Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture Series begins

Sublime beginning: Ambassador of India, Mr. Sanjay Verma offering Inaugural Lecture for the newly launched monthly Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture Series at Micro Business College on 5th of December 2014. Also seen are: President of the college, Mr. Abera Tilahun; Second Secretary of Kenyan Embassy, Ms. Mercy A Odongo and Prof. Tafa Tulu. 

Photo: TESHALE CHALUMA

Ambo: On 5th of December, a day of rousing memories of great African leader Nelson Mandela, beginning at Micro Business College was an admirable lecture series in memory of the African role model, Wangari Maathai.  Considered as the first ever memorial lecture series initiated by any academic institutions in the country, ‘Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture Series on Environment, Development and Society’ received a sublime start with an inaugural lecture offered by the Ambassador of India to Ethiopia, Sanjay Verma. Mr. Verma’s speech titled, ‘A Perspective on Society, Development and Environment’ was stressing on the need to address the needs of the society and ensure development. 

Second Secretary of Kenyan Embassy, Ms. Mercy A Odongo offering Wangari Remembrance Talk. 

Photo: TESHALE CHALUMA

Second Secretary of the Kenyan Embassy, Mercy A Odongo offered a remembrance talk on Wangari Maathai. Sketching engrossingly the life and messages of Wangari Maathai, Ms. Mercy said that Wangari Maathai is an eternal gift her country has gifted to the world. Prof. Tafa Tullu a senior academician from the Centre for Environment and Development of the Addis Ababa University read a message issued by the former President of the country, Dr. Girma Wolde Giorgis. He praised the organizers for bringing together the Mandela Memorial Day and launching of Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture Series together. 

A crusader's voice: President of Micro Business College, Mr. Abera Tilahun making opening remarks. 

Photo: TESHALE CHALUMA

In his opening remarks, President of Micro Business College, Abera Tilahun introduced a set of values practiced by the College. Mr. Abera Tilahun said that in its march towards excellence, ideals bestowed by masters of the past including Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Leo Tolstoy were guiding lights. Recalling the words of former Indian President and renowned scientist, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, he called the students to get over habits of procrastination and lethargy with the power of dreams. 

Interactive session

The inaugural lecture was followed by an interactive session wherein questions from audience were answered by Mr. Sanjay Verma. Representative from the Zonal Administration, Fufa Tesso, who asked a pertinent question, was instantly awarded a surprise cash prize of 1000 birr by the ambassador. 

“We should take care that undue priority is not provided for environmental aspects. Ensuring basic amenities and services to the society is also important” he explained. The ambassador also underlined that he has never been against the ideology of environmental conservation. He stressed that ‘his speech was made keeping the idea that Ethiopia and India had some similarities’. 

While addressing different questions, Mr. Verma also elucidated on family change, scope for renewable energy practices; and employment, labour and capital in the information age.

Earlier, Coordinator for Research, Development and Communication, Sivakumar K.P. offered welcome speech. Dean of the college, Dereje Bekele proposed vote of thanks. 

- From January 2015 issue of the monthly newsletter, Micro Voice