Category: Statements

On May 8th, 2004, HIH Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie attended the Graduation ceremony at La Roche College, Pennsylvania, of five more scholarship recipients from the Haile Selassie Fund for Ethiopian Children. Out of the twenty-two full scholarships granted through the Foundation, to date, fourteen students have received their BA Degree. The remaining eight are due to graduate in 2005.

At the luncheon organized by the Ethiopian group to celebrate the Graduation, the students and their parents expressed their heart-felt thanks to Prince Ermias for having given the students the opportunity to gain higher education. Furthermore, the students pledged to be of service to their country.

In turn, Prince Ermias expressed his appreciation to the students for having been such good Ambassadors for their country. He also thanked Mr. Tsegaye Kassa and Mr. Abey Tedela who had accompanied him to the Graduation, as well as others who were not present at the Graduation, but who had helped the students in various ways to benefit from higher education. These include: Board Members of the Pacem in Terris Institute at La Roche College in Pennsylvania; Dr. Richard Stevens; Ms. Mary McDavid; Major General Oliver Peacock; Mr. Noah Samara; Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Copley; Mr. Mussie Hailu; Mr. Giovani Ruffini; and Mr. Dawit Yohannes.

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

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.

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.

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.

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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.”

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.

The Editorial by HIH Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, for the July 31, 1999, edition of Negarit, the Crown newspaper. The statement was issued on June 29, 1999.

Famine, drought and ongoing poverty remain undiscussed, and apparently secondary issues when states are at war over such national and emotional issues of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ethiopia, which has the highest rates of malnutrition in Africa, is yet again facing another famine with little publicity. Food insecurity, even at the best of times, is one of the most visible manifestations of poverty in Ethiopia. In a nation, which relies on subsistence farming and varying climatic factors, the problem is further compounded by inadequate focus on land protection, afforestation, water conservation, the development of human resources, a coherent policy on land reform and management and an exceptionally high birth rate.

The current war in Ethiopia seems on the surface to have had little impact on the economy, but over the short-term the conflict could have disasterous implications for the country as development aid becomes curtailed and the nation’s meagre resources become diverted to defense expenditures.

It was the lack of attention given to the famine which, in 1974, brought down the Imperial Government. Ethiopia became synonymous in the early 1980s with famine, as many more Ethiopians died from both manmade and natural disaster. What does our fate hold today and into the next century?

Ethiopians who live abroad as well as at home have a huge responsibility as citizens to ponder this shadow of death which afflicts millons of our countrymen too frequently. A problem of this magnitude cannot be tackled in a vacuum. The absence of peace and normalcy is a fundamental prerequisite. The fragility of our region is also an added insecurity, as we will be forced to live in the shadows of more wars to follow. How long are we going to be dependent on foreign donations to sustain our existence? We must measure what our sovereignty entails. If we are at others’ mercies for our survival then how are we truly free?

The Ethiopian administration must be held accountable for its decisions and must be pressured to address this life and death issue expeditiously. We Ethiopians have once more failed in the promise of feeding our people. We have the potential to be net exporters of food, yet millions of our people are vulnerable to the scrouge of famine. We continue to lose so many of our educated citizenary in whom the poor masses invested, and our young men and women are dying daily in the battlefields and through the silent war of poverty and disease.

We as citizens need to do our part by pressuring decisionmakers in Ethiopia to seek meaningful solutions to problems which have long-term consequences. We must also do our part today by turning to our communities, our churches and civic institutions to do our part in helping feed our people. We must educate our friends, our communities, policymakers and the international community that Ethiopia holds a greater promise than the continuous indignity of constantly being on the verge of death. We must pull together as human beings and each contribute according to our individual capacities. Let us become part of the solution by better understanding and confronting this problem which is haunting us periodically. Governments come and go but let us not make famine a permanent feature to our evolution. Let us seek ways to implement sustainable development through peaceful accomodation and co-existence.

Perhaps by uniting to confront the present famine, we will strengthen our unity to fight together for more durable solutions. Let us make a commitment now rather than be overcome by inaction and guilt once the problem becomes overwhelming. We all sympathized with the human suffering in Kosovo, and now the international community must be made aware that hunger is once again looming in our country and that we are prepared to do our part!

His Majesty King Hassan II of Morocco died of a heart attack on July 23, 1999. The following week, Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie, President of the Ethiopian Crown Council, visited the Moroccan Embassy in the Washington DC area to pay his respects to the memory of the late monarch, and to send the Ethiopian monarchy’s best wishes to his successor, King Mohammed VI.

In early August, the Enderasse of the Ethiopian Crown Council, Prince Bekere Fikre-Selassie, and Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie released this statement on the passing of King Hassan:

“On this sad occasion, we all recall with admiration His Majesty King Hassan’s unceasing devotion to the cause of peace and unity throughout Africa and the Middle East, and we look forward to a world strengthened by His Majesty’s vision.

The Ethiopian and Moroccan Crowns fought parallel struggles in the 20th Century, overcoming the challenges of colonialism and exile to work for the continued prosperity of their peoples. His Majesty Haile Selassie I, late Emperor of Ethiopia and founder of the modern Crown Council, worked closely with King Hassan in the cause of African peace and unity. On June 14, 1972, both leaders addressed the summit for the Organisation for African Unity (OAU) which King Hassan himself hosted in Rabat. His Majesty Haile Selassie’s words in tribute to His Majesty King Hassan suit us well today:

‘All of us here are well aware of His Majesty King Hassan’s dedication to, and unwavering faith in, the consolidation of unity and his positive contribution to the… peace of our continent. The generous and typically African hospitality extended to all of us is yet another manifestation of the keen interest His Majesty, the Government and people of Morocco have in strengthening our organization… Whenever We think of Morocco, Our thoughts go back to His Majesty’s illustrious father, King Mohammed V, who, through far-sightedness and political sophistication, led this country into independence from the clutches of colonialism and laid the foundation of modern Morocco… Following in the footsteps of his father, His Majesty King Hassan has continued to contribute to the well-being and prosperity of the Moroccan people. May We wish His Majesty all success in his endeavours.’

As Morocco turns now to look towards its future, we are honored to extend similar wishes for success to His Majesty Mohammed VI. At once both a leader and true scholar, His Majesty’s interest in the social welfare of his people, particularly the poor among them, promises a model of leadership which all of Africa can hope to embrace.”

A Statement on the 107th anniversary of the birth of His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie the Great,
from Enderasse Prince Bekere Fikre-Selassie and President of the Ethiopian Crown Council Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie

Ethiopians everywhere must always be mindful of the past, of the rich history and tradition that shapes our identity as a people. Our strengths and weaknesses as a nation, our successes and failures, provide a vision and a challenge for the future, a roadmap to understand how far we have come, and how far we still have yet to go. On the anniversary of the birth of His Majesty Haile Selassie I, July 23^rd, it is fitting that we look to his life, to the accomplishments of His Majesty, to gauge our own progress, and to map our course for the years to come.

Few men in history have left such a mark on the lives of their people and the admiring eyes of the world. His memory is cherished by Ethiopians of all ages. His struggles on behalf of African freedom and unity have made him loved by Africans around the world. He stood before us as a direct descendant of King Solomon, a living symbol of continuity between an ancient civilization and a modern world, a living symbol that made Ethiopia the pride and property of all mankind.

What was His Majesty’s legacy? What are we to remember, to summon as a challenge to ourselves, on his 107^th anniversary?

He was an active reformer, a strong believer in the possibilities of modernization. As regent, he worked vigorously to bring an end to slavery throughout Ethiopia. As emperor, he twice gave Ethiopia constitutions designed to pave the way for a more democratic and participatory national government. He presided over the modernization of the country’s penal code, and the opening of its first parliament. During his reign, the first beginnings of a free press took hold in our homeland.

He spared no expense in the construction and renovation of hospitals, churches, and mosques. He oversaw the creation of modern industry in Ethiopia: the first hydro-electric power plan, the first water works, the first oil refinery. He established agricultural schools and experimental farms to encourage the full utilization of Ethiopia’s natural resources.

His Majesty knew full well the precious value of a strong education, and provided a solid foundation for modern learning throughout Ethiopia. He established the first universities. He founded the first public schools. He did these things often at his own expense, from his own land, his own property.

But His Majesty did not take these steps as mere tokens, as empty gestures towards international notions of what progress required. Rather, he took these steps with the knowledge that a practical education for some Ethiopians produces practical results for all of Ethiopia. Speaking at the Haile Selassie I University graduation in 1967, he said the following: “fully aware that the vast majority of your fellow-countrymen have not had the privilege of higher education that you have had, you must accept the responsibility for identifying the fundamental problems of your country and directing the skills you have acquired towards their solution.”

In the context of world history, His Majesty’s unceasing struggle against imperialism will be one of his most lasting monuments. In 1923, he sought the security of his people through membership in the League of Nations. In 1935, he fought for his people on the front lines, as the world waited for the League to speak out against Italian aggression. When that League failed him, he stood before it without fear, and called for the judgment of God and history upon the system of European colonialism.

It is all too easily forgotten that upon regaining his throne with Allied assistance, the Emperor Haile Selassie never once became vindictive, and never sought recrimination against the harsh rule of the Fascists. True to great statesmanship, His Majesty gave full amnesty, and many Italians were able to remain in Ethiopia and continue to live without fear.

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, he worked to complete the return of the Ogaden from British occupying forces. Through the act of federation in 1950 and the final union of Eritrea and Ethiopia in 1962, he achieved the final repudiation of the hollow accomplishments of Italian military conquest. In so doing, he bestowed upon us a powerful symbol of Ethiopian unity the lessons of which remain unfulfilled even today.

Even when earlier organizations of international solidarity failed him, His Majesty never turned his back on the world community. He played an active role in the United Nations, and an active role in support of his allies in the Korean War. In the climax of his leadership in the anti-colonial struggle, he guided the creation of the Organisation of African Unity, and steered that body away from the path of dangerous radical revolution.

Looking back on Ethiopia in the twentieth century, one man alone stands out. As we consider the future, we are mindful of his own words, when he spoke on his birthday, July 23, 1958: “As We have stated time and again, it is easy to begin, but hard to finish, and We express on this occasion both Our happiness at what We see here today, as well as Our strong hope to see this work which is now begun bearing fruit in the near future.”

On April 6, 1988, His Majesty Amha Selassie I declared Haile Selassie I to be “Haile Selassie the Great”. This simple proclamation was but one step in a journey that will shape our nation’s progress throughout the coming generations. In proclaiming him “Haile Selassie the Great”, we acknowledge our obligation to his memory, and our obligation to our own people to finish the work he started.

Remembering His Majesty on the 107^th anniversary of his birth, we realize that his challenge to the Class of 1967 is a challenge to us all: we must learn our own history, we must study the works of great thinkers, but we must also seek practical knowledge, an education that heals the sick and feeds the hungry. This is a life’s journey that acknowledges His Majesty’s legacy and the magnitude of his accomplishments, a journey that is easy to begin, but hard indeed to finish. All of us must look forward to rising to that challenge.