(Sagalee Haraa, Malvern, UK, July 2000) - Oromia Support Group reports that the Tenth annual Human Rights and Diplomacy Training Program was held at Northern Territory University in Darwin, Australia, from 23 January to 11 February.

Representing the Oromia Support Group in Australia was Likkee Walde Gossa, an Oromo Woman living in Melbourne. She was the only participant from Africa among the 35 delegates from 16 countries, including East Timor, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philipppines, Papua New Ginea, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Fiji.

The internationally recognised Diplomacy training program was founded by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professior Jose Ramos-Horta, and trains members of non-governmental organisations in human rights and 'people's diplomacy.'

Likkee gave a forty minute presentation on the Oromo, followed by the OSG 1997 video production, Night of the Hyena. Her information about Oromia's history and her current plight touched many of the audience, who were unaware of of the Oromo. All the delegates promised to support the Oromo people in their struggle for self-determination.

Mary-ann M. arnado, a delegate for the Initiatives for International Dialogue in Philippines said that the 'video and Likkee's presentation on the gross violations against the Oromo people was clear and powerful. The information needs to be urgently disseminated at an international level to resolve the ongoing situation in Oromia.'

The delegates also discused the issues of common media utilisation and chose 'Oromia 2000' as the name of their organisation for information sharing (oromia2000@egroups.com).

Source: Sagalee Haaraa, 31 July 2000, p. 10. Copy right to OSG