We talk about freedom for Oromia. We talk about the self-determination of our people and taking back what is rightfully ours. We want the oppression of our people to end in all its forms. This seems like an enormous battle to take on. Where exactly are we to begin? What can we actually do to help? As youth in the diaspora, we are so far, in more ways than one, from our homeland. We have our own lives and concerns that we are preoccupied with, our day-to-day and long term challenges that we must deal with. And this is understandable.
I've literally sat and contemplated this thought. I imagined the most extreme scenarios, like all of us catching the next flight to Ethiopia and initiating an all out revolution. Of course this is not feasible. But I wanted to think of something that could bring about change, and make it happen soon. A little hasty I know, but this is the product of the frustration I feel when I consider everything Oromos went through. This has gone on for too long, and I want our people to have the rights that they deserve.
After I got over these delusional thoughts, and contemplated this some more, the answer was pretty simple. The best thing that we can do is begin with ourselves, and the rest will follow. What do I mean by this?
Be proud to be Oromo, first and foremost. We come from an incredible people with a rich culture that has so much to offer. Take pride in our unique traditions and the strength of our people to persist through the hardships that came with this identity.
Embrace our culture and everything it has to offer. Our traditions, our values, our food, our music and dancing and most importantly our langauge! Learn afaan oromo! (check out Magarsa's piece, The Importance of Knowing Afaan Oromo, if you haven't already) Don't hesitate to take part in our culture, it is the product of centuries of tradition of our people, and it is what makes us unique and beautiful.
Get educated! I can't stress this enough.You cannot know where you are going if you do not know where you come from. Make it a point to learn about our history and how it has affected where we are today, and educate yourselves on the current events going on back home. (Those Oromo news websites are not just topics for discussion among our dads and uncles :p) We are hoping through this blog to provide some of this information, but it will take a conscious effort from each of you to seek out information for yourselves. American author Robert Heinlein once said that a generation that ignores its history has no past, and no future. If we expect to have an influence on the future of our generation, we are going to have to educate ourselves on our past.
Believe it or not, accomplishing this is half the battle already won. You all know that in Oromo history the goal of the habasha colonizer was to eliminate our very identity and culture. By taking pride in it and maintaining it we are rebelling against this oppression and honoring those who sacrificed and suffered in the name of Oromia. Accomplishing these changes within ourselves also serves as the foundation for whatever plans for self determination we will potentially develop. We cannot get anywhere if we do not have our pride, our culture, and our knowledge intact. Like I said, the rest will follow. My point is that tackling this issue is not beyond our capabilities. I know that all of you are smart, talented individuals with so much potential, whose unique contributions we can use to move forward in our struggle. But we first need to take pride in ourselves, and be as informed as possible. It needs to be a collective effort, and we have to believe we can do it. A wise man once told me that the greatest talent one can acquire is learning how to believe in oneself, because whatever hidden ability you have will not blossom unless you believe in yourself. And I believe in us, ya ilmaan oromoo! Be confident in yourselves and our cause, and let's show the world what we can do.
Comment with opinions, and stay tuned for some interesting posts!
No comments:
Post a Comment