12 August 08 - UDJ/Andinet Atlanta chapter held a successful public meeting on August 10, 2008, according a report from the Atlanta chapter. More than 200 Ethiopians attended the meeting. Ato Asrat Tasse, Secretary General of UDJ and Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, a council member, were guest speakers. [pictures]
Professor Mesfin gave the keynote speech, focusing on what direction the kinijit/Andenet movement needs to go, followed by Ato Asrat’s address to the public that focused on Andenet’s current status and its vision for the future of Ethiopia. Both delegates, Ato Asrat and Professor Mesfin moved the crowd with their deep knowledge of peaceful struggle and how the Diaspora could support the movement in Ethiopia.
Kinijit Atlanta’s former chairman, Ato Cheru Terefe was given an award by Andenet Atlanta support organization in appreciation for his enormous contribution to building democracy and justice in Ethiopia. Moment of Silence was also held and a touching poem was presented by Dawit Kebede to remember innocent victims who suffered, exiled and killed by Meles Zenawi regime.
The meeting was concluded by question – answer and opinion session. Issues/questions raised ranged from deep appreciation for Andenet’s struggle against the challenges it faces, non-violent VS other forms of struggles and the Sudan border controversy.
Professor Mesfin answered questions about how non violent struggle can work against a cruel dictatorial regime and questions about the border situation with Sudan and helped clarify some confusion. Ato Asrat answered in detail many questions on issues around Andenet organizational affairs.
At the end of the event, the two UDJ delegates were given awards by Andenet/Kinijit Atlanta for the huge sacrifices they have made for the betterment of Ethiopia.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Would you please correct the date. thanks.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Shameful fake politicians in Windsor Ontario.
How come Windsor Ontario`s Amara politician wannabe dummies collecting welfare and living in the government assisted housing, should`t politics start with personal develeopment and personal advancement ? ? ?
HA!!HA!!!HA!!!!HA!!!!!!!
NO MONEY, NO JOB,NO POLITICAL KNWLEDGE,
OSAP dependent.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Mr.ObserVer;
you must be out of your mind is your upstair working properly if not try it with psyciatrist, EMF has non here.
///
August 12th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
ObserVer
You are ///
August 12th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Hello EMF
I did see on the side bar anouncement “Discussion with Dr. Berhanu discussion of quesiton that never were raised before” What and which question have not been asked before? Or is this another round of public meeting cercus without delivering any results. We are tired of the same old “How woyane is anit democract or Dicator ” We need actoin
Please tell Dr. Berhanu we dont need no more talk
a) set up a fundraising link to EMF so let’s donate $ for Ginbot7
b) Talk no more walk the walk should be our present and future plan
Thank You
August 13th, 2008 at 1:38 am
Let’s go straight to the crux of the matter: UDJ by its actions and positions had demonstrated itself to be a political party without a popular base. It is a fake party without popular constituency — like Beyene Petros’s UEDF, Lidetu Ayalew’s EUDP, and the many other useless political groupings whose only benefit is to make Woyanne look legitimate or democrat.
UDJ, in particular, is a great disappointment, because it had a potential to position itself as a genuine opposition party by doing things such as:
1) Keeping its former name Kinijit.
2) Not accepting the legitimacy of the Woyanne-dominated Election Board.
3) Ignoring Woyanne’s ban on public meetings.
4) Speaking out against Woyanne atrocities through out Ethiopia, particularly the wholesale massacres of Ethiopians in Ogaden.
5) Demanding the resignation of Meles Zenawi and all Woyanne top leaders…
They may risk arrest and other dangers by doing the things mentioned above. But if they present themselves as leaders, what else do they expect? If they are afraid of arrest, they should stay home. How many times other leaders of ‘peaceful struggle’ were jailed, beaten up, and killed? How many times Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Mandela, San Suu Kyi, and others were arrested, beaten up, and assassinated because they refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the tyrannical system that brutalized and enslaved their people. San Suu Kyi of Burma gets arrested almost every other week. On the other hand, take a look at what the UDJ leaders are doing:
1) When Woyanne told them that they cannot use Kinijit as their name, they said, ‘yes, master’ and changed their name, submitting themselves to the illegitimate regime.
2) After they changed their name, Woyanne still refused to give them legal status. But they continued to beg the dictatorship through Western diplomats.
3) When Woyanne security agents banned their meeting, they run to U.S. and U.K. ambassadors for help. Woyanne said yes to its puppet masters, U.S. and U.K. diplomats, and allowed UDJ to meet, but only inside their office. Without any hint of resistance, they accepted Woyanne’s condition and held their meeting in their office today.
4) In the past 10 months, when millions of our people faced death from starvation as result of Woyanne’s mismanagement of the country’s resources, when tens of thousands of fellow Ethiopians were slaughtered in Ogaden, when a neighboring country, Somalia, was pillaged by Woyanne occupation forces in the name of Ethiopia, when high commodity prices caused so much suffering, when large tracts of land were given away to Sudan in a secret deal, not a word of concern was expressed by the UDJ leaders. The only criticism we hear coming out of the mouths of UDJ leaders these days is directed at freedom fighters who raised arms to defend themselves and their people from the Woyanne brutal dictatorship.
It is because of all these reasons and more that Ethiopian Review believes UDJ is another fake party by any measurement.
Let’s call a spade ’spade’. UDJ is Fake.
NOTE TO KINIJIT NORTH AMERICA: Not a penny of the money collected in the name of Kinijit from Ethiopians in the Diaspora should be given to UDJ, because UDJ is not Kinijit and doesn’t stand for the principles that Kinijit upheld. It would be a betrayal of public trust on the part of Kinijit North America to give any of the money under its controls to UDJ.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:36 am
/// Dont be Fool. Weyane never give power in peaceful way.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Dawit and Kinfe,
please dont censor and edit the comments just like weyane!!
August 15th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
What was the amount that was refered to for Andinet to do its job?
Was it 912,000 dollars? Am I right?
August 17th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Preaching the old song.
I happen to attend a town hall meeting held by two special guests of Andent/Kinjet Atlanta support Association. Among the guests where, Professor Mesfin Woldemariam and Mr. Asrat Tasew. After length introduction of the two guests by the chairman of the Andent Party support Group Atlanta and some other sympathizer guests. Professor Mesfin begins addressing the audience and Mr. Asrat as well addresses the audience. After the conclusion of the two guest speech the floor were open for Q & A, and remark. During the Q & A professor Mesfin made a remark saying, I see uncertainty among the Audiences. The question you are asking is not what we expect, I think either you are not having confidence on as or you don’t trust as or we have not address the issue properly. The professor also made remark we need to change within our selves the way we see things. Despite the respect I have for professor what he was preaching was same old song. What I men by this is, the professor has been baiting his lip for three decades because of the political system in Ethiopia. For example, the professor was highly instrumental the fall of the King Hialeslase regime, infact the professor always talk about the trip to TG by bus with only 5 Ethiopian Birr, anyhow, during the Derg Regime you all know what he had contributed to Ethiopian politics, toward the end of Derg era he was acting as a elder or shmagle, (ሽማግሌ)finally during the EPRDF era here you go again Professor Mesfin seeking a change. Dear fellow Ethiopian, Professor Mesfin telling as to redirect our remnants we have been carried like a luggage for a decade. He is preaching peace and harmony. Fine, why he fail to teach those student when he were professor at the university, rule of law, justice & equality, by the way his student are the one giving a problem to Ethiopia, in my opinion the university he is belong was breeding, Self-Centered, power monger individual. In conclusion of these comments, (ውረድ እንውረድ ተባባሉና አስደበደበው አፋፍ ላይ ቆመና) The EPRDF Prime Minster Made it clear, if you disagreed the way we govern the country, you can’t take over the government nor make any change through a remote control or internet or signing up a
Petion to U.S. congress.
So, ladies and gentle men what is the professor preaching the old song? Stay tune will continue
August 18th, 2008 at 1:57 am
[…] News » News News Atlanta held successful meeting with UDJ delegates2008-08-18 00:57:02According to the council, Professor Mesfin Woldemariam were guest speakers. […]