When I was born I was identified as a baby boy. When I was among more people from different ethnicities in #Gambella, I was identified as an Anuak. When I left my hometown in Gambella for Addis Ababa, I was identified as a guy from Gambella.

When I left #Ethiopia for other African countries, I was identified as an Ethiopian and when I immigrated to Canada and America, I was identified as the African man or black man. Only one thing was consistent every place I went throughout this world; I was human.

Human identity can be distinguished by our DNA, but our ethnicity is not. The fingerprint of God is on each human being; yet, if you do a DNA test we will find we are a mix of many things; yet, each unique.

Why has ethnicity become a obsession and more important than most any other identity—including being human in Ethiopia of ethnic federalism or tribalism?It is not only true in Ethiopia,but it is causing death,pain,suffering and destruction in Ethiopia,Africa and many other places

Why have we dehumanized others and focused on ourselves first,using ethnicity as a poison to kill and political tool to advance ourselves and suppress others?

This is what I am stand against and what has inspired my work to go beyond myself to help others regardless of identity.

When I went to more than 30 countries like Japan,South Korea, Norway,Mexico,Israel and other places to help Ethiopians in difficulty,I did not care about ethnicity,religion,skin color,gender or some other distinctions.They were fellow Ethiopians&precious human beings in distress.

My work began with the coordination of multiple investigations by human rights organizations in the case of the Anuak;however,it did not stop there because God cares about people beyond ourselves. May God remind us to see other ethnic groups as we see ourselves.

May we stand up for righteousness as the best path to a #NewEthiopia where “humanity comes before ethnicity”and where we care about other ethnic groups;not only because it is right,but because it brings greater freedom&justice to all of us—for “no one is free until all are free.”