The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H. E. Gedu Andargachew met with U.S. Secretary Of State H.E. Michael R. Pompeo on Wednesday (December 11) in Washington.

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed today (December 11) exchanged views with the Prime Minister of Norway H.E. Erna Solberg.

Ethiopia and Eritrea are reaping peace dividends. Families separated for over two decades are now united and diplomatic relations are fully restored, the 2019 Noble Peace Prize Winner Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said.

In his acceptance speech of the Nobel Prize today, Premier Abiy said “I believe that peace is an affair of the heart. Peace is a labor of love.”

He explained that when he became prime minister ending the uncertainty was necessary and believed peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea was within reach.

“I was convinced that the imaginary wall separating our two countries for much too long needed to be torn down,” the premier added.

According to him, the leaders of both countries “were ready to allow peace to flourish and shine through. We resolved to turn our swords into plowshares, and our spears into pruning hooks for the progress and prosperity of our people.”

The Ethiopian Noble Peace Prize winner further said, “I accept this award on behalf of my partner and comrade-in-peace President Isaias Afeworki, whose goodwill, trust, and commitment was vital in ending the two-decade deadlock between our countries.”

Abiy stressed his belief that sustaining peace is hard work. “Yet, we must cherish and nurture it. It takes a few to make war, but it takes a village and a nation to build peace.”

He cemented his view by pointing out the Ethiopian saying, “for you to have a peaceful night, your neighbor shall have a peaceful night as well.”

According to him, “the Horn of Africa today is a region of strategic significance… When our love for humanity outgrows our appreciation of human vanity then the world will know peace.”

Noting that peace requires an enduring vision, the peace laureate said “ my vision of peace is rooted in the philosophy of Medemer. The Amharic word Medemer signifies synergy, convergence, and teamwork for a common destiny.”

Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize in a ceremony held in Oslo, Norway today.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Prime Minister for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea.

The prize is also meant to recognize all the stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East and Northeast African regions, the Committee said in a statement last October.

The Committee hopes that the Nobel Peace Prize will strengthen Prime Minister Dr Abiy in his important work for peace and reconciliation.

The meeting in Washington, D.C. concerning the filling and operations of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has ended on Tuesday (December 9) issuing a joint statement setting guidelines for future meetings.

Appreciating the observer status of the US and the World Bank the meeting noted the progress that has been achieved in Addis Ababa and Cairo.

Freweini Mebrahtu, who designed and patented a reusable menstrual pad for girls in her native Ethiopia who do not have access to sanitary pads, has been named the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year.

Freweini has dedicated her life to keeping girls in school by designing a reusable menstrual pad and trying to end the cultural stigma around the issue.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Freweini said when receiving the award. “I am so humbled and grateful for CNN … this is for all the girls and women everywhere. Dignity for all.”

Online voters selected Freweini as the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year award from among the Top 10 CNN Heroes finalists.

Freweini – who is from Ethiopia and studied chemical engineering in the US — designed and patented a reusable menstrual pad in 2005.

She and her team produce 750,000 reusable pads a year at her factory in Ethiopia. Nearly 800,000 girls and women have benefited from her work.

More than 80% of the pads she manufactures are sold to non-governmental organizations that distribute them for free.

She knows personally what it’s like to deal with the issue.

“I remembered (hearing) that it’s actually a curse to have a period … or that it meant I am ready to be married, or (that) I’m being bad,” Freweini told CNN.

Freweini has teamed up with the nonprofit, Dignity Period, to end the stigma around the issue by speaking at schools and teaching girls and boys that menstruation is natural, not shameful.

“The whole goal was not only making the pads, but also attacking the cultural baggage to it,” she said.
Dignity Period has distributed more than 150,000 free menstrual hygiene kits purchased from Freweini’s factory.

Data gathered by the group shows that schools visited by Dignity Period had a 24% increase in attendance among girls.

As the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year, Freweini will receive $100,000 to expand her work. All of the top 10 CNN Heroes for 2019 were honored at Sunday’s gala and will receive a $10,000 cash award.

Freweini was presented with the Hero of the Year award Sunday night by hosts Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa.

If you would like to support Freweini’s work or any of the nonprofit organizations of the Top 10 CNN Heroes, you can also make a donation via CNNHeroes.com.

All donations made by January 2, 2020, will be matched by Subaru up to $50,000 per Hero.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed extended a congratulatory message to Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Day, which will nationwide be celebrated today.

Premier Abiy said the day signifies unity in diversity of Ethiopians how beautiful, priceless and respected multinational cultures and identities they have.

The day also demonstrates Ethiopian nations, nationalities, and peoples are intertwined and inherited one another with blood, culture, values, and norms for years, he added.

Ethiopians have struggled and paid scarification for equality, freedom, justice and self-administration to develop their culture and languages, Abiy said.

The constitution has assured the long-awaited struggle for self-determination of the nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia, he noted.

Currently, the genuine federal system of Ethiopia creates conducive playground and inclusiveness for all regional states in the political system of the country, he affirmed.

The Nations, Nationalities, Peoples Day is celebrated for the 14^th times at the national level.

Ethiopia has more than 80 different ethnic groups with diverse language and culture, it was learned.

Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed will receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway next week.

The Prime Minister won the prize in October for his peacemaking efforts which ended two decades of hostility with Eritrea.

PM Dr. Abiy will deliver the Nobel lecture at Oslo City Hall on Dec. 10, the day of the ceremony and the anniversary of the death of the Nobel Prizes founder, Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel.

He will also meet Prime Minister Erna Solberg, as well as King Harald V, and visit the Norwegian Parliament.

According to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the Prime Minister was awarded for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea.

The prize is also meant to recognize all the stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East and Northeast African regions, it said.

The Committee hopes that the Nobel Peace Prize will strengthen Prime Minister Dr. Abiy in his important work for peace and reconciliation.