In ancient Greece and Roman theaters, the deus ex machina, is a deity who is brought in by stage machinery just in time to solve a difficult situation. The actors playing the deity are usually lowered from above the stage to offer dramatic action.
The drama of our life, however, does not have deus ex machina, and the resolution of our problems squarely falls on all of us. We have the responsibility of taking charge and resolving our own drama. It begins with us and ends with us. Such is the fate of our Eritrean-ness. We must shoulder the responsibility and bear the burden. We cannot and must not expect any external actor, whether close to home or far from home, to intervene on our behalf. No deus ex machina for us.
No Greek drama or tragedy could capture the agonies and suffering of our people. In an unprecedented "march of folly", the regime is subjecting our people to an unbelievable levels of misery. It is not, by any stretch of imagination, a mark of intelligence, to say that the regime must go. The removal of the regime would, at least, offer the people a temporary respite from the suffocating grip of the dictator. But that is not enough. The generational cycle of poverty, oppression and hopelessness must be broken once and for all. The removal of the regime and the installation of democracy would not erase these huge problems that have bedeviled our region for decades, but it would usher in an opportunity. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. A journey of prosperity, peace and freedom would begin with the first step of removing the regime and installing democracy.
It is important that we realize that the choice we have in front of us is not a choice between governance and anarchy. It is not a choice between lawlessness and order. In fact, one could easily argue that the problem with Eritrea is that it is too much governed. The choice is the choice of governance, the choice between democracy and tyranny, and the choice between one serving freedom and one serving serfdom.
I believe that we can have order without freedom, but we can't have freedom without order. I understand that we can't jeopardize order in order to attain freedom. If we do that, we'll lose both. There is no constitutional rule of law, but there is plenty of order in today's Eritrea. Eritrea is blessed with law-abiding and God fearing citizenry that any justice-oriented government could rule without the luxury of an army. "Higdef" is, of course, missing the obvious. Eritreans are exceptionally loyal and patriotic people. The citizen-army is not an alien concept but an integral piece and parcel of the Eritrean identity. This "Eritrean identity" is the true protection against any foreign threats of invasion or aggression. The readiness to sacrifice and the belief in the justness of our cause has shaped our political and philosophical outlook. True to the Eritrean legacy and identity, many veterans of the armed struggle that were demobilized in the aftermath of independence, volunteered for the border war. That is the power of patriotism and the sense of belongingness. We need, once again, to go back to our roots of believing in our people and believing in the justness of our principles and aspirations. We need leaders that know the way, show the way and lead the way.
The doom and gloom prophets of the "higdefite" camp must understand that the best protectors of Eritrea's national sovereignty and territorial integrity are the Eritrean people themselves. The Eritrean people know what is best for them, and their collective wisdom is far superior to the shaky and fickle "higdefite" ideology of social engineering. In fact, "higdef" has compromised Eritrea's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. A significant chunk of Eritrea's territory is still under the control of "blue helmets" and Ethiopian soldiers. In the court of public opinion, "Higdef" is guilty as charged. The best and true custodians of Eritrea's national interests are the Eritrean people themselves. The sole goal of the new struggle is to empower the Eritrean people by placing the Eritrean government under their control.
The argument that the struggle for democracy would result in the destabilization of Eritrea is utterly bogus. Eritrea is in its unenviable situation not because the people were in charge, but precisely because they were not. If the people were in charge, one can safely argue that the war would not have happened in the first place or, at least, the outcome would have been much more favorable to us. The struggle that seeks to empower the people can't be wrong. It is right to empower the people. It is right to trust the people. No wonder we say, "hzbi zbelo: izgi kem zbelo". (What the people say is like what God says.)
Now the question is how do we empower the people? How do we get rid of tyranny and install democracy? The easy and definitive answers to these seminal questions were perhaps given by no other than Ms. Hebret Berhe, the former Eritrean Ambassador to Sweden. In a seminar that was organized by the Eritrean-American Public Forum of Dallas and Fort Worth, Ambassador Hebret argued, and rightly so, that the solution lies in "hzbi ynQH ywedeb" educate and organize the people. The honorable Ambassador has aptly identified education as the primary weapon in galvanizing and mobilizing our people in the search for democracy. No regime can withstand the concerted resistance of people and that is why it is absolutely crucial that the people get better organized. If the three most important principles in real estates are location, location, and location, then, the three most important principles in a broad-based mass movement are organize, organize and organize. Without organizing and mobilizing our people nothing can be achieved.
It is not enough that we destroy the current tyrannical regime, but we've to ensure that no more tyranny would rise from its ashes. The democratic house must be built on a rock and not on sand. It must be strong enough to withstand any climatic aggressions. An educated and organized public is the foundation of a solid and vibrant democracy.
The democratic leadership must show the way and lead the way. The opposition leadership must know the democratic way, show the democratic way and lead the democratic way. Leadership without the power of belief and the force of habit is always ineffective. The many organizations in the opposition are singing the chorus of democracy, but I'm afraid some of them are not singing with their soul and spirit. Democracy has to be the lingua-franca that brings all of us together to communicate and dialogue. In a time when the majority of the Eritrean people are loudly telling the opposition to unite, it is disheartening to see more divisions and divorces. What is even appalling is that in some quarters their silence passes as civility and political maturity. "werqi inteTefies: mizan werqi ayTefin." Give us a break! The least they owe the people is the truth of what transpired.
The patronizing and "we know what is good for the people" mentality of yesteryears must not be tolerated. We're free citizens that don't have to respect the moratorium they have imposed on themselves. Truth had died a public death under the "higdefite" regime. Should it be the same way with the opposition? I say, categorically, "No."
Democracy has to be preached and practiced. It has to be our firm belief and daily habit. If democracy is not embedded in our organizational activities and personal dispositions, then its chances of withholding climatic changes is slim to none. The Arabs say that "Kulu Sheyinn Aada Hata Al-Ibada" (Everything is habit, including piety.) Let's make democracy our habit and lead by example.
My message to the opposition leaders is: you either lead the way, show the way with conviction and habit or get out of the way, and make way for others to find the way, show the way and lead the way.
The opposition as it is, is incapable of delivering a "negotiated settlement" or waging an "armed struggle" to remove the regime. The first doesn't have the power to elicit the attention of the powerful dictator, and the latter does not have the power to make a dint on it. Both approaches suffer from the lack of principles-driven strategies that appeals to the majority of the Eritrean people. Both approaches have failed to persuade us and move us.
The solution lies in waging a broad-based political defiance that would bring the regime to its knees and install democracy in its place. A total victory of democracy over tyranny, freedom over oppression, good over evil, and light over darkness would have a cathartic effect on the Eritrean people. Beyond political parties, political fronts, and political movements, we need civil societies that are the true tapestry of a democratic society. The best solution lies in an active non-violent political defiance that is democratic and totally Eritrean. The solution lies with the Eritrean people. The Eritrean people are the alpha and omega. your comments to :
mailto:weriz@yahoo.com
