By Sisay Mulu
A major but underutilized resource in the Amhara’s fight for justice and survival is their diaspora. Tens of thousands of highly educated, well-connected, and economically solid Amharas dispersed around the world represent the Amhara diaspora’s unmatched ability to impact global policies towards Ethiopia, organize resources, and raise awareness of the crimes and systematic marginalization Amharas experience in Ethiopia. However, the fragmentation and dormancy of this great power limit its influence at a critical juncture in history.
Throughout history, other diaspora groups have demonstrated how a unified and orderly approach can bring about transformative change in their homelands. For instance, the Armenian diaspora turned their worldwide visibility into a means of political and financial support for Armenia as well as a tool for international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Likewise, the Jewish diaspora created a strong worldwide lobbying network that influenced world opinion and policy in their favor, guaranteeing the survival of Israel against existential dangers. Despite their rather small numbers, the Eritrean diaspora came together under a shared vision and became crucial in ensuring Eritrea’s independence by means of financial donations, media campaigns, and diplomatic initiatives.
Disorganization and Fragmentation
Despite enormous potential, the Amhara diaspora suffers from a crippling disorganization that could compromise its ability to adequately support the Amhara cause. The main cause of this issue is the obvious lack of a central, cohesive structure to unite its activities. Without such a body, the diaspora functions as a disjointed puzzle with scattered pieces trying to create a whole picture. In addition to lessening the effect of advocacy, this lack of coordination has produced chaos, mistrust, and inefficiency.
The proliferation of conflicting interest groups, each driven more by individual egos than by group objectives, complicates this situation. Some diaspora organizations and interest groups seem more focused on asserting credit or advancing limited agendas than on building the much-needed solidarity. These divisions have produced a poisonous atmosphere whereby cooperation is the exception rather than the norm. It is perplexing that in the face of existential dangers to the Amhara people, interests of few minority groups in the diaspora still impede the cause’s advancement.
Social media has been a breeding ground for unloving and harsh critic and a blind and uncritical support, both of which are dangerous. Amhara Social media activism evolved from a tool for mobilization and connection to a battlefield for useless arguments and character assassination. Platforms meant to empower the Amhara diaspora turned into echo chambers for polarizing, divisive, and hostile rhetoric. Misinformation, disinformation and conspiracies travel like wildfire, trust declines, and horizontal strife weakness harmony and obscures critical issues. Too much time is lost while criticizing other activists and Fano leaders instead of using these platforms to inform the world about the crimes being committed against Amhara people or to win international support for Fano.
How the fragmentation of the Diaspora contributes to FANO
The fragmentation among the Amhara diaspora is not just a minor annoyance—it’s a liability. It undermines the credibility of advocacy efforts, sends conflicting signals to the international community, and, worst of all, unintentionally fuels divisions among FANO itself.
Often considered a lifeline for FANO, financial and logistical support has turned into a weapon of division. Driven by petty squabbles, personal allegiances, and provincial affiliations, diaspora groups direct support into different FANO groups are fueling rivalries instead of unity. This fragmented approach is not only counterproductive but dangerously shortsighted which creates a cycle of infighting that plays directly into the hands of the regime.
Resources that are essential for the FANO struggle are being misused to support individual factions, each fighting for supremacy rather than solidarity, so weakening the resistance as a unified force. This rivalry lessens FANO’s overall influence on the ground and so reduces its capacity for mounting a coordinated and successful operation against the regime. In the absence of a unified support strategy, there is no accountability or oversight, which allows resources to be misallocated or used in ways that foster divisions rather than bridge them.
In addition, fragmented messages about the ongoing war on Amhara lose their power and risk being written off as the noise of a divided society rather than the clarion call of a united front. This chaos not only reduces the capacity of the diaspora to influence international opinion but also gives enemies more confidence by means of their exploitation of these divisions, so undermining FANO’s legitimacy.
Perhaps the most obvious result of this disarray is a missed chance for strategic, consistent messaging on global venues. The global political and advocacy arena honors power, cohesiveness, and clarity of purpose; it is not forgiving of fractured movements. While other oppressed groups effectively mobilize global attention with well-coordinated campaigns, the Amhara diaspora wastes its immense potential by speaking in conflicting and incoherent tones. The outcome is a terrible waste of influence—voices that could be the cries of people suffering at home drown each other out in small arguments.
Lessons from Other Diaspora Communities
The Amhara diaspora has to learn from other diaspora communities that have overcome comparable obstacles if it is to go beyond its present mediocrity. History provides many instances of groups that turned disorganization into unity and became potent agents for change. The Amhara diaspora cannot afford to overlook these lessons since their unity is not only a weakness but also a liability, compromising the very cause it advocates.
Create Specialized Umbrella Groups in the Diaspora
Through an umbrella organization, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), the Armenian diaspora proved the strength of unity despite their scattered all-around world. The umbrella group helped the diaspora pool funds, organize campaigns, and speak one voice on issues vital to Armenia’s issues. Likewise, despite ideological differences, the Eritrean diaspora created group platforms to assist the liberation effort against Ethiopia’s Derg government, significantly contributing to Eritrea’s independence.
Why cannot the Amhara diaspora copy this paradigm? Lack of a coherent organizational structure is a failure of will, not a culturally inevitable result. For those who really care about the Amhara cause, establishing an umbrella organization is not only a need but also a responsibility. For allies and decision-makers overseas, such a framework would allow coordinated support for FANO, a unified diplomatic front, and consistent messaging. Without it, the Amhara diaspora runs the danger of being a cacophony of discordant voices, easily ignored or dismissed.
The Function of Open Leadership
Every effective movement starts with good leadership. Think about the Jewish diaspora, which has long profited from powerful groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Visionary people who see the need to put aside personal aspirations for the benefit of society are running these organizations. Thanks to this clarity of leadership, the Jewish diaspora has been able to advocate for Israel’s interests with unparalleled force and accuracy.
The Amhara diaspora, on the other hand, suffers from a leadership vacuum filled instead with conflicting personalities and agendas. The public conflicts and infighting among diaspora leaders simply accentuate the sense of chaos. Why can’t other communities generate leaders who give unity above ego? Amharas in the diaspora have to reject small-minded rivalries and embrace their duty to serve the group interest. If not, the diaspora will keep aimlessly drifting without strong leadership, compromising its own credibility and efficiency.
Craft conflict-resolving systems
Diasporas that unite around common goals and create systems for internal conflict resolution are the most successful ones. For instance, the Irish diaspora came together around the cause of Irish independence and then helped to promote economic growth in Ireland. Structured communication helped to resolve conflicts inside the diaspora so that they did not compromise the more important goal.
By contrast, the Amhara diaspora often lets tensions fester, dividing public venues and tarnishing the movement’s reputation. Adopting conflict resolution strategies—either through mediation, arbitration, or decision-making procedures—that help to prevent arguments from turning destructive is absolutely essential. Without such systems, the Amhara diaspora will remain mired in never-ending cycles of infighting, unable to achieve the unity required to support FANO and advocate effectively for the Amhara people.
The Price of Silence
Other societies have shown that unity is not only a moral need but also a calculated one. The Amhara diaspora must understand that their present mess is not a neutral state; rather, it is an active obstacle to the foundation of Amhara FANO’s fight for justice and freedom. The diaspora will keep squandering its potential without learning from the achievements of others, leaving FANO and the Amhara people to battle uphill with insufficient support.
The disorganization of the Amhara diaspora is a liability Amharas cannot afford. We desperately need a centralized, responsible body to coordinate diaspora activities and recover the power and potential we waste daily in order to transcend this awful fragmentation. Lack of such a facility compromises the very core of our fight and reduces the combined influence of our diaspora. The time for division, personal agendas, and justifications is gone. Unity is a survival issue; it is not a choice.
The Need for a Centralized Body
Every effective diaspora movement is built on a cohesive organizational framework. Imagine the force of one, unified voice supporting the Amhara cause at international conferences, interacting with governments, and forming alliances with powerful players. By presenting a coherent narrative and strategy that emphasizes the Amhara cause rather than drowning it in noise, a centralized body can help to address this chaos.
Furthermore, accountability is essential. A centralized organization guarantees openness and confidence, enabling diaspora members to see exactly where their contributions—financial, intellectual, or logistical—are going. Without such a framework, the movement suffers, trust declines, and money and efforts are squandered. FANO or the Amhara people on the ground, cannot be expected to be resilient while we fumble overseas.
Final Thought
Unquestionably, the Amhara diaspora faces difficult conditions. Along with stifling the diaspora’s capacity to be a cohesive force, fragmentation, disorganization, and internal rivalries have inadvertently helped to split FANO. This chaos reduces the ability of the diaspora to advocate successfully, organize resources, and project a unified front on the global scene. But this very division highlights a great, unrealized possibility: the ability to turn a broken community into a strong, unified force for transformation.
There are not higher stakes for the Amhara than they are here. The diaspora has a moral responsibility to be the backbone of FANO as it battles on the front lines against a genocidal government—providing financial support, strategic advocacy, and constant solidarity. But time does not favor us. The survival of our people and the success of FANO depend more on the length of time the diaspora stays scattered.
One cannot stress the need for unity. The shared objective of securing justice, freedom, and dignity for the Amhara people must take front stage over petty rivalries and ideological differences. We have to go beyond personal agendas, petty squabbles, acknowledge the power of group efforts, and create a system to enable cooperative behavior within the diaspora. We need to learn from other diasporas who overcame minor differences and turned into powerful representatives for the people.
The Amhara diaspora has to answer this call to action. We cannot afford to be remembered as a liability to our own cause. This is our chance to come together, properly plan, and direct our resources into one strategy that empowers FANO and increases the voice of the Amhara. History will evaluate us based on the strength of our unity and the effect of our deeds: not on the force of our social media arguments.
Editor’s note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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Dear Sisay:
Those are excellent points. A few of us who are members of the Amhara diaspora in the US have launched a website entitled amharaunity.com to facilitate the creation of an organization that can unify the Amhara diaspora. I encourage everyone to visit the website, join our efforts and participate in the blogs and discussion forums. The website is also open to provide a platform for the various local and national Amhara organizations that currently exist in the US.
The failure of the diaspora mirrors the realities of the country. Diaspora people are used as milking cows when the natives want milk, gold miners when they want gold and to Sant Clause when there are holydays.
When the diaspore come to visit their motherland they are met with a mix of jealousy and admiration, exploitation and forced friendliness. The diaspora feels the need to present a successful image, while hidding the struggles of trying to make it in a foreign counrty.
There are whole families that depend on one person working in the US for example. No local ever worders or cares about the diaspora hardships, they just see the $$, the used i-phone and the fake Raybans and LV clothes they wear. A country that cannot support itself and lives day to day with donations and foreign money is a lazy, ambitionless, comforted, and backwords place. This inability and unwillingness to learn and understand, cope and deal with eachothers problems and opportunities, pride based on fairytales and religious storys (ment to be taken metaphorically and not literally) and an innate fear and mistrust of anything foreign, is exactly where the problems between diaspora and locals start and finish.
Anjel, thank you for your words.
Please continue to write comments. If you use other social sites then let me know.