These days every school has organized youth clubs eyed at participating the youth in various extra-curricular activities (used to build their physical and mental capacity). The youth club in Tikur Anbessa high school is doing the same to enrich the multi-dimensional capabilities of the youth.
Aklilu Haabte-Mariam, the leader of youth club in Tikur Anbessa said the club is undertaking preparatory activities used to celebrate Flag Day warmly. According to him, hundreds of youth are whole heartedly rallying behind the youth club for the club is known for running activities beneficial to the youth.
So far, he said, hundreds of youth had participated in the voluntary activities that were conducted in the rainy seasons. They had carried out tremendous activities including environmental sanitation and maintaining ram shackled residences of the helpless elderly in various localities of the City during the past months.
He believes the effort of the youth has been strengthened more than ever. Now they are back to school from their lengthy recess of two months. However, they are committed to undertake activities that may benefit the school and the local community at large.
The youth club is organizing numerous activities to be performed by the youth. Currently, preparations are well underway to celebrate Flag Day warmly and enhance the awareness of the school community about the National Flag. Preparations being made by the participation of the youth have included theaters, plays, sports and musical renditions to help observe the Day warmly.
Mulat Hailu, from Addis Ketema Preparatory School, had witnessed same events are being organized in his school. He said earlier, the youth had cleaned numerous unsightly areas around Mercato and the station accommodating cross-country buses. This had won them rapturous applaud from the local community and they are initiated to carry out same activities tirelessly.
Now, according to him, the youth club is undertaking preliminary activities used to observe Flag Day. The preparation has included theater and sports. The Day is planned to be celebrated by inviting guests to brief the school community about National Flag and performing stage acts.
Some educative activities (in collaboration with teachers) will also be carried out to enhance the knowledge of the school community about National Flag. Similarly, quiz and contests have been conducted in a bi-monthly basis since last year and same effort will be intensified to support students in their lessons.
The participation of the youth may not end here. According to him, the youth club had formulated wider plans to involve the youth in numerous development activities geared towards benefiting the Addis Ababa community. The plan has included undertaking forestation activities, beautifying eyesore areas of the city and maintaining derelict houses.
Regarding flag, some sources indicate that the green-yellow-red flag of Ethiopia had first appeared on 06 October 1897. It was this Flag of Ethiopia that became the basis for Pan-Africanism. Before the end of the Ethiopian Empire, the color red symbolizes power and faith; while the yellow stands for peace, natural wealth and love; and the green for the land and hope.
However, after lengthy journey of many twists and turns through dictatorial regimes, the current Flag of Ethiopia was adopted on February 06, 1996 which is a green-yellow-red tri-color with the national emblem at the centre (the emblem has also light blue disk, with a diameter approximately half length of the hoist inscribed with yellow pentagram symbol).
The Constitution's Art.3/1 states that the flag shall consist of green at the top, yellow in the middle and red at the bottom, and shall have national emblem at the centre (its circumference curves on the mid-point of the width of both the green and red colors). The three colors shall be set horizontally in equal dimension.
The National emblem on the Flag shall reflect the hope of the nations, nationalities and peoples as well as religious communities of Ethiopia to live together in equality and unity. In addition, members of the federation may have their own respective flags and emblems and shall determine the details thereof through their respective legislature.
The new emblem will have a radiant star with equidistant rays to show the equality of all nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia as well as creed and gender equality. The shining rays from the star testify to a bright future for Ethiopia, and surrounding the emblem will be a blue background to denote peace and democracy in Ethiopia.
The three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (middle), and red (bottom), with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands; green represents hope and the fertility of the land, yellow symbolizes justice and harmony, while red stands for sacrifice and heroism in the defense of the land; the blue color of the disk symbolizes peace and the pentagram represents the unity and equality of the nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia.
Over all, the National Flag symbolizes the honor and beauty of the Ethiopian nation: green represents the fertility of the country, yellow the religious freedom found there, and red the lives sacrificed in the protection of national integrity.
The Flag Day has come at a time when our national pride is strengthening and transforming to a new height. Our Flag is the identity and pride of Ethiopians who have long history of civilization. Currently, the Flag symbolizes the new democratic and resurrected Ethiopia. Hence, in addition to preserving early cultures and values, the current generation is expected to make the National Flag fly high by rallying behind the efforts being made to build democracy.
The unity created under the umbrella of the Flag has enabled the nation to realize huge development projects, including the GERD. Our Flag has enabled the country to realize sizeable development in the area of agriculture and support drought-affected areas without anybody dying and animals suffering, contrary to what happened during the defunct regimes.
The Flag also represents transcendental values of the country and its peoples, lasting peace, equality and peaceful co-existence. The effort to alleviate poverty and build the positive image of Ethiopia has enabled to boost the pride of the Flag at international forums. And this effort will continue as far as possible with the coordinated effort of citizens.
The Flag has enabled to unify the peoples of Ethiopia towards poverty reduction, democratization and social development. Taking this very fact in to account, Ethiopia's youth will continue rallying behind the National Flag and making every effort to sustain the country's journey of renaissance.
Ethiopia has come a long way on its renaissance journey. Hence, the youth of the country should make concerted effort to sustain development endeavor of the country by supporting poverty alleviation efforts (at present youth’s patriotism could be expressed through hard work in every sphere of life and lending a hand when the country stands in need of assistance).
The Flag has been contributing a lot to maintain peace and stability to nearly three decades. It has also enabled to realize double-digit growth and make the country honored on continental and international stages.
Similarly, the nation has survived the threat of disintegration in the past decades and reached a stage of exemplary growth and development under a democratic government. And this is real time to stand together and celebrate this success by hoisting our Flag high as symbol of our national unity and mutual identity.
Ethiopia is currently branded as the tiger of East Africa with a promising future. And it is rapidly changing its past image of backwardness, civil war and poverty. The support of citizens to their Flag has enabled to put in place constitutional order and democracy in the country. And the peace and stability existing in the country has allowed Ethiopians to intensify effort in their fight against poverty.
Celebrating National Flag Day enables to accelerate implementation of the Second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-II) and sustain struggle against poverty; take our journey of renaissance to a higher level and alleviate poverty in a meaningful manner(making poverty no more embarrassment to the lives of citizens). In this regard, nation has registered amazing development achievement with the help of its peoples who are rallying behind the Flag and devoting all of their resources to achieve the lofty development goals of the country.
To enhance this development further, currently, constructions of various mega projects are well under way, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). And national Flag Day helps citizens rally behind the development efforts of the country, register successful growth and extricate the country out poverty. Hence, Ethiopians shall exert rigorous efforts more than ever and raise the Flag higher (as it is a common symbol to defeat poverty by joining hands and exerting insurmountable effort).
Like the youth clubs in Tikur Anbessa and Addis Ketema, currently, the young in every youth club is striving to support every development effort of the country. And efforts will continue to involve the youth in every sphere of life, beyond Flag Day celebration, and help it back the bigger goals of the country.