The De-Facto Youth of Tigray

Lebelo Hailesilassie 23 October 2020

Since time immemorial people have held a belief that every subsequent generation is different from the present. No single generation identifies itself with another; there is a so-called generation gap. I genuinely believe in that for myself. I have been keen to put my thoughts of the Tigray new generation, the youth to be specific. The contributions our youths are putting towards keeping our history, culture, values and essence intact, the commitment they are embracing to fight all the odds against our interest, and the sacrifices they are offering so that Tigray stands strong and tall as always is mind-blowing. It blisters my imagination how far this youth is ready to sacrifice to make sure the political, economic, and social aspiration of the greater of Tigray is in the mirror image to the level of Axum civilization. I genuinely believe the youth can get us there if our collective leadership reverse engineering the leadership of Axumawian.

I might be a bit naïve to start writing about the qualities of the Tigray youth, but I truly believe this generation has surpassed my expectation and they deserve the recognition and a thank you at a minimum. The global trademark thinking about the young generation is so impulsive and has so much less ethical values that they need a proper overhauling in the form of moral counseling. Tigray youth does not fit this global trademark thinking and here are the five qualities in my point of view that the youth of Tigray embraces heavenly.

1. The Youth is Rational

Some 30 months ago, Dr. Abiye was announced as the head of Ethiopian People’s Democratic Front (EPRDF ) and made his second trip to Mekelle after his first stop in his hometown Jima to speak to the people of Tigray about his new role as the prime minster of Ethiopia. The youth have welcomed him with respect and high level of rationality by honoring his appointment as the head of the country despite some might have had indifference to the political view of EPRDF. There was a consensus among the youth no matter where he is from, what resume he might have, the rationality was that he was a leader elected by the ruling party and shall be announced as such. Dr. Abiye then made his trip to the United States of America to speak to the diaspora and we all know what happened afterwards.

The youth of Tigray paused and started reflecting their stand against all the wrong decisions prime minister took and still doing. Dr. Abiye has now no support by the youths in Ethiopia including in Tigray. The point here is that the youth of Tigray has been very rational when supporting Dr. Abiye and when denouncing Dr. Abiye wrong doings. They drove their opinions and ideas through reasoning, based on facts and logical thinking. I can truly say the Tigray youth possess a good level of a logical bent of mind.

2. The Youth is Compassionate

Compassion is when someone shows a concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. The youth of Tigray just did exactly that. The youth have shown their solidarity to people who have internally displaced from each corner of Ethiopia, they have shown their solidarity with the communities who have families got killed during the political unrest in Somalia, Oromia, Southern Nation and Nationalities, Amhara, Gambela region and they have been very vocal to our people who are suffering in Yemen and to the people of Afar who got impacted by the heavy summer rain.  Even as the political gap between the federal government and the government of Tigray widens, the youth is making an effort to continually show some degree of compassion to the nation and nationalities and citizens of Ethiopia by becoming a better individuals and try to stop Ethiopia from breaking apart.

3. The Youth is Socially Responsible

The Tigray youth have contributed and/or is continually contributing toward to their community. They passionately get involved with all social developments and crises overhauling.

We can give example of their remarkable contribution towards Tigray Development Association (TDA), Covid-19 risk mitigation and most recently their extraordinary fights against locust swarms. It is worth mentioning some names here and pass my sincere gratitude to Teklit Hailay on his collective role in pinpointing the challenges we have in Tigray and mobilizing the public to mitigate risk. Henok Hiluf (Henok Ony) in making sure the people of Tigray are aware the political, economic, and socially developments in Ethiopia and their impacts towards our security and interest as a people.  Amir Zaki (Wedi eno), I have known you since we were kids in SOS and you have no idea how proud I am about your contribution towards managing Covid-19 crises and locust swarms, Ching chacha general of the desert to fight locust, least but not last Tsedina, your unique leadership in creating awareness through “Yekuno” that women deserve all the respect in life. I can go on and on about you guys and many others like you. I hope one day I get the chance to pay my gratitude in person. You guys and many others like you are the ambassadors of social movement for good cause and you all deserve huge respect.

I can confidently conclude that the youth of Tigray understands good governance is achievable only when every person on earth irrespective of gender, age, cast and creed actively participates in the social crusade for basic needs. It is this consciousness which have given me hope Tigray will reach where it belongs, Axum civilization.

4. The Youth is Psychologically Strong

The youth of Tigray is physically string even more importantly mentally steel. For the past three years our people and the government of Tigray have been mocked by the federal government, the prime minister, several Ethiopian elites in recording breaking numbers. We have been labeled names and yet the youth have not shown any sign of fatigue and remain focused doing the right things. Like the old day saying, “What does not make you break, makes you strong”. That is is very true.  The youth of Tigray is intrinsically strong, confident, and very independent. The de-facto youth I shall proudly call them.

5. The youth have High Self-esteem

Finally, the youth of Tigray is laced with high self-esteem. This might be due to our history, cohesive socially upbringing and role models that we can look up to.  The youth realized it is their time now for Tigray and not to retaliate to any actions that took against the security and interest of Tigray politically, socially and economically. They are in a marathon against all the odds and the Marathon Continues.

ክብርን ሞጎስን ንስውኣትና !

Love and Respect to our Martyrs!

Lebelo Hailesilassie

Minnesota, United States of America

Email: bravolebe@gmail.com