Oromo online discussion forums of Paltalk messenger.

By Adugna Dinka

In recent years online discussion forums become effective way of communicating with audience from across the world in a short time. It is also effective in getting the feedback immediately just like a normal meeting. The anonymity of the audience makes online discussion forums more open minded than a normal meeting, though sometimes people don’t use their right appropriately. Some people use anonymity in a wrong sense and use it for insulting or defaming purposes.

One of these online discussion forums is the paltalk messenger in which people can create their own room and conduct discussion for the purpose they want. The participants can participate in the room by airing their view in which all people can hear him/her or by text pasting in the room. But if one wants to send out his message clearly, he has to speak, because text messages might not be read by all audience or sometimes it might be misunderstood or sometimes the texts are meant for individuals. Other than that, when hundreds of people are texting, it is difficult to hear the one speaking and follow the texting at the same time.

People use paltalk messenger across the world for different purposes. These include political activism, religious purposes, language teachings, music, arts and entertainment, family issue, love and dating, sports, science and even pornography. People from across the world participate in discussion and text messaging for the purpose they want.

 Music, language teaching, love and dating, arts and entertainment, sport and science have an audience from across the world, though it appears that western world have more participants in these aspects. But political activism is different. People participate in political activism of pal talk messenger from areas of where there is unsolved business. These include Africa (especially east Africa), Asia and pacific, central and south America. From religion, Christianity and Islam have more audience than others, though it is difficult to know from which part of the world they have more participants.

East Africa is a volatile area politically and religiously.  It is an area where there is so much unsolved issues from semi stateless Somalia, colonial and dictatorial Christianity based Ethiopia, a dictatorial Eritrea and a recently liberated southern Sudan with a resource based conflict with northern Sudan lies. The unstable Somalia with unrecognized governments of puntland and Somalilands and the UN supported government of Somalia and again the unsolved issue of Ethiopian Ogadenia region of Somalia makes this area at high level of political activism.

The case of Ethiopian empire is also similar. The Abyssinian based long dominancy of the government has led to nations and nationalities based political activism for the liberation of nations and nationalities hold together by force in that empire. The pseudo federal system of Tigrean based politico economic domination of today is a big reason for the political activism and it manifest itself in online discussion forums which actually pal talk is the main. 

The online politically oriented paltalk discussion forums of Ethiopian empires are based on two lines; one is the Union based discussion forums which again can be seen in two ways. The first is the one that supports the present day dictatorial government that advocate the existence of true federated democracy in the country. This group shows clearly the support and connection it has with the EPDRF government of Ethiopia and even has the ability to call government officials at any time for discussion. The second union based discussion forums are those who actually based on diaspora participants and political organizations. It seems that these group stuck to king Minilik’s era, a group that believe in everything one (one country, one language, one culture etc.). It seems as if they can’t analyze the dynamism of the current Ethiopian empire situation.  

The other group is the freedom based discussion forums. These are the group that believes in the freedom of nations and nationalities from the Ethiopian empire. In today’s context The Oromos, Ogadenians, the Sidamas clearly advocate the freedom of nations and nationalities. They believe that even if a union of the federation of Ethiopia happens, it should be based on the agreed and consensus of all nations and nationalities.

There are online discussion forums that clearly show the interest of the second group, among which the Oromo online discussion forum is based. The Oromo online discussion forum of paltalk messenger has achieved much. It is known that there are different Oromo groups that struggle almost for similar purposes and goals but use a different strategy. Almost all Oromo organizations believe in the self determination of Oromo people. They all advocate that let the Oromo people decide about their future, Let they decide where they belong democratically in a modern and acceptable way. But the way the political organizations explain this can vary or the strategy they are using, but overall it appears that all are going for the same goal.

My point here is that, the online paltalk discussion forums are not recognizing this. Due to this it appears that, the followers of different Oromo political groups forget their common enemy which is the dictatorial EPDRF government and spend their time on criticizing one another.  The followers of different Oromo political groups must understand that every group has a right to choose its strategy and the end goal they want, but still must recognize the say of the Oromo people. It is not Oromo political groups that decide the future of the Oromos, but the Oromos themselves. The job of political groups must be to take Oromos to the destination where they can decide about their future in a clear and democratic way. It is only the Oromos, not the political groups that decide where Oromos want to belong in the future, whether to stay in a democratized Ethiopia or become a free Oromian nation.

So, it has no use to waste a precious time on criticizing each other rather than targeting an enemy. It is better for an Oromo organization to negotiate with each other and work hand in hand, though there is a different in strategy and tactics to achieve an Oromo cause than fight each other and waste a scarce resource and time on each other. 

Paltalk discussion forum is a good media. It is a media that can be used for many purposes if used effectively and properly.  If focused on, it can bring Oromo unity than create a difference.

 By Adugna Dinka, email (re_appear1@yahoo.co.uk)