Strange Language But Beautifully Used:

  It was my second week in the beautiful windy city of Chicago uptown area packed by many foreigners from every country on earth; of course many have been there longer than others. Especially, South African community, Ethiopian community all from Africa are much more established than rest of the African communities. It was also first time arrival of the Gambella people from Ethiopia to USA. I believe many Ethiopian due lack of information about their country did not even know where we came from exactly, even when told that we are Gambellan Ethiopian some still could not believe it. It was/is a denial that sometime comes out of ignorance from ill informed citizens about the human geography, and history of our country.

I think our dark skin pigmentation was the matter of all. For some reason when some of them see our dark skin pigment, some think we are from Jupiter planet even to this day some of them still do. It did not matter for us. No body is going to the take away our freedom of belonging to Ethiopia. A belonging in other word natural, no body is going to determine for us which political community we should belong  to. But that is another topic to be discussed in the near future. Let me go back to my original story, I believe we were housed at a high-rise building called “Gojam veranda” named after Amhara people of Gojam. Of course the majority people residing in the building were in fact from that particular area of Ethiopia; except the four of us from the southwest who was housed in in a one bedroom apartment. Imagine four adult’s people like us with different social needs in a one bedroom apartment with appalling condition, it was terrible. To tell you the truth it have been terrible living condition imposed by inconsiderate sponsors who were financial stingy only to help us withered by suffering.

 Financially, they gave each of us seven dollars a week for food that is it. Now with five dollars we each chipped in totaling twenty dollars what kind of food can one buy to make four of us get by for a week really. As I said before four of us were young; had different social needs, for instant after we chip in five-five for food I had only two dollars left for a pack of Marlboro cigarette. My friend had two dollars left too that we used for a bull bear bottle. Friday night was the best of all of Windy City Chicago:  night clubs and enjoyment with no time limits, special downtown Chicago but with no money to go there was no way for us to enjoy the vistas .

But there is one odd thing or perhaps many things about Chicago, for instant when one stands waiting for a sky way train, have a few cash spent in his/her pocket, do not want to use it at moment no problem just ask people existing when the train stops at any station for “transfer”, say transfer, transfer please! Please! And without focusing on any particular person, if lucky one could have someone give you his/her transfer instead discarding it. There many things to pay attention to learn; one of them is city language by black people, there are many more to talk about, it is the English language used by black people of America. I tell you the truth it took me a year to understand them well.

First learning school of this language is the street one walk on every day. One could counter some brothers on the streets asking if you “got a quarter”, it is the "first puzzle" one should resolve if one is in America already. If anyone of you doesn't know about the meaning of a “quarter”; “it means twenty-five cents”. Yo bro can you give me a quarter, or yo bro give me a quarter. I understand there are all sorts’ things one didn't know before? Yo =means you, bro= means brother, matha fuka means= mother fucker, shit= stool, etc...

 But these are the first words from blacks in America one is going to encounter upon arrival in the States. The second school to learn Black English language is at work place. By interacting with the brothers you learn a lot about shit, fuck in any conversation. One may shy away for a while or one might be thinking they were saying what they are saying because of one was near them. To contrary they are not.

Black English words are words one would be first reluctant to use in his/her daily conversation with others. It is a cultural shock for those of us coming from different parts of the world. It irritate people especially first timers, sometimes it makes one go home from work ballooned with anger, disappointment. It is not the grammatical English language one learned all his life.  Perhaps, the only thing one does is quit the job. But for what reason, can one explain satisfactorily?  Instead of learning adapting why decide quit. For learning sake quitting is not the answer. Where would one go in America where one doesn't hear Black English language used: the answer is nowhere. It is music, big time, it is a news channels, it is being used in theaters, and it is a commercial language spoken in the market places.

Historically, black English was hated by many in America in the bygone era. But now has become global, with global reach, have now become universally spoken language. It so popular that even the Russian people from faraway want to speak English in black accent. It is attracting more, more audiences around the world.  To fully grasp what I am talking about check with Eminem lyrics, see whether he was using black accent or not, so do many white kids in America today.  So if one asked what than can I do to learn the language, the answer: it is current, the current trend indicates; black language is developing; getting worldwide acceptance. It is up the individual now to learn, adapt acculturate themselves. Back in the days in Chicago I learn their way of spoken English, I have no difficulty understanding black English. Man! my friends I love Chicago even to date when I am longer there in the windy city. I left Chicago because all my homes left, I was living alone, and the money I was getting was so little in that epoch. I was cash strapped, what I had was just to get by, and not enough for rent, food, utilities, transportation, so you see I was financial broke all times. I started drinking alcohol heavily. I was extremely depressed, if I did not move to Minnesota by insistent of a friend; I do not know what I would have been today.

You see Chicago is one of the best American cities to live in if one is financially stable or okay. Otherwise one should move quickly when difficulties struck as they did with me. As I said earlier in my article “Strangers in Another Land”  “job” is the number Uno as personal security is concern, it is the source of money; to happiness, like the river water one should have it every day, all the times If not one could suffered a great deal of depression, the psychological trauma that comes afterward could take years to wash away from a person mind.    

Confused Strangers in Another Land

Some years ago I was looking for a rental apartment by Sheridan, and Kenmore Ave in Chicago Illinois not faraway from the beautiful lake shore drive. I believe l could still remember them well. So am also new, I have not learn much about the costume, the tradition of the country, let alone the rules and the regulation ensued by the land lords for their properties. For example as I was looking for the apartment, I came to a high rise building that has note posted by its doors window glasses, the note reads: "No pets, No children" says the note, to put it mildly I was astonished, stunned, I say, say what! No, No man I can'y believe this, What kind of crazy thing is this anyway? My friends don’t misunderstand; I understand about the animal’s behaviors perfectly but to dislike children that way no, no human being should do or say anything negative like that in any way or form about children.

But as I was still talking to myself, cursing what the F is this,something in my heart told me I should just quit searching for a apartment today,and go home, I put off the search for good. What kind of person is this person? again, I continued, I went home with displeasure, anger. I arrived at the apartment I overcrowded shared; I told my refugee friends, Can anyone of you believe what I just saw an hour ago? They say no but tell us please. Well I said, while I was looking for rental apartment, I came by this building,that seemed from outside a decent place to live in but contrarily what I found at the door was mind boggling. 

There was a note posted by the window as directive, it was from the building manager I supposed, I clear cut note written in plain English, readable understandable even for those of us who just came to the country recently. You will see the note posted by entrance window as you approached the building, it was about kind of people should live in their building, including No pets and No children, I say could anyone of you believe what I just said, And with no reply from the group I detected discomfort, Displeasure, also an agreement about the damn whole situation. Undoubtedly we all agreed that even from cultures where we came from some people cannot put up with pets; specially cats, and dog for that matter, other types of domesticated animals. In fact there are type of tribes in my country that do not know about cows, and goats, jungle people or people from forest country with no attachment to the domesticated animals. I know they dislike them too but not the meats.

But to say hateful thing about children; "God forbid", where would one live if one does something like permanently "disliking" barring children at anyplace? What part of our society would one go, be allowed to live free. Not in the Anyuak country. Never the other one in the group responded with dismay. The world is too small for such a person to accommodate, especially the Anyuakland another one interrupted. By the way what kind of land lord was that one? He must be crazy,out of mind we said, another person concluded he must have unstable mind. 

I said did all of you remember the other day when someone knocked our door, telling us to tone-down the noise, Yes yes, by the way what F is tone down?, I said well let me check my dictionary, I had one by me on the table. I opened the book, I checked for the meaning, it says,.. to put your voice, or sound down, Is that all one asked, I replied yes. Man that man came to us all the way from that corner to say just this "word" what a stupid a man can be, please, please my dear brother don't curse, I charged. Quickly I change the subject, I went back to what I was saying to them. Truly; I said how can someone hates children like that man did; he must be some stupid “M F”, we all rebuked him without hesitation, no one felt petty for the landlords who behaved like that one in America from us anymore.

But a few years later, I understood the crux of the matters behind those sanctions imposed by landlords on their premises in the Windy City of Chicago: they were about the unwanted excessive disturbances, by children, pets; crying, noising around; running loose in the buildings causing other tenants who go to work on second or third shifts restlessness, tired on their jobs. Now I am the one before everyone else who says; I don’t like it, please tone down, I don’t want it here, or there. Please remove it from here. I have replaced the words, how come, why with don’ts. I am acculturated, completely submerged up to my neck? with "individualism" as culture; voluntarily I obtained. Hey, friends; I am not a fan of sociologists, but I tend to agree with one thing with them as peopled grow older they tend to harbor conservatism; are more concern about the responsibility, accountability, peace, security, stability on life matters.

Just the other day, as I was walking to the grocery I saw two homeless couples walking by with loaded travel baggies packed on their backs with dogs, or rather two dogs I should say, I looked at them seriously, observed a lots of things about the wasted lives. I said to myself gracious! Why would a government allowed such people to own pets when they don’t take care of themselves, had no place to stay, These days my friends I also think men or women who have not been responsible in their lives should be allowed to have kids. Why should we the tax payers be forced through draconian laws to share their burden?

 I think these are mistake done by people involved knowing perfectly well society can just embraced their wrongful deeds without them being punished for their wrong behaviors. How can someone stay on welfare for 10 years, expected jobs deliverance? What can one expect from Welfare queen or king. The late president of the United States Mr. Roland Reagan once said what can one expect from welfare queen who drove around with a Cadillac car drawing hundred thousand dollars in very state she registered in, expect her to work. It cannot be specially when a country allowed wrong behaviors like to thrive.

 It was true then, now but people hated Ronald Reagan for saying what he said. He was accused of racism. But there is something just I do not understand about critics in America; oftentimes they are quick to jumping on the bandwagon of a ready fighting horse, blaming, accusing other of racism, instead of looking deep into what being said by their leaders. Reagan could be a racist but he was also our leader with responsibility for all. What he spoke about was not racism, It was about being responsible accountable for our lives. To understand him well one must look into the history of America, its system.

 I put it to you this way, America is the only country on earth where one would fit in regardless of social barriers preventing anyone from moving forward in life, Here one can become someone else if one work harder enough, one could make his/her dreams come true. It had a system that welcome who ever you are to participate in the building of this great society by working hard for yourselves. The system give you more incentive in any case you had difficulty in doing what you suppose to be doing for yourselves in the milking and honeying vastly provided wealth by the country.

A lots of refugees came here in the 90s. they were all from East Africa; where I came from, But prior to their arrival there were few East African expatriates residing in Minnesota. The arrival of huge number of them added the dimension of power demographically. It delighted us see our number increases.They were all from such countries as Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia. Unlike those of us who came here decades ago, with nobody to ask for information about the what about of the country, the  refugees who came here in the nineties were lucky one because they had us here already established in Minnesota. 

We had shown plenty, provided them with all available tools, including information about where to fish, where to not fish in the river, to paraphrase differently in the "lovely state of Minnesota", I could say many of them were happy to see us helping them, indeed it was our pleasure to helping them too. our meetings had encouraged many embarked on the journey to fulfilling American dream: job security, home for stability, lastly the pursuit of happiness, A substantial numbers of them have attended their dreams. But few not many are still locked up to welfare system, did not tried hard enough to break up the cycle of dependency. The American dreams they had dreamed about while in the refugee camps are still lingering in their heads unfulfilled, without results, They have done nothing to improve themselves, were still trapped in the continuous cycle of dreams.They fell to understand that a dream is just a dream, not an actual reality.

Nyang  Ye de Chaa, it a parlance most often used on foreigners for their reckless behaviors in  foreign land like the Anyuakland, especially this parlance is used on strangers unaware of the local environment they had to encounter, whose missions sometimes were cut short by tragedies, deaths.

  Sorry if you are not Gambellan, but this how things have been described here. You must know what I am talking about if not you can learn from story I am about to say. I happened to recollect some local stories the other days, thought I should write this one down just for the fun of it, the memory it.  Two political scientists, MARINA  OTTWAY,  DORIS LESSING who have written many short stories about Africa, died recently due to her poor health; both described the important many oral stories in Africa, in which they say the African writers must be encourage to write down all those beautiful stories told, narrated by the local people wherever they live.

I guess they were right, it was only writer like Chinua Achebe, other few African writers that found vest golden opportunities, plunged their hands into many ocean stories. On top of that they taped the running fountain stories to their advantages.  To date my friends the story of "selective killer crocodile" was not told through writings.

There were stories is like this one unknown even by the people who lived their life here for years. I tend not to believe it but I am only human, I for sure believe it now. It is True. I can not convince you but believe it or not to date with all the people killed by crocodile in Gmablella at open’s river for years, not a single one of them was a native born Gambellans. Here when I say a native born Gambellan I am not talking about the indigenous tribes but I am talking about anyone born, raised in Gambella, I called him/she as a native of Gambella.  

There was a sad story an American tourists who just jumped in to Openo River 45 years ago to swim but fell into the mouth of a waiting crocodile devoured him to death.  After police was reached, they arrived on the scene late hours later. The chase to kill the crocodile was n’t easy either. The Giant beast was running into a deep water, avoided detection which took police and volunteer resident of the town hours before could caught up with it . But finally they caught up with it, with many motor boats, canoes in the river that day it was not easy for the crocodile escaping. Finally the giant beast was killed, later a watch was recovered on the mutilated hand of the deceased found in the stomach of the crocodile, unspoiled, running. The Anyuak called it “Nyang ye dechaa.

It story was a tragic, sad but true. Such incidents could have been avoided, But how? The answer is by interacting with locals, by asking relevant information.  I can explain: facts  local people are familiar with their own backyards.  They know exactly where to swim, where not swim. They know how where normal, danger currents of the river went. Finally they know about all the species living around them, it is important. They hold very priceless important information which most often they have been ignored by newcomers, passer strangers, tourists in to their state. 

Whatever tragedies that happened, to people who came here happened because there was disregard to disseminate accurate information to the strangers, they had done so it could have saved innocent lives. In other word the use of common sense to communicate stories by the local had also failed miserably.     

Bu come to think of it; the strangers also bear the blames because how can they go somewhere, where they don’t belong acted like they were from the local areas. What have they been thinking? It helps someone learn a little bit about wherever they go, it matters.  Whatever death, happening every times there was visiting tourists in our land was attributed the lack information from being recycle around by the locals, it had a damaging consequences, projecting bad images about the local natural environment, which can instill fear in the heart of tourists, restrained themselves from visiting the state. 

No Culture Is Pure: We are all Borrowers, and Stealers.

No culture is pure, whether one is living in the high culture or low culture. We are all borrowers, stealers of each other’s images  to enhance our own. Look at the Anyuawa language today, compare it to Anyuawa language of 30 or 40 years ago one would be astonished to see that the Anyuawa language has been diluted,  infused, mixed with a lot foreign words twisted and adopted to fit, spoken like the Anyuawa words. True, I am not exaggerating. I am not kidding.

If you were new to what I am talking about check with the lyrics of the contemporary urban Anyuwa dance songs; my friend be my guest. My friends you would be amazed, sometimes confused by some word thrown at you by the singer singing in the Anyuwa language, with blended Arabic, Amharic, Oromo, Nuer Tigrignya words twisted, punctured, fractured, reassembled, sang as Anyuawa words, and with lovely tunes. 

 But as has been said all cultures have been borrowed, stolen since the  time of immemorial, they were for good; for treatments of one another. I came to realized that everything we see here in the west as in the form of arts are stolen third world indigenous cultural properties, god know how they ended up in the west, resold in the form western arts images, designs.

No wonder we had many anthropologists, sociologists, religious missionaries in our midst camouflaged as innocent they can be, they have been extracting indigenous livings since day one they had contacted the third world people. In my book indigenous arts were stolen, copycatted for consumptions, for use of commercial in the western world. I came to think that we have nothing left unearth, from the people of the third world global sphere. Third world cultures has been hijacked specially by high tech culture societies.  Have been to the mall lately? Be my guest, worry not by what you see.

Well you would be surprised by the displays of various forms clothing, third world types jewelers, lather bags deigned that look like they were from your neck of the wood. I recently ordered Timbuktu messenger bag, the exact replica one would find somewhere in the Malian countryside worn by the indigenous people of that areas. Now there is a company called   "Timbuktu" designing these sorts bags in the USA based California. What about the hair does, with many of them resembling indigenous African styles sometimes.

Of course as I said in the above paragraphs, I think one see these kinds blossoming arts anywhere in the western world, they were various cultures, stolen indigenous cultural properties, without doubt owned by commercial world, commercialized, monopolized with tight grip, resoled marketed by multinational corporations abroad to the people who originally own those items of arts. One wonders not really about what’s going. But one can regrets but must accept the objective reality very much so even though with disappointment about the whole saga.

But cultural life styles also can be borrowed adopted willingly for good things to happened, cement the social ties: be it wedding anniversary, or newlywed party, or valentine days celebrations, dating or courting  women, or the celebration of the valentine days to enhance or improve our connections, accommodate and bow to each other for the continuation of a healthy marriages, which I fined as imperative, also important; as ingredient for social cohesion.

 These couples here renewed their ten years anniversary with diamond rings.  

If one tells me 30 years ago that such, such persons were going rekindle their 5^th or ten years next week, that I should come, celebrate happy -happy time with them.  I would had told them are you out of your minds what kind of nonsense is that? I would had told them straight, look I am an Anyuawa, according to my culture I can marry as much women as I can, so which woman should I pick among many I am going to marry, celebrate her love wedding anniversary with me. The answer would had been none.

But things have changed for the better for many diasporas Anyuawa here in the USA. Just about three weeks ago, in mass many of them celebrated in spectacular, colorfully, with extravaganza 10years wedding anniversary. It has been funfair for the participants, a talk of the towns for the Anyuawa community in the US. I wasn’t there due my sickness but I am told by the architects of the party in charge that it was remarkably celebrated with a lot of festive food, drinks, followed by traditional Anyuawa cultural items displays, shows, and dance, and singings. 

Wedding anniversary celebrated with extravaganza


Boy; I wish I was there but I still enjoy the news of peaceful party with the end results: unity, togetherness, harmony and peace.  As long we are still living in America there are good things to be borrowed from the multicultural society; such as wedding anniversary, valentine day etc.. We must acculturate our self with the new phenomena, but cautiously. Nonetheless; there are also bad things we should be aware not borrow at all. We should be rejecting them as we live without hesitations without compromising our culture.   

Friends were happy with  the ceremony

 

 
By Amhare Gilo, he can be reached at amhareo@yahoo.com

Panaguai or (the Gourds Fall Apart)

You can believe it; fifty years ago there were only three Aynuwa men who went to school to America. I guess they were only one who has been informed by their parents about the important of education, they all did well successfully completed higher education. Back then no one dared sending their children to schools opened up by the American missionary stationed... in the heart of the Anyuawaland.

It was the beginning of fight between traditions, modernity. The Aynuawa rejected, spited on modernity. They run away, stay away from it. Sometime they called it “wana bunenham” But it was not complete rejection of the present for past glory or may be. But the lack of good information inadequate understanding about the invading, intrusive new development which was moving fast toward their lives, scared them the most, no one blamed them really.

After all the men, women who went to the towns to live among foreigners were utterly condemned, chastised as “weaken, lazy” a runaway social deviance, irresponsible persons. It seemed like the traditionalists have refused, rejected modern way of lives for good as it seemed. But no they down played the role, the  influence modernity. Yet the desire to acquire material wellbeing was strong, and have been still, growing. Thus the new trend  between the old, and the new phenomenon's, the desire, the necessity to be part of the new materialistic society forced them in between the two distinctive developments. Nonetheless the end justified defeat from retrogression, the struggle for modernity triumphed over traditionalism.

So how have we been doing? well not very much but the desire for learning, educating  children is very strong, encouraging. The trend toward progress, development will continue in the acceleration of modernization. The problem is today there has been no much distinctions between very educated , less educated classes, in the development outcomes shown in the fields of every developments. Thus progress is stacked, and still from moving forward. One wonder why after fifty something years of independent most African countries lack behind their Asian counter parts in terms of development.    Some people think why waste one's precious years on education when at the end of the day one can not even change is society, brought change with good results? 

In the Anyuawa folklore; “the gourds fall apart” is ancient parable in which the man who carried the gourds of honey, waters was expected shouldering responsibility, and accountability for all.  In the trip certain laws of physics were supposed to observed carefully. The Balancer Law, will eventual tipped any object in the balance downward or upward depending on the circumstances: I called it breakdown of balancing acts.

Thus weight, length, will depend on the length, distance travel. He who carries responsibility must observe all things that might complicate the walk, trip, must always be careful, alert, on the look to prevent the tipping points. Unwarranted, non-careful exercises of walk could also bring down any objects at hands, followed by unintended sequences of events of losing everything that was prepared for the trip for long, ready for the months with strong anticipation, with security maintenance, dear to everyone interests.

  I am afraid the Anyuawa person don’t like insecurity: back in the days; people want to leave home spent months in the bush, sanctioned themselves from village contacts, civilization voluntarily rejected, left behind we called it “Wanabune Nham” in this kind euphoria civilization is condemned at the moment, all its decadent is trashed, abandoned, no more civilization bye, bye.

 So it was a period confusion shall I say The word “Panaquai” meaning the gourds fall apart can also be found in the many Chinua Achebe’s literary books, in which Chinua describes, the difficulty transitioning post-colonial Nigerian society have been undergoing, in battling the past and the present; in the repositioning itself into modernity. Things fall apart, is clear, very understandable. I recommend it for everyone to read the book “things Fall apart “

In the similar vein the words “Panaquai “describes the temptations of carelessness, hastiness inattention, uncontrollability, irresponsibility, unaccountability, that must also drive a person to a failure. One must stand guard alert, all the times. In other word when you do something, even it is voluntary do it well, with full hearted; with complete devotion. One must do something even if don't like it.

And when you do it; do it  well, well, and a good care. indeed one must be accountable, responsible; must always eyes his job diligently, carefully with a watchful eyes of a kefir. In this metaphor we are all one for the general security of the common. Otherwise you may end up putting the whole trip to a halt as had been said in the traditional Anyuwa folklore story, making everybody uncomfortable, putting the glue of social cohesion at risk.

  In another word if you were on a trip; along with a group of people you must always shoulder special responsibility, even it is for a short duration of times. In this regard paying momentum attention is important, paramount. In a very, very difficult situational but the journey must continue without interruption from shortage inadequate provision. In another ward volunteers of gourds carrying must socially responsible persons.

 There is no rule even declared as such, because everyone is for everyone: the common tread " things that belong to the common” is for the good of the common; for example a "village pool" is a common property used for prosperity of the common interest. one must fetch or draw water, one must bath from it, but the general maintenance requires common respond because   Security, safeness, the happiness of the common is imperative and important, as anything else.

 

In panaquai the role of individual interplay is crucial for the whole trip to smoothness. My friends the journey will depend on two ingredients: energy+ water; thus responsibility, accountability, dependability, safety is the call.   

The men who carried the gourds of honeys, waters in this Anyuawa folklore story were not aware of anything, but were regular down to earth fellow countrymen; full of laughter, unity minded for the love of their villages.

That’s why men like these will scarify: lives for the love of unity, country, and village, home and above to the people they had lived with for decades, had been associated with in their lives. The unintended consequences of the events that occur sometimes might had some impact but it has not deterred many to rethink voluntarism of responsibility as bad, bad thing in life. Nor did modernity rejectionists been able to prevent the tide of development from coming the Ayuawaland to improve the living condition of our people. It is a win-win situation, life goes on as normal as it can be at the end of the day all benefit from it.

Nor would the struggle for betterment is going to stop, with Anyuawa living in all over the globe with changing society at home I bet no one is going reject modernity coming into their lives. The war of information has surnamed the entire Anyuwa-land, I guess all of us are “jure or truey” now. No more “wanabunenham” the first goal now to working hard accepting modernization without hesitation. I should say accepting modernization as solution to your problem is the first step because from now on there will no place on earth where MacDonald world wouldn't reach, I bet you on that...

 

 

 

Against Crimes Committed by Criminal in Our Names

 

 

 I don't know how some look at Boko Haram, Al Shabab, Mujahedeen, Taliban, the Shining Path, Lord Resistance Army and other brand criminal underworld. I think these are criminal organizations, have not been up to something good for their people, let alone the public.  In my knowledge if some of us think that these kind pariah elements are true representatives, of which some of us do, then there must be something fundamentally wrong with some people frame minds of thinking.

I see no good thing in them, they are up to no shit, and we know it.  Those who claimed to be “solders of god”, who fight for freedom, the liberation of the oppressed people, don’t come in the middle of the nights in towns where they had no enemies, killed or mow down innocent civilian, abducted their girls at gun points.

How can people like Boko Haram, Al Shabab called themselves liberators while  used terrorism, terroristic methods to subdue village after villages: by abducting children, by cutting lips,  noses,  legs, hands, burning the mouths of the people they considered as informants for the states. They also killed, tortured, stoned to deaths, burn down peasants villages for refusing to support them for wanting no involvement into anything politics at all: be it for support for the state or in assisting guerilla movements. 

How can men of clear conscience do such a thing without being ashamed, feeling guilt?  How can good men of good character brandished, bragged about heinous crimes they have carried out in public, feel vindicated of their criminal missions?  I hope I am not the only one against these decadents, other brand of para-militant groups with sly, and meaningless names like: Boko Haram, Al Shabab, Taliban, Mujahedeen, so forth. Freedom fighters, or social liberators my foot.  In my book they deserve no acknowledgement, without fear they should be condemned to history. They belong to the trash heap of history,

 I think now everyone understood something about them, that they have not been true to their mission in the beginning. Now they are no more relevant at all. The bandits have not been what they told us they were. And we know very well given their large criminal records, the experiences the people gained in dealing with them that they were no more than robbers. I think that it is time for the people in the Borno state of Nigeria to hold onto their freedom, become self-liberators of their own social conditions. It is about times for followers, people in those states to disregard those pariah social elements, weed them out from among the communities. As community of good faith hard working, law abiding people they should reject deceptive versions of religious trickery preached by anti-civilizational elements, deny them sanctuary or any space for their social movements that do not bring unity among the people. 

 We know, we all agree that those outlaw elements: Boko Haram, Al Shabab, Taliban, the list continue, had a very substantial numbers of believers who believe in their causes, adherents’ followers who promised to the laydown their lives for the ninety nine virgin women in heaven, therefore care less for life on earth. Anyhow the good news is they are not the majority of population they live in, therefore people shouldn't be afraid of them.  The prevailing political winds have shifted so far, it is for good of all people living in those geographical areas, especially for the law abiding one. The political wind is in the right the direction. It has galvanized the international community to do something this time around, put a stop, eliminate those outlaw movements considered dangerous for the normal stability of the communities. 

Yes the pendulums of the political support is tipping in favor of the public discourse. The majority of people in Nigeria have been outrage toward their government for not doing more to protect the innocence lives. True their government could have done more but it is not the time now for blame games, The people must organized, and empower themselves in dealing with outlaws. 

In other words the balance of political power has not been in the directions of the criminals. The world is in search of them, soon they could be flushed out of their hiding foxholes. On the top of this their criminal enterprises have been dwindling from lack of support by some in the communities. This time around the organized criminal groups, their heinous crimes have been exposed, cleared, now they are on the run. Soon the law will catch up with them. History has shown that they were irrelevant, counterproductive elements who pretended to be freedom fighters, liberators of any sorts. But no they were marauding lawless highways robber's at large, outlaw tugs beyond the reach of law of any country lurking in the jungles.  

 As times goes by many these guerrillas have been out rightly rejected by the broad masses of those countries they live in, from what we understood so far, they have been losing grass-roots supports from the majority of the population they claimed to have represented, That's why we seen them using terrorism, terroristic methods upon the innocent people, to break the “thymus” of them; the Greek word for” spiritedness” of the people to fight for what is rights, and maintain justice.  

The notion that we the “Boko Haram” reject western education, while they sit in a pickup truck, driving, the unparalleled material things produced from America or Japan or Europe, with machine guns hanging on their shoulders also designed by western engineers and scientists, taught in western education, sold to them in the markets by western capitalist merchants; is baloney,  pathetic, ignorance, crazy, and stupid “it is just like saying I do not like meat but milk” I told one of my vegetarian friend  the other day to go, check what “Bio-chain” means. It means we have eaten by other means, what we thought we have avoided eating.

Example chicken-eats worms-snake- insects- and return we eat chicken, which means through Bio-chain we have eaten snake, insects, and worms as described, in the so called Bio-chain.  Baku Haram rejection of western materialism is untrue, in fact they have been lying to their teeth,  hoodwinked followers while many among them have been building expensive mansions worth millions of dollars with bank accounts in the western world. What a joke.

 

Gambella: Myland Mypeople.

 I developed my land my people, story to look into ourselves, the Anyuawa people, our connection to our land, the general environment in the entire Anyuakland.

Some said, as Anyuak we got look at ourselves first, before we say something, charge, judge other people.  I narrated, the story expressed here, making it fit the local reality. This story I have written, was done in such a way that the language used is understood from the local, indigenous points of views, not another ways.

I will debate the concepts of land use, its belonging using the indigenous peoples thinking about the lands, their rights to occupying those lands, spaces. I will also challenge them about their rigid understanding about the public goods vs. private goods, see if I could shed lights on some of the arguments. I will make sure land developments is understood well, I will seek how to narrow down the gap of perceptions, and misperceptions. I will challenge rejectionist blind allegations, pursued against lands developments, see if I could convince my audiences about the important of land development, its impact on the community.     

 It is a local story, that looks at the natives complains from the indigenous peoples points of views. It is political current challenging government policy toward its ungovernable peripheries, including its invited multinational corporations.

Notwithstanding, the current land grabbing march toward their lands, the indigenous people have been outrage about the ongoing onslaughts, encroachments into what the Anyuawa people of Gambella considered spheres of gods. So the question is did we listen on all sides of the arguments: the state Vs. indigenous peoples. From what we know so far; we have been listening to one side of the story; that was only from indigenous perspectives, not the other way round.  

Historically, in this part of the world, before the influx of the settlers into what the Anyuawa considered, "Ngoma Anyuawa" the land of the Anyuawa people", there have been lots of forbidden lands of our ancestors, considered realms of gods or deities, the stories about these mystic places orally are told, and transmitted from generation to generation: the gods of water, lakes, pools, rivers, tributaries, the god hunting games, fishing, the gods of wars, the gods of crops etc...

Those are important realm of deities in the life of the natives’ people of Gambella. As one travel in the Anyuakland for example one might reached certain areas of the Anyuakland with so many tough, strictest rules.

Travelers were encouraged should they passes some kind of areas possessed by spirited world, to observed, pay tribute as told. For instant when crossing the rivers, walking in certain designated areas of forest, or fishing in certain exclusive areas like: pools or the lakes, or hunting, walking in some burial realms.

The Anyuak are warned when entering, the kind spheres of gods, that one is cautioned not tempers with the environment surrounding or break the laws of the gods when arriving these areas of the spirits, that with without the authorization from the men of the spirits world, who are dully responsible for okaying any actions, that might take place in those realms of gods. That one is punished the unthinkable conditions, one would otherwise have avoided by simply obeying those rules .

 For instant disobeying, not paying respects to the spheres of the spirits world, they say can make the gods angry, forbids one from accomplishing destiny undertaking, that one might endured curse accompanied by threats of bodily damage from the spirits.   

Now we have discussed how the native people see themselves in the realms of lands, their attachment to them. We shall now discuss the politics, socioeconomic part of the puzzles. I would try to make it understandable; it should be from the local points of views. Remember all politics are local, than regional, than national, than international.

In a nutshell the Anyuak, other native people charged, accused our national government, “the Ethiopian government” of land grabbing, land annexation, force or authorized land marketing, selling to Multinational Corporation without consent, consultations, drive from the indigenous people who own primarily the land of Gambella.   

Something must be understood here from regional geopolitical points views that’s the indigenous lands in Gambella are communal owned lands, that for corporations to trespass into previously uncharted territories, depleting, unearthing the natural habitats is the worse crimes one would do against indigenous people, who consider land, everything on land as life line of their living

And that protecting land, safeguarding the environment for the good of the all is the number one duty for them. The notion of land ownership by the communial groups is different from other cultures, who viewed land ownership as private things, devaluing the important communal land ownership, 2nd how lands are perceived by the people of Gambella is quite different from a settlers, or nomadic people views, and mindsets. For the indigenous groups of Gambella the question of land, land-belonging is dear to their hearts. The other world views that, land belong to: gods-gods, not man is dis-in genuine, irrelevant, dangerous as far as indigenous people are concern.  

     
 For example, some say well land belongs to gods; that no one should claim ownership of the lands. It is a wrong thinking, in the eyes of the native people, it is utterly considered nonsense. But let assume it is true, don’t you think that gods who made man to exist, by same token made  man owns lands he has created also, empowered the man with ownership, stewardship of the land?

Yes of course one must share the land, including everything on it but how, why, by whom? These are important questions, we must seek answers for them. I guess if one is late understanding land questions, their distributions among the god’s peoples, than it is too bad. Because the native people of Gambella  think that there are lands for everyone on this planet earths: that there lands as Nuerland,  Abasha land, Megengerland, Opouland, Ajibaland, Komoland,  Oromo land etc... So which land of the people we have mention one's going to take, sold it to the investors, and for what reasons? These questions also sometimes contradict each other’s because it negate public paradigm of land ownership.

For when I left twenty something years ago I had a land I inherited from my father, but due poverty, poor condition my family went through the land I think I owned was sold to someone and now he own the land but me I am landless, until I buy one.

The Anyuak, the Nuers, the Megengers, the Opou, the Komo, the Oromo, the Amhara, the Tegres, Gurages, own lands in Gambella town but the question is what did they do with the lands they own?

       One cannot just own land, do nothing, develop no something on it, prevented it from being develop by others who had knowledge about land developments. Why should we look at land development in negative terms?
 
There is one or two example I must give here; if a government want to railways from Dima to Gamnella, the railway track must come throughout one of those Anyuakland right?, inevitably is unavoidable. if I am rights than railway development is not a bad thing for our society, it is a good thing for the people of Gambella, because it eliminates transportation problems. 

In the 80s I live closed or to proximity of one of the crime infested neighborhoods, on Chicago Ave, Franklin Streets, "safe haven" for prostitution, gangbanging, drag pushing, with crimes rampant, threatened  the lives of the common citizen, with spillover of crimes complicating the livelihood of the business people, the peaceful citizens who want to go by with their daily living without threats or fear from outside. As a result of the increased crime rates many citizen left the neighborhoods, the area was left with no body, declared unlivable. But a few years later, let say in the 90s a group of wealthy investors took interest in the investment, revitalization, of the areas, building new infrastructure, repaired, rehabilitated old business enterprises centers with new ideas.

Today as one passes that area one would be very surprised looking,  glancing at the new faces of the business center, of what it has become, with quite residential area, with law abiding citizens living peacefully uninterrupted with daily crimes which was unthinkable in those days. It is different place now, with a different face lift. Nothing scary.

 Now the question I put to everyone is this: did everyone see now what investors can do with their money?  Yes for one to do development one needs capital, technology, capital would always come from privates, public entities. Yes there're dispossessions which come within the new outlook, but it was unavoidable in the history of developments. Nevertheless the new restructured facilities brought back the broken lives of the community, restored community: integrity dignity, honor, respect, to live, to produce.     

The question is, are those investors in Gambella different from the investors I had described, in my writing, in what way they are different?

I have read many literature on multinational corporations, investors investing huge money in Gambella in the area of agriculture, food production, creating jobs security which in return gave the locals: the ability to earn money, restored, dignity, integrity, honor respect, rekindled lost hope to live again, bringing food to the tables for their love ones.  

But nonetheless, these contributions by the multinational organization have been water down by some native elements, Diasporas groups working in ten dame with non-profits organizations, accused multinational corporations for land grabbing, of deletions, of environmental upsets.  

The problem here was no one understood the difference, or the distinction between "Public Goods vs. Privates Goods" for that matter; let me give you few examples, Public Goods: water, minerals, sands, gold’s, diamond, oil, gas, some land, fish, wildlife are public goods can be shared.

 Private Goods:  personal house, car, personal farm, personal oil company, private mineral waters, Cement Company, private land, are private goods, can or cannot be shared. But one can owned human relation, what is mine, mine alone: my wife or my woman, my child, my daughter, my son, my sister, my nephew, my cousin, my niece, therefore these belonging; all  human relations I have mentioned cannot be shared.

As you can see land that are occupied by the native people of Gambella most of them are in public domains, which means the national government had rights to exploit those lands, use them for the benefit of the public consumptions.

 All revenues generated from public goods as always goes to building the infrastructures of the country like: roads, schools, health clinics, water purification, public transportation, telecommunications, security, police, army, fire departments, and defense budgets. Etc...  

Those are the kind of things folks that are not understood by many, I obliged myself to sharing the ideas with my readers, see if had illuminated these distinctions for a better understanding.

By Amhare Gilo
A political science graduate, he can be reach at ajumhara2004@hotmail.com