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AFRICAN MEDIA

TEACHINGS OF HIS MAJESTY

HIS MAJESTY EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE I SPEAKS

ACCEPTING FORMALLY THE TITLE "DEFENDER OF THE FAITH"

Venerable and Holy Fathers,
In listening to the profound spiritual message conveyed by your closing
addresses, and appreciating the happy outcome of your sustained efforts,
Our heart has been touched by profound gladness. It should therefore
be clear to the whole world from the result of your work that Your Holiness
has been guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit to accomplish your
task in love and unity.

The great common tasks accomplished by this Conference in unison
bestow on the true faith and true order of the Oriental Orthodox Church
the admiration of the whole world.

As Solomon says, physical distance cannot be a barrier to love. Likewise,
the distances among your respective countries have been abolished by
the proximity of your hearts. You have thus been able to speak a single
tongue and think with a single mind. We thank Almighty God for enabling
us to witness the realization of Our dream in the successful outcome of
this historic Conference.

We are therefore happy to express to you Our readiness, fortified by the
results of this Conference, to invite you and the Eastern Orthodox Churches,
and also other churches at a later date. We ardently hope that we shall
meet once again in the not too distant future.

As we stated at the inauguration of this Conference, to meet together,
to take council with one another, and to act in mutual co-operation,
has proved a most fruitful method both in the secular and spiritual fields.
Henceforth the way is open for you to follow this fruitful path, and to this
end Our help and assistance will always be forthcoming, since We support
your efforts, and ideas out of an unshakable conviction that it is our
spiritual duty to do so.

We are gratified in particular to note that the work of this Conference has
been concerned purely with religious spiritual matters free from extraneous
political considerations. This is only fine and proper, for the church, as a
symbol of peace, must follow the path of peace in all parts of the world.
In this connection we are glad to note that your evangelistic mission in the
world has received due emphasis, in your deliberations, together with the
recognition of the Christian duty to pray for the rights of man and the peace
of the world. For world peace can only be made abiding by the Grace of God,
through the prayers of the Holy Fathers. The truth of this cardinal fact is
evident to all mankind.

We ardently hope that Almighty God shall bless the implementation of your
important resolutions and decisions, just as He has made possible the
successful convening and conclusion of this historic Conference.
Holy Fathers, we have welcomed the title you have given us, Defender of
the Faith, with great honour. May Almighty God grace your name. May God
welcome you. We have received this title given us by you Holy Fathers, with
religious reverence. May your prayers help Us in Our effort to fulfil the task
entrusted to us.

Jan. 21, 1965

HIS MAJESTY EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE I SPEAKS

ADDRESSING THE HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT IN JAMAICA

Distinguished members of the Jamaican Parliament, I am glad today to
get this opportunity of conveying some thoughts to the Jamaican
Parliament and people.
The people of Jamaica have a long glorious history. The Jamaican
people have struggled to attain their independence and since
independence the Jamaican people in an exemplary national unity
have gone on to bring further abundance and progress to themselves.
Because I know of the history of these wonderful people and because
I know of the sentiments the people of Jamaica entertain for the
Ethiopian people, I have always wished to come and visit Jamaica.
Now, thank God, this wish of mine has been fulfilled.

Upon arrival in Jamaica I have seen more than I have expected. I
have seen the progress of the people and I have seen their
determination to march forward in unity towards greater progress. I
have also witnessed personally the extent of the feeling of the
Jamaican people for the Ethiopian people.
Again I wish to take this opportunity of expressing my thanks to the
Government and people of Jamaica for the wonderful reception that
was accorded to me.

Our relations with the Jamaican people, as I have said already, is not
of present origin. At a time when the Ethiopian people bore aggression,
harsh aggression, the people of Jamaica showed their concern and
sympathy to the Ethiopian people and have in this way provided us with
encouragement regarding which the Ethiopian people shall be forever
grateful.

Since I arrived in Jamaica, I was able to witness myself that these
feelings of sympathy that had existed then have continued, and even
now there is a greater desire to establish a closer relation with the
people of Ethiopia.

The relations, in a broader sense, between the people of Jamaica and
the people of Ethiopia and Africa are deep and abiding. We have all
struggled for independence and have achieved it now. Because we are
people dedicated to the achievement of our independence. we have
attained an objective that Is the basis for continued mutual cooperation
and goodwill.

In addition to this there is a bond of gratitude, a bond of brotherhood.
The people of Jamaica, by and large, have originated in Africa. This
again gives us another basis upon which we can contract a healthy
relation, a relation that is not only going to be useful to our respective
peoples but a relation, because of the fundamental similarity between
us, that will in the long run contribute to a better maintenance of
international peace and security.

In addition to this both the people of Jamaica and the people of Ethiopia
are dedicated to another cause, that is the cause of progress and
prosperity. Here again the struggle we have to undergo, the difficulties
we must all overcome, and the programmer we must adopt have much
similarity. Thus I say the people of Jamaica and Ethiopia have much in
common and these common factors can be used as the basis for even
stronger relations between our two peoples

The people of African origin have immigrated to many parts of the world.
Some of them have come to Jamaica; others to other parts of the world.
But wherever they may be they have similar historical experiences and the
problems that await them depend on sympathy, and this can be used by
all of us as the basis for the establishment of greater cooperation which
will be for our mutual benefit.

In addition to this I also believe that the peoples of Jamaica and Ethiopia
have another important cause in common, that is the cause of international
peace. For much more than means of warfare, the violation of peace
somewhere, must be discouraged to prevent the utter devastation of the
human race. We have as an important concern that there should not be a
violation of international peace and security.

However, if small countries do not combine all their energies, if small
countries do not put all their weight in one direction towards the maintenance
of international peace, then their individual voices in today's world would not
matter much. This is precisely why the smaller states, lilte Jamaica and
Ethiopia, have the supreme interest that international peace and security be
preserved. And to this end we have to continue to collaborate so that our
voice on the international scene would be augmented.

In addition to this it is quite true that a country can achieve material progress
alone. However, we know from the experiences of the past that international
co-operation tends to quicken the pace for progress of individual countries.
This is again another area for us to think about and see in what way we can
further expand the relations between the peoples of Jamaica and Ethiopia.
From another fundamental point of view this is why the organization of African
Unity has been established. It is because the African continent, which
comprises more than 250 milion people, were it to remain divided among
more than 30 states, their individual voices would not carry weight. It is
precisely why, since there is an identity of interest, we have attempted to
include Jamaica also, so that we can carry this weight in the councils of
nations, and also through the process of co-operation and expanded
economic relations we might be in a position to quicken the pace of
development of the individual member countries of the Organization of African
Unity.

Because the African people are dedicated to the cause of the maintenance of
peace, because the African people are determined that there should be that
material progress for their people, and because the African people believe in
the essential precepts of democracy, these are the foundations of the
Organization of African Unity. An organization that is based on such a solid
foundation can only bring success to all its endeavours which will be for the
interest and benefit of the African people, and perhaps also the interest of
other peoples.

From the same point of view l say the similarity of fundamental national interest
between our two peoples, that is our good friendship that has always existed,
must be allowed to deepen, must expand the areas of material and full
cooperation in all ways possible.

We must remember that many states that today represent the major powers of
the world were once weak, were once prey to other major forces. But, however,
through the process of assimilation, through the process of the realization of
fundamental national interests, and through the process of combination that
they have achieved, they have become the major powers, the powers that are
all-embracing. From the same point of view the people of Africa in Jamaica who
have identical interests should be able to augment their energies for good by
the process of the establishment of greater collaboration.

I would broadly say wherever there is African blood there is a basis for greater
unity. We must also help each other in our endeavours to expand education,
to raise the standard of living of our respective peoples. To this end we wish to
signify the appreciation of the sentiments held by the Jamaican people for the
Ethiopian people and as a manifestation of our sincere friendship, within our
very limited means, we have made an agreement with the Jamaican
Govermnent to establish a school for Jamaicans here. I am confident that all
the preliminary procedures will be concluded so that the construction of the
school will commence within the near future.
Lastly, may God give wisdom and His blessings to the people of Jamaica. Thank you.

1966.

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