YPFDJ-North America
Building a Strong, Conscious, & Patriotic Youth Movement
! ! ! ! ! MERIH October 2009
Issue No. 1
The History of Merih...
NEWSLETTER www.ypfdj.org
“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt
Leader, pioneer, front runner, vanguard,
innovator, trailblazer, torchbearer, pathfinder. When one hears these words, one cannot help but to reflect on Eritrean history, back to the jegganu EPLF freedom fighters who stood up to fight oppression by the Ethiopian forces and take back their freedom. Merih in its literal translation from Tigringa means “leadership”. In 1977, the first congress decided on Merih as the name for EPLF’s first official newsletter. The name Merih was chosen symbolizing the determination of every Eritrean to continue on the struggle for independence. Merih encompasses all that is leadership and signifies the notion of providing guidance by means of the Nakfa principles which are unity, engagement, humanity, social justice, self-reliance, and devoted leadership. Merih was distributed in the fields and outside Eritrea; in territories occupied by Ethiopian forces, the newsletter was distributed underground. Merih, an internal collection of journals filled with political studies, played the role of inspiring, igniting, and educating the passionate freedom fighters and the Eritrean people of their cause. Merih continues to be looked back upon to honor the diligence and perspicacity of our forefathers.
Women were a large part of the struggle to liberate Eritrea. In the process, they gained strength to survive the traumas of war, and undo the oppression women face in traditional society.
Happy 30th Anniversary to the National Union of Eritrean Women
YPFDJ-North America | 1708 New Hampshire Ave, NW | Washington, D.C. 20009 | www.ypfdj.org
YPFDJ-North America: TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF OUR BITSAI "No one's death comes to pass without making some impression, and those close to the deceased inherit part of the liberated soul and become richer in their humanness." -Hermann Broch
I met Minister Saleh Meky as we prepared for the conference a few weeks back. A s I w a t c h e d h i m socialize with my peers, I witnessed his love for the youth, which was evident in the way he interacted with all of us. The level of interest he showed in each individual reminds me of a story I read some time ago: A boy went for a walk along the beach one morning after a storm. As far as the eye could see, the sand was littered with starfish that had washed up on the shore and were slowly dying in the sun. In the distance, the young boy saw a man walking down the beach, picking up starfish after starfish, tossing them back into the surf one at a time. When the boy was close enough to be heard over the waves, he asked, “Sir, why are you doing this? There must be thousands of starfish out here...what possible difference can you make?” The man reached down, picked up a starfish and threw it as far as he could back into the sea. “Sure made a lot of difference to that one.” And he reached down to pick up another.
At the conference Minister Saleh Meky sat in the same chair as we did for hours, wore the same blue shirt as we wore for days, ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same tables as us. And alongside the 600 participants, he acted like one of us, treating us as peers and friends. For four days we took pictures together, we laughed together, and he joked with many. He was one us- he was OUR minister. I am one of the many starfishes that Minister Saleh Meky, in words and in his unnoticeable actions, made a difference in how I view the bright future ahead. He touched my life, picked me up, and threw me out to gain a broader perspective on life and my future as an Eritrean. In his last conference lecture, in so many words he said, we need to strive for peace for all, not just for Eritreans. It is just one of the many great things he said throughout the conference, but to me they were the words that encouraged me to see the world not as it is, but as I want to see it. A world of peace and harmony.
S o m a ny p a r t i c i p a n t s i n t h e conference did not get the chance to tell him how he touched their lives in so many ways... On behalf of them, I would like to say thank you. Thank you for choosing to be involved with us. Thank you for being one of us, on our level. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and your life with us. Thank you for picking us up and tossing us back in the sea to continue in life, with a deeper understanding of determination and motivation and the youth’s role in the development of Eritrea. We celebrate the many, but too few, memories with Minister Saleh. We feel deep loss, but we continue the work and hope for peace and harmony in Eritrea. It was an honor to meet our minister, and it is a deep honor to write how he touched our lives on behalf of YPFDJ- North America. In Memory of Minister Saleh Meky
by Simone Mariotti YPFDJ DC
“...I am so glad, fate made it possible for him to inspire so many youth. Let's water the seeds he has sown..." Bitsai Yemane Gebreab, PFDJ- Head of Political Affairs
MERIH NEWSLETTER !
YPFDJ-North America Conference 2009
Why
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A forum to exchange ideas and share experiences!
Merih?
Over the course of the 2008 YPFDJ conference, it was proposed that a newsletter sharing the words of members and scholars be distributed to enlighten members of our global mission. We started this newsletter to create a medium for the youth to share their thoughts, opinions, and concerns of current issues in Eritrea and right here with Eritreans in the Diaspora. We chose the name Merih for the YPFDJ newsletter not only for its correlating meaning to YPFDJ’s mission, but also for its historical significance. During the days of struggle for freedom, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front who led a successful struggle for the liberation of the Eritrean people from a century of colonization also had a monthly newsletter called Merih. Thus, as YPFDJ, who are being cultivated to inherit the legacy of our fathers’ and mothers’ miraculous achievement, reviving the newsletter Merih with the renewed vision that is focused on building a Democratic and Justice Society was the perfect fit. Similar to Merih's responsibility during the struggle in Eritrea, this newsletter serves to both educate and inspire those who wish to continue to better Eritrea. We hope that by creating this newsletter, we can learn from one another and spread awareness in order to help build a stronger and more prosperous Eritrea. -Merih Editor
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Washington D.C.
Why
YPFDJ?
“I wanted to be a part of an organization that was motivated to help our country, not just with words, but with actions.” Erdi YPFDJ San Diego
“Seeing this many young, patriotic, intelligent, and intellectual Eritreans in one place made me want to be a member of YPFDJ and its movement.” Sam YPFDJ Oakland
“I never expected to find so many accomplished Eritrean youth with the same passion and pride for their history, culture, and country. Besides the wonderful friendships and connections I've made, what I love the most is the sense of pride I feel being a member of an organization whose entire objective is to serve Eritrea and its people.” Rahel YPFDJ Jacksonville
YPFDJ-North America | 1708 New Hampshire Ave, NW | Washington, D.C. 2009 | www.ypfdj.org
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The Brain Drain Phenomenon Temesgen Woldezion YPFDJ Southern California Like many other developing countries, Eritrea is faced with the perplexing problem of retaining its young professionals. Scores of young college graduates who were educated by government money to serve their country in their trades leave the nation to undertake often uncertain opportunities in western countries. Since Eritrea has gained independence, the number of skilled graduates has undoubtedly increased as a result of tremendous investment in the education sector. While it may be true that the Eritrean government spends a considerable portion of its budget to offer equitable educational services and to expand its higher education systems, many think that this has done little to keep these young professionals from leaving the country. Understanding that this “brain drain” phenomenon is not limited to the Eritrean context but rather ubiquitous in the developing world, the question arises of whether low retention of skilled youth in Eritrea is purely an issue of economics, or if there is a political element. The discourse amongst foreign media and Western governments hostile to Eritrea has focused on attacks on Eritrea’s political systems and has used figures of young Eritreans leaving the country to make this case. They point to internal factors such as religious oppression, political repression and demoralization as the root causes of Eritrea’s inability to r e t a i n i t s yo u n g. T h e s e s a m e institutions have noted however that
the American government offers incentives to young Eritreans who symbolically flee the country to neighboring Ethiopia as opposed to Sudan. These incentives include rapid processing of paperwork to easily enter the United States for individuals who are often coerced due to opportunistic circumstance to testify and justify the claims echoed by the western media. American policies in particular in dealing with Eritreans who flee their country has also taken an interestingly divisive approach in exploiting Eritrea’s cultural and ethnic diversity. By giving greater incentives to certain ethnic groups who cross the border illegally into Ethiopia, namely the Kunama, they aim to fragment the collective Eritrean experience and offer substantive claims t h a t t h e E r i t r e a n g ove r n m e n t somehow selectively persecutes the Kunama. After these institutions have taken these measures to encourage young Eritreans to leave their country, it is interesting how they have the impudence to ask the questions that we seek to answer today: why are Eritrea’s young fleeing the country and how can we reverse the brain drain phenomenon? Eritreans in the Diaspora should strive towards finding ways to alleviate and assist the youth in Eritrea. And with globalization causing the world to flatten, it is only a matter of time before the West feels the pinch of the brain drain as well.
"We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community. Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own." - Cesar Chavez
YPFDJ-North America | 1708 New Hampshire Ave, NW | Washington, D.C. 20009 | www.ypfdj.org
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SPOTLIGHT on YPFDJ ATLANTA-YPFDJ SHARE THEIR SENTIMENTS ON THEIR OVERALL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD How surprised were you when the chapter received the Overall Achievement Award? ATL-YPFDJ was not surprised at all by the overall achievement award. In many ways, it was unfair to other chapters to compete against us as we have been around for several years. Charlotte, Dallas, Denver and other chapters worked very hard to achieve lots of success in their short history. Thus, we feel that all the YPFDJ chapters should share the award.
How did it feel to be recognized for your efforts? We are extremely grateful for the recognition. It shows that our leaders are paying attention to the work we are doing, and it motivates us to work hard for next year. ATL- YPFDJ has done an amazing job with your Hidri program. How are you able to be so effective in reaching the younger generation? How do you keep the Hidri kids involved and active? Hidri are the sources of our energy, motivation, and unity. Every time the name Hidri is invoked, it gives us direction. We all know that our martyrs gave us Hidri. These kids are truly Hidri,as they are a symbol of love and kindness. It is actually the Hidri who made an amazing contribution to ATLYPFDJ’s success. They keep us motivated, involved, and active.
We heard about HPAC at the conference, what is it? And how has it helped your chapter in achieving its goals? HPAC stands for Hidri Parental Advisory Committee.One of the contributions of Hidri is that they got their parents involved to support us, by supporting them. The parents are embarking on community building without even knowing it. They think they are coming together to support their children and in process they are getting to know each other. T h e y a r e giving their energy, time, and resources to our community in general and to ATL-YPFDJ specifically. W i t h o u t their support ATL-YPFDJ could not achieve this degree of success at all. ATL-YPFDJ did an amazing job with the book drive. How were you able to raise $200,000 worth of books, computers, and other miscellaneous items? The Library project was one of the highlights of our organization success and a testimony of the leadership and ATL-YPFDJ members to bring different groups together to support the noble cause of helping our people and government. That includes working with the government of Eritrea, Zoba Maekel, and Asmara Public Library. ATL-YPFDJ has been sending out press releases for multiple projects and continues to surprise us with all their accomplishments. Can you list all the things you accomplished in 2009? Some highlights of our accomplishments: 1) Created a social responsibility committee within our organization affairs group and implemented
programs to welcome newly arriving Eritrean immigrants ranging from Tigrigna, Kunama and Saho tribes. This committee was able to find ways to help the immigrants be incorporated with the general public in Atlanta by providing basic necessities. 2) Played major role in helping create the Eritrean Community Center of Georgia 3) Created Hidri Parental Advisory Committee, also known as HPAC, to help assist with our Hidri organization 4) Collaborated with the government of Eritrea, ECCGA, and public library of Asmara to send a container full of books, computers, and other materials worth $200,000 to Eritrea. 5) Played a major role in all national holidays- organizing, planning, and executing aspects (Martyr’s Day, Independence Day, September 1st- Start of Struggle, Women’s Day, and other local community events) What are your plans for the 2010 year? We are in the process of outlining our 2009-10 plans. But in a nutshell, our focus will be to do some major projects both here in Atlanta and back home in Eritrea. Our involvement with the Eritrean Community Center of Georgia will significantly increase this year. Also, we plan to work hard to create a better structure for our Hidri and HPAC o rg a n i z at i o n s, i m p l e m e n t m o re programs for the kids such as Tigrigna school and college prep workshops, and identify ways to strengthen our already e x i s t i n g p ro g r a m s s u c h a s t h e mentorship program. Thank you ATL-YPFDJ for taking the time to share your accomplishments and future projects with Merih newsletter. We wish you much success in all your future endeavors.
YPFDJ-North America | 1708 New Hampshire Ave, NW | Washington, D.C. 20009| www.ypfdj.org
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Zelealemawi Zekrin Kebrin meinti helawiena beja zeHalefu by Fenan Russom YPFDJ Dallas
Paintings from an Exhibition of Art by the Eritrean Defense Force
Take a step back and reflect... On all the pain and agony it took to gain our Independence. Think about the conflict, Dwell on the true meaning of independence and its aspect. A lot of our brothers and sisters died... so WE could live. Many of them lost their eyes...so WE could see. Lost their legs...so WE could walk. Set our differences to the side, and remember that they gave up their homes and their families...for US. They fought for thirty years, so we can have our Freedom. Freedom to be the best that we can be, Freedom to live in peace and harmony, Freedom to speak our minds, Express our thoughts... Not let anyone suppress us. They defined the true meaning of Unity. They supplied us with the opportunity, to have our very own Identity. Because of them, we stand here proudly... Representing our Country For us, they opened numerous doors of opportunity. But somewhere down the line, we have forgotten our Responsibilities. We have neglected everything they fought hard to bring, which was Unity. Today, I ask you to acknowledge your duty, Open your eyes and see, Utilize your legs and walk, Through the door of opportunity, It is our turn to embrace and advance the Eritrean Legacy. Learn from their selfless acts of bravery, And work together to prosper our beautiful country. Let us not separate on interests or divide in purpose. Rather let’s stand together till the End, Because where there is Unity, there is always VICTORY.
YPFDJ-North America | 1708 New Hampshire Ave, NW | Washington, D.C. 20009 | www.ypfdj.org
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Editor’s Note THIS 1ST EDITION OF MERIH NEWSLETTER IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF MINISTER SALEH MEKY THE YOUTH STAND HERE TODAY READY TO FULFILL HIS DREAM AND CONTINUE HIS LEGACY.
At this beginning stage, Merih will be produced on a quarterly basis reflecting the movement’s achievements and strengthening its audience’s overall knowledge on topics affecting Eritreans in the Diaspora and back home in Eritrea. The topics of discussion will cover Public Policy, Education, Science & Technology, Political & Current Affairs, History & Culture, Achievements & Activities, and more many topics. If you have other topics you want included or perhaps an article that you would like to contribute, we would love to hear from you. This is a newsletter for Eritrean youth by Eritrean youth and we want your input. Merih allows Eritreans from all over the Diaspora and in Eritrea to share their ideas, concerns, and stories. We want to hear your thoughts. If you have any ideas, suggestions, comments, or are interested in contributing, please email us at merih@youngpfdj.com. If you are interested in placing an advertisement or sponsoring the development of Merih newsletter, please contact us at merih@youngpfdj.com or at 202.588.7587 for more information.
YPFDJ-North America | 1708 New Hampshire Ave, NW | Washington, D.C. 20009 | www.ypfdj.org
Building a Strong, Conscious, and Patriotic Youth Movement
Annual Conference held to empower the youth providing them with the knowledge and tools to become leaders in their communities.
FRO Y P F D J- N o M : rt h A m er ic M E R IH N EWSLETT a ER 1 7 0 8 N ew H am p sh ir e A ve W as h in g to n, DC 200 NW 09
MERIH NEWSLETTER October 2009
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Merih Newsletter is the official newsletter for YPFDJ. It was established to provide a medium allowing Eritreans in the Diaspora and back home the chance to communicate, reflect, and connect with one another to share thoughts and ideas.