HAILE BELAI

Y’Abay Neger (Tales of Blue Nile), a poem by Haile Belai uses the metaphor of the Blue Nile, a river which flows out of Ethiopia, contributing 75% of the volume of the Nile River with little, if any, benefit to Ethiopia, to lament the loss of the educated class of Ethiopia.

A study undertaken by the Association for Higher Education and Development (AHEAD) indicates that between 1980 and 1991, Ethiopia lost 74.6% of its human capital from various institutions, a trend which we believe has not yet abated. This has prompted AHEAD to advocate “Virtual participation,” highlighted by the poem.

Ottawa, September 2004

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