ግሪካውያን ኢትዮጵያን እጅግ ይወዳሉ።ማንኛውም ግሪካዊ ጋር በአቴንስ ከተማ ብታናግሩ ኢትዮጵያን ይወዳል።ከታክሲ ሹፌር እስከ ከፍተኛ የመርከብ ባለቤቶች ባሉኝ አጋጣሚዎች ስለ ኢትዮጵያ በጠየኳቸው ጊዜ ልዩ ክብር እና ፍቅር እንዳላቸው ለመረዳት ችያለሁ። ግሪክ ታላቅ ሀገር ነች። በእዚህ የሉላዊነት ዘመን ግሪክ የገጠሟት ፈተናዎች እና ወደፊት የሚገጥሙ ፈተናዎች ኢትዮጵያ ከገጠማትም ሆነ ወደፊት ከሚገጥማት ጋር ተመሳሳይ ነው።ግሪክን እግዚአብሔር ባይፈጥር ኖሮ የዓለም የሳይንስ ጥበብ ምናልባት አሁን በምናየው ደረጃ ሊሆን ፈጽሞ እንደማይችል ለመረዳት ዛሬ ከፊዚክስ እስከ ምህንድስና ከግሪክ የተወሰዱ ጥበቦችን መቃኘት ነው።
ግሪካውያን በኢትዮጵያ ዘመናዊ ስልጣኔ ላይ የነበራቸው አሻራ በሚገባ አልተከተበም እንጂ ትልቅ ፋይዳ ያለው ነው። ከአራዳ ቅዱስ ጊዮርጊስ ቤተክርስቲያ ስራ እስከ የቅዱስ ጊዮርጊስ ክለብ ምስረታ ከጣልያን በፊት የግሪክ ማኅበረሰብ አባላት አሻራዎች ናቸው።ይህ ብቻ አይደለም በህክምና ሙያ ላይ ተሰማርተው ኢትዮጵያን ያገለገሉ ግሪካውያን ያውም ገና ኢትዮጵያውያን ሀኪሞች በሚገባ ሳይሰለጠኑ በነበረበት ዘመን ነው።ለምሳሌ ቀዳማዊ አፄ ኃይለስላሴ በራሳቸው የጻፉት ''ሕይወቴ እና የኢትዮጵያ እርምጃ'' በተሰኘው መፅሐፍ ላይ የአልጋ ወራሽ እያሉ በዓለማያ ሐይቅ ላይ በጀልባ ሲሄዱ የደረሰባቸው የጀልባ መገልበጥ ተከትሎ በአካባቢው የነበረ ግሪካዊ ሐኪም ደርሶ ባያድናቸው ኖሮ በቀጣይ ዘመናቸው የኢትዮጵያ ንጉስ ለመሆን ላይችሉ እንደነበር በእዚሁ መጽሐፋቸው ላይ ጠቅሰዋል።
የግሪክና የኢትዮጵያን ታሪካዊ ግንኙነት ለማጠናከር የሚተጉት ግሪካውያን ለኢትዮጵያ መታሰብያ አቴንስ ላይ ሃውልት ለማቆም እንቅስቃሴ ጀምረዋል
ኢትዮጵያ የተወለዱ፣በኢትዮጵያ ሰርተው ሀብት ያፈሩ፣በልዩ ልዩ ሙያ ኢትዮጵያን በሙያቸው ያገለገሉ ግሪካውያን አቴንስ ላይ ማኅበር እንዳላቸው ሰምቼ ነበር።ባለፈው ሳምንት ላይ ግን የማኅበሩን አስተባባሪዎች አቴንስ ላይ ለማግኘት ዕድል አገኘሁ። ስለ ኢትዮጵያ ሲናገሩ እንባ ይተናነቃቸዋል። የኢትዮጵያና የግሪክ ታሪካዊ ግንኙነት እና ወደፊት የሚገጥሟቸው ተግዳሮቶችም ተመሳሳይ እንደሆኑ ከተለያዩ አቅጣጫዎች አንጻር አወራን።ከሁሉም ለመስራት ያላቸው የሞራል ዝግጅት ከውስጣቸው በሚወጣ ጥልቅ ስሜት የሚገልጹበት መንገድ እጅግ አስደናቂ ነው።በውይይታችን መሃል አዲስ አበባ ስለሚገኘው እና ከ113 ዓመታት በላይ ያስቆጠረው የግሪም ማኅበረሰብ (ኮሚኒቲ) ትምሕርት ቤት ላይ የተወሰደው እርምጃ እጅግ አሳዝኗቸዋል።በእውነቱም በእዚህ ደረጃ ያለ የሁለት ሀገሮች ግንኙነት የሚመለከት ትምሕርት ቤት የተያዘበት መንገድ በራሱ እዚህ ከፍተኛ ጥያቄ አስነስቷል።
ይህ በእንዲህ እያለ በግሪክ የሚኖሩ ግሪካውያን ኢትዮጵያን የሚያውቁ እና በኢትዮጵያ የተወለዱ ግሪካውያንን ጨምሮ አቴንስ በሚገኘው የአቢሲንያ አደባባይ ኢትዮጵያን የሚያስታውስ ሀውልት ለመስራት ዝግጅት ላይ ናቸው።አቴንስ የሚገኘው የአቢሲንያ አደባባይ ስያሜውን ያገኘው ከሁለተኛ ዓለም ጦርነት ፍጻሜ ሰሞን ቀዳማዊ አፄ ኃይለስላሴ ግሪክ በጦርነቱ ማግስት በተቸገረችበ ጊዜ ንጉሱ በርካቃ የቁም ከብት ገዝተው እና አሳርደው ህዝቡን ያበሉበት ቦታ ነው። ከዚያን ጊዜ በኋላ ቦታውን የአቢሲንያ አደባባይ ተባለ። አሁን ታሪኩ ተድበስብሶ እንዳይቀር ኢትዮጵያን የሚያውቁ ግሪካውያን በቦታው ላይ የኢትዮጵያና ግሪክን ታሪክ የሚያስታውስ እንዲሆን ሀውልት ለመስራት እንቅስቃሴ ጀምረዋል።
የኢትዮጵያውያን ግሪካውያን ማኅበር የተመሰረተው በ1967 ዓም የኢትዮጵያ አብዮትን ተከትሎ ወደግሪክ በተሰደዱ ግሪካውያን የተመሰረተ እና በአሁኑ ጊዜ በአቴንስ ማዕከሉን አድርጎ እየሰራ ይገኛል።ማኅበሩ አቢሲን ያ አደባባይ ሀውልቱ ሊሰራ የታሰበበት ቦታ ከአቴንስ ከተማ ፍቃድ ያገኘ ሲሆን ቦታው ከስር የምትመለከቱት ቦታ ላይ ነው።ለሀውልቱ ግ ንባታ ለማስተዋወቅ የፊታችን እሁድ ሐምሌ 16/2023 ዓም እኤአ በእዚሁ በአቢሲንያ አደባባይ ኢትዮጵያውያንን እና ግሪካውያንን ጠርቶ የነበረ ቢሆንም በሳምንቱ ካለ ሙቀት አንጻር መርሃግብሩን ለሌላ ጊዜ ማስተላለፉን ዛሬ አስታውቋል።
የኢትዮጵያ መታሰቢያ ሀውልት የሚሰራበት ቦታ አቴንስ፣ግሪክ
ዝግጅቱ ለሌላ ጊዜ ማስተስላለፉን ቀድሞ በለቀቀው ፖስተር ላይ ዛሬ አስታውቋል።
የግሪክ ማኅበረሰብ ትምሕርት ቤት በተመለከተ በኢትዮጵያ መንግስት የተወሰደው እርምጃ ምንድነው? የጉዳዩ የመንግስት የአያያዝ ክፍተት ሦስት ጉዳዮች ምንድን ናቸው?
በአዲስ አበባ የሚገኘው የግሪክ ማኅበረሰብ ትምህርት ቤት በተመለከተ የኢትዮጵያ መንግስት የወሰደውን እርምጃ በተመለከት አዲስ ማለዳ ጥቅምት 13/2022 ዓም እኤአ ባወጣው ዘገባ ላይ እንዲህ ይላል
''ትምህርት ሚኒስቴር ለዓመታት ያለ ዕውቅና እና የሚጠበቅበትን ግብር ሳይከፍል ሲሠራ የኖረውን የግሪክ ማኅበረሠብ ትምህርት ቤት፣ ዕውቅና እንዲኖረውና ከተሠጡት ሦስት አማራጮች አንዱን ይዞ እንዲቀጥል ትዕዛዝ መስጠቱን ለአዲስ ማለዳ ገለጸ።
በዚህም፣ የማኅበረሠብ ትምህርት ቤት፣ ኢንተርናሽናል ትምህርት ቤት ወይም መደበኛ የግል ትምህርት ቤት ኾኖ እንዲቀጥልና በአምስት ሳምንት ውስጥ አንዱን መርጦ ውሳኔውን እንዲያሳውቅ በግሪክ ኤምባሲ በኩል ለትምህርት ቤቱ ትዕዛዝ እንደተላለፈለት ነው ሚኒስቴር መሥሪያ ቤቱ የገለጸው።
ኾኖም በአብዛኛው ኢትዮጵያውያን ተማሪዎች ያሉበት የእንግሊዘኛ ክፍሉ (English Section) እንዴት ኾኖ የግሪክን ሥርዓተ ትምህርት ሊከተል ይችላል በሚል ለቀረበው ጥያቄ፣ በሚኒስቴሩ የትምህርት ኢንስፔክሽን ጀኔራል ዳይሬክተር የሆኑት ሙሉቀን ንጋት(ዶ/ር) ማንም የፈለገውን አገር ሥርዓተ- ትምህርት ለመማር ፍላጎት እስካለው ድረስ አይከለከልም የሚል መልስ ሠጥተዋል።
ትምህርት ቤቱ እስካሁን በግሪክ ኤምባሲ ሥር ሆኖ መቆየቱን የግሪክ አምባሳዳር ቀርበው አስረድተዋል ያሉት ዳይሬክተሩ፣ የመማሪያ ቋንቋው ግሪክኛና እንግሊዝኛ ተብሎ ተከፋፈለ እንጂ ኹለት ትምህርት ቤት እንዳልሆነ አምባሳደሯ መናገራቸውን ነው ያስረዱት።
ዳይሬክተሩ ይህን ይበሉ እንጂ፣ ትምህርት ቤቱ ይህን እንደማይቀበልና ከኤምባሲው ጋር ምንም ዓይነት ግንኙነት ኖሮት እንደማያውቅ ለትምህርት ሚኒስቴር ደብዳቤ ጽፎ እንደነበር ከተማሪ ወላጆች የተገኘው ደብዳቤ ያመላክታል።
እስካሁን በነበረው አሠራር ኢንተርናሽናልና ማኅበረሠብ ትምህርት ቤቶችን ለመቆጣጠር የተዘጋጀ የሕግ ማዕቀፍ ባለመኖሩ መቆጣጠር አስቸጋሪ ነበር ያሉት ዳይሬክተሩ፣ አሁን ላይ የግሪክ ማኀበረሠብ ትምህርት ቤትም ሕጋዊ መስመር ይዞ እንዲሠራ ትዕዛዝ እንደተሠጠው አብራርተዋል። በዚህም በተለይ ኢንተርናሽናል ትምህርት ቤት ለመሆን ከወሰነ፣ የኢንቨስትመንት ፈቃድ፣ ንግድ ፈቃድ፣ እንዲሁም ከካምብሪጅ የሥርዓተ-ትምህርት ፈቃድ ማምጣት እንዳለበት ጠቁመዋል።
ኾኖም የትምህርት ቤቱ ግሪክ ክፍል ከ100 ዓመታት በላይ፣ የእንግሊዘኛ ክፍሉ ደግሞ ከ25 ዓመታት በላይ በሥራ ላይ መቆየቱን አዲስ ማለዳ አስታውሳ፣ እንዴት የንግድም ይሁን የኢንቨስትመንት ፈቃድ መጀመሪያ አልተጠየቁም በሚል ላቀረበችላቸው ጥያቄ፣ የራሳቸውን ዜጎች ለማስተማር የግሪክ ማኅበረሠብ ትምህርት ቤት በሚል ፈቃድ ካገኘኙ በኋላ፣ በዚህ ሠበብ የኢትዮጵያና ሌሎች አገራት ተማሪዎች የሚማሩበትን የእንግሊዘኛ ክፍል አቋቁመው እንደሚያስተምሩ ሳይታወቅ እንደቆየ ጠቅሰዋል።
አያይዘውም፣ የሚከታተላቸው ቡድን ቦታው ድረስ ሔዶ ትምህርት ቤቱን ካየ በኋላ፣ ኹሉም ነገር በሥርዓት እየተከናወነ ነው ብሎ ለትምህርት ሚኒስቴር ሪፖርት ሲያደርግ እንደኖረ ገልጸዋል።'' የአዲስ ማለዳ ዘገባ መጨረሻ።
የትምህርት ሚኒስቴር እርምጃ አካሄድ ብቻ ሳይሆን የኦሮምያ ክልል በትምህርት ቤቱ ይዞታ ላይ ምን አድርጓል? የሚለው ዝርዝር ጉዳይም በሚገባ መታየት ያለበት ቢሆንም የኢትዮጵያ መንግስት ከኮሚኒቲ ትምህርት ቤቱ አንጻር የሄደበት የአካሂያድ ሂደት በስህተት የተሞላ ነው።እነርሱም
1/ ማናቸውም የውጭ ዜጎችን የሚመለከት ጉዳይም ሆነ ተቋም መጀመርያ መመራት እና ክትትል እንዲያደርግ ማድረግ የሚገባው የውጭ ጉዳይ ሚኒስቴር ነበር። በእዚህም ከግሪካውያኑ ጋር የሚደረጉ ንግግሮች የዓለም አቀፍ ሕጎችን የሚመለከቱ ስለሚሆኑና የእዚሁ የዓለም አቀፍ ሕግ ባለሙያዎች ደግሞ በውጭ ጉዳይ ሚኒስቴር እንጂ በትምህርት ሚኒስቴር የሉም።
2/ የትምህርት ቤቱ ጉዳይ የግሪክና የኢትዮጵያን ግንኙነት እንዳያበላሽ ከፍተኛ ጥንቃቄ መደረግ ነበረበት
3/ በጉዳዩ ዙርያ ከግሪክ ከፍተኛ ባለስልጣናት ጋር መምከር ይገባ ነበር።በእዚህም ከግሪክ መንግስት ጋር በጋራ ኮሚቴ መስርቶ መከታተል ይገባ ነበር።
ከእዚህ በታች የግሪካውያን የኢትዮጵያ ወዳጆች ማኅበር በአዲስ አበባ ግሪክ ማኅበረሰብ ትምህርት ቤት ላይ ያለውን ቅሬታ የገለጸበት ሙሉ ጽሑፍ በተለይ ለጉዳያችን የላኩትን የጉዳዩ ዳራ እና ሂደት
ASSOCIATION OF GREEKS OF ETHIOPIA (S.E.A.):
THE GREEK COMMUNITY OF ADDIS ABABA IN DANGER
SUMMARY
With actions and claims of the Minister of Education of Ethiopia, an
attempt is being made to convert the English section of the Greek Community
Schools belonging to the Greek Community AA into a Charitable Endowment, which
means the transfer of ownership of the schools through the Endowment to the
Ethiopian State, and the dispossession of the Community's property. The
Hellenic Community AA has established a new organization (INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL)
provided for by the legislation to start from the 2023-24 school year and has
requested permission. Permission which was not given. It also communicated its
intention to close the English section if the form of INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL was
not accepted.
Instead, the Minister has continually smeared Greeks as corrupt,
without evidence, to justify his actions and has hastily and eccentrically
embarked on the installation of an interim administration of the English
section, which has banned entry to the Board members of the Greek Community of
AA. And daily he is practicing a regime of intimidation on the staff,
teachers, pupils and parents. It also intervenes in actions that concern the
Community and not the English section, such as: opening and using the
Community's bank accounts, leaving unpaid 29 employees, racist comments to
Greek-Ethiopians to choose whether to be Greek or Ethiopian, attempt to dismiss
the Community's lawyers, trying to prohibit the Community's social benefits to
people in need of such assistance, accounts are blocked and exit permits to
travel abroad to the members of the Boars of HGCA, etc The intervention extends
to the Greek section of the GCS (which are under the Greek Ministry of
Education) with unpaid staff (Greek Civil Servants) and various prohibitions,
etc. Finally, abusing disruptive actions of a small group (Trojan Horses of the
community), an attempt is made to change the composition of the Board of
Directors of the Community.
https://www.ellinoethiopic.gr/elliniki-koinothta-aa-se-kindyno-2/
HISTORICAL FACTS
The Greek Community of Addis Ababa-Ethiopia was founded in 1910. At
that time a Primary School was started with donations from the Community
members. The Greek-speaking mixed semi-gymnasium of the Community (the first 3
classes of the sixth grade high school) was opened in 1944. Its
recognition by the Greek State was granted in 1947 by the Decree 2, Government
Gazette 152/24-07-1947, Vol.
By the year 1950, all three upper grades were created and thus the
semi-gymnasium became a full sixth-grade Gymnasium, which was recognized as
equal to the Gymnasiums of the Greece by Decree 5, Government Gazette
177/17-08-1950, vol. The "old" school was built under the presidency
of Mr. George Kalogeropoulos and was located in the centre of the town. With a curriculum
and teaching staff that came from the Ministry of Education of Greece. These
schools were attended by Greeks and Cypriots from Ethiopia and the wider East
African region.
The New Greek Community Schools were built under the presidency of
Athanasios Michos on a plot of 33,000 square meters. The land belonged to an
Armenian named Mena, who had Ethiopian citizenship. And according to the
Ethiopian laws of the time, he could not sell to a foreign national without the
special permission of Emperor Haile Selassie. With the intervention of the
president of the Community, Mr. Athanasios Michos and its treasurer, Mr.
Alexandros Ganotakis, permission was granted by the Emperor to purchase the
land in the name of the Greek Community of Addis Ababa. A fundraiser was held
by the prosperous residents of Addis Ababa, which raised the money for the
purchase of the land. The Great Benefactors: Athanasios Mihos, Michael Zekos
and Nicholas Diamantas, whose names the school community buildings bear,
undertook their construction.
In 1961, the Community completed the construction of three school
buildings within the community's own land, the "Michio High School",
the "Zekio Elementary School" and the "Diamanteio
Kindergarten".
MICHIO SECONDARY |
ZEKIO PRIMARY |
DIAMANTIO
KINDERGARDEN |
.
The
Community Boarding School was also funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
when the late Evangelos Averoff was Foreign Minister, following the
intervention of Athanasios Michos. In 1961, the building of the Community
Boarding School, which at that time housed about 250 students, was completed.
The
Community Boarding School is the largest in the African continent and its
operating costs have been fully covered by the Community to date, without any
financial support. To the young expatriate students the Community offers
accommodation in the Community Boarding School for the duration of their
studies in the Community Schools (Primary, Secondary and High School), full
board, clothing and medical care.
In addition, the facilities of the Greek Athletic Union
"Olympiacos" were built on part of the land, with benefactor and
under the presidency of Mr. Ioannis Velissariou.
With the great exodus of the community, especially in 1975-76, when the
dictatorial military regime of Derg took over, the Greeks were forced to leave
Ethiopia, losing their properties. The schools, however, continued to function
with the few remaining students.
Since 1985 an English section has been established and has been
operating successfully alongside the Greek schools, with approximately
1,000-1,300 foreign students of about 52 nationalities (initially
non-Ethiopians and children of diplomatic and administrative staff of African
and other countries based in Addis Ababa), who are taught Greek from grade 1 to
grade 6 . Later, the Ethiopian Ministry of Education allowed Ethiopian students
to enroll as well. The English School section is considered one of the best in
the Ethiopian capital.
In the English section, the English curricula of the University of
Cambridge, which has recognised the Greek Community School as an official
examination centre for the IGCSE, A/S and A-levels international diplomas, are
applied
In 1997, the English section moved into the new building, a gift of the
then President of the Greek Community of Addis Ababa, Mr. Konstantinos
Kalogeropoulos.
THE PRESENT SITUATION
Within the land of the Greek Community Schools (GCS) two schools are
operating. The Greek section, which is under the Greek Ministry of Education
and the English section which operates under a permission of the Ethiopian
Ministry of Education. Both under the responsibility of the HGCA.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Education issued ne guidelines for the
operation of International and Community schools in March 2021, with the aim of
increasing control over them.
At the same time (July 2022) a new Administration (Board of Directors)
was elected in the Greek Community of AA, with a mandate to clean the mess of
previous administrations.
In order to renew the schools' license, the Ethiopian Ministry of
Education asked the Community to create a new legal entity which will manage
the English section School and to which the Community will endow the school
buildings.
During the year the Greek Community of AA, reported that it did not
accept the form of Charitable Endowment and proposed the INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
format which is one of the 4 forms of schools that the Ethiopian Ministry of
Education allows to operate. It also informed, as of February 2023, the
Ministry in this regard that it has fulfilled all the conditions required and
requested that the INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL be opened from the 2023-24 school year.
Finally, the Greek Community of AA prominently stressed that if the permit
for the INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL was not granted, it preferred to close the English
section School, which is its sovereign right as the owner of the GCS.
The current situation is the result of the actions and demands of the
Minister of Education, Professor Berhanu Nega PhD., calling for a change of the
Board of Directors, of the English School, now composed of members of the Greek
AA Community, so that the school is run by a state-affiliated body, in order to
install its own board.
In one of his documents, the Minister announced that he would take over
the Greek Schools, install an administration of his personal choice, which
administration would transfer the Greek Property to a Charitable Endowment
which would be controlled (as the law requires for these legal forms) by the
Ethiopian State, i.e. a usurpation of the Community's property.
The Greek Ambassador arrived on the spot, trying to find out who ordered this occupation. The entire Board of Directors of the Greek Community AA, Residents, Parents of children, employees of the Community protested. The armed police ordered those present to leave. The threat of force is a serious violation of the human rights of diplomatic institutions.
The Minister's response was that they had to accept his terms by
31/03/2023, or else he would proceed unilaterally. So by a verbal notice issued
by ACSO (the department of social organisations) and the Department of
Education announced that it would proceed with the appointment of an Interim
Administration that will lead to a Charitable Endowment.
The Minister's response was that they had to accept his terms by
31/03/2023, or else he would proceed unilaterally. So by a verbal notice issued
by ACSO (the department of social organisations) and the Department of
Education announced that it would proceed with the appointment of an Interim
Administration that will lead to a Charitable Endowment.
.
The entire Board of Directors of the Hellenic Community of AA,
Parishioners, Parents of children, Community employees and the Greek Ambassador
arrived on the scene, trying to find out who ordered this occupation. The
Ambassador and other members of the Community Board as well as those present
inside the Greek Community office entrance area were threatened by the armed
men who armed their Kalashnikovs demanding that they leave. The incident was
captured on video and the threat of violence is a serious breach of diplomatic
rules.
On a daily basis in the following days, community members attended the
premises on a daily basis, preserving Community property. The Greek Foreign
Ministry and other authorities were contacted, TV channels and Radio Stations
were alerted, and together with residents, parents and students demanded the
removal of the federal police.
And while awaiting the injunction decision of 14/06/2023, the Minister
called the parents and threatened them not to endanger their children as on
14/06/2023 he would enter with a strong federal police force to implement the
installation of a new interim administration. Which he did without resistance
as the community and parents fearing bloodshed did not line up at the entrance.
Following the unacceptable actions of the Minister of Education to appropriate
the Addis Ababa Greek Community school complex by attempting to arbitrarily
change the board of directors which was made up of members by the Greek
Community of AA, actions for which the Greek Community of AA has taken to the
courts and the case is pending.
The interim administration intervenes in actions concerning the
Community and not the English section, such as: opening and using the
Community's bank accounts, racist remarks to Greek-Ethiopians to choose whether
to be Greek or Ethiopian, attempt to dismiss lawyers and other Community staff
(chief of staff, accountants, etc.) an attempt to prohibit the social benefits
of the Community to 83 expatriates and people over 65 in need of such assistance,
taking care of Greek religious properties: Church, Cemetery, the Greek
Archbishop’s residence some of which have unpaid utility bills (power &
water supplies) etc. Finally, through the divisive actions of a small group
(Trojan Horses of the community), it tries to change the composition and
control the Board of Directors of the Community.
The interim administration also started interfering in the Greek
section of the GCS, which is out of its jurisdiction. Several teachers of the
Greek section (Greek civil servants), are facing a situation whereas their
salaries and other benefits are not paid. They are also facing expulsion from
teachers’ chambers in GCS, while their travel to Greece for family re-union are
not allowed.
The interim administration issued several orders: banning members of
the Greek Community of AA Board from entering, prohibiting faculty and
administrative staff from discussing anything related to the situation (under
penalty of expulsion), and announced that it would soon install the Charitable
Endowment administration with individuals appointed by the Department of
Education, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of
Women's Social Affairs, the Greek Community School Parents' Association, and
the Greek Athletic Association "Olympiacos", placing in this position
its vice-president. Thus the real owner, i.e. the Greek Community AA, which was
elected by the 147 members that make up the Community, is excluded, and the
Minister "rewards" the unrecognized and separatist Greek Community
Organization Aid Idir, which was created by the 8-member administration of the
Greek Athletic Association Olympiacos 11 months ago to be an alternative
solution as a "Trojan Horse" in the hands of the Minister, by people
who oppose the Greek Community of AA. They even tried to appropriate the
Diplomatic car of the Embassy that was on the site.
The interim administration also said the employees over-65s will be
expelled. Threats are still being hurled at anyone (teachers, parents,
students, or members of the Hellenic Community of AA administration) through
the mass media or social media networks who refer to the current situation.
Orders were given to break into the offices of the Community. This constitutes
a regime of intimidation and is not consistent with human rights and academic
freedom principles that accommodate school institutions. Community lawyers were
"fired" i.e. deprived of the Constitutionally guaranteed right to
legal defense.
The interim administration for the English Department of the school,
appointed by the Minister of Education, has issued a document denying access to
the members of the Community Board because they are "obstructing"
their work. (document opposite).
More broadly, the whole affair is said to be related to
intra-governmental power struggle between the tribal parties that make up the
current federal government of Ethiopia, with the current Minister of Education
wanting to raise his "stock", saying that he "brought" a
significant fortune to the Ethiopian state.
He is said to have the same plans for the French, German and Italian
schools.
The situation that has been created does not reflect the almost two
centuries close cooperation and friendship between Greeks and Ethiopians in the
latest period. The two proud Nations met each other for thousands of years and build up
co-operation of mutual respect and trust specially because Greeks were
never a colonial force. Needless to recall that the very name of the Country
derives from the ancient Greek Homeric word Aethiops. These
relations have deep roots in the official (i.e. adopted by the then
kings) Christianization of Ethiopia by St. Frumentius or Abu Salama, the help
of Greeks in important moments in Ethiopia (1896 Battle of Adwa, 1936 Mussolini
invasion), the significant help of Negus Tafari for the Asia Minor disaster
(1923 Abyssinia Square) and the care of orphans of the Asia Minor disaster and
World War II, etc. The Greeks participated in important developmental public
works: the construction of monuments and important buildings, Banks, Hotels,
the building of the railway, etc. In addition, they had made significant
investments in the economy (coffee, mills, viticulture, textile industry,
building materials, etc.). Greeks were also active at assisting the Nation
during the Great Famine that struck Ethiopia. Relationships that, among other
things, continue to this day with the existence of a large Ethiopian community
in Greece, the construction of a monument in the Abyssinia Square in Athens,
the studies of Ethiopians in Greek Universities, the provision of scholarships
for postgraduate studies in Greece with the support of the Greek Diocese of
Axum, the special relations with the Greek Church (provision of churches,
studies of the Ethiopian clergy in Greece), with cultural exchanges (performance
of "Socrates barefoot" at the Herodes theater (under Acropolis), with
the participation in the Ethiopian Film Festival, with bilateral trade forums,
etc.
A question has already been submitted to the European Commission by the
Member of the European Parliament of the New Democracy Party, Mr. Man.
Kefalogiannis, asking the European Commission whether "it has been
informed about the events in Addis Ababa" and "what actions it
intends to take to avoid the obvious intention of the Ethiopian government to
appropriate the school complex of the Greek Community, which was acquired by
the Greek Community and is its property".
.The long-awaited decision of the Lideta Supreme Court was finally
delivered on 24 May 2023.
Notable features of this decision are the reference to
"confiscation" only on suspicion of mismanagement and without
evidence. A global legal prototype. And secondly the replacement
of the notorious splitter (it seems those who used him realized his
negative role). The Greek Community of AA has stated that it is continuing the
legal process and will challenge all these decisions.
The Association of Greeks of Ethiopia (S.E.A.) stresses that the uninterrupted
cooperation with the Ethiopian Community organizations in Greece must
continue, and that the friendly relations and feelings towards them and
Ethiopia nurtured by the expatriate former Greek community of Ethiopia in
Greece or elsewhere should not be disturbed, contrary to the current situation
towards the HGCA in Ethiopia.
It is disgraceful the fact that the
Nationals and persons of Greek origin living today in Ethiopia, after more than
two centuries of presence of Greeks in your Country, are not any more equally
treated, and in fact they are “threatened and discriminated”. This was
recorded by an incident that took place on the 29th of June 2023, when
Mr Getachew Tefera, Representative of the Minister of Education and Chairperson
of the IAB, in the presence of all school staff, employees and a number of
parents, humiliating and threatening the Greek Ethiopians working and teaching
at the Greek Community School saying (word by word): “If you the Biracial/Metis
wish to remain and work here, you must take off from your soul and spirit
anything Greek that you still carry in you”. Such Racist Declarations have
caused serious anxiety among our compatriots of mixed race. We expect that
proper measures are taken.
In addition, following two Verbal Notes
were sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia (the last given on the 5th of July 2023), the
appeal is made to achieve a just and swift resolution, permitting the
survival of the Greek Community, the wellbeing and respect of the Greek
Nationals in accordance to the International Human Rights Declaration and the
EU – Ethiopian (African) Bilateral Agreement.
The Association of Greeks of Ethiopia (S.E.A.) will support with every
legal means the struggle of the Greek Community of Addis Ababa for the
prevention of the expropriation of the property of the Greek Community by the
unacceptable actions of the Ethiopian Minister of Education and individuals who
act as a "Trojan Horse" aiming at the property of the Greek Community
of Addis Ababa and the Greek Athletic Union "Olympiacos". This
property was created by the contributions of the Greek expatriates of Ethiopia
and the 5 benefactors, and belongs to the tradition of all.
S.E.A. calls on to the Greek expatriates of Ethiopia their friends and
relatives everywhere to react, to sign the petition (https://chng.it/D5cWGVJGKh), to
address authorities of the place where they reside and to denounce the
injustice and illegality against the Greek Community of AA. To cooperate with
the Greek Diaspora and Ethiopian organizations abroad to express their
protest.
S.E.A. calls on to the Greek expatriates of Ethiopia their friends and
relatives everywhere to react, to sign the petition (https://chng.it/D5cWGVJGKh), to
address authorities of the place where they reside and to denounce the
injustice and illegality against the Greek Community of AA. To cooperate with
the Greek Diaspora and Ethiopian organizations abroad to express their
protest.
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