I offered my friend from Sweden to travel with my group – there was one extra seat. He declined. He was adamant that he would not like to see the President who has “jailed” a “journalist” from where he came from. I told him that I too am sorry for the unfortunate fate that has befallen his friend. I told him, however, that I would not like to pre-judge and condemn my government before I know the “whole” case. I would wait for the appropriate time when Eritrea is fully assured of its sovereignty when everything including his friend’s cased will be tackled. I told him that I have the greatest respect and faith for our government which, despite the sanction that had been placed upon it since 1998 (not just now), when it was invaded with the encouragement of foreign powers, it has kept the land free for us and the next generations for which I am grateful.
I argued to convince him that despite his conviction to the contrary, there may be a reason other than that of “journalism” connected to that 1998 invasion for that act that he did not like. Since he insisted on the journalism and independent press story fed to him by his mentors in Sweden, and in support of my argument I accessed Google and read him the following to convince him that “independent press” is not a business that “journalists” in some States in the USA, let alone poor countries can tackle – for lack of resources:
“Since 2008, more than 166 newspapers in the United States have closed down
or stopped publishing a print edition, according to Paper
Cuts<http://newspaperlayoffs.com/>,
SFN's Million Dollar Strategies for Newspaper Companies
reported<http://www.wan-press.org/article18560.html>
.
More than 39 titles did so in 2008, and the number rose to 109 in 2009. So far in 2010, more than 18 papers have closed down or stopped publishing a print version.
According to Paper Cuts, there have been nearly 35,000 job losses or buyouts in the U.S. newspaper industry since March 2007. From March to December 2007, more than 2,256 newspaper jobs have been reportedly eliminated or offered buyouts.
The numbers increased to more than 15,992 in 2008 and were at more than
14,783 in 2009. As of May 2010, there have been more than 1,797 job losses
or buyouts in newspaper companies in the country, according to the report,
Million Dollar Strategies for Newspaper Companies, released by SFN and
the World
Association of Newspapers and News Publishers <http://www.wan-ifra.org/>*”.*
After reading to him the above, I narrated to him about my visit to Eritrea in June 2011 where I witnessed the economic hardship worse than that in the USA where the newspapers business would not succeed for lack of the required funds to run that business, unless, as the government alleged, his friend “the journalist” was funded by unfriendly foreign elements. I told my friend that I had witnessed the shortage of paper-based commodities -- even the basic ones including toilet papers and napkins in bars and restaurants. I told him that, in Eritrea, for a newspaper business that had to import large amounts of papers in bulk for newspapers – in foreign currency – which is limited – without including the cost of wages to reporters – to so few readers – and where the advertisement revenue is not enough even to cover the cost of the rent of his office, would be difficult unless, as the government alleges his “journalist” was funded by outsiders. I mentioned to him that even books are not meeting their expected return of investments for lack of the number of readership.
In response to his additional argument that “there is no democracy” in
Eritrea, I tried to explain to him that the young people of 1960s (which our
leaders are) have grown witnessing the failures of Africa’s spoon-feed
governance style. Each and every African country has less gross domestic
income NOW than in the 1960 when they “gained” independence. I again
accessed the Meadna website where Ambassador Tesfamichael Gerahtu was
explaining the unique Eritrean experiment of political/social/economic
development to the Scottish Parliament. I let him see the Youtube which he
admired, and probably learned, for the first time, that the Eritrean
experiment of developing a nation where ማሕበራዊ ፍትሒ (communal justice,
slightly different than social justice) is the norm with its slogan ዓወት ንሓፋሽ
(Victory to Everyday Eritrean – not “masses” as many state). It is a
socio/economic system where “no Eritrean is left behind”.
My friend was convinced. He travelled with us to New York, and enjoyed himself with the happy crowd that flooded New York last Sunday.
Fisseha Habte
----[This List to be used for Eritrea Related News Only]---- Received on Thu Sep 29 2011 - 16:55:53 EDT
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