GSTS Conference: Lost Opportunity to be a Platform for Inclusive Dialogue 

By Mulugeta Gebregziabher (PhD) and Mulugeta Fisseha (MD)

The Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS) was formed with a vision to serve as a “crucial platform to build a robust and knowledge-based resilient society and economy in Tigray and beyond through a series of knowledge-induced initiatives- centered on science, technology, innovation, research, sounding policy and strategy, institution building, effective human capital development, technology/knowledge transfer/skill endeavors, science diplomacy, humanitarian works”. “It is a non-partisan, autonomous and not-for-profit global knowledge network of over 5,000 Tigray members”. GSTS garnered tremendous support in its infancy and was able to put together a successful inaugural conference in 2018, bringing together over a thousand scholars, government representatives, civic organizations and political party leaders. One of the authors participated in the 2018 conference as organizer of a session and presenter. Moreover, the authors have worked in various capacities as “members” of the GSTS though their tenure varies. 

GSTS has been blamed for lack of transparency and partisanship since its founding. Some, including one of the authors, have distanced due to these issues. However, the war on Tigray brought us together to jointly advance the peace and justice demands of our people. During this challenging time, GSTS has played its role and many have supported its initiatives from fundraising to brainstorming ideas. However, there were also criticisms levied at the leader of GSTS for involving themselves on every issue like advocacy, diplomacy, resource mobilization instead of creating a collaborative mechanism to empower organizations that specialize on such activities. The effort made to create a common platform, Global Alliance of Tigray Associations in Diaspora (ATAD Global), also failed allegedly due to the unhealthy appetite of GSTS leadership to control and dominate it.   

After the signing of the Pretoria Agreement, however, we have noted a significant change in the views and messages of some of the key people in the ranks of GSTS. Moreover, we have seen less engagement with its members. Regular meetings have virtually stopped except in the name of ATAD which took place intermittently. Political decisions have been made without the inclusive consent of the majority of “the 5000 members”. For example, there were no consultations made with scholars or even sister diaspora organizations in the selection of General Tsadkan Gebretensae or other members of TIRA (nothing personal here, just to indicate the problem with the process followed by GSTS) by the GSTS leadership to serve in the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA) in response to the quota given for Tigrayan scholars to be involved in TIRA. As indicated by the President of GSTS in his  VOA interview on Sept 1st, 2024, while he denies that these people are accountable to GSTS, he admits that they are representatives of Tigrayan Scholars nominated by GSTS at the request of Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael, which lacks logic.

We believe that such an institution should look inwards to make sure it remains true to its goals and ideals. It should remain as a platform for the exchange of ideas, the expression of diverse views and promotion of togetherness and solidarity among even politically opposing groups in addition to its scholarly mission. In a region beleaguered by famine, conflict and under attack by a 360 degree of hostile actors, GSTS should be the mantle of fairness, equity, respect and voice for the right to assemble and hold conferences. More importantly, it should focus on critical and strategic deficits of Tigray and bring together scholars who could recommend solutions and even become active participants in the implementation of the recommendations. It should make the issue of gender related challenges, which is about more than 50% of our society, fully represented. It should consider ways to bring the new generation of Diaspora Tigrayans and the many friends of Tigray (non-Tigrayans by blood or citizenship). The latter two groups had tremendous contributions in being voices of the Tigray people during the most difficult two years of war and thereafter. 

The Good: 

The GSTS conference, which was held in Mekelle from August 15-17, 2024 brought together some scholars, professionals, and community leaders from around the world to discuss what the GSTS leadership considered pressing issues and to share knowledge on three thematic areas: “vital interest, economy, institution” according to the VoA interview of three of the leaders of GSTS (namely Dr. Gebrekidan Gebreselassie, Dr. Meareg Adhanom, Dr. Abeba Tesfay). The gathering was expected to foster collaboration and come up with recommendations to alleviate the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis, which are essential for the ongoing lifesaving, IDP resettlement, socio-economic activities and in the long run for putting Tigray in the trajectory of development. Some of the presentations were provocative and engaging. For example, the presentation by Dr. Gebreab Barnabas has created some social media reaction on video, twitter and facebook. The presentations on the third day, though one-sided, were given high attention due to the relevance of the topics and stature of the presenters. The keynote by General Tadesse Worede provided the current state of the Tigray Security Forces (TSF which replaced the iconic flagship brand name TDF- the Tigray Defense Forces). More importantly, the fact that it brought together more than 1000 people to discuss twenty eight presentations is a significant success. The diversity of the commentary given by the participants, especially the critical voices like that of Ms. Meseret Hadush were important features of the conference. However, the fact that a significant number of scholars from the TPLF were not able to participate has made the conference to be perceived as partisan including by some of the participants. By providing a space for dialogue, such a conference could have helped to build a resilient and informed community capable of addressing the region’s recurring challenges, if it was organized in a fair, meticulous and representative way. We would like to thank the organizers and leaders of GSTS for their time, efforts and love of their people and Tigray. The President, Dr. Gebrekidan, needs a special mention for his relentless efforts to be the Spokesperson, President and Chairperson of everything GSTS. 

Areas for Improvement: 

Despite its noble intentions at its inception, the GSTS conference has faced several criticisms. The title of the conference, “Quo Vadis Post-war Tigray: Building Back Better or Vicious Cycle”, we believe that this is inaccurate and untimely. In fact, some participants of the conference have even chastised the title for being “misleading and not reflective of the current issues facing Tigray”. The choice of appropriate theme and title should be taken seriously. Being jargony with the use of foreign phrases, Quo Vadis, can’t replace the essence of the conference. We take issue with the title of the recent conference that had the phrase “post-war Tigray” when Tigray is not in a post-war state with Irob, Western Tigray and some parts of Southern Tigray still under occupation. It is fair to say that we are “post hostility” after the signing of the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) but the genocidal war against Tigray that started way before 2020 continues. The response for the criticism was given by the President of GSTS in his VOA interview but it felt like he was defensive. The lack of precision in the chosen theme and title has led to confusion and a poor response to the short notice provided for the call for submitting abstracts. While the organizers claim that they spent six months preparing the conference, notices for abstract submission were only sent out in less than two months to some scholars in GSTS’s mailing list.

The themes and topics selected for the conference are criticized for not addressing the most urgent and relevant issues stated in the Pretoria agreement including the ongoing political turmoil and the interference of the Federal government in the constitutionally recognized affairs of the Tigray people including forming its own Tabia and Woreda administration. More importantly ignoring the issue of women and their representation in presenting their ideas, were missed opportunities. This lack of rigor in the selection of themes and presenters has resulted in sessions that are not as impactful as they could be. For an organization that claims to have 5000 or more scholars (stated in the not up-to-date website but which may not be true now given that GSTS introduced a membership fee a few months back), the method used to select topics and presenters has been opaque and exclusive. Without making it personal, the first author of this article who has contributed more than a dozen of peer-reviewed articles on Tigray issues, who organized international conferences on Tigray issues, who received an international award for his significant contributions towards peace and justice, whose work is cited in the New Lines Institute Genocide report at least five times, and who leads Tigray Diaspora organizations, neither received invitation nor a call for abstracts message from GSTS. On the other hand, the second author has received a call for abstracts in his email. These issues have led to a lack of diversity in perspectives and a feeling of disenfranchisement among some scholars. According to the VOA interview of the three leaders of GSTS, Twenty eight presentations were included from about 50 submissions and invited keynote speakers from the diaspora and Addis Ababa. The conference was scheduled for three-days making it difficult for attendees to fully engage with each session. This may have led to fatigue and reduced overall impact. Some presenters have been noted to lack adequate preparation, presenting without sufficient data or research to back up their claims. This has undermined the credibility of GSTS and the effectiveness of the conference. 

The culprit for the lack of rigor in the overall organization of the conference, in our view, might be the fact that the same small group of individuals have been organizing the conference each year, leading to a lack of fresh ideas and perspectives. It is important to  remember that GSTS has been led by the same President who also acts as de facto public affairs officer, spokesperson  and secretary of the organization. Truly very hard working and committed brother but also a source of many of the pitfalls of the organization. The timing of the conference has also raised concerns about impartiality and inclusivity. A significant portion of society and a major political group, which was holding its congress concurrently, has been excluded from the conference. This exclusion could have been avoided through dialogue and coordination, avoiding any real or perceived notion of bias within the GSTS group.

The conference has been criticized in a social media post by the first author and others for not adequately representing women and their agenda, both in terms of speakers and participants, among other critical limitations. This lack of gender diversity undermines the inclusivity and comprehensiveness of the discussions. Key political leaders and groups have been excluded from the conference, limiting the breadth of perspectives and critical dialogue necessary for comprehensive solutions. Crucial issues such as solutions for women victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and data comparing the pre- and post-war situation in Tigray have not been adequately addressed. This omission leaves significant gaps in the discourse. 

Based on feedback from some attendees and from watching the videos posted online, several key presentations have been generic and not based on data that shows the current state of things in Tigray. For example, the session on the economic situation of Tigray failed miserably to present any relevant current data. In fact, it used data from the education and health sectors that have done a fantastic job, thanks to the resilient researchers at Ayder College of Health Sciences, Aksum University College of Health Sciences, Tigray Health Research Institute and Tigray Region Bureau of Health. This lack of relevance diminishes the practical impact of the conference. Some presenters have shown bias, particularly in the absence of key scholars who could provide counter arguments or defend their positions. This one-sidedness detracts from the objectivity and fairness of the discussions. 

We asked participants of the conference if there were any public health messages with regards to COVID, HIV AIDS, Cholera and other communicable diseases that need precautions in large gatherings. The answer is none. This is a very important issue that needs to be emphasized given that the authors are health professionals. It is important that such conferences organized by scholars that include healthcare professionals have creative ways to make public health messages clearly announced through signages, posters, or public announcements for people to be careful about COVID, HIV or Cholera. Given that GSTS Health has been led by a person who is affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO), this should come as a priority. The lack of such critical considerations shows the expediency of the planning of the conference without meeting basic and core principles of public health prevention and mitigation in a region that has many HIV-AIDS patients, ongoing cholera outbreak and the potential for COVID outbreaks. This is another huge missed opportunity.

The overall organization of the conference has been criticized for being inadequate. This includes logistical issues and a lack of clear structure, which have hindered the smooth flow of events. The short timeline for organizing the conference did not allow for adequate representation of diaspora scholars, which some have taken as exclusionary by design. The absence of critical voices from the diaspora has limited the diversity of perspectives and the richness of the discussions to bring about change and transformation. Finally, the style of the conference has not facilitated fruitful conversations. Instead of having parallel sessions that discuss thematic areas and specific topics, all presentations were held in a single room. This format has limited in-depth discussions and engagement.

We investigated the website www.GSTS.org to see if there is relevant information about the ongoing conference and associated documents from previous meetings. There was nothing substantive about the current or previous conferences, except pictures (we last accessed the website on Aug 30, 2024, at 4:51 PM EST). The website is not well developed or up to date. The Documents section was last updated on Aug 26, 2022 (two years ago with a document GSTS OC 2022-373). The governance section shows “coming soon” status. For an organization which claims to have 5000 scholar members and that makes pronouncements of transforming Tigray, it should first transform itself. transformation should start at home. It is not acceptable for a scholarly organization that boasts itself to have computer scientists and technicians to fail on this bare minimum requirement of transparency- to have an uptodate and informative website. Such manifestations are good indicators of the lack of focus and attention to detail by the GSTS leadership (which we believe is mostly done by the President and one or two of his confidants as we observe it in meetings called by GSTS). 

Suggestions for improvement: 

We don’t want to only list the problems as responsible citizens who have the best of GSTS in their minds. We would like to suggest some way of improving the structure and organization of the GSTS activities, including conferences that can significantly enhance its effectiveness and impact. Our motive and goals are to improve the organizations since it is very critical that such organizations need feedback to make changes. As Noam Chomsky said, “It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies”. So, we do. Here we start with a humorous suggestion: GSTS should really avoid the abuse of the prefixes “large, big” in characterizing its meetings, conference, press releases, documents since the events/products could speak for themselves. Some more serious suggestions: 

Early Planning: Start planning well in advance to ensure ample time for organizing all aspects of the conference. Any respectable conference, let alone one that tries to define the fate of a state that is trying to come out of a genocidal war, can’t be organized impactfully in a couple months of notice. Some have received invitations to participate one month before the conference date while others, including one of the authors, didn’t at all receive any invitation or even the call for abstracts.

Clear Objectives: Define clear objectives and outcomes for the conference to guide the selection of themes, topics, and speakers. Trying to cover everything under the sun is neither helpful nor effective. Like previous GSTS conferences, instead of focusing on the most important topics that need detailed discussions, the GSTS conference tries to do everything from social sciences, politics, economics, business, engineering and more. This has resulted in a waste of time and opportunity to be impactful.

Diverse Committee: Form a diverse organizing committee that includes representatives from various sectors, including women and diaspora scholars. Conferences are organized by different layers of committees unlike the GSTS conference which is typically managed by what is perceived to be one man. Such perceptions (real or assumed) could hurt the credibility of the conference.

Transparency: Like any professional conference, there should be an open call for topics and presentations to ensure a wide range of relevant and timely subjects are covered. This must be done well in advance, at least 6 months. Moreover, there should be a transparent selection process in place. Clear communication of the criteria and process for selecting topics and presenters is mandatory to ensure transparency and inclusivity.

Financial Disclosure: Where does the GSTS get funds to undertake such events? Did they get financial support for the conference from the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA) or other government entities? Did attendees get paid for their travel expenses including hotel, meals or other expenses? It is important to publicize any sponsors to make sure that the conference is not influenced by the financiers of the conference. Conflict of interest disclosure is important for accountability.

Organization of sessions: Professional conferences always make room for small group presentations (parallel sessions), medium-sized presentations and large themed invited presentations. Parallel Sessions are very effective not only to manage time but also to allow time for more in-depth discussions and engagement of specific thematic areas. Incorporating interactive formats such as panel discussions, workshops, and Q&A sessions is also essential to foster active participation and dialogue. As health professionals, we would like to emphasize the need for adequate breaks between sessions to prevent fatigue and allow for networking opportunities.

Representation of different interest groups: Since the theme of the conference is grandiose that ambitiously tries to define the future of Tigray, it should ensure proportional representation of different groups. The proportional representation of women among speakers and participants is not only essential but also a must. It is very critical that the futures of Tigray, the young scholars and professionals, are invited to actively participate in the planning and execution of the conference. Key stakeholders for the agenda under discussion need to be invited without favors and discrimination. Invite key political leaders and groups to participate in the conference to ensure a comprehensive range of perspectives.

Preparation Guidelines: Provide clear guidelines for presenters to ensure they come prepared with data-driven and well-researched presentations. The lack of such preparation was evident in many of the presentations that focused on generic definitions of terminologies that are not relevant to solving pertinent issues of daily survival. For example, the presentations by the economic sector representatives didn’t present any data that can show the current state of the Tigray economy. They rather reported social indicators (mostly MDG indicators) reported by researchers who studied the health and education sector.

Registration and Review Process: The conference registration process should be streamlined to make it easy and accessible for all potential participants. Similarly, the review process for contributed abstracts and invited presentations should have metrics and criteria to ensure quality and relevance. The organizing committee should have a separate webpage for announcing the conference dates and deadlines and to provide regular updates to participants and stakeholders about the conference plans and any changes. Limited and intermittent WhatsApp postings can’t be used to reach all potential contributors. 

Logistics and Management: The organizing committee should engage in dialogue with other groups organizing concurrent events to avoid scheduling conflicts and ensure inclusivity. They should also choose a venue that can accommodate parallel sessions and provide necessary facilities for a smooth conference experience. It is critical that the selected venue ensures robust technical support for presentations and virtual participation if applicable.

Feedback Collection: It is important to collect feedback from participants to identify areas for improvement. Such feedback will help to develop an action plan to address any issues and enhance future conferences. The lack of admitting significant limitations on the conference preparation, participation and outcomes by the leadership shows that GSTS is not ready for constructive feedback: a missed opportunity to publicly recognize mistakes and show readiness to correct them. In their VOA interview, the leaders of GSTS rather chose to distribute blame and point fingers. As the saying goes, “a mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant”. Similarly, as Paulo Coelho, “a mistake repeated more than once is a choice”.

Summary: We believe that by fully or partially implementing these suggestions, the GSTS as well as its activities (conferences or workshops) can become a more inclusive, engaging, and impactful platform for idea exchange and collaboration, ultimately contributing to the development and resilience of Tigray. It collects a lot of data but there are no publications that could even be cited in the New Lines Institute Reoport on the Genocide of Tigray. GSTS needs to collaborate to publish abstracts and proceedings of the conferences it organizes, maybe even start a journal or newsletter for publishing data on Tigray issues.The most important deficit in Tigray, as clearly stated by almost everyone including the leadership itself, is strategic vision and leadership. It is incumbent upon organizations like the GSTS to take this issue seriously and focus their work on it. Solving the problem of strategic leaders and vision could address most of the other problems (lack of peace, recurring famine, chronic corruption, etc.) that emanate from the failure of strategic leaders. It is high time for GSTS to support the proposal of creating a center or institute of excellence for strategy, competitiveness and leadership at different institutions including the four universities. The first author of this piece has a publicly shared proposal that could serve as a basis for such conversations.  

Reforming GSTS: 

The recent GSTS conference has highlighted the need for significant reforms within the organization. As one commentator who read our article (former Board member of GSTS) succinctly put it in his brief comment, “the GSTS board has overstayed its mandate and is led by polarizing figures who have lost credibility among many scholars”. The participation of many scholars has ceased to exist because of lack of wise and accommodative leadership. Here are some key areas for reform:

1. Leadership and Governance: GSTS should introduce term limits for its leadership and board members to ensure fresh perspectives and prevent stagnation. It should also elect leaders who are widely respected and trusted within the scholarly community, avoiding those with polarizing reputations. It should also improve its communication practices. In addition to twitter messages and social media posts, it should update its website with pertinent information. For example, we were trying to cite the governing document or bylaws, the recent membership fee policy and other relevant documents, but we couldn’t find them.  
2. Inclusivity and Representation: Fair representation and inclusivity are critical for any organization. In its recent iteration, GSTS has decided to divide Tigrayan scholars into “members and associates”.  It defines a member as someone “who has at least a post graduate education”. This is inherently flawed and in contradiction with its vision statement. e.g. an IT specialist, an engineer, a nurse with a first degree would not be a member. This makes the association “Elitist” and out of touch. When it comes to the Tigray matter, the MD, PhD, Nurse, Engineer, farmer, soldier, anthropologist, etc. have the same stake. There is no one who “specializes on the issues of Tigray”. It disenfranchises the many talented Tigrayans who have been at the forefront of the struggle for justice and freedom but also against genocide. According to wikipedia, a scholar is “a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline who can also be an academic (usually holds an advanced degree or a terminal degree, such as a master’s degree or a doctorate (PhD)), who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. It could also include independent scholars and public intellectuals who work outside the academy yet may publish in academic journals and participate in scholarly public discussion”. At least, GSTS should provide clear criteria to make membership a merit based participation. Thus, GSTS must come up with a way of including more with a bare minimal criterion (since at some point there will have to be a minimal criteria) or add special considerations for merit-based inclusion when someone doesn’t meet the stated criteria. We suggest that associate membership should be open to anyone who meets the bare minimum criteria and who would like to contribute to the betterment of Tigray.
3. Political Neutrality: To remain relevant, GSTS must maintain neutrality and avoid partisanship, GSTS should exclude political party leaders from the organization’s rank and file. The focus should be on scholarly and professional discourse, steering clear of partisan rhetoric and demagoguery. This policy needs to be clearly stated in the bylaws and website of the organization.

Conclusion:

Some of the challenges that GSTS faces are a direct result of allowing government and party involvement in the affairs of civic and professional organizations. We call upon GSTS to avoid seeking special favors at the expense of other Tigray Diaspora Organizations through its special affiliations. The presence of at least four representatives of GSTS within TIRA has accorded it special treatment despite the poor performance of the organization in contributing meaningfully to alleviate the suffering of our people. It is important for TIRA to ensure balanced support for all civic and professional associations. There is a perception that some associations are getting special favors including funding for their activities, for example GSTS conferences, while others receive no response to their inquiries for holding important and timely workshops. The TIRA and its leadership should also avoid being perceived as biased towards groups that support its political agenda, to those who have personal relationships, or provide kickbacks.

It has been reported that TIRA has created the Office of Diaspora Affairs that is led by Ambassador Wahide Belay. This is a welcome development. However, this Office of Diaspora Affairs should establish clear rules and guidelines on how civic and professional associations can create platforms to address key challenges in Tigray. It should also ensure transparency in the allocation of funds and support to various associations to foster trust and fairness. It should be accessible and responsive to inquiries from Tigray Diaspora organizations and persons.

Reforming GSTS and ensuring fair treatment by TIRA are crucial steps towards creating a more inclusive, credible, and effective platform for scholarly and professional exchange. By addressing these issues, GSTS can regain the trust of the scholarly community and better serve the needs of Tigray. Similarly, TIRA’s balanced and transparent approach will foster a more collaborative and supportive environment for all civic and professional associations.

GSTS’s activities should be led by professionals and should play a vital role in fostering dialogue and collaboration. This can be achieved through reform that fosters inclusivity and improvement on the overall organizational and functional effectiveness and impact. By doing so, GSTS can truly serve as a beacon of knowledge and progress for Tigray, even amidst the ongoing challenges.

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About the authors:

Dr. Mulugeta Gebregziabher is a Professor of Biostatistics in the US. He has led Mekhete initiatives in the past three years and continues to lead advocacy and humanitarian efforts for the Tigray people. He played an active role in the 2018 GSTS conference in pre-conference preparations and gave multiple presentations in the conference. He was elected to co-lead GSTS-Health at the 2018 GSTS Conference in Mekelle. He left GSTS after his voice of opposition for the inclusion of TPLF Central Committee members in the Board of Directors of GSTS was rejected and disagreements ensued with the top brass of the GSTS. He has contributed to Mekhete Tigray in different capacities that include leading advocacy organizations, writing articles and petitions to be a voice and advocate for the people of Tigray, resource mobilization for civilian Tigrayans who have been affected by the ongoing siege that resulted in famine and humanitarian crisis. He has authored several peer-reviewed articles that were cited in the New Lines Institute report on Tigray genocide, gave many interviews to national and international media. In 2022, he was awarded the Sidel-Levy Peace prize by the American Public Health Association for his excellence in contributing towards peacebuilding. Currently he is working on the thematic area of Building Better Tigray (BBT) by partnering with higher institutions and research institutes of Tigray.

Dr Mulugeta Fisseha, MD is a cardiologist practicing in the US. He has been a member of the GSTS Health theme. He has led a Mekhete initiative during the height of Tigray Genocide. Remains a GSTS health member but declines to be a paying member in protest for GSTS exclusive membership criteria. 

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Disclaimer: the views expressed in this article are those of the authors. They don’t reflect the views of any of the institutions or organizations they are affiliated with.