17 March 2008 

We, in the Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR), 

• Being delighted to learn about the conduct of the Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA) congress on the 30^th of March 2008;
• Taking note of the fact that we, including our political organizations, concerned individuals, media associations and other social groups, remain deprived of our rights to carry out our respective endeavors from within our home country;

• Having closely following the dynamics and developments surrounding our political groups including within the EDA itself;
• Believing in the fact that any decision and/or an action made by any political or social group to a greater or lesser degree have the capacity to shape the political, socio-economic and/or the cultural aspects of a given society;
• Cognizant of our responsibility, as citizens and members of a civic organization, to actively and constructively engage in any debate, decisions and/or actions that may influence the future of our society;
• Understanding to the fact that the decisions which would be made by EDA member organizations in the upcoming congress may greatly affect the future of our society;

We, therefore, would like to seize this opportunity and appeal to EDA member organizations:-

A.    To focus more on the broader picture fundamental to the future of our society, and not on narrow organizational interests;

B.    To institute an independent, democratic and transparent decision-making system;

C.    To pass a resolution that demonstrates EDA’s:-

1. commitment at encouraging the public to withdraw their consent from Eritrea’s existing repressive system of governance dominated by militaristic norms and attitudes;
2. commitment at empowering the public to actively become part of the transformation process towards a constitutional governance;
3. commitment at delegitimizing Eritrea’s repressive system of governance in regional and international arena;
4. willingness to participate, or otherwise to facilitate, the conduct of an all-inclusive national peace and reconciliation conference in which the PFDJ may partake, if so it wishes;

In an anticipation of your kind consideration, we thank you in advance,

Wishing you a successful congress!

The EMDHR