The Afar Experience: a beacon of hope

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  Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Dear Friends:

We have departed Afar Regional State, and are now back in Addis Abeba.  I need to update you all regarding the developments of the last 2 days.  Firstly, the 2 days of conference that we attended were fantastic.  About 150 delegates attended the conference, who's numbers swelled during the evening celebrations.  I spent important time with Afar refugees who have fled Eritrea.  These include women, children, students, urban dwellers and rural pastoralists, and former business owners.  Each have a compelling and gripping story to tell about their persecution and fears.  Meal and coffeee time allowed time to share views and comments with refugees and those helping them.  Local government and NGO leadership are doing a wonderful job to inspire development and capacity building, as well as to provoke advocacy for a group which seems no have no heritage or custom of lobbying or organizing for change in a fast-paced modernizing world.  I also spent time with the UNHCR officer (Taylor Garrett), for whom I am truly thankful that he travelled 3 days from a remote refugee camp in the far corner of North Western Ethiopia to attend the conference and participate with his helpful comments, based upon both his own valuable experience and the UNHCR policy/operations. 

I was asked to make my conference presentation yesterday morning, which I did but not before the Afar leadership dressed me in their traditional tribal clothes.  Not long afterwards, the plenary group passed a motion to ascibe an Afar name to me, which is "Waa-dee", an honourable Afar title meaning "savour".  While it is in my view far too early and undeservd for me to have or to carry such a auspicious title, I am deeply honoured by their display of trust and appreciation.

The evening last night was full of celebration.  A marvelous fashion show containing a display of all the traditional tribal dress for each sub-clan was performed, and a band from Djibouti was brought in to play wonderfully arousing and rythmic music.  At their invitation, I danced with the male Afar.  I think I received at least a pacing grade on my first ever attempt at Afar dancing, as the crowd, now swollen to about 500 people, applauded the effort.

We have today just finsihed a trip of 550 kilomers due south to Addis Abeba.  Enroute, we saw ostrich, whooping cranes and many armed militia.  We took a side-trip into the Awash National Park, paying a huge entry fee by local standards, to witness a waterfall that came as a wonderfuly refreshing retreat after going a full week through desert landscape without seeing a drop of water.  While the Park has a reputation for wildlife, in 20 kilometers we saw only 3 camels and 5 cattle.  I joked with each of our driver, our guide and our bodyguard that had we travelled the same 20 kilometers on the highway for free, we would have seen hundreds of camels and hundreds of cattle!  Oh, the ironies of life.

As soon as we arrived in Addis Abeba, after a 13-hour adventure of 6 of us and all our luggage jammed into a Landcruiser,  a monsoon engulfed the City.  Lightning, thunder, and streams of water cascading down the steep streets, enough at times to even surf on, blanketed Addis.   It had a cooling effect after the 38 degree dusty day, but only for me served to highlight yet again the unfairness of the World.  Addis, much higher in elevation than Afar, is blessed to receive plentiful natural rainwater, as an example tonight, a monsoon.  However, just 500 kilometers northward, from where we have just come, there are places in Afar Regional State that have not receved a single rainfall in the last 4 years!

Oh...............just one more striking comment before my head hits the pillow, as I see that it is now 12:30 AM.  Today, in the open desert, at the edge of the highway, was a man holding a single osterich egg for sale.  It seemed that I could see it for kilometers away as we appoached it, a huge gleeming white beacon of fresh purity, in the otherwise bleak dullness of the hazzy sandy desert.  Perhaps a sign of hope for my 1 million Afar friends who, surrounded by vast poverty and despair, have elected a savior to help them achieve just a little more equality and recognition in an ohterwise austere world.  While my new Afar nickname "Waa-dee" is a massve exageration of my ability, I would like to invite each of you to participate with me in this effort to improve the lives of at least a few deserving souls.  The wonderful children I have played with only need a hug.  The teenagers only need  to further their education.  The parents only need to see a better future for the next generation.  Together, we can do it!

Thanks for each of you who have been following this travel blog.

Warren

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