Ever since We were entrusted with the responsibility of leading Our people, 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 Developement.
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 centers set up by the Ministry are currently engaged throughout the world in 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 different places....
A country belongs to both leaders and people. The mutual co-operation between them is testamony to this fact. Unless the people help Us, our attempt to help them will be fruitless.
This year more than ever before, the people 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 own wealth, land or money, to ones needy community instead of for selfish purposes! The gratitude remains forever...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... 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 sanitation, roads and agriculture in addition to their long - practised profession.
Your guide should therefore be the apostolic saying: study and examine all but choose and follow good. Our forefathers have succeeded in passing down a free and independent people determined to safeguard it's liberty by shedding it's blood. Ethiopia is the country in Africa which has kept Ge'ez and Amharic with an alphabet of it's own. We have also laid a firm foundation for the freedom, prestige and happiness of the present generation in the fields of education and development in accordance with the conditions now existing. |
