Our pre and post independence history is full of baggage. It started in early sixties when ELF decided to eliminated ELM (Mahber Showaate/Hareka) with a pretext that the Eritrean field shouldn’t accommodate more than one political organization.  The five division administrations in the mid sixties which was implemented in the belief to expand the ideology of national freedom and to rally the Eritrean people to the cause cemented cancerous problems in our journey in search of liberation.  It created divisions by region, religion, ethnicity, and widen the mistrust that exists from the forties.  This kind of environment became to be a fertile opportunity for insidious elements like Isayas in promoting their hidden agenda to life.  In the seventies ELF decided to eliminate although failed PLF and the movement known by Falul. And not too long after that history repeated itself by EPLF who was a victim of elimination at one point deciding to eliminate ELF in collaboration with TPLF.  At the eleventh hour of ELF, the head of the military wing Mr. Abdella Idris instead of trying to salvage the disgruntled leadership and grassroots, decided to make a coup d’état.  The bloodshed and punch didn’t stop there.  It rather continued by the remaining body of ELF splitting into Tyar and Sagim.  Although there were many smaller punches and splits that followed the last, the biggest and bitter elimination game happened within ELF-RC in the distant past.  In the forty plus years of our struggle there was no time that any leadership intended to make a closure of the mentioned mishaps.  It came by building one mishap on top of the previous one and the scar grew deep dark and also the rift became so deep and wide.  Imagine entertaining unity and coalition under such circumstances.  Why do you think so many times EDA and others failed to score a united opposition against the evil government.  Of course, due to the mistrust inherited and never were resolved. 

Working relationship doesn’t happen because someone wants it.  Whether in family life, politics or business environment, trust is the foundation of success.  By nature one works with someone they trust well and achievement is exponential.  On the other hand if there is no trust between two parties, achievement collapses and the result is negative.  Trust is built on the foundation of honesty, integrity, openness, engaging, caring, responsibility, loyalty, and fairness. 

In our forty plus years of struggle, I haven’t seen integrity, caring, openness, responsibility, fairness, engagement, and loyalty from the leaders.  In the early stages of the struggle and especially during the mid sixties the Christians in general and the Kebesa in particular were marginalized where they felt alienated.  Both superstructure and infrastructure reflected the actors.  With the emergence of Selfi-Netsanet and the flood of new recruits from the Kebesa changed the paradigm of the field in the seventies, of course the lowlanders and non Christians felt marginalized.   Now the actors changed by most if not all and the superstructure echoed the new comers and definitely alienated the former.  This was a missed opportunity of the later to mend and built a bridge but couldn’t even settle within itself instead tormented ELF with infected air that demised the giant organization.  The mistrust that built at this stage plus other factors gave birth to what is today Islamist movement.  The irresponsible government of PFDJ as is its nature didn’t flinch in continuing the mistrust by alienating many people in post independent Eritrea.

Mistrust is the worst enemy to our success and is a blessing to the heedless clique of Isayas and others.  Mistrust is an imaginary wall we build that makes us invisible to each other in daylight.  The only way we can fight mistrust is by been open, engaged, responsible and sincere.  How long has the current opposition leaders been in power?  How many times did they fail the Eritrean people?  How often did we witness from anyone of them that came out and acknowledge their failure and took responsibility?  Responsibility starts at home and it is time for each leadership to take responsibility in failing the Eritrean people.  Good leaders are the ones who accept their responsibility in thick and thin.  Responsibility is an indication of openness which leads to engagement and which leads to building trust which in turn creates a working relationship.

As these leaders readied themselves for hopefully a historical conference, what would their ethic be?  What is an ethic?  Ethic means doing the right thing.  It is derived from two Greek words; moral and character.  The core ethical values are; honest, integrity, promise-keeping, fidelity, loyalty, fairness, caring, compassion, and respect for others. Allow me to describe in depth each of these valuable terms:

• Honesty – truthful, straightforward, sincere, and candid.  It is not deceptive, tricky, and misleading.
• Integrity – honorable, has courage of conviction, stand up for beliefs.  It is not weak, hypocritical, and dishonorable.
• Promise-Keeping – reliable, dependable, always strives to keep commitments
• Fidelity/Loyalty – faithful, respects another’s privacy, and doesn’t compromise confidentiality.
• Fairness – just, open, not prejudiced, doesn’t discriminate, not arbitrary and self-serving.
• Caring/Compassion – considerate, kind, sharing, and charitable.  It is not selfish, manipulative or controlling.
• Respect for others – respects freedoms, dignity, and respects rights of others.
• Personal responsibility/Accountability – considers consequences and accepts responsibility for actions and inactions.  Doesn’t shift blame or make excuses.

  Each time we make a decision to stand for what is right, even if it costs us something, we reinforce our own moral character and influence others.  History is made and lives are changed not by those who follow the crowd, but those who are prepared to take the ultimate risk and stand up for what is right.

  What is the right thing to do and where can the EDA leaders start?  First and foremost they should be responsible, honest, open, engaging, and caring.  These steps will make them prioritize the slowly dying nation and its people who are subject to cleansing before their ego and personal interest.  Stop blaming others.  Ask yourself, what have you done for your country and your people?  What can you do to better their plight?  Divisive ideas and practices don’t move us an inch towards victory.  It is only open and honesty engagement that move us to the highest altitude.  Engaged and united we will thrive and divided we will wither away like a smoke in the air. 

  What are the things that matters the most?  At this stage of our journey, the most crucial to our success is the closure of past open mishaps.  All the wounds, scars, mistrust, and alienation must be closed and come to an end.  Time is asking the leaders who has been in the helm of all the mishaps to take responsibility.  To take responsibility is not a crime.  In fact as the Americans say “forgive and forget”, we might forgive and move forward.  Playing the innocent game is the most shameful act.

  What are the things that matter the least?  Personal ego, personal interest, power, ethnic sentiment, regional sentiment, and religious sentiments are the poison pill to our collective journey.  Do Eritreans care who comes to power or they heed what kind of idea and governance will be the norm of their lives?  

  What should their ethics be?   Honest, full of integrity, keep promise to their people, loyalty to the people, fairness, caring, respectful, responsible and accountable.  It is all about doing the right thing.  And doing the right thing is about becoming open, straightforward, responsible, accountable, and sincere.

  Allow me to conclude with the following concept that I heard long time ago and keep me drive every day; “The universe didn’t build stairway that doesn’t go anywhere”.  This means that for every problem there is a solution and the solution is the will and the attitude of the owner.  The solution is with us.  We need to be open and engaging.  We need to take responsibility for past mishaps.  We need to close them to move forward to a lasting peace.  We need to be willing to unite our diverse community by building a lasting bridge.

  On the eve of the EDA’s conference let’s all together say enough to shallow and divisive attitude and embrace openness and unity; enough to power mongers and embrace caring; enough to alienation and embrace engagement and participation; enough to dominance and embrace respect and fairness; enough to regionalism and embrace unity; enough to religious instigation and embrace religious freedom; enough to ethnic exploitation because what matters the most is unity, freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Let’s not live in the past instead close the past and marsh to the future.

  Let the people have a voice!