On History: a reflection
Aesop
05/08/2021
History! There are endless definitions of history. I endorse E.H. Carr’s perspective. Carr presents history as an interpretation. The journalist tallies daily events; the historian gives them meaning. Moreover, this definition of history as interpretation acknowledges the role of human subjectivity over reality. Stories are not disembodied. They reflect our intimate feelings and values. Different people see reality differently. Tegaru journalists are speaking about the daily developments. Tegaru historians (not necessarily those with a PhD in history) are expected to select milestone events and interpret them to serve future generations.
Tegaru’s Achilles Heel has been, in my view, their laxity in compiling their own history and pass them to the next generation. The sacred mountains and valleys of Tigrai have witnessed major world events worthy of notice. Yet, the sacred people of Tigrai, especially the learned among them who not just witnessed history but also made key decisions in the process often set aside their duty to write about their experience for “tomorrow”. Such gross negligence has exposed the young generation to the rude awakening we are witnessing today. General Migbe has already captured this gap vividly. So, there are no blames to pass around. However, this vicious cycle needs to end!!
Tigrai is not the only nation that underwent a struggle for survival and prevailed. Several nations have gone through seeming insurmountable challenges. But all these nations ended up becoming great powers. Why? Because they allocated sufficient time to record their exploits while they engaged in arduous life and death struggle against their enemies. Great historians and strategists such as Thucydides, Clausewitz, Tolstoy, Mao, and many more knew they shouldered a heavy responsibility to record their experience and pass them along to the next generation. It is on these memories (and nothing else) that organic institutions are created. The American Constitution was a product of America’s struggle for independence from Imperial Britain. The thoughts of Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton and other US founding fathers are reflected in America’s institutions deemed distinct (original). The autobiographies of great statesmen ranging from Benjamin Franklin to Barack Obama are widely read globally. The best of values distilled out of great leaders/freedom fighters (like Marcus Aurelius, Gandhi, Malcolm X, M.L. King, and Mandela) find their way to school curriculums, shaping upcoming generations.
Now, the struggle to liberate Tigrai from invaders has passed six months to date. This liberation struggle is the most unique in world because it is being waged within and outside of Tigrai, globally. Future generations, if they are not to repeat the mistakes their forefathers/mothers made, need to know what happened in the past.
1. Domestically: What was the political leadership planning prior to November 4 th , 2020? What about the military leadership? What were the people expecting? How did events unfold across the political, geopolitical, economic, and social dimensions after that? What did it do/is doing to address them?
2. Globally: What was the diaspora (everyone outside Tigrai, including those in Addis) expecting prior to November 4, 2020? How did events unfold across the political, diplomatic, economic, and social dimensions? How did the Tigrean diaspora address them?
3. Going Forward: What can Tigreans learn about Tigrai’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWATs)? These are national responsibilities levied on Tigrean historians (primarily), leaders (within/outside Tigrai), scholars, journalists, analysts and every concerned Tigreans with capability. This sort of national reflection project has been done in other countries.
For example, during the “Long March”, Mao Tse Tung was said to have passed a directive asking soldiers to record their experience. The hundreds of selected articles were then assembled in multiple volumes that are now preserved in historical archives, libraries, and museums (some 80 years later). School children are required to read some of these articles to this day. Today, these children are raised to believe that, if the long march was possible, then anything is possible. Because the Chinese government at that time blocked all communication, leaders of the “long march” invited a handful of Westerner journalists like Edgar Snow to share their arduous struggle with world. Beyond China, it is also noteworthy that eternal works by Thucydides, Tolstoy, Clausewitz, and Lawrence of Arabia were written by eyewitnesses who not only experienced major historical events but also took the time to reflect on them.
Tigrai’s martyrs have realized the importance of this task some time ago. The founding fathers of Tigrai’s struggle begun recording the history of Tigrea liberation struggle against Derg 1.0 (1974-1991) soon after Derg 2.0 (2018-present) took power. Although this project remains commendable, it was long overdue. Today, Tigrai is entangled in yet another struggle for liberation against Derg 2.0. This struggle ensued in earnest a little over six months ago. And alas! The ultimate victory of Tigrai against the Derg 2.0 and its puppeteer, PFDJ, seems inevitable. Regardless, however, Tigrai’s saga deserves to be told by as many historians (preferably in Tigrigna and by Tegaru scholars) out there as possible because it is one of those rare phenomena which is shaking/shocking the world.
One of the ways (and perhaps the most sustainable method) this catastrophic debacle does not reoccur three decades down the line, i.e., besides (in my view) securing a sovereign Tigrai commanding its own airpower, is to teach upcoming Tigrean generations about their past through civic education. The quality of this civic education is determined by the quality of historical works that are based on close encounters. What better time is there for Tigrai’s historians, scholars, journalists, and potential scribes is there for them to record Tigrai’s latest saga than now? Past experience shows us that one must strike the hammer while its still hot.
