Elders Committee‘s suggestions for the GGO and OLC for working together
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The Elders Committee member’s efforts at convincing the leaders of the Global Gumii Oromia Organizing Committee (GGO) and the Oromo Leadership Convention (OLC) for organizing a joint meeting with the GGO was not successful. As a result, the OLC and the GGO will be organizing two separate meetings in the spring of 2017. Elder’s Committee members are genuinely concerned that this may lead to the formation of two rival organizations that work against each other. The short and long term result of working against each other most likely will nurture rancor that eats into the spirit of cooperation and unity among the Oromo Diaspora.
Nevertheless, this setback does not deter the Elders Committee members from urging both groups to keep sight of the long term prize-the freedom, human dignity and democratic rights of our people. This can be achieved only through collective action. In other words, even though both groups will be organizing separate meetings, at this stage, elders will continue urging each group to explore ways of working in the same direction, channeling their energy and creativity for forming a single nationwide conversation, that will ultimately serve as a strong unified voice on behalf of our people on the international stage. The following ten ideas are suggested by the Elders Committee members to be taken into consideration by the leaders of both the GGO and the OLC groups.
First- urge both groups to participate in each other’s meeting
Elder’s Committee members urge both groups to send invitations to each other, earnestly requesting their members participation both in OLC meeting, March 10-12, in Washington DC and as well as GGO meeting in Minneapolis April 14-16. Such participation would be most fruitful if it is done by the leaders of both groups. The leaders and members of both groups participation in the deliberation about the future of the Oromo people, their wellbeing, and their relation with other people of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, will provide them with collective experience of working together. What is more, such deliberation cultivates trust among members of both groups. It may also create and sustain broad-based conversation for pulling together human and material resources of the Oromo Diaspora demonstrating the capacity of the Oromo for working together.
Second: Avoid duplication of efforts
From the Elders Committee’s several weeks of discussion with the leaders of the GGO and the OLC, it appears to us that both groups are working for forming parallel organizations, which will lead to wasteful duplication of efforts. Elders Committee members strongly urge both the GGO and the OLC to avoid establishing parallel organizations which will lead to duplication of efforts if they form separate groups to conduct (a) advocacy, (b) humanitarian outreach, (c) diplomacy, (d) research, and so on. Duplication of effort will be terrible waste of time and limited resources. It is only if both the GGO and the OLC avoid duplication of effort that they will be able to make a historic and essential contribution to the struggle for freedom and human dignity of our people in this time. It is only if they avoid duplication of effort that they demonstrate that their primary concern is to safeguard and serve the future of our people, enabling others to take them seriously.
Third: the GGO & the OLC agendas
Elders Committee members earnestly ask the leaders of both the GGO and OLC to include on their separate meeting agendas avoiding duplication efforts. If this issue is not handled carefully during their separate meetings, duplication of efforts will be an avoidable. Consequently rivalry between the two groups will be intensified. We hope the leaders of both groups will not take lightly the issue of avoiding duplication of efforts, while there is time to do so.
Fourth: call upon the Oromo Diaspora
Elders Committee members call upon the Oromo Diaspora to put pressure on both the GGO and the OLC leaders to adopt the steps outlined here, so that the two groups work toward a common goal in the interest of our people. Encourage them to invite leaders and members from one group to the meeting of the other, and to avoid duplication of effort, especially in the arenas of advocacy, diplomacy and mobilizing resources for humanitarian programs on behalf of our people who are victimized daily by the TPLF regime.
Fifth- a broad-based set of meetings
We must realize that institutions are built on ideas. This is true for all people including the Oromo. And those ideas emerge through Oromo cultural background, their experience, interactions, including collective discussions of the many people and not through the discussions of only a few individuals. If there is a strong commitment between the OLC and the GGO groups to launch and sustain a broad-based set of meetings, the process of Oromo conversation could be sustained, building on what has already started.
Sixth- work as a supportive team
Elders Committee members strongly urge the leaders of both the GGO and OLC to do everything possible for joining together to work as a supportive team. However, if temporarily they may not be able to join together, Elders Committee members impress upon both of them to work towards that goal. We encourage the leaders of both groups to appreciate the little steps they are able to take today and aim and act for taking more steps tomorrow. Elders Committee members urge the GGO and OLC leaders to take continuous steps in working together, so as to bring about Oromo strength and promise as stabilizing force in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.
Seventh-Launch and/or Sustain Community-Wide Deliberation (discussion)
Arrange, launch and coordinate numerous facilitating conversations across the landscape around mutually-agreed topics. The topics are shared between groups and suggestions made; keep record of the ideas brought forward; and share content of deliberations, suggestions, concern within both groups. This will require agreement on how to record, report, summarize and with whom to share. Let that be a point of discussion: how to handle and assess the incoming ideas. The material from those meetings could be used to frame the next round of deliberation. Frequency, location, invitation, etc, shall be handled differently by each group.
Eighth– Both Groups Commit to Keep Communications Open
Focus on the specifics of keeping things open-ended and flexible (as much as possible) but participants will engage when they see that it is ongoing and supported from OLC/GGO.
Ninth: ingathering of Oromo ideas
The ingathering of Oromo around Oromo ideas, i.e. the Oromo working together to be strong voice for their own people who are targeted for destruction is historic and inspiring, especially if both the OLC and the GGO rise to the challenge of working together. It has enormous implications. At the time when the TPLF regime is intensifying its attack in Oromia working together for building and strengthening Oromo unity is a noble idea that reflects the core aspiration of the people who have been wronged for too long. It will take time and the input of both the OLC and the GGO groups, but Oromo unity will be strengthened in the process.
Tenth: representatives agree to focus on working toward common goal
The OLC and GGO representatives agree to work toward the same goal. Stating goal simply and clearly, such as formulating a collective position on Oromo national aspirations and bringing together all sectors of Oromo society into a broad-based Oromo organization will be crucial.
The Elders Committee
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