EGI Statement on Horn of Africa Drought and Famine

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Somalis from southern Somalia carry their belongings
as they make their way to a new camp for internally
displaced people in Mogadishu Somalia, Saturday July
30, 2011. (AP / Farah Abdi Warsameh)

Cambridge, Mass., United States

Roughly 100 million people inhabit the Horn of Africa, consisting of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. It is a region that is unfortunately known for the seemingly endless problems of wars, droughts, famines and diseases.

The Ethiopian Global Initiative is deeply concerned by the current drought and famine situation plaguing millions of people in the Horn of Africa. We applaud the international community’s efforts to quickly respond to the regional malnutrition and starvation of the people. The effects of famine also include the spread of epidemics and the increase of mortality rates.

It is nothing short of a scandal for humans to suffer from famine in the 21st century. With the technological and economic advancements over the past decades, famines, regardless of location, should be a thing of the past. Food security and healthcare must be placed as a top priority for governments in the Horn of Africa and other developing states.

The vulnerability of pastoralists, who are at the mercy of nature, and poverty are two important causes of drought and famine in the Horn of Africa. We at the Initiative believe that a long-term development strategy is necessary to combat the problems of food security. Emergency aid is indeed useful, but we encourage the Horn of Africa’s governments, intellectuals and diaspora to come together to find long-term solutions that are sustainable and meet the needs of the people.

Some of the poorest of the world’s poor live in the Horn of Africa, and it is not fair or justifiable to them to live at the hand of the international community’s generosity. The Ethiopian Global Initiative reaffirms its commitment to Ethiopia’s transformation, forming a long-term development strategy that focuses on economic prosperity, literacy, improved access to healthcare and the status of children, youth and women.

Samuel M. Gebru

President and Chairman

Leul Yohannes

Director of Operations

Ethiopian Global Initiative Announces 2011 BuildEthiopia Conference

Cambridge, Mass., United States, July 6, 2011 – The Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI), today, announced its second annual conference to be held in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 21 and 22, 2011. Officially known as the BuildEthiopia Conference, it will feature an array of sessions designed to engage participants to seek solutions for Ethiopia’s development challenges.

EGI President Samuel M. Gebru stated that the conference would be a significant gathering of bright minds. “We want to challenge participants by making them think outside the box and collaborate beyond their personal interests and disciplines to seek solutions that can holistically build a better Ethiopia.”

BuildEthiopia was chosen as the name of the Ethiopian Global Initiative’s annual conference because it emphasizes the mission of the Initiative, which is to combine the wealth of knowledge and resources of students and professionals for the transformation of Ethiopia. In 2007, Ethiopia reached the year 2000 on its own calendar, and attention was given to the idea of an Ethiopian Renaissance as a revival of Ethiopian values, culture and innovation. By focusing on holistic development, BuildEthiopia will create ways to engage bright minds to help chart Ethiopia’s future through investing in human and social capital.

“BuildEthiopia is a platform for innovation, networking and creating solid partnerships. It will bring students and professionals to Cambridge who are in the business of transforming Ethiopia through critical projects and ideas,” said EGI Director of Development Tezeta G. Roro.

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