The articles by Aleme Eshete and Tseggai Mebrahtu, posted at the launching of this Website, are by two famous and patriotic Ethiopians who have brought out facts, and offered insights that are profound and deep based on thorough scholarly research and great wisdom born out of years of academic work and experience. The serious issues dealt with by the two scholars are quite complementary. There was no consultation by either Authors or the Editor of the Website on themes or ideas. The only request made by the Editor of all potential authors was for an article that dealt with background and/or current controversy facing the great nation of Ethiopia. As one can see, the articles are magnificent, to the point, rich in information, and impregnated with great wisdom and insight.

This Website�s stated first purpose is to act as a platform for posting articles and essays written by independent Ethiopians in order to share their concern, aspirations, and solutions to problems facing us all Ethiopians. In that effort, the first duty of every one is to delaminate facts from fiction and propaganda. This Website is dedicated for just such goals. If we base our opinions on facts, we believe that genuine dialogue, discourse, discussion, and debate among all members of the community of Ethiopians can take place and flourish helping us all to see the beauty, history, and greatness of our country.

The second purpose of the Website is to reinforce our national unity and to counter and challenge any divisive ethnic or tribal based politics and economic structure headlong. If there are certain lexicon used by any of the Authors, that may be objected to by some members of our community, let me assure our readers/visitors that it is purely a matter of academic choice of researched material and not aimed at degrading or challenging the dignity or human rights of any member of the Ethiopian community.

Although it is quite difficult to pass judgment on ones own work, the Article by me on Prime Minister Aklilu Habtewold and the criticism I offered against the Border Commission and its President, Sir Elihu Lauterpacht, further reinforces the great fight waged for centuries by Ethiopians, such as Aklilu�s in order to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of historic (ancient) Ethiopia and its people, and to geld the many destructive forces arrayed against Ethiopia over the Centuries and still persisting in our own time.

We use history not to put anyone in a straightjacket, but in order to help us all understand the evolution of our community and that of Ethiopia as a nation. We use law and principles conforming our tradition of justice in order to promote the fact that we do not accept the caprices of power and the corruption of special interest groups. Ultimately, the rights and human dignity of each individual Ethiopian is of a paramount importance to those of us involved in the running of this Website, and above everything else, ethnicism, tribalism, narrow-nationalism, party-politics need be challenged to their very core. Let us all dive into this new Website!!

Tecola W. Hagos

November, 2003