Since the 1950s, more than eighteen Africans have become Noble Laureates. Because of colonialism, slavery, and discrimination, Africans and the African Diaspora didn’t have much opportunity to participate in the Noble Prize until recentle. However, as soon as the door to the Noble Prize started opening to Africans in the 1950s, they were able to demonstrate to the world their excellence in arts and peace making.
Here are some Africans whose intelligence’s have earned them international recognition.
Kofi Annan: in 2001 received the Noble Prize for promoting peace.
Ralph Bunche in 1950 for working on peace building.
John Maxwell (JM) Coetzee in 2003 received the literary prize.
Mohamed ElBaradei in 2005 received the Nobel peace prize for his attempt to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes. He is the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Nadin Gordimer in 1991 received Nobel Prize for her novels and her epic short stories.
FW de Klerk in 1993 was a recipient of the Noble Prize for ending apartheid.
Sir Arthur Lewis in 1979 for Economics.
Albert John Luthuli in the 1960s received the Novel Prize for a non violence civil rights leadership in South Africa
Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964 for his fight for human rights and for international peace.
Wangari Maatahi is the person who inspired me to study environmental science and to become a peace advocate. In 2004, she received the peace price for her work on sustainable development and peace.
Naguib Mahfouz in 1988 received the prize for short stories and nobles
Nelson Mandela in 1993 received the Noble Prize for fighting to terminate apartheid.
Toni Morrison in 1994 for literature.
Anwar Sadat in 1978 received the Noble Prize for his contribution to peace in the Middle East.
Wole Soyinka in 1986 won the Noble Prize for poetic writings.
Desmond Tutu in 1984 earned the Noble Prize for his struggle against apartheid.
Derek Walcott in 1992 for literature.
Source: africa-union.org
Friday, June 30, 2006
Regional Unity West Vs. East
On the road to the United States of Africa, fourteen[1] regional integration organizations have been created to unit Africa regionally first. The ultimate goals are to create one government, common monetary and commercial policies, free movement of people, goods, money and businesses within the continent.
Fragmented and small nations could not effectively compete with large economies. That is why many African regions have been attempting to join together for economic empowerment. In addition, regional integration would increase and enhance internal trade, competitive advantage, investment, bargaining power, cooperation and peace.
On this blog, I will compare the regional organizations between East and West Africa.
West Africa’s economic integration organizations are much more developed than the regional organizations in East Africa. Unlike the East African integration, the West African regional organizations have started conflict resolution negotiations, free movement of people and are close to creating a common currency and external tariffs.
For example, some West Africans, citizens of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member counties,[2] now have an ECOWAS passport that allows them to travel to fifteen West African counties freely.
Only the citizens of the three east African countries could travel freely between Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Conflicts are the major barriers to regional integration, especially in East Africa.
For my readers, I have listed the recent developments of the regional organization in West and East Africa. Feel free to compare the extent of unity between the East and West.
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Recent Developments:
· The deadline for creating a new and common currency by the West African Monetary Zone28 in July 2005 was postponed to 2009. The West African Monetary Zone is a group of six ECOWAS members–Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
· ECOWAS plans to create a customs union and implement a common external tariff in 2007.
· In October 2005, the government of Nigeria began implementing ECOWAS’ common external tariff, which should bring the country’s weighted average tariff down from 29 percent to below 20 percent. The new tariff system has four bands: 0 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent, and 20 percent. However, there are a number of temporary measures, including a temporary 50 percent tariff, which can be placed on those imports that directly compete with items produced in Nigeria until the end of 2007.
· In late 2005, ECOWAS announced plans to implement a $50 billion project to increase access to energy services in the ECOWAS region.
West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)
Members: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.
Recent Developments:
· The Regional Solidarity Bank of WAEMU opened a branch in Guinea-Bissau on December 12, 2005.
· On October 27, 2005, the European Union and WAEMU/ECOWAS agreed to continue Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations in 2006 and set out a precise timetable for the negotiations.
· In May 2005, a WAEMU delegation visited the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to strengthen the existing relationship between UNECA and WAEMU and share information and experience in the areas of trade and regional integration.
East Africa Community (EAC)
Members: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Recent Developments:
· Customs union among the EAC members was implemented in January 2005.
· Although the common external tariff (CET) was launched on time in January 2005, it has not been fully implemented. Administrative arrangements are currently taking place to establish the common external tariff. The CET is to have three tariff levels: zero for raw materials and capital goods, 10 percent for intermediate goods, and 25 percent for consumer goods.
· As of December 2005, the East Africa Power Master Plan was being approved by EAC ministers to improve energy supply through regional cooperation.
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
Members: Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Recent Developments:
· In March 2005, COMESA announced plans to set up a permanent regulatory authority to oversee the pharmaceutical industry in member countries. A committee has already been established to finalize guidelines on enhancing regional trade and cooperation in the sector, and to this end will publish minimum technical standards for the industry to address differences in the regulatory and procedural requirements of each member state.
· The COMESA Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding in September 2005 with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization for cooperation in developing programs in the fields of education, science, culture, and communications in the region.
· Cuba sent a permanent representative to COMESA on September 20, 2005.
· As of December 2005, eleven COMESA countries44 are members of COMESA’s Free Trade Area and have “eliminated their tariffs on COMESA originating products, in accordance with the tariff reduction schedule adopted in 1992.”
· All COMESA members have agreed to a December 2008 date for the establishment of a customs union.
· The European Union is negotiating an Economic Partnership Agreement with the eastern and southern Africa region, which includes countries with memberships in COMESA, EAC, and SADC. Technical and senior level talks were held in May, September, and October 2005 to discuss regional issues, market access, trade-related areas, development cooperation aspects, agriculture, and fisheries. According to the EU, a main challenge for the EPA negotiations is the overlapping membership of various regional integration organizations with diverging integration agendas.
_______
[1] The fourteen regional integration organization in Africa are The Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), whose five members encompass all of North Africa; The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), whose 20 members include all East African countries except Tanzania and seven countries of Southern Africa; The Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), whose 18 members are in West, Central, Southern, and North Africa; The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), whose 11 members span Central Africa; The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), whose 15 members encompass all of West Africa; The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD); comprising 7 countries in the Horn of Africa and the northern part of East Africa; The Southern African Development Community (SADC), whose 14 members cover all of Southern Africa; The Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), a group of six ECCAS countries; The East African Community (EAC), made up of COMESA members Kenya and Uganda and SADC member Tanzania; The Economic Community of Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL), consisting of three members of ECCAS; The Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), made up of four members of COMESA and one (Réunion) that is a dependency of France; The Mano River Union (MRU), consisting of three members of ECOWAS; The Southern African Customs Union (SACU), consisting of five members of SADC; The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), encompassing eight members of ECOWAS. Source: http://www.uneca.org/aria/ARIA%20English_full.pdf.
[2] Members of ECOWAS are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo
28 The West African Monetary Zone, under ECOWAS, was created in 2001 to assist member countries with temporary balance of payment issues. EIU, African Union, found at http://www.eiu.edu,/ retrieved Mar. 12, 2006.
44 The eleven east African countries that are members of COMESA’s FTA are Burundi, Djibouti, Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Fragmented and small nations could not effectively compete with large economies. That is why many African regions have been attempting to join together for economic empowerment. In addition, regional integration would increase and enhance internal trade, competitive advantage, investment, bargaining power, cooperation and peace.
On this blog, I will compare the regional organizations between East and West Africa.
West Africa’s economic integration organizations are much more developed than the regional organizations in East Africa. Unlike the East African integration, the West African regional organizations have started conflict resolution negotiations, free movement of people and are close to creating a common currency and external tariffs.
For example, some West Africans, citizens of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member counties,[2] now have an ECOWAS passport that allows them to travel to fifteen West African counties freely.
Only the citizens of the three east African countries could travel freely between Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Conflicts are the major barriers to regional integration, especially in East Africa.
For my readers, I have listed the recent developments of the regional organization in West and East Africa. Feel free to compare the extent of unity between the East and West.
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Recent Developments:
· The deadline for creating a new and common currency by the West African Monetary Zone28 in July 2005 was postponed to 2009. The West African Monetary Zone is a group of six ECOWAS members–Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
· ECOWAS plans to create a customs union and implement a common external tariff in 2007.
· In October 2005, the government of Nigeria began implementing ECOWAS’ common external tariff, which should bring the country’s weighted average tariff down from 29 percent to below 20 percent. The new tariff system has four bands: 0 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent, and 20 percent. However, there are a number of temporary measures, including a temporary 50 percent tariff, which can be placed on those imports that directly compete with items produced in Nigeria until the end of 2007.
· In late 2005, ECOWAS announced plans to implement a $50 billion project to increase access to energy services in the ECOWAS region.
West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)
Members: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.
Recent Developments:
· The Regional Solidarity Bank of WAEMU opened a branch in Guinea-Bissau on December 12, 2005.
· On October 27, 2005, the European Union and WAEMU/ECOWAS agreed to continue Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations in 2006 and set out a precise timetable for the negotiations.
· In May 2005, a WAEMU delegation visited the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to strengthen the existing relationship between UNECA and WAEMU and share information and experience in the areas of trade and regional integration.
East Africa Community (EAC)
Members: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Recent Developments:
· Customs union among the EAC members was implemented in January 2005.
· Although the common external tariff (CET) was launched on time in January 2005, it has not been fully implemented. Administrative arrangements are currently taking place to establish the common external tariff. The CET is to have three tariff levels: zero for raw materials and capital goods, 10 percent for intermediate goods, and 25 percent for consumer goods.
· As of December 2005, the East Africa Power Master Plan was being approved by EAC ministers to improve energy supply through regional cooperation.
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
Members: Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Recent Developments:
· In March 2005, COMESA announced plans to set up a permanent regulatory authority to oversee the pharmaceutical industry in member countries. A committee has already been established to finalize guidelines on enhancing regional trade and cooperation in the sector, and to this end will publish minimum technical standards for the industry to address differences in the regulatory and procedural requirements of each member state.
· The COMESA Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding in September 2005 with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization for cooperation in developing programs in the fields of education, science, culture, and communications in the region.
· Cuba sent a permanent representative to COMESA on September 20, 2005.
· As of December 2005, eleven COMESA countries44 are members of COMESA’s Free Trade Area and have “eliminated their tariffs on COMESA originating products, in accordance with the tariff reduction schedule adopted in 1992.”
· All COMESA members have agreed to a December 2008 date for the establishment of a customs union.
· The European Union is negotiating an Economic Partnership Agreement with the eastern and southern Africa region, which includes countries with memberships in COMESA, EAC, and SADC. Technical and senior level talks were held in May, September, and October 2005 to discuss regional issues, market access, trade-related areas, development cooperation aspects, agriculture, and fisheries. According to the EU, a main challenge for the EPA negotiations is the overlapping membership of various regional integration organizations with diverging integration agendas.
_______
[1] The fourteen regional integration organization in Africa are The Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), whose five members encompass all of North Africa; The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), whose 20 members include all East African countries except Tanzania and seven countries of Southern Africa; The Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), whose 18 members are in West, Central, Southern, and North Africa; The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), whose 11 members span Central Africa; The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), whose 15 members encompass all of West Africa; The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD); comprising 7 countries in the Horn of Africa and the northern part of East Africa; The Southern African Development Community (SADC), whose 14 members cover all of Southern Africa; The Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), a group of six ECCAS countries; The East African Community (EAC), made up of COMESA members Kenya and Uganda and SADC member Tanzania; The Economic Community of Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL), consisting of three members of ECCAS; The Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), made up of four members of COMESA and one (Réunion) that is a dependency of France; The Mano River Union (MRU), consisting of three members of ECOWAS; The Southern African Customs Union (SACU), consisting of five members of SADC; The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), encompassing eight members of ECOWAS. Source: http://www.uneca.org/aria/ARIA%20English_full.pdf.
[2] Members of ECOWAS are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo
28 The West African Monetary Zone, under ECOWAS, was created in 2001 to assist member countries with temporary balance of payment issues. EIU, African Union, found at http://www.eiu.edu,/ retrieved Mar. 12, 2006.
44 The eleven east African countries that are members of COMESA’s FTA are Burundi, Djibouti, Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Liku's E-mail 1
Hi
You know I have a new e-mail address. So, I want you a lots of things from you.
So now I expect a good leter about life in Washington, DC. OK beautiful? See you latter. I am sure you well e-mail me back within the next two hour. So do so. You know what I live about you?
You know I have a new e-mail address. So, I want you a lots of things from you.
So now I expect a good leter about life in Washington, DC. OK beautiful? See you latter. I am sure you well e-mail me back within the next two hour. So do so. You know what I live about you?
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Peer Review in Africa
All the 53 African countries are a member of New Economic Partnership for African Development
Here are recent developments in NEPAD.
· An open African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Forum was held in March 2005. APRM allows volunteered African leaders to review each others governance style and suggest how to improve governance among them. Under the APRM, outside African experts visit APRM member countries to investigate what economic and political reforms are needed to promote economic development and peace. Participants included civil service, civil society groups, the private sector, media, academia and the diplomatic community.
· As of December 2005, 23 African countries[1] had volunteered to join the APRM. Under the APRM, the 23 countries have agreed to hold each other accountable to various governance standards.
· Ghana and Rwanda were the first two countries to receive confidential reports on their governance[2] under the APRM at the third summit of APRM participants held on June 19, 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria. In addition to Ghana and Rwanda, the first group of nations being reviewed by the APRM includes Kenya and Mauritius. To prepare for the peer review, Uganda received the APRM review team in February 2005.
· The Peer Review for South Africa started on December 11, 2005.
· On March 21, 2005, an APRM team led a Country Support Mission to Nigeria. According to NEPAD, the purpose of the Support Mission was to assess the processes and mechanisms put in place by Nigeria to undertake its self‑assessment and subsequently draft its Programme of Action.
· Through NEPAD, Japan continued to fund 38 projects to build infrastructure, including infrastructure for water, transport, and energy in 2005.
· In July 2005, the Africa Capacity Building Foundation provided grants to strengthen the institutional capacity of the NEPAD Secretariat and the Regional Economic Communities to enable them to implement NEPAD.
· In late 2005, India started disbursing $200 million to NEPAD. As of December 2005, an $18 million credit line had been extended to the Government of Senegal for the purchase of 350 buses; $40 million had been extended to the Government of Angola for rehabilitation of the Moçamedes Railway; and a $27.7 million line of credit was being extended to the governments of Mali and Senegal for the acquisition of railway coaches and locomotives from India.
· To support NEPAD’s efforts in bridging the digital divide between Africa and the developed world, in December 2005 NEPAD launched “TechnoFuture” (a computerized educational tool) in Nigeria to teach children and adults computer and entrepreneurship skills.
· The NEPAD e-Schools initiative has been launched, and demonstrations were officially launched in 2005 in Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, and Lesotho. The NEPAD e-Schools initiative aims to improve distance learning in Africa.
· In September 2005, NEPAD announced that it will begin constructing the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) in 2006. Its main objective is to build a broadband ICT infrastructure for terrestrial and submarine cable networks for East and Southern Africa. EASSy will connect South Africa with Sudan by cable; links will connect the land-locked countries to the submarine cable. Signatories to EASSy’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) include telecommunication companies from Botswana, Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Mozambique, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Burundi.
· In 2005, some African countries adapted the AU/NEPAD Health Strategy for a national health plan.
Yes, there are many positive movements in Africa. Check the blog again for more exciting stories.
____________________
[1] The 23 African countries that have formally joined the APRM as of January 2006 are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda.
[2] EIU, “African Economy: Can Africa Put Its Own House in Order?” July 11, 2005, found at http://www.eiu.com, retrieved on Mar. 17, 2005.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Trip to Africa 2
Excerpt from an e-mail to my little sister.
My visit to Addis Ababa and Accra was eye opening, confidence building, and relaxing.
Here is what made me want to go back to Africa. I love the people, the food, the sky, and the water. Majority of the people are hardworking, sweet and beautiful. The traditional foods are chip, organic, healthy and fresh. The sky is closer and full of bright stars. I often went to a place where you could take a shower with hot spring water, which is soft and does wonders to your skin.
The fact that our brother is there made my stay pleasant. Johnny picked me up from the airport around 10pm and took me to a very nice restaurant that has Ethiopian traditional food and dancing. After we eat dinner, because of the time differences, I was wide-awake and I told our brother that I was not ready to go to sleep. So, we went to different nightclubs and drove by our old neighborhood, which is called Piassa.
The next day, I slept the whole day because it takes a day for your body to adjust to the high latitude in Addis Ababa. For the first week, because I was writing a research paper on remittances to Nigeria, Ghana, and Ethiopia, I stayed in our brother’s house writing. I would weak up early in the morning and sunbath in our brother’s front yard.
I spent time with a very pleasant woman who works in our brother’s home. She made me laugh and cooked all type of food for me, including burgers and fries. At first, I was a little nerves leaving the house but after a while I enjoyed going to computer and international phone center around the neighborhood.
Originally, I was thinking to visit Axum, the historical place and where we have family members. But I didn't have enough time because we also have many family members in Addis and the surrounding areas and I felt like I want to spend time with them this time.
During the day, I visited museums and galleries. Sometimes, at night, I went out to clubs: Jazz, traditional Ethiopian, reggae, and all kind of other music with our brother.
I also gave a lecture at the Addis Ababa University on U.S. trade policy towards Africa to graduate students, which was a lot of fun. It was a dream come true to step into the University.
I was also trying to get an Ethiopian ID. They were giving me a hard time because they needed evidence that both my mom and dad where pure Ethiopians. They wanted the copy of my parents ID.
I visited our grandfather often. Unbelievably we have four aunts and uncles that are much younger than you are.
I also found some family members from my dad side.
Accra is green, clean, quite and beautiful. Because I didn't know anyone in Accra, it was kind of adventures to be in a place I never seen before. I meet Ghanaians on the flight from Addis Ababa to Accra and they took care of me during my stay. I took a four our drive from Accra to Elmina to visit the "door of no return," which was an existing point for Africans who were taken to slavery in America.
The hypocrisy of the slave traders was overwhelming. While they held thousands of people in a horrible situation in the lower part the Elmina Castile, on the upper level they used to hold church services.
I learned a lot from seeing "the door of no return." It made me question how people could commit such a horrifying act and what we should do for a history not to repeat itself.
Unlike in Ethiopia, I didn't see any panhandlers in Ghana. Most of the beggars in Ethiopia are from Tigri.
Just like in Addis Ababa, buildings are being constructed in Accra and the surrounding area. You see lots of Americans and Europeans in both places investing and living comfortably.
Similarities between the Accra and Addis are enormous. For example, there is resemblance in languages: in both places, samuna means soup. In addition, both places have Christians and Muslims and they are very religious, in general not everyone.
You also could visit our brother at any time. He would be delighted to have you.
Africa is calling.
My visit to Addis Ababa and Accra was eye opening, confidence building, and relaxing.
Here is what made me want to go back to Africa. I love the people, the food, the sky, and the water. Majority of the people are hardworking, sweet and beautiful. The traditional foods are chip, organic, healthy and fresh. The sky is closer and full of bright stars. I often went to a place where you could take a shower with hot spring water, which is soft and does wonders to your skin.
The fact that our brother is there made my stay pleasant. Johnny picked me up from the airport around 10pm and took me to a very nice restaurant that has Ethiopian traditional food and dancing. After we eat dinner, because of the time differences, I was wide-awake and I told our brother that I was not ready to go to sleep. So, we went to different nightclubs and drove by our old neighborhood, which is called Piassa.
The next day, I slept the whole day because it takes a day for your body to adjust to the high latitude in Addis Ababa. For the first week, because I was writing a research paper on remittances to Nigeria, Ghana, and Ethiopia, I stayed in our brother’s house writing. I would weak up early in the morning and sunbath in our brother’s front yard.
I spent time with a very pleasant woman who works in our brother’s home. She made me laugh and cooked all type of food for me, including burgers and fries. At first, I was a little nerves leaving the house but after a while I enjoyed going to computer and international phone center around the neighborhood.
Originally, I was thinking to visit Axum, the historical place and where we have family members. But I didn't have enough time because we also have many family members in Addis and the surrounding areas and I felt like I want to spend time with them this time.
During the day, I visited museums and galleries. Sometimes, at night, I went out to clubs: Jazz, traditional Ethiopian, reggae, and all kind of other music with our brother.
I also gave a lecture at the Addis Ababa University on U.S. trade policy towards Africa to graduate students, which was a lot of fun. It was a dream come true to step into the University.
I was also trying to get an Ethiopian ID. They were giving me a hard time because they needed evidence that both my mom and dad where pure Ethiopians. They wanted the copy of my parents ID.
I visited our grandfather often. Unbelievably we have four aunts and uncles that are much younger than you are.
I also found some family members from my dad side.
Accra is green, clean, quite and beautiful. Because I didn't know anyone in Accra, it was kind of adventures to be in a place I never seen before. I meet Ghanaians on the flight from Addis Ababa to Accra and they took care of me during my stay. I took a four our drive from Accra to Elmina to visit the "door of no return," which was an existing point for Africans who were taken to slavery in America.
The hypocrisy of the slave traders was overwhelming. While they held thousands of people in a horrible situation in the lower part the Elmina Castile, on the upper level they used to hold church services.
I learned a lot from seeing "the door of no return." It made me question how people could commit such a horrifying act and what we should do for a history not to repeat itself.
Unlike in Ethiopia, I didn't see any panhandlers in Ghana. Most of the beggars in Ethiopia are from Tigri.
Just like in Addis Ababa, buildings are being constructed in Accra and the surrounding area. You see lots of Americans and Europeans in both places investing and living comfortably.
Similarities between the Accra and Addis are enormous. For example, there is resemblance in languages: in both places, samuna means soup. In addition, both places have Christians and Muslims and they are very religious, in general not everyone.
You also could visit our brother at any time. He would be delighted to have you.
Africa is calling.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
African Union in 2005
• In October 31, 2005, the African Union adopted “the African common position” on reforming the United Nations. The African Union requested that African counties be granted permanent seats in the Security Council and gain all the existing privileges, including veto power.
• In November 2005, the AU announced the Arusha Declaration and Plan of Action on African Commodities, to improve Africa’s commodity trade performance . The Declaration lays out a plan to diversify and increase trade in commodities by accelerating intra-Africa trade.
• The AU coordinated Africa’s negotiating position for the WTO Ministerial Conference, which was held in Hong Kong in December 2005.
• Venezuela was accepted into the AU as a non-African state on December 23, 2005.
• In 2005, the AU continued to play an active role in resolving conflicts in different African countries, including Côte D’Ivoire, Togo, and Comoros. The African Union continued its efforts to defuse the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
• There were approximately 7,000 African Union peace keeping soldiers in Darfur in 2005.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Testimony from an Art Collector
Tsion Asmamaw is an art lover and collector, who currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
Her art collection includes Solomon Asfaw's three paintings. Tsion has also helped sell 14 of Solomon's artworks at a fundraising event in Los Angeles to build a cancer hospital in Ethiopia.
Her life is rich with art. Tsion's interest in art is deep rooted and well studied. In addition to have taking several art related classes and being a Graphic Designer, she delights in giving artists value by investing in their paintings.
Currently, her collection includes the original artworks of Wosene Kosrof (3 paintings), Solomon Asfaw (3), Yisehak Fikre-Sellassie (1), Yohannes Tesfaye (1), Abebe Zelelew (1), Lulseged Retta (2), Shiferaw Girma (3), Miro (1), and Chagall (2).
In her home, Solomon Asfaw's and Wosene Kosrof's art works hang on the walls. Tsion passionately explained that she loves Solomon's art because his "art work has its own vibrant and modern style." She testified that he has the skills to put attractive and bright colors harmoniously. Tsion especially admired his ability to depict scenes from Ethiopia well.
Confident in Solomon's potential, Tsion proudly stated, "his humbleness and hard work allows him to give his audience the best of his soul and this will lead him to a great place."
Buying paintings is one of the wonderful ways we could invest in ourselves. For those of you who live in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, Solomon's art show on Friday is a good opportunity to start or continue collecting Ethiopian art.
While it brighten your home and pacifies your soul, displaying modern Ethiopian arts in your homes will give you and your family inner strength.
So please come to Solomon Asfaw's opening reception:
Time: 6pm – 9:30pm
Date: June 9, 2006
Place: Artful Gallery
1349 Maryland Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Peace!!!
Her art collection includes Solomon Asfaw's three paintings. Tsion has also helped sell 14 of Solomon's artworks at a fundraising event in Los Angeles to build a cancer hospital in Ethiopia.
Her life is rich with art. Tsion's interest in art is deep rooted and well studied. In addition to have taking several art related classes and being a Graphic Designer, she delights in giving artists value by investing in their paintings.
Currently, her collection includes the original artworks of Wosene Kosrof (3 paintings), Solomon Asfaw (3), Yisehak Fikre-Sellassie (1), Yohannes Tesfaye (1), Abebe Zelelew (1), Lulseged Retta (2), Shiferaw Girma (3), Miro (1), and Chagall (2).
In her home, Solomon Asfaw's and Wosene Kosrof's art works hang on the walls. Tsion passionately explained that she loves Solomon's art because his "art work has its own vibrant and modern style." She testified that he has the skills to put attractive and bright colors harmoniously. Tsion especially admired his ability to depict scenes from Ethiopia well.
Confident in Solomon's potential, Tsion proudly stated, "his humbleness and hard work allows him to give his audience the best of his soul and this will lead him to a great place."
Buying paintings is one of the wonderful ways we could invest in ourselves. For those of you who live in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, Solomon's art show on Friday is a good opportunity to start or continue collecting Ethiopian art.
While it brighten your home and pacifies your soul, displaying modern Ethiopian arts in your homes will give you and your family inner strength.
So please come to Solomon Asfaw's opening reception:
Time: 6pm – 9:30pm
Date: June 9, 2006
Place: Artful Gallery
1349 Maryland Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Peace!!!
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Ethio Art in DC
Many artists who are familiar with the art seen in Ethiopia claim that people in Addis appreciate art more than do most Ethiopians in the United States. The Ethiopian community in the U.S. rarely buys contemporary Ethiopian arts.
There are only a few new successful art dealers such as Makush Art and Addis Gallary, and a few Ethiopian art collectors. Additionally, the number of attendants in exhibitions and art discussions are much less than the number of people who frequent nightclubs.
Regardless, many art shows are held throughout Washington DC metropolitan area. Some stages are easier to access than some exhibitions for Ethiopian artists. For example, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art has exhibited only a few art works by Ethiopians. However, Ethiopian businesses such as the World Space Building and Café Collage used to host frequent art shows by Ethiopian Artists.
To give a glimpse of the artistic activities in DC, I will recount Daniel Taye’s art discussion that took place at the Café Collage in Washington DC, where his art was displayed in 2004. Participants were several alumni of the School of Fine Arts in Addis Ababa including Daniel Taye, Meseret Desta, and Mekbib Gebre Sadik, friends of the artists, and art lovers.
Mr. Taye was given a stage to talk about his inspirations, techniques and life. The dialogue went on to explore such diverse topics as the way people lived in Shakiso, orphans in Addis Ababa and Jesus Christ’s missing years.
Mr. Taye said he became an artist accidentally, but he later revealed guided endeavors that grabbed and held his attention in Art. For instance, he recalled observing his childhood friend who was handicap, often drawing. Daniel said he then picked up the habit from his friend and became illustrator for his classmates in elementary school. He became a person who sketched drawing assignments for some of his classmates.
Another inspirational moment Mr. Taye discussed was a national art award he received from Mengistu Haile Marilam, when he was young. The government sponsored contest from the classroom to a national level. The award wining work was a playground painted in two colors only: red and blue. Daniel shared that his painting probably won the contest because the art related to the authorities’ desire to see uniformity in the society.
Mr. Taye talked about the celebrity status his family, school and community showered him for winning the art contest.
But he said what motivated him the most to become an artist was one persons disparaging remark that Daniel, like many Habesha youth, probably would not finish what he started. This man owned a meat shop in Mr. Taye’s neighborhood. Daniel, as child, was disturbed by the comment. He said that the criticism reinforced his desire to further explore Art. He said he felt he had to prove the butcher the comment he made was wrong.
Daniel studied at the School of Fine Arts in Addis Ababa and was eventually admitted. This prominent art school admitted only 25 to 30 students out of 700 to 1000 applicants annually.
He was asked if he got in the school through family, friends, or one of the Ethiopian orthodox Saints’ help, but the answer was not clear. However, he talked about the rigorous processes he went through to join the school: a seven weeks testing process, which involved drawing a steal life, portrait, portrait with hand, and creating a full composition.
Once he was admitted to the Art school, on one hand, he expressed his boredom he sometimes felt, on the other hand, he articulated his appreciation for the fundamental skills that the school thought him. Specifically, he communicated his gratefulness for the training the school provided to paint and draw an image to a photographic precision.
He confidently shared about his happiest memory when his favorite teacher, Professor Eshetu Teruneh, kissed him on his forehead. This experience might be yet another encouraging experience that pulled Mr. Taye even deeper into the realm of art.
After he graduated from the School of Fine Arts his government job sent him to Shakiso. When he first moved there, he wanted to spread the Christian gospel. He had studied the bible in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. However, after a staying in Shakiso for a while, he wanted to be a student instead of a teacher.
Daniel observed injustice at this southern Ethiopia in the late 1980s. The native men of Shakiso were frequently abducted to dig out minerals. They were then blindfolded so that they could not see the direction to the mines. Every night after completing their back breaking work, the men where given YeKoso Medhaanite, a strong herbal laxative and were forced to examine their own stool for any gold they may have swallowed, to smuggle. They were never paid and lived in poverty, which Daniel eventually joined. He spent most of his time there with homeless people of Shakiso. He was disgusted by the disparity between the natives living is squalid conditions while the government officials and workers lived luxurious homes.
Most of the people who had decent jobs in Shakiso came from Addis Ababa. When he shared his painful experiences and the injustices he witnessed in Shakiso, Professor Eshetu Turuneh, his mentor, told him to paint the images of the people. Mr. Taye then used his art as a healing mechanism.
Even though his supervisor Shakiso instructed him to sculpture an attractive woman from then neighboring city, Daniel sculpted an image of an older person with infected with elephantitis disease from working inside the gold mine, which is usually in swamps.
When he was asked about where he gets specific images for his work, he said he used to pray for it before. It seems like his prayer has been answered. He said now everything around him inspires him.
He said he has trained his eyes to see everything inside a framed and store the images in his mind to reproduce it at any time and place when he paints. Because of this technique he developed, Daniel said he has painted over 500 canvasses and have more than 3000 sketches.
After observing different emotions in his face, one of the participants, Azeb Mekonen, asked Mr. Taye if he is grateful for being in the profession that he chose and love. He answered his only compliant is that Emuyea, his girlfriend, is not beside him.
Azeb also asked him to explain one of his arts that depict a malnourished child sitting under a corner of a bed. He said he found that image during his visit to an orphanage, in Addis Ababa. A 12 to 13 years old girl captured Daniel’s attention. He observed that she was the oldest in the orphanage. He saw her sadness in her eyes and realized that she probably knows, because of her age and looks, no one would adopt her. This orphan girl had become a caregiver for younger kids who have more chance to be adopted. On that day, he returned to his studio and painted the girl seated in a fetus position at a corner of a bed, looking at the world scornfully.
There was a debate at the discussion between two groups of artists. One believed an art must be “finished” before it is presented to audiences. My lack of deep knowledge in Art prevented me from understanding how to assess if an art is complete or still needs work. The other group of artist believed as long as the theme of the art is complete; an artist does not have any obligation to incorporate artistic elements they learned in art school.
The moderator asked Mr. Taye if he copied Maron, An American artist, who used painting tricks that create illusions of slashed canvases. Daniel said he started to create the illusion long before he found out about Maron’s work, but once he learned about him, he started to create an illusion of the slit on a canvases being sown in some of his paintings, such as on his art titled Temesgen.
This beautiful peace of art depicts Daniel’s self-portrait, headless and holding a canvas on his left hand, standing to the left of a huge cross that towers him. The cross divides the canvas in to two. To the left of the cross, gloomy color dominates, and on the right, vibrant yellow and green colors glow. An array that comes from the right side of the cross, travel over to the left half to touch the canvas that Daniel is holding. At the bottom of the vertical part of the cross, one could see the illusion Daniel created of a tear on the canvas being stitched.
Right before the discussion concluded, an older gentle man who quietly observed the discussion shared a piece of Ethiopian Art history, even the artists did not know. Dr. Fiseha Tsion Kassa, who studied religion, philosophy, and political science in Ethiopia, Greek and France, started speak calmly by praising Daniel’s art and the art discussion.
Dr. Kassa then emphasized the importance understanding Ethiopian Art history. Artist Meseret eagerly ask Dr. Kassa to share with them some Ethiopian art history. Dr. Kassa said, in the past, all the Ethiopian church arts where taken very seriously. Artists had to be thought Kenea, an Ethiopian allegorical writing and speaking.
In addition, each of the Saints’ images had to be painted at designated places with strict procedure. Dr. Feseha expressed his dismay that currently Ethiopia is flooded with cheap and false foreign imitation of Jesus Christ, Mary and Saints’ images.
Dr. Kassa also shared fascinating information. He talked about Jesus Christ life between the ages of 12 to 30. The rest of the world describes this year as being the “missing years.”
Dr. Kassa also mentioned the Ge’ez books titled TeAmere Eyesuse (miracles of Jesus) and Dersane Raguel (the book of Ragulels) documents the full accounts of Jesus Christ’s life. Specifically, that he went to Ethiopia twice: once with his mother where he went as far as Tana and second, when he was twelve to learn among many things, Ge’ez and Hebrew languages.
Among many events, these books document an incident between Jesus Christ and one of his teachers, Memeher Semon. Specifically, at one time, the young Jesus accidentally knocked off and spilled two containers holding red and black paints. The teacher, Memeher Semon, who was also an artist and a writer, expressed his disappointment because it is a long and hideous process to make paints. Jesus Christ, then, miraculously separated the two colors. These books also describe that Jesus Christ went on a learning expedition all around the world, including Ethiopia, India, China, the U.S., and Mexico.
These types of enlightening discussions took place throughout the Washington DC Metropolitan area. The owners of Café Collage, Sankofa Bookstore and World Space Building create venues for Ethiopian artists to come together and shine.
There are only a few new successful art dealers such as Makush Art and Addis Gallary, and a few Ethiopian art collectors. Additionally, the number of attendants in exhibitions and art discussions are much less than the number of people who frequent nightclubs.
Regardless, many art shows are held throughout Washington DC metropolitan area. Some stages are easier to access than some exhibitions for Ethiopian artists. For example, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art has exhibited only a few art works by Ethiopians. However, Ethiopian businesses such as the World Space Building and Café Collage used to host frequent art shows by Ethiopian Artists.
To give a glimpse of the artistic activities in DC, I will recount Daniel Taye’s art discussion that took place at the Café Collage in Washington DC, where his art was displayed in 2004. Participants were several alumni of the School of Fine Arts in Addis Ababa including Daniel Taye, Meseret Desta, and Mekbib Gebre Sadik, friends of the artists, and art lovers.
Mr. Taye was given a stage to talk about his inspirations, techniques and life. The dialogue went on to explore such diverse topics as the way people lived in Shakiso, orphans in Addis Ababa and Jesus Christ’s missing years.
Mr. Taye said he became an artist accidentally, but he later revealed guided endeavors that grabbed and held his attention in Art. For instance, he recalled observing his childhood friend who was handicap, often drawing. Daniel said he then picked up the habit from his friend and became illustrator for his classmates in elementary school. He became a person who sketched drawing assignments for some of his classmates.
Another inspirational moment Mr. Taye discussed was a national art award he received from Mengistu Haile Marilam, when he was young. The government sponsored contest from the classroom to a national level. The award wining work was a playground painted in two colors only: red and blue. Daniel shared that his painting probably won the contest because the art related to the authorities’ desire to see uniformity in the society.
Mr. Taye talked about the celebrity status his family, school and community showered him for winning the art contest.
But he said what motivated him the most to become an artist was one persons disparaging remark that Daniel, like many Habesha youth, probably would not finish what he started. This man owned a meat shop in Mr. Taye’s neighborhood. Daniel, as child, was disturbed by the comment. He said that the criticism reinforced his desire to further explore Art. He said he felt he had to prove the butcher the comment he made was wrong.
Daniel studied at the School of Fine Arts in Addis Ababa and was eventually admitted. This prominent art school admitted only 25 to 30 students out of 700 to 1000 applicants annually.
He was asked if he got in the school through family, friends, or one of the Ethiopian orthodox Saints’ help, but the answer was not clear. However, he talked about the rigorous processes he went through to join the school: a seven weeks testing process, which involved drawing a steal life, portrait, portrait with hand, and creating a full composition.
Once he was admitted to the Art school, on one hand, he expressed his boredom he sometimes felt, on the other hand, he articulated his appreciation for the fundamental skills that the school thought him. Specifically, he communicated his gratefulness for the training the school provided to paint and draw an image to a photographic precision.
He confidently shared about his happiest memory when his favorite teacher, Professor Eshetu Teruneh, kissed him on his forehead. This experience might be yet another encouraging experience that pulled Mr. Taye even deeper into the realm of art.
After he graduated from the School of Fine Arts his government job sent him to Shakiso. When he first moved there, he wanted to spread the Christian gospel. He had studied the bible in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. However, after a staying in Shakiso for a while, he wanted to be a student instead of a teacher.
Daniel observed injustice at this southern Ethiopia in the late 1980s. The native men of Shakiso were frequently abducted to dig out minerals. They were then blindfolded so that they could not see the direction to the mines. Every night after completing their back breaking work, the men where given YeKoso Medhaanite, a strong herbal laxative and were forced to examine their own stool for any gold they may have swallowed, to smuggle. They were never paid and lived in poverty, which Daniel eventually joined. He spent most of his time there with homeless people of Shakiso. He was disgusted by the disparity between the natives living is squalid conditions while the government officials and workers lived luxurious homes.
Most of the people who had decent jobs in Shakiso came from Addis Ababa. When he shared his painful experiences and the injustices he witnessed in Shakiso, Professor Eshetu Turuneh, his mentor, told him to paint the images of the people. Mr. Taye then used his art as a healing mechanism.
Even though his supervisor Shakiso instructed him to sculpture an attractive woman from then neighboring city, Daniel sculpted an image of an older person with infected with elephantitis disease from working inside the gold mine, which is usually in swamps.
When he was asked about where he gets specific images for his work, he said he used to pray for it before. It seems like his prayer has been answered. He said now everything around him inspires him.
He said he has trained his eyes to see everything inside a framed and store the images in his mind to reproduce it at any time and place when he paints. Because of this technique he developed, Daniel said he has painted over 500 canvasses and have more than 3000 sketches.
After observing different emotions in his face, one of the participants, Azeb Mekonen, asked Mr. Taye if he is grateful for being in the profession that he chose and love. He answered his only compliant is that Emuyea, his girlfriend, is not beside him.
Azeb also asked him to explain one of his arts that depict a malnourished child sitting under a corner of a bed. He said he found that image during his visit to an orphanage, in Addis Ababa. A 12 to 13 years old girl captured Daniel’s attention. He observed that she was the oldest in the orphanage. He saw her sadness in her eyes and realized that she probably knows, because of her age and looks, no one would adopt her. This orphan girl had become a caregiver for younger kids who have more chance to be adopted. On that day, he returned to his studio and painted the girl seated in a fetus position at a corner of a bed, looking at the world scornfully.
There was a debate at the discussion between two groups of artists. One believed an art must be “finished” before it is presented to audiences. My lack of deep knowledge in Art prevented me from understanding how to assess if an art is complete or still needs work. The other group of artist believed as long as the theme of the art is complete; an artist does not have any obligation to incorporate artistic elements they learned in art school.
The moderator asked Mr. Taye if he copied Maron, An American artist, who used painting tricks that create illusions of slashed canvases. Daniel said he started to create the illusion long before he found out about Maron’s work, but once he learned about him, he started to create an illusion of the slit on a canvases being sown in some of his paintings, such as on his art titled Temesgen.
This beautiful peace of art depicts Daniel’s self-portrait, headless and holding a canvas on his left hand, standing to the left of a huge cross that towers him. The cross divides the canvas in to two. To the left of the cross, gloomy color dominates, and on the right, vibrant yellow and green colors glow. An array that comes from the right side of the cross, travel over to the left half to touch the canvas that Daniel is holding. At the bottom of the vertical part of the cross, one could see the illusion Daniel created of a tear on the canvas being stitched.
Right before the discussion concluded, an older gentle man who quietly observed the discussion shared a piece of Ethiopian Art history, even the artists did not know. Dr. Fiseha Tsion Kassa, who studied religion, philosophy, and political science in Ethiopia, Greek and France, started speak calmly by praising Daniel’s art and the art discussion.
Dr. Kassa then emphasized the importance understanding Ethiopian Art history. Artist Meseret eagerly ask Dr. Kassa to share with them some Ethiopian art history. Dr. Kassa said, in the past, all the Ethiopian church arts where taken very seriously. Artists had to be thought Kenea, an Ethiopian allegorical writing and speaking.
In addition, each of the Saints’ images had to be painted at designated places with strict procedure. Dr. Feseha expressed his dismay that currently Ethiopia is flooded with cheap and false foreign imitation of Jesus Christ, Mary and Saints’ images.
Dr. Kassa also shared fascinating information. He talked about Jesus Christ life between the ages of 12 to 30. The rest of the world describes this year as being the “missing years.”
Dr. Kassa also mentioned the Ge’ez books titled TeAmere Eyesuse (miracles of Jesus) and Dersane Raguel (the book of Ragulels) documents the full accounts of Jesus Christ’s life. Specifically, that he went to Ethiopia twice: once with his mother where he went as far as Tana and second, when he was twelve to learn among many things, Ge’ez and Hebrew languages.
Among many events, these books document an incident between Jesus Christ and one of his teachers, Memeher Semon. Specifically, at one time, the young Jesus accidentally knocked off and spilled two containers holding red and black paints. The teacher, Memeher Semon, who was also an artist and a writer, expressed his disappointment because it is a long and hideous process to make paints. Jesus Christ, then, miraculously separated the two colors. These books also describe that Jesus Christ went on a learning expedition all around the world, including Ethiopia, India, China, the U.S., and Mexico.
These types of enlightening discussions took place throughout the Washington DC Metropolitan area. The owners of Café Collage, Sankofa Bookstore and World Space Building create venues for Ethiopian artists to come together and shine.
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