Speech of The Day (227) - awarded diplomas to students who graduated from the Haile Selassie I Medical College and Training Center in Gondar

On May 18 , 1959, Their Imperial Majesties

awarded diplomas to students who graduated

from the Haile Selassie I Medical College

and Training Center in Gondar. Below is the

reply of His Imperial Majesty to the speeches

of H.E. Ato Abebe Retta, Minister of Public

Health and of Dr. Brooks Ryde r, Director

Of the College:

"When We laid the foundation for the progress and

development of the country, the fact that granted the

Constitution is in order to strengthen unity so that our

country will be built around the idea of one Emperor and

one Government in which everyone will be conscious of

his duty based upon the principle of one for all and all

for one. We have chosen education as Our primary

concern because we believe that it is the instrument

by which Our aims could be brought to fruition.

The spirit of unity within Ethiopia around one

Emperor emanated from the people of Begemder, and

their patriotic efforts have been crowned with laurels.

We have made it Our constant concern to help them in

their quest for learning for which We have established

the various schools and institutions of learning. Through

education one can keep himself healthy; he can

acquire the knowledge of many other things; but without

health, education and growth of a population are

unattainable . Today when We present you with these

certificates of accomplishment, Our heart over-flows with

joy.

Now that you are to begin the medical and health

profession, We recommend that you work diligently,

for treatment and cure alone is not enough for a country,

prevention is also necessary. The Amhara race must

know that it is an obligation on its part to work in the

technical field, no matter at what level. To preserve

the heritage of one's honour and culture is praiseworthy,

but to exceed the limits may prove detrimental.

We have ventured to say this because it has come to

Our knowledge that there exists here scorn for labour.

We have come here after having laid the foundation stones

for the establishment of a textile factory, a hydroelectric

plant and for a bridge in the development of highways in

order to help in the advancement of the people of

Begemder and Gojjam. Unless the people benefit

through work Our efforts and thoughts will have been in

vain. They will have also violated the wish of the Almighty

that by one's toil he must earn his living. Much cannot

be accomplished in the pursuit of spiritual advancement,

let alone that of material gains, without the help of

technology. Learn! Work! We have established community

education so that both the youth and the adult

may learn. Education and the quest for knowledge

stop only at the grave.

We wish to express Our thanks to the teachers of the

Health College, to the International Cooperation

Administration, to Dr. Haldor Larsen of WHO, Mr.

Hans Ehrenstrale of UNICEF. We are pleased with

the detailed speech of Our Minister of Public Health."

Speeches delivered by His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie Ist Emperor of Ethiopia on various occasions - page 129 -