Bay Area Eritreans for Democratic Change Hosted a Conference

2016-05-13 03:57:14 Written by  N. America Information Office Published in English Articles Read 3580 times

On Saturday May 7, 2016 the Bay Area Eritreans for Democratic Change (BAEDC) hosted a seminar in Oakland California that attracted many Eritreans. The essence of the seminar was to bring all Eritreans together to discuss and educate on topics that matter to all. This was a special tribute to Eritrea’s 25 years of Independence.

BAEDC Board invited speakers from all walks life of Eritreans, expertise on their respective field. The following were the topics and the presenters:

1.      Afar in Eritrea – by Ahmed Youssouf

Ahmed, an Afar activist, spoke in detail the essence of the Afar people’s struggle. He assured the audience that they are proud Eritreans but wanted to secure self governance and restoration of their culture. He completely rejected the notion of Ethiopian puppets when asked by an attendee. He said we don’t need to prove our identity. We are proud Eritreans and intend to play a pivotal role in development post PFDJ era.

2.      Information and Communication Technology – by Tewelde Stephanos

Technology guru in his own rights, Tewelde educated the audience in internet technology usage. He gave an insight on how the PFDJ junta uses technology in identifying threats. The audience stressed on the importance of training and in his caliber  to offer training sessions to the community. He assured them that he is ready to sacrifice his time.

3.      Eritrean Women’s Rights Issue – by Elsa Mesfun

A veteran fighter with Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) and women’s rights activist, Elsa detailed her view on how to reverse course in Eritrea. Her view is to focus on women inside Eritrea for the gross oppression and abuse that has been heaped on them.

4.      Situation of Eritrean Refugees in Eastern Sudan – by Sabrina Jamil and Jamil Aman

Sabrina in her own right was the star of the day. This American born Eritrean young lady brought the audience in an emotional state with her Eastern Sudan trip story. Sabrina and her father Jamil travelled to Sudan to deliver donated medical supplies to Eritrean refugees. Her story was educational as well as sad to know the plight of our people. She is very committed to bring changes to the lives of those refugees. She is putting together a documentary film from her trip. She titled it “The Forgotten” and it will be released soon. The father/daughter team also shared with the audience their next plan to visit the Eritrean refugee camps in Ethiopia. With her charismatic and dynamic personality combined with broad coalition of like-minded youth, Sabrina could be instrumental in bringing a paradigm shift to the Eritrean journey for justice platform. 

5.      Mass Media and Millennium Goals – by Samuel N.

Samuel is a dynamic youth. He articulated the how print and digital media works and how PFDJ spin masters manipulate it to their own likings. When lies repeat themselves again and again, they create a perception.

6.      Eritrean Economy – by Sengal Woldetensae

The last presenter was Sengal, a brother of the veteran fighter Haile Woldetensae (aka Drue). Sengal, an economist by trade, knows his subject. He spoke about gross domestic product (GDP), growth, etc. in layman’s language. He articulated the gyration of GDP and growth due to gold mining. He also pointed out on how Eritrea is ranked amongst the poorest nations, but PFDJ keep painting it a rosy picture to deceive the people.

Three of the presenters (Ahmed, Elsa and Sengal) presented their topics remotely, via Skype. Audio visual was impeccable. After each presentation, ten minutes of questions and answers session was given. The audience were asking many questions proactively and the presenters gave them satisfying answers.

Overall, the conference was a half day event, but it was a gratifying event. The topics were very engaging and very interesting. The presenters were passionate about the topics they presented and kept the audience engaged. The mood was very inviting and very civil. This was a good way to celebrate Eritrean Independence. 

BAEDC board did a great job in putting the event together. They should be commended for a well planned conference. This conference should be used by all Eritreans justice seekers worldwide as a template.

Last modified on Friday, 13 May 2016 06:21