Small AHEAD With
Big Ambitions
By
Mesfin
Mirotchie, Ph.D.
The Association for
Higher Education and Development (AHEAD) is truly a visionary small NGO with
big ideas to contribute substantially to the transformative change taking place
in Ethiopia.
I am pleased to be
part of this organization as its first Diaspora volunteer. AHEAD approached me in
the summer of 2005 with a request to go to Ethiopia, as a volunteer, and give
a seminar to Ethiopian civil servants on the subject of code of ethics in
public sector. I accepted the request, be
it with some degree of trepidation, and developed a course entitled:
Ethiconomics: Ethics Factors in Economic
Development for Ethiopia.
The course was given in
the winter of 2007 at the Ethiopian Civil Service
College in Addis Ababa. Over 90 senior civil servants
from various federal government departments and the College participated in the
course over a three-day period. Each class was eight hours long starting at 9:00 am and going through the day till
5:00 pm. The lectures were long but they were also fun. Each session was
lively; participation was quite active; and informal discussions during brief
coffee breaks and lunch time were engaging. Most participants wanted more from
the classes as was manifested in their questions and comments. Why? It was
because ethical values and moral standards on the discussion table gave them
unique opportunities to assess and better understand the role of civil service
in the production and delivery of service to the public in the context of
economic development.
It took juggling work
and family responsibilities to do background research and review of relevant
literature in preparation for the mission. But, for me, the experience of going
back to Ethiopia
and making such a contribution, be it a small one, was quite satisfying
professionally. Not to mention the fringe benefits of bright sunshine, cultural
renewal, reunion with family and friends, and a golden chance to be part of the
majority as opposed to being a visible minority or resident alien.
All that precious and
tantalizing experience is compelling me to want to go back again and again. There
is a tremendous need for the Diaspora, and it is the time to contribute
positively to that transformative change in Ethiopia. AHEAD’s ambition is to
channel the required human capital from the pool of Habasha professionals
living in North America. It is a worthy
ambition and I invite all willing partners to be part of this vision.
Here are some pictures that capture some of the
moments of enjoyment and development:
Pix 1. Ethiopian Civil Service College
Pix 2. Ethiconomics
small group discussion
Pix 3. Ethiopian culture à la carte at
Fasika restaurant at night.
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