Ok… last Saturday night… how much did you spend trying to mashmonmon that pretty young thing you swear could be the mother of your 9 children?

Sure you got to see her nqisat, but really, that was a lot of money. And God knows we ain't the kind of people to deny anyone who is not a SELEDA Intern the pursuit of happiness.

HOWEVER, here is a cause that you might find more rewarding.

As Ethiopians in the Diaspora, time away from home is starting to madebzzez our focus on the importance of preserving the past more than what we see in the immediate. Yes, teaching the kids about Ethiopia is fine and dandy (more fine than dandy), but pretty soon, the books and artifacts and manuscripts that are a record of Ethiopian ancestry will vanish unless we take a stand.

The Institute of Ethiopian Studies houses extensive periodicals, manuscripts, journals, microfilms, and photographs, and is the premier institute where scholars and researchers go to study the Ethiopian past. It also helps to "spread knowledge on Ethiopia through its conferences, lectures, and publications and, very significantly, through its Museum and Library."

It is, simply, one of the places where our heritage is chronicled.

Unfortunately, the IES' facilities on the main campus of the AAU is in serious disrepair and experts are predicting grave consequences if this issue is not addressed, and addressed quickly.

Far from home, fellow SELEDAwech, what is connecting us to Ethiopia? Most importantly, how can we become relevant again? Is it enough just to wax poetic about "weine hagerE", or is it possible to walk the walk?

Well, we at SELEDA are calling for an arts revolution… yep, the kind of revolution that don't require you to get up at the crack of dawn and march down Abiyot Adebabai in silly Korean shoes. We call to arms "The Washint Generation" to stand and be counted so that when our children grow up and ask, "what have YOU done for Ethiopia?" we won't look like idiots.

And, lookie here, someone has done all the legwork for us. Meet, ladies and gentlemen, the Society of Friends of the Institute for Ethiopian Studies, "SOFIES. SOFIES has launched a major undertaking to build a new IES facility with all the bells and whistles. (Note to selves: ask SOFIES about upper management's request that there be fainting sofas in the ladies room.) So, what is our excuse not to get involved? Nada!

SOFIES' web page, a brilliant and transparent page we might add, lays it all out… "The Society of Friends of the IES is therefore undertaking an ambitious and critical mission to construct a purpose-built, computerized Library, with lecture hall, exhibition space, and laboratory for the conservation of rare books, photographs, magic scrolls, and manuscripts." It's got designs, it's got budget, it's got everything you need to know about this endeavour.

Beqa… aleqe negeru. No whining, no "but I really want to do something but…. Ye innate meqennet…" This is our history and this is our responsibility.
So… we at SELEDA have a proposal and a challenge… There are many levels of sponsorships, as is mapped out on the "Donor Recognition" page, and individual donations are welcomed, of course. However, why not, we said to ourselves at a particularly inspired moment… and yes, we have those once is a while… why not ask the Diaspora to donate the amount necessary to have a Seminar Hall named after it? "This Seminar Hall is proudly sponsored by those of us away from home, but who will forever feel that home is never away from us." Huh? Huh? Alecha… kulalit.

SO… we ask our readers to make this happen… if all of us in the Diaspora sent in one dollar each, the IES will be able to build several edifies (and, as a reward for its fabulousness, a swanky villa in Gerji for itself with one of them waterfalls where a boy-mermaid is peeing in a pool.) But, we won't even aim that high for now… Let's start with a $150,000 Seminar Hall. (First lecture series: "Why is Castelli's so darn expensive?") Think about it… think of all of us just here in the United States, our friends, our families… Let's just say there are 2000 Seledawiyan. That's 75.00 each… bara bing, bara boom!

The icing on the cake is that all donations are tax deductible for those of us living in these great United States. Aha! Gotta love the loopholes, baby. AND, you can send money to the branch in, where else, DC. Those of you who live in the United Kingdom, a) beTam inaznalen, b) There is a SOFIES office in your neck of the woods, too. If you live in GERMANY… m'Ts… ayiiii. Lenegeru, you do too have representation. Indiyaw sew hulu ekul hone. Point being, from Japan to Alaska to Saudi Arabia to New Zealand to Australia to Kenya to Ghana to South Africa… from all the many, many cities we have spread across, This could be our voice.

What is our excuse not to get involved now?

Oh, please.

We ask that on your check/money order that you write that your donation is made be Diasporaw Sm. Depending on the response, we can upgrade to a Large Lecture Room: $400,000. Ya hoo!

We can't continue to not matter. At one point, all of us strewn across the globe can point to this and say, THAT is my legacy.

There is no excuse.

Check out SOFIES by going to http://www.ethiopiaheritage.org. We will update you periodically on the status. Make us proud, you Sellllid yalachiu SELEDAwiyan.