The path Ethiopia will take in the coming 1,000 years is full of uncertainly as the Second Millennium draws to a close. Next Wednesday, September 12, 2007, will herald the beginning a new Millennium; members of this generation of Ethiopia should be pleased for only few have the opportunity to see it.

History and historians have not been entirely honest with Ethiopians in recording the events of the past two millennia. Nevertheless, it is obvious that there are vast possibilities, for they have demonstrated Ethiopia’s potential is endless. The country has shown remarkable progress in some areas and leaves much to be desired along other avenues.
 

Critiques and hope abound as the country looks forward to a time where the wrinkles in a diverse nation approaching a population of 81 million may be ironed out. The clarity amidst all the chaos in a society undergoing immense structural transformation in many facets of life is difficult to find. Certainly, the task of building political, economic and social facets of a country towards a reality more akin to the utopic projections common at this Millennium crossroads is larger than any individual, party or structural ideal found in writing or emanating from distinguished voices.
 

Some components of the future of Ethiopia that may be looked upon positively are apparent; their implementation is rather a Herculean task that must be seen as a lofty goal to strive for. Other values that may advance Ethiopia in the minds of many will remain controversial for their vast interpretability and thus diverse outcomes that may serve some better than others. This ambiguity is unavoidable in any man-made categorisation such as a nation-state with its inclusion of unique individuals or groups rather than a completely unified whole.
 

Such is the dilemma of flawed human beings who desire the peace and harmony that promotes a healthy well-being. It is thus no individual or group, as all beings inherently may fall victim to the selfish leanings that plague even the person actively pursuing a righteous path, which may funnel society towards ideals.
 

Herein lies the advantage of humans; the capacity of abstract thought that may construct systems of organisation adhering to positive incentives in achieving outcomes beyond any spoke in the wheel. The structures that create an environment conducive to providing rewards for the initiative of the individuals to work toward the betterment of society as a whole must be reached for even if it means some will sacrifice privilege enjoyed in flawed constructions.
 

Justice, in its multitude of manifestations, political, economic and at the community level, is the noblest of all causes. Impossibly intangible when faced against the conundrums of specifics where situations will always have outcomes tinged with losers and winners when viewed from certain angles, the ideal is a goal - never quite realised - but always decent to endeavour for.
 

To institute a system of justice in Ethiopia means creating the rule of law that is blind to face value features of individuals such as skin, language, lineage or physical appearance. Justice is only obtained when the restrictions on behaviour are rationally and equally applied to everyone alike.
 

Such a system endures changes of authority in the groups that protect and enhance the organism of the state. The organisation will persist on its own as it works to the benefit of the people under it and thus is preserved by those internalising its positive values.

An Ethiopia fully accountable to the rule of law would promote the openness and toleration necessary to be fair for its citizens within its sovereign borders. The plethora of cultures with their own traditions of music, language, art, food and structures is an asset to a country for the contributions to progress will originate from many angles and mindsets. It is the fairly constituted system that harnesses them into a unified and coherent organisation.

One of the sadly few positive ideas propagated internationally about Ethiopian history is this very tradition of tolerance, especially religious, that unfortunately evades many other nation-states. This acceptance of different credos and peaceful behaviours is one of the many golden assets that the country has been lying beneath the surface of a state that has been mismanaged for too long.

When this resource, like many other tangible and intangible alike, is allowed to shine in a justly structured political and economic governance system, the possibilities for Ethiopia to shine are boundless.

The process by which such institutional foundations are laid is a daunting task that requires constant effort. Moreover, the dangers inherent in delegation of powers to uphold the system are always to be watched closely. This can only be done in a free society open to identify and correct the deficiencies in the system and reap the rewards from improvement.
 

Freedom of speech and expression utilised by a responsible social order will only continue the course of progress to balance the interests of minorities sufficiently protected by the law, while upholding the will of the majority. This type of integrity will be respected by freedom loving peoples of the world and be recognised for the fairness it upholds; a small step to changing the negative image of famines and wars the country is burdened by particularly in the past century, and which detracts from prestige and investment.
 

When Ethiopia begins to take concrete steps towards institutionalising this type of rationalised system, it will garner a position that allows it to further strategically integrate into the globalising world. Enjoying the ability to heavily influence the manner in which the country affects and is affected by the outside world is the only way it will be able to tactically and purposefully pick and choose from the far from uniformly desirable possible avenues of international amalgamation.
 

The changes resulting from Ethiopia joining the global community happen more rapidly than even well construed systems can control as the technological outlets of information sharing and swift transfer of goods exist beyond the sovereign powers. Instituting an economic system of justice could help it absorb the shocks that the mammoth global economy is subject to as well as steer economic agents motivated by profit towards decisions that create wealth society-wide.

Economic justice is predominately created by rewarding hard work and innovation. A system that promotes behaviour in line with the system of justice but also which provides the goods and services that people desire to make life comfortable and healthy, is grounded in incentive structures where profit finds its way into the possession of those that have fulfilled gaps in demand.
 

Moreover, once wealth is created it must be justly allocated to those that have earned it. This type of economy would meet the needs of citizens and functions in an efficient manner when rid of hindrances created by parties desiring to control and capture it for unfair gain.
 

Though the symbols of capitalism, free markets and profit seeking are often associated with greed, the combination of economic and social justice create an equality of opportunity such that basic needs are met, especially a system of education that promotes critical thinking. The hope is a logically thinking society will realise the need for the kind of social justice that does not allow for individuals to fall through the cracks of a system and be neglected.
 

Ethiopia is bigger than any individual or group. By crafting institutions that recognise and function on this principle, those who are responsible to take it to the next level would enable the country to progress towards the multitude of peace-minded ends that the diverse society may come up with. Looking past prejudices and acting within the confines of a well-structured society would allow the vast human potential of Ethiopia to flourish.
 

Once the human prospects are unleashed from the confines of a system that does not properly reward innovation and effort, the human resources may begin to responsibly and efficiently exploit the vast natural resources lying dormant. The process in some ways is quite grandiose. However, the small steps that would allow movement towards change to begin are attainable and would herald in a bright new Millennium for Ethiopia.

Progress will be given a kick-start when society is decentralised from a human controlled system into a structure of rational application of a logical rule of law. The potential of Ethiopia in the next Millennium goes beyond comprehension. It is now upon each member of society to begin to unleash it through open and tolerant discourse with an eye to the future.

Have a prosperous Third Millennium!