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U.S. – ETHIOPIA CENTIENNIAL CELEBRATION, HOWARD UNIVERISTY
ADDRESS: Ms. SOSINNA TESFA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HAILE SELASSIE I FOUNDATION
DATE: MARCH 26, 2004
Greetings. It is with great pleasure that the Haile Selassie I International Development Foundation is taking part in this once in a life time celebration so intricately conceived by Dr. Alem
Heilu of the African Studies Department in collaboration with the Ralph Bunche International Center of Howard University and with Mr. Tamirat Medhin, Chairman of the Ethiopian American Constituency Foundation.
We
thank our distinguished guests, the Clergy Association of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church who accepted our invitation to open the ceremony with a prayer and on their own volition, performed a wonderful religious ceremony
or shibsheba yesterday evening; please also help me to recognize members of our Board of Advisors, Mr. Anthony Mockler, Author of "Haile Selassie War" who has come all the way from Oxfordshire, England
and Mr. Robert Bailey from the Maryland State Senate Office who has been a tremendous support system for our Charity. With us, also is Sister Imani, who made a special trip all the way from Chicago to contribute to the
Foundation's program. We would like to recognize and thank our fellow Ethiopians and our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora for joining us on this journey.
In the spirit of this important celebration, I
would like to also take this opportunity to thank our African American brothers and sisters for laying the ground work for Ethiopians, enabling us to live in the neighborhoods we live in; obtain education in the schools
of our choice; apply for positions in any company we wish or even set up our own businesses; in essence set the stage for us as immigrants to live out the American dream. Here, I not only speak for just Ethiopians who came to
this great land of opportunity, but also on behalf of people of color from around the world. As if that is not enough, African Americans have formed over the last ten years numerous organizations focused on development
issues in Africa such as Trans Africa, Africare, and the Constituency for Africa just to mention a few, successfully executing sustainable development projects in Ethiopia and across the continent of Africa.
I am
Sosinna Tesfa, Director of the Haile Selassie I Foundation. I would like to begin by commending Dr. Alem Hailu and Mr. Tamirat Medhin for pulling off this impressive Centennial Conference. Please join me in giving
them both a standing ovation for outstanding work unlike any that most of us have seen in this greater Washington D.C. Metropolitan area.
With that said, I must say that Dr. Hailu presented me with a rather involved
topic to discuss today and I can only attempt to not disappoint him. I will be discussing the topic of Human dignity and the struggle for liberty: Emperor Haile Selassie's impact on the aspiration of the youth in
Africa and in the Diaspora.
Human Dignity is defined as the ability to be self sufficient and have self determination. Emperor Haile Selassie exercised this vision for his nation which would
eventually resonate throughout the world. An example of his Majesty's role in maintaining the dignity of his people is that before laws were even passed addressing the concerns of the disabled in America, the Emperor had
established cottage industries to meet the economical and social benefit needs of the disabled in Ethiopia. His sense of urgency to address the needs of the physically disadvantaged sector of the Ethiopian population,
their need for empowerment, places His Majesty as one of the architects of social justice and equal rights.
Many of us today boast of the fact that Ethiopia has never been colonized and as a result recognize that it has
been devoid of the ailments of colonialism that other Africans and African countries face. This sense of pride that we all enjoy acts as a fail safe, a pillar of our very existence; it permeates through our everyday life
and serves as a corner stone for Ethiopians all over the world. Although Ethiopia's struggle for liberty spanned over thousands of years, it is Emperor Haile Selassie's determination to maintain the territorial integrity
of Ethiopia that catapulted his great nation to the international scene.
Whether Emperor Haile Selassie rose to the expectation of Ethiopians and on lookers still remains subject for heated debate. However, there
is no question that he left a legacy of good will work upon which we can and must build upon. The Emperor was a pioneer in many areas of advancement:
- He gave women access to education; prior to that, women were
not allowed to attend schools. I was simply amazed when my God Mother, Weizero Belainesh Kejela showed me a picture of herself in an army uniform in front of what seemed to be a torpedo missile; I was further astonished
when she also described herself as a founding member of a women's rights organization in Ethiopia in the early sixties.
- During his reign, he established the 1st university, the Haile Selassie University; just to mention a few more, Teferri Makonnon secondary school; Asfa Wessen high school, Tege Mennen primary school, Bede Mariam School, Beyene Merrid School, Amaha Desta School, Medanialem School, Kidist Selassie or Holly Trinity school; how many of you in the audience are a product of these schools? His Majesty, took seriously the need to make education a priority that would later translate into a viable investment in the people of his great nation.
-Emperor Haile Selassie established schools for the blind; established clinics in Addis Ababa and in remote areas; he developed scholarship funds that not only presented opportunities to those who had the scholastic
aptitude but also to those with little to no access to formal education; the educational system his Majesty helped create was such that Ethiopian students sent abroad to America and elsewhere, completed their studies
without much difficulty. My father was such student who began formal education at the age of 13 and by his mid twenties had graduated with his Master's Degree from Origen State University in Agricultural
Economics.
I grew up on great stories told to me by my Grandmother, Almaz Fanta, one of which most of you may have heard before; the Emperor concerned for students visited schools and tasted the meals the students
were being served to make sure that the future of Ethiopia were well nourished during their pursuit of education.
PICTURE
An Emperor much advanced for his time- that is how I would describe Emperor Haile
Selassie. An Emperor that would not have the privilege to witness the fruits of his vision for Ethiopia transitioning into the industrial age and later to the information age; his innovative efforts were sadly interrupted
and short changed- with only scattered evidence of his commitment to development mirrored by the achievements of the students he educated such as the Dr. Hailus, the Dr. Mollas, the Dr. Lemma Senbets who invariably can attest
to what His Majesty’s vision meant to his great nation.
His vision is also reflected by the Ras Teffarian movement that engulfed initially the Caribbean region echoing messages of human dignity, struggle for
liberty and the need for world peace that is openly embraced by the youth in Africa, in the Diaspora; not to mention citizens of the world that are equally touched by an Emperor who personified what naturally exists in all of
us:
-The need to strive for freedom
-the absolute necessity for self sufficiency
-the maintenance of human dignity
-the need for self empowerment
-the need for self determination
All fabrics of a healthy and productive society.
We at Haile Selassie I Foundation intend to revive and honor the visions of our Late Emperor
in order to meet the challenges our nation faces today; millions of our brothers and sisters are dieing of HIV/AIDS and many more children are left orphaned or on the streets; others are left with little to no access to clean
drinking water and thousands more simply existing in unbearable conditions; and equally disturbing, children have limited access to education.
Our mission is to build upon the legacy of charity and goodwill work the
Emperor established in the areas of Health and Education; and perhaps by doing so, revive the spirit of our nation and restore its rightful image of a great nation that withstood invasions for thousands of years; a nation that
serves as a beacon of freedom to other nations around the world; a country of deep culture and rich history; the very nation that Emperor Haile Selassie envisioned.
God bless Ethiopia and may God equally bless America.
Haile Selassie I International Development Foundation
U.S. Registered 501 (c) (3) Non-profit Corporation. Copyright 2003-2005.