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From: Tesfamicael Yohannes (teckle3@hotmail.com)
Date: Sun Sep 04 2011 - 12:34:55 EDT
Celebration of September one 1961 in Oslo Norway
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Eritreans have unique history of struggle for independence in this world. It is the only people who struggled against all odds and come out triumphant. No people in this world fought a huge army of occupation helped by super powers one after another. The Eritrean struggle is the only freedom fighters that faced the harsh conditions of war because of the help of USA from the capitalist world in the first phase of the struggle and X-Soviet union from the communist world in the second phase of the struggle to Ethiopia. Two super powers tested the strength and determination of Eritreans to fight for freedom.
For Eritreans the struggle by peaceful means was completely shut and Eritreans didn’t have had the sympathy they deserve from the super powers. To go ahead for war of attrition and raise an arm on September one 1961 was not a choice it was an imposed necessity to fight for freedom. It was not imaginable just to start armed struggle simply by six or seven freedom fighters with very poor equipment. At that time when the struggle for freedom of Eritrea started in September one 1961 except the determination of the Eritreans the power of Ethiopia was an army fully equipped to teeth and had full support of USA.
Sometimes it is difficult to understand why X-Soviet Union didn’t support the Eritreans against aligns of the feudal Ethiopian system and the capitalist USA. On the other hand when communist X-Soviet Union was supporting communist Ethiopia why USA didn’t supported Eritrea? It is mystery and difficult to understand it. It was clear at that time when USA supports one block the X-Soviet Union used to support the other group. That was happening irrespective of the benefits the supporting group gets. They were just doing it for the sake of computation. That didn’t happen to Eritrea. Eritrea got none of the support from USA or X-Soviet Union. But won the war and got its independence alone.
We Eritreans have good reason to remember and celebrate the beginning of the armed struggle in September one 1961. We Eritreans have untold stories, unwritten heroism, and a lot buried events because of lack of capacity. Maybe there could be capacity on writers but when it comes on finances and organizing the work of the writers there is difficulties on managing it. Eritreans are not this time occupied with writing history. Individual Eritreans tries to begin writing history but frustrates of not existing an organized institute for helping writers. I don’t have the clue how it could be organized but if there could be established an institution that helps writers in counseling and financing the expenses of writing books and an organized means of distributing it. This favorable situation for writers is yet to be established. To write the untold story of Eritreans now is the time to establish this institution. If I may have a clue at all to suggest of how to establish this institution there need to be an organization initiated by the government but financed and governed by share holders of the institution. For example like Hidre or Sabur printing factory can be of the share holders. This institution has to be purely commercial oriented and it has to be subordinated by denotations. The rest let the talented and gifted personals manage it.
Eritreans in Oslo, Norway arranged to celebrate the commemoration of September one 1961 a fest and it was a joy to meet comrades from mass organizations during the armed struggle. Above all remembering Hamid Idress Awate who made this day realty gives flavor to the telling of the story.
Watch our video at http://www.afronorway.com/documents/youtube.php
Tesfamicael Yohannes
Oslo, Norway
September 2011
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