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Letters Archive
July - August 2001
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] July 21, 2001 In your frontspiece you wrote: " ... It is the paradox that, while technology and international business are transforming the world by leaps and bounds, the
people of Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa, are still living savage and desperate lives. Much of that tragedy is heightened by the almost total news blackout on any positive news from Africa, with the powerful
western news agencies emphasizing the litany of military coups, famine, disease, refugees, and poverty. " .... This web site demonstrates that, far from being the wilderness of human civilization, Africa is a
real potential player in the international arena. That is starting to happen. " Your work is commendable and it is necessary that you bring women with you right from the start. let me know if you want me to
contribute on women in any part of Africa. Tsehai Berhane-Selassie (Ph.D., MS) July 24, 2001Hello. First of all and allow me to congratulate you on your effort with this website. Since you represent the interest of Africa and its people, I hope you will
allow me to talk about a well- forgotten nation. The Republic of Somaliland, a former British protectorate, withdrew in May of 1991, from an unconstitutional amalgamation with Somalia, a former Italian colony, which
happened in July 1960, and declared its independence by reinstating its sovereignty within the borders of the State of Somaliland of 1960, and the preceding British Protectorate of Somaliland.
Thus, bringing to an end the 31-year catastrophic union between Somaliland and Somalia. The people of Somaliland were overjoyed with their reclaimed sovereignty and started nation-building immediately. They
reestablished a state from scratch, with functioning democratic institutions and public services. Today, Somaliland has a booming free market economy, free press and a government consisting of three branches: the
executive, the parliament and the judiciary. Less than two months ago, on May 31, 2001, the people of Somaliland have overwhelmingly endorsed a constitution with 97% Approval. This constitution defines the rights of
the people, as well as the rules and procedures under which the government will operate; it also protects the democratic institutions and affirms the sovereignty of Somaliland; in short, it protects and guarantees
everything the people have worked so hard to build over the past ten years, without any help from the outside world. Khadar Mahamud
London, United Kingdom
July 25, 2001First of all I would like to express my deep appreciation for
your initiatives focusing on Africa and this platform of feedback from visitors that I hope tremendously helps minimize its drawbacks and yet enrich its content. I suggest if you avoid comparative data which are
usually not only controversial but also they will be sources of disagreement and hence separation rather than uniting. As an almanac it would be better if you merely present facts and/or figures in table or otherwise
on the past and present social, cultural, political and economic spheres of Africa and at the same time showing what Africa potentially has and can do for we Africans and to the rest of the world.
I hope you can also fit the existing content of your site into this framework. Tezazu Bireda
Austria
July 28, 2001I would like to thank you for your interesting comments on Ethiopians. I generally agree with what you pointed out regarding
this country and its people. On the other hand, after visiting your interesting website one question came to my mind is that as to how Ethiopian national parks not included in the 50 African national parks, not even
one? Faysal Temam
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia August 4, 2001Congratulation Africa Almanac, for creating this wonderful website to bring us together. Thank you for telling the untold story about Africa. It would be
wonderful if we have a forum in this website so that we can exchange ideas. Keep up the good work. Asfaw Alemayehu
Washington DC, USA August 12, 2001This is a pretty good site, with a unique concept, and a potential to really
distinguish itself as a leading-edge publication. Continue with your formula as its certainly steering you in the right direction. John L. Kiggundu
Reston, Virginia, USA
August 15, 2001I'm a high school student here in Addis Ababa. I really like the
purpose of this site as Timothy Kalyegira once explained it one a local TV show here in Ethiopia. It is about time Africa gets some positive media coverage. But one thing though, your main page certainly looks
odd...makes it look as if South Africa is not in Africa. Treating South Africa as a special country and all. I was under the impression that the site was about all the positive aspects of and information on Africa as
a whole. And one other thing I see from all the comments given is all the harsh views of the west and western ideas. It looks to me as if the site, as well as most of the viewers, are inclined to concentrate on
the problem not the solution. Always complaining that the West is the source of our miseries will not do any good to help us with our current problems. We must find a way to treat our domestic conflicts in the first
place. It maybe the West preventing us from walking but it is us preventing ourselves from at least standing up straight. Wendwesen Tamene
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. |
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