Haile Selassie I Archives's topics - tribe.net

Help with the best sources on His Imperial Majesty and black liberation movements

2009-08-14T04:48:27Z

If you have favorite web site/s, video/s, recording/s, or book/s about Haile Selassie and what not, I'd love to know people's favorites. They don't even have to focus primarily on him, just whatever has some sort of nice meaning to you.

~Thanks

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Rastafari Rising

2008-08-03T22:40:14Z

Greetings Sistren and Bredren,
Check out Rastafari Rising on YouTube. RR is a television program hosted by Ras Negus Amlak of Hartford, Connecticut on the local access channel. The shows have been posted on YouTube in segments and include reasonings on subjects such as women in rastafari, the bible in rastafari, and he also hosts many guest speakers. Ras Amlak has also been hosting various lecture tours throughout the southeast. I will keep posting for any upcoming eventsHis reasonings are very insightful, informative, and and puch higher learning. Please take the time to watch.
Ises

posted in Haile Selassie I Archives - 1 reply

Rastafari Rising E-Magazine

2008-08-03T22:36:57Z

To receive issues of the RR e-magazine, please send an e-mail to Ras Ravin I at Rastafarirising@yahoo.com
Ises

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happy 420 from Yeshua

2007-12-28T07:02:01Z

happy 420, sisters and brothers!

this is some 420 love from our kynd brother Yeshua, from book 4 of the gospels of peace.

enLIGHTenUP and enjoy!
dragonfly 420

THE GIFT OF LIFE IN THE HUMBLE GRASS

It was in the month of Thebt, when the earth was covered with shoots of young grass after the rains, and the covering of emerald green was tender as the fine down of a baby chick. And it was on a bright sun-filled morning that Jesus gathered the new Brothers of the Elect round about him, that they might hear with their ears and understand with their hearts the teachings of their fathers, even as it was taught to Enoch of old.

And Jesus sat beneath a gnarled and ancient tree, holding in his hands a small earthen pot; and in the pot was growing tender grass of wheat, the most perfect among all seed bearing herbs. And the tender grass within the pot was radiant with life, even as the grass and plants which covered the hills far into the distant fields and beyond. And Jesus stroked the grass in the pot with the hands, even as gently as he would touch the head of a little child.

And Jesus said: "Happy are you, Sons of Light, for you have entered into the deathless way and you walk in the path of truth, even as did your fathers of old, who were taught by the Great Ones. With the eyes and ears of the spirit do you see and hear the sights and sounds of the kingdom of the Earthly Mother: the blue sky where dwells the angel of Air, the foaming river where flows the angel of Water, the golden light which streams from the angel of Sun. And I tell you truly, all these are within you as well as without; for your breath, your blood, the fire of life within you, all are one with the Earthly Mother.

But of all these, and more, that most precious gift of your Earthly Mother is the grass beneath your feet, even that grass which you tread upon without thought. Humble and meek is the angel of Earth, for she has no wings to fly, nor golden rays of light to pierce the mist. But great is her strength and vast is her domain, for she covers the earth with her power, and without her the Sons of Men would be no more, for no man can live without the grass, the trees and the plants of the Earthly Mother. And these are the gifts of the angel of Earth to the Sons of Men.

"But now I will speak to you of mysterious things, for I tell you truly, the humble grass is more than food for man and beast. it hides its glory beneath a lowly aspect, as it was told of a ruler of old that he visited the villages of his subjects disguised as a beggar, knowing they would tell many things to such a one, but would fall down in fear before their King. So does the humble grass hide its glory under its coat of humble green, and the Sons of Men walk on it, plough it, feed it to their beasts, but know not what secrets are hidden within it, even those secrets of everlasting life in the heavenly kingdoms.

"But the Sons of Light will know what lies hidden in the grass, for it is given to them to bring comfort to the Sons of Men. Even so are we taught by the Earthly Mother with this -little handful of wheat in a simple pot, even the same earthen pot you use to drink milk and gather the honey of bees. Now the pot is filled with black soil rich with old leaves and moist with the dew of morning, even that most precious gift of the angel of Earth.

"And I did moisten a handful of wheat, that the angel of Water entered into it. The angel of Air did also embrace it, and the angel of Sun, and the power of the three angels awakened also the angel of Life within the wheat, and sprout and root were born in each grain.

"Then I put the awakened wheat into the soil of the angel of Earth, and the power of the Earthly Mother and all her angels entered into the wheat, and when the sun had risen four times the grains had become grass. I tell you truly, there is no greater miracle than this."

And the Brothers looked with reverence at the tender blades of grass in the hands of Jesus, and one asked him: "Master, what is the secret of the grass you hold in your hands? Why is it different from that grass that covers the hills and the mountains?"
And Jesus answered "It is not different, Son of Light. All grass, all trees, all plants, in every part of the world, all are part of the kingdom of the Earthly Mother. But I have separated in this pot a small portion of your Mother's kingdom, that you may touch her with the hands of the spirit, and that her power may enter into your body.

"For I tell you truly, there is a Holy Stream of Life which gave birth to the Earthly Mother and all her angels. Invisible is this Stream of Life to the eyes of the Sons of Men, for they walk in darkness and see not the angels of the day and of the night that surround them and hover over them. But the Sons of Light have walked for seven years with the angels of the day and of the night, and now they are given the secrets of communion with the angels. And the eyes of your spirit shall be opened, and you will see and hear and touch the Stream of Life that gave birth to the Earthly Mother. And you will enter the Holy Stream of Life, and it will carry you with infinite tenderness to everlasting life in the kingdom of your Heavenly Father."

"How shall we do this, Master?" some asked in amazement. "What secrets must we know to see and hear and touch this Holy Stream of Life?".

And Jesus did not answer. But he placed his two hands around the growing blades of grass in the pot, gently, as if it were the forehead of a little child. And he closed his eyes, and around him were waves of light, shimmering in the sun, as the summer heat makes the light to tremble under a cloudless sky. And the Brothers knelt and bowed their heads in reverence before the power of the angels which poured forth from the sitting figure of Jesus; and still he sat in silence, with his hands closed as if in prayer around the blades of grass.

And no one knew if an hour had passed, or a year, for time stood still and it was as if all creation held its breath. And Jesus opened his eyes, and the scent of blossoms filled the air as Jesus spoke: "Here is the secret, Sons of Light; here in the humble grass. Here is the meeting place of the Earthly Mother and the Heavenly Father; here is the Stream of Life which gave birth to all creation; I tell you truly, only to the Son of Man is it given to see and hear and touch the Stream of Life which flows between the Earthly and Heavenly Kingdoms. Place your hands around the tender grass of the angel of Earth, and you will see and hear and touch the power of all the angels."

And one by one, each of the Brothers sat in reverence before the power of the angels, holding in his hands the tender grass. And each one felt the Stream of Life enter his body with the force of a rushing stream after a spring storm. And the power of the angels flowed into their hands, up into their arms, and shook them mightily, even as the wind of the north shakes the branches of trees. And all of them wondered at the power in the humble grass, that it could contain all the angels, and the kingdoms of the Earthly Mother and the Heavenly Father. And they sat before Jesus, and were taught by him.

Andjesus said: "Behold, Sons of Light, the lowly grass. See wherein are contained all the angels of the Earthly Mother and the Heavenly Father. For now have you stepped into the Stream of Life, and its currents will carry you in time to everlasting life in the kingdom of your Heavenly Father.

"For in the grass are all the angels. Here is the angel of Sun, here in the brightness of the green color of the blades of wheat. For no one can look upon the sun when it is high in the heavens, for the eyes of the Son of Man are blinded by its radiant light. And it is for this that the angel of Sun turns to green all that to which she gives life, that the Son of Man may look upon the many and various shades of green and find strength and comfort therein. I tell you truly, all that is green and with life has the power of the angel of Sun within it, even these tender blades of young wheat.

"And so does the angel of Water bless the grass, for I tell you truly, there is more of the angel of Water within the grass than any of the other angels of the Earthly Mother. For if you crush within your hands the grass, you will feel the water of life, which is the blood of the Earthly Mother. And all through the days when you touch the grass and enter into the Stream of Life, do you give to the soil a few drops of water, that the grass may be renewed by the power of the Angel of Water.

"Know, also, that the angel of Air is within the grass, for all that is living and green is the home of the angel of Air. Put your face close to the grass, breathe deeply, and let the angel of Air enter deep within your body. For she abides in the grass, as the oak abides in the acorn, and as the fish abides in the sea.

"The angel of Earth is she who gives birth to the grass, even as the babe in the womb lives from the nourishment of his mother, so does the earth give of itself to the grain of wheat, causing it to shoot forth to embrace the angel of Air. I tell you truly, each grain of wheat that bursts forth upward to the sky is a victory over death, where Satan reigns. For Life always begins again.

"It is the angel of Life that flows through the blades of grass into the body of the Son of Light, shaking him with her power. For the grass is Life and the Son of Light is Life, and Life flows between the Son of Light and the blades of grass, making a bridge to the Holy Stream of Light which gave birth to all creation.

"And when the Son of Light holds between his hands the blades of grass, it is the angel of joy which fills his body with music. To enter into the Stream of Life is to be one with the song of the bird, the colors of the wild flowers, the scent of the sheaves of grain, newly turned over in the fields. I tell you truly, when the Son of Man feels not joy in his heart, he labors for Satan and brings hope to the sons of darkness. There is no sadness in the kingdom of Light, only the angel of Joy. Learn, then, from the tender blades of grass the song of the angel of joy, that the Sons of Light may walk with her always and so comfort the hearts of the Sons of Men.

"The Earthly Mother is she who provides for our bodies, for we are born of her, and have our life in her. So does she provide for us food in the very blades of grass we touch with our hands. For I tell you truly, it is not only as bread that wheat may nourish us. We may eat also of the tender blades of grass, that the strength of the Earthly Mother may enter into us. But chew well the blades, for the Son of Man has teeth unlike those of the beasts, and only when we chew well the blades of grass can the angel of Water enter our blood and give us strength. Eat, then, Sons of Light, of this most perfect herb from the table of our Earthly Mother, that your days may be long upon the earth, for such finds favor in the eyes of God.

"I tell you truly, the angel of Power enters into you when you touch the Stream of Life through the blades of grass. For the angel of Power is as a shining light that surrounds every living thing, just as the full moon is encircled by rings of radiance, and as the mist rises up from the fields when the sun climbs in the sky. And the angel of Power enters into the Son of Light when his heart is pure and his desire is only to comfort and teach the Sons of Men. Touch, then, the blades of grass, and feel the angel of Power enter the tips of your fingers, flow upwards through your body, and shake you till you tremble with wonder and awe.

"Know, also, that the angel of Love is present in the blades of grass, for love is in the giving, and great is the love given to the Sons of Light by the tender blades of grass. For I tell you truly, the Stream of Life runs through every living thing, and all that lives, bathes in the Holy Stream of Life. And when the Son of Light touches with love the blades of grass, so do the blades of grass return his love, and lead him to the Stream of Life where he may find life everlasting. And this love never exhausts itself, for its source is in the Stream of Life which flows into the Eternal Sea, and no matter how far does the Son of Man stray from his Earthly Mother and his Heavenly Father, the touch of the blades of grass will always bring a message from the angel of Love; and his feet shall bathe again in the Holy Stream of Life.

"Lo, it is the angel of Wisdom that governs the movement of the planets, the circle of the seasons, and the orderly growth of all living things. So does the angel of Wisdom ordain the communion of the Sons of Light with the Stream of Life, through the tender blades of grass. For I tell you truly, your body is holy, because it bathes in the Stream of Life, which is Eternal Order.

"Touch the blades of grass, Sons of Light, and touch the angel of Eternal Life. For if you look with the eyes of the spirit, you will truly see that the grass is eternal. Now it is young and tender, with the brightness of the newborn babe. Soon it will be tall and gracious, as the sapling tree with its first fruits. Then it will yellow with age, and bow its head in patience, as lies the field after the harvest. Finally, it will wither, for the small earthen pot cannot contain the full lifespan of the wheat. But it does not die, for the brown leaves return to the angel of Earth, and she holds the plant in her arms and bids it sleep, and all the angels work within the faded leaves and lo, they are changed and do not die but rise again in another guise. And so do the Sons of Light never see death, but find themselves changed and risen to everlasting Life.

"And so does the angel of Work never sleep, but sends the roots of the wheat deep into the angel of Earth, that the shoots of tender green may overcome death and the reign of Satan. For life is movement, and the angel of Work is never still, even does he labor without ceasing in the vineyard of the Lord. Close your eyes when you touch the grass, Sons of Light, but fall not asleep, for to touch the Stream of Life is to touch the eternal rhythm of the everlasting kingdoms, and to bathe in the Stream of Life is to feel more and more the power of the angel of Work within you, creating on earth the kingdom of Heaven.

"Peace is -the gift of the Stream of Life to the Sons of Light. Wherefore do we always greet each other, 'Peace be with you. Even so does the grass greet your body with the kiss of Peace. I tell you truly, Peace is not just the absence of war, for very quickly can the peaceful river turn into a raging torrent, and the same waves that lull the boat can quickly break it to pieces against the rocks. So does violence lie in wait for the Sons of Man, when they keep not the vigil of Peace. Touch the blades of grass, and thereby touch the Stream of Life. Therein you will find Peace, the Peace built with the power of all the angels. Even so with that Peace will the rays of Holy Light cast out all darkness.

"When the Sons of Light are one with the Stream of Life, then will the power of the blades of grass guide them to the everlasting kingdom of the Heavenly Father. And you shall know more of those mysteries which is not yet time for you to hear. For there are other Holy Streams in the everlasting kingdoms; I tell you truly, the heavenly kingdoms are crossed and crossed again by streams of golden light, arching far beyond the dome of the sky and having no end. And the Sons of Light shall travel by these streams for ever, knowing not death, guided by the eternal love of the Heavenly Father. And I tell you truly, all these mysteries are contained in the humble grass, when you touch it with tenderness and open your heart to the angel of Life within.

"Gather, then, the grains of wheat and plant them in small earthen pots; and every day with glad heart commune with the angels, that they may guide you to the Holy Stream of Life, and you may bring back from its eternal source comfort and strength for the Sons of Men. For I tell you truly, all that you learn, all that your eyes of the spirit see, all that your cars of the spirit hear, all this is as a hollow reed in the wind if you do not send forth a message of truth and light to the Sons of Men. For by the fruit do we know the worth of the tree. And to love is to teach without end, without ceasing. For so were your fathers taught of old, even our Father Enoch. Go now, and peace be with you."

And Jesus held forth the little pot with the blades of young grass, as if in blessing, and walked toward the sun-filled hills, along the shore of the river, as was the custom of all the Brothers. And the others followed, each holding to him the words of Jesus, as it were a precious jewel within his breast.

posted in Haile Selassie I Archives - 1 reply

HAILE SELASSIE I EARTH STRONG GATHERING Saltspring Island BC

2007-05-03T02:40:05Z

Greetings in the Name of the Most High JAH Rastafari
There will be a week long Nyahbinghi gathering Iliberating the Birth of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia beginning July 22 and ending July 29. I and I Rastafari Sons and Daughters are all welcome.
Please check out our tribe and/or email saltspring.nyahbinghi@gmail.com

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Speech by H.I.M. on Nov 3, 1967

2007-01-03T20:25:48Z

"Today, on the occasion of the celebration of the thirty seventh anniversary of Our coronation as Emperor of Ethiopia, we once more stand in this Parliament building to assess the events of the past year and to appraise the future of the Ethiopian nation. today, We once again give thanks to Almighty God for the protection which He has afforded to the Ethiopian state and for the gifts which He has bestowed upon the Ethiopian people.
"This past year has been a highly auspicious one for Ethiopia. You Parliamentarians have been engaged in the examination of a legislative program which has required the extension of the session far beyond its usual date of adjournment. You are to be congratulated for the dedication which you have brought to your work here and for the results which you have achieved. As you have examined and studied in depth the draft laws placed before the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, each of you has learned anew of the complexity of modern life, of the multiple problems which must be faced and overcome the business of governing, of the expertise ns knowledge which must be developed before legislative proposals can even be formulated or programmes for their implementation outlined. We have often repeated that the process of education is life-long and never-ending; if you have properly and fully discharged your duties and responsibilities during the past year, you have come to a new awareness of the truth of these words.
"During Our reign, We have labored increasingly to provide the essential foundation for the future growth and development of the nation. the money spent and the energy invested in this process has been enormous, but during these years Ethiopia has undergone a vast and drastic transformation. Today, the nation stands on the verge of an unprecedented surge of activity and expansion in all areas of her national life."

Step by Step
"The standard of living enjoyed in the highly developed nations of the world was not achieved overnight, nor was it won easily nor without immense toil and sacrifice, Economic and social growth is a laborious and slow process. Development is the accumulated result of intensive long-term efforts. it is not enough that a nation desire development and economic maturity, any more than a child, in wishing, becomes a man. Time is required, and experience, and trial and error. The processes and requirements of nature cannot be ignored of evaded. The child must first crawl, then walk, before it can run. So, also, must a nation progress through the successive stages of growth before the stage is reached where rapid and ever-accelerating development is possible.
"The advancement of a nation, in addition, demands certain essential preconditions: political stability; a coherent, rational and efficient structure of government; and peace, both internally, within the nation, and externally with her neighbors.
"Happily, Ethiopia has been blessed with these during the past two and a half decades, and they have been progressively strengthened over years. In 1955, We promulgated Our Revised Constitution to reflect and secure the advances in political maturity achieved since We granted Ethiopia's first written Constitution twenty-five years earlier. Only eighteen months ago, We announced new and far-reaching political reforms as the culmination of a period of development and maturation of government, and as the prelude to further growth along these lines. the precious gift of peace has been ours for the past quarter century. For all of this, We give thanks to Almighty God."

People's Changed Outlook
"The outlook and attitudes of Our people have undergone drastic changes during these year. The nation has come to modernity and maturity. Our people have been educated, not so much by formal, classroom instruction, but as a consequence of an increasingly broad and general exposure of life in the twentieth century and to the world around them, Ethiopia has awakened. Ethiopians now demand more for themselves that their fathers possessed. They have acquired the desire to improve their lot and that of their children. They are willing an anxious to change.
"This is what We have labored throughout Our lifetime to accomplish: to bring Our people to the point of awareness of the demands of modern life, to arouse in them the ambition to progress, to stimulate their latent desire for advancement and improvement.
"This has now been achieved, and with the natural resources with which Almighty God has endowed Our nation, the path to development has been cleared and its vistas lie before us.
"The revolutionary changes which have occurred in Ethiopian attitudes have manifested themselves in numerous ways. Some have become apparent through programs initiated and fostered by Our Government. Others have sprung spontaneously from the people themselves. Whatever their source, they constitute a new and vital approach to life, and they testify to the revived energy and vigor which characterize the Ethiopian nation today.
"We may cite, as one example, the growth of co-operatives within Ethiopia. the concept of co-operation is not new to the nation; the ikub and the idir, have long formed part of Ethiopia's traditional and customary system. But these are largely passive and protective in nature, designed to marshal the energies of the community in time of emergency and need. the philosophy of the modern co-operative, while drawing on the spirit of the ikub and idir, is aggressive and dynamic rather than defensive and static. It embodies and demands a collective willingness to participate in new forms of social and economic activity.
"The co-operative movement has flourished in both the developed and the developing nations, but particularly in countries with a large agricultural base. There is no reason why co-operatives should not succeed in Ethiopia, Although the basic legislation was enacted only a little over a year ago, more than a score of co-operatives have already been organized, and more are sure to follow. We look forward eagerly to the contribution which they will make to Ethiopia's economy.
"The development of the labor movement within Ethiopia offers a second example of the new spirit which today marks the nation. Unionization requires sound and organized deliberation and action by men who may have neither family, nor religion, nor tribe, nor neighborhood in common, but who have, notwithstanding, been able to come together, to identify their common interests, and to agree upon effective programs to advance those interests. this is the new attitude which must be encouraged: the communal as opposed to the individual approach, the spirit of working together that all may benefit.
"We do not wish to overemphasize the importance of the labor movement as such to Ethiopia; the total product of the 55,000 union members represents only a small portion of the total production of all of the nation's workers. Rather, We wish to stress the motivation which underlies and pervades the movement. Further, We must emphasize that with the growth in industrialization, power is passing into the hands of employers and employees alike, which demands much of them in terms of knowledge, judgment and goodwill. Both employers and employees must respond to the challenge and the opportunity to act for the good not of the few but the many. there is no room for irresponsible action. There is no room for heedless or reckless decisions. there is no room for lawlessness or defiance of constituted authority. Employers and employees are not enemies or antagonists, but partners. The well-being of the one depends very largely upon the well-being of the other. Capital and labor must work together in harmony if the large potential which their joint efforts represent is to be realized."

Self-Help
"The third, and perhaps the most impressive instance of the desire and willingness of Our people to progress and change, is found in the local self-help campaigns which have spread so rapidly across the face of the nation. the drive to local self-help programs has sprung from the people themselves as flourishes because of local initiative, imagination and effort. It is a vivid and encouraging testimony to the vitality of the Ethiopian people. Roads have been built, schools and public buildings have been constructed, public health facilities have been undertaken and fulfilled with funds locally collected and locally administered.
"As a complement to this manifestation of the will and spirit of the Ethiopian people at the lowest communal unit, Our Government embarked, several years ago, on the study and later the gradual implementation of a system of local self-government, designed to bring into ever more effective focus the local energies and resources thus displayed. the local awraja revenue legislation, so essential to the full implementation of this program, is pending before you, and We urge that the highest priority be accorded to this vital law."

Planning
"In the modern world, no nation, and certainly no nation which is classified among the less-developed, can hope to bring to its people the standard of living and material prosperity which it seeks for them unless its total resources are enlisted in the struggle. surely Ethiopia's most valuable resources are her people and the intelligence, energy, devotion and ambition which they constitute and represent. It is to them that we must look for the attainment of the goals which we seek.
"Even assuming, however, that the will and the desire exist, there remains the immensely difficult and complex task of organizing the nation's energies and resources and directing them in a well-conceived and fully integrated fashion to the achieving of carefully studied and clearly defined ends.
"In Ethiopia, increased emphasis is currently being given to the concept and function of planning. Planning as such in not new to Ethiopia, Our nation passed through the years of the First and Second Five-Year Plans with creditable success. Now, however, even greater efforts are being made to mobilize the strength of the nation and lend fresh direction and impetus to its economic activity.
"The creation of the Ministry of Planning and Development, a little over a year and a half ago, marked the first in a series of new measures in this area. This Ministry has gathered together a group of highly skilled experts who are preparing Ethiopia's Third Five-Year Plan. This is certainly the most significant attempt thus far made to organize the nation's economic and financial activities along development lines.
"Let us not, however, be misled. the preparation of an economic plan is only half the task, and perhaps not even that. The real test comes in the implementation, and here even the best of plans can be subverted and destroyed. Once and overall economic plan is adopted, the nation's budget must be tailored to the implementation of the plan. Individual development projects must be fitted into the priorities established in the plan. Haphazard and ill-coordinated economic activity must be avoided at all costs. Investment must be controlled and directed as the plan dictates. and, most important, all of this must be accomplished in a coordinated and efficient fashion. the responsibility for the success of the plan does not rest upon any single ministry or department; it is a collective responsibility, shared by all development ministries concerned with economic and social development - indeed, by all departments and officials of the government, whatever their concern, as well as this Parliament itself."

Economic Development
"Ethiopia's achievements during the past year are in themselves proof that Our Government's past efforts in directing the course of development have borne fruit. Only a few years ago, Ethiopia disposed of but a handful of university graduates. Today, the enrolment of the Haile Selassie I University alone numbers over one thousand five hundred students. The numbers of trained Ethiopian engineers, lawyers, doctors and other professional men and women are multiplied with each graduation. The nation's secondary schools have expanded. And for those for whom formal education is not possible, the National Literacy Campaign, a self-help program of the highest order, has been innovated. Surely this must be a source of gratification for us all.
"Likewise, in public health, further strides have been made. Increased emphasis has been laid on curative but especially on preventive medicine. the vast malaria eradication program is now underway. the number of available hospital beds has multiplied, as has the number of rural health centers and dresser stations.
"In 1959 alone, industrial production in Ethiopia increased over 15%. Over sixty million Ethiopian dollars was invested in industrial projects, and several thousand additional workers found employment in the manufacturing industry alone.
"In transportation, new roads have been constructed. Telecommunication facilities have expanded. Post Office services have been increased and improved. Rail, air and marine services have continued to grow, as they have annually for many years past.
"These programs do not stand in splendid isolation; they are all closely interrelated and interconnected. As Ethiopia's road network grows, new areas are opened for the introduction of social services; trade is generated; travel is stimulated; and the people are exposed to the blessings-and the dangers-of modern life. Development is by its very nature dynamic; it generates its own internal momentum, as the chain-reaction of growth is released.
"Special mention must be made of a new awraja development program which is being undertaken by Our government with the help of bilateral and multilateral assistance in selected areas of the country. In the pilot areas chosen, a massive, broad-spectrum attack is being made in which the efforts of all development agencies and ministries are being coordinated in a concerted effort to break through and overcome the many obstacles to growth. the assistance of the local population is similarly being organized to achieve the greatest possible progress in the largest number of fields of development in the shortest period of time. If these pilot programs are successful, as We believe they will be, a viable pattern for development will have been established which can be emulated and applied throughout the entire countryside.
"We must also refer to the land reform programs which are being drawn up in the newly-established Ministry of Land Reform and Administration. Land reforms, so vital to the nation's future, also pose problems of great complexity and immense difficulty. A vast amount of preliminary research and study must be undertaken before effective proposals in the area of land administration can be formulated, and this work is now fully underway. We and Our Government are committed to this effort."

To Live In Peace
"Ethiopia's foreign policy remains constant, as it has for years: to strengthen the nation's security; to live in peace with her neighbors; to strengthen the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity; to facilitate the peaceful settlement of disputes; to assure freedom for all irrespective of race, creed or color. These are the standards by which Our nation lives.
"During the past year, we have become increasingly concerned at the threats posed to world peace. the Vietnam conflict not only continues but military efforts have escalated, with ever higher tolls in human lives and destruction exacted as the price. The Middle East crisis erupted into a violent and bloody conflagration, with the ever-present danger of involvement by the great powers. Ethiopia, as a member of the Security Council, the supreme organ of the United Nations charged with the duty of preserving world peace, has spared no effort in the search for just and permanent solutions to both of these conflicts. The fact that no improvement has been realized in either area is a matter of the gravest concern to Us.
In Africa, We have been saddened by the fratricidal civil war being waged in Nigeria which has cost so much in both human and material terms. Because of the concern felt by all Africans at this situation, the Summit Conference of the O.A.U., at the recent meeting in Kinshasa, appointed a Special Commission to assist the Nigerian Federal Government in its efforts to maintain the security and integrity of that nation, and the Commission is seized of the problems confronting it. The Congo has sustained a new but happily repelled threat to its sovereignty, and Ethiopia is proud to have participated in the efforts to assure the continued existence of the Congo as an independent state through the prevision of military assistance to that nation. The threat posed by the foreign mercenaries who have disturbed the peace of this sister African state must, once and for all, be rooted out and eradicated.
"It is a matter of bitter disappointment to Us, as it must be to all Africans, that in Rhodesia, in South Africa, in Mozambique, Angola and Portuguese Guinea racist regimes continue to oppress our brothers and deny to them the basic human rights to which they are entitled as free men. New ways must be found and new techniques must be devised to bring these governments to their knees, if not to their senses. The alternative is the use of force, and however abhorrent this course may be, Ethiopia stands ready to act if this be required."

Good Neighbor Relations
"On a happier note, during the past year Ethiopia's relations with the Sudan and Somalia have been considerably improved, following direct discussions held with the leaders of these nations, and We are gratified that the governments of these two sister African neighbors are disposed to live in peace and harmony with us. We hope the basis for a permanent reconciliation between Ethiopia and these states has been laid. As We have so often stated in the past, Ethiopia seeks no territory belonging to the others. Ethiopia has no wish to engage in futile propaganda polemics. Ethiopia desires only to live in Tranquility with her neighbors and to co-operate closely with them for the peaceful development of our respective territories and peoples.
"Happily, Ethiopia's traditionally excellent relations with Kenya, our neighbor to the south, remain unimpaired-indeed, are yearly strengthened. As clear evidence of the spirit of brotherhood and friendship existing between Ethiopia and Kenya, We welcome in the gathering today Kenya's beloved President and Our close friend, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. President Kenyatta has himself fought and suffered in the cause of h is people and the whole African continent, and We are proud to have him with Us here."

African Unity
"The past twelve months have also witnessed a further steady increase in the influence and effectiveness of Africa's chosen instrument, the Organization of African Unity. The problems with which the Organization is grappling today are no less significant then they were four years ago; the difference lies in the maturity and realism with which they are approached. The measure of the success of the Organization rests not only in its ability to concentrate African opinion and influence upon the crises which have sporadically flared up on this continent, but, equally, in the progress which is painstakingly being made in the working out of the framework of closer and more effective co-operation in the working of Africa's day-to-day economic and social life.
"During the year ahead, a number of new legislative proposals designed to advance Ethiopia along the path of progress will be laid before you. We urge you to bring to them the same dedication and devotion which has characterized your work during the session just past. Your efforts and labors complement those of Our Government, and the nation expects hat you will discharge your duties and responsibilities to the full measure of your abilities. May almighty God watch over and guide you in the coming year."

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H.I.M. Christmas Broadcast to America 12/25/37

2006-12-21T22:26:59Z

Christ-mass Broadcast to America
Dec. 25th, 1937

The Lion of Judah has prevailed
Haile Selassie I, Elect of God
King of Kings of Ethiopia

"I am very pleased to send you words of my best wishes for your happiness, progress and peace, on this blessed day for mankind,

From the capital of Great Britain, which is renowned for its hospitality. Let peace reign in your hearts, among your families, in the unity of your governments, and in your relations with other peoples of the world. There is no greater day of gratitude and joy for Christians than celebrating the birthday of Our Saviour Jesus Christ. On this day of happiness, every Christian, by meditating on [Jesus'] life and the work He accomplished for all of us, tends to forget the trials he faces and the sadness that breaks his heart. At the same time everyone is inclined to minimize the trials and sorrows of his own, his kindred, and friends and forgives those who have grieved him. Since Our childhood, Our innermost thoughts have been overwhelmed by the mysterious deep spirit of the divine infant's birth, which is not only expressive but also glorious and inscrutable. Likewise, no matter what one's reputation, whether one's accomplishment is great or humble, tiresome or fruitless, in the journey of life, the mystery of Bethlehem dominates our spirit.

With the birth of the Son of God, an unprecedented, an unrepeatable, and a long-anticipated phenomenon occurred. He was born in a stable instead of a palace, in a manger instead of a crib. The hearts of the Wise men were struck by fear and wonder due to His Majestic Humbleness. The kings prostrated themselves before Him and worshipped Him. 'Peace be to those who have good will'. This became the first message.

When He sacrificed himself at Golgotha for the atonement of our sin, He prayed with His last breath for the forgiveness of those who had tortured Him saying, 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do'. Shame on those of us who are Christians and do not follow the way of the Savior of the World, whose life was filled with kindness, humility, and martyrdom! If we lived by the laws he gave us and were worthy of being called Christian, peace would have reigned on this earth.

Men were supposed to be the equals of the living angels who unceasingly sang praises before the eternal God. Had this been so, peoples of the world would not have been divided along lines of enmity.

In truth there is no legitimate reason or good cause which justifies war. Was it not this fundamental spirit which dwelt in American statesmen and their brothers in other parts of the world that enabled them to write the new international principles according to the laws of Our Savior. The principles were intended to avoid the calamities of war and to bring together the big and small nations of the world as one family and settle disputes that might arise between them through appropriate law and justice.

Well, there is not much to do about that! Although the toils of wise people may earn them respect, it is a fact of life that the spirit of the wicked continues to cast its shadow on this world. The arrogant are seen visibly leading their people into crime and destruction. The laws of the League of Nations are constantly violated and wars and acts of aggression repeatedly take place, and in regard to this, your honorable president told you recently that the principles of [the Covenent of the League of Nations], which were meant to assure the peace and safety of all peoples, were trampled on, and the forum of peace was consequently disrupted. The respectable idea on which [the league] was founded was made an object of mockery. The two-thousand-year-old Christian Civilization was threatened with destruction. If this happens, there will be a return to the days of barbarism, when the mighty could realize their aspirations at will. So that the spirit of the cursed will not gain predominance over the human race whom Christ redeemed with his blood, all peace loving people should cooperate to stand firm in order to preserve and promote lawfulness and peace.

War is not the only means to stop war. Men of goodwill, who fully recognize their duties, should be able, with the assistance of all free men, to prevent war and help rehabilitate all those who were debilitated and damaged by war, in order to protect this precious diamond, 'Peace'.

People of America! I wish you a merry Christmas. I plead with you to remember in your prayers all those weak and endangered peoples who look to the flags of the free nations with confidence, hoping to discern the star which will announce their peace and future security."

His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I

Excerpt from
My Life and Ethiopia's Progress, Volume 2
Haile Selassie I
King of Kings of Ethiopia

posted in Haile Selassie I Archives - 1 reply

who know's the story

2006-10-31T17:03:51Z

Greetings I ,

who might know the full story of a duke or some royal blood of England/Britian that returned a staff or rod to his Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I ???

amazing story / lore

I'm interested to hear what ya know
to gather some understandings.

blessings'
~billyb

posted in Haile Selassie I Archives - 3 replies

Welsh Society of Ras Tafari

2006-05-10T13:44:50Z

Greetings Idren, in the name of HIM!

InI can feel winds of change in the air
The Queen of the South is rising again

check out www.geocities.com/armatimes/main.htm
still very much under construction, and open to any contributions (of info, links...) or suggestions. Also if anyone else has a similar site, we should network our sites together, seen?

and anyone that hasn't read the Kebra Nagast, you can find translations on the internet, its a beautiful resource.

...Babyloff

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One Love Lifestyles about to be reborn

2006-04-24T07:57:13Z

Greetings to all
I'm writing to share that I'm doing my best to re-activate the magazine. I have relocated to the NW USA and have been working to de-clutter all that has been gathered since a year ago.. I had to take a financial and personbal break to catch up with personal issues.. This project is still grassroots and a small collective scattered across the West Coast USA and Canada.. Anyone that wishes to participate plse email and I'll do my best to get back to you.. For now
One Love
http://www.onelovelifestyles.tribe.net

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READ ABOUT SIS CINDY SIMEON, RASTAFARI PSALMIST QUEEN

2006-01-26T02:51:25Z

Re: New ...Sister Cindy Simeon Rastafari Psalmist Queen, InterviewWed, January 25, 2006 - 6:48 PM new
www.alumbo.com/directory181.html

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FawardMoveMent

2006-01-25T22:37:43Z

greetings and love
so i find i the new moderator the I-chives,,unexpectedly,,,but es all god vibes. but it mek i tink of what an archive really is..
a place where InI come to find knowledge, wisdom and information about the subject being archived,,H.I.M. so iya feel this a way we can all I-tribute to the rememberance of his and her majesty...please post as many pictures and facts as posiible...
bless tafari
OrionI

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Jah Knows His Children by their fruits - Yahshua

2005-06-01T03:36:07Z

19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Lamp of the Body
22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

You Cannot Serve God and Riches
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Do Not Worry
25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31"Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?' or "What shall we wear?' 32For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 7

Do Not Judge
1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
4Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
6"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Way
13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14Because arrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

posted in Haile Selassie I Archives - 1 reply

Go the Second Mile - Yahshua

2005-01-29T08:59:30Z

38 "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Love Your Enemies
43 "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

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Forgivness - Yahshua

2005-01-29T08:57:13Z

21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, "Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, "You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. 23Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
26Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

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The Beatitudes

2005-01-29T08:54:55Z

1And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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HIM United Nations 10/06/63

2005-01-29T07:13:57Z

ADDRESS TO THE UNITED NATIONS

"Mr. President, Distinguished Delegates:

Twenty-seven years ago, as Emperor of Ethiopia, I mounted the rostrum in Geneva,
Switzerland, to address the League of Nations and to appeal for relief from the
destruction which had been unleashed against my defenseless nation, by the Fascist
invader.I spoke then both to and for the conscience of the world. My words went
unheeded, but history testifies to the accuracy of the warning that I gave in 1936.

Today, I stand before the world organization which has succeeded to the mantle
discarded by its discredited predecessor. In this body is enshrined the principle of
collective security which I unsuccessfully invoked at Geneva. Here, in this
Assembly, reposes the best - perhaps the last - hope for the peaceful survival of
mankind.

In 1936, I declared that it was not the Covenant of the League that was at stake,
but international morality. Undertakings, I said then, are of little worth if the
will to keep them is lacking. The Charter of the United Nations expresses the
noblest aspirations of man: abjuration of force in the settlement of disputes
between states; the assurance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all
without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion; the safeguarding of
international peace and security.

But these, too, as were the phrases of the Covenant, are only words; their value
depends wholly on our will to observe and honor them and give them content and
meaning. The preservation of peace and the guaranteeing of man's basic freedoms and
rights require courage and eternal vigilance: courage to speak and act - and if
necessary, to suffer and die - for truth and justice; eternal vigilance, that the
least transgression of international morality shall not go undetected and
unremedied. These lessons must be learned anew by each succeeding generation, and
that generation is fortunate indeed which learns from other than its own bitter
experience. This Organization and each of its members bear a crushing and awesome
responsibility: to absorb the wisdom of history and to apply it to the problems of
the present, in order that future generations may be born, and live, and die, in
peace.

The record of the United Nations during the few short years of its life affords
mankind a solid basis for encouragement and hope for the future. The United Nations
has dared to act, when the League dared not in Palestine, in Korea, in Suez, in the
Congo. There is not one among us today who does not conjecture upon the reaction of
this body when motives and actions are called into question. The opinion of this
Organization today acts as a powerful influence upon the decisions of its members.
The spotlight of world opinion, focused by the United Nations upon the
transgressions of the renegades of human society, has thus far proved an effective
safeguard against unchecked aggression and unrestricted violation of human rights.

The United Nations continues to serve as the forum where nations whose interests
clash may lay their cases before world opinion. It still provides the essential
escape valve without which the slow build-up of pressures would have long since
resulted in catastrophic explosion. Its actions and decisions have speeded the
achievement of freedom by many peoples on the continents of Africa and Asia. Its
efforts have contributed to the advancement of the standard of living of peoples in
all corners of the world.

For this, all men must give thanks. As I stand here today, how faint, how remote are
the memories of 1936. How different in 1963 are the attitudes of men. We then
existed in an atmosphere of suffocating pessimism. Today, cautious yet buoyant
optimism is the prevailing spirit. But each one of us here knows that what has been
accomplished is not enough.

The United Nations' judgments have been and continue to be subject to frustration,
as individual member-states have ignored its pronouncements and disregarded its
recommendations. The Organization's sinews have been weakened, as member-states have
shirked their obligations to it. The authority of the Organization has been mocked,
as individual member-states have proceeded, in violation of its commands, to pursue
their own aims and ends. The troubles which continue to plague us virtually all
arise among member states of the Organization, but the Organization remains impotent
to enforce acceptable solutions. As the maker and enforcer of the international law,
what the United Nations has achieved still falls regrettably short of our goal of an
international community of nations.

This does not mean that the United Nations has failed. I have lived too long to
cherish many illusions about the essential highmindedness of men when brought into
stark confrontation with the issue of control over their security, and their
property interests. Not even now, when so much is at hazard would many nations
willingly entrust their destinies to other hands.

Yet, this is the ultimatum presented to us: secure the conditions whereby men will
entrust their security to a larger entity, or risk annihilation; persuade men that
their salvation rests in the subordination of national and local interests to the
interests of humanity, or endanger man's future. These are the objectives, yesterday
unobtainable, today essential, which we must labor to achieve.

Until this is accomplished, mankind's future remains hazardous and permanent peace a
matter for speculation. There is no single magic formula, no one simple step, no
words, whether written into the Organization's Charter or into a treaty between
states, which can automatically guarantee to us what we seek. Peace is a day-to-day
problem, the product of a multitude of events and judgments. Peace is not an "is",
it is a "becoming." We cannot escape the dreadful possibility of catastrophe by
miscalculation. But we can reach the right decisions on the myriad subordinate
problems which each new day poses, and we can thereby make our contribution and
perhaps the most that can be reasonably expected of us in 1963 to the preservation
of peace. It is here that the United Nations has served us - not perfectly, but
well. And in enhancing the possibilities that the Organization may serve us better,
we serve and bring closer our most cherished goals.

I would mention briefly today two particular issues which are of deep concern to all
men: disarmament and the establishment of true equality among men. Disarmament has
become the urgent imperative of our time. I do not say this because I equate the
absence of arms to peace, or because I believe that bringing an end to the nuclear
arms race automatically guarantees the peace, or because the elimination of nuclear
warheads from the arsenals of the world will bring in its wake that change in
attitude requisite to the peaceful settlement of disputes between nations.
Disarmament is vital today, quite simply, because of the immense destructive
capacity of which men dispose.

Ethiopia supports the atmospheric nuclear test ban treaty as a step towards this
goal, even though only a partial step. Nations can still perfect weapons of mass
destruction by underground testing. There is no guarantee against the sudden,
unannounced resumption of testing in the atmosphere.

The real significance of the treaty is that it admits of a tacit stalemate between
the nations which negotiated it, a stalemate which recognizes the blunt, unavoidable
fact that none would emerge from the total destruction which would be the lot of all
in a nuclear war, a stalemate which affords us and the United Nations a breathing
space in which to act.

Here is our opportunity and our challenge. If the nuclear powers are prepared to
declare a truce, let us seize the moment to strengthen the institutions and
procedures which will serve as the means for the pacific settlement of disputes
among men. Conflicts between nations will continue to arise. The real issue is
whether they are to be resolved by force, or by resort to peaceful methods and
procedures, administered by impartial institutions. This very Organization itself is
the greatest such institution, and it is in a more powerful United Nations that we
seek, and it is here that we shall find, the assurance of a peaceful future.

Were a real and effective disarmament achieved and the funds now spent in the arms
race devoted to the amelioration of man's state; were we to concentrate only on the
peaceful uses of nuclear knowledge, how vastly and in how short a time might we
change the conditions of mankind. This should be our goal.

When we talk of the equality of man, we find, also, a challenge and an opportunity;
a challenge to breathe new life into the ideals enshrined in the Charter, an
opportunity to bring men closer to freedom and true equality. and thus, closer to a
love of peace.

The goal of the equality of man which we seek is the antithesis of the exploitation
of one people by another with which the pages of history and in particular those
written of the African and Asian continents, speak at such length. Exploitation,
thus viewed, has many faces. But whatever guise it assumes, this evil is to be
shunned where it does not exist and crushed where it does. It is the sacred duty of
this Organization to ensure that the dream of equality is finally realized for all
men to whom it is still denied, to guarantee that exploitation is not reincarnated
in other forms in places whence it has already been banished.

As a free Africa has emerged during the past decade, a fresh attack has been
launched against exploitation, wherever it still exists. And in that interaction so
common to history, this in turn, has stimulated and encouraged the remaining
dependent peoples to renewed efforts to throw off the yoke which has oppressed them
and its claim as their birthright the twin ideals of liberty and equality. This very
struggle is a struggle to establish peace, and until victory is assured, that
brotherhood and understanding which nourish and give life to peace can be but
partial and incomplete.

In the United States of America, the administration of President Kennedy is leading
a vigorous attack to eradicate the remaining vestige of racial discrimination from
this country. We know that this conflict will be won and that right will triumph. In
this time of trial, these efforts should be encouraged and assisted, and we should
lend our sympathy and support to the American Government today.

Last May, in Addis Ababa, I convened a meeting of Heads of African States and
Governments. In three days, the thirty-two nations represented at that Conference
demonstrated to the world that when the will and the determination exist, nations
and peoples of diverse backgrounds can and will work together. in unity, to the
achievement of common goals and the assurance of that equality and brotherhood which
we desire.

On the question of racial discrimination, the Addis Ababa Conference taught, to
those who will learn, this further lesson: That until the philosophy which holds one
race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and
abandoned: That until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of
any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the
color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all
without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world
citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting
illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy
regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in
subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and
malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and
tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in
the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African
continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know
that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil.

The United Nations has done much, both directly and indirectly to speed the
disappearance of discrimination and oppression from the earth. Without the
opportunity to focus world opinion on Africa and Asia which this Organization
provides, the goal, for many, might still lie ahead, and the struggle would have
taken far longer. For this, we are truly grateful.

But more can be done. The basis of racial discrimination and colonialism has been
economic, and it is with economic weapons that these evils have been and can be
overcome. In pursuance of resolutions adopted at the Addis Ababa Summit Conference,
African States have undertaken certain measures in the economic field which, if
adopted by all member states of the United Nations, would soon reduce intransigence
to reason. I ask, today, for adherence to these measures by every nation represented
here which is truly devoted to the principles enunciated in the Charter.

I do not believe that Portugal and South Africa are prepared to commit economic or
physical suicide if honorable and reasonable alternatives exist. I believe that such
alternatives can be found. But I also know that unless peaceful solutions are
devised, counsels of moderation and temperance will avail for naught; and another
blow will have been dealt to this Organization which will hamper and weaken still
further its usefulness in the struggle to ensure the victory of peace and liberty
over the forces of strife and oppression. Here, then, is the opportunity presented
to us. We must act while we can, while the occasion exists to exert those legitimate
pressures available to us, lest time run out and resort be had to less happy means.

Does this Organization today possess the authority and the will to act? And if it
does not, are we prepared to clothe it with the power to create and enforce the rule
of law? Or is the Charter a mere collection of words, without content and substance,
because the essential spirit is lacking? The time in which to ponder these questions
is all too short. The pages of history are full of instances in which the unwanted
and the shunned nonetheless occurred because men waited to act until too late. We
can brook no such delay.

If we are to survive, this Organization must survive. To survive, it must be
strengthened. Its executive must be vested with great authority. The means for the
enforcement of its decisions must be fortified, and, if they do not exist, they must
be devised. Procedures must be established to protect the small and the weak when
threatened by the strong and the mighty. All nations which fulfill the conditions of
membership must be admitted and allowed to sit in this assemblage.

Equality of representation must be assured in each of its organs. The possibilities
which exist in the United Nations to provide the medium whereby the hungry may be
fed, the naked clothed, the ignorant instructed, must be seized on and exploited for
the flower of peace is not sustained by poverty and want. To achieve this requires
courage and confidence. The courage, I believe, we possess. The confidence must be
created, and to create confidence we must act courageously.

The great nations of the world would do well to remember that in the modern age even
their own fates are not wholly in their hands. Peace demands the united efforts of
us all. Who can foresee what spark might ignite the fuse? It is not only the small
and the weak who must scrupulously observe their obligations to the United Nations
and to each other. Unless the smaller nations are accorded their proper voice in the
settlement of the world's problems, unless the equality which Africa and Asia have
struggled to attain is reflected in expanded membership in the institutions which
make up the United Nations, confidence will come just that much harder. Unless the
rights of the least of men are as assiduously protected as those of the greatest,
the seeds of confidence will fall on barren soil.

The stake of each one of us is identical - life or death. We all wish to live. We
all seek a world in which men are freed of the burdens of ignorance, poverty, hunger
and disease. And we shall all be hard-pressed to escape the deadly rain of nuclear
fall-out should catastrophe overtake us.

When I spoke at Geneva in 1936, there was no precedent for a head of state
addressing the League of Nations. I am neither the first, nor will I be the last
head of state to address the United Nations, but only I have addressed both the
League and this Organization in this capacity. The problems which confront us today
are, equally, unprecedented. They have no counterparts in human experience. Men
search the pages of history for solutions, for precedents, but there are none. This,
then, is the ultimate challenge. Where are we to look for our survival, for the
answers to the questions which have never before been posed? We must look, first, to
Almighty God, Who has raised man above the animals and endowed him with intelligence
and reason. We must put our faith in Him, that He will not desert us or permit us to
destroy humanity which He created in His image. And we must look into ourselves,
into the depth of our souls. We must become something we have never been and for
which our education and experience and environment have ill-prepared us. We must
become bigger than we have been: more courageous, greater in spirit, larger in
outlook. We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our
ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our fellow men within the human
community."

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
Oct. 6, 1963

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HIM League of Nations 06/36

2005-01-29T07:12:06Z

APPEAL TO THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
"I, Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, am here today to claim that justice which
is due to my people, and the assistance promised to it eight months ago, when fifty
nations asserted that aggression had been committed in violation of international
treaties.

There is no precedent for a Head of State himself speaking in this assembly. But
there is also no precedent for a people being victim of such injustice and being at
present threatened by abandonment to its aggressor. Also, there has never before
been an example of any Government proceeding to the systematic extermination of a
nation by barbarous means, in violation of the most solemn promises made by the
nations of the earth that there should not be used against innocent human beings the
terrible poison of harmful gases. It is to defend a people struggling for its
age-old independence that the head of the Ethiopian Empire has come to Geneva to
fulfill this supreme duty, after having himself fought at the head of his armies.

I pray to Almighty God that He may spare nations the terrible sufferings that have
just been inflicted on my people, and of which the chiefs who accompany me here have
been the horrified witnesses.
It is my duty to inform the Governments assembled in Geneva, responsible as they are
for the lives of millions of men, women and children, of the deadly peril which
threatens them, by describing to them the fate which has been suffered by Ethiopia.
It is not only upon warriors that the Italian Government has made war. It has above
all attacked populations far removed from hostilities, in order to terrorize and
exterminate them.

At the beginning, towards the end of 1935, Italian aircraft hurled upon my armies
bombs of tear-gas. Their effects were but slight. The soldiers learned to scatter,
waiting until the wind had rapidly dispersed the poisonous gases. The Italian
aircraft then resorted to mustard gas. Barrels of liquid were hurled upon armed
groups. But this means also was not effective; the liquid affected only a few
soldiers, and barrels upon the ground were themselves a warning to troops and to the
population of the danger.

It was at the time when the operations for the encircling of Makalle were taking
place that the Italian command, fearing a rout, followed the procedure which it is
now my duty to denounce to the world. Special sprayers were installed on board
aircraft so that they could vaporize, over vast areas of territory, a fine,
death-dealing rain. Groups of nine, fifteen, eighteen aircraft followed one another
so that the fog issuing from them formed a continuous sheet. It was thus that, as
from the end of January, 1936, soldiers, women, children, cattle, rivers, lakes and
pastures were drenched continually with this deadly rain. In order to kill off
systematically all living creatures, in order to more surely to poison waters and
pastures, the Italian command made its aircraft pass over and over again. That was
its chief method of warfare.

Ravage and Terror
The very refinement of barbarism consisted in carrying ravage and terror into the
most densely populated parts of the territory, the points farthest removed from the
scene of hostilities. The object was to scatter fear and death over a great part of
the Ethiopian territory.
These fearful tactics succeeded. Men and animals succumbed. The deadly rain that
fell from the aircraft made all those whom it touched fly shrieking with pain. All
those who drank the poisoned water or ate the infected food also succumbed in
dreadful suffering. In tens of thousands, the victims of the Italian mustard gas
fell. It is in order to denounce to the civilized world the tortures inflicted upon
the Ethiopian people that I resolved to come to Geneva. None other than myself and
my brave companions in arms could bring the League of Nations the undeniable proof.
The appeals of my delegates addressed to the League of Nations had remained without
any answer; my delegates had not been witnesses. That is why I decided to come
myself to bear witness against the crime perpetrated against my people and give
Europe a warning of the doom that awaits it, if it should bow before the
accomplished fact.

Is it necessary to remind the Assembly of the various stages of the Ethiopian drama?
For 20 years past, either as Heir Apparent, Regent of the Empire, or as Emperor, I
have never ceased to use all my efforts to bring my country the benefits of
civilization, and in particular to establish relations of good neighbourliness with
adjacent powers. In particular I succeeded in concluding with Italy the Treaty of
Friendship of 1928, which absolutely prohibited the resort, under any pretext
whatsoever, to force of arms, substituting for force and pressure the conciliation
and arbitration on which civilized nations have based international order.

Country More United
In its report of October 5th 1935, the Committee of Thirteen recognized my effort
and the results that I had achieved. The Governments thought that the entry of
Ethiopia into the League, whilst giving that country a new guarantee for the
maintenance of her territorial integrity and independence, would help her to reach a
higher level of civilization. It does not seem that in Ethiopia today there is more
disorder and insecurity than in 1923. On the contrary, the country is more united
and the central power is better obeyed.

I should have procured still greater results for my people if obstacles of every
kind had not been put in the way by the Italian Government, the Government which
stirred up revolt and armed the rebels. Indeed the Rome Government, as it has today
openly proclaimed, has never ceased to prepare for the conquest of Ethiopia. The
Treaties of Friendship it signed with me were not sincere; their only object was to
hide its real intention from me. The Italian Goverment asserts that for 14 years it
has been preparing for its present conquest. It therefore recognizes today that when
it supported the admission of Ethiopia to the League of Nations in 1923, when it
concluded the Treaty of Friendship in 1928, when it signed the Pact of Paris
outlawing war, it was deceiving the whole world. The Ethiopian Government was, in
these solemn treaties, given additional guarantees of security which would enable it
to achieve further progress along the specific path of reform on which it had set
its feet, and to which it was devoting all its strength and all its heart.

Wal-Wal Pretext
The Wal-Wal incident, in December, 1934, came as a thunderbolt to me. The Italian
provocation was obvious and I did not hesitate to appeal to the League of Nations. I
invoked the provisions of the treaty of 1928, the principles of the Covenant; I
urged the procedure of conciliation and arbitration. Unhappily for Ethiopia this was
the time when a certain Government considered that the European situation made it
imperative at all costs to obtain the friendship of Italy. The price paid was the
abandonment of Ethiopian independence to the greed of the Italian Government. This
secret agreement, contrary to the obligations of the Covenant, has exerted a great
influence over the course of events. Ethiopia and the whole world have suffered and
are still suffering today its disastrous consequences.

This first violation of the Covenant was followed by many others. Feeling itself
encouraged in its policy against Ethiopia, the Rome Government feverishly made war
preparations, thinking that the concerted pressure which was beginning to be exerted
on the Ethiopian Government, might perhaps not overcome the resistance of my people
to Italian domination. The time had to come, thus all sorts of difficulties were
placed in the way with a view to breaking up the procedure; of conciliation and
arbitration. All kinds of obstacles were placed in the way of that procedure.
Governments tried to prevent the Ethiopian Government from finding arbitrators
amongst their nationals: when once the arbitral tribunal a was set up pressure was
exercised so that an award favourable to Italy should be given.
All this was in vain: the arbitrators, two of whom were Italian officials, were
forced to recognize unanimously that in the Wal-Wal incident, as in the subsequent
incidents, no international responsibility was to be attributed to Ethiopia.

Peace Efforts
Following on this award, the Ethiopian Government sincerely thought that an era of
friendly relations might be opened with Italy. I loyally offered my hand to the
Roman Government. The Assembly was informed by the report of the Committee of
Thirteen, dated October 5th, 1935, of the details of the events which occurred after
the month of December, 1934, and up to October 3rd, 1935.

It will be sufficient if I quote a few of the conclusions of that report Nos. 24, 25
and 26 "The Italian memorandum (containing the complaints made by Italy) was laid on
the Council table on September 4th, 1935, whereas Ethiopia's first appeal to the
Council had been made on December 14th, 1934. In the interval between these two
dates, the Italian Government opposed the consideration of the question by the
Council on the ground that the only appropriate procedure was that provided for in
the Italo-Ethiopian Treaty of 1928. Throughout the whole of that period, moreover,
the despatch of Italian troops to East Africa was proceeding. These shipments of
troops were represented to the Council by the Italian Government as necessary for
the defense of its colonies menaced by Ethiopia's preparations. Ethiopia, on the
contrary, drew attention to the official pronouncements made in Italy which, in its
opinion, left no doubt "as to the hostile intentions of the Italian Government."

From the outset of the dispute, the Ethiopian Government has sought a settlement by
peaceful means. It has appealed to the procedures of the Covenant. The Italian
Government desiring to keep strictly to the procedures of the Italo-Ethiopian Treaty
of 1928, the Ethiopian Government assented. It invariably stated that it would
faithfully carry out the arbitral award even if the decision went against it. It
agreed that the question of the ownership of Wal-Wal should not be dealt with by the
arbitrators, because the Italian Government would not agree to such a course. It
asked the Council to despatch neutral observers and offered to lend itself to any
enquiries upon which the Council might decide.

Once the Wal-Wal dispute had been settled by arbiration, however, the Italian
Govemmcnt submitted its detailed memorandum to the Council in support of its claim
to liberty of action. It asserted that a case like that of Ethiopia cannot be
settled by the means provided by the Covenant.
It stated that, "since this question affects vital interest and is of primary
importance to Italian security and civilization" it "would be failing in its most
elementary duty, did it not cease once and for all to place any confidence in
Ethiopia, reserving full liberty to adopt any measures that may become necessary to
ensure the safety of its colonies and to safeguard its own interests."

Covenant Violated
Those are the terms of the report of the Committee of Thirteen, The Council and the
Assembly unanimously adopted the conclusion that the Italian Government had violated
the Covenant and was in a state of aggression. I did not hesitate to declare that I
did not wish for war, that it was imposed upon me, and I should struggle solely for
the independence and integrity of my people, and that in that struggle I was the
defender of the cause of all small States exposed to the greed of a powerful
neighbour.

In October, 1935. the 52 nations who are listening to me today gave me an assurance
that the aggressor would not triumph, that the resources of the Covenant would be
employed in order to ensure the reign of right and the failure of violence.

I ask the fifty-two nations not to forget today the p

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HIM World Counsil of Churches January 12, 1971

2005-01-29T07:09:50Z

Opening Address to The W.C.C.

"Mr.Chairman,
Eminences and Distinguished Members of the Central Committee,

It is with feelings of great spiritual and personal happiness that We witness the
convening
of this meeting of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches in Our
capital city.
This is particularly so as it is more timely than ever for followers of Christ to
gather to
deliberate on current vital issues affecting international peace and justice.
Man's egoistic motives and his selfish desire to pursue exclusively his own individual
interests, thus failing in his God-given task of following the goal of the unity of
all, is
witness to the feebleness of human nature, and constitutes the major obstacle to the
unity of all Christians towards which we strive.
How long will we, who are disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, who are taught by the
same
Holy Bible, continue to remain divided amongst ourselves?
Realizing that the time has come for the Church of Christ, divided for many
centuries up till
now, to come together in unity and work together, it is imperative for all of us to
strive
together, in accordance with the words of the Apostle, Ephesians, Chapter 4, verses
5 and
6 to clear the way and open it up for the realization of unity. Each church and all
churches
have the obligation, derived from their covenant with God, to proclaim the Gospel,
to make
disciples of all nations and thus to make the faith grow and bear fruit.
We Christians living by the faith of Christ, the Head and Pillar on whom the Church
is founded,
cannot escape the responsibility to work for the peace of the world, and to ensure
equality
for all human beings created by God, lest we fail in our duty by being mere passive
witnesses to the gruesome spectacle of human beings, created in the image of God,
being
deprived by virtue of their color or their poverty, of the benefits and blessings
that are the
birthright of every man and all men, and suffering in agony, cast forth from the
pale of full
human existence.
Man does not live by bread alone. The spiritual life does not deny, however, the
need for
bread. Therefore, the spiritual life of humanity must necessarily include the common
aspiration
of all of us for a better standard of living and for greater improvement in the
quality of
human existence.
May God our Creator, the Helper and guiding Light of us all, grant you His wisdom
that your
meeting may bear fruit for His glory. We sincerely wish you all success and pray
that God
may lead you to that unity which Christians all over the world eagerly await."
H.I.M. Haile Selassie I
Addis Ababa
January 12, 1971

---------------------------------------

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HIM African Summitt 1963

2005-01-29T07:08:32Z

"We welcome to Ethiopia, in Our name and in the name of the Ethiopian Government and
people, the Heads of State and Government of independent African nations who are
today assembled in solemn conclave in Ethiopia's capital city. This conference,
without parallel in history, is an impressive testimonial to the devotion and
dedication of which we all partake in the cause of our mother continent and that of
her sons and daughters. This is indeed a momentous and historic day for Africa and
for all Africans.

We stand today on the stage of world affairs, before the audience of world opinion.
We have come together to assert our role in the direction of world affairs and to
discharge our duty to the great continent whose two hundred fifty million people we
lead. Africa is today at mid- course, in transition from the Africa of yesterday to
the Africa of tomorrow. Even as we stand here we move from the past into the future.
The task on which we have embarked, the making of Africa, will not wait. We must
act, to shape and mould the future and leave our imprint on events as they pass into
history.

We seek, at this meeting, to determine whither we are going and to chart the course
of our destiny. It is no less important that we know whence we came. An awareness of
our past is essential to the establishment of our personality and our identity as
Africans. This world was not created piecemeal. Africa was born no later and no
earlier than any other geographical area on this globe. Africans, no more and no
less than other men, possess all human attributes, talents and deficiencies, virtues
and faults. Thousands of years ago, civilizations flourished in Africa which suffer
not at all by comparison with those of other continents. In those centuries,
Africans were politically free and economically independent. Their social patterns
were their own and their cultures truly indigenous. The obscurity which enshrouds
the centuries which elapsed between those earliest days and the rediscovery of
Africa are being gradually dispersed. What is certain is that during those long
years Africans were born, lived and died. Men on other parts of this Earth occupied
themselves with their own concerns and, in their conceit, proclaimed that the world
began and ended at their horizons. All unknown to them, Africa developed in its own
pattern, growing in its own life and, in the nineteenth century, finally re-emerged
into the world's consciousness.

The events of the past hundred and fifty years require no extended recitation from
Us. The period of colonialism into which we were plunged culminated with our
continent fettered and bound, with our once proud and free peoples reduced to
humiliation and slavery; with Africa's terrain cross-batched and checkerboarded by
artificial and arbitrary boundaries. Many of us, during those bitter years, were
overwhelmed in battle, and those who escaped conquest did so at the cost of
desperate resistance and bloodshed. Others were sold into bondage as the price
extracted by the colonialists for the "protection" which they extended and the
possession of which they disposed. Africa was a physical resource to be exploited
and Africans were chattels to be purchased bodily or, at best, peoples to be reduced
to vassalage and lackeyhood. Africa was the market for the produce of other nations
and the source of the raw materials with which their factories were fed.

Today, Africa has emerged from this dark passage. Our armageddon is past. Africa has
been reborn as a free continent and Africans have been reborn as free men. The blood
that was shed and the sufferings that were endured are today Africa's advocates for
freedom and unity. Those men who refused to accept the judgement passed upon them by
the colonies, who held unswervingly through the darkest hours to a vision of an
Africa emancipated from political, economic and spiritual domination, will be
remembered and revered wherever Africans meet. Many of them never set foot on this
continent. Others were born and died here. What we may utter today can add little to
the heroic struggle of those who, by their example, have shown us how precious are
freedom and human dignity and of how little value is life without them. Their deeds
are written in history."

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I

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HIM Spiritual Kinsmen

2005-01-29T07:07:10Z

Spiritual Kinsmen
"Knowing that material and spiritual progress are essential to man, we must
ceaselessly work for the equal attainment of both. Only then shall we be able to
acquire that absolute inner-calm, so necessary to our well-being. Whenever conflict
arises between material and spiritual values, the conscience plays an important role
and anyone who suffers from a guilty conscience is never really free from this
problem until he makes peace with himself and his conscience. Discipline of the mind
is a basic ingredient of genuine morality and therefore of spiritual strength.
Spiritual power is the eternal guide, in this life and the life after, for man ranks
supreme among all creatures. Led forward by spiritual power, man can reach the
summit destined for him by the Great Creator. Since nobody can interfere in the
realm of God we should tolerate and live side by side with those of other faiths. In
the mystic traditions of the different religions we have a remarkable unity of
spirit. Whatever religion they may profess, they are spiritual kinsmen. While the
different religions in their historic forms bind us to limited groups and militate
against the development of loyalty to the world community, the mystics have already
stood for the fellowship of humanity...in harmony with the spirit of the mystics of
ages gone by.
No one should question the faith of others, for no human being can judge the ways of
God."

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I

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HIM the Bible

2005-01-29T07:05:52Z

The Bible

"We in Ethiopia have one of the oldest versions of the Bible, but however old the
version may be, in whatever language it may be written, the Word remains one and the
same. It transcends all boundaries of empires and all conceptions of race.
It is eternal.

No doubt you all remember reading in the Acts of the Apostles of how Philip baptized
the Ethiopian official. He is the first Ethiopian on record to have followed Christ,
and from that day onwards the Word of God has continued to grow in the hearts of
Ethiopians. And I might say for myself that from early childhood I was taught to
appreciate the Bible, and my love for it increases with the passage of time. All
through my troubles I have found it a cause of infinite comfort. "Come unto me, all
ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Who can resist an
invitation so full of compassion?

Because of this personal experience in the goodness of the Bible, I was resolved
that all my countrymen should also share its great blessing, and that by reading the
Bible they should find truth for themselves. Therefore... I caused a new translation
to be made from our ancient language into the language which the old and the young
understood and spoke.

Today, man sees all his hopes and aspirations crumbling before him. He is perplexed
and knows not whither he is drifting.
But he must realize that the Bible is his refuge, and the rallying point for all
humanity. In it man will find the solution of his present difficulties and guidance
for his future action, and unless he accepts with clear conscience the Bible and its
great message, he can not hope for salvation.

For my part I glory in the Bible."

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I

--------------------------------------------------

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HIM to Pres. Johnson 02/13/67

2005-01-29T07:04:35Z

"Mr. President, Mrs. Johnson, distinguished guests:
First of all, Mr. President, I wish to state my satisfaction of the fact you have
recovered as spiritedly from your recent difficulty with your health. It is nice to
see you in the state that I find you today.

Each generation thinks that the situation it faces is the most serious one, the most
difficult among those which were faced by generations of the past. However this may
be true today, I believe, when we say the task of this generation is burdensome, we
mean it.

Because of the progress mankind has achieved and because of the difficulties that
are at times part and parcel of progress and prosperity, we find ourselves at a
crossroad where we might make the world safe for our future generations or we might
all perish together.

The friendship between the United States and Ethiopia is one of long standing. Our
association in the past many decades, I hope, has been fruitful for both our
peoples. Because the United States and Ethiopia believe in the same fundamental and
essential goals, it is necessary that we should put our efforts together so that we
may make maximum contnbution for the safety, happiness and prosperity of the
generations to come.

In our discussions, Mr. President, I hope we will have the occasion of considering
certain questions of mutual concern, of exchanging views in a frank and open manner,
and arriving, I am confident, at a consensus of understanding.

I believe that these are not confined to our times and that leaders must from time
to time come together, face each other, and discuss problems they share in common.
It is not enough that we deal through diplomatic channels.

Mr. President I know of the hard work that you have in your country. I know of the
immense responsibility you carry for the safety of mankind, for the maintenance of
peace. I know also of your splendid effort in maintaining national peace and
security. I am glad, under the circumstances, that you are able to consider my
coming to the United States for the purpose of dealing with matters of mutual
interest.

Ethiopia and Ethiopians are labouring today not only for the peace and prosperity of
our people, but also, realizing the fundamental common interest which we share with
other African people, we have dedicated Ourselves to building a united and a more
prosperous Africa. We found that the interest that affects Africa affects also
Ethiopia and vice versa, because our destiny with the African Continent is a common
one.

We have to put up a common effort to see that the Continent's interests are
protected. As it is well known, the Organization of African Unity was established in
Addis Ababa. I believe this organization has made a good beginning in the interest
of all of the African people. I hope, Mr. President, during our private
conversations I will have an opportunity of exchanging views with you about matters
of mutual concern, as well as matters that relate to the Organization of African
Unity.

Let me say, again, that I am glad to be in the United States today and I pray that
our discussions will bear fruit.
Thank you.

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
Feb. 13, 1967.

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HIM the Golden Declaration 01/22/40

2005-01-29T07:02:22Z

Thanks be to Almighty God who is impartial to all. Who can break
the arms of the strong and who stands by the oppressed.

When Our long-time enemy, Italy, crossed Our border and occupied
Our country by aggressive force, we fought to defend Our country
as much as we could and then went to Europe to solicit help while
you, patriots of Ethiopia, continued the struggle and waited for us
fighting day and night in the forests and mountains against the
militarily superior brutal enemy, in taking advantage of your natural
heroism as your greatest weapon, never putting aside your swords,
abandoning your flag or surrendering to alien rule.

As you now see, your five-year struggle has made it possible for you
to witness the fruits of your efforts and sacrifices.
We have told you before that we have brought for you with us, the
aid of Great Britain which promised us to completely dispel Our enemy
from Our country and restore Our independence. Our happiness is
boundless when we announce to you that we have returned to Our
beloved country, with God's will, and to be present amidst Our people
whom We have been missing for some time.

Our people of Ethiopia

You know how grim life is to people robbed of their government,
independence and their motherland. The time has now come when each
and everyone of us should protect and serve Our beloved country,
Ethiopia, with more zeal and vigour.

The Almighty God has been merciful to all of us. Therefore, we have
given mercy to those of you who, willingly or unwillingly, betrayed your
country and your Emperor while here or abroad, and we urge you,
wherever you may be, to raise your arms against the enemy who has
come, determined to destroy your race, confiscate your property and
spoil your name. Now you must throw him out of Ethiopia.

Italy is now in great despair, pressured by Great Britain's air, sea and
land forces and those Italian soldiers remaining in Our country will not
be beyond the challenge of Our reliable patriotic forces.
We express Our gratitude to the government and people of Great Britain,
for all the world to hear, on behalf of you and Ourselves, for the warm,
generous and cordial reception and welcome they accorded us during
Our most trying period.

Long live independent Ethiopia! Long live Great Britain!"

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
Jan. 22, 1940.

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HIM African Liberation Day 05/26/65

2005-01-29T07:01:12Z

NATlON-WIDE BROADCAST ON AFRICAN
LIBERATION DAY

"The first conference of the independent African states was held in
Accra, Ghana, on April 15, 1958. It was decided then to celebrate
this historic day as African Freedom Day. Until recently, April 15 was
celebrated throughout our continent as African Freedom Day.
However, two years ago today in May the Summit Conference of the
Independent African States, which was convened in Our Capital City
of Addis Ababa, decreed that May 25, the day on which the historic
Charter of the Organization of African Unity was signed, be celebrated
every year as African Liberation Day. Accordingly today is celebrated
as African Liberation Day.

The African Unity Charter was signed two years ago today. Within this
brief period much has been accomplished that augurs well for African
Unity. In accordance with the resolution of the first Assembly of African
Heads of State and Government held in Cairo last year, the headquarters
of the Organization of African Unity has been established here in Addis
Ababa. Under its Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Diallo Telli, of
Guinea, the Organization is successfully discharging its responsibilities
and commitments.

The Ethiopian people, who have struggled and made untold sacrifices
for their independence and freedom for thousands of years an
independence that has been a beacon for all of Africa today celebrate
this day together with all Africans by consolidating their freedom and
independence with the freedom and independence of their African
brothers in the spirit of Modern Ethiopianism.

This year, two sister African states Zambia and Gambia have won
independence and they have joined the family of independent African
states. We share their joy and we extend again, as we did on the
occasion when they won their independence, Our sincere felicitations.
We are anxiously awaiting the day when those Africans in the dependent
territories break the shackles of foreign tutelage, and become masters of
their own fate.

On this solemn day, all of us must pause and remember the plight of our
African brothers who are under foreign rule and who are desperately
struggling to win their freedom, their basic fundamental human rights.
Instead of granting their rightful freedom and independence to the
indigenous Africans in Angola, Mozambique and Portuguese Guinea, the
Portuguese Govemment has intensified even more its campaign of ruthless
suppression of African freedom fighters in these territories, under the
outmoded, illogical pretext that these territories are part of Portugal. In
concert with the other African members of the United Nations
Organization, Ethiopia has never ceased advocating at United Nations
and other international conferences that the Portuguese Government
should grant independence to each and every territory under its rule.

Rhodesia

The United Nations Anti-Colonial Committee of which Ethiopia is a member,
is presently visiting Africa to follow closely the dangerous situation in Southern
Rhodesia. In South Africa and in South-West Africa, the policies of apartheid
and oppression are becoming increasingly unbearable. The South African
Government is accelerating its ruthless campaign: a methodical
campaign of arresting daily, detaining without trial and torturing the Africans
and their leaders who are struggling for the their fundamental human rights
and freedom. All the peace-loving countries of the world must act together
to force the colonial governments of South Africa and Portugal to desist from
these policies - policies which are inhuman, policies which deny basic human
rights, policies which are detrimental to the peace and security of the entire
world and grant independence and freedom to these oppressed people.

To the U.N.

The Assembly of the African Heads of State and Government has authorized
the Foreign Ministers of Senegal and Algeria to bring the cases of racial
discrimination and oppression in South Africa, the inhuman colonial rule of
the Portuguese Government and the dangerous situation in Southern
Rhodesia, before the Security Council of the United Nations to find
permanent solutions to the unrelenting struggles of the African governments
and people. As a result the entire world is today more conscious of these
pressing problems.

From discussions in the United Nations in recent years, We have cause to
believe that some friendly nations fully support the efforts to impose an
economic boycott on South Africa and Portugal; it is unfortunate that some
great powers who have been entrusted with the maintenance of international
peace and security have not co-operated inthese worthy efforts.
These powers are the main obstacles to an effective economic boycott of
South Africa and Portugal.

The establishment of the Organization of African Unity, the concerted action
of the member-states and the pooling of the aid to Our brethren African
freedom fighters, have helped to revive and strengthen as well as intensify
the liberation movements throughout Africa. For this we are grateful to the
Liberation Committee of the nine African States, of which Ethiopia is a member.
On this day, we should all recollect with gratitude the support of all those
friendly nations in our endeavour in the United Nations and other international
conferences to free Africa of all the colonial vestiges.

Next Assembly

It will be recalled that the Cairo Assembly of the Heads of State and
Government decided to convene the Second Assembly of the Heads of State
and Government in Accra, Ghana, in September this year.
Because of misunderstandings among certain member states of the Organization
of African Unitys voices have been occasionally raised recently against the
convocation of the Assembly in Accra. Nonetheless, the regular Assembly of
the Heads of State and Government was, in the first place, designed to find
peaceful solutions, through deliberations and frank exchange of views to such
misunderstandings among member-states. We believe, therefore, that any
change in the venue of the next Assembly will make no major difference.
Consequently we have dispatched our Minister of State for Foreign Affairs to
West Africa, with personal messages from us, to mediate vith the leaders of the
West African states concerned.

We earnestly hope that the member-states of the organization of African Unity
will meet in Accra in September in accordance with the decision of the first
Assembly of the Heads of State and Government.
On this day, we extend our fraternal greetings to all our brethren Africans who
are still suffering under foreign colonial rule. We reiterate that Ethiopia, in
co-operation with the member-states of the Organization of African Unity, will
always continue to give her full support for their just struggles to win their
inalienable rights to freedom and independence, and to be masters of their own
destiny. May Almighty God assist us in these endeavours."

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
May 26. 1965.

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HIM to Parliament 11/02/73

2005-01-29T06:58:45Z

Address to Parliament - November 2, 1973

"It is a great responsibility to be elected to legislate upon matters that are the
anchor of personal liberty, security, social responsibility - in general of a
framework of organized and ordered social order.

One measure of the healthy growth of parliamentary democracy is the insight sense of
responsibility and dedication brought into work by deputies in the course of
deliberating on issues originating from either the executive branch of government or
the Chamber itself. Our government has given education, public health and related
programs high priority with the conviction that trained manpower and sound health
are crucial to the progress of advancing economic growth.

Accordingly, no less than 20% of the national budget was allotted to education.
Enrollment in governmental and private elementary and secondary schools has
surpassed targets of the Third Five-Year Development Plan. It is also gratifying
that enrollment in the University is growing from year to year.

Considerable time and energy have been devoted by experts to the task of making
research into the kind of education best suited to Ethiopia's present needs in
accordance with a directive we personally issued. The recommendation has reached us
through the Council of Ministers and we have given order for its immediate
implementation.

It is normal for every individual family or generation to give way to the new by
adding something to the heritages bequeathed upon it. No man chooses his own
parents. But in the last analysis, a man's ultimate worth is, in the modern world,
determined by his accomplishments and his service in the cause of his nation and his
countrymen. It is thus our sacred duty and responsibility to be cognizant of the
fact that because history is bound to judge us tomorrow by what we are doing today,
we must do everything in our power to leave behind us a lasting legacy of work.

Lastly, we would like to remind you members of the Houses of Parliament to
deliberate on the bills already submitted, and those which will be submitted to you
as a matter of urgency by realizing the fact that they are matters of crucial
importance for the progress and development of the country.

May God, who proposes and disposes everything, be with you all in the discharge of
your duties and responsibilities."

H.I.M. EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE I
Speech to Parliament
November 2, 1973

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HIM ACCRA Conference 04/15/58

2005-01-29T06:57:02Z

ON THE BEGINNINGS OF AFRICAN UNITY
TO THE A.C.C.R.A. CONFERENCE (Conference of Independent African States)

"The convening of the Conference of Independent African States in Ghana, where
responsible statesmen representing a free government are gathering to consider
common problems, is a great and momentous event.

As an integral part of the African Continent, Ethiopia looks back with pride to
the role which she has played in the history of the development of Africa, and
looks forward with confidence to the future of this great continent.

In her long and glorious history, Ethiopia, has time and again, had to struggle
against overwhelming odds to preserve intact her traditional freedom and
independence and to guarantee from generation to generation the right of free
men to work out their own destiny without interference or hindrance. The world
is only now coming to realize what Ethiopia and Africa have long recognized,
that peace, independence and the prosperity of mankind can be achieved and
assured only by the collective and united efforts of free men who are prepared
to maintain eternal vigilance and labour unceasingly to protect these most
precious of God's gifts. The sympathy and support which Ethiopia received from
other African peoples when she was invaded twenty-three years ago is ample
testimony of the strong sentiments which unite all free African countries.

In our own lifetime the world has undergone changes more sweeping and striking
than those seen during any similar period in history. Technical and scientific
advances have combined to raise mankind to a level of material achievement never
before realized. It is the duty and responsibility of the Independent African
States to further this developmed and to bring the benefits of modern
civilization to increasingly large numbers of people in Africa.

However, as man's capacity to improve his own lot has grown, so has his power
to spread havoc and destruction correspondingly increased. The Independent
African States must assure that the growing weight of Africa is enlisted on the
side of peace and justice to the end of avoiding a third holocaust which could
well engulf the entire world and result in the total destruction of mankind.

But dwarfing even man's material achievements in the twentieth century has been
the emergence of peoples all over the world into freedom and independence.
Today, for the first time, men everywhere to whom freedom and independence
were, but a short time ago, only words, and for whom economic and political
self-determination were no more than far-distant goals, have achieved the
status of free men and are directing their efforts and energies to their own
advancement. We are particularly gratified and proud that this development has
been so marked and widespread on the great continent of Africa.
Africa will no longer be the "unknown continent", for its human and material
resources are beyond measure, and this great continent now stands on the verge
of an economic, political and cultural development which, when realized, will
be without parallel in history.

In this development, Ethiopia will have its own particular, and we feel,
important role to play. It is for this reason that we have charged Our beloved
Son Prince Sahle Selassie with the high mission to be Our personal representative
and the head of the Ethiopian Delegation to the Conference of Independent African
States. Ethiopia knows how hard-won is independence and how vital it is that men
be jealous of their freedom and be ever prepared to defend it. Ethiopia knows,
as her history has taught her, that the world is small, and that co-operation
among all nations of the world, East and West alike, is not only possible and
desirable, but indispensible for the welfare of mankind. Ethiopia knows that the
willingness of the Independent States of Africa to co-operate and work together
in solving their common problems and achieving their common goals is essential
to the continued progress of the African peoples.

It is a propitious omen for the future that at this very moment the free nations
of Africa are giving tangible evidence of their determination to work together
not only for their own good but for the good of Africa and the entire world. The
task is great. It demands wise judgment and statesmanship of the highest order.
It requires unceasing labour, a dedication to fundamental principles and
objectives and a determination to overcome all obstacles, however large. He who
suffers conquers, and in the final resort, wins the crown of victory. We pray
that Almighty God will bless the Conference with strength and wisdom and crown
its efforts with success."

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
Apr. 15, 1958.

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HIM to H.S.I. University 09/23/63

2005-01-29T06:54:51Z

Laying Cornerstone Of New Arts Building
Haile Selassie I University

"...Education develops the intellect; and the intellect distinguishes man
from other creatures. It is education that enables man to harness nature
and utilize her resources for the well-being and improvement of his life.
The key for the betterment and completeness of modern living is education.
But, "Man cannot live by bread alone." Man, after all, is also composed of
intellect and soul. Therefore, education in general, and higher education
in particular, must aim to provide, beyond the physical, food for the intellect
and soul. That education which ignores man's intrinsic nature, and neglects
his intellect and reasoning power can not be considered true education.

HIGHER EDUCATION

A well organized education should not be one which prepares students for
a good remuneration alone. It should be one that can help and guide them
towards acquiring clear thinking, a fruitful mind, and an elevated spirit.
The educated person that Ethiopia and countries of our level needs is not
one who had stuffed bits of knowledge into his mind. The needed educated
individual is one who uses the ideas he obtained from his lectures, books,
and discussions to the best advantage of his own country and his own
people. It is he who disseminates new ideas in harmony with the economic
and social aspects of his own community so that fruitful results would be
realized. This is the educated person who can show segments of knowledge
he accumulated in his learning, inventiveness in a new situation.
Ethiopia is a country with her own culture and mores. These, our cultures
and customs, more than being the legacy of our historical past, are
characteristics of our Ethiopianness. We do not want our legacies and
traditions to be lost. our wish and desire is that education develop, enrich,
and modify them.

You all know the continuous effort that Ethiopia is exerting for the
development of a profound and high standard education. We need educated
and trained persons for research, for the study and development of our
country's resources, for technology, for medicine, for the law, and the
administration for our people according to their custom. These are the needs
that constrain us to provide, at all levels, education free of charge. And
students, ever mindful of this privilege, should endeavour to recompense
their country and nation.

The opportunity for education, afforded to the fortunate in our country, is not given
to them for a fashion or a mode. It is given for a purpose, for a task, for a
high reponsibility for full and exhaustive use, for the benefit of our country,
and the coming generation. We have just explained to you the type of result,
and responsibility that we expect from you students. It is on you, the members
of the faculty that we must rely for this result. We realize the heavy
responsibility we have entrusted to you. We hope that you too, while
believing and accepting your responsibilities as your sacred duties, will,
produce for Ethiopia persons who take pride in you and their education and
are ready for the call of service.

It is you who must mold the minds of your students that they may be wise,
farsighted, intelligent, profound in their thinking, devoted to their country and
government and fruitful in their work. It is you who must sense as the example.
On their part also, they will have to learn not only formal education but also
self discipline that should be worthy to be inherited. May the Almighty God be
with you in the fulfillment of your duties."

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
Sep. 23, 1963.

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HIM accepting Defender of the Faith 01/21/65

2005-01-29T01:57:45Z

ACCEPTING FORMALLY TITLE
"DEFENDER OF THE FAITH"

"Venerable and Holy Fathers,

In listening to the profound spiritual message conveyed by your closing
addresses, and appreciating the happy outcome of your sustained efforts,
Our heart has been touched by profound gladness. It should therefore
be clear to the whole world from the result of your work that Your Holiness
has been guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit to accomplish your
task in love and unity.

The great common tasks accomplished by this Conference in unison
bestow on the true faith and true order of the Oriental Orthodox Church
the admiration of the whole world.

As Solomon says, physical distance cannot be a barrier to love. Likewise,
the distances among your respective countries have been abolished by
the proximity of your hearts. You have thus been able to speak a single
tongue and think with a single mind. We thank Almighty God for enabling
us to witness the realization of Our dream in the successful outcome of
this historic Conference.

We are therefore happy to express to you Our readiness, fortified by the
results of this Conference, to invite you and the Eastern Orthodox Churches,
and also other churches at a later date. We ardently hope that we shall
meet once again in the not too distant future.

As we stated at the inauguration of this Conference, to meet together,
to take council with one another, and to act in mutual co-operation,
has proved a most fruitful method both in the secular and spiritual fields.
Henceforth the way is open for you to follow this fruitful path, and to this
end Our help and assistance will always be forthcoming, since We support
your efforts, and ideas out of an unshakable conviction that it is our
spiritual duty to do so.

We are gratified in particular to note that the work of this Conference has
been concerned purely with religious spiritual matters free from extraneous
political considerations. This is only fine and proper, for the church, as a
symbol of peace, must follow the path of peace in all parts of the world.
In this connection we are glad to note that your evangelistic mission in the
world has received due emphasis, in your deliberations, together with the
recognition of the Christian duty to pray for the rights of man and the peace
of the world. For world peace can only be made abiding by the Grace of God,
through the prayers of the Holy Fathers. The truth of this cardinal fact is
evident to all mankind.

We ardently hope that Almighty God shall bless the implementation of your
important resolutions and decisions, just as He has made possible the
successful convening and conclusion of this historic Conference.
Holy Fathers, we have welcomed the title you have given us, Defender of
the Faith, with great honour. May Almighty God grace your name. May God
welcome you. We have received this title given us by you Holy Fathers, with
religious reverence. May your prayers help Us in Our effort to fulfil the task
entrusted to us. "

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
Jan. 21, 1965

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HIM to US Astronauts 09/21/65

2005-01-29T01:56:02Z

Address to U.S. astronauts

"We wish to express our sincere thanks for the message that has been sent by His
Excellency President Johnson. We thank you also for the kind words you have said
about our country. We are happy to receive you for many reasons: happy because human
knowledge, at the present time, is being extended with the hope that mankind would
benefit. We are confident and sure that the world realizes today that as a result of
the investigations and as a result of the courage you have shown, all humanity is
going to benefit. Of course, it is one thing for us to be sitting at home and to
follow events that are transpiring outside, while with extreme personal courage and
at great personal risk, on behalf of humanity, you were undertaking a feat that has
given you personal satisfaction and brought great honour to the country that you
represent. As we said, your undertaking for advancement of science and on behalf of
human good can only result in great benefit to humanity in general. It is through
men that have dedicated themselves to scientific efforts that the human being has
made so much progress. And it is because men like you have shown extreme personal
courage for the future good of mankind that mankind has accomplished so much in
scientific investigations. There is no doubt that through these scientific
achievements mankind can advance. We are sure the pleasure accruing from what you
have accomplished is not solely confined to ourselves. The pleasure must naturally
go to the people of your country and to us, too. The result of your adventurous
experiments and works is an admirable contribution from the point of view of all men
who are interested in the advancement and progress of human society. Your space
flight and subsequent flights that are to be undertaken by men like you give us
confidence in the bright future of mankind. We thank you very much for the presents,
and please convey our heartfelt congratulations to President Johnson and all those
people who are responsible for this. Again we would like to take particular note of
your heroism and dedication to the cause of science."

H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
Sept. 21, 1965

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HIM Interview with the Ethiopian Voice 04/05/58

2005-01-29T01:54:26Z

question:
Perceiving the great benefit the Ethiopian people have been able to derive from the
Constitution which Your Majesty has been pleased to grant to them 27 years ago,
and observing the great change and improve ment in the way of life of the people
since then, Your Majesty has been once again pleased to grant the new Revised
Constitution on the Twenty-fifth Coronation Anniversary to suit the politically and
intellectually advanced state of the present generation.
This Revised Constitution has enabled the entire Ethiopian people to have the right
to elect and be elected to Parliament. Consequently, we find today the representatives
of the people performing their duties in Parliament after being elected by secret
ballot
in the spirit of the Constitution. Would it please Your Majesty to make known your
views on the significant changes that have come about in the country within these 27
years?

Answer:
Deeply conscious of the great responsibility conferred on us by God in guiding the
destiny of Our people, and realizing that in order to build their future well-being
on more
solid ground and to give a new facade to their way of life no better alternative
could be
found than to allow them to participate in the various activities of the State, we
have
been pleased to proclaim a Constitution 27 years ago. It is well-known that the
Constitution had opened a new chapter in the long history of the Ethiopian people and
acted as a bridge over which they passed into an era of prosperity and better living
standards.

Even though what we planned for Our people in this new chapter of their history had
been interrupted by a cruel invasion and war, Our strong determination has enabled us
to get over the obstacles presented by the war and to patiently lead Our people to the
comparatively high level at which they find themselves today.

On the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of Our coronation We promulgated the new Revised
Constitution which guarantees to Our people the right to elect and be elected to
Parliament, thereby allowing them to increasingly share with us the difficult task of
government. We felt this necessary in view of the spread of education and the
satisfactory progress made by our people during the last 27 years which was largely the
result of Our personal efforts in Our capacity as Minister of Education. Our future
expectation, therefore, is for Our people to be wise enough to make full and judicious
use of the rights We have granted them and to give us unstinted support and assistance
in everything we do to make Ethiopia great.

question:
Economists of various countries have of late been expressing the view that Ethiopia
has
the potential capacity of providing food grains to a 100 million people of the
Middle East,
thus predicting that Ethiopia would one day become the virtual granary of this region.
Would it please Your Majesty to express your opinion on this matter?

Answer:
Undoubtedly Ethiopia is a large country whose future potentialities are satisfactory
in every
way. Her richness in resources is a fact well-known to us leaving aside the opinion of
experts on the matter. It is in order to exploit this great wealth to the full that
we have
introduced modern agricultural techniques into Ethiopia hoping thereby to make Our
country
capable of providing food grains not only for her own increasing population but also
for the
outside world. The various agricultural schools and colleges found in the provinces
have
been established with the objective of giving useful training to Our people in
modern methods
of farming. When the high expectation we have of those institutions comes to be
realized,
therefore, we have not the slightest doubt that Ethiopia will be able to produce
sufficient
enough to provide many countries with food grains. This has been our strong belief
all along.

Question:
The future of the Somali peoples living in the territories bordering on Ethiopia
under the rule
of the three powers has been the object of speculation in some foreign newspapers
lately.
While some appear to have grasped the problems that have to be dealt with in the
future,
they often make it appear as if the only solution lies in the permanent division of
these
territories which is undoubtedly detrimental to all concerned in this region. What
is the view
of Your Majesty in this all-important matter?

answer:
In the years following the Second World War several attempts have been made by
politically
interested parties to create situations that would arouse our anxieties concerning the
Somalis living in the territories bordering on Ethiopia. What we see from time to time
appearing in some foreign newspapers is motivated by the same policy of preserving
self-interest by creating dissention and disharmony in this area which cannot be
said to be in
the interest of the peoples of the region.

Our attitude to the Somalis who belong to the same race as the Ethiopian people and
share
with them a common history, has always been crystal clear, namely, that of supporting
everything conducive to their well-being and progress. It was in keeping with this
policy that
we recently invited the leaders of United Nations Trust Somalia and had talks with
them here.
Our strong appeal to our Somali brothers is to be aware of those who, in the
furtherance of
their self-interest, seek to plunge this area into chaos, thereby disturbing the
peace that has
reigned in this part of the world for a long time. Much harm can be avoided by
understanding
in time the real intentions of these self-seekers.

question:
Even though some nations in Africa have recently acquired their independence there
are yet
many who have not had that fortune. Would Your Majesty be kind enough to explain if
there is
anything that Ethiopia is doing as an African country to improve the lot of these
unfortunate
African people?

answer:
Realizing that the bitter struggle which these African countries are carrying on for
their
freedom and independence is right and just, we have always been their strong
supporters at
all international conferences.

It is our firm determination to consistently follow this policy under all
circumstances.
Ethiopia's decision to take part in the deliberations of the Conference Of
Independent African
States to be held at Accra this month springs from her desire to exchange views with
the other
sister African states and formulate ways and means of cooperating with each other on
matters
vitally affecting our continent. We strongly believe that each nation has an
inherent right to
shape its own destiny and to seek its own way to the high state of advancement which
the
free nations of the world have attained.

question:
During the Middle Ages the world had witnessed bitter wars arising among peoples on
account
of religious differences. The bloodshed and many other evils created by those wars
could only
be stopped after men came to the realization that peace and harmony could be found
only
through tolerance and a spirit of accommodation.
There are many circles who advocate similar solutions to our present day world
problems. Does
Your Majesty believe that the spirit of co-existence or accommodation, without one
country
trying to impose its system and way of life on the other, would be an ideal solution
to our
present-day problems and to ensure peaceful existence possible?

answer:
Nations differing in ideologies could live side by side in peace unless they clash
on matters
involving self-interest.

We live in an age of ideologies and world peace is too precious a thing to be
disturbed merely
because of the clash of these ideologies. It is an entirely different matter though,
when one
country attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of another. We believe that if
all nations
make the Charter of the United Nations the basis of their international
relationships, all can
live in peace and harmony in spite of their differences in ideologies.

Question:
Many people have voiced the view that to carry on a peaceful construction and at the
same
time keep on building up military preparations is something that entails a great
burden on the
national economy. In fact it is the earnest desire of all nations to keep their
military expenditures
to the minimum while alloting most of their national budgets to peace pursuits. But
in order to
realize this desire it is necessary to devise a machinery that will guarantee their
security and
safety while pursuing their peaceful vocations. There are some quarters who hold
that the
United Nations is capable of providing the necessary safeguards against aggression.
Does
Your Majesty believe this organization, as at present constituted, to be strong
enough to
perform the great task of guaranteeing the safety and security of peaceful states?

Answer:
For the United Nations Organization to guarantee peace and security in the world it
must first
of all enjoy an authority proportionate to its world-wide responsibility. As we have
repeatedly
emphasized on several occasions in the past, the United Nations Organization must be
provided with a strong force of its own so as to enable it to enforce its own
decisions and
thereby become an effective safeguard against aggression.

Even though it is admittedly a great burden on the national economy of nations to
keep up
both military and peaceful developments side by side, no nation can afford to
neglect its basic
defense requirements in order to guarantee its own security.

On the other hand, the armaments race, apart from depriving nations of the wealth
that could
have been used for peaceful purposes, has created great fear and anxiety among the
peoples
of the world. It would indeed be in the interest of world peace if the nations of
the world reach
an agreement to stop the arms race. When a general agreement is finally reached on the
question of disarmament all preparations of a military nature will gradually assume
less
significance than they do at present.

question:
There are people everywhere who hold that civilization has done more harm than good to
humanity. These people argue that even though the so-called modern progress has
brought
some physical comfort, it has done incalculable harm to and greatly weakened the
spiritual
values regarded so highly in former times. What they call spiritual values are those
things
which are usually associated with religion. In other words the great progress made
in the
field of science has contributed to the weakening of the influence of religion and has
deprived man of that inner calm that he so much needs for his spiritual well-being.
What is
Your Majesty's opinion on this matter?

answer:
One cannot deny that in former times man's life had been one of toil and hardship.
It is
correct to say, therefore, that modern civilization and the progress of science have
greatly
improved man's life and have brought comfort and ease in their trail.

But civilization can serve man both for good as well as for evil purposes.
Experience shows
that it has invariably brought great dividends to those who use it for good purposes
while it
has always brought incalculable harm and damnation to those who use it for evil
purposes.
To make our wills obedient to good influences and to avoid evil, therefore, is to
show the
greatest wisdom. In order to follow this aim one must be guided by religion.
Progress without
religion is just like a life surrounded by unknown perils and can be compared to a
body
without a soul.

All human inventions, from the most primitive tool to the modern atom, can help man
greatly
in his peaceful endeavours. But if they are put to evil purposes they have the
capacity to
wipe out the human race from the surface of the earth.

It is only when the human mind is guided by religion and morality that man can
acquire the
necessary vision to put all his ingenuous inventions and contrivances to really
useful and
beneficial purposes. The progress of science can be said to be harmful to religion
only in so
far as it is used for evil aims and not because it claims a priority over religion
in its revelation
to man.

It is important that spiritual advancement must keep pace with material advancement.
When
this comes to be realized man's journey toward higher and more lasting values will
show more
marked progress while the evil in him recedes into the background.

Knowing that material and spiritual progress are essential to man, we must
ceaselessly work
for the equal attainment of both. Only then shall we be able to acquire that
absolute inner calm
so necessary to our well-being.

It is only when a people strike an even balance between scientific progress and
spiritual
and moral advancement that it can be said to possess a wholly perfect and complete
personality and not a lopsided one. The type of progress we have chalked out for
Ethiopia is
based on these fundamental principles.

Apr. 5, 1958

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