From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Tue Jul 28 2009 - 08:49:00 EDT
Well the Beauty Pageant that some in Dehai thought was debasing to our young
women has come and gone. I wonder what those who simmered with a so-called
righteous indignation thought about it. How far brighter, cultured, mature,
and well rounded can the young contestants can get? see for yourself
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=105705034997&h=qSCsF&u=4L5Zn&ref=nf
Given the opportunity that this event presents the winner with, she (or any
of the girls for that matter) could play a much more effective role in
representing and introducing Eritrea in a short time than those of us cranky
whiners could have done in our life time.
I think, every now and then, we could use to step back and take a deep
breath before we don our patronizing hat and judgmental cloak and fly with
it. Obviously, for some, beauty pageants conjure up an image of half-naked
females trying to make it down the walkway in high-heel shoes without
breaking their neck. Even American Beauty Pageants (some of them at least)
have come a long way from the early pageants whose primary purpose was
the commodification of women. Some held by educational institutions are even
considered “Scholarship Programs” for the financial benefit that they
present to the contestants helping them further their education.
What took place in Asmara over the weekend was a far cry from your run of
the mills Western Beauty Pageant, our girls showed their God given physical
beauty and remarkable brain power. The answers they gave to the questions
posed to them I find to be down right inspiring.
Sure when missmanaged beauty pageants can have downsides, but then again
anything that is mismanaged can have adverse effects anyway.
To our Dehaiers who suggested Beauty Pageants are the work of evil, well
sort of, I’d say open your eyes and try to see beyond the smoke screen. No
offense to my namesake who faulted the PFDJ for allowing the beauty pageants
to take place and proposed the party be split, I'd say, as the elderly
Eritrean lady who lived in the US for a number of years and picked
up English words here and there said in a moment of incredulity, "Woylekey
ridiculoseyé"!
Biniam