10.12. - 2 - Speech of The Day - received 18 students who came from the U.N. Trust Territory in Somalia

His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, received

18 students who came from the U.N. Trust

Territory of Somalia for study in Ethiopian

Institutions of higher education under the Haile

Selassie I Scholarship Scheme on Wednesday,

December 10, 1958. On this occasion His

Imperial Majesty made the following remarks:

"It is Our realization that education is the tested

instrument by which a people reaches its civilised goals

that has led Us to bring you to this country to participate

in the provisions which exist for this purpose.

         A good educational background will enable one

to help himself and his people. The uneducated, on

the other hand, spends his life under the perpetual

guardianship of others, just like children in their earlier

years. The cultured are able to make their own decision

thus avoiding domination by others. And there is nothing

on earth more precious than individual freedom

and community independence.

The value of unity can be best assessed by those

who are enlightened; for such persons it is not easy to

destroy their oneness, because their minds are matured

by education. What guarantees the greatness of a

state? The unity of its people. Division into races,

tribes and sects does not detract from such unity. Sure-

ly you know of such names as the United Nations Trust

Somalia from which you have come; of British Somali-

land; and even in Our country of such places as Kaffa

and Arussi, These are all tribal names given to particular

sections of a country in which they live.

Ethiopia is but a general name for a vast territory

or state. In it live many tribes, but the important idea

is not the several tribes; it is the unity within the land

which they all call their own. As you advance in your

education, you will come to know the benefits to be de-

rived from unity in which you will play a useful part

both for yourselves and your  fellow men. With this

idea in mind, We admonish you to study with all your

might."

  

Speeches delivered by His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie Ist Emperor of Ethiopia on various occasions - page 96 -