July 22, 2002

Rapprochement (M’qrirab)

Á propos “ Giffa” and

US/ ERITREA relationship

M. Filli A.

Greetings all!

I chose to deal with those two topics within the context of rapprochement because I am firmly convinced that they would have been handled much differently in an environment of rapprochement rather than the polarized way they are being tackled today.

“ Giffa”

Let me first say that I share and do understand the concerns of the families involved and my sympathy goes to them.

At any time and in any country, any scene of organized police or military activities will inevitably trigger reflexive reactions of fear and anxiety amongst people regardless of its purpose and intention because it is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as a show of governmental military power and also because of the uncertainty about what that might or might not portend. It is this that those families are expressing. And I don’t blame them for that.

I ask forgiveness to reiterate the obvious: Ever since our national independence, we, including those who are calling it “slavery” today, have accepted National Service as the law of the land? We, including those who are calling it “slavery” today, have also acknowledged and accepted National Service as an honorable and noble service to our people and country at times of war and at times of peace.

National Service is a patriotic not a moneymaking enterprise or big bucks vacation job. It is and has been conceived to call for the contributions and participation of young people in the development/redevelopment and building/rebuilding of their war ravaged country as a token of their love and dedication for their country and their gratitude for the huge human sacrifice that was paid to attain and defend our national independence. In return, the nation provides the young people with the basic human needs and rewards them with a stipend as a small gesture of “job well done” and recognition of their invaluable services to their country. Thus, IMH, National Service neither involves employer-employee relationship nor is it a profit-making venture. National service means to heed to the call of your people and country for help? That is my personal understanding of National Service in general. Now, how does National Service equate with “Slavery”? Slavery as a political system doesn’t exist? And if it existed, wouldn’t this mean equating the youngsters to slaves and the beneficiaries of their services, the people, to slave owners? With all due respect, for whatever purpose and in whatever term and sense you are using it, I think equating National service to slavery is absurd, unfortunate, disrespectful to all Eritreans, self-serving and must be killed and buried here and now. Convince me otherwise and I will certainly stand corrected.

One last word to this issue, although I have no problem with the English term “national service”, it is my opinion that the Tigrigna version of it “Hagerawi Maetot” is misleading and inappropriate. “Maetot” carries inadvertent connotations such as profit, capital, labor, and money mongering entrepreneurial ventures, which have absolutely nothing to do with purpose and intention of National Service. And if suggestions were sought, I would suggest replacing “Hagerawi Maetot” with “Hagerawi Ghide” to indicate that every body has to pay his share of Eritrean-ness when the nation calls for help? As to the word “giffa”, there is nothing wrong with its usage as long as it means “round up” for that is exactly what happened.

With that in mind, I don’t believe for one second that the recent non-compliance with National Service to be intentional, purposeful or politically motivated. I rather like to believe that their erratic behavior was simply the result of being innocently misguided one way or the other, which is not at all difficult to accomplish in this era of electronic media.

Having said that, there is no excuse for breaking the law, misguided or not. In the US, generally, there are only two options to plead: Guilty, or not guilty. But a lot of judges allow a third option, which they call “guilty with explanation”, and that, IMH, would be the case of our youngsters?

Now, breaking the law, knowingly or not, is not a game. As the old saying goes “ Fro every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. Hence, organized defiance of the law (National Service) inevitably triggers equally organized Law Enforcement response, which might have, regrettably, unwanted and grave consequences. And, IMH, nobody can blame Law Enforcement forces for they were only trying to do their job.

That being what it is, can we learn from it? Are there measures that could possibly prevent events like this from happening again? The answer is yes and yes. People learn from their mistakes and there is certainly more than one way of preventing events like this from happening again. What comes to my mind is, first and foremost, to rid our selves from the insanity of “mutual non-recognition” that is and has been plaguing our society and to work to turn it into the sanity of “mutual recognition” through the process of rapprochement (M’qrirab) and work so that

· National Service is perceived not as a compulsory but as a celebratory event.

· National Service becomes an event People not wait but long for to happen.

· The season of National Service is ushered in festively and with the appropriate media and public attention including weekend seminars and forums to exchange ideas and to share experience with former National “Service’lers” and parents.

· The departure from home and arrival at destination of NS-candidates and visa versa gets appropriate media and public attention and is conducted in a celebratory fashion.

· NS-candidates get appropriate attention of our president and/or other top-level government officials both at the beginning and end of their service, just to lend governmental significance and recognition to the program and the candidates. And more, and more.

Given the right social and political ambience provided by rapprochement, this can be easily taken care of by student unions and youth organizations in and outside Eritrea with a little shove from the government. With that, I say

Yes, Rapprochement (M’qrirab) works.

Political hypocrisy and foreign policy quagmire

The heading sums up exactly what the drivel about “US/ ERITREA rerlationship” is all about. Dr.Bereket HS et al would do exactly the same thing that they are now lambasting both vis-à-vis our government as well as vis-à-vis the US government if they were only in their position when it is then right for them to do it but wrong for others in the same position and similar conditions. And this, with all due respect to Dr. Bereket, is plain and simple political hypocrisy at its best. For they are not against US/ ERITREA relationship per se, it just happens that it is only right if it had happened under their hat and wrong under the hat of others.

Dr. Bereket et al’s quagmire over what and what not US Foreign policy should or shouldn’t be only shows their lack of international foreign policy savvy-ness because US-Foreign policy can neither be prescribed nor dictated by Dr. Bereket et all or for that matter by any body else in the world? US Foreign policy follows an absolutely different pattern than that what Dr. Bereket or others can imagine in their wildest dreams. And this had been eloquently articulated over two months ago (Gary Younge, April 29, 2002) by Gary Young of the Guardian Here some excerpts from his article:

“America cares whether the world's leaders support its interests, not whether they have been freely elected”

“America supports democracy when democracy supports America. But when there is no democracy, dictatorships will do just as well - and at times even better”

Hence, this foreign policy quagmire of Dr. Bereket et al can neither scuttle US/ ERITREA relationship, nor can it serve the interests of the people and country of Eritrea: It is plain and simple ridiculous and they must find a quick exit and leave foreign policy matters to those who know best. I sincerely doubt if this venue would even serve their self-interest? I suggest, if I may, to Dr.Bereket et al, to seek a peaceful, democratic and an Eritrean way to resolve intra-Eitrean problems such as by way of Rapprochement for I am of the opinion that all the concerns listed by you and others can be resolved within the framework of rapprochement at best and not by futile attempts to involve foreigners in this matter. If the source of the problem is Eritrean, then the best and right resolution can only come from Eritreans themselves.

Let’s give Eritrea a kiss of peace and meet halfway.

Yes, rapprochement (M’krirab) works

M. Filli A.