I am an old man. Like many others of my generation, I have spent decades reading, working, serving, and thinking.As a soldier, as a diplomat, as a governor and as an international civil servant, I have served to the best of my ability for over six decades. I have been educated in the best schools in the U.S. and Ethiopia.I have published 4 books and hundreds of articles. It is not easy to be such a man. Very few have had the opportunity to serve for so long in so many places. I meet the few around, and discuss why young people lose respect for people of experience and knowledge. Some young people now tell us to step aside, to leave public discussion, and simply wait for death. They claim this generation belongs only to them. That claim is both mistaken and wasteful.
In the civil service, fixed retirement ages serve a clear purpose: they create openings for younger talent and keep institutions from becoming rigid. That principle is sound. But life beyond the civil service—writing, research, mentoring, civic argument, professional advice, community leadership—has no such age limit. Healthy, educated older people remain capable of useful work and, more importantly, of mentoring. Most of us can do this. The capacity does not belong only to a select few who happen to hold high office or public fame. It belongs to teachers who spent careers shaping minds, to professionals who mastered their fields over decades, to community workers who learned what actually helps people, and to ordinary citizens who have read widely, reflected deeply, and lived long enough to see the consequences of ideas.
Much of the knowledge circulating among the young today comes through social media. It is rapid, emotional, and often superficial. It rarely demands the slow discipline of reading serious books, testing arguments over years, or sitting with the results of one’s own earlier mistakes. Earlier generations, for all their faults, were formed by a culture of reading and sustained human interaction. That formation produced habits of mind that are still valuable. To dismiss an entire age group because its members grew up with books rather than screens is not progress; it is a refusal to learn.
Age does not automatically make anyone wise. But years of experience, continued study, and the necessity of living with the outcomes of decisions do tend to produce more careful judgment. This is true not only of US supreme court justices, who in many systems face no mandatory retirement precisely because judgment matters more than birthdays. It is true of the much larger number of healthy, educated elders who never sat on any high positions yet still possess hard-won understanding. Their voices are not less legitimate because they are quieter or less celebrated.
Every citizen has one voice. That voice does not lose its right to be heard when the speaker’s hair turns grey. Until we die we remain members of our country and of the human community. We therefore retain both the right and the duty to speak, to advise, and to mentor. A society that tells its older members to fall silent is a society that has decided it no longer needs memory or perspective.
So I say this plainly: most healthy, educated elders can mentor. There is no reason to select only a few. Stop dismissing us as a group. Stop treating age itself as a disqualification. Read more. Argue more carefully. Seek out the older people around you who have lived long enough to know the difference between what sounds good and what actually works. Learn from them. We are not competing for your future; we are part of the inheritance that can help you build it wisely.
We will continue to speak, to write, and to mentor for as long as we are able. Not out of stubbornness, but out of the simple conviction that our responsibility ends only with life itself. You are free to disagree with us. You are not entitled to demand our silence on the sole ground that we are old.
The work of a nation is large enough for both generations. Use the elders while they are still here. They are needed more than ever. I will therefore be around until health or death stops me.
Editor’s Note: Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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Major Dawit:-
You have given very valuable advice. Your recent critical role in the unification of divided groups in Ethiopia is a shining example. Those young ones that want the elderly to shut up are those that feel intellectually inferior. Youth has strong merits, but its gullible, emotional and inexperienced nature has repeatedly led to disaster in Ethiopia. Examples abound but a few can be listed:
(i) those students of Addis Ababa University college that gave strong support to dethrone the Emperor in 1961 had no credible program to fill the vacancy created by removing the emperor; or for national damages that might follow or for the opinion of the public which was bound to be the principal victim. All their actions were emotional and they never ever thought of the social, economic, political and regional consequences.
(ii) The 120 members of the Derg were also victims of youthful folly, had some military knowledge where pulling the trigger and revenge for perceived leadership failures was at the very center of their agenda, lacked knowledge of Ethiopian culture and history, and had no political program or governance experience. As a result, they were easily pushed into destructive political programs and roles by all-knowing misguided foreign-oriented leftist students who had little or no knowledge of governance or of Ethiopian history or even our culture. Their 17 years of dictatorship ended up in Eritrean secession, the murder of the Emperor and his relatively honest cabinet, the massacre of hundreds of our bright youth and their eventual end in Kaliti for some 20 years.
(iii) EPRDF was another misguided group led by University drop-outs who were, in addition, infected with leftist views, hatred and the ethnic disease. They claimed they built an ethnic federal state, but what they did was to partition Ethiopia into 9 regions, to give absolute power to a select ethnic group on each of them, as in Article 47, leaving the remaining 74 others as second class citizens, created the current environment in which people have failed to resolve differences amicably and have, instead, chosen to continues to destroy, starve, impoverish, and kill political opponents, individuals and groups alike, as inherited from Derg and EPRDF .
Clearly, if our youthful leaders in the past had sought advice from elders, potentially rich Ethiopia would have been more peaceful, developing and as respectable as it used to be in the 1960s. Our right to freedom of expression in areas where we are more competent cannot be shut down by youth that feel inferior or by those that may be proven to be heading for disaster. Give a solid education and extensive experience, one cannot be told to keep quiet unless it is an area in which one does not have first-hand, current practical experience.
Sir, it is true you are endowed with a wealth of k.owledge and experience worth sharing with younger generations. The problemis , sir, your generation needs a lot of work to win the trust of this generation. This is suffering your demise, the fire you lit is burning this generation. Your generation has got kknowledge is true but there is footprint of the good things you did using your knowledge.
You set no example. You solved no problem of Ethiopia but created almost all of them. That is why this generation fail to trust you. And don’t expect it. If you have the gut to do good, do it without waiting for anything in return.
Dear Major Dawit W Giorgis :
Thank you; your advice it is both timely and invaluable for young people. It encourages them to reflect on the wisdom of older generations and draw on the lessons of those who came before them.
The wisdom and experience of elders provide valuable perspectives that enhance decision-making. Their lives demonstrate the importance of patience, perseverance, and resilience, which are essential for addressing societal challenges. Ignoring their knowledge means missing a critical resource for growth and progress.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s repeated public ridicule of elders in forums and national media is concerning and undermines the nation’s moral foundation. Disregarding elders’ wisdom and contributions diminishes respect for tradition and threatens our collective identity. These actions risk normalizing mockery and disrespect toward elders and set a very troubling precedent for future generations.
Best regards,
Ezra
Zeted:-
” You solved no problem of Ethiopia but created almost all of them. That is why this generation fail to trust you. And don’t expect it. If you have the gut to do good, do it without waiting for anything in return.” is absolutely correct, and, as a member of that generation, and in spite of having successfully avoided a role in the disgraceful mess generated by the DERG and EPRDF, I also feel extremely guilty since my failed generation has brought only disunity, war, misery, despair and poverty instead of building a richly-endowed Ethiopia into a united, prosperous, democratic and industrial nation. I had returned from the USA to help my country though every opportunity was made available to me, with no effort, to live and work in the USA, but that dream never happened becuase of the continued blind dictatorship of the elite.
Strangely enough, the civilian leftist educated leaders of the Derg’s barbaric and destructive era were educated in the USA and Western Europe and none lived in China or USSR or Cuba from which they imported their wretched leftist political philosophy since they had, admittedly, no brains at all to formulate one suitable for our country.
We have let down a proud and respectable nation and its hard-working innocent people while pursuing selfish, backward and short-sighted motives camouflaged in slogans that were emotionally attractive, but otherwise empty. Major Dawit will not deny this since he was one of the young leaders in Derg’s dictatorship, starting with student’s fake Zmecha leadership at Amist Kilo with Major Kiros Alemayehu ( a promising patriotic military leader murdered by the Derg) and finally as the principal local political actor in Eritrea during its Derg-facilitated march towards secession. Having said this, there is a need to give the devil his due by thanking Major Dawt warmly for his pivotal role in bringing about unity in Ethiopia recently.
Zeted, thanks for leading me to this comment.
Zeted:-
” You solved no problem of Ethiopia but created almost all of them. That is why this generation fail to trust you. And don’t expect it. If you have the gut to do good, do it without waiting for anything in return.” is absolutely correct, and, as a member of that generation, and in spite of having sucessfully avoided a role in the disgraceful mess generated by the Derg and EPRDF, I also feel very guilty since my failed generation has brought only disunity, war, misery, despair and poverty instead of building a richly-endowed Ethiopia into a united, prosprous, democratic and industrial nation.
Strngely enough, the civilian leftist educated leadrs of the Derg’s messy and destructive era were educated in the USA and Western Europe and none lived in China or USSR or Cuba from which they imported their wretched leftist political philosophy since they had, admittedly, no brains to formulate one suitable for our country.
We have let down a proud and respectable nation and its hard-working innocent people while pursuig selfish and short-sighted motives camouflaged in slogans that were emotionally attractive, but otherwise empty. Major Dawit will not deny this since he was one of the leaders in Derg’s dictatorship, starting with student’s fake Zmecha leadership at Amist Kilo with Major Kiros Alemayehu ( a promising patriotic military leader murdered by the Derg) and finally as the principal political actor in Eritrea during its Derg-facilitated march towards secession. Having said this, there is a need togive the devil his due by thanking ajor Dawt warmly for his pivotal role in bringing about unity in Ethiopia recently.
What really surprises me is my generations obsession to be always in the center. Yes, education and age improves a month judgment, but that does not seem to apply to our people. After all that you have been through when the FANO movement started, you were eager to take a leadership position. What does that show ? For me it shows education and age alone will not improve a man he needs character
Thank you. I was a soldier for 11 years. My generation of officers sacrificed their lives for the unity and territorial integrity of Ethiopia. After leaving the military, I returned to school. Since then, I have held positions that allowed me to contribute in a meaningful way. In hindsight, the youth of that era were misguided. They were driven by an ideology that clashed with our people’s faith and culture, introducing politics that opened the door to a totalitarian system. Lacking knowledge and experience, these radicalized youth struggled and perished. Though they were wrong in hindsight, they nevertheless paid a genuine price. These are great lessons that we need tomorrow preserve and pass over to the next generation.
I would like to thank our countryman for his valuable service to that gem of the colored that produced us all. He did that in thick and thin even when all odds are against him. I wish him continued success and wonderful life on this good earth.
I second his call to the young generation to heed to the constructive and harmonious advice from the elderly.
With due respect to Dear Major Dawit W Giorgis: I have read your xMessage on the matter or topic. Indeed, TPLF did wrong deeds during its epoch. Abiy attacked the TPLF with the help of Eritrea. Though you know all i am talking about,Let me refresh your readings. Case: 1) TPLF and Eritrea are working together, Case2: The USA and its allies were fighting in Afganistan for more than 20 years against Taliban, and spenting $2.23 T. But, the USA made a deal with Taliban in Middle east and agreed to return the Afgan Kabul to taliban, Case 3: The USA proposed $ 10Million reward against one of the Syrian ISS group leader. Now, that wanted terriorist is leading Syrian and a good friend of USA. All these and similar cases demonstrate that politics is dynamics- depending up on several existing scenarios. Political struggle should be flexaible to create strategic and tactical allignment.
With due respect to Dear Major Dawit W Giorgis: I have read your xMessage on the matter or topic. Indeed, TPLF did wrong deeds during its epoch. Abiy attacked the TPLF with the help of Eritrea. Though you know all i am talking about,Let me refresh your readings. Case: 1) TPLF and Eritrea are working together, Case2: The USA and its allies were fighting in Afganistan for more than 20 years against Taliban, and spenting $2.23 T. But, the USA made a deal with Taliban in Middle east and agreed to return the Afgan Kabul to taliban, Case 3: The USA proposed $ 10Million reward against one of the Syrian ISS group leader. Now, that wanted terriorist is leading Syrian and a good friend of USA. All these and similar cases demonstrate that politics is dynamics- depending up on several existing scenarios. Political struggle should be flexaible to create strategic and tactical allignment.
Dear Major Dawit W Giorgis:
I recently read an article on Borkena titled “Why Young People Should Learn from Healthy, Educated, Experienced Elders”. After reading and trying to understand the content of your article, the issues you raised and the message you wanted to convey, I wanted to express my own thoughts and comments based on this.
First of all, if we start with your article as an author, “why young people lose respect for people of experience and knowledge” or “Why do young people lose respect for people of experience and knowledge?” The idea that you have is not correct in understanding and understanding the issue.
The new generation’s resistance and resentment towards the previous generation is not just because all the members of the previous generation are also old. This must come from a completely wrong mindset/perception/ or a lack of deep understanding.
One thing to note here is that there is no general conclusion among the new/younger generation that all old people have problems or that all old individuals cannot contribute to the overall development of society in any way. On the contrary, if we take your idea that “Age does not automatically make anyone wise”, there is no such thing as a simple understanding that simply getting older automatically makes a person wise and thoughtful.
The current or new generation of young people who oppose you and people like you, whether old or young, are the ones who are against your old and destructive ideas and distorted views that have been tested in practice and the agendas that you are promoting based on old and outdated ideas and philosophies but are not currently working in practice.
In addition, no matter how many old and outdated books or research books you have read; no matter how many studies and researches you have done in your field and how many short papers and books you have published; and no matter how many professional positions you have held in your country and international institutions, no matter how much you have knowingly or unknowingly wrongly caused damage and destruction to our people and our country, the new generation has never denied your gratitude for the contributions you have made and contributed to our people and our country.
However, in this era, due to various cultural, social, economic and political, as well as natural changes and scientific and technological advancements, I do not believe that there is anyone who has denied or denied your knowledge and long-term experience in the current situation of our country, the region and the world in general.
But also, when you present a strategy and approach that does not work on the ground in the current actual situation, the suggestion you give will be evaluated and weighed against the existing actual situation, and the benefits and disadvantages will be weighed, and the useful and useful will be taken. And the one that does not work will be left behind.
What is worse than all this and what is being objected to and complained about is that the new young generation, who are only being criticized and complained about because they have long and deep knowledge and long and developed experience, is the generation that is being tested on the ground and implementing the current situation and the strategy and strategy that are bringing tangible results, especially the Amhara Fanon of survival and struggle, and that if you do not do what I say and sometimes if I do not lead them directly, I will dies and you will die.
The main evidence for this is that you, Major Dawit Woldegiorgis, say that the Amhara Fano National Movement (AFAM) should not cooperate with Tigray forces, especially the TPLF, because it will cause conflict. This means that the mass displacement of the Amhara people, mass killings, mass genocide, and in general, the destruction of our country, Ethiopia, and the survival and danger of its people, are considered to be supporting the OLF/OPD/Oromo prosperity government of Abiy Ahmed Merash, and even standing up to prevent me from being removed from power.
On this occasion; in general and in depth; we acknowledge and thank you for all the good work you have done for our people and our country in the past and for all the contributions you have made. We thank you‼
It is so sad these days that advice will not even be given to others without silly backlash. What I want to beg the author of this article not to respond to such knit pickers. Doing that it is like rewarding them. The fact is everyone who played a part to overthrow the late Emperor had made a fatal mistake in doing so. The rage beginning the late 1960’s until 1974 was all revolution and not reformation. They were hungry for revolution and revolution ate them one by one and left the rest of them with a lifetime incurable emotional and physical scars.
Make that:
What I want to beg the author of this article is not to respond to such nitpickers.
Sir, Dawiteyee!! with all due respect Ethiopia never wished or wanted to have “Educated people like you” Ethiopia always looking for a good citizen, even DEDEB ENKUAN BEHON where True is True False is False. You and people like you distorted the truth while seeking to support your Tribe or your favorite person on the political field. You and your friends abused the playground where young people prohibited from creating new political movement based on facts and unity. You still believe there is something we should learn from you.
Sir don’t forget that there is a generation that doesn’t appreciate you and people like you for what you did to our country. I refused to learn from you, i rather pray that mentality like yours should retire soon for young people to uplift our country. Your era is messed up and we still paying high price, and you suggest we should learn something? Come on!!!