Below is a reflection on the 8th Annual YPFDJ Conference in Ontario. For
more reflections on conference, please visit our new YPFDJ conference
resource, ypfdjconference.wordpress.com.
The young leaders of the Eritrean diaspora have done it again. From early
morning lectures to late cultural nights, it has been a memorable
experience for those who attended. The 8th Annual Young People’s Front for
Democracy and Justice (YPFDJ) Conference was held in Ontario, Canada and
has been one of the most successful conferences thus far. Hundreds of young
Eritreans gathered from opposite ends of the world; from Seattle to
Switzerland. Having various breakout and discussion sessions made the
conference intimate and allowed individuals to network on a more personal
level.
The annual YPFDJ conference is a place for youth to network and provides a
platform for young Eritreans from all over the world to voice concerns and
inform co-existing chapters of achievements accomplished throughout the
previous year. It is a great opportunity to learn from the experience of
our peers, as well as the experience of our elders. We were able to debate
and work on real-world problems together; problems that affect our
communities around the world, and especially our people in Eritrea.
Specific topics of the group discussions were the role of youth in mekete,
the seven priorities of nation building, and the challenges and successes
of YPFDJ North America. Break-out discussions were more frequent than
previously held conferences and these allowed the young Eritrean leaders to
voice their opinions and ask questions pertaining to subjects they felt
were important such as historical discussions, current events, and future
projects under construction.
Several prominent leaders of Eritrea discussed the social, political, and
economic characteristics of Eritrean youth living in the Diaspora. Guest
speakers and their presentations included: Mr. Zemhret Yohannes: Lecture on
Organizational Development, Dr. Ghidewon Abay-Asmerom: United Nations as a
Tool of Western Dominance & Neo-Colonization, Mr. Elias Amare: Developing a
National Literature for Nation Building, & Ms. Sophia Tesfamariam: Human
Rights as a Tool of Manipulation. Collectively there was a common theme:
understanding Eritrea’s ideology, holding true to our values/beliefs, and
not allowing negative influences to infiltrate that bond.
During one of the break-out sessions, Dr. Ghidewon Abbay Asmerom made an
excellent analogy of Eritreans and onions:
At the root of every onion lies a kernel. Eritreanism should be the kernel
to our identity. Like an onion, individuals consist of several layers.
These layers include your religion, your job, your hobbies, etc. Although
we have these numerous layers, our core is what is most important. It is
our foundation and it is what stabilizes us as a people. Our layers should
be inferior to our core and not override our identity. Our jobs and hobbies
do not define who we are; therefore these things cannot be used as a tool
to separate us as a people. This is why Eritreans are able to co-exist
peacefully regardless of ethnicity, political affiliation, religion, etc.
This is one of the many reasons we are a “threat of a good example.”
As the conference came to what seemed like a quick ending, cultural shows
were performed and music from Tesfalem Arefayne (Korchach) and Walta band
were performing live throughout the night. During the closing ceremony, a
flag was passed to the next state to host the conference as a symbolization
of passing the torch. It lies in the hands of the California chapters to
organize the conference next year and their success is inevitable. Until
then, it is our responsibility as future leaders to take everything we have
learned from this experience and previous conferences before this one, and
apply it to our daily lives in being upstanding, hardworking, self-reliant
Eritreans. Awet N’hafash!
Jerusalem Bereket - YPFDJ-Jacksonville
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YPFDJ MEDIA
Received on Mon Nov 05 2012 - 14:34:50 EST
