''The Sidama Lunar New Year, Fichchee, is an Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of Urgent Safeguarding'' Dr. Wolassa

Fichchee is a valuable and unique cultural heritage of the Sidama society, of Ethiopia, of Africa and the world. As provided in UNESCO's 2003 Convention on Intangible Cultural Assets, Fichchee, qualifies to be inscribed in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. As such it must be recognized and protected as national and world heritage. The Ethiopian government has indicated that it would send a request to UNESCO to register Fichchee and Meskel as two cultural world heritages in Ethiopia. Nevertheless, the onus is on the Sidama administration to take the lead to make sure that Fichchee is first recognized in the country as the national heritage and then proper documentation has been prepared by the Government of Ethiopia to submit to UNESCO to justify the demand for global recognition and protection.

The Sidama people both at home and in Diaspora wish to express their support to the current movement in Ethiopia to ensure the international recognition and protection to Fichchee and Meskel as the UNESCO global intangible cultural heritages. We wish to see these unique cultural assets of the world accorded the necessary national and global protection sooner than later.