Objective
It is well known that expositions are good for tourism attraction, marketing and expanding our culture to let know the good things that we have as nation.
The objective of this text is to indicate how EPRDF managed international event like Expo Zaragoza 2008 where peoples from 104 countries, NGO and international media concur together. Free worldwide advertisement shall not be wasted and shall not be used for one dictator-party and Ethnic group benefit only. Was this even unusual in Ethiopians participations on international exposition? Was this bad presentation commun in all Ethiopian experiences to international expositions?
Introduction
The biggest water festival on the earth ("Expo Zaragoza 2008") is an International Expositions about "Water and Sustainable Development" which was held in Zaragoza- Spain, from 14 June to 14 September 2008.
http://www.expozaragoza2008.es/Agenda/seccion=768&idioma=en_GB.do
If you had visited the expo, in few hours, you can understand that the idea of expo is water and sustainable development. Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use with out endangering the need of future generation by balancing the economic, social and environmental managements. The first international water topics exposition took place in London in 1851. Since its success, numerous expositions have been held all over the world with a period of nearly 6 years. More than one hundred countries, plus dozens of companies and NGOs, participate in Expo 2008.
On 11 of September 2008, coinciding with Ethiopian New Year was also Ethiopian day in this "Expo Zaragoza 2008". On this as Ethiopian citizen I was interested to visit and once more witness another expression of failed politics of EPRDF. Reasons are the following.
1. There was no use of an Audio-Visual means to present Ethiopian culture, people, location and tourism. Numbers of African and Caribbean countries was very prepared on the use Audio-video system. Why Ethiopia did not use this for presentation? I know that in each governmental office there are numbers of unused LCD projectors and laptop computers. It is not enough the white-board presentation of the uniqueness of Ethiopian calendar. We have numbers of thing to present:
o Our tourist site and hotels should be advertised within the space available
o Our product shall be advertised: Coffee, Tea, Livestock Products, Live Animals and Meat, Fruits, Vegetables and Flowers, Textile Fabrics and Garments, Mineral Products
o Our people are on need of food. UN announced nearly 4 million person need emergency food. The water and food security are directly related. This shall be presented professional
2. I think they have to send professional-artist not politicians. The art is a fine profusion. The son or families of WAYANE warriors cannot be Ethiopian artist to represent at international event like this one. Let me tell you a curiosity of a friend of mine from Spain. He asked me "Why all Ethiopian have two marks on their faces?" I responded I am Ethiopian too but I have no such mark on my face.
3. The head of the group shall be as much as possible a person that is closely related with the event topics. Looking the experience of others countries delegation, I was expecting as the right Ethiopian delegation head the Ministry of Water Resource because the topics is water and in addition he know the Spanish language. There is no doubt that the langue is key element to establish link at top management level. To this event, the failed head of the delegation was the "Ministry of Culture"
4. I think the EPRDF political idea advertisement should be removed. I don't see the need of advertising the blued-star logo of the "constitution". Here the most important is Ethiopia as nation not the dictator governor logo: EPRDF logo
5. The delegation should be sure whither or not included in the activities scheduled to present to the public. For example, the Ethiopian music program was not included in the day list of events for the public information. I found the presentation time and place for Ethiopian music by asking one of the "artists" I meet accidentally.
This action surprised me a lot. It gives me the impression about how EPRDF is representing to Ethiopia at international events. It indicates me how EPRDF is wasting the value of international advertisement. It is a measure of the money we miss as a nation.
I think without the intension to extend this page, the above examples are clear indication of failed politics of EPRDF.
What was the media response to Ethiopian day?
One of the most popular periodic called "Heraldo de Aragon" notified "… Ethiopian day has gone unnoticed … even so the arrived pf the Minister of Culture and Tourism…. "This is the only comment that I could saw amongest the many press issue. Surprising matter!!
Conclusion
In the expo Zaragoza 2008 Ethiopia was represented as nation. The opportunity to let know to the world about the fact of Ethiopia was big but it is misused by EPRDF delegate. If the governor of EPRDF is willing to learn from this failure I recommend to visit how others country present them self economically and also I recommend to evaluate positively the issues indicated by the above 4 points.
It is well known that expositions are good for tourism attraction, marketing and expanding our culture to let know the good things that we have as nation.
The objective of this text is to indicate how EPRDF managed international event like Expo Zaragoza 2008 where peoples from 104 countries, NGO and international media concur together. Free worldwide advertisement shall not be wasted and shall not be used for one dictator-party and Ethnic group benefit only. Was this even unusual in Ethiopians participations on international exposition? Was this bad presentation commun in all Ethiopian experiences to international expositions?
Introduction
The biggest water festival on the earth ("Expo Zaragoza 2008") is an International Expositions about "Water and Sustainable Development" which was held in Zaragoza- Spain, from 14 June to 14 September 2008.
http://www.expozaragoza2008.es/Agenda/seccion=768&idioma=en_GB.do
If you had visited the expo, in few hours, you can understand that the idea of expo is water and sustainable development. Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use with out endangering the need of future generation by balancing the economic, social and environmental managements. The first international water topics exposition took place in London in 1851. Since its success, numerous expositions have been held all over the world with a period of nearly 6 years. More than one hundred countries, plus dozens of companies and NGOs, participate in Expo 2008.On 11 of September 2008, coinciding with Ethiopian New Year was also Ethiopian day in this "Expo Zaragoza 2008". On this as Ethiopian citizen I was interested to visit and once more witness another expression of failed politics of EPRDF. Reasons are the following.
1. There was no use of an Audio-Visual means to present Ethiopian culture, people, location and tourism. Numbers of African and Caribbean countries was very prepared on the use Audio-video system. Why Ethiopia did not use this for presentation? I know that in each governmental office there are numbers of unused LCD projectors and laptop computers. It is not enough the white-board presentation of the uniqueness of Ethiopian calendar. We have numbers of thing to present:
o Our tourist site and hotels should be advertised within the space available
o Our product shall be advertised: Coffee, Tea, Livestock Products, Live Animals and Meat, Fruits, Vegetables and Flowers, Textile Fabrics and Garments, Mineral Products
o Our people are on need of food. UN announced nearly 4 million person need emergency food. The water and food security are directly related. This shall be presented professional
2. I think they have to send professional-artist not politicians. The art is a fine profusion. The son or families of WAYANE warriors cannot be Ethiopian artist to represent at international event like this one. Let me tell you a curiosity of a friend of mine from Spain. He asked me "Why all Ethiopian have two marks on their faces?" I responded I am Ethiopian too but I have no such mark on my face.
3. The head of the group shall be as much as possible a person that is closely related with the event topics. Looking the experience of others countries delegation, I was expecting as the right Ethiopian delegation head the Ministry of Water Resource because the topics is water and in addition he know the Spanish language. There is no doubt that the langue is key element to establish link at top management level. To this event, the failed head of the delegation was the "Ministry of Culture"
4. I think the EPRDF political idea advertisement should be removed. I don't see the need of advertising the blued-star logo of the "constitution". Here the most important is Ethiopia as nation not the dictator governor logo: EPRDF logo
5. The delegation should be sure whither or not included in the activities scheduled to present to the public. For example, the Ethiopian music program was not included in the day list of events for the public information. I found the presentation time and place for Ethiopian music by asking one of the "artists" I meet accidentally.
This action surprised me a lot. It gives me the impression about how EPRDF is representing to Ethiopia at international events. It indicates me how EPRDF is wasting the value of international advertisement. It is a measure of the money we miss as a nation.
I think without the intension to extend this page, the above examples are clear indication of failed politics of EPRDF.
What was the media response to Ethiopian day?
One of the most popular periodic called "Heraldo de Aragon" notified "… Ethiopian day has gone unnoticed … even so the arrived pf the Minister of Culture and Tourism…. "This is the only comment that I could saw amongest the many press issue. Surprising matter!!
Conclusion
In the expo Zaragoza 2008 Ethiopia was represented as nation. The opportunity to let know to the world about the fact of Ethiopia was big but it is misused by EPRDF delegate. If the governor of EPRDF is willing to learn from this failure I recommend to visit how others country present them self economically and also I recommend to evaluate positively the issues indicated by the above 4 points.
