The dictionary definition of “intellectual” is a person who relies on intellect rather than on emotion or feeling. This definition is wide and I would like to narrow it down by using the criterion of educational level. For the purpose of this essay let’s define intellectual as a person who has an educational level of university diploma and above. Please note that I am not disregarding the knowledge of those who do not have that level of formal education, but simply wanted to focus on those “educated” groups in this essay.
In every society and generations, intellectuals are considered as a cream of the society which are different from an ordinary members of the society. The reason why the society give high regards to the educated is simply out of expectation of the educated take leadership to guide the society to a better place in their life. Other than this leadership role the society do not expect the intellectuals to feed them or to dress them or to provide them shelter. Ethiopia has significant number of intellectuals who are university instructors, researchers, technocrats in the bureaucracy, independent consultants and others who work for themselves and for various local and international organizations. The question is are these intellectuals living up to the expectation of the society?
The French philosopher, lawyer and strategist of civil disobedience Etienne de La Boetie (1530-1563) says “the tyrant has nothing more than the power that you confer up on him to destroy you. Where has he acquired enough eyes to spy you, if you do not provide them yourselves? How can he have so many arms to beat you with , if he does not borrow them from you? The feet that trample down your cities, where does he get them if they are not your own? How does he have any power over you except through you?” These questions remind me how many Ethiopian intellectuals compete each other to be the best servants of EPRDF rather than objecting EPRDF's injustice against the society.
Either because of desperation or opportunistic nature of petit-bourgeoisie, most of educated Ethiopians are the prisoner of their greed. The leaders of One-to-Five (Andi Leamist) in the government offices, the advisors of EPRDF affiliated parties, presenters of EPRDF programs, etc are all the educated persons. Only few of the educated guru aligned themselves with the opposition parties. After 2005 election, EPRDF distributed urban land to selected Addis Ababa University lecturers and other intellectuals, assigned them as a Board members in Government owned Enterprises so that they get allowance payment, invite them on donor sponsored workshop to make presentation and paid significant amount of honoraria. Through these financial and non-financial benefits, Ethiopian intellectuals are prisoners of EPRDF. It is sad most of them have no willingness to be free.
Only few educated Ethiopians work to disentangle the society from the oppressive coils of EPRDF. The rest have tied to EPRDF by cords of benefit and hope to get benefit next time too. Therefore, they are other gathering around EPRDF to get their share from the booty or standing ready to provide service whenever called for service to get undue benefit in return. Such greed is holding Ethiopian intellectuals back from writing, speaking and doing anything against the tyrant government in Ethiopia. That is why they fail to live up to the expectation of the society.
In every society there are opportunistic individuals and the number of these individuals are surprisingly many in poor countries. Even in the standard of poor country, the number of opportunist intellectuals are huge in Ethiopia and requires attention. This behavior is spoiling young generation and we are going to have a society which doesn’t care about the country, about the future, about others, but only for themselves. In other words, we are going to the direction when people are losing human value and about to be converted to animalism where the survival of the fittest is the rule and killing for living is the nature. Hence, my request to Ethiopian intellectuals is this: please use your knowledge power for the emancipation of Ethiopian people from the tyrant EPRDF not otherwise.
In every society and generations, intellectuals are considered as a cream of the society which are different from an ordinary members of the society. The reason why the society give high regards to the educated is simply out of expectation of the educated take leadership to guide the society to a better place in their life. Other than this leadership role the society do not expect the intellectuals to feed them or to dress them or to provide them shelter. Ethiopia has significant number of intellectuals who are university instructors, researchers, technocrats in the bureaucracy, independent consultants and others who work for themselves and for various local and international organizations. The question is are these intellectuals living up to the expectation of the society?
The French philosopher, lawyer and strategist of civil disobedience Etienne de La Boetie (1530-1563) says “the tyrant has nothing more than the power that you confer up on him to destroy you. Where has he acquired enough eyes to spy you, if you do not provide them yourselves? How can he have so many arms to beat you with , if he does not borrow them from you? The feet that trample down your cities, where does he get them if they are not your own? How does he have any power over you except through you?” These questions remind me how many Ethiopian intellectuals compete each other to be the best servants of EPRDF rather than objecting EPRDF's injustice against the society.
Either because of desperation or opportunistic nature of petit-bourgeoisie, most of educated Ethiopians are the prisoner of their greed. The leaders of One-to-Five (Andi Leamist) in the government offices, the advisors of EPRDF affiliated parties, presenters of EPRDF programs, etc are all the educated persons. Only few of the educated guru aligned themselves with the opposition parties. After 2005 election, EPRDF distributed urban land to selected Addis Ababa University lecturers and other intellectuals, assigned them as a Board members in Government owned Enterprises so that they get allowance payment, invite them on donor sponsored workshop to make presentation and paid significant amount of honoraria. Through these financial and non-financial benefits, Ethiopian intellectuals are prisoners of EPRDF. It is sad most of them have no willingness to be free.
Only few educated Ethiopians work to disentangle the society from the oppressive coils of EPRDF. The rest have tied to EPRDF by cords of benefit and hope to get benefit next time too. Therefore, they are other gathering around EPRDF to get their share from the booty or standing ready to provide service whenever called for service to get undue benefit in return. Such greed is holding Ethiopian intellectuals back from writing, speaking and doing anything against the tyrant government in Ethiopia. That is why they fail to live up to the expectation of the society.
In every society there are opportunistic individuals and the number of these individuals are surprisingly many in poor countries. Even in the standard of poor country, the number of opportunist intellectuals are huge in Ethiopia and requires attention. This behavior is spoiling young generation and we are going to have a society which doesn’t care about the country, about the future, about others, but only for themselves. In other words, we are going to the direction when people are losing human value and about to be converted to animalism where the survival of the fittest is the rule and killing for living is the nature. Hence, my request to Ethiopian intellectuals is this: please use your knowledge power for the emancipation of Ethiopian people from the tyrant EPRDF not otherwise.
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