I would like first to affirm that I write this from a place of privilege. As an Eritrean woman who left the country at 11 to live in Canada, I have not faced adversity even a tiny bit as close to what Eritrea’s citizens experience. In pursuit of personal goals, I divorced from the experiences of those I had left behind in my country. Still, I am writing this with as much humility, empathy, and understanding as possible.
Many lives are lost daily, and adults and young children flee the country in search of freedom and human rights. Little is known about this because those of us in the diaspora fail to highlight these injustices. The Eritreans who have made it out alive become somewhat indifferent to our people’s experience, and the image of their homeland is romanticized and completely different from reality. Until recently, I had remained indifferent to the issue. Since I became aware of this, I have strived to instill in Eritreans living abroad awareness that we need to fight for the rights of our people still in Eritrea. One of the quotes I live by is from J.K. Rowling: “Indifference and neglect often do more damage than outright dislike.”
Eritrea has had an authoritarian regime since its independence in 1991. President Isaias Afewerki has excelled in his goal by prohibiting the organization of political parties, elections, and different branches of government. This unchecked power has allowed his government to terrorize the freedom and rights of its citizens. There is no freedom of speech, expression, association, or religion. Those who finish high school enter lifelong military service with no hope of self-betterment. Not only does the government deny these rights, but it also heavily controls the education system. This leaves citizens hopeless and dormant under the government’s control.
To start the conversation of how we can assist our brothers and sisters, I advocated for authentic education. As the president of the African Student’s Association at the University of Saskatchewan, this is one of my core goals. Additionally, I am planning to pursue a degree in immigration law to further understand this issue so I can champion our people’s freedom and rights and inspire the next generation to take action with empathy. I hope our future generations are courageous enough to use their privilege to call out injustices happening to those silenced around the world.
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