Rumours About his Majesty

A house built on granite and strong foundations, not even the onslaught of pouring rain, gushing torrents, and strong winds will be able to pull down. Some people have written the story of my life, representing as truth what in fact derives from ignorance, error, or envy; but they cannot shake the truth from its place, even if they attempt to make others believe it.”
H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, My Life and Ethiopia’s Progress, Preface 1892-1937

Feeding body and soul

“Because peace cannot reign in an atmosphere reeking with poverty and hunger, we must explore and strengthen the means of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and enlightening the illiterate.” H.I.M Emperor Haile Selassie I

“The hungry may be fed, the naked clothed, the ignorant instructed, this must be seized on and exploited for the flower of peace is not sustained by poverty and want. To achieve this requires courage and confidence. The courage, I believe, we possess. The confidence must be created, and to create confidence we must act courageously.”
H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, October 6, 1963.
H.I.M. in Germany 8 Nov 1954 Kaldenkirchen

“Man, after all, is also composed of intellect and soul. Therefore, education in general, and higher education in particular, must aim to provide, beyond the physical, food for the intellect and soul. That education which ignores man’s intrinsic nature, and neglects his intellect and reasoning power can not be considered true education.” H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I

Education and Responsibility

“The person who, even while at school, realizes the needs of his country and has proper sense of values and urgency will see what is needed, and will be able to fill it. He need not be separated from his country and its culture before being prepared to handle a position of responsibility.”
H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, 1963 University graduation speech, July 2, 1963

African Civilization

“African civilization in its potential magnitude must be able to command fortitude, patience, tolerance, and diligence. To sustain us in all our tasks we count on the women of Africa. Without their relentless vigilance no aspect of our responsibilities can be attained. Women role has never been so demanding, and you can be proud to answer the call for the betterment and future of mankind” – His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, Dec. 14, 1960

“Civilization can serve man both for good as well as for evil purposes. Experience shows that it has invariably brought great dividends to those who use it for good purposes while it has always brought incalculable harm and damnation to those who use it for evil purposes. To make our wills obedient to good influences and to avoid evil, therefore, is to show the greatest wisdom.” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I From interview with editor of The Voice of Ethiopia April 5, 1948

Global Unification and International Security

“we also know that unity can be and has been attained among men of the most disparate origins, that differences of race, of religion, of culture, of tradition, are no insuperable obstacles to the coming together of peoples. History teaches us that unity is strength and cautions us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals, to strive with all our combined strength, for the path to true African brotherhood and unity.” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I Statement to the 1963 African Summit

“The noblest aspirations of man: abjuration of force in the settlement of disputes between states; the assurance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion; the safeguarding of international peace and security.” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, Spoken to the United Nations General Assembly on October 6, 1963

Economic Emancipation

“The basis of racial discrimination and colonialism has been economic, and it is with economic weapons that these evils have been and can be overcome.” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, October 6, 1963

Tribalism

“We feel that the fragmentation of a nation along tribal and ethnic lines is contrary to the will of survival and to the force of logic, because even for the tribes to survive they must stand together. Hence fragmentation along tribal lines is contrary to the nation’s survival, for there is no tribe strong enough by itself to defend its interests. Fragmentation is indeed contrary to the laws of nature itself.”- H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, Sudanese Negotiatons, February 29, 1972 H.I.M. Mediating successfully between southern Sudanese insurgents (the Anya Nya) and the Sudan government in Addis Ababa, 1972

Spiritual Power

“Led forward by spiritual power, man can reach the summit destined for him by the Great Creator.” H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, January 19, 1951

“Spiritual power is the eternal guide, in this life and the life after”
H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, January 19, 1951

Time

“Time is required, and experience, and trial and error. The processes and requirements of nature cannot be ignored of evaded. The child must first crawl, then walk, before it can run.”
H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, 1967

“Whatever the task may be, let everyone realize and be convinced that it will be accomplished at the proper time and age and that it is impossible to have it fulfilled either by just desiring it or by hurrying it unduly.” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, My Life and Ethiopia’s Progress, Preface 1892-1937

“God’s judgment will eventually visit the weak and the mighty alike”,
H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, My Life and Ethiopia’s Progress. Vol. 2,

African Liberation

“Africa was a physical resource to be exploited an Africans were chattels to be purchased bodily or, at best, peoples to be reduced to vassalage and lackeyhood. Africa was the market for the produce of other nations and the source of the raw materials with which their factories were fed. Today, Africa has emerged from this dark passage. Our Armageddon is past. Africa has been reborn as a free continent and Africans have been reborn as free men. The blood that was shed and the sufferings that were endured are today Africa’s advocates for freedom and unity. Those men who refused to accept the judgment passed upon them by the colonies, who held unswervingly through the darkest hours to a vision of an Africa emancipated from political, economic and spiritual domination, will be remembered and revered wherever Africans meet. Many of them never set foot on this continent. Others were born and died here.” — H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, May 23rd 1963

“The tribulations and afflictions which befell us during the past five years and which cannot be recounted and numbered in detail will be a great lesson to us all, and with industry, unity, co-operation and love engraved in your hearts, will be a great incentive to you to be my helpers in the affairs of Ethiopia which I have in mind. In the New Ethiopia I want you to be a people undivided and endowed with freedom and equality before the law.” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, Speech of May 5, 1941

Disarmament

“Were a real and effective disarmament achieved and the funds now spent in the arms race devoted to the amelioration of man’s state; were we to concentrate only on the peaceful uses of nuclear knowledge, how vastly and in how short a time might we change the conditions of mankind. This should be our goal.” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, United Nations General Assembly on October 6, 1963.

Repartriation

“Tell the Brethren to be not dismayed, I personally will give my assistance in the matter of repatriation.”- H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, 1961 to the Rastafarian delegation, which included Mortimer Planno. In 1961, the Jamaican government sent a delegation composed of both Rastafari and non-Rastafari leaders to Ethiopia to discuss the matter of repatriation, among other issues, with the Emperor. ‘The Rastafarians’ by Leonard E. Barrett

Justice

“Justice now took a road that had honour “since 1923 (= 1930) We had established a criminal code which provided that, every act that was criminal having been laid down in detail, whoever had committed a certain crime would pay such and such a fine or be imprisoned for such and such a period; consequently, We saw to it that arrest and release according to the judge’s whims ceased, i.e. that he could no longer benefit his friend and injure his enemy or impose fines as he pleased. Justice now took a road that had honour.” – H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, My Life and Ethiopia’s Progress, Chapter 12 1892-1937