The Politics of Love

It was late 2017. Conditions in and around Harar were very difficult at the time. Upheavals were all around the Harar region. One could literally breath hate in the air.

The massacre in Aweday exacerbated the already tense situation in the ground from bad to worst. A similar incident was being anticipated in Harar by its citizens as well. Visceral fear about impending disaster gripped the imagination of the public at that time.

However, few of us refused to accept that the fate of our region should be sealed by “politics of hate.” We were convinced that “politics of love,” would easily overcome the hatred that was being disseminated by narrow minded individuals.

Thus we began our people to people outreach efforts. Weekly gatherings at my grandma’s place turned into daily ones.

The following pictures show our struggle against all odds to promote peaceful coexistence among ALL people of the region.

They also show the meetings that we use to have at my grandmother’s house, which I called home at that time. We invited individuals from various Woredas and national backgrounds. We sat down and discussed as Argobas, Hararis, Somalis, and Oromos on how to bring peace to our region.

Our effort that was propelled into action by the hateful actions of a few, ultimately led to the establishment of a local NGO, People to People Peace and Development Association.

The organization ultimately expanded to include other nationalities that reside in Harar region, including Amharas, Gurages, Tigres, etc.