Eritrea: Dream, illusion or reality?

Eritrea: Dream, illusion or reality?

I spent 2013 Christmas eve in Köln with a friendly German family, who are friends to a close friend of mine, Jamal. I had previously spent and enjoyed several such Christmas evenings with them. I was introduced yesterday to a book entitled "Alles was man über Köln wissen muss" meaning 'All you want to know about Cologne' (about 80 pages), which you can finish in about a minute, as all the pages are empty. Our host suggested the reason the book was empty was because those who buy the book are those who live in Köln and thus they already know a lot about their city. 

When I saw the book, I thought if each one of us was given that empty book and asked to write his description or perception about Eritrea, it could range from a living hell (those who left recently) to heaven (those who were born abroad and has never seen it). The Arabic Paltalk Room Al Hiwar has an anthem for the room and there you find descriptions of Eritrea as a beautiful dream, a flower, heaven...A description of the country by those who were born in refugee camps in Sudan or in other countries and those who dream to go back to their country, but have never been there because of the PFDJ/EPLF regime in Eritrea. A dream that was perpetuated by the liberation movements that Eritrea is rich in almost evrything and we will convert it to heaven after liberation, a means for mobilisation.There are those who were born and grew up in Ethiopia or in Western countries, who have either not visited Eritrea or go there on short holidays and feel or miss the Eritrean dream.

We have been divided for long. We have not tasted peace for long. We have not had the chance to exercise Eritrean nationalism in its fullest sense. We lost being an independent country in 1952 because that generation was divided. Our generation achieved independence, but failed to create a democratic country that is a pride to its citizens, due to political divisions.. The Eritrean dream is just like an unfinished project. The young generation has a chance and a responsibility to fulfill the dream of a democratic Eritrea or risk the recycling of old exclusive politics that may shatter that dream, perhaps forever. Are our younger genration up to that challenge?