[ Houston, TX ]

Hi all:

The Ethiopian Community in Houston will commemorate the Centennial of Adowa victory on March 2, 1996 at Texas Southern University. Speakers include our own Prof. Akalou W/Michael a senior professor of History (who wrote his dissertation on Adowa and Menelik II) at TSU, an Ethiopian women who will speak about the role played by Empress Taitu, A black American whose name is Menelik (named after Emperor Menelik) will speak about what the victory was meant to black Americans in USA, an African (non Ethiopian) professor will present on the symbolic value of Adowa victory for the continent of Africa and another Ethiopian professor will talk about the multi ethnic victory of Adowa and the unfortunate realities in today's Ethiopian Politics. Opening remarks will be given by authorities at federal, State, and City levels. Presentation include scanned pictures of Menelik, Taitu, and other war heroes on LCD panel projector and CDI interactive media. The community is now fired up to celebrate this occasion.. We invite all Ethiopians who reside in neighboring states and cities to join us in this historic day in our history.

Let me add one more thing before I go. Remember Turbo Tumo who won the Houston Marathon? Our community arranged dinner party and awarded him a trophy before he returned back home. The community also streamlined a brief ceremony at the city council of Houston where he received certificates from the Mayor of Houston and city council office. This is an early warning to Ethiopians in Atlanta. You better start shopping trophies for the upcoming Olympics. I bet our runners will take the golds, again. They are the ones who never let us down.

Last, but not least, I would like to express my appreciation for the kind words being exchanged among some of our EEDNites in the last few days. The ABC of any good communication is to respect the opinion of others no matter what it may be. Let us not forget that what ever we post on the network reaches hundreds of people. May be it is the negative mode of communication that may have inhibited the participation of the silent majority. Winning is not getting even with negative responses. It is having the gut to respond in a very constructive way to negative attacks. Readers will judge us positively if we calm down and send our messages in a civil manner than trying to get even with harsh and negative words. When we don't do that we lose the "big picture" and waste our time on mambo-jumbo stuff. So I say, keep it up brothers and sisters, we are indeed "learning". Let God bless y'all and God bless our victory day.

Mesfin


Selam All:

The Honorable Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has agreed to honor the Ethiopian Community in Houston by being present and by addressing the Adwa Centennial Celebration. Sheila, as many Ethiopians know has been a great friend of Ethiopia and an advocate for democracy and human rights for all Ethiopians. Sheila will be among many other dignitaries who will address the celebration.

Her legislative efforts to promote democracy and human rights in Ethiopia led to an unprecedented public relation effort by Melese and his allies in America recently. His recent visit to the States and his request to meet prominent American academicians is a reflection of his nervousness by such effort. It is also assumed that Melese came to lay the ground work to win the PR not only among the American public, but also among Ethiopians. So watch out, one can presume that he has consulted some of his Eritrean friends in the art of penetration and confusion.

Partly due to Melese's PR effort and the nature of the legislative processes in America, Sheila's amendment to the foreign aid bill was dropped at conference primarily led by Republicans from New York. Although many other legislations are voted up or down during conference, given the innocuous nature of Sheila's amendment and the fact that it passed by a voice vote in the House, we had to smell some underhandedness by Republicans primarily at the request of Herman & CO. and the State Department.

Let the Adwa day, usher the Ethiopian renaissance in spirit and dedication for human rights and democracy and for the liberation of Ethiopia from ethnocentrism and occupation connived by Melese and his collaborators.

Dula Abdu.

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