At first I thought I had heard incorrectly.
On Monday I was finishing a coaching call with an Ethiopian denominational church leader I have known since 2010. As we were saying goodbye, he volunteered: “Today was a historic day!” “How so?” I asked.
“Today in Ethiopia, we planted 200 million trees!” he replied.
The “we” was literal. He told me his whole family spent all Monday morning (in the rain!) digging holes and planting seedling trees in Addis Ababa. They were joined by hundreds of thousands of their countrymen all across Ethiopia.
My colleagues at the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology (I was on the faculty from 2010-2014) closed their offices all morning—they were out planting trees. Many government offices were closed—all were out planting trees.
According to the BBC article, Ethiopia Breaks Tree-Planting Records to Battle Climate Change, Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation and Technology Getahun Mekuria tweeted that an amazing 353,633,660 seedlings were planted in 12 hours on Monday, July 29. The earlier record was 50 million trees planted in one day in India in 2016.
It’s another example of the remarkable leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, about whom I first wrote in 2018, and then, wrote about again regarding the coup attempt this past June.
Prime Minister Abiy has inspired and challenged his people to get personally engaged in his Green Legacy initiative, taking place at 1,000 sites across the country. The entire nation has responded.
Abiy’s goal is to plant 4 billion trees this summer! While that sounds unrealistic to Western ears, over 2.6 billion trees have already been planted. I have no doubt the goal will be reached.
Why are 200 Million Trees Important?
Think of the massive environmental impact of 4 billion new trees scrubbing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and replacing it with oxygen to help our struggling planet.
But closer to home for Ethiopia, the UN says Ethiopia’s forest coverage declined from 35% of total land area in the early 20th Century to a little above 4% in the 2000s.
Like Ethiopia, deforestation is a huge problem daily impacting millions of lives in countries all across Africa. Rapid population growth drives clearing forests for more farmland. Climate change is a growing threat, especially by prolonging and deepening long-term droughts that have always plagued Ethiopia.
Perhaps you remember photos of starving Ethiopian children on US televisions in the 1980’s? The first Live Aid concert on July 13, 1985 drew worldwide attention to the famine in drought-weary Ethiopia. Such drought-induced famines are growing more frequent and more extensive today due to climate change—tragically, we simply hear less about them.
My friend and EGST faculty colleague Dr. Sebelwengel Daniel gave me her first-hand experience planting trees and her reflections on this historic day:
It was good to see people so motivated and excited. It was raining Monday morning, but everyone came out anyway. In some places they ran out of seedlings; everyone was so excited to keep planting.
People from all walks of life came together—Christians and Muslims, government supporters and opposition leaders—all working together. Evangelicals here often don’t take part in mainstream political events, but many churches were also out participating—it was something everyone could agree on and do together. No one can stop you from planting trees.
It was interesting that the Prime Minister asked all the top church leaders to leave Addis and plant trees in different parts of the country. The President of my denomination went to Tigray [near the far northern border]. The President of the Evangelical Coalition went to the East [near unrest on the Somalia border]. People from outside Addis also came into the city to plant trees here with us.
It was good to do because we have regular drought here. Especially in the very dry lands in the eastern parts near Somalia, it will help the countryside from turning into a desert.
What I can’t communicate in recording Dr. Seblewengel’s words is the emotional enthusiasm—even awe—in her voice as she told me how very diverse people came together in a united mission for the common good. In this sense, planting 200 million trees–however amazing–is secondary to uniting very diverse people into a common cause that transcends their differences.
Prime Minister Abiy (at age 42!) has been a unifying, healing leader in a nation of 80 diverse ethnic groups, pulling his people together—political opponents as well as allies—to tackle huge problems that seemed beyond hope of solution.
He has already brought peace to the 20-year war with Eritrea in a matter months. Now, he is clearly on track to plant 4 billion trees in a few months. I’m eager to see what he tackles next!
It is possible to cast visions that motivate and unify people to address problems that transcend their obvious differences. It is possible to build bridges when people have known only walls. It is possible to successfully lead from the wholistic center rather than from the divisive fringes.
Ethiopia continues to face overwhelming problems on so many fronts. Yet Abiy is a truly genuine Christian and a Christ-like leader, modeling reconciliation and love of enemies.
We in the US can watch and learn.
