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)
