Debate: Is Human Rights Watch Too Close to US Government to Criticize Its Foreign Policy?

Human Rights Watch, one of the world’s largest and most influential human rights organizations, is facing an unusual amount of public criticism. Two Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and Mairead Maguire, and a group of over 100 scholars have written an open letter criticizing what they describe as a revolving door with the U.S. government that impacts HRW’s work in certain countries, including Venezuela. The letter urges HRW to bar those who have crafted or executed U.S. foreign policy from serving as staff, advisers or board members. Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth has defended his organization’s independence, responding: "We are careful to ensure that prior affiliations do not affect the impartiality of Human Rights Watch’s work. … We routinely expose, document and denounce human rights violations by the US government, including torture, indefinite detention, illegal renditions, unchecked mass surveillance, abusive use of drones, harsh sentencing and racial disparity in criminal justice, and an unfair and ineffective immigration system." We host a debate between HRW counsel Reed Brody and Keane Bhatt, a writer and activist who organized the open letter..........read more............

Part I: Economic and Political Backdrop

Most Ethiopians agree that appropriately planned, designed, constructed, and operated dams on Abay (the Blue Nile) are economic necessities that should be supported to ensure the long-term economic development of the country and the well-being of its people....read more...

Ethiopia’s Police State: The Silencing of Opponents, Journalists and Students Detained

Detention under spurious charges in Ethiopia is nothing new. With the second highest rate of imprisoned journalists in Africa[1] and arbitrary detention for anyone who openly objects to the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) regime’s despotic iron fist, the Western backed government in Addis Ababa is a dab hand at silencing its critics....read more...

Independent Publications in the Face of Grave Threat in Ethiopia

.......................The free press in Ethiopia has been in great trouble since 2005. The new measure is the latest move by the Ethiopian government to completely control the already engulfed newspapers and magazines operating in the county. According to local reports, together with other restrictive laws in force, the new legislation would lead to total absence of independent press outlet in the country. It is believed by many to be a strategy to silence opposition voices ahead of the 2007 election.................click to continue reading.......

የ“ቀለም” አብዮት ናፍቆት! (ጋዝጠኛ ተመሰገን ደሳለኝ ) (ECDF)

የቀዝቃዛው ጦርነት ማብቃትን ያበሰረው የጀርመን ግንብ ሊፈርስ ሶስት ዓመታት ብቻ በቀሩበት ከዕለታት በአንዱ ቀን፣ ቅጥ ካጣ አምባ-ገነንነቱ በተጨማሪ ሀገሪቷን የግል ርስቱ ያደረገው የፊሊፒንስ ፕሬዝዳንት ፈርዲናንድ ማርቆስ “ታሪካዊ” የሚባል ታላቅ ስህተትን ፈፀመ፤ ጠንካራ ተፎካካሪው ሊሆን እንደሚችል ቅድመ-ግምት ተሰጥቶት የነበረውን የተቃዋሚው ቡድን መሪ ካስገደለ ከጥቂት ጊዜያት በኋላ እንዲካሄድ የፈቀደውን ምርጫ በአሳፋሪ መንገድ አጭበረበረ፡፡ ይህን ጊዜ የሕዝቡን ትዕግስት አልባነት የተረዱና መነሻቸው ካቶሊክ.................ቀጥለው ለማንበብ እዝህ ይጫኑ...

Ethiopians Rising

There are tentative signs that the people of Ethiopia are beginning to organise themselves and stand up against the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) government, a brutal dictatorship, dressed in western democratic garb.,,read more...........

When Enough is Enough, Rise up People of Ethiopia

London : There are tentative signs that the people of Ethiopia are beginning to organise themselves and stand up against the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) government, a brutal dictatorship, albeit one dressed in democratic western garb........read more

South Sudan peace deal signed under pressure, says Kiir

May 12, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, said political pressure and Friday’s tense atmosphere within the Ethiopian prime minister’s palace ensured a peace agreement with opposition leader Riek Machar was signed without conducting face to face talks.,,,,,,,,click here to read more...

ተቃውሞ እና ጭፍጨፋ በኦሮሚያ

ተቃውሞ እና ጭፍጨፋ በኦሮሚያ

(ተመስገንደሳለኝ)

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Ethiopia: UN Review Should Condemn Crackdown

Geneva) – United Nations member countries should call on Ethiopia to stop targeting activists and the media under draconian laws. The UN Human Rights Council will review Ethiopia’s human rights record under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) procedure on May 6, 2014. ......Click here to read more

Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ)’s Addis Ababa Rally, May 4, 2014 [pictures]

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John Kerry expresses concern over arrest of Ethiopian bloggers

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Kerry urges press freedoms for Ethiopia

Addis Ababa (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Ethiopia on Thursday to allow greater freedoms for civil society and journalists, expressing concern for a group of bloggers and journalists arrested last week. click here to read  full history

John Kerry urges press freedoms for Ethiopia

US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Ethiopia on Thursday to allow greater freedoms for civil society and journalists, expressing concern for a group of bloggers and journalists arrested last week....click here to read more

Protests Grow Over Addis Ababa's Expansion

Addis Ababa is growing fast and set to expand further, pitting the government against Oromo activists, seeking to protect their rights...click here to read more...

Ethiopia charges nine bloggers, journalists with inciting violence

(Reuters) - Ethiopia has charged six bloggers and three journalists with attempting to incite violence, their supporters said on Monday, prompting accusations from rights groups that the government is cracking down on its critics...click here to read more

The NYU professor and best-selling author makes his case for a radical rethinking of approaches to global development.

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Amnesty International: Ethiopia: Opposition Leaders Denied Medical Treatment (Ob. Bekele Gerba and Ob. Olbana Lelisa)

Olbana Lelisa and Bekele Gerba are being denied medical treatment. The two men, political opposition leaders and prisoners of conscience, are reported to be ill in Kaliti prison, Ethiopia. Olbana Lelisa’s friends believe his condition may be life-threatening ..read more

Inside and outside the American embassy compound in Ethiopia: my summer at USAID

From the outside, the American Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, looks just like you would imagine. A high wall surrounds the complex and a series of gates and barriers mark the main entrance. All that’s visible behind the fortifications are the top few floors of a plain, government-style building. Outside, teenage boys herd groups of sheep through the streets towards the informal livestock markets in the center of town. Blue minibuses – carrying twice as many passengers as seats – pass by in all directions, weaving their way around the sheep. A few salesmen push handcarts laden with soaps, candy, cigarettes and SIM cards through the street, avoiding both the sheep and the minibuses as they go. click here to read more

Ethiopia’s Opportunity: A New Day Beckons – OpEd

By: Graham Peebles September 5, 2012

The death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, announced on 22nd August after his mysterious two-month disappearance, presents a tremendous opportunity to Ethiopia. Let a new day dawn for the people, one filled with hope and fundamental change, where human rights and justice are respected, where freedom is encouraged and cultivated in all areas and where fear is banished to the pas ....Reade more