Goh Magazine (Dawn)

Cover of GOH Magazine, Nehasse 1968 EC (1976 CE)

“In early 1976 EPRP and Meison engaged in a sizzling debate (without claiming authorship) in the government owned Amharic daily Addis Zemen — New Era — and Goh —Dawn — magazine over the kind of democracy needed at that particular point in time.” —Hiwot Teffera, Tower in the Sky, p.149

Cover of GOH Magazine, Miyazia 1968 EC (1976 CE)

EPRP's Democracia was widely circulated and influential, but it was an illegal, clandestine publication. Goh apparently skirted press restrictions and acted as a forum for left discussion and debate. Former EPRP member Mohamed Yimam, who was a staff writer at Goh, tells the story of the journal in his memoir Wore Negari. Here are a few excerpts:

“Goh came into being right after the February revolution. It was founded by two enterprising women, Sara and Mulu.... Goh became the magazine of choice for Zematcha students, teachers, and the most educated section of the population....

Goh had to pass government censorship to be published. While the situation was relatively liberal at this time, no one would write anything that was openly critical of the government. Goh, under the editorial guidance of Mezy, was pushing the envelope and testing the limits of the available freedom by writing more and more radical pieces that would have been unthinkable in previous periods....

[Later] the party had very much control of the magazine through the four of us. Neither Sara nor Mulu was ever bothered by what was now becoming an obvious association of the paper with EPRP, or if they did, they did not raise any objection.” —Wore Negari, pp. 75-80.

Cover of GOH Magazine, Sene 1968 EC (1976 CE)

I was blown away to discover an archive of Goh Magazine online at the website Yatewlid (The Generation), in downloadable PDFs. The covers shared here are from their archive. Even though I am only beginning to learn the Amharic alphabet, I've been excitedly rifling through these PDFs. I'm so happy these have been preserved!