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

 

 

Gambella New Initiatives Teleconference was aired Today

The teleconference started at 4:33

What can we do as Anyuak for community?
Why up to date everything we have tried have been installed, many of them failed to reached their goals.

By anonymous speaker.

 The teleconference was launch today, discussed paramount, and important issues: the new agenda, or the new initiatives: the audience was stunned, and impressed by views that was delivered today by some of the smartest elements in our community. It was a stunning rebuttal against diatribes, useless innuendos concerning old ideas, with the guardians of new views, new undertaking swearing to deal with what might challenge the ongoing new initiative or new imperatives on Gambella’s social development of our times.

The New thinking, said the accord reached by participants should entertain the new imperative without fear from demagogues, false pretenders, failed elements of the arrested developments. From to date said the teleconference partisans who had gathered, listening to their speakers, we had to keep going, that the old imperatives to solving everything at one has been a disaster, most of them failed on the spot without fruition due to weakening agendas, incomprehensive working initiatives, the incompetence leaderships generated by unrepresentative chiefs, “pretenders”, inspirited groups, and diehards from within community.

These diehards, the audience agrees have been the main problems, obstacles to our unity, political development. They had ample times to straightened out their leaderships but failed, now they have been seen sowing the seeds of hates, working days, nights spearheading divisions in our society. Understandably, said some folks about these pretenders their main goals was not about peace, justice, stability, democracy, betterment of our society but greed, personal ego advancements, aggrandizement of their power politics, the drive to dive in the financial corruption, lust for the top positions in the higher echelons.

The apparatchiks of the already collapsed system of government had rigid, wrong perception of governance, discarded institutionalism, organizational disciplines which made them not answerable to the people they had to go govern. And that they have bitten the hands that fed them to their necks while the majority populace have been suffering miserably under their feet, by contempt to the law of the country they have been throwing sand in the eyes of their followers, spin doctoring misunderstandings among members of the community.

 They abused empowerment bestowed upon them by the community by planting dangerous poisonous seeds of misunderstanding, that brought by confusion among the community members, by them conspiring, sabotaging communal unity, harmony, they have been erecting thorny trees in the midst of the community, prevented members of the community from interactions, from communicating. And with them at doors barricading of the fence, putting down the all alternatives in the new initiatives brought by others to build, renewed, structure our society.  

Everyone agrees that we had to accept the new objective reality, and to acknowledge current paradigm shift in the world politics. That even though some of us do not like the present government, but as citizens we are obliged to talk, engage, reason in the arts of diplomacy, and bring about peace, prosperity to our nation. The Audience agrees that we must talk, express our views to the government, on matters of public discourse. We must explain to our government all problems pertaining our immediate concern, not see the government as enemy whose understanding the political situation of Gambella must be only through force, bullets, a zero sums game with no other alternatives, with no winner in the on going games. Notwithstanding these games, the old ideas has not been working so far, have been counterproductive regional wise. That we have take it into consideration all options to bring about peace and prosperity to our region.

 And that we understand fully well that our concern about the plights, the suffering of our people whose fates surmounting difficulties at this moment are at critical junctures, that something must be done to alleviate the suffering of the populace. There are lots of humongous problems big, small concerning governmental policy at regional, federal level of governments. The AYUAWA minority of origin have been wrongfully persecuted as such, labeling them, wronging many Anyuawa people as problems brewers; at the same token as wrong were too some of the Anyuak elements who were/are just targeting the mountaineers or the highlanders from the highlands as their enemies.

The audience condemned these wrong perceptions, urge the government do something to easy up tensions. The Highlanders said audiences have been living side by side with the Anyuak people for hundreds of years in harmony, had a common shared values among them. That they shouldn’t be target because of their origins, that Anyuak also should not be single out as trouble maker, always suspected as rebel whose rebellion had brought misery at home. We should work hard in the clearance of our names off crimes said the conference participants, focus on our number one enemy: tumults, chaos, instability poverty hunger, backwardness, division, tribal conflicts, and lack of developments.

 After all speakers were done, to tell the truth I was completely amazed, astonished, excited with views put forth by the participants which challenged all odds against the new thinking. My friends I am astonished, speechless about Anyuawa language development so far, used during this conference. It was scientific, and no mumbo-jumbo, a very contemporary language related to Gambella reality.

I am not Political Correct, I dont' like Political Correctness.

Let me speak my mind a little bit here. For example are you not or are some of you not sick, tired about former authoritarian regimes household servants preaching you the goodness of their times: When I was this, that, done this, that; expressing most worst believes, politically deadly pass issues, trumpet them like glories in the ears of their naïve audience.


Even though many had suffered under their feet, their rights neglected, with extra judicial abused power of the courts. The incompetence administrative, bureaucratic hot headed elements of the old fallen regime still had their nostalgic dreams fool them that they still could bring back the old totalitarian malfunctioned regime to our land? Well if you are like me I am tired of them too.


These brothers were sorry souls; I rather listen to birds songs sang to my ears than these sorry soul of folks, decadents of the past preaching the "good old days come back" the old remnants appeared to have learned nothing from the agony our society had undergone through with their butts on the neck of our people.

Honestly they had nothing to show for except lip services. If need be the public must abandoned them from participating in the public realm of politics, or encourage them to retire from public discourse. I bet this is the right ways, the only good way to preventing our society from falling in hands incompetence, corrupt administrative elements.


of course the diehards instead of apologizing for their past gloomy deeds, correctly stand in line with the progressive forces to build future for the generation to come. Instead I see no reformed minded here, in fact they un-reformabled, or unchanged but stagnant. And I am sorry to say this: " these are diehards " they are what we called in Amharic "alemot bye tagadie " unelected officials undemocratic, slicks, pretenders spiritually corrupt officials who had pretended to knowing it all, arrested the development of our nation, undead whose believes in the resurrection of the old times, still fanning for come back.


I think the warning must be prompt to the Gambella people that the barbarians are coming toward them. In fact, the barbarians are already by the gate trying to climb the fence, that they should watch out or lookout for infiltrators among them. And that those elements of destruction wear the same outfit like the commoners,wanted this time around to resurrect what already dead, would like the dead system revived, regenerated, introduced it with funny picture, that hoodwinks populism with attractive name like "the new republican party of Ethiopia" felach korach " hybrid like system with tight draconian rules.


The diehard crepes have arisen from dead, they are fighting back with their claws, with everything they lay their hands on, dragged on the broad masses under their control. The fight my friends would be ugly with no winner as far as I am concern. I am also more concern with current government trickery regarding the slow process democratization. It seems to me the ongoing democratization is backsliding, turning into farce.

There're believes that what went right also went wrong in the fight to change our system of governance. How can we bring the true system of government by allowing many deadwood into government, allowing them to reign uncontrollably, and stifled democracy. How can move forward with partial democracy look alike government, an impediment to what's rights, susceptible to what is wrong, very secretive, anti-open democracy system of federalism.


I am convinced what we have at home is not democracy at all but tribal, balkanized nature of the government determined to bread feuds between our nationalities. The democratic process we have begun must be revitalized, consolidated, we must work hard to achieve those goals. We must bring all the citizen to participate in it. We must embraced the old, the young folks with reformed minds, who are not tautologies, have not been brainwashed, not susceptible to cowry or fears, would not succumbed to trickery generated by the enemy of our nation-hood.

 Democracy the rule of law must be the banner we wave in our hands in the democratization of our nation, nothing short. I agree new ideas must be entertained, democratic forces must be energized, fire up for the dynamic changes upfront.