In the June issue of Meftih, we published an
article by Mr. Kelil Talke, who criticised the activities of the
president of the Eritrean- Canadian Association of Ontario (ECAO).
We received several letters from readers, saying that they
appreciated Mr. Talke’s constructive criticism. We also received
many letters that denounced the president. We are thrilled that so
many people responded, however, we are also concerned with the
content of these letters.
The authors of these letters focused on the
personal behaviour of the president instead of focusing on issues.
Most missed the main issue and assassinated the character of the
president of the ECAO. This has no value in correcting the flaws of
our community. Because of that, we didn’t publish any of these
letters in Meftih nor will we do so in the future.
A newspaper is a forum that allows us to exchange
ideas, correct our mistakes, identify our strengths and evaluate our
activities. This is a forum for responsible citizens. However, if
citizens forget their responsibilities and write defamatory
statements about individuals, this will not be tolerated.
Meftih will continue to be wide open as a forum
for those who focus on issues. But those who undermine the dignity
of individuals will be locked out.
Therefore, every reader is expected to respect
the policy of Meftih; use the paper to correct our mistakes; and
express constructive criticism. Only by doing so, can we help our
community to grow.
meftih@gmail.com
Canada Day is
our Community's Day
By Aaron
Berhane
July
2008
Canada celebrated its 141st birthday on
July 1st.On this day, Canada evaluates its
accomplishments in economic and technological development, its
progress in respecting human rights and securing food for its
citizens.
It doesn't only measure its progress on independence
day, but Canada also asks itself whether it has grown wiser with
age. Canada tries to make sure that the diplomatic relationships and
economic strategies it designs benefits its citizens who live here
and all over the world. Citizens can safely voice their political
views. Canada always makes sure that its citizens have adequate food
to live on by increasing its food production. It also provides
education and health services for the betterment of its people. The
ultimate goal of Canada is to provide better services than before.
Our community, too, has played a role in Canada’sprogress.
However, we need to compare our
progress with that of Canada's. How have we done in the 25 years
we've lived here? Are we getting stronger or weaker in the economic
arena?. Are we getting involved and being heard in the political
activities of the country or isolating ourselves and complaining?
Are we becoming united or disfranchised? Is the number of our
children marching toward success increasing or decreasing? We need
to ask these questions of ourselves and our community on the
occasion of Canada day. Because, Canada Day is our Community Day
too. Happy Canada Day!
meftih@gmail.com
Let’s Fulfil Our Children’s Expectations
By Aaron Berhane
June 2008
The 2007–2008 academic year will end in June.
Students will harvest the fruit of their efforts, and the knowledge
they have acquired during the year will help them to move one level
up.
Our children deserve special appreciation for
managing to finish the academic year successfully and for their
industrious accomplishments. As parents, it’s our duty to pay
tribute to our children’s achievements.
Just like Canadian children, our children have
been anticipating their summer vacation. During their vacation, they
would love to become involved in summer sports activities; visit
places where they have never been to, so as to refresh their minds;
and spend more time with their parents, sisters and brothers. They
have many choices. We may not be able to provide them with all.
However, we will need to pay particular attention to make their
vacation meaningful and fun.
Education that’s acquired only through school is
not enough for our kids. They need to learn about their
surroundings; expand the horizons of their general knowledge; and
exercise their physical and psychological aptitude by becoming
involved in different activities. As parents, it is our duty to
teach them about both the smooth and tough parts of life. We should
also allow them to share their experiences with children who are
less or more fortunate than them. Children who receive excellent
guidance from their parents and acquire a general knowledge of the
world, tend to succeed in life more often than those who focus only
on academic achievements. We should guide our children to make them
well-rounded.
Therefore, let’s meet the expectations of our
children to make their summer memorable and enjoyable by putting a
plan into place that’s within our budget.
meftih@gmail.com
April 2008—a turning
point for the Eritrean community in Toronto
By Aaron
Berhane
May 2005
In April 2008, members of the Medhanie-Alem
Church bought a $1.2 million building, which is a delight to
anyone who with good spirits. They made us proud by being a pride to
themselves. They showed our community the extent to which we can
grow.
This is a turning point for the Eritrean Canadian community in
Toronto. In the 25- year history of our community in Canada,
Eritrean Muslims or Christians have never owned a religious centre
that allowed them to preserve their culture. Islamic people pray in
a Pakistani mosque, Catholics and Protestants pray in Italian
churches or places of worship owned by others. They don't have an
adequate place to practise their religion according to their
tradition. As a result, the connections they make with the
religious centre they attend may become weaker. They may not feel
that they belong there or that they are respected. In short, they
may always consider themselves only as guests.
The actions of the board of the Medhaniel-Alem Church seem to have
changed the status quo. I expect others will follow them.
We might say possessing our own religious institution is not viable
due to our low population. However, it is viable if we recognize its
importance. We can preserve our culture and religion and we can use
the religious institution as a centre for the community to gather.
It's there that we can build the self-confidence of our children.
Moreover, the institution will help us to move from an unstable to a
stable position and from the status of a guest to that of a host.
When we buy an outstanding church in Canada, we indicate to our
community that we have begun to settle in this country. This
initiative will clearly demonstrate the progress of the Eritrean
Canadian community. Religious institutions and the two Eritrean
community centres are expected to broaden their vision. By
strengthening their solidarity, they will march to lay the
foundation of their growth. They will look to the board of the
Medhanie-Alem Church as their model to move their constituencies
forward.
Therefore, we should recognize April 2008 as an important
date in the history of Eritrean Canadians in Toronto. It's indeed
our turning point. Let's recognize it so that we can continue our
journey.
Regionalism—the Issue That Needs our Attention
By Aaron Berhane
April 2008
Canada is a multi-ethnic country. It accommodates
people of different backgrounds to live together in harmony. Its
settlers try to live in harmony by ignoring their ethnic
differences, which makes Canada an exemplary country.
As an Eritrean-Canadian community, are we able to
learn from the people who live in this country? Do we exist in
harmony among ourselves? Do we prioritize our differences or promote
our unity?
Issues in our community divide us, but we haven’t
started to talk openly about them. People often ask the origin of a
person before they will stretch out a helping hand. They tend to
support only people of their region but ignore others. Usually, such
attitudes stem from uncivilized politicians, but they are practiced
by people who lack a social conscience. They see things so narrowly
due to their ethnocentric behaviour. They develop a feeling that
their own group’s cultural traditions and values are correct and
superior to all others. This is just the result of a lack of
knowledge.
Italy established Eritrea as a country in 1890,
and divided it into eight provinces. This provincial division had
nothing to do with race, religion or culture. It was meant to
establish administrational zones based on geographic locations.
Since our people were not educated then, we were not able to
challenge the conspiracy of the colonizers who tried to ignite
conflict among our people on the basis of religion or region. Such
abortive ideas were dismantled during the time of armed struggle—the
30-year war liberating Eritrea from Ethiopia. Everybody was proud of
being Eritrean. Unfortunately, some people from the diaspora have
not yet recovered from the illness of regionalism. As a result, they
become victims of uncivilized politicians.
There are uncivilized politicians who try to
divide people, so as to implement their own agendas. Some people,
who lack social maturity, rush to embrace their people of their own
ethnic group while rejecting others. Then instead of cooperation, we
see separation; instead of the blossoming of love, we see the
domination of hatred; instead of growth, we see decay. In brief, we
see abortive behaviors that impede the progress of our community.
We are living in the 21st century, and we will
need to inherit the good fruit of Canada. Here, we see people
harmonizing their activities despite their ethnic differences. On
the other hand, we tend to push one another despite the similarities
in our origin. This issue deserves our keen attention.
Therefore, let’s help those in our community who
have messed themselves up with the philosophy of regionalism. Let’s
focus on issues that bring us together and avoid those that divide
us. We also have to be aware that our identity can be defined on the
level we are at now, not on our ethno-historic background.
meftih@gmail.com
It's Time To Become Transparent
By Aaron Berhane
March 2008
We have several community and religious
institutions that serve the Eritrean Canadian community. They are
similar in the way they establish and administer the institutions.
They try to follow the Canadian laws that govern not-for-profit
organizations.
Members of the board of directors are elected
directly at the general meeting. Then the board voluntarily runs the
institution based on the institution’s principles. It recruits
employees who can run the day to day activities of the institution.
As leaders of the people, the board is obliged to run its business
transparently. It has a duty to disclose expenses and income
generated, as well as profits and losses to the public. This is a
must.
The Eritrean Canadian Community of Toronto held a
general meeting on February 9, 2008. It did its best to follow
appropriate regulations, and it should be commended for that. The
board presented a detailed financial report to members, invited
guests and the media.
The internal controlling committee delivered its
detailed evaluation about the activities of the board without any
reservation. It praised their accomplishments and criticised their
weaknesses. The floor was opened up to questions, and participants
received a respectful response. In brief, it was a civilised
meeting, full of healthy discussion.
This type of open administration should be
followed by other institutions of our community if they haven’t done
so yet.
Transparency is an expression of a civilized
administration. It shows that you have confidence in yourself and
the organization you run. It indicates how responsible you are with
people’s money and property. Above all, it shows that you have a
burning desire to build the institution you administer upon a solid
foundation.
Therefore, for our community to march forward, we
must move out from the veil of secrecy and explain things openly. We
should build trust in our community by being transparent in all our
dealings. We should leave no room for those who would like to run
the community in secrecy. It’s time to become transparent.
meftih@gmail.com
Let’s Mark History By Handing The Leadership Role To Our Youth
By Aaron Berhane
February 1st, 2008
We mark February as Black History Month. We
celebrate the struggles, achievements and contributions of Black
Canadians who have paid a dear price for the rights and equality of
Blacks throughout history. This is a remarkable month for us to
guard the pillars of law crafted by brave Black Canadians.
Nevertheless, we are not limited only in
remembering the heroic actions of the past, but we should also
highlight the achievements of those who are working day and night to
overcome racial challenges. This month, we should also evaluate the
situation of members of our community who are in jail.
Eritrean youth have been making tremendous
contributions to Canadian society. They have established an
organization called the Black Youth Coalition Against Violence to
support and advocate for Black Canadian youth. Some of them play a
crucial role in the leadership of Blacks. Their name is widely known
in the blacks community.
On the other hand, we also have some who are
known for their ugly work. There are about 24 Eritreans who have
been jailed for being involved in criminal activities and drug
deals. Forty to 60% of black youth never finish high school. There
is a considerable number of Eritreans in that percentage. They go
wild disobeying their parents and rebelling against the educational
system.
To set our youth on the road for success in
Canadian society, we should create a comfortable ground for them.
The exemplary youth could recognize the challenges of their fellow
youth and come up with concrete solutions. The former may even be
able to restrict the mushrooming challenges of youth in high
schools.
Therefore, our Eritrean community should
recognize the crucial role of our exemplary youth and provide them
with leadership roles. We should believe that the crisis in our
community can be solved only by the leadership of our youth. Our
talented youth can accomplish what former Black Canadians achieved.
Thus, let’s hand over the role of leadership to our youth.
meftih@gmail.com
What Should Our Resolution For 2008 Be?
By Aaron Berhane
December 21, 2007
New Year’s Eve has always been a time for looking
back at our past, and more importantly for most of us, looking
forward to the coming year. It’s a time to reflect on the changes we
want to make in our lives. Now, let’s use this time to ask ourselves
what changes we would like to incorporate in our journey during
2008.
If we have been involved in activities we don’t
believe in simply because of social pressures, our conscience has
felt the pain of living a lie. So we have to struggle to change our
course. If we have been lacking self-confidence , it’s time to
charge ourselves with courage. If we have been restricting our
intellectual capacity and allowing others to manipulate us, we must
now trigger our brains to wake up. If we have been mourning over the
success of members of our community instead showing our delight,
it’s time to change our negative attitudes.
In short, in 2008, let’s be a people of good
spirit by casting aside our wicked behaviour of the previous year.
We need to fill up our souls with a positive attitude, so that we
can generate happiness in our lives.
A change towards good is always good. We don’t
need to continue with our bad behaviour; we can discard it right
now. There is a great potential for negativity to be passed on to
the next generation. If we have a timid personality, our children
will not become brave. If we lack integrity, we won’t produce
children who harmonize their words with their actions.
Every good or bad action starts with us. If we
have a character that we are not proud of, let’s use New Year’s eve
to motivate ourselves to change it. Let’s demonstrate integrity ,
fill ourselves up with a good spirit, cast away the ugly part of us,
and set off on the journey of 2008 with a new beginning. Then when
our sharp minds start to explore reality, and we become the masters
of ourselves, we will be happy with life and satisfied with our
work. So let’s resolve to be the masters of our lives . Happy New
Year!
meftih@gmail.com
No To The Revival Of Segregation
By Aaron Berhane
December 2007
A group of individuals is campaigning to
establish a black-focused school. ‘Our kids are not learning black
history; the dropout rate of our kids is increasing due to racial
pressure; and there is no justice in our school system.’ They
mentioned several problems and called for the establishment of
black-centered schools as a solution.
This notion is not only an abortive idea that
lacks long-term vision, but also has the potential to destroy our
children’s future.
Whatever curriculum is drafted, segregation is
totally wrong. It narrows students’ thinking; widens the gap between
different ethnicities; weakens our tolerance for and respect toward
various cultures. Moreover, it will encourage prejudice against
blacks to flourish. Blacks who learn in segregated schools will be
perceived as less intelligent and unable to keep up pace with
others.
Education doesn’t start or end in school. It is
learned at home, from neighbours, in the workplace, etc. It is a
dynamic knowledge that’s acquired from society. Sending our kids to
black-focused schools will not solve the problem of education. Other
ethnic groups will not even have a clue about the positive
contributions black people make if kids learn about black history
only in isolated schools.
If we think that we’re providing fairness and
justice to our kids by placing them in designated school for blacks,
we won’t have prepared a safe environment for them in the wider
society out there. In brief, this is not a bridge toward success but
a tunnel towards failure. It’s a wall that restricts their progress.
Opening a black-centered school does not solve
the challenges our kids have. Instead, we need to work hard at
fixing the educational system; call for a review of the curriculum;
set up a black-focused school as an extra-curricular pursuit on
Saturdays or Sundays; campaign for books to be read in school that
describes the positive contribution of blacks; recruit more black
educators; and call for teachers to be trained extensively about
various cultures.
Therefore, we have to stand up to preserve what
Nelson Mandela struggled for, and which Dr. Martin Luther paid for
with his life. Segregation is an evil idea and we should never allow
it to revive. No more segregation!
meftih@gmail.com
Let's Undergo A Time
Revolution
By Aaron Berhane November 2007
A Habesha woman planned to marry a German man,
and they both asked their parents to show up for the wedding at 2
p.m. The parents of the groom arrived on time while the parents of
the bride came at 4 p.m. The bride excused her parents’ behaviour by
saying, ‘it’s our culture to come late.’ She had to swallow her
shame.
The majority of us might endorse the attitude that ‘lateness is a
part of our culture’. That’s why we are not able to avoid this bad
behaviour despite the fact that we live in a country where everyone
is extremely punctual. We come a half or one hour late to meetings.
We arrive two or three hours late for weddings, and we don’t respect
the appointments we set with those among our own community. This is
our habit for any event we organize.
Instead of following our schedule for events, we allow events to
dictate our schedule. If people show up, we start the meeting, but
if they don’t, we wait. Punctual persons may become victims, and
they may arrive late the next time.
Most of us say, ‘it is not necessary to arrive early at meetings or
any community event if most people arrive late’. We maintain the
attitude that ‘lateness is a part of our culture’ and spend our time
accordingly. We never try to change it.
But the punctuality we show in areas outside our community is
surprising. We get to work on time and we respect our appointments,
meetings, or events organized by those outside our community. We
finish our tasks on time. We don’t allow any room for lateness. We
really act like Canadians.
Why don’t we apply this good behaviour with members of our own
community? Is it our lack of respect for one another, lack of
responsibility, or lack of discipline only when we deal with our own
community?
Whatever the reason is, we have to be aware that time is as precious
to members of our community as it is to anyone else. The good
behaviour we exercise elsewhere should be reflected in our community
too, and this will help us to bring about the changes we wish. We
must be conscious about our behaviour. If we respect ourselves, then
we will respect members of our community too. If we disguise
them, that’s a disguise to ourselves as well.
Culture is learned behaviour. It’s what we do, not who we are.
Therefore, let’s change our excuse of saying, ‘it’s our culture’ by
undergoing a time revolution. It is about time, too.
meftih@gmail.com
Let's Go Out To Vote
By Aaron Berhane
October 2007
The provincial election will be held on October 10, 2007.
The party leader (Liberal, NDP, or Progressive Conservative) who
wins the highest votes will serve a four-year term as premier. The
leaders have already started campaigning on topics they think are
crucial.
The NDP leader Mr. Howard Hampton promises to boost the minimum wage
to $10 per hour and put physiotherapy, chiropractic care, and eye
exams back into the public health care system.
John Tory, leader of the Progressive Conservative party, campaigns
on a platform of a clean environment, affordable electricity
consumption, allocating funds for faith-based schools, and also
promises a spending increase of $75 million to help autistic
children and their families.
The Liberal leader Mr. Dalton McGuinty assures us that he will focus
on strengthening the public health system and public schools, but he
is also spending time defending himself from attacks. When he came
to power four years ago, Mr. McGuinty promised to freeze tuition
fees. However, he broke his promise, and tuition fees have increased
by 24 to 36 percent during his time as premier.
The leaders of the parties are telling us what they will do if they
are elected. As a community we should not only listen to what they
say, but we should also approach them with our own agenda and ask
them how they will deal with the challenges we face. We want to get
rid of poverty; smoothly and swiftly integrate into Canadian
society; mentor our youth; and have affordable rental housing. Let’s
ask them what they can do about these issues. We have to make them
aware of our presence in society. We must follow the election
closely in the media to find out who will deal with the challenges
we face. Then we can elect a leader who understands us.
That’s the benefit of democracy. You pick a leader of your choice
and dump the others. Therefore, on October 10, 2007, we must use our
democratic right to elect the right leader for us.
meftih@gmail.com
Meftih, A Journey To Fouth Year
By Aaron Berhane
September 2007
Meftih newspaper was launched three years ago in
September 2004. Many people with good wishes were happy with the
initiative and come forward hand in hand to strengthen the paper.
They supplied advice, articles, and ads. As a result, its content
became rich, its circulation expanded, and the numbers of its
readers expanded.
Meftih newspaper has accomplished several victories in the last
three years. About twenty youth shared their experience, and their
knowledge of education, business, sports, etc., with readers via
Meftih. They have inspired our community members to excel in all
aspects of their lives. And we see momentum accelerate daily.
The role of Meftih columnists is limitless. Their educational and
informative articles on housing, health, employment, parenting,
love, and household, have been excellent lessons for us. They are
still our main source of informative and educational columns. These
resourceful members of our community enrich the content of Meftih,
and the paper won an award of the Ethnic Press Council in 2006.
Even though Meftih’s accomplishments have been tremendous, it
doesn’t mean its road has been without challenges. It was a bumpy
road. There are a few people who don’t want to see the growth of our
community and they have come forward with obstacles to Meftih’s
progress. They dumped the paper in the garbage bin. They tried to
convince business people not to place their ads in the pages of
Meftih. Blackmailing the paper and its editor is also part of their
task. They even try to misinterpret the meaning of the articles. But
they have failed in their campaign. Apart from themselves, they have
convinced no one.
Due to the wide support of the community, the identity of the paper
remains the same and it’s on the verge of continuous growth.
As before, Meftih will keep serving the community, sticking to its
formal objectives on its fourth-year journey. Regardless of the
political and religious differences in our community, Meftih will
work to consolidate the unity of the people. It will also crave to
cultivate responsible and accountable citizens and a community that
believes in discussion and negotiation. Believing that our
differences is a strength, Meftih will continue to accommodate
diverse ideas. It will wait for your usual support so as to smoothen
its journey. Happy birthday, Meftih!
meftih@gmail.com
Different Languages, But One
Message
By Aaron Berhane
August 2007
Meftih is a platform of discussion for all
Eritrean Canadians. When it was first published in Tigrigna and
English, it managed to reach large numbers of our community.
However, Arabic-speaking members of our community could not read it.
But now, as a result of the active participation of our dedicated
volunteers, Mohamed Edris and Mimi, this problem has been solved.
Meftih has now opened up a platform for Arab speakers too. The pages
of the Arab section have increased from one to two, and they will
quench the thirst of members of our community.
This change will empower Meftih’s mission. Our people will share
ideas in whatever language they feel comfortable to write in
(Arabic, Tigrigna or English). Via the newspaper, they communicate
about issues that bring them together and find solutions to those
that drive them apart. They will discuss concrete issues rather than
minor ethnic or religious differences. This will help us to sail in
unity to reach the destination of success.
The advantage of publishing Meftih in three languages outweighs the
logistic burden of doing so. Tigrigna readers will familiarize
themselves with Arabic alphabets, and Arabic language readers will
accustom themselves with the Tigrigna alphabets. They will receive
the same message but in different languages. They can pour their
ideas on paper and acquire wisdom from it. It is encouraging to have
everyone working together.
However, those who master the Arabic language will be required to
participate actively so as to enrich the contents of the Arabic
section. You shouldn’t leave the burden of writing solely on the
shoulders of Mimi and Mohamed. They have decided to dedicate their
precious time to create a forum and accommodate our issues. So, it
is up to us to use it, and it is also up to us to secure its
continuity.
meftih@gmail.com
Let's Move Forward by
Trampling These Weeds Deep Down Into the Ground
By Aaron Berhane
Kidanemihret Catholic Church invited a
psychology scholar Mr. Robel Kidane. He delivered a wonderful
lecture to about 400 participants on June 16 and June 17. This
informative seminar prompted participants to evaluate themselves.
Other religious institutions had also organized similar seminars
before to educate our members. This is a highly commendable act.
In general, the religious institutions of our community have
made incomparable contributions. By solving peoples’ challenges,
they go beyond their usual role of providing spiritual blessing.
They educate children to speak and write their mother tongue; they
organize seminars to broaden the horizon of our thinking. By
investing people’s money in the community, they work hard to fulfill
people’s needs. They serve as a source of unity, love and
cooperation. Working together, they unite people, and they do not
divide them by causing them to fight with one another. They always
work towards their eternal agenda—people. Their daily activity
witnesses to their goal.
What about the other sectors of our community agencies? Some
organize sports activities to produce healthy children and provide
fair services for newcomers. They are doing their best to improve
their services.
Nevertheless, the two community centers we have—the Eritrean
Canadian Community of Metropolitan Toronto, and the Eritrean
Canadian Association of Ontario (ECAO)—will need to learn something
from our religious institutions. They should open their doors wider
than before, welcoming everyone with smiling faces. With a distinct
agenda, they can promote a solid mission. By planting a long term
vision in the minds of their members, they can set forth to fulfill
the ambition of the people. Overall these two organizations are on
the right track, unlike the Celebration Committee.
The Celebration Committee is the worst of all. It wasn’t elected by
the community, but it fashioned itself to serve the community. This
committee uses the name of our community to raise funds and exploits
situations for its own reward. It has been around for a while,
seizing people’s wealth, but has given little service to the
community. It takes money from the people but doesn’t invest in
them. Its agenda is to make money, but it always works hard to cover
up its real purpose behind phrases like “‘preservation of culture,’
“strengthening our unity,’ and ‘cultivating our identity’. This
committee always does its best to exploit the weaknesses of our two
community centers.
As a community, we have to be conscious about what we are up to. Who
wants to witness our growth and the progress of our kids? Who will
encourage us to see things wisely and analyze them intellectually?
Let’s identify those who respect us as human beings and listen
patiently to our issues.
We have to recognize those who violate our self-esteem and try to
steal our self-confidence. Who tempts to abuse our consciousness?
Who tries to break us apart systematically, based on our religion
and ethnicity? We should be alert in identifying those who only care
about our money, but not about us.
We don’t deserve any more pain. Let’s support our religious
institutions which are doing a remarkable job. Let’s encourage our
two community centers which are on the verge of progress. And
finally, let’s kick out the Celebration Committee which are the
weeds of our community. It’s time to move forward by trampling these
weeds deep down into the ground.
meftih@gmail.com
Enough is Enough, Wear the Crown
of The Festival
By Aaron Berhane
June 2007
Every summer, different cultural festivals are
organized to entertain our community. Artists come from back home.
They alleviate our longings for home by singing, and they help some
of us indulge our thirst for our traditional dances. Above all,
these festivals are a good excuse for family members and friends to
meet the many people who flock to it.
If the money raised on such occasions is invested in the service of
the Eritrean Canadian community, I am sure many of our problems
would have been solved.
However we haven’t paid attention yet. We seem satisfied solely by
the entertainment. We haven’t had the chance to explore our
shortcomings. We never ask, “Who is using the name of our community
to run the festival? Why is the Eritrean Canadian community, as a
whole, becoming poorer even though members of our community are
donating generously? Either we have thought it was wise not to ask
these questions or we are naïve. Our mouth has been zipped up for a
long time. Now we must speak up.
We badly want to see change! Our community center faces dire
financial challenges. It has trouble paying the rent and wonders how
it can provide services for children and seniors. It also finds it
challenging to provide educational services. It is becoming totally
dependent on membership fees.
Sure, our community has tried to raise some funds, but it hasn’t
attempted to organize the events in the summer – the fertile months
for raising funds. Every year, about seven events are organized on
the name of our community, and about $200,000 is raised. None of it
dropped into our community account. We should never allow this to
happen.
The Eritrean Canadian community must play the main role in
organizing the festivals. It must make the festivals a tool to
strengthen our unity, preserve our culture and encourage our youth
in education and the arts. It must set proportional prices for the
services it provides. The most important thing is for the Eritrean
Canadian community to be transparent so that people will see
themselves as a part of it. Enough is enough. Our community must
wear the crown of the festival.
meftih@gmail.com
Fix It Before It Breaks Down
By Aaron Berhane
May 2007
Actress Elizabeth Shepherd׳s house was sold at
the end of 2005 without her knowledge. A phony buyer took out a
mortgage of $243,000 on Mrs. Shepherd׳s house and left her in debt.
Torontonian Susan Lawrence also faced the same problem in 2005. When
she decided to sell the house she had possessed for 30 years, she
received scary news. She was told she didn׳t actually own the house;
she had already sold it.
These scams are very sophisticated crimes and it is not easy to
identify them. Victims may not know for months after the fact. There
are reasons for increasing mortgage fraud.
Mortgage fraudsters commit these crimes for the following reasons:
1. It is a lucrative field from which they can harvest money very
easily.
2. The application process is depersonalized.
3. There is little scrutiny due to the fierce competition in the
mortgage industry.
The Canadian Institute of Mortgage Brokers and Lenders says the
average case of real estate fraud ranges from $200,000 to $400,000.
Since this is quick cash, it encourages people to commit the crime.
The depersonalized application process makes it possible for people
to borrow large amounts of money without meeting anyone and complete
many aspects of the transaction electronically. As long as the
paperwork seems to be in order, it is hard for lenders to notice the
criminals. Anyone who knows how the system works, can be tempted to
steal. Moreover, since there is tough competition within the
mortgage industry, lenders rush to close a deal without taking all
the steps necessary to determine if the transaction is legitimate.
The lack of scrutiny tempts those who know about it to reap profits
off people׳s property.
Elizabeth Shepherd and Susan Lawrence managed to recover their homes
after a two-year-long struggle. However, they won׳t recover the
valuable time they have lost. Nor can anyone compensate them for the
emotional stress they have suffered. It has sunk deep into their
hearts.
Don׳t let yourselves become victims. Learn from the experiences of
Shepherd and Lawrence. The civil and religious institutions of our
community should play their role to prevent members of our community
from getting scammed.
You have to organize seminars to educate our community about loans
and mortgages, buying and selling a house, identity theft and so on.
You have to teach members of our community how the legal system
works. You have to keep doing this continually to enlighten them. It
is your duty to fix the situation before it breaks down.
meftih@gmail.com
Eritrean Canadian Youngsters, The
Pride of Our Community
By Aaron Berhane
April 2007
The YWCA recognized Saron Ghebressellasie as the
2007 Young Woman of Distinction for her commitment and organization
in empowering young women to discover their full potential. Amanda
Bahlibi, 15, hit the headlines for ranking second in the gymnastic
competition held last month in Montreal.
This vibrant news of these two young ladies is just a spoon from the
sea. A number of our youth have been extolled in Canadian society.
Athlete Simon Bairu dominated the news when he won the men’s 10,000
meter championship race. Seghen Woldai, 17, won a seat in the
Students’ Assembly of Ontario. This is a clear example of our youth
getting involved in politics. We have a documentary filmmaker,
Feyrouz Abdulrahman; a medical school graduate, Dr. Adel Abdulrahman;
and a 2002 Governor General recipient, Thomas Toweldemedhin. The
list is long.
The active participation of our youth in Canadian society is a
source of pride to our community. Others will become acquainted with
the identity of our community through our visible youth. Many
Canadians know these successful athletes, recipients of prestigious
awards and exemplary youngsters. Most people now know that we have
begun to march forward. Briefly, our successful youth are
ambassadors of our community.
As a community, it is our duty to encourage our successful youth. We
should them write a congratulatory letter or address them in person,
if possible. We should share in their happiness and encourage them
to keep up their achievements. Let them know that their victory is
our victory.
If we flirt with their victory, express our good wishes, envy them
and follow in their footsteps, the wheel of our community will
continue to move forward. Then our children will be recognized by
their success, positive attitude and hope.
meftih@gmail.com
Let's Renew Our Vow to End
Violence Against Our Sisters
By Aaron Berhane
International Women׳s Day (IWD) will mark its 30th
anniversary on March 8th, 2007. Founded in 1977 by the United
Nations, this important day provides an opportunity to celebrate the
progress we have made to advance women׳s rights and assess the
challenges that remain. It also encourages us to consider the steps
we can take to bring about equality for women.
This year Canadians will celebrate International Women׳s Week from
March 4-10. The theme ״Ending Violence Against Women: Action for
Real Results, ״ focuses on gender-based violence.
According to a recent Statistics Canada report, conducted between
1999-2004, the number of women who experienced some form of violence
at the hands of a current or previous spouse or common-law partner,
was 653,000. At least sixty women die every year at the hands of a
partner. Thousands of women and their families continue to live in
fear and the devastating effects of this problem every day.
Most of the time immigrant women become victims of domestic
violence. Coming from a male-dominated society, they do not share
their stories of abusive relationships. Some of them lack knowledge
of Canadian law while others fear for their lives. So, they choose
to remain silent.
However, no solution comes from silence. Domestic violence is a
cancer of society. It paints a negative picture in the minds of
children. It also disrupts the peace of the community and often
leads to suicide.
As citizens, we each have the responsibility to end violence against
women. We have to evaluate what we have done so far to stop the
violence and promise to work harder in the future. Let׳s increase
our awareness of women׳s issues by attending the March events. Let׳s
ask ourselves if we are part of the problem or the solution. Let׳s
renew our vow to end violence against our sisters. Then, we can
start working to ensure the rights of our mothers, wives, sisters
and daughters.
meftih@gmail.com
A Leadership With A
Vision, Never Returns To Square One
By Aaron Berhane
The progress that we have accomplished as a
community in the last 20 years has been minimal compared to that of
our counterparts. However, recently we seem to have moved ahead a
little. The reason for this move is not only because we have learned
from our previous lessons, but especially because our new leaders
have come up with a vision.
The new leaders in all sectors of our community are trying to
accelerate the pace of achieving their vision. Religious
institutions (mosques and churches) are educating children beyond
their usual activities–language, music and ethics. They organize
seminars to inform parents how the educational and health systems
work. They also advise people to strengthen their solidarity by
ignoring minor ethnic and religious differences. To further
consolidate the presence of our community in Canadian society, they
have contemplated the idea of establishing a center.
As a result of our positive leadership, the strength of our
community is increasing. For instance, the Eritrean Canadian
Association in Ontario (ECAO) has managed to pull in more children
into its sport activities. The ECAO is burning up energy to bring
everyone together through a wiser approach than before. The Islamic
Association of Eritrean Canadians, churches, youth and student
associations that serve our community are marching forward due to
the effective leadership. All sectors of our community tend to
consider the importance of the free flow of ideas, transparent
administration, and above all, the cooperation of individuals.
These positive changes should become a continuous phenomenon.
Therefore, the different associations of our community have to lay
solid bylaws to secure our institutions from ill-intentioned people.
If the leadership sticks to a progressive path, we will only move
forward, not backwards. We will never return to square one.
meftih@gmail.com
The Aroni Awards, A Pride To Our
Community
By Aaron Berhane
The Aroni Awards Gala officially opened at the
Atlantis Pavilion in Ontario Place on December 9th, 2006. Five
individuals were honored for their outstanding contribution to
health, sports, education, arts and entrepreneurship, becoming the
first recipients of the Aroni Awards. Three high school students
also received bursaries of $1,500 each.
The Aroni Awards were created in memory of Aron Yohannes Haile who
died in a car accident in 2003 while visiting his parents in Eritrea
. He was known for his sharp mind, and well respected by relatives
and friends for his inspiring and positive attitude towards life.
His siblings should be commended for creating these awards to
commemorate Aron’s dream, rather than sit and mourn his passing.
Both Aron’s family and our community should be proud of these
awards. Our pride will go even deeper when we look at the people who
were included for the nomination of the Aroni Awards. The awards
were open to all African Canadians, which is an excellent strategy
for looking beyond our community. All the recipients except Arsema
Berhane and Heaven Mehari were from other African Canadian
communities.
The Aroni Awards will continue to benefit us. They will help display
the positive face of our community and guide us in cultivating
exemplary youth. Moreover, they will help us explore and evaluate
the strong aspects of other communities and expand our knowledge of
them. In brief, they will become the vehicle that puts us at the
frontline of success.
These awards have also conveyed other powerful messages. The awards
that we give African Canadians have equal or higher value than those
given to us by others outside our community. This shows that we are
proud of our own and ready to honor them based on that. We have
managed to reflect this fantastic attitude to the 400 guests who
were present to celebrate the gala awards. And the radiation of our
positive influence will spread even further to any one who listens
to the news of the Aroni Awards.
The founders of the Aroni Awards are Aron’s siblings–Mesfun, Lia,
Helen and other concerned individuals. But African Canadians in
general and Eritrean Canadians in particular can take ownership of
these awards. Therefore it is our duty to continue to support them
so that they become as famous and well respected as the Oscars and
Academy Awards.
meftih@gmail.com
Let's Invest in Youth to Produce
Leaders
By Aaron Berhane
Last month, the municipal elections were held in all
cities in Ontario. Candidates ran for the positions of mayors, city
councillors and members of District School Boards. They campaigned
to convince voters that they were qualified for the positions for
which they were running. On November 13th, voters picked their
choice. Mr. David Miller was reelected for the mayoral position in
Toronto , and he will run the city with his 45 councillors (both new
and old) for the next four years.
The election held in the multicultural city of Toronto was very
fascinating. Minorities ran as candidates for mayor, city
councillors, and District School Board members. They tried to show
their capacities and dreams for their voters. They promised to
prioritize the issues of minorities on their agendas, and worked
hard to get voters to vote for them. Even though most of them didn’t
succeed in the municipal election run, they managed to prove it was
time for minorities to come to power. The candidates made their
communities proud by representing them.
What about us? What was our role in the municipal election as part
of Canadian society? Did we send someone who could represent us in
the election? Did we train anyone who could run for city council or
school trustee? We need to examine this issue with grave concern.
We know the meaning of a vote, and it is not an issue for us.
However, it might be scary for our members to try running for office
due to the oppressive culture we’ve been raised in. Our mind may
still be lost in Eritrea ’s jungle. Therefore, we may feel puzzled
as to how to navigate Canadian political waters. Or we may not
believe that we qualify as candidates. We may give whatever excuse
we wish. However, we need to be careful not to influence our youth
negatively.
Our youth have talents and capacities to run for municipal,
provincial, or federal positions. Nevertheless, they will need our
blessing to take the initiative. We need to prepare them right now
so that they will run in future elections. We need to create a
comfortable atmosphere in our community to arm them with practical
training besides the theoretical knowledge they acquire in school.
We need to encourage them to march beyond the small circle of our
community. Eventually they will help our community develop by
developing themselves.
The challenges of our community can only be solved by taking a
coordinated and long-term approach. To do this, we must invest in
our children and youth. Once our youth are actively involved in
several levels of government, it will have a positive impact on the
growth of our community. If we seed a healthy plant now, we will
definitely see healthy fruit in the near future. Therefore, let’s
invest in our youth so that they will climb the ladder of
leadership.
aaron@meftih.com
One Step In Building Peace
By Aaron Berhane
Last month, the University of Peace , which was
established by the United Nations (UN), held a conference aimed at
peace building. The core objective of the conference was to explore
and stimulate a dialogue on how immigrants could play a crucial role
in peacebuilding and development by using the capacity of a diaspora
as a cornerstone. Selam Peacebuilding Network of Eritrea , Yong
diplomat of Ethiopia , Afghan, Colombia , and Jamaica presented the
results of their news research.
History shows that a diaspora is easily affected with conflicts
arise in its homeland. It creates division and animosity in its host
country simply through the reproduction of the violent conflict
created in the homeland. Instead of playing a significant role in
alleviating the crisis, it becomes part of the problem. Some
escalate the conflict by siding with one and condemning the other.
As a consequence, the crisis isn’t immediately resolved. Very few
benefit from the polarized relationship of the community while most
people become victimized.
A diaspora never rescues itself from being victimized either. Its
progress is hindered. It doesn’t integrate well into the society it
lives in and it doesn’t march with the economics and politics of the
host country. The wheel of life of most of the diaspora is seized by
ill-minded people who don’t appreciate peace. The majority becomes
powerless and does not act effectively here or there. In brief, most
of the diaspora hasn’t played a significant role so far.
This conference seemed to provide a direction for the diaspora. It
created a wonderful forum for debate and discussion based on the
research of five new studies of visible minority immigrants. It
confirmed that the only solution for any misunderstanding arising
back home or in the disapora can be achieved through the active
involvement of each individual. As the diaspora attains a better
economy, political structure, education, and facilities in the host
country, it can become more effective.
Therefore, we will need to support Selam Peacebuilding Network that
represented the Eritrean disapora. They are the engine of positive
moves in building peace in our community. Showing enthusiastic
support of their initiative is one step toward peacebuilding. So,
let’s share our challenges and ideas with them. Let’s echo peace
repeatedly. Let’s work for it relentlessly. Then peace will be our
tattoo and development will be our daily agenda.
aaron@meftih.com
Kudos Meftih!
By Aaron Berhane
Meftih won an award of the National Ethnic Press
and Media Council of Canada on September 22nd. It was one among 14
newspapers selected from a total of 240 ethnic newspapers to receive
recognition for its best editorial and visual interpretation. This
remarkable victory during its short life span (Meftih began in
September 2004) is a tribute to the great contribution Meftih makes
to Canadian society.
Meftih promotes multiculturalism. It bridges Eritrean and Canadian
society. It has become a forum of discussion for Eritrean Canadians.
Inviting exemplary and successful people to share their experiences
uplifts the morale of both young and adult members of the community.
In a short period of time, it has achieved tremendous success.
The victory of Meftih is the sum of the efforts of the Eritrean
Canadian community, in general, and the significant contribution of
volunteers, in particular. Volunteers sacrifice their time and
energy, providing educational and informative articles. They
generously share their valuable knowledge with the community. They
utilize their talents to sharpen the minds of others. Anyone who
reads their articles benefits intellectually from them. As the
result of their continued efforts, we are able to identify the
challenges and opportunities that exist in Canada .
The role of business persons has also been very significant in the
success of Meftih. They helped Meftih stand on its feet by providing
moral and financial support. Business persons have accommodated the
paper by providing a space for the distribution of the paper
on-site. Because they believe that our community needs a forum of
discussion, they have encouraged their customers to support the
paper. Through their ongoing efforts, many people have come to learn
about Meftih.
Therefore, the victory of Meftih is the victory of our community in
general. To earn even greater success and grow exponentially, Meftih
will need the unlimited support of its readers. This victory is just
the beginning, not the end. Kudos Meftih!
aaron@meftih.com
An Issue That Needs Everyone's
Attention
By Aaron Berhane
The Sixteenth International AIDS Conference ended
its six-day meeting on August 18. It marked a hopeful road that we
are heading on.
About 26,000 scientists, activists, clinicians, people who live with
HIV/AIDS, caregivers, and community leaders participated in the
conference to share and discuss their findings and efforts to
increase awareness in the prevention of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. About
4,500 abstracts were presented at the conference and around 3,000
journalists attended to cover the conferences activities.
This big turnout shows the solid interest of participants in the
International AIDS conference. Our world is being demolished by this
disease that has no cure. Last year, 4.1 million people were
infected with HIV/AIDS. According to the UNAIDS program report, the
total number of people who live with HIV/AIDS reached 39 million in
2005, which is a scary figure. Seventy-six percent of the victims do
not have access to antiretroviral medications. As a result, the
majority of the people who live with HIV/AIDS in developing
countries are likely to die.
Something must be done. Policy makers should be more concerned. The
people who get infected yearly increase in number while the medical
services given to victims decrease. This will definitely affect our
progress and present obstacles for bringing about change. Our
politicians are responsible for not playing a crucial role.
The Prime Minister of Canada Mr. Stephen Harper didnt attend the
International AIDS Conference. That tells us he is less interested
in this hot and timely issue.
Most leaders of the developing countries are not committed to fight
AIDS, the diseases that wipes out their citizens. This is an example
of their negligence. They establish nominal organizations or
institutions and they dont provide adequate budgets or leave them
struggling for funds. Meanwhile, they loot the budget of the
Ministry of Health to buy weapons. They dont disclose campaigns to
encourage people to listen to HIV/AIDS activists. The consequences
are obvious. The numbers of young people (ages 1424) who are
becoming infected with this disease are skyrocketing.
However, we shouldnt expect any solution to come through the
goodwill of politicians. Lets raise the awareness of the youth by
educating ourselves. Then by the time the next conference rolls
around, we will not only live with hope, but we will also bring
about change which is rooted in the ground.
aaron@meftih.com
Let’s Applaud Artist Daniel!
By Aaron Berhane
The African music and culture festival, Afrofest,
was celebrated enthusiastically at Queen’s Park from July 6 to July
9. This, the largest African festival of its kind in North America,
was observed by thousands of people for four days. Interested
individual artists who have a desire and passion to share their
culture used their vocal and instrumental talents to entertain and
influence the audience.
Eritrean vocalist Daniel Woldemichael was one of them. He used his
kirar (a five-string musical instrument) and vocals to introduce
Eritrean music. A commendable initiative.
How crucial is the role of an individual! Daniel and those who
performed, representing their culture, are vital witnesses. Though
Afrofest is open to people of all African countries, there were
participants from only ten. Guinea, Rwanda, Mali, Cameron, Ivory
Coast, Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, Sudan and Eritrea used the
opportunity to perform their cultural music. Each performer was
given one hour each. They sang, danced and entertained the thousands
who attended. They brought African culture to the Canadian platform.
This helped many people from other cultures to become acquainted
with them.
Vocalist Daniel Woldemichael played a big role in introducing
Eritrean cultural music. He captured thousands of eyes and by
performing at Afrofest with his dancing group. He dedicated his time
and utilized his talent to show the presence of the Eritrean
community in different layers of Canadian society. Due to his work,
many people will be able to know who we are. In his interview with
Radio CBC on the popular program Metro Morning on July 5th , he
spoke about Eritrean cultural music and educated many listeners. He
should be commended.
For Daniel Woldemichael to continue making his contribution to
Canadian society, he will need the encouragement of us all. Let’s
support him heartily and applaud him warmly. Kudos to you, Daniel!
aaron@meftih.com
Canada Day-a Memorable Day By Aaron Berhane
July 1 is Canada Day. It is a celebration of the anniversary
of the formation of the union of the British North American
provinces into a federation under the name of Canada in 1867. It’s a
day when we happily remember and celebrate our multicultural
achievements, social justice and respect for human rights.
On July 1, 1867 the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and
New Brunswick united together to form Canada as a country through
the British North America Act. The rest of the provinces followed
suit one after the other.
This historical date used to be known as Dominion Day until it was
changed to Canada Day in October 1982.
Canada has undergone lots of changes in the 139 years of its
existence. Its economy has grown constantly, securing its citizens
sufficient food so that it has become one of the most generous
donors to poor countries.
It has also become a country that respects human rights. The rights
of women, Aboriginal, Chinese-Canadian, Japanese-Canadian, and
African-Canadian peoples have received special attention. Most
weaknesses of the past have been redressed. Canada’s positive
accomplishments in governing a diverse society which lives together
in harmony makes Canada one of the best countries in the world to
live in.
People comprised of different cultures, languages, race and color in
its social fabric and trained to respect one another, are playing a
positive role in the progress of the country. On July 1, we need to
pay tribute to our past successes, celebrate our achievements with
pride, and look forward to a bright future. It is everyone’s
responsibility to make this day a memorable one. Happy Canada Day!
aaron@meftih.com
To Inspire Young Fellows, Let’s
Establish World Cup Clubs 2006
By Aaron Berhane
The World Cup 2006 series will start on June 9,
2006 in Germany. Twelve cities (Berlin, Cologne [Köln], Dortmund,
Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Hanover, Kaiserslautern, Leipzig,
Munich [München], Nuremberg [Nürnberg] and Stuttgart) will host
matches between 32 countries that will participate in the 2006 World
Cup series. Over one million people are expected to travel to
Germany while approximately five billion people will watch the
matches on television.
Being involved in the World Cup competitions affects the economic
and political situation of a participant country. Politicians
exploit the burning sports emotions of their citizens to achieve
their own goals. Corporations promote sales by providing products
related to the World Cup series. Everybody exploits the flaming
desires of the people to make the most of the situation through a
mad scramble in political, social, and economic ways.
If we try to see the positive side of this, it urges us to envy, but
we can also be wise and learn from it.
The 2006 World Cup series will have a great impact in encouraging
our young fellows to increase their interest in sports. It’s an
ccelerating force for those who are organized in a team, and it will
pull in for those who are not a part of it. However, we will need to
create another platform.
The first thing that we need to do is establish a World Cup Club
2006. Children will have a chance to learn about the rules and
procedures of the World Cup which will help them to follow the
matches with passion. We can teach them the side effects of alcohol,
tobacco, and drugs on our health, and particularly for people who
are involved in sports. We can introduce them to famous teams and
players to inspire them as their role models. We can encourage
everyone to one day dream of becoming a star of world proportions.
The club can serve as a source of inspiration and knowledge. Once
the children conceive the idea of success in their minds, they will
definitely become productive and healthy citizens of society.
This occasion must be exploited. The World Cup is going to be the
main news of media all over the world. Soccer will dominate the
topic of all our conversations. There is always an external
influence that will contribute to a positive impact on children. On
top of that, if we organize our children in clubs of World Cup 2006,
we will save many youth who have already lost their direction for a
healthy life style.
Therefore, our community should rapidly initiate clubs of World Cup
2006 so as to imprint a positive impact on our young fellows.
aaron@meftih.com
Mothers are an extension of God
By Aaron Berhane May 14th is Mother’s day. We always use this date to
convey our gratitude to our mothers for the crucial role they have
played in our lives as well as to renew our promises to them.
The role of a mother is incomparable. She carries a baby for nine
months in her womb, two years on her back, and she’s always there to
secure the life of her child by feeding and looking after the child.
Mothers are indispensable creatures. She is an umbrella in all
aspects of our life. This might be the role of all mothers in the
world, but particularly Eritrean mothers.
Unfortunately, our country has never seen relief from war for more
than 100 years. People have been oppressed, killed, and arrested by
several dictatorial rulers. So much has happened in the past. And
it’s our mothers who have become the victims of all oppression.
When fathers left home to save their lives, it was the mother who
carried on the role of both mother and father. She feeds her
children by starving herself. She always gives hope to her children
no matter how desperate the situation. She teaches her children to
be tolerant and to believe that no challenge is insurmountable. She
is the one who teaches her children to be human.
Mothers have countless roles. She is a friend, sister, teacher and,
above all, a mother. She’s the root of a loving and responsible
family. She reminds her family that love brings forth success and
advises them to respect and love others. By teaching such ethics,
she prepares her children to become a valuable asset of society. As
the Jewish proverb says “God couldn’t be everywhere, so He created
mothers.” Mothers are an extension of God.
Thus, on the day that’s designated for mothers, it’s a good occasion
for us to explore our conscience about the role our mother has
played in our lives. We need to tell her that she has a limitless
space in our heart. Send a loving word to your mother who is still
alive and extend a wish that God may prolong her life. And if your
mother has passed on, may she have eternal rest. Ode to mothers!
aaron@meftih.com
