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Rookie
at the 4th Annual Y.P.F.D.J. Youth Conference As I stood outside in the rain
among a sea of Eritrean youth predominately 10—23 years-old on Friday proudly
singing the Eritrean National anthem, I asked myself, “What am I doing here?”
I was in Washington, DC, on August 29, 2008 and it was the opening ceremony
to the 4th annual Y.P.F.D.J. (Young People’s Front for Democracy
and Justice) Eritrean Youth Conference of North America. Try saying that ten
times with a mouth full of hambasha. Auditorium seats filled quickly
with 450 plus attendees all representing nearly 30 different states and
countries combined. It was 9:30 AM and the conference was about to start—the
electricity, however, was not. A power outage was the result of a
thunderstorm that caused a tree branch to fall on a nearby power line.
Nevertheless, if anyone knows about Eritrean resilience, than a couple of
raindrops and power loss is nothing that can’t be solved. With electrical
engineers, college professors, bio chemists, in the room—it only took few
hours to rent a power generator rather than sitting back helplessly waiting
for the power company to repair the damage. I spent that time traipsing
about the campus, walking through dim halls. I began thinking about my days
as a four year-old playing in the streets of South Minneapolis, Minnesota. I
pictured myself laughing and joking with friends and family in either
Tygrinia or English. Today, I find myself as a 25 year-old who still jokes
with friends and family, however, when Tygrinia is spoken I find myself
being, that guy, the one that can
only sort of understand, but can’t fully speak in it. Yet, I don’t feel any less Eritrean—with nine different
tribes that make up Eritrea I’m sure I will never be an outcast. There’s
simply far too much compassion running through the veins of my fellow
countrymen for me to ever feel inadequate or not as an equal. Walking through the campus I
overheard conversations about: world politics, Eritrea’s history, and
who-thought-who was cute. The youth were able to conduct themselves in a
respectful manner, which conveyed the level of respect the Eritrean youth
have for one another. When a power generator was
installed, we returned back to the auditorium. Bitsai Germai Gebremariam, the
Ambassador of Eritrea spoke about the purpose of the yearly conference. Next,
Bitsai Yemane Gebreab, the Presidential Advisor and PFDJ Head of Political
Affairs gave practical lessons on how to honor Eritrea’s past while upholding
Eritrea's future. Backed by three main points, the power of an idea, the
power of purpose, and the power of an organization. Although the majority of
the conference was spoken in English, there were phrases that would often
pass me by–thankfully I sat by Y.P.F.D.J. member Muna Jehar from Oakland, CA
who kindly interpreted phrases that I didn’t understand. Needless to say, I
was late to Mr. Yemane Gebreab’s funny comments, which led to me awkwardly
laughing behind everyone else. You would think I was in China watching the
conference live on my laptop. During the seminar there were Q
& A sessions, group photos, nightly concerts with headline acts and a
final dinner hosted by the parents of the local DC attendees. In addition, 30
different state representatives gave a power point presentation on last
year’s ups and downs. Some states entertained us with
singing, dancing, and performing skits. The Atlanta chapter hit the stage
wearing all white T-shirts and youthful smiles. They sang songs and a young
girl read a poem she wrote, which received electrifying applause. Throughout the weekend Mr.
Yemane Gebreab spoke about: Eritrea’s ancient history, 20th
century history, and Eritrea today. He covered some of the country’s
political issues that grew out of each period. When he spoke about Eritrea’s
army being 30% women during the war my heart was touched, I was grateful to
be able to identify with a progressive country, and to be the son of a brave
mother willing to die for her country.
At one point during the
conference, Mr. Yemane Gebreab was giving a lecture and asked everyone if it
was a good time to take a lunch break. I gathered my stuff, and turned my
cheek towards the exit aisle. As I began heading towards french fries and
pasta salad, everyone in the auditorium yelled, “No.” They wanted Bistai
Yemane to speak for as long as he needed, and he humbly continued. Meanwhile
I sat down in awe of the amount of patience and respect the youth has for
their speaker. During the conference I observed
what was beyond the surface. I saw a passionate youth that honors and
respects their elders. I saw a community of people, whose love for their
country grows stronger everyday. I
saw a unified culture, whose resilience continues to inspire one another. For
me, this conference taught me a lot about Eritrea, and it let me know I have
a lot to learn. I left with new friends, a fresh new attitude about my
national identity, and an even stronger appreciation for my parents. Lastly,
I learned a common saying which translates to "Victory to the Masses."
I’ll be working on my Tigryinian, and at next year’s conference I’ll be able
to shout "Awet N'Hafash,” with the masses. |
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