Sunday, December 14, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Is Something Cooking in Eritrea?
In the last couple of weeks, asena-online.com has been reporting what it seems a growing confrontation and upraising by the Eritrean Defense Forces against the government. However, these reports are not confirmed by other opposition websites or opposition news sites. Since asena-online.com is relatively new, the credibility of its reports has yet to be established (unlike websites like awate.com, which have relatively established credibility among their readers). But it is also possible that asena-online.com may have access to high powered insiders in the army.
Another aspect of this website’s reports is that, it is not only reporting an incident in the army. Before these reports come, there was a continuous article (and is still continuing). This article seems a conspiracy theory in nature and accuses PIA all sort of dirt work. The article cites a couple of other development such as NATO’s movement into the gulf of Red Sea, Iranian movement into the port city of Asseb, and claims a cloud of change is hanging around Eritrea. It then asks Eritreans (in an editorial page) to prepare for it.
This article is now followed by continuous reports of incidences of confrontation between the army and the government. All this makes the website’s recent move like a more coordinated and organized campaign rather than reports of incidences.
The fact that these reports are only coming from asena-online.com and have the nature of coordinated campaign raises special curiosity. May be some organized groups in the army are behind all these reports. Also to note here is the background of the founder of the website. He is a veteran of Betmhrti sewra and is possible that he can have special connection to some groups in the army than other websites. All this makes one to wonder if some thing is cooking in Eritrea.
Check the website for all of the recent reports on the website: asena-online.com
Another aspect of this website’s reports is that, it is not only reporting an incident in the army. Before these reports come, there was a continuous article (and is still continuing). This article seems a conspiracy theory in nature and accuses PIA all sort of dirt work. The article cites a couple of other development such as NATO’s movement into the gulf of Red Sea, Iranian movement into the port city of Asseb, and claims a cloud of change is hanging around Eritrea. It then asks Eritreans (in an editorial page) to prepare for it.
This article is now followed by continuous reports of incidences of confrontation between the army and the government. All this makes the website’s recent move like a more coordinated and organized campaign rather than reports of incidences.
The fact that these reports are only coming from asena-online.com and have the nature of coordinated campaign raises special curiosity. May be some organized groups in the army are behind all these reports. Also to note here is the background of the founder of the website. He is a veteran of Betmhrti sewra and is possible that he can have special connection to some groups in the army than other websites. All this makes one to wonder if some thing is cooking in Eritrea.
Check the website for all of the recent reports on the website: asena-online.com
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Why Do We Love Advising Presidents-Elect?
Freakonomics, asked the question on the title to its readers. The question was put as follows:
“Everyone seems to have advice for President-elect Obama these days: physicists, economists, Willie Nelson — even Freakonomics commenters are getting in on the act.
Why are we always so eager to advise new presidents? Rarely do new congressmen, major league sports coaches, and corporate executives generate the same flood of unsolicited advice. So why are we so eager to share our ideas about how the president should govern?”
And so many people suggested a possible answer. One of these answers was so appealing that I decided to use it for Friday Night. Here is his/her answer:
“ I’m so glad you asked, for I know the answer.
Very simply, we all feel we have great ideas that, for one reason or another, never get a hearing outside the barber shop or coffee shop.
……..I have ideas all the time (as does everyone, I imagine). Yet there is often no real place to get them heard–or at least no where that can actually put those ideas in motion…….”
Questions: We all will agree that many Eritreans have great ideas about how to tackle the problems their country is facing. What do they do to share their ideas? And who advices the president?
“Everyone seems to have advice for President-elect Obama these days: physicists, economists, Willie Nelson — even Freakonomics commenters are getting in on the act.
Why are we always so eager to advise new presidents? Rarely do new congressmen, major league sports coaches, and corporate executives generate the same flood of unsolicited advice. So why are we so eager to share our ideas about how the president should govern?”
And so many people suggested a possible answer. One of these answers was so appealing that I decided to use it for Friday Night. Here is his/her answer:
“ I’m so glad you asked, for I know the answer.
Very simply, we all feel we have great ideas that, for one reason or another, never get a hearing outside the barber shop or coffee shop.
……..I have ideas all the time (as does everyone, I imagine). Yet there is often no real place to get them heard–or at least no where that can actually put those ideas in motion…….”
Questions: We all will agree that many Eritreans have great ideas about how to tackle the problems their country is facing. What do they do to share their ideas? And who advices the president?
Monday, December 1, 2008
Nominate an ERN hero of the Year 2008
Last night I was watching CNN’s Hero of the Year program where they recognize the works of exemplary humanitarian activists from through out the world.
As I watch the program, I raised the same question that always comes to my mind. Why don’t we have such an award system where we recognize exceptional achievements and deeds of Eritreans?
I don’t think any one would doubt the relevance of such recognition for wellbeing of a society – It is such a common sense concept. Recognition is an incentive system and people respond to incentives. This not to say those who do exemplary works will do it to get recognition….No! But recognizing their work and cause will boost their effort and encourage others to follow their steps. And there are many Eritrean individuals doing extraordinary things who deserve recognition from their society. But often, we don’t even know them, let alone to award them…..simply because we don’t have a mechanism to recognize their achievements and causes. The only such annual recognition (award) system that I am aware of is the RaymaK award given to artist. But don’t we need Raymoks in academy? In Business?, in humanitarian activities? Yes we do! We need more RymoKs...in many other fields. We have Eritrean individuals doing commendable work helping Eritrean refugees who deserve recognition. We have exceptionally successful Eritreans in academy and business who could serve as role model to Young Eritreans. By recognizing the achievement of those individuals, we as a society will benefit a lot.
I hope to see some sort of organizations that would organize these wards in different fields ….and I hope it will not be late.
Till then, let’s assume here such a hypothetical organization exists and it is going to award an ERN hero of the year 2008 at the end of this year. The award, according to the criteria of this hypothetical organization, will be given to any Eritrean who have:
1. Done exceptional works in humanitarian activities helping Eritreans, or
2. Have achieved exceptional success in any field and can serve as role model to young Eritreans.
To that extent, if you were asked to nominate your ERN hero of the year 2008, who would he/she be?
As I watch the program, I raised the same question that always comes to my mind. Why don’t we have such an award system where we recognize exceptional achievements and deeds of Eritreans?
I don’t think any one would doubt the relevance of such recognition for wellbeing of a society – It is such a common sense concept. Recognition is an incentive system and people respond to incentives. This not to say those who do exemplary works will do it to get recognition….No! But recognizing their work and cause will boost their effort and encourage others to follow their steps. And there are many Eritrean individuals doing extraordinary things who deserve recognition from their society. But often, we don’t even know them, let alone to award them…..simply because we don’t have a mechanism to recognize their achievements and causes. The only such annual recognition (award) system that I am aware of is the RaymaK award given to artist. But don’t we need Raymoks in academy? In Business?, in humanitarian activities? Yes we do! We need more RymoKs...in many other fields. We have Eritrean individuals doing commendable work helping Eritrean refugees who deserve recognition. We have exceptionally successful Eritreans in academy and business who could serve as role model to Young Eritreans. By recognizing the achievement of those individuals, we as a society will benefit a lot.
I hope to see some sort of organizations that would organize these wards in different fields ….and I hope it will not be late.
Till then, let’s assume here such a hypothetical organization exists and it is going to award an ERN hero of the year 2008 at the end of this year. The award, according to the criteria of this hypothetical organization, will be given to any Eritrean who have:
1. Done exceptional works in humanitarian activities helping Eritreans, or
2. Have achieved exceptional success in any field and can serve as role model to young Eritreans.
To that extent, if you were asked to nominate your ERN hero of the year 2008, who would he/she be?
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