Words that have been used
to describe the late Honorable Dr. Senedu Gebru include Resistance
fighter, philanthropist, educator, feminist, patriot, author, teacher
and mother. History may
remember her foremost as the first woman elected to Parliament, but her
contributions to this nation were so many and varied, she
could rightly be considered Ethiopia’s Renaissance Woman of the 20th
century.
Although it might seem like more Ethiopians from abroad are moving back to Ethiopia than ever before, it is also true that the much greater outflow of Ethiopians leaving the country in search of better opportunity abroad, continues unabated.
Written by Melaku Sahlu - Horizon Ethiopia Staff Writer
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
In the past couple of years, the Ethiopian government has been giving quite a bit of attention to Ethiopians in the
Diaspora in an effort to encourage them to return to their home country and/or invest in Ethiopia. This attention is due to the recognition that
Ethiopians in the Diaspora and those who have already returned can contribute substantially to Ethiopia’s growth and development. How big
can their contribution be? Potentially huge. One can categorize their contribution as follows:
Remittances related to transfer of funds primarily due to family ties.
Direct foreign investment in Ethiopia.
Technical know-how and knowledge transfer to Ethiopia
Contribution to the development of a new culture
encompassing a stronger work ethic, discipline, right attitudes towards democracy & good governance, individual rights and
responsibilities.
The first three are
relatively easy to measure. One can then conduct a cost-benefit analysis of appropriate government policies to attract Ethiopians in the
Diaspora. The last one however is the intangible factor, the measurement of which is rather complex if not outright impossible. But it is an
important, arguably even the most important benefit to Ethiopia from Returnees.
Any Ethiopian who has lived abroad, particularly in the West, almost regardless of
education level cannot help but acquire some positive aspects of Western thought and culture. These are traits such as a strong work ethic,
discipline, respecting other people’s time & space, knowing/asserting one’s rights on the one hand & accepting/fulfilling
one’s responsibilities as a citizen on the other. These are invaluable to the development of any society. One can easily correlate a
strong work ethic to increased productivity and faster economic growth but what value does one place on a society whose citizens are not only
aware of their rights and responsibilities but are also ready to demand that of their government? .
In a developing country like Ethiopia, lacking a
history of democractic rule, citizens with no outside exposure may choose the path of least resistance and acquiesce to a bureaucratic and
non-democratic system. But a society whose citizens are well-informed and able to assert their rights inevitably moves towards good governance
& democracy which in turn promotes further foreign investment, spurs economic growth and brings about an upward spiral, lifting Ethiopia out
of poverty.
Thus, the potential contribution of Ethiopian Diaspora to Ethiopia’s economic and political
development is tremendous. Recognizing and exploiting this potential will be of the utmost importance in aligning Ethiopia with the
World.
Meti Yilma is a radio show host, poet, writer, MC, one time tv
personality and a number of other things besides. Including, a top 4 finisher in 2006's Survivor Africa.
Sehin Teferra
is a freelance trainer and consultant with an academic background in
international development and gender equity. She has written since her teens, and invites your comments and
thoughts on her observations.
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There is no question that there is a lot of agricultural investment occurring in Ethiopia right now. The question is how much of that is being initiated by Ethiopians?
Despite a global downturn in real estate prices, it seemed like Ethiopia's market was impervious to it all. But there are signs which point to an inevitable downturn in the near future. Just how far down prices will go is anybody's guess.
After emigrating abroad, going to school and then opening a successful business in London, it only took a vacation to Tewodros Tadesse's hometown of Hawassa to convince him to leave everything behind and move back once and for all.
ESAI celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Horizon Ethiopia would like to congratulate them on their achievements through the years and wishes them another decade and more of continued success.
