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From: samuel Igbu (ypfdjbc@gmail.com)
Date: Thu May 12 2011 - 05:32:21 EDT
By: Senai Solommon
By now Ms. Semhar was
getting the picture of what these
tegadelties were made of and
she asked the million dollar
question; “where were you on
May 24th 1991?” and when
Tedros Yared answered, a vivid
scene took place where YPFDJ
Oslo members jumped to stage
with their tegadelti outfi t playing
koboro (local drum)to one of
our many sewra (revolutionary)
classics. The play confirmed to
me that our generation was able
to pass on our history of struggle
in an under-stable way to the new
generation.
Right as we thought that we
were going to see the presentation
of each committee and country,
we were told that the Head of
State and chairperson of PFDJ,
H.E. President Isaias Afwerki
had sent us a 20 minute video
specially made for the participants
of the conference. The President
highlighted the importance
of organizational and human
capacity as well as the youths role
in the nation building process and
it laid the scene for the 7th annual
YPFDJ conference to begin.
As always the fi rst day was
scheduled to see all the different
chapters work since the last
conference. All the European
chapters, as well as USA,
Canada and Eritrea showed their
presentation in video format,
while Shembel from Quatar and
Isaias representing Kenya and
Uganda made their presentations
verbally. A panel was elected
to analyze and comment on the
presentations in a constructive and
critical way. In general it could
be concluded that the movement
had been able to synchronize its
activities in a way that made a
progressive impact in the areas of
work, especially in regards to the
E-SMART campaign and that we
were improving from year to year
and that there is no turning back
from here on, but that we still
have years of work in front us to
institutionalize the movement and
utilize our capacity and mobilize
more youths.
When the first day ended we
were ahead of schedule, which is
a progress since last year where
we were on time in accordance
to the schedule and in particular
conferences prior to Berlin where
we were always behind. This gave
us more flexibility for the next
two days. After 40 minutes of
music and dancing and by 11.45
everyone was in their rooms. Since
the participants had the lowest
average age ever, the quietness at
11.45 could only be explained by
the preparations by the different
chapters and increased discipline
and consciousness among the
youths.
The next morning Mr. Yemane
Ghebreab gave a lecture about
the main topic of the conference;
‘Sustainable development’. Mr.
Yemane critically analyzed today’s
measurements of developed
and developing countries and
broke down countries in to four
categories instead of just two in
order to have the element of viable
healthy societies as a measuring
factor besides GDP.
Today the developed countries
are defined based on their GDP,
but is GDP a measurement of real
development? A GDP does not
differentiate between a country
that builds 100 jails, 30 huge
gold palaces from a country that
builds 100 medical clinics, 15
universities and 15 hospitals. The
GDP does not measure the social
composition of the wealth, neither
the development of the people’s
social harmony and participation
as citizens of a nation socially,
politically, economically and
culturally.
At the end of the day what
is real wealth seen from our
perspective is the development of
human capacity and our ability to
create an atmosphere for that to
flourish.
Examples of countries was
brought up to exemplify the root
causes of how GDP does not mean
that there is real development,
but that the wealth among few
people only prolongs the misery,
injustices and jeopardizes the
stability through social problems,
backwardness, corruption and
dependency.
The policies of including
Eritrean workers in all aspects
of the investments by the many
new foreign companies in Eritrea
was used as an example of how
the income here and now was
not the most important aspect of
the investment, but that the long
term prospection was to build
internal human capacity to build
our own people so that we do
not end up being second class
citizens in our own country. The
lectures and debates throughout
the conference were all inclusive
through translations headsets, so
that everyone could listen to it in
English, Italian and Arabic.
The participants had many
interesting question. So many
that we took the time that we had
saved the day before to allow
more active participants to take
part of the question and answer
session.
After this session, the
participants spread out in 4 topics
where presentations were given
in the following order:
- Food security by Fiori
Mekonen
- International cooperation and
aid by Sophia Tesfamariam
- Health and Education by Dr.
Eden Tareke
- Economic development and
policies by Sirak Bahlibi
I was fortunate to be part of
the resolution committee, so I
had the fl exibility to listen a bit
to all presentations and following
discussion. After the presentation
and questioning session, groups
found their area to discuss the
questions prepared for them. The
debate about factors that were
most important to build a nation
was a very fruitful and thought
provoking exercise.
After each group had presented
their conclusion within their four
topic rooms, very interesting
debates took place and each and
every room could replace any
of the “Medeb Be Gahdi” or
“lezeb meneseyat” programmes
on Eri TV. I could not help to not
refl ect about the development in
consciousness, the commitment
to take active participation in our
political and social affairs as well
as the human capacity that were
there in each and every room.
Unfortunately these discussions
are never broadcasted thoroughly
for the masses to follow on the
news or programmes, whether
Eri Tv or our social media’s so
that everyone can see what’s
really behind YPFDJ and these
conferences, but since each and
every second of the conferences
is video documented I hope that at
least one day it will be presented
as historic documents.
The workshop session was by
comparison the most fruitful and
successful active participatory
exercises I have experienced in
the six conferences I have been
part of so far.
One of the most entertaining
educational exercises I have ever
seen was the trading game. 28
groups in one big hall representing
28 countries all placed in three
categories (A, B and C countries).
Each category had their own
resources and knowledge of the
game and had to have a clear
strategy on how to utilize their
resources or knowledge in the
best way in order to create income
for their country. It looked like a
crazy stock market and ironically
group USA got sanctioned because
they cheated in the game. Eritrea
was one of the countries in the C
category but came out 7th which
were a huge success and it showed
that the Eritrean pride must have
had an impact in ensuring that
they over performed.
Before we knew it, it was
Sunday and the fi nal day of the
conference. Here Mr. Yemane
gave an update and insight to
our current political situation in
Eritrea. TPLF’s new changes in
rhetoric’s as a sign of desperation
was touched upon, the economic
situation in the country the last
ten years as well as the new
positive indicators, the role of
the youths and our capabilities,
the youths wishes and aspirations
was raised.
Mr. Yemane undermined the
content of The Economist and
other fi nancial analysts that
were analyzing Eritrea to have
the fastest growing economy in
the world by saying that their
knowledge prior to 2011 is very
low and that even a great leap
in the economic growth would
not change the fact that we are
still very poor economically and
referred to the discussion of the
day before about sustainable
development should be our main
focus.
He also stressed that although
we were not where we wanted
be yet, the indicators of our
sustainable growth combined
with the new world order where
the West has had challenges
keeping up, that we would be
able to create better lives for the
youths inside the country.
TPLF’s new rhetoric was a
tactic used for the last 11 years.
The only new thing about this
rhetoric is the fact that they are
willing to express it openly in
violation to the UN charter. It
is nothing but frustration and a
diversion of attention from their
own internal problems and wars.
After the questioning and
answer session we divided in
three groups. Nakfa was the
group of new participants that
were discussing what YPFDJ is
all about and what they could do
to be part of it and contribute.
Afabet was for those who had
been part of it for a time and
here the branding of Eritrea was
discussed and in the last group
Denden, the innovators of YPFDJ
discussed YPFDJ’s strategy for
the next 2-3 years.
After fruitful discussions, it was
time for the gedaim abalat (the
veterans) from Norway, Sweden
and Denmark to arrive. The
scenes that took place afterwards
are really hard to express. It was
a clearly emotional atmosphere
where both the gedaim abalat as
well as the youths had problems
expressing themselves without a
shivering tone in their voices.
All the participants from the
organizing committee received a
recommendation letter signed by
Mr. Yemane Ghebreab for usage
for future applications whether
school or work. It was announced
that YPFDJ Sweden was going
to host the 8th conference in
2012. Different exhibitions and
speeches took place beyond
my expressional capabilities,
especially due to the fact that I
myself was so emotional at that
moment that it was diffi cult to
absorb the details. Instead I will
rather encourage others to share
their refl ections of the successful
and historic 7th YPFDJ conference
in Oslo. As usual the conference
closed on Monday morning with
a moment of silence for our
martyrs.
I would love to name out each
and every single person that made
this conference and movement
a reality, I am humble fan and
servant of each and everyone of
you. Instead I will rather sum up
it up and say:
* Thank you YPFDJ Norway
organizing committee, CC
and Euro YPFDJ committees
for the harmonic and strong
organizational work in ensuring a
successful conference.
* Thank you Scandinavian
Embassy for the facilitation
of communication with all
stakeholders.
* Thank you Eritrean
communities in Scandinavia
for the fi nancial and moral
contribution.
* Thank you YPFDJ Denmark
for the strong mobilization and
commitment throughout the year.
* Thank you YPFDJ USA,
Canada, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Uganda, Kenya for giving the
conference a wider context.
* Thank you Hizbawi Genbar
Democraci’n Fethin (PFDJ) for
facilitating the people’s eternal
pledge to serve Eritrea
* Last but not least thank you
all Suwuat for your contribution
to make this people and country
what it is! Rest in Peace!
Zelamawi Zikri N’Sematna
Awet N’Hafash!
Sincerely
*YPFDJ British Columbia Chapter*
YPFDJ Goal and Purpose
- Our goal is to build a strong, conscious and patriotic youth movement.
Our purpose is:
- To raise the awareness and level of organisation of Eritrean youth to
serve our nation
- To reassert the identity, patriotism and unity of Eritrean youth
- To promote the participation of Eritrean Youth in the national
reconstruction of Eritrea as well as guarding the sovereignty of Eritrea
- To enhance the position and influence of Eritrean Youth in their
respective countries of residence.
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