The 2019 Bikila Award Winners

During the darkest days of Ethiopia following the invasion of Fascist Italy in 1935, a young shining star of Ethiopia emerged in Paris, France by the name of Aklilu Habtewold. Sorbonne educated legal scholar and true son of Ethiopia spared no effort to expose the brutality of Italian Fascists through his active affiliation with progressive political parties and public media of France. This effort dramatically changed the French public opinion contrary to the Italian Fascists’ propaganda to justify their colonial ambition. 

When he was only 24 years old in 1936 Aklilu became Press Attach’e of the Ethiopian Embassy in Paris. Shortly thereafter he was promoted as Officer-in-Charge of the Embassy by Emperor Haile Selassie following the defection of the Embassy’s Minister to Italy. During the 5 years of service in the Embassy Aklilu’s life was threatened by Italian Fascists and sympathizers in Paris for his activist role in defending Ethiopia and even attempted to recruit him to be on their side. Due to a shortage of funds to run the Embassy, Aklilu persisted to rent a small apartment with two rooms – one as an office and the other as a bedroom thus providing full Embassy services. Even this was financed by his girlfriend Ms. Colette who later became his wife. During this difficult time, Aklilu was in frequent contact with the Emperor whom he loyally served as his legal advisor. The Emperor was in exile in London, England beginning in 1936. 

Following the impending invasion of France by Fascist Germany in 1940, Aklilu managed to clandestinely escape from France and arrived in Addis Ababa at the end of 1941 after a long and complicated journey. Aklilu was given an assignment in the Ministry of Pen by the Emperor who had already returned to Ethiopia from exile. He was subsequently appointed as Vice-Minister of Pen and continued as legal advisor of the Emperor. 

In 1961 he became Prime Minister and was given full authority to appoint his own cabinet ministers in 1966. Despite the lack of cooperation by the Crown Council members and the conservative personalities of the Government, he was able to exercise his ministerial authority over the years. 

A few of the highlights of his illustrious, courageous, tireless and selfless achievements are the following: 

1943: Skillfully negotiated with the US on the introduction of a new Ethiopian currency. 

1944: Replacement of the 1942 Anglo-Ethiopian Agreement and the subsequent establishment of the National Bank of Ethiopia head office to be in Addis Ababa instead of being in London, England. 

1945: Attendance of the UN Conference and signing of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, USA. 

1945: Signing of Agreement with TWA for establishing Ethiopian Airlines. 

1946: Handover of the French Railway Line for joint operations. 

1946: Paris Peace Conference chief of delegation (Eritrea, Somalia) regarding war crimes and reparations. 

1947: Difficult negotiations with the British Government in relation to Oil exploration in the Ogaden. Agreement on the Kenyan boundary with the British. 

1949: Entire year was devoted to the problems of Eritrea. 

1952: Implementation of the federation of Eritrea with Ethiopia. Negotiations with the British administration in Eritrea for the handover of public installations. 

1954: Agreement for the withdrawal of British forces from the Ogaden reserved zones. Negotiations with Italy regarding the border with Somalia. 

1955: Last British military unit left Ethiopian soil for the first time since 1934. 

1963: Constitutional Conference and signing of the Organization of African Union (OAU) 

1964: Resolution (OAU) of the border dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia. 

In a short profile such as this, it is impossible to document the very many historic achievements of His Excellency which he carried out with unparalleled patriotism and dedication to the independent preservation and renaissance of Ethiopia. A portion of this untold and uncelebrated legacy was ironically documented in his political autobiography submitted to the Commission of Inquiry that was appointed by the leaders of the 1974 revolution. 

The legacy of the indelible achievement of H.E. Aklilu Habtewold to protect the independence of Ethiopia and his unparalleled dedication to leading the renaissance of Ethiopia shall live forever and inspire us all for generations to come. 

Bikila Award is honoured to posthumously recognize H.E. Aklilu Habtewold as a recipient of the first Bikila Award Medal, Order of The Shining Star of Ethiopia, September 2019. 

Colonel Semret Medhane’s distinguished career started in 1951 with the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force when he graduated as top of his class and became a Fighter Pilot. At age 21 in 1956 he was selected to study at the Imperial College of London University which prepared him to contribute to the strategic defense abilities of Ethiopia. In 1960 he graduated in Aeronautical Engineering specializing in Aircraft Systems Maintenance followed by related training in Germany and Israel. These qualifications enabled him to become Advisor to the then Commander of the Ethiopian Air Force. He continued his training in Aircraft Technical Support and Flight Operations in the UK, Sweden and Israel. In 1961 he was head of Wing Maintenance at the Ethiopian Air Force Base in Asmara. In 1962 he was appointed a Director of Maintenance and Technical Services at the Ethiopian Air Force Base in Bishoftu. Col. Semret continued to develop his profession by completing the Air Command & Staff College Curriculum at United States Air Force (USAF) Maxwell in Alabama, USA. His combined training, advisory and leadership legacy dramatically enabled the Ethiopian Air Force in defending the Eastern border of Ethiopia during the 1977 war. 

After 15 years of distinguished training, advisory and leadership at the Ethiopian Air Force, Col. Semret joined Ethiopian Airlines in 1964 as Deputy General Manager. In 1971 he became the first Ethiopian Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines and continued in this capacity until 1975. He started a management trainee program, pilot training school, aviation maintenance school and maintenance facilities which led Ethiopian airlines to become an aviation education center for the region outside Europe and North America. Ethiopian Airlines was one of the few airlines on the continent that linked east and West Africa as well as southern and central Africa. Also, Ethiopian airlines had a bold East-West strategy of connecting Asia and the Middle East much of that vision came to be. 

In 1976 Col. Semret moved to Nairobi, to become the Secretary General of the African Airlines Association AFRAA, an organization he had helped found in 1968 while working for Ethiopian Airlines. As head of AFRAA, Col. Semret took various initiatives that transformed the legal status of AFRAA, location of its headquarters, cooperation between African Airlines and recognition of AFRAA by OAU, ICAO and IATA. In 1999, Col. Semret was a recipient of the African Aviation Individual Achievement Award for outstanding services to the African aviation industry. Col. Semret’s contributions to the strategic direction and growth of Ethiopian Air Lines is widely acknowledged. Col. Semret was also keenly aware of the Airlines’ pivotal in the nation’s economic development and he crafted/executed strategies that were aligned with that purpose. He also has directly influenced the lives and careers of numerous successful Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians in the aviation industry. Today, Ethiopian is Africa’s largest airline in terms of passengers carried, destinations served, fleet size, and revenue. Ethiopian is also the world’s 4th largest airline by the number of countries served. 

Bikila Award is honoured and congratulates Colonel Semret Medhane for being selected as the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Bikila Award recipient for his extraordinary service and dedication in the superior transformation of both the Ethiopian Air Force and the Ethiopian Airlines. 

Yetneberesh Nigussie is a human rights lawyer dedicating her life for the improvement of living conditions of persons regardless of their age, gender, disability etc. Born and raised in rural Ethiopia, Ms. Nigussie describes blindness as her opportunity for entering the path of education by escaping early marriage widely exercised in her village and the country as a whole. Studying law as her first degree continued to obtain Master’s in Social Work and Executive Master’s in Peace and Security in Africa from Addis Ababa University. Ms. Nigussie has co-founded the Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD), an organization championing disability inclusion in development in Ethiopia. 

During her days as a student at Addis Ababa University, Yetnebersh co-founded the AAU disability center, which is now serving as a model center for all universities in Ethiopia. 

In 2019, Yetnebersh was appointed to serve as the deputy chair of the Ethiopian Reconciliation Commission and is also serving as a board member for Addis Ababa University. Along with other like-minded colleagues, she has successfully co-founded the Ethiopian Lawyers with Disabilities Association (ELDA) and serves as the first president of the association aiming to advance the rights of persons with disabilities to reality. 

Yetnebersh has received several awards for her outstanding achievements in the areas of disability inclusion including the Rights Livelihood Award, interchangeably known as the Alternative Nobel Prize, the Spirit of Hellen Keller award 2018 and many more. 

Currently, Ms. Nigussie is the director for advocacy and human rights for an international disability and development organization called Light for the World. She is also the owner of the Yetnebersh Modern Academy, a private kindergarten and elementary school located in Addis Ababa aiming at showcasing inclusion in school as early as possible. 

For Yetnebersh, “Equality is a right, not a privilege “is the biggest motive driving her daily encounter. Creating an inclusive world where everyone is practically treated equally is a dream she works hard to realize. Yetnebersh is married to her husband Besrat Shewangizaw and is blessed with three adorable girls Ahati, Zema and Sanita. 

Bikila Award salutes Yetnebersh Nigussie for being selected as the 2019 Professional Excellence Bikila Award recipient for her exemplary advocacy work in promoting the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities and her dedication to humanity. 

Elias Wondimu is a social entrepreneur, knowledge broker, institution builder, and cultural ambassador. He is the CEO and President of TSEHAI Corp., a global knowledge company, and founding director of TSEHAI Publishers and its four imprints. Since the 2011 closure of Howard University Press, TSEHAI is the only African or African American publisher housed in an American or European university. In this unique position, he plays a crucial role in filling the global knowledge gap on Africa. 

Currently, Elias is a member of the advisory council of the Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund; a lecturer at the LARB/USC Publishing Workshop; a fellow of the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities; and contributing editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books; advisor to the Ethiopian manuscript collection program at Princeton University; and a resident scholar at Loyola Marymount University. 

Elias has received several awards and commendations, including Grand Officer of the Imperial Order of Emperor Menelik II by the Crown Council of Ethiopia (2017); Ambassador for Peace by the Universal Peace Federation (2007); featured in Who’s Who in Black Los Angeles (2008); and received the Innovative Global Project Award by Loyola Marymount University (2014). He also appeared in many national and international media outlets including NPR, BBC, VOA, ETV, Pacifica Radio, Los Angeles Times, and more. 

Bikila Award Congratulates Elias Wondimu for being selected as the 2019 Professional Excellence Bikila Award recipient for his dedication in making knowledge and learning in service to society and creating a positive impact through his work as a distinguished publisher. 

Dr. Ibrahim Yimer is Director General of the Aerospace Research Institute at the National Research Council of Canada. He is a graduate from Addis Ababa University in 1989 with a B.Sc. at the top of his class with a gold medal distinction and among the first graduates of Chemical Engineering in the country. In 1998, he completed his higher education in Canada with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University, Kingston 

After three years of working as a research engineer in the United States, he joined the National Research Council Canada as a Researcher in aircraft engine technologies. He has published over 50 technical papers in international journals and conferences where he has received international notoriety as a world class expert in combustion science & engineering. 

He later moved on to management, first as a Team Leader of about 40 Research Scientists and Technologists, then as Director of the Gas Turbine Laboratory to become the current Director General of the entire Aerospace Research Institute at the NRC. In his current role, he manages more than 400 Research Scientists, technologists and visiting researchers at Canada’s largest federal organization in Aerospace Research. Selected Achievements: He is a recipient of 2013 Public Service Award of Excellence from the Governor General of Canada for his Scientific Contribution to the world’s first 100% Biofuel Flight Demonstration. 

He has collaborated with the top two large Aircraft engine manufacturers of the world - Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce- as well as provincial and government groups to open the world’s only large engine outdoor test facility in Thompson Manitoba in 2014. He has also received three Outstanding Service Awards from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for his contribution in international scientific collaborations. 

Representing Canada, Dr. Yimer serves on the boards of various international scientific organizations that includes ISABE (International Society of Air breathing Engines), ICAS (International Congress of Aeronautical Sciences) and in the Applied Vehicle Technology Panel of NATO-Research & Technology Organizations. He is the incoming Vice-Chair of the International Forum for Aviation Research- an international group comprised of Aerospace Research organizations from 26 Countries that includes the US, Germany, France, Japan and Russia. 

Within Canada, he serves on the boards of Not-for-Profit organizations such as GARDN (Green Aviation Research and Development Network) and WestCaRD (Western Canada R&D in Winnipeg, MB) contributing towards the development of the Canadian Aerospace sector. 

Bikila Award Congratulates Dr. Ibrahim Yimer for being selected as the 2019 Professional Excellence Bikila Award recipient for his outstanding achievement in aerospace research and prominent role in his profession. 

Mr. Tessema Bitew attended Addis Ababa University in 1983 and graduated in Accounting in 1986. 

He was an instructor of Accounting at Addis Ababa College of Commerce for five years after which he was able to get a scholarship to continue his postgraduate program at Katholic University of Leuven, Belgium. In 1998 he moved to Canada and has been working at Honda of Canada Mfg. since then. Currently, he is Supervisor for the new Model Cost Project Leaders at the company which took many steps to get to this high position. 

Mr. Tessema Bitew is a strong believer that education is key to the Ethiopian youth since it brought him to where he is now. Early in his life in Ethiopia, he has seen many classmates unable to make it to high school because of the distance between home and school as well as economic reasons. With this observation and compassion in mind, Mr. Tessema Bitew together with some colleagues started LIFE (Low Income Families in Ethiopia) scholarships. Over the last 15 years, LIFE Scholarship together with other partners has enabled about 3,500 Ethiopian students in grades 11 and 12 to continue their education several of whom have graduated and have successful careers. 

Mr. Tessema Bitew’s compassionate community service is not limited to his dedicated leadership with LIFE Scholarship for the last 15 years. He is a recipient of several awards for his humanitarian and community service. In 2008 he received Honda Canada Humanitarian Award for saving a drowning child. 10 years Best Service Award from DevXchange International as well as the same Award from GOSHANA Board are testimonies to Mr. Tessema Bitew’s love for humanity and community that deserves appreciation and recognition. 

Bikila Award congratulates Tessema Bitew for being selected as the 2019 Bikila Community Service Excellence Award recipient for his compassionate community service work in Ethiopia by enabling the needy youth to continue their education.