Many of you know of the Awassa Youth Campus project, an initiative founded three years ago with blessings from President Girma Wolde-Giorgis, US chargée d'affaires Vicki Huddleston, Professor and MP Beyene Petros, LEM vice-president Mengesha Workeneh, and then Senator Barack Obama. This site offers a place for young people–some orphans, some homeless–to develop outside school in a supportive atmosphere with resources for art, music, dance, theater, and the "martial art
of peace," aikido.

The past two years have seen the Youth Campus grow a lot--and now the time has come to expand its impact and provide it a new level of support. The AYC vision is to adapt this exemplary model for enhancing the moral growth and life skills of young people to other venues in Ethiopia–initially Harar, where officials have expressed enthusiasm for creating such a resource as an alternative to the growing khat culture–and also to become proactive in the community to temper gang violence.

Co founded by Aiki Extensions, Inc. and the Awassa Children's Project, the Campus's founding director was Tesfaye Tekelu, assisted by John McKay of Boston. Tesfaye's idea was based on
years of work at the Awassa Children's Center, a home for AIDS orphans and for an AIDS-awareness circus /theater, joined with his growing engagement with the practice of aikido, which he
saw as a powerful vehicle of love and moral growth for vulnerable young people. The aikido program offers classes seven days a week, for students at varying levels, and with a total current enrolment of 75. No mere sport, their aikido practice emphasizes principles such as empathy and harmony, so
students are routinely exposed to the peace-building aspects of this martial art. Their enthusiasm was such that, to have better space for practice, they built a beautiful new dojo made of bamboo and other local materials.

During the past year or so, Youth Campus students completed two ten-city tours all over Ethiopia. Along with performances of the One Love Theater, which promotes HIV/AIDS education, they offer aikido demos wherever they go. Some of their demos have been seen on national TV, so most people in urban Ethiopia now know something about aikido, The Art of Peace. For a glimpse of their work, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82-FwLDyxiQ Thanks to Tesfaye's efforts, the Addis Ababa Ministry of Education instituted a curricular requirement: that all seniors in Addis Ababa secondary schools study aikido as soon as trained instructors can be found.

Tesfaye's own training record is phenomenal. He trained at summer camps in Zurich in 2007 and 2008, and with a succession of highly-ranked instructors sent as "Aiki Corps" Volunteers  to Awassa. Since October 2008, when he came to the U.S. on an AYC fundraising tour, he has practiced under a challenging variety of world-class instructors. Currently in Petaluma, CA, he now prepares for his black belt exam under renowned instructor Richard Strozzi-Heckler Sensei and takes Strozzi
Institute Leadership Training courses. He will be the first Ethiopian national to become a yudansha (black belt)–probably the first in East Africa.

The time has come to expand support for AYC. In addition to AE, three other NGOs have committed to keep it going. Ethiopia's Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Samuel Assefa, assures me that the work of the Youth Campus will not be compromised by NGO laws recently passed by the Ethiopian Parliament. 

To meet its commitment for the 2009 AYC budget, Aiki Extensions must raise about $12,500. They need funds for training equipment, rent, tours, and local staff–and to initiate an outreach to reduce gang violence. Would it not be wonderful to hand Tesfaye a certificate for the bulk of that at the celebration following his black belt promotion on Wednesday evening, February 11? Toward that goal, I am pleased to note, the Daniel Weinstein Youth foundation has contributed a grant of $5,000, and two anonymous donors have already donated a total of $1,200.

Please join me in this effort, one of hope, not of fear. You may do so by
1) making a personal donation ($50 to $1,000) in order to meet this year’s AE commitment of $12,500;
2) get an organization to make a commitment to do something for the Awassa dojo;
3) serve on an Advisory Council to provide oversight for the dojo and additional fundraising support within Ethiopia.

Please email AE coordinator Jason Finkes at staff@aiki-extensions.org regarding how you would like to contribute. After letting Jason the amount of your tax-deductible gift payable to Aiki Extensions, Inc. [a
501(c)3 non-profit charity (Tax ID # 36-4248419)] you may either a) send a check marked Awassa Fund payable to Aiki Extensions, Inc. and mail it to Aiki Extensions, PO Box 379454, Chicago, IL 60637, or b) donate online by checking Awassa Ethiopia Fund at www.aiki-extensions.org/waysdonate.asp 

If you wish, we shall be happy to add your name on the list of donors to be inscribed on the certificate I shall hand to

Tesfaye next week.

Ke-akbariwot selamta gar,

Donald Levine (aka Liben Gebre Etiyopiya)
Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago;
Past President, Aiki Extensions, Inc.; and
Chair of the Awassa Peace Dojo Team