If we are to move forward and restore hope for Ethiopia, we must first start by acknowledging the pains many harbor in their hearts and the injustices that have been visited upon various communities. I am loath to use the word tribe or ethnicity, we are a nation of diverse groups but we are Ethiopian first. However, I understand why some people feel a sense of deep grievance and seek a path of separation, throughout our history, Ethiopians who spoke certain dialects or had certain complexions have been marginalized and made to feel like second class citizens.
Recognizing these truths and admitting past mistakes is not a sign of weakness, we must get over the toxic pride that prevents us from saying yikirta (sorry) and seeking forgiveness. Our country is at a crossroads; in a lot of ways, our inability to listen to one another and egos that are metastasizing daily is leading Ethiopia towards disintegration. What we need more than ever is a conversation with a spirit of compassion and to listen to one another without assigning collective guilt and blaming all for the excesses of a few.
Sadly, we are headed in a different direction as more and more people have made the woeful mistake of seeking justice through the blinders of tribalism. Our national identity is being frittered away on a regular basis as ethnocentric ministers preach anger and their followers drink from the poisonous well of vengeance. As more people breathe in this cancerous air of vindictiveness egged on by separatists, the more rational people decide to become irrational and...continued...
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