http://www.ethiomedia.com/release/bahr_dar_university_shut_down.html

OK i know we are non political but what are we going to do about this??????


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The first and most important step towards success is the feeling that we can suceed!

Let's ask the student councils in Ethiopia what they would like for us to do....we can't do anything from this vantage point, so let's understand the situation as can be reported from our peers at the institutions in Ethiopia....in the mean time....we probably want to figure out how we can approve any official statements from ESAi.

or course, if we can't figure out how to go about this, a statement/petition/appeal can be issued by "Ethiopian students in the US" without incorporating ESAi.

just be calm...patient....then we can act with confidence


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Nahom M. Beyene
University of Texas Alumnus
Stanford University Alumnus
University of Pittsburgh Doctoral Student
http://ras_nahom.homestead.com
http://ESATexas.homestead.com



Listen for knowledge....Observe for intellect....

I have attended Bahir Dar University-Faculty of Engineering for a short period of time and I know how it is like to be a student at BDU. In 2000, I (along with my fellow friends) have suffered the epidemic disease that was caused by drinking water. 4 students died due to drinking water infection and many others were hospitalized while the rest have dropped out. We were drinking water that comes from Lake TANA. We could see the impurity of the water with our naked eyes; we could smell it; we could taste it; but we have to drink it. After three years, Dr. Shimeles (the president) is still offering UNHYGINIC meal to his students.

I can assure you that the university has enough budget to offer better meal that, at least, will not endanger their health. It is only political and administrative problem. Why are Ethiopian professors so atrocious? Specially those at the administration level… Most of them studied in the western world and seen some level of democracy. What are they not employing it?

ESAi has to do something about it before it gets ugly.

Let Be Peace on Earth!!

I like ESATs idea. an independent Petition should be signed by all ethiopian students protesting the mistreatments of ethiopian students by the government and demanding better living conditions. in the mean time ESAi can work and talk to the student council and see how it can help.
what do y'all think.


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The first and most important step towards success is the feeling that we can suceed!

Well, I also want to suggest to any individuals out there that may be acting on this already to clear up a couple questions.

1. What specific points of "unhygenic meals" can be presented as unsafe for the student body...we do have one explanation of the contaminated water that is served

2. What exactly was the "goverment call to evacuate campus"? what does that procedure entail and how well did the "call" disseminate to the individual students?

3. Was there any abuse of a physical nature? Any injuries, fatalities, arrests?

Finally, make a request for a solution that cannot be refuted....
ie., have a student on the board of student services or housing and dining services.
or have a formal task force that will bring student leaders/class representatives and the appropriate administrators to the table to negotiate terms under which to continue university function without delay

basically, ask for a formal procedure through which students can voice their demands to the administration without the threat of external involvement of government or police force. students and administration must agree on a safe and equitable system to handle issues. no more universities should have to shut down....there is no reason that gives excuse to these kinds of results....it is in the interest of the university, the students, the administration, and the government to better this situation of forceful advances upon university students enguaged in peaceful demonstration.

given that last line...it would also be good to learn about if there are any university policies that students broke in the process of holding their peaceful protest!!


_________________
Nahom M. Beyene
University of Texas Alumnus
Stanford University Alumnus
University of Pittsburgh Doctoral Student
http://ras_nahom.homestead.com
http://ESATexas.homestead.com



Listen for knowledge....Observe for intellect....

i do agree with the idea of a petition. a great idea!


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assumption is the mother of all phuck ups!
know thyself!

I agree! Let us be calm and learn the situation!

First of all, I am grateful that we are concerned and ready to take action on this. However, when I read the small article about the “University’s shut down”, it didn’t give me all the details of the situation. But thank you to ESATboy for bringing out the three points to be cleared up. It is important we clearly understand the complete situation on both sides of the the students and the govenment before we sign up a petition.

This might be the same questions as ESAT's, but I would like to present my version of the question this way; if anybody knows, I would like to know the following:

What did the students exactly demand??
Was there any sit-down talk negotiations taken place before the "shut down"? If so, when and where?
What demands were denied and why? What demands were fulfilled (if any)?
And what is the govenment's exact reason/excuse for deciding to close the school? May be the government's spokes person's words (if any).

I will do my research on the news minamin but if you guys find out first, please share it and then we can proceed toward approaprate action. That's just a thought.

As some of you may know, I am doing research on education in Ethiopian and this kind of issue is one of my concerns. Sorry, I am not in Ethiopia at the moment to investigate this.

Thank you and may peace be with all of us.

When I asked
What did the students exactly demand?? I mean to ask if there were additional demands to the "unhygienic meals", because it is just sad for me to hear such demand would lead to shutting down an important University. I hope that's clear.

peace

thanks tranquil,

you added more questions that I didn't cover....good job.


_________________
Nahom M. Beyene
University of Texas Alumnus
Stanford University Alumnus
University of Pittsburgh Doctoral Student
http://ras_nahom.homestead.com
http://ESATexas.homestead.com



Listen for knowledge....Observe for intellect....

Petition is a good idea but not effective. I think ESAi should volunteer to the university and ministry of education to mediate the problem. The problem as I see it is, the government along with school officials see students as potential ‘enemies’ and don’t even want to listen what they have to say in deteriorating living and academic conditions. ESAi as a representative of Ethiopian students, and as being a non-political organization, can bring the students question to the appropriate authorities before police and guns are involved.

From my experience of college in Ethiopia, students usually bring up meals, books, library and laboratory access, teachers quality issues to school administratives. Had it not been for the government paranoia of any organized movements, really, the students’ questions are not that serious to involve eviction from their dorms.

well, how about this,
tranquil and tihut... can you guys work together to give us a wholeosome idea of what is going on... both from the goverment and student side. The first thing we shall do after we have as much knowledge on the subject as we can, is write an appropriate letter to be petitioned by all esai members and all others whom we can get the letter to. we also need to somehow reach the students and see what they want and let them be aware of what we are doing. Once the petition is signed then if members agree that we should mediate between the two, we shall form an action plan that i believe will start by talkin to the ethiopian embassy here.
what do yáll think?


_________________
The first and most important step towards success is the feeling that we can suceed!

First I don't think its even about being political. We have to act quick when Ethiopian Students are attacked. These are our members! its one thing to say we are none political about the border issue or land reform policies. But when it comes to students we have to be the first to look in to the matter. Being political is having a political agenda not standing for your members right! So my suggestion would be to contact Ethiopian Embassy and ask for clarifications!

This link might help to contact different ppl...it has contact addresses to many universities/colleges in ethio. I donno how that can be of any use to the current problem tho.

http://www.habesha.net/list.asp?did=32

Nahom's suggestions are pretty good. I think we should contact the embassy and ask them for clarification/explanation of what the government is doing. there is no need for beating students or closing a university because students are saying the food they are eating and the water they are drinking is making them sick. they should investigate and if necessary have a student representative on a catering or health committee.