Thy millenium“Millions in Millennium” or “Minim Yelem be millenium”

By Kassahun Addis

The Ethiopian clock is clicking down towards the new millennium and all are at least talking about it. The recent decision of the African union to celebrate this Ethiopian millennium as an African has a boosting effect on the significance of celebration.

There are differing and numerous rumors and statements that try to explain the intention behind the seemingly firm determination by the Ethiopian government to stage a mega celebration of the event. Every body is talking about the event some hoping a miracle in the new millennium while others skeptical about any millennium related miracles.

The government of Ethiopia has long been thinking about seizing and positively exploiting the opportunity for political economic and social ends. The establishment of the millennium celebration councils at local and regional level is indicative of how the government is ready to exploit this “once a thousand years” opportunity. Now the state media are busy trying to mobilize the whole country behind this cause so that the nation benefits economically, politically and socially from the millennium and its year long celebrations.

The political benefit the government is thinking of harvesting from it is a national consensus. It seems that the government is saying the millennium will help build a minimum, but required, national consensus on the constitution and the fundamental institutions of the state. Some, however, expects the government to do more than consensus building and recommend that it use the opportunity for national forgiveness and national reconciliation. Economically speaking, business is already booming in Addis Ababa following the “high talk” about millennium and a number of individual entrepreneurs and enterprises are involved in creative ways of making money. It is also expected that tens of thousands of Ethiopian Diasporas and foreign tourists will arrive in the country which in turn heighten local business and revive towns and the metropolis. A well known international travel firm has already indicted that Ethiopia would be one of the top ten destination of tourists in this year and this mean millions of dollars for the country. It seems that it is “Millions in Millennium.” At national level while for some ordinary people it may be “Minim Yelem be millenium”(Nothing in millennium). The social benefits of the cerebration relates to the renewal of individual and collective determination to fight poverty and the opportunity for friends and relatives to get together for feasts.

Well, it is good to have such noble intention-exploiting the millennium for the good of the nation- by the side of the government. However, one should probe into whether Ethiopians can achieve this without going the length it takes to garner the expected results. What I am trying to say is that the mere fact of the presence of super celebration parties and mega events would not bring the desired results; it is rather the mood of the people, the state of mind of the population that are detrimental. Apprehensive and uneasy people are not the type of people to celebrate such a big phenomenon with. The government should take some drastic measures aimed at practically bringing everyone no board if we are to achieve our aspiration. It is if and only if such measures were taken that Ethiopia may be divided in a pre- millennia and post millennia Ethiopia.

What drastic measures should be taken? My professor always says, “if you don’t get politics right, you get nothing right!” and I absolutely concur with him. It is not uncommon that celebrations are time for forgiveness that may be expressed in the form of releasing political prisoners and initiating political dialogue with all sons of the country Celebrations are a time to show goodwill, forget the wounds of the past and start to look forward. Such drastic measures would unite the nation and mobilize the entire people behind a national agenda. It is only through the commission of such measures that the high millennium talk becomes more than a lip service. After all, the nobility of intentions should be tested by the degree of efforts exerted to achieve the aspirations and the consequences of our efforts. The rumor that the government wants to avert the attention of the public away from the political and economic problems of the country by keeping the public busy with the idea of celebration would be baseless only when the former take practical measures as stated above.

It is the wish of many that the government uses this “once a million years” opportunity to enable right politics. It would be nice if at the millennium we read: Inclusive Politics Enabled; National Consensus Enabled; Hatred Politics Disabled; Exclusive Politics Disabled; Popular Consent Installed; and Sustainable Development Launched.

A new “Window Millennium” is needed for the politics of the country. Such “window” heals the state and marshals the whole people behind common national agenda.

February 9, 2007