The Eminence ll March/April 2015

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

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The Eminence March-April Issue 08

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

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The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Editor’s Note New Changes in Visa Issuance Restrictive, Deterrent to Travel The Main Department of Immigration & Nationality Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently made changes to the Visa issuance in the country, increasing fees and shortening the time of stay simultaneously. Though it is the government’s prerogative to make whatever reforms it deems necessary, this particular one negatively impacts it’s recent efforts to foster tourism and become a top five destination by 2020.

The more visa restrictions that exist in a certain country, the less tourists want to go there. This was the issue South Africa faced when it issued a regulation that requires an unabridged birth certificate for traveling minors and a provision requiring in-person collection of biometric processed visas in 2014. Tourism stakeholders immediately went on an uproar decrying that it would stop and reverse the growth of a booming sector.

Travelers to Ethiopia are currently complaining that the change in visa issuance is costing them money and time. Whereas a person previously staying in Ethiopia, could get a tourist visa for three months, they now only get one. Moreover, the visa fee for the one month is 50 to 70 dollars. Asking for a visa extension is another hassle as they have to renew their visa on a monthly basis, and there is no reduction in visa fees for renewals.

Moreover, foreigners residing in Ethiopia are complaining that they are being told they can get a renewal for a longer time if they go back to their country, whereas the Ethiopian consulate abroad does not provide such lengthy extensions, citing lack of ample time for preparation to implement the new law, as an excuse.

All these minor inconveniences will be remembered by these tourists the next time that they are deciding which country to visit. For a country that has high ambitions for the growth of the tourism sector this is a problem indeed.

It is true that the Ministry has other issues to consider in its own right, including border protection and the security of its citizens. Infact that is the reported reason which led to the current visa changes. This move by the government to protect its citizens and its efforts so far to make Ethiopia relatively peaceful deserve appreciation.

However, security concerns can be adressed by careful screening prior to the issuance of a visa, instead of increasing fees. Moreover, even if shortening the gap between two visa renewals may help monitor and track the activities of tourists, there is no reason that a person wanting to stay in the country should have to pay the same price on a monthly basis for renewal.

Aside from its own mandate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also a primary stakeholder in the tourism industry. It should recognize that more tourists staying in Ethiopia, would mean more revenue for the government. Therefore any rules it comes up with to tighten security, should take into consideration any adverse effect on Tourism.

The Eminence Magazine is published by Eminence plc.

It is registered by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority Registration No 207/2004.

Eminence plc. is registered by the Ministry of trade Business license No MT/AA/2/0001892/2004.

1st year March-April 2015 issue No 8

Managing Editor Tsewaye Muluneh Tsewaye.m@theeminencemagazine.com Editor-in-chief Elleni Araya Elleni.a@theeminencemagazine.com Bole s.c Woreda 03 H. No 129 Senior Editors Bezawit Bekele Bezawit.b@theeminencemagazine.com Frehiwot Gebrewold Frehiwot.g@theeminencemagazine.com Kaleab Hailu Kaleab.h@theeminencemagazine.com Gonzalo Guajardo gonzalo.gfc@hotmail.com Mandarin Editor Jiaqi Xie Copy Editor Nahusenay Aferwork Contributors Yibeltal Alemu Simon Heliso Reta Alemu Graphics and Layout Design Fikru Mengesha Photographer Sentayehu Bekele Sales and Marketing Manager Zemenu Tadesse Sales Executive Rahel Alemu Finance and Administration Zinash Habte Distribution Tariku Tessema Editorial Address Tel. +251- 118-637-089 +251-114-165-567 Fax. +251-114-165-557 P.O.BOX 794 code 1110 Web: www.theeminencemagazine.com Bole s.c Woreda 03 H.No 085 Cape Verde Street, off Africa Avenue in front of Sidama Lodge.

This edition is printed at Central PP Kirkos Subcity, Woreda 03 H.No 414 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

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News & Current Events

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan Sign Initial Agreement Over Use of Nile River [March 23, 2015] Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have signed a preliminary agreement over how to share the Nile River. This is progress for Ethiopia in light of the fact that Egypt has been wary of the negative effects on the water volume of the Nile when Ethiopia completes the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The agreement was signed between Egyptian President Abdel Fetah Al-Sisi, Ethiopian Premier Hailemariam Desalegn, and Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir in Khartoum.

Collective Use of ATM’s to Launch Soon [March 23, 2015] A trial run will start in May that will enable cardholders to use the ATM and PoS machines of around 13 banks in Ethiopia even if they are only the clients of one of these banks. The system operation is being handled by Eth-switch, a payment operation company established by 16 banks in Ethiopia, including the regulating body National Bank of Ethiopia. Eth-switch was set up in 2011 with a capital of 80.5 million ETB.

voices.nationalgeographic.com

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Plane Crash Kills 150 people [March 24, 2015] A German Wings Airplane travelling from Barcelona, Spain to Dusseldorf Germany crashed in France, killing all passengers.

It is said that the pilot, Andreas Lubitz, who previously had suicidal tendencies deliberately crashed the plane. 150 people were killed in the crash.

Ethiopia Launches 4G Mobile Service in Capital [March 21, 2015] State owned monopoly Ethio Telecom launched 4G service in Addis Ababa, which will initially be available for 400,000 subscribers. The infrastructure that took 8 months to put up is part of the $ 1.6 billion project Chinese firms Huwawei and ZTE are carrying out to improve and expand the network of the country. The 4G’s downloading capacity is at 150 megabit per second.

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Ethiopia Burns Ivory Tusks Worth $12 Million [March 20, 2015] Ethiopia has burnt a six tone pile of elephant ivory tusk estimated to cost 12 million dollars which has been accumulating over the past 20 years after being seized from poachers. Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen lit the fire. The move comes because Ethiopia follows zero tolerance policy towards poaching because of Africa’s dwindling population. A few months ago Kenya had followed the same path.

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

http://thewildsource.com/

Tourist Arrival from Oman to Ethiopia on the Rise [March 11, 2015] Ethiopian Airlines revealed that the country is becoming a preferred destination for Omani tourists and expatriates. Since the Airlines started flying directly from Addis Ababa to Muscat, Oman, the flow of tourists from the Middle Eastern country is increasing 10pc on a daily basis. Last year, 10,000 Omani tourists visited Ethiopia.

African Union Grand Hotel to Open its Doors by End of 2015 [March 9, 2015] The seven-star African Union Grand Hotel will finally open by the end of this European Year. Built inside the African Union premises, the hotel is meant to cater to diplomats, presidents and high government officials. It will have 610 rooms, including 27 presidential and 31 ministerial suites, as well as a conference hall that can accommodate 3,500 people. The African Union Grand Hotel is being built by Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi who invested close to 420 million dollars. It will be managed by Westin Grand Hotels and Resorts.

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Black Mane Lions in Ethiopia at Risk of Extinction [March 11, 2015] Ethiopian black mane lions are slowly dying out due to an increasing human population and expanding settlements, according to conservationists. There are only 1000 left of the unique species that once graced the Ethiopian flag. These lions are found in areas bordering Sudan and Somalia as well as in some national parks in central and eastern Ethiopia.

Credit: Zekarias Abubeker (AFP)

Africa Junior Athletics Championships conclude with Nigeria on top [March 8, 2015] There was plenty of excitement at Addis Ababa stadium as the capital played host for the Africa Junior Athletics Championships.

After the competitions ended on March 8, Nigeria came out on top with the most gold medals. The West African Nation has been honored by its athletes who won 8 gold, 7 silver and 6 bronze medals. South Africa came second with nine gold medals, while host Ethiopia ranked third with six. The latter however is the leader in total medal counts, collecting 28 in total.

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Fire breaks out in forest near Bale National Park [March 6, 2015] Fire broke out in Sanete Plateau in Bale Mountains In the first week of March and has taken more than a week to contain. One of Ethiopia’s chief tourist attractions, Bale Mountain is home to the Ethiopian Wolf, Nyala and big headed mole rat. It is especially liked by trekkers and nature enthusiasts. The Ethiopian government, Ministry of Forest & Environment and locales were making efforts to put the fire out.

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Facilities & Accommodations Review

A Taste of Old and New Addis Gursha Lounge Restaurant

By Elleni Araya Staff Writer

Newly opened restaurant Addis Gursha has been getting positive attention on social media. The Eminence went to check out the hype and spent a whole afternoon in the place, getting a chance to talk to the owner, her family, and her customers. Here’s a tale of the afternoon’s experience.

Rahel Berhe can converse comfortably in English, Spanish, French and Arabic. Yet the multi-lingual restaurateur cannot find an appropriate term for Gursha in any of these languages.

“It’s a purely Ethiopian concept,” she says of the word that makes up part of the name of her new restaurant Addis Gursha.

Feeding someone by hand with warmth and affection is a common practice in Ethiopia, but a novelty to the western world unless they had managed to encounter it as a cultural reference depicted first by the cartoon character Tin-Tin, or more recently 8

Visual Feast: An order for Beyaynetu will result in the appearance of a colorful and visually appealing dish that tastes as good as it looks. by the Simpson siblings in the long running American TV show.

For Rahel, Gursha is a reminder that there is ancient wisdom in Ethiopia’s cooking and eating habits. “We foster well being by dining together from a single plate, and feeding each other, “ she says. The idea behind her restaurant was to bring back this traditional culture in a modern setting, a fusion of the The Eminence March-April Issue 08

old with the new. Hence the name Addis Gursha. The restaurant started operations four months ago, on the first floor of B&C Aluminium building next to Harmony hotel.

Restaurant openings are not rare in Addis, especially on the narrow road between Edna Mall and Medhanialem Building where Addis Gursha is located. New, trendy bars populate the area along with several hotels, making it a quasi hotel district. But the new restaurant has been getting some buzz on social media for its tasty food, so The Eminence decided to check if it lived up to its name.

The place was a surprise when The Eminence popped in for lunch one random Wednesday. It was empty with only a few staff to welcome guests. Rahel later explained that they only started serving lunch two weeks ago, although the place had been welcoming customers at dinnertime for the past four months.

The scarcity in customers gave The Eminence a clear view of the décor. It is hard to pinpoint a defined theme in it, as it is an eclectic mix of Ethiopian and western.

That was deliberate according to Rahel, as she wants to incorporate her childhood in Ethiopia near St. Trinity Cathedral as part of a large family with seven brothers and sisters, her worldly experience as a flight attendant for more than a decade and her life in Spain where she started a family of her own and operated an Ethiopian restaurant/ cultural centre called Abyssinia.

Upon entrance one can find all the accouterments needed for a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, complete with burning incense and fresh cut grass. The décor on the walls are also traditional, with Ethiopian handwoven trays (Sefed) and scarves adorned all over. There are also photographs of Mandela, Bob Marley and Emperor Haileselassie. The latter was something she got from her father who she said was the last emperor’s official photographer.

The paint however is a far cry from the muted, silent shades characteristic of Ethiopians.

The primary color on the walls is a darker shade of azure, an attempt by Rahel to bring the feel of the Medeteranneian beachside in Spain, where she’s lived for more than a decade and operated an Ethiopian restaurant/cultural center called Abbyssinia.

Another shade of blue (cobalt) appears on The Eminence March-April Issue 08

the table clothes and the bar area giving the place a cool, lounge like vibe. What’s not painted blue shows lighter shade of green, orange and yellow, along with earth tones.

Patio chairs, bar stools and booths colored dark chocolate are mixed to accommodate seating. All the furniture is made in Ethiopia, according to Rahel. Clean bathroom facilities for ladies and gents are available through double swinging doors, although there is only one toilet to accomodate customers in the ladies room.

Though space is ample, all of it is not covered by tables and chairs. The left side of the room hosts a wide bar. In a corner by the window there is space for a live band performance. There is also a sound system, with a military camaflouge décor, which was blaring Teddy Afro’s songs at the time of The Eminence’s visit.

Rahel told The Eminence that she intends to have musicians playing different genres at her restaurant. There will also be performances during the day, to allow children and the elderly who don’t normally hang out at clubs at nighttime, to enjoy music, according to her. Reggae, Jazz, and piano recitals will soon fill the air .

As Rahel was telling The Eminence about the place and why she started it, customers started coming in. Two tables were now occupied, and The Eminence staff decided it was the right time to sample the food.

Upon Rahel’s recommendation, a variety vegetarian dish (Beyaynetu), Fish, and sautéed tofu were brought on a single tray, the way she likes it.

“Of course I serve with plates and utensils when foreign guests come, or if my Ethiopian customers prefer it, but I usually serve food like this when my friends pay a visit,” she told The Eminence.

With the mix of vibrant colours and creative arrangement, the food was visually mouthwatering. Three full Injera, different vegetarian stew in small clay dishes and rice in pan African colours, and fish grilled whole adorned the tray. A quick taste revealed that the food tasted as good as it looked. Spiced and salted to moderation, it can satisfy both Ethiopian’s and foreigners palletes. The tofu (soya) was especially well cooked, a rarity in Ethiopia where cooks have a hard time overcooking it and giving it a dubious taste.

Late arriving friends of Rahel’s, she herself and four of The Eminence staff all dug in 9

Rahel Berhe owner of Addis Gursha speaks with a passion when asked about food or Ethiopia. from the same tray, talking and sharing experiences, just as Rahel envisioned for her restaurant. The portion was plenty, although this may be because Rahel ordered for a considerable party of seven.

The menu has selections both for Ethiopian and western dishes, with prices ranging from medium to high, although it could be considered relatively cheaper considering the location and the other restaurants surrounding the area. The Vegetarian Mix, beyaynetu, costs 80 ETB, the sautéed Soya 70ETB and Fish 110 ETB. (The fish can be ordered as a standalone dish or as a combo with Beyaynetu). The cheapest price on the menu is fasting firfir which costs 35 ETB. The meat selections are on the expensive side costing upto 150 ETB. Drinks, both cold and warm are on offer.

Complimentary tea falvored with thyme, which Rahel says helps digestion, is usually served with the food.

Mid-lunch, more and more customers came, giving to The Eminence a chance to gather their comments. Several of the customers that dropped by were repeat visitors who shared a friendly rapport with Rahel.

She sat and talked to a couple of them as they made their orders, asking about how this or that (things they had shared with her during their previous visit) was going. If the customers are new, Rahel makes it a point 10

The kitchen is where Addis Gursha made a name for itself with tasty selections.

of greeting them and asking about their life.

Zinash Tessema and Hiwot Girma, partners in an online gift shop business called Muday, got this welcoming treatment that Wednesday. Rahel mentioned other customers of hers who were in a similar line of business, and offered to introduce them at will.

“I like networking and connecting people” she told The Eminence. “I believe I’m talented at this.”

Zinash and Hiwot had sampled the Beyaynetu. Their overall impression of the place was positive. They had come after reading positive things about it on a friend’s facebook post and they weren’t dissaponited. Rahel liked the food and said she would be coming again since their office was nearby. For Hiwot, it is the cultural and modern mix of the décor and the atmosphere of the place that was an attraction.

They did complain however that the Beyayentu dish didn’t contain many varieties. “There’s a lot you can add to that dish, aside from a few sauces and vegetables,” they both said in turns.

Both they and another set of customers also recommended that Rahel should advertise her restaurant to bring more people in.

“She should especially publicize that she

has started lunch service,” they stated.

Raymond Badanga, a Ugandan national who runs a banking software solutions business a floor above Addis Gursha, was also a customer that day. He appreciated the service given at the place, something he has had a hard time with during his three year stay in Ethiopia. His lunch companions, Tsion Demerew and Elsa Seifu, expressed their appreciation for the taste of the food. The rice with tuna and the chicken breast were delicious, according to Tsion, although she found the prices on the expensive side. Like the other customers, Tsion also thinks that Rahel should advertise in order to attract customers.

It is something she plans to do in the future, Rahel says, but only after she implements all she has planned for the place. “Another idea I have is to invite different chefs to cook in an open kitchen at the restaurant,” she tells The Eminence. “I think making this place interactive is important, because I don’t want the popularity to be just a fad,” she says.

If the food maintains it’s quality and her plans all come to fruition, she should not have trouble The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Travel & Culture

Lakeside Paradise

By Frehiwot Gebrewold Staff Writer

A vibrant city, founded by Emperor Hailesialse in 1952 is located about 270 Km away from Addis Ababa. Through the express way that connects Addis Ababa to Adama city, it only takes about four hours to get to this city, Hawassa. Being the capital of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region of Ethiopia, the city has become one of the major tourist destinations for both foreign and domestic tourists. The attractions for the huge flow of tourists to the city include the lake, the mountains, the historical and cultural heritages, the flat land feature and the moderate climate.

Not only do they attract sojourners, they have also made many choose the city for investment as well as residence.

Despite being one of the smallest Rift Valley Lakes, Lake Hawassa is one of the main reasons for the establishment of Hawassa and its naming. The water of the lake is healthy and contains fish. A group of hippos can be seen in the lake as well. Similar to other Rift Valley lakes it also offers bird watching. A variety of colorful birds are seen in and around the lake. It is believed that perhaps there is no other place in Africa to see the colourful and localized pygmy goose other than Lake Hawassa.

At the end of the asphalt road that runs The Eminence March-April Issue 08

through the centre, located at the shore of Lake Hawassa there is boat association of young people. Here you can rent a rowboat or motorboat for a trip to the hippo-corner.

With a rowing boat the trip takes at least 3 hours. Among the planted trees by the youth there are small huts with benches in it offering drinks, snacks and fish. It is a popular gathering place for local youth, always busy and lively.

Hawassa has high-end resort hotels by the lake. Visitors are treated in these places

Here you can rent a rowboat or motorboat for a trip to the hippocorner

where nature and high tech harmonize to the best effect. With a lake view and pleasant sunset images almost yearround the experience is delightful. If one wants for a ride around the lake, it is possible to rent a bike. It is very common to see fishermen on their wooden boat full of tilapia fish early in the morning at a place called Amora Gedel, which is a well-known open fish market in the city. The market takes place very early in the morning and women start preparing the fresh fish even before the sun rises.

Different kinds of fish meal are prepared for customers here: fish soup, raw fish, grilled fish and so on. A large number of pelicans can be seen here looking for leftovers. Besides, the sight of goats and sheep is very common.

Specific market days are common in Ethiopia. People gather at a market place once or twice a week not only to buy and sell items but also to socialize.

Market days are decided based on consensus reached among people living in an area. Monday and Thursday are very colorful market days in Hawassa.

Ethiopian pottery, baskets and bags, and traditional Ethiopian dress are among the many things available in the market 11

during those days. Vegetables, fruits, especially avocado and pineapple, and grains are also found there.

At the southern part of the city, Mount Tabor stands tall. The entire part of the city and the magnificent Lake Hawassa can be seen from the top of this mountain. Many people prefer this flattened elevation for walking especially during early morning and in the afternoon. The other mountain situated at the south western part of the city is Mount Alamura. This mountain gives a vantage point to see the Sidama villages and the landscape of the surrounding.

St. Gabriel Church is one of the city’s landmarks. The design of the building attracts many people. Besides, it is becoming a pilgrimage for many Ethiopian Orthodox

Church followers, especially in January and July to celebrate the annual St. Gabriel Day. The statue of Sidama Nation which is seen right in front of St. Gabriel Church is another landmark. This statue was built by the zone’s administration to bear witness to the historical and cultural heritage of the people.

A cave which is acknowledged by the elderly as “God’s Pit” is located only 13 km away from Hawassa. The cave is called Ganjibolo Natural Cave and is one of the natural heritages of the city.

Six kilometres south-west from the city center is located Loke Palace. It is a historical attraction for the city. The palace was built during the time of Emperor Haileselassie in 1951. The Emperor purposefully made

the palace to serve as a temporary residence. When Ras Mengesha Seyoum, an official of the time, was assigned from Tigray by the Emperor to architecturally design and establish the town, he constructed his residential palace there in 1969. This palace is located around the current Lewi Resort.

The spill over of the lake damaged the building extensively, except for its walls that withstood submergence for 40 years. The first government office was built in the city in 1958 and is called Hawella Wereda Government. This building now serves as a police station.

Inaugurated in 1984, the Sidama Cultural Hall is another landmark of the city that serves different purposes.

Liesurely scenes: The magnificent Lake Hawassa with its pelicans (top left) The statue of Sidama Nation “Sidamu Summuda” (top right) Those who like rowing, can do so at leisure on this lake (bottom left) There is a Sidama cultural house inside the compound of the hall which consists of some cultural objects. The picture of Queen Fura, the highly respected queen of the Sidama people, is painted on the wall of the hall. Statues of different leaders and worriers are seen in the compound of this cultural hall 12

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Life Style & Health

Takeaway

The Ethiopian Way

Gone are the days when Ethiopian housewives prepared their spices and food ingredients from scratch. A fast-paced, changing and increasingly cosmopolitan lifestyle, which does not give much spare time or space for its residents is leading many to outsource this food-preparation skill to businesses. Those astute enough to observe this new trend are queuing up to start small as well as large scale businesses and profit from this emerging demand for ready-made food.

By Elleni Araya Staff Writer

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Never did Tsehay Destaw dream that the cooking and home economic skills she acquired over 20 years as a housewife were marketable. The forty five-year-old prepares food the same way most women of her generation do: everything from scratch.

The sight of Berbere (powdered red chilli), Shiro (ground peas stew), or various spices spread over a tarpaulin sheet and left outside to sundry before they are taken to the millers for powdering were too common in almost every Ethiopian household.

But no longer, Tsehay has been noticing.

These days newly married women don’t ask her for advice on how to prepare food ingredients. They offer her money to prepare it for them instead. She gets 400 ETB for preparing 17 Killos of Berbere.

Though she complies for subsistence, it’s not a change Tsehay appreciates.

“I have hand washed clothes, baked Injera, prepared ingredients every six months, and cooked food three times a day throughout my marriage,” she says with pride. “The things you prepare at home are tastier, healthier, and save you money” But the lifestyle Tsehay talks of is hardly practiced by the younger generation of Addis Ababans. In fact they have taken the practice of buying spices and ingredients one step further. They have now outsourced their cooking as well. They buy canned and frozen food from supermarkets and purchase takeaway food for potluck.

Newly married Frehiwot Berhanu, 25, can attest to this. It is not just spices and ingredients she buys, but frozen and cooked food as well. Living in a condominium 13

apartment and trying to establish a dairy business hardly gives her time or space to prepare food for herself, she says. Most of the time she comes home too tired to cook.

On nights like these she resorts to spending money to buy frozen pizza or injera and canned wot (canned stew). “It saves time,” she remarks. Moreover it’s less expensive than going to a restaurant to eat. “You may spend around 120 ETB if you eat at the restaurants downstairs,” she says referring to the eateries on the first floor of Gotera condominium where she lives. “But my maximum spending when buying frozen and canned food is 35 ETB.” Space constraints are also the reason Firehiwot opts to buy ready-made spices instead of preparing them herself. “You don’t have your own compound and have to wait turns to use communal areas,” she tells The Eminence People like Firehiwot are now the norm rather than exceptions. As more women enter the workforce and more families live in low cost apartments (condominiums), they are spending more money on frozen and canned foods. Moreover the injera and spice market is no longer geared towards export for the Ethiopian Diaspora; its market share is growing locally by the day but enjoys a surge in sales locally as well.

There is a budding market to answer to this demand. A cursory glance at supermarket isles reveals that there are increasing brands of frozen vegetables, food ingredients and surprisingly enough canned wot. There are also people that prepare such food and sell at various corners.

Firehiwot does not have to go far to buy canned wot for dinner. She simply walks over to Nestanet Tekeste a few doors away.

Netsanet, also 25, started preparing and selling canned food in her apartment four months ago. A nurse by training, she found the idea of being employed for a living undesirable.

“The day I finished sitting for the 10th grade national examination was the day I wanted to open a shop,” she tells The Eminence.

Due to family pressure, she continued with her education. But her dream of being an entrepreneur hadn’t died down. When she was doing a market study, she zoned in on 14

Netsanet Tekeste delivers her frozen pizza two more months before giving her the and canned Wot to condominium resi- approval certificate. Daily she distributes 50-55 frozen pizza and various canned wot, dents living nearby including doro wot (chicken stew), minchet the demand for ready-made food. (minced meat stew), alcha (stew without “I have always loved cooking, and my berbere), and gomen (kale). She uses sister who lives in Germany taught recycled glass jars to pack the stew. Around me how to preserve food for a longer six supermarkets, carry her products every period of time,” she said. She scouted 10 to 15 days. She also places her products restaurants and supermarkets that were in small shops (souks)and restaurants. Her willing to purchase her product and canned wot has a special market in Merkato discovered that there was interest. The and Kolfe area. decision was made then.

In the afternoons Netsanet also goes door With a 100,000 ETB capital, she bought to door in different condominiums to a deep freezer and ingredients, acquired market her products. “I tell them it’s cheap a business license, hired two cooks and doesn’t require much preparation.” and started operating a frozen pizza Soon she plans to move to Mebrat Hail and canned wot business from her condominium, where there are a larger condominium suite. According to number of residents in order to market her Netsanet, the canned wot lasts for six canned stew. months; she learnt the preservation “There is indeed a market for the food due technique from her sister. to people’s lifestyle,” Netsanet confirms.

“Unless you want to heat it up, you The challenge she encounters however is can simply open the can, unload the skepticism of people who find the idea the contents on injera and start of canned wot that stays for six months eating,” Netsanet explains. However, suspicious. “They also question the price” supermarkets only carry it for ten days, she explains. She sells her canned wot for as the Health Bureau has to test her for 40-45 ETB and her frozen pizza for 15 ETB.” The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Such a price has it own downside.

“They immediately think it it’s not healthy, otherwise it wouldn’t’ be so cheap.” She works hard to change such opinions. In line with this, she has aptly branded her product “Siltun” (civilized).

Nestanet is confident that she has entered the right business. Soon she plans to move to Mebrat Hail condominium, where there are higher number of residents.

“My plan in the future is to hire more help and sell upto 1,000,000 injera a day,” Netsanet bares her ambitions.

There are already those that operate such businesses on a much larger scale.

NutrAfrica is a large food and agro industry established in 2011 with a capital of 100 million Br by Ethiopian diaspora Sisay Shimelis and his partners.

The idea behind the company is to mechanize and integrate the value-chain of injera production. With a factory in Bishoftu that currently produces 5000 Injera a day, and aspirations to produce a million using a special baking machine designed to rollout injera by the second, NutrAfrica is the very definition of large-scale. The company The Eminence March-April Issue 08

A for presentation: With an appealing look and user-friendly presentation, Hibeste Sisay, is ready made food at its finest, especially for potluck. is also planning to operate its own large farm to produce teff.

The food- to- go (ready-made food) culture is also giving rise to creative presentation and branding style for Ethiopian food that is a fusion of the traditional with the modern.

NutrAfrica for instance plans to package, list the nutrient contents, brand and sell a different range of injera products in a modern manner. The brochures to be found at the company’s shop and offices located at the other end of the building that houses Novis on Africa Avenue, shows the company’s creative streak in branding. A small take away box of injera rolls and stew is branded ‘Injera2go’ while the traditional dirkosh (dried/preserved injera) is packaged in small snack bags and branded Gluten Free Chips.

Though this was initially planned for the export market, NutrAfrica is already attract-

ing the interest of local consumers. Until it finishes preparations to roll out these products, NutrAfrica currently offers a large takeaway meal that can feed more than 25 people called ‘Hibeste Sisay’.

Inspired by both the Ethiopian traditional takeaway packaging - the Agelgel- and modern western branding, this meal is a visual feast that can only be described as Ethiopian food delivered in foursquare lasagna style pieces. The injera and different wot varieties are arranged lunch box style, with one layered on top of the other, until it thickens. As garnish, boiled eggs or green pepper are placed on top of each foursquare serving for non-fasting or fasting assortments respectively. A local woman came up with this product and partners with NutrAfrica to make it for customers on order.

The brochure advertising this takeaway meal reads that it is suitable to take for large gatherings, including weddings, birthdays, holiday celebrations, or mourning meals. This meal must be ordered three days in advance, at the shop under Nutra Africa offices located at the other side of the building that houses Novis Supermarket. Price varies depending on the variety of wot used and whether it’s a fasting or non-fasting dish.

The orders for Hibeste Sisay increasingly keep on coming, according to Metasebia Shewaye Yilma, the communications spokesperson for NutrAfrica, though the company has not yet advertised this product widely.

Indeed the days are long-gone when purchased takeaway foods Ethiopians guests bring were limited to pastry and drinks. There was a time when it was taboo to take food that one has not prepared at home to such large gatherings, but not anymore.

And many like Netsanet on a smaller scale and NutrAfrica on a larger scale, are queuing up to establish businesses based on this changing, fast-paced cosmopolitan lifestyle mushrooming in Addis Ababa 15

Art & Literature

Kyle La Mere

New Beats in the New Flower

The Eminence hits the road to follow Ethio-American music band, MistO-MistO, accompanying them on the trip they made to Hawassa, where they performed two concerts and filmed one of the video clips that will be part of the new album they are about to release. It is their debut release following two years of performing live in the Addis Ababa music scene. During the trip, they spoke of their origins, the influences on their sound and their undying passion for live music.

By Gonzalo Guajardo Staff Writer

It has already been almost a year since I first met Cory Seznec one of the founders MistO-MistO, the band that brings us here today. The Franco-American had joined the production crew filming a documentary about the music of Ethiopia, being shot all over the country. Cory joined the trip to learn about the different sounds of the country.

Now, a year later, I joined him on a completely different trip.

The one that MistO-MistO made to Hawassa over the last weekend of February. This was after I had been listening to them live on a monthly basis, as they performed at different places in the city. Although on a bit of a hiatus to work on their album, MistO-MistO can normally be found almost on a weekly basis in one of the many clubs 16

in town. They had been performing once a week at the Ghion Jazz Club until it closed its doors, about once or twice a month at Guy’s Bar (also recently closed), several times at Mama’s Kitchen, at the Taste of Addis and Acacia Jazz Festivals, and other places around town.

True to their name, Misto-Misto, are a collection of local and foreign musicians. The band was created at the end of 2013, after several jam sessions between John McKay, an American who has lived in Ethiopia for more than 10 years, and Cory. “The idea was”, as Cory reminds us, “to create an original band that would offer something markedly different from the other music in the Ethiopian scene”.

So, what kind of music do they play? Well, in today´s world it is hard to define music

and styles, where influences come from everywhere and musicians like to amalgamate whatever has previously influenced them. But, in an effort to explain to us what they do, they said that their style could best be summed up as a “fusion of afrobeat, ethiopop, Malian blues, western pop music, American folk and rock, and sci-fi”. Nice cocktail to start with.

Each member has their own untraceable backgrounds and inspirations which is precisely what makes the sound of the band more challenging and at the same time, unique, promising and new. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to say that we have heard that beat before. This is, undoubtedly, something new for our ears.

They know it and they play the game, knowing that the exotic and strangeness The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Gonzalo Guajardo

The members of MistO-MistO band performing at Club 7/11 during their trip to Hawassa. of the unknown has always attracted people, in spite of the rocky roads they may have had to traverse in their early stages.

I was able to witness firsthand the way they were shaping their style amidst the dynamic Ethiopian music scene where the old school sounds seek ways to integrate themselves with the vast variety of styles the new generation of Ethiopians and foreigners are bringing in.

No doubt, this is one of the reasons that spurs them to hit the road and perform new gigs once in a while; in this case, all the way down to Hawassa for a 2 day-trip that allowed them to showcase their work to new audiences. As soon as they arrived, they found themselves on the stage of the main hall of the University of Hawassa.

Without even having much time for resting or planning, they were performing after the mandatory sound check.

From a musical point of view, they were not in the best environment to play in. It was 4 pm, it was the end of the academic week with tired, somnolent students who did not know much what was going on and it was a huge white, wide, and cold place that was very difficult to fill without good advertisement. But professionals as they are, they did it. MistO-MistO planted The Eminence March-April Issue 08

its seeds and went on to the next gig. After a very brief break in the afternoon and a quick dinner, it was time to go back to perform again, this time in a night club.

The space was smaller, but the atmosphere promising. In this case it was not a program inserted into the many weekly activities as it was at the university. The people who gathered there did so because they wanted to listen to the music.

They wanted to enjoy themselves. Within a few minutes of the band starting their performance that little outdoor corner of Hawassa found itself enjoying a wonderful concert, an amazing sound experience, a band completely dedicated to the small yet enthusiastic audience.

Soon enough it was Saturday morning, and MistO-MistO were back at work, shooting a video clip. Intended for the Album they are about to release, the video utilized for scenery, the hills of Hawassa, and strategic shots in Langano Lake. It was indeed a tight and exhausting agenda for a group of musicians that cannot but give all of their energy, while on the stage.

When you listen to them you see their smiles, and their perspiration, and hear their cries along their instrument cords.

You see them having fun, you enjoy your-

self and you go back home with a sense that you have seen something wonderful and unique. You simply have a good time.

When asked about specific influences and personal backgrounds, the musicians made an effort to summarize the vast inspirations that have shaped them along the way: “ It ranges from Mali to Congo to Kenya and back to Ethiopia. The Ethiopian influences are fairly vast. Baby sings in the style of Mahmoud Ahmed, Tilahun Gessesse and other great classic Ethiopian singers. Endris and Mesele are traditional Ethiopian music masters and perform this music regularly. Cory loves the guitar playing of Tewelde Redda, Mesfin Abebe, Abitew Kebede, and Ali Birra; and Bubu, Sami and John were either born into Ethiopian music or have been playing it for a long time.�

The impression I got about individual members could be summed up as follows: John, the guitarist, seems to be the one who created the band, as he brought all of them together, provides his house for rehearsals, and makes sure to find places to play (and sometimes to sleep!).

He also provides some instruments and other gear, and has an extensive knowl17

(sometimes called “Baby Mahmoud”), is a popular singer around Addis noted for his powerful, smoky baritone voice and stage presence. He performs regularly at Mama’s Kitchen and the Sheraton.

Misiker “Bubu” Yohanes on bass and Sami Sandeku on drums are the young guns of the group. They are active in the reggae scene in Addis and are promising figures in the Ethiopian arena. Occasionally, guest artists are invited to perform and record with them. We cannot help but mention this trip’s special guest: Addis Abababased Norwegian Kidus Birhanu (a.k.a DJ Mitmita), whose extensive knowledge and beautiful compilations of Ethiopian music are signs of him becoming, undoubtedly, a serious reference in the historiography of Ethiopian music in the years to come.

Their audience has featured a genuine mix of locals and foreigners. They are always looking for newcomers, particularly people with open minds eager to discover new sounds inspired by a wide range of styles. Their goal is to tailor their music to both international and Ethiopian audiences. By having Baby singing in Amharic and Cory in English and French, they want to keep listeners on their toes and eager

Kyle La Mere

edge of interesting tones and sounds stemming from a passion for expanding the sonic potential of the guitar. Cory, a funny, intelligent and creative musician who plays the banjo, the guitar and the harmonica, aside from using his voice to sing in French and English, is probably the one with a wider musical experience and knowledge of the industry, at least as far as his records show, including solo acts and tours that he regularly does in Europe and the States.

When it comes to the Ethiopian musicians, we find the magic of being able to keep Ethiopian traditions embedded within new waves and modern sounds. Endreis Hassen plays the masinqo. He is one of the leading musicians in the country, and performs with a plethora of different groups both Ethiopian and foreign.

In Addis his main gig is performing with Ethiocolor at the well known Fendika club. The krar is in the hands of Mesele Asmamaw, well known for his experimental playing, having toured for many years with The Ex and other bands. He currently plays around town with the band Qwanqwa (among others) when not with MistO. Mesfin Sheferaw

Back row, from the left to the right: Cory Seznec, Misiker “Bubu” Yohanes, Mesfin Sheferaw. Front row, from left to right: Mesele Asmamaw Sami Sandeku, Endreis Hassen, John McKay

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to hear what comes next.

Right now, they have slowed down the concert pace to focus on the release of their first album, which is being produced

by Cory´s brother Yann Seznec, and features various special guests including the inimitable Addis based rock star Kenny Allen and the groovy bassist from the Black Jesus Experience Cass Horsfall. For this they are working on several music videos with a few fantastic Addis based filmmakers.

I did not want to leave the band without asking about the situation of the current Ethiopian scene when it comes to music.

“The reality”, they explain, “is that many music clubs have closed and the leading jazz club in town, Jazzamba, burned down. There is a dearth of good places to play due to the real estate bubble here in Addis. Guy’s Bar recently closed, Melaku Belay of Fendika has launched a kick starter campaign to save his club from soaring prices of rent, Ghion Jazz Club is closed, all part of a general 10-year pattern of closure. Without decent places to play, musicians will suffer. Let’s hope the size of the real estate bubble will diminish and venue owners and the general public will keep supporting live music instead of turning to DJs / piped in music!”

The trip was over and it was time to say goodbye. Even though they are still immersed in their album production, their desire is for people to continue to support live music. And, until the album is released, this is going to be the only way that we, faithful listeners and newcomers, have to check out firsthand what MistO-MistO is currently doing. Going to their gigs will allow any of us, whether Ethiopian or foreigner, to feel the allure of innumerable –mainly but not limited to African-influences that fuse together in this unlikely mixture of Ethio-American musicians. Their wish is to leave their mark of originality and creativity on the Ethiopian arena, without forgetting the old sounds and instruments which they purposely integrate into their original musical style.

Time will tell if Ethiopian audiences are ready for them, or if they are merely appreciated by foreigners. They can perhaps be the band that create a new style many different people will love and follow. At least, some of us can say that we were there to hear and witness it The Eminence March-April Issue 08

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

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Interview

Tourism’s Front Man

Ethiopia’s Seasoned Tour Operator He is the jack of all trades that studied everything from agriculture, to political science to theology, in addition to attending the School of Catering and Tourism Training Institute. But it is from the latter, that Fitsum Gezahegn made a living and a name for himself. As one of the earlier tour operators in the country and head of the Ethiopian Tour Operators Association (ETOA), he has been influential in the tourism industry by voicing the concerns of stakeholders and bargaining with government officials for a workable system. The Eminence’s Mikias Merhatsdik sat down with the tourism guru who co-founded Paradise Ethiopia Travel to discuss the challenges that the budding industry has faced over the last decade and what role his association is playing in the sector’s recent transformation.

Eminence: How long has it been since you joined the industry?

Fitsum Gezahegn: Well, it has now been nearly 21 years. I joined the industry [after] I got training from the school of Catering and Tourism Training Institute.

Your wife Te’mare Negussie also heads the company. How is it managing an organization as a couple?

Very Interesting. I think it would be somewhat difficult for many people.

But she is my best friend and I [am] hers.

We are more than a married couple, we are like friends. So we like to spend the whole day and night together. It is just like managing a family. We discuss all matters and decide together. Most of the time, she sees some things in a different way and I in another way. That helps us grow.

So, no difference in management and leadership philosophy?

No! We started from zero, so we have developed our own philosophy [which is] very simple: to create a small business with friends and family members and to have respect for the job.

I have read on a travel website the testimonial of tourists who were swindled by unlicensed tour operators and that you helped them visit the sites they wanted to see in the end. How can your Association stop such incidents which tarnish the name of the country and the sector?

First of all, one of tourism’s important 20

pillars is trust. But there are some individuals and companies in Ethiopia which are neither legal nor reliable.

This is damaging the tourism business.

So this thing that you just mentioned happened three years ago. Some tourists contacted [a tour operator] who could not deliver the service. They heard about our Association and contacted me from Bahir Dar. I took over the tour and showed them all around the country meeting their demands. As an Association we try to make things easier for people to come to the legal framework so that they can deliver their services and can be regulated.

However, since our Association is mainly a collection of private tour operators and businesses, we cannot enforce regulations. So we assist the Ministry of Culture and Tourism that does the controlling.

Have you come up with any kind of mechanism which allows you to block, or at least minimize foul incidents in collaboration with the Ministry?

Yes. One of the things was to make the registration process simple. If you just want to have a well established company with a good future then it is much easier now-a-days to be a legitimate tour operator. So knowing this, there is no way that you can work without permit unless you have selfish motives. We are training tour operators who are registered by the government to deliver reliable, high quality services..

On the other hand the government will soon start controlling all destination areas. Following this, those who are not registered will not deliver the service.

The Ethiopian Tourism Organization will have a national website, and we will put all this information on that. But there are people cheating here and there, and it is very difficult to control and stop it fully.

This has become a problem not only in Ethiopia, but in other countries as well.

Speaking about a reliable way of doing business, your Association propagates integrity in tourism. What does it mean?

Integrity is keeping your promises.

Whatever you say, you live it; whatever you say, you do it; whatever you don’t say, you don’t do it. A tour operator is not only a businessman but an ambassador as well. You are not only working for yourself but you are representing the 80 plus million people. So we always train, tell and remind our tour operators that they need to have integrity. Whatever they promise to the clients they have to provide, and the service standard has to match up with the price that they ask for the tour.

Your Association claims to be the entity behind the idea of establishing the Tourism Council, its board and the Ethiopian Tourism Organization; all of which are a reality now. How did you come up with these ideas?

Well, actually the purpose of establishing The Eminence March-April Issue 08

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

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the Ethiopian Tour Operators Association was to raise the industry to a higher level. Twelve years ago, we were all doing our own business. We sat together and said, “Come on, we have to do something about this industry” and formed the ETOA. Then while discussing how we could operate for a while, we raised various ideas like creating a tourism board and bringing some sort of transformation into tourism. So we explained this to several government organizations, mainly to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. They accepted our ideas and started to study this further.

And tourism organizations or tourism boards are being established in many African countries. Most of our competitors had been very successful because of that. But in our case, we didn’t have what we call a public private partnership, an emerging philosophy in the new market economic system. It works effectively, especially for tourism. We saw that we were lagging behind because of these things. So when the government accepted this, we contributed a lot in providing information and the like. So now the government has fully accepted it. It is really a good idea. We hope it will be very fruitful in the future.

In the past there were a lot of issues between your Association and the government regarding taxation and confiscation of vehicles. What are you fighting for this time?

Well, we actually fight to trasform the tourism industry. This is much easier for us now, because there is a forum for discussion. We have the privilege of approaching any government office. That is a big achievement for us. These problems we had been raising in the past like taxation, and the vehicle issues are still there. But we are more relaxed now. So in the coming days, what we are trying to do is pick them up again and discuss with the government to seek a possible solution. So I cannot say ‘this is the problem we have,’ because we have a forum now. We are members of the Ethiopian Tourism Board. We sit with all government offices and discuss these issues.

This is what we had lacked.

But first and foremost your organiza22

tion is a Trade Association which advocates the interest of its members.

Yes. Absolutely.

So what sticking points are you trying to solve at this time?

Well there are several issues like taxation that are not yet solved, so we are discussing that as well.

How is that peculiar to your sector?

Actually, the taxation regulation, especially VAT, doesn’t go with tourism, so there must be some kind of mechanism that can customize the law to accommodate the issues that we raise. About ten or eleven years ago there was a letter written from the Inland Revenue Ministry that ordered tour operators to pay VAT from their commissions. This is very tricky and difficult to implement. In our understanding that doesn’t go with the proclamation. We argue in line with article 7 of the proclamation that tour operation is a service export industry: so we need to be exempted from VAT. We are selling somebody’s property, somebody’s attractions, somebody’s services to people outside of the country and we are bringing tourists. It is clearly mentioned there and the Inland Revenue has to respect that. But this was not properly understood in the past. We had been trying and we will continue trying to convince them.

We sit with all government offices and discuss these issues. This is what we had lacked.

The other issue is about withholding tax.

According to the law, you have to withhold tax for all payments of more than 500.00 ETB. But most of our expenses are outside Addis, particularly to individuals and villagers outside of cities, so it’s impractical. How can you solve this?

There is no solution. The other issue is

about receipts issued by cash register machines. As I told you, most of our service providers cannot produce receipts for various payments.

What about the vehicle confiscations?

From our point of view, most of the vehicles which were under the control of Ethiopian Revenues & Customs Authority (ERCA) were not taken properly. They didn’t consider the realities of tourism and how each and every individual tour operator had been operating. We had actually been discussing with ERCA for two or three years, but finally the damage to the business of the tour operators was too much. All tour operators whose cars were taken by ERCA, were suffering.

Other tour operators who were keeping their idle cars at home had to pay bank loans. The main problem was that tour operators were not told what to do and what not to do. So they bought the cars and did whatever they wanted. Nobody told them until after several years when ERCA came up with a new law. They say you shouldn’t do this or that; you shouldn’t use the car for transporting these types of people. You know, it was really confusing. In my opinion, that was not actually the right thing to do. But we need to discuss what we can do about these issues in the future. Tour operators need clearly pinpointed rules.

You engage in different exhibitions and the like abroad to promote the country. What tangible results have you got from it for your association, for the business and for the sector?

Well the Ethiopian Tour Operators Association designed a five year strategic plan last year. It has three pillars. The first one is promotion and marketing; the second is professionalism; and the third is advocacy. So for the marketing and promotion part the Ethiopian Tour Operators Association organizes various trade fairs and exhibitions in different countries all over the world. We have been awarded for that in Korea a couple of years ago. We got ‘The Best Publicity Award’, because we had been working very hard and brought the Korean market to Ethiopia. In the past, the Ethiopian Ministry of Culture and Tourism had been doing this, but now they cut all the The Eminence March-April Issue 08

the quality of service providers from what it was ten, twenty years ago, we have improved a lot. So service, infrastructure, and everything else is on the rise. Everything is changing. We are not just selling holidays; we are offering lifetime experiences, an unforgettable trip to Ethiopia. In fact there are plenty of people coming to Ethiopia almost every year, sometimes twice a year. Thirdly, supply is not meeting demand. We still need to have more hotels, more lodges, more accommodations. The main obstacle for this is trained manpower. We need to train people working in hotels, restaurants, shops as well as tour operators, guides, drivers, all stakeholders. trade fair participation to only two, so we took over that and we are now organizing more than ten trade fairs all over the world. Together with the Ethiopian Tourism Organization, we are also going to organize various road shows in different countries, in Europe, North America and Asia. So this is one thing. The main success for us is that we are united and our principal agenda is promoting Ethiopia.

We believe that when we promote Ethiopia, we change the image of the country; we get the market and then we can compete. But without the market, you cannot have any competition. The end result is the increase in the number of tourists. If you see tourist influx to Ethiopia, it’s increasing every year. Since ETOA started, we have increased threefold. Tourist satisfaction is also increasing overtime.

What is your Association doing when it comes to developing communitybased tourism. What are the merits of this model?

It means the community engages in all tourism activities and they become beneficiaries, so they can look after the heritages and resources. This is the principle that we also accept. So when we train our tour operators, we tell them about how we are shaping the whole trend of tour operation into that mold. So wherever we go we do it with the community; whatever we do, we share it with the community.

What do you think is the biggest hurdle The Eminence March-April Issue 08

when it comes to the tourism sector as a whole, if you have to mention one?

Very difficult [Laugh]. Tourism in Ethiopia has a lot of obstacles. Probably the main one still is the image we have. Though we are now emerging on the tourism map, many people still relate Ethiopia to the famine of the 1980s, the civil war of the 1970s and the 1980s, and of course the drought. And most of the people who had been good friends of Ethiopia, especially the NGOs in the 1970’s and 80s, are still magnifying those problems, though our country is in a different era.

So in my opinion these guys are not the friends of the past. If they don’t change their approach, they become our enemies. Of course Ethiopia is poor comparatively, but only in terms of the general economy. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have anything to offer. We are relatively peaceful. If we could export hospitality, it will be of immeasurable value.

If we consider our tourism resources, we are one of the top countries in the world.

It is not because I am Ethiopian, but it is the reality. All the people can come here and witness that. If you see the economic growth, we are in the leading batch.

So, you cannot still speak of the things that happened in the past. For me these people are only thinking of their own names and agenda.

Secondly we also need to improve services like hotels and accommodations everywhere. This is becoming one of the drawbacks for the growth of the tourism industry. Of course when you compare

As a business person what plan do you have for the future?

We are actually growing vertically. We started from zero and now we are one of the leading tour operators in Ethiopia. Recently we are engaged in building lodges and hotels. We are about to build a lodge in the South Omo region very close to Jinka. We are also planning to build another one in Semien Mountains National Park. Actually that is a long term plan. I’m also thinking of one around Axum in the north and perhaps another in the Rift Valley. So this is our future plan. Apart from this, I would be very interested in joining the education sector. Starting tourism schools and colleges is also my future plan.

I assume you have been to many places all over the world. Which one is your favorite destination and why?

I like Ethiopia [Laugh] country wise. But to tell you very specifically, the best place in the world for me is the Semien Mountains National Park. I like it because of the scenery, nature, vegetation, fauna and flora.

I had been trekking on those mountains for many years and I always see my life rooted there. Whenever I go there, I feel relaxed, and very much connected with that area. So that is like the best place that I have ever been to and I want to be there forever [Laugh]. I have been to probably over 60 countries and have visited many attractions but for me none of these are better than the Semien Mountains 23

Thousand Words

Islands in the Stream

Wenchi Crater Lake, 155km West of Addis Ababa between Ambo and Woliso Photo By : Gonzalo Gujardo, Eminence Staff 24

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

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History and Diplomacy

Adwa is the triumph that makes Ethiopians hold their heads high and proclaim to the world that there was indeed a unified and successful resistance by an African Nation against colonialism. It is the glitch in an otherwise successful colonial scramble, with Europeans always emerging as the predictable victors. Exploring the Italian side’s ambitions, battle strategy and weakness shades light on why the Abyssinian kingdom became the exception to the rule in African colonial history.

By Bezawit Bekele Staff Writer

In 1871, Adwa was yet to see the heroic combat that made it perhaps the most important battleground in Ethiopia. Instead it was the scene of a protracted war between Emperor Tekle Giorgys II, a.k.a Wag Shum Gobeze, and Dejazmach Kassa. The latter emerged the victor in this internal regional squabble between warlords and was crowned as Emperor Yohannes IV. But in another continent and another land across the Mediterranean, the theme that year was unification instead of discord. Here a new state was being forged and its new parliament convening for the first time: Italy was born and the seeds were sown that would elevate Adwa to becoming a symbol for African resistance against colonialism.

Twenty five years later, Italy would march to the town of Adwa to get its share in the scramble for Africa only to find that Ethiopia’s warring regional lords have decided to put aside their differences and put on a unified front for the resistance.

Italy’s Prime Minister Francisco Crispi 26

and King Umberto, still on the high horse from the success of unifications, had grand ambitions for the country.

What the king described as ‘Italy’s glorious mission in Africa’ was to play a major part in putting the country on equal par with colonial powers such as Britain, France, Belgium and Portugal. Colonial success was also to serve as a distraction for domestic issues such as economic crisis and civil unrest.

Much of Africa had already fallen prey to the interest of other European countries when Italy decided to enter the race. It however was lucky in getting a foothold at the port of Assab on the Red Sea through the commercial exploits of the Rubatinno steamship company. Raffaele Rubatinno bought the land from a regional lord and sold it to the Italian government for a handsome profit in 1882. This was a golden opportunity, as control of the East African region was a profitable prospect since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Italy, then, got recognition for its interest in the region

at the Conference of Berlin in 1884/85.

Once it won the blessing of the other colonial powers, Italy began expanding its territory inland from the Red Sea. A glitch in their expansion came in the form of Ras Alula Aba Nega, the governor of the Mereb Melash in 1887 at Dogali. From the 500men Italian army that faced Ras Alula, 400 died. The Italians also lost 21 of their 24 officers and the remaining three were captured. After the devastating defeat, the Italians realized that they would need a policy of divide and conquer and play the diplomatic card as well.

With this in mind, the Italians sent Count Pietro Antonioli to make contact with Negus (King) Menelik of Shoa. Through his insistent effort, the Count won the favor of the King and became his advisor all the while trying to develop an amicable relationship between his country and the future King of Kings. The most important element of this friendship was of course the arms support that Italy provided for Menelik.

The death of Emperor Yohannes IV at the The Eminence March-April Issue 08

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Le Petit Journal

Old French Newspaper Le Petit Journal published portraits of Adowa in its March 29, 1986 issue.

Le Petit Journal

hand of the Mahdists saw the coronation of Menelik as Neguse Negest (King of Kings). It was a mere month after he became Emperor that he and Antoniolli signed the Treaty of Wuchale on May 2, 1889 The same treaty which saw the peak of the friendship between Menelik and the Italians also became the cause for the two to enter into a war. Article 17 of the treaty was the treacherous fruit which led to the banishment of Antonioli from Menelik’s court and the final blow to the relationship between the two countries.

The Amharic version of the provision reads “His Majesty, the King of Kings of Ethiopia, may, if he so desires, avail himself of the Italian government for any negotiations he may enter into with other Powers and Governments;” but in the Italian version of the same provision it was written, “His Majesty, the King of Kings of Ethiopia, consents to avail himself of the government of his Majesty the King of Italy for all negotiations in affairs which he may have with other Powers and Governments.”

Emperor Menelik found out this difference in meaning when he sent letters to England, France, Germany and Russia announcing his coronation. The reply from these countries saying that he should not contact them directly since Italy controlled the foreign affairs of Ethiopia was a complete surprise for king.

Infuriated he unilaterally renounced the treaty on February 27, 1893.

The renunciation was a clear message to the Italians that if they wanted to control Ethiopia, it has to be through force instead of subversive diplomatic schemes. They began building up forces since that time, with 1537 officers and close to 38,000 men arriving at the Port of Assab in a period of three years.

They had a boost of confidence when they encountered the forces of Ras Mengehsa Seyom at the battle of Coatit.

The Ras was defeated and lost around 1500 of his men. With this victory they miscalculated their abilities as well as the Ethiopians and believed it would be easy to defeat as Italian officials called ‘a nation of primitive tribesmen led by a

barbarian’.

Under the leadership of Major General Oreste Baratieri, a heavy set balding man with spectacles who had fought in the war for unifications, the Italian troops had fortified Adigrat and Mekelle by March 1895. Menelik waited until September to call for a general mobilization. Despite the hope of the Italians who continued their subversive activities with regional lords, the call for mobilization was accepted by governors of provinces all over the country.

Menelik had 35,000 men under him while his wife Empress Taitu had her own 6000 men. His cousin Ras Mekonnen, Governor of Harar, assembled 12,000.

The Ethiopian force estimated between 80,000 and 120,000 had to undertake a long march travelling 150 days through rough and trackless terrain. In fact the march was not just a march of warriors but whole families moving together like a mass migration. It moved swiftly in order to save provisions and chose a big show down rather than a protracted war.

The first test on the road to Adwa was at Amba Alage when the Ethiopians encountered Major Pietro Toselli’s men.

Although Menelik decided to circumvent this force, Fitawrari Gebeyehu and Gerazmach Tafesse were not so merciful leading to the defeat and death of Toselli. The Ethiopians then met a fortified Italian force at Mekelle. The Italians had reinforced these forts with barbed wire and put on sharpened stakes and broken bottles on the ground knowing it would be a hindrance for the barefoot Ethiopians. Their cunning was not a match for that of Taitu who advised the Ethiopians to cut off the fort’s water supply which led to the surrender of the Italians. Menelik, still hoping to avoid war, let the Italians go to their own lines accompanied by Ras Makonnen.

The final stronghold of the Italians was at Mount Enticho at the outskirt of Adwa.

Adwa then with a population of 15,000 was an important religious and economic center and found at a junction of four roads leading west to Axum and Gondar, north to Asmara and Massawa, east to 27

Their Ethiopian counterparts were in their everyday clothing and wearing their Shamma (a cotton wrap) while the chiefs wore ‘Lemd’ (cloth made of animal skin) and other colorful garments. They carried traditional weapons such as swords, steel headed spears and round shields, as well as large caliber, mostly single shot rifles. These rifles were mostly gifts from the Italians themselves as well as from Russia, France and Britain.

While the Italians were at Entincho, there was another two-week siege but on February 29, they decided to leave their fort in hopes of a surprise attack on the Ethiopians. Their advance was organized in three columns led by the three generals Albortone, Arimondi and Dabormida 28

while General Ellena led the rearguard.

Although the tactic was for Albortone to launch the first attack while the others provided support, the soldiers were actually mixed up through the march in treacherous mountain terrain.

The Italians decided to march at night and started at 9pm on the evening of February 29. This made it very difficult for reasons,which proved difficult. The forces under the three generals got mixed up on some of the paths and at one point General Dabormida’s forces were held up for an hour when Albortone’s forces came in their path and had to let them pass.

In accordance with the battle plans, it was Albortone’s forces that first penetrated the Ethiopian path. They were spotted by Ras Alula’s scouts who alerted the Ethiopian camp. A large portion of the Ethiopian army engaged

authority over the soldiers, who looked in a bewildered and stupefied manner at those who gave an order or attempted to halt them.”.

The Italians actually lost almost 53pct of the forces with 6000 of them dead and 1428 wounded. The Ethiopian side lost more men with 7000 killed and 10000 wounded, but it was a smaller percentage from the large army. The Ethiopians took 3000-4000 prisoners and all 56 of the Italian guns.

The defeat at Adwa had serious ramifications in Italy. The government of Crispi fell and General Baratierri who had received a medal of honor for the victory over the Mahdists was stripped off his governorship and court marshaled for abandoning his troops, though he was later cleared of these charges. This however, did not prevent his disgraceful retirement. While Menelik was scouting

Instrument wise the Italian forces had much better arms and yet the organization and strategy of the Ethiopian army led to their defeat.

Albortone’s brigade who was isolated from the others at around 6am on March 1st and until 8:30am none of the other forces came to Albortone’s rescue. Next on the scene was Arimandi but his brigade was not able to stop the Ethiopians. Dibormida ultimately reached and engaged in the battle but by 10am it was becoming clear that the Italians did not stand a chance.

By noon Baratieri ordered a general retreat of his forces but even this could not be executed in a dignified manner.

Baratieri himself recorded the Italian retreat in his memoir: “They were almost unconscious of their surroundings, and careless of everything except their personal defense. The officers had lost

Le Petit Journal

Le Petit Journal

Adigrat and south to Mekelle.

The Italian forces were mostly Eritrean and Sudanese troops called Ascaris.

Even the native Italian battalions did not have the unity of an army. Most were fresh off the ship from Italy and had absolutely no idea about the country and its terrain. Although there were many Ethiopian informers coming and going at the Italian camp, these were actually double agents for Ethiopia. The army also had logistic problems and shortage of provisions. They wore heavy boots made for European winters, which were unsuitable for the Ethiopian terrain; they wore out quickly. The uniforms were also too hot and easily got torn by the thorny bushes. They were mostly armed with M1870/87 Vetterli-Vitali an Italian modification with a box magazine holding 4 rounds. They also had 56 type 75B light mountain guns.

the road to Asmara, Italy appealed for peace. Menilik agreed not to cross the Mereb River.

Later the treaty of Addis Ababa was signed on October 26, 1896 in which Italy recognized Ethiopian sovereignty and Article 17 of Wuchale treaty was repealed. In the Addis Ababa treaty, Menelik gave recognition to Eritrea as an Italian colony while the Italians paid an indemnity of $5 million in gold.

As the first victory a non-white nation scored against a European power, its impact transcended the two warring countries. Adwa forced the Europeans to rethink their perception of Africans and at the same time inspired the other African countries to fight for independence The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Environment

REDD+ Going Green by Going REDD

Ethiopia’s Journey towards Reforestation

In the current global policy sphere, it is no longer sufficient for a country to say it is pursuing growth and abolishing poverty, unless it is done in a manner that reduces negative effects on the environment. For Ethiopia, such a growth is best pursued when accompanied by reforestation efforts that would keep green house gas emissions at a net zero level. The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is at the forefront of Ethiopia’s green economy efforts. The Eminence sat down with Yetebetu Moges, National Coordinator for REDD+ Program in Ethiopia, to speak about the project and its role in achieving the targets outlined in Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy.

Eminence: Ethiopia first developed its Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy (CRGE) in 2011, where it outlined an ambitious plan of reducing carbon emission by 250 metric tons from 400 MT, resulting in net zero emission. Tell us a little bit about this?

The CRGE is really a daring measure towards development. The strategy has three goals: environmental, economic and social. Regarding the environment, we promised the international community that we will maintain the Net Zero Emissions at the country level until 2030, the same as it was in 2010. And of course the social goal is to protect the whole society against the negative impacts of climate change. As you know, we are not really responsible for the changThe Eminence March-April Issue 08

ing climate, which is primarily due to increasing number of green house gas emissions in the atmosphere. It is the industrial and developed countries that mostly cause such emissions. But if you look at the impact, it is much greater in developing nations, especially poor nations like Ethiopia. This is because developed countries have the capacity to resist the impact while poor nations don’t. But Ethiopia intends to protect its economy and society from these dire consequences. These are very ambitious and very daring goals.

Yes, it is ambitious. But is it practical?

You plan on reducing carbon emissions by 80pct through agriculture and forestry programs. On the other hand the government’s current economic

policy is to move from agriculture-led economy to industry-led economy.

However, Industry-led economies do not have the reputation of being green.

We don’t really have any footsteps to follow from developed countries who have achieved industrial growth.

So how are we so sure that net zero emissions and industrial growth go hand in hand? Aren’t the two ideas in conflict with each other?

Ethiopia wanted to go green for various reasons regardless of lack of experience from other countries. We as a country should really follow the green growth path because it would have a very bad impact on our society as well as economy. As you know Ethiopia is still dependent on its natural resources for its 29

Interview

growth, especially land and agriculture resources. So if we really follow the business as usual model which is the brown growth path, if we continue to emit a lot of carbon and degrade our environment, we will lose our natural resources. All the technical assessments we carried out in 2010 indicated that if Ethiopia really continues to degrade its environment, the transformation from agriculture to industry will become an unrealized dream.

Secondly we also thought that [joining] the global process, especially the global discussion on climate change, would really bring some resources to support our green growth. We also thought that having this decision would really show how Ethiopia is committed to international problems. Ethiopia also wants to be a model for other countries that need to change their course of development, which is mostly brown. So we don’t want to repeat the same mistakes of Europe, US, Australia and to some extent China, 30

and build our economy at the expense of environmental degradation.

Is there a way industrial growth could be achieved in a green and sustainable way?

Yes. Very much.

How so?

We can maintain a fast growing economy by using renewable resources, particularly in Ethiopia. Energy is one of the main pillars for economic growth.

In Ethiopia, energy can almost fully be accessed from renewable resources like hydro-power. Ethiopia is a country that has almost 50pct of the water resources of the continent. This power could be used in many general sectors of the economy like transport and industry. We don’t really have to depend on fossil fuels like other countries.

Can we also be cost effective in following green economy?

I am not really an economist, but if you

assess long term cost, obviously the green growth path will be the cheapest.

But if you look at the upfront investment cost, it might be large. The country is aware of that. The CRGE is an ambitious program costing the country over $150 Billion over 20 years. For this country, it is not really a resource that is on the table.

So we have to find ways to get support from the developed countries through carbon financing and bilateral support.

But in the long-term, this is the way towards setting the country on a sustainable growth path.

Ethiopia’s green economy strategy heavily depends on increasing its forest coverage to keep net carbon emissions at zero level. Though the country was once known for its trees and forests, current coverage of forest area is down to 3pct due to degradation. What are the specific plans laid out to address deforestation?

We want to maintain emissions at 150 The Eminence March-April Issue 08

million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents yearly in order to be a net zero emitter.

For this, the forest sector is expected to take in 130 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere. This means working on the forest sector is essential for Ethiopia, the same way working on security is essential for Israel, believe me.

As a highland country with a really rugged terrain, we have struggled to become selfsufficient in terms of food. Often, where ever you have good climate, you don’t have good topography for agriculture, and wherever you have really good topography in the lowlands [the climate is unfavorable for agriculture]. Therefore, Ethiopia is not really endowed with agricultural resources in most places. We have of course places like Gojjam, Arsi, and Bale. If we really manage them properly we can produce all of our agricultural products [including crops from such places]. But the agricultural activities in the mountains should really be stopped and the mountain should be reserved for forests. And we have this opportunity now. According to the recent pledge at the New York summit, we want to cover close to 22 million hectares in the country with forest through expansion, reforestation, afforestation and by maintaining the existing forest.

As head of the REDD+ program in Ethiopia, what can you tell us about the program’s objectives and recent activities?

REDD+ is an acronym for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. It is a policy framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In the past when the Kiyoto protocol was signed, deforestation and forest degradation were excluded because there was no agreement on these issues.

In 2005, a proposal came up that addressed this issue. It was discovered that deforestation and forest degradation represent close to 20pct of global emissions, which means we are not doing our jobs. In fact the cheapest way to mitigate climate change is by avoiding or reducing deforestation and forest degradation. So nations with forest resources were really interested in taking action. In 2007 in Bali Indonesia, many The Eminence March-April Issue 08

countries rallied together to support the need to address deforestation and forest degradation issues by developing a framework that is a consistent part of the convention, namely the REDD+ program.

Working on the forest sector is essential for Ethiopia, the same way working on security is essential for Israel, believe me.

So what is it? It is just an incentive mechanism whereby developed countries technically and financially support developing countries when they undertake activities to decrease deforestation and forest degredation.

Many countries are attracted to it because in the past they had to take money from their treasury in order to invest in forestry, which was not an easy task. We have seen that it is not easy to get a budget for forestry activities in poor nations.

So Ethiopia has been a part of this program since 2009. In fact we had an approved proposal for REDD readiness, so we got the first finance in October 2012. In January 2013, we started getting ready.

We are doing REDD+ with the aim of increasing forest coverage in the country, which is highly beneficial in terms of access to water, irrigation, hydropower, ecotourism, biodiversity, a well regulated climate, and a beautiful country in general. It will also help us fulfill our international responsibility of reducing carbon emissions. So this is kind of a win-win situation.

Who are the financiers?

Concrete financial support came from UK through the DFID program and Norway. We started with 3.6 million USD in 2012 and by now we have close to 75 or 76 Million USD. Donors are really interested in supporting REDD+. We now have other countries which are really interested in supporting forestry and the CRGE strategy implementation, like Denmark, France, USA, and Germany.

What is needed to achieve REDD Readiness?

A country should be ready in terms of institutions for implementing REDD strategy. It should be ready in terms of legal policy framework and strategy that outlines what should be done in order to reduce deforestation and resulting carbon emissions.

We need to also have a clear strategy on how to mobilize resources to implement our plans. We also need to have clear data on baseline emissions (how much the emission currently is without the implementation of any REDD strategy). We need to have that because it will help the international community evaluate and monitor our program. Currently it is estimated that 37 pct of carbon emissions come from forest degredation. But such estimates are not accepted by the international community. We need to have satellite surveys and generate real data. We also have to have a method for monitoring change over time. Forest inventory data should be collected every 2 to 5 years in order to monitor the change.

What comes after readiness?

If a country is declared ready, it is eligible to access any financing for reforestation program. You can approach the international mechanism or any other mechanism really. If you are ready you are the one that can take the risk.

Is there a time limit for readiness?

Who gauges whether a country is ready?

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Yes. The readiness phase is expected to be completed in three years. But many countries have been in this process for a longer period of time. For instance in Indonesia it has taken 6-7 years, and it’s still not completed yet. But Ethiopia is special because the Ministry of Environment and Forest supports the satisfactory completion of readiness in June 2016.

We started in 2013, nearly two and a half years ago. So if we manage to meet our deadline we would be the first country to achieve readiness in such a short time.

We are on track because we are serious about the commitment we made to the international community through our CRGE strategy. So everything is serious in Ethiopia. The World Bank, which supports us, assesses whether we are ready or not.

do you redress the balance?

This plan may not be achieved in five years. It maybe achieved in ten or fifteen years. The first step is to have the vision and to work towards it. Believe me, farmers on the steep slopes are not really the wealthiest farmers. They are just trying to make a living in a very tough situation and they aren’t happy about it. Most of their children are now in school; so they will most likely join urban society and leave the land eventually. So the idea is that starting from today, inheritance of such farms will be prohibited and the land will be utilized for an appropriate purpose.

What is next after completing readiness?

If a country is declared ready, it is eligible to access financing for reforestation programs. You can approach the international community or any other funding mechanism. So the earlier you get ready, the earlier you can mobilize resources for implementation.

Why does reforestation take so much financial resource?

Forestry investment is very expensive, though of course in the long run it is beneficial. We are setting up a very modern system for generating data, for planning and implementing our actions, and for monitoring the results. In the past Ethiopia has used its own capacity and knowledge and of course mass mobilization has been for implementing national resource management. But the achievement has not been as expected because it wasn’t systematically managed and professionally supported. So we need to ensure that our system is modern and the monitoring is robust.

You mentioned previously that much of the Ethiopian highlands should not be used for farming, but should be reserved as forest areas. But what about settlers who are already farming in that area? Won’t there be conflict because they may say it’s their livelihood? How 32

Do they get compensation?

Of course there should be a mechanism where they get reimbursement for resettling or whatever. If we agree, and start taking action in this regard, then we will start preparing for that and implement a policy framework towards that. I have heard that there might be support from a high level government official to implement this vision. And this is good because it is costing us billions of dollars when mud erosion from the mountains is filling up our dams. We need to cover the area to access clean water, and have a long life span for the dams. It’s viable in the long run.

So will the REDD+ program work towards avoiding conflict and compensating settlers if this path is pursued?

Very much so! A clear safeguarding instrument is necessary for protecting the people against you know abuse, displacement, loss of properties and the

like. The donors will also support this.

We are establishing a secretariat, and we have a strategy to cover mountains with forest. We will invest on reforestation.

While doing this, there might be some barriers including some farm households. So we have to really find a way to engage them, perhaps in earning their livelihood from the forest or other alternatives. Or maybe if they want to pursue farming, then we can give them land in a suitable area. Believe me, if REDD+ does something to change the forestry landscape of the country, I am really sure that we will be building a healthy system with multiple benefits. Those households in the mountains are yearly supported by the Productive Safety Net Program, right? They are not even producing enough to sustain their family. So it is not something they will appreciate and want to continue living in. I think that has to change. Mountains are good resources if you really manage them If you have a hill like Entoto probably you are thinking of generating millions of dollars after 5 or 6 years.

How can the private sector get involved in reforestation programs? Is there a platform for Public Private Partnership?

Exactly! Of course this is one of our responsibilities. The REDD secretariat should be able to do that. And of course the Ministry of Environment and Forest is also very clear on this. Without the involvement of the Private Sector or Private Public Partnership, most of the work in forestry is not easy to realize.

So, we are looking to create a forum to engage the private sector. And we are looking at possible ways to do so.

Some of the ways, for example, could be providing ready land for forest development. A good land that is ready to be given to an investor, when he/ she comes to invest on a land bank for forestry. REDD finance could be one way to provide credit. There are some initiatives to somehow share cost for establishing forests. This is a very costly investment. Most business people don’t really want to come to this sector, but you can really see the fruit of your investment in the long run The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Legal Corner

Morality’s Share in the Legal System

By Kaleab Hailu Staff Writer

The content of a certain law reflects the culture and values of a particular society. Although there are commonalities, each country has its own peculiar laws depending on its culture and values. This peculiarity is noticeable in their criminal and family laws. For instance Article 551/1/ of the 1960 Ethiopian Civil Code entails that future spouses should not have relationship by consanguinity. And this relationship in the collateral line will be calculated by counting seven generations in each line from the common ancestors. This is also the rule of Ethiopian Orthodox Church which had significant role at the time of promulgation of the Civil Code during the imperial regime. In addition to this, the age of marriage for men was 18 and for women 15. However, the perpetual changes taking place in the country, increasingly called for amendment of existing laws. That is why, the family law is revised and concepts like betrothal are repealed from the Family Law (as far as the Federal Family law is concerned), age of marriage becomes equal for both sexes i.e. 18 following the prevalence of the concept of gender equality and the consanguinity is limited only to two degrees. This shows how the law, which is dynamic by its nature, changes as the society changes. Hence, the content of the law reveals the society.. For instance, in developed countries like the US there is the concept of marital rape.

This shows how individual rights are highly protected in such nations.

As far as morality is concerned, it is almost always infused in the law. The act of Abortion for instance is religiously condemned, morally wrong and legally criminal offence here in Ethiopia. Under Article 545 and according to the FDRE Criminal Code, Abortion is designated as a criminal act, unless it is carried out in exceptional circumstances stipulated by the law like rape or incest, threat on the mother’s life; serious or incurable deformity; or physical and mental deficiency on the mother’s part.

Article 845 to 848 of FDRE Criminal Code lists petty offenses having moral nature, including offenses against decency and morality, advertising for debauchery, immoral soliciting and debauchery and publicizing to abortion. These acts are criminalized because they are morally wrong as far as the Ethiopian people are concerned. But they may not be crimes in another jurisdiction.

Even more, there are also regulations enacted to enforce The Eminence March-April Issue 08

the decency laws in the Criminal Code. A month before, 250 suspects were arrested for crimes against morality and the case is under investigation. The alleged offenses include immoral soliciting and debauchery contrary to Article 845 of the Criminal Code, endangering the health of another by alcoholic beverage contrary to Article 531 of the Criminal Code and the like. The alleged acts became not only morally wrong by society’s standards, but also criminal acts.

Criminalizing an act because of morality is debatable as individual and group rights take precedence over moral imperatives. In countries like Ethiopia group rights are highly protected, even taking precedence over individual rights.

The social bond of the community is very strong and most of the community subscribes to one religion or the other.

Hence, morality matters. Members of the society want protection from moral hazards as they need protection from bodily harm and other types of injuries. Accordingly, for the peace and security of the country and for the wellbeing of the community, immoral acts should be criminalized. People may be tempted to take the law in their hands and carry out mob justice. For instance, we remember the continuous progay marriage campaign in the country. All religious fathers condemned this campaign and there were movements that targeted proponents of gay marriage. The issue upset many people at the time. In Ethiopia homosexuality is not only criminalized under Article 629 of the Criminal Code but also condemned by all religions as immoral.

There are those who argue that individuals should be allowed to do as they like, even if the act is contrary to the moral values of society, so long as they do not infringe on the rights of others. If a country adopts extended individual rights, immoral acts may not be criminal. It is not necessarily because they are immoral but because they prefer individual rights. Though the act is contrary to morality, they believe that everyone has the right to do anything they like. That is why it is common to see laws like marital rape, pro-abortion, no crime against morality and the like.

To sum up, it is difficult to argue whether immoral acts should be criminalized or not. However, as society’s laws are drafted by people, it would be difficult to assume that their opinions on right and wrong will not seep into what they institute as laws, consciously or unconsciously 33

Sport

driverlayer.com

The World’s Fastest Philanthropist Usain Bolt at Large

He is the brash lightning bolt that took the world of short distance athletics by storm and he is not shy about letting the world know it. Usain Bolt is not known for his humility or guardedness. And yet, there is something about the way he goes about life both on and off track, that wins him many fans. Whether it’s philanthropy, or training or speaking to the media, few question that the lifestyle of the world’s fastest man is colorful, lavish and entertaining.

By Bezawit Bekele Staff Writer

Every sport has that one personality whose performance dominates so much that his name becomes synonymous with the sport. Michael Phelps is that person for swimming, as Tiger Woods is for golf. There was Michael Jordan for basketball, Roger Federer for tennis, and Yalena Isinbuyeva for pole vault. In recent years in short distance running, one man has towered over all the rest.

Justin Gatlin, Assefa Powell and Yohan Blake are all great sprinters in their own right, but they are not a match for the fastest man in the world.

Usain St Leo Bolt holds the world record for the 100 and 200 meters as well as the 4x100 relay together with his teammates. The first two records at 9.58s and 19.19s were achieved at the Berlin World Championships in 2009 and the latter at the London Olympics 34

in 2012. His three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 made him the first person to win in these three events by breaking the records. While this by itself is no easy feat, to actually go on four years later and successfully defend all of his three titles in London was extra ordinary. Bolt has also shined at three World Championships in Berlin, Deague and Moscow winning eight gold medals.

The boy from the hardscrabble countryside province of Sherwood Content in Jamaica has a captivating personality to go along with his abilities.

He dances with his headphones on waiting for the race to start and at the finish line he has the often imitated but never duplicated signature move, ‘the lightning Bolt’. He shocked many when he admitted that his diet before the triple win at the Beijing Olympics consisted of

boxes of McDonald’s chicken nuggets.

At the same event, his win at 100 meters was a point of controversy. Bolt outran second place Richard Thompson by a full two seconds, rare for the short distance.

Although Bolt ran 9.69s with his shoes untied, it was the fact that he slowed down before the finish line to celebrate beating his chest that sparked a debate.

Many called these celebrations bragging; the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge said it was ‘disrespectful’. At the London Olympics he crossed the line with a ‘shush for his critics’ and followed it with five pushups for his five gold medals.

Bolt was born in August 1986 from Wellesley and Jennifer Bolt who run the local grocery store at Sherwood Content. His father was a strict disciplinarian while his mother spoiled the lanky boy The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Virgin Media, Nissan Motors and Visa guarantee huge payouts. He owns the ‘Tracks and Records’ restaurant in Kingston where he still lives. He also has a clothing collection as well as the ‘Bolt’ edition headphones designed by Soul Electronics. The Bolt game on Apple phones is also a popular app.

Bolt is not thrifty with his hard earned money. He still has ties with the community he grew up in, going home regularly and playing dominos with his family and friends. He has replaced the rough grass pitch he used to play on with a multi-purpose sporting facility.

He has contributed for the renovation of the health center in Sherwood Content where many of Bolt’s cuts and bruises were patched up. He also paid back his former high school William Knibb Memorial with a new dining room facility.

used to coach the little boy. Matthew was suffering from cancer and had to have his leg amputated, with his dreams of playing football for his teams in tatters. Bolt sent Matthew the kid a pair of signed running spikes.

Bolt, a devoted catholic has a clean boy image, only drinking Guinness and going to the clubs once in a while. He traces his religious devotion to a car accident in 2009. While rushing from his home town to Kingston to watch a Champions League game between Manchester United and Bayern Munich, his BMW skid out of control and flipped three times. Bolt, however,escaped without a scratch, vowing from that point on to value his life and his talents. Never shy or reserved, he describes himself as a legend and the greatest athlete to live. In the first installment of his autobiography,

http://usainbolt.com

http://o.canada.com/

who stood at 1.96 meters at age 15, in addition to teaching him how to sew.

Football and cricket were Bolt’s first passion. It was his high school coach who suggested he try track and field noticing his speed. But Bolt was not focused on his career early in life. He was rather more interested in eating fast food, playing basketball and dance duels. He also had a knack for practical jokes, at one point hiding in the back of a van while he was supposed to be competing.

Meeting Glen Mills, his coach since 2004, enabled him to channel his boyish ways into more positive outlets. His professional success began in 2007 winning bronze and silver at the IAAF World Athletics Final and World Cup respectively. Bolt is known for being cool and calm before his races and

Bolt is famous for his boisterous celebration after his wins sometimes even before he crosses the finish-line while outside the track young boys celebrate his generosity sometimes jovial to the crowd with his moves. At the start of his career though, he suffered from pre-race jitters. He vowed not be affected by nerves after putting his shoe on the wrong foot at the World Junior Championship.

Track and Field is a poor dweller in the neighborhood of sports with sprinters earning way less money than those in basketball, baseball, tennis or golf.

Usain Bolt may be ranked 45th in highest grossing sportsmen, but his annual earnings of $23 million are 20 times more than what other sprinters make in a year. Since Bolt means big sell-outs, the fees for his appearances top any other athlete. In addition to this, his endorsement deals with Puma, The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Bolt has his own foundation ‘dedicated to the legacy of happy children’ which supports 13 charities. The contributions range from tilling a roof to buying a school bus and installing a playground and donating sport equipments. One of the beneficiaries was the Mustard Seed Community Home for Abandoned Children, which received $250,000 in 2014.

Bolt’s benevolence goes beyond his country Jamaica. In the 2008 Beijing olympics, the province of Sichuan was hit by a devastating earthquake. Bolt donated $50,000 of his prize money to affected children. During the London Olympics, he heard about 9-year-old Matthew Smith from his cousin who

‘My Story: 9.58: Being the World’s Fastest Man’, he speaks out, “I am a cool and exciting guy. The second installment, ‘Faster than Lightning: My Autobiography’, was released in 2014.

At 28, Usain Bolt has won every major title and record. Now he is looking forward to the 2015 World Championships in Beijing by kick starting his season with a March 15 win in the 400 meters with a time of 46.37 seconds in Kingston. He is also eying the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janiero, Brazil where he hopes to accomplish his third triple gold and swap his ‘Lightning Bolt’ with a Samba in the arms of a Brazilian beauty. He plans to retire after the 2017 World Championships in London 35

Yibeltal Alemu is a Human Resources Development Manager and Ex- G/ Manager of the Addis Ababa Hotel Owners Association, Yibeltal has been engaged in the hospitality sector for the last decade. He can be reached at

Commentary

ya_yibe@yahoo.com

How Ready Are We? Addis Ababa is often referred to as the political capital of Africa due to its historical, diplomatic and political significance for the continent. This reputation has led to a boom in conference tourism. The yearly African Union summit is chief among those conferences that spur business activity in the capital, spelling peak season for those with investments in the hospitality sector. Its benefits include a boost to the economy of the country, an increase in service charge for employees, unparalleled profit for hoteliers, and trickle down spending on souvenir shops and other auxiliary businesses.

Yet there are glitches in the way service is delivered during such conferences that need to be corrected, before it starts costing the country its reputation and lucrative revenue.

Things to look out for When playing host to big international conferences, stakeholders in the industry including the government must get their houses in order. One big step in this direction would be to avoid increasing rates to the stratosphere. It’s true many hotels in foreign countries take advantage and increase prices during peak seasons, but the increment should be modest and fair, not a doubling or tripling of the going rate. Moreover, the service provided should be up-to-par with the hefty price guests pay.

The government for its part is responsible for providing armed security personnel for hotels throughout the event; providing pre-event awareness training or orientation in relation to security issues and opening of temporary workstations in various hotels to sell prepaid SIM cards and mobile cards.

While there are intangible benefits like an opportunity for cultural exchange that come with hosting big events, there are also threats for hoteliers, guests and staff members when people from many different countries gather at one spot. There maybe security and health concerns during such times.

Safety measures should not be compromised by any means. A responsible person must be assigned for

36

each shift at all times. Fire exits must be prepared and should not be blocked at any given time. Fire extinguishers must be placed in all directions, and expiry date should be checked regularly.

How many staff members have attended first aid training? List of contact address for emergency cases must be clearly registered and distributed for each section so that they place it in visible manner. How many hotels have an evacuation procedure and assembly point in case of an accident or threat?

Each hotel must consider the following issues ahead of big events. One is that accidents happen when you least expect it. The second is that, as much as hotels can be excited about potential business, extra effort should be expended to provide safe and secured service. All sort of VIPs like presidents, prime ministers, and ambassadors get to stay in various hotels during times like these.

Hotels must be able to anticipate the considerable responsibilities and obligations that come along with hosting such dignitaries and high officials. Orientation for staff members must be given. Each employee needs to have adequate information about who is staying at the hotel.

Appropriate care must be given to the VIPs. Pictures of dignitaries must be placed on the staff notice board to acquaint them with the high-level officials. They need to be addressed appropriately .

How many hotels provide complimentary service/ products for the VIPs? It can be a simple coffee ceremony that introduces the rich culture of Ethiopia.

Or it can even be a traditional scarf, a key holder etc.

How many hotels have crises management procedure /Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)? God forbid, if some disaster occurs, there needs to be clear preset procedure. Undoubtedly everyone needs to know who will be doing what. Preparation must be done ahead of time.

These are the responsibilities that come with conference tourism business. How many of the hotels cropping up daily in our fair city are prepared to fulfill them?

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Commentary

Selam Esayas is a lecturer at the department of Sociology in Addis Ababa University. She holds a BA in sociology and an MA in Social Anthropology. She can be reached at selam.esayas@aau.edu.et

Taxi Lines:

The Emerging Norm in Ethiopia’s Capital Although Addis Ababans have now grown accustomed to the long lines at taxi stops, this orderly, yet time consuming ritual was unheard of a few years ago, with the exception of those that used Anbessa city buses.

Not long ago women, children and the elderly were pushed and shoved in their attempt to catch a ride.

Such endeavors were not for the fainthearted. You needed to be ruthless, pushing aside whomever was in front or next to you. Only those that can muster up the muscle to fight, kick and claw their way through could get the chance to get to whichever destination they want. It can by all accounts be described as survival of the fittest. Don’t forget such occasions were also a happy distraction and breeding ground for slick pickpockets targeting unsuspecting victims who were merely trying to get to their desired destinations.

But with the establishment of these new taxi lines, things have indeed changed for the better. No matter how time consuming it may seem, people queue patiently without being pushed or harassed, or getting their valuables stolen Such a practice has now become a daily routine for many in the city.

We have witnessed with our own eyes, the emergence of a new social norm previously deemed impossible to implement in our unruly city.

Social norms and their Emergence Society functions effectively when there are agreed upon rules and regulations that guide its members to live and contribute positively to the growth of the community. These can either be formal or informal, with a set of rewards for those that adhere to them and sanctions for those that transgress against them. Social norms are a good example of how society chooses to establish order, and more importantly meet the needs of its members, effectively creating a functioning system.

Sociologists define social norms as “specific rules that spell out appropriate or inappropriate forms of behavior in specific circumstances”. Norms are usually derived from social values because they are reflections of what society deems desirable or undesirable.

As the capital of the country which serves as the seat

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

of large regional and international organizations, Addis Ababa’s infrastructure should be up to global standards.

Although efforts in this regard are being made as can be observed with the construction of the light city railway project, there is still a long way to go.

The growing number of residents, expansion of the city, limitation of adequate transport service providers, poor quality road construction, failure to maintain and responsibly use the exiting roads and ongoing upgrading projects in and around the city have further exacerbated the current transport challenges experienced by residents. How has the society responded to these challenges? You might ask; the answer is with long queues for taxis.

Currently, society has taken the responsibility of bringing about and maintaining such changes. In areas where there are official taxi coordinators, order is maintained by the day. They make sure that taxi attendants don’t allow those who are not in line to board the taxi while bypassing others. They also make sure that passengers respect and maintain the line as they board the minibuses.

Another important task for these coordinators is to give priority for passengers who might not be able to wait in line for fifteen or twenty minutes, or more like the rest of the people, such as pregnant women, the elderly, women with small children and persons with disability.

This particular act is a reflection of the commonly held value and deep rooted cultural beliefs and practices of many Ethiopians. One can also clearly observe the willingness of people to adhere to this new norm as it addresses their pressing need for a safe journey to their destinations. You see, even in areas where there are no taxi coordinators, residents make the decision to form a line rather than go back to their old ways.

Although debatable whether this is a sign of progress or just a coping strategy, we can agree that it represents an example of society’s effort to address its problem in a collaborative and orderly manner. With that a new form of collective understanding and a new culture of cooperation with its norm and rules emerge

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Reta Alemu is the legal advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He can be reached at retalemu@gmail.com

Commentary

The Victory of Adwa

When Diplomatic Relations Go Awry This article has been co-authored by a father and son team, Reta and Kaleb. Reta Alemu is the legal advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By teaming up with his son to write about Adwa and the diplomatic process that led to the conflict, he presents proof that history is not just a thing of the past but invaluable knowledge that passes down from generation to generation.

The battle of Adwa and the victory of Ethiopian forces over the Italian army had been a remarkable event in African history. This battle was a result of the diplomatic encounter between the two states. The wrangle arose from the difference in the interpretation of the notorious agreement known as the Wuchale treaty. There was discrepancy in the two versions of the agreement which became apparent in the implementation process.

The diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Italy had been cordial. Italians’ settlement in Ethiopian territories dated back to the time when the missionaries established their base in Assab and facilitated the creation of the railway company. This was the entry point for Italy that paved the way to entrench its colonial ambitions. During the reign of Emperor Yohannes IV there had been growing foreign intrusions, especially by European powers and the Egyptians, whose military advance was blocked by Ras Alula in 1875. Ethiopians were vigilant on the Italian encroachment. When Italians controlled the ports, Ras Alula sent messengers and requested them to evacuate; but the Italian General refused to move out. Ras Alula attacked the Italian forces at Dogali and defeated them. Subsequently, Emperor Yohannes rallied his forces to wage a war against the Italians to push them out of the ports. The Italians sent letters to Emperor Yohannes for a truce and the Emperor decided to redirect his army against the Sudanese Mahadist forces that advanced to Gondar. After a fierce battle, when Emperor Yohannes died in 1889 at the battle of Metema fighting with the Mahdists, King Menelik II took the throne and became Emperor of Ethiopia.

The Italians kept secret dealings with Menilik II and continued to strengthen the diplomatic relations between the two nations. Count Antonioli, the representative of Italian government in Ethiopia brought the draft treaty to Emperor Menelik II while he was in Wuchale, small town in Wollo province. This treaty contained 21 provisions and the controversial part was only article 17. When the provision was read to him Emperor Menelik II suggested that it to be deleted and stressed that it would be unnecessary. According to 38

the Amharic version of article 17, the Imperial Government of Ethiopia may communicate with European Governments with the help of the Italian Government. The Italian version of the treaty stated Ethiopia shall communicate with European Governments only through the Italian Government. The treaty also contained provisions that provided recognition

by Ethiopia for Italy’s claim over the coastal areas.

After the signing of the treaty, Italians sent letters to European powers (12 countries) and the United States of America to declare that Ethiopia is under Italy. The first diplomatic confrontation on this matter emerged from the letter by Emperor Menelik II to Germany. The government of Germany sent the reply through Italy which requested Emperor Menelik that the conduct of such relations need to be through Italy, pursuant to the treaty of Wuchale. Then at the conference held in Brussels in 1882 the representative of the Italian government made a statement and declared that he represented also Ethiopia. Russia and France objected to this while Austria, Belgium, British and Germany accepted him. The special Envoy of Emperor Menelik Ras Mekonen learned this news from the journals in Italy and informed the king about the issue. When Emperor Menelik II took notice of matter, he sent a letter to Italy that explained the discrepancy between the Amharic version and the Italian version of the Wuchale Treaty. The letter stated that Ethiopia, as sovereign state, would never succumb to Italy and requested for amendment or deletion. The Italian government was adamant on the issue and insisted that Ethiopia remain under the Italian protectorate. Italy threatened to wage a war to enforce the treaty. The Italian diplomatic envoys in Addis Ababa were confrontational on the issue and the war was inevitable.

Emperor Menelik II consulted with his officials and authorities on the issue and proclaimed that all Ethiopians need to stand ready to defend the nation. Members of the nobility and army officials were called to assemble at Aksum with their troops. The armed forces traveled over thousands of kilometers on foot. Many of the soldiers had only traditional armaments (sword, spear and shield). Ras Mengesha’s army The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Kaleb Reta is sixth grade student at Ethio Parents School. The 12 year old teamed up with his dad, to write about the most important part of Ethiopian history.

joined Emperor Menelik’s camps. It has been unique in our history that all Ethiopians were so united at Adwa to defeat the enemy forces.

As the Ethiopian resolve was enormous, they were determined to march. Ras Mengesha, Fitawrari Habtegiorigis, Ras Mekonen, Ras Alula and their other counterparts who came from all over the country, allied their forces and took positions as per the plan of attack. Before the actual combat began, Ras Alula and his troops occupied the height of Adi Abune in the extreme left of the Ethiopian position. The troops of Ras Mekonnen and Ras Michael were supported by Ras Sebhat and Dejazmachch Hagos’s forces. Empress Taytu, Ras Gobena and others dispatched their forces to encircle the advancing Italian troops. Mount Soloda was the commanding point that gave Ethiopian forces a vantage view.

The Battle of Adwa took place on March 1, 1896. The fierce battle began by about 10 o’clock (Ethiopian time) in the morning and at dawn the Ethiopian forces took overwhelming action; the battle continued till high noon. When the battle began the gallant Ethiopian fighters outflanked the Italian troops in all fronts. The artillery units attacked the Italian positions. The spies for Ras Alula watched the Italians leave Enticho, arrived by a circuitous route, and informed the Ras (who was stationed north of Adi Abune) that the enemy was on the march to Adwa. He sent messages immediately to King Menelik and other leaders, as the Ethiopian forces were prepared for the battle. The Ethiopians forces have had an upper hand as they used the surprise element : victory was almost certain. Ras Michael’s troops went to reinforce Ras Alula, who had already begun fighting the troops led by General Dabormida. The cavalry also reinforced the infantry that effectively blocked the expected Italian reinforcement from Adi Quala.

The Italian troops were forced to retreat. The front line commanders of Menelik II sent messages to the Emperor for more Cavalry in order to cut off the fleeing troops. It was difficult for the Italians to deal with the terrain; they were disorganized and unable to successfully escape the marching Ethiopian brave soldiers. Over 6,000 troops under the Italians were killed and about 4,000 of them were taken prisoner. General Alberto was captured. A significant number of Ethiopian troops sustained loss. Many of the leaders regretted that General Baratieri was not captured alive, who was considered to be the major enemy of Ethiopia. Ras Alula and Ras Menegesha took Baratieri as the personal foe and were determined to chase him. According to some of the historiThe Eminence March-April Issue 08

ans, Ras Alula had been in combat with the Italian several times (at Sehati, Dogali and Amba Alagie) he knew their approach very well. He requested approval from the Emperor to advance his army towards Hamassien plateau and the Bogos, which he believed would have fallen into his hands easily. Ethiopian army brought the war to an end and accomplished the unimaginable task.

Ethiopian forces demonstrated their resolve and insurmountable power to the entire world and the people were proud by the significant victory scored at Adwa. Emperor Menelik emerged as a strong statesman with legitimate power to maintain the independence of Ethiopia. The Emperor praised his fellow countrymen. Ethiopians treated the prisoners of war by providing medical treatment and sharing their food. Empress Taitu, in addition to the combat operations she led, was made responsible for the humanitarian treatment.

Late afternoon, the Ethiopian army assembled to praise the Almighty God at the Church of St. Mary. The next day, the army celebrated the victory reciting the heroic acts. The success was attributed to the power of God and the intercession of St. George. The integrity, bravado and the spiritual power of our forefathers was exemplary. The role of religion and the spiritual power in this process was enormous, as spirituality the Ethiopian people contributed to the success. The victory Adwa gave Ethiopians a significant weight in their dealing with the European nations, as it strengthened the image of the kingdom, which was able maintain and flourish its territories. The strategic histories of Ethiopia as a nation had been highly tied to the resistance and protective power of the people not to submit to any foreign power.

In human history, the fear of nations to engage in battle and warfare had been influential in shaping the foreign relations of countries over several past centuries. From the outset, historians quoted Empress Taitu who told the Italian envoys that “we are not afraid to give our life for our country, I am a woman and I don’t like war; yet I would rather die than live under colonial rule”. The victory of Ethiopian forces had great significance as the first crushing defeat of a European power

by African forces during the colonial era. The well trained and equipped Italian forces were conquered by the peasant soldiers. The victory of Ethiopian people at Adwa signaled that Africans possessed the power to defeat the colonialists N.B This article is written in a personal capacity. Nothing in this article should be read or interpreted as representing the view of the Ministry and should only be considered as views of the authors.

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Mandarin

wikipedia

中国人的新年庆典 New Year, The Chinese Way

By Frehiwot Gebrewold Staff Writer

世界上不同的国家都有着自己对节日的独特庆祝方式。对于中国人来说，新年是最重要也是假期最 长的节日，它寓意着崭新的一年即将开始。今年也不例外，在埃塞，很多中国公司在春节期间停止 工作，进行了为期7天的长假。春节对于中国人来说是一个举家团聚的日子。在这个欢庆的假期里， 人们将从五湖四海返回自己的家乡，和父母家人团聚一堂，这场浩大的返乡之旅被称为“春运”。 这场盛况空前的庆典也让这个季节变成了中国旅游的最大旺季。 西方罗马计时制是根据地球绕着太 阳的轨道而定的，而中国和多数亚 洲国家的计时制则不同，它们是根 据月球绕地球的轨道而定，以致于 中国的春节每年都是不同的时间。 西方罗马计时制是根据地球绕着太 阳的轨道而定的，而中国和多数亚 洲国家的计时制则不同，它们是根 据月球绕地球的轨道而定，以致于 中国的春节每年都是不同的时间。

历史背景 中国的春节和很多的历史传说都有 关联。这些传说中最广为流传的 是中国古时侯有一种叫”年”的怪 兽，头长尖角，凶猛异常，”年” 兽长年深居海底，每到除夕，爬上 岸来吞食牲畜伤害人命。 40

突然有一天，一个白发老人对一户 老婆婆说只要让他在她家住一晚， 他定能将”年”兽驱走．众人不 信，老婆婆劝其还是上山躲避的 好，老人坚持留下，众人见劝他不 住，便纷纷上山躲避去了． 当”年”兽象往年一样准备闯进村 肆虐的时候，突然传来白发老人然 响的爆竹声，”年”兽混身颤栗， 再也不敢向前凑了，原来”年”兽 最怕红色，火光和炸响．这时大门 大开，只见院内一位身披红袍的老 人哈哈大笑，“年”兽大惊失色， 仓惶而逃． 第二天，当人们从深山回到村里 时，发现村里安然无恙，这才恍然 大悟，原来白发老人是帮助大家驱

逐”年”兽的神仙，人们同时还发 现了白发老人驱逐”年”兽的三件 法宝．从此，每年的除夕，家家都 贴红对联，燃放爆竹，户户灯火通 明，守更待岁．这风俗越传越广， 成了中国民间最隆重的传统节日” 过年”． 从那以后每年的周年日便被人们 定成了纪念打败年兽的喜庆日子， 也被人们称为“过年”。

传统习俗 虽然法定节假日只有短短的7天时 间，传统上来讲过年是一个十五天 的长假，从初一到十五，家家户户 喜气洋洋，张灯结彩，挂起红灯 笼，做红色的剪纸画儿填满门窗， The Eminence March-April Issue 08

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

3rdEyeActivation.com

在城市中更年轻的一代甚至根本不 知道这些事情。春节的禁忌有很 多，例如很多忌讳的词语像死， 坏，病，杀等等。又例如在农历2 月2“龙抬头”之前不能理发。再 例如在指定的一天不能上门讨债， 否则双方都会散财。当然，同样也 有吉祥的事情，例如穿红色的内衣 上香祈福会带来财富和好运等等， 红色代表吉利和喜庆。

在家中打扫卫生也要非常小心，在 厨房里要避免将碗、盘子等玻璃或 者瓷器物品打碎。一旦不小心打碎 这些东西，就要用吉祥话来弥补， 例如谐音碎碎（岁岁）平安，即每 一年都安安全全的来讨个吉利。

十二生肖的故事

www.thelistlove.com

敲鼓声，鞭炮声响彻街头巷尾。大 人们为孩子包上红包，称为压岁 钱。节日的最后一天称为正月十五 元宵节，这一天的到来也预示着春 节结束了。 当然，在中国食物绝对是节日的重 要组成部分。春节期间的食物往往 都带有象征性的意义，好比中国的 北方大家以包饺子作为年夜饭的重 要“仪式”。饺子的形状就像中国 古代的货币“元宝”，这也是人们 寄托希望，望来年财源滚滚的一个 美好憧憬。 当然，有些家庭会布置一些小惊喜 来找出家中最幸运的人，比如有的 家庭会把硬币包入饺子内，和其他 的饺子同时下锅煮熟，之后盛入盘 中。在大家享用美味饺子的同时会 有一个人幸运的吃到那个有硬币的 饺子，而这个人便是那个家中最幸 运的幸运星了。 然而在南方，大多数人更喜欢用大 米、小麦、糯米等做成年糕或糯米 糕来代替北方的饺子，这些年糕便 是南方过年的符号。当然鱼和韭菜 也是年夜饭，因为吃鱼取其谐音“ 余”是多的意思，寓意了年年有 余。韭菜则取其谐音“久”，寓意 长长久久。这些都代表着人们对吉 祥和对来年的美好憧憬，这便是中 国汉字文化的博大精深。 如今，各种大型的节日宴会被更多 人视为和家人团聚的好机会，尤其 是对于那些背井离乡，远赴外地甚 至外国的人们，这些和家人团聚 的日子更是被他们视为最珍贵的时 间。 在这种意义非凡的节日里，农村和 小城镇保留了更多较为传统的庆祝 方式，例如放鞭炮，祭祖，舞龙， 舞狮等等。 中国人相信，这种种的庆祝活动能 够给来年的生活带来好运，这喜气 洋洋的氛围能够影响新的一年的运 势。同样，在过年的日子里也有很 多事情是被很多老一辈的人们视为 禁忌的。在不发达的城市里这些禁 忌甚至会提前或延续到节日的前一 个月和后一个月。然而，生活在现

在中国的计年制里面，人们用十二 种动物来代表年份，这些动物有： 鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、 羊、猴、鸡、狗、猪。同样这十二

种动物也代表着十二个中国字来记 录年份：子、丑、寅、某、辰、 巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥。不 仅如此，聪明的中国人还用2月来 平衡农历计时制里面轨道周期不同 而引起的时间变化，例如2月在闰 年会多一天，一般来说2月只有28 天，但每4年便是一个闰年，也就 是说每轮换4年2月就会变成29天一 次。 关于用动物来记录年份也有着许多 传说，传说很久以前，一个神明命 令所有的动物在新年的一天里来到 他的身边举行盛典，并告诉动物们 先来的十二只将会成为动物世界的 12位动物之王，而传说中中国计年 制的12只动物便是被他选出的最先 到达的12只动物。 同时还有另一个更有说服力的传 说，很久以前人们用动物作为自己 部落的象征，这些不同的部落有着 不同的动物作为他们的神明。渐渐 地，不同的动物被用来作为不同部 落自己的计年。，然后部落也慢慢 被统一在一起，不同的动物计年制 也被统一，也就形成了新的十二生 肖计年制。 正如我们所说的，十二生肖的动物 也代表着十二个文字，汉人用这十 二个字不同的组合在一起便形成了 独特的计年制，60年为一个循环， 也称为60年循环计年制。 十二生肖的使用在书籍中可被考察 的最早的记录时间是1000多年前的 汉朝，在东汉王充的著作《论衡》 中对十二生肖便有较为系统的明确 记载。 像许多农业大国一样，中国的春节 就像复活节和逾越节一样代表着新 的一轮耕种的开始。在中国北方水 稻的生长季节在5月到9月，4月到 10月则为长江流域的最好时节，而 南部地区则延长至3月到11月。 春季大扫除是一个冬季过后的大型 清扫活动，在春节前大家都会行动 起来为家做一次彻底的清扫。这不 仅仅是为了打破漫长冬季的慵懒， 也是为了给新的一年一个焕然一新 的面貌和新的开始。 41

Entertainment

Tourist Corner

The African Compatriots

Since this was the month for Adwa The Eminence decided “it’s time for Africa” on the tourist corner, purposely scouting expats from Africa to feature in the interview. Though some cultural aspects are the same throughout Africa, our continental compatriots still find themselves lost in translation in Addis Ababa. Sheila Musonda, a Zambian young health professional and researcher finds the sanitation and traffic somewhat disturbing while Emily Macheneli, a housewife who’s passionate about God, is a bit challenged by cultural norms and language difficulties.

The Eminence thanks both for allowing us into their home and intruding into their family time to answer our questions knowledgeably. slipper is broken. Can you give me money so I can go and fix it?” And I was thinking “what?!”[laughs] Something that has been hard to find here that I would normally find easily in my home country There are many things but I’ll just give you one.

You know when I’m going back home, if I’m going to do my household monthly shopping, I would just pick a shop, walk into it, buy everything: the detergents, food, dairy products, meat products.

When I walk out of that shop I’m done. But here I have to go to maybe three of the big supermarkets to get everything on my shopping list. Sometimes even the local products just run out and then you won’t see them for six months. With yogurt, milk, [you don’t get the same brand].

Something that has been easy to find here but has been hard to find back home is things like Age: 36 mangoes. I’d say you have them almost eight months here. But back home we’ll only have them I’m from Zambia during the rainy season. It’s the same with fresh I’ve been in Ethiopia for four years maize. You get maize every time here, but back I’m in Ethiopia because my husband got a job home you get maize during a certain period, like for four months or so. with the AU. So the whole family is here.

Name: Sheila Musonda

An Ethiopian concept /way of thinking/ I don’t understand is the flagging down of a vehicle just to ask for money. It’s the most shocking one which I can’t really get my head around. When you are driving to get somewhere, someone comes on the road and stops you [using a hand motion] like there is an emergency or something.

You stop thinking you have to do something to help this person, maybe take him to the hospital, and they look at you and ask, “Can I have ten Birr or one Birr?” This has happened twice so far.

The other time I think I saw a young lady and she flagged me down. I thought maybe she was in trouble or she’d been stranded or she’s sick. So I stopped and she looked at me and said, “O my

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know back home you have extremes. In Ethiopia, however, it’s not too hot and not too cold throughout the year.

My favorite Ethiopian cuisine is Tibs [sautéed beef]. Then there’s this minced meat that you prepare with spices. I don’t know the name [Kitfo] but it’s quite nice.

What does the victory of Adwa mean for you?

I think somehow it’s good that the Ethiopians fought the battle and defeated the Italians. But maybe because of this, there are not so many foreign cultures in Ethiopia. I think that you can always learn from interacting with other people. When you have people coming in, when you open up, you learn from me and I learn from you.

So you take the best of what you learnt and apply it to your situation, It helps.

My least favorite thing about Ethiopia I think I have two. First is the sanitation. It’s just something I don’t understand. People urinate and go to the loo anywhere. That’s how you have a lot of infections around. As a person who works in health, it kind bothers me. Even with waste management, people just throw garbage everywhere. I think this is an area where the government can take action by building public bathrooms in communities and charging 50 cents for use. The second one is the madness on the road. Ohh. People don’t have lane discipline, they don’t follow the rules. It’s just chaos. The traffic situation at least has improved.

My favorite thing about Ethiopia is the weather Name: Emily Masheleni [smiles]. I love the weather here. I love it!! You Age: 38 The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Magic Eye Discover the 3D image within Unlike the way you normally see images by directly looking at the surface, aim your lines of sight in the middle, right before the image or aim your lines of sight in parallel direction beyond the picture. See answer on page 45

I’m from Zimbabwe I’ve been in Ethiopia for nine years.

I’m in Ethiopia because my husband works for the African Union.

An Ethiopian concept /way of thinking/ I don’t understand is The first nine years I have been here, I failed to understand the structure of the city, the roads, the way people behave on the roads, and the way pedestrians behave.

Something that has been easy to find here but has been hard to find back home is fruits. Back home you can get fruits like banana and papaya but only seasonally. Here it’s year-round.

Place the digits 1-9 exactly once in each horizontal row, each vertical column and each sub grid region. See answer on page 45

SUDOKU

My least favorite thing about Ethiopia is the cows and the goats and the driving. [laughs]. The driving is something else. You know what’s interesting is that I’ve learnt to drive here and they taught me well. But when I started driving on the streets they say you have to forget the rules.

magiceye.com

Something that has been hard to find here that I would normally find easily in my home country is my food, of course. In Zimbabwe we use something called Sadza. It’s made from maize meal. They have maize here, but it’s different from the one that we use at home.

My favorite thing about Ethiopia is the weather. It’s not too hot, or cold.

My favorite Ethiopian cuisine is Injera [Ethiopian staple flatbread made of teff]. I love Injera and Doro Wot [chicken stew]. [But] I don’t like Injera with Doro Wot without Shiro. It should be complete.

What does the victory of Adwa mean for you? Adwa is when the Ethiopians defeated the Italians, right? I didn’t know anything about it when I was in Zimbabwe. I just learnt about it here. Actually you know what surprised me when I came here is, in Zimbabwe we celebrate the African Day on May 25, which started here in Addis Ababa you know many years ago. I think it was 60 years ago in Addis Ababa with Haile Selassie, something like that. But here it’s not a holiday. It’s surprising. Because that’s when we were told that Ethiopia was not colonized.

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Classifieds Police Stations Police Information Federal Police Commission AA Police Commission Fire Brigade 1st Station Menilik II square 2nd station Addisu Kera 3rd station Mekanisa 4th station Nifas Silk 5th station Akaki 6th station Megenagna 7th station Bole Phone Service Toll Free Information Service Federal Police Commission National Operator Fault Report Dial Up Internet Pre Paid Mobile Service/Bill Inquiry/Lost Mobile Registration/ Number Change Information Broad Band Customer Service PSTN Service Voice Mail Hotels Sheraton Hotel Hilton Hotel Radisson Blu Hotel Marriott Hotel Intercontinental Hotel Courier Service DHL EMS(Ethiopia) Federal Express TNT Skypok UPS Trans Express Ethiopia Tour and Travel Eminence Social Entrepreneurs Koreb Tour Operators Kibran Tours Plc Rainbow car rental and tour services Art Gallery Asni Gallery Ersas Art Studio Goshu Art Gallery Gigi’s Afro Asian Design& Fine Interiors Makush Gallery Guest House Molla Guest House Sheba Guest House Meskel Flower Hotel Weygos Guest House T.D.S Guest House Saron Guest House Addis Sun Rise Guest House Bar, Caf & Restaurant Yosam Bar & Restaurant Zenny Bar & Restaurant Turaco Bar & Restaurant The Mask Bar & Restaurant Zola Cafe & Restaurant Zhonghua Restaurant Zemenawi Restaurant Yars Cafe & Restaurant Museum Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES) The Modern Art Museum/Gebre Kirstos Desta Centre

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011 663 35 82 011 518 40 00 011 551 72 00

Airlines British Midland (BMI) Egypt Air Ethiopian Airlines Emirates Kenya Airways K.L.M Royal Dutch Lufthansa Saudi Airline Yemen Airways Hospitals Private Addis Cardiac Hospital Addis Hiwot Hospital Bete Zata Hospital Landmark Hospital Hayat Hospital Kadisco Hospital Public Black Lion (Tikur Anbessa) Hospital Cultural Centre Alliance Ethio Francaise British Council Goethe Institut Italian Cultural Institute Russian Center for Science & Culture Ethio-France Friendship and Research Centre Library Academy of Ethiopian Languages Alliance Ethio-Française British Council Economic Commission for Africa(ECA) library German Cultural Institut Italian Cultural Institute J.F Kennedy (A.A.U) A.A Municipality Library National Libraries & Archives Online Classifieds What’s Happening in Addis Ababa?

BUY AND SELL (Ethiopia) Kaymu 2 Merkato Latest Ethiopian Tenders and Bids Gulit online market Mekina online car market Lodges Kuriftu Resort & Spa Omotic General Trading Plc Green Land PLC Safari Lodge Semien Park Lodges PLC Pharmacy Abader Pharmacy Bata Pharmacy Ethio German Pharmacy Banks Abay Bank Addis International Bank Awash International Bank Bank of Abyssina Berhan International Bank Buna International Bank Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) Construction and Business Bank Cooperative Bank of Oromia Dashen Bank Debub Global Bank Development Bank of Ethiopia Enat Bank Lion International Bank Nib International Bank Oromia International Bank United Bank Wegagen Bank Zemen Bank Cinema Edna Mall Matti Multiplex

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011 662 36 05 011 850 09 01 011 433 27 14 022 112 20 11 011 552 47 58 011 662 43 97 011 655 21 34 0911 20 94 88 011 552 88 51 011 557 0502 011 557 00 00 011 551 41 30 011 618 57 32 011 158 08 67 011 122 87 55 011 551 23 00 011 552 27 59 011 467 18 03 011 467 40 87 011 551 11 88 011 550 49 48 011 662 60 00 011 550 32 88 011 557 21 13 011 465 52 22 011 552 38 00 011 550 11 11 011 661 68 69

The Eminence March-April Issue 08

Sudoku Solution

Answer for The Magic Eye

UN United Nations Development Program United Nations Children Education Fund United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

991 916 011 157 21 21

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The bank ThaT is accessible anyTime anywhere.

Mobile banking

aTM service • Transfer funds • Access your account and cash with your reliable visa card 24 /7.

• Make payments and more.

inTerneT banking

• Check balance • Transfer funds • Make payments and more.

pos service

• View balance, • Transfer funds • Make payments and more.

• No need to carry cash; and it’s safe from theft.

• You can buy and pay anywhere.

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia

The Bank You Can Always rely on !

Address: Gambia street, P.O.Box 255, Addis Ababa, ethiopia Tel: +251-551–50–04, Telegram: ethiobank sWIFT Code:CBeTeTAA Fax: +251–11–551–45–22 / +251–11–122–86–06 e-mail: cbecomu@combanketh.et Website: www.combanketh.et

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The Eminence March-April Issue 08