eritrean community members in uk conduct annual festival...

Vol. 20 No. 40 Wednesday, 17th of July, 2013 Pages 8, Price 1.50 NFA

The 26th round members of the National Service and 6th round Vocational Training Center Sawa students graduated on 13 July in the presence of President Isaias Afwerki, Ministers, Army Commanders, regional Administrators, PFDJ officials, heads of national associations, parents and invited guests.

In a speech he delivered on the occasion, President Isaias Afwerki pointed out that the main objective and mission of Sawa is to build a sovereign nation, build human potentials as well as nurturing able youths and that the investment that is being made towards capacity building and experience has significantly contributed to the national objective of reducing zero wastage of human resources.

The President further indicated that in order to nurture the required human capacity, different

Eritrean community members in the UK conducted the 14th annual festival last weekend with patriotic zeal. The colorful event witnessed the participation of Foreign Minister Osman Saleh, members of the British Parliament, religious leaders, representatives of national Associations and organizations, and friends, as well as nationals residing in 11 cities of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Tesfamichael Gerahtu, the Eritrean Ambassador to the UK and Ireland, welcomed the participants of the event, and gave briefings regarding the objective situation in the Homeland vis-à-vis the endeavors

The Administration of Hagaz semi-urban center indicated that various development programs, including infrastructural activities, are being implemented in the locality with a view to improving the livelihood of the residents.

Accordingly, a number of potable water supply facilities have been renovated, while the overhaul of others is underway.

Mr. Teklehaimanot Musael, Administrator of the semi-urban center, disclosed that a public toilet, encompassing shower chambers, is being constructed at an expenditure

development programs have been charted to deploy the country’s human resources to national development endeavors. He further called on the youths, teachers and

parents to reinforce participation for the success of the programs.

Also speaking on the occasion, Col. Debesai Gide, Commander of National Service Training Center,

said that during their stay in Sawa the students received the necessary education and training, and that they have reached to this day coping with challenges. He also stated that

like their brothers who have passed through Sawa they are shouldering the responsibility of safeguarding

26th round members of national service and 6th round vocational training center students graduate

being exerted towards furthering development and investment.

Mr. Ahmed Mahmoud, chairman of the community, on his part noted the vitality of such occasion in nurturing and popularizing national and cultural values, and lauded all those who made remarkable contribution in organizing it.

In a seminar he conducted with the participants of the festival, Mr. Osman Saleh explained that the Eritrean government is making substantial investment with major focus on rural areas with a view to ensuring social justice and sustainable economic development, He further pointed out that

eritrean community members in uK conduct 14th annual festival with patriotic zeal

increased endeavors would be exerted to give added momentum to the nation’s development pace. The minister further pointed out that the nation is in a stage where its bright future has become progressively evident thanks to the prevailing spirit of steadfastness among citizens against external conspiracies.

Various activities and exhibitions depicting Eritrean culture, history and lifestyle, as well as programs concerning children were staged in the festival, besides the conducting of sports contests and cultural performances by artists residing in the US and Europe.

Veteran fighter Col. Mohammed-Seid Saleh who has been under medical treatment passed away on the 15th of July 2013, at the age of 64.

Col. Mohammed-Seid who joined the ELF in February 1965 has served with dedication in different divisions of the EPLF since 1974, preceding his remarkable engagement in the National Naval Force and Administrative Staff of the Ministry of Defense.

The funeral ceremony of the late Col. Mohammed-Seid, married, was conducted yesterday at Martyrs Cemetery in Asmara in the presence of senior government

and PFDJ officials, relatives, co-workers and companions.

The Ministry of Defense conveys condolences to the family members and companions of Col. Mohammed-Seid.

col. mohammed-seid saleh passes away

of 2 million Nakfa. He further pointed out that the Administration has been reinforcing its capacity as regards firefighting and dumping services, among other general services domains.

Among the residents, Mr. Yemane Teklebirhan and Mr. Jelani Abubeker expressed satisfaction with the government’s endeavors towards improving their livelihood, and asserted that they would step up participation to this end.

Hagaz semi-urban center is inhabited by around 20,000 people.

various development programs being implemented in hagaz

Continued On Page 6

2Eritrea Profile, Wednesday 17th of July, 2013

Published Every Saturday & Wednesday

Managing Director Azzazi Zeremariam

Acting Editor Amanuel [email protected]

P.O.Box: 247Tel: 11-41-14Fax: 12-77-49

E-mail:[email protected]

Advertisement: 12-50-13Layout

Saba Tesfatsion

Kesete Ghebrehiwet

A number of students from Sawa Center for vocational Training flocked to occupy seats provided for them. It is a salad day where the students enjoy the fruits of hard won success. The lengthy and black horizontal queue the graduates made in the lower stairs of Sawa stage seems an asphalted road and the white collars of their shirts seem as if zebra linesofa street. The gowns of the graduating class, the traditional wears of mothers, military uniforms of the 26th batch of national service,

the waving of the national banner as well as other flags that hold the logo of National service created a mosaic view.

The 6th commencement of the Center for Vocational Training (CEVOT) and the graduation of the 26th round of national service was held on 13th July 2013 starting from 6:20 am.

According to a brief report by Col. Debesai Ghide, commander of National Service Training Center, total number of this year’s members of national service is about 17,000 and the 40% of whom are female trainees. All members of this national service batch went to Warsay-Ykealo Senior Secondary school from 84 secondary schools

throughout the country to continue the 12th grade of their academic carrier and also to complete their duties of national service during their one year stay in Sawa.

The one-year long stay in Sawa has now come to an end and so members of the 26th batch of national service have successfully completed 8 months of academic and 4 months of military training. Simultaneously held was the 6th commencement of the vocational trainings that have been offered in Sawa in different fields of study. What is different in this 6th commencement is that the

vocational training time has been extended from one to two years of study.

During the course of the twin commencements, 11 blocks of national service graduates demonstrated impressive military parade marching from the left side of the stage and right through the front of the stage where theyreceived applause and ululation from observers.

Six blocks comprising female marchers make strides chanting moral boosting songs they regularly use while in military training and while engaged in some tasks. A single block divides itself into four blocks and then united into one time and again in an impressiveway. Following the six blocks, male marchers in five blockstake part in the military parade through the accompaniment of a marching band. The overall military parade

was accorded a befitting ululation of mothers.

Ninary a song in Afar language which means our mother by Rashid Hussien, member of the 26th batch of National service, was staged. A group of male and female dancers in traditional wear of the Afar ethnic group make traditional moves in harmony with the beats and rhythm of the song.

During the graduation event, outstanding members of the 26th round of national service and also the graduating class from COVT received awards of excellence for what they have achieved in military and academic carrier respectively. Hence, Major General Philipos Weldeyohaness gave awards to the national service trainees who exhibited excellence in different activities of military training. Students form CEVOT who exhibited excellence in their academic carrier also received awards from Askalu Menkorios, Minister of Tourism and from Abrha Asfha, Minister of Public Works as well as from Semere Rusom, Minister of Education.

Musical drama staged by Msli cultural group of the Ministry of Education is all about the necessity of being complementary to one another. As everybody has virtues and vices, the coming together of all virtues definitely makes a difference in bringing a mutual success is the message the drama tries to convey. The drama was both comic as well as instructive. It just tries to reflect the different talents, the day-to-day interactions among students of Warsay-Ykealo Senior Secondary School and the benefits one could gain from such social interactions which are marked by differences in views and attitudes and learning through experience.

It is to be recalled that CEVOT began to give vocational training to 12th grade students of Warsay-Ykealo secondary school who did not score results that could help them join a tertiary education.

CEVOT has since 2007 been graduating students in different fields of studies. Including this year’s commencement, this center has graduated for its 6th time.

After a successful completion of a two-year long hands-on technical, agricultural and business, and machinery courses, a total of 2,160 students from five schools of Sawa vocational training center graduated at a certificate level.Of the total number of the graduating class 980 are female students.

Present on the occasion Mr. Tesfaldet Tekle, director of CEVOT, indicated that the center for vocational training has so far graduated a total of 14,500 students who have been dispatched in different economic sectors of the country.

According to Mr. Tesfaldet the center for vocational training has charted out a plan to replace the existing educational machineries with new ones and to increase the number of courses from 17 -to-19 fields of study.

This year’s graduating class from the CEVOT took courses in electricity, building construction, drafting, survey, metal and wood works, plumping, modern farm and construction technology, animal and plant science, soil and water conservation, natural resources management, secretarial science, material management, and accounting among others.

Representative of the graduating

Sawa Holds Twin CommencementsReport

age

class said “Two years of course seem too long but we did it with flying colors thanks to the concerted efforts exerted by the Government, the center for vocational trainings as well as parents.”

A drama by Wari cultural group was also among the performances which added color to the event. The drama is about equating values and virtues of the former generating to the current generation and of the current to the future generation. The comic element of the drama made the observers burst into laughter. Morana- a song in Tigree language which highlights the power of unity in addressing any challenge was also staged.

President Isaias Afwerki along minister and army commanders observed the official commencements of the 26th batch of national service and the 6th graduation of students from the vocational training center in Sawa. The President awarded outstanding trainers of national service and also outstanding students from CEVOT.

In his speech the President said that the very reason for opening the center of vocational training in 2007 was aimed at realizing zero wastage of human power through enabling the trainees’ acquire knowledge, skill, experience and professionalism. The goal envisaged to be realized through the introduction of the vocation trainings was aimed at directing and judiciously utilizing the acquired skills in work areas so as to bring tangible results through pragmatic works. Despite the envisaged goal the president said that 60% of this country’s human power have not been in use and thus the need for rearrangement is crucial in addressing such wastage.

After the official graduation event come to an end with the national anthem, President Isaias headed to observe an exhibition prepared by the new graduates of vocational training center. Accompanied by ministers and army commanders the president observed sample works the graduates displayed. The president then reminded the new graduates to translate what they have learnt into practice.


By: Berhane Woldu

A frenzied sprawl of 1 million people, Southern Red Sea Region is the third largest of the six regions of Eritrea and covers an area of 23,384 square kilometers of which 49 percent is plain land, 44 percent mountains and hills and the seven percent is of volcanic land. The western part of the region has an altitude of 500 to 2000meters; that has cool and moderate temperature and the eastern part stretches from zero up to 500 meters above sea level with a hot and dry temperature. The region has a coastline of 500 kilometers in the southern part of the Red Sea and includes 36 different sized islands. One of the Islands is Desei Island its location was one of the most important parts of the international waters—linking Africa and Asia.

The summer hit was setting behind The Grand Dahlak Hotel,

and a massive shadow spread engulfing the plaza, I have wondered around the streets of different port cities in many countries, handled money to beggars. Massawa is much different; it’s clean, peaceful, old with its Ottoman Turkey structure yet young with its modern buildings. The view outside my window included wild birds and cats roaming near the hotel, a majestic caravan of camels marching by the beach, an empty plain sand beach that extends to the rugged coast, and 3,000 kilometers of open sea that separated me from Asia,. This is Desei Island located in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea.

Desei Island is located 2 hours by boat east of Massawa. The Association of Eritrean Americans in Asmara had organized a three day trip to Desei Island. Thirty five Eritrean Diasporas from the USA, England, Italy and Sweden had gathered at 5:00 AM set to travel to the Southern Red Sea Region. We toured the site we stayed for two days, camped, slept on the beach, danced and toured the island and

its inhabitants. Desei Island is surrounded by coral reefs and pristine coastal lines. Swimming and scuba diving in the legendarily clear water was miraculous.

Our starting point was the Grand Dahlak Hotel much anticipated Georgian Ocean Hotel, where suits come with private gardens and pools, restaurant on roof top, outdoor and indoor, bar right by the Red sea, an outdoor swing pool parallel to the Sea, the interior of the hotel floor beautified by marbles of different colors and shape, lighting of magnificent chandlers it is a hotel of its own working. The hotel is furnished with high value furniture; mirrors and chandlers. One mind will be occupied by the damages one would have to pay if they broke one of the countless mirrors or chandlers.

From Grand Dahlak we started our voyage on the KARAMELA boat, an hour to our travel and prior to reaching the island we

were escorted by dolphins. Seeing the dolphins to many of us was a first time thing and the kids on the boat were much amused by them. From a sailor’s vantage point at the wheel of Karamela one can see the scattered dwarf trees of Desei Island, its high rolling hills, the low houses, boats that lay in long decoration against its beaches. The town of Desei spreads along the island shoreline. A few perfect and unspoiled Victorian looking mansions, newly built of a lost era of sea going optimism emerge out of the sand wind on the towns sporadic hills. The sea wind drove sand steadily inland, tossing them against the aromatic trees and the sand settles on the hills with a gentle converge. The beaches sparkle with coral stone and sea bubbles. Dozen inlets, each with its pleasant instruct of sail boats and home ran the periphery of Desei an endless series of pristine anchorages.

Desei Island according to the inhabitants was a resting place for traders who traveled from Asia to the port cities of Zula and Adulis. The Island is seven kilometers long

there are two developed area on the island; two kilometers apart the city of Desei and the Desei Resort Hotel. The Desei Resort hotel has

21 modern huts and 34 traditional hudmo one room hotel, restaurant, bar, convention hall and staff residence. Asian traders sailed in search of a passage, Desei the island only town provided resting area for a fleet of unflustered and one man gill netting boats. Desei’s sea has a brand of luxuriant beauty, enormous hills, soft white sands in every direction.

Desei Island is hot and dry it’s a place so isolated that no one who lives there can afford to make enemies. Be that as it may, it is home to proud inhabitants Afar; the Afar man is tall, dark skinned thick and strong through the torso. One can notice his attitude and the strength in his upper body, Nobel

Desei Island Miraculously Beautiful

in appearance, his feature signify dignity very pleasant wearing a bushy hair with red strap and a formidable curved dagger known as a JILE strapped around his waist. The Afar man of Desei is a professional fisher man.

The life of an Afar woman is strenuous; it is hard work, the Afar woman out run the goats she herds and makes beautiful decorative artifacts from the sea shells she gathers and sells to visitors. The ladies of Desei Island were dresses flawlessly. She wears her olive ebony hair lay on her back and homemade nickels around her neck, a neck that reminds one of alabaster. Her skin tone is ebony dark, the skin as smooth as ice-cream; attractive in a way that disturbs your emotions. Graceful with an elegant oval face smooth footed walk of a peasant, a narrow waist, small breasts dress in Lewet and sandals this is a beauty “Fit for a Queen”.

The time spent on the isolated Island of Desei was full of excitement, dinner was served, and fish of different types, fresh catches were cleaned, fried, broiled and prepared in a special Afarian

(Afar ethnic group) dip oven. The music was out of this world and the visit from the young Afar men was a pleasant surprise. As the night came to close most people stayed by the outdoor restaurant and took the night to their liking. A few of us went by the beach laying our feet in the sea water. A night of heat but with an onshore breeze at-times silent, next a rush of wind come up from off the sea; loud waves breaking on the beach. The moon had risen and hung just over hills, pale and indefinite, clouds that traveled the sky obscuring it. It was a night of passion with Mother Nature. At sun rise we realized we were in a land of beauty as we watched the red yellowish sun ray breaking through the sky. We took Karamela for a two kilometers voyage where we bought handmade jewelry, Ostrich eggs and different type of sea shell from the inhabitants of Desei Island.

As all good things have to come to an end, no one wishing to go back and left with no choice we sailed back to Massawa escorted by a family of dolphins. It was an experience and an adventure of a life time.


Bisha Mining Share Company is inviting applicants for the following positions for Bisha site project;

1. Mining Supervisor

Major Duties and responsibilitiesAllocate and supervise all load and haul resources – equipment and manpower •– and ensure that they are all operating in a safe and effective manner during the duration of the shift

Liase with drill and blast to ensure blasting operations have access to areas and •resources required

Liase with geology and grade control to expedite grade control functions•

Ensure all pumps and ancillary in pit works are operating effectively•

Liase with pit control and HME personnel to enable the timely repair and mainte-•nance to be carried out

Ensure all shift records are completed in a timely fashion•

Liase with off shift supervisors and mine superintendent so works are carried out •on time and to an appropriate standard

Profile: Qualifications and Experience

Formal Education, Certifications or Equivalents Must be numerate and literate – minimum high school

certificate

Working Experience – Nature & Length

Previous experience at a supervisory level

Background of operating cat 775 trucks rh 40 excavators (or equivalent) for 10+ years, Some training experience preferred

Leadership Experience – Nature & length of time Supervisory level experience

General Information and other requirements:

Place of Work• : Bisha site.Type of contract: Permanent•Salary: As per Company salary scale.•Additional requirement for Nationals: •Having fulfilled his/her National Service obligation and provide evidence of release •paper from the Ministry of Defense. Present clearance paper from current/last employer •Testimonial documents to be attached (CV, work experience credentials, a copy of your •National Identity Card etc.).Only shortlisted applicants would be considered as potential candidates for an •interview. Application documents will not be returned back to sender and.• All applications should be sent through the post office•Deadline for application: 10 days from the day of publication in the Newspaper.•Address: Please mail your applications to;• Bisha Mining Share Company, P. O. Box 4276 Asmara, Eritrea

Note to Eritrean applicants: Please send a copy of your application to Ministry of Labor and Human Welfare Department of Labor P.O.BOX 5252, Asmara, Eritrea

Bisha Mining Share Company is inviting applicants for the following positions for Bisha site project; 1. Heavy MobileEquipment Engineer (01)

Major Duties and responsibilities

Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling•

Governance and Compliance•

Training•

Maintenance Management•

Profile: Qualifications and Experience

Formal Education, Certifications or Equivalents

Qualified Mechanical Engineer (Proficiency/ competency based).

Working Experience – Nature & Length

5 Years’ experience as a Heavy Mobile Equipment Engineer working in a developing country.

Leadership Experience – Nature & length of time

10 Years’ experience as an appointed Mechanical Engineer on a Gold mine open cast type operation

Other skills and abilities

Project Management •exposureIn depth Knowledge •of CAT equipment and this must include CAT Electronic Equipment, General RCFA ( •Root Cause Failure Analysis) experienceSound Knowledge •on Hydro Carbon Management systems and bench marking

Unique Requirement

Experience with •Navision CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System)Component Change •Out Good practicesTyre Management •systemsGood sound ability to •speak and understand the English language

General Information and other requirements:

Place of Work: Bisha site.•Type of contract: Definiteperiod (24 Months)•Salary: As per Company salary scale.•Additional requirement for Nationals: •Having fulfilled his/her National Service obligation and provide evidence of release •paper from the Ministry of Defense. Present clearance paper from current/last employer •Testimonial documents to be attached (CV, work experience credentials, a copy of •your National Identity Card etc.).Only shortlisted applicants would be considered as potential candidates for an •interview. Application documents will not be returned back to sender and.• All applications should be sent through the post office•Deadline for application: 10 days from the day of publication in the Newspaper.•Address: Please mail your applications to;• Bisha Mining Share Company, P. O. Box 4276 Asmara, Eritrea

Note to Eritrean applicants: Please send a copy of your application to Ministry of Labor and Human Welfare Department of Labor P.O.BOX 5252, Asmara, Eritrea

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTVACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT


Aron Hidru

Dale Carnegie’s books are extensively read how to books. For people who are more interested in reading such books, his books may possibly be considered timeless ones. For this reason, Carnegie’s books have been translated in many languages, including Tigrigna.

I started reading books related to psychology with Carnegie’s books. His books are remarkably impressive for me because, in comparison with other books, they are closer to real life. The reason is that by way of his books, Carnegie provides the reader with real life examples - his examples are closely related to real people; as an author, he is not preoccupied with theoretical concepts. In such cases, the reader can easily have a mind picture while reading the books. You will note this while reading the following extract.

Today’s extract is taken from Carnegie’s ‘How to Win Friends and Influence people’. It is about the sense of importance we all feel. The theme in this case is that if we know the nature of the feeling of sense of importance associated with the self, it would not be very hard to effectively deal with people. The excerpts follow.

There is only one way under high heaven to get anybody to do anything. Did you ever stop to think of that? Yes, just one way. And that is by making the other person want to do it.

Remember, there is no other way.

Of course, you can make someone want to give you his watch by sticking a revolver in his ribs. YOU can make your employees give you cooperation - until your back is turned - by threatening to fire them. You can make a child do what you want it to do by a whip or a threat. But these crude methods have sharply undesirable repercussions.

The only way I can get you to do anything is by giving you what you want.

What do you want?

Sigmund Freud said that everything you and I do springs from two motives: the sex urge and the desire to be great.

John Dewey, one of America’s most profound philosophers, phrased it a bit differently. Dr. Dewey said that the deepest urge in human nature is “the desire to be important.” Remember that phrase: “the desire to be important.” It is significant.

What do you want? Not many things, but the few that you do wish, you crave with an insistence that will not be denied. Some of the things most people want include:

1. Health and the preservation of life.

2. Food. 3. Sleep. 4. Money and the things money

will buy. 5. Life in the hereafter. 6. Sexual gratification. 7. The well-being of our

children. 8. A feeling of importance.

Almost all these wants are usually gratified-all except one. But there is one longing - almost as deep, almost as imperious, as the desire for food or sleep - which is seldom gratified. It is what Freud calls “the desire to be great.” It is what Dewey calls the “desire to be important.”

Lincoln once began a letter saying: “Everybody likes a compliment.” William James said: “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” He didn’t speak, mind you, of the “wish” or the “desire” or the “longing” to be appreciated. He said the “craving” to be appreciated.

Here is a gnawing and unfaltering human hunger, and the rare individual who honestly satisfies this heart hunger will hold people in the palm of his or her hand and “even the undertaker will be sorry when he dies.”

The desire for a feeling of importance is one of the chief distinguishing differences between mankind and the animals. To illustrate: When I was a farm boy out in Missouri, my father bred fine Duroc-Jersey hogs and pedigreed white - faced cattle. We used to exhibit our hogs and white-faced cattle at the country fairs and live-stock shows throughout the Middle West. We won first prizes by the score. My father pinned his blue ribbons on a sheet of white muslin, and when friends

or visitors came to the house, he would get out the long sheet of muslin. He would hold one end and I would hold the other while he exhibited the blue ribbons. The hogs didn’t care about the ribbons they had won. But Father did. These prizes gave him a feeling of importance.

If our ancestors hadn’t had this flaming urge for a feeling of importance, civilization would have been impossible. Without it, we should have been just about like animals.

It was this desire for a feeling of importance that led an uneducated, poverty-stricken grocery clerk to study some law books he found in the bottom of a barrel of household plunder that he had bought for fifty cents. You have probably heard of this grocery clerk. His name was Lincoln.

It was this desire for a feeling of importance that inspired Dickens to write his immortal novels. This desire inspired Sir Christopher Wren to design his symphonies in stone. This desire made Rockefeller amass millions that he never spent! And this same desire made the richest family in your town build a house far too large for its requirements.

This desire makes you want to wear the latest styles, drive the latest cars, and talk about your brilliant children.

It is this desire that lures many boys and girls into joining gangs

and engaging in criminal activities. The average young criminal, according to E. P. Mulroney, onetime police commissioner of New York, is filled with ego, and his first request after arrest is for those lurid newspapers that make him out a hero. The disagreeable prospect of serving time seems remote so long as he can gloat over his likeness sharing space with pictures of sports figures, movie and TV stars and politicians.

If you tell me how you get your feeling of importance, I’ll tell you what you are. That determines your character. That is the most significant thing about you. For example, John D. Rockefeller got his feeling of importance by giving money to erect a modern hospital in Peking, China, to care for millions of poor people whom he had never seen and never would see. Dillinger, on the other hand, got his feeling of importance by being a bandit, a bank robber and killer. When the FBI agents were hunting him, he dashed into a farmhouse up in Minnesota and said, “I’m Dillinger!” He was proud of the fact that he was Public Enemy Number One. “I am not going to hurt you, but I’m Dillinger!” he said.

Yes, the one significant difference between Dillinger and Rockefeller is how they got their feeling of importance.

History sparkles with amusing examples of famous people struggling for a feeling of importance. Even George Washington wanted to be called

“His Mightiness, the President of the United States”; and Columbus pleaded for the title “Admiral of the Ocean and Viceroy of India.” Catherine the Great refused to open letters that were not addressed to “Her Imperial Majesty”; and Mrs. Lincoln, in the White House, turned upon Mrs. Grant like a tigress and shouted, “How dare you be seated in my presence until I invite you!”

Our millionaires helped finance Admiral Byrd’s expedition to the Antarctic in 1928 with the understanding that ranges of icy mountains would be named after them; and Victor Hugo aspired to have nothing less than the city of Paris renamed in his honor. Even Shakespeare, mightiest of the mighty, tried to add luster to his name by procuring a coat of arms for his family.

People sometimes became invalids in order to win sympathy and attention, and get a feeling of importance. For example, take Mrs. McKinley. She got a feeling of importance by forcing her husband, the President of the United States, to neglect important affairs of state while he reclined on the bed beside her for hours at a time, his arm about her, soothing her to sleep. She fed her gnawing desire for attention by insisting that he remain with her while she was having her teeth fixed, and once created a stormy scene when he had to leave her alone with the dentist while he kept an appointment with John Hay, his secretary of state.

THE BIG SECRET OF DEALING WITH

PEOPLE


Daniel Semere

The thoughts presented are condensed view of some excellent and timeless suggestions made by the mathematician Richard Hamming two decades ago on how to do “first-class research” Hamming’s 1986 talk was remarkable. In “You and Your Research,” he addressed the question: How can scientists do great research? His insights were based on more than forty years of research as a pioneer of computer science and telecommunications who had the privilege of interacting with some of the best minds ever in various fields. His central concern was ‘the difference between those who do and those who might have done,” as he put it. And he offered a number of answers to the question “why so few scientists make significant contributions and so many are forgotten in the long run?” Although his suggestions were meant for giving an insight and skills to do scientific researches, it nonetheless can be applied to in any endeavor we take on. Hence, his observations have been condensed to ten rules listed below.

Avoid being modest. To quote Hamming: ‘‘say to yourself: ‘yes, I would like to do fist class work’ Most societies frown on people who set out to do really good work. But you should say to yourself: ‘yes I would like to do something significant’’

Prepare your mind. Many think that great works are the result of good luck, but luck is nothing but the marriage of opportunity and preparation. Hamming cites Pasteur’s adage that “luck favors the prepared mind.’’

Age is important. Einstein did things very early, and all the ‘quantum mechanics fellow’, as well as most mathematicians and astrophysicists, were, as Hamming notes, “disgustingly young” when they did their best work. On the other hand, in the fields of music, politics, and literature, the protagonists often produce what we consider their best work late in life.

Brains are not enough, you also need courage. Great people have more than just brainpower. To again cite Hamming: ‘‘once you get your courage up and believe that you

can do important things, then you can. If you think you can’t, almost surely you are not going to. Great scientists will go forward under incredible circumstances; they think and continued to think.’’

Make the best of your working conditions. To paraphrase Hamming what most people think are the best working conditions clearly are not, because people are often most productive when working conditions are bad. One of the better times of the Cambridge Physical Laboratories was when they worked practically in shacks—they did some of the best physics ever. By turning the problem around a bit, great scientists often transform an apparent defect into an asset. “It is a poor workman who blames his tools—the good man gets on with the job, given what he’s got, and gets the best answer he can.’’

Work hard and effectively. Most of the great minds have tremendeous drive and most of us would be surprised how much we would know if we worked as hard as some great scientists did for many years. As Hamming says: “Knowledge and productivity are like compound interest. Given two people with exactly the same ability, the one person who manages day in and day out to get in one more hour of thinking will be tremendously more productive over a lifetime.” But, Hamming notes, hard work alone is not enough—it must be applied sensibly.

Believe and doubt your hypothesis at the same time. Great scientists tolerate ambiguity. They believe the theory enough to go ahead; they doubt it enough to notice the errors and faults so they can step forward and create the new replacement theory. As Hamming says: “When you find apparent flaws, you’ve got to be sensitive and keep track of those things, and keep an eye out for how they can be explained or how the theory can be changed to fit them. Those are often the great scientific contributions.’’

Work on the important problems in your field and life. It is surprising but true that the average scientist spends almost all his time working on problems that he believes not to be important and not to be likely to lead to important results. By contrast, those seeking to do great work must ask: “What are the

important problems of my field? What important problems am I working on?” Hamming again: “It’s that simple. If you want to do great work, you clearly must work on important problems. . . . I finally adopted what I called ‘Great Thoughts Time.’ When I went to lunch Friday noon, I would only discuss great thoughts after that. By great thoughts I mean ones like: ‘what will be the impact of computers on science and how can I change it?’’

Be committed to your problem. Minds who are not fully committed to their problem seldom produce first-class work. To a large extent, creativity comes out of the

To Great Achievements

subconscious. If you are deeply immersed in and committed to a topic, day after day, your subconscious has nothing to do but work on your problem. Hamming says it best: “So the way to manage yourself is that when you have a real important problem you don’t let anything else get the center of your attention—you keep your thoughts on the problem. Keep your subconscious starved so it has to work on your problem, so you can sleep peacefully and get the answer in the morning, free.”

Leave your door open. Keeping the door to your office closed makes you more productive in the short term. But ten years later, somehow

you may not quite know what problems are worth working on, and all the hard work you do will be “sort of tangential” in importance. He (or she) who leaves the door open gets all kinds of interruptions, but he (or she) also occasionally gets clues as to what the world is and what might be important. Again, Hamming deserves to be quoted verbatim: “There is a pretty good correlation between those who work with the doors open and those who ultimately do important things, although people who work with doors closed often work harder. Somehow they seem to work on slightly the wrong thing—not much, but enough that they miss fame.”

national sovereignty, reinforcing nation building as well as foiling external conspiracies against the Homeland.

Col. Debesai called on the youths to live up to expectations of the Government and people for the opportunity provided them, chart their short and long-term vision to improve their livelihood and contribute to national development endeavors.

Mr. Tesfaledet Tekle, Director of the Sawa Vocational Training Center, on his part explained that the 6th round Vocational Training Center students have been trained in 19 disciplines in five schools and that 2,161 students, out of 38.7% are females, are being graduated. He further indicated that the objective of the Training Center is to nurture youths equipped with skill and discipline, and that thanks to the integrated efforts of teachers, staff and stakeholders, the mission has been accomplished.

Likewise, a representative of the

graduates congratulate the fellow batch and teachers, and explained that the Government has been making substantial investment on youths so that they develop their capacity and play due role in national development endeavors. He further stated that during their stay in Sawa they have been able to identify their inclination and capacity, and expressed their readiness to shoulder responsibility and back up the national development programs.

After displaying different military maneuvers, the graduates’ oath of allegiance in the name of martyrs in front of their Government and people to diligently serve the nation. Different awards were handed by President Isaias and others for outstanding students in both academic and military training.

Performances by Misli and Wari cultural troupes added color to the ceremony.

Later President Isaias Afwerki observed an exhibition by new graduates from the Vocational

Training Center in Sawa which depicts the skill knowhow they have acquired in connection with the 19 fields of studies they pursued in the past 2 years.

After making tour of the exhibition spot generally encompassing infrastructure, agriculture and business-related displays, President Isaias called on the graduating batch to translate the knowledge they have acquired into practice in their career future.

The graduates pointed out that they are in a position to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills in their respective professions, and expressed readiness to demonstrate excellence to this end. They further indicated that the learning environment in the vocational center has enabled them to find their niche in line with the extending of the courses’ scope to 2 years.

Moreover, parents said that the exhibition attests to the graduates’ level of competency in the various fields, and called on them to serve the people with dedication.

Continued From Page 1

26th round members of national service and 6th round vocational . . .


Being Eritrean in the Diaspora can feel disjointed – particularly if you are of dual nationality or you have lived all your life outside of Eritrea. When are you Eritrean? With family members? At community events? In Eritrea?

Are you Eritrean when you are brushing your teeth in the morning? Or when you are travelling home from work? Do you have a sense of truly feeling connected to your Eritrean identity straight after an event such as Independence Day, an Eritrean festival or a wedding? Are these times when you especially feel at one with your fellow Eritreans? Does this feeling slowly slip away as you return to the details of everyday life? When your daily routine may bring you into contact with few or no Eritreans?

You can be Eritrean and something else (i.e. British Eritrean, Swedish Eritrean). You don’t necessarily have to do anything to be Eritrean – but what, if anything, do you have to do to feel Eritrean? I remember as a teenager being filled with dread at having to return to school after having spent a weekend surrounded by Eritreans, both in the form of family members at home and fellow revelers at a concert headlined by the latest singer visiting from Eritrea. After having spent the early part of my childhood splitting the week between a mainly white, English primary school and weekends with fellow British Eritrean children at weekly Saturday mother tongue classes, this kind of split felt both familiar and yet still exciting.

The split seemed to mirror my dual identity, part-time Brit,

sometime Eri. Earlier encounters with Eritreans my age at Saturday classes were simpler as everyone was more or less like me.

They all spoke English, watched the same cartoons and liked the same pop songs as me – as well as the odd Wedi Shawel tune – and we shared an understanding about our parents who were ‘different’.

My first experience of what being Eritrean meant outside my family, and the small community we had in London, was as a child at Festival Eritrea in Bologna. What a glorious feeling it was to be able to run and play for hours freely. What a strange experience to be surrounded by people like me and not be singled out or stared at for looking different.

I met children who looked like me but spoke Italian, German, Swedish or Dutch. I actually used Tigrinya as a means of communicating with people my own age for the first time. Then I was definitely Eritrean. This was what it meant to be Eritrean. I was sure that this is what Eritrea must be like: thousands of Eritreans in one place dancing, eating, and playing (with the occasional seminar thrown in).

My teen years brought a new understanding of what young Eritreans could be like. Not just young Eritreans – as I considered myself and my friends to be – but ERITREAN Eritreans. I met more and more people who had spent their early/formative years in Eritrea, who spoke Tigrinya in a slightly different way to our parents, and who, unlike the latter, were – dare I say it – actually cool.

So, Eritrean Eritreans were not just these ancient creatures that

made strange tutting sounds when they empathized with someone, or who thought it was normal to cook onions for hours and whose response to most things was nowri – taboo.

With this new breed, I saw the continuation of Eritrean cultural practices I was used to – such as generosity – sharing one’s food and time with others – but in a new light. They were young and fun and although they spoke the same language as our parents, they made that seem fun too. A question remained though… did I fit in?

I envied this new group’s apparent ease of being. It seemed to me that they knew exactly who they were – they were definitely Eritrean. They weren’t like me or my Saturday school friends and neither like my festival buddies. They understood the same cultural references as our

The Ever Shifting World of Identity in the Diaspora

parents. I lost track of the number of times I grinned through jokes I didn’t understand which referred to such and such a place, or song – ‘private’ jokes shared by what seemed to be everyone but me.

There wasn’t a question I could answer that began with “Do you remember when…” Being born in Eritrea seemed like such a privilege – how could I have missed out on the richness of experience, which seemed to bind everyone else together?

I was shocked to hear some of these people saying the opposite – that if only they had been raised in the UK they would have been able to speak English more fluently and understand the British better. To me they seemed to take for granted or didn’t understand that, unlike me, they had to do nothing in order to feel Eritrean – they had a shortcut.

My first visit to Eritrea produced a range of emotions along with new experiences – fear, shock, and joy. The same feeling as at the Bologna Festival was amplified. Thousands more people who looked like me! There was the familiarity of the language and food along with new smells, landscapes and neighborhoods.

Although it was a profound experience for me and led to many further trips there, visiting Eritrea didn’t really answer the question for me of when I was most Eritrean. Even though I was able to converse fluently with my family members and read shop and road signs (which made me very grateful for those hours spent at Saturday classes) at times I would feel especially British there.

With each visit I became

more and more familiar with my country of origin, getting to know more people and places and enjoying learning little nuggets of information that only the locals know. Upon returning to London it wouldn’t take long for tedium to kick-in. I would feel ‘homesick’ – can you feel homesick for a place you’ve only been on holiday to? For a while, I would look at photos, and listen to music from the trip and bemoan all things British – nothing is like it is ‘back home’!

Over the years, the question of when and how I am Eritrean has become less of an issue to me. From my childhood experiences to my visits to Eritrea, I have encountered people from different backgrounds who are all linked by the desire to call themselves Eritrean.

I’ve also grown increasingly comfortable with my dual nationality and realized that by virtue of being a British Eritrean who has lived in the UK all my life, I can only be a product of my upbringing. I am a proud Eritrean who also undoubtedly has a great deal of Britain to account for who I am. I don’t always have to be surrounded by Eritreans to feel a part of that wider community. I can be Eritrean when in London and when in Massawa. I can also be Eritrean when thinking in English just as easily as when I am speaking Tigrinya.

Finally, I’d just like to point out that I do now believe my parents to be extremely cool.

Mahta Tewolde (Courtesy of ELEM Online

Magazine)

PHOTOGRAPHY DIVISION

Sawa: Center for nurturing Eritrean Youth

eritrean community members in uk conduct annual festival...

Documents