Intellectual Genocide in the making?: The Strong and Pervasive Evidence of Ethnic Inequalities in Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.413.3459Abstract
Ethnic inequalities in all sectors of life in Ethiopia have increasingly become serious and pervasive. Access to higher education (including scholarship grants) and most sought after disciplines appear to be disproportionally distributed along the multitude of ethnic groups in the country. In this paper I argue that intellectual genocide is in the making in three different forms: (1) systematic discrimination against certain groups with regard to educational opportunities, higher education, and scholarship grants; (2) brain drain — the movement of intellectuals and young skilled Ethiopians that has increased under the Tigrean People’s Liberation Fronts (TPLF) regime. Some observers say that Ethiopia has become a substantial net exporter of academic talent, a so-called brain drain; (3) cultural genocide, the action of the system which has the aim or effect of dispossessing the people of their lands, territories or resources, cultural values, language, and historical/religious relics and heritages. The philosophical foundation/methodology that undergirds this study is critical theory with elements of poststructuralism and post colonialism. The strategies used to collate and collect data is meta-analysis (data synthesis), some form of discourse analysis, personal accounts, and a limited amount of sociological introspection. There are a number of reasons or mechanisms that lead from ethnicity to violence. My evidence shows that there are already some patterns and discourses that might precipitate or crystallize the mechanisms in Ethiopia. The study shows that it is high time to stop the madness and redress the chronic and pervasive disparities within and between groups. It is an imperative that we focus on our similarities and common destiny. “The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.” It is about Ethiopian people. It is just unacceptable to seek self-aggrandizement for ourselves—or for our specific ethnic group, and increase power and influence to draw attention to own importance—and forget about progress and prosperity for the multitudes of ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.
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A response to Alem's article by an anonymous writer is captivating "Thank you Alem Mamo for recapitulating the total collapse of higher learning in our “Universities” and the devastating consequences on the future of our country. Sadly, the debacle is not limited to “Universities” only, but also to Colleges, High Schools, and Elementary Schools. It is from bottom up and everything sounds designed to undermine the country. The killing of higher or lower education is perfectly fitting to the agenda of woyane/TPLF. The ultimate motive is to produce cadres of all sorts and incompetent graduates in sub-standard “Universities” that serve the regime as political tools and cadres and not intellectuals of any capacity. The other motive behind the so-called “proliferation of universities” is to pillage students and parents in the form of tuition fees for just staying in empty buildings. This, of course, is an extension of the grand design of economically bleeding the country and hang onto power as long as desired. If the regime is interested in educating Ethiopians, it can make higher education standardized and produce intellectuals that are competent locally and globally. Sadly, that is not the whole purpose. The Chinese who are belittled and ridiculed by the West for everything have this wisdom/proverb to share with humanity and I quote, “When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people” (Mario, April 13, 2014 at 12:04 am). http://ecadforum.com/2014/04/12/the-disgraceful-state-of-highereducation-in-ethiopia-how-tplfeprdfs-killed-higher-learning/
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