Surprise At The White House – George Plimpton Was Star At Any Party, But This Time He Got Upstaged

Upstaging the late George Plimpton was never easy – being tall helped him command the spotlight. On most occasions, you couldn’t miss his silvery hair and sleepy eyes floating several inches above a milling party scene. But to me his appeal, besides his charm, was his gift as a storyteller – the sense that if you could only get close enough you might hear anecdotes unlike any others, true tales taking you from the sedge grass of the Bharatpur reserve to the percussionist’s seat with the New York Philharmonic to a pre-Castro gin mill in Havana for a night of drinking – with Ernest Hemingway. Wherever he stood, Plimpton’s warm embrace of life created a tidal pull that caused others to gravitate to him.

And so it was not surprising when in 2000 my husband, a White House correspondent, won the approval of Mary Mel French in President Clinton’s protocol office for his request to bring Plimpton, the participatory journalist, to the annual White House Christmas Party for the press.

The evening began, coincidentally, with a party for Plimpton and his latest book, Pet Peeves. When that party ended we departed for the White House, hoping to arrive before the Secret Service locked the doors to the executive mansion. On our way out, we acquired a retinue that included Kevin Chaffee, a reporter for the Washington Times, and Chaffee’s friend, a boyish-looking Ethiopian.

In the haste of the moment, Chaffee wasn’t able to make proper introductions. We were just grateful that his young friend agreed to man the wheel for a hair-raising ride down Rock Creek Park. He’d handle the parking, which meant we should make it into the White House in time.

Upon arriving, we all filled out identification cards for the uniformed Marine who would announce each guest to the President. Plimpton and I noted with interest that the driver also had managed to make his way into the East Room. There we encountered a long receiving line filled with such media heavyweights as Sam Donaldson, Andrea Mitchell (with Fed chairman-husband Alan Greenspan), Steve and Cokie Roberts, Diana Walker, John and Barbara Cochran, and Diane Rehm. The terminus was out of sight – the line snaked through several rooms and down one flight of stairs where the President and First Lady waited.

Capricia Marshall, the social secretary, suddenly walked over and asked me if the five of us were together. I said yes. With that she whisked us to an elevator and the front of the line. Several of the notables, still stranded in place, scowled.

An upbeat mood suffused the elevator as it descended. My husband said, “Well George, you did it for us.” Then the elevator opened, and a White House aide interrupted the other musings: “Will the prince of Ethiopia please step this way.”

There followed an extended conversation between the President and Ermias Sahle Selassie, grandson of the late emperor. Plimpton’s own chat with the president was warm, and George left with another story for his repertoire.

– Willee Lewis

Willee Lewis is president of the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, on which her friend George Plimpton also served. REPRINTED FROM WASHINGTONIAN MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2003

Prince to tell family’s story – Exiled Prince Ermias Selassie visits Key West friends who hope to film a documentary about his life and his grandfather, Haile Selassie, the late emperor of Ethiopia

BY CARA BUCKLEY cbuckley@herald.com THE MIAMI HERALD

KEY WEST – The Lion of Judah’s grandson was almost unnoticeable in the Saturday night crowd. He hung at the party’s edges, a wisp of a prince, his feet on American soil, his heart heavy with longing for a tattered kingdom half a world away.

It was Prince Ermias Selassie’s first trip to Key West. Well-heeled friends invited him so they could fete him at a party, and begin documenting on film his life story and memories of his grandfather, Haile Selassie, the late emperor of Ethiopia, and the man revered by Rastafarians as the “Black Christ.”

Selassie lives in Virginia just outside Washington, D.C., and runs a charity that brings Ethiopian students to the United States. He was 14 and at school in England when, in 1974, a military coup ousted his grandfather and, as a result, 17 members of his family were jailed.

Haile Selassie died the next year under house arrest, and the boy, exiled from his country, finished his schooling in England before studying at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He made the United States his home, but Ethiopia commanded his mind, and he watched anguished as the rest of the world came to see his homeland only as a country stricken by famine and ravaged by civil strife.

TRAILER FOR THE PROPOSED DOCUMENTARY

”The world has a very one-sided view of Ethiopia’s problems,” Selassie said. “If they know of them at all.”

Selassie’s grandfather, Taffari Makonnen, married an emperor’s daughter in 1911 and became a prince, or, in Ethiopian, a Ras. In 1917, he was named heir to the throne.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the Jamaican revolutionary Marcus Garvey was propounding black pride and the ”Back to Africa” movement. He told followers to look for an African king as their leader, and in the prince, Ras Taffari, they saw a prophecy fulfilled.

The Rastafarian religion was born.

Taffari was crowned emperor of Ethiopia in 1930, the 111th emperor in succession of King Solomon, a title known also as the Lion of Judah, and took the name Haile Selassie, which means “Might of the Trinity.”

Selassie quickly established himself as a progressive ruler. Prior to his coronation, he pushed to modernize Ethiopia’s government, schooling, financial, health and social services, and helped abolish the country’s slave trade in 1923 to win entry to the League of Nations.

Selassie also sought to maintain peace with Italy, whose new leader, Benito Mussolini, was hungry to expand his colonies beyond Eritrea. Italy invaded in 1935, brutalizing Ethiopians with chemical warfare.

FORCED INTO EXILE

The League of Nations condemned Italy but did nothing, and the world watched amazed as Ethiopia desperately fought back and Selassie was forced into exile. Time magazine named Selassie Man of the Year in 1936. Later that year he made an impassioned speech before the League of Nations, condemning an act of aggression against one small country as aggression against all countries, and captivating audiences worldwide.

Selassie returned from exile in 1941 to rule for over three decades until the country’s army, fueled by riots and angered by famine, banished him from power.

In 1992, Selassie’s remains were discovered buried beneath a toilet in the imperial palace. Seven years passed before they were laid to rest in a cathedral in the capital, Addis Ababa.

FIFTH IN LINE

In a family photograph taken in the early 1960s, Ermias Selassie, then just a toddler, sits at his grandfather’s feet. Dozens of family members fill out the photo: Many are now dead, others live in exile and a dozen sit on the Crown Council, which Selassie chairs.

Selassie, who is fifth in line for the crown, returned to Ethiopia this year for the first time in three decades. It was a bittersweet, powerful visit, and he was heartened to see pictures of his grandfather, once banned, adorning shop windows again.

Selassie’s friends in Key West, many of them well connected and wealthy, hope to revive Haile Selassie’s story by filming a documentary that follows Ermias retracing his grandfather’s steps in Ethiopia.

On Friday, an interview by Shirrel Rhoades, a media consultant, was taped at the community college.

On Saturday, a party was thrown in Ermias Selassie’s honor at the opulent home of his friend, the Dutch architect and philanthropist Jacob Gelt Dekker, who is interested in African issues, and John Padget, Monroe County’s superintendent of schools.

Though the Crown Council is not a government-in-exile, Selassie said he would welcome the restoration of an Ethiopian monarchy if the people so chose — not necessarily to rule, he said, but in an advisory capacity, to promote democracy and rights.

”It’s absolutely not a divine right to rule, it’s an embedded sense of responsibility to serve,” he said. “You can’t run away from things, the sense of duty, of patriotism. The country’s in your blood.”

President of the Crown Council Official Visit Celebrating the 600th Anniversary of the Portuguese House of Braganza

THE GRANDSON of Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 when he was deposed, was in Portugal recently for a week’s visit.

His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, was here to reestablish Luso-Ethiopian ties.

During his visit he took in sites which his grandfather, Emperor Haile Selassie I, had visited on his historic visit to Portugal in August 1959. He also participated in the celebrations at Ourém Castle, near Fatima, marking the opening of the 600th anniversary of the Royal House of Braganza.

Prince Ermias, who today lives in the United States, is the son of the youngest son of Emperor Haile Selassie, who died in 1975 at the age of 83. He is the President of the Selassie Foundation, created in memory of his grandfather, which provides aid to impoverished Ethiopians.

His Imperial Highness spent his first day here in Santarém. After being welcomed by the Civil Governor on behalf of the Portuguese Government, he was presented with a medal, the equivalent of the “keys to the city.”

Later he visited the Church of Our Lady of Grace, where he was received by the Mayor who showed him the tomb of Santarém’s most famous citizen, Pedro Álvares Cabral, the explorer who discovered Brazil in 1500.

A tour which included the Cabaças Medieval watchtower, the S. Joâo de Alporão Church, Marvilla Church and an archaeological exhibit, was followed by a visit to the Shrine of the Most Holy Miracle of Santarém where Mass was celebrated for the repose of the Soul of Emperor Haile Selassie, who had been killed by Communist revolutionaries on that same day in 1975.

The following day, the Prince was in Sintra at the Sousa Pedro Industrial Park.

In the afternoon, Prince Ermias was received at Sintra Royal Palace by the Duke of Braganza D. Duarte [The Official Website of His Royal Highness Dom Duarte Pio de Bragança], and they went to Cabo de Roca – “where Europe ends and the ocean begins.” The Royal visitor then went on to Lisbon where he, together with D. Filipe Folque de Mendonça, Count of Rio Grande and descendant of King John IV, the first king of the Braganza Royal House, paid homage to the Kings and Queens of the Braganza dynasty at the Saint Vincent Monastery’s Royal Pantheon.

During a visit to Lisbon Cathedral, Prince Ermias prayed in the crypt and received the blessing from the Franciscans.

The second day ended with a gala banquet at Valbom Palace, hosted by the Duke of Braganza and attended by many members of Portugal’s aristocratic families.

During the event the Prince was made Honorary Patron of the new Prester John Luso-Ethiopian Friendship Association – the Portuguese counterpart of the Haile Selassie Foundation – which will help raise much-needed funds for Ethiopia, which is facing its worst famine of the past 30 years.

The following day, to Royal visitor and his delegation of five spent time at Ourém Castle, the birthplace of the Royal House of Braganza, for the start of its 600th anniversary jubilee year.

He was received at City Hail by Deputy Mayor Victor Frazão, the President of the Royal Association of Leiria-Fátima, and Government Minister Teresa Costa Macedo was also present.

The celebrations were initiated with the unveiling of a bronze bust honouring the firstborn of the Royal House of Braganza, D. Afonso, IV Count of Ourém. This was a gift of the American friends of Ethiopia and was accompanied by a special dedication by the Prince to the Duke of Braganza and the Royal Family on this jubilee occasion.

The Mass, celebrated by D. Avilio Ribas, Bishop of São Tomé e Principe, was attended by more than 100 people. During it, Prince Ermias was invested as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Brotherhood of the Most Holy Sacrament and received from the Bishop the Grand Cross of Saint Thomas the Apostle, Sao Tome’s highest decoration.

A guided tour of the castle included an exhibit commemorating the visit of Emperor Haile Selassie to Portugal in 1959. The day ended with a Royal Banquet at the Oureana Foundation’s medieval restaurant.

During the final days of his visit, the Prince visited Fátima, where he attended mass and at the Capelinah made an act consecrating Ethiopia and the Imperial Crown, descended from King Solomon, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

At the Pope Paul VI Pastoral Center, Prince Ermias was received by Bishop Serafim Silva of the Leira-Fátima Diocese, whom he decorated with the Order of the Holy Trinity and presented to Our Lady of Fátima the Collar of the Seal of Solomon, Ethiopia’s highest Order.

The last days of the Prince’s visit to Portugal were spent at the Vagalha Monastery, Alcobaca Monastery, and Nazaré’s famous Royal Shrine of Our Lady of Nazareth.

At each of those sites where he was received officially by the Mayors, the Prince was surprised and delighted to find people who had toured with his grandfather at the same sites, 44 years previously.

  • The official Portuguese delegation receiving the Ethiopian delegation at Sintra Palace
  • HRH Dom Duarte de Braganca palace at Sintra, world-renowned Brazilian singer Robert Leal, and HIH Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie
  • HRH Dom Duarte and HIH Prince Ermias shaking hands after the formation of the Luso-Ethiopian Friendship Association
  • HIH Prince Ermias thanking Roberto Leal for his service to humanity
  • HIM Haile Selassie on his State Visit to Portugal in 1959, the 44th anniversary of which HIH Prince Ermias commemorated during his visit.
  • Prince Ermias and his cousin Lij Dawit Yohannes at the Templar Castle in Tomar
  • Prince Ermias presents the Bishop of Fatima with a gold Ethiopian cross
  • HIH Prince Ermias visits the Sousa Pedro Industrial Park in Sintra, where he was given a reception and tour provided by Carlos Sousa Pedro and Victor Escudero de Campos, executives of the industrial corporation, who aim to invest in Ethiopia.
Local press/articles on HIH Prince Ermias’ visit to Portugal. Click images to enlarge.
 

San Pedro hosts Prince Ermias Sahle Haile Selassie

On Saturday, September 13th, San Pedro hosted a most important guest when His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle Haile Selassie paid a visit to Ambergris Caye. The Prince is the grandson of the late Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, the spiritual leader of the Rastafarian, who was murdered in 1974 by communist rebels. Prince Ermias received a royal welcome from an island delegation comprised of Area Representative Manuel Heredia Jr., San Pedro Mayoress Elsa Paz and Town Councilors, The San Pedro Sun, as well as the newly crowned Miss San Pedro, Tatiana Rivero.

After a brief tour of town, the SP delegates “rolled out the red carpet” for the Ethiopian prince, stopping first at the renowned Ramon’s Village Resort for cocktails at the Purple Parrot Bar. Following friendly conversation, the group traveled to the south end of the island, where they enjoyed a delicious lunch at picturesque Victoria House Resort. 

During a conversation, Prince Ermias made special mention of how impressed he was with Governor General, Sir Colville Young, who remembered their first meeting. Ever the storyteller, the Governor General recalled a story told to him by the young prince some years ago. The tale involved a man of considerable wealth and status who was invited to a dinner with the “Heads of State” from several countries. Upon his arrival, the man, dressed in a fine business suit, was scolded for wearing common clothing to such a formal affair. He was asked to leave and to please return properly attired. After some time, the man returned to the party dressed in clothing “fit for a king.” Later that evening, as each course of the dinner was served, the same man, instead of eating, was observed stuffing pieces of food into every one of his pockets. Outraged, the same person who had scolded the man earlier questioned why he would embarrass his host with such odd behavior. The man turned to him and calmly replied, that it was quite obvious that it was not he who was invited to eat, but his suit.

Accompanying Prince Ermias to San Pedro was Ms. Rosalie Staines, the producer and host of “Oapn Paki,” a popular radio talk show in Belize. Ms. Staines arranged Prince Ermias’ visit through her acquaintance with Dr. Richard Stevens, a former professor of African History at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. who is now the Prince’s personal advisor.

Before departing the island, Prince Ermias and his hosts were treated to a boat tour of North Ambergris Caye and a snorkel trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve, courtesy of Ramon’s Village Dive Shop. The Prince was clearly impressed by the day’s activities, as he expressed a desire “to spend a lot more time in ëLa Isla Bonita’ when I return to Belize.” In addition, he stated how pleased he was to see a picture of his grandfather, Haile Selassie, displayed on the front of a San Pedro business.

Born in 1960, His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie left Ethiopia to further his education in the United Kingdom and the United States. At the time of his grandfather’s murder, King Hussein of Jordan assumed financial responsibility for the teen prince’s education. Although he has been exiled from Ethiopia for nearly 30 years, Prince Ermias travels at the invitation of foreign governments to attend speaking engagements. He promotes spirituality and international Caribbean-African relations through these activities.

Now, an international marketing consultant, Prince Ermias is also an owner of WORTH, Bahamas, a company which designs and produces decorative medals used to honor international dignitaries. After being informed of this, Lion Eileen Jamison, on behalf of the San Pedro Lion’s Club, presented the Prince with a SP Lions Club award-winning fellowship pin.

Prince Ermias is also a Director for the Haile Selassie Foundation for Ethiopian Children, which supports his grandfather’s beliefs in technological education and self-sustainability. This charitable organization recently sponsored 22 technical scholarships for Ethiopian men and women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds to study in Pennsylvania, USA.

Prince Ermias’ trip to Belize was made possible through the kind support of the City of Belize, the Belize Tourism Board, the Princess Hotel and Casino, Mayan Island Air, Belize Offshore Center, Alliance Bank, A&R Center, Capital Life, the San Pedro Town Council, the International Free Zone, Novelo’s Bus Service, and International Promotion of Trade and Investment.

PRESS RELEASE FROM BELIZE GOVERNMENT

A Message to All Ethiopians and Supporters of Ethiopia During This Holy Season

A Message to All Ethiopia

The Crown Council of Ethiopia wishes all Ethiopians, and all supporters of Ethiopia, peace, health and the blessings of unity during this Holy Season of Christmas and Timkat and the Feast of Eid el-Fitr. The closeness of these blessed events of both Ethiopia’s main religions this year should be seen as yet another sign urging Ethiopians to work with renewed vigor for the unity of our beloved country, for tolerance between our various communities, and for a revival of the prosperity and peace of Ethiopia and Ethiopians.

We pray for an end to the differences which have beset the various Ethiopian communities since 1974, and particularly we look forward to an end to hostilities between Ethiopia and its brothers in Eritrea. But at all costs, we pray for, and fight for, the unbreakable unity of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian People.

Christmas, Timkat and Eid el-Fitr are times of optimism, and there is real cause for hope that, in the coming months and year, the great strands of Ethiopian historical culture and society will once again come together in ways which are both totally new and productive. For this to happen, all elements of Ethiopian society must come together in a spirit of reconciliation, of respect for tradition as well as respect for new thoughts.

The Ethiopian Crown Council, as one of the traditional elements of Ethiopian culture and the representative of the Solomonic dynastic line which is the world’s oldest institution, has been reinvigorated during the past year by a constant process of dialogue with many elements in our society. It has benefited also from support from the world community, particularly through increasingly vigorous support from charitable organizations, many of which have seen many non-Ethiopians unite with Ethiopians to help preserve Ethiopia’s culture and to recognize its importance to African, Western and Middle Eastern civilizations. The international community is becoming more familiar with the richness and unique importance of Ethiopia’s culture, history and geopolitical importance to the entire world.

For perhaps the first time in the 26 years since the bloodshed and regicide of the Dergue, we can look toward a future in Ethiopia which shows signs of a great national reconciliation. The Crown Council is, as always, ready to play its role in this process, and calls God’s Blessings and Mercy upon all Ethiopians, all who love Ethiopia, and even upon those who have in the past sought to harm us. Ethiopia will prevail. The Solomonic Crown, which has come to us through an unbroken line from King David, King Solomon and Queen Makeda of Sabae, will also prevail. And the People’s of Ethiopia will once again live in peace and prosperity.

In the meantime, we cannot relax our efforts to build a better, safer and happier society. We must be extremely conscious to avoid the marginalization of some elements of our society: we must work to become an inclusive society in which Ethiopianness is the umbrella which brings us all together. This will in turn help to ensure that Ethiopia as a whole is not marginalized in the international political and economic community; we must not allow regional pressures to obscure the fact that Ethiopia is the key to the stability of the Horn of Africa and the Nile Nations, as well as to the security and stability of the Red Sea shipping lanes. To be able to undertake our historic role, we must therefore ensure that we develop our Armed Forces to the point where they can not only defend Ethiopia’s integrity, but help to ensure the stability of the region. We are only at the beginning of this process. But this important effort will go hand-in-hand with the evolution of our political prestige, through a commitment to free and fair elections, in turn leading to a greater voice for Ethiopia in African, Middle Eastern and world affairs.

We also must commit ourselves to a renewed war against the HIV and AIDS viruses, which are already causing havoc in our society. Ethiopia, for the sake of national stability and the preservation of our way of life, must unite to fight the HIV/AIDS menace. This means a widespread commitment to public education, something which is not only the responsibility of government but also of the Church, the Mosques and all civic organizations.

We know what we must do to make Ethiopia a better, safer haven for us all. And we see signs of optimism. At this conjunction of Holy Days, we can see that God is again ready to smile upon Ethiopia. God Bless our Beloved Country and its People.

ns and Supporters of Ethiopia During This Holy Season

A Call for the Funeral of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I to be the Beginning of a New Unity for Ethiopia

The Crown Council of Ethiopia, the Constitutional body and traditional Ethiopian institution which represents the Crown of Ethiopia during an interregnum and which advises ruling Ethiopian Monarchs, calls upon all Ethiopians to support the proposed final interment of His Late Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I in such a way that the event will not only reflect the glory and dignity of Ethiopia’s traditions but will also create a new climate of national pride and unity to begin the nation’s re-birth.

The solemn occasion of His Majesty’s interment beside his Beloved Empress, and in his chosen resting place at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa, should serve notice that the Ethiopian People, conscious and rejoicing of their rights to political and communal differences, reaffirm the unique strength and value of their unified society under God.

The Crown Council further calls upon all World Leaders to take the opportunity of the proposed interment to recall the commitment to the collective security of the world made by Ethiopia under Emperor Haile Selassie. His Imperial Majesty and the Ethiopian People dedicated themselves to regional and international stability, for decades fighting fascism and international aggression alongside the leaders of the United Nations, and striving to ensure the stability and freedom of the vital trade routes of the Red Sea.

Africa and the free world had no greater friend in history, nor more loyal symbol of inspiration, than Emperor Haile Selassie, and the time has now come for the world community to pay tribute to him and his People.

However, it is fitting that the Funeral of His Majesty should also be the re-birth of the social, strategic and economic momentum which Emperor Haile Selassie began for Ethiopia, for the region and for Africa. The Funeral marks not the end of the era of Emperor Haile Selassie, but the start of a new age, building upon the positive legacy which he began.

Ethiopia today faces threats to its unity of a type which even the Italian invasions of 1896 and 1935 did not bring forth. Ethiopia today needs the unity which was rejuvenated by Emperor Tewodros following the mayhem of the Age of Princes — the Zemene Mesafint — and which was maintained by Emperor Yohannes who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country’s integrity. It was under Emperor Menelik II that Ethiopia was introduced to modern education, a policy which Emperor Haile Selassie pursued as one of the prime objectives of his reign. Thanks to this remarkable journey of enlightenment, our diverse society is now be able to entertain a broad spectrum of debate which in turn makes feasible a vibrant democracy and a potentially thriving economy. All which we now require is the faith in each other and the overall unity of purpose — to which ends the Emperor dedicated his entire life — which will demonstrate our resolve to maintain Ethiopia’s sovereign integrity and thereby provide the stability and durability to encourage the restoration of international faith and investment in our uniquely valuable country.

By restructuring the Ethiopian State along modern lines, His Majesty ensured the survival of the world’s oldest living institution, the Solomonic Crown. By ensuring Ethiopia’s integrity and pride, His Majesty also ensured that Africa would have a beacon of African culture shining against foreign colonialism.

It is for these reasons and many others that the Crown Council urges the Ethiopian and World communities to think deeply upon the impending Funeral of His Imperial Majesty; to prepare for it as an opportunity to pay tribute to his towering rôle as a leader; and to begin, 26 years after his death, to re-commence the march of Ethiopia toward its rightful place as a prosperous, united community, bringing peace to the region.

መግለጫ በአማርኛ

Ethiopia’s Haile Selassie Students on the Pacem In Terris Scholarship Arrive in the United States

Gathering at Washington’s Dulles International Airport on September 23, 1999, were eight of the Haile Selassie students who were brought to the United States on the Pacem In Terris scholarships at La Roche College. They were all nominated and sponsored by the Haile Selassie Fund for Ethiopia’s Children, of which HIH Prince Ermias (in tie, center) is co-patron with his wife, HIH Princess Gelila Fesseha. Crown Council supporter Seyoum Aberra was on hand (left) to help greet the students, as was Ato Kifle Melaku (second from right), who was there to greet one of his sons, Abraham Kifle Melaku (extreme right), one of the scholarship winners. Other supporters of the Crown were also at the airport for what was an extremely happy occasion. Woyzerit Mestewwat Matewos Sugebo, one of two female scholarship winners, is shown second from left holding up the welcome sign which greeted the students as they arrived. The other students shown here are: Brothers Ermias Hailu and Endrias Hailu (wearing the Ethiopian tricolors), Amin Mohammed Yassin, Ana Fuad Ousie, Henok Mulualem Gebrehiwot, and Shakir Fuad Mohammed.

Eleven of Haile Selassie students chosen for Pacem In Terris Scholarships have arrived in the United States to start their studies. The students, who were all selected by the Haile Selassie Foundation for Ethiopia’s Children, will spend four years at La Roche College, in Pittsburgh, in the United States, graduating with Bachelor degrees. They have all committed to return to Ethiopia upon graduation to apply their learning to improving conditions in Ethiopia.

Eight of the students — shown here — arrived in Washington DC from Addis Ababa on September 23, 1999, en route to Pittsburgh, and were greeted at Washington’s Dulles International Airport by the Patron of the Haile Selassie Foundation, HIH Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia. The students were originally scheduled to go to La Roche’s new sister college in Texas, but this campus was not yet completed, and so the scholarships were transferred to the main La Roche campus in Pittsburgh.

Two of the 11 students who have arrived are from the Ethiopian diaspora: one from Germany, the other from Maryland in the US. Another student had already arrived from Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian Crown Council Enderassé HH Prince Bekere Fikre-Selassie sent greetings to the students on their arrival in the US, and both he and Prince Ermias — along with other Crown Council officials — plan a special reception for the Haile Selassie student contingent when they have settled down in Pittsburgh. Prince Bekere has made education one of his key areas of focus within the Crown Council. Prince Ermias, meanwhile, has committed with Princess Gelila Fesseha, the co-patron of the Haile Selassie Fund for Ethiopia’s Children, to a regular schedule of visits to Pittsburgh — where he is also a Director of La Roche College — to provide support and counselling for the students.

Crown Council Greetings for Inqutatash and Plea for National Unity

The Ethiopian Crown Council today sent greetings to Ethiopians on the occasion of Inqutatash — Ethiopian New Year — and called on all Ethiopians to agree on an urgent period of respite from ethnic and communal conflict in the Ethiopian community of nations so that urgent issues of poverty, health-care, education and national unity could be addressed.

“Ethiopians have now endured more than two decades of hardship since the death of His Imperial Majesty Empror Haile Selassie I. We now must all work together to overcome all of the obstacles of war, natural disaster, poverty, inadequate education, disunity, and disease to reclaim our rightful place of health and happiness in the world,” the President of the Crown Council, Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, said in the New Year Greeting.

“It is not only possible for us to achieve victory over these hardships, it is essential. We have suffered for too long. We all know what we must do: we must work together,” Prince Ermias said. “We must have national healing within so that we can defend the threats from without.”

“Ethiopia remains under threat from many man-made problems, such as the ongoing war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and fratricidal conflicts conducted by minority groups. We must not only deal with with these problems by demonstrating the mutual bonds which link all Ethiopian peoples, we must begin to address the underlying causes of the conflicts. The Administration must show faith in the Ethiopian peoples by encouraging expressions of unity and by encouraging cooperation and interaction among all the various peoples of Ethiopia, instead of by encouraging ethnic rivalry and separation. This would, more than anything else, create a sense of national purpose, and, indeed, have Ethiopians rallying around a productive and popular Government.”

“We can no longer afford to live in division and mutual suspicion,” the Crown Council statement said.

“It is at this time of renewal — this New Year — when Ethiopians must learn to respect and enjoy the greatness of each of the national peoples, each of the great religions of Ethiopia, and each of the great cultures and languages of our peoples,” Prince Ermias said. “The Crown and Crown Council of Ethiopia are the Crown and Crown Council of all Ethiopians, and represent the important symbols of Ethiopianness: unity, prosperity, security, and strength. And the Crown Council — the only legal and Constitutional body representing the Solomonic Crown of Ethiopia during the interregnum — will continue to work for national unity, national strength, for improved education and welfare, and for the perpetuation of the great Ethiopian culture,” Prince Ermias said.

The Ethiopian Crown Council today sent greetings to Ethiopians on the occasion of Inqutatash — Ethiopian New Year — and called on all Ethiopians to agree on an urgent period of respite from ethnic and communal conflict in the Ethiopian community of nations so that urgent issues of poverty, health-care, education and national unity could be addressed.

“Ethiopians have now endured more than two decades of hardship since the death of His Imperial Majesty Empror Haile Selassie I. We now must all work together to overcome all of the obstacles of war, natural disaster, poverty, inadequate education, disunity, and disease to reclaim our rightful place of health and happiness in the world,” the President of the Crown Council, Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, said in the New Year Greeting.

“It is not only possible for us to achieve victory over these hardships, it is essential. We have suffered for too long. We all know what we must do: we must work together,” Prince Ermias said. “We must have national healing within so that we can defend the threats from without.”

“Ethiopia remains under threat from many man-made problems, such as the ongoing war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and fratricidal conflicts conducted by minority groups. We must not only deal with with these problems by demonstrating the mutual bonds which link all Ethiopian peoples, we must begin to address the underlying causes of the conflicts. The Administration must show faith in the Ethiopian peoples by encouraging expressions of unity and by encouraging cooperation and interaction among all the various peoples of Ethiopia, instead of by encouraging ethnic rivalry and separation. This would, more than anything else, create a sense of national purpose, and, indeed, have Ethiopians rallying around a productive and popular Government.”

“We can no longer afford to live in division and mutual suspicion,” the Crown Council statement said.

“It is at this time of renewal — this New Year — when Ethiopians must learn to respect and enjoy the greatness of each of the national peoples, each of the great religions of Ethiopia, and each of the great cultures and languages of our peoples,” Prince Ermias said. “The Crown and Crown Council of Ethiopia are the Crown and Crown Council of all Ethiopians, and represent the important symbols of Ethiopianness: unity, prosperity, security, and strength. And the Crown Council — the only legal and Constitutional body representing the Solomonic Crown of Ethiopia during the interregnum — will continue to work for national unity, national strength, for improved education and welfare, and for the perpetuation of the great Ethiopian culture,” Prince Ermias said.

Ethiopian Crown Council Names Recipients of 16 University Scholarships

Washington DC, August 11, 1999: — The Ethiopian Crown Council today announced that 16 Ethiopian students have been chosen to receive Pacem in Terris scholarships. These full, four-year scholarships to International University of America, in Texas, in the United States, were awarded to Ethiopians in Ethiopia and the diaspora.

These scholarships, administered in the name of the charity organization, the Haile Selassie Fund for Ethiopia’s Children, cover four years of college tuition, room, and board for all 16 recipients. The recipients will spend their first six months at Pennsylvania’s La Roche College receiving intensive English language instruction, and will complete the remainder of their four-year program at International University of America (formerly Ambassador International University) in Texas.

The Haile Selassie Fund was able to award scholarships in the fields of computer science, business, engineering, communications, and water resources management. These scholarships, awarded in early July, have a collective value of some US$1.2-million. The scholarship recipients are a diverse group of Ethiopians with a wide range of personal backgrounds and interests. Among the finalists are students from Addis Ababa, Harar, Mekelle, Awasa, Dire Dawa, and even several from various Ethiopian communities in the diaspora of the United States and Europe.

The Crown Council released the following statement to the press after the announcement of the scholarship winners: “Our heartfelt congratulations go out to the recent recipients of the Pacem in Terris scholarships.  We would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to Monsignor William Kerr, President of International University of America. His enthusiasm and energy in the establishment of this scholarship has provided an unprecedented opportunity for these young Ethiopians. The International University’s work to promote peace and well-being among the peoples of the earth deserves all of our appreciation and support. The young men and women who will begin their studies at the International University are the pride of Ethiopia, and we look forward to watching their careers in the years to come.”

Crown Council Call for Concern over HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia

Over the past twenty-five years, Ethiopia has struggled with one painful challenge after another. The worst kinds of government oppression worked in concert with years of devastating famine to leave lasting scars throughout our culture and our country. Now, the ravages of HIV and AIDS present us with one of the greatest threats to our people yet.

Thankfully, many AIDS patients in developed countries, such as the United States, are able to reap the benefits of powerful new drug combinations which ease their suffering and give them new hope for a longer life. Because of the blessing of these new treatments, too many men and women around the world are becoming complacent and forgetful of the horrors which HIV and AIDS can still bring to countries like Ethiopia, where the weapons necessary to win this war remain unavailable. If we do not alert our countrymen and warn the world community, the first decade of the new millenium will do unspeakable damage to our hopes for a peaceful and prosperous future.

The latest statistics detailing the HIV/AIDS situation in Ethiopia paint an ugly picture. Health officials estimate that nearly 2.5-million Ethiopians suffer from HIV infection. This is an amazing figure: it represents nearly 10 percent of the total infections throughout the world. More importantly, it means that one out of every ten adult Ethiopians carries this deadly virus and can pass it on to others.

These numbers make a grim formula for Ethiopia’s future. The average life expectancy is already relatively low in Ethiopia. If HIV and AIDS continue unchecked, by the year 2010, the average Ethiopian will die fifteen years younger. It is estimated that the ravages of this disease have already left over 620,000 children orphaned throughout Ethiopia. In ten years, the total will be nearly three times that number.

HIV and AIDS are also intimately linked to two other grave threats to our future, poverty and famine. As Ethiopia continues to struggle to feed itself, AIDS patients are at a greater risk. Carriers of the disease can be too weak to resist infections. The poorest of our countrymen are the least likely to receive expensive and time-consuming treatments. Unable to break from this cycle, Ethiopians sink deeper into poverty as they lose a productive and beloved member of their family.

To truly understand the scope of the potential social and economic devastation, we must do more than discuss the statistics. We must remember the human face of this horrible disease, the face of Ethiopians of all ages, from every socio-economic background. We must remember that this disease does not discriminate, that it kills Tigrean, Amhara, and Oromo alike.

Thankfully, some Ethiopians at home and abroad have already taken the first steps towards turning the tide in this crucial battle. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has worked in collaboration with UNICEF, encouraging young Ethiopians to change their daily behavior and lifestyle to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. The science faculty at Addis Ababa University is working with health institutions around the world in preparation for an international conference on HIV/AIDS, currently scheduled for November. Finally, the sick themselves have started to come together. Over one hundred Ethiopians living with HIV/AIDS have formed a support organization called “Dawn of Hope”, whose members are actively working for an end to this terrible disease.

For the Ethiopian nation to live to see the full promise of this dawn of hope, the Ethiopian Crown Council and Ethiopians everywhere must work together to summon our full potential as a people. What can those of us in the diaspora do to ease the situation back home? All of our voices in unison can raise awareness throughout the world that for countries such as Ethiopia, the AIDS crisis has only just begun. Together, we can work for the medical and financial assistance that will ease Ethiopia’s plight.

But most importantly, we must spread the news throughout all Ethiopia that the answers to our problems are within our own reach. We must support Ethiopian organizations at home and abroad that continue to educate our people about the causes of this health crisis, and that continue to provide health care and training to those in need. Where those organizations fall short or do not exist at all, we must begin to build them ourselves, with our own hands, and with our own hearts.