Zeryihun Kassa
Many think as if the talk about Meles Zenawi's legacy is to paint him a big personality cult. As far as I see it, he lived in how and what he believed in with tangible consequences.
The legacy he left behind is for our lesson if at all we are bright enough to learn from the life of other people especially from such committed figures like Meles Zenawi whether we shared his views or not.
The character he demonstrated over the years, the long hours he worked to get his visions done, his articulation of issues unmatched by his opponents and his tall role as member of EPRDF were things we can learn from.
One may not share his view of the world and his political inclination but everyone can learn from the kind of devotion he put into his work, the ambitions he set, the servant of the people he was.... and a lot more can really help us identify our roles to engage in fruitful purposes that set us free from the age long poverty and backwardness that we have begun to unravel over the last decade or so.
Meles lived his time and he is gone. It doesn't matter what we feel and believe about him. Whether we set up a personality cult around him or not it doesn't at all help him a bit.
After all he lived every bit of his life in good days and bad days; I think he had nothing to blame himself for as he did what he believed in with ways he saw fit for the purpose. Many of the strategies worked as he and his colleagues plot them; few failed them of course.
What matters is he was open to learn from what went right and wrong; he didn't like to gloat over his victories and he also didn't enjoy being unkind of his efforts just for some of his parties efforts went wrong. He took the lessons with his comrades and moved on.
Here I believe those of us who are around have a lot to learn from this big figure whether we are opponents or supporters. The character he illustrated all through the way beginning from his early days are principled and well footed. Above all in every policy and strategy he set, I see proactive moves that essentially sees things from inside out.
For instance, he doesn't pin our hopes of peace with the turmoils in the sub region. He rather rightly relates them with how we govern our own country Ethiopia. So long as I know he did always say this nation can only be developed as much as we the people of Ethiopia are committed to do so.
If anybody is not contented with the pace and quality of development of this great nation, then it is up to him to make his contribution as best as he can. Of course, nobody has the privilege of criticizing others; on the contrary every body has the natural right and national duty to set one's foot's print in the development of this beloved nation we call home.
Meles left his foot print for good. Some believe he did the wrong way. At least the best things for us is not to form one and same view but to engage in constructive services plus actions to help move this nation a step forward.
This kinds of actions counts and matters. Cheap talks are cheap, let us engage in dear investments: choosing to work to serve the best we can to the people we often reiterate that we love.
I believe love is a verb and it is actions that speaks well about love, not weird criticisms. I hope we be light and model not critic and pain in the back of those who try and do something they see important to help this country go forward.
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