Seyoum: Let me take you back to the last European millennium. I was working for EuroStar and a possible crisis was expected; there was a great deal of worry about computer crashes, a.k.a Y2K. Because I always followed my Ethiopian calendar, I accepted the offer to work that night when people were celebrating.

We waited and nothing happened. It was then that I wondered what I would be doing when Ethiopia celebrates its own millennium. I thought that we needed some kind of organisation to celebrate the millennium, while at the same time finding a platform on which to address major problems in our country.

I never looked back. I met Professor Ephrem Isaac and we both made the millennium a priority interest for we believed it could mobilise Ethiopians at home and abroad. I campaigned and lobbied, talking to government officials, private businesses and did everything I could to reach out to people. I came back to Ethiopia during my holiday and travelled across the different regions and discussed with people whom I thought should have a stake in this.

In my view, Ethiopia’s image has suffered from the droughts, famine, civil war and epidemics in its history. I thought we needed to internalise these problems and manage them ourselves, find common ground and work at resolving the issues of poverty. Although I have tried to understand the problems in crucial areas such as education, health, gender and environment, issues concerning youth were more important to me because to me, the millennium is about the next generation.

I believe I engaged myself in this process very well. I was asked by the government to manage this project because I knocked at their doors so much. Doing so is an honour to me.

Addressing issues such as healthcare, universal education and the environment is quite ambitious considering the short time you have. Tell me in concrete terms how you will deal with them?

The project is constructed like a series of Olympic events, where the whole world gets fixated for a limited time. Out of these events comes cultural education where people learn different things about each other in a spirit of positive competition.

There are several issues we want to see being raised in connection with the millennium. The issues concerning youth will take a central stage for we believe they are the main players of this progress. There are too many people dying from HIV/AIDS, Malaria and tuberculosis, creating an orphaned generation. What is going to happen to these children when we go to the next millennium? If they grow up on the streets, what kind of future do they have?

Whatever you wish to accomplish, your capacity is determined by the costs of the events involved. How much have you budgeted for this project?

That will be decided along the way. The event will last more than one day; it will last through the whole year of 2000 and at different levels across the nation. The biggest celebration will be on the eve of 2000, at the seats of every regional state and the two [chartered] cities.

I was told that the government has approved seed money of 2.6 million Br. With so many events and projects being planned, how do you intend to bridge the financing gap?

The initial budget is just to set up a secretariat office. But we are mandated to do a series of fundraising events, which will take various forms. Anyone who wishes to do something in connection with the millennium celebration may use the national millennium secretariat logo; and pay for its use. This will be official once the Council sits for a conference. We will also organise exhibitions, symposiums and events that we believe will generate sufficient funding.

How do you see the regional states playing a role in this?

They will have an important role in taking the events down to the woreda level. They will also be instrumental in showcasing the diversity of the different nations and nationalities, their literature and art, to show across all regions. There will be cultural and musical events as well as food festivals.

You mentioned the possibility of different groups doing things by themselves. How are you planning to coordinate these events, which will not be part of your programme?

When people come forward, we will engage them; we will support their ideas through our access to government, NGOs, private and public businesses. It would be helpful for them to come with a project idea and involve us. However, if they want to go ahead and do it all by their own, well and good, but it would be desirable if they look at the whole objective of the millennium celebration.

Are you planning to organise events outside the country, in places like Washington D.C. where quite a number of Ethiopians live?

I have met people that want to plan events abroad. We will facilitate bringing partners together so that people everywhere may have the same feeling. I insist that people will be ambassadors in their own way, explaining the significance of this event to others.

Many in the Diaspora are known to be opposed to any project sanctioned by this government. How do you think you can involve them?

If they are militant, they are entitled to be. Personally, I will engage with any Ethiopian who wishes to come and share my or the Secretariat’s vision. It is a once in a 1,000-year opportunity that we are lucky to be part of. I do not think anybody would disagree on planting trees or changing the image of the country for the better. Our door is open to everybody; just come and knock.

Minister Seyoum has invited close to 120 people to be members of the Millennium Council to be formed soon. Tell us the prominent names in this list?

It is a national council, which is believed to cross all sectors of society. Leaders of the federal states could be part of this Council but so could ministers, prominent personalities and people who contribute to Ethiopia, such as Abebech Gobena.

Is there any part of the celebration that you plan to make as a landmark for the public to remember?

There will be symbolic events that we think will demonstrate national unity. We will have a celebration that is connected to all the regions through big screens and sharing events; but all these are only plans for now. We are also thinking to make the final event a two-minute silence in prayer all across the different religions in remembrance of those who died of famine, floods and disease like HIV/AIDS. This moment will help us go forward with a clean heart to the next millennium. I believe this will have the power to unite the entire nation, though the idea must still be subjected to the approval of the national council.

Have you thought of a landmark for the Millennium?

We will have countdown clocks put in different regions of the country. Each will have the theme of that particular region; for instance the one in Tigray Regional State will be to Axum.