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“I am proud to be Eritrean and be part of a Great Culture and History”

Dayanit Haile was born in Addis Ababa and learned up to sixth grade there. Due to the border conflict, Dayanit had to migrate to the USA. After living in America for a few years, she moved to Canada where she’s still living. She is an active member of the Young People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (YPFDJ) and the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW). As a result of her active participation, she was elected in 2021 as the chairperson of Canada’s chapter of NUEW.

Thank you for your time! Although you were born abroad you speak fluent Tigrinya. What’s the reason behind this?

The main reason that I am fluent in Tigrinya is my parents. We were forbidden to speak foreign languages at home. When we were living in Addis Abeba, we were encouraged to read Hadas Eritrea newspaper daily. We also used to visit Eritrea every summer which allowed us to practice the language more.

Based on your experience, what are the challenges and opportunities the Eritrean diaspora, especially the young generation, face?

Obviously, the challenges and opportunities vary from state to state. Most of the time the challenges outweigh the opportunities when you live away from your country, your people and the place you truly call home. The language barrier is one of the main problems. Life is hectic and you’re always in a rush in order to be economically stable. In general, every day is a challenge, as you try to get along with people who are different from you in terms of language, culture and religion. But I dare say that if you are able to tackle all those challenges, there are opportunities that are crucial and fundamental for living a better life. They include higher education and access to upgraded technology.

As part of the activities you organize with the National Union of Eritrean Women, you have recently contributed a good amount of help to several women living in Eritrea. Enlighten us on that?

Honestly speaking, I don’t think that kind of help is worth mentioning. The idea to provide help was initiated by a member of NUEW, Akberet, who lives in Edmonton. Her idea was to give back to women who are in the process of building their lives. When every member of the union and people who were not members supported the idea, we were able to accomplish it in a short period of time. When some of the active members and I came to visit Eritrea the plan was in full swing. I consider what we did might serve as an example to all the Eritrean diaspora community. I believe we all should give back to our country, especially to startuppers; it doesn’t really matter whether what we give is big or small. The things we consider small gestures could actually bring about great changes in those people’s lives.

Now that you are in Eritrea, what kinds of things were you expecting to experience and were your expectations met?

Everything in Eritrea has exceeded my expectations. I am very impressed with the pace of progress our country is making in its development. But what impressed me most is the awareness of the people in following the Covid-19 guidelines.

I had the privilege to witness the development works accomplished by young women who live in Adi Quala, Mendefera and Keren. I also attended and enjoyed several graduation ceremonies of vocational schools, shows by young artists and panel discussions on current events in Eritrea organized by the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students. I’m also happy that I was able to visit the villages where my ancestors used to live in.

My experience has led me to conclude that the Eritrean youth, whether in the army safeguarding the sovereignty of our nation or working in the public sector serving the people, are immensely invested in the development of our country. The love of their country is very visible in their contribution. We, members of the Eritrean diaspora, owe it to them that we are able to come to our homeland.

Do you think the Eritrean diaspora are contributing to the national development programs?

Eritreans at home are contributing all they have to the development of the nation. But as one hand cannot clap on its own, those of us in the diaspora have to do our share. The youth, in particular, should be aware of every situation happening in our country. In order to do that they should be active members of the different Eritrean unions and participate in Eritrean community activities.

Educated Eritreans living and working abroad should come back to Eritrea and share their knowledge or live and work at home for some time. They should also open bank accounts in the homeland and help develop the country’s economy. The youth should know and cherish Eritrean history, be politically conscious and do their share to present the Eritrean narrative to defeat efforts made by Eritrea’s detractors to denigrate it.

Parents must raise their children to grow up having feelings for Eritrea, and the community should create paths for them to be connected to their homeland.

What’s the source of your leadership?

The source of my ability to lead is the people of Eritrea, especially the history of our heroic fighters during the armed struggle. Also, I have been taking part in every union activity since I could remember. That has allowed me to learn how things are run and what leadership is.

Do you believe the Eritrean diaspora has an attachment to the same norms as Eritreans who live inside the country?

One hundred percent; they are still attached to the culture. Especially women. You should have seen them during annual national festivals, holidays and wedding ceremonies. They are ready to do anything that would make them feel as if they were back home in Eritrea. They brew Siwa, make porridge and bake injera and himbasha. You can’t imagine the challenges they face in making those things. But they are so determined to make them that they inspire everybody to follow in their footsteps.

Any other message?

My last few words are more like a statement — it’s good to be Eritrean. I am proud to be Eritrean and be part of great culture and history.

Thank you for your time!

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Eritrea’s Delegation presented country’s endeavors towards combating Land degradation and drought

Eritrea’s delegation of experts which is participating at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP 15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Abidjan, Ivory coast presented the country’s experiences and challenges in the fight against Drought, Land degradation and Desertification on May 11, 2022, during the drought day session.

The presentation and short documentary film focused on major challenges of the country such as land degradation due to different reasons and deforestation from different causes, and the countermeasures are taken to address the challenges and reclaim the land through community-based programs.

During the session, the delegation presented figures on community based on-farm and off-farm soil and water conservation programs; construction of water holding structures; afforestation programs etc.

With regards to mitigating drought challenges, the delegation mentioned the increment of construction of different sized dams and ponds from 138 (1991) to 785 (2021) as one of the notable achievements over the past 31 years of independence. During the event, it was underscored that thanks to this progress, the total area of irrigated land has increase by 4 times; and this growth has boosted the total production of fruits by 71 times and that of vegetables by almost 6 times.

Moreover, the delegation highlighted the government’s commitment to the Greening Campaign; and the Production of bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides.

Around 2,000 delegates from 196 countries are attending the 15th Conference of Parties.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Message of Condolence

President Isaias Afwerki on behalf of the people and Government of Eritrea sent a message of condolence on the passing away of Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nayhan.

In his message to Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President Isaias expressed condolence to the people and Government of the United Arab Emirates.

Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nayhan served as President of the United Arab Emirates from 2004 and passed away due to illness, today, 13 May at the age of 73.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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UN to set up inquiry into possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine

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Reuters UK

By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) -The U.N. Human Rights Council passed a resolution on Thursday to set up an investigation into possible war crimes by Russian troops in the Kyiv area and beyond, a move that Russia said amounted to political score-settling. Members passed by an overwhelming majority (33 for, 2 against) a resolution to order a Commission of Inquiry to investigate events in the regions around Kyiv and other areas such as Sumy that were temporarily held by Russian troops. “The areas … which have been under Russian occupation in late February and March have experienced the most gru… Continue reading “UN to set up inquiry into possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine”

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BINIAM GIRMAY’S SUCCESS HIGHLIGHTS POTENTIAL OF ERITREAN RIDERS

When Biniam Girmay chased Mathieu van de Poel across the line in the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia last weekend, he offered further proof that Eritrea is an African hotbed of cycling. In March, six days before his 22nd birthday, Girmay signalled his all-round potential at Gent-Wevelgem, becoming the first African to win one of cycling’s one-day classics. He follows in the ground-breaking tyre tracks of Natnael Berhane who won the Tour of Turkey in 2013 and Daniel Teklehaimanot who in 2015 wore the attention-grabbing polka dot jersey as Tour de France King of Mountains leader for four days. Girmay, poised and polished off the bike and a dangerous all-rounder on it, has the potential to take Eritrean cycling to a new level.

“I wondered if Eritrean cycling wasn’t running out of steam,” Michel Theze, a coach at the World Cycling Center run by the UCI, told reporters.

Girmay’s success “comes at the best time, it will provide a second wind,” Theze said.

“It is a confirmation of the great potential that exists there”. While Chris Froome, a winner of all three major tours, was born in Kenya and spent much of his childhood in South Africa, he races for Britain. South Africa is a cycling power but, with the exception of Nic Dlamini, its stars, led by Daryl Impey, are white.

‘We burned them out’

Girmay’s emergence is perfectly timed to fit in with the UCI’s five-year plan to grow cycling across the continent which culminates with the world championship in Rwanda in 2025. There, the UCI says, it wants to see an African “on the podium”.

Eritrea developed a love of cycling during the unhappy period as an Italian colony from 1889 to 1941. Its riders grow up at altitude. Girmay, for example, was born in the capital Asmara at 2,325 metres (7,628 ft). Theze said the riders had to contend with an isolating dictatorship. “Eritrean riders had interesting qualities but we didn’t know it, and neither did they, because there was no opening,” he said.

The rugged terrain helps Eritreans develop bike-handling skills.

“Generally, they are very dexterous, especially downhill, unlike most other African riders who climbed well but often fell,” said Theze.

“In Africa, they are crushing the competition. Since 2010, they have won eight of the 11 individual continental road titles, and ten team time-trial titles.”

Eritrean cyclists are ambassadors for a country that largely appears in Western news for refugees fleeing a regime accused of violating human rights, its involvement in the conflict in Ethiopia or its vote against a UN resolution calling for Russia to halt the war in Ukraine.

At home, “those who succeed are stars,” said Theze. In 2015, Teklehaimanot and Merhawi Kudus, third in the Tour of Turkey, paraded through the streets of Asmara in jubilation and were received by President Isaias Afwerki. Girmay could not wait for his turn after his Gent-Wevelgem victory.

“I know where I come from, this victory is crazy!” he said. “I am really keen to go home.”

Theze said that the first Eritrean successes caused problems.

“In Europe, we rushed to get the youngsters, who were thrown into the big races too quickly. We burned them out. Biniam’s patient, carefully planned rise is the way to go,” Theze said.

“Today, we identify them earlier, at 18. We see that in a good organisation that makes them progress, we have a Biniam capable of winning at 22 in beautiful European races,” he said.

“If it continues with this framework, there is no doubt that there will be others because classy riders continue to emerge there”.

Source: Dehai Eritrea Online

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Statement by Secretary Granholm on U.S. Senate Confirmation of Dr. Asmeret Berhe

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm issued the following statement on yesterday’s U.S. Senate confirmation of Dr. Asmeret Berhe with a bipartisan vote to serve as Director of the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE):

“I am so grateful to the Senate for confirming Dr. Asmeret Berhe to serve as DOE’s Director of the Office of Science.Dr. Berhe has been ahead of the curve over her entire career as a biogeochemist, and we need her leadership in scientific collaboration and climate science now more than ever. In her role, she will be leading DOE’s efforts to strengthen America’s national security, competitiveness, and economy through deep investment in scientific research. I am very grateful for Dr. Berhe’s willingness to serve the American people and I’m so excited to welcome her into the DOE family.”

About Dr. Asmeret Berhe

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe is a Professor of Soil Biogeochemistry; the Ted and Jan Falasco Chair in Earth Sciences and Geology; and Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Education at the University of California, Merced. Her research is at the intersection of soil science, global change science, and political ecology with an emphasis on how the soil system regulates the earth’s climate and the dynamic two-way relationship between the natural environment and human communities. She previously served as the Chair of the US National Committee on Soil Science at the National Academies; was a Leadership board member for the Earth Science Women’s Network; and is currently a co-principal investigator in the ADVANCEGeo Partnership – a National Science Foundation funded effort to empower (geo)scientists to respond to and prevent harassment, discrimination, bullying and other exclusionary behaviors in research environments. Her scholarship on how physical processes such as erosion, fire, and changes in climate affect the biogeochemical cycling of essential elements in the earth system and her efforts to ensure equity and inclusion of people from all walks of life in the scientific enterprise have received numerous awards and honors. She is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America, and a member of the inaugural class of the US National Academies New Voices in Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

Asmeret was born and raised in Asmara, Eritrea. She received a B.Sc. in Soil and Water Conservation from the University of Asmara, an M.Sc. in Political Ecology from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Biogeochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. In 2020 she was named a Great Immigrant, Great American by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Source: Dehai Eritrea Online

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UN Raises $33 Million, Far Short of Target to Salvage Yemen Tanker

CAIRO — A United Nations’ pledging conference raised $33 million on Wednesday, far short of funds needed for a salvage operation of a decaying tanker full of oil moored off the coast of Yemen, a ship whose demise could cause an environmental disaster.

The U.N. had originally sought $144 million — including $80 million to transfer the more than 1 million barrels of crude oil onboard the FSO Safer to storage within the next four months. The first phase of the salvage was planned to be completed by the end of September, otherwise the vessel could face turbulent winds that start in October, according to the U.N.

The U.N. said it now has a total of $40 million, including previously committed funds for the operation. The tanker has been moored off the Red Sea port of Ras Issa since the late 1980s. The port, on Yemen’s western coast, is controlled by the Iranian-backed rebels.

“We need to work quickly to get the remaining funds to start the four-month operation in the weather window we have ahead of us,” said David Gressly, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen.

Wednesday’s pledging conference, co-hosed by the U.N. and the Netherlands, came more than two months after the U.N. and the Houthi reached an agreement to transfer the tanker’s contents to another vessel. The agreement also includes a U.N. commitment to provide within 18 months a “replacement equivalent to the FSO Safer suitable for export.”

The Houthis on Tuesday criticized the U.N. for allegedly “not presenting an operational plan” to maintain the tanker, more than two months since they signed the memorandum of understanding, a statement that could complicate U.N. efforts to raise funds.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, however, said they have been proceeding according to an agreed-upon plan. He said the U.N. was trying to urgently offload the oil “before the FSO Safer tanker breaks up.”

The pledges Wednesday all came from European countries and the wealthy Gulf nation of Qatar. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which lead a military coalition fighting the Houthis, did not announce pledges during the event.

Gressly, the humanitarian coordinator, said this week the vessel is slowly rusting and going into significant decay, and could explode, causing massive environmental damage to Red Sea marine life, desalination factories and international shipping routes.

The U.N. estimates that about $20 billion would be needed to just clean up an oil spill, which would likely impact nearby countries, including Saudi Arabia, Djibouti and Eritrea, he said.

“The timing and funding are both critical,” said Auke Lootsma, the U.N. Development Program’s representative in Yemen, adding that bad weather in the winter could complicate the salvage operation and increases the risk of the ship breaking up.

The Japanese-built tanker was sold to the Yemeni government in the 1980s to store up to 3 million barrels of export oil pumped from fields of Marib province, currently a battlefield. The ship is 360 meters (1,181 feet) long with 34 storage tanks.

Since 2015, annual maintenance on the ship has come to a complete halt. Most crew members, except for 10 people, were pulled off the vessel after the Saudi-led coalition entered Yemen’s civil war in 2015 on the side of the internationally recognized government.

Yemen’s conflict started in 2014 when the Houthis took control of the capital and much of the country’s north, forcing the government to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia.

Internal documents obtained by The Associated Press in 2020 show that seawater has entered the engine compartment of the tanker, causing damage to pipes and increasing the risk of sinking. Rust has covered parts of the tanker and the inert gas that prevents the tanks from gathering inflammable gases, has leaked out. Experts say maintenance is no longer possible because the damage to the ship is irreversible, according to an AP report.

The U.N. has repeatedly warned that the tanker could release four times more oil than the notorious Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska in 1989.

Source: Voice of America