Pax Africana

The dignified manner with which millions of Ethiopians celebrated the dawn of their third millennium on September 11, 2007 is testament to the highly developed and deeply ingrained culture of peaceful coexistence and all encompassing love we have for one another. Although streets were full of vehicles and pedestrian revelers, there were practically no traffic accidents, fights or disturbances, (let alone terrorist acts) to mar what will be marked as a historic display of societal discipline.
At this juncture, it is with great pleasure that honorable praise should be given to the very deserving Ethiopian Millennium Festival organizers at national, regional and local levels on a job well done. Personal mention is also in order for Deputy Prime Minister Adissu Legesse, who competently spearheaded the effort, to the director, Seyoum Bereded and his capable deputy Mulugeta Asrat and peers. Thank you all for a celebration that despite its tardy organization and an initial lack of public enthusiasm did succeed after all.
The new Ethiopian Millennium (NEM), the excitement it generated in a nation committed to re-making itself, the impacts the NEM has undoubtedly given to the arduous but necessary task of national reconciliation; these and other positive attributes of the NEM were not however, what certain ‘reputable’ and ‘experienced’ world media outlets cared to note. Instead, the NEM, when they deigned to even cover it, has been maligned as an extravagant frivolity of a ‘broken land’ (BBC). Hard to choose which is preferable - Al-Jazeera’s total blackout of positive news from Ethiopia or the Beeb’s acidity.
It seems that nothing we Ethiopians and Africans in general do will please western and also of late, eastern commentators who cynically presume to know us or our needs better than we do. The customary practice of non-African media-specifically Western and Arab – to air African issues that only portray the continent in negative light was bad enough in the Africa of yester years. Times however change and Africa is a born again continent.
Today, Africa is experiencing unprecedented levels of sustained economic growth with a revamped, more unified continental body-politic, tremendously improved under the aegis of the African Union (AU), and bolstered by the steady march of democratic culture in over 5/6 of the continent’s nations. Africa’s importance to the global economy is growing by leaps and bounds as its abundant and diverse resources attract the interest of the established powers, emerging nations (Asian), and regional politico-economic blocs such as the so called ‘Middle East Axis’.
Africa has arrived on the world stage and thank God Ethiopia is at the center of this continental recovery that Afro-optimists such as our brother Alpha O. Konare, whom we thank so much for lifting our spirits on the eve of the African millennium, already call an African Renaissance. Therefore it is the duty of all self-respecting media houses to re-tune their editorial policies regarding coverage of Africa and its issues in more constructive and responsible manner.
There is also much work we can do on the home front. African media cannot wait with their hands crossed until the more powerful non-African media starts to give the continent the credit it deserves.
Our leaders also, should give renewed attention to strengthening African media organizations so that Africa’s true voices report our genuine realities. It is high time that a pan-African news network, unbiased towards any particular region, and totally independent from foreign influences appeared to defend the continent from mis-representation.
In closing, we must return to the new Ethiopian Millennium celebrations and the ‘feel good’ factor that despite some inevitable shortcomings, proved to all concerned that an African country – and a poor one at that, can stage a world class event without breaking its back.