Guide to help the people of Tigray

Understanding the Tigrayan disposition:

What is Tigray?

Tigray is a region located in the Northernmost part of Ethiopia. It is home to approximately 6 million Tigrayans and is a region that plays a central role in Ethiopian history and culture. The Tigray people’s significant role in Ethiopian history includes leading the rebellion that overthrew a Marxist dictatorship in 1991 and a very central role in Ethiopia’s victory against Italian colonialism, most notably in the battle of Adwa. Tigrayans make up approximately 5-7% of the Ethiopian population.

The Tigray genocide: :In November 2020, Ethiopia’s federal forces launched a brutal attack on Tigray, a small region representing just 6% of the country’s population. The Ethiopian government called in Eritrean troops and allied militias to join the assault. Together, these forces carried out mass killings, widespread sexual violence, and the systematic destruction of villages, hospitals, and schools. While these attacks were happening, the Ethiopian government also engaged in an all-out aid blockade that led to 300k Tigrayans to starve to death. The scale and targeting of this campaign show it was a deliberate attack against an entire people. Cumulatively, these atrocities cost the lives of 600,000 to 800,000 Tigrayans. And they resulted in 120,000 women being raped–5-10% of which constitues as “severe” sexual assult. Many of these women often had objects such as trash, metal spikes, and letters of genocidal intent inserted into their wombs to render them infertile. Additionally, 800,000 to 1,200,000 Tigrayans were ethnically cleansed and expelled out of their homes in western Tigray.

What do the Tigray people need ?

Recognition: According to human right’s experts, international lawyers and other experts, what happened in Tigray meets and surpasses the criteria of a genocide. And yet, the UN discontinued investigations due to the supposed lack of ‘appetite’ and still hasn’t recognized the Tigray genocide. And perpetrators are still not held accountable. It is vital that we urge the UN, international communities, and the Ethiopian government to ensure recognition and accountability. Unfortunately, none of the genocidal actors are held accountable as of now.

Reconstruction: After the war so much of the Tigray’s infrastructure was destroyed and damaged, schools and hospitals were deliberately bombed and targeted by Ethiopian forces. There are many ways in which you can support internal reconstruction efforts.

Pretoria Peace Deal Enforcement: Millions of Tigrayans in western Tigray have been forcibly expelled from their homes and are now living in harsh conditions in IDP camps. This humanitarian crisis exists because the Ethiopian government has failed to enforce the Pretoria Peace Agreement, ignoring ceasefires, blocking aid, and failing to protect civilians. Such deliberate neglect highlights a policy of marginalization, leaving Tigrayans vulnerable and without recourse.

Actionable steps to help the people of Tigray

1. Learn and understand Tigrayan history and politics in depth:

It is very easy for people to get lost in the complexity of the Tigrayan/ Ethiopian crisis and filter it through reductive lens that follows predetermined subconscious thought process that generalizes all global south conflicts/ issues into simple tribal quarrels, chaos or proxy wars which mischaracterizes the Tigrayan disposition and crisis. Lack of understanding also contributes to learned helplessness and irrational pessimism that would not be helpful to the people of Tigray.

Sources to learn more:

Organizations and Repositories

• Omnatigray: Omnatigray.org

• Tigray Data Repository: datafortigray.org a newer organization)

Sources for Information

• Mainstream News Outlets: for unbiased representation

Book Recommendations

The Ethiopians: A History by Richard Pankhurst
Laying the Past to Rest: The EPRDF and the Challenges of Ethiopian State-Building
Peasant Revolution in Ethiopia: The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, 1975-1991 by John Young

2. Online advocacy

Online advocacy is very effective when done right and with purpose. It is very vital that online advocacy is centered towards solution-orientation and not irrational pessimism or an opportunity to shed light on “humanity’s cruelty”. Sadly, it is not uncommon that some people might make online content in this topic to center it towards a larger point divorced from helping the Tigray people of Ethiopia and more focused on conveying shock value. The best way to help the Tigray people is to ensure every online advocacy content is aligned with a higher purpose-whether it is to spread awareness, get more people to donate to humanitarian causes or get people to sign a petition.

Ways to advocate online:

Make videos on online social media platforms to spread awareness: remember anyone can make a video
Engage with Tigray awareness videos on social media, engage with social media platforms like X or make submissions on Reddit.

What do advocate for:

Genocide recognition: Unfortunately the UN has failed to renew the human rights comission that was dedicated to investigating the Tigray genocide due to the lack of pressure and ‘apetite’ for renewal. In order to ensure accountability and recognition it is very important for the UN to renew this investigative committee. To do so, it would be beneficial to make videos spreading awareness about this inaction, urging the UN to recontinue investigations.

Pretoria Peace Deal Enforcement: Millions of Tigrayans in western Tigray have been forcibly expelled from their homes and are now living in harsh conditions in IDP camps. This humanitarian crisis exists because the Ethiopian government has failed to enforce the Pretoria Peace Agreement, ignoring ceasefires, blocking aid, and failing to protect civilians. Such deliberate neglect highlights a policy of marginalization, leaving Tigrayans vulnerable and without vital resources. In order to generate an appetite for enforcement it is very important to spread awareness about this via digital channels.

Reconstruction: After the war so much of the Tigray’s infrastructure was destroyed and damaged, schools and hospitals were deliberately bombed and targeted by Ethiopian forces. It is very vital to conduct reconstruction efforts after the genocidal war whereas much of the Tigrayan infrastructure has been destroyed. You can amplify reconstruction efforts to drive donations for organizations like Tigray Relief Fund.

Actionability: For every advocacy effort it is very important to emphasize actionability by including actionable steps people can take (no matter how minor it could be) to alleviate the problems provided.

Updates and spreading awareness about past atrocities: The Tigray crisis is very volatile and subject to change so it would be important to keep the public updated about new developments and efforts. Additionally, it would also be helpful to raise awareness about past documented crimes.

We are thinking of setting up a Tigray advocacy coalition as a sub faction of coalition for Tigray. If you are interested in joining/helping set up this coalition. Please email us via coalitionfortigray@gmail.com

3. Contact your Representatives

Reaching out to your elected officials is a powerful way to advocate for change. They are accountable to their constituents and can influence policy decisions, including foreign aid and international relations. A well-crafted message can make a very significant impact.

Steps to follow:

1. Look up your government representatives (federal, state, or local ) using official directories like USA.gov or your country’s equivalent.

You can also reach out to UN offices like OCHA, OHCHR, WFP, or UNICEF, and relevant foreign embassies or diplomats.

2. Send a clear, professional message: Keep your email short and factual. Explain what action you want, for example, calling for recognition of the Tigray genocide or enforcement of the Pretoria Peace Agreement. Include credible sources and petitions to back up your request. (I’ll be providing a ready-to-copy template soon.) These should align with existing issues.

Template copy-paste

Subject: Urge support for targeted sanctions to enforce the Pretoria Agreement / ensure returns to Western Tigray: