Vol. XIX No. 948 |1 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Vol. IXI No. 948 | November 08, 2014 | ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA www.thereporterethiopia.com Price 5.00 Birr PATIENCE WEARING THIN By Neamin Ashenafi For the first time since conflicts erupted in the world’s newest nation, South Sudan, leaders of the two warring factions came face-to-face for negations as patience of a peaceful resolution to the crisis wears thin. Leaders of East African countries under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) are in Addis Ababa mediating between South Sudan President Salva Kirr and his former deputy-turned rebel leader Riek Machar. Photo By: Reporter/ Nahom Tesfaye Opening the meeting attended by all six IGAD heads of states, chairperson of the regional bloc and Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, in a strongly worded speech said that the regional peace process is almost “at the end of the line”. “While in our Summit today we expect to make significant headway into breaking the impasse, it should be clear that it’s time the issue be given the full attention it deserves by the AU and UNSC in order for meaningfully strong actions to be taken,” the PM said. From left: President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemeriam Desalegn Patience... page 35 During a press conference held on Wednesday at the Ministry of Trade (MoT), Assefa Mulugeta, director general of the newly formed Export Promotion Directorate, said that Ethiopia has become the major player and price setter of sesame in the global market. The fourth producer, next to India, China and the Sudan, Ethiopia in 2013/14 was able to export 674 thousand tons of oilseeds, pulses and spices out of which sesame alone performed 90 percent of the export volume, Assefa noted. which was the major exported item in the category. The spice exports amassed USD 19.2 million against the targeted USD 26 million in the concluded budget year. Oilseeds export outweighs coffee Sesame harvest affected by heavy rainfall Advertisment By Birhanu Fikade Making Ethiopia the second larger exporter next to India, oilseeds, spices and pulses export have generated a total of USD 919.9 million during the concluded Ethiopian fiscal. The export performance of oilseeds has surpassed coffee where the latter concluded the budget year amassing USD 718 million, remaining short of USD 200 or so million behind the oilseeds performance. Coffee was unable to meet the targets set for the ended fiscal year, shying away by over half while USD 1.5 billion was expected from its export. However, the export of spices in the reported period was below five percent, following the impact of a ginger disease, When asked by reporters the impacts of the heavy rainfall during the rainy seasons, Haile Berhe, president of Ethiopian Pulses, Oilseeds and Spices Producers and Exporters Association (EPOSPEA) confirmed that the unprecedented rainfall is expected to affect the best and premium varieties sesame, which are grown mostly in the Oilseeds export... page 35 2| Vol. XIX No. 948 EDITORIAL The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Published weekly by Media & Communications Center Address: Bole Sub City, Kebele 03, H. No. 2347 Tel: 011 6 616180 Editorial 011 6 616185 Reception 011 6 616187 Finance Fax: 011 6 616189 PO Box:7023 0910 885206 Marketing E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.thereporterethiopia.com General Manager Amare Aregawi Managing Editor Bruh Yihunbelay [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Asrat Seyoum Sub city: N.lafto, K. 10/18, H.No. 614 [email protected] Senior Editors Yacob Wolde-Mariam Dibaba Amensisa Editors Kaleyesus Bekele [email protected] Yonas Abiye [email protected] Assistant Editor Tibebeselassie Tigabu [email protected] Senior Reporters Henok Reta Columnist Leyou Tameru [email protected] Chief Graphic Designer Yibekal Getahun Senior Graphic Designer Tewodros Kebkab Graphic Designers Tsehay Tadesse Fasika Balcha Endale Solomon Semenh Sisay Netsanet Yacob Bezaye Tewodros Head of Photography Nahom Tesfaye Photographers Tamrat Getachew Mesfen Solomon Website Bezawit Tesfaye Binyam Hailu Cartoonist Elias Areda Fasil W/giorgis Marketing Manager Endalkachew Yimam Biruk Mulugeta Biruk Chernet Computer Secretaries Birtukan Abate, Helen Yetayew, Print Tesfaye Mengesha, Yeyesuswork Mamo,Gezaghgn Mandefro Upholding merit-based appointment Ethiopia is endeavoring to join the ranks of middle-income countries within the next two decades or so. Towards this end the Government of Ethiopia has taken the bold step of formulating and executing mega-projects despite the doubts expressed by many that it was out of its depth. The country is in the final stretch of the first phase of the five-year Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP). This period witnessed the implementation of ambitious projects, among others, in the energy, telecom, road and railway sectors. The projects have attracted several overseas companies. This is indeed good news for the country as it very much needs foreign direct investment to accomplish the goal it has set out to achieve. Ethiopia’s greatest capital is its people, not the natural or man-made resources it is endowed with. Its citizens, hence, must be steeped in morality and ethics if it is to extricate itself from the clutches of poverty and become a democratic, prosperous and peaceful nation. Ethiopia is home to around eighty nations, nationalities and peoples which have different languages, cultures and creeds and which have coexisted and continue to live in harmony in spite of their diversity; it’s a symbol of tolerance and respect for one another. Therefore, it needs to build on and hand down to succeeding generations these positive attributes. Historically, the people of Ethiopia are known for bravery, patriotism and hospitality. Their proud record of having never been colonized and compromised their nation’s sovereignty places them on a moral high ground. This is precisely why the intelligentsia, political elite, the business community, civil society, public officials and servants, etc, have to work towards inculcating ethical and moral values within the whole society. The topic we would like to dwell on in this editorial is the perceived disregard for merit in the appointment of government officials. One can argue that most appointees yearn for power in consideration of its perks and do not have a proper appreciation of what it involves in terms of the grave responsibilities it entails. Admittedly, the appointer does not bestow someone with power just because he hankers for it. The ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has openly admitted in previous years that political loyalty is a key factor when it appoints someone to a position of power. By and large the vast majority of the officials it appointed during its 23-year tenure fit this bill. Merit played an insignificant role, if any, in their appointment. Unarguably installing individuals in office solely because they unquestionably toe the ruling party line is bound to cost both the public and the nation dear. Since they lack self-confidence on account of the fact that they are well aware that they can be turfed out any time, they cannot discharge properly the duties entrusted to them. And because they are devoid of the requisite knowledge and capacity as well, they not become a source of maladministration and injustices, but are also liable to slow down the rapid growth the country has been registering over the past decade. The scourge of corruption, which feeds off and is mutually reinforcible with incompetence and bureaucratic red tape, is disrupting the services the government delivers. As a result, it too is exacting a heavy toll on the national and public interest. It is imperative that the officials the government appoints to positions of responsibility possess the necessary educational qualifications, experience and mindset. The ruling EPRDF must in particular abide by this principle given. Otherwise, the practice of assigning officials on the basis of their political loyalty alone will have unpleasant consequences for the party and the public at large. www.thereporterethiopia.com HEADLINES The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Vol. XIX No. 948 |3 Boeing aircraft turned into UDJ says gov’t a restaurant pressure is mounting Nine parties “cooperate” to organize demonstration By Neamin Ashenafi By Birhanu Fikade Ethiopian Airlines-owned property – a Boeing 737 aircraft – has been sold and turned into a hotel and restaurant business here. Guttama Gutta, the owner of the new aircraft hotel, told The Reporterr that he invested some 30 million birr for the purchasing, refurbishing and decoration of the aircraft, which is now located in the town of Burayu, some 15 km west of the capital. Guttama said that he made the Giant stateowned edible oil factory privatized The new aircraft hotel located in Burayu town investment in the hope of creating a Guttama added that the restaurant will type of recreational center in Burayu. provide services for weddings, birthdays The construction and installation of the and meetings. aircraft, and having it ready for catering In addition to selling the old aircraft, services, took two years, Guttama said. Ethiopian, according to Guttama, When asked why he wanted to set up has provided decorative items and an aircraft restaurant in the town, he paintings. The new restaurant will explained that his intention was to officially be inaugurated today and will upgrade his previous business and by begin operations next week. doing so the aircraft business came up. Ethiopian currently operates more than The engineless aircraft is said to provide 67 aircraft out of which 20 are B373. both indoor and outdoor service where Recently, Ethiopian agreed to purchase the Boeing 737 aircraft will host 60 an additional 20 B737 MAX from Boeing individuals at a time for food and drinks. for its growing operations worldwide. Advertisment The Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ) criticized the government for the harassment of its members and leaders of the party in various parts of the country and said that the pressures from the government are mounting like never before and it is mainly done deliberately to weaken the party and control the political space and the upcoming national election. This was expressed in a press conference given by Asrat Abreham head of public relations and Zekaryas Yemanebirhan head of party affairs. The event was held yesterday at the party’s office located around the Kebena area. The two leaders of party stated that members of the party across the country are harassed and detained arbitrarily and they also said that though the ruling party is doing the same for the past, the current harassment, imprisonment and interrogation is mainly aimed at weakening the party in the coming national election, which will be conducted in the coming May 24, 2015. In this regard the leaders of the party said that their leaders and members in Amahra, Tigrai and southern regions are detained and physically harassed. Zekaryas said that members of the party have been beaten by unknown individuals in front of the head of the police in the Wolaita zone of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Regional State and was denied medical treatment. By Birhanu Fikade The largest state-owned edible oil factory was sold to Ethio-Asian Industries PLC, a subsidiary of East African Holding SC for 50 million birr. Mamo Gomu, Weno Menasa and Altaye Abota chairperson, head of party affairs and head of public relations of the party in the zone respectively has suffered a serious injury, by the same token members of the party in the Amhara Regional State were also detained as of November 4 and their whereabouts are still unknown. A few days ago, the Privatization and Public Enterprises Supervising Agency (PPESA) struck a deal to transfer the factory to the Ethio-Asian Company. Hamaressa Edible Oil Factory was reestablished as a share company in 1991 with an authorized capital of 81.5 million birr. Ethio-Asian will take over the existing employees of the factory along with other physical assets. He further said that a member of the party and resident of Mekele town of the Tigray Regional State was also detained on November 5, and that his whereabouts are also unknown. Situated in the Harari Regional State, some 526 km east of the capital, the stateowned enterprise was set to process and produce edible oil from groundnuts, cottonseeds and the likes. The study made by the agency indicated that the edible oil was set to hit the South Sudan and Djibouti markets. Hamaressa was also associated with producing and supplying oil-cakes and pallet to the local market. The leaders of the party finally said that the pressure from the ruling party is mounting and calling to the public for a comprehensive peaceful struggle to change the situation. In this regard, the party will organize a demonstration soon opposing the violation of the democratic and human rights of its members and citizens of Ethiopia, the leaders concluded. Ethio-Asian Industries, which started operations in 1994 here is best known for the production of laundry and toilet soaps and detergents. The East African Meanwhile, the newly established “cooperation” by the nine opposition political parties revealed that the cooperation will organize a two-day Giant state-owned.. page 35 UDJ says... page 35 www.thereporterethiopia.com 4| Vol. XIX No. 948 HEADLINES The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Ethiopian expanding MRO center OIC introduces new service for pastoralists By Yonas Abiye Photo By: Reporter/ Nahom Tesfaye Oromia Insurance Company (OIB) has introduced a new service using satellite data to insure pastoralists in Southern Ethiopia by using Index Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI). According to OIC, for the first time, the insurance company has paid more than half a million birr to Borana pastoralists insured by IBLI. From left: Tewolde Gebremariam and Jean-Paul Ebanga briefing journalists By Kaleyesus Bekele Ethiopian Airlines is investing in its Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) center with the view of accommodating the growing demand of the airline and do more third-part work. At a press conference held on Tuesday, Zemene Nega, vice president for Ethiopian MRO, said that the airline is making a substantial amount of investment in its MRO facilities. “We are doing third-party work. But we want to grow our third party business. As we speak now we are building three maintenance hangars. The first one will be completed in three months’ time. The other two will be completed with-in a year and a half. We will do more thirdparty business when these hangars are completed,” Zemene said. The MRO center is building its engine and component maintenance capability. The airline recently built in house capability of maintaining CFM engines. CFM engines are produced by CFM International, a joint venture company established by General Electric (GE) and the French Snecma 40 years ago. According to Zemene, Ethiopian CFM maintenance shop is approved by CFM International, the Ethiopian Civil Ethiopian expanding... page 34 OIC, one of the private insurance companies in Ethiopia, embarked upon the IBLI in August 2012 and has been underwriting this product in ten pastoral woredas of the Borana Zone, Oromia Regional State. According to a statement OIC sent to The Reporter, in 2014, OIC sold 1,138 policies covering 2,563 head of livestock and it gives the insurance cover for cattle, camel and shoats (sheep and goat) for ETB 6,000, 10,000 and 800, respectively. The value or premium that pastoralists pay various from one ‘woreda’ to the other depending on the drought severity history of the woreda. However, one herder/pastoralist pays ETB 469 for cattle, ETB 781 for camel and ETB 62 for shoats on average, according to the company statement. It was also noted that the IBLI Ethiopia project has been introduced here based on the lesson drawn from a highly Advertisment BAMBIS NEWS ,,, )"'$&$" $ $!" !$ # $ # $ # ) ' )$%$" &( ) ) ) ) $$"&"&' & !! $ ) !" $!"'$ & !" !$% &"$% ) !&"%& ) #$%" &""&&" )"'$%&"#%"##!!&$,,, !"$ &"!).//+330//.2-.3"$33.3342 www.thereporterethiopia.com innovative program, similarly led by an International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Cornell University’s partnership in Northern Kenya that is currently being scaled up. The Borana IBLI product was designed by correlating publicly available satellite data known as Normalized Differenced Vegetation Index (NDVI), with field-based research of seasonal average herd loss. OIC has been giving the services to the Borana pastoralists for the last two and a half years covering five sales windows. Because of the good forage availability for the last three years, settlement of claims has not been there for the last three years. However, as drought has been observed in the last three months at the zone, the payout has been triggered and OIC is poised to pay the insured pastoralists 570,000 birr in 10 woredas, OIC said. ILRI and Cornell University designed the Index Based Livestock Insurance, a drought insurance product that enables pastoralists to transfer drought risk to the insurance company. IBLI is a new insurance product that has been implemented in Kenya for the first time. Ethiopia is second in implementing the product in both in Africa and the world. Index Based Insurance (IBI) is OIC introduces... page 35 HEADLINES The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Vol. XIX No. 948 |5 Ethiopia, Egypt agree to strengthen PM office to oversee cooperation mapping agency By Yohannes Anberbir Photo By: Reporter/Mesfen Solomon A new draft law submitted to the executive branch is considering the re-establishment of the Ethiopian Mapping Agency (EMA) by altering its accountability from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED) directly to the Office of the Prime Minister. The expanding duty of the agency has prompted the amendment, a reliable source, engaged in the drafting process of the bill, told The Reporter. From left: Foreign Minister of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry with Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Tedros Adhanom (PhD) at the Sheraton Addis By Neamin Ashenafi The Fifth Ethio-Egypt Joint Ministerial Commission meeting, which opened in Addis Ababa on November 1, concluded earlier this week with the signing of many agreements and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries, which have a long history in various fields. Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU), and by the same token on the situation in Burkina Faso, both sides exchanged their views and called for a peaceful resolution of the situation in the country to regain its stability. On the Palestinian issue also, both countries reaffirmed their position calling for a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution; and the United Nations (UN) resolution. The two sides also discussed and reaffirmed the importance of adopting a comprehensive vision and approach to deal with the Ebola epidemic, the outbreak in Western Africa that has The agency was originally established in 1954 as the geography and mapping institute of Ethiopia. Since then, it has passed through various organizational setups until its establishment as an autonomous agency of the government of Ethiopia under proclamation No 193/1980. According to the proclamation, the agency has been responsible for the compilation, preparation, publication, administration and distribution of fundamental geo-information data and reporting it to MoFED. Ethiopia, Egypt... page 35 Advertisment The meeting was attended by the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Tedros Adhanom (PhD), and his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, as well as Ministers and high-level officials of the two sides. Ethiopia to grant scholarship, technical aid to South Sudan After the meeting was conducted thoroughly between the two foreign ministers and other senior officials of the two countries, the respective officials of both countries signed agreements and MoU in areas of education, trade, health, women’s affairs and diplomatic training. After signing these various agreements and MoU the two officials also affirmed their commitments for the implementation of the agreements and others, which were signed previously and not implemented due to various reasons. 20 state ministers, senior officials to receive free education Both foreign ministers said that the meeting was conducted candidly and in a manner of friendship and it will also play a significant role in the discussion between the two countries on various issues in the future. By Yonas Abiye Despite the continuing unresolved internal war in South Sudan, the Ethiopian government is set to extend its bilateral relations with the recently born East African nation with an offer of free scholarships for senior South Sudanese officials and technical support to assist the neighboring country’s education sector. The joint communiqué, which was released after the meeting by both sides, also stated that apart from the discussions of the issues of the concerns of the two countries in areas of trade, investment and other issues of bilateral affairs the two parties also discussed a range of other issues. On Tuesday a draft law that will enable Ethiopia to provide support for South Sudan’s education sector was tabled before the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR). Among the issues the two foreign ministers discussed were current regional political and security issues including the situation in Somalia, South Sudan, Libya, Burkina Faso, and the Palestinian issue. And both sides agreed that all issues should be resolved through peaceful means. The two countries signed a Cooperation Agreement in April, 2012. In a bid to make this agreement effective, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented the draft bill for law-makers whereby the House briefly discussed it and referred it to the Foreign Relation and Defense Standing Committee for further revision. With regard to South Sudan, they reaffirmed the importance of resolving the problem between the two parties in conflict through peaceful means and appreciated the role of the Inter Governmental Authority on According to the draft bill, once the Ethiopia to grant... page 35 www.thereporterethiopia.com 6| Vol. XIX No. 948 In-depth The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Access to justice By Mikias Sebsibe Access to justice is regarded as the most fundamental human rights as it also serves as an instrument to ensure the respect and guarantee of other legal rights. Italian jurist Mauro Cappelletti in his book titled ‘Access to Justice’ wrote “Effective access to justice can be seen as the most basic requirement, the most basic human right, of a system which purports to guarantee legal rights.” The concept also includes features such as accessibility, affordability, satisfaction and trust in the formal and informal institutions of the justice system. Ethiopia’s constitutional and legal frameworks recognize the right of access to justice. The FDRE Constitution, under Article 37, declares that “everyone has the right to bring a justiciable matter to, and to obtain a decision or judgment by, a court of law or any other competent body with judicial power.” The various stakeholders in the justice system agree that ensuring this essential right remains a challenge in Ethiopia. Where they differ is in their assessment of the underlying barrier to the right of access to justice in the country. That is exactly what was witnessed during a discussion held at Churchill Hotel on October 22 organized by the Ethiopian Lawyers Association (ELA). The panel drew stakeholders from private practitioners, academia and representatives from the Ministry of Justice and regional justice bureaus. While participants in the business of legal advocacy point their fingers on the laws enacted and their enforcement, government officials raise issues of capacity and inadequacy of the legal aid services. “The biggest problem in our country is failure to discharge collective responsibility to ensure access to justice,” Filipos Aynalem, a lawyer and legal researcher, said while presenting his paper on the practical challenges of access to justice in Ethiopia. For Filipos, the issue the right of access to justice begins from the laws themselves. That is why his presentation, to the most part, focused on the laws, cassation bench decisions and procedures that he said hinder the right of access to justice. As a showcase, Filipos cited the legal procedure put in place to resolve tax related disputes. According to the country’s tax law, tax assessment made by the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA) can be appealed before the Tax Appeal Commission. However, taxpayers can only appeal the decision after depositing fifty percent of the disputed amount of tax levied by the authority. “This is, for instance, the sort of legal provision that hamper the right of access to justice,” Filipos argued. “Even if one has a strong ground to appeal to the decision, the taxpayer is legally barred from doing so unless they deposit the required sum.” Here, Filipos argues that the requirement to deposit the sum can be taken as an effective limitation to the right of the taxpayer to access to justice. The legal barrier is not limited to tax laws, Filipos argued citing similar administrative and legal provisions scattered around various legislations such as foreclosures, land lease, government housing and business licensing g and registration. g However, other stakeholders say that the underlying hindrance to the right of access to justice lies elsewhere. For Adem Kasse (LLD), a senior at the Institute of researcher International Peace and Rule of Law of the Max Planck Foundation at the University of Heidlberg (Germany), the issue of administrative justice is one factor usually overlooked when it comes to issues of access to justice. “Administrative bodies pass directives and make decisions that affect millions of people everyday. Most of these directives do not appear to be supported by a guiding principle. There is no system that governs every administrative entity,” Adem told The Reporter. Inadequate legal aid In his presentation during the panel, Fekadu Demissie, Advocate License Administration Directorate Director at the Ministry of Justice, criticized the performance of lawyers in the discharge of their “moral and legal duty” to provide free legal aid services. According to Federal Court Advocates’ code of conduct Regulation No 57/99, Article 49, any advocate is required to provide at least 50 hours of legal services in a year, free of charge or upon minimum payment. “Advocates are failing in the discharge of their legal duties to assist in the promotion of the right of access to justice,” Fekadu said. According to data from the directorate, out of the 2300 legal advocates licensed to operate in federal courts, 668 provided free legal aid services during the 2013/14 budget year, representing only 29 www.thereporterethiopia.com percent. “Most are reluctant to discharge their legal duties and provide all sorts of excuses when approached,” Fekadu said. Nonetheless, the free legal aid service provided by federal advocates has been showing slight increase over the past few years. For instance, the 2013/14 figure eclipsed the preceding year by 183 free legal aid services provided by advocates. Apart from free legal aid services provided by individual advocates, various professional associations in the field of law, NGOs and universities provide the same service. The Ethiopian Lawyers Association (ELA) is one association which has been providing free legal aid services to those who cannot afford to pay for the service. The association operates from a single office restricted to the confines of the Lideta compound where the federal first instance and high courts are located. “We are aware that this is very insufficient. A lot of people come to our office hoping to get the service,” Gebreselassie, Wondimagegnew president of ELA, said. The president said ELA will open six more offices utilizing the financial support from the European Union Civil Society Fund, which was approved by the government. However, observers say without coordination among the various legal aid services scattered across the country, effective delivery of the right of access to justice will continue to remain a challenge. The National Human Rights Action Plan, Access to... page 36 HEADLINES The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Vol. XIX No. 948 |7 ASCOM Mining Trade union confederation takes charge in negotiations of Sheraton labor dispute to secure mining license By Kaleyesus Bekele A multinational mining company engaged in gold exploration projects in western part of Ethiopia, Ascom Mining Ethiopia PLC, is holding talks with the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines to secure a large-scale gold mining license. Ascom Mining has been prospecting for gold in the Benishnagul Gumuz Regional State, Assosa Zone, Sherkole Wereda, Shungu and Nazali localities since 2009. The company has discovered a large amount of primary gold in the license area which covers 268.17 sq.km of land. The gold deposit is found in a mountain commonly called Dish mountain. Last March, experts of Ascom made a presentation to officials of the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines about the gold discovery. Reliable sources told The Reporterr that officials of the ministry were happy with the presentation. Sources said the company conducted feasibility study. A senior official at the Ministry of Mines told The Reporterr that executives of Ascom and the ministry are holding talks on the gold mining license. The official said the ministry will grant ASCOM Mining ... page 36 Poly GCL inaugurates Addis Ababa By Kaleyesus Bekele The Chinese company that acquired the Calub and Hilala gas fields in eastern Ethiopia, POLY GCL Petroleum Investment Limited, is scheduled to inaugurate a new country office it opened in Addis Ababa today. The company opened its new office near Bole Medhanialem Church on Medhayialem Mall. Senior executives of the company, representatives of the Chinese Embassy and officials of the Ministry of Mines are expected to attend the inaugural ceremony. On November 16, 2013, the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines and POLY GCL Petroleum Investment Limited signed petroleum exploration and development agreements in Addis Ababa. The agreement enables Poly GCL to develop the Calub and Hilala gas fields found in the Ogaden basin in Eastern Ethiopia. The agreement also allows Poly GCL to prospect for oil and gas in Blocks 3&4, 11&15, 12&16, 17&20 exploration blocks in the Ogaden basin. Pictured above are former employees of Sheraton whose case has been taken over by CETU By Yonas Abiye The Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU), an alliance of trade unions in Ethiopia, has taken over the case of disgruntled former employees of Sheraton Addis, the Luxury Collection hotel located off Taitu Street. The management of the hotel terminated the employment contract of 65 of its workers on July 30 this year alleging deterioration of relations between the management and the employees and that the measure is “intended to safeguard the general safety of the industry.” The dispute was referred to CETU by the Tourism, Hotels and General Services Labor Union Industrial Federation, which has been handling the case since the dispute started over three months ago. CETU will hope to resolve the labor dispute through negotiation or legal recourse. “However, the management of Sheraton Addis has locked its doors despite repeated attempts to engage in negotiations,” Asfaw told The Reporter. “The executive members of the union have unanimously decided to take over the labor dispute,” Asfaw Abebe, president of the Tourism, Hotels and General Services Labor Union Industrial Federation which represents 240 trade unions, told The Reporter. “This is no longer the concern of a particular trade union but rather a labor issue of national significance.” Dawit Samuel, Chairman of Sheraton Addis Trade Union, is among the employees who was fired by the hotel management. He hopes the labor dispute will get a resolution by CETU. United, Dashen obtain agent The Difret saga banking licenses By Dawit Taye United and Dashen banks, two of the local share companies operating in the banking sector, are set to start agent banking services having obtained the licenses from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) last week. Taye Dibekulu, president of United Bank, disclosed on the Thursday that United and have become one of the first private banks to obtain agent banking licenses, together with Dahsen, and is all set to launch agent banking services in Ethiopia. Agent baking system, according to the directive issued by NBE, is a system that allows banks to give agency to non-banking institutions to conduct its formal banking businesses with exception of giving loans. Agent banking mostly facilitates transaction and payments for customers of the banking since representing institutions would be able to offer payment and settlement service as big as 25,000 birr. Agency banking would help banks reach their customers with out having to invest on branch offices with the exception of approving and disbursing loans. The directive states that any institutions that is legally registered to execute trade activities would be eligible to receive United, Dashen ... page 36 Advertisment continues By Tibebeselassie Tigabu The Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) has become the latest party to further fuel the controversy surrounding Difret film, which has been taken down from cinemas in the country following copyright claims. The film, which is based on the true story of Aberash Bekele, tells the story of the young girl who was accused of killing a 29 year old man that raped, beat and abducted her for marriage. Zenaye Tadesse, managing director of EWLA, has accused the film, which received the Sundance Audience Award, of failing to portray the proper image of the association whose member provided legal representation for Aberash. According to Li Wei, general manager of Poly GCL, since signing the PSA, Poly GCL organized a competent project team and set up a management system in accordance with international petroleum industry practice. “We have submitted the 2014 work program and Poly GCL ... page 36 “But if the union fails to resolve the issue, we will file our complaints to the Office of the Prime Minister,” Dawit told The Reporter. “In the film the name Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association was never mentioned and was rather replaced by Andinet Women Lawyers Association,” Zenaye told The Reporter. “Free grant... page 36 www.thereporterethiopia.com The Difret ... page 36 8| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Advertisment www.thereporterethiopia.com Vol. XIX No. 948 |9 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Advertisment Fiber g dinP.L.C a r Glass i T Fiber w ewa r ibe Glass s s a l G FPRODUCTS | ት ዓመ Glass Fiber Glass Fiber Glass Fiber Glass Fiber 3 ከ ር ናጋ ዋስት Different sizes of water tanker from 350-25,000 liters የተለያዩ መጠን ያላቸው የውኃ ማጠራቀሚያዎች (ከ350-25,000 ሊትር)፣ | Different Design & color of bath tubs, shower trays, kitchen sink የተለያዩ ዲዛይንና ቀለም ያላቸው የገላ መታጠቢያ ገንዳዎች፣ሻወር ትሬዮች፣ የማዕድ ቤት ዕቃ ማጠቢያዎች፣ | | | | Different kinds of Design ,Size & color flower Pots የተለያዩ መጠን, ዲዛይንና ቀለም ያላቸው የአበባ መትከያዎች፣ በር በፋይ ሪም ሽከርካሪ ማ ጨ የተ ጥገና Different kinds of color Transparent roof sheets ብርሀን የሚያስተላልፉ የተለያዩ ቀለም ያላቸው የጣሪያ ክዳኖች፣ Pickup hard tops የፒክ አፕ መኪና ተቀያሪ ጎማ ማስቀመጫና የኋላ ሽፋን ግጣሞች፣ Dust bin በተ ግሎት ን፡፡ አገል እንሠጣለ የደረቅ ቆሻሻ ማጠራቀሚያዎችን በጥራት እናመርታለን:: Additional Import Goods | | | | | | Gp Resin Fiber matt Gel coat Capsule Titanium Hardener Fiber Glass | | | | | | Pigment Stayren Cobalt Woven roving Wax (MG8,MG1, MG3) Wax Solution Fiber Glass Fiber Glass Fiber Glass አድራሻ፡ ዋና መ/ቤት ተገነ ሕንጻ (ግሎባል ሆቴል) 1ኛ ፎቅ ( 0118 50 02 43 የማምረቻ ቦታ ወርቁ ሰፈር ከሰላም ሆቴል አለፍ ብሎ ( 0118 95 63 96 ለበለጠ መረጃ፡-È09 38 65 65 65/09 38 57 57 57 E-mail:[email protected] Fiber Glass Fiber Glass Fiber FFib ib Glass Gl Fiber Fib Glass Gl Fiber Glass www.thereporterethiopia.com 10| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 COMMENTARY R ussia is openly breaking those rules and no longer bothering to justify itself under international law. Instead, it boasts of reclaiming territories once ruled by the Kremlin and threatens to use force to “protect” ethnic Russians from purported threats. Governing a world out of order By Anne-Marie Slaughter Can we develop an international order that will keep the peace and allow countries to play by agreed rules? That is the question that Henry Kissinger poses in his new book World Order. Unfortunately, it is the wrong question. defines “world order” Kissinger as a concept of just international arrangements that is “thought to be applicable to the entire world.” Before the advent of the European Union, for example, Europe conceived of world order as a balance of great powers, in which multiple religions and forms of government could coexist. As a civilization and a religion, Islam envisions the optimal world order very differently – as a caliphate, in which faith and government are united and peace prevails throughout the Dar al-Islam, or house of Islam. That is certainly not the belief of all Muslims or of the governments of Muslim-majority states, but the radicalism espoused by groups like the Islamic State seeks to spread not just codes of conduct but an entire worldview. In Kissinger’s view, contending conceptions of world order are emerging not only in the Middle East, but also in Asia. China is currently playing by the international rules but is increasingly signaling that it expects to be treated as first among equals in the region (as the US has long insisted with respect to its position in the Americas). But, as China grows stronger and reclaims what it believes to be its historic position in Asia and the world, how long will it wait to insist on reshaping the international rules? Russia is openly breaking those rules and no longer bothering to justify itself under international law. Instead, it boasts of reclaiming territories once ruled by the Kremlin and threatens to use force to “protect” ethnic Russians from purported threats. When Russia annexed Crimea last March, Kadri Liik of the European Council on Foreign Relations pointed out the marked difference in the way it handled its invasion of Georgia in 2008. The Russian government essentially provoked Georgia into attacking first and then crafted an elaborate justification aimed at rendering its actions compatible with international law. But this time, Kadri wrote, “Moscow has challenged the whole post-Cold War European order, together with its system of rules.” Kissinger’s hope is that these countries and rising powers like India and presumably Brazil (he leaves Latin America out of his account of world orders) will be able to forge agreement on a set of rules that all will regard as legitimate, thereby maintaining a stable global balance of power. The Westphalian principle of multiplicity will be critical, he believes, as it will be necessary to allow different countries and civilizations to operate on very different domestic principles. Governing... page 28 VIEWPOINT By Sam Akaki Another western NGO stabs Ethiopia in the heart because of dam project We congratulate a number of western NGOs for their devotion to support humanitarian and development work in Africa and Ethiopia in particular, providing basic education, healthcare and clean water. These initiatives are making a real difference to millions of people, especially those living in the rural areas. Sadly, there is a growing list of western NGOs that appear to be dedicated to the destruction of Ethiopia as a nation. Consider the following: Last week, the London-based Amnesty International released a sensational report titled “Because I am Oromo’, which claims that Ethiopian security forces are “ruthlessly” targeting, arresting, torturing and raping members of the Oromo ethnic group simply because of their perceived opposition to the ruling Peoples’ Revolutionary Ethiopian Democratic Front (EPRDF). As intended by its authors, the report has gone viral, being quoted as a Gospel-truth in the print, broadcast and electronic media in London and across the globe. Earlier, in August 2012, when the former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died, the International Crisis Group’ released a report titled ‘Ethiopia After Meles’, which said “the passing of the man who has been Ethiopia’s epicenter for 21 years will have profound national and regional consequences. Meles engineered one-party rule in effect for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and his Tigrayan inner circle, with the complicity of other ethnic elites that were co-opted into the ruling alliance, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).” The report continued, “without Meles, the weakened Tigrayan elite, confronted with the nation’s ethnic and religious cleavages, will be forced to rely on greater repression if it is to maintain power and control over other ethnic elites. Ethnoreligious divisions and social unrest are likely to present genuine threats to the state’s long-term stability and cohesion. The international community (read the www.thereporterethiopia.com US, France and Britain) should seek to influence the transition actively because it has a major interest in the country’s stability.” One year before that, on the 5th of August 2011, the BBC News-night program had broadcast a documentary program called ‘Ethiopia using aid as weapon of oppression’, which claimed that a “joint undercover investigation by BBC Newsnight and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has uncovered evidence that the Ethiopian government is using billions of dollars of development aid as Another western... page 28 Vol. XIX No. 948 |11 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Advertisment $ $%& Title: Contractor/Company to Refurbishment of one Prison Facility Objective Organizational Section/Unit: To establish one emergency delivery room, one treatment ward for inmates !"## $ with mental health problem, One treatment ward, one TB treatment and Isolation room and one drug store, and to strengthen the quality and (POETH) accessibility of Health services provided to female prisoners and children Proposed period: 1 month through the refurbishment and rehabilitation of existing health facility. Actual work time: 1 December 2014 – 31December 2014 1. Background Most prisons in sub Saharan Africa are characterized by overcrowding and congestion with limited health services provided. The health services provided in prisons settings are generally substandard and under-funded, characterized by shortage of staff and of essential medications. Often health care in prison settings functions in complete isolation from the general health care system, hampering the quality (and equity) of health care and continuum of care following release. Effective, evidence based and coordinated response in the prison settings is lagging behind in commitments, inter-sectoral coordination and action. With regard to HIV and AIDS in the Sub-Saharan African Region, Prisons are at high risk environments. They are characterized by: high rates of imprisonment leading to severe overcrowding and dismal prison conditions, presence of high risk and vulnerable populations including women and children, prevalence of high risk behaviors for transmission of HIV, high prevalence rates of HIV infection and other related infections (TB, Hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections), increased staff vulnerability to HIV, poor or inadequate and inaccessible health services in general and % &' *' %%% %'' Under the Joint supervision of the Federal Prison Administration and UNODC, the contractor will perform the following duties and responsibilities: ?%'*<$$ $ @%* ?9% % '=$# '% #Q %='% ? $ % 9 % <X * quality and quantity, agree on time line to accomplish refurbishment; ? '=$ $ $7Y7 %$ <X ? ' % ' $ @ % %# $ Headquarter; update the progress in the joint forum between UNODC and Federal prison Administration; report to UNODC and the Federal Prison Administration. ? 9 $ '=$ %7@<$$ Expected Results: One Health Facility in Kality refurbished and rehabilitated and therefore able to provide basic health services to female inmates; A recent study by UNODC and the Federal Prison Administration in prisons in Ethiopia revealed that the prevalence of HIV among inmates are far greater than those the HIV prevalence in the country. The existence of multiple risk factors could explain the markedly higher HIV and possibly TB incidence and prevalence in prison populations. Analyzing Health service delivery in prisons in Ethiopia also indicated that prisons are under served with regard to access to basic health services. Limited facilities to provision of comprehensive health services such as absence of examination and treatment rooms to mentally ill inmates, lack of isolation rooms for TB patients, and absence of delivery room; Lack of trained personnel on $ $* +$' % $7 '' 97 % % 7* and inadequate budget and resources are among the responsible factors to substandard health service delivery in prisons in Ethiopia. Refurbishment of the clinic for female prisoners in Kality: Extension on existing clinic for TB isolated room (4mx5m), Emergency Delivery Room (4mx 4m), ward for Mental illness (4mx4m) and medical ward (4mx4m) and drug store (3mx4m). Each of these rooms will have its own bath/toilet rooms and electrical installation. UNODC through its regional programme is supporting the prison Authority in Ethiopia to strengthen national HIV and AIDS service delivery initiatives through refurbishment of physical and technical infrastructure of health $ <$ #9' = # prisoners. !"# The purpose of the refurbishment of the Health facility for Female prisoners in Kaliti is to create conducive physical condition of the health facility for improved health service delivery targeting women prisoners and children '% <7 >$'*$ '=$# 97< 7# improve physical infrastructure of Female prisoners’ clinic with particular emphasis on refurbishment for emergency delivery, and for mental health and TB treatment wards and isolation rooms. Each refurbished facilities will have its own bath/toilet rooms and electric installation. The Health facility at the Female prisoners in Kaliti was selected by a team of experts and the selection decision was made by the FPA management due to the situation of the existing health facility where few small rooms designated to service female inmates. The contractor will be designated to accomplish tasks within the scope indicated below: 4. Duration The contractor for this job is expected to refurbish the health facility within one month, starting in 1 December 2014. The Contractor/company shall be licensed with construction and/or renovation of physical infrastructure such as housing, environmental Z $*='%'* $ % % Similar experiences on construction, housing, refurbishment/renovation, hygiene and sanitation, environmental Health. Interested companies which meet the above requirements shall contact ## $ $'$ $ < %% for site inspection: E mail: [email protected]; Telephone: +251115443831. Contractors shall submit refurbishment plan and itemized budget within 10 days of this announcement: 6. Languages: Excellent oral and written communication in both Amharic and English www.thereporterethiopia.com 12| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Advertisment www.thereporterethiopia.com Vol. XIX No. 948 |13 Opinion The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Buoyed by recent progress, Ethiopia can accelerate family planning access By Dr Babatunde Osotimehin and Dr Chris Elias For the past two years,the global community has been reaffirming its commitment towards an ambitious and important goal: to ensure that, by 2020, 120 million more women and girls in the world’s poorest countries are able to decide – freely and for themselves – whether and when to have children. Government leaders, including in Ethiopia, have made historic commitments to expand the availability of family planning information and services. This week, Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) released its second progress report, which confirms, definitively, that our renewed collective efforts are heralding results. Family planning and contraception are reaching more women and girls around the world, and saving and improving more lives. In2013, 8.4 million additional women and girls were using modern contraceptives. In Ethiopia alone, there were nearly 711,000 new users – and family planning helped avert more than 1.5 million unintended pregnancies and more than 5,000 maternal deaths. The Ethiopian government, along with counterparts in several other prioritized family countries,has planning based on its conviction that Advertisment this is one of the best investments a country can make in its future. Access to contraceptives to delay pregnancies and space births helps ensure the health of women, newborns and children. Family planning also enables more girls to stay in school and more women to join and remain in the workforce. This has tremendous social and economic benefits for families, communities and nations. Yet, despite progress, many women who want to plan their families still lack the means to do so, even though it is their human right. Too often, women face huge barriers in accessing contraceptive information and services, particularly in poor and remote areas. Local clinics often run out of supplies, limiting women’s contraceptive options. Health workers may not be fully trained in providing services. Cultural attitudes or lack of knowledge may keep women and girls from asking questions or seeking care. From the national to the community level, Ethiopia and other countries must take a hard look at the barriers impeding access to family planning, and develop creative solutions. For example, it is critical to reach women and girls where they live. To this end, Ethiopia and other countries have succeeded in changing guidelines, so community health workers can provide more contraceptive options. This change means more women and girls can have a choice of family planning methods, without having to travel long distances to health centers. Additionally, to be empowered to plan their families, women and girls – and young people in general – must have the support of their peers and elders. It is important to engage religious and community leaders, husbands, fathers and brothers in discussions around family planning and encourage them to become powerful champions for women’s and girls’ health and well-being. Young people, in particular,need safe spaces in which to discuss family planning and access contraceptive services. Political commitment at all levels is also needed to continue driving access to family planning – and accountability is essential. In Ethiopia, national and state governments have committed to this issue. It’s critical that additional resources are allocated to further drive this progress and continue to improve the quality of family planning services. Finally, due to newly established measurement systems, we now have more reliable data annually to track progress against Ethiopia’s family planning goals. These data can and should be used by policymakers and key stakeholders to help match resources to needs, and to develop stronger policies www.thereporterethiopia.com and more impactful family planning programs. We have some very important reasons to be optimistic that we can and will achieve our goal of making voluntary family planning accessible to women and girls everywhere. Millions more women and girls already have access to family planning and contraception since these pledges were made. There is also unprecedented global momentum and attention around family planning. Now is the time for global leaders, including in Ethiopia, to redouble their commitments and accelerate progress. We have never been in a better position to give women and girls the ability to plan their lives and shape their futures – provided that efforts are sustained and resources mobilized to make that happen. Ed.’s Note: Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and Dr Chris Elias, President of Global Development Programs at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are the CoChairs of the FP2020 Reference Group. The article was provided to The Reporter by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. 14| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 COMMENTARY + M any central bankers portray former US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan (who served from August 1987 until January 2006) as the culprit, saying that he projected an image of central-bank omnipotence that is not warranted in theory or practice. But this critique is overblown: Greenspan is long gone, but the focus on central-bank pronouncements is greater than ever. Celebrity central bankers By Kenneth Rogoff Why do the comments of major economies’ central bankers command outsize attention nowadays? It is not as if they change interest rates all of the time. Nor have they developed new, more robust models for analyzing the economy. On the contrary, major central banks’ growth and inflation forecasts in the years since the financial crisis have consistently overestimated both growth and inflation – and by wide margins. There are many good reasons for the attention lavished on monetary policymakers, including the rise of independence, public central-bank acceptance of the need to appoint highly competent technocrats to oversee the money supply, and the deepening of financial markets. And many central bankers have been rightly lauded for their role in preventing a global meltdown during the financial crisis. the numerous Even so, given uncertainties surrounding macroeconomic forecasts and the effects of policy instruments (not least quantitative easing), many academics find it puzzling that central bankers’ speeches and statements generate so much fanfare. And for all of their heroics during the financial crisis, many central bankers have been far too inflexible in the aftermath, worrying too much about overshooting inflation targets, and too little about deflationary dynamics. Moreover, central bankers bear a share of the blame for the crisis in the first place, mainly owing to lax regulatory policy. Many central bankers portray former US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan (who served from August 1987 until January 2006) as the culprit, saying that he projected an image of central-bank omnipotence that is not warranted in theory or practice. But this critique is overblown: Greenspan is long gone, but the focus on central-bank pronouncements is greater than ever. What, then, is going on? I would argue that, in addition to all of the factors listed above, three further considerations should be noted. For starters, the public perception that central bankers are omniscient makes them an attractive whipping boy for politicians. Moreover, the digital revolution in media has elevated the role of business news, one of the few profit centers for print and broadcast journalism in many countries. Central bankers’ pronouncements are of interest to businesspeople – especially in the financial sector – and businesspeople are of interest to advertisers. Finally, and perhaps least appreciated, is the fact that central-bank policy pronouncements are almost unique in having clear and predictable effects on financial markets, at least in the very short run (which can be a day or less). If Fed officials surprise markets by making more “hawkish” statements (suggesting an upward bias to policy interest rates) than investors were expecting, the dollar will usually appreciate; long-term dollar interest rates will usually rise; and the stock market typically will decline. True, these effects may be small and transitory. But, unlike most of the Celebrity... page 28 VIEWPOINT + By Ali Sheikh The Ogaden region of Ethiopia: the source of Somali oral literature In Somalia, for centuries, poets and thinkers were regarded as the “significant-ones”. The perception of oral literature in Somali society stands in two considerable viewpoints. First, it is a centerpiece archive where past histories of both successes and failures are kept. Memories such as clan victories and defeats are recorded in the traditional oral literature. Secondly, it was the only means where information was communicated and decrees were made. It was mainly done in the form of poems, proverbs, songs, lyrics and prose. The clan that produces the best poets, dancers and singers were regarded as the “elites” and earn high esteem from the other Somali clans. The oral traditional literatures could appear either in prose or doggerel. The prose is often legendary or historical and can include tales of the swindler, the hero, the coward or the fool. The famous poets and storytellers of the Somali society do use “call-and-respond” techniques to tell their messages and stories. However, the Ogaden Region (read Somali Regional State now) since time immemorial led the creative theater of Somalis of the Horn of Africa. The forefathers of the Ogaden region engaged and spent their times and energy in creative engagements that have left an astounding record in both theold days and in contemporary Somali literature. The Ogaden region, apart from Islamic faith practices that were in every nook and cranny, played a significant role in modeling culture and behavioral www.thereporterethiopia.com practices at times where there was no formal schooling and public education. Major forms of oral literature such as poems, songs, storytelling, proverbial myth, fable, fairytale, historical fiction and folklore were all part of the culture. All of these forms have contributed to the informal education of the Somali society for years and have served as the only media to pass messages and alerts The Ogaden region... page 24 Vol. XIX No. 948 |15 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Advertisment )*&+ )*! Tender No. 2014-02 Request for Proposal (RFP) ETHIOPIA 1. The East Cement Share Company is a cement manufacturing factory; we produces cement PPC32.5 and OPC42.5. Our annual output is around 500,000 tons. Now we need to import a set of Spare parts of cement production line (using coal), and bid from international market. Detailed information please check below, the price you offer should be FOB price. Description: Spare Parts of Cement Production line Prime/Non Prime: Prime Total Quantity: a Set Delivery Time: November, 2014 2. A complete set of bidding documents in English language may = =7 %=%% #'#*%' hours, if you want to get the bidding documents, please send @qq with your detailed information to Email [email protected] (Company Name, Contactor, Telephone number) 3. East Cement Share Company reserves all rights to accept or reject any or all bids or cancel the tender without giving reasons thereof. ' ''( Email: [email protected] @qq National Consultancy Firm for Production, Airing and Monitoring of Broadcast Advertisements and Programming UNDP Entrepreneurship Award Programme Procurement Reference No.: RFP/2014/021 $ '7 X $ 9 '= '7 Firms and/or Institutions with proven track record of relevant experience to provide National Consultancy Firm for fo Production, Airing and Monitori Monitoring ng of Bro Broadca Broadcast adcast st Advertisements Adver rti rtisements t and d Programming P i UNDP Entrepreneurship E t hi Aw Award Programme Programme. In this public procurement notice, all legally established organizations, institutions #<$$7$ ##'# &' # %$ @]%%^% Document (SBD) are hereby kindly invited to submit bid proposals. Hence, both the respective Technical and Financial Proposals shall be submitted on or before November 17, 2014 at 10:00 AM (UTC+03:00) Addis Ababa/Nairobi Time Time Zone by CoB B in the following address: Procurement Procureme urement nt Un Unit it United nited Nations Development Programme Programme (UNDP (UNDP)) ECA Old Building, 6th Floor, loorr, Africa Af Afri a Hall Hall P.O. Box 5580 P. 558 580 0 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Or Att our secured d email: email: p procurement.et@ rocurement.et@ urement.et@ @undp.org @ undp undp.org p.org g { % '* Q # $ % 9 download the detailed RFP Standard Bid Documents and ToR (both word and pdf !#$ <' # %|X} http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=18976 p p p g _ _ https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/Index/30107 p g g Your proposal must be expressed in English and shall be valid for a minimum period of 120 days. days ays.. It shall remain your responsibility to ensure that your proposal reaches the address above on or before the deadline. Proposals that are received by UNDP after the deadline shall not be considered for evaluation. For any * * prospect bidders may send your request to: info.procurementet@ p @ undp.org p g www.thereporterethiopia.com 16| Vol. XIX No. 948 Opinoin + The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Redefining business competence By William Boulding One of the most interesting parts of my job as a business school dean is engaging in candid conversations with leaders across industries. A few years ago, I started hearing a troubling refrain: business leaders are feeling the type of public disdain once reserved for politicians. The problem is one of trust – or lack thereof. The 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that less than onefifth of the global public believes that business and government officials will tell the truth when confronted with a difficult issue. That public sentiment is affecting business worldwide. The Duke University CFO Magazine Global Business Outlook Survey found that nearly 60 percent of chief financial officers in the United States believe that a lack of public trust has harmed the business environment. Those percentages are even higher in other parts of the world. Given the constant stream of security and data breaches and allegations of financial manipulation involving some of the world’s most respected banks, who can blame the public for feeling this way? Now, more than ever, we need leaders who can regain the public’s trust. To do that, we must redefine what it means to be a competent business leader. Traditionally, society has measured business competence by a person’s intellectual ability to examine problems broadly and deeply. But, in order to seize global opportunities today, we need to emphasize a new dimension: the ability to create a shared set of values and foster a culture that embraces those beliefs. Doing so requires taking three, sometimes uncomfortable, steps. First, business leaders must overcome their fear of learning from others. That sounds simple, but how many executives can admit that they don’t know everything or that they aren’t the smartest person in the room? Many business leaders talk a good game about diversity, but surround themselves with people who are just like them. Working closely with others who think differently can be scary and frustrating. But the best leaders have the courage to encourage authenticity in both themselves and others. Second, embrace the ambition of others. The downfall of many business leaders in recent years has been greed and selfish ambition. Great leaders are other-directed instead of self-focused. They adopt a “your success is my success” mentality. This attitude goes a long way toward developing trust among team members and helps foster strong commitment to a common vision. It also requires leaders to trust others that they will not abuse the faith placed in them. Finally, business leaders must value collaboration – and mean it. Leaders who overcome fear and frustration, embrace the ambition of others, and possess a strong character and sense of purpose are likely to build diverse teams whose members share an identity and common goals but still represent themselves authentically. Research has shown that such teams outperform others, which means that this approach can lead to a tremendous competitive advantage. In short, collaboration not only matters; it wins. Imagine the immense potential we would have to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges if business leaders adopted this strategy. Consider the global threat posed by Ebola. Efforts are underway to research, manufacture, and distribute experimental drugs that could treat the disease. But until now drug companies had largely ignored Ebola, because there appeared to be little profit in developing a drug for populations that could not afford to pay for it. The New York Times reported last month that United States officials are planning to scale up the production of one experimental drug, but it is still not likely to meet demand. If some of the brightest minds in business and health care had found a way to encourage the production of an Ebola drug before the outbreak, thousands of lives might have been saved. The type of leadership that I am advocating poses no threat to a company’s bottom line. On the contrary, it is the starting point for scaling a business to its full potential. As former Proctor & Gamble CEO and current US Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald is fond of saying, leaders have a responsibility to make sure that their organization can “do well and do good.” Business can be the common thread that weaves positive change throughout the world. In order to reach that goal, we need business leaders with the vision, skills, and commitment to make a profit and a difference. A new standard for business competence that incorporates more than the bottom line will go a long way toward winning back the public’s trust. Ed.’s Note: William Boulding is Dean of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Values 2014-2016. The article was provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives on our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science, and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. Society “My children abroad” By Mette Sommer In the Bole area, not far from Edna Mall, live Aster Dergu and her family. They are like any other busy Ethiopian family. They work hard during the day and enjoy themselves with a cup of coffee by gathered around television during the evening. But in one aspect they are very different from other families; the family have since November 2007, opened their house to foreigners, working in Ethiopia as volunteers for an organization called Projects Abroad. Her family is therefore one of the first host families in the Ethiopian part of the organization, which opened its office in Addis Ababa seven years ago. “It all started when the founder of Projects Abroad set up an office in Ethiopia,” Aster says. “They needed host families for their volunteers and therefore contacted schools. One of the schools was the one where I was teaching and was a counselor. They brought their idea and documents to the school and I was told to announce it to the students. You know, I was asking them if they were interested in having foreigners in their houses and sharing their experiences. But they also told me about their projects and what they were working on. Then I thought why I didn’t do it myself? I became very interested in the program and the volunteering service. What is more, I wanted to promote Ethiopia, and hosting volunteers would also be good for us. Most of them are working at the orphanages and schools and I saw an opportunity to help Ethiopia as well.’’ A part of the family The project has since then become a huge part of the family’s life and Aster says that they so far have hosted about 400 volunteers from all over the world. All of them have imparted her some experiences and values, which she uses every day. “I have hosted volunteers from the US, Europe and Africa. They come from all over the world. It is a great experience to host people from other countries. You learn a lot yourself. You learn to have an open mind, to be kind, and help people. I decided to do it with all of my heart and energy, something I’m very happy about.’’ These days Aster and her family are hosting two volunteers, one from England and one from Denmark. They have, like her earlier volunteers, become a part of the family and participate in the family’s daily routine just like the other children. ‘‘When volunteers come here I feel like they are a part of my family, like a child or a sister,’’ she says. By doing this it is much easier to have an open mind, and it is much easier to cope with everything in the everyday life. But even though the volunteers become a part of the family and spend some days at the house, the family still has time to be alone and have privacy. For instance, when the volunteers are out for work or engaged in activities with the organization the family spend time together or invites friends. But it has gotten a lot easier since the very first volunteer and the family now knows how it is to live with a brother or sister from abroad. But it was not always like that. “At the beginning most of my family was against the idea of opening up our home this much. They didn’t want to lose their privacy. My daughter Daggi supported me and the idea from the very beginning and she was very dedicated to the project too. She was the one who had to convince her dad. But our first volunteers changed my family’s opinion. Some of our first volunteers were a couple from America. They were very friendly and changed my family’s mind,’’she says. And now about 400 volunteers later, the family has not regretted their decision about continuing to be a host family. So far they have only had great experiences with the volunteers and been taught great values. For instance, being happy and open-minded is essential for the family’s everyday life as well as for being a good host mother. As Aster puts it, one cannot change people, and all of the foreigners are different and have different behaviors. “I can’t change their mind in a month – they grew up in a different environment, a different country, so I have to be open-minded to make their stay worthwhile. To give them privacy is important too. I do my best to give the volunteers a great time and make them happy,’’ she says. www.thereporterethiopia.com Don’t be afraid Every week volunteers arrive at Bole Airport, ready to do different things in Ethiopia. They come from all over the world, but all with the same intention: to help people. Some stay for only a few weeks, others for several months. Most of the organizations that arrange trips like these prefer to let the volunteers stay at host families so that the volunteers not only get experience at their placements but also get to know the culture. And how would you ever experience homemade injera if you don’t live with an Ethiopian family? But it is a great step to open up your home to strangers and it craves an open mind from the family as well as from the volunteer to make it a success. Still, Aster thinks that it is all worth it. “My best advice for other families who are thinking about becoming a host family is that they have to try it. Just do it! But you have to work hard because it demands lot of you. You have to clean and cook and do all these things. But first of all you have to be happy and enthusiastic about the work. Otherwise, if you’re not like that you might be bored, because every day when you wake up you have to be happy and have an open mind. But still I wish everyone would try being a host family. I am very happy about having volunteers,” she concludes. Ed.’s Note: The writer is on an internship at The Reporter. Lifestyle The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Vol. XIX No. 948 |17 The art of meaningless laughter By Henok Reta For many Ethiopians, meaningless laughter can be a symptom of abnormality. Some might see it as a work of evil spirit. When someone laughs without a reason, “Yamewal ende?” (Is ” (Is she he sick?) and “Yamatal ende?” sick?) are somewhat frequently used expressions among people. Laughter is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain. Common causes for laughter are sensations of joy and humor. However, other situations may cause laughter as well. “I don’t think everybody feels everything the same way,” Sisay Mengiste, a radio host says. He was one of the guests gathered at Ghion Hotel when the country celebrated. Laughter Day on October 29. Although many of the guests looked happy with the entertaining activities deliberately acted to prompt laughter amongst the crowd, some were isolated behind the pavilions to take their faces off the “captivating activities” that were taking place on stage. “I feel nothing, to be honest with you. But I know we have to laugh anyway, I mean I realize the importance,” Sisay says. When one ponders over the move to celebrate. Laughter Day, the name that should come in one’s thoughts is Belachew Girma, a man known for his innovation of laughing for no particular reason. A few years ago he was named Master of World Laughter in Germany to open the first laughter school on the continent. Now he manages the school in Addis Ababa admitting hundreds of students who are keen to motivate themselves to reset their attitude towards life. They are from different walks of life and age categories. Athletes, scholars, models, and businesspeople are part of the theoretical and practical teaching that runs from 3 months to 6 months. “I often feel a sort of pride because laughter is just a precious gift of God,” the founder says. In a pretty fascinating coincidence, this year graduates met with Alex Sternick, founder of Art of Nonsense in Israel. Moreover, Robin Graham, a world laughter ambassador also joined the crowd to perk up the less than usual festival in the country. Most graduates, who appear to be less vocal about the training they received and the way forward in their life, simply describe it as being “useful.” Hana Tadesse, one of the graduates who went through the 6-month course told The Reporterr that she enjoyed it and hopes it will impact her personality since she sees herself as being a bit shy. Mesay Demisse, on the other hand, wanted to focus on the essence of the laughter class in the country since Ethiopians are a bit of a closed society. Although, the graduates looked less impressed about the occasion, their smirks and smiles went on until the end of the program. As expected, Belachew was master of ceremony hugging people and making them laugh. Aex Sternick demonstrated a kind of group laughter with the people he met. He finally succeeded in linking the World Laughter Club members with the team he selected on stage to laugh together via Skype. For many, it was a crazy experience. “How clever these people are to show us such a wild enchantment!” Masters of laughter Alex Sternick and Belachew Girma laughing in front of Belachew’s students a man who stood by the stage abruptly spoke out about his amusement with the interaction between the laughing group and the members in Europe. “Wow, it just happened. That just happened!” Alex jumped off the stage in an uncontrollable manner laughing with the crowd by the side of the stage. “Maybe that is the perfect scene of his theory—Art of Nonsense,” another man from the crowd is mesmerized. “I have always been this. Anyone can say anything. I’m just recreating myself,” Alex told The Reporter. In a quick question-and-answer session with The Reporter, he said quite a lot while laughing in between talking. Sometimes standing up and shouting at the photographer in a rather strange manner. He at times comes too close to the camera. “Do I look ugly, or funny or scary, hmm?” he asked The Reporter. According to him, people’s face type has something to do with laughter. His theoretical and practical research over the last decade proves his hypothesis. “You are a type of the East Europeans who laugh less. Look at the West Africans and find out how different their faces are from the rest of the world,” he said. His philosophy of the Art of Nonsense has been used as an instrument to change the stereotypical outlooks of life in the world. “If you ask if there is nonsense with humanity, I would say yes, there is a part of nonsense in humanity,” he argues. Indeed, used to have an unbearable boyhood in Israel. He grew up the same way while serving the army as well. “I started contemplating to find out what made me feel this nonsense. Then I realized it,” he says. In an attempt to raise the awareness of people towards their nonsensical part, he laughed at the parks in Israel in front of hundreds Moreover, he dared to laugh at the cabinet, which is said to have very serious deliberations every day due to the endless conflicts with the neighbors. In spite of the reluctance of his people, he has won over millions across the globe. He started traveling in Europe and Africa and has earned a status of his own brevity. “I laughed on the streets of Bamako in Mali with hundreds of people around, then in Italy, in Moscow. I found it quite interesting and not nonsensical in another way,” he explains. He has been in Ethiopia for three months meeting the renowned master of laughter, Belachew, and his pupils, to help the effort being made by the Ethiopian laughter master. Gibberish – His magical language created to solve language barriers while traveling is a typical demonstration of his philosophy. “I just created it to ease people’s worries about my laughter,” he says. Since the creation of his absurd language he has overcome the importance of meaningful dialogue with this laughing partner. “We have got something absurd in life; why don’t we have an absurd language?” he confronts the possible counter-claim people might have for him. The laughter day this year appears to be marked more interestingly with the company of Belachew. “I’m very proud to have them in my country so that more people will realize my endeavor is normal and global,” he says. The master, who has successfully crossed the hard line of the society, appears to be more joyful now than he was some years ago. “We need it. We have to laugh at any of the incidents we have every day,” he says. According to him, his popularity has increased amongst the aging part of the society he lives in. A 105-year old patriot, Assefa Sodere, and the former athlete, 95-years old Wami Biratu walked www.thereporterethiopia.com into the event with their helpers along with their walking sticks. “I’m very much blessed to have them every time I have a laughter party,” he gives his compliments to the elders confidently putting his hopes forward of attracting many more elders in the future. The former president, Girma Woldegiorgis, had an important influence with this “elders club” as he prefers call them. “Oh, he is our beloved father and a very interesting president. He wished to be here as well,” he tells of his finest relationship with the formers president who is approaching 100 in a few years time. In response to the elders company, he has found sponsors who take care of the elders. “They are big. They are the fathers of the nations. We need to take care of them always,” he says. As a result, they have been promised to have milk and honey from the local agroprocessing firm until the last day of their lives. “What do they need then?” he expresses his happiness with the firm’s partnership in supporting the elders whom he always puts first. While talking about future cooperation with the Israeli, Alex and Robin from the UK, he proudly speaks about them helping his dream come true. Alex, on his part, appreciates Belachew’s efforts to change peoples’ attitudes in the country. “This is not only Ethiopian but billions in the world who have bad days in life. I think you will all have more joy ahead that will erase all the traumas you’ve had in life. Just enjoy!” he passes his message to people. In fact, the graduates give their full consent with regard to the national attitude. “We can be a better society while living every day with bad luck and hardship with a little laughter,” they conclude. 18| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 MINIMUM WAGE ACROSS THE BOARD Dressed in a colorlless dusty outfit, Abinet Negash, a 33-yearold daily laborer, is moving bricks around in scorching sunlight at one off the building construction sites located off Cameroon Stre eet in Bole area. Looking at her, it is easy to tell how life is a struggle for a daily laborer like herself. Abinet, who is marrried and mother of a 13-year old daughter, toils in the blisteriing sun all day long. Determined to make es a container of cement, sand, bricks and a living, she carrie the like. She seemss indifferent about things that is going on around her. Apartt from a faint smile and a distant nervous laugh, she is not good with words. SEE THE FULL STORY ON THE NEXT PA AGE www.thereporterethiopia.com Vol. XIX No. 948 |19 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 enterprises, the minimum wage that they offer to their employees is widely erratic. It seems that everything is open for negotiation. According to some critics, this might have opened the door for exploitation since the bargaining power is on the hands of the employer. And critics question if people who do not have a means to survive can in fact negotiate. Rather they argue that the government should legislate the minimum wage. And those critics say that leaving this for the market to dictate might create more chaos. By Tibebeselassie Tigabu and Mihret Aschalew Dressed in a colorless dusty outfit, Abinet Negash, a 33-year-old daily laborer, is moving bricks around in scorching sunlight at one of the building construction sites located off Cameroon Street in Bole area. Looking at her, it is easy to tell how life is a struggle for a daily laborer like herself. Abinet, who is married and mother of a 13-year old daughter, toils in the blistering sun all day long. Determined to make a living, she carries a container of cement, sand, bricks and the like. She seems indifferent about things that is going on around her. Apart from a faint smile and a distant nervous laugh, she is not good with words. Within a capitalist economy wealth accumulation is seen as the “growth” the country requires. The affluence of a few are increasingly making the disparity huge in Ethiopia. Born in Minjar, Eastern Shoa Zone of the Amhara Regional State, she started working in a construction sector after hearing about it from friends. The work did not have any terms of reference rather daily laborer does anything from carrying cements, moving sand between different floors and masonry. Alem Gebre works at one of the companies which makes millions in the capital, but like her fellow workers she gets 600 birr per month. However, this money increased only recently from 400 birr. Doing a cleaning job, she walks to and from her home. Now, she is saying that she is considering taking a parttime job as a housemaid. Because she says rent alone takes half of what she is getting. She starts her day early in the morning walking from Gergi, where she lives to work. Usually, she works nine hours a day with one hour lunch break, and seven days a week at 35 birr per day income. Low wage is a question for many people these days including bachelor and masters degree holders in Ethiopia since they are barely trying to cover the basics such as food, shelter and clothing. And her nine hours of hard labor was not the only thing that keeps Abinet at her toes. She has to go home and take care of the house chores. According to Fekadu Gebru, acting director of Harmonious Industrial Relations at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, private employers and their employees negotiate and settle on their wages and other matters. Fekadu says that the country is ruled by a free market system and unless the market shakes, government interference is not permitted. Within this situation, the labor market should be dictated by the demand and the supply. “Given the skyrocketing cost of living, the money is not enough but you have to do anything to put food on the plate,” Abinet says. True to form, there are many Abinets in different parts of the city, who struggle to afford a decent meal a day. Similar to other sectors, daily laborers in the construction sector seems to be at the bottom of the income hierarchy in their industry. And their wage bargaining power is also quite limited due to ample supply of workers in the market. He further says that the current trend in the economy shows that the demand for skilled labor and knowledge is decided by the market. With the current situation of the country, minimum wages cannot be set because there are severe levels of unemployment which is yet to be solved. This will be an obstacle for job creation. In fact, this very cheap labor market is basic attraction for international companies to come to Ethiopia to invest. Better yet, Ethiopia’s cheap laborer market is reported to be offering better wages (cheaper) than China. And the outcome of this is already visible. For instance, giants like the Turkish AYKA Addis and the Chinese Huajian, which produces shoes for well known brands like Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Naturalizer and the like, have already dipped into the attractive Ethiopian labor market already. “This is simple economics. If minimum wages are set and firms cannot afford to hire at the minimum wage, the economic system will tremble, “ Fekadu told The Reporter. According to Fekadu, following the natural process of the economy, which is the increment of the government tax collection capability and the expansion of infrastructure, overall with the growth of the economy, workers’ social security will be also be ensured. In a recent article on the Daily Maverick entitled “Treading a new path: Chinese companies eye booming Ethiopia,” Helen Hai, former Vice president of Huajian group, talked about how Ethiopia should follow a path of labor intensive industries. She said, “the labor cost of making shoes in China is about 22 percent of the overall cost. In China today, the cost of one laborer is USD 500 per month while in Ethiopia it is only USD 50.” Fekadu did not hide the fact that the government also believes in minimum wages but this will have a negative consequence with the current level of unemployment in Ethiopia. Fekadu believes a priority should be given to dealing with the number of unemployment in the country. Within this, some of the private organizations having food and transport services and establishing social security funds is an indication that the demand for minimum wage legislation is coming in Ethiopia, Fekadu argues. “To set a minimum wage, professionals should study the conditions and also research the issue very well,” he says. With this disparity, the country not having minimum wage legislation is bound to raise eyebrows. In the absence of a minimum wage legislation, the government has decided not to pay its employees less 570 birr. Although the figure is still challenged, it appears that that was the closest thing to having formal minimum wage legislation in country. However, in the case of private Contrary to Fekadu’s view, President A daily laborer at one of the many construction sites in Addis Ababa www.thereporterethiopia.com Minimum wage... page 31 20| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 INTERVIEW Sharing agricultural experiences Photo By: Reporter/ Nahom Tesfaye Ilan Fluss – a father of four and a former navy officer – is deputy director of the Israel’s International cooperation agency MASHAV. Last week Fluss was in town to visit agricultural sites in Northern Ethiopia where MASHAV is engaged in areas of horticulture seedlings and nursery and water management schemes mainly on the basis of drip irrigations. While discussing and signing agreements with UN agencies for agricultural interventions, Birhanu Fikade of The Reporter discussed with Fluss the project and other pertinent issues. Excerpts: www.thereporterethiopia.com Vol. XIX No. 948 |21 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 other agencies like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). What can you tell us about that partnership? The Reporter: You are here to visit and discuss agricultural activities. In addition, you have signed an agreement with the UN Development Program (UNDP). Is that the reason for you being here? Yes, we also had a partnership agreement with the USAID. We have a project which was running for six years now. One of the things we do with USAID includes establishing nurseries in the agriculture sector to improve the quality of seedlings of fruit trees. If you have a fruit tree that can give better fruits and if you can use better practices, then the smallholder farmer will have much more income. In the nurseries we are working to give the knowledge of how to operate such setups. We have six nurseries and we are in the process of expanding. We do tissue culture activities too. As part of the partnership we set out a few laboratories. There are mini-nurseries which are dedicated to vegetables. Smallholder farmers can operate in a very simple way. It’s a local innovation to say. The other reason for my visit relates to a development related with the German Development Agency (GIZ). This year we have initiated something called the Israel-Germany-Africa initiative. All of us are working together in Ethiopia on issues of agriculture, irrigation, water management and adaptation to climate changes. It was a three-year program and now, due to the request of the government here, we are asking the German government to work us in the Afar Regional State. Both sides have teams set up for the task to introduce relevant solutions. Afar is different from the highland areas. The challenges of lack of water and soil and the social challenges are out there. We have to understand the settings of the region and to find entry points where we can be welcomed to come and join in will require the coordination of the Ethiopian government and the Afar regional government. The process is at its initial stage. My visit is also related to such and other issues and I had meetings with various stakeholders. Ilan Fluss: No, the visit is a very important for me because, we are in a different processes of development activities in Ethiopia. The main reason for the visit was to promote development activities and one of them is signing an agreement with UNDP. Basically, the agreement lays the foundation for partnership on working on critical issues. UNDP works on the eradication of poverty and they work on the generation of incomes. Hence, they are very much linked to the agriculture sector. In that regard Israel has a lot to offer. What we are going to do with UNDP include entrepreneurship and agriculture, innovation aspects. I think 80 percent of Ethiopians are engaged in agriculture. It’s a very essential sector for the economy of the country. But if you can transform it from subsistence farming to commercial farming, this will contribute the growth and development of the economy for the creation of better income and poverty alleviation. Hence, helping smallholder farmers and transforming agriculture to commercial farming will offer a lot. It’s not always investment in high technology which will bring about transformation. Israel is a leading state in agriculture. It’s almost a hi-tech society. But what we bring from Tel Aviv cannot be the same here. It has to be adapted and adjusted to the circumstances of Ethiopia. For instance, say computerized irrigation may not be relevant here. But still the issue of water, land and crop management, planning the irrigation and using better seeds, of which we have the knowledge in Israel, could be utilized here. It’s all about the question of approach both at the policy level and implementation aspect. This is related to entrepreneurial approach. Have you also agreed to cooperate on matters of innovations? How could that be realized? You told us how to involve smallholder farmers in the entrepreneurship process so that they can produce surplus and get into the market. How can that be possible and what opportunities are there for them? Yes, we have the innovation aspect. To find solutions, you have to be innovative. You need to be encouraged. The development of Israel being part of the OECD and where we are at present in our economy is due to a very simple fact. It’s not because we have natural resources. Just a couple of years ago we had discovered gas. But we have no other natural resources. We have limited soil, limited water availability. Fifty percent of Israel is dry-land. Therefore, how do you develop it? The issue here is human capacity; it’s a sort of innovation and encouragement of scientists. In small country, climatic conditions, geopolitical challenges, issues of migration, young country; how do you survive? You have to find solutions to survive. These led us to where we are now. We want to share our experience with the Ethiopian government in an effective way. I would say UNDP is one channel. Israel is a small country. We are busy in our issues but we still would like to share. We would like to help other nations to develop. I think it’s important morally to do so. When we see the poverty, we believe we have to do something. Doing things alone is less effective. Hence, we have created partnerships; I would say with other donor agencies. UNDP in this regard is the biggest UN organization and partnering with such organizations makes the whole process more effective. That’s why we have engaged with them. I think it’s all about the question of putting all the elements of better practices. By doing that, the yield would increase and there will be better quality. The other thing is the use of irrigation. This may allow you to harvest two or three crops per year. We are focusing on horticulture which will allow us to cultivate fruits and vegetables three times a year. I want to remind you that Israel is a small country. We don’t have big farms as you have here. Israel is much limited in scale even where you are specializing in specific crops. If you grow by using better practices, you could make a good sum of money. The other point we need to consider is organization. We are doing a project in Senegal by organizing communities in a group. Each group consists of 50 producers. Each of them uses about 500 sqm. Though it is a small group, if you do the marketing together, you could become a commercial force; you would be commercially viable. Hence, this is one of the aspects which could be looked into. We know the cooperative system is widely applied here. In Israel things are done via cooperatives too. In the northern part of the country, one of the things you were doing is the You have also been working with Sharing... page 30 www.thereporterethiopia.com 22| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 INTERVIEW+ Photo By: Reporter/ Nahom Tesfaye WHO BENEFITS FROM ACCESS TO JUSTICE? Adem Kasse (LLD) is a senior researcher at the institute of International Peace and Rule of Law of the Max Planck Foundation at the University of Heidlberg. Recently, he was given Extraordinary Lecturer level by Pretoria University for his services to the institution during his time there. In fact, Adem did both of his second and third degrees at the University of Pretoria before working as lecturer and a researcher there. Over the years, Adem has published a lot of papers and research materials on the state of the rule of law and access to justice in Ethiopia. Recently, Adem was in town to give a lecture at the Addis Ababa University Faculty of Law. Solomon Goshu of The Reporter caught up to him to discuss Ethiopia’s international human rights complying mechanism and implementation of the right to access to justice. Excerpts: www.thereporterethiopia.com Vol. XIX No. 948 |23 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 formed by the Charter. However, from an international point of view, when the rapporteurs visit countries and compile reports they do follow the accusation and reports made by entities formed by international agreements. In general, one follows the other very closely. The Reporter: Most international conventions, including those of Ethiopia as a signatory state, require constant follow-up in terms of offering periodical implementation reports and working with committees and special Rapporteurs. Commentators say that Ethiopia’s response has been improving in recent times. Do you agree? Apart from the formal report that governments present to international organizations, civil society organizations and independent bodies also present alternative reports to augment the general picture in that nation. In case of Ethiopia, some reports indicate that the charities and civil society proclamation have minimized the number of such alternative reports. How does that affect the country? Adem Kasse: Although the time-frame varies with the kind of agreement that is signed, signatories of international conventions are always required to report. For instance, countries which had signed the African Human and Peoples’ Rights Charter are expected to report every two years. However, when it comes to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights this requires regular reporting every four years. For most of these agreements, Ethiopia started reporting very late. But efforts have been made to be able to reduce the arrears of overdue reports considerably. The challenge lies with the response to the recommendations and complaints that these institutions forward on the country. In my opinion, there must be an institution that deals with and appropriately responds to these things. May be, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission can be charged with this task. On the other hand, such international conventions have rapporteurs who can only come to the signatory country if permitted by the government of that state. Some countries have a standing invitation to the rapporteurs but Ethiopia did not do that. In fact, the country has rejected some requests for visits. Had they had the chance to come to Ethiopia, they would have talked to government bodies, NGOs and different segments of the society and would have contributed to making things better. Previously, such alternative reports were perceived as opposing views to that of the government. Over time, the role of these becomes more of a complementary one. That is, they do their part in incorporating issues and agendas that the report of the government left out unintentionally or those issues purposely curtailed by the report of the state. This helps the various committees to have full information about the country they are reviewing. This is important for the discussion that is happening between the countries and international organizations. The proclamation that you have mentioned have a two-fold effect on the alternative report that CSO’s offer to international organizations. The first is that the proclamation would contribute to weakening the civil society organization in Ethiopia in addition to discouraging any new ones coming to the fore. The other one is the fear factor. In fact, even before the proclamation, there weren’t a lot of them producing such reports to international organizations. But, given the provisions of the proclamation that gives the Charities and Civil Society Agency the power to take measures on those legally registered and recognized CSOs, they might increasingly become reluctant to participate in reporting. Some of them seem to have the fear of reprisal if they do participate in providing alternative reports about the country. And some of them prefer to stay anonymous when doing it. Of course, so far the agency did not take any measures on those CSOs that provided alternative reports. But fear is there. What is the mandate of special rapporteurs? How are they selected and why are they not welcomed in some countries? They are appointed by the UN Human Council which comprises Rights various countries with interchangeable membership place in the council. They are experts of high standard in the area of the thematic issues they are tasked to lead. They are not accountable to their government. For most of them, it is their spare-time work. Sometimes countries do not want the special rapporteurs to visit their country due to their political affiliation. Some countries are convinced that the rapporteurs espouse a purely neoliberal political ideology. In fact, they (the rapporteurs) are accused of spreading this neoliberal ideology. With respect to Africa, some also fear that they do not have consideration for the overall condition of the continent. Usually, the rapporteurs, when they visit a particular country, talk to various entities and institutions to get to the bottom of any possible rights abuse issue in the nation. This could be in contradiction to the notion that the country is giving in its reports. Hence, some countries are seen to be reluctant to let rapporteurs visiting their nation. In Ethiopia, the responsibility to prepare a report and follow-up implementation of international treaties falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). As we know, the ministry is a political entity. Is this practice common in other countries? There is a wide perception that Ethiopia has accepted a number of international agreements and conventions to date. I disagree. In fact, I see the nation dragging the ratification of protocols that require organizing institutions like the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Protocol No. 1. In fact, the country is exhibiting a clear indication of not endorsing conventions that put forward obligations on signatory countries. As to responsibility, to follow up on these agreements exclusively belongs to the government. So, the Ministry of Justice or MoFA can do this job. National human rights institutions are not expected to write the report as it violets their basic institutional freedom. These institutions are expected Where is place of the rapporteur under the UN human rights system? How is their relationship with other human right organizations both in the UN or out of the UN system? The special Rapporteurs do not have direct involvement to the human rights organizations formed by international agreements. In Africa, the Rapporteurs have direct communication with entities $= www.thereporterethiopia.com 24| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 The Ogaden region... CONT`D FROM PAGE 14 across society. The Ogaden literature piracy After the independence of Somalia in 1960, formal education started to emerge. Syllabuses were developed and natural sciences were basically adopted from western syllabuses and translated to Somali language; however, the major bottleneck was encountered in the field of social sciences, particularly in literature. The then Somalia republic leaders were caught pants down; they brought together elders with diverse clannish (ancestral) backgrounds and allowed them to come up with all the traditional oral literatures best practiced in their respective localities. The leaders – led by the only democratically elected president, the late Honorable Ahmed A’ade, – and the rest of the then ruling clique assessed the elders’ feedback. To their surprise, they felt that none of the collected oral literatures fitted the criteria to be documented as a Somali national literature icon. In that, not an iota of the pieces gathered had a national entity and pan-Somali nationalistic nostalgia illusion. Thus, they had to abandon it since they deemed that it is unrelated or irrelevant and inconsiderate in terms of its equanimity. The Somalia leaders were left with no option other than pirating the Ogaden region of Ethiopia’s artistic oral literature. It became the worst piracy of literature in the history of the Horn of Africa and was committed by Somalia. The pirated oral literature include; the famous poemssuch as that of victorious but lament-full poems of Rage Ugas and the historic scenario of how he regained his wife from Garad Farah Wilwaal – Rage Ugas himself was from Nogob zone of Somali Regional State. Rage Ugas was remembered in Somali oral literature for his invention of the introductory poetic lyrics that added flavor to poem until this very day. The other great nationalist poet was Seyyid Mohamed Abdulla Hassan and the founding father of the Dervish forces. Seyyid Mohamed Abdulla Hassan was from the Korahey zone of Somali Region in Ethiopia, he is remembered among other things for his artistic talent of introducing new words to the Somali language such as “Jaale.” Thirdly, among the great poetry giants whose intellectual property was stolen was the likes of the contemporary 21st century led-poet the late Abdullah MalimDhodaan from Doolo Zone (Danot) the inventor of the famous “Jacbuur” mix-poem as a type of poem with its own different styles, tonic and lyric nature mostly recited in serenity fashion. All these individuals have significantly contributed to Somali literatures (poem) and language, which has become a basic foundation for the existing poetic literature. True to form, all of them hail from the Ogaden Region of Ethiopia, but the Somali Republic (Mogadishu government) never acknowledged their place of origin, and where they belonged, that is, the Ogaden Region of Ethiopia. Proverbial myth piracy All Somali fables, proverbial myths told as informal education, used in schools as well as evening traditional bonfire and historic-fiction telling circles, are all those events that took place in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. The mostly quoted characters include the wise elder from theAfder zone of Somali Regional State “CigaalShiidaad.”Cigaal left astounding records in the proverbial myth of Somalis. His historical fable episodes ranging from the act of preponderance cowardice to heroic imaginary pretence have become events of reference up to today. Yet the Somali republic has never acknowledged him as a fable hero from the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia. Caraweelo is the legendary queen that hails from the Agwa tribe in northern Ethiopia. Caraweelo, who destroyed the Axum churches in 680 A.D, was a castrator ruler who extended her influence to the Somali Regional state. She empowered women and gathered a lot of wealth. Her tales dominate the Somalis sayings, examples and proverbs. Caraweelo formally known as “Gudit” is a semilegendary, non-Christian, Beta Israel from Ethiopia. Most of her deeds in Somali society are recorded in the oral traditional. Information about Gudit in Ethiopian Somali context is contradictory and incomplete. Somalis believed that in order to maintain her influence she castrated all men, except the famous wise elder popularly known as “Oday-biikh” who escaped captivity by playing sick. He later posed tough challenges by advising the captive castrated men to disobey her orders. Oday-Biikh hailed from Godey of the Shebelle zone. Caraweelo’s accounts of her brutal transgressions and crimes are still related among Somalis and parts of northern Ethiopia. Caraweelo and OdayBiikh dominate the Somali tales when it comes to women tricks. It is widely believed that Caraweelo sacked and burned DebreDamo, which at the time was a treasury and detention center for male captives. Again, Caraweelo was an Ethiopian queen and a ruler for over 40 years whose influence extended to the Ogaden region. The Somali government refers to her as a historical legend recorded in their literature syllabus, while still not acknowledging her as an Ethiopian whose violent events took place in theOgaden region. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the pirated intellectual property. Astonishingly, the Somalia government has been shoplifting the famous poems and other fables from the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. It is always acceptable to use the literature of other nations, nevertheless, it must be acknowledged at all times. Ed.’s Note: Ali Sheikh is an MBA-IB. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. The writer can be reached at [email protected]. Advertisment $,3&5$$55'7; <$&;=;>?CFG??CHI #%*F?I*+'J%" = % J K %!<I* !$+(5 CM*!$!<?JI Background In 2012, UNICEF launched the Peacebuilding, Education and Advocacy Programme (PBEA), which currently operates in 14 countries globally including Ethiopia. The overarching goal of this programme is to strengthen resilience, social cohesion and human '7 %% + The PBEA in Ethiopia envisions to strengthen resilience, social cohesion and enhance equity in the four Developing Regional States, i.e. Afar, Benishangul Gumuz, Gambella and Somali. 2. Objectives. The purpose of the consultancy is to develop manuals for schools which promote peacebuilding, social cohesion, resilience and positive discipline, followed by provision of training of trainers to regional education experts, core teachers, school club leaders and supervisors in the four regions. In other words, the purpose is to develop do-it-yourself manuals based on the desk review of the existing curriculum and subsequently train school teachers, club leader/members, curriculum development experts, %'%$ $<7$ #' Q"V% "!V%# 'I$$9 ##'#9 7 + 7' similar assignments+I{$ %9% $ %'* ='%* 9 * * development, humanitarian action, and with a focus on curricular material development I team members including a team leader with a mix of expertise. K!V% %! : (a)(Masters or PhD) in behavioural/social sciences, psychology, education, international development, or related disciplines in %'% *=##'#7 9<X + *% #*% $$ % ='%* 9 * * % 9 # * humanitarian action, ©Experience in developing interactive and innovative curricular materials and providing training (d)Dedicated to delivering results for children in Ethiopia.(e)Excellent oral and written skills in English and in Amharic Interested and eligible bidders from local organizations are invited to collect the complete tender documents by sending an email to Mr. Sebastian Muzuma ([email protected]) or Mr. Ayele Wolde ([email protected]) Starting on Friday 07-November-2014. = '=# % {@ $ before 9.00 am (East African Time) 21- November- 2014 (Friday). Please quote the RFP nr. 9115548 in all your correspondences. Due to the nature of the bid, there will be no bid public opening for this offer. UNICEF reserves the right to accept or reject part or all of any or all bids. ADDRESS: UNICEF Ethiopia, UNECA #'%* @ ^'%* % ]'7 ] * Sebastian Muzuma / Mr. Ayele Wolde, P.O.BOX 1169, TEL: +25111 518 4233 / 4167, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. www.thereporterethiopia.com Vol. XIX No. 948 |25 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Advertisment www.thereporterethiopia.com 26| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 WHO BENEFITS... to monitor the government with respect to protection of human rights but not do the job of the government. But, along the way, they are expected to share their experience in their area of expertise to the government. This is the experience in other nations. With respect to the impact of reports and accusation of rights violations coming from human rights institutions under the UN system, commentators hold a bleak view. Some argue citing the case of Ethiopia and its interaction with such institutions. What is your view? Yes, these institutions do have complaints rights becomes firmer, such criticisms would be more meaningful. What do you think are the challenges to the right to access to justice in Ethiopia? Talking about the right to access to justice, there is a tendency among the public to view this from the perspective of courts and the legal process in the courthouse. But, the most important aspect that is ignored is the part of administrative justice that affects many people on a daily basis. In fact, having the rights to review any administrative decision, courts are very important. Administrative bodies give directives CONT`D FROM PAGE 23 went to cassation is something to think about. Apart from that, the court system still suffers from insufficient trained professionals and materials. How do you review the justice sector reform that is undertaken by the government and its development partners? Do you think it has brought about a profound change in rights of people to have access to justice? The core of the justice reform is the socalled Business Process Re-engineering (BPR), the aim of which is basically reducing corruption, improving quality and speed. In addition the reform also seeks to improve the coordination of laws of the land. Beyond that, we also inquire if these principles and laws have been internalized. If they do not believe in the laws and if they do not shape their system then it becomes very difficult. On the other hand, if we see the justice system as a marketplace, we can see that there are those who offer the services and those receiving it. If the receiving bodies do not know their right then the chance that they will demand will be really slim. They might accept wrong decision because they do not distinguish the right from the wrong. So, citizens should be encouraged to know and ask for their rights. The basic thing to consider about the right of access to justice and how to improve it is that the reform should not always start from those big issues about which the majority tends to be sensitive. Rather, the small day-to-day practices are the ones worth focusing on. If we look at institutions, the experience of successful countries shows that there are different approaches to go about the reforming. In Ethiopia, for instance, it is the Office of Ombudsman that is primarily entrusted to work on administrative malpractices. In South Africa, it is the Office of Public Protector that that works on this issue. In South Africa, this institution exposes even the president of the country to be accountable to parliament. This is not well developed in Ethiopia yet. What we should learn from other nations is that nongovernmental institutions should be given the chance to participate in the protection and promotion of administrative justice. This is because the government cannot solve all administrative issues by itself. So, the government should learn to use other institutions to help bring about administrative justice. If society has trust in the administration system, it also means that it has trust in the government. What do you think is the impact of not having an administrative procedure law in Ethiopia? against Ethiopia. It is also true that there is no institution that follows up on these complaints and to see that they are corrected. In general, human rights treaties are unique in such way that they give rights to the people and put the obligation of observing these rights on the government. Other international agreements bestow both the rights and obligation on governments. If one country reneges on a trade treaty for instance the other country has the power to make it right; so it will correct it immediately by taking measures. But, in the context of human rights, the best that countries can do is criticize. Or at times, if they feel the infringements are severe, they might go as far as cutting their support to the nation. With regard to the Ethiopian government, its track record in terms of reducing poverty, improving access to health, education and social rights is very good. But it is also criticized with regard to the right to freedom of expression, assembly and association. In addition, it is also blamed in terms of civil and political rights. However, its achievement in other rights has given it the power to defend its position. In my opinion, these criticisms would carry more weight if there are strong CSOs, media, human right commission, parliament and other institutions. I have a problem believing that these institutions are strong in their current status. But, over time, when these institutions become stronger and the response of society to violation of and make decisions that affect millions of people every day. Most of these directives do not appear to be supported by principles. There is no system that governs every administrative entity. For instance, it is possible that police stations located in different parts of the country to have considerably different practices. Instead of a principle, they are governed by institutional culture. Things go as usual. Now a days, you see the Office of Ombudsman trying to set branch offices outside of the capital. In the current system, this is the only institution that can really influence administrative bodies. But, you see, if we talk about access it is far too small at the moment. Although the government recognizes that there is a problem, still there is no baseline study that can clearly show the state of the problem. More than administrative bodies, it is the court which can play a great role in this. Specially, when it comes to crime, courts have an indispensable role to play. However, even the court system is known for its notorious time taking process. Although justice can be served at the end, the time it takes is really troublesome. There are even cases where lower instance courts are making a ruling based on piece of law that has been repealed. For instance, if you take the cassation bench, its decisions and ruling are known to set precedent for future court litigations. But, how many of our judges actually have good understanding of cases that the various parts of the justice system. However, from the perspective of administrative justice expediting the process might not always be compatible with administrative principles. And this will be at loggerheads with the right to access to justice. Yet gain, the reform program has introduced a new system where institutions with similar task to come and work together. Of course, I cannot conclude that these encouraging initiatives have become successful. at least not yet. In fact, I have not come across a study which deals with such issues. It is unclear how the Ministry of Justice, courts, law faculties, legal and justice system research institution can work together. However, what the Human Rights Commission is doing with universities in supporting free legal clinics is quite a good start. I also think that lawyers’ associations should also get involved in such initiatives. The right to access to justice has number of gaps in Ethiopia. What does the experience of other successful country say with regard to this? What should Ethiopia do? The right to access to justice can be viewed from two different perspectives. The first is from the side of the institutions that offer the service. More specifically, this can be seen from the point of view of the capacity of these institutions. We can ask how deep their knowledge is in terms administrative principles and the www.thereporterethiopia.com Yes. There is no law that governs and disciplines administrative laws and decisions in Ethiopia. The government as well is well aware of the existence of this gap. And to that effect, there was one that was drafted in 2004 but it never saw the light of day. I believe such a law would establish predictability and discipline of administrative laws and decisions. What do you think the major challenges are for Ethiopia in terms of making sure all parts of the justice system like the police, prosecutors, courts and correctional facilities to respect human rights? How can one keep a delicate balance between result-oriented and due-process focused procedures? It is very difficult to assess this given the current situation of Ethiopia. As much as there are those institutions which deeply care about the rights of individuals there are also some that does not have a problem overriding it. There are complaints of wide inappropriate conduct everywhere. But, this is hard to imagine that problems are actually supported by the system. It could be a case of lack of awareness or failure to execute once duties properly. It is difficult to believe that the government wants these problems to happen. In my view, in Ethiopia, implementation is much bigger issue than loopholes in the law. Of course, there could be loopholes here and there. But if the existing laws are implemented properly this brings a lot of changes. Vol. XIX No. 948 |27 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Advertisment www.thereporterethiopia.com 28| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Governing... An effective world order for the twentyfirst century, however, must do much more than keep the peace. Kissinger focuses on inter-state relations – on how, from one country’s perspective, to avoid war with other countries while deterring them from aggression or other actions likely to upset a regional or global balance of power. Yet a glance at today’s headlines suggests that what is most likely to kill and displace millions, if not hundreds of millions, of people in the coming decades are global threats such as pandemics, climate change, and terrorist and criminal networks – not inter-state war. Yes, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to more than 3,000 deaths. But current projections of the spread of the Ebola virus predict a million cases by January. According to the World Health Organization, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has killed 36 million people, roughly ten million higher than the estimated number of military deaths in World War II, with an additional 35 million people infected. Many of these global threats are closely intertwined with war, but war that is far more likely to be fought within borders than across them. Consider that roughly two-thirds of Syria’s population has Celebrity... CONT`D FROM PAGE 10 been displaced by the country’s civil war, with millions living miserably in refugee camps. The disastrous state of health care in Liberia and Sierra Leone, where Ebola is raging, reflects decades of horrific civil war in both countries. The ongoing violence in Africa’s Great Lakes region, which has claimed millions of civilian lives, is rooted in the 1994 Rwanda genocide and the resulting flood of Hutu refugees into neighboring states. The droughts and floods caused by climate change will put millions of people on the move, first into crowded and combustible cities, and then across borders. Russia and Canada may be happy to receive them as vast new tracts of land open up, but many other parts of the world are already crowded, which spells conflict. Maintaining peace is mostly a matter of restraint or constraint. Effective global cooperation requires much more. Governments must be able to come together, alongside vital actors from both business and civil society, to adopt comprehensive plans of action. Those plans, in turn, require funding, collective will, and manpower, enforcement capability. Yet today, faced with a virus that kills half of those it infects and the prospect that it could decimate an entire region of Africa, disrupt air travel, and put people around the world in quarantine, the world has delivered only a fraction of the needed financial and material assistance. We live in a world of global problems and largely national solutions. The need for institutions that can respond swiftly and effectively, as domestic government does in well-governed states, is greater than ever. The post-WWII institutions have become insufficient. It is time to reform them – and to devise new structures and tools designed to address global problems. Ed.’s Note: Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of the New America Foundation, is the author of The Idea That Is America: Keeping Faith with Our Values in a Dangerous World. The article was provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives on our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science, and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. In conclusion, the International Rivers “recommends construction on the Dam project be halted until all necessary studies recommended are completed, and a process is in place for ensuring public accountability on the project. Another western... a tool for political oppression... Posing as tourists the team of journalists traveled to the southern region of Ethiopia. There they found villages where whole communities are starving, having allegedly been denied basic food, seed and fertilizer for failing to support Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.” Some Oromo people may well have some legitimate complaints against the conduct of the Ethiopian security forces; but which country does not face complaints from a section of its own community? In the US, black people complain they are being targeted and ruthlessly killed by white policemen every day. In Britain, the 1999 Sir Macpherson report declared that the British police were “institutionally racists.” In France, it has become illegal for Muslim women to wear the Hijab and Burqa in public. In Egypt, thousands of the Muslim Brotherhood leaders and supporters are either dead or serving life sentences for their political beliefs. Shiite Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar and Bahrain complain that they are treated as second-class citizens. And in South Sudan, the Nuer and Dinka tribesmen are complaining the other has killed over 10,000 of their people and displaced almost two million more since December 2013. Ethiopia is not being singled out because its human rights record is worse than the ones stated above but because of a coordinated effort to stop the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. This was made clear in the report by the International Rivers’ report released in March 2014 and claimed that a “number of key studies for the project are outdated or in process. While references are made to some specific international standards being adhered to, overall, the process described seems chaotic and incomplete. It is also clear that there is precious little oversight on Africa’s largest dam project to date.” In conclusion, the International Rivers construction on “recommends the Dam project be halted until all necessary studies recommended are completed, and a process is in place for ensuring public accountability on the project. Given the panel’s findings, Egypt’s call for mediation in the process is reasonable, and donor governments and international bodies should support such a process and stop funding the Dam.” These recommendations are curious for two reasons. First of all, there are several new and old dam constructions along the River Nile from Uganda to Egypt, but the International Rivers have not recommended that any of them be halted on safety and environmental grounds. Secondly, like all the dams on the Nile, the Ethiopia Renaissance project is also intended to produce the badly needed energy for internal industrialization, which is the only way to achieve sustainable poverty reduction. Ethiopian and other African governments should welcome constructive criticisms from abroad; after all, globalization has reduced the CONT`D FROM PAGE 10 whole world into a small village. But international NGOs that have become partisan political activists are not only provoking inter-tribal discontent and possible civil war in Ethiopia, they are also unwittingly damaging the reputation of other western NGOs which concentrate on development and humanitarian work in Africa and across the world. Where is the evidence? In 2011, in Pakistan, the US Central Intelligence Agency ((CIA) funded a fake vaccination program that gathered the blood samples leading to Osama bin Laden’s location and killing. Not that anyone misses bin Laden, but it was the use of a humanitarian program that got him, which may have justified Russia’s decision in 2012 to pass a law requiring foreign-funded NGOs involved in political activity to register as “foreign agents.” One thing is clear. All Ethiopians will face the greatest human rights abuse through dehumanizing poverty and hunger if foreign NGOs manage (God forbids) not only to delay or stop the Dam construction, but also to provoke a tribal war. The human tragedy in South Sudan, Libya, Syria and Iraq is instructive. Ed.’s Note: Sam Akaki is a Ugandan-born British citizen and former independent parliamentary candidate in the UK. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. He can be reached at sam. [email protected]. www.thereporterethiopia.com CONT`D FROM PAGE 14 reams of macroeconomic information with which we are bombarded every day, central bankers’ speeches and opinions have relatively foreseeable effects, especially when the bank’s chair, president, or governor speaks, or other officials speak in concert. And, with trillions of dollars swirling around global financial markets, this predictability creates a fat target, with investors willing to make massive bets when they are pretty sure they are right, even if the profit per dollar is small. If you think I am exaggerating, consider the coverage of other economic news, say, unemployment, GDP, or the trade balance. Virtually every story quickly shifts its focus to what the data mean for monetary policy. Some economic indicators, such as unemployment or inflation data, are indeed immediately important for central banks, because they may directly concern their mandates, and therefore have rather predictable effects. But much information is simply noise. This makes policy opinions that come straight from the horse’s mouth almost uniquely valuable. In short, there are many good reasons why central bankers receive so much media focus, including their relative independence and generally solid performance. But there are also other reasons having to do with politicians’ need for scapegoats, the media’s struggle to reinvent itself in the Internet age, and central-bank pronouncements’ predictable short-term effects on financial markets. These other factors have combined to create a bubble around central-bank pronouncements and decisions that grossly exaggerates their economic significance. Is this a bubble that central bankers should worry about? The answer is clearly yes. The news bubble is of particular concern, because it reinforces the idea that central bankers somehow care disproportionately about financial markets, which is generally not the case. Most central bankers really are targeting growth, inflation, and financial stability, if not necessarily in that order. The political bubble is an inevitable product of central-bank independence, and preventing monetary policy from becoming a target for elected officials requires constant effort. The predictability bubble is perhaps the trickiest to navigate, though my instinct is that less would be more. Exaggerated importance is one kind of bubble that central bankers should always be eager to burst. Ed.’s Note: Kenneth Rogoff, a former chief economist of the IMF, is Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Harvard University. The article was provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world’s pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives on our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science, and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter. Vol. XIX No. 948 |29 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Advertisment www.thereporterethiopia.com 30| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Sharing... practice of drip irrigation. However, it had remained under pilot projects. Is there a way where such practices could be widely replicated? It is not always true that one solution relevant in Israel may be implemeted elsewhere. Drip irrigation is very effective. It’s also environmentally friendly because you use the exact quantities of pesticides and the chemicals you need. Everything is very accurate and may not harm both land and water resources. But for such irrigation scheme, you need to have a minimum scale of infrastructure. We always have such a dilemma and I still have the dilemma that when some places where there is enough water and where you have pressurized water and good sources, it’s worthwhile investing on drip irrigation. The place where the infrastructure is not in shape may suit the practice of traditional irrigation schemes. But doing it in a better way, in a better managed manner and understanding the details of the good farming practices would still render higher yields. Yes, we promote drip irrigations in all our nurseries. In Israel all agriculture activities are done via the use of drip irrigation. But you have to be extra careful because it’s not always the right solution. In many cases it might help. It may also depend on the capacity of the farmer. Farmers may not be always open to such an investment. I have seen two places where they have made big investments supported by the donor communities. But those investments were just a big waste of money since they were irrelevant; they were not the right solutions. Drip irrigation requires farsightedness and planning which will benefit if it is well incorporated according to the needs and relevance of the farmers. What are the real changes or development you have brought to that part of the country? For example, in the drip irrigation we saw that there are some areas that are doing it. We have visited Bahir Dar. We have a pickle nursery there. We have a nice nursery but what are the changes? I have asked the head of the Woreda (district) what changes he had seen as a result of what we are doing there. He told me success stories. A farmer living near the nursery had made earnings of some 200,000 birr and he currently runs his own nursery acquiring the basic know-how. He’s a changed man now. He is able to feed his family well and buy extra clothing. This is an isolated example of poverty alleviation. We can’t supply all the demands with the nursery we are running alone. We are now busy in establishing a proper training center. Formerly, there was one but we believe we have to upgrade the existing one to be able to conduct a proper training. The nursery needs to become a knowledge center and demonstration center for farmers in that vicinity. How about your engagements in Tigray Regional State? I didn’t visit Tigray. My visit was scheduled for Bahir Dar. Tell us more about the activities you are considering to undertake in Afar. If I do recall well, a couple of years back there was some kind of arrangement to develop a portion CONT`D FROM PAGE 21 of Afar’s land with a drip irrigation scheme. In Afar the government in general is trying to develop a farm. We are still in the process of understanding what is happening in Afar. We are also looking at the area where to interfere by sending our expertise. The process is yet ongoing. The team visited the region and came up with very promising reports. Hence, we have decided on future steps. In the coming months we would send a few more experts. We take there knowhow. We don’t claim to change the entire region. It’s not up to us to do that. We will join the efforts of the government in specific interventions that could influence. We would train, build capacity and get the knowledge out. Usually, we focus on training centers and demonstration units on satellite projects. In Afar, we are looking at water management because if you want to do irrigation in dry lands, you need to catch water. There are also areas we might look at like in the agronomic side of the crop production and find the right crops. The specific crop we want to look at is the production of dates in the region. In Israel we have accumulated exportable dates. We do have the know-how. Hence, we are going to send specialists to Afar very soon; probably in a month’s time. We see that the Afar region has a big potential for date production. Apart from poverty what are the challenges ahead and how do you plan to alleviate them? We are going to have a conference in Israel next month. The topic is desertification. Desertification is very much connected to climate change and drought. It’s a big topic. For me there is no simple answer. It’s a combined effort because it’s not only affecting agriculture and water; it touches many aspects. Here we are talking about resilience to drought. This issue was discussed with the UNDP. Since 2008, when there was a massive drought in the Horn of Africa, lots of efforts and money was delivered to build resilience. This takes time. In the past many countries were engaged in bringing much of food supplies. Today many countries are bringing less food since local production has been much. It needs patience. You need vision. You need to be innovative in your approach and entrepreneurial. Otherwise, if you stick to the bureaucratic traditional activities, you will not change. This is what we are trying to transmit as a message. As I said, we don’t have resources as Ethiopia has. But we were able to achieve development. I am not referring to this to express my pride but to give some hope. We have our domestic political issues. We have regional issues with neighboring countries and so many others challenges are there. But how did we tackle them and develop ourselves? It depends on the spirit, mindset and human resources and the sense of responsibility for yourself, your neighbors, your community and your nation. Then try to build on these. Ethiopia aspires to become an industrial nation. How will that be realized in your view when the larger segment of the society are in the agriculture sector? Is it likely to be achieved? Absolutely. We were exporting oranges. So you are specifically focusing on date production, right? Dates can be one of the potential crops to work on. Our focus includes water management, food production and agriculture and of course dates are the areas we are trying to work on. We are establishing working relations with the German and the Italian government agencies. We met with officials at the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA). There are efforts to do more developments in Afar. There are a number of interventions to the likes of MASHAV. But when time goes by, the fruits of change are not to the expectations of the communities. What is the missing point there? I disagree. Look what’s happening in Ethiopia. The future of growth in the world is in Africa. Just look at economic factors and indicators, it’s all inclining to Africa. You can see what’s happening in Addis; the construction tells you something. Yes, it’s hectic; crazy now because of the railroad and all kinds of things. I am not an expert on that. I am here just for a brief moment. Foreigners who were here ten years ago will tell you the changes. You might not notice them well sometimes. I was here four years ago and I feel Addis is different from then. At least you can see many hotels. These are the reflections of people who are interested to travel to the city. Israelis are doing businesses, producing here and exporting to other countries, not only to Israel. This means there are opportunities here. Things are moving. Frankly speaking, I see things changing here and things are moving forward and for us Ethiopia is a very important country. We have a very special relationship. I live in a neighborhood of Israelis who are originally from Ethiopia. I eat Ethiopian food. For us it’s important to be here. We are working with the World Food Program (WFP). Communities locally produce the basic foods and they sell it to the WFP. Doing so creates resilience. Smallholder farmers account for close to 80 percent of the country so that you can’t address them in a very short period of time. But you need to be optimistic. Things are changing. People like me engaged in the development sector are optimistic. Otherwise, we have to leave our jobs. The challenges are enormous. You see the level of poverty when you go out and it is heart-breaking. By the way, we are talking about the rural areas. The urban poverty is also a big challenge too. It’s very big. Sometimes, you ask yourself, if we are doing so much, why is still so much poverty prevailing. There is no real answer to that. Lots of efforts may fail due to governance, due to wrong solutions, and due to the people’s mentality of depending on handouts. Development is of a complicated nature and takes time. www.thereporterethiopia.com That’s doesn’t make sense unless you get very high prices. Otherwise, you are exporting something that is not processed and value added. You are exporting a lot of water when you don’t have enough. Today, we are exporting know-how, smart seeds which are resilient to droughts. Being an agrarian country, agro processing is one area for export opportunities. Fresh produces are also the other possibilities. Instead of exporting chickpeas or sesame raw, you should do some processing and add some value to earn higher prices. We are talking about that. Ethiopia has a lot to offer. We have a partnership with the United Nation’s Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which is looking at the value addition prospect. They approached us in a specific type of crop and made some research and combined technology for the crop to make it exportable. It’s cactus. It cannot be exported as fresh produce. But it’s a very Vol. XIX No. 948 |31 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 MINIMUM WAGE... CONT`D FROM PAGE 19 Laborers earn 35 to 40 birr per day of the Ethiopian Construction, Industry Workers Association Federation, Zegeye Haileselassie, argues that setting a minimum wage in the private enterprises is a big problem to day. Especially, in the construction field which is hiring a great deal of workers at fairly lower wages, he added. According to Zegeye, those in construction, work long hours putting their lives in danger, and that they are still paid 35-40 birr on daily basis. Even though there are agreement among workers unions and employers associations in improving wages, Zegeye says that even that is not implemented. According to Zegeye, even in foreign construction companies workers are working long hours in hazardous condition for a very little payment which shows how setting the minimum wage is a must at this time. Employees Social Security Agency communications directorate director, says on his part that the impact of minimum wage legislation is following workers down to their retirement years. He says if there was a minimum wage, it will create a smooth ground for the setting of the minimum pension benefit. On the other hand, he shares the idea that deciding on the minimum wage now is not possible because of the demand and supply factors at the labor market. Tesfaye also believes having a minimum wage might be positive in decreasing the number of workers turnover from one company to the other in the face of slight payment difference. On the other hand, Tesfaye says that the economy should be in a mature stage and also the experience of other countries should be considered. The low wage also affects retirement greatly. And many senior citizens are struggling to make it with small income. Tesfaye Gashaw, Private Organizations, Some experts also go as far as asking if the value of the labor force should be valued by the forces of demand and supply in the market. There is an assumption that there is a resistance among employers when it comes to unique one. we conclude the interview? In his recent visit to Ethiopia Avigdor Lieberman, the foreign minister of Israel, was accompanied by Israeli businesses. What are the developments of that visit so far? How are the businesses linked with local counterparts? In the past few years, we have changed our approach from focusing very much on results on the ground – actually these are vital for development – we are contributing our expertise not only to Ethiopia but to the rest of the world. In Israel we see the UN as the entity, which issues some 20 resolutions every year. We see the organization as a political entity led by the big Arab group; which secures votes from the non-aligned movement against Israel. But in the past few years we came up with the idea of engaging the UN in a different approach. The UN deals with three major issues. One is peace and security. The second is human rights and the third is development. In the first two it’s I don’t know about the specifics. But what I can tell you is that I have met Israeli businesses here. Some are engaged in the agriculture sector. The visit was a momentum to push for more business links. One of the factors for long-term change is, as some put it, moving from “aid to trade.”Connectivity makes it easier to change things. Any ideas you might mention before the minimum wage legislation and according to Tadele Yimer, President of the Ethiopian Employers Association Federation, it is a wrong assumption. Even though he believes that minimum wage is inevitable like Tesfaye and Fekadu, he believes that it comes with the country’s political, economic and other circumstances in the future. Tadele says there should not be only one criterion to set the minimum wage; rather different criteria should be employed while considering minimum wage. For instance, he says that the purchasing power of the currency and the consumer, the negotiation balance between employers and employees are some of things to consider. Apart from that, Tadele believes that Ethiopian employers do not exploit their workers. Minimum wage is also among the few its concerns for political parties such as Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP). According to Chane Kebede (PhD), president of the EDP, says that minimum wage legislation is part of their election all about politics. But development is an area where Israel should contribute and should be involved for better outcomes. Hence, a few days ago we initiated two UN resolutions adopted by the great majority of the assembly. 141 countries have supported it. The Arab countries did not because it’s from Israel. But we have been joined by the board of UN entities. We also have created partnerships and influence the management and policies of the UN. Hence, this puts Israel in a different place than in the past. We are contributing our experiences in the development arena and what we have had since 1958. One of the earliest development agencies in the world is MASHAV, which started operation in 1958. www.thereporterethiopia.com manifesto. Looking at the skyrocketing cost of living EDP proposed a minimum wage standard for both the private and public employers to be at 1,000 birr. Although this might resolve some of the issues, EDP admits that there is need for an all out economic reform. Apart from that, he says there should be provision of water, electricity, telephone free of charge for this segment of the society. Many are struggling with transport, basic goods, health expenses and the day to day expenses also is increasing which is a hustle for many and he believes that there should be a quick fix. Demis Chanyalew (PhD), an economist, says that there is no such thing as competitive market to decide the correct worth of labor. Rather he believes it should be related to the service they are giving and the country’s living standard. More than that he believes workers’ wage should be way upper than the poverty line. He strongly believes there is a necessity of setting minimum wages whether in public or private sectors. Do you think the development instrument you brought to the UN would genuinely be considered a developmental agenda? The Arabs are trying to politicize it, nobody else does. Those 141 countries have voted for it and the resolution was passed recently. It has been supported not because of the Middle East issue but rather because the resolution was good for development and came from a country that has been doing it for many years at home. It’s a genuine contribution and strictly of a professional matter. That’s why it has been supported. The resolution does not address at all the Middle East. It’s all under the UN language of genuine task. 32| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Advertisment www.thereporterethiopia.com Vol. XIX No. 948 |33 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Advertisment www.thereporterethiopia.com 34| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 By Leyou Tameru Pieces & Reparations: ideal @anchihoye Bits or possibility? Ethiopian expanding... Aviation Authority and the US Federal Aviation Administration. “We have successfully maintained 10 CFM engines so far and we are happy with the output.” Ethiopian invested USD 21 million to develop the CFM engine overhaul capacity. According to the airline, in 2013/14 fiscal year Ethiopian MRO generated 483 million birr from third party maintenance service. In the Vision 2025 growth plan, it projects to make around 10 billion birr from third party work. I attended a lecture on a topic that seems to be gaining some steam around the world these days: reparations. This particular lecture was about reparations to be made by the US government to the African American community. The lecture was by a writer whose piece entitled “The Case for Reparations” had caused quite a stir when it was published two years ago. The basic gist of the article was that the segregation, both economic and political, suffered by the African American community in the US rooted in the history of slavery have and continue to put that community at a significant disadvantage. Thus, because the government is responsible for it all, it needs to make reparations to even the playing field for the disadvantaged community. In his article, the author focuses on the housing situation, where African Americans were given loans at a higher interest rate or were denied loans, denied housing in certain areas or just housing in general because of the color of their skin. All this happened while these communities were part of the state as taxpayers but were getting less in return from the State. Established in 1945, Ethiopian Airlines maintains modern and complete aircraft, engine and component overhaul and repair facilities. With an all-Ethiopian work force of over 750 technical personnel – most of whom are trained by the airline’s Aviation Maintenance Technicians School and are United States FAA and Ethiopian CAA licensed – the center maintains its own jet and turbo prop aircraft as well as customers aircraft from different parts of the world. The case for reparations for slavery has been made on numerous occasions by different authors, researchers, academician etc. What I found appealing in the argument set forth by this writer is that it was made in a tangible way, a way in which the legal institutions that we have built would be able to adjudicate. In the end of the lecture, he mentioned that he would be surprised if reparations took place in the US in his time or his children’s time. But in his opinion, it is important to keep the conversation about this topic alive among the young generation because although the generations experiences the disadvantages that come from that time, they are so removed from the original causes that they forget their importance. This point hit the mark for me, especially the point about the young generation being so removed from the history of colonization and segregation in the African context. In a related news, Ethiopian Airlines and CFM International on Tuesday celebrated a 10-year partnership at the Sheraton Addis. Ethiopian started using the CFM engines in 2003 on its Boeing 737 Classic aircraft. The airline’s 737NG aircraft are also powered by CFM engines. The airline today has 20 aircraft powered by 40 CFM engines. And because of that, I thought of the two interesting reparations cases I had come across in other countries. The first one is related to the atrocities committed by the British government against the Mau Mau Freedom Fighters in Kenya. The suit was brought before a UK court by a group of the surviving Mau Mau Freedom Fighters. There was a lot of challenge gathering written evidence as the government itself had destroyed it, but with what was recorded through other historical documents the court made a decision that stunned many people: a 21.5 million pounds reparations award for the living freedom fighters. The amount is not very high. Honestly, I am not sure how you can put a number on such atrocities. Yet the fact that such a case was entertained in court with such an outcome is an encouraging sign, in my opinion. The second reparations case is a very recent one. It is a case that the Caribbean nations have come together to sue the former colonial states for slavery and stealing of their natural resources. This case is interesting because it is being brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is the United Nations court. These 14 Caribbean countries that have come together to start this suit have indicated that what they seek is a negotiated settlement with the European countries. The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines stated that they European governments will need to partner with these countries in a special way so as to be able to repair the damages. I honestly am not sure what that exactly means. Are they suing them for money or for help? Regardless of what the outcome will be for the Caribbean case, I believe that these two cases are very interesting for two reasons. They are setting forth two practical trends as to suits for Reparations. The first one is by victims who can show direct correlation between the atrocities and themselves and the other is by a State. These cases have also been brought before different courts with different jurisdictions. I honestly believe that at a national level courts have more chances of being implemented and taking less time to do so. Whereas the decision that will come out of the ICJ, in my opinion, will be more of a symbolic one. Be that as it may, it seems that the case of Reparations is being made before courts, and is no longer a far-fetched ideal. I cannot help but wonder what the ramifications of this will be if African states decided to join hands and start their own suits! Ed.’s Note: Leyou Tameru is a graduate of Georgetown and Addis Ababa University Law schools, specializing in International Legal Studies. Born and raised in Addis Ababa, she seeks to understand the impact of economic, political and social issues on everyday lives. She can be reached at [email protected] The airline has an engine workshop that lies on 12,000 sqm of land. The MRO center repairs and maintains Pratt and Whitney, and CFM engines. The center has the capability of maintaining airframe and engines of Boeing, Bombardier and Fokker aircraft. Recently, Ethiopian ordered 20 B737 MAX aircraft that all will be powered by the new CFM LEAP engines. The engines are worth USD 900 CONT`D FROM PAGE 4 million. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, said that the CFM engines are the most reliable ones. “The engines have the longest on wing life. Long on wing life means low maintenance cost,” Tewolde said. “Our ten-year partnership is a long journey and it will continue for the coming decades. I can say that it is a very happy marriage.” Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM International, said the marriage is between the best airline in Africa and the best engine maker in the world. Ebanga said that Ethiopian Airlines is doing good while many carriers in Africa and else-where are facing serious challenges. “Today, Ethiopian is operating the best product in the world. If you go to Europe or the US you cannot find a better product than Ethiopian. I advise other African carriers to use the recipe Ethiopian is having.” Ebanga said that CFM engines are the best in the world adding that his company has so far delivered 27,000 CFM engines. The company has sold 8000 new CFM LEAP engines that will power the B737 MAX jetliner. In a related development, Ethiopian has started preparations to fit in the new Airbus 350XWB. In 2009 Ethiopian placed firm orders for 12 A350XWB jetliners from the European consortium. Ethiopian will begin taking delivery of these aircraft in 2016. Ethiopian has already started preparations that will enable it to accommodate the new aircraft. Experts of Airbus were in Addis Ababa this week to offer training to Ethiopian staff members. Ethiopian currently serves more than 83 destinations across five continents with a current fleet of more than 50 Boeing aircraft that includes B737, B757, B767, B777, B787 and a cargo fleet that includes B757 and 777 Freighters and MD-11s. PM office to... CONT`D FROM PAGE 5 Conducting geodesy (an accurate measuring and understanding fundamental properties of the earth), aerial photography, satellite imagery, topographic maps, thematic maps and hydrograph are some of its responsibilities. Though the agency is responsible for reporting to MoFED, there are various governmental and non-governmental institutions demanding and obtaining the agency’s information, the source said. The Central Statistical Agency, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, the Ministry of Mining, the Ethiopian Roads Authority are some of the government institutions getting the data and maps with the full consent of the government, the source said. “Thus, it is mandatory to make the agency more autonomous and report directly to the PM office,” he said. Furthermore, the draft bill, prepared by EMA, intends to amend a few articles from the existing proclamation so as to avoid conflicts from the Information Network Security Agency (INSA), the source added. Proclamation 808/2013, which re-established INSA, contains a few articles that are contradicting with duties of the mapping agency. For instance, article 6 sub-article 13 of this proclamation gives power to INSA to develop and administer national geospatial data infrastructure and usingithe infrastructure INSA is required to collect, analyze, store and disseminate any kind of geospatial data. This article entirely disregarded the main task of the mapping agency, the source said but is not willing to elucidate how the draft could rectify this with the interest of the agency. In related news, the mapping agency is co-organizing www.thereporterethiopia.com the ninth ministerial conference of the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), a regional body of mapping and geospecial information in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The ministerial conference will be held for two days starting on November 17, Sultan Mohammed, director general of Ethiopian Mapping Agency, told journalists on Thursday. The ministerial conference is the overall policy and political organ of the RCMRD as well as a platform for promoting its activities at a national and regional levels, acording to Sultan. Thus, the ministers comprising 20 member states will review and approve a new strategic plan of the RCMRD for the period 2015 to 2018. This strategic plan is expected to provide clear direction and a bold step to position the regional body and to play a strategic and central role in the development and use of geospatial information to foster sustainable development in the member states, Sultan said. Prior to the ministerial conference, the governing council of RCMRD will convene from November 10 to 14, this month. The governing council is composed of officials with the rank of permanent secretary or national mapping agency director generals representing each member states. The RCMRD was established in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1975 under the auspices of the UNECA and the African Union. It is a non-profit intergovernmental organization and currently has 20 tracting member states, namely: contracting Burundi, Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Vol. XIX No. 948 |35 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Ethiopia to grant... House endorses it, Ethiopia will offer free scholarships in postgraduate studies for ten South Sudanese State Ministers and for another ten senior officials from the Ministry of General Education in a single academic year. In addition, the agreement also states that the Ethiopian government will extend experience-sharing activities to support the neighboring nation’s technical and vocational education and training as well. Similarly, encouraging programs among their twinning UDJ says... CONT`D FROM PAGE 3 demonstration on the coming 6 and 7 of December; this was disclosed earlier this week by the chairman of the cooperation Yilikal Getnet (Eng.). Chairman of the cooperation said that the newly-established cooperation of the parties is preparing a one-month action plan, which will be implemented throughout December that will include three public meetings in three Sundays of the month and other activities during the same month. Apart from the demonstrations and various activities, the party is also seeking a prayer from different religious institutions for the problems that the country faces. In this regard the party will send its statement to the Muslim community to apply it in the Friday prayers by the members of the party, the same will be sent to all religions, the chairperson concluded. CONT`D FROM PAGE 5 respective universities, exchanging knowledge, experience and expertise in higher education and scientific research, academic tours among the countries are also stated in the agreement. Similarly, the House also deliberated on a draft bill that was presented by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED) regarding the economic and technical cooperation agreements between Ethiopia and Indonesia. The two countries signed the cooperation agreement in September, 2011 in New York City that mainly aims at developing and promoting advantageous cooperation in the economic and technical fields. According to their agreement, the two nations will explore and realize possible cooperation in specific sectors including, agriculture, oil and minerals, trade and investments, culture and tourism, family planning and poverty eradication, and small and medium businesses. Having discussed the contents of the draft bill and its objectives, the House voted to send it to the Trade and Investments Standing Committee for more revision before the final endorsement. In the same session, the House also endorsed three more bills which were presented to it earlier that include a bilateral agreement that the Ethiopian government had signed with other countries. Among the bills the House ratified are a bilateral agreement Ethiopia signed with Brazilian and Spanish governments in the aviation sector and a cooperation agreement between the Ethiopian and Brazilian governments in the education sector. OIC introduces... used to protect against shared rather than individual risk such as the risks associated with weather fluctuations, disease outbreaks or price loss. For the time being, OIC has targeted Borena zone which is best known for its dependence on livestock production owing to its pastoralist and semipastoralists population. However, the area is notoriously known for pervasive drought hazard that claims the lives of livestock due to shortage of forages. Because of the lack of any mechanism that absorbs such loss, it Advertisment CONT`D FROM PAGE 5 claimed the life of thousands and to collaborate with the regional and international efforts to deal with this grave and serious challenge facing the entire continent. On the joint communiqué that came at the conclusion of the meeting, both sides expressed their satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting and decided to hold the next sixth meeting in 2016, in Egypt. Giant stateowned... CONT`D FROM PAGE 3 CONT`D FROM PAGE 4 leaves many households destitute. The product is sold and premium is collected through intermediaries such as primary cooperatives, unions and Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs). Since electronic money transfer and cellphone transaction have not been rolled out in the country, the possibility of collecting the premiums through such channel is further down the road. Premium is collected through intermediaries for which OIC pays commission and the payout is also carried in the same manner. Oilseeds export... Ethiopia, Egypt... Holding SC, chaired by Bizuayehu Tadele, manages 11 companies under its umbrella including National Cement, Anbessa Flour and Pasta Factory, Berchaco Ethiopia, the East African Group Chemical Industry, the East African Group Food Industry and recently the East Africa Tiger Brands Industries Company joined the family. Patience... CONT`D FROM PAGE 1 Furthermore, Hailemariam reiterated that the patience of the international community is wearing thin, but said “it is not hopefully lost, on both sides.” Chief negotiator of IGAD, Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin, former foreign minister of Ethiopia and currently serving as ambassador to China, hopes for a lasting solution after conclusion of the extraordinary summit. He told members of the media that all parties in the conflict are taking part in this negotiation including those who were detained by the Kiir government at the beginning of the conflict. All the participating parties have taken part in setting the agenda and deciding the format of the negotiation, according to the chief negotiator. CONT`D FROM PAGE 1 Northern region of the country. Haile said that though the effect could be seen reducing the quality, it is anticipated that sesame would make it to the international market with the target volume for this fiscal year. Samuel Gizaw, Director of Crop Marketing Directorate at the Ministry outlined the details of the export targets for the year. Hence, USD 1.4 billion revenue is set wherein the first quarter of the budget year the targets have been achieved at full scale. The reason for that, according to Assefa, is that the high volume export of delayed produces contributed for the performance registered. In a nutshell, the performance of the sector in the past four years stood at 11.6 in growth with 24 percent of annual growth in prices. Furthermore, he noted that the two leaders, Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, have agreed to sit down face-to-face for negotiations for the first time since the start of the bloody conflict. The two are scheduled to sit together with PM Hailemariam as chair and President Uhuru Kenyatta as rapporteur starting Thursday November 6. In this regard, the major points of discussion will be seeking and probing on the agenda that was set by the two parties which includes distribution of responsibilities at the high level of the transitional authority, defining the governance system and some other issues, the chief negotiator added. That said, the country remains unable to hull and add value to sesame, forcing Ethiopia to lose USD 300 to 400 per tone. According to Assefa, exporters are not performing well in processing sesame and adding value to the expectations of the government. The Ministry of Industry was tasked to oversee the activities in that regard yet the actual outcomes remain unsatisfying, Assefa said. “We are optimistic that this will be the last session which will end without gaining the considerable grounds in the negotiation process,” Seyoum said, based on the pledge that the two leaders have made to IGAD heads of state. He strongly stated that it is the last time the two parties would leave the negotiation table without an agreement. And added that “if they fail to agree, definitely the consequences will be too big and that cannot be an option. So we are looking to achieve meaningful outcome during this session,” he concluded. In related news, EPOSPEA is set to host the fourth international conference on November 12 and 13 at the Sheraton Addis. According to Haile, over 400 participants are expected to attend it. Out of that, 100 individuals are said to come from 20 countries. Established 13 years ago, EPOSPEA houses 125 exporting companies engaged in the oilseeds, pulses and spices business. www.thereporterethiopia.com 36| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 The managing director said EWLA not only provided legal services but also took part in an effort to bring Aberash to Addis Ababa and facilitated accommodations for her when she was casted from her birth place. “Although the name of the association was not mention in the film, people could easily associate it with Andinet,” Zenaye said. “Even then, the association is portrayed as having problems with the government and has suspended its operations.” Their accusation also extends that, apart from Meaza Ashenafi, who was director of EWLA at the time, the film also fails to recognize the role played by other members of the association. Asked whether EWLA plans to file suits, the managing director said the decision whether to take the matter to court would be decided by the board of the association. The controversy surrounding Difret started when the film was about to be premiered at the National Theater on September 3 following a lawsuit by Aberash and Fekru Ashenafi, who claims to be the co-author of the script. Following resolution of the dispute through arbitration, the movie was being screened at various cinema houses in Addis Ababa. However, the screening was short-lived as another court injunction ensued. This time plaintiffs ASCOM Mining... CONT`D FROM PAGE 7 The Difret... CONT`D FROM PAGE 7 Beruk Asrat and Alkidihim Asrat filed suits and asked for an injunction that the screening of Difrett would cause irreparable harm to their economic rights. the company a large-scale gold mining license once the negotiations are finalized. The official said Ascom has made the largest gold discovery in the history of gold exploration in Ethiopia. “Once the company acquired the license it will develop the mine with in a year,” the official said. The gold deposit is estimated at more than 100 tons. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs, who claimed to be the legal heirs of Etagegn Lemessa, said the filmmakers did not consult or get an approval from them. They claim Etagegn was the lawyer who represented Aberash. The case is still pending at the Federal High Court. Ascom Mining Ethiopia PLC got its gold and base metals exploration license through transfer from previous license holder Ariab Gold Mining PLC (Sudanese and Ethiopian JV Company) on November 20, 2008. Written and directed by Zeresenay Mehari, the film was produced by Lellai Demoz, Mehret Mandefro, Zeresenay Berhane Mehari and as executive producers Angelina Jolie, Julie Mehretu, Jessica Ranki, Francesca Zampi and Lacey Schwartz. United, Dashen... agency from banks to give the services while religious institutions, non-profit making organizations and foreign entities or those which are fully or partly owned by such entities are prohibited from becoming agents of banks. According to Taye, agent banking is a somewhat very important banking system for Ethiopia as it would enable banks to go down to the residential areas in contrast with the ATM banking service which seems to be limited to citycenters. He further explained that agent baking can be operated by supermarkets, CONT`D FROM PAGE 7 malls, pharmacies and shops to ease the need to go to banks to get the services. “Kenya can be named as pioneer in the region in agent banking,” Taye said. As one of the payment services, agent banking plays an important role in promoting the country’s banking system, he explained further. According to the president, customers are only allowed to have a transaction up to 25,000 on a daily basis. More importantly, the system will enable people to have cash payment which other modern means in banking do not. Advertisment Access to... The license was previously granted to Ariab Gold Mining PLC on May 7, 2007. Ascom Mining Ethiopia PLC constitutes of ASCOM PRECIOUS METALS BVI owning 96 percent of the share and Ariab Gold Mining PLC owning the remaining 4 percent. According to the Ministry of Mines, in accordance with the mining law, in addition to the initial first three years the license has been renewed four times relinquishing 25 percent from the retained license area at each renewal. The ministry said the company is currently in its 7th year exploration period working in 268.17 sq.km area. Ascom Mining Ethiopia Plc exploration site is 100 km from the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and the company is a multinational share company whose long list of shareholders includes Egyptian shareholders. According to the Ministry of Mines, the shareholders are Sudanese, Egyptians and other North African and Middle Eastern country nationals. The company has concessions in many countries including South Sudan and Sudan. In Ethiopia it has another exploration license in the Gambela Regional State. It also undertakes exploration and mining activities in different countries in Africa and the Middle East. “Egyptian investors are our country’s development partners. We share the same geological and mineral belts with Egypt similar to the Blue Nile water, thus, we wish more Egyptian investors to join us to invest in Ethiopia,” the ministry said. So far MIDROC Gold is the only company engaged in largescale gold mining activity. In 2012, the ministry granted Ezana Mining PLC large-scale gold mining. Ascom will be the third company to secure large scale gold mining license. A British company, Nyota Minerals, was about to secure its large-scale gold mining license to mine the Tulu Kapi gold mine in west Wollega. However, the company recently farmed out its concession to another UK company, KEFI Minerals. KEFI Minerals will soon apply for large scale gold mining license. CONT`D FROM PAGE 6 launched in October 2013, acknowledges the problem of access to justice in the country. The action plan identifies a number of problems that stands out as a challenge to the fulfillment of the right of access to justice. The lack of coordination in the provision of free legal aid services by the various governmental and nongovernmental organizations is one challenge also recognized in the action plan. To address the problem, the action plan has recommended the development of a strategy to coordinate and integrate the free legal aid service disparately given by government and non-governmental organizations. Poly GCL... According to Yibekal Gizaw, head of National Human Rights Action Plan, a committee has been tasked to develop a draft strategy to coordinate and integrate free legal aid services in the country. CONT`D FROM PAGE 7 budget, finished the comprehensive geology and geophysical study, signed the contract with a company to begin the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study,” Wei said. Despite the number of government initiated measures to improve the right of access to justice over the past two decades, the problem still persists. For Filipos, the right of access to justice “remains a serious challenge”. All share the need to raise awareness and all agree that only a combined effort of every stakeholder is need to improve the right of access to justice. But, without a general consensus as to what the core hindrances to such a fundamental right is, the problem could continue to linger. According to Wei, Poly GCL is in the process to hire a company that would undertake a seismic survey and drill exploration wells. “We are preparing bidding documents for seismic and drilling work tender,” Wei said. According to the current plan, the first stage of the project will produce around 3 million tonnes of LNGs (Liquefied Natural Gas) annually and is expected to go into production in 2018. www.thereporterethiopia.com LEISURE The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Vol. XIX No. 948 |37 Crossword ACROSS 1. Mama __, rock singer 5. Run from A to B 9. Invests in little enterprises 13. Beehive 19. Sailboat 21. Puerto __ !"#$%#&' tissue 23. Praising 25. A country in NW Africa 27. Mixes 29. Cakes ()# 32. Belonging to a thing 33. Can (*&! (+#$ 37. A solution containing a phosphate buffer (-##&/%04 39. Pout 42. A composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines **8:0#% 46. A person who tells or invents fables *!$ 50. Japan =:& &#!$#& =##%& =(>?& == #" 58. A witty person who makes jokes 59. A set of three similar things 61. Romania +- +*!/D#?4 + 70. Malevolency 74. Italian opera set 76. Beam out 77. The former capital 79. Beat pleat 80. Small container D#0E# *&? $##!#$ 85. Many subconsciousses +F###! 87. Express a supposition 88. A person’s brother or sister 90. __compoop H0%#&$%? 92. Of she H(0?#& kept succulent by partial fermentation as in a silo H=D?%!0#% HK?## F! !# Hank _____ 103. Charms =) ##&##% 108. Letters of the alphabet HU!!% 110. Doyen 8!#D# 112. Place casually (X#0 114. Sea eagles =##&&#% DOWN 1. Stem 2. National capital 3. A formal religious act conferring a & 4. Turns away =/Y4 6. Exactness #Y!0 8. Anagram of iros 9. Schisms F## X 12. Someone who is morally reprehensible ( *# =Z +[# 24. Performs arithmetic functions by !##%#& grooves 26. USSR river 28. Lyings (!?# 33. Mutual savings bank 34. Type genus (=K!! (%!]###& a contract 38. State capital 39. Mineral moon 97. Ailments HY&$?&America HH) 101. Oil company 102. Spanish baby 104. Mayan language 106. The neural structure consisting of $# US Box office 98% of the students have no confidence in you sir. What do you have for me Kuncho? Kuncho Komments *X?&/?4 *Z! *(^/0"4?%0! *=-# 46. An acute highly contagious viral 47. Venues 49. ___ of corn =F =*!#$#& 56. An open fabric woven together at regular intervals 57. A woolen cap of Scottish origin 60. Plant part 63. Excavate the earth beneath 64. Anagram of saci +=%0#& 66. Large integers 68. Swiss river +HdD# 71. Travel list 72. Colombian Town 73. __gate, lengthen =q&?!& 78. Dark glassy rock 81. Don’t know when yet 82. Swiss river (-$#%& 87. Meanings H%!$% H"#/>4 92. Mark __, US senator, 1897-1904 H(Z0!% 94. Touts 95. A sequence of foot movements that !"# H+##& Don’t worry sir that will change. I have the result for the class survey. How? Wow! That is bad! Great! What are the results? Your Zodiacs We’ll no longer conduct class surveys. 1 Ouija 2 Nightcrawler 3 Fury 4 Gone Girl 5 The Book of Life 6 John Wick 7 St. Vincent 8 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 9 The Judge 10 Dracula Untold (astrology-online.com) ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) CANCER (June 22-July 22) LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) The positive thoughts can help you to replenish a storage of your inner energy this week. You should learn how to do it when you have feeling of despair. This week is very good for you to make plans and get over just about any money investing - they should probably be put on hold for next week. This week lucky numbers are: 57, 24, 74, 73, 41 You feel full of energy this week and your reach imagination during that week. Despite of fact that you are going to work hard during all week there will be enough energy for improving surroundings or life situations as well. This week lucky numbers are: 65, 21, 37, 53, 59 It is very important for you to take some quiet time for yourself this week. By the middle of this week you may be seen by others that can be put in charge of some projects requiring a sharp mind full of fresh ideas. By the end of the friend who has lots of information about this week’s events to share with you. This week lucky numbers are: 86, 55, 80, 36, 67 Now it is great time to work in groups. Other people like working with you because you know how to become one with the group but not a leader. By the middle of the week there are a lot of opportunities appear to accomplish what you set out to do.By the end of the week all sorts of activities are possible. You can lucky numbers are: 71, 63, 9, 91, 68 LEO (July 23-Aug 22) SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) TAURUS (Apr. 21- may 21) You decide not to challenge big bosses today instead you should better redouble your efforts and prove your increases this week as you realize you are becoming home front. Don’t rely on anyone. Remember- appearances are deceptive! Speak the truth and nothing but the truth. Friendships may also transform this week. The old ones come to an end new ones - are formed. This week lucky numbers are: 11, 83, 75, 29, 16 GEMINI (May 22-June 21) You are very ambitious person and this week you will be reconsidering your purposes and how close you are to reaching them. Circumstances can throw you into interests and purposes. The recent beginnings can now reach its realisation and a resalt promises to be satisfactory. This week lucky numbers are: 89, 44, 26, 48, 29 You set your own rules in the work place this week. The business situation is very good and you are able to earn more money at almost every turn you make. In the middle of this week you will probably want to change something. Try to " ideas with the higher ups. By the end of the you will want to pay more attention to the loved ones. They were really patient this week so show them your appreciation. This week lucky numbers are: 6, 77, 98, 42, 67 This is going to be a good week for thinking and ideas. You may feel like noticing some new interesting details or getting lost in the thoughts. Enjoy it. There are no serious problems expected. The second half of the week is a great time to work together with you partners. There are some group meetings and sharing your ideas will be very productive. By the end of the week you may feel full of tenderness so spend this weekend with beloved. This week lucky numbers are: 26, 66, 87, 98, 12 AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) A lot of work to do this week. Try not to loose an opportunity to stretch your horizon. Travel, education are the ways to do it. It is also very rewarding week- any reasonable investments will be in a position to help you get ahead or give you advice on the best way to handle a business situation. By the end of the week you may want to break your routine and try something new or different. Some new hobby may bring much joy. This week lucky numbers are: 69, 42, 41, 81, 43 SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) You will have a lot of energy for work this week and there is # You should also spend some time doing something pleasant. You could go to the movie for example. By the middle of the week be ready to capitalize on an opportunity that comes with some family project. This week lucky numbers are: 40, 55, 89, 28, 73 You are very attentive to dear people now. You want to take care of others express your compassion. By the middle of the week there is a big progress in work. As soon as you are on the top of your own mental force there is nothing to worry about. By the end of the week there is a new money - making opportunity on the horizon- you should be ready. This week lucky numbers are: 3, 65, 75, 33, 35 SPOT THE DIFFERENCES Can you spot the 12 differences between the two pictures? www.thereporterethiopia.com Solution PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) You seem to be able to answer any question this week. You are always ready to get any challenge or problem over. The middle of this week is a perfect time to be persevering and move forward in your career decisions. You have all your energy for it. The end of this week is a good time for money. The old debt may be paid or some new opportunities appear. This week lucky numbers are: 79, 62, 67, 40, 71 Solution 38| Vol. XIX No. 948 Sport The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 oaching superstars Sentayehu Eshetu By Mark Jenkin Sentayehu Eshetu is smiling proudly in his smart blue Adidas track suit top. It is a gift from Tirfi Tsegaye, the latest athlete he has helped emerge from the humble town of Bekoji to become a superstar of world athletics. Two months ago in Germany, Tirfi recorded the fastest women’s time of the year to triumph in front more than one million spectators at the Berlin Marathon. Now, living in Addis Ababa and a regular contender in the biggest races, she has returned to her roots to say ‘thank you’ to the father figure who made it all possible. For Sentayehu, the legendary coach, Tirfi is just the latest in a long line of talented youngsters who turned out to be running royalty. Since 1992, when his protégé Derartu Tulu became the Olympic 10,000m champion in Barcelona, the gold rush has never stopped. Those he guided as juniors include three-time Olympic gold-medal winners Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba, two of the sport’s all-time greats. Add to that list, Fatuma Roba and Tiki Gelana, Olympic marathon winners in 1996 and 2012 respectively and Ejegayehu Dibaba, who won silver over 10,000m at Athens 2004. A third Dibaba sister, Genzebe, has this year been nominated as IAAF World Athlete of the Year after setting indoor world records at 1,500m and 3,000m, while Kenenisa’s brother Tariku Bekele was a bronze medalist over 10,000m at London 2012. In sports such as football or tennis, Sentayehu would be declared a genius. Famous coaches like Jose Mourinho Athletes while training and Ivan Lendl have received countless plaudits and gained public profiles on a par with the players they work with. Yet such acclaim does not interest Sentayehu who, two years short of his 60th birthday, can happily work to a backdrop of barley fields and farmers tending cattle. On a rare visit to Addis Ababa, he can walk down the street unnoticed. It is 170 miles away in the green fields of Bekoji, a town of only 17,000 inhabitants, where he feels at home, stopwatch in hand and whistle to his mouth, enthusiastically passing on instructions to kids dreaming of glory. At the age of 29, Tirfi has been rewarded for her years of dedication. Now it is her sister, 16-year-old Workesh, and hundreds of others like her, who are the focus of the coach’s relentless enthusiasm. Not content with shaping the past and present of Ethiopian distance running, he is polishing new gems for the future. “I love the job,” Sentayehu told The Reporter. “I really love the profession of coaching. Every day, I don’t feel like I succeed enough so I’ll get back to the field and coach again and again. “I need to contribute more until I can’t work, until can’t move any more. “Bekoji is very cold but I’ll always wake up at 6am, resisting the cold, to work with the young athletes. “I always wake my family up in the morning and they can’t go back to sleep but they don’t mind because they know how much I enjoy coaching.” While he was growing up in Harar, Sentayehu was not an athlete but a soccer player – he still has the scars on his leg to prove it. And judging by the way he briskly moves across the training field, it is not surprising to learn he was once an energetic midfield player. “I started coaching in 1976 (Ethiopian calendar),” he said. “I was a sports teacher in a junior school and I used to teach kids to run and encourage them into sports activities. Then I started getting very interested in being a coach.” The big breakthrough came in 1992 when Derartu sprinted away from the South African Elana Meyer, becoming the first African woman to win gold over 10,000m at the Olympics. Her tears of joy on the podium were matched at home in East Africa. “I was a teacher and I was assigned to go to Harar to give a course at the time,” Sentayehu said. “I saw the race on television and when Derartu won, I burst into tears. “After she won, my students knew I was the one who coached her so I used her as motivation for other children. I showed them her picture and I said ‘you need to be like this girl’.” Watching his athletes perform on the world stage, is always emotional. “My heart pounds much faster when I see them running,” he said. “Those are my children. Those are my athletes. It gives me butterflies in my stomach. “When they represent their country and be part of an international competition, I feel so proud. When I see my children, my athletes win Olympic medals, that’s the proudest moment of my life.” Sentayehu is reluctant to name the best athlete he has ever worked with, noting they have all achieved great things. But, many observers would argue his former protégé Kenenisa Bekele is the greatest of all time. By the age of 22, www.thereporterethiopia.com Kenenisa was already the world record holder for 5,000m and 10,000m. He has won multiple world titles on the road, cross country and track, even surpassing the achievements of Haile Gebreselassie who hails from down the road in Asella. “You can tell by a young age if they can be a special runner,” Sentayehu said. “You can see by the way they run, their physical appearance. And the other thing you see is their motivation. How interested are they to train.” Years before the glory comes the groundwork. Hundreds of teenage runners in Bekoji are up every morning striving to give their best under the watchful eye of the coach. Honesty and openness are vital part of his relationship with them. “You have to consider them like your children,” he said. “You need to take care of them and show patience and understanding. You should be able to tell every detail about a single athlete when someone asks you what their characteristics are like. “A coach should be very transparent. If an athlete performs badly, he needs to be very open with his criticism so that they learn. “Every time the athletes train, I observe their negative parts and write down what they are doing wrong. I will tell them their mistakes. When they come back to training, I will look to see if they have corrected their mistakes.” Particularly with younger runners, it is important their training load is managed to minimize risk of injury. “A common mistake an athlete makes is when you put them on the line and you tell them a certain speed to run, they sometimes want to go over that speed to show how good they are,” Sentayehu said. Sport The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Vol. XIX No. 948 |39 The drive to succeed By Mark Jenkin Success in professional life and on the golf course have long gone hand in glove. In Western nations, the sport has aways been seen as a friendly means for potential business partners to build trusty relationships. With its rapidly developing business links, Ethiopia is now recognized as a nation with the drive to succeed. And the country’s constant quest for improvement can be seen on the golf course too. At the Addis Ababa Golf Club near the city’s old airport, the game is clearly on the rise. A neatly-kept nine-hole course, restaurant, clubhouse and hotel complex are testament to that. Mesfin Gebermichael, the club’s vicecaptain, witnessed the “huge” boom in golf during 30 years living in the United States. His interest became a passion after returning to his home country in 2011. “I’m a new golfer,” Mesfin, who has a handicap of 21, says. “When I went to business school, they told us the other thing we had to do, apart from getting a degree, was to go out and play golf. “Golf has all the characteristics you want in a businessman. Your stance has to be there. Your focus has to be there. Confidence has to be there and most of “A good athlete has discipline and is a dedicated and motivated person. “He diligently listens to what the coach says to him. A good athlete keeps away from bad habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, things that are harmful to the body. And in my opinion, to engage in too much sexual activity is not good for an athlete.” In Bekoji, runners are fortunate to train in clean air at altitude of 2,800m above sea level, and to have access to carbohydrate-rich food. “The other thing is the footsteps,” Sentayehu said. “They can follow the footsteps of other athletes.” Everyday, runners in bright tracksuits and tatty trainers make thousands of footsteps, gliding across the lush grass and dashing through undulating woodlands, attempting to emulate role models like Kenenisa and Tirunesh. When the time comes for his young stars to fly the nest, they will leave Bekoji with the coach’s blessing. “I feel very happy when I see them moving on because they are moving on in a positive way,” he said. “It’s like they are going from the first stage to the second stage when they go to clubs or to international level. “Then, I will have other very young athletes to work with.” And so the process starts over again. Perhaps one day, like those who have gone before, a boy or girl from the new generation will cross the line first and fly the flag for Ethiopia at the Olympic Games or Berlin Marathon. Ed.’s Note: The writer is on an internship at The Reporter. all, you have to have vision for where you want the ball to go. If you implement all of those things, then you’re a good golfer.” It is not just on the greens and fairways they are striving to improve at Addis. With a strong stance, focus, confidence and vision, they are modernizing a club which first opened in 1989. In 18 months, work to upgrade the ninehole course to 18 holes is expected to have been completed. Yared Zenaye, the club captain, said: “It will give us a more international standard golf course with tee boxes, bunkers, hazards, properly cut semirough and rough and good drainage. Our main goal is to host the East Africa Amateur Championship in 2016 or 2017.” By practicing four times as week, Yared has lowered his handicap to 2. “I’ve played for 10 years,” he said. “I used to be a footballer and I tore my knee ligaments. That’s why I ended up playing golf. To be a scratch player, that’s my goal.” Born in Ethiopia, he has witnessed the popularity of the sport in Europe and North America and is enjoying seeing its profile increased in his home country. “I was raised in Rome,” he said. “I went to school in the States and I came here five years ago. “Golf is getting popular. May be seven years ago we had two Ethiopian golfers. Now we have over 50. “This is the only course in the country (apart from a six-hole course at the British Embassy) but they are developing courses in other places. I think the future is very bright.” With eight months of dry weather every year, it is not easy to maintain a healthy course but a team of green keepers work hard to keep Addis in good condition. “There is a good number of people that look after the course but obviously there needs to be resources,” Mesfin says. “We have had an expert come here from America to look at the deficiencies of the course and make some adjustments. “The management here is doing its best to make a more attractive golf course. It’s an ongoing process. I can’t say it’s perfect but relatively, it’s ok. I have been to see courses in Kenya and Uganda and this compares well.” In international competition, the achievements of club professional Haile Gebregziabher have helped put Ethiopian golf on the map. He has previously appeared in European Challenge Tour events and regularly competes in tournaments across East Africa. However, Ethiopia still has a long way to go to match the level of interest in neighboring countries such as Kenya where there are 42 golf courses. “Welcome to heaven” is the bold claim on the website for the Kenyan Golf Marketing Alliance, an organization which promotes the country as a tourist destination for golfers. For the level of interest to develop in a similar way here, there needs to be greater investment and more Ethiopian people need to give the game a try. “Soccer is more important than anything in this country,” Mesfin says. “The perception about golf, including from some of the members but not me personally, is that it was for the rich and those that have time.” www.thereporterethiopia.com Individual membership for the year costs USD 723 and couples can join for 1,085 US dollars. There is an additional charge of 15 percent VAT. The Addis club has more than 200 members, including 60 players and 40 caddies who are part of an independent association, organizing and playing in competitions. Players from the British Embassy are also invited to compete when the club hosts tournaments. Sponsorship is crucial. Last week, Addis hosted a tournament sponsored by Lubtam and, with other investors such as John Deere, Paradise Lodge and Kenya Airways committed for the coming months, it is expected extra competitions will improve the standard of play. Members have recently benefited from oversees competition in the East Africa Amateur Championships. Last year the team traveled to Kenya, where they tied for last place and this year in Uganda, they made progress by finishing fifth. For many players, golf will always remain a mysterious sport. Equally frustrating and rewarding, it is a pastime which demands constant honing of the skills. “You can’t figure it out,” Mesfin says. “You can’t say ‘today I played well, tomorrow I’m going to play well again’. You see how Tiger Woods was playing, now he’s not playing as well as he used to. “The thing about golf is, it’s a continuous improvement.” Gary Player, the South African golfer, would probably agree. In a suitable motto for the game of golf and life in general, he famously said: “the harder you practice, the luckier you get.” Ed.’s Note: The writer is on an internship at The Reporter. 40| Vol. XIX No. 948 The Reporter | Saturday | November 08, 2014 Advertisment Design & Page Making Publisher Printed d by |}-!!-/|--4|}-!!-/|--4>#!Z&8 Sub-city:Kebele: 17, H.No: 984
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