MYTH 2013

MAY 2013
MARKING YESTERDAY THROUGH HISTORY
The 189 countries of the United Nations came together in September 2000 and adopted the UN Millennium Declaration. Eritrea, among all the other nations agreed to meet the 8 goals listed below by 2015. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger. Achieve Universal Primary Education. Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women. Reduce Child Mortality. Improve Maternal Health. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases. Ensure Environmental Sustainability. Develop a Global Partnership for Development. A Shared Vision

UNCOVER THE TRUTH ERITREAN HISTORY MONTH Issue 4

RACING TOWARDS THE GOAL: ERITREAS PATH TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE MDGS

Rwanda received almost $2 Billion USD in overseas development assistance which was ve times the amount granted to Eritrea. On January 28, 2013, the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms. Christine N. Umuton said that Eritrea is making commendable progress in health related MDGs.

In Eritrea, the MDGs are managed under the Ministry of National Development. The Eritrean government believes that poverty reduction can be addressed eectively only in the context of an overall development strategy and not in an isolated fashion. Eritrea is unique in its approach to development because it has a National

A November 2011 article in the New African Magazine read: though it has gone unreported, Eritrea is a country that may meet most of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. It has achieved considerable success in health and education, based on principles of selfreliance and social justice. As pictures of the recent famine in the Horn of Africa are broadcast across the world, Eritrea is missing from the narrative because in a short space of time it has made strides in developing a strong agricultural sector and a resilient economy. And it has done all this without donor aid or outside help. In April 2011, the Africa Research Institute reported that Eritrea like Rwanda is on track to achieve 6 out of 8 of the Millennium Development Goals.

Plan argues Professor Taisir Ali, Director, PeaceBuilding Centre for the Horn of Africa (PCHA) and Lecturer at the University of Toronto. The 1994 National Charter adopted by the Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) identied 6 goals, 3 of which correlate to the MDGs; these are, Social Justice, Economic Development and Regional & International Cooperation. These central themes are important when addressing inequality and poverty reduction. Furthermore, the National Charter makes mention of the special attention needed for the disadvantaged sections of society and addressed environmental sustainability before it became a popular and glamorized international campaign. The National Charter reads: we are committed to economic growth but in conjunction with social justice and the protection of the natural environment.

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PUBLIC SPENDING & INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT

Development Progress, a multi-country research project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation suggests that the reason for Eritreas progress is the high prioritization of health and education and a strong commitment to development among Eritreans. In February 2012, the World Bank noted that, the government of Eritrea recognized the importance of improving its human development indicators and rearmed its commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Understanding the negative impact of the nancial and institutional constraints on the social sectors, and in order to sustain and increase the gains made during the rst ten years of independence, the government pledged to increase public spending and prioritize acceleration of the education sector development. In Eritreas 2011 Comprehensive Response to the Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, the government indicated that, investments to expand and deepen primary and secondary health care, as well as education, improving access to clean water and sanitation, urban and rural electrication, and ensuring food security have been reasonably successful. All these investments are undertaken with special focus on the full participation of women and minority communities in the process of national development. The response goes further in providing the following milestones for 2011: a) Total school enrollment grew to over 600,000 today from less than 200,000 in 1991. b) Eritrea is one of the few least developed countries that has been certied by the World Health Organization as a polio-free country. c) Malaria has for all practical purposes been eradicated. d) More than 75 per cent of the population now has access to clean water (As of 2013, this number has increased to 85 per cent). e) Health services have been extended to even the most remote villages of the country. Eritreas success demonstrates that progress and development do not necessarily need to be linked to conventional development aid. For example in Finally, what should be emphasized is that Eritrea is going to prevail and the secret of its success will be its steadfastness, determination, resolve and support of its population. Time Magazine wrote the following about Eritreas struggle for independence: They won by force of character, a unity and determination so steely not all the modern armaments, super power support or economic superiority of Ethiopia could withstand it. Similarly, Eritreas detractors may attempt to divert and obstruct nation building but if history is any indication, it will set the bar for Africa. With respect to literacy, available data from 2007 demonstrates that Eritrea beats at least 12 African countries including Malawi, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, Morocco, Liberia, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Benin, Chad and Burkina Faso. Similarly Eritrea has been able to signicantly reduce the under-ve child mortality rate and is on track and leading over countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan and Ethiopia. Furthermore, Eritrea was noted to have the fastest reduction in infant mortality rate in the region which was attributed to increased access to healthcare services by investing in the reconstruction of destroyed facilities, training for health workers, and increased provision of drugs and equipment, as well as proactive and maximum coverage of immunization against the major killer diseases. The MDG Report on Africa for 2010 rearmed that Eritrea is making progress due to its committed political leadership. 2011, Ethiopia received $3.5 Billion USD in Ocial Developmental Assistance (ODA), Kenya received $2.4 Billion USD, Sudan received $1.1 Billion USD, Uganda received $1.5 Billion USD, Rwanda received $1.2 Billion USD while Eritrea received only $163 Million USD. Despite the enormous nancial aid owing through these neighboring countries, Eritrea is matching or surpassing these countries.

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WARSAI (WR-S): AN ORDINARY INDIVIDUAL WHO FINDS THE STRENGTH TO PERSEVERE AND ENDURE IN SPITE OF OVERWHELMING OBSTACLES
Over the last few weeks we spent some time underlining Eritreas unique story. We told you about the When & What that denes the country we all know as Eritrea. Now, allow us to tell you about the Who that is painting the future of Eritrea. When we think of WARSAI, we think about those brave Eritrean young adults who have drawn inspiration from the virtues of their ancestors. When we say WARSAI, we are referring to the brilliant triumph of the soul over the esh and fear: fear of poverty, of suering, of loneliness and of death. WARSAI are those unique individuals who have given up their lives for something bigger than themselves: for Eritreas sovereignty, Eritreas future as a self-reliant country and most importantly for the ability for all Eritreans to preserve their identity. Eritreas major infrastructures were destroyed after decades of warfare. The Warsai-Yikaalo Program (WYP) or Eritreas Army Corps of Engineers was launched in 2002. It was intended as a massive campaign to rebuild the nation and equip young people with the tools to own their destiny. The British and Ethiopian occupation, including the most recent Border War in 1998, resulted in signicant damage to, or destruction of, already existing infrastructure in the country and a dramatic approach was required to build the country from scratch. Development projects included the construction of The physical and human infrastructure built by the program has helped to improve the economic development of Eritrea in the post war period. Understanding the post war development requires knowledge of Eritrea's rich history. The desire for self-reliance, love for the country and pride fostered the 30-year struggle for Eritrea's independence and remains the driving force for strengthening Eritrea and prevailing obstacles. The WYP mandate included novel and environmentally sustainable means for development such as creating wind farms as a source of energy instead of using natural gas or coal. Energy from wind farms are used for pumping water for irrigation and electricity for hundreds of neighboring villages. Because wind energy doesnt consume fuel or emit carbon emissions, Eritrea is both saving money (that would be spent on other forms of fuel) and reducing its carbon footprint. airports, roads, railways, hotels, and ports. These projects were identied as being essential to the growth and stability of the Eritrean economy and were intended to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services required for the tourism industry.

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