Mussolini, who wished to create an Italian empire in the Horn of Africa, provoked
an incident near the ill-defined frontier separating Ethiopia from Italian Somaliland (December 1934). All attempts by the
Emperor, the League of Nations and the Great Powers to achieve a compromise were brushed aside. In October 1935 the Italians
invaded Ethiopia from Eritrea. They had better weapons, many aircraft, occasionally used poison gas and were helped by disaffected
tribes in the north and east. The Emperor’s troops were badly equipped and poorly led. The terrain, the great distances
and the weather often delayed the Italians, but after a short campaign they occupied Addis Ababa in April 1936. The imperial
household, many officials, some pets and tons of luggage took the train to Djibouti (then a French colony) where the party
embarked on HMS Enterprise on 3-4 May 1936 bound for Palestine. The Emperor, Crown Prince Asfa Wossen, Princess Tsahai and
Prince Makonnen Duke of Harar and a few staff were conveyed thence, via Gibraltar, to England. They arrived in London on 3
June to a very friendly welcome and were put up in Sir Elie Kadoorie’s house in Princes Gate (almost next door to the
Ethiopian legation). They stayed there for about two months.
The cultural shock of the transition from a backward country to London must have
been tremendous. We may also be sure that the Emperor felt deeply the rapid and unexpected change from autocratic sovereign
to stateless refugee. The prospect was indeed dismal: the Italians were triumphant having just annexed Ethiopia and about
to declare their King as Emperor. The British and French governments were embarrassed by their failure to preserve Ethiopia
even in a truncated form and to shore up the League of Nations. Though remote from Ethiopian affairs, the threat posed by
Hitler and German rearmament was far more worrying. The Axis was showing its teeth. For the British moreover (unlike the French)
there was also a moral issue: the League of Nations had a powerful appeal to many politicians, churchmen, some national dailies
and to public opinion. The Covenant and the sanctions imposed on Italy, though ineffective, could not be suddenly scrapped.
To the Foreign Office, the very presence of Haile Selassie in London was a reproach, but many people thought he was the victim
of a dictator and had been abandoned by those claiming to uphold international order.
The Emperor considered his next moves. First, although he distrusted his subjects,
because many had sided with the enemy, he could not abandon them or treat with the Italians for he would be deemed to have
thereby surrendered all his legitimate rights to the throne. But how was he to regain it and restore his authority? He decided
to appeal to the League, of which Ethiopia was a member. There was no practicable alternative and he was advised that this
course would be supported by public opinion in Britain and the smaller European countries. In the second place he must, indeed
it was expected of him, help his supporters still in Ethiopia, as well as those who had fled to the Sudan, Kenya and elsewhere.
How this was to be done remained unclear, but he hoped God, or the League or his British friends would provide. There was
also the imperial family whose welfare concerned him and to whose education he must attend. And last, though by no means least,
there were the material resources needed to prosecute these matters. He tended to have a sovereign’s disregard for money.
June was spent in London, meeting British and foreign well-wishers and consulting
specialist advisers. It was noted that the Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden (later Lord Avon), visited the Emperor and it also
became known that the Swiss would only accept him as a refugee if he refrained from all political activity. He rejected the
condition and thereby opted for exile in England. His general approach, after long reflection, emerged from his speech to
the General Assembly of the League on 30 June. He warned that collective security and the principles of the Covenant were
at stake, and that Ethiopia’s fate would also be the fate of European nations if Mussolini were not checked. The Emperor
spoke in Amharic, undisturbed by the barracking of Italian journalists, who were ejected, and delivered his message without
faltering. He was cheered. It was a fine and moving performance, but a useless endeavour for the opinion of the diplomats
was that sanctions would soon be lifted and that recognition by Axis satellites of the Italian annexation would follow. Many
delegates were dejected: the speech demonstrated the impotence of the League and as neither Britain nor France were giving
a lead, the representatives of the smaller countries began to distance themselves from the Emperor. All agreed that he had
been wronged, but could not be helped, let alone restored to his throne. The Times devoted a long leader to Haile Selassie’s
speech (2 July 1936) and asked: ‘Is there another in history who has deserved more of fortune and has received less?’
This sentimental claptrap was not accompanied by criticism of the dictators, and was of no help to the Emperor who returned
to London and to other urgent problems.
He now had to find a permanent home. His status in Britain was that of a ‘visitor’,
officially incognito so that no official honours were accorded to him. But Eden, who was hostile to Mussolini and therefore
friendly to Ethiopians, was able to grant the imperial family ‘Freedom of Customs’, a valuable concession when
bringing goods and chattels into the country. The Home Office and the Colonial Office were asked to be friendly and helpful
to the Ethiopian entourage. On the other hand it was made clear to Dr A.W. Martin, the envoy in London, that the Emperor should
avoid ‘public appearances’ which ‘might cause embarrassment’ to HMG and the Ethiopians. In their briefs
and minutes the officials in the Egyptian-Ethiopian section of the Foreign Office were critical of the eminent exiles, and
one of them minuted ‘... I feel sure that if we don’t try to exercise some moderation, our guest will be both
a nuisance and a danger’ (4).
There is no evidence that the Emperor was told to leave London, but Sir Elie wanted
his house back, and after making enquiries, Haile Selassie and a small retinue, decided to spend August in Bath for rest and
recuperation. Accordingly, he, the Crown Prince, Princess Tsahai, Prince Makonnen, Ras Kassa (the Emperor’s chief commander
and a trusted friend) and Dr Bayen (the doctor-secretary-interpreter) came by train on 5 August, and drove to the Spa Hotel.
The hotel may have been recommended by Dr and Mrs Marsh whom the Ethiopians had known in Addis Ababa; it was spacious, had
a large garden and was a little away from the centre of town. The unusual guests were very comfortably housed.
The Emperor sought privacy and after the initial novelty had worn off, he was left
in peace. The weather was splendid that August and the party soon began the routine of sight-seeing. He was an indefatigable
student of English life and work: he visited the bookbindery of Cedric Chivers, the new GPO and its telephone exchange, Fortt’s
Bath Oliver works, and so on. The Mayor, James S. Carpenter, LL.D., called at the hotel, and the next day, as etiquette prescribed,
Haile Selassie paid a formal visit to the Guildhall. There was also a more relaxed side to the spa treatment: the Roman Baths
were inspected, and on another occasion, a tent was hired at the Bath Horse Show, a great event in the city’s social
calendar, and the Ethiopian flag run up to show that His Majesty was attending. There were luncheon parties at the hotel,
sociable and useful, because he came to know some Bathonians who later were very helpful to him.
The mixture of dignified affability and exotic charm went down very well in Bath.
Besides, this social intercourse was lubricated by considerable expenditure on car hire, entertainment and miscellaneous purchases.
In a small city of 70,000, the distinguished guest and his party were soon known by sight by many people. A reporter from
the Bath Chronicle was at hand to take down the imperial message that Bath was the only place in the UK where the monarch
had felt really well (5). The testimonial was appreciated, and it is very likely that the city may have suited his mood: it
was elegant, but not fashionable as Monte Carlo or Cannes. Shabby in places, but dignified in a provincial way, cheaper than
London, yet sufficiently near for consultations with supporters in the capital. There was, in fact, more to the visit than
holidaying, making friends and influencing people. He needed a home and to plan his future as an exile. Princess Tsahai left
before the end of the month to train as a nurse at one of the London teaching hospitals. Her departure may have prompted her
father to look for a house where the family, divided between England and Palestine, could be united and where the Empress
would be comfortable.
The Emperor’s preferences narrowed his choice: his residence had to be large,
in a secluded location and with enough reception rooms to impress visitors. One might have thought a Georgian country mansion
would fill the bill, but he preferred Bath. Fortt, Hatt, & Billings directed his attention to Fairfield which stood empty
in spacious grounds in Newbridge Hill. It had belonged to Mrs Campbell-White, a widow, who had died abroad earlier that year.
It was a big place, quietly situated above the Kelston Road. A wall separated it from the elderly residents of Partis College
to the east; beyond it to the north and west there were, in those days, fields and a couple of private houses, notably Pen,
the home of Sir Guy Nugent. The total area was 2.2 acres and included a cottage, a garage or shed and a garden. Thus the Ethiopians
had their privacy in a respectable neighbourhood. The rateable value at £195 was high for that part of the city; the rates
were 25 shillings in the pound. The deal was closed promptly at a price later reported to be £3,500 (6).
By mid-September Haile Selassie had a new home and, though he could not move in
at once because electricians, plumbers and painters took over, he asked the Empress and the rest of the family to join him
from Palestine. A good deal of work had to be done before Fairfield was presentable, and it is interesting that central heating
and additional plumbing were neglected while money was spent on showy decorations. They worked quickly in those days and at
the beginning of October the Empress paid a visit of inspection. The family moved in about 9 October. The published descriptions
and personal souvenirs give a good picture of Fairfield and its inhabitants (7). After refurbishment the house had a large
double drawing room with two fireplaces, a dining room with pantry, a morning room, a ‘telephone room’ or small
office, a cloak room with WC and a conservatory. On the first floor were five ‘principal’ bedrooms and a spare
room; the attic contained three servants rooms. One bathroom is mentioned. In the basement were kitchen, scullery, bootroom,
servants hall, WC, staff room, a strong room and a wine cellar. The cottage had been rebuilt to have six rooms; the garage
could hold three cars and had a flat with bathroom above it.
These details are recorded to show that the residence could accommodate a good
many people. But how many lived there and where? The exact numbers remain elusive and the Home Office Aliens Department failed
to keep a check. My estimate is that there were altogether about 25 residents at Fairfield and the outhouses. The imperial
couple had five surviving children at the time, but the Crown Prince lived in Liverpool or Palestine and Princess Tsahai was
working in London. Her elder sister, Crown Princess Worq had six children whose ages ranged from about ten to two. The Emperor
liked the company of small children; he also had close to him his Foreign Minister in exile, Herouy (whose younger son divided
his time between Oxford and Bath), two or three Coptic monks and a doctor-secretary. There were several Ethiopian servants
including a butler and a cook. Finally there was the resident English governess, her young assistant (who did not live in)
and the gardener-chauffeur. It is clear that there were not enough rooms to house all these people decently and the servants
lived in the basement in conditions which would not have been tolerated by the municipal authorities had they troubled to
enquire. Another point, and one which soon became sufficiently urgent for Haile Selassie to take note, was that family and
retainers had to be fed, clothed and kept warm. The daily cost of the household, even with the undemanding habits of those
‘below stairs’ was considerable.
The Ethiopians pestered the Foreign Office which prodded the Italians to send the
imperial regalia, clothes, works of art and some money from the British Legation in Addis Ababa where they had been ‘temporarily’
stored in April 1936: the cases finally reached London in February 1937 by courtesy of Mussolini (whose authorization was
needed) and the P & O Steamship Co. (which carried them free of charge) (8). Thus fine rugs, native artifacts and good
cutlery graced the drawing and dining rooms which were elegantly and elaborately furnished. Upstairs, things were simpler,
if not spartan. The residence was managed and the bills were paid by Princess Worq and one of the English-speaking retainers.
The Empress rarely appeared in public, did not speak English and led a circumscribed life in a climate that did not suit her.
The relationships of the exiles with each other and with the British were governed by protocol. That did not appear so strange
to Haile Selassie’s visitors, because half a century ago formality among public personages was usual. Besides these
rituals maintained the impression the Emperor wished to give of monarchy temporarily without a throne. Thus protocol played
a role at Fairfield, not merely when visitors came to garden parties or the rare dinners, but in the everyday life of the
family.
Haile Selassie was then in his prime. He was small, but well proportioned, had
a long prominent nose, large deep set eyes and a moustache merging into a short, well trimmed beard which fringed the oval
face (9). His features were not easily forgotten and his clothes emphasised his aristocratic features. He wore plain dark
suits over which he put a knee-length cape, black in winter, white in summer. In public he was always dressed conventionally,
only his headgear showed some variety - he had a bowler, a Homburg and even a cap.
Refugees do not have an easy life, and the Emperor had his share of problems. He
kept them to himself. I doubt whether many Bathonians, even those who spoke Amharic or French, ever came close to him, for
though he could speak and write English, he preferred to use an interpreter on formal occasions — a practice common
among foreign potentates even now. Thus, though closely observed, he gave little away. He was physically tough (10), made
light of discomfort and was, in political terms, a survivor. To get to the top in Ethiopia and remain there entailed coping
with intrigues and outsmarting rival contenders. He was wary, probably devious, totally convinced of the righteousness of
his cause and in Bath he learnt the hard way about the fickleness of politicians, the incompetence of some lawyers, and also
that money was not there for the asking. His autobiography, written for Ethiopian consumption, is incoherent, couched in Biblical
language and wholly one-sided; it does not create a good impression, let alone make out a plausible case. The civil servants
who dealt with his appeals for justice, trivial requests, reproaches and obscurely worded allusions to cash flow problems
must have thought him a great bore, but equally they failed to understand his ways of thinking and background. In Bath, however,
Haile Selassie created a lasting good impression, had a favourable press and his unfeigned affection for children (particularly
his own, excepting only his eldest son who - following tradition - was not trusted) was noted and approved. His liking for
dogs was, in the Bath of those days, counted as a good point. Above all, the Emperor though grave, was always affable and
polite to Bathonians. Thus people were prepared to overlook that he had been a less than perfect ruler and that notwithstanding
his protestations, he had been unable to stop slavery, incompetence, corruption and dishonesty. By and large, however, he
was a good refugee.
Emperors in exile need an occupation, and Haile Selassie, unlike his older German
colleague, the ex-Kaiser, kept busy. There was a routine of sorts at Fairfield, beginning at 6am with prayers, followed by
breakfast and that, in turn, by dictation of his autobiography, dealing with affairs of state or attending to correspondence.
His activities will presently engage our attention. Judging by the content of the PRO files, the Emperor, like his officials-in-exile,
spent much time on unnecessary detail and, as is the wont of refugees generally, on gossip and plots. Time and weather permitting,
the ex-monarch used to go for a morning walk towards the city, accompanied by the dog and his children (or grandchildren)
or some adult Ethiopian, the latter at a respectful distance. He was greeted and responded with a smile or raised his hat.
After lunch he often met visitors from London or abroad. He had a wide range of interests, but we may be sure that four topics
dominated the conversations: first, current affairs and particularly news from Ethiopia; secondly, the fate of supporters
in that country and refugees in Kenya, Sudan and Palestine; thirdly, law suits; and fourthly, personal finances. These matters
were kept distinct from the Emperor’s private life, which apart from the obviously un-English household at Fairfield,
remains unknown. The ‘personal-story’ element is therefore missing, but his persona - as presented to the public
- attracted much attention and invited speculation. This was partly due to Haile Selassie’s unusual personality, but
mainly to the complex interplay of diplomatic, legal and financial problems.
During 1936-40 the Emperor’s position weakened, and it reflected the decline
of the League and the strength of the Axis. He failed to understand the importance of the Spanish Civil War (1936-9) and of
Italo-German intervention on behalf of Franco. By 1938 the Ethiopian case, however legitimate on paper, appeared trivial in
Whitehall when the Austrian annexation (March) and the Czech crises ending with Munich (May-September) represented far greater
issues for Britain. He had put his trust in Eden, but the Foreign Secretary resigned in February 1938 and Lord Halifax who
succeeded him, was not interested in the League and cared nothing for Ethiopia. For HMG a settlement with Italy was desirable
in order to safeguard the route to Suez and beyond. The Italians were also interested in a deal, provided Britain and France
recognised the conquest of Ethiopia de jure and the King of Italy as Emperor. Eden was reluctant to comply, but Halifax was
willing and the Anglo-Italian Agreement was tackled in earnest soon after his appointment. In all this, Haile Selassie had
no part, nor did he put his potential nuisance value to use. In 1937, even in 1938, the Italians were still worried about
unrest in northern Ethiopia, but as their grip strengthened so they became less interested in a bargain with the ex-monarch
which would have given him the status of a puppet-prince over some parts of the country and enough cash to sweeten the pill.
The Italians held the better cards, they were in possession and as Haile Selassie’s money ran out, he was less able
to stir up the tribesmen. HMG declared it would not ‘sacrifice Ethiopia’, but was so eager to appease Mussolini
(hoping he would restrain Hitler) that it signed the agreement with Italy on 16 April 1938. However, implementation was deferred
until 2 November, and de jure recognition followed later that month (11). It does not seem that Haile Selassie was kept informed
of details. The Italians were aware of the Emperor’s plight, and so were many Bathonians. The former were pleased, but
the latter felt he had been let down by a pusillanimous Foreign Secretary. Hence the continuing popularity of the Emperor
and of the Ethiopian cause in England and its special appeal in Bath.
Relief and support for the Ethiopians had begun during 1935, and with Haile Selassie’s
arrival in England his well-wishers counted on the participation of the exiled monarch at lectures and fund-raising rallies.
This was contrary to the promise he had given to the Foreign Office in 1936, but neither it nor the Ethiopians were bothered,
for the undertaking was only to mollify Italian sensitivities. The Abyssinia Association was the principal pressure group.
Its objectives were to maintain the Convenant of the League and to reinstate Haile Selassie. The people who formed its Council
included many well-known public figures, politically mostly Liberal or Labour, so they carried little weight in Downing Street
or Whitehall (12). They failed to explain how their aims were to be achieved and as appeasement policies dominated the Cabinet’s
thinking they were, perforce, obliged gradually to abandon these objectives and concentrate increasingly on relief work. Some
good was done in this area, especially by Sir Sydney and Lady Barton. (He had been HM Minister in Addis Ababa and retired
in mid-1936 with a knighthood.) Barton chaired the Abyssinian Refugees Relief Fund which raised substantial sums for distribution
in Africa. The Association managed the Emperor of Ethiopia’s Fund which supported exiles in Palestine when Haile Selassie
was no longer able to do so. There were also the Friends of Abyssinia run by Dr Martin from London, but he fell into disrepute
and vexed the Emperor because he failed to account satisfactorily for large sums collected during 1936 (13). It should also
be noted that the Colonial Office made a large contribution and ultimately succoured 9,000 refugees in Kenya and Sudan; the
Emperor, however, was not allowed to interfere with official relief (14).
Haile Selassie did not canvass publicly for Ethiopian refugees and did not wish
to be bracketed with the more militant among the supporters whose activities soon became counter-productive. But he attended
(or sent a representative to) the functions of the West of England branch in Bath of the Abyssinia Association. For example,
there was the public reception at Fortt’s on 21 January 1937. The Mayor, Walter F. Long, came, contrary to the advice
of the Home Office (15). The Emperor and the Empress were also there; Long referred to them in friendly terms and, to applause,
declared that ‘We may claim them now as citizens of Bath’. Some speakers demanded ‘justice for Ethiopia’,
others confined themselves to platitudes, and good fellowship prevailed all round (16). On 16 April, James Carpenter (who
became Mayor again in 1939) spoke at a meeting of the Association. When the City’s Establishment thus showed its support
for the Ethiopians and the Bath Chronicle reproduced their speeches, others in town took their cue. Welfare and fund-raising
activities in 1937 and 1938 were significant local events, which maintained public sympathy and showed the pride Bathonians
took in their imperial exile.
There were also more informal occasions in and around Bath which were only briefly
reported. One such was the garden party given by Dr and Mrs. Marsh at Englishcombe in July 1937 to which Haile Selassie came
and which was honoured by the Mayor, Lady Barton and her future son-in-law, G. L. Steer of The Times. £40 was collected. Two
years later the Marshes held another party, but the weather was unkind, the venue had to be moved to a hall in Twerton, and
only £27 was raised. Times had changed - war was very close and the Ethiopian refugees were no longer newsworthy. The Emperor
himself had not so much fallen in public esteem as he had fallen on hard times - his law suits and his finances were attracting
attention.
It is easy to be wise after the event. But to assert that Haile Selassie was foolishly
litigious may do him an injustice: his rights and claims mattered to him, but he probably was unaware of the pitfalls of the
English judicial system, and he may have been badly advised, he certainly had some bad luck. The preparations for his lawsuits
entailed translations and expert opinion, and were as time consuming as they were expensive. Of the four cases known to me
(there may have been others in which Emperor was plaintiff or defendant), three had to do with money and one with libel. The
first, in spring 1937, involved the London agents of the Bank of Ethiopia who refused to hand over money to the Emperor’s
representative. The dispute was settled out of court, but he didn’t get the funds (17). In October of that year a court
in Paris reserved judgement in a case involving the Emperor’s half share in the Djibouti-Addis Ababa Rly. Co., half-owned
and managed by the French. Once again he was unable to realise an asset (18). The suit against the London Evening Standard
was about a report in the issue of 26 May 1938: it repeated a libel over which Haile Selassie had sued and won about two years
earlier. It was settled out of court and the newspaper paid the then large sum of £6,000 (19).
But the costliest action was Haile Selassie V. Cable and Wireless Ltd (C &
W) which began on 4 January 1937, went twice to the court of Appeal and was dismissed (without recourse to the House of Lords)
on 6 December 1938 (20). The facts were not in dispute: both parties agreed that £10,163 was owed to the Emperor for his share
in the royalties of a radio-telegraph service between Addis Ababa and London up to 2 May 1936, when the station closed, but
before the formal Italian annexation. The question was whether the monarch was ‘....still entitled to recover this debt.’
He considered it was a private debt owed to him personally, but English legal opinion was divided and some held that it was
what is now called a ‘sovereign debt’, not owed to an individual personally, but to the state as a sovereign entity.
Britain had conceded de facto recognition of the annexation in December 1936, but the legal position depended on de jure recognition
which had not been granted when writs were issued. There were many delays due to Foreign Office dilatoriness over the provision
of documents and to the tactics of the Italians who claimed the money, but would not sue for it in an English court. At last,
on 23 March 1938, Mr Justice Bennett declared ‘I have no jurisdiction to decide’, and stayed further proceedings.
The Emperor appealed, won and had his costs paid by C & W (30 June); the case was returned to Bennett who, this time,
gave judgement for the Emperor, but ordered a stay of execution (27 July). C & W thereupon appealed, but when the case
came before the Appeal judges on 3 November circumstances had changed dramatically. The day before Chamberlain had told the
Commons that HMG would shortly recognise the King of Italy as de jure Emperor of Ethiopia. So the Lords of Appeal adjourned
the case for four weeks and on 6 December the court noted that Britain no longer recognised Haile Selassie as de jure Emperor
and, accordingly, his title to the debt had been ‘displaced’. The money therefore belonged to the King-Emperor
of Italy and his entitlement to it as head of state was backdated to de facto recognition in December 1936 - some three weeks
before the action began. There would be no costs.
It was an extraordinary business and one may surely express surprise at the handling
of the case in the High Court and at Appeal. The delays and obfuscations of the judges were as reprehensible as the failure
of the Emperor’s lawyers to base their claim on the chronology of events. The role of the Foreign Office was hurtful
to Haile Selassie without benefiting Britain in any way. The Italians got the money without suing, C & W merely had to
settle their costs, and Haile Selassie, who could least afford them, was faced with heavy legal expenses.
When the Emperor arrived in England he had cash, plate and jewellery to the value
of about £25,000, say £650,000 at today’s purchasing power. There were also other assets, but as we have just seen,
they could not be realised (21). His money just melted away in 1936, for apart from the rather grand style of living, there
were business trips (in particular to Geneva) with his advisers, the purchase and redecoration of Fairfield and, until well
into 1937, payments to refugees in England, Palestine and elsewhere. Even before 1936 was out there were problems which led
to the sale of a silver service and of some jewels (22). Stories about Ethiopian debtors began to circulate in Bath and soon
reached London where they aroused the curiosity of officials and MPs. Although English royalty had often been in debt in the
past, a bankrupt Emperor in twentieth century Britain was too awful to contemplate. But from spring 1937 onwards some evidence
pointed firmly in that direction. Though Foreign Office gossip was often inaccurate, a few members of the Abyssinia Association
and some civil servants interpreted the Emperor’s oblique phrases as signals that he needed help, and that quickly.
How was this to be done discreetly, without hurting his pride, creating a precedent and upsetting the Italians? The months
went by with talks in London and growing concern in Bath. The matter eventually reached the Cabinet Committee on Foreign Policy
which considered, as Halifax put it, the Emperor’s ‘great financial straits’, on 28 March 1938. A long discussion
ensued, but the Cabinet was divided and no decision was reached. Chamberlain concluded by saying the Opposition would be sure
to make political capital out of any help given to Haile Selassie and they would claim that HMG was ‘... .bribing the
Negus to acquiesce in the Anglo-Italian agreement’ (23). Fifty years later the documents cannot hide the confusion and
embarrassment of mean spirited Ministers.
But help came from another quarter, though the details are not in the Foreign Office
files or the local records. It would appear that through the intervention of the Abyssinia Association’s Appeal Committee
‘...a private benefactor had come forward and had guaranteed to provide the Emperor’s financial requirements during
the next five years and the Emperor had accepted this gift..’. Neither the amount nor the name of the donor were given.
It would be interesting to discover who he was and his connection with HMG and Ethiopia (24). Whatever the scale of assistance,
it is certain that economies were introduced at Fairfield and maintained in 1939-40, despite the discomfort which they entailed.
Even that would not have sufficed if the City had not been forbearing over the rates and had waived payment for electricity
supplied by the municipal power station. This kindness was matched by the coal merchant and some of the tradesmen, and it
is pleasant to record these acts of generosity to a foreign visitor in need.
The last year of peace and the phoney war were difficult for the Emperor and his
family. Ras Kassa left for Palestine and the exiles lost a steadfast friend. Much more depressing was the death of Herouy
at Fairfield on 19 September 1938 after a long illness. He had been Haile Selassie’s closest confidant, a reformer,
foreign minister since 1930, and unbribable (25). He was buried at Lockswood Cemetery. The C & W litigation might have
been handled differently if Herouy had been well enough to advise. The Empress returned from Palestine and was in better health,
but the household was worried about money and in February 1939 stories about the impending sale of Fairfield surfaced again.
It is significant too that the Ethiopians received less and less mention in the Bath Chronicle a good indicator of the level
of local interest. One of the rare occasions when Bathonians read about their visitor was in March 1940 when he took delivery
of a new car - a Morris 10, a modest vehicle indeed for a monarch (26).
As war approached Haile Selassie sent a friendly message to the King, to which
Halifax gave a dusty reply and very likely hurt his pride. The Foreign Office became even more anxious about his activities
and Collier was not given permission to visit Ethiopians in Cairo and Jerusalem. Nevertheless the Emperor was busy planning
and plotting, and even sent a trusted agent to spy out the land and report back. It was futile and amateurish, and the documents
show that the British preferred their own methods and channels of communication (27). When the Blitzkrieg exploded he thought
his time had come and on 16 May he wrote to Churchill in Amharic and English, but the ‘confidential note’ which
he mentioned is not at the PRO - it was probably a programme of action drawn up in Bath. However there was no reply from Downing
Street. On 8 June the Emperor was at St Paul’s for the christening of Steer’s son. On 10 June Italy entered the
war and the next day the Abyssinia Association urged Halifax to let Haile Selassie go to Ethiopia (28). About ten days later
he was on his way and in great secrecy flew from England across France via Malta to Egypt and the Sudan. In London a tribal
rising under the banner of the Lion of Judah seemed a good idea to the exiles and to Churchill. But the Sudan government would
have none of it and once more the Emperor was frustrated. Only cash was available and suddenly he was in funds (29). But security
was so strict that the Empress did not hear from her husband until mid-July. His part in the Ethiopian campaign and his return
to Addis Ababa in April 1941 are not part of this story. But the victory party at Fairfield on 15 May calls for mention (30).
It was a fine day and about 60 people attended the Empress’ reception. The Mayor (Aubrey Bateman) came and so did Long,
Carpenter, Dr Marsh, Ernest Smith and many others, accompanied by their wives. They had been helpful during the difficult
years, and now they were being entertained in style, sipping champagne, admiring the flower arrangements and noting the Ethiopian
flag. The Ethiopian women and children did the honours. A few months later the Empress and Princess Tsahai slipped away home.
Princess Worq and her children followed in 1943 and the residence, except for the caretaker, stood empty for over ten years.
The Bath connection was not yet at an end. In October 1954 the Emperor accompanied
by Makonnen and a large retinue came on a state visit to England. When official business was over he returned to Bath, ostensibly
to receive the Freedom of the City - a rare honour indeed, ‘...in recognition of his services to the Allied Cause and
his close association with the City’ (31). Whether the honour was merited is debatable, but Haile Selassie, for one,
was pleased. He arrived on 18 October and spent two nights at Fairfield, tidied up and repainted for the occasion. There was
an unbroken round of ceremonies, official functions and grand reception at Fairfield. But he found time to visit Ernest Smith
at his works and greet others who had helped him. And then, on 20 October, the motorcade was off to Oxford where he received
an honorary degree from the Chancellor, Lord Halifax. What, one wonders, were their thoughts on this occasion?
Haile Selassie never returned. He had paid all debts and by his actions showed
that he had not forgotten Bath: In 1958 he gave Fairfield to the city. The building was converted into an old people’s
home and an estate of sheltered housing built in the garden; it was named Empress Menen’s Park. He also presented a
cricket pavilion to St Christopher’s School in memory of Makonnen’s sporting deeds in the 1930s (32). Fairfield,
which now belongs to the County of Avon, still has a plaque to recall its distinguished owner: St Christopher’s has
given way to King Edward’s School and the pavilion was destroyed by vandals in 1987.
Deaths in the family, Ethiopia politics, risings and - not least - the creation
of the Organization of African Unity pre-occupied the Emperor in the last twenty years of his life. The experiences of the
Bath exile receded, but some were not forgotten. Education, specifically English Public School education, continued to interest
him and he thought to transplant some of its principles and practices to Ethiopia. (But the new habitat was inhospitable and
the experiment failed.) In the second place he was determined not to become a debtor again: after 1941 the skimping and scraping
of the Bath years never recurred, but, on the other hand, the gulf between court and people, observed before 1936, remained
wide after the restoration. And finally, the humiliations, real or imagined, at the hands of the Foreign Office were not forgotten.
In the 1950’s he turned away, gradually, but irrevocably from Britain to the U.S.
Notes:
1
Haille Selassie, My Life and Ethiopia’s Progress 1892—1937 (Oxford,
1976) Translator’s Preface, p. xiv. The autobiography was translated and annotated by Edward Ullendorff. The quotation
comes from the second volume, published in 1974. This second volume takes the story from 1936-37 to the liberation of Ethiopia.
So far as I know it has not been translated from the Amharic into English. Ullendorff follows the Emperor’s practice
of spelling his name with a double l, but throughout this article I have followed the Anglo-American practice and used a single
l.
2
I interviewed about a dozen people who met the Emperor in 1936-40 or later in
Ethiopia or in 1954 during the state visit. The BBC programme The Emperor in Bath produced by Andrew Vivian in spring 1986
was repeated on 15 June 1987.
3
There are many files (or ‘pieces’) at the Public Record Office (PRO)
in the series FO 371 dealing with Haile Selassie. The references in the text give the series, and the five digit file number
and, when available, the document letter, J, and its number. Back issues of the Bath and Wiltshire Chronicle Herald (shortened
here to Bath Chronicle) are kept in the Bath reference Library. The City Archives hold the minutes of Council Meetings, the
rate books and city directories.
4
FO 371/20197, notes and minutes June-July 1936.
5
Bath Chronicle 3 September 1936. There are many references to the imperial party
during August.
6
Rate books and Bath Chronicle 12 September 1936 and 1 November 1937. The price
quoted in the issue of 1 November (p.5) cannot be confirmed from other sources, but seems to be about right. Large houses
with three reception rooms, five or six bedrooms, garden and garage were advertised by Fortt, Hatt & Billings, T Powell
& Co and others in July-August 1936 for £1,600 to £3,000 depending on location and condition. Powell & Co. were prepared
to offer up to £4,000 for an even larger property (9 bedrooms, 10 acres of garden) between Bath and Bristol. Houses of that
sort nowadays change hands for more than £400,000.
7
Fortt, Hatt & Billing advertised the sale of Fairfield in the Bath Chronicle
for about a week, beginning on 7 October 1937. Then the notice was withdrawn. There was no explanation; the Emperor probably
changed his mind. Some of my informants, in particular Mrs Haskins (nee Blackmore), remembered the house very well.
8
FO 371/20198 (J 8138) and FO 371/20920 (minutes dated 10, 11 and 18 January 1937
and 12 February 1937, J 645).
9
The Fine Art Society not long ago exhibited a bronze head of the Emperor sculpted
by Sava Botzaris in 1938.
10
At Christmas 1937 he was injured by a taxi in London, but was soon back at work
in Bath, Bath Chronicle 17 January, 1938; L Mosley, Haile Selassie (London, 1964), p. 245.
11
The implementation of the Agreement depended on the withdrawal of the Italian
‘volunteers’ from Spain. This condition was waived by HMG in November 1938. AJP Taylor, English History 1914 -
1945 (Oxford, 1976 ed.) pp. 423-4 and for details FO 371/20198, 20922, 20929, 22010 and 22012.
12
The three Presidents of the Association were Sir Norman Angell, Sir Hesketh Bell
and Sir George Paish. The Vice Presidents were Eleanor Rathbone MP, Philip (later Lord) Noel-Baker MP, S.Vyvyan Adams MP,
Lady Layton and the Dean of Winchester. During and after the war some of them became very well-known for reasons unconnected
with Ethiopia.
13
A.W. Martin was found by a British missionary on the battlefield of Magdala (1868),
trained as a doctor in India and worked in Burma. He retired from the Colonial Service in the 1920s and became an adviser
to the Emperor soon afterwards. He caused much embarrassment in England and was more foolish than dishonest. He returned to
India in 1940. FO 371/20211 (J 4137) and 24637 (J 1851).
14
Lady Barton told an official at the Foreign Office that she had £30,000 for Ethiopian
relief. The Colonial Office spent £50,000 on Ethiopian refugees on 1937 and estimated this would rise to about £60,000 in
1938. FO 371/20920 (J166) and 22011 (J2764).
15
Long wrote to the Home Office for guidance on 30 December 1936. The official reply
stated inter alia: ‘... it is unnecessary and would be undesirable for any honours to be paid to him [ Emperor] by public
personages... in their official capacity ...‘ If the meeting was ‘...in any way connected with the . . . [ Association
you would do better not to attend it.’ FO 371/20920 (J 179).
16
Bath Chronicle 22 January 1937. Long became a director of Wessex Associated News,
the owners of the Chronicle the following month.
17
FO 371/20920 (J 2680), Minute of a meeting on 7 June 1937 with C.S. Collier, an
ex-governor of the Bank of Ethiopia. Collier held the Emperor’s power-of-attorney in England. He told the Foreign Office
very little on this occasion.
18
Bath Chronicle 12 August and 27 October 1937. The details of the case and its
outcome cannot be traced in Bath.
19
FO 371/22011 (J 3386); in today’s currency £6,000 would be worth about £160,000.
20
All the relevant details are in the Law Journal Reports ( CVII 1938, pp. 201—203,
380—84, 419—25 and CVIII 1939, pp. 190-92. I am grateful to Moger & Sparrow for permission to consult L.J.R.
on their premises.
21
FO 371/20196, minute dated 7 May 1936 and 371/20198, meeting with Collier on 12
August 1936. The cash consisted of 200,000 Maria Theresa dollars and 500,000 French fr. There was also a trust, valued at
£54,000 for the children, which could not be broken and a villa at Vevey (Switzerland). The cases forwarded from Addis Ababa
in February 1937 contained (among other things) some gold and silver coins.
22
Bath Chronicle 17 and 22 December 1936. The service consisted of about 500 pieces
of modern Austrian design. The auction raised £2,527. Some of the silver was on display, presumably for sale, at Gilmers of
Bath the following spring. The jewellery was sold through Ernest Smith, who owned the city’s leading leather goods shop,
and who had won the Emperor’s confidence in August 1936 (information from Mr W Smith, 13 May 1987).
23
FO 371/22010 (J 1266).
24
FO 371/22010 (J 3386), memo by V Cavendish-Bentinck dated 29 August 1938. The
story is repeated in his brief, dated 9 January 1939, for the Chamberlain-Halifax visit to Mussolini. The only alteration
is the addition that the donor demanded that the public appeal on behalf of the Emperor be abandoned; FO 371/23374 (Jl38).
25
The Times 20, 22 and 23 September 1938. Lt. Col D A Sandford wrote a fine memorial
to Blattengeta (in English: chief of the wise men) Herouy. The elder son was killed by the Italians in 1938.
26
Bath Chronicle 12 March 1940 (photo of car and Emperor). The references to Haile
Selassie fell from 38 in 1938, to 12 in 1939 and to 3 up to June 1940.
27
FO 371/24638 (J 482). C. Sandford, The Lion of Judah hath Prevailed (London, 1955),
pp 87—90.
28
FO 371/24639 (J 1768).
29
In a memo (in French) to Churchill, dated 6 July 1940, Haile Selassie wrote that
he left London on 24 June and met Col. Sandford at Wadi Halfa on 24 June; FO 371/24635 (J 1768). In September 1940 the Foreign
Office obtained Treasury agreement to pay the Emperor £2,000 a month backdated to 25 June. Soon afterwards the amount was
raised; FO 371/24637 (J 1490) and 24639 (J 1965).
30
Bath Chronicle 16 May 1941. Despite newsprint rationing the event was given large
coverage.
31
The Freedom of the city was proposed on 5 October 1954 by the Mayor (Cllr Gallup)
and endorsed by Alderman Long. The Resolution was accepted unanimously. Winston Churchill became a Freeman in 1950 and Yehudi
Menuhin in 1966. They and the Emperor have been the only individuals (as distinct from military units) so honoured since 1945.
Details of the visit and ceremonies are in the Bath Chronicles of 6 and 19 October 1954.
32
Bath Chronicle (Weekly Edition) 10 May and 2 August 1958. Makonnen was killed
in a car accident in 1957.
Haile
Selassie I was born Tafari Makonnen on July 23 1892 in the village of Ejersa Goro, in the Harar province of Ethiopia, as Lij
(literally "child", usually bestowed upon nobility). His father was Ras Makonnen Woldemikael Gudessa, the governor of Harar,
and his mother was Woyzero (Lady) Yeshimebet Ali Abajifar. He inherited his imperial blood through his paternal grandmother,
Princess Tenagnework Sahle Selassie, who was an aunt of Emperor Menelik II, and he claimed to be a direct descendant of Makeda,
the queen of Sheba, and King Solomon of ancient Israel. Emperor Haile Selassie I had an elder half-brother, Dejazmach Yilma
Makonnen, who preceded him as governor of Harar, but died not long after taking office. Tafari became Dejazmach at age thirteen.
Shortly thereafter, his father Ras Makonnen died at Kulibi. Although it seems that his father had wanted him to inherit his
position of governor of Harar, Emperor Menelik found it imprudent to appoint such a young boy to such an important position.
Dejazmach Tafari's older half-brother, Dejazmach Yilma Makonnen was made governor of Harar instead. Tafari was at an early
age a fixture at Menelik's Imperial Court, and was enrolled at the Menelik II School for Nobles (today the Menelik II High
School). Governor
of Harar Tafari was
given the titular governorship of Sellale, although he did not administer the district directly. In 1907, he was appointed
governor over part of the province of Sidamo. Following the death of his brother Dejazmach Yilma, Harar was granted to Menelik's
loyal general, Dejazmach Balcha Saffo. However, the Dejazmach's time in Harar was not successful, and so during the last illness
of Menelik II, and the brief tenure in power of Empress Taitu Bitul, Tafari Makonnen was made governor of Harar, and entered
the city 11 April 1911. On 3 August of that year, he married Menen Asfaw of Ambassel, the niece of the heir to the throne,
Lij Iyasu. Regent Although Dejazmach Tafari played only
a minor role in the movement that deposed Lij Iyasu on 27 September 1916, he was its ultimate beneficiary. The primary powers
behind the move were the conservatives led by Fitawrari Hapte Giorgis Dinagde, Menelik II's long time war minister. Dejazmach
Tafari was included in order to get the progressive elements of the nobility behind the movement, as Lij Iyasu was no longer
regarded as the progressives' best hope for change. However, Iyasu's increasing flirtation with Islam, his disrespectful attitude
to the nobles of his grandfather Menelik II, as well as his scandalous behavior in general, not only outraged the conservative
power-brokers of the Empire, but alienated the progressive elements as well. This led to the deposition of Iyasu on grounds
of conversion to Islam, and the proclamation of Menelik II's daughter (Iyasu's aunt) as Empress Zauditu. Dejazmatch Tafari
Makonnen was elevated to the rank of Ras, and was made heir apparent. In the power arrangement that followed, Tafari accepted
the role of Regent (Inderase), and became the de facto ruler of the Ethiopian Empire. As Regent, the new Crown Prince developed
the policy of careful modernisation initiated by Menelik II, securing Ethiopia's admission to the League of Nations in 1923,
abolishing slavery in the empire in 1924. He engaged in a tour of Europe that same year, inspecting schools, hospitals, factories,
and churches; this left such an impression on the future emperor that he devoted over forty pages of his Autobiography to
the details of his European journey. King & Emperor Empress Zewditu crowned him as
the full title His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie
I, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God. By Empress Menen, the Emperor had
six children: Princess Tenagnework, Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen, Princess Tsehai, Princess Zenebework, Prince Makonnen and Prince
Sahle Selassie. Emperor Haile Selassie I also had an elder daughter, H.I.H. Princess Romanework Haile Selassie, born from
an earlier union to Woizero Altayech. Little is known about this first union other than that it occurred when the Emperor
was in his late teens. The marriage was not recognised by the church, but the Emperor's daughter was considered legitimized,
and therefore received the title of Princess with the dignity of "Her Imperial Highness" with the rest of the Emperor's children
in 1930. Princess Romanework was married to Dejazmatch Beyene Merid, and was the mother to four sons, two of whom survived
to adulthood. Following the death of her husband in battle against the Italians, Princess Romanework was captured by the Fascists
during the Ethio-Italian War, and taken in captivity to Asinara Island off the coast of Italy, where she died in 1941. Her
body was returned to Ethiopia and buried at Holy Trinity Cathedral. Her two surviving sons, Dejazmatches Samson and Merid
Beyene were raised by the Emperor and Empress. The Emperor introduced Ethiopia's first written constitution on July 16, 1931,
providing for an appointed bicameral legislature. It was the first time that non-noble subjects had any role in official government
policy. However, the League's failure to stop Italy's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 led him to five years in exile. The constitution
also limited the succession to the throne to the descendants of Emperor Haile Selassie -- a detail that caused considerable
unhappiness with other dynastic princes, such as the princes of Tigrai, and even his loyal cousin Ras Kassa Hailu. War!
negus in 1928, under pressure from the progressive party, following
a failed attempt to remove him from power by the conservative elements. The crowning of Tafari Makonnen was very controversial,
as he occupied the same immediate territory as the Empress, rather than going off to one of the regional areas traditionally
known as Kingdoms within the Empire. Two monarchs, even with one being the vassal and the other the Emperor (in this case
Empress), had never occupied the same location as their seat in Ethiopian history. Attempts to redress this "insult" to the
dignity of the Empress' crown were attempted by conservatives including Dejazmatch Balcha and others. The rebellion of Ras
Gugsa Wele, husband of the Empress, was also in this spirit. He marched from his governorate at Gondar towards Addis Ababa
but was defeated and killed at the Battle of Anchiem on March 31, 1930. News of Ras Gugsa's defeat and death had hardly spread
through Addis Ababa, when the Empress died suddenly on April 2, 1930. Although it was long rumored that the Empress was poisoned
upon the defeat of her husband, or alternately, that she collapsed upon hearing of his death and died herself, it has since
been documented that the Empress had succumbed to an intense flu-like fever and complications from diabetes. Following the
Empress Zewditu's sudden death, Tafari Makonnen was proclaimed Emperor and King of Kings in Ethiopia. He was crowned on November
2 as Emperor Haile Selassie I at Addis Ababa's Cathedral of St. George, in front of representatives from 12 countries. (Haile
Selassie had been the baptismal name given to Tafari at his christening as an infant.) The representatives included Prince
Henry, Duke of Gloucester (son of British King George V, and brother to Kings Edward VIII, and George VI), Marshal Franchet
d'Esperey of France, and the Prince of Udine representing Italy. The Emperor took
Following the 1936 Italian invasion of Ethiopia from its colonies in Eritrea and Somalia,
Emperor Haile Selassie I made an attempt at fighting back the invaders personally. He joined the northern front by setting
up headquarters at Desse in Wollo province. The Italians had the advantage of much better and a larger number of modern weapons,
including a large airforce. The Italians also extensively used chemical warfare and bombed Red Cross tent hospitals, in violation
of the Geneva Convention. Following the defeat of the northern armies of Ras Seyoum Mengesha and Ras Imru Haile Selassie I
in Tigrai, the Emperor made a stand against them himself at Maychew in southern Tigrai. Although giving Italian pilots quite
a scare, his army was defeated and retreated in disarray, and he found himself being attacked by rebellious Raya and Azebu
tribesmen as well. The Emperor made a solitary pilgrimage to the churches at Lalibela, at considerable risk of capture, before
returning to his capital. After a stormy session of the council of state, it was agreed that because Addis Ababa could not
be defended, the government would relocate to the southern town of Gore, and that in the interests of preserving the Imperial
house, the Empress and the Imperial family should leave immediately by train for Djibouti and from there to Jerusalem. After
further debate over whether the Emperor would also go to Gore or he should take his family into exile, it was agreed that
the Emperor should leave Ethiopia with his family, and present the case of Ethiopia to the League of Nations at Geneva. The
decision was not unanimous, and several participants angrily objected to the idea that an Ethiopian monarch should flee before
an invading force. Some, like the progressive noble, Blatta Takele, an erstwhile ally of the Emperor, were to permanently
hold a grudge against him for agreeing to leave the country. The Emperor appointed his cousin Ras Imru Haile Selassie as Prince
Regent in his absence, departing with his family for Djibouti on May 2, 1936. Marshal Pietro Badoglio led the Italian troops
into Addis Ababa on May 5, and Mussolini declared King Victor Emanuel III Emperor of Ethiopia and Ethiopia an Italian province.
On this occasion Marshal Pietro Badoglio (declared the first Viceroy of Ethiopia and made "Duke of Addis Ababa") returned
to Rome and took with him Haile Selassie's throne as a "war trophy", converting it as his dog's couch. At Djibouti the Emperor
boarded a British ship bound for Palestine. The Imperial family disembarked at Haifa, and then went on to Jerusalem where
the Emperor and his officials prepared their presentation at Geneva. Emperor Haile Selassie I was the only head of state to
address the General Assembly of the League of Nations. When he entered the hall, and the President of the Assembly announced
"Sa Majest Imperiale, l'Empereur d'Ethiopie," the large number of Italian journalists in the galleries erupted in loud shouts,
whistles and catcalls, stamping their feet and clapping their hands. As it turned out, they had earlier been issued whistles
by the Italian foreign minister (and Mussolini's son-in-law) Count Galeazzo Ciano. The Emperor stood in quiet dignity while
the Chairman of the Assembly demanded that security "silence these beasts for the sake of civilization". The Emperor waited
quietly for security to clear the Italian press out of the gallery, before commencing his speech. Although fluent in French,
the working language of the League, the Emperor chose to deliver his historic speech in his native Amharic. The Emperor asked
the League to live up to its promise of collective security. He spoke eloquently of the need to protect weak nations against
the strong. He detailed the death and destruction rained down upon his people by the use of chemical agents. He reminded the
League that "God and History would remember (their) judgement." He pleaded for help and asked "What answer am I to take back
to my people?" [1]. His eloquent address moved all who heard it, and turned him into an instant world celebrity. He became
Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" and an icon for anti-Fascists around the world. He failed, however, in getting what he needed
to help his people fight the invasion: the League agreed to only partial and ineffective sanctions on Italy, and several members
recognized the Italian conquest. See also: Second Italo-Abyssinian War Exile Emperor Haile Selassie I spent his five years
of exile (19361941)
mainly in Bath, United Kingdom, in a dwelling he had purchased, "Fairfield House". Following his return to Ethiopia, he donated
it to the city of Bath as a residence for the aged, and it remains so to this day. There are numerous accounts of 'Haile Selassie
I was my next door neighbour' amongst people who were children in the Bath area during his residence. The Emperor also spent
extended periods in Jerusalem. During this period, Emperor Haile Selassie I suffered several personal tragedies. His two sons-in-law,
Ras Desta Damtew and Dejazmach Beyene Merid, were both executed by the Italians. His daughter Princess Romanework with her
children were taken in captivity to Italy, where she died in 1941. His grandson Lij Amha Desta died in Britain just before
the restoration, and his daughter Princess Tsehai died shortly after. 1940's/1950's Haile Selassie I returned to Ethiopia in 1941, after Italy's defeat in Ethiopia by United Kingdom
and Ethiopian patriot forces (see East African Campaign). After the war, Ethiopia became a charter member of the United Nations
(UN). In 1951, after a lengthy fact-finding inquiry by the allied powers and then the UN, the former Italian colony of Eritrea
was federated to Ethiopia as a compromise between the sizable factions that wanted complete Union with the Empire, and those
who wanted complete independence from it. During the celebrations of his Silver Jubilee in November 1955, Haile Selassie I
introduced a revised constitution, [2] whereby he retained effective power, while extending political participation to the
people by allowing the lower house of parliament to become an elected body. Party politics were not provided for. Modern educational
methods were more widely spread throughout the Empire, and the country embarked on a development scheme and plans for modernization,
tempered by Ethiopian traditions, and within the framework of the ancient monarchical structure of the state. Later year's On December 13, 1960, while the emperor was on a state visit
to Brazil, his Imperial Guard forces staged an unsuccessful coup attempt, briefly proclaiming Haile Selassie I's eldest son
Asfa Wossen as the new Emperor. The coup d'etat was crushed by the regular Army and police forces. Upon returning he set about
implementing more conservative policies, aligning Ethiopia with the West and distancing himself from the more common radical
leftist African governments. The coup attempt, although lacking wide popular support, denounced by the Orthodox Church, and
crushed by the Army, Air and Police
forces,
had gained considerable support among the students of the University and elements of the young educated technocrats in the
country. It marked the beginning of an increased radicalization of Ethiopia's student population. In 1963 the Emperor presided
over the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity with the new organisation setting up its headquarters in Addis
Ababa. The increasingly radical student movement took hold in Addis Ababa University and high school campuses, and student
unrest became a regular feature of Ethiopian life. Marxism took root in large segments of the Ethiopian intelligentsia. Resistance
by conservative elements at the Imperial Court and Parliament, in addition to within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, made proposals
of widespread land reform policies impossible to implement, and also damaged the standing of the government. Outside of Ethiopia,
however, the Emperor continued to enjoy enormous prestige and respect. As the longest serving Head of State then in power,
the Emperor was usually given precedence over all other leaders at most international state events, such as the celebration
of the 2500 years of the Persian Empire, the summits of the Non-aligned movement, and the state funerals of John F. Kennedy
and Charles de Gaulle. His frequent travels around the world raised Ethiopia's international image. A devastating drought
in the Province of Wollo in 197273 caused a large famine which was covered up by the Imperial government and kept from Haile
Selassie I, who was celebrating his 80th birthday amidst much pomp and ceremony. When a BBC documentary exposed the existence
and scope of the famine, the government was seriously undermined, and the Emperor's once unassailable personal popularity
fell. Simultaneously, economic hardship caused by high oil prices and widespread military mutinies in the country further
weakened him. Enlisted men began to seize thieir senior officers and held them hostage, demanding higher pay, better living
conditions, and investigation of alleged widespread corruption in the higher ranks of the military. The Derg, a committee
of low ranking military officers and enlisted men, set up to investigate the military's demands, took advantage of the government's
disarray to depose Emperor Haile Selassie I on September 12, 1974. The Emperor was placed under house arrest briefly at the
4th Army Division in Addis Ababa, while most of his family were detained at the late Duke of Harrar's residence in the north
of the capital. The Emperor was then moved to a house on the grounds of the old Imperial Palace where the new government set
up its headquarters. Later, most of the Imperial family were imprisoned in the Central prison in Addis Ababa known as "Alem
Bekagn", or "I am finished with the world". On August 28, 1975, the state media reported that the "ex-monarch" Haile Selassie
I had died on August 27, following complications from a prostate operation. His doctor, Professor Asrat Woldeyes denied that
complications had occurred and rejected the government version of his death. Some believe that he was suffocated in his sleep.
Witnesses came forward after the fall of the Marxist government in 1991, to reveal that the Emperor's remains had been buried
beneath the president's personal office. On November 5, 2000 #
Emperor Haile Selassie I was given an Imperial funeral by
the Ethiopian Orthodox church. The current post-communist government refused to give it the status of a state funeral. Ras tafari! Cover of Time Magazine, November 3, 1930Among many followers
of the Rastafari movement, which developed in the 1930s in Jamaica under the influence of Marcus Garvey's "Back to Africa"
movement, Haile Selassie I is seen as God incarnate, the Black Messiah who will lead the peoples of Africa and the African
diaspora to freedom. His official titles, King of kings, Lord of lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah and Root of
David, are believed to be the titles of the returned Messiah in the New Testament Book of Revelation. The belief in the incarnate
divinity of Emperor Haile Selassie I began after news reports of his coronation reached Jamaica, particularly via the 2 Time
magazine articles about the coronation the week before and the week after the event. When Haile Selassie I visited Jamaica
on April 21, 1966, somewhere between one and two hundred thousand Rastafarians from all over Jamaica descended on Norman Manley
International Airport in Kingston, having heard that the man whom they considered to be God was coming to visit them. When
Haile Selassie I arrived at the airport, he refused to get off the aeroplane for an hour until Mortimer Planner, a well known
Rasta, persuaded him that it was safe to do so. From then on the visit was a success. Rita Marley, Bob Marley's wife, converted
to the Rastafarian faith after seeing Haile Selassie I. She claimed, in interviews, that she saw scars on the palms of Selassie's
hands (as he waived to the crowd) that resembled the envisioned markings on Christ's hands from being nailed to the cross-
a claim that was never supported by other sources, but nonetheless, a claim that was used as evidence for her and other Rastafarians
to suggest that "Selassie", as they refer to him, was indeed their Messiah. Rita's fervour for Selassie and the Rastafarian
faith was what drew Bob Marley into the faith himself. As Prince Regent Taffari, Selassie took Ethiopia into the League of
Nations, where he argued against the interference and colonial activities of Italy and Britain (TIME, Aug. 9, 1926). TIME,
Nov. 3, 1930 TIME put Selassie on its cover on the occasion of his coronation (TIME, Nov. 3, 1930). A story the following
week described the coronation (TIME, Nov. 10, 1930). Five years later, Selassie exhorted his country to battle with Italian
forces (TIME, Oct. 28, 1935). With the world agog at the conflict between Ethiopia and Mussolini's Italian invaders, TIME
named Selassie Man of the Year (TIME, Jan. 6, 1936). Later in 1936, Selassie went into exile in London (TIME, June 15, 1936).
Selassie made emotional appeal to the League of Nations for assistance and condemnation of Italy's occupation of Ethiopia
(TIME, July 13, 1936). In mid 1941, Selassie made a triumphant return to Addis Ababa (TIME, May 12, 1941). In 1957, a limited
form of democracy was introduced to Ethiopia for the first time in its history (TIME, November 11, 1957). While on a state
visit to Brazil, Selassie learned of a coup at home (TIME, Dec. 26, 1960). Queen Elizabeth II made a state visit to Ethiopia
in February 1965 (TIME, Feb. 12, 1965). The following year, Selassie visited Jamaica, where he was greeted by thousands of
Rastafarians who believed him to be the incarnation of God (TIME, April 29, 1966). In 1967, Selassie visited the U.S. but
at home was said to be growing old and lonely (TIME, Feb. 24, 1967). In the wake of appalling drought and famine, the Army
rebelled and riots broke out in Addis Ababa (TIME, March 11, 1974). As
a result, Selassie yielded to growing demands for reform (TIME, March 25, 1974).
Months later, a creeping military takeover robbed Selassie of much of his power (TIME, Sept. 2, 1974). Selassie was deposed,
arrested and replaced in power by military government (TIME, Sept. 23, 1974). He died a year after his overthrow, apparently
of natural causes (TIME, Sept. 8, 1975). Selassie & the Rasta's Haile Selassie I had no role in organising or promoting the Rastafari religion. Throughout his lifetime,
as the Emperor, he was a devout member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. His publicly known views towards the Rastafarians
varied from sympathy through polite interest. During the Emperor's visit to Jamaica, he told the Rastafarian community leaders
that they should not emigrate to Ethiopia until they had liberated the people of Jamaica. After the visit, the Emperor is
said to have told Ethiopian Orthodox Archbishop Yeshaq: "There is a problem in Jamaica Please, help these people. They are
misunderstanding, they do not understand our culture They need a church to be established and you are chosen to go." Haile
Selassie claimed to be a human being, like everyone else: "We have been a child, a boy, a youth, an adult, and finally an
old man. Like everyone else. Our Lord the Creator made us like everyone else." (Interview with Oriana Fallaci, Chicago Tribune,
June 24, 1973). He also, on numerous occasions, expressed his belief that one is doomed apart from the Christian faith: "A
rudderless ship is at the mercy of the waves and the wind, drifts wherever they take it and if there arises a whirlwind it
is smashed against the rocks and becomes as if it has never existed. It is our firm belief that a soul without Christ is bound
to meet with no better fate." (One Race, One Gospel, One Task, address to the World Evangelical Congress, Berlin, October
28, 1966). However, he also encouraged religious freedom and tolerance based on his Christian faith: "Since nobody can interfere
in the realm of God we should tolerate and live side by side with those of other faiths. . . . We wish to recall here the
spirit of tolerance shown by Our Lord Jesus Christ when He gave forgiveness to all including those that crucified Him." (op.
cit.). As a gesture of kindness to the Rastafarians and their aspirations of returning to Africa, the Emperor donated a piece
of land at Shashamane, 250 km south of Addis Ababa, for the use of Jamaican Rastafarians. There is a community there to this
day. the Rasta's
& Selassie Many
Rastafarians say that they know Haile Selassie I is God, and therefore do not need to believe it. Belief to them implies doubt,
and they claim to have no doubts about his divinity. In the early days of the movement, he was seen as a symbol of black pride,
and as a king for African people. The first Rastafarian to appear in front of a court was Leonard Howell, who was charged
with sedition against the state of Jamaica, and its King George V. Howell declared himself a loyal subject, not of the king
of England, but of Haile Selassie I. Emperor Haile Selassie I going to plead in front of the League of Nations, and then being
rejected by them, confirmed their belief in his greatness. For them, the nations of Babylon, in reference to the ancient biblical
place, turned their back on the returned messiah. Many equated the Italo-Ethiopian war with the fight in the Book of Revelation
between the returned messiah and the antichrist. The Emperor's restoration to power in 1941 strengthened the Rastafarian faith
that he was Almighty God. They also call him "Jah Rastafari Selassie I," and affectionately Jah Jah. They are very proud of
knowing and declaring that he is their God. They were never worried by Haile Selassie never claiming to be God, saying that
the real God would never claim to be so just to get worldly acclaim and power. They believe that marijuana brings them closer
to God, and will always bless the pipes they communally smoke in the name of "Selassie I". Roots reggae is full of thanks
and praises towards "Selassie I". He is referred to as Haile Selassie I (pronouncing the Roman numeral that indicates "the
first" as the word "I", that being the first person pronoun), thus emphasising the personal relationship they have with the
Emperor Haile Selassie I. They believe Haile Selassie I will one day call the day of judgement, calling the righteous and
the faithful to live with him for ever in Holy Mount Zion, said to be a place in Africa. Some Rastafarians believe that Haile
Selassie I is still alive, and that his purported death was part of a conspiracy to discredit their religion. In addition
to being a political and historical figure, Haile Selassie I has become a popular culture symbol through the Rastafarian movement.
Many Rastas are concerned that the world does not see Haile Selassie in a positive light. Quotes "A house built on granite and strong foundations, not even the onslaught of
pouring rain, gushing torrents and strong winds will be able to pull down. Some people have written the story of my life representing
as truth what in fact derives from ignorance, error or envy; but they cannot shake the truth from its place, even if they
attempt to make others believe it." - Preface to My Life and Ethiopia's Progress, Autobiography of H.M. Haile Selassie I (English
translation) "That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited
and abandoned: That until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of any nation; That until the color of
a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed
to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international
morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained." English translation of 1968 Speech delivered
to the United Nations, and popularised in a song called War by Bob Marley... "Throughout history it has been the inaction
of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice
when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph."
The late emperor is the founding father
of African independence.
Who I'd like to meet:Marcus Garvey Most Rastas see Marcus Garvey as a prophet, even a second John
the Baptist according to some. One of the most famous prophecies attributed to him involving the coronation of Haile Selassie
I was the 1927 pronouncement "Look to Africa, for there a king shall be crowned," though an associate of Garvey's, James Morris
Webb, had made very similar public statements as early as 1921.[2][3] Marcus Garvey promoted Pan-Africanism, the belief that
all black people of the world should join in brotherhood and work to decolonise the continent of Africa, then still controlled
by the white colonialist powers. He promoted his cause of black pride throughout the twenties and thirties, and was particularly
successful and influential among lower-class blacks in Jamaica and in rural communities. Although his ideas have been hugely
influential in the development of Rastafari culture, Garvey never identified himself with the movement, and even wrote an
article critical of Haile Selassie for leaving Ethiopia at the time of the Fascist occupation.[4] In addition, his Universal
Negro Improvement Association disagreed with Leonard P. Howell over Howell's teaching that Haile Selassie was the Messiah.[5]
The first Rastas had been Garveyites, so Rastafari can be seen as an extension of Garveyism. In early Rasta folklore, it is
the Black Star Liner (a ship bought by Garvey to encourage repatriation to Liberia) that takes them home to Africa. [edit]
Early written foundations The Holy Piby written by Robert Athlyi Rogers from Anguilla in 1928, is acclaimed by many Rastafarians
as a primary source. Robert Athlyi Rogers founded an Afrocentric religion in the US and West Indies in the 1920s. Rogers'
religious movement, the Afro Athlican Constructive Church, saw Ethiopians (in the Biblical sense of all Black Africans) as
the chosen people of God, and proclaimed Marcus Garvey, the prominent Black Nationalist, an apostle. The church preached self-reliance
and self-determination for Africans. The Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy, written during the 1920s by a preacher
called Fitz Balintine Pettersburg, is a surrealistic stream-of-consciousness polemic against the white colonial power structure,
a palimpsest of Afrocentric thought, brimming with rage and energy. The first document to appear that can be labelled as truly
Rastafari was Leonard P. Howell's The Promise Key,
A veteran of the 1930s struggle against Italian
occupation grieves in front of the emperor's casket
written using the pen name G.G. [for Gangun-Guru] Maragh, in the early 1930s.
In it, he claims to have witnessed the Coronation of the Emperor and Empress on Nov. 2, 1930 in Addis Ababa, and proclaims
the doctrine that H.M. Ras Tafari is the true Head of Creation and that the King of England is an imposter. It was for writing
this tract that Howell was jailed on charges of sedition. However, it seems that several other street preachers in Jamaica
and elsewhere in the Caribbean had all independently come to this same conclusion, at roughly the same time (1930); therefore
Howell cannot be credited with being the sole founder of the movement.
Old soldiers carry the coffin in procession
from the church where the remains have been kept since their discovery
Genesis 2:13: And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the
whole land of Ethiopia. Numbers 12:1: And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had
married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 Kings 19:9 19:9: And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold,
he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying, 2 Chronicles 12:3 With twelve hundred
chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims,
the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. 14:9 And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand,
and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. 14:12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah; and
the Ethiopians fled. 14:13 And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown,
that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away
very much spoil. 16:8Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because
thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. 21:16Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit
of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Esther 1:1Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this
is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:) 8:9 Then were
the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof;
and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers
of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according
to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according
to their language. Job 28:19The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Psalms 68:31
Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. 87:4I will make mention of Rahab and
Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. Isaiah 18:1 Woe to the land
shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia 20:3 And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked
naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia 20:4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away
the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered,
to the shame of Egypt. 20:5 And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.
37:9 And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it,
he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,Isa.43 43:3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave
Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 45:14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia
and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains
they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in
thee; and there is none else, there is no God. Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?
then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. 38:7 Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which
was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; 38:10
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet
out of the dungeon, before he die. 38:12 And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and
rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. 39:16 Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying,
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good;
and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. 46:9 Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty
men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow. Ezekiel
29:10 Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate,
from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia 30:4 And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be
in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken
down. 30:5 Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league,
shall fall with them by the sword. 30:9 In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians
afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh. 38:5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya
with them; all of them with shield and helmet Daniel 11:43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver,
and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. Amos.9 9:7 Are ye not
as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land
of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? Nahum 3:9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and
it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers. Zephaniah 2:12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword. 3:10 From
beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering. APOCRYPHA 1Esdras
3:2 And to all the governors and captains and lieutenants that were under him, from India unto Ethiopia of an hundred twenty
and seven provinces. Judith 1:10 Until ye come beyond Tanis and Memphis, and to all the inhabitants of Egypt, until ye come
to the borders of Ethiopia Esther (the rest) 4:1 The copy of the letters was this: The great king Artexerxes writeth these
things to the princes and governours that are under him from India unto Ethiopia in an hundred and seven and twenty provinces.
7:1 The great king Artexerxes unto the princes and governors of an hundred and seven and twenty provinces from India unto
Ethiopia , and unto all our faithful subjects, greeting. NEW TESTAMENT Acts 8:27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man
of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and
had come to Jerusalem for to worship. Coronation, Ina di Bible! Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth
mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 26:64 Iyesu saith unto
him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power,
and coming in the clouds of heaven. 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory Mark 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great
power and glory. 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming
in the clouds of heaven. Luke 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give
unto him the throne of his father David Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they
also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 4:2-3 And immediately I was
in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a
jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne , in sight like unto an emerald. 5:5 And one of
the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the LION OF JUDAH, the ROOT OF DAVID, hath prevailed to open the book, and to
loose the seven seals thereof. 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were
many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:
and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule
them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture
and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, and LORD OF LORDS!!!!!!!!!!!
Rasta, or the Rastafari movement, is a religious movement that accepts Haile Selassie I, the Emperor of Ethiopia,
as Jah (the Rastafari name for God incarnate, from a shortened form of Jehovah found in Psalms 68:4 in the King James Version
of the Bible), and part of the Holy Trinity as the messiah promised to return in the Bible. The name Rastafari comes from
Ras (Duke) Tafari Makonnen, the pre-coronation name of Haile Selassie I. The movement emerged in Jamaica among working-class
and peasant black people in the early 1930s, arising from an interpretation of Biblical prophecy partly based on Selassie's
status as the only African monarch with a fully independent kingdom, and his titles of King of Kings, Lord of Lords and Conquering
Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5). Other factors leading to its rise include black social and political aspirations, and the teachings
of Jamaican black publicist and organiser Marcus Garvey, often regarded as a prophet, whose political and cultural vision
helped inspire a new world view. The movement is sometimes called "Rastafarianism", although this is considered improper and
offensive by Rastas. The Rastafari movement has spread throughout much of the world, largely through immigration and interest
generated through Nyahbinghi and reggae musicmost notably, that of Bob Marley, who was baptised Berhane Selassie (Light of
the Trinity) in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church before his death, a step also taken later by his widow Rita. By 2000, there
were more than one million Rastafari worldwide. About five to ten percent of Jamaicans identify themselves as Rastafari. Most
Rastafarians are vegetarian, or only eat limited types of meat, living by the dietary Laws of Leviticus and Deuteronomy in
the Old Testament. Contents [hide] 1 Doctrines 1.1 Afrocentrism 1.2 Haile Selassie and the Bible 1.3 Repatriation and Race
1.4 Church and The Holy Trinity 1.5 Physical Immortality 1.6 Homosexuality 1.7 Reggae Music Expressing Rasta Doctrine 2 Politics
3 Language 3.1 "-isms" 4 Ceremonies 5 Symbols 5.1 Dreadlocks 5.2 Ganja 6 History of the Rastafari movement 6.1 Marcus Garvey
6.2 Early written foundations 6.3 Early years 6.4 Visit of Selassie I to Jamaica 6.5 Walter Rodney 7 Music 7.1 Popularization
and recording 7.2 Reggae 8 Rastafari Today 9 See also 10 References 11 External links [edit] Doctrines Rastafari developed
amongst very poor people, who felt society had nothing to offer them except more suffering. Rastas see themselves as conforming
to a vision of how Africans should live, reclaiming what they see as a culture stolen from them when they were brought on
slave ships to Jamaica, birthplace of the movement. The doctrines of Rastafari depart radically from the norms of the modern
western mind, something encouraged deliberately by Rastas themselves. Unlike many modern religious and Christian groups that
tend to stress conformity towards the "powers-that-be", Rastafari instead stresses loyalty to their concept of "Zion", and
rejection of modern society (called Babylon). "Babylon" in this case is considered to be rebelling against "Earth's Rightful
Ruler" (JAH) ever since the days of Nimrod. This "way of life" is not merely to be given intellectual assent, or "belief"
as the term is often used; it is about knowing or finding one's true identity. To follow and worship JAH Rastafari is to find,
spread and "trod" the path with which one was rightfully born. The religion is difficult to categorise, because Rastafari
is not a centralised organization. Individual Rastafari work out the truth for themselves, resulting in a wide variety of
beliefs entering beneath the general umbrella of Rastafari. [edit] Afrocentrism Socially, Rastafari is a response to racist
negation of black people as it was experienced in Jamaica, where in the 1930s, black people were at the bottom of the social
order, while white people and their (predominantly Christian) religion were at the top. Marcus Garvey's encouragement of black
people to take pride in themselves and their heritage inspired the Rastas to embrace all things African. They teach that they
were brainwashed while in captivity to negate all things black and African. They turned the white image of them as primitive
and straight out of the jungle into a defiant embrace of the African culture they see as having been stolen from them when
they were taken from Africa on the slave ships. To be close to nature and to the African savannah and its lions, in spirit
if not in the flesh, is central to their idea of African culture. Living close to and as a part of nature is seen as African.
This African approach to "naturality" is seen in the dreadlocks, ganja (marijuana), ital food, and in all aspects of Rasta
life. They disdain the modern approach (or, as they see it, non-approach) to life for being unnatural and excessively objective
and rejecting subjectivity. Rastas say that scientists try to discover how the world is by looking from the outside in, whereas
the Rasta approach is to see life from the inside, looking out. The individual is given tremendous importance in Rastafari,
and every Rasta has to figure out the truth for himself or herself. Another important Afrocentric identification is with the
colours red, gold, and green, from the Ethiopian flag. They are a symbol of the Rastafari movement, and of the loyalty Rastas
feel towards Haile Selassie, Ethiopia, and Africa rather than for any other modern state where they happen to live. These
colors are frequently seen on clothing and other decorations. Red stands for the blood of martyrs, green stands for the vegetation
of Africa, while gold stands for the wealth and prosperity Africa has to offer. Many Rastafari attempt to learn Amharic, which
they consider to be the original language, because this is the language Haile Selassie I spoke, and in order to identify themselves
as Ethiopianthough in practice, most Rastas continue to speak either English or their native languages. There are reggae songs
written in Amharic. [edit] Haile Selassie and the Bible One belief that unites many Rastafari is that Ras (an Amharic title
of nobility corresponding to Duke; also having the meaning "Head") Tafari Makonnen, who was crowned Haile Selassie I, Emperor
of Ethiopia on November 2nd, 1930, is the living God incarnate, called Jah, who is the black Messiah who will lead the world's
peoples of African origin into a promised land of full emancipation and divine justice, although some mansions do not take
this literally. This is partly because of his titles King of Kings, Lord of Lords and Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
These titles match those of the Messiah mentioned in Revelation. However, according to Ethiopian tradition, these titles were
accorded to all Solomonic emperors beginning in 980 BC well before Revelation was written around 97 AD. Haile Selassie was,
according to some traditions, the 225th in an unbroken line of Ethiopian monarchs descended from the Biblical King Solomon
and the Queen of Sheba. Psalm 87:4-6 is also interpreted as predicting the coronation of Haile Selassie I. In the 10th century
BC, The Solomonic Dynasty of Ethiopia was founded by Menelik I, the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who had visited
Solomon in Israel. 1 Kings 10:13 claims "And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked,
beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants."
On the basis of the Ethiopian national epic, the Kebra Negast, Rastas interpret this as meaning she conceived his child, and
from this, they concluded that the black people are the true children of Israel, or Jews. Beta Israel black Jews have lived
in Ethiopia for centuries, disconnected from the rest of Judaism; their existence gave some credence and impetus to early
Rastafarians, validating their belief that Ethiopia was Zion. Some Rastafari choose to classify their religion as Ethiopian
Orthodox Christianity, Protestant Christianity, or Judaism. Of those, the ties to the Ethiopian Church are the most widespread,
although this is controversial to many Ethiopian clergy. Rastafari believe that standard translations of the Bible incorporate
changes created by the racist white power structure. Some also revere the Kebra Negast, but many of these Rastas would
classify themselves as Ethiopian Orthodox in religion and Rastafarian in ideology. Some Rastafarians pay little attention
to the Kebra Negast, and most do not consider it as having anywhere near the sanctity of the Bible. For Rastafari, Selassie
I remains their god and their king. They see Selassie as being worthy of worship, and as having stood with great dignity in
front of the world's press and in front of representatives of many of the world's powerful nations. From the beginning the
Rastas decided to treat themselves in effect as free citizens of Ethiopia, loyal to its leader and devoted to its flag. Most
Rastafari believe that Selassie is in some way a reincarnation of Jesus and that the Rastafari are the true Israelites. Rastas
call Selassie Jah, or Jah Rastafari, and believe there is great power in these names. They call themselves Rastafari (pronounced
Rasta-FAR-I) to express the personal relationship each Rasta has with Selassie I. Rastas like to use the ordinal with the
name Haile Selassie I, with the dynastic Roman numeral one signifying "the First" deliberately pronounced as the letter I
- again as a means of expressing a personal relationship with God. They also like to call him H.I.M. (pronounced him), for
His Imperial Majesty. When Haile Selassie I died in 1975, his death was not accepted by some Rastafarians who could not accept
that God incarnate could die. Many believe that it was a scam and that he will be back to liberate his followers. A few Rastas
today consider this a partial fulfillment of prophecy found in the apocalyptic 2 Esdras 7:28. Rastafari is a strongly syncretic
Abrahamic religion that draws extensively from the Bible. They particularly like the New Testament Book of Revelation, as
this (5:5) is where they find the prophecies about the divinity of Haile Selassie. Rastas believe that they, and the rest
of the black race, are descendants of the ancient twelve tribes of Israel, cast into captivity outside Africa as a result
of the slave trade. Some believe that only half of the Bible has been written, and that the other half, stolen from them along
with their culture, is written in a man's heart. This concept also embraced the idea that even the illiterate can be Rastas
by reading God's Word in their hearts. Rastas also see the lost half of the Bible, and the whole of their lost culture to
be found in the Ark of the Covenant, a repository of African wisdom. Rastafari are criticised, particularly by Christian groups,
for taking Biblical quotes out of context, for picking and choosing what they want from the Bible, and for bringing elements
into Rastafari that do not appear in the Bible. They are also criticised for using the English language (and particularly
the King James version) of the Bible, as many have no interest in Hebrew or Greek scholarship. However, in recent years a
greater interest in the Amharic Orthodox version, authorized by Haile Selassie I in the 1950s, has arisen among Rastas. Selassie
himself wrote in the preface to this version that "unless [one] accepts with clear conscience the Bible and its great Message,
he cannot hope for salvation." (Words of Ras Tafari). [edit] Repatriation and Race The Royal Parchment Scroll of Black SupremacyThe
Rasta dream is that Haile Selassie will call the day of judgement, when the righteous shall return home to Mount Zion, identified
with Africa, to live forever in peace, love, and harmony. In the meantime the Rastas call to be repatriated to Africa. Repatriation,
the desire to return to Africa after 400 years of slavery, is central to Rastafari doctrine. The first Rastas, living on a
Caribbean island, dreamed of the possibilities of Africa. Many early Rastas for a time believed in black supremacy. Widespread
advocacy of this doctrine was shortlived, however; at least partly because of Selassie's explicit condemnation of racism in
a speech before the United Nations. Most Rastas now espouse a belief that racial animosities must be set aside, with world
peace and harmony being common themes. One of the three major modern sects, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, has specifically
condemned all types of racism, and declared that the teachings of the Bible are the route to spiritual liberation for people
of any racial or ethnic background. Some early elements of Rastafari were closely related to indigenous religions of the Caribbean
and Africa, and to the Maroons, though these syncretic elements were largely purged by the Nyahbinghi warriors - dreadlocked
Rastas who fought the corrupting power of some leaders who sought to add them to the Rastafari doctrines. Middle-class people,
white people, Asians, and Native Americans also comprise minorities within the movement. [edit] Church and The Holy Trinity
To further confuse the issue of classifying Rasta practices, one type of religious gathering (grounation) is similar in many
ways to Jewish services, and may have descended from African-American slaves who converted to Judaism some Jews in the southern
USA owned slaves and escaped to Jamaica. Rastas believe that their own body is the true church or temple of God, and so see
no need to make temples or churches out of physical buildings. Rastas believe that Haile Selassie is both God the Father and
God the Son of the holy Trinity, while it is themselves, and potentially all human beings, who embody the Holy Spirit. Thus,
the human being is a church that contains the Holy Ghost. Rastas see Haile Selassie as the head, and themselves as the body,
as another way of expressing this doctrine. Some see Melchizedek in addition to Jesus as having been former incarnations of
Haile Selassie. The reason Rastas have the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is because Haile Selassie is Power of the Trinity
in Ethiopic. [edit] Physical Immortality Rastas are physical immortalists who believe the chosen few will continue to live
forever in their current bodies. This idea of everliving (rather than everlasting) life is very strong and important. A good
expression of this doctrine is in Lincoln Thompson's song Thanksgiving. After asking "What's destroying life?" he says, "Tell
I if you know." Paraphrasing the Bible, he continues, "There are too many dead bodies lying around me...in a true reality,
down in the grave there is no life. In silence there you'll be, with no-one to hear nor see, and no matter what you saw, when
you are dead you cannot praise Jah." Another may be seen in the lyrics to the 3rd World anthem, "96 Degrees in the Shade":
As sure as the Sun shine Way up in the sky, Today I stand here a victim - The truth is I'll never die... Perhaps the most
well known example of this is Bob Marley's refusal to write a will despite suffering from the final stages of an advanced
metastasized cancer (and the resulting controversy surrounding the distribution of his estate after his death) on the grounds
that writing a will would mean he was giving in to death and forgoing his chance at everliving life. Homosexuality Homosexuality
is seen as sinful and decadent, though this attitude varies; some Rastas are indifferent to homosexuality and/or accept it.
Some claim that extra attention may be paid to homophobia in Rastafari, because persecution of homosexuals is common in Jamaica
among Rastas and non-Rastas alike.!!!!!!!!!!
Music
Music of Jamaica Kumina Nyabinghi Mento Ska Rocksteady Reggae Sound systems Lovers rock Dub Dancehall Dub poetry Toasting
Raggamuffin Roots reggae US UK Timeline and Samples Anglophone Caribbean Anguilla - Antigua and Barbuda - Bahamas - Barbados
- Bermuda - Caymans - Dominica - Grenada - Jamaica - Montserrat - St. Kitts and Nevis - St. Lucia - St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago - Turks and Caicos - Virgin Islands Other Caribbean Aruba and the Dutch Antilles - Cuba - Dominican
Republic - Haiti - Martinique and Guadeloupe - Puerto Rico Music has long played an integral role in Rastafari, and the connection
between the movement and various kinds of music has become well known, due to the international fame of musicians like Bob
Marley and Peter Tosh. Nyabinghi music is the most integral form of Rastafarian music. It is played at worship ceremonies
called grounations, that include drumming, chanting and dancing, along with prayer and smoking of ritual ganja. The name Nyabinghi
comes from an East African movement from the 1850s to the 1950s that was led by people who militarily opposed European imperialism.
This form of nyabinghi was centered around Muhumusa, a healing woman from Uganda who organized resistance against German colonialists.
The British in Africa later led efforts against Nyabinghi, classifying it as witchcraft through the Witchcraft Ordinance of
1912. In Jamaica, the concepts of Nyabinghi were appropriated for similar anti-colonial efforts, and it is often danced to
invoke the power of Jah against an oppressor. The drum is a symbol of the Africanness of Rastafari, and some mansions assert
that Jah's spirit of divine energy is present in the drum. African music survived slavery because many slaveowners encouraged
it as a method of keeping morale high. Afro-Caribbean music arose with the influx of influences from the native peoples of
Jamaica, as well as the European slaveowners. Another style of Rastafarian music is called burru drumming, first played in
the Parish of Clarendon, Jamaica, and then in West Kingston. Burru was later introduced to the burgeoning Rasta community
in Kingston. Maroons, or communities of escaped slaves, kept purer African musical traditions alive in the interior of Jamaica,
and were also contributing founders of Rastafari. [edit] Popularization and recording The first recording of Rastafarian music
was perhaps made by Count Ossie. This was followed in the 1950s by various recordings of burru, as well as music of other
Jamaican religions such as Pocomania. In 1953, Ossie introduced akete drums to Rastafarian communities in West Kingston, using
styles and rhythms adapted from burru. Ossie then recorded with the Fokes Brothers on "Oh Carolina", a song produced by Prince
Buster. "Oh Carolina" was the first popular song from Jamaica, and the same recording session produced the ska hits "They
Got to Go" and "Thirty Pieces of Silver". Ossie later became well known for other recordings (with his band, The Mystic Revelation
of Rastafari) - especially 1974's Grounation, featuring roots percussion and musical styles. Ossie also recorded albums that
fell solidly into the jazz category, incorporating roots percussion and traditional Rasta influences into avant-garde jazz
along the lines of Sun Ra or Archie Shepp, prior to his death in 1976. [edit] Reggae Reggae was born amidst poor blacks in
Trenchtown, the main ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica, who listened to radio stations from the United States. Jamaican musicians,
many of them Rastas, soon blended traditional Jamaican folk music, American R&B, and jazz into ska, that later developed
into reggae under the influence of soul. Reggae began to enter international consciousness in the early 1970s, and Rastafari
mushroomed in popularity internationally, largely due to the fame of Bob Marley, who incorporated nyabinghi and Rastafarian
chanting into his music. Songs like "Rastaman Chant" led to the movement and reggae music being seen as closely intertwined
in the consciousness of audiences across the world (especially among oppressed and poor groups of African Americans and Native
Americans, First Nations Canadians, Australian Aborigines and New Zealand Mori, and throughout most of Africa). Other reggae
musicians with strong Rastafarian elements in their music include Toots and The Maytals, Burning Spear, Black Uhuru, Ras Michael,
Prince Lincoln Thompson, Bunny Wailer, Prince Far I, Israel Vibration, Bad Brains and literally hundreds more. Some orthodox
Rastas disdain reggae as a form of commercial music and "sell-out to Babylon." To others, it is "JAH Throne Music". [edit]
Rastafari Today By the end of the 20th century, women had become more important in the functioning of the Rastafari movement.
In the early years, menstruating women were often subordinated to their husbands and excluded from religious and social ceremonies.
To a large degree, women feel more freedom to express themselves now; thus they enjoy much greater freedom of self-expression,
and contribute greatly to the religion. Rastafari is not a highly organized religion. In fact, some Rastas say that it is
not a "religion" at all, but a "way of Life". Most Rastas do not identify with any sect or denomination, though there are
three prominent mansions of Rastafari: the Nyahbinghi, the Bobo Ashanti and the Twelve Tribes of Israel. By claiming Jah as
the returned Jesus, Rastafari is a new religious movement that has arisen from Christianity, much as Christianity arose from
Judaism. In 1996, the Rastafari movement worldwide was given consultative status by the United Nations. Reggae Music Expressing
Rasta Doctrine Early Rasta reggae musicians (besides Marley) whose music expresses Rastafari doctrine well are Peter Tosh,
Bunny Wailer (in Blackheart Man), Prince Far I, Lincoln Thompson, Ijahman Levi (especially the first 4 albums), Misty-in-Roots
(Live), The Congos (Heart of the Congos), The Rastafarians, Culture, and Ras Michael And The Sons Of Negus. The Jamaican jazz
percussionist Count Ossie, who had played on a number of ska and reggae recordings, recorded albums with themes relating to
Rasta history, doctrine, and culture. Rastafari doctrine as developed in the '80s was further expressed musically by a number
of other prominent artists, such as Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, Third World, The Gladiators, Black Uhuru, Aswad, and Israel
Vibration. Punk band The Bad Brains have openly admitted that they support the Rastafari movement and have written songs (I
against I, etc.) that promote the doctrine. Rastafari lives on through music into the 21st century. The main religious sentiment
is spread through roots reggae, a subgroup of reggae music featuring artists such as Capleton, Sizzla, Turbulence, Jah Mason,
Pressure, Natural Black, Daweh Congo, Luciano, Cocoa Tea, Richie Spice, Gentleman and others. Several of these acts have gained
mainstream success and frequently appear on the popular music charts. Most recently artists such as Damian Marley have blended
hip-hop with reggae to energize classic Rastafari issues for the youth, such as social injustice, revolution and the honour
and responsibility of parenthood.
Dreadlocks Rasta
man with thick dreadlocksThe wearing of dreadlocks is very closely associated with the movement, though not universal among
(or exclusive to) its adherents. Rastas believe dreadlocks to be supported by Leviticus 21:5 ("They shall not make baldness
upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in the flesh.") and the Nazarite
vow in Numbers 6.5-6. Part of the reason the hairstyle was adopted was to contrast the kinky long hair of black men with the
straighter hair of whites. It is believed that the first Rasta dreadlocks were copied from Kenya in the 1940s, when during
the independence struggle the feared maumau freedom fighters grew their "dreaded locks" while hiding in the mountains. However,
there are ascetic groups within nearly every major religion that have at times worn their hair in this fashion. In addition
to the Nazirites of Judaism and the Sadhus of Hinduism, there are the Dervishes of Islam and the Coptic Monks of Christianity,
among others. The very earliest Christians may also have worn this hairstyle; particularly noteworthy are descriptions of
James the Just, "brother of Jesus" and first Bishop of Jerusalem, who wore them to his ankles. Also, according to the Bible,
Samson was a Nazarite who had "seven locks". Rastas point out that these "seven locks" could only have been dreadlocks, as
it is unlikely that seven strands of hair were meant. Dreadlocks have also come to symbolize the Lion of Judah and rebellion
against Babylon. In the United States, several public schools and workplaces have lost lawsuits as the result of banning dreadlocks.
Safeway is an early example, and the victory of eight children in a suit against their Lafayette, Louisiana school was a landmark
decision in favor of Rastafari rights. Rastafari associate dreadlocks with a spiritual journey that one takes in the process
of locking their hair (growing dreadlocks). It is taught that patience is the key to growing dreadlocks, a journey of the
mind, soul and spirituality. Its spiritual pattern is aligned with the Rastafari religion. People who do not understand the
process sometimes mock the dreadlock style and make comments about the cleanliness of the locked hair. The way to form natural
dreadlocks is to allow hair to grow in its natural pattern, without cutting, combing or brushing, but simply to wash it with
pure water. Many non-Rastafari of black African descent have also adopted dreads as an expression of pride in their ethnic
identity, or simply as a hairstyle, and take a less purist approach to developing and grooming them, adding various substances
such as beeswax in an attempt to assist the locking process. The wearing of dreads also has spread among people of other ethnicities
whose hair is not naturally suited to the style, and who sometimes go to great lengths to affect the look. The word dread
comes from Rasta terminology. For the Rastas the razor, the scissors and the comb are the three Babylonian or Roman inventions.
So close is the association between dreadlocks and Rastafari, that the two are sometimes used synonymously. In reggae music,
a follower of Rastafari may be referred to simply as a dreadlocks or Natty (natural) Dread, whilst those non-believers who
cut their hair are referred to as baldheads. Ganja Bob MarleyFor many Rastas, smoking cannabis (known as ganja, herb, kali,
or lambs bread) is a spiritual act, often accompanied by Bible study; they consider it a sacrament that cleans the body and
mind, exalts the consciousness, facilitates peacefulness, and brings them closer to Jah. The burning of the herb is often
said to be essential "for it will sting in the hearts of those that promote and perform evil and wrongs". Many believe that
cannabis originated in Africa, and that it is a part of their African culture that they are reclaiming. They are not surprised
that it is illegal, seeing it as a powerful substance that opens people's minds to the truth something the Babylon system,
they reason, clearly does not want. They contrast their herb to liquor, which they feel makes people stupid, and is not a
part of African culture. While there is a clear belief in the beneficial qualities of cannabis, it is not compulsory to use
it, and there are Rastafarians who do not do so. Dreadlocked mystics, often ascetic, known as the sadhus, have smoked cannabis
in India for centuries. The migration of many thousands of Indian Hindus to the Caribbean in the 20th century brought this
culture to Jamaica. They believe that the smoking of cannabis enjoys Biblical sanction and is an aid to meditation and religious
observance. Among Biblical verses Rastas believe justify the use of herb: Genesis 1:11 "And God said, Let the earth bring
forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth:
and it was so." Genesis 3:18 "... thou shalt eat the herb of the field." Proverbs 15:17 "Better is a dinner of herbs where
love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith."[1] Psalms 104:14 "He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb
for the service of man." According to Rastafarian and other scholars, the etymology of the word "cannabis" and similar terms
in all the languages of the Near East may be traced to the Hebrew qaneh bosm - that is one of the herbs God commands Moses
to include in his preparation of sacred anointing perfume in Exodus 30:23; the Hebrew term also appears in Isaiah 43:24; Jeremiah
6:20; Ezekiel 27:19; and Song of Songs 4:14. Deuterocanonical and canonical references to the patriarchs Adam, Noah, Abraham
and Moses "burning incense before the Lord" are also applied, and many Rastas today refer to cannabis by the term ishence
a slightly changed form of the English word "incense". It is also said that cannabis was the first plant to grow on King Solomon's
grave. See also Cannabis (spiritual use). Then-Attorney General of the United States Janet Reno, however, though not a judge,
ruled that Rastafari do not have the religious right to smoke ganja in violation of drug laws in the United States of America.
The position is the same in the United Kingdom, where, in the Court of Appeal case of R. v. Taylor [2002] 1 Cr. App. R. 37,
it was held that the UK's prohibition on cannabis use did not contravene the right to freedom of religion conferred under
the European Convention of Human Rights
is a charitable medical relief organization whose main objective is to respond to the health care needs of the people
in Africa and of the nations of the Diaspora, educate the public, and increase overall giving. Purpose Vision Health care
and health care delivery will be improved in Africa and the Diaspora and the health crisis among African peoples will be eliminated.
Mission Statement The African Diaspora Medical Project is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit medical relief organization that
will identify and/or develop health-related projects that can be supported with technical, personnel and materiel assistance.
These projects will be implemented in response to, and in collaboration with, our medical colleagues throughout Africa and
the Diaspora. Philosophy and Core Values The medical project is the focal point for improving health and the delivery of health
services to the neediest in Africa and the nations of the Diaspora. Program The ADMProject is designed to provide assistance
through a formal application process referred to as a RFA - Request for Assistance. The RFA application will start the __________.
The ADMProject team will evaluate the legitimacy of the request and develop a project design. These projects are implemented
in response to, and in collaboration with, our medical colleagues in the subject areas. Our projects are undertaken by a team
of specialists and technical assistance providers who will work with health professionals, community members, businesses,
institutions, and other entities to respond to health care problems by conducting extensive, in-depth investigations and analyses
and following through with planned action.
