Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Famous Lucy Fossil Scanned in Texas
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Archaeologists at the University of Texas at Austin were given a top secret look at Lucy, one of the world's most famous fossils.
The 3.2 million-year-old hominid skeleton, found in Ethiopia in 1974, made a 10-day stop at UTA's High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Facility in September after an eight-month exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences.
With guards standing close watch, UT scientists were allowed to make 35,000 computed tomography images of the ancient fossil. While U.S. researchers conducted a scan on the fossil in the 1970s, the new scans provide the first high-resolution data on the early human ancestor, the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman newspaper said Friday.
The fossil of a 3-foot-tall Australopithecus Francis is considered a national treasure in Ethiopia, where she is called Dinkenesh, which means "You are beautiful." Only her Ethiopian curator was allowed to touch any of the fossilized remains, the San Antonio Express-News said.
UT researchers said the scans allowed them to see inside the fossil without causing harm and should provide new information about human evolution.
The 3.2 million-year-old hominid skeleton, found in Ethiopia in 1974, made a 10-day stop at UTA's High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Facility in September after an eight-month exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences.
With guards standing close watch, UT scientists were allowed to make 35,000 computed tomography images of the ancient fossil. While U.S. researchers conducted a scan on the fossil in the 1970s, the new scans provide the first high-resolution data on the early human ancestor, the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman newspaper said Friday.
The fossil of a 3-foot-tall Australopithecus Francis is considered a national treasure in Ethiopia, where she is called Dinkenesh, which means "You are beautiful." Only her Ethiopian curator was allowed to touch any of the fossilized remains, the San Antonio Express-News said.
UT researchers said the scans allowed them to see inside the fossil without causing harm and should provide new information about human evolution.
Ethiopia: Bealu Girma Foundation Launched
Ethiopia: Bealu Girma Foundation Launched
17 February 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Addis Abeba — Baalu Girma Foundation has been founded by the daughter of the prominent author and journalist Baalu Girma twenty five years after he went missing during the Dergue Marxist regime.
According to Meskerem Bealu Girma, the Foundation will be based in Michigan in the US and would strive to empower creative writers and journalists underrepresented in East Africa.
She said the foundation-a non-profit organisation established to promote learning- intends to achieve its mission through long-term and short-term projects, workshops, and talent-based academic awards.
"It was 25 years ago today that the famous Ethiopian writer and journalist, Baalu Girma, was abducted by the military junta (Dergue) in Ethiopia. He hasn't been heard from since, but his legacy continues," Meskerem said in remarks about her slain father.
Bealu is widely known in Ethiopia for his brave and skillful criticism of prominent members of Ethiopia's former government in a famous book known as Oromai.
The book which was circulated underground after the socialist government put a ban on it, skillfully details the widespread corruption among top-government officials and Generals of the Army.
"Throughout his life, Baalu was a true pioneer in the field; he had a lifelong passion for journalism and writing. But, his fascinating personal life and his selfless contributions to Ethiopian journalism and literature deserve to be published on their own," the newly-formed foundation's official website-www.baalugirmafoundation.org.-wrote.
17 February 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Addis Abeba — Baalu Girma Foundation has been founded by the daughter of the prominent author and journalist Baalu Girma twenty five years after he went missing during the Dergue Marxist regime.
According to Meskerem Bealu Girma, the Foundation will be based in Michigan in the US and would strive to empower creative writers and journalists underrepresented in East Africa.
She said the foundation-a non-profit organisation established to promote learning- intends to achieve its mission through long-term and short-term projects, workshops, and talent-based academic awards.
"It was 25 years ago today that the famous Ethiopian writer and journalist, Baalu Girma, was abducted by the military junta (Dergue) in Ethiopia. He hasn't been heard from since, but his legacy continues," Meskerem said in remarks about her slain father.
Bealu is widely known in Ethiopia for his brave and skillful criticism of prominent members of Ethiopia's former government in a famous book known as Oromai.
The book which was circulated underground after the socialist government put a ban on it, skillfully details the widespread corruption among top-government officials and Generals of the Army.
"Throughout his life, Baalu was a true pioneer in the field; he had a lifelong passion for journalism and writing. But, his fascinating personal life and his selfless contributions to Ethiopian journalism and literature deserve to be published on their own," the newly-formed foundation's official website-www.baalugirmafoundation.org.-wrote.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Ethiopian breaks own world marathon mark
Sports Digest
September 29, 2008
Haile Gebrselassie smashed his marathon world record by 27 seconds, winning the Berlin Marathon in a city where he has had so much success. Gebrselassie, 35, of Ethiopia, took advantage of excellent conditions on a flat course to finish in 2hours, 3minutes, 59seconds. Despite an ailing calf, he shattered the mark he set in Berlin last year and became the first man to win this race three times. Gebrselassie thanked the crowd of about 1 million for helping him set his 26th world record. Gebrselassie first ran in Berlin in 2006 and clocked 2:05:56 before breaking the world record last year. In three years, he has improved nearly two minutes on his time. "Berlin is my lucky city," Gebrselassie said. In the women's race, Irina Mikitenko of Germany won in 2:19:19. She improved her personal best by more than four minutes to record the seventh-fastest time for a woman.
September 29, 2008
Haile Gebrselassie smashed his marathon world record by 27 seconds, winning the Berlin Marathon in a city where he has had so much success. Gebrselassie, 35, of Ethiopia, took advantage of excellent conditions on a flat course to finish in 2hours, 3minutes, 59seconds. Despite an ailing calf, he shattered the mark he set in Berlin last year and became the first man to win this race three times. Gebrselassie thanked the crowd of about 1 million for helping him set his 26th world record. Gebrselassie first ran in Berlin in 2006 and clocked 2:05:56 before breaking the world record last year. In three years, he has improved nearly two minutes on his time. "Berlin is my lucky city," Gebrselassie said. In the women's race, Irina Mikitenko of Germany won in 2:19:19. She improved her personal best by more than four minutes to record the seventh-fastest time for a woman.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Meet Yohannes Gebregiorgis a CNN Hero at TouchStone Gallery!
Bernos.org, in collaboration with Ethiopia Reads and Tsehai Publishers, is proud to host 'Cocktails for Reading' – an event that is in between a cocktail party and networking event among authors, publishers, readers and organizations involved with reading in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian diaspora community.
Our keynote speakers will be Yohannes Gebregeorgis, co-founder of Ethiopia Reads and recent CNN Hero, and Elias Wondimu, founder of Tsehai Publishers and Ambassador for Peace.
The Event will be held on:
October 11, 2008 beginning at 5:30 PM
Touchstone Gallery
406 7th Street NW – 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20004
For more information, please contact Tsilat Petros with Ethiopia Reads at tsilat@ethiopiareads.org.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Frequently Asked Questions about Zethiopia Corporation
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is Zethiopia Newspaper published?
The Newspaper is published bi-monthly. In addition to the newspaper, one-page newsflash editions are published for special events.
Zethiopia has a number of blogs that are updated regularly with community events and news.
Zethiopia also has a weekly radio program – Sundays from 5:00-6:00p.m. Tune in to 1390 AM.
How many Ethiopian languages is Zethiopia published in?
At this time, Zethiopia is only published in Amharic and English.
Who is Zethiopia’s Audience?
Zethiopia Newspaper has a readership in excess of 10, 000 and ever growing. Zethiopia is distributed to over 40 retail locations in the Greater DC Metro area and is mailed to US and International subscribers.
The estimated radio audience is in excess of 20,000 listeners.
Our audience includes Ethiopian Americans, the adoptive community, the non-profit community and others interested in the welfare of Ethiopia and Ethiopians.
What are your advertising rates?
For current rates, please contact Dereje@Zethiopia.com or call 202-518-0245.
Do you offer advertising packages?
We do! Zethiopia has a number of package options to include newspaper, radio and blog uploads.
What is your distribution program?
Zethiopia will distribute flyers/brochures/coupons to our audience – please contact Dereje for more information. Dereje@Zethiopia.com or call 202-518-0245.
What is Zethiopia Club?
Zethiopia Club is a group that was formed to promote sharing ideas and nurture learning in the community. It is based in the Washington D.C. area and there are monthly meetings. For more information, please visit www.zethiopia-club.blogspot.com or contact Dereje.
What is the Zethiopia Annual Gala Event?
Historically held in November in the DC area, this event unites the community for an evening of entertainment and camaraderie.
How often is Zethiopia Newspaper published?
The Newspaper is published bi-monthly. In addition to the newspaper, one-page newsflash editions are published for special events.
Zethiopia has a number of blogs that are updated regularly with community events and news.
Zethiopia also has a weekly radio program – Sundays from 5:00-6:00p.m. Tune in to 1390 AM.
How many Ethiopian languages is Zethiopia published in?
At this time, Zethiopia is only published in Amharic and English.
Who is Zethiopia’s Audience?
Zethiopia Newspaper has a readership in excess of 10, 000 and ever growing. Zethiopia is distributed to over 40 retail locations in the Greater DC Metro area and is mailed to US and International subscribers.
The estimated radio audience is in excess of 20,000 listeners.
Our audience includes Ethiopian Americans, the adoptive community, the non-profit community and others interested in the welfare of Ethiopia and Ethiopians.
What are your advertising rates?
For current rates, please contact Dereje@Zethiopia.com or call 202-518-0245.
Do you offer advertising packages?
We do! Zethiopia has a number of package options to include newspaper, radio and blog uploads.
What is your distribution program?
Zethiopia will distribute flyers/brochures/coupons to our audience – please contact Dereje for more information. Dereje@Zethiopia.com or call 202-518-0245.
What is Zethiopia Club?
Zethiopia Club is a group that was formed to promote sharing ideas and nurture learning in the community. It is based in the Washington D.C. area and there are monthly meetings. For more information, please visit www.zethiopia-club.blogspot.com or contact Dereje.
What is the Zethiopia Annual Gala Event?
Historically held in November in the DC area, this event unites the community for an evening of entertainment and camaraderie.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Zethiopia Distribution Services
Zethiopia Distribution Services
Does your organization have flyers or brochures that need to be distributed?
For more information or a copy of the distribution contract, please contact Dereje at dereje@zethiopia.com.
Ze Ethiopia Corporation
Zethiopia Newspaper & Radio
P.O. Box 2049
Fairfax, Virginia
22031
Does your organization have flyers or brochures that need to be distributed?
For more information or a copy of the distribution contract, please contact Dereje at dereje@zethiopia.com.
Ze Ethiopia Corporation
Zethiopia Newspaper & Radio
P.O. Box 2049
Fairfax, Virginia
22031
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Don't Wait! Subscribe to Zethiopia Today! Newspaper, Radio, Blogs and Club
Do you want to subscribe to Zethiopia? Click HERE to be taken to an on-line checkout system that you can use to place your subscription order.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Negussie Mengesha
Negussie Mengesha comes from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he started his journalism career in 1964 as news writer and reporter in the Voice of the Gospel, a radio station run by the World Lutheran Federation. He also used to be news anchor on the Ethiopian Television. In 1967, he won a scholarship and went to Cologne, West Germany where he studied journalism and political science at the Albertus Magnus University of Cologne. He also got a practical training in radio and TV journalism in the West German Broadcasting Cooperation (WDR), the largest German Radio and TV network.
Negussie worked in Deutche Welle (Voice of Germany) as an editor and broadcaster and later as the chief of the Amharic Service, a popular and widely listened program that was a major source of objective and balanced information in mid 1970s when Emperor Haile Seleassie ‘s semi feudal rule was overthrown by a popular up rising.
In 1977, he headed back to his native country to serve his people and promote the principle of free media. His dream didn’t last long when he was forced to flee his country. He lived over a year in the Sudan focusing and writing on the civil conflict in Ethiopia, the devastating famine catastrophe and the plight of Ethiopian refugees.
In 1981, Negussie immigrated to the United States and joined VOA in August of 1982 as a Senior Editor for the newly launched Amharic program targeted to Ethiopia, a country that was under the Soviet domination and a military dictatorship. He was one of the first staffer who played a key role in formulating and designing the program and training the new employees.
From 1986 to 1996, he was the Chief of the Amharic service. A former refugee himself, Negussie traveled several times to Sudan in the 1980s and made extensive coverage enhanced with sound and actualities about the lives of the Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees, the hardships they endured.
In 1984/85, he witnessed and reported when hundreds died from hunger, malaria, typhoid and other diseases. His program gave voice for the voiceless.
He also covered the peace negotiation between the former Ethiopian government and the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) mediated by President Jimmy carter in Nairobi, Kenya. Using his pen name Getahun Tamerat, he interviewed several Head of states and key political figures from the Horn region, including President Carter, President Buyoya of Burundi, President Issais Afeworki of Eritrea, the spiritual leader of Sudan, Hassan Turabi.
Using his pen name Getaun Tamerat, he produced the most popular program between the listenership in the target area and a bi-weekly panel discussion for the first time involving political leaders and key figures in substantive political discourse.
In 1985, Negussie was one of the first journalists who discovered and reported secretly organized massive transportation of Ethiopian Jews through Sudan to Israel. In 1989, he went to Israel and spent one week with the Ethiopian Jews, assessing their lives and adjustment in their new home and producing series of programs.
In 1996, Negussie started the USAID funded Central Africa Service, today one of the most successful services in VOA. Since December 2000, he is the Program Manager for the Africa Division. His responsibility covers nine Services broadcasting in 14 languages to the entire sub-Saharan countries of Africa, with a total audience of 49 million people.
In 2003, he helped start a new service in English, Shona and Endebele targeted to Zimbabwe where a dictatorial Mugabe government is controlling all media outlets, thus denying the free flow on information to its people.
In February of 2007, he again played a key role in crafting, designing and starting a new Somali radio program at the VOA, targeted to a war torn country of Somali and the rest of the Horn region.
Negussie has three children: Nengis, MBA graduate student at Kellogg Business School, Northwestern University Chicago, Tesfaye, a graduate student at School of Journalism, Colombia University, New York and Yamrot, a winner of the Banneker/Key Scholarship award, Sophomore, attending Honors program at the University of Maryland, College Park. Tesfaye and Yamrot are born in the USA.
Negussie worked in Deutche Welle (Voice of Germany) as an editor and broadcaster and later as the chief of the Amharic Service, a popular and widely listened program that was a major source of objective and balanced information in mid 1970s when Emperor Haile Seleassie ‘s semi feudal rule was overthrown by a popular up rising.
In 1977, he headed back to his native country to serve his people and promote the principle of free media. His dream didn’t last long when he was forced to flee his country. He lived over a year in the Sudan focusing and writing on the civil conflict in Ethiopia, the devastating famine catastrophe and the plight of Ethiopian refugees.
In 1981, Negussie immigrated to the United States and joined VOA in August of 1982 as a Senior Editor for the newly launched Amharic program targeted to Ethiopia, a country that was under the Soviet domination and a military dictatorship. He was one of the first staffer who played a key role in formulating and designing the program and training the new employees.
From 1986 to 1996, he was the Chief of the Amharic service. A former refugee himself, Negussie traveled several times to Sudan in the 1980s and made extensive coverage enhanced with sound and actualities about the lives of the Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees, the hardships they endured.
In 1984/85, he witnessed and reported when hundreds died from hunger, malaria, typhoid and other diseases. His program gave voice for the voiceless.
He also covered the peace negotiation between the former Ethiopian government and the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) mediated by President Jimmy carter in Nairobi, Kenya. Using his pen name Getahun Tamerat, he interviewed several Head of states and key political figures from the Horn region, including President Carter, President Buyoya of Burundi, President Issais Afeworki of Eritrea, the spiritual leader of Sudan, Hassan Turabi.
Using his pen name Getaun Tamerat, he produced the most popular program between the listenership in the target area and a bi-weekly panel discussion for the first time involving political leaders and key figures in substantive political discourse.
In 1985, Negussie was one of the first journalists who discovered and reported secretly organized massive transportation of Ethiopian Jews through Sudan to Israel. In 1989, he went to Israel and spent one week with the Ethiopian Jews, assessing their lives and adjustment in their new home and producing series of programs.
In 1996, Negussie started the USAID funded Central Africa Service, today one of the most successful services in VOA. Since December 2000, he is the Program Manager for the Africa Division. His responsibility covers nine Services broadcasting in 14 languages to the entire sub-Saharan countries of Africa, with a total audience of 49 million people.
In 2003, he helped start a new service in English, Shona and Endebele targeted to Zimbabwe where a dictatorial Mugabe government is controlling all media outlets, thus denying the free flow on information to its people.
In February of 2007, he again played a key role in crafting, designing and starting a new Somali radio program at the VOA, targeted to a war torn country of Somali and the rest of the Horn region.
Negussie has three children: Nengis, MBA graduate student at Kellogg Business School, Northwestern University Chicago, Tesfaye, a graduate student at School of Journalism, Colombia University, New York and Yamrot, a winner of the Banneker/Key Scholarship award, Sophomore, attending Honors program at the University of Maryland, College Park. Tesfaye and Yamrot are born in the USA.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Dr. Brook Lakew - Keynote Speaker - Zethiopia Club February 17, 2008
Dear Zethiopia Club Members:
Dr. Brook Lakew is one of the few scientists privileged to be present on the night of October 15, 1997 at Cape Canaveral, Florida to see the Cassini spacecraft leave its launching pad and begin its long journey to faraway Saturn.
After traveling in space for six years and nine months the spacecraft fired its engine causing it to slow down and successfully insert itself into Saturn’s orbit on July 1, 2004. At that point the spacecraft began sending data it was collecting from the mysterious and beautiful planet, much to the delight of the NASA scientists who had worked on building the spacecraft.
Dr. Lakew had the privilege of being a witness to the launching of the Cassini spacecraft: not as invited guest but because he is one of twelve NASA scientists who contributed to the building of the different and highly sophisticated instruments carried on board the spacecraft.
He is a member of the team that developed the far Infrared detectors carried by CIRS instrument onboard Cassini. The detectors are working perfectly and returning valuable data from the planet. The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS), measures infrared energy from the surfaces, atmospheres and rings of Saturn and its moons permitting the study of their temperature and composition.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Lakew was involved in the successful Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) mission launched in 1989 which looked back in time to detect the very faint whispers of the Big Bang- an event widely believed to have started the Universe as we know it about 15 billion years ago.
Dr. Lakew is now leading 3 funded projects to build the next generation infrared sensors for future missions to the outer planets of our solar system.
Dr. Lakew, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt (GSFC) Maryland is married and a father of two. He holds a PhD from the University of Paris (France) and has been working at NASA’s GSFC since 1984.
A true inspiration and pillar of our community, we look to Dr. Lakew to continue to lead by example, mentor our youth – and impact our future. I hope that you find Dr. Lakew’s insights and information regarding Global Warming as fascinating as I do and I welcome you to the Zethiopia Club.
Sincerely,
Dereje Desta
Dr. Brook Lakew is one of the few scientists privileged to be present on the night of October 15, 1997 at Cape Canaveral, Florida to see the Cassini spacecraft leave its launching pad and begin its long journey to faraway Saturn.
After traveling in space for six years and nine months the spacecraft fired its engine causing it to slow down and successfully insert itself into Saturn’s orbit on July 1, 2004. At that point the spacecraft began sending data it was collecting from the mysterious and beautiful planet, much to the delight of the NASA scientists who had worked on building the spacecraft.
Dr. Lakew had the privilege of being a witness to the launching of the Cassini spacecraft: not as invited guest but because he is one of twelve NASA scientists who contributed to the building of the different and highly sophisticated instruments carried on board the spacecraft.
He is a member of the team that developed the far Infrared detectors carried by CIRS instrument onboard Cassini. The detectors are working perfectly and returning valuable data from the planet. The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS), measures infrared energy from the surfaces, atmospheres and rings of Saturn and its moons permitting the study of their temperature and composition.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Lakew was involved in the successful Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) mission launched in 1989 which looked back in time to detect the very faint whispers of the Big Bang- an event widely believed to have started the Universe as we know it about 15 billion years ago.
Dr. Lakew is now leading 3 funded projects to build the next generation infrared sensors for future missions to the outer planets of our solar system.
Dr. Lakew, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt (GSFC) Maryland is married and a father of two. He holds a PhD from the University of Paris (France) and has been working at NASA’s GSFC since 1984.
A true inspiration and pillar of our community, we look to Dr. Lakew to continue to lead by example, mentor our youth – and impact our future. I hope that you find Dr. Lakew’s insights and information regarding Global Warming as fascinating as I do and I welcome you to the Zethiopia Club.
Sincerely,
Dereje Desta
Monday, October 22, 2007
Zethiopia 5th year Anniversary Gala Dinner
Zethiopia 5th year Anniversary Gala Dinner
(You do not want to miss this event!)
Saturday, November 10, 2007
From 5:00 PM to Midnight
at the Holiday Inn Eisenhower Metro
2460 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
for more information call - Zethiopia
202 518 0245
or e-mail dereje@zethiopia.com
(You do not want to miss this event!)
Saturday, November 10, 2007
From 5:00 PM to Midnight
at the Holiday Inn Eisenhower Metro
2460 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
for more information call - Zethiopia
202 518 0245
or e-mail dereje@zethiopia.com
Friday, October 12, 2007
Afewerk Tekle
Afewerk Tekle - http://www.maitreafewerktekle.com/
Afewerk Tekle (born 22 October 1932) is one of Ethiopia's most celebrated artists, particularly known for his paintings on African and Christian themes as well as his stained glass.
Born in Ankober to Feleketch Yamatawork and Tekle Mano, Afewerk grew up under the Italian occupation during the Second World War. Following the war, in 1947, Afewerk decided that he wanted to help rebuild Ethiopia and elected to travel to England to study mining engineering. Before departing, Afewerk, together with other students leaving to study overseas, was addressed by Emperor Haile Selassie. Afewerk recalls being told "you must work hard, and when you come back do not tell us what tall buildings you saw in Europe, or what wide streets they have, but make sure you return equipped with the skills and the mindset to rebuild Ethiopia".
Afewerk had already shown talent as an artist as a child, decorating several walls in his home town. Whilst at boarding school in England, this talent was recognised and encouraged by his teachers. As a result, Afewerk was persuaded to switch from engineering and enroll in Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. He then went on to become the first African student to enter the Slade School of Art where he studied painting, sculpture and architecture.
Returning to Ethiopia as a university graduate, Afewerk could have accepted an assigned ministerial post, but instead decided to spend time travelling around the provinces of Ethiopia to get more experience of his native country and culture, which he reflected in his paintings. In 1954 he held his first one man show in Addis Ababa, that gave him the funds to travel around Europe for two years where he learnt how to design and construct stained glass windows. He also made a special study on Ethiopian illustrated manuscripts in the British Library, the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris and the Vatican Library.
Back in Ethiopia, Afewerk opened a studio in the National Library of Ethiopia. His growing recognition lead to government commissions for murals and mosaics in Saint George's Cathedral, Addis Ababa, and several of his designs were used on the national stamps. He was also commissioned to produce sculptures of famous Ethiopians, although on the monumental statue of Ras Makonnen in Harrar was completed. Most notably, in 1958 he designed the stained glass windows in the Africa Hall of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa. The three windows cover an area of 150 square meters, and represent the sorrow of Africa's past, the struggle of the present, and hope for Africa's future.
In 1961 Afewerk held a major retrospective in Addis Ababa, which led to his painting Maskal Flower being shown at international exhibitions in Russia, the United States and Senegal. Increasing funds allowed Afewerk to travel around the continent of Africa. With much of Africa still emerging from colonialism, Afewerk became fired with black emancipation and the struggles for independence. This is reflected in his paintings of this time, with titles like Backbones of African Civilization and African Unity.
In 1964 he became the first laureate of the Haile Selassie I Prize for Fine Arts. As his reputation spread abroad, Afewerk was invited to put on an exhibition in Moscow following which he toured the Soviet Union giving lectures. The American government responded with an invitation for one man exhibitions in Washington and New York and a similar lecture tour of American universities. Additional international exhibitions followed in Senegal, Turkey, Zaire, the United Arab Republic, Bulgaria, Munich, Kenya and Algeria.
Through much of the 1970s Afewerk was engaged in producting murals and mosaics for many public and religious buildings around Ethiopia, including the murual Last Judgement in the Adigat Cathedral in Tigrai. In 1977, his painting Unity Triptych won the gold medal in the Algiers International Festival.
The early 1980s saw a second major exhibition in Moscow and an exhibition in Bonn. In 1981, his painting Self-portrait was the first work by an African artist to enter the permanent collection of the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
In 1997 he exhibited at the Biennale of Aquitaine, France, winning first prize in the international competition. He was also nominated the Laureate of the Biennale which gave him membership of the French International Academy of Arts.
Today Afewerk continues to live and work in Addis Ababa, in his self designed 22-room 'Villa Alpha'.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Noah Samara
Noah A. Samara is an Ethiopian-born lawyer better known for being the founder and Chief Executive Officer of WorldSpace,the world's first to launch satellite radio. He also played a pivotal role in the foundation of XM Satellite Radio. He claimed in many instances that the driving motive for the foundation of WorldSpace is to give millions of people in Asia and Africa access to information, so as to facilitate the curbing of the spread of disease in those regions, particularly AIDS. Samara's effort to launch a third satellite over Latin America got him embroiled in a bitter fight with the U. S. Department of Defense and Boeing, which use the L-band for communication during flight tests.
Personal life
Noah Samara was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to a Sudanese father and an Ethiopian mother. He left his home country and went to the United States at the age of 17 in search of better education. Samara received his bachelor’s degree in English from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania in 1978, a master’s degree in international business from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a doctor of jurisprudence from Georgetown University Law School. He is an attorney that has specialized in international communications satellite laws.
Earlier career
Before the foundation of WorldSpace, Samara was involved in the development of both geostationary and low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems since the mid-1980s. Samara's early career was in satellite telecommunications, first with Geostar Corporation and later with the Washington law firm of Venable, Baetjer, Howard & Civiletti.
WorldSpace
Samara, at the age of 34, became the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of the internationally known company,WorldSpace Corporation. Samara once told the graduates of East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania at a commencement ceremony:
In the mid-1980s, I read something that changed my life. It was an article in the Washington Post about AIDS in Africa and how it was spreading because millions of people had no information or the wrong information.It became clear to me that people weren’t simply dying of disease; they were dying of ignorance.Something had to be done. I came up with the idea of launching a satellite over Africa that would broadcast digital radio across the continent to inexpensive portable receivers. n 1990, I quit my job and devoted my body, mind and spirit to a quest that required securing international regulatory approval from 127 countries, designing a new communications system, building and launching satellites, establishing a corporation, hiring staff and raising capital to pay for it all. We needed around $1.5 billion to make it happen.
Quotes - At the end of the day, life is somewhat digital. You have either done something, or you have not.
This biography was found on Wikipedia.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
Millennium Timeline
What did take place during the thousand years since Ethiopians 'celebrated' a turn of millennium? Here is our attempt, feel free to add or improve it.
10th century - The rise of Zagwe Dynasty.
1119-1159 - The reign of King Lalibela who built the rock-hewn churches around the then capital, Roha.
1270 - The 'restoration' of the Solomonic Dynasty.
1530-31 - Muslim leader Ahmad Gragn conquers much of Ethiopia and was defeated and killed by the combined Ethiopian and Portuguese forces.
1632 - King Fasiledes forces out the increasingly dominant Portuguese Catholic missionaries and closes the door on the outside world, which culminated in what is called the Era of the Princes.
1818-68 - Lij Kassa conquers Amhara, Gojjam, Tigray and Shoa; thus putting an end to the Era of the Princes.
1855 - Kassa becomes Emperor Tewodros II.
1868 - Emperor Tewodros II opts to take his own life rather than surrender to British forces led by Robert Napier.
1872 - Another Kassa, this time from Tigray, becomes the emperor of Ethiopia assuming the throne name Yohannes IV.
1889 - Yohannes IV killed while fighting Mahdist forces and is succeeded by the king of Shoa, who becomes Emperor Menelik II.
1889 - Menelik signs a bilateral friendship treaty with Italy at Wuchale which Italy interprets as giving it a protectorate over Ethiopia.
1889 - Addis Ababa becomes Ethiopia's capital.
1895 - Italy invades Ethiopia.
1896 - The well drilled and well equipped Italian force suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of an untrained Ethiopian army that was severely short on arms but had an abundance of passionate patriotism, thus doing to European colonialism what the Haitian revolution did to slavery.
1913 - Menelik dies and is succeeded by his grandson, Lij Iyasu.
1916 - Lij Iyasu deposed and is succeeded by Menelik's daughter, Zawditu, who rules a regent, Ras Tafari Makonnen.
1930 - Zawditu dies and is succeeded by Ras Tafari Makonnen, who becomes Emperor Haile Selassie I.
1935 - Italy invades Ethiopia, again.
1936 - Italians capture Addis Ababa, king of Italy made emperor of Ethiopia. While Il Duce Mussolini and his cohorts were busy with their impossible dream of creating an Italian East Africa by merging Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia on paper, Ethiopian patriots were busy depriving their forces time to settle by mounting a resistance that was to prove fatal to the grand colonial fantasy. Emperor Haile Selassie fled to Europe and opened a diplomatic front against the invasion.
1941 - Patriots of the Ethiopian resistance - the arbegnoch - ,greatly aided by British and Commonwealth troops, defeat the Italians, and restore Haile Selassie to his throne.
1952 - United Nations federates Eritrea with Ethiopia.
1962 - Haile Selassie annexes Eritrea, which becomes an Ethiopian province.
1963 - First conference of the Organisation of African Unity held in Addis Ababa.
1973-74 - An estimated 200,000 people die in Wallo province as a result of famine.
1974 - Haile Selassie overthrown in military coup. General Aman Andom becomes head of state.
1975 - Haile Selassie dies in mysterious circumstances while in custody. General Aman was killed by the Derg and replaced by General Teferi Benti.
1977 - General Teferi killed and replaced by Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam.
1977-79 - Thousands of government opponents die in "Red Terror" orchestrated by Mengistu; collectivization of agriculture begins; Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Party(EPRP) Tigrayan People's Liberation Front(TPLF) launch wars against the regime.
1977 - Somalia invades Ethiopia's Ogaden region.
1978 - Somali forces defeated with massive help from the Soviet Union and Cuba.
1984-85 - Worst famine in a decade strikes; Western food aid sent; thousands forcibly resettled from Eritrea and Tigre.
1987 - Mengistu elected president under a new constitution.
1988 - Ethiopia and Somalia sign a peace treaty.
1991 - Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front captures Addis Ababa after Mengistu fled the country; Eritrea establishes its own provisional government pending a referendum on independence.
1992 - Haile Selassie's remains discovered under a palace toilet.
1993 - Eritrea becomes independent following referendum.
1994 - New constitution divides Ethiopia into ethnically-based regions.
1995 - Negasso Gidada becomes titular president; Meles Zenawi assumes post of prime minister.
1998 - Ethiopian-Eritrean border dispute erupts into armed clashes.
1999 - Ethiopian- Eritrean border clashes turn into a full-scale war.
2000 June - Ethiopia and Eritrea sign a ceasefire agreement which provides for a UN observer force to monitor the truce and supervise the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Eritrean territory.
2000 November - Haile Selassie buried in Addis Ababa's Trinity Cathedral.
2000 December - Ethiopia and Eritrea sign a peace agreement in Algeria, ending two years of conflict. The agreement establishes commissions to delineate the disputed border and provides for the exchange of prisoners and the return of displaced people.
2001 24 February - Ethiopia says it has completed its troop withdrawal from Eritrea in accordance with UN-sponsored agreement.
2002 April - Ethiopia, Eritrea accept a new common border, drawn up by an independent commission, though both sides then lay claim to the town of Badme.
2003 April - Independent boundary commission rules that the disputed town of Badme lies in Eritrea. Ethiopia says the ruling is unacceptable.
2004 January-February - Nearly 200 killed in ethnic clashes in the western region of Gambella. Tens of thousands flee area.
2004 March - Start of resettlement program to move more than two million people away from parched, over-worked highlands.
2004 November - Ethiopia says it accepts "in principle" a boundary commission's ruling on its border with Eritrea. But a protracted stalemate over the disputed town of Badme continues.
2005 March - US-based Human Rights Watch accuses army of "widespread murder, rape and torture" against Gambella region's ethnic Anuak people. Military angrily rejects charge.
2005 April - First section of Axum obelisk, looted by Italy in 1937, is returned to Ethiopia from Rome.
2005 May - Third multi-party elections: Protests over alleged fraud precipitate violent protests in which around 40 people are shot dead.
2005 August-September - Election re-runs in more than 30 seats: Officials say the ruling party gains enough seats to form a government.
2005 November - 46 protesters die in fresh clashes over May's elections. Thousands of people, including opposition politicians and newspaper editors, are detained.
2005 December - International commission, based in The Hague, rules that Eritrea broke international law when it attacked Ethiopia in 1998.
More than 80 people, including journalists and many opposition leaders, are charged with treason and genocide over November's deadly clashes.
2006 May - Six political parties and armed groups form an opposition alliance, the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy, at a meeting in the Netherlands.
Several bomb blasts hit Addis Ababa. No organization claims responsibility.
2006 August - Several hundred people are feared to have died and thousands are left homeless as floods hits the north, south and east.
2006 September - Ethiopia denies that its troops have crossed into Somalia to support the transitional government in Baidoa.
2006 October - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urges Eritrea to pull back the troops it has moved into the buffer zone on the Ethiopian border. The UN says the incursion is a major ceasefire violation.
War of words between Ethiopia and Islamists controlling much of Somalia. Prime Minister Meles says Ethiopia was "technically" at war with the Islamists because they had declared holy war on his country.
2006 November - UN report says several countries - including Ethiopia - have been violating a 1992 arms embargo on Somalia by supplying arms to the interim government there. Ethiopia's arch enemy Eritrea is accused of supplying the rival Islamist administration.
Ethiopia and Eritrea reject a proposal put forward by an independent boundary commission as a way around a four-year impasse over the demarcation of their shared border.
2006 December - Exiled former dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam is convicted, in absentia, of genocide at the end of a 12-year trial. In January 2007 he is sentenced to life in prison.
Ethiopia confirms it is battling Islamic militia in Somalia. In fierce fighting, Ethiopian aircraft, tanks and artillery support forces of the Somali transitional government. The Islamists are routed.
2007 February - Around 50,000 Somalis have crossed into Ethiopia in the past six months to flee instability at home, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports.
2007 March - A group of British embassy workers and their Ethiopian guides are kidnapped in the northern Afar region bordering on Eritrea. They are eventually released in Eritrea.
2007 April - Gunmen attack a Chinese-owned oil facility in the south-east Somali region, killing 74 people working there.
2007 June - Opposition leaders are given life sentences over mass protests that followed elections in 2005, but are later pardoned.
10th century - The rise of Zagwe Dynasty.
1119-1159 - The reign of King Lalibela who built the rock-hewn churches around the then capital, Roha.
1270 - The 'restoration' of the Solomonic Dynasty.
1530-31 - Muslim leader Ahmad Gragn conquers much of Ethiopia and was defeated and killed by the combined Ethiopian and Portuguese forces.
1632 - King Fasiledes forces out the increasingly dominant Portuguese Catholic missionaries and closes the door on the outside world, which culminated in what is called the Era of the Princes.
1818-68 - Lij Kassa conquers Amhara, Gojjam, Tigray and Shoa; thus putting an end to the Era of the Princes.
1855 - Kassa becomes Emperor Tewodros II.
1868 - Emperor Tewodros II opts to take his own life rather than surrender to British forces led by Robert Napier.
1872 - Another Kassa, this time from Tigray, becomes the emperor of Ethiopia assuming the throne name Yohannes IV.
1889 - Yohannes IV killed while fighting Mahdist forces and is succeeded by the king of Shoa, who becomes Emperor Menelik II.
1889 - Menelik signs a bilateral friendship treaty with Italy at Wuchale which Italy interprets as giving it a protectorate over Ethiopia.
1889 - Addis Ababa becomes Ethiopia's capital.
1895 - Italy invades Ethiopia.
1896 - The well drilled and well equipped Italian force suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of an untrained Ethiopian army that was severely short on arms but had an abundance of passionate patriotism, thus doing to European colonialism what the Haitian revolution did to slavery.
1913 - Menelik dies and is succeeded by his grandson, Lij Iyasu.
1916 - Lij Iyasu deposed and is succeeded by Menelik's daughter, Zawditu, who rules a regent, Ras Tafari Makonnen.
1930 - Zawditu dies and is succeeded by Ras Tafari Makonnen, who becomes Emperor Haile Selassie I.
1935 - Italy invades Ethiopia, again.
1936 - Italians capture Addis Ababa, king of Italy made emperor of Ethiopia. While Il Duce Mussolini and his cohorts were busy with their impossible dream of creating an Italian East Africa by merging Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia on paper, Ethiopian patriots were busy depriving their forces time to settle by mounting a resistance that was to prove fatal to the grand colonial fantasy. Emperor Haile Selassie fled to Europe and opened a diplomatic front against the invasion.
1941 - Patriots of the Ethiopian resistance - the arbegnoch - ,greatly aided by British and Commonwealth troops, defeat the Italians, and restore Haile Selassie to his throne.
1952 - United Nations federates Eritrea with Ethiopia.
1962 - Haile Selassie annexes Eritrea, which becomes an Ethiopian province.
1963 - First conference of the Organisation of African Unity held in Addis Ababa.
1973-74 - An estimated 200,000 people die in Wallo province as a result of famine.
1974 - Haile Selassie overthrown in military coup. General Aman Andom becomes head of state.
1975 - Haile Selassie dies in mysterious circumstances while in custody. General Aman was killed by the Derg and replaced by General Teferi Benti.
1977 - General Teferi killed and replaced by Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam.
1977-79 - Thousands of government opponents die in "Red Terror" orchestrated by Mengistu; collectivization of agriculture begins; Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Party(EPRP) Tigrayan People's Liberation Front(TPLF) launch wars against the regime.
1977 - Somalia invades Ethiopia's Ogaden region.
1978 - Somali forces defeated with massive help from the Soviet Union and Cuba.
1984-85 - Worst famine in a decade strikes; Western food aid sent; thousands forcibly resettled from Eritrea and Tigre.
1987 - Mengistu elected president under a new constitution.
1988 - Ethiopia and Somalia sign a peace treaty.
1991 - Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front captures Addis Ababa after Mengistu fled the country; Eritrea establishes its own provisional government pending a referendum on independence.
1992 - Haile Selassie's remains discovered under a palace toilet.
1993 - Eritrea becomes independent following referendum.
1994 - New constitution divides Ethiopia into ethnically-based regions.
1995 - Negasso Gidada becomes titular president; Meles Zenawi assumes post of prime minister.
1998 - Ethiopian-Eritrean border dispute erupts into armed clashes.
1999 - Ethiopian- Eritrean border clashes turn into a full-scale war.
2000 June - Ethiopia and Eritrea sign a ceasefire agreement which provides for a UN observer force to monitor the truce and supervise the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Eritrean territory.
2000 November - Haile Selassie buried in Addis Ababa's Trinity Cathedral.
2000 December - Ethiopia and Eritrea sign a peace agreement in Algeria, ending two years of conflict. The agreement establishes commissions to delineate the disputed border and provides for the exchange of prisoners and the return of displaced people.
2001 24 February - Ethiopia says it has completed its troop withdrawal from Eritrea in accordance with UN-sponsored agreement.
2002 April - Ethiopia, Eritrea accept a new common border, drawn up by an independent commission, though both sides then lay claim to the town of Badme.
2003 April - Independent boundary commission rules that the disputed town of Badme lies in Eritrea. Ethiopia says the ruling is unacceptable.
2004 January-February - Nearly 200 killed in ethnic clashes in the western region of Gambella. Tens of thousands flee area.
2004 March - Start of resettlement program to move more than two million people away from parched, over-worked highlands.
2004 November - Ethiopia says it accepts "in principle" a boundary commission's ruling on its border with Eritrea. But a protracted stalemate over the disputed town of Badme continues.
2005 March - US-based Human Rights Watch accuses army of "widespread murder, rape and torture" against Gambella region's ethnic Anuak people. Military angrily rejects charge.
2005 April - First section of Axum obelisk, looted by Italy in 1937, is returned to Ethiopia from Rome.
2005 May - Third multi-party elections: Protests over alleged fraud precipitate violent protests in which around 40 people are shot dead.
2005 August-September - Election re-runs in more than 30 seats: Officials say the ruling party gains enough seats to form a government.
2005 November - 46 protesters die in fresh clashes over May's elections. Thousands of people, including opposition politicians and newspaper editors, are detained.
2005 December - International commission, based in The Hague, rules that Eritrea broke international law when it attacked Ethiopia in 1998.
More than 80 people, including journalists and many opposition leaders, are charged with treason and genocide over November's deadly clashes.
2006 May - Six political parties and armed groups form an opposition alliance, the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy, at a meeting in the Netherlands.
Several bomb blasts hit Addis Ababa. No organization claims responsibility.
2006 August - Several hundred people are feared to have died and thousands are left homeless as floods hits the north, south and east.
2006 September - Ethiopia denies that its troops have crossed into Somalia to support the transitional government in Baidoa.
2006 October - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urges Eritrea to pull back the troops it has moved into the buffer zone on the Ethiopian border. The UN says the incursion is a major ceasefire violation.
War of words between Ethiopia and Islamists controlling much of Somalia. Prime Minister Meles says Ethiopia was "technically" at war with the Islamists because they had declared holy war on his country.
2006 November - UN report says several countries - including Ethiopia - have been violating a 1992 arms embargo on Somalia by supplying arms to the interim government there. Ethiopia's arch enemy Eritrea is accused of supplying the rival Islamist administration.
Ethiopia and Eritrea reject a proposal put forward by an independent boundary commission as a way around a four-year impasse over the demarcation of their shared border.
2006 December - Exiled former dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam is convicted, in absentia, of genocide at the end of a 12-year trial. In January 2007 he is sentenced to life in prison.
Ethiopia confirms it is battling Islamic militia in Somalia. In fierce fighting, Ethiopian aircraft, tanks and artillery support forces of the Somali transitional government. The Islamists are routed.
2007 February - Around 50,000 Somalis have crossed into Ethiopia in the past six months to flee instability at home, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports.
2007 March - A group of British embassy workers and their Ethiopian guides are kidnapped in the northern Afar region bordering on Eritrea. They are eventually released in Eritrea.
2007 April - Gunmen attack a Chinese-owned oil facility in the south-east Somali region, killing 74 people working there.
2007 June - Opposition leaders are given life sentences over mass protests that followed elections in 2005, but are later pardoned.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
About Zethiopia
Zethiopia is a diversified news and information Independent newspaper that represents America's local and national Ethiopian community.
Zethiopia is published bi-monthly by the Ze Ethiopia Corporation. The newspaper's motto is, "Not just both sides, all sides!" The newspaper is free and bilingual with production based in Washington, D.C.
Zethiopia just celebrated it's third year anniversary and at this time is distributed in major metropolitan areas. 10,000 copies are circulated per printing and each week our subscription and advertising base continues to grow.
A large well educated and rapidly growing base of Ethiopian-American citizens and residents are indicative of the importance and necessity of a media source to channel information throughout the community.
The Ethiopian population is estimated at approximately 1 million people, concentrated in major geographic regions to include Washington D.C, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Houston and Atlanta. The goal of Zethiopia is to create a sense of community and respect of Ethiopian culture through our publication - linking each of these geographic areas through news and an exchange of ideas, thoughts, and interest.
For more information about Zethiopia, please visit our website: http://www.zethiopia.com/.
Zethiopia is published bi-monthly by the Ze Ethiopia Corporation. The newspaper's motto is, "Not just both sides, all sides!" The newspaper is free and bilingual with production based in Washington, D.C.
Zethiopia just celebrated it's third year anniversary and at this time is distributed in major metropolitan areas. 10,000 copies are circulated per printing and each week our subscription and advertising base continues to grow.
A large well educated and rapidly growing base of Ethiopian-American citizens and residents are indicative of the importance and necessity of a media source to channel information throughout the community.
The Ethiopian population is estimated at approximately 1 million people, concentrated in major geographic regions to include Washington D.C, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Houston and Atlanta. The goal of Zethiopia is to create a sense of community and respect of Ethiopian culture through our publication - linking each of these geographic areas through news and an exchange of ideas, thoughts, and interest.
For more information about Zethiopia, please visit our website: http://www.zethiopia.com/.
Announcing Zethiopia Radio
Zethiopia is proud to announce its first foray into the broadcast media with the launch of Zethiopia Radio. Zethiopia Radio is an independent news outlet that will provide news and be a forum for diverse views targeting Ethiopians living in the Washington Metropolitan area. Zethiopia Radio is an extension of Zethiopia, a bilingual Amharic-English newspaper that started publication in July, 2002.
Zethiopia Radio will start out as a one hour news program, to be broadcast every Sunday from 5-6 PM on WZHF 1390 AM. The one hour program will consist of news, reports, current affairs, interviews and entertainment.
By launching Zethiopia Radio, we hope to better serve the Ethiopian community in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area and to build upon the solid reputation we have achieved with Zethiopia newspaper. It is our goal and desire to bring forth the same level of commitment and professionalism that has distinguished us in the print media.
Look to Zethiopia Radio to inform the public and be a positive factor in creating well informed discussions on topics related to both Ethiopia and the day-to-day concerns of its community.
For more information and access to archives of previously broadcast shows please visit:
http://www.zethiopia.com/radio/
Dereje Desta
Zethiopia
202 518 0245
dereje@zethiopia.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
