blocs are largely the same, but the small parties may prevail.
Foreign aid
The Socialist Left wants to further increase Norway’s already substantial levels of foreign aid, while the two other socialist parties want to maintain current levels. The non-socialists want to either reduce foreign aid or redefine how it’s extended. Reductions would be likely if they win government power.
Immigration and asylum
The current government wants to continue existing policies. This issue is particularly divisive on the non-socialist side, with the Progress Party demanding restrictions and the two smaller parties wanting more liberal immigration and asylum laws. The Conservatives are caught in the middle and would likely force through a compromise.
Foreign policy
Norway’s political parties generally come together on foreign policy issues and most foreign policy is likely to continue regardless of a change in government. There is potential for some change, though:
The Conservatives have always been in favour of joining the European Union (EU) and now may wind up with a majority of like-minded colleagues in parliament. The Progress Party has kept mum on the EU issue while Labour also is believed to support EU membership, but has been held back for the sake of government unity, since its two left-center partners firmly oppose joining the EU.
Changes may thus come on the EU issue, as well as in the areas of foreign aid (see above) and on human rights issues. It was a Conservative politician (Jan Tore Sanner) who nominated Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo for the Nobel Peace Prize, which plunged Norway into diplomatic crisis with China. Now Conservative politicians also advocate a tougher stance against Russia on human rights issues.
The Conservatives also are likely to move away from Labour’s eagerness to engage in peace talks around the world. Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, a candidate to be foreign minister for the Conservatives, told newspaper Dagsavisen this summer that she wants to dampen Norway’s image as a “peace nation” so as not to spread Norway’s resources too thinly. She also wants to restrict peace brokering to areas that would clearly serve Norway’s interests.
Schools
The current left-center government claims to put a priority on a strong public school system. They are traditionally skeptical towards private schools, and want to maintain a system where elementary school students don’t receive grades on the work they do.
The non-socialist parties want to allow more private schools and start grading students from the 5th grade. The Liberals and Christian Democrats side with the socialists on these issues.
Road financing
The socialist parties want to maintain Norway’s current combination of road tolls and state funding. The Progress Party is the only party that wants to do away with tolls. The Conservatives and Liberals want more cooperation between the public and private sectors on road financing.
Press release: Ginbot 7 Popular Force fundraising task-force in NorwayPress release: Ginbot 7 Popular Force fundraising task-force in Norway
August 14, 2013
Ethiopia and its citizens have never been endangered and humiliated as under the rule of the woyane junta. The current problem of the country and its people is not only a question of lack of basic human rights, but it is a matter of life and death to the people and existence of Ethiopia as a sovereign country.
To fight the enemy which is responsible for the aforementioned situation and avert the danger, Ethiopians are wedging armed struggle and this is increasingly becoming the only and appropriate alternative.
Hence, Ginbot 7 Popular Force (G7PF) is established by freedom-loving Ethiopians, comprising youngsters, intellectuals and others. The main objectives of this force, as described on its website, are contributing to make the Ethiopian people owner of political power and establishing strong, sovereign and democratic Ethiopia. G7PF is working to remove TPLF by force and to create a peaceful transition period enabling establishment of non-partisan and constitutional defense, police, security, judiciary, etc. institutions which are crucial for a healthy playground for different political parties aspiring power in the country.
Among the current G7PF members are many intellectuals who joined this force abandoning their relatively comfortable living, families and professional jobs. This is one of the advantages of the G7PF compared to traditional armed struggles in Ethiopia where mainly farmers and other non-intellectuals are the main components of foot soldiers. Thus, the struggle of Ginbot 7 Popular Force gets skillful leadership on the ground and its members at the front properly understand why and whom they are fighting for and paying sacrifices.
Appreciating the efforts and the good intentions of G7PF, we Ethiopians in Norway have decided to support the force and established ad hoc committee (taskforce) mandated to coordinate a one-time fundraising in Oslo. As from the date of its establishment the taskforce is working on various activities and scheduled 28th of September, 2013 the date for the grand fundraising event in Oslo.
During this event, on 28 of Sep., 2013, representatives of the G7PF leadership will be present and the program of the event comprises, discussions, fundraising and entertaining activities.
Therefore, the taskforce herewith kindly invite all Ethiopians and other nationals both from Norway and neighboring countries to take part in this event and support G7PF.
Freedom, justice and democracy to all Ethiopians!
Ethiopia shall prevail!
Ginbot 7 Popular Force fundraising coordinating ad hoc committee in Norway
August 14, 2013, Norway, Oslo
August 14, 2013
Ethiopia and its citizens have never been endangered and humiliated as under the rule of the woyane junta. The current problem of the country and its people is not only a question of lack of basic human rights, but it is a matter of life and death to the people and existence of Ethiopia as a sovereign country.
To fight the enemy which is responsible for the aforementioned situation and avert the danger, Ethiopians are wedging armed struggle and this is increasingly becoming the only and appropriate alternative.
Hence, Ginbot 7 Popular Force (G7PF) is established by freedom-loving Ethiopians, comprising youngsters, intellectuals and others. The main objectives of this force, as described on its website, are contributing to make the Ethiopian people owner of political power and establishing strong, sovereign and democratic Ethiopia. G7PF is working to remove TPLF by force and to create a peaceful transition period enabling establishment of non-partisan and constitutional defense, police, security, judiciary, etc. institutions which are crucial for a healthy playground for different political parties aspiring power in the country.
Among the current G7PF members are many intellectuals who joined this force abandoning their relatively comfortable living, families and professional jobs. This is one of the advantages of the G7PF compared to traditional armed struggles in Ethiopia where mainly farmers and other non-intellectuals are the main components of foot soldiers. Thus, the struggle of Ginbot 7 Popular Force gets skillful leadership on the ground and its members at the front properly understand why and whom they are fighting for and paying sacrifices.
Appreciating the efforts and the good intentions of G7PF, we Ethiopians in Norway have decided to support the force and established ad hoc committee (taskforce) mandated to coordinate a one-time fundraising in Oslo. As from the date of its establishment the taskforce is working on various activities and scheduled 28th of September, 2013 the date for the grand fundraising event in Oslo.
During this event, on 28 of Sep., 2013, representatives of the G7PF leadership will be present and the program of the event comprises, discussions, fundraising and entertaining activities.
Therefore, the taskforce herewith kindly invite all Ethiopians and other nationals both from Norway and neighboring countries to take part in this event and support G7PF.
Freedom, justice and democracy to all Ethiopians!
Ethiopia shall prevail!
Ginbot 7 Popular Force fundraising coordinating ad hoc committee in Norway
August 14, 2013, Norway, Oslo
onsdag 14. august 2013
Ethiopia: High profile corruption case finally to go to court
Posted: 14 Aug 2013 04:27 AM PDT
By :allAfrica.com
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Posted: 13 Aug 2013 12:22 PM PDT
August 13, 2013
NEWS ANALYSIS: Monday night’s first major debate among the leaders of Norway’s seven biggest political parties may have raised more questions than it answered. The biggest among them is what a government formed by the non-socialists would look like, or whether a right-center coalition that truly reflects the will of the voters is even possible.
Monday night’s first major party leader debate, broadcast live by NRK, left voters with few answers about what the platforms of a conservative coalition government would be. From left: Erna Solberg of the Conservatives, Jens Stoltenberg of Labour and Siv Jensen of the Progress Party. PHOTO: newsinenglish.no/NRK screen grab
Then it would need to include Norway’s most conservative party, the Progress Party(Fremskrittsparti, Frp), since it’s Norway’s third-largest party according to recent polls. Judging from comments made during the course of the debate organized and aired by state broadcaster NRK from the coastal city of Arendal, it’s entirely unclear whether that will happen. Doubts are rising over whether the four-party right-center coalition promoted by the Conservatives (Høyre) leader Erna Solberg can come together: The small right-leaning center parties are clearly distancing themselves from Frp, while Frp has been busy distancing itself from the less-conservative Conservatives.
All together, the non-socialists have consistently appeared poised to win away a majority of seats in parliament from the current left-center government coalition led by Stoltenberg’s Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet, Ap), according to a string of public opinion polls. All the left, right and center parties, though, are campaigning separately ahead of the September 9 election. That’s what’s highlighting the differences among them, instead of letting voters know what their platforms would be if they govern together.
Leaders of small centrist parties like Knut Arild Hareide of the Christian Democrats are once again the wildcards in the current election campaign. Even though polls show his party holding less than 6 percent of the vote, it may be able to claim disproportionate power in how a new government is formed. Leaders of Norway’s biggest parties, Solberg and Stoltenberg, need to listen to him. PHOTO:newsinenglish.no/NRK screen grab
Knut Arild Hareide, leader of the center-oriented Christian Democrats (Kristelig Folkeparti, KrF), went so far as to say Monday night that he thinks a government made up of just Høyre and Frp would be “worse” than today’s left-center government. At the same time, he and other KrF officials are increasingly negative towards the idea of trying to govern with Frp. The differences between them, not least on immigration and welfare issues, are just too great.
Their counterparts at the Liberal party (Venstre) have been saying the same. Venstre leader Trine Skei Grande hammered through her party’s strong environmental policies at Monday night’s debate, not least their stand against oil drilling off Lofoten, and that’s totally at odds with Frp’s and Høyre’s positions. KrF and Venstre see themselves as the “green” element in an otherwise “blue” government, but none of the parties seems willing to campaign on a turquoise platform. KrF’s Hareide said it was the duty of the center parties to “put the brakes” on the more hard-line policies of the bigger parties, hinting that a coalition with just Høyre and Venstre may work.The small parties like his would still need a lot more votes than the polls indicate to have the “muscle” Frp leader Siv Jensen stressed is necessary to have power in a government coalition. Negotiations to form a non-socialist coalition platform, she herself warned, would be “very tough.”
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (center) is trying to hang onto government power, while Erna Solberg (left) and Siv Jensen (right) are trying to take it away from him. PHOTO: newsinenglish.no/NRKscreen grab
It’s enough to make one wonder whether Solberg of Høyre now has any real chance at all of finding enough common ground among the four non-socialist (borgerlig)parti
Current Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg seized on that doubt at the debate, challenging Solberg to clarify what voters could really expect from any non-socialist coalition. “We have shown that we can govern,” Stoltenberg claimed, even though he and his partners in the current “red-green” government are also campaigning separately during this election run-up and trailing in the polls. He criticized his “blue-green” rivals’ lack of a common program like Stoltenberg’s “red-green” pact had during the campaigns in 2005 and 2009, suggesting that voters don’t know what they’ll get if they vote for any of the non-socialist parties.
Conservatives’ leader Erna Solberg was directly challenged over her support for removal of Norway’s fortune tax, which researchers claim won’t yield the results she believes it will. Stoltenberg also challenged Solberg to more clearly define how a government led by her would lead. Solberg appeared irritated and unwavering in her stance. PHOTO: newsinenglish.no/NRK screen grab
Only a few actual issues were addressed during Monday night’s live debate, including Norway’s controversial annual tax (formueskatt) on net worth (the socialists want to retain it, the non-socialists want to either phase it out or modify it) and the so-called handlingsregel, the rule that limits how much of the country’s oil revenues the government should spend. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg’s left-center, Labour-led government has been restrictive, limiting spending to just 4 percent of the size of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund. Solberg of the Conservatives seems inclined to spend more of Norway’s oil revenues “to make our society better, reduce waiting lists for health care, and make schools better.” Her potential government partner, Frp leader Siv Jensen, wants to spend even more, preferring to call it “investing” in projects at home in Norway instead of in the country’s oil fund. The smaller center parties predictably opt for a combination of the two, urging more flexibility in oil revenue use as needed but mostly hanging on to the oil fund’s purse strings.
There are, at least, some key differences between the left-center and right-center alternatives, with NRK’s program leaders joking that Solberg arrived in Arendal in a helicopter while Stoltenberg arrived in a taxi, referring to his taxi campaign stunt late last week. That didn’t stop Frp’s Jensen from accusing the Conservatives of becoming too much like Labour, though, in Tuesday’s Dagens Næringsliv (DN).
It is, perhaps, the ultimate irony that the left-leaning socialists want to restrict government spending in Norway, while the right-leaning non-socialists want to boost spending. That, at any rate, is what help makes Norway an annerledesland, literally a place where things are simply different than elsewhere in the world.
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tirsdag 13. august 2013
Ethiopian Development Destroying Lives Posted: 12 Aug 2013 02:55 PM PDT
by GRAHAM PEEBLES
August 12, 2013 (Counter Punch) — In many parts of the world development has become an invisible cloak under which all manner of “state sponsored” atrocities and human rights violations are being committed. Married to growth, development has been (largely) reduced to economic advancement – meaning maximizing Gross National Product (GNP) figures month on month, year on year, and turning over glowing returns to the insatiable global monetary bodies – The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) and – profit to private investors. A term overflowing with contradictions, development is often employed to dignify corporate activities, which are commonly no more than exploitation and profiteering, as in the case of the worldwide appropriation of land, usually to irresponsible, profit-driven foreign corporations and private hedge funds and equity fund managers, who boast of returns between 20% to 40% on investments. Huge pay offs which Anuradha Mittal of the Oakland Institute says is luring in “endowments including university endowments such as Harvard University, Vanderbilt University” and others. Such institutions Friends of the Earth, state “are stimulating land grabbing, which is destroying thousands of communities worldwide. “The financial sector”, they demand, “must take responsibility for their activities and ensure their investments respect human rights and abide by local environmental regulations”. A broader more substantive definition of development would include the fulfillment of innate potential, the continuation of traditional lifestyles and the integrated development of individuals. Ideas that go beyond crass GNP or GDP measurements, globalisation statistics and Power Point clichés, which sees everything as a commodity and everyone as a consumer. The homogenisation of life, a consequence of globalization, and the market economy (with its inherent inequality and lack of social justice), denies individuality, squashes or appropriates culture and imposes competition in all areas. A recipe for injustice and division fuelling anger and frustration, which for long suppressed, have surfaced in the popular uprisings of the Arab Spring and protest movements seen recently throughout the world. The Lower Omo Valley Over 70 different tribal groups contribute to the rich cultural tapestry that makes up Ethiopia. The beautiful Lower Omo Valley, in the south east of the country is home to a group of eight ancient tribes, indigenous people who have lived upon the land, for thousands of years, leading self-sufficient, simple lives in harmony with the environment. They live east and west along the 760 km long Omo River (the heartbeat of their lives), which flows from Ethiopia into Kenya, where it comes to rest in Lake Turkana. In order to develop the rich and fertile land of the region, and honour leasehold agreement with foreign companies, the government is evicting indigenous people from their homes and driving them into settlement camps where, “the government promises us paradise, but we know that we are going to hell,” says one of the aggrieved Bodis, “Between tribes we have always found a solution, when a land conflict has arisen, but with the government it’s impossible”, the Oakland Institute (OI) report in Omo Local Tribes Under Threat. Their homes destroyed and their land stolen from them, local people (including children and women) tell of horrendous government abuse. These ancient people are, (they themselves say) being subjected to a range of atrocities constituting state criminality: the list of atrocities, shocking and vile, is made no less disturbing by its familiarity: arbitrary killings, rape, false imprisonment and torture are the methodology of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in the region as they clear people off land that is rightfully theirs, and either forcibly relocate them into state constructed villages, drive them into the forests to perish, or simply kill them in cold blood. Land rights are complex, and whilst the Ethiopian constitution (written by the ruling regime but used at its convenience), states that all land ultimately belongs to the state, indigenous people are protected by a range of international treatise, to which Ethiopia is a signatory and binding articles within their own constitution. In addition, the government has said that the only land appropriate to be leased is land described as ‘marginal’, ‘unused’ or ‘wasteland’. Land regarded by the government as marginal is seen as central to the lives of indigenous people. “Because the land is traditionally owned, under international law the traditional owners have the right to it as property. Changes to its use or seizure are illegal without the consultation and compensation of the lands’ traditional owners”, Human Rights Watch (HRW) make clear in their report ‘What Will happen If Hunger Comes”. As well as protecting indigenous people the constitution also safeguards agro-pastoralists (which the majority of affected tribal groups are made up of); section 40 (5); “Ethiopian pastoralists have the right to free land for grazing and cultivation as well as the right not to be displaced from their own lands”. Driving local people off their ancestral land which supplies their food and medicine, also breaches the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which states, “in no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence”. Add to this the violation of the Right to Culture and Religion and the Right to Health and a substantive legal shield forms to protect the tribal people in the Omo Valley, from government development plans. That is, providing such legal obligations are observed and enforced. Gibe III Dam and Associated Land Development Remote and culturally diverse, with prized United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage status, the Lower Omo valley is home to over 200,000 indigenous tribal people, including the Kwegu, Bodi, Mutsi, Suri and Nyangatom tribes. Their ancient ways of life and the delicate ecosystem, is being threatened, HRW report, “by the construction of a massive hydroelectric dam, known as Gibe III, on the Omo River and associated plans for large scale irrigated agriculture”. The massive Gilgel Gibe III dam was started in 2006, and we are told, is now 62% complete. Funding for the $2 billion project has come from a range of sources, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). The Europeans looked at the project and, concerned by the lack of impact assessment studies, culturally appropriate project consultations (required under the constitution), and under heated pressure from NGOs, wisely decided not to get involved, as did the World Bank. International and regional aid organisations, Survival International (SI) among them, believe “the Gibe III Dam will have catastrophic consequences for the tribes of the Omo River, who already live close to the margins of life in this dry and challenging area”. Gibe III, no doubt much to the delight and misplaced pride of the government, will be the largest dam of its kind in Africa (243 meters tall), causing potentially some of the worst environmental and human carnage, by seriously impacting the lives of tribal groups of the Lower Omo area, as well as the 300,000 people who live around Lake Turkana in Kenya, which receives the majority of its water from the Omo River. Water from the dam, which will double Ethiopia’s energy capacity, will be stored in a giant reservoir which will feed the plantations (445,000ha has so far been earmarked by the government) via hundreds of kilometers of pipelines. “Up to 200 kilometers (125 miles)” of such primary irrigation canals have already been built, along with an “earthen dam” to water the plantations which, OI tell us, “has stopped the annual flood that all people along the river depend on for agriculture, and in the process inundated cultivation sites of the Bodi and Kwegu people upstream.” In addition, SI makes clear; the combined effects of the projects “will result in the drying out of much of the riverine zone and will eliminate the Riparian Forest. Indigenous people such as the Kwegu who rely almost exclusively on fishing and hunting will be destitute”. One could be forgiven for thinking that this government is working to intentionally decimate native peoples’ lives and shatter the delicate ecology of the region. The construction of the Gibe III dam and the interconnected development project of leasing ancestral land for agriculture (including bio-fuels), are being pursued by the government in a manner that is violating a range of human rights, as well as internationally binding legal agreements. Both schemes have been widely condemned by human rights groups and concerned NGOs, even USAID, Ethiopia’s largest single donor have berated the regime over their mistreatment of indigenous people. Ideologically driven by narrow, distorted ideas of development and obsessed with economic growth, the EPRDF is pursuing a land sale policy that is causing enormous suffering to the lives of hundreds of thousands of indigenous people throughout the country. With the Lower Omo Valley projects there is a real risk “that the livelihoods of 500,000 people may be endangered, tens of thousands will be forcibly displaced, and that the region will witness increased inter-ethnic conflict as communities compete for scarce resources” HRW tell us. Over 375,000 ha of fertile land in the Lower Omo valley, the Oakland Institute (OI) report in ‘Ignoring Abuse in Ethiopia’, is being turned over for “industrial scale plantations for sugar and other monocrops“ – the controversial, albeit high yield agricultural practice, of growing a single crop, year after year on the same land. Such methods damage the soil ecology, creating dependency on pesticides and fertilisers (all good for the agro-chemical giants) and use lots of water. Driven solely by profit, investors are only interested in high-quality, well irrigated water with good water supplies: they care little about the environmental impact on eco-systems and the devastation being caused to indigenous people and rural livelihoods, nor would it seem do the ruling EPRDF. HRW estimate “around 100,000 ha is being made available to private ‘investors”, corporations from Malaysia, India, Italy and Korea who are planting biofuels and cash crops, e.g. cotton and maize. Together with state-owned sugarcane and cotton plantations run by the Ethiopian Sugar Corporation – an umbrella organisation of the central government, (which has taken 150,000 ha of tribal land for itself) and whose operations OI state, “will [negatively] impact the people of the Lower Omo most, especially the 170,000 along the river”. Violent Evictions Killing and Rape Mass displacements are accompanying these projects, OI report “260,000 local people from 17 ethnic groups in the Lower Omo and around Lake Turkana [in Kenya]—whose waters will be taken for plantation irrigation—are being evicted from their farmland and restricted from using the natural resources they have been relying on for their livelihoods”. The military are the violent enforcers of much of the regimes unlawful policies up and down the country, and so it is in the Omo valley: HRW record that “on the east bank of the Omo River, where farms are being cleared, grazing lands have been lost, and livelihoods are being destroyed. According to government maps and local sources this is just the beginning of a major transformation of the Lower Omo area”, [where] more than 2,000 soldiers are said to have been drafted into the area downstream of the dam and “most of the Omo valley is now off limits to foreigners”, The Guardian (7/02/2013) report. Including the international media and NGOs, “virtually no nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) work in the area, and members of indigenous communities have been warned not to speak to outsiders, especially foreigners“. Government gagging practices consistent with their approach elsewhere, the Ogaden and Gambella regions, as well as Oromia, where state terrorism is widespread, come readily to mind. This re-settlement of indigenous people to allow for the commercialization of their land is taking place without the “free, prior and informed” consent (legally) required for any development project, with no compensation for loss of land and livelihood and without consultation, required within the constitution. Indeed far from consulting with local people and allowing them the right to speak out freely (another constitutional fantasy), military units regularly visit villages, HRW record, to “suppress dissent related to the sugar plantation development [and associated re-settlement plans]. According to local people anything less than fully expressed support for sugar development was met with beatings, harassment, or arrest”. According to The Guardian killings and repression are now common, and go on to recount the story of a villager who says he “was shot with a bullet in my knee [when walking on his land]. That day 11 people were killed and the soldiers threw four bodies off Dima Village Bridge. They were eaten by hyenas”. Rape is a military weapon of choice being employed to frighten and intimidate, OI relay the particularly distressing account of “the gang rape of a young herd boy. They took a small boy that was herding cattle. They had sex with him for a long time in the forest. He was screaming. The boy couldn’t walk afterward. He had to be picked up and carried”. Frustrated and angry and seeing no alternative, members of the Suri tribe on the west bank of the Omo river have taken up arms against the military. The government has decimated their land, clearing trees and grass to “allow Malaysian investors to establish plantations, water has also been diverted from the mainstay Koka River to these plantations leaving the largely pastoral Suri without water for their cattle”, according to the Oakland Institute. Government forces are maintaining a brutal campaign aimed at the Suri people. Friends of Lake Turkana, a Kenyan NGO reported in May 2012 that, “government forces killed 54 unarmed Suri in the market place at Maji in retaliation [to Suri actions against the military]. It is estimated that between 57 and 65 people died in the massacre and from injuries sustained on that day. Five more Suri have been killed since then… [and] Suri people are being arrested randomly and sentenced to 18, 20, and 25 years in prison for obscure crimes”. Not only is the government destroying the lives of these tribal groups, they are also creating food insecurity and dependence on humanitarian food aid. Barred from “cultivating their own fields and [with the military] destroying crops and grain stores to cause hunger. People are then lured to the [resettlement] sites with food aid from international agencies”. In 2011 former Prime-Minister Meles Zenawi, asserted that the industrial farms would “benefit the people of this area and hundreds of thousands of other Ethiopians, by creating employment”. Hollow political rhetoric – in fact, the government’s development plans for this region are destroying lives and livelihoods for the pastoralist indigenous people, whose only choice OI make clear “will be work on plantations for a low wage”. Zenawi cited the example of sugarcane plantations established in the Awash valley, but failed to say that tribal groups in the region lost their homes and their way of life and are now dependent on food aid to feed their families – the same is now happening in the Lower Omo valley. In addition to losing their land, their homes and livelihoods, with the arrival of foreign workers, plus 2,000 soldiers in this previously quiet, hidden corner of Ethiopia, the people of the Lower Omo Valley have become exposed to a spate of health concerns. Prostitution is flourishing and due to men’s arrogant refusal to wear condoms, HIV/Aids is now prevalent amongst tribal members and “numerous cases of Hepatitis B, a disease transferred through blood and sex” has, OI state been reported in the area. Food insecurity, violent evictions (including killings and rape), cultural carnage, environmental destruction prostitution and HIV/Aids: all brought to the beautiful Lower Omo Valley by the government, and all in the name of development. |
fredag 9. august 2013
በማሸበር የሚኖሩ በመግደል የሚከብሩ የሰው አረሞች
ዳኛቸው ቢያድግልኝ
አረም ማለት ያልተዘራበት የሚበቅል ገበሬ የዘራውን ሰብል የሚሻማ፣ ውሀውን የሚጠጣበት፣ ለበሽታና ተባይ መጠለያ በመሆን ለሰብል ጉዳት ምክንያት የሚሆን እጽዋት ማለት ነው። አረም በስሮቹ አማካይነት የሰብሉን ስር አንቆ የሚገድል፣ አንዳንዱም እንደ ፓራሳይት ሰብል ላይ ተጣብቆ የሚበቅል እንደ አቀንጭራ ያለ ማለት ነው። አረሞች በፈጣን አስተዳደጋቸው ሳቢያ አልሚ ንጥረ ነገሮችን ከመሬት የፀሀይ ብርሃን ከሰማይ በመሻማት የሚያቀጭጩና የሚገድሉ ናቸው። የስንዴ ማሳ ውስጥ የበቀለ በቆሎም እንኳ ቢሆን አረም ነው፣ ገብስም ቢሆን አረም ነውና ተነቅሎ ይጣላል።
አረም ዘሩን በማባዛትና የመኖር እድሉን ለማራዘም በርካታ ዘዴዎችን እየተጠቀመ በብዛት የሚንሰራፋና በወቅቱ ካልታረመ ሰብል የሚያጠፋ ነው። ጎበዝ ገበሬ አርሞና ኮትኩቶ ሰብሉን ካልተንከባከበ በሰብል ምርት ምትክ አረሙን ማፈስ ይገደዳል። ልክ እንደ ምሳሌው ኢትዮጵያዊነትን የሰው አረም ውጦታል። ፀረ ኢትዮጵያና ኢትዮጵያዊነት አቋምን የያዘ በሌሎች ስም ይልቁንም በትግሬ ስም ኢትዮጵያዊነት ላይ ተጣብቆ አገር እያፈረሰ ያለ የዘራፊ ቡድን አገርና ሕዝብ እያቀጨጨ ነው። ወያኔ በቆሎና ማሽላ ላይ ተጣብቆ እንደሚበቅል አቀንጭራ (ፓራሳይት፣ ጥገኛ አረም) ኢትዮጵያዊነትን ተጣብቶ ኢትዮጵያን እየገደለ ያለ ቡድን ነውና ተነቅሎ መጥፋት አለበት። በምስሉ የተቀረጹ ‘ኦፖርቹኒስት’ ገንጣዮችና ከፋፋይ ድርጅቶችም እንዲሁ።
ስንዴ ማሳ ላይ የበቀለ ገብስ አረም የመሆኑን ያህል ኢትዮጵያዊነትን አቀጭጮ የሚገድል ኢትዮጵያዊም ቢሆን የሰው አረም ነውና ተነቅሎ ሊጣል ወይም ለፍርድ ሊቀርብ ይገባዋል። ምንጫቸው ትግራይ ስለሆነና የትግራይ ተገንጣይ ግንባር ነኝ ስላሉም የትግራይ ሕዝብ ውክልና የላቸውም። በመጀመርያ እኒህ የሰው አረሞች ጭካኔና ግድያን የተለማመዱት ኢትዮጵያዊነትን ከፍ ያደረጉ የትግራይ ተወላጆችን በማደን መሆኑን እናውቃለን። የታታሪ ገበሬን ምሳሌነት የመጠቀሚያ ጊዜው እየረፈደ ቢሆንም አረም ለማጥፋት በደቦ መጠራራት የመጨረሻው የመኖር ያለመኖር ተስፋችን ነው። እያዩ ማለቅንም እለት በእለት እየተለማመድነው ከብት ወደ መታረጃው እንደሚነዳው አቅመ ቢስነት ውስጥ ከገባን ያበቃልናል። ኢትዮጵያንና ኢትዮጵያዊነትን አምርረው በሚጠሉ ሰዎች ጥፋት ምክንያት ኢትዮጵያን ልንጠላ ግን አይገባም። ሰሞኑን ሰላማዊ ሕዝብ ላይ በሚደርሰው ጭፍጨፋ ኢትዮጵያዊነታቸውን እስኪጠሉ ድረስ የሚማረሩት ወገኖች ምሬታቸው ከፍቶ ሰው መሆናቸውን እስኪጠሉና የሚፈራውና ለብዙዎች ጥፋት ምክንያት የሚሆነው የአጥፎ መጥፋት እልቂት እስኪመጣ መጠበቅ ሞኝነት ነው።
በሀገራችን ገበሬው የአረም ማጥፊያ መርዝ የሚጠቀመው ጥቂቱ ነው። የገንዘብ አቅም ስለሚያንሰው መርዛማነቱም ለሌላው ስለሚተርፍ። ልክ እንደዚያው ወያኔን ለማጥፋት የድርጅት አቅም አንሶናል ወደ መሳርያ ማንሳቱ ሁሉም እየተገፋ ከመጣ ለብዙ ህይወት መጥፋትም ምክንያት ሊሆን ይችላል። ነገር ግን ገበሬዎች አረምን ለማጥፋት አንድ ግሩም ባህል አላቸው። ያም ደቦ፣ ጅጊ ወዘተ የሚባልና ተጠራርቶና ተሰባስቦ በህብረት ማሳቸውን ከአረም ማጽዳት የሚችሉበት መንገድ። ተመሳሳይ ብልህነት ከጠፋንና እያማረርን ዘመን ከቆጠርን ተራ በተራ አንዴ የተበደሉ ጎሳዎች አንድ ሰሞን፣ የተፈናቀሉ ወገኖች በሌላ ሰሞን፣ ክርስቲያኖች አምና እስልምና ተከታዮች ዘንድሮ፣ ሴቶች ትናንት፣ ወጣቶች ዛሬ ልላ እያልን በወረፋ መታረድን ልንለማመደው የግድ ይሆናል። አንዱ በሌላው ሞት ዝም በመሰኘት አጥፊዎቻችንን ጉልበት እየሰጠ፣ እነርሱም እየናቁንና እያፌዙብን በመጨረሻም አገር እንዲያሳጡን መፍቀድ የለብንም። ሕዝቡና የፖለቲካ ድርጅቶች ተበታትነው እየሮጡ ሲያልቁ የሰው አረሞች እየተሰፋፉና እየተመቻቸው መኖር የሚችሉበትን ሁኔታ እያመቻቹ የመቀጠል መዘናጋት ሊያበቃ ይገባል።
ዛሬ ያስቸገረንና የከበደን ሀገር በቀል አረም ነው ነገ ግን ጉልበተኛና ጨካኝ አንዴ እግሩን ከተከለ ማጥፊያ መንገድ የሌለው መጤ አረም ይውጠናል። በዚህ ከቀጠልን የዛሬዎቹ አረሞች ነገ ስማቸውን ለኛ ሰጥተውን እኛ እንደ አረም በመርዝ እናልቃለን። በዚህ ከቀጠልን ካሁኑ በከፋ ሁኔታ እንሰደዳለን እንሳደደለንም። ተቆጥቶ ለመነሳት በጣም አርፍደናል ባለቀ ሰዐትም እንኳ ቢሆን ለመነሳቱ ዛሬ ከነገ ይሻላል። ወያኔዎች በማሸበር የሚኖሩ በመግደል የሚከብሩና ሀገሪቱ የጦርነት ቀጠና ሆና እነሱ ወታደራዊ ስርዐትን አስፍነው ያሻቸውን እየገደሉ ለመኖር እየጣሩ ነው። አምባገነኖች ሁሌም በጦርነትና በቀውስ ሁኔታ ውስጥ መኖርን ይመርጣሉ። ምክንያቱም ሰላም ሲሆን እነርሱ መመለስ የማይችሉአቸው የመብት ጥያቄዎች ስለሚነሱ በስልጣን መቆየት አያስችላቸውም።
በፖለቲካ ድርጅትም ይሁን በጎበዝ አለቃ ሕዝቡ መንደሩን ሊያጸዳ ገዳዮቹን ለፍርድ ሊያቀርብ የሚችል ሀይል እንደሆነ ጠላቶቹ ሊያውቁት ይገባል። ተደጋግሞ እንደተገለጸው ወያኔ እርጉም ጠላት እንጂ መጥፎ መንግስት አይደለም። የሕዝብ ክብርና የሰዎች ነጻነትም አይገባውምና ተነቃቅሎ ሊጣል የሚገባው አረም ሊወገድ የሚገባው የሀገር ጠላት ነው።
ኢትዮጵያና ኢትዮጵያዊነት ከነፃነት ሰንደቅዓላማችን ጋር ለዘለዓለም ይኑርል
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