Телеграм канал «Tsegaye R Ararssa»

It’s wrong to expect the intellectual to do what the politicians ought to do. It is morally and legally proper and politically expedient to demand organizing, leading, and unifying the people from those who have assumed the leadership position but too often fail to discharge the responsibility that comes along with it. Similarly, it is wrong for the intellectual to act as if they are leaders when their task is merely to champion the people’s cause and truth through their scholarship, research, analysis, and.when appropriate, public commentary.

Not all intellectuals are Activists or Political Organizers, much less Leaders! ============= It has become a trend—and sort of a received wisdom, too—to assume that it’s the responsibility of our society’s educated/intellectual class to organize and rally the people behind a united/unifying cause and help them achieve their national aspirations. This assumption misses the point that not all intellectuals are activists or political organisers, much less political leaders. Even politically engaged scholars are not necessarily activists or politicians. Yes, some of them may choose to be activists, others may choose to be political leaders, and yet others may choose to be public intellectuals who, regardless of political affiliation, speak truth to power. But they will not be all or any of these just because they are intellectuals or scholars. That is to say, it is not necessarily the responsibility of the educated class to serve as activists, political leaders, or public intellectuals. Each has distinct callings and distinct responsibilities flowing therefrom. In my view, the work of mobilising is the task of activists. The work of organizing is the work of those who are directly involved in politics. Organizing as you know is primarily the work of political parties/organizations. Organising falls in the realm of the calling of politicians. The work of scholars, if they are the engaged type, is “to bear witness” as public intellectuals. To confuse these three, as it is so often done in our society, is causing a blunder in the thinking and civic action and responsibility of this class of individuals. Consequently, it is imperative to emphasise that just because we are scholars (Hayyoota), we don’t qualify for the task of political mobilisation and/or organization. To try to do this is to raise expectations we cannot meet. It also amounts to vying for space and attention that our political leaders and activists are jealously guarding thereby creating an unhealthy mistrust and friction within what is called the ‘political elite’, a phrase one cannot easily pin down rather easily. Acting as mobilisers and organizers while professing to be intellectuals (which we are not effective at anyway) is forcing the Oromo public to misplace their trust in us. Too often, the public is expecting us to do what they should expect and demand from their political leaders. It’s not fair to expect us to do what we are not supposed to do. And it is not right for our public to expect nothing from the political leaders but to demand everything to be delivered to them by intellectuals. It’s wrong to assume that intellectuals are our saviours, for they are not. No one is not, except the people as a whole. I understand the impending disaster that will arise in the absence of effective organizing and mobilising. But to call for the wrong people to find the solution they cannot procure is inviting the very disaster we seek to avert. I think each of the class of intellectual class, aka the intelligentsia—especially the socially engaged ones—need to stick to their guns. The activists to (motivating and) mobilizing, the politician to organizing and leading, and the public intellectual to critiquing power and defending the people’s just demands. (The latter may include teaching, researching, publishing, and voicing as an analyst.)   I think each of the class of intellectual class, aka the intelligentsia—especially the socially engaged ones—need to stick to their guns. The activists to (motivating and) mobilizing, the politician to organizing and leading, and the public intellectual to critiquing power and defending the people’s just demands. (The latter may include teaching, researching, publishing, and voicing as an analyst.) Political organizing and leadership is not necessarily the responsibility of the intellectual. Putting pressure on intellectuals to do what is not their task or calling is neither appropriate nor helpful. I believe that pressure must be applied to the political leaders (for organizing) and activists (for mobilising ).

https://www.youtube.com/live/s0nskf4rUzQ?si=d74fvFwZWxaMG3UK

https://oromia.today/gadaa-on-trial-how-yonas-biru-turns-selective-ethnography-into-political-prosecution/

https://oromia.today/asafa-jalata-they-tried-to-erase-his-scholarship-instead-they-enshrined-it/ Asafa Jalata: They Tried to Erase His Scholarship. Instead, They Enshrined It

https://c.org/c9wN7TMGSD

https://share.google/Wr0jltgQPM05sjI1b