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US country music star Kris Kristofferson dies, aged 88
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/30/2024
Posted By:utopia online

Kris Kristofferson, the award-winning country singer and actor who worked with Johnny Cash and Martin Scorsese, has died aged 88. A representative said he passed away "peacefully" at his home in Hawaii on Saturday, surrounded by family. The statement described Kristofferson as "a peacenik, a revolutionary, an actor, a superstar, a sex symbol, and a family man." The multi-award winner was known for his songwriting, notably credited for Me and Bobby McGee, and Help Me Make It Through the Night, among others. He also acted in the hit movie A Star Is Born.A message from his family said they were all "so blessed" for the time they had with him. "Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all,” said the message, quoted by CBS News, the BBC's US partner. Born in Brownsville, Texas, on 22 June, 1936, Kristofferson became a leading figure in country music. “When I got started, I was one of the people hoping to bring respect to country music,” he said, according to the family message. “Some of the songs I had that got to be hits did that. I imagine that’s why somebody might vote me into a Hall of Fame. I know it’s not because of my golden throat.” Kristofferson studied writing at Pomona College in California and later went to Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. He earned his masters from Oxford in 1960, then returned to the US and joined the army. He was assigned by the military to teach literature, which he said "sounded like hell". In 1965 he visited Nashville, and within two weeks had resigned from his army post and moved to the country music hub to pursue his music career. The head of the Country Hall of Fame and Museum said he left behind “a resounding legacy”. “Kris Kristofferson believed creativity is God-given, and those who ignore such a gift are doomed to unhappiness,” Kyle Young wrote on X. “He preached that a life of the mind gives voice to the soul, and his work gave voice not only to his soul but to ours.” He won three Grammys for best country song, Help Me Make It Through the Night in 1972, and two separate duets with Rita Coolidge (1974, 1976), to whom he was married in the 1970s.In 1971 Kristofferson debuted as an actor, going on to win a Golden Globe for his portrayal of John Norman Howard in A Star Is Born (1976) opposite Barbra Streisand's Ester Hoffman. Streisand shared a tribute to her co-star on Instagram, saying she knew watching him perform for the first time that he was "something special" and the perfect choice for A Star Is Born. At her latest concert in London's Hyde Park in 2019, she invited Kristofferson on stage to sing a duet from the film. "He was as charming as ever, and the audience showered him with applause. It was a joy seeing him receive the recognition and love he so richly deserved," she said. His acting career saw him take on numerous roles, including in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Lone Star, and the Blade franchise. In 1985 Kristofferson joined friends Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson to form a supergroup called The Highwaymen. “Every time I look at a picture of Willie and me and John and Waylon, I find it amazing that they let the janitor in there,” he told journalist Mikal Gilmore, referring to his former job at CBS's Nashville studio. In 2003, Kristofferson received the Free Speech Award from the Americana Music Association. A year later, he became a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. He also received multiple lifetime achievement honours, including from The Recording Academy, the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. Kristofferson is survived by his wife Lisa, his eight children, and seven grandchildren.


Type:Social
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Biden was right to stand aside in critical election, Clinton says
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/30/2024
Posted By:utopia online

Hillary Clinton has told the BBC that Joe Biden "did the right thing" by standing aside in the US presidential election after his stumbling debate performance against Donald Trump earlier this year. "I was with him a week before that disastrous debate and I saw no reason why he should have stepped down," the former first lady said in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "But once that debate happened, he could not recover and he did the right thing," she said. Clinton, who ran unsuccessfully for president against Trump in 2016, said she believed "the future of democracy is at stake" in November's election which polls suggest is extremely tight.She has thrown her full support behind Kamala Harris, who replaced President Biden as the Democratic candidate, calling on her to "defeat Donald Trump to break the fever that he has caused in our political system". "The two candidates have presented extremely different agendas for where they want to take our country," Clinton told Today presenter Amol Rajan in the BBC interview. The election, she said, would have repercussions far beyond the US including "whether or not we continue supporting Ukraine, whether we can get some kind of workable resolution in the Middle East and so much else". Trump: Time to settle Russia's war Trump or Harris: diplomats resigned to either Could Trump really deport one million immigrants?Trump has previously indicated that he would cut US aid for Ukraine. After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York on Friday, the former US president said he had "a very good relationship" with both Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. “We both want to see a fair deal made," Trump said. The war, he added, "should stop and the president (Zelensky) wants it to stop, and I’m sure President Putin wants it to stop and that’s a good combination.”Clinton, who served as secretary of state in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2013, also criticised Trump's promise to begin a mass deportation of illegal immigrants if elected. "Let's start with one million,” his vice-presidential pick JD Vance said of the plan in August. “That's where Kamala Harris has failed. And then we can go from there.” "He is going to have a military presence [in US cities] to achieve his goals," Clinton said on Monday. "If you look a certain way, if you talk a certain way, you will be subject to these Draconian measures."When asked what drives Trump's support, she told the BBC that "people support him for different reasons" including feeling "overlooked" and "unseen" or that the "economy doesn't work for them". "I think our problem is frankly we are not the most effective messengers," she said of the Democratic Party. "About what we see and what we’re trying to do to address these real and legitimate concerns that people have. I recognise and accept my share of the responsibility." "It is hard in a time when politicians are expected to be more entertaining, where social media demands that you be outrageous, that you say something that breaks through, to do the hard, boring work of actually getting things done," Clinton said. Asked whether she felt Biden should have withdrawn from the race earlier than he did in July, she strongly rejected the suggestion. But she said she thought Harris had "performed flawlessly" since then. The election will be held on 5 November and the new president will take office in January. Polls are currently very tight in the seven states considered as crucial in the contest, with just one or two percentage points separating the two candidates. Clinton, 76, was the first woman nominee for president from a major political party when she ran against Trump in 2016. Her husband, Bill Clinton, who she married in 1975, was president from 1993 until 2001. She is currently promoting a new memoir, a collection of essays called "Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love and Liberty".


Type:Social
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UNESCO chairs & partners forum kicks off in Addis Ababa tomorrow
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/30/2024
Posted By:utopia online

The International Forum of UNESCO Chairs and Partners convened by the African Union Commission and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is set to commence in Addis Ababa on 30th of September 2024. Organised by UNESCO under the patronage of Sahle-Work Zewde, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, this meeting aims to strengthen interdisciplinary and collaborative research capacity in Africa, including through more inclusive and effective South-South and South-South-North research partnerships. The event will be convened from Monday 30 September to Wednesday 2 October 2024, under the theme “Transforming Knowledge for Africa’s Future”. The future of humanity is inextricably linked to Africa’s future. Yet, established narratives around the future of the continent continue to reflect the long-standing imbalances in knowledge production and in academic research on Africa. Research remains largely dominated by institutions in, or with close links to, the Global North. Reframing the narrative around Africa’s future requires the mobilization of diverse knowledge traditions. Pursuant to the Forum’s theme, transforming knowledge systems is deemed by UNESCO as crucial for Africa to overcome the existing barriers and unlock its full potential for sustainable development. The opportunities offered to younger generations for many decades to come will be shaped by how well Africa harnesses knowledge and innovation. There is therefore need for a paradigm shift in how knowledge is generated, shared, and used in Africa, paving the way for a more just, sustainable, and prosperous future. The co-construction of a shared research agenda for the future of Africa must draw from diverse yet complementary forms of knowledge, perspectives, and contexts. It implies interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, cross-cultural, and forward-looking approaches nourished by diverse ecologies of knowledge, that includes valuing and integrating indigenous knowledge systems.


Type:Social
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Thirty killed in one county after hurricane swamps North Carolina
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/30/2024
Posted By:utopia online

At least 30 people have died and scores more are unaccounted for in just one county in North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene tore across the state and caused catastrophic flooding. A clearer image of the damage the storm inflicted after barrelling through Florida and Georgia emerged throughout Sunday, with Buncombe County appearing to be the hardest hit area. “We have biblical devastation,” said Ryan Cole, an emergency official in the county, which contains the mountain city of Asheville. "This is the most significant natural disaster that any one of us has ever seen." At least 105 people have died nationwide since the hurricane made landfall in Florida on Thursday, according to the BBC's US partner CBS, and that figure is expected to rise as officials reach more areas. Helene began as a hurricane - the most powerful on record to hit Florida's Big Bend, and moved north into Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee. The majority of deaths have been confirmed in North and South Carolina where Helene landed as a tropical storm. On Sunday evening, officials in North Carolina said 30 people had died in Buncombe County alone. Crews across the state are battling power and mobile service outages, downed trees and hundreds of closed roads. Some residents returned to find their homes entirely destroyed on Sunday. And with some 1,000 people still unaccounted for in Buncombe County, relatives are working to locate family members with limited mobile service. "This storm has brought catastrophic devastation... of historic proportions," North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said. The American Red Cross has opened more than 140 shelters for those in south-eastern states who evacuated their homes. More than 2,000 people are currently using the shelters, the organisation said on Sunday.Erin Quevedo, the owner of a flooded salon in Buncombe County, spoke to The Asheville Citizen Times while ankle-deep in mud. "The salon was completely destroyed. It looks like the water came up to about five feet inside," she said. "Right now, all we're doing is we're trying to salvage what we can." Rescue operations are ongoing in North Carolina and supplies, including food and water, are being delivered by air to affected areas that cannot be reached due to closed roads. "People are desperate for help and we are pushing to get it to them - [it is] a massive effort," Governor Cooper said. The North Carolina National Guard has rescued more than 119 people - including one infant, according to Major General Todd Hunt. He said the largest rescue was of 41 people north of Asheville. Many petrol stations are closed throughout North Carolina with long queues of cars at those that are still open. Meanwhile, the few open supermarkets have been crowded by customers attempting to buy bottled water. In pictures: Hurricane Helene destruction The damage from the storm is estimated at between $95bn and $110bn (£71bn-£82bn) nationwide. The scale of the destruction will become clearer in the coming days.The search for survivors is ongoing and federal emergencies have been declared in six states, including Florida and Georgia. "The devastation we're witnessing in Hurricane Helene's wake has been overwhelming," President Joe Biden said on Saturday. He was briefed by Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who he directed to speed up support to storm survivors, including deployment of extra teams to North Carolina. Some of the areas most affected by the storm lie in states expected to be decisive in November's presidential election, namely Georgia and North Carolina. The White House has said Vice President Kamala Harris will visit affected areas as soon as she can do so without affecting rescue operations. Meanwhile Donald Trump's campaign said he would visit the Georgia city of Valdosta on Monday. Although Helene has weakened significantly, forecasters warn that high winds, flooding and the threat of tornadoes could continue. There could be as many as 25 named storms in 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned earlier this year. Between eight and 13 of those storms could develop into hurricanes and a handful already have, including Helene. More storms could be on the horizon, officials warned, as the official end of hurricane season is not until 30 November.


Type:Social
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Far right in Austria 'opens new era' with election victory
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/30/2024
Posted By:utopia online

Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) has opened the door to a new era, its leader Herbert Kickl has told supporters, as they celebrated an unprecedented election victory. Kickl's party won 29.2% of the vote according to official provisional results - almost three points ahead of the conservative People's Party (ÖVP) on 26.5%, but far short of a majority. Kickl's victory is only the latest in a string of far-right election successes in Europe and he praised voters for their "optimism, courage and trust" in delivering a "piece of history". The FPÖ has been in coalition before, but the second-placed ÖVP has refused to take part in a government led by Kickl.Kickl's main rival, incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer of the ÖVP, has said it's “impossible to form a government with someone who adores conspiracy theories”. There was a high turnout of 74.9% as Austrian voters took part in an election dominated by the twin issues of migration and asylum, as well as a flagging economy and the war in Ukraine. As half the map of Austria turned dark blue, FPÖ general secretary Michael Schnedlitz said "the men and women of Austria have made history today", although he refused to say what kind of coalition his party would try to build. An analysis of voters suggested those aged 35-59 were most likely to vote for the far right, and marginally more women than men.Kickl's party has won 58 seats in the 183-seat parliament, with the conservatives on 52 and the Social Democrats on 41. The Freedom Party's fiery leader had promised Austrians to build "Fortress Austria", to restore their security, prosperity and peace, and he has aligned himself closely with Viktor Orban in neighbouring Hungary. Social Democrat leader Andreas Babler warned that Austria must not go the same way as Hungary. Kickl had also spoken of becoming Volkskanzler (people's chancellor) which for some Austrians carries echoes of the term used to describe Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany. The party was founded by former Nazis in the 1950s. Two days before the vote some of its candidates were caught on video singing an SS song at a funeral. As the FPÖ's victory became clear, a small group of protesters appeared outside parliament carrying anti-Nazi banners.Forming a coalition is likely to prove complicated for Kickl, who is a divisive figure. The Social Democrats, Greens and Neos have all ruled out a partnership with the far right. The only possible coalition Kickl's party could form is with the conservatives, although the FPÖ would have to find a solution to the ÖVP's refusal to have Kickl as chancellor. When Geert Wilders' Freedom Party won the Netherlands' election last November, he dropped his bid to become prime minister so that three other parties would agree to form a coalition. However, Kickl is keen to lead his country, promising Austrians to act as their "servant and protector". Political analyst Thomas Hofer told the BBC it was by no means clear that Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, who oversees the formation of government, would give Kickl a “direct mandate to form a coalition”. The ÖVP could in theory scrape together a coalition with the Social Democrats if the latest projections are correct, and could attract the liberal Neos party or the Greens. Equally, Karl Nehammer may come under pressure from within the ÖVP to drop his objection. One leading FPÖ figure said after such a historic defeat he should resign, although that was rejected by the general secretary of Nehammer's party.President Van der Bellen has voiced reservations in the past about the FPÖ because of its criticism of the EU and its failure to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The party opposes EU sanctions on Moscow, citing Austria's neutrality, and many of its MPs walked out of a speech to the parliament in Vienna last year by Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. Kickl's victory is the latest in almost a year of vote successes for radical right-wing parties in Europe. Italy's Giorgia Meloni heads a right-wing coalition as leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party and Germany's AfD topped the polls in the eastern state of Thuringia last month. France's National Rally won the vote in European elections last June. Unlike Kickl, Italy's prime minister has given her full backing to the EU's defence of Ukraine in the face of Russia's full-scale invasion. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel congratulated Kickl, posting a picture of the two together, and Marine le Pen of the National Rally said "this groundswell carrying the defence of national interests", after the votes elsewhere in Europe, confirmed the "people's triumphs everywhere". Geert Wilders said times were changing, and that "identity, sovereignty, freedom and no more illegal immigration/asylum" was what millions of Europeans were longing for. Kickl has tapped into fears about immigration in Austria and he has made the most of anger at the government's handling of the Covid pandemic, embracing conspiracy theories about obscure treatments for the virus. For Kickl and his party, Sunday's election victory represents a significant recovery from 2019, when they came a distant third in the wake of a video sting scandal that engulfed their former leader.


Type:Social
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Austria's far right eyes unprecedented election win
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/28/2024
Posted By:utopia online

Austrians vote on Sunday in a general election that could see the far-right opposition Freedom Party (FPÖ) top the polls for the first time. Five years ago, the party crashed out of a coalition government with the conservative People’s Party because of a corruption scandal dubbed Ibiza-gate. But now, led by Herbert Kickl, the FPÖ is within reach of a historic victory. It narrowly leads the ruling conservatives in the opinion polls, and the opposition Social Democrats are in third place. Even if the Freedom Party manages to come first, no party is expected to win enough seats for an outright majority, and building a coalition is likely to be difficult. The FPÖ has successfully tapped into concerns about migration, rising inflation, the war in Ukraine and anger over the way the Covid pandemic was handled, and for months has been hovering around 27% in the polls, up to two points ahead of the conservative Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP) or Austrian People's Party, which is predicting a photo finish. “The chances have never been so great,” one of its campaign videos says. “As Volkskanzler (people's chancellor) Herbert Kickl will do everything to give you back your freedom, your security, your Wohlstand (prosperity) and your peace... Let’s build Fortress Austria!” It then shows Kickl saying that he wants to be “your servant and your protector”.Kickl’s use of the term Volkskanzler, which was used to describe Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, has worried some Austrians. For them it is an uncomfortable reminder of the FPÖ’s origins. It was founded by former Nazis in the 1950s. Protesters at the party's final election rally on Friday night waved banners reading "Nazis out of parliament". Like other far-right European parties, the FPÖ combines tough rhetoric on immigration and Islam with promises to reduce what it regards as interference from Brussels in national affairs. But Kickl has also aligned his party closely with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the self-styled champion of "illiberal democracy" and expressed a more conciliatory tone when it comes to Russia. The Freedom Party leader has called European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen a "warmonger" and opposes sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Political analyst Thomas Hofer says Kickl’s rhetoric has always been “very harsh and divisive”, but he believes election victory would not necessarily clear the way to heading a coalition government. “Of course it would be a totally new situation in the history of the Second Republic in Austria, because the Freedom Party came close a couple of times, but was never in first place, at least not on the general election level," he told the BBC. The party stunned European politicians under leader Jörg Haider in 1999, coming second in elections and joined a conservative-led government. When it joined a coalition in 2018, Herbert Kickl was interior minister, until the party became engulfed in corruption revelations. Now as leader the fiery Kickl has steered his party to what could be its best result yet. "It would be a kind of shockwave for the other parties, but it doesn't mean if the FPÖ comes in first, that they also will get the position of chancellor. This is by no means clear,” Thomas Hofer said. The FPÖ leader is widely disliked by other parties in Austria. The conservative People’s Party, led by Austria’s current chancellor Karl Nehammer, has repeatedly excluded joining a Kickl-led government, although it has not ruled out an alliance with his party.Austria’s President, Alexander Van der Bellen, has also expressed his reluctance to see Kickl lead the country. Other parties including the Social Democrats and Greens have also said they won’t form a government with the FPÖ. "No coalition with the far right," the Greens' Climate Action Minister Leonore Gewessler told the BBC. "We will not work in a coalition with the far right FPÖ, which denies climate change, which only works on dividing our society and spreading fear and conspiracy theories."Under Karl Nehammer, the conservatives have framed the vote as a choice between the incumbent chancellor or Kickl, seeking to attract centrist voters with slogans like “Vote Stability" and "Vote Centre”. Nehammer has said it is “impossible to form a government with someone who adores conspiracy theories”. Thomas Hofer highlights a lack of vision from both the conservatives and Social Democrats: "One big reason why [the FPÖ] could have this comeback is certainly the weakness of the others." He says forming a coalition government could take months. Although some 6.3 million Austrians aged 16 or over will be able to vote in Sunday's election, another 1.5 million long-term residents will not have the right, because of Austria’s highly restrictive citizenship laws. Across the country that means almost one in five is excluded, whereas in Vienna the proportion is as high as one in three. To highlight the issue, a charity organised an unofficial vote that attracted almost 20,000 people called Pass Egal Wahl – which translates as a passport-doesn't-matter election. Elisabeth Scherzenlehner, who teaches refugees German, brought her class along to the campaign group's rally in Vienna. “I think the FPÖ is a really strong negative voice, and I think there will be no mercy if they will come to rule Austria," she said.


Type:Social
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ፍቅር እና ሀገር
Catagory:Reading
Author:
Posted Date:09/28/2024
Posted By:utopia online

ከጥቂት ዓመታት በፊት ኢየሩሳሌምን ለመጀመርያ ጊዜ ለማየት መጥቼ ነበር፡፡ ስመለስ አውሮፕላኑን የሞሉት ቤተ እሥራላውያን ነበሩ፡፡ በመካከሉ አንዱን ሽማግሌ «የት እየሄዳችሁ ነው?» ብዬ ጠየቅኳቸው፡፡ «ወደ አዲስ አበባ» አሉኝ፡፡ «ምነው አልቀበል አሏችሁ እንዴ» ስል መልሼ ጠየቅኳቸው፡፡ «ኧረ ከሄድን ስድስት ዓመታችን ነው» አሉኝ፡፡ «ታድያ ለምን ትመለሳላችሁ» «ዋንዛዬ ጠበል ልንነከር ነው» ዋንዛዬ ጠበልን ዐውቀዋለሁ፡፡ ደቡብ ጎንደር የሚገኝ ፍል ጠበል ነው፡፡ «እናንተ ቤተ እሥራኤል አይደላችሁ እንዴ እንዴት ዋንዛዬ ጠበል ትሄዳላችሁ» «ብንሆንስ የኖርንበት አይደል፤ የኖርንበትን ልንተወው ነው» ተገርመው ነበር የመለሱልኝ፡፡ እውነታቸውን ነበር፡፡ መልካቸው፣ጠባያቸው፣ ባህላቸው፣ አምሮታቸው፣ ሥነ ልቡናቸው ኢትዮጵያዊ ነው፡፡ አንድ ሊቅ አንድ ጊዜ እንዲህ ብለው ጠይቀው ነበር፡፡ «ሰው ነው በሀገር ውስጥ የሚኖረው ወይንስ ሀገር ነው በሰው ውስጥ የሚኖረው?» አንዳችን ይህንን ሌሎቻችን ደግሞ ያንን መለስን፡፡ እርሳቸው ግን እንዲህ አሉን «መጀመርያ ሰው በሀገር ውስጥ ይኖራል፡፡ ይህ ቀላሉ ነገር ነው፡፡ የመወለድ ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ የፈቃድ ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ የአሠራር ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ የመታወቂያ ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ ዋናው ከዚያ በኋላ የሚመጣው ነው፡፡» «ከዚያ በኋላ ምን ይመጣል?» «ከዚያ በኋላ ግን ሀገር በሰው ውስጥ ትኖራለች፡፡ ይህችን ሀገር በሰው ልብ ውስጥ የሚተክላት ፍቅር ነው፣ ባህል ነው፤ ቤተሰብ ነው፤ እምነት ነው፤ ታሪክ ነው፤ ከዚያም በላይ ደግሞ አንዳች ሁላችንም የማናውቀው ኃይል ነው፡፡ እውነተኛ ዜጎች በሀገራቸው ውስጥ የሚኖሩ አይደሉም፡፡ ሀገራቸው በእነርሱ ልብ ውስጥ የምትኖር ናቸው፡፡ እነዚህ ዜጎች የትም ይኖራሉ፡፡ ሀገራቸው ግን በልባቸው ውስጥ ናት፡፡ «ሰውን ከሀገር ማስወጣት ቀላል ነው፡፡ የኃይል ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ የጊዜ ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ የሥልጣን ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ የመሬት ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ የፍርድ ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ የዐቅም ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ ሀገርን ከሰው ልብ ውስጥ ማውጣት ግን በጣም ከባድ ነው፡፡ ማንም ባለ ሥልጣን፣ ማንም ባለ ጉልበት፣ ማንም ባለ ጊዜ፣ የሚችለው አይደለም፡፡ «አንዳንዴ ራሱ ሰውዬው እንኳን አይችልም፡፡ እነዚህ ዘፋኞች ሲዘፍኑ «ሕመሜ» የሚሉትን ነገር ታውቃላችሁ? የሚወዱትን ነገር «ሕመሜ» ይሉታል፡፡ ተመልከቱ ያንን ነገር ይወዱታል፡፡ ነገር ግን ደግሞ ሲያስቡት ያማቸዋል፡፡ ሊጠሉት አልቻሉም፡፡ ሊተውት አልቻሉም፡፡ የተውት እና የረሱት ይመስላቸዋል፡፡ ግን ደግሞ ሲያስቡት ያማቸዋል፡፡ ነገሩ ከደማቸው እና ከነፍሳቸው ጋር ተዋሕዷልና መንቀል ይከብዳቸዋል፡፡ ባላሰቡት እና ባልጠበቁት ሁኔታ እየወጣ ያስቸግራቸዋል፡፡ ስለዚህ «ሕመሜ» ይሉታል፡፡ ሰው ሲያምመው ያለቅሳል እንጂ እንዴት ይዘፍናል? የሚያስዘፍን ሕመም አለ ማለት ነው፡፡ «ሀገርም ለአንዳንዶች እንዲህ ናት፡፡ የሚዘፍኑላት ሕመም ናት፡፡ ነቅለው ሊያወጧት ወይንም ተክለው ሊያጸድቋት ያልተቻለቻቸው ሕመም፡፡» እኒህ ሊቅ እውነታቸውን ነው፡፡ ሂዱ ግቡ ቴሌ አቪቭ፣ የእሥራኤል የፖለቲካ ከተማ፡፡ አያሌ ቤተ እሥራኤላውያን ሠፍረዋል፡፡ እነርሱ ራሳቸው ትንሿ ጎንደር ይሏታል፡፡ እንኮየ መስክን ጎንደር ላይ ታውቁታላችሁ? ዋናው የጠላው ሠፈር፡፡ አዝማሪ ሲያቀነቅን የሚያመሽበት ሠፈር፡፡ እዚህ ቴሌ አቪቭ አለላችሁ እንኮየ መስክ፡፡ እናንተ ይኼ ይገርማችኋል፡፡ ከጠላ ቤት አጠገብ ጣሳ ተተክሎ ብታዩ ምን ልትሉ ነው? ጎንደር እንኮየ መስክ እንዳይመስላችሁ፡፡ እዚህ በሰው ሀገር እሥራኤል ቴሌ አቪቭ ውስጥ ነው የምላችሁ፡፡ እነዚህ ቤተ እሥራኤላውያን ከኢትዮጵያ ወጥተው መጥተዋል፡፡ ኢትዮጵያ ግን ከእነርሱ ልቡና ልትወጣ አልቻለቸም፡፡ በሠለጠነው የአዲሲቱ ኢየሩሳሌም አውራ ጎዳና ላይ በቆዳ በተሠራ አንቀልባ፤ ያውም በዛጎል በተጌጠ ልጇን አዝላ የምትጓዝ እናት ታያላችሁ፡፡ እርሷ እምነቷ ይሁዲ እንጂ ልቧ ኢትዮጵያዊ ነውኮ፡፡ ግቡ ወደ ቤተ እሥራኤላውያን መንደር፡፡ ቋ ቋ ቋ ቋ ቋ ቋ የሚል ድምጽ ወደ እኩለ ቀን ስድስት ሰዓት አካባቢ ትሰማላችሁ፡፡ ጠርጥሩ እስኪ ምን ይመስላችኋል? ቡና ተቆልቶ እየተወቀጠኮ ነው፡፡ ከመንገድ ላይ የሚገዛ ቡና ንክች የማያደርጉ አያሌ ቤተ እሥራኤላውያን አሉ፡፡ እንዲያውም ዛሬ በቤተ እሥራኤላውያን ሬዲዮ ጣቢያ በእሥራኤል የኢትዮጵያ አምባሳደር አቶ ሕላዌ ዮሴፍ ቀርበው ነበር፡፡ ቤተ እሥራኤላውያንን እያስጨነቀ ያለውን ጥያቄ ሊመልሱ፡፡ የምን ጥያቄ ይመስላችኋል? «እንጀራ ካልበላሁ ምኑን በላሁት» የሚሉ በመቶ ሺ የሚቆጠሩ ወገኖች እዚህ አሉን፡፡ የሚያሳስባቸው የጤፍ ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ ጥያቄያቸው የእንጀራ ጥያቄ ነው፡፡ እዚህ ትንሿ ጎንደር ብቻ ሳይሆን በየቤቱ የዶሮ ዓይን የመሰለ ጠላ የሚጠምቁ ባለሞያዎች ሞልተዋል፡፡ እንዲያውም አንዷ ባለሞያ የጠመቁት ጠላ በጉዟችን መሐል ቀርቦ የአዲስ አበባ እናቶች ጉድ ጉድ ሲሉለት ነበር፡፡ አንዲት እናት እንዲያውም «እነዚህን የመሰሉ ወይዛዝርት እዚህ መጥተው ነዋ ሀገር ቤት ጠላው አልጥም ያለን» ሲሉ ሰምቻቸዋለሁ፡፡ ምን ጠላውን ብቻ፡፡ ብርሌ የሚያስም ጠጅ የሚጥሉም ሞልተዋል፡፡ ታድያ ምን ያደርጋል፡፡ ይሄ ሁሉ ሞያ ተሰልፎ ዶሮው በነጭ ጤፍ እንጀራ ካልቀረበ ነገር ተበላሸ፡፡ «ጋዜጠኞቹ እንዴው የጤፍ ጉዳይ ምን ይሻላል? እዚህ እንጀራ ሳይበሉ ውለው የማያድሩ በመቶ ሺ የሚቆጠሩ ዜጎች አሉ፡፡ የኢትዮጵያ መንግሥት አስተያየት ሊያደርግልን ይገባል» ሲሉ ነበር፡፡ እነዚህን ቤተ እሥራኤላውያን ከመቀመጫቸው አስፈንጥሮ የሚያስነሳቸው የእሥራኤልን ሀገር ዜማ ሲሰሙ እንዳይመስላችሁ፡፡ «እምየ ጎንደር ጎንደር ጎንደር የፋሲል ከተማ የቴዎድሮስ ሀገር» የሚለውን የሰሙ ጊዜ ነው፡፡ ያን ጊዜ አንገት ይወልቃል፤ ትከሻ ተፈታትቶ ይቀመጣል፤ ወገብ በነጠላ ሸብ ይደረጋል፡፡ ሽልማት ይጎርፋል፡፡ ሀገርን ከልብ ማውጣት ከባድ ነው፡፡ ኢትዮጵያውያን ከአንድ መቶ በላይ በሚሆኑ ሀገሮች ተበትነዋል፡፡ ከሀገራቸው ወጥተው የሚኖሩ ከሁለት ሚሊዮን በላይ ዜ¯ች እንዳሉን የሚገምቱ አሉ፡፡ ከአብዛኞቹ ልብ ውስጥ ግን ሀገራቸው አልወጣችም፡፡ ታላቁ አባት አትናቴዎስ ከባዛንታይናውያን በደረሰበት ጥቃት በተደጋጋሚ የእስክንድርያን መንበር እየተወ ተሰድዶ ነበር፡፡ በአንድ ወቅት ሮም ተገኝቶ በነበረ ጊዜ የሮሙ ሊቀ ጳጳስ ከእስክንድርያ በመባረሩ ማዘናቸውን ገለጡለት፡፡ እርሱም እንዲህ ብሎ መለሰላቸው «እኔን ከእስክንድርያ ማስወጣት ቀላል ነው፡፡ ከባዱ እስክንድርያን ከእኔ ልብ ውስጥ ማስወጣት ነው፡፡ እስክንድርያ ሩቅ አይደለችም፡፡ እስክንድርያ እኔ ልብ ውስጥ ናት፡፡ እኔ የማዝነው ከእስክንድርያ ሲያስወጡኝ አይደለም፡፡ እስክንድርያ ከእኔ ልብ ውስጥ ከወጣች ነው» ነበር ያለው፡፡በአሁኑ ጊዜ አራት ዓይነት ኢትዮጵያውያን አለን፡፡ 1. ኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ ያሉ፤ ኢትዮጵያም በእነርሱ ውስጥ ያለች እነዚህ ኢትዮጵያውያን ልብ ውስጥ ያለችው ኢትዮጵያ ልዩ ናት፡፡ በሀገራቸው ውስጥ ሆነው፣ ችግሯን እና መከራዋን ሁሉ አብረው ተቀብለው፤ ቢያዝኑም ሳይማረሩባት የሚኖሩ ናቸው፡፡ አቡነ ሺኖዳ «በአካል ካለችው ልብ በልባችን ውስጥ ያለችው ልብ ትበልጣለች» እንዳሉት በእነዚህ ኢትዮጵያውያን ውስጥ ያለችው ኢትዮጵያም ታላቅ ናት፡፡ በቀበሌው፣ በአስተዳደሩ፣ በአመራሩ፣ በአሠራሩ፣ በኢኮኖሚው፣ በኋላ ቀርነቱ ወዘተ ምክንያት በሚደርሰው ነገር አይለኳትም፡፡ እዚህ በዓይናቸው የሚያዩት ገጽታ በውስጣቸው ያለችውን ኢትዮጵያ ገጽታ አይቀይርባቸውም፡፡ የእነርሱ ኢትዮጵያ ታላቅ ናት፤ ኩሩ ናት፤ ጀግና ናት፤ ነጻ ናት፤ ውብ ናት፤ ፍቅር ናት፤ ሥልጡን ናት፡፡ ሲሠሩ፣ ሲደክሙ፣ ሲያለሙ፣ ሲሠው፣ ሲከፍሉ፣ በልባቸው ላለቺው ኢትዮጵያ ነው፡፡ በሚያዩዋት ኢትዮጵያ እንጂ በልባቸው ባለቺው ኢትዮጵያ አይማረሩም፡፡ 2. ኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ ያሉ፣ ኢትዮጵያ ግን በእነርሱ ውስጥ የሌለች እነዚህ በኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ አሉ፡፡ አንዳችም የኢትዮጵያ ጠባይ፣ ባህል፣ ፍቅር፣ ክብር፣ አመል፣ ስሜት፣ ወኔ፣ ቅንዐት በልባቸው ውስጥ የለም፡፡ ለእነርሱ ኢትዮጵያ መልክዐ ምድር ብቻ ናት፡፡ ቦታ ብቻ ናት፡፡ በሰሜን ኤርትራ፣ በደቡብ ኬንያ፣ በምዕራብ ሱዳን፣ በምሥራቅ ሶማልያ እና ጂቡቲ የሚያዋስኗት ሀገር ብቻ ናት፡፡ አለቀ በቃ፡፡ ኢትዮጵያ ብትወድቅ ብትነሣ፣ ብትሞት ብትድን፤ ቢያልፍላት ባያልፍላት፣ ብታድግ ብትደኸይ አይገዳቸውም፡፡ ሊጠቅሟት ሳይሆን ሊጠቀሙባት ብቻ ይፈልጓታል፡፡ ስለ እነርሱ እንድትኖር እንጂ ስለ እርሷ እንዲኖሩ አይፈልጉም፡፡ ለእርሷ አይሠውም፤ ለእነርሱ ግን ይሠውዋታል፡፡ 3. ከኢትዮጵያ የወጡ፣ ኢትዮጵያ ግን ከእነርሱ ልብ ያልወጣች፣ እነዚህ ደግሞ ወደውም ሆነ ሳይወዱ ከሀገር የወጡ ናቸው፡፡ በአካል ከሀገር ርቀዋል፡፡ በልባቸው ግን ኢትዮጵያን ፀንሰዋል፡፡ ደማቸው፣ ጠባያቸው፣ እምነታቸው፣ ዐመላቸው፣ ባህላቸው፣ ስሜታቸው ኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ ነው፡፡ ስሟን ሲሰሙ አንዳች ነገር እንደ ኤሌክትሪክ ይነዝራቸዋል፡፡ ልጆቻቸውን፣ ቤታቸውን፣ አቆጣጠ ራቸውን፣ ሃሳባቸውን፣ ምኞታቸውን፣ ጸሎታቸውን ሁሉ ኢትዮጵያኛ አድርገውታል፡፡ ለእነርሱ የጊዜ ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ አንድ ቀን ነፍሳቸውም ሥጋቸውም እዚያው ኢትዮጵያ ትኖራለች፡፡ ቢሞቱ እንኳን ሥጋቸው እንዲመለስ ይፈልጋሉ፡፡ 4. ከኢትዮጵያ የወጡ፤ ኢትዮጵያም ከእነርሱ ልብ የወጣች እነዚህ ደግሞ የሚኖሩትም ውጭ ነው፤ ኢትዮጵያም ከእነርሱ ወጥታለች፡፡ ምናልባትም መልካቸው ብቻ ካልሆነ በቀር አንዳችም ከሀገራቸው ጋር የሚያመሳስላቸው ነገር በዲኤን ኤ እንኳን ላይገኝ ይችላል፡፡ ለእነርሱ ኢትዮጵያ በምሥራቅ አፍሪካ የምትገኝ አንዲት ሀገር ናት፡፡ በቃ፡፡ ብትኖር ብትሞት ስሜት አይሰጣቸውም፡፡ አይኖሩባትም፤ አትኖርባቸውም፡፡ «ብረሳሽ ቀኜ ትርሳኝ፣ ባላስብሽ ምላሴ ከትናጋዬ ትጣበቅ» የሚል ምሕላ የላቸውም፡፡ ኢትዮጵያን ከልባቸው ማውጣት ብቻ ሳይሆን ከልጆቻቸው ልብ አንዳትገባም አድርገዋታል፡፡ በዓለም ባሉ ቋንቋዎች ሁሉ ሁለት ቃላትን መተርጎም ከባድ ነው ይባላል፡፡ «ፍቅር እና ሀገር»፡፡ ልብ እንጂ ቃል አይተረጉማቸውምና፡፡ እኛስ ከየትኞቹ ወገን ነን?


Type:Social
👁 :
Kamala Harris goes on offensive with 'tough on border' message
Catagory:News
Author:
Posted Date:09/28/2024
Posted By:utopia online

US Vice-President Kamala Harris has made a rare trip to the US-Mexico border as she seeks to blunt Republican attacks on immigration. Harris, who last visited the border in 2021, accused Donald Trump of being focused on "scapegoating instead of solutions" and "rhetoric instead of results". Earlier on Friday, the Republican nominee argued Harris was "getting killed" on the issue and supports "the worst bill ever drawn" on border security. Polls suggest more Americans trust Trump over Harris on handling the border and illegal immigration.Cochise County, a conservative stronghold in Arizona that became a hot spot for record-high border crossings last autumn, provided a backdrop for the Democratic nominee to inspect the border wall, speak with local officials and project a message of toughness. She claimed Trump "did nothing to fix our broken immigration system" as president, adding that Republicans were trying to force a "false choice" between border security and a "safe, orderly and humane" immigration system. "We can and must do both," she told supporters at a campaign event in Douglas. Harris vowed to further toughen asylum laws enacted earlier this year by President Joe Biden and to revive a bipartisan border security measure Trump helped block. But Jim Chilton, a local rancher, said he has "seen the evidence" of what Harris would do in power. "I've watched her and President Biden," he told the BBC. "We've had an open border policy. We now are understanding what that really means.” Every year, thousands of undocumented migrants walk through Mr Chilton's 50,000-acre ranch just south of Arivaca. He has motion-activated cameras that show the procession of people, all dressed in near-identical camouflage, across his land. He is convinced drug dealers and gang members are among them. Menacing signs threaten trespassers with death, but Mr Chilton has also installed drinking fountains so nobody dies making the hazardous journey. Three corpses were found on his land last year. A Trump supporter, Mr Chilton does not believe Harris will crack down on the flow of migrants. “She's changing her mind just to get votes and lie to us. It's outrageous," he said.Concerns over stemming the influx are ever present in tiny border towns like Douglas. Homeowners here can see through miles of border fencing into Mexico when they step out onto their front porches. One woman said her neighbours built brick walls around their homes to keep migrants from hiding out in their backyards. Even some Democrats here who are voting for Harris said they preferred Trump's border approach and felt safer during his tenure. Last year, a handful of churches and the town's visitor centre transformed overnight into makeshift shelters to house newcomers. Since then, the Biden administration has enacted tougher restrictions on seeking asylum and migrant crossings have plunged to four-year lows. Gail Kochorek is a dedicated volunteer who drives down to the wall to hand out food and water to people on the Mexican side, usually waiting until after dark to cross back into the US. To her, the political approach to immigration is increasingly dehumanising to people hoping to making a better life in her country. She is disappointed to hear Harris promising to crack down on migrants but, given a choice between her and Trump, the Democrat can count on Ms Kochorek's vote. Laughing at Trump's pledges to secure the border, she showed the BBC gaps in Trump's wall and where people could cut through the steel fencing. The former president has vowed to seal the border by completing construction of the barrier, increasing enforcement and implementing the largest mass deportation of undocumented migrants in US history. But earlier this year, he urged Republicans to ditch a hardline, cross-party border bill that was endorsed by Biden and Harris. "That's the worst bill ever drawn. It's a waste of paper," Trump told supporters earlier on Friday at a rally in Walker, in the swing state of Michigan. Denying that he lobbied congressional allies to tank the piece of legislation, Trump claimed Harris "want to see if she could salvage it and make up some lies". "She went to the border today because she's getting killed on the border," he said. In a statement following Harris's event, the Trump campaign characterised the visit as a "drop-in" and "photo op". The border crisis has been a major vulnerability for Harris. As vice-president, she has not directly shaped border policy but was put in charge of addressing the root causes of migration from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Her efforts targeted systemic issues like poverty, corruption, and violence, which for years have driven large numbers of people from these regions to make the treacherous journey to the United States. It is too soon to tell if the two-part strategy - bolstering democratic institutions and coaxing business leaders to invest in the region - is working, but Harris has taken a lot of blame for upward trends in migration. As a candidate, she has highlighted her experience as a prosecutor when she was attorney general of California, particularly in investigating transnational and cartel organisations, to emphasise her approach to tackling immigration-related challenges. Her recent remarks have aligned closely with Biden's emphasis on border security and law enforcement, but also reflect how the politics of the issue have shifted notably to the right. As she seeks to convince voters that she has a plan, her biggest challenge is finding an approach that balances the legal and humanitarian aspects of the immigration system.


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