I am Italian, that is enough to say this matters concerns me, or at least it should. I work at the Italian school, in Addis, my local address on PADIS net is .480. Though I am no patriot, no historian and no African or Ethiopian matters specialist, I have for quite a while been interested in the obelisk forgotten in Rome all too long after the fascist regime (who had caused the Italians to suffer well before it exported damage here) was toppled in blood, all this only a few years after Mussolini had looted the best standing Axum stelae just for the honours of a colonial feast.
The purpose of this all too brief, not studied and perhaps quite meaningless first note is to suggest:
All too easy to say, three months later, You were wrong!
I attended a meeting organised by the parliament only a bit more than a month before Yekatit 23, 1988, and my very personal impression was that it had been convoked exactly to prove that people were being listened on the subject, and that the right moves were being taken. Yet it was clear to almost anyone present that, quite apart from not leaving the matter aside, quite apart from speeches by patriots and other people rightfully recalling old heroes who would certainly not have let things pass so easily, nothing would happen.
Nothing would happen because, in spite of many though significant small and big actions being taken on international and diplomatic terms, the right approach has not been tempted yet. Of all those actions, the one I appreciate as best fitting to a positive strategy is the (attempted) boycott of Italy's candidature to a future Olympics. Yet, I esteem boycotts and sanctions are but a last resort, and usually not the best.
To be convinced Yekatit 23, 1988 would be a right moment was not wrong, but only in terms of general interest to Ethiopia, not certainly, in my opinion, for the return of the obelisk.
In other manners of speaking, the work started by a few prominent figures in the country, with some support abroad -especially from Italian historians-, can only be considered as a resumption of past work: it has been pointless even to think that the restitution could come forth on Adwa day.
1. Adwa day is not an important day in Italy, nor in Europe. -Would You ever think such a remembrance pleases them? 2. Any action taken in Addis or Axum, let it be a nice and interesting set of conference, or even a mass manifestation of thousands of people asking their obelisk back, does not strike any point. -Remember, when a good third of the whole local population of Tahiti, yet another forgotten country of the South, was on the march in Papeete against the French government, the world learnt of it only because of the international media, French first. Anything, apart from famine or take-overs in the South does not make news. Usually even bloody coups make news only if white people can be concerned in person or through international interest, or the thing is a real genocide, and it just cannot pass totally unnoticed. 3. Moreover, international pressure can be exerted only in terms of real power, and just a few Ethiopians, let it be the Ethiopian Government itself, can exert these days only some pressure, maybe just not enough pressure to achieve our goal in sheer diplomatic terms. That is why I think the boycott of Italy's candidature to hosting the 2004 Olympics is a step in some direction, as the combined veto of a number of countries from the South could make a power difference. The day I assisted the conference, which was in fact an enlarged committee seating to gather ideas about the situation and its advancement, I learnt of a very bright comment put forward by lady Rita Pankhurst: "If we look into the future, once the obelisk will be back, a hole will remain in Rome, in front of the FAO headquarters... (by then I had also heard remarks by those surrounding me, in the back benches: but goodness me, who the...cares!) ...I would suggest that an Ethio-Italian commission would evaluate the best work of an Ethiopian artist to replace the stelae, and make the event a way to strengthen Ethio-Italian relations... The comments of the backbenchers just next to me, instead, were once again in the wrong direction. It may seem so rightful, and quite respondent to a general feel on the whole matter, to stress again that the obelisk must be returned simply because it is the full stated and underwritten right of the Ethiopians to see it come back. This is not, as such, only a nationalistic issue. At least, in my personal opinion, this attitude takes us nowhere.Lady Rita Pankhurst had the right attitude, indeed, but how to let her idea develop, indeed, how to let it be known? Any management, or "develop your personality" short or long, serious or bogus course would teach you amongst the fundamentals that, if the problem doesn't seem to be solved, you had most probably better turn it round, and look for another approach.
If making noise in the South will not serve our point, make it IN ROME, UNDER THE OBELISK, JUST ROUND THE FAO HEADQUARTERS'CAR PARK!!!
DO your best to involve:
Italian NGOS with an interest in North-South issues, International Right, Co-operation and Cultural development The Rome local administration: the man in charge of the Rome social issues in the present administration, Amedeo Piva, was until he took office there the president of a nearly 100 NGO strong federation of most Italian Catholic NGOS acting in the South -FOCSIV-, and a prominent figure in the European NGOS' forum. The Ethiopian, Erithrean and African communities in Rome. Though not well organised, they make numbers. Erithreans alone are at least 10.000 in Rome and its surrounds.
ASK for permission for a manifest action under the obelisk
A local ad-hoc committee, led by a figure in the local Ethiopian community and with as many Italian politicians from all sides will ask for the official permission, and....LET THEM ONLY NOT AUTHORISE; THE WORLD WILL SPEAK! Remember, you are in Rome, somewhere in the rich men world, netted by all Internets and with any local or international television at least able to cover, with very little expense, the whole thing, let it be for a 20 second spot, but, if god wishes, world over.
NOTHING TO DO with a recrimination for other Africans who did not get their work permits...
Just a speech by a couple of historians, the Italian ones, such as Triulzi, Del Boca, Calchi Novati and those who were in Adwa three months ago would certainly be in the game. A significant participation by local Ethiopians will be important.
Did you know the average Italian, or roman if that matters, knows absolutely nothing about the obelisk? I myself, with an old interest in Ethiopia and already engaged to an African girl, my present wife, passing by it for the first time, understood vaguely what it was, but it took me quite a time understanding it is the original. I thought it was some fascist replica of it....! Did you know Italy still owns over 50% (UNESCO estimate) of the WORLD'S worthy works of art, a good percentage of it in Rome alone, in spite of having to sue every year private museums, such as the Getty collection in Malibu, for NEW loots of Italian art, in spite of having already been deprived by various waves of colonizers of at least a third of its art works? Such action in Rome, if carefully organised, could only move quite a bit of local sympathy and support, and to say the least inform a fraction the local rather ignorant peoples on the obelisk's return issue. I am personally convinced that, perhaps just in order to try and cancel a shadowy past, even politicians of the far italian right (AN, who still has some old time fascist within it) may support the idea!
Such action is likely, above all, to stir the Italian political environment in its fief, maybe let it surge from almost total lethargy on the specific subject. The only attempts at actually evaluating the feasibility of the return of one of few Africa's historic monuments, a real forgotten patrimony of humanity, have been done in Ethiopia by people who mostly have never had the chance to see the obelisk standing in Rome. In spite of Baron Scammacca (then under-secretary of state for foreign affairs) overoptimistic promises of eight months ago, no commission has ever attempted a realistic feasibility study of the restitution. IT WOULD NOT COST MUCH! Unfortunately Baron Scammacca, at least a man acquired to the cause, is by now Italy's ambassador to Russia, and no longer concerned by the issue. A lost opportunity?
THE MANIFEST ACTION IN ROME SHOULD MAKE A CLEAR POINT: WE WANT DATES, A TIME SCHEDULE, NOT WORDS.
DON'T LET THEM TELL US IT IS COMPLICATED, OR COSTLY. IT MAY WELL BE. BUT THEY DIDN'T EVEN ATTEMPT TO EVALUATE IT! ASK THEM HOW MUCH, AND WHAT SORT OF TECHNICAL PROBLEMS THE REMOVAL OF THE WHOLE ABU-SIMBEL COMPLEX COST IN THE EARLY '60, WITH HALF OF THE PRESENT TECHNOLOGY, OR HOW THE FASCIST TOOK IT IN THE FIRST PLACE, IN 1936, WITH A TENTH OF THE PRESENT TECHNOLOGY.
Address comments to this section of the HORNET, simply uploading your file.
Just another idea: we should organise a mailing to the newly elected Italian premier, Romano Prodi, a Catholic who sided with the left and won last month's elections in Italy. A man who should not remain insensible to this cause.
Dr. Pankhurst is at PADIS .55. Assist him with support or ideas for his pioneer efforts on this matters, if you wish.
I do not have an Email address of any of the people I would suggest to contact or involve in the manifest action here proposed. I will do my best to obtain them.
Addis, 5/06/1996
Marco Vigano', 124245, Italian School, P.O. Box 970, Padis .480