The Rastafari Youth Initiative Council (RYIC), in celebration of Empress Menen’s 120th birthday, bestowed honours on 13 matriarch of the Rastafari Faith at the Ashanti Restaurant at Hope Gardens on Sunday night.

The over five-hour long celebration culminated with some awesome musical presentations from a number of Rastafari reggae stalwarts as well as a few upcoming acts. Among the veterans were the Fyah Man Capleton, Bunny Wailer, Yasus Afari, Bongo Herman and Ras Melekot. The outstanding performer among the young ones, was Keteis with her composition Royal Woman dedicated to her mother Empress Elaine Walters, who was one the honourees.

The other honourees were 91-year-old Empress Gertrude Campbell, Empress Barbara Blake Hannah. Empress Pauline Petinaud, Empress Minnion Phillps, Empress Mama Farika Berhane, Empress Charlena Mc Kenzie, Empress Hyacinth Chambers, Empress Adassa Narine, Empress Joan Wright, Empress Dorett Townsend, Empress Christine Mundy and Empress Monica Harris.

A pre-recorded narration of the citation was done by Mutabaruka for each of the honourees. In keeping with the spirit of Empress Menen, the honourees were elavated for their work within the Rastafari community and contribution to the development and advancement of its cultural tradition.

Empress Menen Asfaw (Baptismal name Wolete Giyorgis) born March 25, 1883, was the wife of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, with whom she was crowned on Sunday, November 2, 1930.

Empress Menen was active in promoting women’s issues in Ethiopia. She was Patroness of the Ethiopian Red Cross, and the Ethiopian Women’s Charitable Organisation. She was also patroness of the Jerusalem Society that arranged for pilgrimages to the Holy Land. She founded the Empress Menen School for Girls in Addis Ababa, the first all girls school which had both boarding and day students. Girls from all over the Empire were brought to the school to receive a modern education, encouraged by the Empress who visited it often and presided over its graduation ceremonies. The Empress gave generously, as well as sponsored programmes for the poor, the ill and disabled. She was also a devoutly religious woman who did much to support the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. She built, renovated and endowed numerous churches in Ethiopia and in the Holy Land.

Walking in the tradition of Empress Menen, the Rastafari Youth Initiative Council which began in 2008, sees as its purpose, not only to organise and centralise Rastafari youth globally, but to ensure the operationalisation of the Rastafari Social Development Programme as well as the fulfillment of the ancient creed of Africa to let “the hungry be fed, naked be clothed, sick nourished, the age protected and the infants cared for.”

And to ensure also that youths are educated in the teachings and philosophies of HIM Haile Selassie 1 and within the various disciplines that will assist the Rastafari nation towards unity and sustainable development. To facilitate the growth of an entrepreneurial spirit among the Rastafari youth population and the wider community of Rastafari.