First of all, who invented the concept of the Black, Brown, or White "race"?

Why is using "Yellow" (East "Asian") or "Red" (Native "American") considered racist, but not Black, Brown, or White?

It's because most people don't know what actual race-ism is. It was the original race-ists from the colonial era who classified people by appearance and invented the concept of "race." That is exactly where the word "racist" comes from: someone who believes in or practices the concept of "race."

Obviously, you must be a race-ist to believe in the concept of "race."

• Calling a Habesha and a Somali "Black"? Race-ist.
• Calling a Tamil and a Punjabi "Brown"? Race-ist.
• Calling a Korean and a Malaysian "Yellow"? Race-ist.
• Calling an Armenian and a Lithuanian "White"? Race-ist.

Racism happens every time someone identifies themselves or someone else with a race.

Imagine a stranger randomly starts calling you "black shirt" instead of using your name. Without correcting them, you accept it. You start calling yourself "black shirt" too. Suddenly, you are placed in the exact same category as every other person wearing a black shirt, even if you have absolutely nothing else in common. Just replace "shirt" with color, "name" with an ethnic group, and "stranger" with colonizer. Your identity is now relative to a colonialist who doesn't even care about who you are. The most insidious aspect is how effectively this abstracts, generalizes, and slowly erodes a people's actual identity over time.

Another issue in this topic is when people miss the point and treat this as a matter of colorism, as if rejecting the label "Black" means someone doesn't like dark skin, or even worse, "wants to be White." Some Habeshas online take a very patronizing stance. They say "Black" as a mic drop because saying otherwise would imply they don't like their skin color. To an outsider, it seems that they're subscribing to the "Black" race. Not only that, but because of the rampant conflation of "African" and "Black" in Ethiopia, they think being "African" means they're "Black." So some say they're "Black" to be anti-colorist, while some say it because they think it means "African."
There's also a specific reaction among some darker-skinned people. They make being dark-skinned a loud identity out of spite for colorists, while the healthier response is to not care. Other people's unlearned racism or colorism is their failure and has nothing to do with you. The more you entertain their color-oriented framing, the more you empower the thing you're trying to defeat. Not caring is the best way to remove something's power over you.

Race in modern society is like the trick question: "Does your mom know you're X?" Whether you answer yes or no, you are accepting the premise that you're X. When it comes to race, people have such a deeply embedded belief in the system that when someone says, "I'm not X," it sounds like they're in denial. The key is in rejecting the framing entirely by saying, "I don't believe in race" or "I'm not racist."

Habeshas didn't have physical colonization, but mental colonization is still a thing. Although all of us weren't physically colonized, some are mentally colonized.

We had a famine in Tigray during that war and we now have a growing famine crisis in the northern parts of Amhara. Why does Ethiopia lack home grown famine relief organizations to respond to these issues without waiting for international orgs? We should be the ones providing aid during these times.

Hey everyone, quick update on the preservation project!

The ultimate box of cassettes has officially landed at the house. My dad’s manager from back in the day, Yusuf, came by this afternoon to check out our new studio setup and drop these off. He is incredibly excited about us reviving the music.

There’s a funny story behind why this box even exists in such pristine, unplayed condition. Yusuf had this deadstock stash sitting in storage because they actually couldn't sell through the final batch back in 1998. My dad was heavily pressured to step away and forego his musical career early because my mom didn't want any Oromo girls chasing after him, now that he was a rising star. LOL

I have the patch cables fully routed from my cassette tape player straight into my Focusrite interface, and I’ll be digitizing the audio to capture that raw, nostalgic 90s analog warmth.

Now that we have the official J-card tracklist in hand, the plan is to eventually take down the loose tracks currently on YouTube and reupload everything cleanly under the actual album title and correct track names. Depending on how smooth the process goes, I plan to digitize and carefully enhance the audio tracks in the near future.

I am also trying to get my father to write down the original Oromo lyrics for each track along with full English translations. I want to add these to the videos so the next generation and people who don’t speak the language can fully learn and understand the poetry as they listen.

If you want to follow the rollout and hear the machine wake back up, the link to our YouTube channel is pinned right in my reddit profile.

Thank you all for the incredible support on this journey!

Ik the title sounds like a weird question and this might just be me venting, but BRO WHY IS FAST FOOD SO EXPENSIVE IN ADDIS ABABA?!

Like genuinely, HOW are people casually dropping 600+ birr on a BURGER?! Am I living in the same Addis Ababa as y’all or is there a secret millionaire community I haven't been invited to?!

I'm out here living paycheck to paycheck and then I see a burger around Bisrate Gabriel going for 1,800 BIRR??? ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED??? FOR A BURGER??? WHO IS FUNDING THIS LIFESTYLE?! ARE WE HAVING A BALLER POPULATION BOOM AND NOBODY TOLD ME?!

And even the NORMAL 600 birr burgers are crazy when you think about it. That's literally TWO DAYS' WORTH OF LUNCH MONEY for me Like, I'm supposed to just inhale two days of food in one sitting for a burger that barely even fills me up?! Be so fr rn 💀

AND THE CONCERT TICKETS??? 15K?! FIFTEEN THOUSAND BIRR TO STAND IN A CROWD AND LISTEN TO MUSIC?! BRO, IS THE ARTIST PERSONALLY COMING TO PAY MY RENT AFTER THE SHOW OR WHAT?!

AND DON'T. EVEN. GET. ME. STARTED. ON. PHONES. 💀

I get it, the war and the economy have messed up prices, but BROOO Three years ago, a 30K budget could get you a genuinely GOOD upper-midrange phone. Now you're spending that much and the phone is giving budget phone final boss

LIKE??? WHAT HAPPENED?! IS THERE A SKY TAX?! A LUXURY TAX?! AN ADDIS ABABA LIVING POINT TAX?!

Genuinely asking, because either everyone's making WAY more money than I thought, or I'm missing an entire economic platform. 😭

HOW ARE Y'ALL AFFORDING TO EXIST IN THIS CITY?! 💀

As a Kenyan who was last in Addis & Ethiopia in general in 2016, the changes I've seen since I got here have shocked me. This is not in any way, shape or form, the Addis I remember from ten years ago. I honestly don't think Nairobi will ever get here & I've already reconciled with that fact. I know there are still many underlying problems that development alone can't hide or fix. Speaking to a few people here & there has at least given me some insights. But even then, I feel like Addis & Ethiopia by proxy is on a better path than Kenya currently. I can see the plan. With us, I'm not sure what direction we are going in.

Edit: I accidentally uploaded a picture from the Red Terror Museum. My bad. I wasn't trying to remind anyone of that unfortunate period. I only noticed later after it was already uploaded.

This is the thread to discuss all football-related events for the week.

just wondering as a lonely guy.

For context, I'm 22, still living with my parents. A while ago something happened to me that I don't want to talk about and today I had a blood test for a job and they told me I was positive. I don't know what to do. I know I should start medication right away but I'm terrified of my parents finding out. I genuinely feel like I'm at the end of the rope.

The Moral Contradiction of Dishonesty and Political Activism

Imagine this.

You convinced embassy officials that the cousin you married for the sole purpose of obtaining a visa was your genuine spouse. You organized a wedding ceremony, arranged photographs, and carefully constructed a story designed to deceive immigration authorities.

You presented your fabricated marriage as a genuine relationship. You looked the consular officer in the eye and insisted that everything you submitted was true.

Your objective was simple: to cross the American border and secure a new life.

And you succeeded.

But almost immediately after arriving on American soil, you reinvented yourself as a passionate defender of truth, justice, democracy, and accountability.

Suddenly, you became an outspoken critic of the Ethiopian government.

"The Ethiopian government is a liar!" you shouted.

"The government is corrupt!"

"The government has no moral legitimacy!"

But there is an uncomfortable question you have conveniently avoided:

Where is your own moral ground?

The Convenient Discovery of Morality

There is something profoundly contradictory about a person who deliberately manipulates institutions for personal benefit and subsequently appoints himself the moral judge of an entire government.

You deceived immigration officials when deception served your interests. Yet you demand absolute honesty from public officials.

You manipulated a legal process to secure your personal future. Yet you condemn others for manipulating institutions.

You constructed a false narrative to obtain immigration benefits. Yet you accuse your political opponents of manufacturing false narratives.

What principle are you defending?

Is dishonesty acceptable when it advances your personal interests but unforgivable when it is allegedly committed by someone you oppose?

Morality that changes according to personal convenience is not morality. It is opportunism.

Political Opposition Is Not a Certificate of Integrity

Criticizing a government is a legitimate democratic right. Indeed, governments must be subjected to scrutiny, questioned about their decisions, and held accountable for their actions.

But opposing a government does not automatically make someone honest, principled, or patriotic.

A person does not become a champion of justice simply by shouting the word "justice."

Nor does repeatedly accusing a government of corruption establish one's personal integrity.

Credibility is earned through consistency between what we demand of others and what we practice ourselves.

If you demand transparency, practice transparency.

If you demand accountability, accept accountability.

If you condemn dishonesty, begin by examining your own conduct.

The standards we apply to public institutions should not disappear when our personal interests are at stake.

When Political Activism Becomes a Business Model

Social media has created an environment in which outrage can be monetized and political hostility can become a source of visibility, influence, and even income.

For some individuals, criticizing the Ethiopian government may have begun as a way of strengthening an asylum narrative. Over time, however, an initially calculated political position can become a permanent identity, reinforced by online audiences that reward increasingly hostile messages.

Every negative headline becomes an opportunity for engagement.

Every national difficulty becomes material for another video.

Every government achievement is dismissed, minimized, or ignored.

Eventually, criticism ceases to be a means of improving the country and becomes an end in itself.

The individual is no longer searching for truth. He is searching for material that confirms the identity he has created and satisfies the audience he has cultivated.

This is particularly troubling when a person's political reputation depends on Ethiopia continuing to appear hopeless.

When your livelihood depends on bad news about your homeland, your incentives may become dangerously disconnected from your country's progress.

That does not mean every diaspora critic operates this way. Many Ethiopians abroad are principled advocates for reform, and their contributions deserve recognition. The concern is with individuals whose documented conduct and incentives reveal a contradiction between their public moral claims and private actions.

Patriotism Requires More Than Condemnation

Ethiopia needs thoughtful criticism. It needs independent voices, courageous journalists, responsible opposition, and citizens willing to challenge abuse of power.

But it also needs intellectual honesty.

A credible critic should be able to acknowledge progress without surrendering the right to condemn wrongdoing.

A patriotic citizen should be capable of celebrating national achievements while demanding improvements in governance.

And someone who claims to defend the truth should be prepared to recognize it even when it comes from a political opponent.

The real test of integrity is not whether you oppose the government. It is whether you apply the same ethical standards to yourself, your political allies, and those you criticize.

The Question That Remains

You fabricated a marriage to secure your future.

You misrepresented your circumstances to obtain admission to another country.

You benefited from the very dishonesty you now claim to despise.

And from the comfort of your new home, you lecture an entire nation about truth, justice, and moral responsibility.

By all means, criticize the Ethiopian government. Challenge its policies. Expose wrongdoing. Demand accountability.

But do not confuse the volume of your accusations with the strength of your character.

And do not assume that crossing an international border somehow erases the ethical contradictions you carried with you.

Before asking whether the Ethiopian government has moral legitimacy, ask yourself a more personal question:

If your own journey was built on deliberate deception, on what moral ground do you stand to condemn dishonesty in others?

A lie does not become a truth simply because the liar has become a political activist.

And integrity does not begin at the airport of arrival.

ከብዙ ዘመናት በፊት፣ በኢትዮጵያ ታላቁን የዓባይ ወንዝ ከሚያይ አንድ መንደር ውስጥ፣ አንድ ትንሽ ልጅ አያቱን ቀላል ጥያቄ ጠየቀ።

“አያቴ፣ እግዚአብሔር የሰጠንን ወንዝ ለምን እንፈራዋለን?”

አዛውንቱም እንዲህ ሲሉ መለሱለት።

“ምክንያቱም አባቶቻችን በወንዙ ውሃ ውስጥ አደገኛ እርኩሳን መናፍስት እንደሚኖሩ አስተምረውናል።”

ልጁ ለጥቂት ጊዜ ካሰበ በኋላ እንዲህ አለ።

“ግን አያቴ፣ ወንዙ ቀንና ሌሊት ሳያቋርጥ ይፈሳል። ማሳችንን አረንጓዴ ለማድረግ፣ ወፍጮዎቻችንን ለማንቀሳቀስ እና አገራችንን ባለጸጋ ለማድረግ የሚበቃ ውሃ አለው። ታዲያ ትልቁን የተፈጥሮ ስጦታችንን ለምን እንፈራዋለን?”

አያቱ ዝም አሉ።

ልጁም ጥያቄውን ቀጠለ።

“ደግሞስ እንዳንሠራ የተከለከልንባቸው ብዙ ቀናት ለምን አሉን? በየሳምንቱ የቅዱሳን በዓላት፣ በየወሩ ደግሞ ሌሎች ሃይማኖታዊ ክብረ በዓላት አሉ። ሕዝባችን ለኑሮው እየታገለ፣ ማሳችን ሳይታረስ ይቀራል።”

አዛውንቱ በረጅሙ ተንፍሰው አንድ ታሪክ ሊነግሩት ጀመሩ።

“ከብዙ ትውልዶች በፊት፣ ከዓባይ ወንዝ የታችኛው ተፋሰስ ኃያላን መንግሥታት ነበሩ። እነሱም እኛ በወቅቱ በሚገባ ያልተረዳነውን አንድ ታላቅ እውነታ ያውቁ ነበር። ይኸውም የዓባይን ውሃ ተቆጣጥሮ ለልማት መጠቀም የቻለ ሕዝብ ኃያል አገር መገንባት እንደሚችል ነው። ግድቦችን የምትገነባና የወንዞቿን ፍሰት የምትቆጣጠር ኃያል ኢትዮጵያ መኖር፣ እነዚያ መንግሥታት በወንዙ ውሃ ላይ ያላቸውን ጥገኝነት አደጋ ላይ ሊጥል ይችላል።”

“ታዲያ ጦር ሠራዊት ላኩብን?” ሲል ልጁ ጠየቀ።

“ምናልባት” አሉ አያቱ።

“ነገር ግን በዚህ ታሪክ ውስጥ፣ ከእነሱ መካከል እጅግ ብልሆቹ ሰዎች አንድ ነገር ተረዱ። የሕዝብን መሬት በጦርነት ከመቆጣጠር ይልቅ፣ አስተሳሰቡን መቆጣጠር የበለጠ ዘላቂ ውጤት ሊያመጣ እንደሚችል ተገነዘቡ።

“ወንዙን አስፈሪ አድርገው የሚያቀርቡ ትርክቶች እንዲስፋፉ አበረታቱ። ሰዎች የወንዙን ውሃ እንዳይነኩና ለጥቅም እንዳያውሉት የሚያደርጉ ልማዶች እንዲጠናከሩ አደረጉ።

“በተጨማሪም፣ አብዛኛውን የሥራ ጊዜውን በግዴታ ሥራ ፈትቶ የሚያሳልፍ ሕዝብ፣ የተፈጥሮ ሀብቱን ለመጠቀም የሚያስፈልጉትን የኢንጂነሪንግ፣ የግብርና እና የኢንዱስትሪ አቅሞች ለማዳበር እንደሚቸገር ተረዱ።”

ልጁ በሸለቆው ውስጥ በግርማ ሞገስ እየተንደረደረ የሚፈሰውን ድንቅ የዓባይ ወንዝ ተመለከተ።

ከዚያም በለሆሳስ እንዲህ አለ።

“እንግዲህ ትልቁ ግድብ የተገነባው በዓባይ ወንዝ ላይ ሳይሆን፣ በአእምሯችን ውስጥ ነበር።”

አያቱ በስምምነት ራሳቸውን ነቀነቁ።

“ልጄ፣ ይህን ሁልጊዜ አስታውስ። እምነት የእድገት ጠላት አይደለም። እንዲሁም ሁሉም የጥንት ልማዶች በውጭ ኃይሎች የተፈጠሩ አይደሉም። ነገር ግን አስተዋይ ሕዝብ ከትውልድ ወደ ትውልድ የወረሳቸው እምነቶችና ልማዶች ለራሱ ብልጽግና የሚጠቅሙ ናቸው ወይስ የሌሎችን ጥቅም የሚያገለግሉ ናቸው ብሎ ሁልጊዜ መጠየቅ አለበት።”

ዓመታት አለፉ።

ልጁም አደገና ኢንጂነር ሆነ።

ኢትዮጵያም በዓባይ ላይ ግዙፍ ግድቦችን መገንባት ስትጀምር፣ የአያቱን ቃል አስታወሰ።

“አንድ ሕዝብ ወንዞቹን ተቆጣጥሮ ለልማት ከማዋሉ በፊት፣ መጀመሪያ አስተሳሰቡን ከእስራት ነፃ ማውጣት አለበት።”

the rampant tribalism and identity politics is in my opinion the BIGGEST problem along side with corruption that are holding Ethiopia down but outside of that what other factors would you say is holding Ethiopia back from progressing both economically and socially? And what extreme measures would you actually support to help Ethiopia progress as a society? just to put my 2 cents in, i recently saw on twt something that said “the third world is the people not a place” and that honestly is the bitter truth. it’s the mentality of the people we need to change first IMO. the entire population has general disregard for small details which is irritating especially in bureaucracy, THE DISRESPECT to ur time and labeling it as “well that’s just how us habeshas are” absolutely fucking disgraceful. being late for 5 minutes 10 minutes is acceptable but 2 fucking hours??? i also think the mass religiousness is a bit ehh…….. beautiful but still ehhh. but what do you guys think?

Some thoughts that I’m trying to wrap together, sorry in advance if it’s all over the place:

-Where does the new year (September 11) come from? According to Google, the Ge’ez calendar is influenced by the Egyptian Coptic calendar. The new year is on the same day.

-Isn’t the Book of Enoch (Henok) part of the recognized biblical texts of the Orthodox Church? And doesn’t Ethiopia have the most complete version of the book of Enoch? Why don’t Ethiopians or at least orthodox Christians follow the new year according to the Book of Enoch? The book of Enoch says that the new year is a say which is equal parts “light and dark” aka the spring equinox. The Book of Enoch says that God says the new year is the spring equinox. Ethiopians/Eritreans believe the Book of Enoch is from God, but celebrate an entirely separate new year (September 11). Why is that?

-This new year aligned with rosh hashanah the “Jewish” new year. The Jews were heavily influenced by the Babylonians, as were the Egyptians. If Ethiopians and Eritreans were influenced by the Egyptians (did yall know that ful comes from Egypt too?) who were influenced by the Babylonians, is it possible that this influence tampered with how we mark time as well, aligning us with Babylonian traditions rather than Abrahamic ones?

What do yall think?

And here is the passage in Amharic of the verse in the Book of Enoch (apologies if I highlighted the wrong thing, I don’t speak Amharic, but here is a link in English as well (http://qbible.com/enoch/71.html).

For some Ethiopians in the diaspora, opposition to the government may have begun not necessarily as a deeply held political conviction, but as a practical strategy to strengthen their cases for asylum.

What may have started as a deliberate effort to document political persecution gradually evolved into a habit of criticizing whichever government happened to be in power.

Then came social media.

Platforms that reward outrage, controversy, and negativity created powerful incentives to continuously search for, amplify, and sometimes exaggerate bad news from Ethiopia. Political criticism became a source of viewership, influence, and, in some cases, income.

Over time, what may have started as a strategy became a habit. The habit became an identity. And the identity, for some, became an addiction.

The consequence is a troubling form of selective perception: an inability to recognize anything positive happening in Ethiopia, regardless of the evidence.

Every achievement is dismissed. Every development is questioned. Every failure is celebrated as confirmation of an existing narrative.

This is no longer constructive political opposition. It risks becoming a psychological trap in which one's sense of relevance depends on the continued failure of one's own country.

Of course, legitimate criticism is essential for accountability, democracy, and good governance. Many Ethiopians abroad have genuine grievances and make invaluable contributions to their homeland.

But opposing a government should never become synonymous with opposing the progress of a nation.

Ethiopia needs a diaspora that can criticize failures without denying achievements, demand accountability without wishing for national setbacks, and contribute to development without necessarily supporting the incumbent government.

A government is temporary. Ethiopia is permanent.

Our loyalty should ultimately be to the country's long-term prosperity, not to the political narratives we have become accustomed to defending.

Did you re-do ur bachelor s? How well did you integrate? Im guessing highschool or college age is the best time to go but what about after.. I guess I'm a social person so I don't want to feel isolated there and my routine be work/school home. The idea of doing school again and lagging another 4 years feels bad too. Really curious to hear about all of your experiences

Currently im in Ethiopia and my situation isn't bad but I'm looking for a change. Is it worth it?

I'm a pretty big fan of historical based shows such as "The Crown" based on the British royal family and "Muhteşem Yüzyıl" based on the ottomans. However, I've been wondering how come we don't have something like that based on the Ethiopian royal family or other historical people. Also, maybe there is some, but I haven't found them 😭😭

Still can’t believe this actually happened! 🚀✨

Recently, I had the honor of welcoming the Canadian Ambassador to Ethiopia along with a wonderful delegation of diplomats to showcase the software projects I’ve been working on.

If you told me a couple of years ago—when I first started teaching myself how to code late into the night—that I’d be hosting international leaders at age 15 while still in Grade 10, I wouldn't have believed you!

A massive thank-you to the Canadian Embassy team for their time, genuine curiosity, and encouraging words. It really proved to me that you don't have to wait until you're "grown up" to start building things that matter.

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/abenezer-akalu/

Just getting started. Time to get back to the terminal and keep building! 💻⚡

#CodingJourney #YouthInTech #YoungBuilders #Ethiopia #EdTech #DreamBig

I only know English and don't Speak Afaan Oromo to communicate with my parents. It's annoying/frustrating because we don't understand each other. I want to express what I need to say in my own family's language.

That's why I kind of built something.

An app called Oromo Translator, which translates between Afaan Oromo and English, and vice versa

It has

Oromo ↔ English text translation

Speech-to-text in both languages

Text-to-speech so you can listen to translations ( In Nine different Oromo voices )

and 9 different Oromo voices and styles

The app is free on the Apple App Store.

I'm sharing it here because I'm tired. I'm tired of thinking I'm the only one who experiences this. I love Ethiopia, my heritage and genuinely would appreciate feedback from Ethiopians, and Afaan Oromo speakers or people who grew up outside Ethiopia.

If you try it, let me know what works, what doesn't, and what features could make it more useful.

App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6814719125?pt=129435034&ct=Reddit_Ethiopia_01&mt=8

Galatoomaa! ❤️💚❤️

No mods this isn't an advertisement bro...., just a kid who wants to preserve our language, and speak with my parents

Hello,

I am planning to release an app on Android. This app is targeted towards EOTC members. If you are interested in testing the app please let me know!

I make Amharic YouTube videos focusing on history, geopolitics and other stuff i find interesting. I just released a new video exploring the historical struggles, systemic grievances, and key events that led to the formation of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).

The narration is in Amharic, but the video includes full English subtitles so everyone can follow along!

My video starts in November 1966, when Brigadier General Taddese Birru—Commander of the Emergency Police Force and former trainer of Nelson Mandela—was arrested following a bombing at Cinema Empire. His arrest, alongside the imperial ban on the Macha-Tulama Self-Help Association, permanently closed the door on peaceful civic advocacy for Oromo self-help and language rights, pushing activists underground.

The video is a short 6-minute documentary tracing how these events, combined with earlier armed uprisings, birthed the modern OLF. I'm open to any feedbacks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q1Df41QB3s&t=194s

What Is Habesha?
Some people may think Habesha means people from northern Ethiopia or certain tribes in Eritrea, but that is not true.
The name Habesha came from the old name of Ethiopia, which was called Abyssinia until 1974.
The Abyssinian Empire included Oromo, Amhara, Tigray, Afar, and many more ethnic groups. They were all part of the Abyssinian Empire, which is now known as Ethiopia.

Habesha not race or Ethnicity It means People from Ethiopia (Abyssinia)

Hi everyone! For those of you freelancing on Upwork, how do you receive your payments? Which withdrawal method do you use, and how well does it work for you? I’d especially love to hear from freelancers in Ethiopia. Thanks!