USAID's governance chief in Ethiopia acts dumb
There was a meeting between DAG and Civil Society representatives here yesterday at the Hilton from 9:00 to 12:30 am. It was chaired by Isaac Dewan(World Bank) and Fidele Frassroto(UNDP).This meeting highlighted how much donor agencies are either bossed around or subservient to Meles Zenawi. That is why I want to share it.
The meeting had no particular team. So, I and fellow civil society representatives went there with nothing. We asked the organizers and the chairs what the agenda was. The issue of the draft NGO legislation was raised. The civil society here has no input on the draft which will certainly becomes law. In fact, one of the participants asked whether anyone saw the legislation. The main stake holders were not allowed even to have a glance at the draft legislation.
PBS(provision of public services) was also discussed. The DAG members told the participants that the government objected to the involvement of any NGO/Civil Society in the area of advocacy. It was stipulated in the PBS matrix that only mass based organizations, which have constituencies are allowed to participate and engage in advocacy work. NGOs can only give technical assistance. The DAG has endorsed this government position, the position that deprives Ethiopian NGOs and Civil Society organizations from engaging in advocacy work. What kind of self-respecting democratic government representatives would go along with that? Would they do the same in their own countries?
One of the participants in the conference was Steve Smith, Democracy and Governance Chief of USAID. Throughout the meeting, I had the feeling that this man was either dumb or unbelievably partisan. He said if the civil society here wanted to have changes in the legislation, it could work with opposition MPS. What? To set agenda in parliament, it need fifty plus one vote. Any foreigner who is slightly interested in Ethiopian politics knows this as this issue was one of the reasons why CUDP leaders boycotted parliament and landed in jail. This man leads USAID's democracy and governance department. Is it based on such facts that they make decisions and hold stances? Is it ignorance or a deliberate manipulation of facts?
Mr. Smith then went on advising participants that as EPRDF MPs are illiterate and do not know about the functions of civil society, they should give them trainings about that so that they will help make changes in the draft legislation. Nice try. If Smith doesn't have the knowledge about democratic centralism, he should ask to be assigned in another country. Democratic Centralism, my American hero is, a system of internal political organization where party members debate and vote within the internal frameworks of the political party, but once the decision is made all members have to reflect that in their dealings external to the party whether in parliament or other institutions and places. EPRDF's leading organizational principle is democratic centralism. There is no dissent from party line anywhere. What a waste of money will it be if the civil society gives training to EPRDF MPs and they just rubber-stump the decision of EPRDF's politburo?
posted by Ethio-zagol post contributors at
9:52 PM
5 Comments:
In the world of the 'talk the talk', anything is possible. All the people that seem committed to the agenda they so much chew are there because they are paid well and benefits on top. They are not there because they are committed to the topic of discussion or to change anything. They are doing the 'talk' and paid to do just that.
Naivety is in us the fools, who would continually listen to them and delude ourselves hoping something positive would happen. Nothing happened before and nothing is going to happen. If at any time in such a bizarre environment some people with real commitment happens to be in their midst, panic and chaos starts. Someone is acting. So they all start to move around until the dust settles. The dust settles when they manage to remove those people that are real actors from their midst.
What is the DAG? The Development Assistant Group is there to promote the agenda of OECD countries and to enable the poor countries to take and own the global agenda set for them. It channels experts and forums and furthers the 'talk'.
I will not say a word on Civil Society.
As for the Steve (Smith) guy, you will be surprised to learn that he controls the future of Ethiopia more than anyone in that meeting. Was he a 'food for peace officer' or just the implementor? May be he is just channeling funds for 'governance'. I mean rewarding those viceroys they assign as rulers of the poor. He may be good at it and it is just enough for the head of governance.
Hay! We need to learn how the 21st century functions. G8 air the concern, world economic forum proposes solution, OECD designs action plan then the various UN wings take up the issue as donor preference. What a trap for the poor nations. They do not have an agenda of their own nor do they ever get some one to speak on their behalf. When the issues are distilled down to the civil society level, apart from the variations of the agenda for the same goal there is not a single actor for solving the poverty trap. They are all about how the rich responds to the presence of the poor in the world.
Surely, I am simplistic in my statements. But I must pause to allow you your bit. I just wanted to say that we did not get it. The world is being ruled. I mean we are under the rulers of the world. Do not tell us that we have things to accomplish for ourselves. We are doomed to serve them.
So much pessimism??? Tell me any different if you have any thing else...
Yenantew!
Here is what the director said regarding the 2005 election in Ethiopia: “I was not here in 2005 but I think we did have an observer group here during the election, including President Carter himself, and we felt that the opposition had lost the election. While there were a number of expressions of concern, and condemnation for the killings that occurred, we think some of our other donor partners had gone over board in encouraging the opposition and making them think that somehow they had won the election; we never believed that.”
What he said is not interesting as much as what he omitted to say. First of all, there were observers who were requested by the current government to leave the country as they seem to be more honest than Mr. former president. I recall at least two observer groups from America that were denied the opportunity. As far as Mr. former president’s group is concerned, even members of congress joke about the credibility of the formers president group as it always sides with ruling parties. Besides, that group was not the official observer. The EU delegation led by the hounorable Ms. Ana Gomez was the official observer. But that is beside the point. Let us examine the motivation of “the donor partners” who encouraged the opposition and “making them think that somehow they had won the election;”
I will use the age old adage of Western investigation tactic: follow the money. This means what is the economic or other advantage for the “donor partners” in falsely encouraging the opposition. Honest donors are interested in seeing their donated money spent as it is originally intended to and not to fatten dictator’s pockets or private armies. This is hardly an advantage. As far as I am concerned there is no advantage apart from encouraging good governance.
On the other hand, some NGO’s might have an advantage in having the status quo to continue. Ethiopia is one of the world’s largest donation recipient countries. As we all know, the NGO business is one of the fastest growing. Keeping a country in perpetual poverty and misery keeps NGO’s in perpetual employment. I have seen how expats lament when their contract ends and they have to go back home. I have also heard some expats who refer an assignment in poor countries as an opportunity that is hard to refuse; not because of their desire to help but the other advantages, which I am not willing to discuss here, it entails.
I rest my case and let readers judge who has an advantage here. But I want to conclude this by mentioning what the Bible refers to as the “error of Balaam”. The error of Balaam is that reasoning from natural morality and being blind to the higher morality of God. Balaam, seeing the wickedness of the ancient Israelites, supposed that a righteous God could only be happy to curse a wicked nation. But he was deeply mistaken. What I am trying to say here is that these NGO’s reason from natural morality and conclude what could possibly be wrong to give these poor people some help, while they also help themselves along the way. If any dictator wishes to help them to accomplish that, so be it.
Roha and USAID: An Embarassed American.
Thank you Roha for speaking to the simple if shameful truth about the American official 'presence' in Ethiopia, as exemplified by the shallow rhetoric of Steve Smith as written in your posting.
As one who travels as a journalist in Ethiopia and the region, it is both sad and enraging when you begin to learn, as an American, just how ignorant and/or heartless some of our representation is here.
While most Americans don't get to see anything at all about the internal politics in this, Africa's third most populace here, nevertheless our policies are seen on the ground by millions here.
Since 2005, US policies here in fact are seen as nothing more than ignoring a range of abuses by the 15-year dictator here, in return for his allegiance to the 'war on terror'. Which, again, when you actually KNOW this place, you know how MANIPULATED that very issue is here for the American advantage.
It is for the short term advantage of BOTH countries short-sighted, political-prostitutes who currently hold office.
Don Bassman
Portland Oregon
I was always yearn to know why stupidity is the default setting in most of Ethiopian Dictators?
When do we get rid of this all :"Me-First-Attitude"?
Still wary of the current regime
smoldering movements!
Let us work for the betterment of humanity and adhere to the vision of radical inclusiveness
Ethio-love
hum
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