29 August 2018

ዲያስፖራው ለሀገሩ


በውጭ የምንኖር ኢትዮጵያውያን በአብዛኛው ጊዜ ስለ ሀገር ጉዳይ ከመወያየት ተቆጥበን አናውቅም:: አልፎ አልፎም መከራከራችን አይቀርም:: በሃሳብ ልንለያይም እንችላለን:: በሃሳብ መለያየት ክፋት የለውም። በሃሳብ መለያየታችን ለዲሞክራሲ ግንባታ የበኩላችንን ከማድረግ ሊያግደን አይገባም:: አብረን ከመስራትም ሊያግደን አይገባም::

ዛሬ ነገ ሳንል  ተግባራዊ እንቅስቃሴ በማድረግ በሀገራችን ኢትዮጵያ የተጀመረውን የለውጥ ጉዞ  ማገዝ ኢትዮጵያዊ ኃላፊነታችንና ግዴታችን ነው:: ተግባር ከብዙ ቃል በላይ ይናገራል ይባላልና እራሳችንን በተግባር የምንፈትሽበት ጊዜ ነው:: ሀገራችን ከአምባገነናዊ ሥርዓት ተላቃ በሽግግር ላይ  ያለች እንደመሆኗ መጠን ከምንም ጊዜ በላይ የልጆቿ እገዛ  ያስፈልጋታል።

ዲያስፖራው  ለውጡን በብዙ መልኩ ማገዝ ይቸላል፣ ዋናው ቁርጠኝነት ነው። 

በሀገራችን የተከሰተው ለውጥ ስር ነቀልና ዘላቂ እንዲሆን ከምንም በላይ የተቋማት ግንባታ ያስፈልጋል:: ሲቪክ ማህበራት፤ ነፃ የሚዲያ ተቋማት፤ ከፖለቲካ ፓርቲ ተፅእኖ የተላቀቀ ሲቪል ሰርቪስ እና ሌሎችም ለዲሞክራሲያዊ ሥርዓት አስፈላጊ የሆኑ ግብዓቶች በሙሉ እንዲሟሉ ዲያስፖራው በብዙ መልኩ እገዛ ማድረግ ይችላል። ይህ ተግባራዊ እንዲሆን ሁሉም በሆደ ሰፊነትና ይቅር ባይነት መንፈስ ሊነሳሳና ነገ የተሻለ ቀን እንዲሆን ሊሰራ ይገባል። ትናንት አብረን ስላልሰራን ነገም አብረን መስራት አንችልም የሚል አመለካከት ጊዜው ያለፈበትና ያረጀ ነው። በፖለቲካው ዓለም ዘላለማዊ ወዳጅ ወይም ዘላለማዊ ጠላት የለም ይባላል። ሁሉም በህሊናው ልክ ነው የሚለውን ነገር ለማሳካት ነው የሚሰራው። በዚህ ሂደት ውስጥ ደግሞ ለድርድር የማይቀርቡ ነገሮች እንደሚኖሩት ሁሉ የጋራ የሚያደርጉን ብዙ ነገሮች አሉ። ኢትዮጵያ የሁላችን ነች። ኢትዮጵያ የጋራችን ነች። ከአንድ ቤተሰብ የተፈጠሩ ግለሰቦች በእናታቸው አይደራደሩም። ወፈርችም ቀጠነች፤ አጠርችም ረዘመች፤ ደሃም ሆነች ሀብታም፤ እናት ሁሌም እናት ነች። ኢትዮጵያም ኢትዮጵያ ናት።

ኢትዮጵያውያን ዲያስፖራዎችን አንድ የሚያደርገን ከምንም በላይ ኢትዮጵያዊነት ነው። ሀገራችን በበጎ እንጂ በክፉ ስሟ አንዲነሳ አንፈልግም። ወደድንም ጠላን ሀገራችን ሀገራችን ነች።  የሀገራችን በኢኮኖሚ ወደ ኋላ መቅረት ጠንክረን በህብረት ያለመስራታችን ውጤት ነው። ለዚህም የነበሩት ስርዓቶች ተፅዕኖ ያደረጉብን መሆኑ የማይካድ ሲሆን በአሁኑ ሰዓት ያገኘነውን መልካም አጋጣሚ በመጠቀም ሀገራችንን ልናግዛትና የበኩላችንን ልናደርግላት ይገባል፣ ይቻላልም። ላለፉት አያሌ አመታት በዓለም ዙሪያ የተበተኑት ኢትዮጵያውያን በየሀገሮቹ ካሉት ኤምባሲዎች ጋር ያላቸው ግንኙነት እጅግ በጣም አናሳ ነበር። በዚህም ምክንያት በዲያስፖራውና በኤምባሲዎች መካከል ያለው ግንኙነት ጥርጣሬ የበዛበትና ብዙ ወደፊት መሄድ የማይችል ነበረ። ይህ የቆየና ስር የሰደደ አመለካከት ከጊዜው ጋር ሊለወጥ ይገባል። መጥፎ ነገሮችን እንደምናወግዝ ሁሉ በጎ ነገሮችን ደግሞ ማወደስና ማበረታታት ይገባል። ኢትዮጵያዊ አብሮ መብላት እንጂ አብሮ መስራት አይችልም የሚለውን የቆየ አባባል ማክሸፍ ይገባል። በልዩነት ላይ ተስማምቶ አብሮ መስራት እንደሚቻል በተግባር በማሳየት የተለወጥን ሰዎች መሆናችንን ማሳየት አለብን። ጊዜው ሲደርስ ዜጎች ከኤምባሲዎቻቸው ጋር መልካም ግንኙነት ፈጥረው ብዙ ለሃገር የሚበጅ ስራ መስራት ይቻላሉ። ያኔ ሁሉም ይሆናል። እስከዚያው ግን ዲያስፖራው በግሉና በተደራጀ መልኩ ብዙ ነገሮችን ማከናወን ይችላል።  

የሚከተሉትን ማከናወን ለሞራል እርካታ ከማገዙም በላይ ሀገራዊ ግዴታን ለመወጣት ይጠቅማል።

1.       የውይይት መድረኮችን፣ ኮንፈራንሶችን፣ ልዩ ልዩ ዐውደ ጥናቶችን በማዘጋጀት ህዝባችን የተገኙትን ለውጦች እውቀቱን፣ ገንዘቡን፣ ጊዜውን በመስጠት በተግባር ማገዝ እንዲችል ማበረታታት።
2.    ከሚመለከታቸው አካላት ጋር በመነጋገር ዜጎች የገንዝብ እገዛ እንዲያደርጉና ገንዘባቸውም ለታቀደለት ዓላማ እንዲውል ንቁ ተሳትፎ ማድረግ።
3.       ዜጎቻችን ወደ ሀገራቸው በመሄድ እወቀታቸውንና ጊዜያቸውን ለወገኖቻቸው እንዲያካፍሉ ማበረታታት።
4.       ዜጎቻችን ከሀገር ቤት የሚያገኙትን እውቀትና ልምድ በሚኖሩበት ሀገር ለሚገኙ ወገኖች ማካፈል የሚችሉበትን መድረክ ማመቻቸት።
5.       ዜጎች የውጭ ትምህርት እድል እንዲያገኙ ጥረት ማድረግ፣ አስፈላጊ ሆኖ ሲግኝ በተደራጀ መልኩ ማገዝ።
6.       ኢንቨስትመንት ወደ ሀገር ቤት እንዲገባ ማበረታታት::
7.       ሀገራችን ከቱሪስቶች ጉብኝት የውጭ ምንዛሬ ልታገኝ የምትችለበትን ሁኔታ መፍጠር
እነዚህንና ሌሎች ተግባራትን በተደራጅ መልኩ በማከናወን ሀገራዊ ግዴታን በመወጣት ከህሊና ወቀሳም መዳን ይቻላል። ከምንም በላይ ግን ለዲሞክራሲያዊ ተቋማት ግንባታ ዲያስፖራው ከፍተኛ እገዛ ማድረግ ይችላል ። ይጠበቅበታልም።

ቸር እንሰንብት።


21 August 2018

ለበሬ ወለደ ዜና ቦታ የለንም


                             

የሶሻል ሚዲያ የውሸት ዜናዎች (Fake News) ሊያሸብሩን አይገባም!

በሀገራችን የተከሰተውን ለውጥ ተከትሎ ብዙ በሬ ወለደ ዜናዎች በሶሻል ሚዲያ ውጤቶች በተለይም በፌስ ቡክና ቲዩብ ( Facebook and You tube) በብዛት ተሰራጭተው እናያለን። እነዚህ የበሬ ወለደ ዜናዎች ብዙሃን ወገኖቻችንን ሊያሳስቱና ሊያስጨንቁ ይችላሉ። ህዝባችን የውሸት ዜናዎችን አጥብቆ መታገል ይገባዋል። ከምንም በፊት ለነዚህ የውሸት ዜናዎች ቦታ ባለመስጠት፤ አስፈላጊ ከሆነም የውሸት ዜናዎቹ በሚለቀቁበት ጊዜ የወሬዎቹን ምንጭ በመጠየቅ ብዙ ጥፋት ሳያስከትሉ ሊያስቆማቸው ይገባል።

የወሸት ዜናዎች በተለያዩ ምክንያቶች ሊፈጠሩ የሚችሉ ሲሆን የተለያየ አላማዎችም አሏቸው።

1. የፖለቲካ ለውጡን ለማወክ የሚደረግ ጥረት፥ በሀገራችን የተከሰተው ለውጥ ደጋፊ እንዳለው ሁሉ ተቃዋሚም አለው። ይህ ደግሞ በለውጥ ሂደት ውስጥ ብዙ ጊዜ የሚከሰት ነው። የፖለቲካና የኢኮኖሚ ጥቅማቸው የሚነካባቸው ግለሰቦችና ድርጅቶች በተቻላቸው መጠን የለውጥ ሂደቱን ከማወክ አይቆጠቡም። ለዚህም የተቻላቸውን ያህል በማድረግ ለወጡ እንዳይሳካና ህዝቡ በለውጡ ላይ ጥርጣሬ እንዲኖረው ለማድረግ ብዙ ጥረት ያደርጋሉ። ለውጡ እንዲቀለበስ ሌት ተቀን ተግተው ከመስራት አይቆጠቡም። እኩይ አላማቸውን ለማሳካት ብዙ ገንዘብ በማውጣት የተቻላቸውን ሁሉ ያደርጋሉ። ይህ የውንብድና ሥራ ብዙም ስለማያስኬድ በዚህ ተልካሻ ተግባር ላይ የሚሳተፉ ግለሰቦችና ድርጅቶች ሌሎች ለውጥ የማደናቀፍ ተግባራት ላይ ከመሳተፍ አይቆጠቡም። ህዝባችን በሀገራችን ለተከሰተው ለውጥ ዘብ በመሆን ለውጡን እንደ ዓይኑ ብሌን ሊጠብቀው ይገባል።

2. የገንዘብ ፍቅር፤ በገንዘብ ፍቅር የተለከፈ ሰው ለገንዘብ ሲል ብዙ አሳፋሪ ተግባራት ሊፈጽም ይችላል። በተለይ ከዩ ቲዩብ (You Tube) ለምትገኝ ጥቃቅን ጥቅማጥቅም ኃላፊነት የጎደላቸውና ምንጭ አልባ የውሸት ዜናዎች ሲለጥፉ እያየን ነው። በእንደዚህ አይነቱ ተልካሻ ተግባራት ላይ የሚሳተፉ ሰዎች ብዙውን ጊዜ የሚያሳስባቸው ምን ያህል ሰው የለጠፉትን ቪዲዮ እንዳየው ማወቅ በቻ ነው። ይህ ተግባር አሳፋሪ ነው። ሊታረምም ይገባል። ህዝባችንም አጥብቆ ሊታገለው ይገባል።

3. 15 ደቂቃ ታዋቂነት መሻት (15 minutes social media fame) የተለያዩ የውሸት ዜናዎችን በተለይ በፌስ ቡክ ላይ በመለጠፍ ለሚያገኙት ላይክ ( like ) ብቻ የሚጨነቁና ያም ታዋቂነት የሚያፈራላቸው የሚመስላቸወ ሰዎች አሉ። ይህ አይነቱ ተግባር በአብዛኛው በፌስ ቡክና ትዊተር ሲከሰት ይስተዋላል። ህዝባችን የዜናዎችን ምንጭ የመጠየቅ ባህል ሊያዳበር ይገባል። ሁሌም ሳናታክት ዜናው እንዴትና ከማን እንደመጣ መጠየቅ አለብን።

4. በየዋህነት የተነገረውን ሁሉ ማሰራጨት፤ ከዘመዴ፣ ከጓደኛዬ፣ ከውስጥ አዋቂ ምንጭ ያገኘሁት ነው በሚል የፈጠራና የውሸት ዜናዎች ሲሰራጩ ይታያል። አልፎ አልፎ የምናያቸው የውሸት ዜናዎች በየዋህነት የሚሰራጩ ናቸው። ጥንቃቄ ማድረግ ይገባል። በተለይ ከውስጥ አዋቂ ምንጭ እንዳገኘሁት የምትለዋ ሊሰመርባት ይገባል። ግልፅ መሆን ያለበት ሁላችንም የውስጥ አዋቂ ምንጭ ሊኖረን አይችልም። 100 ሚሊዮን ህዝበ ባለባት ሀገር ላይ 100 ሚሊዮን የውስጥ አዋቂ ምንጭ እንደመጥቀስ ነው። ጎበዝ ጦር ከፈታው ወሬ የፈታው ይሉ የለ አበው። ጠንቀቅ ማለት ይገባል። መጠየቅ፤ ተጨማሪ ምርምር ( research )ማድረግ ይገባል።
ለውጡን የመጠበቅ ኢትዮጵያዊ ግዴታ አለብን። በየጊዜው የሚፈጠሩ የውሸት ዜናዎች ሊያውኩንና ሊያሳስቱን አይገባም። አበከረንም ልንታገላቸውም ይገባል።

ለነ በሬ ወለደ ቦታ ባለመስጠት የለውጥ ጉዟችንን በጋራ እንጓዝ። ኢትዮጵያችንን በህብረትና በዓላማ ፅናት እንጠብቃት።

3 August 2018

ኢትዮጵያችንን በተደራጀ መልኩ እናግዛት ፤ ሀገራችንን እኛ ካላገዝናት ማን ያግዛታል?


ኢትዮጵያዊነት ፍቅር ፤ ኢትዮጵያዊነት መቻቻል ፤ ኢትዮጵያዊነት መከባበር ፤ ኢትዮጵያዊነት መንፈስ፤ ኢትዮጵያዊነት ፀጋ ፤ ኢትዮጵያዊነት የታላቅነት ምሳሌ ፤ ኢትዮጵያዊነት ብዙሃንነት ፤ ኢትዮጵያዊነት ህብረት ፤ ኢትዮጵያዊነት የአኩሪ ታሪክ ባለቤትነትን ያካተተ ውስጡ ትልቅ ሚስጥር ያለው ነው፥፥ እነዚህንና ሌሎችን ኢትዮጵያዊ እሴቶች መሠረት በማድረግ በሀገራችን ኢትዮጵያ የተጀመረውን የለውጥ ጉዞ ተግባራዊ በሆነ መልኩ ማገዝ ከያንዳንዱ ኢትዮጵያዊ የሚጠበቅ ነው፥፥

በአለም ዙሪያ የሚኖሩ ኢትዮጵያውያኖች ለሀገራችው ያላቸው ፍቅር በጣም የሚያኮራ ነው። ብዙዎቹ ሀገር ቤት በነበረው የፖለቲካ ሁኔታ የተነሳ ለአያሌ ዓመታት በየሀገሮቹ በሚገኙ ኤምባሲዎች በራፍ ላይ በመገኘት ቅሬታቸውን ሲያሰሙ የቆዩ ሲሆን አብዛኞቹም ኤምባሲዎቹ የነሱ አይመስሏቸውም ነበር።  የዶ/ር አቢይ አህመድን ወደ ስልጣን መምጣት ተከትሎ ይህ አመለካከት የተቀየረ ይመስላል። ህዝባችን የተገኙትን ለውጦች እውቀቱን፣ ገንዘቡን፣ ጊዜውን በመስጠት በተግባር ማገዝ ይጠበቅበታል፥፥ ጊዜው የመደመር፣ የይቀርታ ፤ የመቻቻልና በሀገራችን የተጀመረውን የለውጥ ጉዞ በጋራ በመሆን የምንንከባከብበትና ለዘላቂ የዲሞከራሲያዊ ሦርዓት ግንባታ በጋራ የምንሰራበት እንደመሆኑ መጠን ሁሉም ዜጋ የበኩሉን የማድረግ ግዴታ አለበት። በብዙ ሀገራት ተግባራዊ እንቅስቃሴዎችም እንደተጀመሩ ማየት ይቻላል። ይህ ተግባራዊ እንቀስቃሴ ዘላቂና ውጤታማ እንዲሆን ከመቼውም ጊዜ በበለጠ በመደራጀትና በታቀደ መልኩ መስራት ጠቀሜታው የበዛ ነው። መነጋገር ፣ መደራጀትና በእቅድ መስራት ከተቻለ ብዙ ማከናወን የሚያስችል አቅም ሊኖረን ይችላል፥፥ በጋራ በመሆንና በእቅድ መስራት ከቻልን ትኩረታችን አስፈላጊ በሆኑ ነገሮች ላይ ይሆናል፥፥ ሁላችንም ተመሳሳይ ስራ ላይ ከማተኮር በተለያየ ተባራት ላይ በመሳተፍ ሀገራችንን ሁለገብ በሆነ መልኩ ማገዝ እንቸላለን፥፥ ለሁላችንም የሚሆን የሀገር ግንባታ ሥራ አለ፥፥ ሁላችንም የሀገራችን አምባሳደሮች መሆናችንንም መዘንጋት የለብንም፥፥ አጋጣሚዎችን በመጠቀም ወደ ሀገራችን ኢንቬትመንት እንዲገባ የበኩላችንን ድርሻ የመወጣት ኢትዮጵያዊ ኃላፊነትም አለብን፥፥ 

ወደ ተግባራዊ እንቀስቃሴ ከመግባታችን በፊት የተወሰኑ ጥያቄዎችን ማየት ተገቢ ይሆናል ፥፥

1.     ሀገራችን ምን ያስፈልጋታል? ሀገራችን ምን አላት?
2.     ሌሎች ወገኖች ምን እያደረጉ ነው?
3.     ለሀገራችን ከሚያስፈልገው ውስጥ የትኛውን በተሻለና በተደራጀ መልኩ ማገዝ እንችላለን?
4.     ይህንን ማከናወን የሚያስችል ስብስብ ውይም ግሩፕ አለን ወይ?
5.     እቅዳችንን ማገዝ የሚችሉ ተቋማትና ታዋቂ ግለሰቦች አሉ?
6.     ከነዚህ ተቋማትና ታዋቂ ግለሰቦች ጋር ትውውቀና ግንኙነት አለን?
7.     እቅዳችንን እንዴት ነው ተግባራዊ የምናደርገው?
8.       እቅዳችንን ለህዘባችንና ለሚመለከታቸው ሁሉ እንዴት ነው የምናሳውቀው?
9.     የጊዜ ሰሌዳችን ምን ይመስላል?

ከላይ የተጠቀሱትንና መሰል ጥያቄዎችን በመመለስ የተደራጀ፣ ዘለቄታ ያለወና ብዙሃንን ማሳተፍ የሚችል ተግባራዊ ስራዎቸን መስራት እንችላለን፥፥ ስለ ሀገር መነጋገርና በጋራ መስራት ለሁላችንም ይበጃል፥፥ በሀገራችን ጉዳይ ሁላችንም የሚያገባንን ያህል ሀገራቸንን በተደራጀ መልኩ ማገዝ ብንችል ወጤቱ ሁላችንንም የሚያኮራና ከዘመን ዘመን የሚሸጋገር ሊሆን ይቸላል፥፥ ለመጪው ትውልድም የተሻለ ነገር አስተምረን ማለፍ እንቸላለን፥፥ በተደራጀና ሁሉን ባሳተፈ መልኩ መስራት ከቻልን ሀገራችንን በሁሉ መልኩ ልናግዛት እንችላለን፥፥ ይህንን ተግባራዊ የማድረጊያው ጊዜ ደግሞ አሁንና አሁን ብቻ ነው፥፥

ቸር እንሰንብት፥፥

22 June 2018

Dr. Abiy, the change agent Ethiopia needs.


Dr. Abiy Ahmed brings changes to Ethiopia. He needs our support. 


The past few months have seen unprecedented but long sought changes in Ethiopia. It is all due to the new Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed who has exceeded expectations, took all by surprise and brought many on board. He has proved his doubters wrong and showed that Ethiopia is a country that only needs a leadership that can listen to the aspirations of its fellow citizens. He has showed that it only takes an honest will, courage, sheer determination and hard work to change the course. 

Yes, Ethiopia is on course thanks to this great son of ours, the people working with him and of course the change aspiring Ethiopians. These changes are the results of blood, sweat and tears (borrowing words from Churchill) of our sisters, brothers and kids. This is a once in a life time opportunity and hence it takes us all to be on the wheel of change, sustain and defend it. We cannot afford to lose this opportunity. We can, however, help Ethiopia become a successful and strong country by standing in solidarity with Dr. Abiy and his team. We need to be hand in hand and give it our utmost. High time to be in a journey together and contribute our bits. It is only us who can change the course forever and come out victorious. This is a challenge set for all freedom loving citizens. Called for action; action that should happen now.  If it is not now, then when? If it is not us, then who? 

Ethiopia on transition. 
One Love; One Ethiopia!


💚💛❤

1 May 2018

Behind the successful assemblies are great leaders and organisers


In the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of attending accountability assemblies across London organised by fellow Citizens UK Community Organisers and the community leaders they are working with. This was organising at its best. Fellow citizens holding politicians to account.

To see politicians being thanked for their achievements as per the promises they made last time around and being held to account for what they did not deliver was a good experience for many. That is what makes these assemblies different from hustings. It is all about organised citizens doing organised politics. The asks for the next term in office if the candidates were to be elected continue: Will you do this? Will you work with us? Will you meet with us? Tell us why we should vote for you? All sorts of properly crafted asks done in an organised and disciplined way in front of a big audience. Tough to say no in front of organised citizens.  

The assemblies are not only about what the politicians have done or should do if elected, but about leaders developed through the process, the turnout and its diversity, the music, the razzmatazz and whether it was fun to be part of. Hence organisers and leaders have a lot to plan, lots to worry about and run around to see their hard work through.

One of the assemblies I attended was the Lambeth Citizens Assembly on Thursday 26th April at Kings College. The assembly was very much organised, fully packed and led amazingly from the stage.  All being said, there was a moment which was exceptional and phenomenal for me. That is because I love stories. I believe stories change people’s hearts. They are especially great when told by those who own the stories. Hence that moment when we heard stories of welcome from a Syrian mum. A mum who a few months ago was in a refugee camp; a mum who was only resettled in Lambeth 2 months ago. Yes, that great and inspirational mum who had the courage to share her stories with humour. It was simply heart-warming to see her on stage. As soon as she was on the stage, she was gracious and full of smiles. The Syrian mum said, “Thank you Lambeth. Thank you for bringing us 2 months ago. It is my first time to speak in front of big audience….” That very inspirational woman has touched the hearts and souls of many. That was why she was accorded big rounds of applause, big cheers from the many community leaders that gathered from across Lambeth and of course a standing ovation. She should be proud of her English, should be proud of her achievements and should be certain that there are many people who really care and who are welcoming. It was a joy to be at this amazing assembly and hear such a moving story of welcome. Kudos to Lambeth. Yes, Lambeth welcomes.


Another great Assembly I saw in action was the Tower Hamlets Citizens Assembly. An assembly that was full of energy. Leaders willing to go extra miles to deliver. Community leaders ready to channel anger into action. Yes, they are ready to welcome and integrate a new family through the community sponsorship scheme. It may take time, but we will one day hear stories of welcome through community sponsorship in Tower Hamlets. Till then, folks are ready to organise themselves and do their bits. 

It was a joy to be part of these assemblies. It is also a joy to know the assemblies in different parts of London were successful and exceeded expectations. One thing for sure, behind all these great assemblies are talented organisers and passionate and hardworking leaders.  Keep organizing; it is democracy in action.  


22 March 2018

Churchill Fellowship – an opportunity of a lifetime


 “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”- Winston Churchill

The above quote means a lot for me. I first applied for the Churchill Fellowship in 2014 and was not even invited for interview. I thought I would give it sometime and comeback. That was what happened in 2017. I remember getting an email from one of the most successful Churchill Fellows, Citizens UK’s Executive Director, Neil Jameson encouraging staff to apply. His encouragement was echoed by my ex-colleague and former Churchill  fellow Imogen Moore and Zrinka Bralo of Migrants Organise who is a seasoned civic leader with extensive links with Citizens UK and of course a former Churchill fellow. All the three mentioned that the fellowship was one of the most useful things they did and encouraged us to apply.

I kept the emails flagged and took time before I applied. I thus decided to put in application but I wanted to make sure that I gave it my best so that I would succeed this time around. Hence, I spent a few evenings doing a research and being clear on what I wanted to do. Once I submitted my application, I wanted to switch off, but I kept thinking about it. I thought I had done my bit to get the fellowship and if I didn’t get it, it would have meant that there were better candidates. Luckily, I got the email I was eagerly waiting for. Yes, I was shortlisted for interview. Loved it, but I was cautious and not celebratory. In life we don’t always win as we don’t always lose. Hence, I had to prepare for the interview and be once again clear with what I want to achieve if offered the opportunity.

Now that I am a Churchill Fellow I will travel to Canada, one of the most welcoming and beautiful countries in the world, to study about its refugee sponsorship program, especially to see how businesses and schools are engaged in sponsorship. Hence I am revisiting my plans and planning my next steps meticulously. I feel privileged to know many people who can help me organise meetings or connect me with those I am keen to meet in Canada. As a Churchill fellow, I aim high and aspire to meet some prominent figures and I very much hope I will be able to meet some of these amazing people and some good old friends.

Old and new Churchill fellows, Amanda, Neil and Bekele of Citizens UK

I still recall that very email from Neil and subsequent emails from Zrinka and Imogen. They were fellows that pushed boundaries. They were also folks who showed many of us why Churchill fellowship was a good thing. They travelled to learn and came back and inspired us. Yes, I say us as there are two of us from Citizens UK as 2018 fellows. My good colleague Amanda Walters is also a fellow this year as we keep the connection of Churchill fellowship and Citizens UK alive. The most inspirational Neil Jameson was a 1977 fellow who travelled to the US. Of the back of that great opportunity, Neil founded Citizens UK. That great opportunity Neil had and his tenacity to make a difference meant we have a strong guild of Community organisers, who are all striving to make a difference. I am a Churchill fellow now because my organising career helped me to build my confidence; it helped me to challenge established norms and see the world from different angles. Now that I am a Churchill fellow I am determined to be even more ambitious and get the best out of it. I very much hope this great opportunity, of course a once in a life time opportunity, will be useful for me, the communities I am working with and the wider public. It will also be an opportunity for me to share about my experiences in the UK.

Yes, I am fired up and ready to go. I will sometimes in the future sit down and reflect on my journey. Imogen Moore has shared the following as she reflects on her fellowship, “I cannot exaggerate how important my Churchill fellowship experience was for both personally and professionally. I visited neighbourhood based projects in Brazil and the US that were organising their communities to improve children’s health and educational outcomes. The projects I visited and the things I saw gave me profound insight into what we needed to create to give children the best start in life in Southwark, South London, where I was working as a community organiser. The people I met and the space I had to be creative and reflect gave me the impetus to come back to the UK and grow the Parents and Communities Together Project which has since grown to work with hundreds of families and it is now scaling to different parts of the UK. I have no doubts that what I learnt will continue to have ongoing importance and relevance throughout my career.”

I am ready to travel, learn and share; come back to share and inspire others to act. Churchill fellowship, an opportunity of a lifetime!

10 March 2018

Six days of learning and sharing - Life is where we learn nonstop


It looks like yesterday that I had my first leadership training, but it goes all the way back to the late 80s. Luckily, I have had opportunities to learn the same course in different schools of thought over the past 3 decades including one at Harvard Kennedy School. The last one was, however, in early March 2018. Life is exciting and a university on its own where we learn nonstop.

4th- 9th March 2018 seem history now as they are gone and gone forever, but well spent in Markfield, England with about 45 wonderful people gathered from across Britain for Citizen UK’s National residential training. We were there as it takes us all to see change happen and work with others in the process.  Yes, we can’t afford to be bystanders. In the words of Neil Jameson of Citizens UK, “If you are a player, you make change happen. If you are an observer, you watch it happen. It is important to work with people we don’t necessarily agree with as being in action together gives people hope.” The message was clear and one that resonates to many. Nobody would have joined the training unless there was a desire to make a difference; to make the world a better place for us and the future generation. Jiten Patel, one of the participants said, “we have borrowed this world from the future generation and have a responsibility to hand it over in a better shape.”

Sometimes we feel angry when we see or hear about injustice. Good to have that anger. Anger to stand up, get counted and be the wheel of change and stuck in the change making process. When there is injustice, we are there to fight it and get it right. Carina Crawford Khan of Citizens UK, who was one of the trainers, was right to say, “when you face injustice inaction is not the option.” Action is what is needed to see change happen, but it needs to be organised. We should also be political as we live in the world as it is - striving to take it to where it should be.

During the six wonderful days together, we didn’t only learn how we can bring about change; how to build power in a relational way to see that change; but we also built relationships; helped colleagues and others in Birmingham, the youngest city in Europe, with their Common Wealth assembly and had fun. We also sung together with young and old as we are all keen to see The World in Union.

Among the highlights of the week for me was to meet new people that are ready to go extra mile and kind enough to share their stories and feelings openly; ready to engage with others; enjoying the training and making sure the training was an experience worth having.  It was also good opportunity for colleagues to help one-another, to step in when needed and share wisdom and experience in the process. Yes, we were there as a team and for a purpose. Above all to learn as we are a learning organisation. The assembly organised by Birmingham Citizens was an excellent experience for many. Those young students singing and dancing and telling the world that they  have dreams; the newly resettled little kid saying, 'Thank You’ was heart moving; the social event organised by the trainees on Thursday evening was phenomenal and second to none. These all remain in our memories for a long time. 

We were also blessed to have Elizabeth Valdez of The Metropolitan Organization and learn from her wealth of experience. And of course, yet another opportunity to learn from our very own Neil Jameson who is in the process of handing the baton. Six days well spent learning and sharing.  It is time to reflect and come back with plans for actions.  

2 March 2018

A community that inspires many – Community Sponsorship at its best

On Sunday 25 February 2018, I had the privilege of joining many others to celebrate 1 year since a community group in Merton, South London welcomed a Syrian family to the United Kingdom through the community sponsorship scheme. The group that welcomed the wonderful Syrian family is exceptionally amazing. To see the joy on the faces of those unsung heroines and heroes of Community Sponsorship of refugees was phenomenal. Everybody who spoke at the event mentioned that by working together to welcome a new family into their neighbourhood, they also strengthened their relationships; felt empowered and fulfilled.  This is simply community sponsorship at its best.

The group is led by Major Nick Coke of Salvation Army who is one of the heroes of the Community Sponsorship scheme in the United Kingdom. Nick has inspired many, supported many others and is always willing to go extra miles to contribute to the success of the scheme. For Nick it is all about delivering social justice and getting stuck in it to deliver. 

This group is blessed as it has lots of amazing people who are never tired and always willing to do more; always willing to inspire others; always willing to find solutions and of course always enjoying what they are doing. Kudos to you all. You have pushed boundaries; brought changes and exceeded expectations. You are all inspirational and have place in the history book as you leave a lasting legacy. A legacy you could be proud of; and, a legacy the next generation could be proud of. 


The Merton Group resettled an amazing Syrian family that is a joy to be around. A family that is never short of smiles and always generous. Of course, this family has also prepared finger-licking food, as usual, for all who were part of the 1-year celebration.  In the words of Kerry Coke, “It takes a family to welcome a community.” Another group member called Mohammed said "it took us all to welcome the family and through the process it helped us to come together"

The Merton group has inspired and equally challenged many as it has now set the bar so high. It is a community that leads by example. A community that inspires  many!


14 February 2018

Behind the success story are the inspirational leaders


Ethiopians and British citizens of Ethiopian origin gathered at the Ethiopian Community in Britain which is located in Finchley, North London on February 4th for a spectacular event that brought together folks of different ages, experiences and talents. This event was a success by all standards. The food, drinks, music and venue may be similar and what we are often used to seeing at Ethiopian events.

But the February 4th event was one that transcended generations; that was unique in nature; that was well organised and started almost on time (unlike many Ethiopian events); that was led mostly by young leaders. One of the most intriguing moments was interview conducted by Ermias Kebede where he brought 4 youngsters who were born either in Ethiopia or outside Ethiopia and now living in the United Kingdom. The question on identity and why it matters was even more entertaining and equally challenging. It was also a very good opportunity to hear some wonderful stories of self - that turning points in the lives of those interviewed; moments when folks had challenges; their actions or inactions and what happened afterwards. It was simply moving.

Another great success story of the day was not only its being orderly, to the point and also participatory, but also brought in the unusual suspects into action. Even more, it brought many out of their comfort zones and helped them to be part of the flawless event. This was an amazing event that exceeded expectations of many. The only challenge is whether the organisers could do it again and whether they would be able to beat the high bar they have already set.  

I am hopeful that the board of the Ethiopian community in Britain will bring us together in the not too distant future and that it keeps delivering and exceeding.

Kudos to the organisers of the event and all who supported.

21 October 2017

Community Sponsorship of Refugees - Where it all begun for me


I still recall sitting in a room with colleagues from Citizens UK to talk about the worsening refugee crisis; talking about what we could do to discharge ourselves responsibly. The meeting was called by George Gabriel, who returned to London from the US. There was also another colleague, Daniel Mackintosh, in that room at 112 Cavell street. That goes back all the way to September 2015. Yes, that time needed some bold decisions and we have never been shy from taking such decisions. It was important to step in and do our bits to see change happen. Yes, it wasn't enough to feel sorry about the crisis; we had to do something about it. But we couldn’t do it on our own. That was why we had to organise, organise and organise. It was all about creating a movement out of the moment. After all it takes us all to address the crisis.

We have gone a long journey since then. The time in between has not been simple. It has had its ups and downs. But we know that life is not a bed of roses and we should stand up to challenges and use these challenges as opportunities to organise and change the course of history.

But for me it was beyond a call of duty. I have the experience of fleeing my home country. Seeking sanctuary and adjusting to life in my new home – Britain. I am a living testimony that Britain is a more humane and one of the most welcoming countries in the world. That is what I saw when I travelled up and down the country to work with people that were keen to welcome refugees. From Lewes to Totnes, from Petersfield to Cheltenham, from Bath to Crawley, from Leicester to Devon and many more places I had the opportunity to go to, people were keen to welcome and integrate refugees. They were ready for more practical work. People ready to get stuck in. That life changing experience taught me that we needed a scheme where communities could take charge of refugee welcome and become part of the integration process.

Hence the introduction of the community sponsorship scheme in July 2016 was a commendable first step. For people like me, getting it right on arrival is more than important. The first few years have impact on the lives of newcomers, especially for integration. And I believe community sponsorship can give that opportunity to newcomers.  Many people tell me that they are sad to see fellow humans denied the right to a decent life which strips people of their dignity as human beings. And the same people tell me that we all have a humanitarian responsibility to allow refugees the freedom to get sanctuary and rebuild their lives.  

Welcome Summit September 2016
The culmination of the first phase of our welcome work was 10th September 2016, when we had a welcome summit in Birmingham which brought together more than 550 community leaders from across the country. By the end of the summit, it was important to prioritise where to concentrate on in the coming months and years and luckily promotion of community sponsorship was one of the three areas. And for me, it was once again a very good opportunity to work with communities across Britain to promote refugee welcome through community sponsorship.


The journey has gone from strength to strength and I am learning a lot through the process.  It is more than encouraging to see newcomers resettled in different parts of the country including in places like Narberth in Wales and Devon.  We now see people keen to explore the scheme and do practical work. This is heart-warming.  
Launch of Sponsor Refugees 42 pledges

To keep the ball rolling and to promote community sponsorship further, the arrival of Citizens UK’s new foundation, Sponsor Refugees, is more than a bonus. It was great to see more than 25 groups and organisations willing and on course to welcome 42 families. This is only the beginning and it won’t be long until community sponsorship becomes an established tradition in Britain as it is in Canada.  I believe we should take the opportunity community sponsorship brings to us and take charge of refugee welcome and integration. We can do it and we can do it now. After all, if not us, then who? If not now, then when?

9 August 2017

The National Training - 10 years ago and 10 years after

About 10 years ago, I was at Citizens UK's National Training as one of the trainees. 10 years after I was back to observe how the training was delivered and share my thoughts to colleagues and the trainees. 

10 years ago, I was keen to learn organising and leadership. But didn’t know where to go to have this training. I wanted to campaign, but didn’t know where to start. I was only a lone wolf writing articles and commentaries about human rights, current African affairs and refugee rights on many blogs and news outlets. I would sit at different corners of coffee shops, libraries and other places and voice my concerns. Cry loud about issues I was passionate about. At times, I was also a mobiliser who organised many one-off actions. Even though I was very loud online and tried my best to get noticed, there were many occasions I didn't get noticed. That was action without a reaction. Reflecting on those days, I now question why I had to act without getting somebody to react to my actions. It was during those days that I attended The Independent Asylum Commission’s public hearing at Lambeth Town Hall. That was the turning point in my life. Yes, I saw organising in action and asked the then coordinator of the commission, now Citizen UK’s deputy director, Jonathan Cox, that I wanted to go for the training. I was given the chance and my journey into organising started subsequently.

Citizens UK National Training Participants July 2017
10 years after I was along with colleagues as one of the trainers tasked to observe the training. This time the training was at Nottingham University. Yes, the university where I was a Human Rights Defender Fellow in 2009 and studied International Human Rights Law. When I returned to the University after 8 years the first person I wanted to see was professor David Harris, a gentle giant who helped me a lot in those days. I hence took time to meet my professor and share with him the journey I have gone through ever since. True to say that we all have distinct stories to share and these stories show how unique human beings are.

Going back to the 2017 Citizens UK National Training, we arrived at the university on Sunday July 9 afternoon. Some came driving, others commuting; some traveling solo and others in groups. Finding where we would rest and hide for a week was the first task followed by introduction to the training, getting to know one-another through rounds. This was followed by setting the ground rules and expectations. Lots of exciting moments. The training is as intensive as in the good old days, but there was a lot to do in between sessions and hence sometimes difficult to remember how far we have gone through the process.
Trainees leading Social action

Lots happened in between including an action organised by the Nottingham Citizens, the local chapter of Citizens UK and we were done by Friday July 14th.

Among the highlights are the trainees themselves. They were fully focused, highly engaged and creative. Their social action was exceptional and by all standard the best.


Reflecting on the training, each trainer tried her/his best to make sure their session revolved around the argument. Do you want change? If your answer is YES, then build your relational POWER, act and develop leaders through the process. Power, Power and Power. Yes, power before action! In the words of Neil Jameson, “Power gives you recognition. That is why you must organise permanently.” Neil’s advice to the trainees was “Never give up, never give up, never give”. Yes, he is right to say that. We can’t afford to give up. We either watch it happen or become part of it and help it happen.

Blessed are the organisers as they get us Organised – Revisiting the Berlin Convening!

  In the past few days, I spent some quality time with organisers, activists, social thinkers, trainers and global change agents gathered fr...