Ethiopia Shall Rise
There may be contradictions, but many can accept that Ethiopia occupies a prominent place in the ideology of African Unity, as long as its own youth begins to respect and take responsibility for its own history.
We are not trying to subtract responsibility from those who were not born in Ethiopia, on the contrary, it is also an appeal for decision-making by all those who are proud of the history of the Pan-African Struggle that Ethiopia itself occupies a central HeadQuarter.
The truth is that today Addis Ababa is all designed to complete this great dream: The “structures, infrastructures and superstructures of Pan-Africanism are all in the space and in time what we need”.
Many researchers in the history of African Revolutions are convinced of Ethiopia's role in the Liberation of all African countries.
Kwame Nkrumah himself, one of the founders of this organization, and the first president country´s to gain independence in 1957, was convinced of this initiative which is clearly reflected in the poem Ethiopia Shall Rise which he ended in his speech that May 25th in Addis Ababa.
The victory in the Battle of AdwA in 1896 and the Freedom Day in 1941, Miazia 27, are significant and motivating moments for any action of struggle and resistance for the total sovereignty of African countries;
But concretely the beginning of the Foundation of the African Union marked an unprecedented hope regarding the objective of bringing Peace and Unity to the African Continent.
It is true that not everything went well as we can analyze today, but this intention continues to inspire and flourish in the hearts and minds of thousands of Africans around the world.
It is also true that each country, due to its history of colonization in relation to its colonizers, the main contradictions and paradoxes they face make any project of this nature difficult.
But Ethiopia is ready to make a big difference using the means at its disposal in history, politics, religion, etc.
We remember In May 1963 when 32 African leaders resolved to strengthen links between African States for the promotion of Unity of African Countries.
Unfortunately, after 59 years, the new generations are still living in a divided continent torn with wars, poverty, and deep social inequality.
His Imperial Majesty Haile Sellassie the “father” of OAU had cautioned us on this day: if we fail in this, we will have shirked our responsibility to Africa and the peoples we lead. If we succeed, then, and only then, will we have justified our presence here.
This latest meeting in Addis Ababa of African Heads of States in this year once again did not bring about a clear resolution of what would be the fate of millions of Africans.
In Ethiopian streets last year more than ever we saw a lot of slogans regarding African Unity spread throughout the city, even reaching the point of thinking about the demand of African countries in the UN Permanent Security Council.
African borders are still closed, we are still waiting for a common passport, a common currency, a common language, we are still being sold into slavery, we are being refugees, we are being genocidated, religious tolerance is far from a reality.
This conference in commemorative form is just a reminder of the role of Ethiopia as a Victorious Nation over the Italian Empire in the Battle of Adwa, on Liberation Day 5th of May, days of the Patriotics and of all the influence that the Ethiopian Empire had for the awareness of the Pan-Africanist movement from 1900 until today.
Therefore, 2022 59 years later, it would be exaggerated to question the development of the OAU project, and above all the role of Youth and the community in this process.
Therefore, this conference will invite you to form a practical agenda and take a set of decisions on African Unification in Progress for more than 200 years.
If the Ethiopian people who as a nation received the privilege of never being colonized do not take this conscience, what other nation will?
In other words, if the African Union is a physical basis of the Unity of the Continent, but also a historical basis, how can the different national actors become aware of this and play their role?
What we want to say and conclude is that young Ethiopians at home have all the advantages in their hands to do it.
