Originally appeared in the Huffington Post on 2/7/2011 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/africas-youths-united-can_b_822702.html John F. Kennedy said: Those who make peaceful change impossible, make a violent revolution inevitable.” The English colonial government made peaceful…
Originally appeared in the Huffington Post on 1/24/2011 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/as-african-tyrants-fall_b_812880.html The Invincible Dictators Mohandas Karmachand Gandhi (The Mahatma or Great Soul) is today revered as a historical figure who fought against…
Originally appeared in the Huffington Post on 1/19/2011 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/referendum-for-sudan-requ_b_809803.html Sudan’s Best and Worst of Times It is the best of times in the Sudan. It is the worst of times…
Originally appeared in the Huffington Post on 5/25/2011 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/looking-for-bob-marley-an_b_806568.html Music as a Weapon of Protest It is said that “music is a universal language.” Using a few notes and inspiring…
Originally appeared in the Huffington Post on 1/3/2011 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/why-do-things-always-fall_1_b_803445.html Copycat Dictators and Cartoon Democracies in Africa Ivory Coast, December 2010. Laurent Gbagbo says he won the presidential election. The Independent…
Originally appeared in the Huffington Post on 12/27/2010 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/ethiopian-groundhog-year_b_801384.html Groundhog Year in Prison Nation In December 2008, I wrote a weekly column entitled “Groundhog Year in Prison Nation” summarizing some…
Originally appeared in the Huffington Post on 12/20/2010 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/ethiopia-so-what_b_798882.html “So what! Soo what!! Sooo whaaat!!!” was the repetitive mantra of dictator Meles Zenawi recently in response to pesky questions lobbed…
Originally appeared in the Huffington Post on 12/11/2010 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/ethiopia-the-anuaks-forgo_b_795330.html A Conversation With Obang Metho[1] Note: A report by the Harvard Law School Human Rights Program on the Anuak concluded[2]:”From December…
Originally appeared in the Huffington Post on 12/5/2010 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/the-fantastic-somalia-job_b_792234.html The Tangled Web of Lies “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive,” said Sir Walter…