Where Have the Ethiopian Intellectuals Gone?

This is my third commentary on the theme, “Where do we go from here?”, following the rigged elections in Ethiopia last month.  In this piece, I urge Ethiopian intellectuals to exchange their armchairs for the public benches and leave their comfort zones of passivity and silence to become advocates of peaceful change and democracy in…

ESAT Advisory Board: Declaration of Principles

Press Release / May 24, 2010 On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day observed on May 3, 2010, President Barack Obama reminded the world of the “critical importance” of a free press “in challenging abuses of power, identifying corruption, and informing all citizens about the important issues that shape our world.” He noted: Last…

Ethiopia: Interview With Birtukan Midekssa

Alemayehu G. Mariam Note: Except for elements inserted in the nature of narrative license, syntax and independently established facts, this “interview” is based on English or Amharic translations of public statements, hearing testimony, speeches and other declarations[ 1] of Birtukan Midekssa, the first woman political party leader in Ethiopian history and that country’s most famous…