by Zekarais Ezra
Throughout the course of their shelf life, politicians and activists will both be applauded and criticized. They will be both revered and reviled. When one is in the thick of it all, at the center of all that sound and action, it is difficult to determine when it is, indeed, the loudest. Yet, that is not my nor the people’s problem.
My humble advice to politicians and activists is this: Do your work in good faith and for good of the people; and not for yourself, and more importantly “Leave when the applause is loudest”. The, sit back and allow history to judge your legacies. You won’t understand the wisdom of those words unless and until you “Leave when the applause is the loudest”.
Building democracy and developing a country is like a playing football, which is a team sport. Think about a good football game. When the ball is in your possession, you do the utmost to move it forward, but then you must ( assuming you are not a totally self-absorbed individual) pass that ball to the your team member and wish him or her the best in making progress because in the end the victory is a team victory, not an individual player. In a democracy the team is always the people, the citizens of the country.
Democracy is a must
Democratic governance is a must for Ethiopia, but democracy is not a one-size-fits-all system. Each democracy must be shaped by the will of the people, by their collective voice, and, as such, Ethiopia must find the type of democracy that best fits the needs of its citizenry. We expect many ups and downs with the way things are now. So many extreme positions are being expressed by the various groups of the society. Caution, patience and a restrain to resorting to violence cannot be stressed enough.
Regardless of the form that democracy will take, each democracy, at its core, is a system of governance that is fueled by the will of the people. Ethiopia’s should not be an exception. Holding an election is on thing but holding a genuinely free and fair one is another thing. It summons an intestinal fortitude to accept loss. In Ethiopia, where the dominance of one political party (EPRDF) has been the norm for over a quarter of a century, it requires more than a willingness. Particularly, when the same part expresses a desire to not only run in the election but also projects winning the election.
We must but stress that the journey to democratic transition, after 27 years of squandered opportunity, and economic prosperity would not come on a silver platter. We need to work at and we need to stay the course of structural reform.
We must recognize and sympathize the “impatient” youthful population wanting to see change and experience prosperity in their lives. Our leaders owe it to them. Yet, the youth must also recognize that nobody possesses a magic wand to create change and progress with a wish of abracadabra.
We all must work together with greater intensity to inspire and empower our citizens.
The post Leave when the applause is loudest: Meker to the politicians and activists appeared first on Satenaw: Ethiopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!.