There are four men on the touchline of the match for the first time in Ethiopian Premier League 2022/23 season. Of course all four except one will be familiar to football fans for they had had a brief stance as caretaker Coaches in their respective sides.
Former full back turned assistant Coach at Sidama Bunna, Wondemagne Teshome secured a permanent job at Sidama Bunna. Taking over as caretaker Coach following midseason sacking of Gebremedin Haile, Wondemagne not only navigated the side into safe dock but revived the squad to battle up the league table to finish third. Wondemagne handed a two year contract along with a free reign of signing new talents for the coming season.
Wondemu is also among the lucky guys in the cut-throat Coaching business to run away with a two year contract with relegation survived Adama Ketema.
When Wondemu took over at Adama replacing departing Fasil Tekalegn a few matches into the end of the league season, many doubted his ability to fulfill that responsibility. But two important wins over Sebeta and Hawassa, two draws and two defeats, Adama survived just three points above relegation table thus a lucrative two years contract for Yetagesu.
Ethiopian Premier League legendary striker Yordanos Abay has replaced stop-gap Coach Samson Ayele at relegation-lived Diredawa Ketema. Assistant to Yohannes Sahle at Mekelakeya for the past two seasons, the former Ethiopian national team, Electric, Ethiopia Bunna and number of Yemeni clubs goal hunter Yordanos was famous for his players; handling at Mekelakeya.
After four years in the Super League, Coach KifleBoltena is the new face of former twice Ethiopian champion Ethio-Electric. Notorious for traveling around clubs every single season and famous for promoting three clubs into the top tier, Kifle has now signed a one year contract to lead the club at the premier league next season.
With premier league runner-up FasilKetema and mid table finisher Hadiya-Hossana not yet made their Coaches, other new faces are expected to grace the 2022/23 new season.
Three new faces set to take charge of the premier league for the first time
UAE contributes $60 million to WFP
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes USD 60 million from the United Arab Emirates to support their humanitarian response in Ethiopia. The funding will provide emergency food and nutrition assistance in response to an alarming rise in food insecurity, particularly in the north of the country where 19 months of war has almost exhausted people’s coping mechanisms and displaced hundreds of thousands from their homes. More than 13 million people require humanitarian food assistance in conflict-affected Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions.
This comes against the backdrop of the global food crisis where rising costs linked to the war in Ukraine are compounding woes. The UAE funds, delivered through the Famine Relief Fund, will allow WFP to continue to address the urgent food needs of 1.6 million people in the conflict-affected north of Ethiopia through food distributions in Tigray, Afar and Amhara. Conditions in Ethiopia have deteriorated due to the combination of conflict, climate shocks and the economic impacts of COVID-19 and the recent crisis in Ukraine. Inflation is at its highest peak in ten years – and the population in need of food assistance has doubled over the past 12 months – to around 20.4 million people.
Fragile Environments and The Private Sector
Armed conflict and post-conflict situations constitute severe constraints on economic life and present a hostile environment to business and investments. As the primary driver of economic development, the private sector’s ability to prosper is imperative to job creation and investments necessary for human security. The private sector, international and local, has the ability to contribute in at least two rather different ways: by conducting its core business and by actively promoting certain elements of peace-building.
Taking years of practical experience from private sector development in complex environments as point of departure, Sofia Svingby, a private sector development specialist at Stockholm University argue that through conscious engagement and active dialogue promotion business can and does take on an important role for both economic development and peace-building in fragile contexts.
While potentially highly profitable, fragile or complex environments present a multitude of challenges for an international company. According to Sofia Svingby, this risk-opportunity balance must be carefully managed to cater for long-term success. Weak formal institutions, opaque power structures, commercial and political interdependencies and ethnic tension are some examples of particular challenges of the fragile context any business company needs to navigate.
The private sector’s main contribution to developing economies and societies stems from its core activity of its ability to offer products and services meeting local demand, and the related effects on job creation and economic growth. Brian Ganson, Associate Professor at the Business School of Stellenbosch University stated that in their interaction with suppliers, consumers, employees and governments and institutions, companies may transfer know-how, promote peaceful tools of conflict management and good governance through their core business conduct. Herein lie both the inherent challenge and opportunity. According to him a company’s ability to steer towards sustainably successful business models rather than short-sighted and exploitative practices is pivotal.
Brian Ganson, however, argued that in order to be successful, companies can not go about doing ‘business as usual’. In complex or fragile environments, operations and products need to contribute to a virtuous rather than vicious circle of economic and societal development. If implementing conflict sensitive approaches in strategies and operations, companies can facilitate economic development while also contributing to establishing essential conditions for peace-building.
Brian Ganson further noted that a context-sensitive governance model, including means of ensuring local compliance with the corporate code of conduct, is required, but key to implementing such approaches is leadership. Leaders’ ability to navigate complex environments which is harvesting opportunity and managing risk determines if a business can successfully provide benefit to stakeholders, employees and society. In order to do this, leaders need to incorporate an attitude of attentiveness to any aspects in the local context that may influence the company’s operations. According to Sofia Svingby, the key attribute of such an attitude is inquisitiveness, continuously striving to understand the environment in which the company operates.
Joanna Buckley, development economists at Oxford Policy Management Consultancy on her part argued that this approach helps business leaders anticipate and manage the way the company influences the local context, positively or negatively. Moreover, and equally important, it supports the management’s grasp on how the local context, for instance its conflict dynamics, affects the company and its ability to meet the financial, reputational, legal, and other requirements placed on international firms.
Joanna Buckley explained that in addition to conducting business sustainably and responsibly, private sector actors such as individual companies, multinational or local, as well as organised business, may offer channels and methods for trust-building outside the traditional arenas. This potential can be manifested by a well-functioning labour market dialogue or improved interaction between private sector and policymakers. The ability of individual employers or that of business organisations to contribute to conflict resolution, either at the workplace level or in society at large, may be decisive in establishing a dialogue-centred rather than conflict-oriented interaction.
The fact that companies often have an acute awareness of the challenges facing citizens in local communities is sometimes overlooked. Organised business on local and national level, meanwhile, can have an important role to play in holding governments and public institutions accountable. The achievements of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, the Tunisian Quartet, clearly demonstrate how business and labour market parties, when engaged in broad cooperation, were able to provide an alternative, peaceful political process at a time when the country was on the brink of civil war.
Jonas Borglin, a known Swedish private sector and industrial analyst argued that business should be viewed and view itself as a stakeholder in sustainable development, even though a company’s status as a commercial entity may render it difficult to engage in far-reaching development work as such. The interests, capacity and mandate of companies and business associations need to be acknowledged if business actors’ potential in building resilient, prosperous societies is to be efficiently utilised.
According to Jonas Borglin, sustainable, responsible business practices and values are not complementary features of long-term successful business, but a pre-requisite. As such, the core business and the way it is conducted is the major contribution of a company not only as a source of financing, innovation, job creation and growth, but through its impact on stability and governance issues, including anti-corruption, peace and security and the rule of law.
BIRTH OF THE MAJESTY & THE MOVEMENT
On July 23rd 1892 Tafari Mekonnen was born in Ejerso Goro, outside Harar, beginning a transformational journey for Ethiopia, Africa and the Black World. Designated Ras Tafari in his early years, the 1930 coronation of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I fanned flames of Black Liberation and Back to Africa Movements. The world renown 20th century Pan African Movement chose HIM’s name, Rastafari, to represent their contemporary culture born in response and resistance to racialism, neo-colonialism and other vestiges of the Trans- Atlantic Slave Trade. The Emperor represented the divine sum of African Ancestors, the Alpha, the Conquering Lion of Judah. Incubated in Jamaica, Rastafari is distinguished through an almost century of unique spiritual, social and cultural practices and principles. Some traditions include natural/organic plant-based lifestyle; deep respect and connection to nature; original tongue; spiritual ceremonies and rites; guidance through Councils of Elders, Priests and special committees; wearing of locks and modest clothing; and celebration of special holy-days. Best known for pleads for peace, love, justice and African unity; Rastafari combines indigenous African traditions with the Judeo-Christian faith to create a wholistic way of life focused on return to Ethiopia, Africa.
The goal of Rastafari Founding Fathers Robert Hinds, Joseph Hibbert, H. Archibald Dunkley and Leonard Percival Howell was the restoration of the stolen legacy of Africans through Liberation, Redemption, Repatriation and Reparations. The Movement emerged in Kingston, Jamaica in the 1920’s primarily through two Prophets. The 1848 born Alexander Bedward was a Revival Baptist Preacher promoting the beginnings of Black Liberation Theology. His teachings created fear and deep concern amongst the white and mixed-race sector of society of Jamaica, in their comfort zone, the British colony. Bedward was committed to a mental hospital until his death for both his black power preaching and predictions of his own ascension to heaven. Pan African Prophet, Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey, born August 17, 1887, soon followed declaring, “Africa for the Africans – at home and abroad, One God, One Aim, One Destiny”, the motto of his 1914 Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL). Garvey prophesied, “Look to Africa, when a black king shall be crowned, for the day of deliverance is near.” Confirmation of His Majesty’s divinity and ability to conquer colonialism was realized for adherents through a front-page report in the Jamaican The Daily Gleaner November 11, 1930 announcing the November 2nd coronation of Ras Tafari. Crowned HIM Emperor Haile Selassie I, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, with supplemental Bible references such as Revelation 5:5 “Weep not behold the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed…”, signaled the unfolding of Garvey’s prophesy, re- reassuring early Rastafaris.
A further article published in the Jamaica Times December 7th 1935 entitled ‘Nyabinghi Order of Ethiopia and the Congo’ came shortly after the Italian invasion on the Ethiopian Empire. Noted as a resistance crusade against colonialism, Nyahbinghi an indigenous East African movement, led to the colloquial names for the followers back in Jamaica such as “Ras Tafaris” “Rastamen” of “Nyahmen”. The Emperor, now in England strategizing the topple of the Italian occupiers, empowered physician, Dr. Malaku Bayen to establish the Ethiopian World Federation Inc. (EWF Inc.). Launched in New York City on August 25 1937 they mobilized money and myriad support for Ethiopia from Black People in the Diaspora to aid the Empire. The EWF Inc. preamble reads, “We, the Black Peoples of the World, in order to effect Unity, Solidarity, Liberty, Freedom and Self-Determination, to secure justice and maintain the integrity of Ethiopia, which is our divine heritage, do hereby establish and ordain this constitution for the Ethiopian World Federation Inc.”
By 1941 victory for Ethiopia had been attained and The Majesty showed gratitude with a 500 acre land grant of personal property entrusted to the EWF Inc., “…to the Black People of the West, who aided Ethiopia during her period of distress…”. This quote is from a 1955 correspondence from EWF Inc. NY Executive Committee to Jamaican EWF Inc. Local which advised on the status of the land grant. The letter further went on to state, “…the Ethiopian government is not prepared for mass migration…people who are willing and able to go…must be of the pioneer caliber…go in groups and have the co-operative spirit…”. It didn’t take long for several pioneering individuals and families to make the arduous journey “home”; still better than staying in the West facing despair, discrimination and even death based simply on skin color. So, while the land grant was never given to Rastafaris, specifically, they too answered the call, for the ‘movement of Jah People’, echoed in Bob Marley’s song Exodus. The community has grown to hundreds over the past 70 years with families in Shashemene, Dilla, Bahir Dar and Addis Abeba, with most fully re-integrated positively into Ethiopian society, showing unconditional love and support for Ethiopia.
This weekend Rastafari in Ethiopia and worldwide are celebrating the birth of the Black King who stood for Ethiopia and all Africans at home and abroad, best expressed in HIM May 25 1963 OAU speech. “Those men who refused to accept the judgment passed upon them by the colonisers, who held unswervingly through the darkest hours to a vision of an Africa emancipated from political, economic, and spiritual domination, will be remembered and revered wherever Africans meet. Many of them never set foot on this continent. Others were born and died here. Their deeds are written in history. Africa’s victory…is not yet total … let us not now falter or lag or relax. We must make one final supreme effort…the thrilling sense of achievement has brought us near satiation.”
Dr. Desta Meghoo is a Jamaican born Creative Consultant, Curator and cultural promoter based in Ethiopia since 2005. She also serves as Liaison to the AU for the Ghana based, Diaspora African Forum.
