| Ba Beta Kristiyan Haile Selassie I |
| Haile Selassie I |
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| Selected Speeches |
| The Church of Haile Selassie I, Inc. |
| The Church of Haile Selassie I, Inc. |
| Ba Beta Kristiyan Haile Selassie I |
| Self-Help In Education Jan. 10, 1963 |
| Selected Speeches |
Ever since We were entrusted with the responsibility of leading Ethiopia,
one of the several wishes We cherished for Our people has been to
witness the arrival of a time when Our people will be able to realize their
problems as well as potentialities and through mutual discussions come out
with solutions for improvement. In order to bring about the fulfillment of
Our idea, We established the Ministry of National Community
Development eight years ago.
Our first directive to the Ministry was in short to go down to village level
and give instructions by which the people can improve living conditions
and solve social problems. This project has been remarkably expanded
since then. Many people who received proper training at training centres
set up by the Ministry at Jajite, Awassa and other places are currently
engaged throughout the Empire in drilling wells, cleaning pools,
maintaining village sanitation, starting schools and other activities designed
to assist the community at large.
It gives Us great satisfaction to note the enthusiasm shown by the many
young men wherever they have been assigned in carrying out this
programme, as it has become apparent from the undertaking of the 10
places in the District of Ada.
one of the several wishes We cherished for Our people has been to
witness the arrival of a time when Our people will be able to realize their
problems as well as potentialities and through mutual discussions come out
with solutions for improvement. In order to bring about the fulfillment of
Our idea, We established the Ministry of National Community
Development eight years ago.
Our first directive to the Ministry was in short to go down to village level
and give instructions by which the people can improve living conditions
and solve social problems. This project has been remarkably expanded
since then. Many people who received proper training at training centres
set up by the Ministry at Jajite, Awassa and other places are currently
engaged throughout the Empire in drilling wells, cleaning pools,
maintaining village sanitation, starting schools and other activities designed
to assist the community at large.
It gives Us great satisfaction to note the enthusiasm shown by the many
young men wherever they have been assigned in carrying out this
programme, as it has become apparent from the undertaking of the 10
places in the District of Ada.
| Hard Challenge |
Although great effort is being exerted by Our government by way of
planning and formulating ways and means of eradicating community
problems, it is not sufficient for the people to rely on government support
alone. As has already been manifested by your endeavours the people
themselves must come to realize their own difficulties in the development
of their community and try to solve them by collective participation,
following an order of priority and taking their potentiality into account. It
is well known to you all that recognizing one's problems and striving hard
to challenge them is a mark of an attempt at self-sufficiency.
A country belongs to both leaders and people. The mutual co-operation
between them is testimony to this fact. Unless the people help Us, Our
attempt to help them will be fruitless. Why did We become a leader? Is it
not for the benefit and welfare of the people?
This year, more than ever before, the people of Ethiopia motivated by their
own will and diligence, have awakened to the task of raising their standard
of living. You hear every day that people are engaged in raising funds to
either construct roads or to use them for whatever projects they have in
mind. How noble and great a deed is the act of sacrificing one's wealth,
land and money, to one's needy community instead of for selfish
purposes! The gratitude remains for ever.
planning and formulating ways and means of eradicating community
problems, it is not sufficient for the people to rely on government support
alone. As has already been manifested by your endeavours the people
themselves must come to realize their own difficulties in the development
of their community and try to solve them by collective participation,
following an order of priority and taking their potentiality into account. It
is well known to you all that recognizing one's problems and striving hard
to challenge them is a mark of an attempt at self-sufficiency.
A country belongs to both leaders and people. The mutual co-operation
between them is testimony to this fact. Unless the people help Us, Our
attempt to help them will be fruitless. Why did We become a leader? Is it
not for the benefit and welfare of the people?
This year, more than ever before, the people of Ethiopia motivated by their
own will and diligence, have awakened to the task of raising their standard
of living. You hear every day that people are engaged in raising funds to
either construct roads or to use them for whatever projects they have in
mind. How noble and great a deed is the act of sacrificing one's wealth,
land and money, to one's needy community instead of for selfish
purposes! The gratitude remains for ever.
| Haile Selassie the First - January 10, 1963 |
| Self-Help |
If the programme of "self-help" is pushed forward with this same degree
of motivation, you wil undoubtedly leave a tradition worthy of
rememberance by your children. It is believed that having seen your
children lined up in front of the schools, you have realized that your
efforts in taking the initiative to compete in the programme of self-help
undertaken by all to build these four schools We just visited were
altogether rewarding. One who does not contribute to his community and
the coming generation remains to be a burden to his society and an object
of ridicule to outside observers.
By building the schools near your village, you have spared the time and
energy of your children from travelling to too far away places for their
education and moreover you have secured the opportunity of seeing them
grow up under your close care. And similarly if you continue to consult
one another and strive to get rid of the other handicaps, say problems of
obtaining clean water, better roads and sanitation for your community, you
will find that the accomplishment is within your capacity.
It is both the responsibility of the governor as well as elders to create
harmony among the people in initiating them to discuss their common
problems and work towards the betterment of their standard of living.
There has not been a single Ethiopian who has not been filled with pride
and rejoicing in hearing of the great efforts and co-operation manifested by
the people of Guragie in the fund-raising scheme to finance the
construction of the roads linking the peoples of Bale, Addis Ababa and the
provinces. These efforts being made by the people of Our country
towards progress has also served as a means to influence Ethiopia's
overseas friends.
We also pledge, therefore, those elders and community leaders to study
and formulate methods on problems affecting their respective communities
such as schooling, water supply, community and home santitation, roads
and agriculture in addition to their long - practised profession.
of motivation, you wil undoubtedly leave a tradition worthy of
rememberance by your children. It is believed that having seen your
children lined up in front of the schools, you have realized that your
efforts in taking the initiative to compete in the programme of self-help
undertaken by all to build these four schools We just visited were
altogether rewarding. One who does not contribute to his community and
the coming generation remains to be a burden to his society and an object
of ridicule to outside observers.
By building the schools near your village, you have spared the time and
energy of your children from travelling to too far away places for their
education and moreover you have secured the opportunity of seeing them
grow up under your close care. And similarly if you continue to consult
one another and strive to get rid of the other handicaps, say problems of
obtaining clean water, better roads and sanitation for your community, you
will find that the accomplishment is within your capacity.
It is both the responsibility of the governor as well as elders to create
harmony among the people in initiating them to discuss their common
problems and work towards the betterment of their standard of living.
There has not been a single Ethiopian who has not been filled with pride
and rejoicing in hearing of the great efforts and co-operation manifested by
the people of Guragie in the fund-raising scheme to finance the
construction of the roads linking the peoples of Bale, Addis Ababa and the
provinces. These efforts being made by the people of Our country
towards progress has also served as a means to influence Ethiopia's
overseas friends.
We also pledge, therefore, those elders and community leaders to study
and formulate methods on problems affecting their respective communities
such as schooling, water supply, community and home santitation, roads
and agriculture in addition to their long - practised profession.
| Chapter I - Part 3 |
| General Education |
| Active Participation |
The co-operation and, what is more, the active participation in working
along with the people played by you, the members of the IEAF, the
Airborne Division and the Farm Experiment Station in helping the people
living in your area achieve a better standard of living has highly pleased Us.
The principal idea towards this motive of assisting your fellow neighbours
lay in the fact that some of you have been fortunate to evidence the
progress made in other countries while most of you collected experiences
from reading books at home; and it has been this spirit of enthusiasm of
witnessing the same trends of progress being enjoyed by your brothers at
home htat led towards this objective.
There is no single soul who would not cherish and hail the introduction of
progress to Ethiopia and partake of the benefits thereof. It is but through
co-operation in working side by side with the people by way of setting up
schools, drilling water-wells and the construction of roads, and it is
through the realization and devotion in solving these problems that wishes
could be interpreted in terms of tangible forms. As We have been
informed you have, in constructing these schools, equally shared the work
with the people: that of quarrying stones, fixing the frames and in mixing
the mud, which no doubt will earn you the love of your neighbours.
along with the people played by you, the members of the IEAF, the
Airborne Division and the Farm Experiment Station in helping the people
living in your area achieve a better standard of living has highly pleased Us.
The principal idea towards this motive of assisting your fellow neighbours
lay in the fact that some of you have been fortunate to evidence the
progress made in other countries while most of you collected experiences
from reading books at home; and it has been this spirit of enthusiasm of
witnessing the same trends of progress being enjoyed by your brothers at
home htat led towards this objective.
There is no single soul who would not cherish and hail the introduction of
progress to Ethiopia and partake of the benefits thereof. It is but through
co-operation in working side by side with the people by way of setting up
schools, drilling water-wells and the construction of roads, and it is
through the realization and devotion in solving these problems that wishes
could be interpreted in terms of tangible forms. As We have been
informed you have, in constructing these schools, equally shared the work
with the people: that of quarrying stones, fixing the frames and in mixing
the mud, which no doubt will earn you the love of your neighbours.
| Exemplary Act |
Particulary all among those gathered haere have come through the same
process of the historical past. Therefore, assuming that there are set up
100 schools for a population exceeding 20 million and even then if these
numbers were increased to a million, there is not one person who would
not still judge them insufficient. Self-help in the benefits to be acquired
through education will save the individual form asking someone's
assistance.
We wish that this exemplary act of yours will serve to create the same
spirit among the entire people of Ethiopia and the Armed Forces, the Naval
Force, the Boy Scouts, students and particularly those people engaged in
the world of business. We are confident that if these and all other
organizations combined follow the same path in working closely with the
people, that they would easily overcome problems of water-supply,
education, roads and house sanitation within their respective communities
and We further believe that the same would help the people to achieve the
desired standard of living which all of Us hold dear.
process of the historical past. Therefore, assuming that there are set up
100 schools for a population exceeding 20 million and even then if these
numbers were increased to a million, there is not one person who would
not still judge them insufficient. Self-help in the benefits to be acquired
through education will save the individual form asking someone's
assistance.
We wish that this exemplary act of yours will serve to create the same
spirit among the entire people of Ethiopia and the Armed Forces, the Naval
Force, the Boy Scouts, students and particularly those people engaged in
the world of business. We are confident that if these and all other
organizations combined follow the same path in working closely with the
people, that they would easily overcome problems of water-supply,
education, roads and house sanitation within their respective communities
and We further believe that the same would help the people to achieve the
desired standard of living which all of Us hold dear.