The following is a reflection on the 8th Annual YPFDJ Conference in
Ontario. For more reflections, visit your new source for YPFDJ Conference
media: ypfdjconference.wordpress.com
During every YPFDJ conference, there is at least one lecture with a
question and answer period given by a high-level member of the PFDJ. This
year's guest was Mr. Zemhret Yohannes, Head of the Research and
Documentation Center of Eritrea. The lecture and its question-and-answer
segment were eagerly anticipated by the attendees.
The basis of Mr. Zemhret's presentation was the "Evolution of Political
Systems and Organizations Throughout History." In an abbreviated lecture,
Mr. Zemhret gave a survey of the evolution of political organization from
the hunter-gatherer period to today. From this broad foundation he overlaid
the questions of purpose and importance which were explained by political
socialization and support, aggregation of interests, mentoring leaders, and
other factors.
With a basic understanding of these general (humanity-wide) concepts, the
discussion moved to the Eritrean experience and its context. Addressing a
question from an attendee, one of Mr. Zemhret's first points was to mention
that during the Second EPLF Congress the EPLF Political Programme was
altered to include a section regarding political pluralism which was not
included in the original Political Programme which had been passed at the
First Congress of the EPLF a decade before.
The lecture continued to a discussion of the State, with a particular focus
on the characteristics of stable states. Alluding to the Eritrean National
Charter, he described meaningful pluralism as necessitating a broad
political consensus, if not, political crisis and instability would ensue.
And thus a characteristic of stable states is a broad political consensus
where differences are marginal. Similarly, on the question of rights in
their totality, encompassing social, political, economic, these are not
questions of ideology or principle, no one is against the exercising of
natural rights. Mr. Zemhret stated that in reality, we must make them
meaningful by building the necessary institutions to ensure them. Like many
other rights, political rights are exercised through democracy which is at
its core, about *participation* - the linchpin of our organization.
At this point in the lecture Mr. Zemhret thought it would be best to take a
break and have a question and answer session. The first questions directly
related to the economy and the Eritrean Investment Conference that would
take place shortly after the conclusion of the YPFDJ-NA Conference. Mr.
Zemhret responded by referring to the 1994 Macropolicy document and
repeating the Government of Eritrea's commitment to a mixed public/private
economy that would ensure social goods through a market system. The balance
of questions related to engagement with other organizations and the
challenges of those in the National Service.
If the leadership is tied to outside groups (corrupted), then our political
struggle is for naught. This is not to suggest however, that we shun things
from the outside. We have always synthesized ideas from beyond our borders
with our own philosophies and factual situation. Indeed these have been
amongst our greatest assets: independence, self-reliance, readiness to
learn from the past, leadership through executive committee members to the
lowest-level cadre, and others. We have many challenges and obstacles that
are difficult to solve, but with our participation we will be a step closer
to their solution.
Finally, to bring the conversation full circle, Mr. Zemhret asked a
rhetorical question, "Why should we be involved in politics?" My answer is
this: because as thinkers we search for the truth; as moral persons, we
search for the good and beautiful; and because as political persons we
engage to unify the truth with the moral and make the world better.
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YPFDJ MEDIA
Received on Mon Nov 05 2012 - 14:37:58 EST
