Dear friends,

 

It is with great pleasure and modesty that I make known to all of you the successful completion of the Tigrigna translation of Gene Sharp's seminal booklet, "From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation." The electronic version of the translation is now available at the official website of the Albert Einstein Institution. It is downloadable free of charge from the following two links:

 

http://www.aeinstein.org/organizationsTigrignaFDTD.html http://www.aeinstein.org/organizations/org/FDTD-Tigrigna.pdf

 

Depending on the availability of funds, I will make sure that the book is printed and disseminated in hard copy to all who want to obtain it. In this regard, I would truly appreciate any comments or suggestions, especially as regards the availability of funds for publication. Your comments on the content, style, language and etc are also more than welcome. It is my sincere hope and wish that the translation will complement the recently launched educational manual of EMDHR (Bideho Antsar Atehasasbana) and will contribute something to the struggle against tyranny.

 

My thanks go to the Albert Einstein Institution in general and particularly to Dr. Gene Sharp, author of the book and Senior Scholar at the Albert Einstein Institution as well as to Ms. Jamila Raqib, the Executive Director of the Albert Einstein Institution. I am also grateful to my comrades-in-arms at EMDHR, who never ceased encouraging me while doing this tough job - the only reward of which is free, fair and democratic Eritrea. In particular, I am thankfully indebted to my long time friend and colleague Samuel Bizen Abraha, who have accomplished a wonderful task of evaluation of the manuscript.

 

A word of gratefulness must also go to Berhe Yeman, in the person of whom lies the very idea of translating the booklet. Brother Berhe, thank you for introducing me with the concept and world of nonviolent struggle.

 

Most of all, I thank the Almighty Creator; at last, I crossed the verge of the bridge.

 

In solidarity,

 

Daniel Rezene Mekonnen

 

P.S. The translation has taken quite a long time, more than what I thought initially. To a greater extent, it so happened for reasons which were beyond my control. It has also to do with certain developments which ensued once I started the task. The translation was finally approved in May 2006, but I have only to announce it now – my sincere apology in that regard.