Community Mourns Visionary Mentor Guy Moon
NEWS RELEASE: A Community Mourns the Tragic Loss of Visionary Mentor Guy Moon
It is with profound sorrow that we share the news of the tragic passing of Guy Moon, a beloved patriarch, husband, father, and a visionary figure in media and faith communities. Mr. Moon was killed in a traffic collision on Thursday morning.
In a heartfelt statement, his family expressed their deep grief and the profound impact of their loss: “We are overcome with grief to announce the passing of our beloved patriarch, Guy Moon… We feel singularly blessed to have been able to call him dad and husband.” Acknowledging the immense pain, they drew strength from his own legacy, stating they are “emboldened to grieve him with honor and courage with the tools that he equipped us with in his beautiful life.”
The family tentatively plans to celebrate his life on his birthday, February 7th, in the Los Angeles area, with a later gathering in his hometown in Wisconsin. Details will be shared as they become available.
A Legacy of Faith and Mentorship
News of his passing has sent waves of grief through a wide network of friends, colleagues, and those he served. Dhaba Wayessa, a close friend and brother in Christ, shared a moving tribute highlighting Guy Moon’s remarkable spirit.
“I am deeply shocked and heartbroken to hear of the passing of my brother in Christ, Guy Moon… Guy was a man of vision, faith, and generous courage,” Wayessa stated.
He specifically recalled Moon’s transformative initiative in 2011, when he coordinated the LA Media Mission Team and traveled to Ethiopia. There, in collaboration with Sandscribe Communications and Mekane Yesus Seminary, he dedicated himself to serving and mentoring young media students.
“His commitment to equipping others, especially emerging storytellers, left a lasting imprint that continues to bear fruit,” Wayessa added. “His life reflected Christ’s love through action, creativity, and service.”
This mission stands as a testament to Moon’s belief in empowering the next generation, extending his influence far beyond his immediate circle and leaving a global legacy of inspiration and practical skill.
A Call for Prayer and Comfort
As the Moon family and all who knew him navigate this sudden and painful loss, the community is called to surround them with support. Wayessa’s prayer echoes the sentiment of many: “May the Lord surround His family and friends with His peace and comfort, and may the hope of the resurrection sustain all in this time of deep sorrow.”
Guy Moon’s unmistakable legacy of familial love, creative mentorship, and faithful service will be profoundly missed. His memory will continue to inspire those who were fortunate enough to know him and the many young professionals he helped to shape.
The family respectfully requests privacy as they mourn and make arrangements.
Together we remain,
The Moon Family & A Grieving Community
New Year, New Hope: Oromo Youth Demand Freedom
Feature News: A New Year’s Covenant – Oromo Youth Pledge Action to Fulfill “The Price of Freedom”
As the Oromo community worldwide celebrated the dawn of a new year, a powerful and solemn pledge emerged from its youth vanguard, framing the occasion not just as a celebration, but as a moment of collective accounting and renewed commitment.
In a statement reflecting the spirit of the season, representatives of the Oromo youth movement affirmed their core aspirations: “Our hope is for the freedom, dignity, peace, and security of our people.” This declaration, however, was immediately coupled with a stark acknowledgment of responsibility. They stated they stand firmly “under the vanguard of the Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo (QBO), which is led by the OLF,” ready to shoulder the burden required to make that hope a reality.
The most striking element of their message was the concept of a debt to be paid. “To fulfill that hope… we have paid and will continue to pay the necessary price,” the statement read. This “price” is understood as the immense sacrifices—lives lost, freedoms curtailed, and years of struggle—endured by the Oromo people throughout generations of what they term “the darkness of subjugation.”
The message transforms New Year’s optimism into a blueprint for action. It positions the coming year not as a passive waiting period, but as an active campaign to “lead our people from the darkness of subjugation into the light of freedom.” This imagery powerfully defines their political struggle as a journey toward enlightenment and liberation.
The closing acclamations—“Long live the OLF! Victory is for our people!”—root this forward-looking energy in the existing political structure and collective identity. It confirms the QBO’s alignment with the Oromo Liberation Front’s historical mission while placing the agency for the final push squarely on the shoulders of the mobilized youth.
Analysts see this statement as a significant articulation of the movement’s current phase. It moves beyond protest and resistance toward a language of fulfillment and debt settlement. The youth are not just asking for freedom; they are announcing their intention to actively “pay for it” through continued struggle and sacrifice, seeing themselves as the executors of a long-held national promise.
The feature of this news is its encapsulation of a pivotal mindset: the Oromo New Year has become a time to audit the balance sheet of the struggle. The hopes are the credit; the sacrifices are the debit. The message from the youth is clear—they are committed to closing the ledger, whatever the cost, until the account of freedom is settled. The journey from darkness to light, they assert, is a bill they are prepared to pay in full.
Oromo New Year Birboo: Tradition and Unity in Waaqeffannaa Faith
Feature News: Celebrating Heritage and Harmony – Waaqeffannaa Faithful Usher in Oromo New Year 6420 at Walisoo Liiban Temple
WALISOO LIIBAN, OROMIA – In a profound celebration of cultural rebirth and spiritual unity, the Waaqeffannaa faithful gathered at the sacred Galma Amantaa (House of Worship) here on Thursday to solemnly and joyfully observe the Oromo New Year, Birboo, marking the dawn of the year 6420.
The ceremony was far more than a ritual; it was a powerful reaffirmation of an ancient identity, a prayer for peace, and a community’s declaration of continuity. Under the sacred Ficus tree (Odaa) that stands as a central pillar of the Galma, elders, families, and youth came together in a vibrant display of thanksgiving (Galata) to Waaqaa (the Supreme Creator) and reverence for nature and ancestry.
The air was thick with the fragrance of burning incense (qumbii) and the sound of traditional hymns (weeduu) as the Qalluu (spiritual leader) guided the congregation through prayers for blessing, prosperity, and, above all, peace for the coming year. The central message of the celebration, as echoed by the organizers, was a heartfelt benediction for the entire Oromo nation: “May this New Year bring you peace, love, and unity!” (Barri kun kan nagaa, jaalalaafi tokkummaa isiniif haa ta’u!).
This public and dignified observance of Birboo carries deep significance in the contemporary context of Oromia. As Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group navigates complex social and political landscapes, the celebration at Walisoo Liiban served as a potent symbol of cultural resilience.
“Observing Birboo at our Galma is not just about marking a calendar,” explained an elder attending the ceremony. “It is about remembering who we are. It is about connecting our past to our future, grounding ourselves in the values of balance, respect for all creation, and community that Waaqeffannaa teaches. In praying for peace, we are actively willing it into being for our people.”
The sight of children learning the rituals and youths actively participating underscored a vital theme: the intergenerational transmission of indigenous knowledge and spirituality. The celebration was a living classroom, ensuring that the philosophy of Safuu (moral and ethical order) and the connection to the Oromo calendar, based on sophisticated astronomical observation, are not relegated to history books but remain a vibrant part of community life.
The event concluded with a communal meal, sharing of blessings, and a collective sense of renewal. As the sun set on the first day of 6420, the message from the Galma Amantaa at Walisoo Liiban was clear and resonant. It was a declaration that the Oromo spirit, guided by its ancient covenant with Waaqaa and nature, remains unbroken, steadfastly hoping for and working towards a year—and a future—defined by nagaa (peace), jaalala (love), and tokkummaa (unity).
Oromo Grievance: The Call for Historical Reckoning
News Feature: The Unfinished Burial – Oromo Grievance and a Call for Reckoning
FINFINNE – In a powerful and poignant declaration circulating within Oromo intellectual and activist circles, a statement titled “Our Grievance” (Dogongora keenya) lays bare a deep-seated historical pain and issues a stark challenge to the community’s present path. Framed not as a political manifesto but as a moral and cultural reckoning, the text articulates three core wounds that continue to fester, preventing collective healing and progress.
The statement’s first grievance cuts to the heart of historical memory. It accuses the Oromo people of having “abandoned the history of yesterday”—specifically, the foundational legacy of the Gadaa system and the sacrifices of those who fought to preserve Oromo identity. This, the authors argue, is a profound act of self-neglect, a failure to honor the very struggles that define the nation.
The second point presents a searing economic and spiritual critique. It states that the community has “failed to understand the value of land or the value of bone.” This evocative phrase unpacks a dual tragedy: the loss of ancestral territory (land) and the dishonoring of martyrs (bone). The text contends that while the physical land was lost, the greater failure lies in not ensuring that the sacrifice of those who died defending it was redeemed through continued, effective struggle. The declaration warns against a cyclical resignation where one generation’s defeat is accepted, hoping the next will simply be born into a new fight, rather than completing the unfinished work of the past.
The most direct and impassioned grievance addresses the legacy of state violence. It lists the targeted losses of “Oromo scholars, teachers, doctors, sheikhs, priests, artists, and Gadaa leaders,” accusing the community of a catastrophic failure: while knowing the perpetrators and witnessing ongoing atrocities, there has been a critical absence of holding them accountable. The text condemns this as both a failure to “settle the score” for crimes against the Oromo elite and, more damningly, a failure to “return and differentiate friend from foe,” suggesting a dangerous ambiguity in the face of oppression.
Analysis: Beyond Grievance, A Call for Cohesion
This “Dogongora” transcends a simple list of complaints. Analysts view it as a crucial internal dialogue, a mirror held up to the Oromo national movement at a complex juncture.
“It is a lamentation, but also a prescription,” says Dr. Lemmi Bula, a historian of Oromo studies. “The authors are diagnosing a crisis of continuity and accountability. The grievance about ‘bone’ versus ‘land’ is particularly profound—it asks whether we have honored the sacrifice of our heroes by building upon it strategically, or merely mourned them while the underlying conditions remain.”
The statement’s circulation comes amid ongoing conflict in the Oromia region and persistent debates over political strategy, representation, and reconciliation within Ethiopia. Its significance lies in its source: it is an introspective critique from within, demanding a higher standard of historical consciousness, strategic clarity, and moral resolve from the community itself.
A Community’s Response
The reaction among Oromo intellectuals and activists has been one of solemn reflection. Many agree the issues raised are fundamental. “It hurts because it is true,” shared activist Fayisa Lelisa. “We are quick to declare our heroes but slow to build the disciplined, unified institutions that would make their sacrifice truly meaningful. This is a wake-up call to move from mourning to a more purposeful honoring.”
There has been no official response from the Ethiopian government, to whom the indirect accusations of violence are aimed. The statement concludes not with a demand of the state, but with a challenge to the Oromo people: to reclaim their history, re-evaluate their struggle, and insist on justice for their fallen, framing these not as optional pursuits but as the essential duties required for true liberation.
As one elder, upon reading the text, summarized: “It is not enough to say we remember. We must build a future that makes the memory of our sacrifices proud.” The “Dogongora” now stands as a watershed document, compelling a nation to confront its deepest pains to chart a more coherent and honorable path forward.
Honoring the Guardians of the Struggle
Feature Commentary
“Galata Qabsaa’otaa…” – Honor the Warriors. These words resonate as a sacred debt of gratitude within the Oromo community, a recognition of those who risked everything when the price of freedom was ultimate sacrifice.
In the tumultuous years following the fall of the Derg regime, a period of profound uncertainty and danger descended upon Ethiopia. For many Oromo freedom fighters, the dawn of a new era brought not peace, but a brutal twilight. Stripped of legal protection, they became targets—some left to perish from untreated wounds by the roadside, others hunted and thrown into the shadows of prisons. It was a time of severe crisis, a test of collective conscience.
Amidst this pervasive fear in Finfinnee (Addis Ababa), a flicker of humanity refused to be extinguished. A handful of Oromo residents, themselves navigating a treacherous landscape, made a courageous choice. They became protectors, hiding wounded and wanted fighters in plain sight, providing not just shelter but life-saving medicine and care. Their homes became field hospitals; their quiet defiance, a shield against the state’s wrath.
Among these unsung heroes is Obbo Araggaa Qixxataa. Born and raised in Dirree Incinnii, Oromia, he had come to Finfinnee as a businessman, establishing his life for many years in the Birbirsa Goora area. But when history demanded more than commerce, he answered. His residence became a sanctuary, a critical node in a clandestine network of survival. The business acumen that guided his public life was redirected to the covert logistics of preservation—securing medicine, arranging safe passage, sustaining lives that the official order sought to erase. Today, residing in America, his legacy is not measured in capital but in the lives he helped safeguard. Galataa fi Kabaja Oromummaatu isaanif mala! Gratitude and respect for Oromummaa are his rightful due.
This act of remembrance is being formally honored. The organization Oromo Global has undertaken the vital mission of strengthening and recognizing these aging veterans of the struggle. By bestowing acknowledgments like the one upon Obbo Araggaa, they perform a critical act of historical preservation—ensuring that the quiet bravery of the past is not lost to the noise of the present.
The Bottom Line:
The story of Obbo Araggaa Qixxataa is a microcosm of a broader, often unrecorded history. It reminds us that liberation movements are not sustained by soldiers and speeches alone. They are nourished by the shopkeeper who shares his bread, the homeowner who opens her door, and the businessman who uses his resources to heal rather than just to profit. Honoring the warriors also means honoring their guardians.
As organizations like Oromo Global step forward to say “Galata haa argatan”—let them receive thanks—they are piecing together a fuller, more human tapestry of resistance. They affirm that in the economy of gratitude, the currency of courage spent in dark times never depreciates.
Irreechaa: For Peace and Reconciliation
By Girma Mirgisa Reba
Ethiopia is endowed with beautiful diversity and richness of cultures, which are celebrated at different times in the country. In particular, September is a month of festivals, holidays and celebrations around the country, among which, are Meskel festival and Irreechaa festival, thanksgiving of the Oromo people.
It also represents the start of Ethiopian New Year , symbolizing a stimulating time of change, thanksgiving and renewal, with the celebration of a series of cultural and religious festivals throughout the month. It is also a season when the landscape is dressed with the golden color of Ethiopian daisies, locally known as Adey Abeba flower.
Ethiopian New Year signifies a time of renewal, as the rainy season subsides leaving behind lush fields blooming with yellow daisies which adorns homes of many Ethiopians throughout September, and representing the spirit of peace, hope, harmony and love which come along the New Year.
Meskel, a UNESCO-inscribed intangible cultural heritage, is also celebrated by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians on Meskerem 27 and commemoration of the unearthing of the True Cross of Jesus. The Yo Yo Gifata of the Wolaita, Yo Masqalaa of the Gamo, Ya Hode of the Hadiya, Meskel of the Gurage, Hashu Masqala of the Kembata Tembaro, Gofa Gaze Masqalaa, and Mashqare-Kaficho, among others, adorn the month of September in southern part of the country by festivities and joy. It is also a time of attracting more tourists.
Similarly, the week-long Irreechaa cultural festival is observed by the Oromo people at the beginning of spring as a time of peace, reconciliation, unity and thanksgiving and forgiveness. Irreechaa is ‘Thanksgiving Day’ for the Oromo people after the end of the rainy season. It is celebrated for all things that Waqaa ‘God’ has done for people like bringing rain, peace, health, fertility, abundance, and for the beautiful weather they have cherished. In the course of Irreechaa festivals, thanks will be given for the achievements of last year and chanting for the hope and productivity of the future.
The Oromo people consider the winter; rainy season that lasts from June to September as the time of difficulty because the rainy season causes much muddy and the surroundings covered with heavy cloud. The heavy rains are also accompanied by thunder and cold weather. The weather conditions make life inconvenient for human movements. The heavy rains may cause rivers to over floods and family relationships to fall into difficulty. Therefore, the Irreechaa festival is all about rekindling about family connections, hope and joy. Friends and relatives who missed each other and the beautiful nature for a long time due to the rainy seasons long for getting together for the blessings and festival of Irreechaa by the Oromo people. It is also a season where sowed crops will blossom, get ripe and bear fruits.
Irreechaa is celebrated in different localities across Oromia and worldwide where Oromos are living. In particular, the Irreechaa festivity which is taking place at Hora Finfinne and Hora Arsadi in Bishoftu town, is a unique thanksgiving festival which brings together millions of people from all corners of Oromia and the country.
Irreechaa is a time for the Oromo people to celebrate their culture and traditions. People during the festival wear colorful traditional attires as well as sing and dance. It is one of the best festivities of Ethiopia where cultural singing and dancing are common. This grand festival attracts a large number of the Oromo people and people from all parts of the country regardless of age, religion, political affiliations and sex to come together and celebrate the festival with extraordinary love, chanting and unity. It is a time to honor nature and give thanks for the blessings of brotherhood.
The concept of peace and reconciliation are an important and integral part of the daily activities of the Oromo people. The Oromo preach peace and reconciliation and offer blessings during thanksgiving ceremonies of Irreechaa. The worldview of the Oromo is to forge unity, peace and social relations with other people. Peace is achieved when mankind is at peace with God, nature and all creations. According to the sayings of the Oromo“Peace is a gift from God; and peace is better than wealth.” This shows how much the Oromo people value peace.
The Oromo people love and respect their Creator, take care of nature, have a good relationship with God, and take the view that a person who does not have a good relationship with God will not have peace with man and other creatures either.
So, Irreechaa celebration is a manifestation where the whole walks of life practice chanting about peace and reconciliation. And all who participate in the chanting pray for the peace of the Earth, the country, children, elders, wish best for the present life and next generation as well as for livestock and all living things. Thanksgiving Day is where the Oromo people proclaim peace and reconciliation to all without revenge but with pure heart.
Forgiveness is central to the Ireechaa festival. Ireechaa is believed to be of great importance to those people who are able to give forgiveness for their intentional or unintentional grievances with other people.
The day of the festival is believed to be a day of peace, happiness, reconciliation, forgiveness and prosperity. Accordingly, before anyone celebrates Irreechaa, be they individuals or groups, resolving conflicts between them, reconciling, forgiving each other, establishing peace and reconciling with God are the preconditions to be observed. That is why the saying of the Oromo has it: “Yoo namni walitti araarame, Waaqnis namaaf araarama” which means “If a man is reconciled to a man, God is reconciled to man.”
In Irreechaa celebration where Oromo people celebrated this grand festival along with other nations and nationalities of this country. Since recently, not only Oromo people, but also different nations and nationalities in the country are celebrating the event together with their Oromo brothers and sisters. This in turn has been consolidating linkage among the nations and nationalities thereby strengthening the love, unity and harmony among Ethiopians. Such a festival serves as a significant forum to further exchange cultural values among the Ethiopian nations and nationalities.
Since the Gada System has been registered as one of the Intangible International Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, Irreechaa festival is also embraced by the international community at large as part and parcel of an ancient tradition of the Gada system. So, a lot is required from all stakeholders to promote this festival and exploit its tourism potential. It is also important to promote the significance of this grand festival at international level and get registered by UNESCO. The festival should also be celebrated in accordance with its values and assets and pass on to the next generation.
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