[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 7515-7516]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT BUILDING IN ETHIOPIA

  Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, to mark the occasion of President 
Obama's Camp David G8 Summit focusing, in part, on the problem of food 
security in Africa, I want to take this opportunity to address the 
necessity for the United States to help foster stable and democratic 
nations as partners as we build multilateral coalitions to tackle 
global issues like hunger and poverty.
  Alaska is a long way from Africa, but the citizens of my State are 
committed to a stable and prosperous Africa. Many Alaskans contribute 
their time and resources toward this goal.
  A year ago in Deauville, France, President Obama joined other leaders 
of the G8 in reaffirming that ``democracy lays the best path to peace, 
stability, prosperity, shared growth and development.'' As the events 
in North Africa and the Middle East have shown, supporting reliable 
autocrats who are helpful on matters of security and economics at the 
expense of human dignity, basic democratic rights, and access to 
economic opportunity is more perilous than ever to long-term U.S. 
national security interests.
  It is for this reason that I make a few points about our reliable 
partner in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia. Two weeks ago at the World 
Economic Forum, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi made hopeful 
remarks about the virtues of democratic society. I publically commit my 
continuing support for efforts to make such important principles a 
reality in Ethiopia. It is in the U.S. interest to match Ethiopia's 
progress in economic development and poverty reduction with movement 
toward economic opportunity, social justice and judicial independence. 
It has been said that basic human rights and free and fair elections 
are nothing but dreams for all except for the developed countries of 
the world. I do not believe that to be true; Ethiopia is ready to 
realize that dream. To foster the benefits of a diverse citizenry, the 
many political prisoners and journalists should be released, the 
Charities and Societies Act, as designed and as it is implemented, 
should be prevented from strangling peaceful civil society advocacy.
  Beginning in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt and Ethiopian Emperor 
Menelik II launched a long and mutually beneficial history of working 
together on important geopolitical and economic strategic partnerships 
that last to this day. Our friend and partner, Ethiopia, has been a 
champion with the United States during many critical times for almost 
110 years. When Italy invaded Ethiopia, we refused to recognize the 
conquest. When the United States asked for help during the Cold War, 
Haile Selassie was ready to help. When the regime of Mengistu Haile-

[[Page 7516]]

Mariam failed, the United States came to Ethiopia's side with help to 
prevent violence in Addis Ababa, by facilitating Mengistu's departure. 
We gave this support for the mutual benefit and promise of 
democratization in Ethiopia.
  Ethiopia's macroeconomic successes of rapid growth rates and better 
than average performance in poverty reduction have been celebrated at 
this past week's G8 Summit, and at the recent World Economic Forum. 
There Prime Minister Meles pondered aloud:

       What is the substantive political thing that creates such 
     an environment [of fair economic opportunity for all 
     citizens]? The one [thing] that creates such an environment 
     is an engaged citizenry that is able to create an environment 
     where corruption and loot cannot happen at the lower level, 
     at the mid-level, at the higher level, and that goes beyond 
     elections every four and five years.

  On the microeconomic level, aside from the lack of progress on land 
reform, this is good news indeed, given recent complaints about the 
poor state of economic opportunity for all of Ethiopia's citizens. We 
are hopeful this is a sign that Ethiopia's federal ministries are ready 
to engage and assist the local citizenry in issues that relate to their 
economic interests. Many observers are pessimistic, but I prefer to 
think of the glass as half full, and ready to be filled to the brim.
  The Prime Minister's sentiments raise many issues, including: the 
nation's commitment to an environment conducive to free speech and 
citizen participation; a commitment to building an informed and engaged 
citizenry as a key to inclusive, long term economic development; a call 
for the quick and unconditional release of journalists and political 
prisoners as a measure of good faith; and commitment to a diverse and 
multi-party election in 2015, free from federal government 
interference.
  Hopeful as I am, I urge my Senate and House colleagues to re-commit 
to assistance we have offered the people of Ethiopia and their 
government in the past.
  Let us help build a national consensus on the value of the following 
goals in Ethiopia: robust public institutions that represent the 
diversity of perspectives in Ethiopia; free and fair political 
processes drawing legitimacy from broad citizen participation; an 
independent judicial system as outlined in Ethiopia's constitution; a 
press with institutional independence and legal protection to enable it 
to accommodate and a broad range of perspectives and ensure the free 
flow of information, ideas and opinions that are necessary in a 
democratic society, as outlined in Ethiopia's constitution; an 
environment where each citizen can take advantage of Ethiopia's 
economic success; and the security that comes with the assurance that 
universal rights are respected and protected.
  Our international partnerships are stronger and more enduring when we 
share values of opportunity and freedom with our partners. A more 
democratic Ethiopia would represent a more stable and reliable partner 
for the United States and serve the long-term interests of peace and 
security in the Horn of Africa. A more democratic Ethiopia would ease 
the free flow of information, which would ease trade and ensure more 
informed investments. A more democratic Ethiopia would ensure that 
government policies are the result of broad national consultation with 
all segments of society.
  Such are hallmarks of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and 
they provide a return of accountability and transparency to both 
American taxpayers and Ethiopian citizens. Let's do what we can to help 
our fast and true friend, Ethiopia, extend opportunity and freedom to 
the majority of its citizenry.

                          ____________________