Unique Celebrations

Yet there was one celebration in honor of the Ethiopian Millennium that perhaps also heralded our nation’s ascendancy to more than just a mark of a point in time granted even that it was quite a momentous one. Many of these celebrations involved a generous spread of Ethiopian food, wine and some traditional Ethiopian music artists plying their art for attendees. Indeed, such was the setting on October 10, 2007 for another such event designed to congratulate Ethiopians on the arrival of their new millennium. Except there was something a bit different about this one. You see, this event took place at the Longworth House Office Building right next to the US Capital and home to a significant number of the lawmakers comprising the US House of Representatives. And it was organized and hosted by Congressman Mike Honda who also happens to be the founder and Chair of the Congressional Ethiopia and Ethiopian American Caucus. From the intensely familiar aroma of Ethiopian food wafting throughout the ornately decorated room, to the sights and sounds of an Ethiopian troupe performing traditional music and dance numbers on the columned verandah, this was certainly an event as uniquely Ethiopian as the Millennium itself, notwithstanding that it took place almost literally at the heart of America’s seat of power.   As Congressman Mike Honda walked into the room to a rousing reception and greeted many of the attendees in person, his easy familiarity with many of them spoke volumes about his obvious involvement in the local Ethiopian community and commitment to the underlying objectives of the caucus he chairs. Shortly after expressing his own congratulations, he handed out awards to Ethiopians in the community with notable achievements including organizers of the more prominent Millennium events that had just passed.

Emerging Importance

This event was perhaps as indicative of Ethiopia’s emergence as a strategic partner of escalating significance to the US as anything else. More than that, it could also be regarded as one of the manifestations of Ethiopia’s increasing relevance on the international stage. In the same month that US lawmakers hosted government officials as well as opposition party members in their offices in regards to various matters, they also made a point of conveying their congratulations on the occasion of the new Millennium and attended several of the numerous functions hosted by Ethiopian groups to mark the momentous event. The Congressional Ethiopia and Ethiopian American Caucus was founded by Congressman Honda to represent the views of the Ethiopian American community in the US and to further help strengthen existing relations with Ethiopia. On the surface, this may seem to be as commonplace as the myriad of other caucuses that do exist in Congress including some for particular African countries or regions and their corresponding immigrant communities. But a closer look reveals that the Ethiopian American community is now the largest immigrant group from Africa in the US and well endowed with the affluence and influence to make things happen. Similarly, Ethiopia as the predominant anchor of the critically important Horn of Africa region and the third most populous country on the continent has been on a steady climb to an increasingly influential position internationally for a variety of reasons. In fact, looking at the fundamental factors that are driving this phenomenon, it looks quite likely that this may be just a beginning of Ethiopia’s ascent to greater global significance. Certainly, there are many challenges that face Ethiopia in the new millennium. But there is also the glimpse of a new hope that suggests we may very well be on the way to finding ways that help us realize that potential which has long been spoken of but so rarely capitalized on. And what a way to celebrate our country’s new millennium than to understand the proximity of this pinnacle and seize the opportunity to make this the century in which Ethiopia’s becomes the economic, political and social powerhouse on the African continent and a player of much greater scale on the international stage.

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