As part and parcel of inter-generational relay of patriotism, contemporary Ethiopians have secured victories over poverty and backwardness over the last two decades. Yet, they have intensified all-out offensives to make sure the enemies would not resurge.
Past generations of Ethiopians crashed colonialism on the heels. Their united maneuvering performed at the mountains of Adwa back on March 1, 1896, and the ensuing victory of Ethiopians had emboldened the entire black people’s fight against the yoke of all forms of oppression.
The opressor’s propaganda as the “whitemen’s burden” in civilizing and Christianizing non-whites, as its moral, religious and intellectual justification as well as forging commercial ties with Africans for political, constitutional and administrative reasons had huge psychological impact on Africans–weakening any attempt of rebellion at its early stages.
The oppressed, who were forced to accept its cultural inferiority, had no option than subjugating to whitemen’s “superior culture”. This does not mean they did not do anything at all to unshackle the yoke. Samory Toure in West Africa resisted the French colonialists until he was eventually captured in the late 19th Century; the Maji Maji revolt in early 20th Century against German colonial rule in German East Africa are few cases in point in this regard. But, it was Ethiopians, under the strong leadership of Atse Menelik II, that successfully overcome colonial power which armed itself to the teeth.
In the same vein, contemporary Ethiopians’ accomplishment on the cut-throat war against poverty and backwardness is also on a par to past generation’s victory–the latter had inherited freedom, and the former has been working round the clock to hand down prosperity to posterity.
The gains are so conspicuous to anyone. Millions of youths have created jobs to themselves and to others due to the sound economic policies. More than a quarter of the society has also been enrolled in schools. Health care services are made accessible to both rural and urban communities. What is more, Ethiopia has become anchor investors’ prime destinations due to the adequacy of infrastructural facilities, among others.
Present generation’s achievements has also made Ethiopia to play a lead-goose role in Africa in the socio-economic development sphere
These achievements have also benefited neighbouring countries and beyond. The continued efforts in energy development front helped Sudan and Djibouti to import 759.52 GWh and 492.05 GWh respectively only in 2016/17. More countries will as well take such opportunity when the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), with installed generation capacity of 6450 MW, comes to completion.
The economic boom in Ethiopia has also connected major markets in the Horn of Africa. The 3.4 billion USD Ethio-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway, the concrete asphalt roads already open to traffic and those under construction to the southern, eastern and western Ethiopian neighbors as well as the over 100 flights of Ethiopian to the five continents, connecting Africa to the rest of the world, are just to mention but a few.
Moreover, Ethiopia has also been reliable international peace partner. Its troops make up the largest contingent in the history of peacekeeping.
Emulating the best from its history, Ethiopia would further ignite the ongoing socio-economic development.
History’s purpose is to take lessons from the past, make sense of our world and know what to value and what to avoid, as many could agree. The grand values of Ethiopians of that generation-unity, patriotism and endurance-should further be studied and owned. Of course, the people have been proving their dedication on the construction of GERD. Ethiopians from all walks of life have been contributing in cash and in kind to the construction of GERD as their forefathers and mothers in sync fought and defeat the aggressor.
The Victory of Adwa is yet little studied. Further studies should be conducted by research institutions, universities and the like to take as many lessons as possible out of it. The victory has embraced lots of knowledge about Ethiopians that should be deciphered by empirical studies, and employed to sustain the gains made so far.
To this end, the Adwa University of Pan-Africanism and Yisma Nigus Research Institute would play a game-changing role in generating emperical knowledge on the overall lessons that should be taken.