Successful Sunday
One factor that makes Eritreans unique is the connection between people and leadership. Whenever an Eritrean Government delegation travels anywhere in the world, they make sure they have a meeting with their people.
Always give updates about current affairs, take opinions and advises
from the public that stands by them and trusts them. I have never seen
any other country's government delegation carry out similar meetings
with their people. Foreign Minister Osman Mohammed Saleh and Yemane
Gebreab were not able to travel to Washington DC, but they still
connected with their people, heard opinions and answered some questions
via video conference. At the same time they held another public meeting
with Eritreans from New York and environs.
On a Sunday
afternoon, perhaps they could have taken it easy like the other leaders
who were attending the 67th UN Assembly, but they chose to have meetings
with their people. While many leaders enjoy their caviar and wine in
some five star hotels of New York and shopping in big malls, the
Eritrean delegation was busy dealing with Eritrean affairs and meeting
diplomats in order to strengthen diplomatic relationship and
partnership. That is what a committed and honest leadership does. But
this commendable and exemplary commitment and dedication is
unfortunately not favored in this present world where corruption and
exploitation is widespread. Passive thinking populations and corrupt
leaderships are encouraged by powerful minorities that are threatening
those majority who expose the truth.
The announcement for
public seminar in New York and Washington DC area was announced on local
Eritrean radios, social medias and websites a few weeks prior to Sunday
September 30th, 2012 and Eritreans were looking forward to attending as
they usually do. As I am currently in the area, I also had plans to
attend and made my way to Sheraton Hotel in Pentagon City Arlington,
Virginia. By the time I got there it was almost 3:15 in the afternoon,
an hour and fifteen minutes late from the announced time. As I walked
in, there were many Eritreans flocking in. The seminar was already
underway and Mekonen GebreMariam a young member of Eritrean Mekhete
committee was half way into his opening speech. It was a full house and I
found a chair at the back and settled for the seminar. I took notice of
this eloquent young man [Mekonen GebreMariam] taking over the torch of
Mekhete as he was addressing the attendees with a clear and commanding
voice. He was underlining the power of our unity and that Eritrea will
always confront those who tamper with our unity. This was an affirmation
to the continuous Eritrean willpower for the better future.
Then another young man Simone Mariotti who was moderating the seminar
took floor and introduced the video conference seminar with Mr. Yemane
Gebreab which the attendees received with applauds and cheers. With a
clear voice and picture, the video conference was very effective. After
greeting the attendees, Mr. Gebreab talked about the current political,
social and economical affairs of Eritrea, how the time for economical
leap has come, clear and smooth ways for a better growth have been
paved. Now is a good time to think about investing in Eritrea as a
conducive environment for economical growth is created. Eritrea is about
to change the speed to a faster gear. This was received with big cheers
and applauds by the attendees. He concluded his speech by reminding
Eritreans to participate in the second investment conference on December
2012, in Asmara. Then Yemane Gebreab answered a few questions to the
satisfaction of the attendees.
After the video conference
from New York, a very impressive project was presented by Eritrean youth
who are working on sending eBooks to Eritrea. The project is called
EriReader and the idea of this noble gesture is to help collages and
schools in Eritrea by sending e-Readers and making digital books
available to students. These portable devices store thousands of
low-cost digital books which can be accessed easily. It is a noble
project and many attendees showed their support by donating money and
pledging to buy eBooks and donate it to the EriReader project which will
then be sent to Eritrea.
Then followed Dr. Berhe
HabteGiorgis' presentation about effective public involvement in
business and investment in Eritrea. He made an in-depth analysis and
presented his intellectual insight on the Eritrean economy. Why invest?
How to invest? When is the right time to invest? were some of the topics
he talked about. Attendees were able to ask questions and some
investors who attended the seminar also gave their opinions. He also
offered his intellectual help for anyone who wants to invest. Then after
a brief concluding message by the Chair of Mekhete Taskforce Committee
Mrs. Freweini Tekeste, the young moderator Simone Mariotti closed the
successful seminar by leading a one minute silence in remembrance of the
Eritrean martyrs.
At some point during the seminar, one
man in front of me started shouting and being a nuisance. He was quickly
apprehended and thrown out and a couple of his associates were also
thrown out after they were handpicked by the organizers and handed over
to the police. The attendees cheered while those nuisances were being
thrown out. And while outside, those who resisted were handcuffed and
dealt with by the police. What I observed then was, how Eritreans are
disgusted by those handful tools who are being sent to disrupt Eritrean
meetings. As one father said, "these servants are licking the leftovers
of weyane and are surviving by a straw". These handful tools did not
have shame to be exposed to such an embarrassing treatment and it
reminds me of the saying which goes "When a stupid man is doing
something he is ashamed of, he always declares that it is his duty."
Eritrea walks on slowly but surely.
God/Allah bless Eritrea.
Samson Negassi,
samson_negassi_at_yahoo.co.uk
Received on Thu Oct 04 2012 - 20:29:32 EDT
