AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
IN AWASSA
Every structure must be built on a solid
foundation, for those constructed otherwise would soon collapse. The
proclamation by which We made land grants to the entire Ethiopian people is the
foundation of this scheme. Recipients of land grants as well as those who had
previously owned their own holdings do not by the mere owning of such land
satisfy the requirements. They must make proper use of the land not only for
their own benefit but as well to that of the people -- We shall not permit any
land to be fallow.
It gives Us great pleasure today to lay the cornerstone of the first
Community Development Centre at Awassa, a project in which We have long evinced
the keenest interest and entertained the highest hopes.
This project possesses a potential of the highest order and contains
within it the seeds for a growth extending far beyond what anyone could have
envisaged. The trainees who will come to this centre will receive instruction
in methods and techniques which, if well and properly applied, can have the
greatest impact upon the future development of Our Empire. Community
development is, fundamentally, the assisting of people whose economic, social
and administrative life is still in a relatively undeveloped state, to organize
and focus their energies upon the solution of common problems. For a man to
remain isolated and separated from his neighbours and to have no access to the
sources of knowledge and education is to remain prey to the ills and plague
which afflict mankind in its primitive state. The joining together in a unified
effort to overcome the perils of nature and the dangers which beset man on all
sides is the very basis of society and the way in which humanity, since the
dawn of history, has assured its survival. As self-help is so basic to the free
development of the life of a people, so assistance and aid in the technique of
self-help must inevitably contribute to a more highly developed society.
Education is the means by which Our people can make the most efficient
use of the human, natural and material resources which are already at hand for
the amelioration of their problems and the betterment of their way of life.
It is fitting that this centre should be located on
this area, for nearby is the site of one of the first agricultural
co-operatives which are being developed by Our Government. The interaction
between this training centre and the co-operative farm will provide the centre
with a laboratory at first hand where those who are receiving instruction here
may observe in action the procedures and techniques in which they are being
instructed. Similarly, the co-operative farm cannot but benefit from the close
physical proximity of this centre which will stand ready at all times to render
advice and assistance on the multifold problems which are posed for any group
of people who embark together on a new way of life.
Through man’s quest for knowledge, which
has resulted in securing the benefits of science and technology, We have found
ways to overcome what only a few generations ago had looked insurmountable.
That is to search, to know and to apply, the knowledge that has been acquired.
In many parts of the world some people who
had never swerved from reaching their objectives through education have
exploited the wealth of their land through mechanised farming and the building
of industries and have not only developed a high standard of living, but have
also come to the aid of the underdeveloped countries of the world.
All this has been possible through the
constant desire for development and devotion to the search for knowledge as the
key to economic, social and cultural betterment. The Almighty through His
benevolence has blessed us with fertile lands which hold great wealth, but
because it has not been developed according to modern methods, the raising of
the standard of living of Our people could not be accelerated according to Our
wish and desire.
As a result, the economic condition of the
people lacked the desired co-ordination. A close observer of the problems and
needs of Our people, We have ordered many studies to be conducted for the
establishment of several schools and training centres founded from time to
time.
Even
though Our wish and desire for attaining the highest objectives is
considerable, Our people, for whose benefit We strive relentlessly, must
realize the purpose of the various institutions We establish. To assist with
all their efforts and to be spiritually prepared for the tasks lying ahead We
also declared to Our people on Our return from foreign visits: “It is no use to
say that one has land; land and money under certain unforeseen circumstances
could avail nothing”.
As We lay here the foundation stone of a
Community Development Centre today We have great hopes in the students who will
be therein and in other centres. They will become a stimulus to others not only
to pay lip service to the needs of the country but to show it in practice.
During Our visit to Europe, the Far East
and America within the past few years, We have found how the peoples of the
world through a definite planning and co-operative system have overcome the
problems posed by economic and social development and attained a high standard
of living. We realized that Our country also encounters the same problems of
development, and to reach Our avowed goal it behoves Us to remove any
detrimental traditional obstacles on Our way and fulfil Our duties in
conformity with the exigencies of modern times as well as within the framework
of international requirements.
Our forefathers had fought to preserve the
independence of Our country so that we may be able to exploit its rich
resources, thereby enriching ourselves but not so that it may lay barren as to
excite the envy of others and invite again the usurper. Therefore, in order to
escape from such a catastrophe which become a lazy leader and lazy followers,
it is Our duty to teach Our people to labour unceasingly for the development of
our country and to struggle for the attainment of a decent standard of living.
For, there is no need of education to the wise nor doctors for the healthy.
Our continued efforts in giving money to Our deserving subjects so that
they may be able to develop their plots of land thereby enabling them to be
self-sufficient have not so far produced the desired results.
In
particular We have observed that Our Hammassen people who are by nature good
fighters could not make good use of the land We had granted them because they
lagged behind in agricultural techniques. We are not encouraged by the
realization of Our wishes so far. For this reason We have Ourselves organized
the initial project; have made preparations and provided technicians in order
that assistance may be made available under the direct supervision of Our
Minister of National Community Development so that when land is developed to
give continued benefit, Our subjects will take over and be in a position to
support themselves and their families.
Our
loyal subjects – those present and those coming – We remember the services
which you have rendered in the military field. If you work with diligence
utilizing the aid from the projects which We have established for your
assistance, We believe that it will help to enrich our country and encourage
Our people who are lagging behind in modern techniques.
We
have realized that today being the age of science and technology, to reach our
high objective all our efforts must be directed in such a way that education,
which is the fundamental basis for development, reaches all Our people. Firm in
the belief that through education Our people could improve their standard of
living and improve their future lot, We have unceasingly devoted all Our
efforts in building more and more schools. It is gratifying to see Our people brace
themselves up for the task facing them by constant devotion to Our ideals and
by taking advantages of the institutions established. We express Our deep
gratitude to the United States Government which has granted financial aid for
the Community Development Centre whose foundation stone we lay today.
July 23, 1960.
Selected
Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie – page 487 –
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| "Just as a farm that is not taken care of cannot be free of weeds, so is also the development of a society." |
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