boards
Please read the following, before proceeding to the forum.
Expectations placed on Board Members:
1. Be Courteous. Be Polite.
2. Help create constructive dialogue.
Each member will receive a maximum of 3 warnings for inappropriate conduct. Inappropriate conduct includes such things as:
1. Unnecessarily Antagonizing Fellow Board Members.
To antagonize means to deliberately make personal, ill-intentioned remarks at other forum participants for the purpose of eliciting an emotional response. Among other things, this includes: going out of one's way to use disparaging sarcasm during "serious" debates and exchanges, particularly those pertaining to Eritrea and Ethiopia, resorting to name calling, and challenging one's perceptions of historical/cultural identities in an acerbic, disrespectful manner. While challenging the boundaries of personal identity is at the core of this site's mission, abesha.com recognizes it is one thing to challenge identity in the hopes of initiating positive, constructive dialogue and another to simply denigrate. Navigating through these intentions will be done by moderators and forum members on a case by case basis.
2. Unnecessarily Using Foul Language.
Forum members must avoid foul language at all times. By virtue of its online nature, abesha.com recognizes its responsibility to a potentially young audience, and strives to uphold the standards of a PG-13 environment. Additionally, foul language degrades the quality of exchanges and immediately isolates the people who have been subjected to it. This isolation is something that abesha.com wishes to avoid.
3. Unnecessarily Posting Inappropriate Material.
All materials which work against the site's mission are called into question. For the purposes of this website, materials that particularly play on the emotional reactions of forum users, particularly with regard to the conflict between Eritreans and Ethiopians, are under special scrutiny. The linking of YouTube video clips and other media glorifying war and violence between the two countries is strictly prohibited.
4. Unnecessarily Linking Inappropriate Web Pages to these Forums.
Again, we cater to a PG-13 audience.
5. Using Inappropriate Avatars Which Explicitly Promote Either Sex or Violence.
Self explanatory.
You will not be allowed to rebut in a disrespectful manner. This includes, cursing, namecalling, etc.
For the purpose of this forum, "unnecessarily inappropriate" is defined as being all that which does not contribute towards the creation of a wholesome board atmosphere. A wholesome board atmosphere is one that encourages dialouge and the sharing of opinions, persepectives and ideas in a nonjudgemental manner.
Should warnings exceed the stated amount, the user will be permanently banned.
An Acknowledgment:
The name of this web page was chosen due to our desire to select a neutral and commonly shared term of reference for both Ethiopians and Eritreans. Since the site's inception, however, we have learned that many in Ethiopia do not associate with the term h/abesha, as it excludes groups such as Oromo's, Somale's, and the many Southern Nations, Nationalities And Peoples. We have also learned that there are a number of Eritreans who do not refer to themselves as "habesha", such as Rashaidas, Kunamas and others. Perhaps, the biggest lesson we have acquired is that the term "h/abesha" is a complex phrase that has specific social, geographical and sometimes political connotations and we will reserve it as a name that is quite vulnerable to constant modifications. Consequently, our view of this label is as one that will gravitate us towards a deeper understanding of the complex fabrics that makes a nation and with such gravitation comes many lessons. And with such lessons comes a clearer understanding of ourselves and those around us.
While we sincerely apologize for our ignorance in misperceiving "h/abesha" as a wholistically applicable identity to both Eritreans and Ethiopians, we believe that it has and continues to achieve the essence and spirit we originally intended the word to embody. And the credit for the survival of such essence largely goes to you, our readers, for seeing past our ignorance and understanding our goals.
Abesha.Com:
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