The Oromia Youth Association (OYA) in Minnesota-Cultutal Show

After criss-crossing the entire state showcasing the Oromo culture, the Oromia Youth Association (OYA) in Minnesota is set to culminate what has been a busy year with a festive Cultural Show. This year’s show will be held on August 7 at the Augsburg College (719 22nd Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN) starting at 5PM.

Ethiopia’s election: all losers

The crushing electoral defeat of the Ethiopian opposition does not actually help the ruling party and encourages its slide into authoritarianism ‘I really feel totally betrayed by the system,’ confessed Beyene Petros, one of the most respected leaders of the Ethiopian opposition, a few days after its crushing defeat in the general elections on 23 May 2010. ‘I thought that, if we competed in the elections, there would be a door ajar that could be made use of by competing parties.

The View of America in the Eyes of Oromo-Americans

By Hassan Hussein & Mohammed Ademo When some 234 years ago America’s founding fathers solemnly declared “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, it is unthInkable that any Oromo took notice, let alone imagine that America would one day become a beacon of hope and home for his descendents.

Finfinne Diaries – Khat, Museums and Development in Ethiopia

By Steven W. Thomas* As I mentioned in my first Finfinne Diary about my trip to Ethiopia, I was quite surprised by the size of the khat trade (a.k.a., qat or chat), but as someone commented there, I probably should not have been since American newspapers and magazines have been blabbering about it for years. For instance, I could have read about the popularity of this narcotic plant in Esquire ,

Africa: Continent in Tears – Of Joy and Sorrow

By Oromsis Adula* In the closing minutes of a spectacular sporting event, organized by an African nation for the first time, a twin bomb blast rocked the capital of another African country – Kampala, Uganda. The simultaneous attack left an estimated 74 people dead and scores wounded. The two targets, an Ethiopian restaurant and a rugby club, were in ruins

Uganda bomb blasts kill at least 74

By Xan Rice in Kampala for

Struggling to Make a Living in Ethiopia

By Jina Krause-Vilmar Food is scarce in Ethiopia, where most of the population lives in rural, drought-prone areas in a state of chronic poverty. In 2010, the Government of Ethiopia identified 5.2 million people in need of emergency food aid. Not surprisingly, this hunger crisis also impacts the thousands of refugees living just within Ethiopia’s borders.

Yaada: a New Oromo Novel

By Jamal Nebi ‘Yaada’ is Jamal Kedir Nebi’s first book that encompasses a work of poetry and fiction. Jamal was born and raised in a place called Iteya, Oromia, in the Arsi region. The book is written in Afan Oromo, and was published in Oromia.

Book Review: FIXEENSA – New Oromo Novel

Boruu Barraaqaa, author of the bestselling Oromo novel, MUDAAMUDDII, is introducing his third well-structured and timely book FIXEENSA to the public. FIXEENSA is a brilliant novel that is based on a true story about Oromo politics in recent times. It widely reflects on the socio-political life of the Oromo society in the last couple of years, both at home and abroad

IGAD Leaders Pledge Urgent Military Help for Somalia

By Peter Heinlein | Addis Ababa A hastily-called summit of East African leaders has ordered the immediate dispatch of 2,000 additional troops to Somalia to reinforce the beleaguered African Union peacekeeping mission.

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