If countries were people and Eritrea was an American, it would just be graduating from college this May. At 22 years old, it would have graduated from college this month literally (Class of 2013) and would be looking at its bright future ahead. It would be making plans for its future and deciding who to work for or what career to pursue and such. It would be debating with itself whether to apply for graduate school right away or work in between. One thing is for sure though: Eritrea likely would have been free of crushing student loans because it would have worked all the way through college to pay for its own tuition.
The point is, people forget that Eritrea is very young! It's still a baby! It needs to be given time and space to do the hard work of nation building. It should be given space to determine its own home-grown version of democracy and governance as its sees fit while building a strong foundation.
If one looks at Eritrea's dejure independence age, it is even younger at only 20 years old. No matter which way one counts the birthdays though, Eritrea is truly remarkable and has already achieved so much! It has achieved a great deal in all measure of education, healthcare, food security, infrastructure building and promoting national harmony. On top of that, it has already shown that it can defend itself against all sorts of attempts on its young life.
America is still considered a young country at 237. In 1841, when the United States was 65, there were 26 states; 13 slave and 13 free. Stephen Douglas appeared at the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and the Civil War was still two decades away.
So on the eve of its 22nd birthday, Eritrea is doing pretty well and it is on its way! It just needs to be given time and space.
Eritrea's birthday tomorrow, which will be celebrated with ecstatic joy inside and outside of the country, is meant to remind us of the sacrifices that were made to create and defend a sovereign Eritrean State. As in years past, lots of cheers and patriotism will be on display on the streets of Asmara and various municipalities across Eritrea with street performances, carnivals, concerts and traditional ceremonies along with fireworks and lots of spirit. Cars and building will be decorated with Eritrean flags in an all around party atmosphere. But while we celebrate Eritrea and what a sovereign Eritrean State means to each one of us, we must renew the promise we made to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to liberate the land and defend it against Weyane's invasion.
