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The
other day, I met an elderly man from Scotland who had come
to Ethiopia for the first time for a short visit. He
introduced himself as Dave Griggs and asked me to show him
where he could find the Public Library, or the institution
where he could view the various relics of the historical and
cultural heritages reflecting the identities of the various
ethnic groups.
Knowing
what a Public Library is meant to be elsewhere in the
developed world, I tried to shunt away from answering the
question by suggesting that he have a short tour around the
city and visit some of the tourist attractions like the
National Museum, the Addis Abeba Exhibition Center, the
Ethiopian Studies Department and a few other galleries where
they have collections of works by highly celebrated
Ethiopian artists.
I
invited him to have a taste of the famous Ethiopian coffee
at the garden café of the National Theatre. The invitation
was wisely construed to engage the visitor in discussions
that would yield something worth writing about and to
highlight his impressions about his visit.
He said
that he had read quite a lot of books about Ethiopia
published by foreign scholars and travellers. These
materials had prompted him to visit the country, albeit for
a short while, hoping to come back for a longer stay some
time in the future.
On
arrival, he had noticed that the Bole International Airport
Terminal was one of the best he had seen in Africa south of
the Sahara. (A complacent look must have flashed over my
smiling face at this rather generous compliment.) He had
observed high-rising buildings are under construction along
winding roads and the newly constructed Ring Road. His
basement of the economic benefits gained from such
undertakings surprised me. I thought he would appreciate the
endeavour and merits of modernizing the city. But he did
not. He said the designs were imported and that Ethiopian
civil engineers ought to have developed designs that reflect
the country's architectural history and identity.
I tried
to argue that the construction field, like many other fields
of technology, has become global. He said that globalization
was not an excuse for loss of a country's priceless,
historical identity. Gazing far away, I knew that I was the
happy loser. There was some germ of truth to what he said. I
personally had written on the subject time and again. So I
could not pretend not to have known about it. A country like
Ethiopia, which is rich in architectural and sculptural
history and culture, should not find it difficult to build
upon the creative works of our forebears which are priceless
treasures not to be reduced to smithereens by the march of
time.
The
Scottish visitor, like the dome of his forefathers, seemed
to be bent on asking more about Addis Abeba in particular.
He had found the weather in the capital incredibly
wonderful, likening it to an air-conditioned room for
humans. The ornamental trees he had seen in front of the
Grand Palace, or the UNECA Hall, were magnificent. What he
could not understand, however, was why the city parks and
gardens are devoid of the beautiful flowers that would
reflect the natural endowment of the country yet Ethiopia is
a major flower exporting country in Africa.
The
gentleman talked about the importance of having a National
Cultural Center. Also, a subject that I am never weary of
writing about until such time as the authorities do
something was raised. We agreed that the new Mayor has a
huge challenge on his hands to establish a public library in
the City Hall.
A
thought flashed through my mind, which was cultured by the
idea of City Hall being, inter alias, a center for
political meetings or gatherings, wedding ceremonies and
celebrations that have little or nothing to do with the
purposes of a City Hall, for example, a public library.
The
Scottish visitor explained to me that a City Hall should be
showcasing galleries with space for displays by great
artists, sculptors and talented men and women from all
parts of the country. It would also be displaying carefully
preserved historical artifacts, manuscripts, pictures, maps,
sound recordings of oral legends, rare publications,
microfilms and objects of knowledge. School children could
make field trips to these institutions to advance their
knowledge and information resources.
My
guest explained to me that just as much as the public needs
to have recreation centers and resort areas to relax and
enjoy life, it also has to be provided with public libraries
or cultural centers to quench its desire for broadening its
horizon of outlooks and attitudes. Both young and old
members of the society would have common information to
share with others. Visitors would be able to get a
summarized scope of knowledge about the cultural history of
the country and its people. He argued that writers like me
ought to hammer home the benefits of national museums and
public libraries.
Incidentally, my guest was impressed by the taste of the
coffee and had a second cup. We walked uphill to the
souvenir shops where he bought many articles to take home.
He also talked about how Ethiopia could establish athletic
training centers and earn foreign exchange by offering
training services for international athletes.
The
other thing he mentioned was the lack of entrepreneur skills
in this country. He told me that sight-seeing spots and
recreational cafés could be established at the top of Entoto,
where one could enjoy the panoramic view splendidly spread
out below.
The
other point he mentioned was the potential in horse racing
as a sport. Introducing or revitalizing abandoned
competitions between clubs, particularly among regional
states, could develop horse racing activities. Horse
breeding in a highland country like Ethiopia should not be
difficult.
The
location of Addis Abeba City Hall is not only ideal for a
cultural activity center, but its design is also very
suitable for an exhibition center with all sorts of
collections being displayed in roomy spots. |
