Global Voices » Markos Lemma

Are Ethiopians the Most Secretive People on Earth?

Markos Lemma — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:57:52 +0000

Prior to official confirmation of the death of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on August 21, 2012, the Ethiopian government spokesman, Bereket Simon, had indicated that the Prime Minister would address the public on September 1, the Ethiopian new year.

In an interview with the Australian Special Broadcasting Service, journalists asked if he was carrying out his task properly and whether he was providing the public with inadequate information. He answered:

We simply state the fact, those who trust us did trust us. But, there those who don’t trust us – especially among the diaspora, residing in North America and Europe, who are ill-wishers. We know they do not trust us and we didn’t bother to convince them.

Meles Zenawi at the World Economic Forum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, May 2010. Photo courtesy of World Economic Forum (CC BY-SA 2.0)

For more than fifty days the Ethiopian public waited without official information about the Prime Minister's whereabouts. The next thing they heard from official sources was that he had died from an undisclosed disease in an undisclosed hospital and in an undisclosed country.

This was not the first time that Ethiopian officials had hidden important information from the public. Are Ethiopians the most secretive people in the world?

The Polish journalist Rysard Kapuscinski once declared “Ethiopians are the most secretive people on Earth”, as highlighted by journalist and blogger Graham Peebles:

Ethiopians are notoriously secretive and distrustful, the great Polish journalist Rysard Kapuscinski in his classic work ‘The Emperor’, regarding the reign of the last Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selasie and his inner circle, states “the Ethiopians are deeply distrustful and found it hard to believe in the sincerity of my intentions,” elsewhere he goes further claiming that Ethiopians are the most “secretive people on Earth.” Having lived in Addis Ababa and worked with Ethiopians for a number of years, my experience certainly bears out Kapuscinski’s comments reinforced by René Lefort, author of ‘Ethiopia. An heretical revolution?’ when he states “given the history of Ethiopia, where secrecy is a cardinal virtue”.

Emperor Haile Selassie I tried to hide the 1973-74 famine. Public domain photo from the G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection at the Library of Congress.

Emperor Haile Selasie even tried to hide the 1973 famine, continued Peebles:

Image and social status is of great importance within Ethiopian society. In 1973, whilst hundreds of thousands starved, Halie Selasie and his government denied that a famine was taking place in the northeast of Ethiopia, known as the ‘Unknown Famine’ and lied to ITV journalist David Dimbleby, who reported the situation in Wollo that Sellasie and his cronies had attempted to cover up.

An even earlier example of Ethopia's need for secrecy dates from the early 1900′s when Emperor Menelik II's death was hidden from the public for years. When he died in December 1913, there was no public announcement officially confirming his death and burial:

Another example of the secretive/duplicitous tendency of the Ethiopian people, creating a false or misleading image was the way Emperor Menelik II death in December 1913 was kept quiet. He died and was buried without any public announcements after suffering a stroke and being unable to govern for several years. And this for and of a man regarded by many as the last true Emperor.

Twitter user Tamara, tweeting as @GovezMedia recalled:

@GovezMedia: #WhereisMeles has me recall being told by a proffessor [sic] in Addis that the death of Menelik was hidden for years #africanleaders

As well as the Prime Minister, another prominent Ethiopian figurehead also died recently. Abune Paulos, the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox church died on 16 August, 2012. However, his death was announced immediately, although the public still does not know the cause and who is going to replace him.

This post was sub-edited by Jane Ellis.

Ethiopia: Online Reactions to Prison Sentence for Dissident Blogger

Markos Lemma — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 06:21:52 +0000

Five days before his arrest in September last year, a prominent Ethiopian dissident blogger, Eskinder Nega, wrote, “Freedom is partial to no race. Freedom has no religion. Freedom favors no ethnicity. Freedom discriminates not between rich and poor countries. Inevitably freedom will overwhelm Ethiopia.”

Eskinder Nega. Picture source: arefe.files.wordpress.com

On 13 July, 2012 Ethiopia's federal court sentenced Eskinder and 23 other opposition activists to long prison terms for “participating in a terrorist organization”.

In a 20-minute presentation, Eskinder challenged the prosecution’s case. He admitted writing and speaking about whether an Arab Spring-like movement might take root in Ethiopia and calling for peaceful protests, but denied advocating violence or unconstitutional change. He warned the court that history would judge its verdict.

Immediately after the court's judgement, netizens used different social media platforms to share their reactions.

Tsedi Lemma posted on her Facebook:

Andualem Aragei – life in prison. Eskindir Nega – 18 years Mesfin Negash and Abiye Teklemariam 8 years each……What a day! Don't even know what I am feeling right now. May be pain and despair…

Tessema S. Belay reacted to Tsedi's post:

The distinction between legal and illegal activities is getting blurred from time to time. When you write or talk, you can't know whether you are exercising your right or committing a crime of “high treason”. Isn't it a shame for the Ethiopian criminal justice system that prosecutors can secure criminal conviction of people like Abiye and Mesfin, people who left the country in fear of persecution, for supporting or encouraging “terrorism”? I found it so funny to see a court telling me that Eskinder, Mesfin and Abiye are criminals from whom the society should be protected from and they should stay in prison(to be corrected) while I can lead my life freely. Sorry, am I showing sympathy for convicted “terrorists”? I think I remember that all human rights are included in our constitution and should be interpreted based on international standards. Is the copy of the Constitution our courts have the same as the one we know? Come on the Ethiopian Government, the whole world is watching! You are embarrassing us.

Abiye Teklemariam (@abiyetk), who is also sentenced for 8 years in absence, tweeted,

@abiyetk: Ethiopian court just sentenced me to 8 years in prison. It is the least of my worries. #Ethiopia‬ is on a cusp of something big politically.

Endalkachew HaileMichael, Ethiopian blogger and GlobalVoices author, believes 13 June was a dramatic day in Ethiopia:

What an eventful day in Ethiopia with journalists & dissents getting heavy sentences while PM Meles Zenawi rumored to be seriously sick .Is this an episode of a series of dramatic events to be happening in our beloved Ethiopia?

Ian Moore tweeted;

@IanMoore3000: 18 years for Ethiopian blogger, as Ethiopia tries to take title of most repressive African country from Eritrea

UDJ Leader Andualem Aragie (with his wife and children), jailed for life in prison . Picture source: De Birhan blog

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) confirms that since 2011 the Ethiopian government has convicted 11 independent journalists and bloggers under a sweeping anti-terrorism law. Among those jailed are two Swedish journalists who are serving an 11 year prison term for allegedly supporting an ethnic Somali rebel group.

Eskinder Nega is the winner of Pen America's PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award for his endeavor for freedom of expression in an extremely inhospitable media landscape.

Ethiopia: The State of Social Media

Markos Lemma — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:54:56 +0000

Geraldine de Bastion (@geralbine) is an international consultant with a multicultural background based in Berlin, Germany. She is an expert on information and communication technology and new media for development and advises governmental organisations, NGOs and businesses on digital media and communication strategies. She also works with activists and bloggers around the world.

Geraldine began her career working for the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). She helped organise the German delegation for the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) in 2005 and worked for the Philippine National Development Agency (NEDA) on behalf of GIZ. During the past five years Geraldine worked with newthinking communications GmbH, an agency for Open Source strategies. She curated the re:publica in 2012, Germany's largest conference on Internet and Society.

She has a passion for music, arts and new technologies and brings these interests into her work. In her free time, she is also an active member of the non-profit organisation Digitale Gesellschaft e.V.

International ICT consultant Geraldine de Bastion. Photo source: ictcracker.mixxt.com/

Markos Lemma (ML): What is the sate of social media in Ethiopia?

Geraldine de Bastion (GB): From what I experienced during my first visit to Ethiopia is that there is a big demand for information and communication in general and social media are being discovered as one means for people to have their say. Because of the low internet penetration, social media at present is reserved for the few who do have access – but this small social media community is using social media platforms such as Facebook and twitter in creative ways to further information exchange. For instance, I really like the Facebook group run by a young Ethiopian who shares ideas for going out in Addis Abeba .

ML: What role citizen media technologies play in politics?

GB: At present, citizen media, in particular blogs, are playing an important role for engaged people who want to address certain topics or perspectives not covered by regular media. Therefore, citizen media are playing an important role in creating a more pluralistic media landscape. However, the influence of citizen media on political decision making is not yet visible – mainly because of the lack of Internet penetration and lack of ability to reach a broad audience within in the country. Also, there is a sense of fear of repression against critical voices although many bloggers are still navigating under the radar of those in power.

ML: Are social media sites a new public sphere?

GB: That’s a complex question. In my opinion, they are certainly contributing to a new form of social experience and publicity. One could argue that in a country where public demonstrations not allowed, a virtual get together in a Facebook group is an alternative outlet for protest – be it virtual instead of physical. However, as long as the majority of people do not have access to these technologies, their democratic potential is limited.

ML: What is the state of freedom of information online in Ethiopia and the world in general?

GB: Pessimistically seen: in deterioration. With international threats to internet freedom like ACTA, growing abilities of repressive governments to monitor dissidents online, it seems that freedom of information is under threat. This is especially true for Ethiopia. Recently TOR announced that the Ethiopian government is now undertaking deep packet inspection of all Internet traffic. They compare this kind of action to the censorship and spying on private communication conducted by China, Iran, and Kazakhstan. With the Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation still being the sole telecommunication service provider in Ethiopia, there is no way to escape the eye of the state for Ethiopians online.

I believe it is important to be informed and speak up for your rights actively – online and offline! There are a number of organizations like the EFF, EDRI and TOR where you can get advice on how to stay safe as an online activist.

ML: How do politicians use social media in Ethiopia and Africa in general?

GB: In general, politicians have a broad range of possibilities to use social media and some African leaders have caught on to their potential like Goodluck Jonathan or Jacob Zuma. However, the potential to actually get into a meaningful dialogue with citizens is often neglected and instead politicians use social media as another outlet for their information and rallying.

In Ethiopia, the use of the Internet for top-down political communication is still in its baby shoes. With so few citizens online, traditional media in particular broadcasting media are the main channel used.

ML: How do NGOs use social media?

GB: The use of social media for campaigning is becoming increasingly important for NGOs. The big are leading by example – for instance the Greenpeace campaign “The Dark Side” was a huge success. They used social media to inform, entertain and engage people. Online fundraising is also becoming increasingly popular. I think many Ethiopian NGOs are interested in using the social media, in particular to create international awareness and outreach but many are lacking capacities or finances. Using commercial platforms like Facebook to spread your message and find supports is already popular and defiantly on the rise.

ML: What are the main challenges of citizen media in Ethiopia?

GB: The monopolized infrastructure is by far the biggest hurdle in Ethiopia. Internet literacy can be improved, especially as the interest and motivation is very high. However, the state monopoly on service providers causes high prices and also makes the net easier to control and survey.

Ethiopia: The World Economic Forum in Africa 2012

Markos Lemma — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:49:10 +0000

Over 700 leaders from more than 70 countries are attending the World Economic Forum taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian from 9 – 11 May, 2012.

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas:

Africa is experiencing strong growth and despite the increasingly volatile global economy, African leaders are pursuing measures that will transform the region into the next global growth pole. In this context, the World Economic Forum on Africa will seek to leverage the positive political, economic and social progress of recent years by providing a true multistakeholder platform to develop new ideas and actions to achieve further sustainable, inclusive growth, – says Elsie S. Kanza, Director, Head of Africa, World Economic Forum.

Caroline Kende-Robb, Kofi Annan and Bob Geldof – World Economic Forum on Africa 2012. Photo source: World Economic Forum (CC BY-SA 2.0) .

It is not a surprise that such a forum would take place in Africa since African countries are among the top fast growing economies in the world. The top ten countries with fastest growing population are also in Africa. But the choice of Addis Ababa leaves many unanswered questions to human rights activists.

Ethiopian blogger and Global Voices author asks, “When Addis Ababa hosts the 22nd World Economic Forum for the first time on Africa soil will anyone care?”:

I strongly believe that one topic that should be tackled in numerous debates in the forum should be the role of free and independent media and economic growth in Africa. Also other topics on the agenda should be issues like journalists’ incarceration, telecom services control by government and may be corruption. In fact the present spotlight of media on Ethiopia’s economic breakthrough is distracting attention from many serious challenges that Ethiopia’s free media is facing on day to day basis.

The forum has started on Wednesday after lots of bad news about Ethiopia’s free press five journalists—Woubshet Taye, Elias Kifle, Re’eyot Alemu and two Swedish journalists — sentenced to at least 10 years and more behind bars and 2012 PEN America press freedom award winner, Eskinder Nega, could face the death penalty if convicted this Friday.

However, Bekele argues that bringing the WEF to Ethiopia “marks a real shift in the perception of Ethiopia”:

Bringing the Forum to Addis Ababa marks a real shift in the perception of Ethiopia by the international community – a gradual understanding that this is a continent of potential and opportunity and not just misfortune and intractable problems.

As a representative of civil society among what will be an impressive gathering of influential political and business figures, I will be reinforcing the logical progression from building strong communities to strong economies, and, ultimately, greater political stability.

On Twitter, tweeps use the hashtag #WEFAfrica to share key insights and lessons from the Forum:

@Kwabena: Who (here) is using new technologies to engage the youth? – Klaus Schwab asks at the World Economic Forum on Africa #wef #WEFAfrica

@waresafrica: “l wouldn't really invest anywhere apart from Africa today because that's where the growth is.”Dangote tells #WEFAfrica in Addis

@msibeko: Best time for Africa in 50 years, but don't confuse economic growth with economic transformation. Kaberuka #WEFAfrica

@StephanMorais: My view is that there is no connection between democracy and economic growth, but democracy is good in itself, PM Ethiopia @ #WEFAfrica #YGL

@Africa_activist: Is the ordinary African touched by this #AfricaOptimism, is it an elitist movement, how can it be real & transformative? #WEFAfrica #YGL

@FightPoverty: Very inspiring day yesterday @GrowAfricaForum – key message: shift mindset from developing agriculture to developing agribusiness

You can follow the Forum live here.

Ethiopia: Child Abuse Caught on Mobile Phone Camera

Markos Lemma — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:51:42 +0000

Ethiopian Facebook users have reacted to a mobile phone recorded YouTube video which shows a little girl constantly being abused by her mother. Shortly after the upload of the video, netizens on Facebook organized an online campaign for justice by starting a Facebook group called “Ethiopians Against Child Abuse”:

About

what happened to this little girl is an eye opening experience to all of us. Let's all stand up for other invisible children, and bring awareness to stop child abuse in ETHIOPIA. We are the next generation that can change our country let's start today

Description

As we closely monitor the case of the little girl, we also want to think about on how we can keep on making such great diffrence by very small gestures as we have just done, in these past two days. This community (Ethiopians Against Child Abuse), is a group dedicated to bringing awareness to child abuse in Ethiopia. We are inviting all and any individuals who already work in charity, people who are interested in charity work, and individuals who are ready to make a difference to join our movement.

The following video contains upsetting content:

This update was posted on the group's wall:

BREAKING NEWS: we just got off the phone with Saifu Fantahun and we have learned that: 1. after the reporters left the house, the child got beat again, there are new marks on her body to prove that :( 2. The woman is not her mother, she is her grandmother. 3. The child is 4 years old now and they claim these happened 3 years ago, which is clearly a lie. Because the child was not 1 years old in the video. 4. both the mother and the girl who was recording the incident are both in custody. 4. The child is staying with her aunt for now. 5. The grandmother is claiming that she get's possessed by the devil sometimes and that is why she commits such act.

Another Facebook group is called “Stop child abuse In Ethiopia”:

This is group is dedicated to those children who have been victims of physical assault,mental torture,sexual harassment,abduction, and early marriage. The immediate cause for its existence is the brutal physical torture committed on a little girl by her parents.
The group bears the responsibility to spread the information as wide as possible so as to make the issue the concern of responsible bodies.
Thus Let us try to change the situation by inviting our friends to this group, at least invite two of your friends. tnx

Tsedi Lemma, one of the most active Ethiopian social media activist wrote on her Facebook page:

Watch this video and weep. I have nothing to say….this has gutted my ability to speak as a mother and a woman. I didn't know this was the limit of my big mouth…i am just speechless!!

Another Ethiopian netizen, Muson Abdo, left a message on the ‘Stop child abuse In Ethiopia’ Facebook page:

Let's do the simplest possible effort to stop the brutal child right abuse in our country by echoing the message so that the issue will become the concern of our leaders. There are so many similar cases taking place in the country which hampers the natural and healthy growth of the coming generation. You are the one who can stop this disaster from the land. So don't overlook it, it is our responsibility too. We have the ability in our hands to halt it right now. Let say enough is enough. We have suffered/they have suffered/ our country suffered a lot from this epidemic. Speared it as wide as you can.

Ethiopians Against Child Abuse logo. Image source: Group's Facebook page.

Dawit Nida [am] said on Facebook:

ለዚህ ምን ይባላል!!! እያንዳንዱ ጥፊ በስለት የተወጋሁ ያህል ነው የተስማኝ:: የቀራጯ ሳቅ ደግሞ…..ውይ ያሰቃያል!!! STOP CHILD ABUSE!!

What can be said for this!! I felt pain in my body following each slap. How about the laughter of the recorder? …

A woman wearing a t-shirt with the message "በአዲሱ ሚሊኒየም የሕፃናት ደህንነት የሁላችን ኃላፊነት ነው" (In the new millennium, the safety of children is our common responsibility). Photo courtesy of ethiopianreporter.com.

One local radio station has offered a 10,000 Ethiopian Birr (about US$ 600) reward for any one with information leading to the arrest of the abusive “mother”. The girl laughing in the background who recorded the video has finally gave her side of the story.

A local online newsletter [am] reports that the mother has now been identified.

Social media helped Ethiopian netizens discover the video and spread it among themselves. Facebook penetration in Ethiopia is at 111.19%. The country ranks number 93 in the ranking of Facebook statistics by country. According to Internet World Stats, as of 31 December, 2011 there were 622,122 Internet users in Ethiopia.

Recently, mobile phone video footage showing an Ethiopian domestic worker being beaten and dragged by force into a car outside the Ethiopian consulate in Beirut, Lebanon caused angry reactions amongst Ethiopian netizens.

Ethiopia: Homosexuality Debate as Capital Hosts AIDS Conference

Markos Lemma — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:43:32 +0000

An upcoming conference on AIDS and sexually transmitted infections in Africa has sparked controversy after religious leaders and government officials in Ethiopia held a meeting on Tuesday 29 November, 2011, over whether or not to ban gay rights activists gathering on the fringes of the international meeting. The meeting came after religious leaders canceled a news conference called to denounce the planned conference of gay rights activists.

The 16th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa will be held in the capital Addis Ababa this coming Sunday, where more than 200 activists, experts and UN officials are expected to participate.

Following the attempt by the religious community to ban the conference, Ethiopian netizens turned to Facebook to discuss homosexuality in their country. Homosexuality in Ethiopia is a crime and is punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment.

ICASA 2011: Own, Scale-Up and Sustain. Image source: ICASA 2011 site.

According to the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project, 97% of Ethiopian residents said that homosexuality should be rejected by society, which was the second-highest percentage rejecting homosexuality among the 44 countries surveyed, exceeded only by Mali with 98%.

However, some Ethiopians netizens on Facebook start to have a different perspective on homosexuality.

Hallelujah calls for a civilized public debate about the issue:

Sooner or later we need to have a civilized public debate about the issue. We shouldn't hate or discriminate,but rather be bold,articulate and critical enough to express our disapproval of the practice of Homosexuality from a spiritual,moral,social,health and nature and survival perspectives.

Below is a comment thread that followed Hallelujah's message on his wall.

Lilly Kidane thinks that we need to be compassionate about the issue:

We need to address it and try to be compassionate about it as well, we have created God in our image and what ever we dont like and we dont understand and we judge we say God doesnt like it either, but God should be, in my opinion, beyond all this small stuff of who is sleeping with whom. We all need to find what makes us happy and be greatful for it

She adds:

how boring would it be if the whole world be the same. It takes all kinds of people to fill up the world

Bisrat Teshome says emotional reactions to homosexuality are unacceptable:

As to me, i don't consider homosexuality as a problem by itself. It is preference of people. People are rational and have the right and full knowledge to choose what is good for themselves (of course under the umbrella of the legal system of the country). These types of emotional and discriminatory reactions from religions are unacceptable.

Osman Mohammedsiraj says that the debate should be on how to protect Ethiopians from “the spread of the epidemic”:

Gay and lesbian rights are among issues that are not worth discussing in Ethiopia, since it is forgone conclusion that everyone across all religious affiliation disapproves them. But the discussion should rather be how to protect our people from spread of the epidemic

Nuhamin Getachew believes homosexuality has no place in Ethiopia:

i am thanking God for those of us who still believe it is an utterly unnatural act. Also,i CAN NOT believe i am reading approvals for it from ETHIOPIANS?? Guys please,let us keep the dignified country our proud forefathers handed to us and not confuse civilization and plain immorality!!

Markos asks:

I think we are missing the ONLY point here….Since when people treated so awfully like this for THINGS they practice on themselves?

Mesfin Tekle says that Africa needs to deal with the issue:

This issue is very complex but sooner or later our country and the continent of Africa will have to deal with it. This is not a curable disease like polio that you can prevent with a vaccination.

Bob Herold asks:

Something to think about. What if one of your children who you have LOVED, nutured, and provided for came to you and said, ” I am gay”. Could you just turn your back on them. Does this make them a terrible person. As a matter of fact does this change them in any way other than what they do in the PRIVACY of there on home. Hmmm.

Selam Araya sees homosexuality as a sign of a confused generation:

I was trying to read the comments and debates above. and just wondered “what would be the response of the past generation to this issue.” I would guess completely against homosexuality” even better, how about the next generation. I would guess completely pro to it. we are the confused generation!

Sewinet Belete posted the following protest message in Amharic on Facebook:

A message of protest against the conference

Agenda of the Meeting at Jupiter hotel revealed.

For the World HIV conference which will be held at millennium hall, the main point of the agenda is “To stop the spread of HIV AIDS and homosexuality as a solution” … another objective of this meeting is to influence the Ethiopia government to make a supportive law to accept this extremely bad practice which leads to corrupt families and the country.

To do this, they are trying spend a lot of money and plead support of the international organizations.

Well respected, rich and educated people in Ethiopia are actively participating in this as if this is the peak of their knowledge and wisdom.

And anyone who believes in the existence of God …. anyone who knows how to live in a society should object/protest this bad practice which spoiled Europe and the Western world.

The debates continues on Facebook, which more than 90% of Internet users in Ethiopia have access to.

Ethiopia: Aberash Hailay's Case Ignites Campaign to Stop Violence Against Women

Markos Lemma — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:55:51 +0000

Aberash Hailay is an Ethiopian Airlines flight attendant whose ex-husband, Fisseha Tadesse, stabbed both her eyes with a knife in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ethiopian activists are using the Internet to call for justice for Aberash Hailay and draw attention to issues of violence against women in Ethiopia.

Billene Seyoum covered the story on the AfricanFeminism blog, on September 19, 2011. She wrote:

Aberash, an Ethiopian Airlines flight attendant whose ex-husband, Fisseha Tadesse, stabbed both her eyes out with a knife last week, now lies in a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand receiving medical attention to retain sight in one of her eyes, although local medical experts have ruled out the chance of survivability. According to the Amharic newspaper, The Reporter, Aberash was married for seven years before the marriage amicably ended a few months ago. Her uncle says that the night of the incident both Aberash and her ex-husband were invited for festivities in his house and they appeared to be in “good condition”, whatever that means. What the article did not express however was that both her eyes experienced multiple stabs from various directions which made it near to impossible for surgeons to even sew shut the gaping socket which once housed beautiful eyes.

She stressed:

Her wounds and her pain are symbolic of a dysfunctional society stained by the tears and blood of countless women whose cries and plea have often gone unheard and silenced by the taboos of culture

Ethiopian airlines hostess Aberash Hailay. Photo taken from africanfeminism.wordpress.com

On September 22, netizens took a campaign called “Ahun BeAyne Meta!!!” Campaign for Aberash Hailay and other suvivors of VAW (violence against women) to Facebook. The campaign page with over 200 page likes reads:

“Ahun BeAyne Meta!!!” (“Now Through My Eyes”). The Amharic phrase expresses sentiment towards an injustice or a grave act committed against a person which surpasses bodily harm.